Well I have to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised that the Browns actually got into the endzone—but with the break they caught on that tipped pass, they really had no excuse. However, Blane Gabbert and Maurice Jones-Drew have done well against the Browns D, and that's why the score is tied at 7 after two quarters of football.
Offensively, Colt McCoy has done some nice work, going 8/13 for 117 yards. 51 of those came on that nice pass to Jordan Norwood, who broke a tackle and sprinted down the field to set up Chris Ogbonnaya's touchdown run. Greg Little also caught a pass for 22 yards. Other than that...well...yawn. Ogbonnaya can't run the ball (again), as he only has 17 yards on nine carries. Booo! Also, no completions to Evan Moore yet.
On the defensive side, Blane Gabbert has presented more problems than probably anticipated as evidenced by his 11/17 for 97 yards first half. He did a great job of putting together their 18 play, 92 yard touchdown drive. Those are the kinds of things that can totally deflate a defense. Other than that, I guess the D has been alright—they've only given up 54 yards on 13 carries to Jones-Drew, a 4.2 average.
Honestly, there isn't much to say about this game. The Browns are still in it because of that ridiculous call on the pass interference review—the ball was definitely tipped. So maybe we'll get a couple good breaks towards the end of the game too. We probably deserve the karma after MJD did the LeBron chalk toss after he scored his touchdown. Booo!
Man this was a short halftime blurb...But I'll see you later for the Final Word.
~MAS
Showing posts with label Jaguars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jaguars. Show all posts
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Start Me Up - Browns vs. Jaguars
Alrightey, I've calmed down a bit since last week, but I'm still on the "Fire Pat Shurmur" train. To me, he's inept, he's daft, and he doesn't belong as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
But that's probably a post better saved for sometime later this week when I'm at home and basking in the glow of Thanksgiving Break (!!!). So for now, let's just get right to it with the Browns versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There's a lot of speculation surrounding this team as of late—if Jack Del Rio will be their coach after his contract runs out in this upcoming offseason, and whether they'll be the franchise to relocate to LA when that big new stadium opens. All that being said, they're not playing that poorly for a team with a rookie quarterback.
Yes, they have the same record as we do in 3-6, but they beat Baltimore on Monday Night Football. Not a bad gig, if you can do it. What sets this team up for wins like that is their dominant defense. So far they're ranked fourth in overall defense, with their passing D ranked fifth (we're first in that category! How bout that...) and their running D ranked fourteenth. Not bad at all for their defensive coordinator, Mel Tucker. And if that name sounds familiar, it should—he was the secondary coach for the Browns from '05-'07, and the D-coordinator in '08 under Romeo "Mr. Snuggles" Crenel.
So what does that mean for us? Well, I'm no sure it's particularly good news. The offense has been strugg-a-ling as of late, and I honestly don't think Shurmur is the coach that's going to make them get over the hump. I will say this, if they get into the endzone in the first quarter, I think they have a real shot to win. Now, do I think they'll actually do that? No, I really don't. But I've been wrong plenty of times before.
Colt McCoy is going to have to be flawless in order for the Browns to win this game. The Browns don't have a running game, despite what they did last week, and so Colt is going to have to find passing lanes to Watson, Little, Massaquoi (who's back today after his concussion) and Cribbs. Hopefully Evan Moore will find some passes thrown his way too—I don't understand why Shurmur doesn't use that big target more than he does.
The defense is going to have its hands full with Maurice Jones-Drew. The guy is small but extremely powerful and bursts through the line with authority. We're ranked 30th against the run, allowing 142.8 yards per game. If Del Rio is any kind of coach—which I think he is—he's going to pound the ball with MJD all...game...long... and only allow rookie Blane Gabbert to throw when absolutely necessary. That's what I would do against such a poor running defense.
So what do I think is going to happen? Well, I think the Factory of Sadness will once again earn its name. I'm sorry, but Browns D + MJD = Disaster, by my calculations. I think Colt will have another good game, but ultimately playing for field goals—which Shurmur said he'd "go to the wall" with—will probably let us down once again. Boo.
The Prediction: JAC 16 - CLE 12
No touchdowns for the Browns today, and one for the Jags late will seal the deal against the Browns.
I'll see you at the half...
~MAS
But that's probably a post better saved for sometime later this week when I'm at home and basking in the glow of Thanksgiving Break (!!!). So for now, let's just get right to it with the Browns versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There's a lot of speculation surrounding this team as of late—if Jack Del Rio will be their coach after his contract runs out in this upcoming offseason, and whether they'll be the franchise to relocate to LA when that big new stadium opens. All that being said, they're not playing that poorly for a team with a rookie quarterback.
Yes, they have the same record as we do in 3-6, but they beat Baltimore on Monday Night Football. Not a bad gig, if you can do it. What sets this team up for wins like that is their dominant defense. So far they're ranked fourth in overall defense, with their passing D ranked fifth (we're first in that category! How bout that...) and their running D ranked fourteenth. Not bad at all for their defensive coordinator, Mel Tucker. And if that name sounds familiar, it should—he was the secondary coach for the Browns from '05-'07, and the D-coordinator in '08 under Romeo "Mr. Snuggles" Crenel.
So what does that mean for us? Well, I'm no sure it's particularly good news. The offense has been strugg-a-ling as of late, and I honestly don't think Shurmur is the coach that's going to make them get over the hump. I will say this, if they get into the endzone in the first quarter, I think they have a real shot to win. Now, do I think they'll actually do that? No, I really don't. But I've been wrong plenty of times before.
Colt McCoy is going to have to be flawless in order for the Browns to win this game. The Browns don't have a running game, despite what they did last week, and so Colt is going to have to find passing lanes to Watson, Little, Massaquoi (who's back today after his concussion) and Cribbs. Hopefully Evan Moore will find some passes thrown his way too—I don't understand why Shurmur doesn't use that big target more than he does.
The defense is going to have its hands full with Maurice Jones-Drew. The guy is small but extremely powerful and bursts through the line with authority. We're ranked 30th against the run, allowing 142.8 yards per game. If Del Rio is any kind of coach—which I think he is—he's going to pound the ball with MJD all...game...long... and only allow rookie Blane Gabbert to throw when absolutely necessary. That's what I would do against such a poor running defense.
So what do I think is going to happen? Well, I think the Factory of Sadness will once again earn its name. I'm sorry, but Browns D + MJD = Disaster, by my calculations. I think Colt will have another good game, but ultimately playing for field goals—which Shurmur said he'd "go to the wall" with—will probably let us down once again. Boo.
The Prediction: JAC 16 - CLE 12
No touchdowns for the Browns today, and one for the Jags late will seal the deal against the Browns.
I'll see you at the half...
~MAS
Sunday, November 21, 2010
This One Hurts
When the game started, I had a bad feeling about the way it would turn out and all my fears were realized. This is a really tough loss for the Browns who fell to the Jaguars 24-20.
I predicted the Browns would win 23-10 earlier today, and yeah, I was way off base. I was just very confident that Colt McCoy and the Browns running game would have a dominant performance today. I usually start with the offense, but I just feel like there isn't much to say, other than the fact that there was virtually no running game in the second half. And the fact that we couldn't move the ball at all. I'm not sure if that's because of no halftime adjustments from Brian Daboll, or maybe we have horrendous wide receivers, or maybe Colt McCoy is not as good as we thought. But I just know that in his first 4 games, McCoy was not prone to taking sacks. He would get rid of the ball and find the open receiver if there was one. It just seemed to me that for some reason the offense was not prepared in the second half.
Defensively, the Browns did an excellent job of creating turnovers - it's just that the offense couldn't capitalize and get points. Rob Ryan's crew forced six turnovers. Yes, six turnovers and the Jaguars still won. To me, it's absolutely unacceptable to let a team win when they have six turnovers. I just can't get over that.
Can you tell I'm disappointed? The Browns played great teams the last r weeks and went 2-2. They played what I think is an average team, based on their statistics, and stunk up the place today. Eric Mangini has improved this team a great deal since just a year ago today, but the results have got to start showing. I know we live in Cleveland, but doesn't "Wait 'till next year" get old? 3-7 is not where this team should be, and I seriously hope that next week I don't have to write another disappointed post like this.
~MAS
I predicted the Browns would win 23-10 earlier today, and yeah, I was way off base. I was just very confident that Colt McCoy and the Browns running game would have a dominant performance today. I usually start with the offense, but I just feel like there isn't much to say, other than the fact that there was virtually no running game in the second half. And the fact that we couldn't move the ball at all. I'm not sure if that's because of no halftime adjustments from Brian Daboll, or maybe we have horrendous wide receivers, or maybe Colt McCoy is not as good as we thought. But I just know that in his first 4 games, McCoy was not prone to taking sacks. He would get rid of the ball and find the open receiver if there was one. It just seemed to me that for some reason the offense was not prepared in the second half.
Defensively, the Browns did an excellent job of creating turnovers - it's just that the offense couldn't capitalize and get points. Rob Ryan's crew forced six turnovers. Yes, six turnovers and the Jaguars still won. To me, it's absolutely unacceptable to let a team win when they have six turnovers. I just can't get over that.
Can you tell I'm disappointed? The Browns played great teams the last r weeks and went 2-2. They played what I think is an average team, based on their statistics, and stunk up the place today. Eric Mangini has improved this team a great deal since just a year ago today, but the results have got to start showing. I know we live in Cleveland, but doesn't "Wait 'till next year" get old? 3-7 is not where this team should be, and I seriously hope that next week I don't have to write another disappointed post like this.
~MAS
Browns Halftime Blurb, 11/20 Vs. Jaguars
You know, when the game started I actually had a pretty bad feeling about it. It seemed to me like the Browns were just going to have a let down game after their first drive. But then they came back, overcame a situation where they had 2nd and 21, and ended up going the distance on a 16-play, 92 yard drive that took 9:57 off of the clock to score a touchdown on a play that I didn't even know could happen in the Browns favor. I feel like that was just something teams could only do to the Browns. And then the D has a huge let down, allowing the Jaguars to score a late first half touchdown to put them up 10-7 going into the half.
Offensively, the Browns have looked pretty good - especially McCoy and Hillis. With Cribbs out for this game, you'd think there would be a few more opportunities for Massaquoi, Robiskie and Stuckey, but this just doesn't seem to be a wide-receiver friendly offense, to me. Thank goodness Ben Watson wasn't out for too long, because Robert Royal is just not the viable tight end passing option that we need. But back to that first combination, McCoy so far is having a great day statistically going 10/14 for 135 yards passing and a touchdown, and he also has 9 rushing yards. Hillis has been terrific with 12 rushes for 35 yards and 5 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll can make the proper adjustments to keep the Browns rolling in the second half.
Defensively, the Browns looked pretty good before the last Jacksonville drive where they allowed the touchdown. They didn't look horrible that drive either, but they weren't coming up with the timely plays that they needed in order to get out of the drive. Statistically, the Browns allowed David Garrard (who's name I have been spelling wrong since Wednesday...) to go 9/14 for 85 yards and a touchdown, and allowed Maurice Jones-Drew 46 yards on eight carries. The Browns also allowed the Jags to go 2/4 on 3rd down, a stat I think is really important because it shows if the defense can actually suspend drives when they have the chance.
I'm not sure what to really think about this game right now because the Browns have just looked so inconsistent. Whether or not the Browns win will depend on if they get their mess together in the locker room and come out with fire and intensity on Defense, as the Jags deferred to the second half. I think this is a really important game for Mangini and his coaching staff, as a 4-6 record looks a lot better than a 3-7 record - at least to me. See you after the game,
~MAS
Offensively, the Browns have looked pretty good - especially McCoy and Hillis. With Cribbs out for this game, you'd think there would be a few more opportunities for Massaquoi, Robiskie and Stuckey, but this just doesn't seem to be a wide-receiver friendly offense, to me. Thank goodness Ben Watson wasn't out for too long, because Robert Royal is just not the viable tight end passing option that we need. But back to that first combination, McCoy so far is having a great day statistically going 10/14 for 135 yards passing and a touchdown, and he also has 9 rushing yards. Hillis has been terrific with 12 rushes for 35 yards and 5 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll can make the proper adjustments to keep the Browns rolling in the second half.
Defensively, the Browns looked pretty good before the last Jacksonville drive where they allowed the touchdown. They didn't look horrible that drive either, but they weren't coming up with the timely plays that they needed in order to get out of the drive. Statistically, the Browns allowed David Garrard (who's name I have been spelling wrong since Wednesday...) to go 9/14 for 85 yards and a touchdown, and allowed Maurice Jones-Drew 46 yards on eight carries. The Browns also allowed the Jags to go 2/4 on 3rd down, a stat I think is really important because it shows if the defense can actually suspend drives when they have the chance.
I'm not sure what to really think about this game right now because the Browns have just looked so inconsistent. Whether or not the Browns win will depend on if they get their mess together in the locker room and come out with fire and intensity on Defense, as the Jags deferred to the second half. I think this is a really important game for Mangini and his coaching staff, as a 4-6 record looks a lot better than a 3-7 record - at least to me. See you after the game,
~MAS
New Look, New Post - "Browns Start Me Up"
If you're of the 7 loyal blog followers on the side of the page, don't be alarmed by the new look, it's still the same knucklehead writing about Cleveland sports. If you're new, why hello there! You won't notice anything different, but this is actually my first post since updating the look of the blog. There's a new background, a new font which I'm pretty sure is a little bigger, and there's the little page-view-counter on the right side of the page. I'll admit it - that's just an ego boost because it's proof that people actually click on the link. I hold on to the hope that the words are actually read.
But I thought with this new look, I'd take the Blog a step further and start putting together a little pre-game post that I'll call the "Browns Start Me Up." (Why yes, I did think of it from the Rolling Stones song, because "Brown Sugar" and "Honky Tonk Woman" just didn't seem to fit...) It only seemed logical, you know, since there's a halftime and a post-game post, why not do a pre-game one with a prediction? That's what this post is all about.
The Browns take on the Jacksonville Jaguars today down in Florida and I think this is going to be a very winnable game for them. Of course, the team in brown and orange is going to have to overcome substantial injuries to Josh Cribbs and Scott Fujita, two captains who I think are part of the heart and soul of this team. However, on offense, as long as Peyton Hillis is in the game and the offensive line is anchored by Joe Thomas, I think the Browns have a great chance to exploit the Jaguars rushing defense and dominate this game. I think this could also be the real break out game for Colt McCoy. At least I really hope so.
On the Defensive side, I'm sure Rob Ryan has put together a great defensive scheme to confuse David Gerrard. The Jags quarterback has had an inconsistent season, as he's been great in the team's 5 wins so far, but he's also been terrible in the team's losses. He completed a freak Hail Mary pass last week that Houston slapped down into the arms of a Jacksonville receiver which won the game for the Jags, but I'm hoping that today's game won't even come to that. I expect the Browns to come out firing aggressively on the D, but they'll have to wrap up and drive in order to sack Gerrard, who has the reputation for being elusive.
Maybe I'm not putting enough weight on the injuries to Josh Cribbs and Fujita, and maybe I'm not giving Jacksonville enough credit as a team because I remember how the Browns dominated them in the final game of last year, but I think the Browns are going to go out and have a great win today. When you think about it, the Browns have played 4 of the leagues toughest teams in their last 4 games, and they came out of that 2-2 - and that could have easily been 3-1. I think they'll make a great stride in becoming a good team from simply a competitive team and defeat the Jags today.
The Prediction: CLE 23 - JAC 10
See you at the half,
~MAS
But I thought with this new look, I'd take the Blog a step further and start putting together a little pre-game post that I'll call the "Browns Start Me Up." (Why yes, I did think of it from the Rolling Stones song, because "Brown Sugar" and "Honky Tonk Woman" just didn't seem to fit...) It only seemed logical, you know, since there's a halftime and a post-game post, why not do a pre-game one with a prediction? That's what this post is all about.
The Browns take on the Jacksonville Jaguars today down in Florida and I think this is going to be a very winnable game for them. Of course, the team in brown and orange is going to have to overcome substantial injuries to Josh Cribbs and Scott Fujita, two captains who I think are part of the heart and soul of this team. However, on offense, as long as Peyton Hillis is in the game and the offensive line is anchored by Joe Thomas, I think the Browns have a great chance to exploit the Jaguars rushing defense and dominate this game. I think this could also be the real break out game for Colt McCoy. At least I really hope so.
On the Defensive side, I'm sure Rob Ryan has put together a great defensive scheme to confuse David Gerrard. The Jags quarterback has had an inconsistent season, as he's been great in the team's 5 wins so far, but he's also been terrible in the team's losses. He completed a freak Hail Mary pass last week that Houston slapped down into the arms of a Jacksonville receiver which won the game for the Jags, but I'm hoping that today's game won't even come to that. I expect the Browns to come out firing aggressively on the D, but they'll have to wrap up and drive in order to sack Gerrard, who has the reputation for being elusive.
Maybe I'm not putting enough weight on the injuries to Josh Cribbs and Fujita, and maybe I'm not giving Jacksonville enough credit as a team because I remember how the Browns dominated them in the final game of last year, but I think the Browns are going to go out and have a great win today. When you think about it, the Browns have played 4 of the leagues toughest teams in their last 4 games, and they came out of that 2-2 - and that could have easily been 3-1. I think they'll make a great stride in becoming a good team from simply a competitive team and defeat the Jags today.
The Prediction: CLE 23 - JAC 10
See you at the half,
~MAS
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A Little Mid-Week Filler...
So when I said on Sunday afternoon that the post-game Browns blog would be late, I didn't actually think it would be this late, but here I am and here it is. Although I"m going to go into a few other hot topics around the NFL, I'll start with the Browns.
Finding Ways to Win Late
I think it's safe to say that's just something the Browns don't exactly know how to do at this point. I'm not trying to take anything away from what they did do on Sunday, because taking the Jets to the final 30 seconds of overtime is an accomplishment in and of itself. Colt McCoy leading the Browns to a 59 yard 10 play drive just to force the overtime is also an accomplishment in and of itself. What I mean is simply that the Browns haven't yet turned the corner from being a competitive team to a good team. I think it's clear that we're the best 3-6 team in the league right now, but I think the Browns have got to continue to try and improve each week. A loss is a loss, right? This league doesn't see "moral victories" as anything more that losses, and losses equate to coaches losing their jobs. I don't think that's the route Mike Holmgren is going to take with Eric Mangini at this point, but it's important that the Browns go out and win these next few games coming up.
One thing about the end of the game that sort of bothered me was the play calling on offense when the Browns got the ball back at the 3 yard line after Joe Haden's interception. Now, I've heard some critical talk about Haden catching the ball instead of just knocking it down to force the Jets to punt, but let's really think about the situation. All Haden is thinking about is getting the ball back for his offense and at that moment, I'd imagine it's really hard to think about anything but securing the ball and making sure the Jets receiver (who happened to be Braylon Edwards) doesn't catch it. I can't have a problem with him making an INT at that point, because that's pure instinct.
What I do have a problem with is the fact that Daboll didn't seem to know what he wanted to do after the Browns got the ball. If you want to pass - which it appeared like they did when McCoy came out firing to Ben Watson down the field - great! If you want to run the clock out or get some space - as they did on the 2nd down inside running play to Peyton Hillis - you really ought to do that on first down. When you do it on second down, and you don't get into 3rd and manageable territory (which I define as 3rd and 4 yards or less) you're really putting yourself into a huge hole, especially given the way the Jets can blitz the crap out of a good offensive line. Obviously, that's exactly what the Jets did and McCoy was wise enough to get out of the endzone before taking a sack.
I really liked most of what the Browns did in this game, and I really think they should have won it. I'm sure we all do. Something my high school football coach, Cliff Walton, told the team once is, "A football game is not won or lost on any one play," and I believe that's true. I say that because I don't think it's fair at all to blame Chansi Stuckey for the loss because he fumbled in overtime. Granted, that was a big play and I think that drive probably would have led to at least a game winning field goal, but think of all the less-than-one-minute possessions the Browns had in the second half where they went 3-and-out. There are so many opportunities to make plays in a football game, that looking at one and saying "That's it!" just doesn't work to me.
That being said, the Browns really need to have a good win this week against the Jaguars. It would be wonderful to see Peyton Hillis run all over them the way Jerome Harrison did in the final game of last season. It would also be great to see Colt McCoy to have a breakout game against a so-so defense. I also think Rob Ryan can put together a good defense to confuse the inconsistent quarterback of the Jags, David Gerrard, although it might be a little more difficult to contain the ever elusive Maurice Jones-Drew. We'll see what happens on Sunday, but I'm thinking it's going to be a big Browns win.
Getting Embarrassed
Several teams got their mess kicked this week in the NFL and ought to be ashamed of themselves. The Kansas City Chiefs, the New York football Giants, and the Washington Redskins all came out and couldn't even put together a competitive game against the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. I'll sort of let the Redskins off the hook a little bit because the Eagles are a pretty good team, but there's still no way that anyone should lose 59-28, I'm sorry.
The Chiefs and Giants should be ashamed because they let teams who were on a complete down slide kick them around like it was nothing. Sure, Jason Garrett (a University School graduate, for the record) is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' golden boy coach, but that team is still the most overrated bunch of lugs in the league and the Giants should have been able to handle them at home. The Chiefs let the Broncos, who have also looked awful in their last few games, get out to a 28-0 lead in the first two quarters before they could scrap together a touchdown and a field goal to make it 35-10 going into the half. And then Head Coach of the Chiefs, Todd Haley, refused to shake Head Coach of the Broncos, Josh McDaniels', hand because Haley, as I understand it, didn't like the attitude of the Broncos sideline. Really Todd Haley? If you're that bitter about losing to a division rival like that, maybe you should have had a better game plan. Or how about you just worry about coaching your own team who just got embarrassed by a pretty bad team in your division. Don't do the "I'm not going to shake your hand" high school crap.
But to go back to the Eagles-Redskins game, I think this means Michael Vick is back. All you animal lovers who want to continue to condemn this guy, I'm sorry, but the guy did the time for his crime, and now he's back and better than ever. He completed his first 10 passes and led the Eagles out to a 35-0 lead after the first play of the 2nd quarter. Talk about being embarassed... Vick finished the game 20/28 for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns, passing, and he also ran 8 times for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns. Incidentally, former Brown Jerome Harrison led the Eagles in rushing with 11 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown. (What has Mike Bell done since coming to the Browns, you ask? Well, nothing. But that's exactly what Harrison was going to do, so get over it.) Going back to Vick, he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards, rush for 50 yards, throw for 4 touchdowns and run for 2 touchdowns in a game.
On the other sideline, Donovan McNabb, fresh off his new five-year $78 million contract extension, with $40 million guaranteed, did not have a good night going 17/31 for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns, but 3 interceptions - all of which came on 3rd down. I'm not entirely sure why in the world the Redskins would sign a guy who is 34 years old and clearly on the downside of his career to a $40 million guaranteed money contract, but maybe they know something about McNabb I don't. Or maybe this is just another one off the famous bad moves that the Redskins are so prone to making over the last decade.
Wow, that was a long post. I'm shocked you actually took the time to read this far. In any case, I'll be back on Sunday for the Browns game. Until then, I'll be in wizard-mode as I'm going to see Harry Potter Thursday night (!!!). See you Sunday,
~MAS
Finding Ways to Win Late
I think it's safe to say that's just something the Browns don't exactly know how to do at this point. I'm not trying to take anything away from what they did do on Sunday, because taking the Jets to the final 30 seconds of overtime is an accomplishment in and of itself. Colt McCoy leading the Browns to a 59 yard 10 play drive just to force the overtime is also an accomplishment in and of itself. What I mean is simply that the Browns haven't yet turned the corner from being a competitive team to a good team. I think it's clear that we're the best 3-6 team in the league right now, but I think the Browns have got to continue to try and improve each week. A loss is a loss, right? This league doesn't see "moral victories" as anything more that losses, and losses equate to coaches losing their jobs. I don't think that's the route Mike Holmgren is going to take with Eric Mangini at this point, but it's important that the Browns go out and win these next few games coming up.
One thing about the end of the game that sort of bothered me was the play calling on offense when the Browns got the ball back at the 3 yard line after Joe Haden's interception. Now, I've heard some critical talk about Haden catching the ball instead of just knocking it down to force the Jets to punt, but let's really think about the situation. All Haden is thinking about is getting the ball back for his offense and at that moment, I'd imagine it's really hard to think about anything but securing the ball and making sure the Jets receiver (who happened to be Braylon Edwards) doesn't catch it. I can't have a problem with him making an INT at that point, because that's pure instinct.
What I do have a problem with is the fact that Daboll didn't seem to know what he wanted to do after the Browns got the ball. If you want to pass - which it appeared like they did when McCoy came out firing to Ben Watson down the field - great! If you want to run the clock out or get some space - as they did on the 2nd down inside running play to Peyton Hillis - you really ought to do that on first down. When you do it on second down, and you don't get into 3rd and manageable territory (which I define as 3rd and 4 yards or less) you're really putting yourself into a huge hole, especially given the way the Jets can blitz the crap out of a good offensive line. Obviously, that's exactly what the Jets did and McCoy was wise enough to get out of the endzone before taking a sack.
I really liked most of what the Browns did in this game, and I really think they should have won it. I'm sure we all do. Something my high school football coach, Cliff Walton, told the team once is, "A football game is not won or lost on any one play," and I believe that's true. I say that because I don't think it's fair at all to blame Chansi Stuckey for the loss because he fumbled in overtime. Granted, that was a big play and I think that drive probably would have led to at least a game winning field goal, but think of all the less-than-one-minute possessions the Browns had in the second half where they went 3-and-out. There are so many opportunities to make plays in a football game, that looking at one and saying "That's it!" just doesn't work to me.
That being said, the Browns really need to have a good win this week against the Jaguars. It would be wonderful to see Peyton Hillis run all over them the way Jerome Harrison did in the final game of last season. It would also be great to see Colt McCoy to have a breakout game against a so-so defense. I also think Rob Ryan can put together a good defense to confuse the inconsistent quarterback of the Jags, David Gerrard, although it might be a little more difficult to contain the ever elusive Maurice Jones-Drew. We'll see what happens on Sunday, but I'm thinking it's going to be a big Browns win.
Getting Embarrassed
Several teams got their mess kicked this week in the NFL and ought to be ashamed of themselves. The Kansas City Chiefs, the New York football Giants, and the Washington Redskins all came out and couldn't even put together a competitive game against the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. I'll sort of let the Redskins off the hook a little bit because the Eagles are a pretty good team, but there's still no way that anyone should lose 59-28, I'm sorry.
The Chiefs and Giants should be ashamed because they let teams who were on a complete down slide kick them around like it was nothing. Sure, Jason Garrett (a University School graduate, for the record) is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' golden boy coach, but that team is still the most overrated bunch of lugs in the league and the Giants should have been able to handle them at home. The Chiefs let the Broncos, who have also looked awful in their last few games, get out to a 28-0 lead in the first two quarters before they could scrap together a touchdown and a field goal to make it 35-10 going into the half. And then Head Coach of the Chiefs, Todd Haley, refused to shake Head Coach of the Broncos, Josh McDaniels', hand because Haley, as I understand it, didn't like the attitude of the Broncos sideline. Really Todd Haley? If you're that bitter about losing to a division rival like that, maybe you should have had a better game plan. Or how about you just worry about coaching your own team who just got embarrassed by a pretty bad team in your division. Don't do the "I'm not going to shake your hand" high school crap.
But to go back to the Eagles-Redskins game, I think this means Michael Vick is back. All you animal lovers who want to continue to condemn this guy, I'm sorry, but the guy did the time for his crime, and now he's back and better than ever. He completed his first 10 passes and led the Eagles out to a 35-0 lead after the first play of the 2nd quarter. Talk about being embarassed... Vick finished the game 20/28 for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns, passing, and he also ran 8 times for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns. Incidentally, former Brown Jerome Harrison led the Eagles in rushing with 11 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown. (What has Mike Bell done since coming to the Browns, you ask? Well, nothing. But that's exactly what Harrison was going to do, so get over it.) Going back to Vick, he became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards, rush for 50 yards, throw for 4 touchdowns and run for 2 touchdowns in a game.
On the other sideline, Donovan McNabb, fresh off his new five-year $78 million contract extension, with $40 million guaranteed, did not have a good night going 17/31 for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns, but 3 interceptions - all of which came on 3rd down. I'm not entirely sure why in the world the Redskins would sign a guy who is 34 years old and clearly on the downside of his career to a $40 million guaranteed money contract, but maybe they know something about McNabb I don't. Or maybe this is just another one off the famous bad moves that the Redskins are so prone to making over the last decade.
Wow, that was a long post. I'm shocked you actually took the time to read this far. In any case, I'll be back on Sunday for the Browns game. Until then, I'll be in wizard-mode as I'm going to see Harry Potter Thursday night (!!!). See you Sunday,
~MAS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)