I have to say, seeing the Browns in person yesterday may have changed the way I think about the team and the way they've progressed this season. Yes, they finished 4-12, and that is not something I would ever make excuses for—especially after how we were supposed to see something better than the 5-11 record the team achieved under two consecutive seasons under Eric Mangini—but I think there are definitely things that we can take from these last string of games and improve upon.
But first things first—the Browns did lose their season finale against the Steelers 13-9 to drop their divisional record to a terrible 0-6 on the season. Honestly, if you can't beat the teams in your division, you're never going to make it in this league. I think the Browns know that and their effort on the field the last couple weeks shows it, but when it comes down to it, no wins against divisional opponents is unacceptable.
If you want to find positives, however, look no further than the Browns D. Not only did they wreck Rashard Mendenhall's ACL to end his season (and possibly some of the Steelers playoffs dreams), but they only allowed 13 points to that team in black and gold. That brings the total points given up to the Steelers in two games this season to 27. Yes the Steelers scored just twenty-seven points in two games and our offense is so bad that we couldn't win either of them! We can chalk that up to things I find ridiculous.
Another positive comes from D'Qwell Jackson, who was able to achieve his goal of playing all 16 games this season and recorded a team-high 13 tackles in the final contest. Well, let's give him some more credit—not only was he able to play, but he really should be the NFL Comeback Player of the Year as he led the Browns with 158 tackles on the year, and played darn near every single defensive snap. He may be a free agent in this upcoming offseason, but I expect him to be the leader of the Browns defense for years to come.
On the offensive side of the ball, Josh Cribbs was the lone bright spot. I remember last year that Cribbs had a pretty good repor with Seneca Wallace, so it was nice to see that work yet again. Cribbsie had seven catches for 91 yards—season highs in both categories. Even though Cribbs is widely regarded as a special teams player that would be a 3rd receiver at best on most elite teams, you have to love how he steps up and plays in big games.
But honestly, that's pretty much wehre the positives end.
Let's talk about Seneca Wallace, who, according to this article by the PD's Mary Kay Cabot, wants a shot at being the Browns starting QB next year. My response to those laughable comments could be a post in and of itself, but I'll just say here that going 16/41 for 177 yards, no touchdowns and an interception doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Wallace also has an ugly tendency to throw off of his back foot when he's trying to evade pressure—a trait that leads to under-thrown passes and interceptions. Speaking of INTs, the one he threw to Troy Polamalu was plain stupid—I could tell throwing it in Owen Marecic's direction when he's going against arguably the best safety in the league was a bad idea from the upper deck.
Also, as I feared in the Start Me Up, Peyton Hillis really didn't have a good game only gaining 30 yards on 10 carries. Of course, part of the lack of yards is the lack of carries and also the fact that his knee got banged up in the second half, but it was still a quiet day from someone who's looking for a job either here or elsewhere next season.
It's also worth mentioning that rookie Greg Little was targeted five times and caught zero passes. He dropped at least one at the end of the game—the Hail Mary pass—and besides that I'm sure he dropped at least one more, although I can't pinpoint exactly when.
But when it comes down to it, the bottom line is simply that the Browns just aren't good enough offensively to beat the Steelers. When Wallace had his big scramble in the second quarter to get the Browns inside the Steelers 10 yard line, they needed to score a touchdown there, not a field goal. The elite teams with elite offenses get that done, and it's so obvious that the Browns need more impact players on offense in order to do that.
I'll have a more in-depth wrap-up of the season and what I think the Browns should focus on this season in the next few days.
Until then, enjoy the beginning of 2012 everybody.
~MAS
Showing posts with label Seneca Wallace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seneca Wallace. Show all posts
Monday, January 2, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Start Me Up - Browns vs. Steelers
At long last, this Browns season will come to an end today around 7 o'clock. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) I'll be there to see it.
There are a whole lot of aspects of the game that the Browns haven't done well—offense, special teams and running defense to just name a few—but we can get to all of that at a later date, as right now it's time to focus on this New Years Day matchup.
First off, I think it's pretty darn unfortunate that Colt McCoy won't get another shot at going up against the Steelers after James Harrisonnearly killed him concussed him over three weeks ago. The fact that McCoy went back into that game without being checked and now still can't play certainly isn't a ringing endorsement of the Browns medical staff either. But as we've seen, Seneca Wallace has the ability to move the ball with the Browns offense. However, with the Steelers having so much to play for—the #1 seed in the AFC could fall to them if enough happens in their favor—I'd expect those guys in black and gold to come after Wallace with all they've got.
Fortunately, Peyton Hillis is healthy and could maybe be effective running the ball. The running back (who I think should definitely be re-signed) gained 112 yards on 24 carries last week against Baltimore, a team known for their staunch running D. The problem is that Hillis has had little to no success against Pittsburgh in his three games with the Browns. He gained just 41 yards on 12 carries in Colt McCoy's first NFL start last year at Heinz Field, then 13 yards on six carries in the final game Eric Mangini coached for the Browns—a humiliating 41-9 loss at the Factory of Sadness—and finally 25 yards on 10 carries a few weeks ago.
So what does all that mean? Well, it sure doesn't spell "s-u-c-c-e-s-s" for the Browns on the surface—especially with Seneca "I think I'm better than I actually am" Wallace at the helm. (I still can't believe he changed a pass to a run at the end of the half against the Ravens. That's inexcusably ridiculous.)
Also not spelling success is the fact that Ben Roethlisberger practiced all week and should be healthy after the Browns almost broke his ankle in Pittsburgh. I'm almost positive the Steelers are going to want to score early and often to bury the Browns so that they can take Big Ben out and rest him—just in case they have to play next week. I'd also look for the Steelers to run the ball like wild men, because the Browns have shown time and time again since '99 that they just can't stop it.
Do I think the Browns will win? Absolutely not. But then again, as I've mentioned in a Start Me Up or two before, there's usually one game that the Browns win out of nowhere. And as much as I've ripped head coach Pat Shurmur this season, he still has his players going out there and fighting each week. Nobody has scored more than 31 points against the Browns—something most teams can't say—and they've only allowed 30+ points twice. If the Browns had any kind of offense, we'd probably be at least 7-9.
But I digress, let's get to the bottom line.
The Prediction: PIT 31 - CLE 13
Phil Dawson will hit two field goals in some blustery conditions, but the Steelers will dominate. They just have way too much to play for so they won't be messing around at all today.
As I said in the intro, I'll actually be in attendance at the Factory of Sadness today, which menas that there won't be a halftime blurb. I know I didn't do one last week, but look for a Final Word to come either sometime tonight or in the near future. And then we'll do a season wrap-up shortly after that.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
~MAS
There are a whole lot of aspects of the game that the Browns haven't done well—offense, special teams and running defense to just name a few—but we can get to all of that at a later date, as right now it's time to focus on this New Years Day matchup.
First off, I think it's pretty darn unfortunate that Colt McCoy won't get another shot at going up against the Steelers after James Harrison
Fortunately, Peyton Hillis is healthy and could maybe be effective running the ball. The running back (who I think should definitely be re-signed) gained 112 yards on 24 carries last week against Baltimore, a team known for their staunch running D. The problem is that Hillis has had little to no success against Pittsburgh in his three games with the Browns. He gained just 41 yards on 12 carries in Colt McCoy's first NFL start last year at Heinz Field, then 13 yards on six carries in the final game Eric Mangini coached for the Browns—a humiliating 41-9 loss at the Factory of Sadness—and finally 25 yards on 10 carries a few weeks ago.
So what does all that mean? Well, it sure doesn't spell "s-u-c-c-e-s-s" for the Browns on the surface—especially with Seneca "I think I'm better than I actually am" Wallace at the helm. (I still can't believe he changed a pass to a run at the end of the half against the Ravens. That's inexcusably ridiculous.)
Also not spelling success is the fact that Ben Roethlisberger practiced all week and should be healthy after the Browns almost broke his ankle in Pittsburgh. I'm almost positive the Steelers are going to want to score early and often to bury the Browns so that they can take Big Ben out and rest him—just in case they have to play next week. I'd also look for the Steelers to run the ball like wild men, because the Browns have shown time and time again since '99 that they just can't stop it.
Do I think the Browns will win? Absolutely not. But then again, as I've mentioned in a Start Me Up or two before, there's usually one game that the Browns win out of nowhere. And as much as I've ripped head coach Pat Shurmur this season, he still has his players going out there and fighting each week. Nobody has scored more than 31 points against the Browns—something most teams can't say—and they've only allowed 30+ points twice. If the Browns had any kind of offense, we'd probably be at least 7-9.
But I digress, let's get to the bottom line.
The Prediction: PIT 31 - CLE 13
Phil Dawson will hit two field goals in some blustery conditions, but the Steelers will dominate. They just have way too much to play for so they won't be messing around at all today.
As I said in the intro, I'll actually be in attendance at the Factory of Sadness today, which menas that there won't be a halftime blurb. I know I didn't do one last week, but look for a Final Word to come either sometime tonight or in the near future. And then we'll do a season wrap-up shortly after that.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
~MAS
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Start Me Up - Browns @ Cardiñals
It may be an inside joke with some of my high school football buddies, but I seriously enjoy putting the "˜" over the "n" in Cardinals.
But that's not what you're here for, regardless of however I decide to write it, the Browns are in sunny Arizona to play their game today. Who's optimistic?
Well...I am. Sort of. Let's call it cautious optimism.
Seneca Wallace will get the start today as Colt McCoy was still showing signs of a concussion late in the week and hadn't practiced. Colt is hopeful that he'll be able to play next week at Baltimore, but we'll see.
So we've got Seneca, the backup quarterback who made four starts last season. Granted, under Mangini and Daboll, Wallace wasn't running the offense he had become so comfortable with in his seven seasons in Seattle—with most of those being under current Browns President Mike Holmgren. So now that he's back in a comfortable spot with the West Coast offense, what can we expect to see this week?
Well, probably some improvement. Wallace has always been a pretty accurate passer, as his lifetime completion percentage is 60.5 percent. He's also stayed away from interceptions, as he's only thrown 16 compared to 29 career touchdowns. All of that is good news for the Browns, who are playing their very capable backup today.
We've already seen that Wallace can be effective in a pinch. He did it last week against the Steelers—throwing one of the best passes we've seen all year come from a Browns quarterback by leading Evan Moore perfectly on a deep out route to the five yard line. When he made spot starts last year after Jake Delhomme went down with an ankle sprain, we saw how Seneca is very capable of leading a team down the field to score.
My concern is that Wallace is going to do well for a while—say the first half—and then the Cardiñals are going to figure out what Wallace is doing and stop it. We also saw last year that Wallace can make some pretty poor throws or just plain stupid decisions. I believe it was against the Bengals that Wallace tried to throw a screen pass and the cornerback was right there to jump the throw and returned it for a touchdown. The Browns can't afford for Wallace to do that today if they want to win today.
If—but probably when—Seneca does well today, it might have a lot more to do with the fact that Arizona's defense is ranked 21st in the league, and the last three Browns opponents have been ranked in the top 10. It's interesting to note that the Browns are 7th in the league in giving up just 19.5 poins per game, while the Cardinals are 18th at 22.2. Let's hope the law of averages plays out today.
Defensively, the Browns are really going to have their hands full. Yes, we're ranked #2 in passing defense, but when you're 31st in the league in rushing defense by giving up 150 yards per game on the ground who needs to pass? With Larry Fitzgerald's height and all around #beatstmode ability, Joe Haden could have a tough day. And I don't even want to think about the damage former OSU running back Beanie Wells could inflict on the Browns D. If I were Arizona's head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, I'd ground 'n pound with Wells all day long until the Browns prove they can stop it.
Another concern is special teams. It's a darn shame that one of the strongest aspects of this team in years past has boken down so much this year, but especially given rookie Patrick Peterson's ability, I really think the Browns could be in trouble. In his rookie season, Peterson has tied the single season for punt returns for touchdowns with four. And based on this game winner against the Rams a few weeks ago, I could see him breaking the record today against the Browns lousy group.
I believe it was Colt McCoy (or perhaps Joe Thomas) that said once this season that if the Browns play "perfectly" on every play, then they can compete with anybody. But absolutely no team can be perfect on every play. And it's ludicrous to expect that. So based on everything I've said above, here's the bottom line.
The Prediction: ARI 24 - CLE 20.
Seneca Wallace will probably get us in a position to win, but then another special teams breakdown will lose it. It's just the sad reality of this football team right now, but I just don't think good things are in the Cards (ha...ha...) today.
I'll see you at the half,
~MAS
But that's not what you're here for, regardless of however I decide to write it, the Browns are in sunny Arizona to play their game today. Who's optimistic?
Well...I am. Sort of. Let's call it cautious optimism.
Seneca Wallace will get the start today as Colt McCoy was still showing signs of a concussion late in the week and hadn't practiced. Colt is hopeful that he'll be able to play next week at Baltimore, but we'll see.
So we've got Seneca, the backup quarterback who made four starts last season. Granted, under Mangini and Daboll, Wallace wasn't running the offense he had become so comfortable with in his seven seasons in Seattle—with most of those being under current Browns President Mike Holmgren. So now that he's back in a comfortable spot with the West Coast offense, what can we expect to see this week?
Well, probably some improvement. Wallace has always been a pretty accurate passer, as his lifetime completion percentage is 60.5 percent. He's also stayed away from interceptions, as he's only thrown 16 compared to 29 career touchdowns. All of that is good news for the Browns, who are playing their very capable backup today.
We've already seen that Wallace can be effective in a pinch. He did it last week against the Steelers—throwing one of the best passes we've seen all year come from a Browns quarterback by leading Evan Moore perfectly on a deep out route to the five yard line. When he made spot starts last year after Jake Delhomme went down with an ankle sprain, we saw how Seneca is very capable of leading a team down the field to score.
My concern is that Wallace is going to do well for a while—say the first half—and then the Cardiñals are going to figure out what Wallace is doing and stop it. We also saw last year that Wallace can make some pretty poor throws or just plain stupid decisions. I believe it was against the Bengals that Wallace tried to throw a screen pass and the cornerback was right there to jump the throw and returned it for a touchdown. The Browns can't afford for Wallace to do that today if they want to win today.
If—but probably when—Seneca does well today, it might have a lot more to do with the fact that Arizona's defense is ranked 21st in the league, and the last three Browns opponents have been ranked in the top 10. It's interesting to note that the Browns are 7th in the league in giving up just 19.5 poins per game, while the Cardinals are 18th at 22.2. Let's hope the law of averages plays out today.
Defensively, the Browns are really going to have their hands full. Yes, we're ranked #2 in passing defense, but when you're 31st in the league in rushing defense by giving up 150 yards per game on the ground who needs to pass? With Larry Fitzgerald's height and all around #beatstmode ability, Joe Haden could have a tough day. And I don't even want to think about the damage former OSU running back Beanie Wells could inflict on the Browns D. If I were Arizona's head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, I'd ground 'n pound with Wells all day long until the Browns prove they can stop it.
Another concern is special teams. It's a darn shame that one of the strongest aspects of this team in years past has boken down so much this year, but especially given rookie Patrick Peterson's ability, I really think the Browns could be in trouble. In his rookie season, Peterson has tied the single season for punt returns for touchdowns with four. And based on this game winner against the Rams a few weeks ago, I could see him breaking the record today against the Browns lousy group.
I believe it was Colt McCoy (or perhaps Joe Thomas) that said once this season that if the Browns play "perfectly" on every play, then they can compete with anybody. But absolutely no team can be perfect on every play. And it's ludicrous to expect that. So based on everything I've said above, here's the bottom line.
The Prediction: ARI 24 - CLE 20.
Seneca Wallace will probably get us in a position to win, but then another special teams breakdown will lose it. It's just the sad reality of this football team right now, but I just don't think good things are in the Cards (ha...ha...) today.
I'll see you at the half,
~MAS
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Start Me Up - Ravens vs. Browns
I've got a new, sleek, awesomely-wonderful-in-every-way MacBook Pro and this is the first blog coming to you from this fine piece of machinery as the 10-4 Baltimore Ravens come into snowy Cleveland to take on the 5-9 Browns. A lot has been said about the Browns losing two consecutive games to 2-win teams (surprisingly, little by me) and head coach Eric Mangini's chances of keeping his job, but for now the Browns have still got the Mangenius so we'll have to see what they can get done today.
If you go back to the game these two teams played way back week 3 of the season in September, the Browns put up a valiant fight in the loss. They had the lead in the fourth quarter before blowing it when Anquan Boldin caught a 27 yard pass to cap off a touchdown drive, and then Billy Cundiff added a field goal to seal the deal. That game, Seneca Wallace was 18/24 for 141 yards passing and a touchdown, but Peyton Hillis was huge with 144 yards on 22 carries. We've already heard Ray Lewis come out this week to say that's not going to happen again, and I believe him. People just don't run on the Ravens like that two times in one season.
The key to this game on the offensive side will be if we can establish and then maintain balance with the run and pass. Now, I'm pretty sure you could say that with just about every game you come across, because who doesn't want balance in their offensive game plan? But I think it's especially important this week as they are clearly going to be keeping bodies in the box to stop Hillis and at the same time will undoubtedly blitz the heck out of Colt McCoy in clear passing situations. It's going to come down to if the Browns can get enough yards on first and second down to make "Third-and-Manageable" situations, so third-and-three, or third-and-four. If there's ever a third-and-long, look out for the blitzkrieg.
Defensively, the Browns are going to have a tough time dealing with both Ray Rice and Joe Flacco. Both have had solid seasons, with Rice rushing for 1,051 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Flacco throwing for 3,395 and 23 touchdowns, good for a 94.8 rating that's 7th in the NFL (6th if you don't count Tony Romo). Although Rice is widely regarded as one of the best in the league, it's really not because he goes over 100 yards rushing each week - it's the receptions. He has 62 of them for 556 yards and a touchdown so far this season. Last week, the Ravens beat the New Orleans Saints behind Rice's best game of the season as he had 153 yards on 31 carries, 80 yards on 5 receptions, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. You add in wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason, who have 813 yards and 718 yards, respectively, and you can see why defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has certainly had his hands full.
The Browns did a nice job defensively during the first three quarters of the Baltimore game earlier this season, and I think a big part of the breakdown was Flacco challenging Eric Wright who just was not up to it. That was before the emergence of Joe Haden, and Wright has since been placed on the Injured Reserve list, so I doubt we'll see Bolden catch 8 passes for 142 yards and 3 TDs again. It would have been really nice to have Scott Fujita back this week for run support, but he has also been placed on that IR, which meas everyone else has to be on their A-game for run support. The Browns cannot afford to let Rice run all over them like they did with Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott last week.
Do I think the Browns can pull out a win today? Well, I certainly hope so. But based on the way this team has played since they lost to the Jets back in week 10, I just don't really see it happening. As an optimist, I hope they do. I hope they can get the win to maybe help Mangini keep his job. Rob Ryan gave the head coach a shining endorsement earlier this week, and said that it would be dumb to blow up everything now. I think he's right about that. But will I predict the Browns to win today?
Nah...The Ravens could be a championship-caliber team, and they're not going to let the Browns play the role of "Spoiler" today.
The Prediction: BAL 30 - CLE 20
See you at the half,
~MAS
If you go back to the game these two teams played way back week 3 of the season in September, the Browns put up a valiant fight in the loss. They had the lead in the fourth quarter before blowing it when Anquan Boldin caught a 27 yard pass to cap off a touchdown drive, and then Billy Cundiff added a field goal to seal the deal. That game, Seneca Wallace was 18/24 for 141 yards passing and a touchdown, but Peyton Hillis was huge with 144 yards on 22 carries. We've already heard Ray Lewis come out this week to say that's not going to happen again, and I believe him. People just don't run on the Ravens like that two times in one season.
The key to this game on the offensive side will be if we can establish and then maintain balance with the run and pass. Now, I'm pretty sure you could say that with just about every game you come across, because who doesn't want balance in their offensive game plan? But I think it's especially important this week as they are clearly going to be keeping bodies in the box to stop Hillis and at the same time will undoubtedly blitz the heck out of Colt McCoy in clear passing situations. It's going to come down to if the Browns can get enough yards on first and second down to make "Third-and-Manageable" situations, so third-and-three, or third-and-four. If there's ever a third-and-long, look out for the blitzkrieg.
Defensively, the Browns are going to have a tough time dealing with both Ray Rice and Joe Flacco. Both have had solid seasons, with Rice rushing for 1,051 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Flacco throwing for 3,395 and 23 touchdowns, good for a 94.8 rating that's 7th in the NFL (6th if you don't count Tony Romo). Although Rice is widely regarded as one of the best in the league, it's really not because he goes over 100 yards rushing each week - it's the receptions. He has 62 of them for 556 yards and a touchdown so far this season. Last week, the Ravens beat the New Orleans Saints behind Rice's best game of the season as he had 153 yards on 31 carries, 80 yards on 5 receptions, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. You add in wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason, who have 813 yards and 718 yards, respectively, and you can see why defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has certainly had his hands full.
The Browns did a nice job defensively during the first three quarters of the Baltimore game earlier this season, and I think a big part of the breakdown was Flacco challenging Eric Wright who just was not up to it. That was before the emergence of Joe Haden, and Wright has since been placed on the Injured Reserve list, so I doubt we'll see Bolden catch 8 passes for 142 yards and 3 TDs again. It would have been really nice to have Scott Fujita back this week for run support, but he has also been placed on that IR, which meas everyone else has to be on their A-game for run support. The Browns cannot afford to let Rice run all over them like they did with Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott last week.
Do I think the Browns can pull out a win today? Well, I certainly hope so. But based on the way this team has played since they lost to the Jets back in week 10, I just don't really see it happening. As an optimist, I hope they do. I hope they can get the win to maybe help Mangini keep his job. Rob Ryan gave the head coach a shining endorsement earlier this week, and said that it would be dumb to blow up everything now. I think he's right about that. But will I predict the Browns to win today?
Nah...The Ravens could be a championship-caliber team, and they're not going to let the Browns play the role of "Spoiler" today.
The Prediction: BAL 30 - CLE 20
See you at the half,
~MAS
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A Little Late Victory Review & Quarterback Chat
Well, this is clearly a few days late, but my travel back to the great city of New York was unbelievably treacherous and left me way too jaded to get the blog in - especially after missing the entire first half of the Browns 24-23 victory over the Panthers on Sunday. However, I would like to get a little review of the game in and then go on to a couple other things on my mind...
Take the Victory Over the Loss
From what I saw, the Browns tried way too hard to lose their game to arguably the worst team in the NFL. As I alluded to in the intro, I didn't get to see the first half of the game and so my perspective may be a bit skewed, but I think Jake Delhomme looked awful. I don't want to hang the veteran out to dry because he did go 24/35 for 245 yards, but he threw two key interceptions in the second half that allowed Carolina to gain momentum and put them back in the game. Really, the only reason the Browns won that game was because Carolina's kicker, John Kasay, missed the last second field goal. Coach Mangini has said this week that the first interception Delhomme threw was not so bad (and I'll have to take his word for it since I didn't see it), but to me there is no defending the second. Watching the game on my 17-inch-screen laptop with the choppy DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket internet feed, I could tell Delhomme shouldn't have tried to force a late throw along the sideline to Massaquoi. In all of the games he's played so far this season, Delhomme has tried to force throws into places where they just do not belong. He did it against the Buccaneers in the first game of the season, which led to him getting his ankle sprained and the Bucs got a chance to score right before the half as well. He threw an ill-advised pass during the Falcons game where the defensive lineman was able to tip the ball and then make an incredible diving catch. Delhomme has just got to stop making mistakes that a savvy veteran such as himself should not be making.
That being said, who do I think should start at Quarterback this Sunday at Miami? If he was healthy, I'd say Colt McCoy. Seneca Wallace showed a nice ability to run the offense as well when he was starting earlier this season for the injured Delhomme, but he also had a tendency to make ill advised throws when he wasn't making nice plays with his legs. That leaves us with Delhomme, who despite how awful he looked last week was still a heck of a lot better than the now 3rd-string Brady Quinn or the laughing Mr. Hot Head, Derek Anderson.
What Delhomme does give the Browns offense is the added dimension of something many around the league call Wide Receivers. Now I'm not entirely sure what these creatures are, but apparently most teams in the NFL use them quite often to throw passes to - rather than the tight ends and running back. And, this is the most interesting fact of all, we've had some all season! Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie are the first two that stood out to me from the game against Carolina. How about that...
In all seriousness, Delhomme did help incorporate Massaqoui and Robiskie into the offense where McCoy has just not done that very much when we've seen him play. Robiskie had the best game of his young career - which, if I'm honest, isn't saying much - with 7 catches for 50 yards, and Massaqoui had 4 catches for 52 yards. My argument for Delhomme that goes against Seneca Wallace would be that in the games Wallace started, the only wide receiver who really established a good chemistry with him was Josh Cribbs - and it's starting to look like Cribbs will either be out or at least limited in action this week. It might also have been a little bit of rust that Delhomme needed to shake off in order to really get back into the game.
But This Week...
The Browns are playing a Miami team which had a pretty dominant performance against Oakland, where they held the Raiders to only 16 yards rushing. That being said, it was only on 12 rushing attempts, but still, you're talking about a team which is coming off a fantastic rushing defensive performance with an average of 1.3 yards-per-rush. You've got to think they're going to be amped up to face the bruising Peyton Hillis. Miami has a good team but their recent Quarterback injuries have probably had an impact on their schedule. Bill Parcells undoubtedly did a wonderful job turning around the franchise, and even though he has left his post his mark still remains.
I think the Browns would be wise to stick with a heavy ground attack plan, as Delhomme has revealed himself to be shaky and unreliable (at best) so far this season. Chad Henne is back in the starting saddle, and Brandon Marshall should also be back from his injury this week which could pose a problem for the Browns secondary. I think the Browns will have a good chance to win if the secondary steps up and the rest of the defense remembers how to tackle - which has been a real problem the past few weeks.
Until Sunday, if you're going to the Cavs game tomorrow, give LeQuit a piece of your mind for me.
~MAS
Take the Victory Over the Loss
From what I saw, the Browns tried way too hard to lose their game to arguably the worst team in the NFL. As I alluded to in the intro, I didn't get to see the first half of the game and so my perspective may be a bit skewed, but I think Jake Delhomme looked awful. I don't want to hang the veteran out to dry because he did go 24/35 for 245 yards, but he threw two key interceptions in the second half that allowed Carolina to gain momentum and put them back in the game. Really, the only reason the Browns won that game was because Carolina's kicker, John Kasay, missed the last second field goal. Coach Mangini has said this week that the first interception Delhomme threw was not so bad (and I'll have to take his word for it since I didn't see it), but to me there is no defending the second. Watching the game on my 17-inch-screen laptop with the choppy DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket internet feed, I could tell Delhomme shouldn't have tried to force a late throw along the sideline to Massaquoi. In all of the games he's played so far this season, Delhomme has tried to force throws into places where they just do not belong. He did it against the Buccaneers in the first game of the season, which led to him getting his ankle sprained and the Bucs got a chance to score right before the half as well. He threw an ill-advised pass during the Falcons game where the defensive lineman was able to tip the ball and then make an incredible diving catch. Delhomme has just got to stop making mistakes that a savvy veteran such as himself should not be making.
That being said, who do I think should start at Quarterback this Sunday at Miami? If he was healthy, I'd say Colt McCoy. Seneca Wallace showed a nice ability to run the offense as well when he was starting earlier this season for the injured Delhomme, but he also had a tendency to make ill advised throws when he wasn't making nice plays with his legs. That leaves us with Delhomme, who despite how awful he looked last week was still a heck of a lot better than the now 3rd-string Brady Quinn or the laughing Mr. Hot Head, Derek Anderson.
What Delhomme does give the Browns offense is the added dimension of something many around the league call Wide Receivers. Now I'm not entirely sure what these creatures are, but apparently most teams in the NFL use them quite often to throw passes to - rather than the tight ends and running back. And, this is the most interesting fact of all, we've had some all season! Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie are the first two that stood out to me from the game against Carolina. How about that...
In all seriousness, Delhomme did help incorporate Massaqoui and Robiskie into the offense where McCoy has just not done that very much when we've seen him play. Robiskie had the best game of his young career - which, if I'm honest, isn't saying much - with 7 catches for 50 yards, and Massaqoui had 4 catches for 52 yards. My argument for Delhomme that goes against Seneca Wallace would be that in the games Wallace started, the only wide receiver who really established a good chemistry with him was Josh Cribbs - and it's starting to look like Cribbs will either be out or at least limited in action this week. It might also have been a little bit of rust that Delhomme needed to shake off in order to really get back into the game.
But This Week...
The Browns are playing a Miami team which had a pretty dominant performance against Oakland, where they held the Raiders to only 16 yards rushing. That being said, it was only on 12 rushing attempts, but still, you're talking about a team which is coming off a fantastic rushing defensive performance with an average of 1.3 yards-per-rush. You've got to think they're going to be amped up to face the bruising Peyton Hillis. Miami has a good team but their recent Quarterback injuries have probably had an impact on their schedule. Bill Parcells undoubtedly did a wonderful job turning around the franchise, and even though he has left his post his mark still remains.
I think the Browns would be wise to stick with a heavy ground attack plan, as Delhomme has revealed himself to be shaky and unreliable (at best) so far this season. Chad Henne is back in the starting saddle, and Brandon Marshall should also be back from his injury this week which could pose a problem for the Browns secondary. I think the Browns will have a good chance to win if the secondary steps up and the rest of the defense remembers how to tackle - which has been a real problem the past few weeks.
Until Sunday, if you're going to the Cavs game tomorrow, give LeQuit a piece of your mind for me.
~MAS
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Trades, Injuries and Colt McCoy?
There's a lot going on with the Browns this week, so I figured I'd do a little self-indulging with a midweek blog post.
First off, the Browns traded their former starting running back Jerome Harrison to the Philadelphia Eagles today for another running back, Mike Bell. I was a little surprised when I first read about it but after getting over the initial shock the trade seems to make a lot of sense from the Browns perspective. I've written about it and I've seen Terry Pluto write about it for the Plain Dealer - it just seemed like Harrison was not at all the same running back that put up 286 yards rushing against the Chiefs, and led the Browns offense to winning their last four games last season. It was widely reported that Harrison was unhappy about his role on the team now that Peyton Hillis has taken the bull by the horns in his role as starting running back, and, to me, that was clear by his play on the field. Hopefully there aren't too many hard feelings from Harrison as he parts ways from the Browns organization - though I will say that on some levels it seems like the Browns organization never truly appreciated his talent.
Now Mike Bell comes over from the Eagles where he was probably deemed expendable because of the emergence of their second year running back LeSean McCoy. Bell rejoins linebacker Scott Fujita on the Browns as they were both a part of the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints last season. He's in his fifth season in the NFL after making the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2006. His most productive seasons were his rookie season and then also last season, where he started three games and had over between 650-700 yards in both seasons. I think it's pretty clear that he's coming here because Browns General Manager Tom Heckert thinks highly of him and it was probably easy to make the deal with Heckert's former team.
There are also a few issues with quarterbacks and their sprained ankles on the Browns this week. According the Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer, Eric Mangini is now leaning towards starting Colt McCoy this week versus the Pittsburgh Steelers because of the high ankle sprains to both Jake Delhomme and Senece Wallace. Needless to say, this is not what Mike Holmgren envisioned for McCoy's first game in the NFL, but it looks like it's going to have to happen. I was really pleased with the way Holmgren came out right after McCoy was drafted to say that the plan for this year was for him to sit, watch and learn, but it really looks like the only smart thing to do is to play the kid at this point.
Look at it this way, McCoy has got some kind of competitive drive. He is the most winning quarterback in college football history, threw for 112 touchdowns, and had a completion percentage of 70.2 in his four years at Texas. He's been in the system, learning, getting reps since training camp and even though he's a rookie, I think he gives the Browns a better chance to win this week than Brett Ratliff. I also don't think it's a good idea to play Seneca Wallace when he's hurt, based on the fact that he needs his mobility and we also saw what happened to Delhomme when he was playing hurt last week.
I (sort of reluctantly) have to say that it's time to play Colt McCoy. Best case scenario? We've got the quarterback we thought we drafted. Worst case? Well...let's not even think about that. Until Sunday, Go Browns!
~MAS
First off, the Browns traded their former starting running back Jerome Harrison to the Philadelphia Eagles today for another running back, Mike Bell. I was a little surprised when I first read about it but after getting over the initial shock the trade seems to make a lot of sense from the Browns perspective. I've written about it and I've seen Terry Pluto write about it for the Plain Dealer - it just seemed like Harrison was not at all the same running back that put up 286 yards rushing against the Chiefs, and led the Browns offense to winning their last four games last season. It was widely reported that Harrison was unhappy about his role on the team now that Peyton Hillis has taken the bull by the horns in his role as starting running back, and, to me, that was clear by his play on the field. Hopefully there aren't too many hard feelings from Harrison as he parts ways from the Browns organization - though I will say that on some levels it seems like the Browns organization never truly appreciated his talent.
Now Mike Bell comes over from the Eagles where he was probably deemed expendable because of the emergence of their second year running back LeSean McCoy. Bell rejoins linebacker Scott Fujita on the Browns as they were both a part of the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints last season. He's in his fifth season in the NFL after making the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2006. His most productive seasons were his rookie season and then also last season, where he started three games and had over between 650-700 yards in both seasons. I think it's pretty clear that he's coming here because Browns General Manager Tom Heckert thinks highly of him and it was probably easy to make the deal with Heckert's former team.
There are also a few issues with quarterbacks and their sprained ankles on the Browns this week. According the Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer, Eric Mangini is now leaning towards starting Colt McCoy this week versus the Pittsburgh Steelers because of the high ankle sprains to both Jake Delhomme and Senece Wallace. Needless to say, this is not what Mike Holmgren envisioned for McCoy's first game in the NFL, but it looks like it's going to have to happen. I was really pleased with the way Holmgren came out right after McCoy was drafted to say that the plan for this year was for him to sit, watch and learn, but it really looks like the only smart thing to do is to play the kid at this point.
Look at it this way, McCoy has got some kind of competitive drive. He is the most winning quarterback in college football history, threw for 112 touchdowns, and had a completion percentage of 70.2 in his four years at Texas. He's been in the system, learning, getting reps since training camp and even though he's a rookie, I think he gives the Browns a better chance to win this week than Brett Ratliff. I also don't think it's a good idea to play Seneca Wallace when he's hurt, based on the fact that he needs his mobility and we also saw what happened to Delhomme when he was playing hurt last week.
I (sort of reluctantly) have to say that it's time to play Colt McCoy. Best case scenario? We've got the quarterback we thought we drafted. Worst case? Well...let's not even think about that. Until Sunday, Go Browns!
~MAS
Sunday, October 10, 2010
You Can't Win Without a Healthy Quarterback
I'm a little disgusted by the Browns 20-10 loss to the Falcons today, but when I really think about this game I know there's a lot the men in the orange helmets did well today. However, the injuries in this game were just too much for the Browns to overcome today and they really just didn't get anything going in the second half.
Offensively, I've got to start with Jake Delhomme's - to put it politely - less than stellar performance. He was only 13/23 for 97 yards and those two ugly interceptions, one of which was the knife in the stomach from defensive lineman Kory Biermann who tipped the pass, intercepted it on a diving catch, and then returned it 41 yards for the touchdown. Now, I'm by no means trying to justify Delhomme's poor outing today, but the guy was not the starting quarterback, and apparently for good reason. The guy was clearly not healthy and looked jumpy, skiddish, and all around uncomfortable in the pocket early in the second half. That being said, if he's healthy, which he hasn't been all season, I think he does give the Browns a decent chance to win.
On another hand we have the Browns (lack of) rushing offense today, which was plain old offensive. I don't have to tell you again how much I love Peyton Hillis, but he was also hurting today. This actually created an opportunity for Jerome Harrison to assert himself once again as an important piece of this offense, but he didn't capitalize on it at all. I wrote in the halftime blurb that he was running timidly as William Green used to do, and that continued well into the second half. Harrison only had 6 yards on 6 carries, the longest of which was a 2 yard run.
The fact that Harrison was totally uninterested in running the ball today just put more pressure on Brian Daboll to find ways of moving the ball down the field, which in turn put pressure on Delhomme to win the game all by himself. But I think Harrison also had an egregious mistake on Biermann's interception. When I saw that replay during the game, Bierrman came free, uncontested in his path to the quarterback. But guess who was coming out of the backfield to Biermann's side of the field for a pass? If you guessed Jerome Harrison, you'd be correct. On that play, Harrison has got to do something to break up that path - I don't believe that play lets the defender go totally free. I'm not saying Harrison has to go out and block him, because he was probably the intended target of Delhomme's pass, but he ought to at least chip that defender while he's coming out of the backfield. If that had happened, I don't know that Delhomme would've thrown that interception.
But that's enough about Harrison. I think we've got to once again give Rob Ryan and his defensive squad some props for holding the Falcons to one offensive touchdown and two field goals. The defense really tightened up when it got down there, and the only real mistake they made all day was the 45 yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Roddy White. Though they gave up 165 rushing yards, this game was the first all year that they had a 100 yard rusher against them. And that wouldn't have happened without that brain fart of a 55 yard run for Michael Turner, who ended the day with 140 yards.
I was talking with my best friend Linus just after the game today, and he said something that I really think is true: The Browns are a 1-4 team that could be 5-0. When you look at it they've led 4 of their 5 ballgames in the 4th quarter, but right now this team just cannot finish. Again, today I really think that might have had more to do with injuries than anything else yet this is still a disappointing start to the season. On the flip side of that, I've got to hand it to the coaches because the Browns have been competitive in each and every game so far this season which starts with the schemes. However, the Browns need to get healthy this week and work in practice to eliminate the self-inflicting wound penalties that have killed us all season - especially today. Hopefully either Wallace or Delhomme will be 100% healthy next week, because if not it might be a grim day against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
~MAS
Offensively, I've got to start with Jake Delhomme's - to put it politely - less than stellar performance. He was only 13/23 for 97 yards and those two ugly interceptions, one of which was the knife in the stomach from defensive lineman Kory Biermann who tipped the pass, intercepted it on a diving catch, and then returned it 41 yards for the touchdown. Now, I'm by no means trying to justify Delhomme's poor outing today, but the guy was not the starting quarterback, and apparently for good reason. The guy was clearly not healthy and looked jumpy, skiddish, and all around uncomfortable in the pocket early in the second half. That being said, if he's healthy, which he hasn't been all season, I think he does give the Browns a decent chance to win.
On another hand we have the Browns (lack of) rushing offense today, which was plain old offensive. I don't have to tell you again how much I love Peyton Hillis, but he was also hurting today. This actually created an opportunity for Jerome Harrison to assert himself once again as an important piece of this offense, but he didn't capitalize on it at all. I wrote in the halftime blurb that he was running timidly as William Green used to do, and that continued well into the second half. Harrison only had 6 yards on 6 carries, the longest of which was a 2 yard run.
The fact that Harrison was totally uninterested in running the ball today just put more pressure on Brian Daboll to find ways of moving the ball down the field, which in turn put pressure on Delhomme to win the game all by himself. But I think Harrison also had an egregious mistake on Biermann's interception. When I saw that replay during the game, Bierrman came free, uncontested in his path to the quarterback. But guess who was coming out of the backfield to Biermann's side of the field for a pass? If you guessed Jerome Harrison, you'd be correct. On that play, Harrison has got to do something to break up that path - I don't believe that play lets the defender go totally free. I'm not saying Harrison has to go out and block him, because he was probably the intended target of Delhomme's pass, but he ought to at least chip that defender while he's coming out of the backfield. If that had happened, I don't know that Delhomme would've thrown that interception.
But that's enough about Harrison. I think we've got to once again give Rob Ryan and his defensive squad some props for holding the Falcons to one offensive touchdown and two field goals. The defense really tightened up when it got down there, and the only real mistake they made all day was the 45 yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Roddy White. Though they gave up 165 rushing yards, this game was the first all year that they had a 100 yard rusher against them. And that wouldn't have happened without that brain fart of a 55 yard run for Michael Turner, who ended the day with 140 yards.
I was talking with my best friend Linus just after the game today, and he said something that I really think is true: The Browns are a 1-4 team that could be 5-0. When you look at it they've led 4 of their 5 ballgames in the 4th quarter, but right now this team just cannot finish. Again, today I really think that might have had more to do with injuries than anything else yet this is still a disappointing start to the season. On the flip side of that, I've got to hand it to the coaches because the Browns have been competitive in each and every game so far this season which starts with the schemes. However, the Browns need to get healthy this week and work in practice to eliminate the self-inflicting wound penalties that have killed us all season - especially today. Hopefully either Wallace or Delhomme will be 100% healthy next week, because if not it might be a grim day against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
~MAS
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