A couple of weeks ago, I would've chalked this one up as a game the Browns would win easily. Now? Not so much.
First off, it looks like we're going to be without Peyton Hillis after that hamstring injury PR fiasco that happened last week. Despite the fact that the Browns haven't been running the ball well, when you take away the only player that defenses might fear, it's clearly not a good thing. Montario Hardesty will get his second start of his young career, and the last time he started a game he played pretty well. But that was against the Dolphins—a team that still hasn't won a game. If the Browns are going to win today, they're going to need Hardesty to not only run the ball better, but catch the ball too. He was regarded as a good receiving back, and we need to see that in action since so far he's shown nothing but stone hands.
Speaking of offense, we really need to buck this trend of only starting to play it in the second quarter. The Browns have scored a grand total of 3—yes three—points in five first quarters sof ar this season. That's ridiculous. To me, it speaks volumes about the way head coach Pat Shurmur just hasn't had his team prepared to start the game. I know he's a young, first-time head coach, but there's no excuse for the way the Browns have driven the struggle bus in the first quarter.
Other than that, we'll have to look out for Seattle's no huddle offense. Charlie Whitehurst will probably get the start with Tavaris Jackson out with an injury, and Whiethurst proved to be pretty effective with that offense in Seattle's last game against the Giants. Yes, the Giants struggled in that game and Eli Manning may have thrown it away with his three interceptions, but they won that game.
One thing that plays in the Browns favor with the no-huddle element is that they don't substitute much on defense. I read from Terry Pluto that by and large Dick Jauron stays in his base defense, with the linebackers D'Qwell Jaackson and Scott Fujita playing 90% or more of the snaps, with TJ Ward, Sheldon Brown, Jayme Mitchell, Jabaal Sheard and Athyba Rubin also rarely being out of the game. If Joe Haden is healthy enough to play today, he'll be in there the whole time too. So the point is that even if they go no huddle, it shouldn't mess us up too much. That being said, it'll largely depend on Jackson to make sure the defense gets lined up correctly in those cases, especially with Fujita out this week after suffering a concussion.
Alright, so what's the bottom line today? Well...I just don't have a good feeling about it. No Peyton Hillis. No Scott Fujita. Seahawks coming off of a bye week, and off a great win against the Giants. All those elements seem to spell "Browns will lose" to me...
The Prediction: SEA 24 - CLE 17
It might be a late touchdown that seals it, or Seattle will run Marshawn Lynch all over the field and we'll score in garbage time to make the score look better than it really is, but when it comes down to it, I just don't think the Browns will have the personnel available to win today. It's not even that Seattle is that good, I just think we're that bad.
I hope I'm wrong.
See you at the half,
~MAS
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Well...That Wasn't Pretty
Okay, I know I wasn't expecting the Browns to win today but...man. Wow.
First off, the offense was in a word, offensive. This whole "west coast offense" thing is really on my nerves. Case in point—we had the ball on the one yard line. First down and one. What do we do? We throw a freaking play action pass to freaking Alex Smith! We have Peyton Hillis! Run the damn football! Ground 'n Pound!
Maybe that's just not the offense we should expect, but if I'm a head coach—better yet, if I'm an offensive lineman, that's what I want. We need one yard, we should never have to pass the football. Never. And yes, I know we got the touchdown, but that is always going to bother me.
Speaking of having Peyton Hillis...Oh, where to start on this one. What in the wide, wide world of sports are the Browns doing with him right now? We come out in the third quarter down 14-7, this guy is on the sideline without a helmet. Everybody wonders, "WTF is up?!" and the Browns beat writers tweet that the Browns say there's nothing wrong with him, it's a "coaches decision." Then, they tweet that Hillis pulled his hamstring. And about a minute later, he's in the game! Then we hear he was only in there for pass protection, and that he can't actually run the ball. I don't know who is running PR over there for the Browns, but Holmgren seriously needs to decide if this guy needs to be fired or not, because this is way past ridiculous.
If Hillis is hurt, fine, he's hurt. But don't say he's not hurt, then he is hurt, and then put him into the game! That just means you're putting the player at risk if that's true. And this is all happening on Shurmur's watch, and I'm really not his biggest fan right now.
First off, the way he handled Hillis not playing the Miami game is disgusting. Hillis literally lost 10 pounds, had a fever, and I'm sure his throat was killing him. I've had really bad strep throat, it sucks the life out of you. And for Shurmur to go on the podium and say, "It's my understanding that Peyton was sick," is absolutely absurd. He should've said "Peyton was sick and couldn't go, if you'd lost 10 pounds in a week and had a fever, you probably wouldn't be going to work either." I think that's logical, no?
But I digress, the real issue at hand with Shurmur is that his offense right now just can't get a darn thing going. And it's such a shame too, because the defense has played remarkably well. The defensive unit only gave up 10 points today—the other 14 came from horrendous special teams play.
Taking a look at the stats, Colt McCoy threw way too many times yet again today, completing just 21 of his 45 attempts for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. Why is he passing so much? Well because the Browns refuse to do anything offensively in the first quarter, so they start out down, and then have to pass. Plus, with Hillis being hurt, Hardesty just doesn't seem ready to take the full load of the offense. Oakland's defense was not ranked well at all against the run, and we really should've been able to at least get 100 yards total, but the offensive line couldn't get their reach blocks all day long, meaning there were no outside lanes. The most telling stat of all from the running game? The longest run of the day from a running back was Hardesty for 7—yes just seven—yards. That's never going to be good enough.
The defensive side of the ball continues to impress in some ways, but disappoint in others. They got fairly lucky that Jason Campbell had to come out of the game, because when he was at the helm they really couldn't stop the Raiders on third downs. They did hold Darren McFadden to under 100 yards, with 91 on 20 carries, but all told the Raiders had 40 carries for 151 yards.
But the biggest offender of the day was the special teams unit. I said this in the Halftime Blurb, I believe, but I don't know that we ever had a touchdown return last year under Mangini, and if we did it certainly wasn't often. (Update: According to Terry Pluto, the Browns hadn't had a kickoff returned on them since '08. The longest return was 46 yards in '09, 32 yards last season. I thought I was right about that.) The last couple of years, we did the little things well—very few penalties, and good execution on special teams. I'm really, really missing that right now, especially because Marv Albert was saying the whole game, "Oh, I wonder if they'll fake!" Why didn't Shurmur think that too?
The bottom line? Today the Browns should have come out fresh from the bye week, but instead they came out the same old "let's not play offense in the first quarter" way and they totally stunk. The Raiders didn't even need that extra emotion, because the Browns couldn't move the ball.
But this team is going to have to get a whole lot better, because right now it just seems like each week they're getting worse. And in Cleveland, that's just not going to cut it.
First off, the offense was in a word, offensive. This whole "west coast offense" thing is really on my nerves. Case in point—we had the ball on the one yard line. First down and one. What do we do? We throw a freaking play action pass to freaking Alex Smith! We have Peyton Hillis! Run the damn football! Ground 'n Pound!
Maybe that's just not the offense we should expect, but if I'm a head coach—better yet, if I'm an offensive lineman, that's what I want. We need one yard, we should never have to pass the football. Never. And yes, I know we got the touchdown, but that is always going to bother me.
Speaking of having Peyton Hillis...Oh, where to start on this one. What in the wide, wide world of sports are the Browns doing with him right now? We come out in the third quarter down 14-7, this guy is on the sideline without a helmet. Everybody wonders, "WTF is up?!" and the Browns beat writers tweet that the Browns say there's nothing wrong with him, it's a "coaches decision." Then, they tweet that Hillis pulled his hamstring. And about a minute later, he's in the game! Then we hear he was only in there for pass protection, and that he can't actually run the ball. I don't know who is running PR over there for the Browns, but Holmgren seriously needs to decide if this guy needs to be fired or not, because this is way past ridiculous.
If Hillis is hurt, fine, he's hurt. But don't say he's not hurt, then he is hurt, and then put him into the game! That just means you're putting the player at risk if that's true. And this is all happening on Shurmur's watch, and I'm really not his biggest fan right now.
First off, the way he handled Hillis not playing the Miami game is disgusting. Hillis literally lost 10 pounds, had a fever, and I'm sure his throat was killing him. I've had really bad strep throat, it sucks the life out of you. And for Shurmur to go on the podium and say, "It's my understanding that Peyton was sick," is absolutely absurd. He should've said "Peyton was sick and couldn't go, if you'd lost 10 pounds in a week and had a fever, you probably wouldn't be going to work either." I think that's logical, no?
But I digress, the real issue at hand with Shurmur is that his offense right now just can't get a darn thing going. And it's such a shame too, because the defense has played remarkably well. The defensive unit only gave up 10 points today—the other 14 came from horrendous special teams play.
Taking a look at the stats, Colt McCoy threw way too many times yet again today, completing just 21 of his 45 attempts for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. Why is he passing so much? Well because the Browns refuse to do anything offensively in the first quarter, so they start out down, and then have to pass. Plus, with Hillis being hurt, Hardesty just doesn't seem ready to take the full load of the offense. Oakland's defense was not ranked well at all against the run, and we really should've been able to at least get 100 yards total, but the offensive line couldn't get their reach blocks all day long, meaning there were no outside lanes. The most telling stat of all from the running game? The longest run of the day from a running back was Hardesty for 7—yes just seven—yards. That's never going to be good enough.
The defensive side of the ball continues to impress in some ways, but disappoint in others. They got fairly lucky that Jason Campbell had to come out of the game, because when he was at the helm they really couldn't stop the Raiders on third downs. They did hold Darren McFadden to under 100 yards, with 91 on 20 carries, but all told the Raiders had 40 carries for 151 yards.
But the biggest offender of the day was the special teams unit. I said this in the Halftime Blurb, I believe, but I don't know that we ever had a touchdown return last year under Mangini, and if we did it certainly wasn't often. (Update: According to Terry Pluto, the Browns hadn't had a kickoff returned on them since '08. The longest return was 46 yards in '09, 32 yards last season. I thought I was right about that.) The last couple of years, we did the little things well—very few penalties, and good execution on special teams. I'm really, really missing that right now, especially because Marv Albert was saying the whole game, "Oh, I wonder if they'll fake!" Why didn't Shurmur think that too?
The bottom line? Today the Browns should have come out fresh from the bye week, but instead they came out the same old "let's not play offense in the first quarter" way and they totally stunk. The Raiders didn't even need that extra emotion, because the Browns couldn't move the ball.
But this team is going to have to get a whole lot better, because right now it just seems like each week they're getting worse. And in Cleveland, that's just not going to cut it.
Browns Halftime Blurb - 10/16 @ Raiders
So I know I wasn't very optimistic when I wrote the Start Me Up, but this game has been extremely frustrating so far. I swear, Pat Shurmur has no idea how to use his personnel. And why the hell were there 12 men on the field at the end of that 2nd quarter? Okay. We're only down by one touchdown, as it's just 14-7 Raiders, and we have a shot at this game—especially because backup Kyle Boller is in at QB now for the Raiders. And let me say, he is just as bad as I remember him being in Baltimore.
As for the stats, offensively the Browns have just not looked good. McCoy is 7/16 for 79 yards and a touchdown. Hardesty has 7 carries for 21 yards, Hillis has 6 carries for 14 yards...Nothing good there! Browns have got to establish the run game, but the offensive line has looked so bad trying to reach defenders on Oakland's d-line. It's just not working so far. Little and Cribbs had nice receptions on the touchdown drive, but other than that nothing to write home about.
Defensively, the Browns are (predictibly) having a lot of trouble stopping Darren McFadden. He has 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown so far. Before getting injured, Jason Campbell was 6/9 for 52 yards, but he was managing the game well, as he'd also had 2 rushes for 16 yards. They've been going after Dimitri Patterson, and he's held up reasonably well, hasn't given up any huge plays yet. Phil Taylor and Athyba Rubin have been playing very well on the line, with Taylor having 2 tackles for loss, 1 QB hit and 1 sack. I'll take that.
Special teams? Terrible. I can't remember the last time we allowed a touchdown return, but I know it rarely to never happened under Mangini. That's disgusting to me. You work so hard to tie the game up, and then *poof* it's just gone in a flash. That has to be better.
The Browns just didn't look like the better team in the first half. And that can change, especially because Kyle Boller is in. But unless it changes quickly, the Browns are headed for their third loss. Ugh.
See you after.
~MAS
As for the stats, offensively the Browns have just not looked good. McCoy is 7/16 for 79 yards and a touchdown. Hardesty has 7 carries for 21 yards, Hillis has 6 carries for 14 yards...Nothing good there! Browns have got to establish the run game, but the offensive line has looked so bad trying to reach defenders on Oakland's d-line. It's just not working so far. Little and Cribbs had nice receptions on the touchdown drive, but other than that nothing to write home about.
Defensively, the Browns are (predictibly) having a lot of trouble stopping Darren McFadden. He has 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown so far. Before getting injured, Jason Campbell was 6/9 for 52 yards, but he was managing the game well, as he'd also had 2 rushes for 16 yards. They've been going after Dimitri Patterson, and he's held up reasonably well, hasn't given up any huge plays yet. Phil Taylor and Athyba Rubin have been playing very well on the line, with Taylor having 2 tackles for loss, 1 QB hit and 1 sack. I'll take that.
Special teams? Terrible. I can't remember the last time we allowed a touchdown return, but I know it rarely to never happened under Mangini. That's disgusting to me. You work so hard to tie the game up, and then *poof* it's just gone in a flash. That has to be better.
The Browns just didn't look like the better team in the first half. And that can change, especially because Kyle Boller is in. But unless it changes quickly, the Browns are headed for their third loss. Ugh.
See you after.
~MAS
Start Me Up - Browns @ Raiders
Wow, it seems like forever since I wrote a post here, but I guess I've been busy. Plus, the Browns haven't played in two weeks. But now everybody's back in the saddle—including me—and it's time for the only team I truly care about in the NFL to play once again. And I couldn't be happier about it.
However, to be honest, I'm just not feeling too great about this game. I think it's going to be a challenge any time we go all the way out to the west coast, but Oakland has been a pretty darn good team so far this year. Combine that with the fact that it's certainly going to be an emotional day as the Raiders commemorate the death of longtime franchise owner Al Davis, and I just don't think our prospects look very good for a win.
That being said, I think it's going to be a very competitive game, and the Browns will stay in it for the most part. After all, the Raiders are 31st in total defense so far this year giving up 422.4 yards per game—299.6 through the air and 122.8 on the ground, ranking 29th and 22nd, respectively. This is going to be a game where head coach Pat Shurmur has got to get Peyton Hillis going early and often. With all the yards the Raiders give up, it really shouldn't be too much of a problem for Hillis to get 100 yards. It'd be great if we could also get Hardesty enough carries to get around 30 yards too, but beggars can't be choosers, right?
I'm also expecting to see more out of the passing offense. It's not that they've looked terrible, but we've just got to start being more efficient and effective. That's going to come with utilizing receivers that can actually catch well—Massaquoi and Little should get plenty of playing time today for that purpose—and then getting good yards after the catch. That's what the west coast offense is built on, and I'm hoping they got enough good work in during the bye week to get better at them.
Another note for the offense is that I'm expecting that they'll use more Evan Moore—which is a great thing. He's been totally underused in the first four games, and the excuse I've heard is that he hasn't been in as much because he isn't a great blocker. But I don't care about his blocking, that's not why we signed him to an extension. This guy also needs to be involved in the offense early and often, and I'd really like to see him being used as a slot receiver. He is a complete miss-match for linebackers to cover with his speed, and his size also gives him an advantage over small cornerbacks. We've got the weapon, it's time to use it properly.
Defensively, the Browns are definitely going to struggle today. Joe Haden isn't playing with his sprained knee, which means Dimitri Patterson gets the start in his place alongside Sheldon Brown. Brown hasn't played to his normal high level, probably because he's getting a little long in the tooth. But without Haden, the way Jason Campbell has been airing it out so far this year, the secondary could have a fairly long day. Unfortunately, also the 25th ranking Browns rushing defense is going up against the #2 ranked rushing offense, led by running back Darren McFadden. That could be a big problem.
So what do I really expect today? Well, Alex Mack is going to play, despite not practicing much this week after having an appendectomy just a couple weeks ago. And while that's good news, I don't expect him to play to his usual Pro-Bowl level, so the offensive line will probably struggle. Again. Josh Cribbs also apparently has a knee injury (I believe it's a sprained knee, but I'm not positive), so he might not return kicks. And even if he does he might not be at 100%.
None of that actually answered the question, so let me try that again.
The Prediction: CLE 24 - OAK 30
I think we're going to see quarterback Colt McCoy take another good step in the right direction in terms of his development, but I think the Raiders will really run the table most of the game with their running game. And ultimately, I just don't think the Browns will be able to overcome the emotion that the Raiders will be playing with. That's not to say they won't play well, but there are just too many external factors, if you ask me.
I'll see you at the half!
~MAS
However, to be honest, I'm just not feeling too great about this game. I think it's going to be a challenge any time we go all the way out to the west coast, but Oakland has been a pretty darn good team so far this year. Combine that with the fact that it's certainly going to be an emotional day as the Raiders commemorate the death of longtime franchise owner Al Davis, and I just don't think our prospects look very good for a win.
That being said, I think it's going to be a very competitive game, and the Browns will stay in it for the most part. After all, the Raiders are 31st in total defense so far this year giving up 422.4 yards per game—299.6 through the air and 122.8 on the ground, ranking 29th and 22nd, respectively. This is going to be a game where head coach Pat Shurmur has got to get Peyton Hillis going early and often. With all the yards the Raiders give up, it really shouldn't be too much of a problem for Hillis to get 100 yards. It'd be great if we could also get Hardesty enough carries to get around 30 yards too, but beggars can't be choosers, right?
I'm also expecting to see more out of the passing offense. It's not that they've looked terrible, but we've just got to start being more efficient and effective. That's going to come with utilizing receivers that can actually catch well—Massaquoi and Little should get plenty of playing time today for that purpose—and then getting good yards after the catch. That's what the west coast offense is built on, and I'm hoping they got enough good work in during the bye week to get better at them.
Another note for the offense is that I'm expecting that they'll use more Evan Moore—which is a great thing. He's been totally underused in the first four games, and the excuse I've heard is that he hasn't been in as much because he isn't a great blocker. But I don't care about his blocking, that's not why we signed him to an extension. This guy also needs to be involved in the offense early and often, and I'd really like to see him being used as a slot receiver. He is a complete miss-match for linebackers to cover with his speed, and his size also gives him an advantage over small cornerbacks. We've got the weapon, it's time to use it properly.
Defensively, the Browns are definitely going to struggle today. Joe Haden isn't playing with his sprained knee, which means Dimitri Patterson gets the start in his place alongside Sheldon Brown. Brown hasn't played to his normal high level, probably because he's getting a little long in the tooth. But without Haden, the way Jason Campbell has been airing it out so far this year, the secondary could have a fairly long day. Unfortunately, also the 25th ranking Browns rushing defense is going up against the #2 ranked rushing offense, led by running back Darren McFadden. That could be a big problem.
So what do I really expect today? Well, Alex Mack is going to play, despite not practicing much this week after having an appendectomy just a couple weeks ago. And while that's good news, I don't expect him to play to his usual Pro-Bowl level, so the offensive line will probably struggle. Again. Josh Cribbs also apparently has a knee injury (I believe it's a sprained knee, but I'm not positive), so he might not return kicks. And even if he does he might not be at 100%.
None of that actually answered the question, so let me try that again.
The Prediction: CLE 24 - OAK 30
I think we're going to see quarterback Colt McCoy take another good step in the right direction in terms of his development, but I think the Raiders will really run the table most of the game with their running game. And ultimately, I just don't think the Browns will be able to overcome the emotion that the Raiders will be playing with. That's not to say they won't play well, but there are just too many external factors, if you ask me.
I'll see you at the half!
~MAS
Sunday, October 2, 2011
That's What Happens When Play is Sloppy
There really isn't much to say about that Browns loss. Full disclosure—I watched the end of the Lions/Cowboys game instead of the end of the Browns today. And I have no regrets, I'm very happy for the Lions as they've started out 4-0 for the first time since 1980.
But that's not why we're here.
Let me just start by saying whenever your quarterback is passing 61 times—yes, I said sixty-one times—you're probably not going to win the ballgame. Colt McCoy was 40/61 for 350 yards today, with a touchdown and an interception. 350 yards is usually something to marvel at, but today? Whoop-de-freaking-doo, he still looked skiddish in the pocket, as Marv Albert and Rich Gannon continually said in the CBS broadcast.
Pat Shurmur needs to decide what he wants to do with Hardesty and Hillis. I think the Shurmanator wanted to ease Hillis back into the game after being out last week with that illness, but when Hillis proved to be effective, I think he should've bene in the game a lot more when it could've been effective. Hillis only carried the ball 10 times, but he gained 46 yards. Hardesty, on the other hand, carried the ball 7 times for 22 yards. The Browns have got to get 100 yards one of these days (preferably 125+) in order to be an effective offense.
The offensive line had a really, really rough day. If it seemed like Colt McCoy was getting hit all day, you weren't imagining it. McCoy took four sacks, and nine QB hits. Granted, some of that was because McCoy was out of sync and held onto the ball for too long, but the o-line also gave up 4 tackles for loss. Summing that up in a word? Bad.
Also, it seemed like a lot of people had a case of the dropsies today. The highest profile player was of course Hardesty, who looked like he had worse hands than Braylon Edwards today. But in general, the offense just looked like it was totally out of sync. This is something they can really work on in the bye week next week.
Defensively...Oh man, where do I even start. Hasselbeck looked like a Primo quarterback today, going 10/20 for 220 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. True, he completed 50% of his passes, but it seemed like whenever he completed a pass, it was going for a long way.
They also let Chris Johnson get going a little bit, as he carried the ball 23 times for 101 yards. It would've been nice for the Browns to stop him from getting to that plateau, but they honestly weren't doing anything effective today. The D-line was terrible, getting absolutely no pass rush. They had 0—yes that's zero—sacks today, along with just two tackles for loss (both made by Jayme Mitchell) and just one—yes one—measly QB hit, made by Athyba Rubin. Ugh.
The strangest stat of the day? The Browns held the ball for nearly 14 minutes longer than the Titans. But it never mattered, because they just couldn't get the ball into the endzone until garbage time.
I'm not sure what else to make of this, other than I really expected the Browns to come out with more momentum after their 4th quarter comeback victory over the Dolphins.
But then again, I think Tennessee is actually a darn good team. Don't be surprised if they make the playoffs either as the winner of the AFC South or a wildcard. With their defense—and with the Colts Manning-less—they can definitely win that division.
Even without a game next week, don't be surprised if I've got something to say about the Browns. Until then, try to enjoy Monday and the rest of the week.
~MAS
But that's not why we're here.
Let me just start by saying whenever your quarterback is passing 61 times—yes, I said sixty-one times—you're probably not going to win the ballgame. Colt McCoy was 40/61 for 350 yards today, with a touchdown and an interception. 350 yards is usually something to marvel at, but today? Whoop-de-freaking-doo, he still looked skiddish in the pocket, as Marv Albert and Rich Gannon continually said in the CBS broadcast.
Pat Shurmur needs to decide what he wants to do with Hardesty and Hillis. I think the Shurmanator wanted to ease Hillis back into the game after being out last week with that illness, but when Hillis proved to be effective, I think he should've bene in the game a lot more when it could've been effective. Hillis only carried the ball 10 times, but he gained 46 yards. Hardesty, on the other hand, carried the ball 7 times for 22 yards. The Browns have got to get 100 yards one of these days (preferably 125+) in order to be an effective offense.
The offensive line had a really, really rough day. If it seemed like Colt McCoy was getting hit all day, you weren't imagining it. McCoy took four sacks, and nine QB hits. Granted, some of that was because McCoy was out of sync and held onto the ball for too long, but the o-line also gave up 4 tackles for loss. Summing that up in a word? Bad.
Also, it seemed like a lot of people had a case of the dropsies today. The highest profile player was of course Hardesty, who looked like he had worse hands than Braylon Edwards today. But in general, the offense just looked like it was totally out of sync. This is something they can really work on in the bye week next week.
Defensively...Oh man, where do I even start. Hasselbeck looked like a Primo quarterback today, going 10/20 for 220 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. True, he completed 50% of his passes, but it seemed like whenever he completed a pass, it was going for a long way.
They also let Chris Johnson get going a little bit, as he carried the ball 23 times for 101 yards. It would've been nice for the Browns to stop him from getting to that plateau, but they honestly weren't doing anything effective today. The D-line was terrible, getting absolutely no pass rush. They had 0—yes that's zero—sacks today, along with just two tackles for loss (both made by Jayme Mitchell) and just one—yes one—measly QB hit, made by Athyba Rubin. Ugh.
The strangest stat of the day? The Browns held the ball for nearly 14 minutes longer than the Titans. But it never mattered, because they just couldn't get the ball into the endzone until garbage time.
I'm not sure what else to make of this, other than I really expected the Browns to come out with more momentum after their 4th quarter comeback victory over the Dolphins.
But then again, I think Tennessee is actually a darn good team. Don't be surprised if they make the playoffs either as the winner of the AFC South or a wildcard. With their defense—and with the Colts Manning-less—they can definitely win that division.
Even without a game next week, don't be surprised if I've got something to say about the Browns. Until then, try to enjoy Monday and the rest of the week.
~MAS
Browns Halftime Blurb - 10/2 vs. Titans
It's safe to say I'm less than impressed with the Browns effort in the first half, as they're down to the Titans by a score of 21-6. Looks like I was more recklessly optimistic than I thought.
Tackling has not been a problem for the Browns in the first two games, but today it's been terrible. There was the 80 yard touchdown to Cook, where Usama Young missed a tackle, and then just before halftime T.J. Ward also missed a tackle. And there have been two long passing plays, something that I don't think we've seen all year long. What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here?
Hasselbeck is 8/12 passing, with 194 yards and three touchdowns. Are you kidding me?
Besides his 25 yard run, Chris Johnson hasn't been doing much. He has 7 carries for 41 yards, but you take that carry away, he's got 16 yards on 6 carries. But that doesn't matter much if Hasselbeck can throw like he has so far today.
The defensive line hasn't been nearly as noteworthy today, with only 1 tackle for loss and a big zero for quarterback hits. They're not getting any pressure on Hasselbeck at all.
Seriously, what the heck is going on? I mean, I know we're playing a team that can actually do something for the first time this year, but this is just ridiculous. The Browns dominated time of possession, as they had the ball for 19:18 in the first half, while the Titans were held to just 10:42. But again, that doesn't matter if you're down 21-6.
Here's a stat that matters, the Browns are 3-9 on third down, and 0-1 on fourth down. That's not going to win you ball games.
Colt McCoy hasn't been terrible today, but he hasn't been good either. He's 13/20 for 137 yards. Hillis and Hardesty have also been alright, but neither has been effective when we need it the most. Hillis has 8 rushes for 37 yards, and Hardesty has 6 carries for 20 yards, averages of 4.6 and 3.3 respectively.
The offensive line is driving the struggle bus though, as they've let up two sacks, two tackles for loss, and four QB hits. That's not going to get anything done.
So like I said in the Start Me Up, I went with my heart in the prediction. But let me tell you, this team deserved to be booed as they were when they came off the field for the half. What a terrible effort in the first half.
It's going to take something close to a miracle for the Browns to focus up and win this game.
I'll see you after,
~MAS
Tackling has not been a problem for the Browns in the first two games, but today it's been terrible. There was the 80 yard touchdown to Cook, where Usama Young missed a tackle, and then just before halftime T.J. Ward also missed a tackle. And there have been two long passing plays, something that I don't think we've seen all year long. What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here?
Hasselbeck is 8/12 passing, with 194 yards and three touchdowns. Are you kidding me?
Besides his 25 yard run, Chris Johnson hasn't been doing much. He has 7 carries for 41 yards, but you take that carry away, he's got 16 yards on 6 carries. But that doesn't matter much if Hasselbeck can throw like he has so far today.
The defensive line hasn't been nearly as noteworthy today, with only 1 tackle for loss and a big zero for quarterback hits. They're not getting any pressure on Hasselbeck at all.
Seriously, what the heck is going on? I mean, I know we're playing a team that can actually do something for the first time this year, but this is just ridiculous. The Browns dominated time of possession, as they had the ball for 19:18 in the first half, while the Titans were held to just 10:42. But again, that doesn't matter if you're down 21-6.
Here's a stat that matters, the Browns are 3-9 on third down, and 0-1 on fourth down. That's not going to win you ball games.
Colt McCoy hasn't been terrible today, but he hasn't been good either. He's 13/20 for 137 yards. Hillis and Hardesty have also been alright, but neither has been effective when we need it the most. Hillis has 8 rushes for 37 yards, and Hardesty has 6 carries for 20 yards, averages of 4.6 and 3.3 respectively.
The offensive line is driving the struggle bus though, as they've let up two sacks, two tackles for loss, and four QB hits. That's not going to get anything done.
So like I said in the Start Me Up, I went with my heart in the prediction. But let me tell you, this team deserved to be booed as they were when they came off the field for the half. What a terrible effort in the first half.
It's going to take something close to a miracle for the Browns to focus up and win this game.
I'll see you after,
~MAS
Start Me Up - Browns vs. Titans
I'm back in the saddle for a full-fledged version of the Start Me Up this week, as the Browns stay at home to face off against the Tennessee Titans.
These Titans have a new head coach for the first time since they moved from Houston, and so far the change has been successful. They come into Cleveland today with a 2-1 record, backed by the not-as-washed-up-as-some-might-have-guessed Matt Hasselbeck, who comes in with 932 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Pretty quality numbers. But the man the Titans really, really want to get going has to be running back Chris Johnson, whose new six-year, $56 million deal isn't looking so great after his long August holdout. Johnson has carried the ball 46 times for just 98 yards—a 2.1 average. Now I'm no GM, but that certainly isn't $56 million worthy.
I actually think this is going to be a real tough one for the Browns today. Tennessee's defense is only letting up 261 yards per game, 172 through the air and 89 on the ground. If Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty can't get going early, and the Browns take a quarter warm up as they have all season, Hasselbeck could have his team with an early 7-0 or 10-0 lead after the first quarter.
So to me, the biggest key for the Browns today is to get it going early. We've got to score on the first drive, I don't care if it's a field goal or touchdown (okay, I would vastly prefer a touchdown) but it's just got to happen.
The other key is going to be making Matt Hasselbeck beat us. Yes, I know Hasselbeck has been pretty darn good so far, but it's supposed to be a pretty windy day out at Cleveland Browns Stadium, and to be honest, I trust our secondary a lot more than our running defense. As it stands right now, we're 9th in the league in defensive yards, (yeah, 9th! I mean, I know it's only been three games, but we're in the top ten!!) with 316 per game, 187.3 passing, but a not-so-great 128.7 on the ground. If we let Chris Johnson get going, he and Hasselbeck will carve up the defense like a Thanksgiving turkey in the wind. And if that happens, we lose. Bigtime.
So what's going to happen? I'm not really sure about this one. I'd really like to say that the Browns are going to come out, be efficient on offense on their first drive, Peyton Hillis will shake off the illness he had last week (which, by the way, if you've been criticizing the guy for not playing, stop it. He lost 10 pounds. I had strep throat last year and it landed me in the hospital. So it's not like he had a cold, he was seriously ill.), and the defense will be as stout as it has all year.
The problem is that Tennessee comes in with a defense that, as I said before, only has given up 261 yards per game—good enough for #1 in the league. But then again, it's points that count, not yards. And Tennessee's special teams have not been great so far, so if Josh Cribbs can break one today, it may be the difference.
So what the heck, I'll go against my head and with my heart on this one.
The Prediction: CLE 20 - TEN 17
Special teams is going to win this one for the Browns. I think Colt is going to have another frustrating day, but he'll pull it together when he needs to, just like last week.
I'll see you at the half!
~MAS
These Titans have a new head coach for the first time since they moved from Houston, and so far the change has been successful. They come into Cleveland today with a 2-1 record, backed by the not-as-washed-up-as-some-might-have-guessed Matt Hasselbeck, who comes in with 932 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Pretty quality numbers. But the man the Titans really, really want to get going has to be running back Chris Johnson, whose new six-year, $56 million deal isn't looking so great after his long August holdout. Johnson has carried the ball 46 times for just 98 yards—a 2.1 average. Now I'm no GM, but that certainly isn't $56 million worthy.
I actually think this is going to be a real tough one for the Browns today. Tennessee's defense is only letting up 261 yards per game, 172 through the air and 89 on the ground. If Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty can't get going early, and the Browns take a quarter warm up as they have all season, Hasselbeck could have his team with an early 7-0 or 10-0 lead after the first quarter.
So to me, the biggest key for the Browns today is to get it going early. We've got to score on the first drive, I don't care if it's a field goal or touchdown (okay, I would vastly prefer a touchdown) but it's just got to happen.
The other key is going to be making Matt Hasselbeck beat us. Yes, I know Hasselbeck has been pretty darn good so far, but it's supposed to be a pretty windy day out at Cleveland Browns Stadium, and to be honest, I trust our secondary a lot more than our running defense. As it stands right now, we're 9th in the league in defensive yards, (yeah, 9th! I mean, I know it's only been three games, but we're in the top ten!!) with 316 per game, 187.3 passing, but a not-so-great 128.7 on the ground. If we let Chris Johnson get going, he and Hasselbeck will carve up the defense like a Thanksgiving turkey in the wind. And if that happens, we lose. Bigtime.
So what's going to happen? I'm not really sure about this one. I'd really like to say that the Browns are going to come out, be efficient on offense on their first drive, Peyton Hillis will shake off the illness he had last week (which, by the way, if you've been criticizing the guy for not playing, stop it. He lost 10 pounds. I had strep throat last year and it landed me in the hospital. So it's not like he had a cold, he was seriously ill.), and the defense will be as stout as it has all year.
The problem is that Tennessee comes in with a defense that, as I said before, only has given up 261 yards per game—good enough for #1 in the league. But then again, it's points that count, not yards. And Tennessee's special teams have not been great so far, so if Josh Cribbs can break one today, it may be the difference.
So what the heck, I'll go against my head and with my heart on this one.
The Prediction: CLE 20 - TEN 17
Special teams is going to win this one for the Browns. I think Colt is going to have another frustrating day, but he'll pull it together when he needs to, just like last week.
I'll see you at the half!
~MAS
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