Week 15 - 2014 - Bengals

I didn't see that coming.  I should have, but I didn't.  Expectations of any sort with the Browns need to be tempered, because they usually let you down.  But I thought this would be different.  It wasn't.  The league wasn't wrecked, my feelings were.  I expected so much more from the Browns, and although the rookie was making his first start, expected more from Johnny Manziel.  The Browns and Johnny fell flat on their faces, at home, in what was essentially a playoff game, 30-0 to the Bengals.  The same Bengals who the Browns stomped all over a little over a month ago.  Since that first Bengals game, and all the good feelings that came with it, the Browns have gone 1-4.  The stadium was electric, but the Browns weren't. 

This was supposed to be special.  I expected some bumps, a few mistakes.  But I expected some big plays to counteract those mistakes.  I expected the energy from the quarterback change, and from the crowd, to carry this team to the next level.  I was wrong.  It was a pathetic showing for the not ready for primetime Browns.

Mike Pettine coaches like a first year coach, because that's what he is.  With a stadium buzzing with anticipation the Browns won the toss, and deferred.  Why not take the ball?  Why not let the rookie get right in there and after it?  I don't know, but they didn't.  So they gave the ball to the Bengals, and the Bengals proceeded on a 14 play, 7 minute march right down the field punching the Browns in the face and running it down their throat every chance they had.  The Browns defense never recovered.

The defense was as bad this week as it was good last.  This was a bludgeoning.  A beatdown.  An ass kicking.  Pick an adjective for getting the crap kicked out of you and that's what this was.  The defense was manhandled from the first drive of the game.  The Cincinnati offensive line looked like the Electric Company from the 70's Bills.  Jeremy Hill looked like The Juice.  The Bengals could have blocked the Browns down I-71 and still made it home in three and a half hours.  There was little resistance.  It was a complete reversal from the first Bengals game.  They held the ball for nearly 39 minutes.  They averaged 5.4 yards per carry.  They ran the ball more times (45) then the Browns ran total plays (38).  Jeremy Hill just broke contain again.  And Donte Whitner just missed another tackle.  Why the Browns didn't load the box and let Andy Dalton beat them is the mystery of the day, but the way it went I'm not sure it would have mattered.  This was ugly.  The Bengals converted 7-14 on 3rd down, 2-2 on 4th.  Beat. Down.

Offensively, it was as ugly as it gets.  It started ugly early and kept being ugly for the entire 21 minutes they had the ball.  21 freaking minutes of a 60 minute game.  38 plays run.  The NFL average is 65 plays per game by the way.  It seemed like the offense was in 1st and 15 or 2nd and 13 the whole game.  They were behind the chains.  They lost the field position battle.  It was 17-0 in the second quarter and the Browns had run 6 plays.  They couldn't run, and then they were down.  And then the game was on the narrow shoulders of a rookie quarterback facing a fired up defense, and then the rout was on.

And Kyle Shanahan did Johnny no favors.  The game plan was questionable at best.  Manziel did not run much read option in college, but that seemed to be something Shanahan wanted in the offense.  So they ran it a few times and it failed each time.  There weren't the outside zone runs we've seen all season, and the play action rollouts off of those.  Not one pitch play after it had been such a big part of the offense in the previous weeks.  One screen pass to Jordan Cameron that the idiot referee Walt Coleman called a penalty on.  And once they got behind it just snowballed.

The offensive line was abysmal.  I want to know what Ryan Seymour's PFF grade was, it has to be one of the worst in history.  He was abused over and over in the middle of the line.  Greco.  Awful.  Schwartz.  Not good.  Joe Thomas had another penalty.  Again, ALEX MACK I'M SORRY.  I WAS WRONG ABOUT YOU TAKE ALL THE MONEY.  The Bengal defensive line was just as dominant as their offensive line.  Football is won in the trenches they say, and the Bengals certainly won in the trenches on Sunday.

And I won't make any excuses for Manziel's performance.  He did not play well.  No one on the offense helped the rookie out, but he didn't play well.  He was late and behind on the first interception, if he hits Hawkins in stride he may still be running.  Late and behind is a deadly combination in the NFL.  He was high on many of his throws, possibly a product of being too amped up.  The second interception was a terrible decision to throw up a prayer toward Taylor Gabriel.  At A&M maybe Mike Evans comes down with that.  But Evans is 6'5, and Gabriel is 5'7.  Regardless, it was inexcusable.  At that point in the game they had to get something.  But that's what you get with rookie quarterbacks.  And that's why Pettine was so hesitant to make the change. 

But he made the change, and now he has to see what Manziel has.  He is certainly (hopefully) better than he showed on Sunday.  It is easy to overreact, and that will definitely happen this week.  But it was one game.  He also just turned 22 years old.  Right now he's a one read quarterback.  He was certainly anxious in the pocket, and he'll have to live there to survive in the NFL.  He will have to learn to go through his progressions.  There has to be a balance between Johnny Football and Browns quarterback, between the backyard and the stadium.  He has a long way to go.  This is the beginning for him, it takes time.  He showed tremendous improvement in each year at A&M, and I expect him to improve with every game.  This experience he's gaining is invaluable.  And God willing it will never be as bad as it was on Sunday.  Johnny Football is supposed to be special, he's got two more games this season to start showing us he is.

Also, for the last time I hope, the all brown is the worst uniform combination ever.  Look like crap play like crap.  CRAP.  Those are hideous.


Random Gifs and Vines

This guy had more fight than any Browns defender.  Well done sir.




Santana Moss - I applaud you.  Someone had to go after Triplette he's the worst ref in the league.




The little girl in the pink is the Browns.  The dad is me.

 

 

Merry Christmas

Week 10 - 2014 - Bengals

VICTORY FRIDAY FOR YOUR FIRST PLACE CLEVELAND BROWNS

What a game.  A dominant road performance in Cincinnati by the Brownies on national television has your Cleveland Browns in first place in the AFC North, the toughest division in the NFL.  It's November 7th, and the Browns are in first place.  The offense was dominant.  The defense was DOMINANT.  It was a brilliant performance by Brian Hoyer, by Kyle Shanahan, by Mike Pettine, Jim O'Neil, pretty much by everyone involved.  Hell they even overcame the worst official in the league Jeff Triplette.  They did it without Josh Gordon, without Andrew Hawkins, without Jordan Cameron.  The Browns won and are in first place in the AFC North.  The Browns are back.

The Browns had lost an NFL record 17 straight division road games.  They hadn't won in Cincinnati in 7 years.  The Bengals were riding a streak of 14 home games without a loss (13-0-1).  Greg Little (what an ass) was going to make the Browns pay.  The odds were certainly not on the Browns side.  However it was clear from the start that the Browns had the better quarterback and in my opinion the better coaching staff.  They were ready to go out of the gate, dominating in the trenches on both sides of the ball early and throughout the game.  And on a windy night in an AFC North tilt, that's where the game needed to be won.

Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell, and Ben Tate had lanes all night, and none of the three backs tip toed around as has been the case the past few weeks.  All three scored touchdowns.  The Browns now have 12 rushing touchdowns in 9 games.  Except for a couple of blown assignments by John Greco the offensive line was great.  There looked to be even more yards on the field than the backs gained.  Brian Hoyer played great as well, directing the offense and making timely third down completions.  He was in total control again, a welcome site after the previous 3 games.  Miles Austin has been tremendous, it seems like every catch he makes is for a first down.  It wasn't an offensive clinic but it was a winning recipe for a game like this.  Kyle Shanahan continues to be tremendous.  This was classic AFC North football.

And it wouldn't be classic AFC North football without hard hitting, dominating defense.  The defense continued to do what it has been doing for the past couple of weeks, forcing turnovers and stiffening up as the game went on.  Joe Haden was a lockdown cornerback again, his third straight outstanding performance.  Frankly he looked like the best player on the field.  Buster Skrine had 2 interceptions and only one penalty.  Tashaun Gipson forced another fumble and almost had another interception.  That guy is a player.  The defensive front, possibly bolstered by the return of Phil Taylor, was able to shut down the Bengal run game and keep consistent pressure on Andy Dalton.  Andy Dalton, by the way, was not very good.  Desmond Bryant has been playing lights out the past couple of weeks, and he had two sacks.  Kruger and Sheard were in the backfield most of the night, abusing RT Marshall Newhouse.  It was just beautiful to see.  They were organized, disciplined, and aggressive.  They were everything we expected them to be when Pettine was hired.  It has taken some time but this defense has really come together.  And they are still getting healthy on the defensive line.

And how great were Browns fans?  Not that Bengal fans are anything to write home about (they are terrible), but the Browns fans showed up and showed out for their team, leading audible chants and barking wildly in the second half.  It was awesome.  This is a sleeping giant of a fanbase that is starting to rise up, the largest fan backers group in the world belongs the the Browns.  The beast is waking.

Not even dirtbag Jeff Triplette could spoil the party, hopefully we are done with that crew for the year.  I just can't stand the guy, he is awful.

Proud.  That's how Browns fans can feel about their team today.  Proud.  Proud to wear their orange and brown.  It's been far too long since we've been able to feel this way.  The Browns are in first place on November 7th.  They have outscored the last two division opponents they've played 55-10.  They are a team on the rise that is purging the demons of the past on a weekly basis.  They are doing it with an old school toughness.  And they are a team we can be proud of.  Finally.  Victory Friday.  For your first place Cleveland Browns.


Random gifs

Hardest hit by a Bengal all night

Here's a truck driving into a pool

Bonus Pic nice work Matt Dalakas.  Greg Little can take your order now.

Week 11 - 2013

No pressure, no diamonds, as the old quotes says.  Well in the biggest game in years for your Cleveland Browns, the Browns succumbed to the pressure and created something closer to dog crap than diamonds.  They blew harder than the wind.  They played an absolutely embarrassing game to the Bengals, a team that could not have beaten them had they not beaten themselves.  Andy Dalton is awful.  An absolute liability.  I don't even hate the Bengals like I hate the Steelers and the Ravens.  If they had a real quarterback they'd be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.  But they have Andy Dalton.  And he tried to give the Browns the game.  But these Browns are a stubborn group, refusing the early Christmas gifts and returning the favor in spades. What a travesty.  Bengals 41, Browns 20. 

At some point in the first quarter, before the weather turned nasty, the Browns appeared on their way to destroying the Bengals and launching their playoff push.  Andy Dalton was confused on which Cleveland Brown he wanted to complete passes to.  But something happened to Jason Campbell.  I'm not sure why the Browns want to pass the ball from the 1 yard line.  I don't understand it I would literally qb sneak everytime from the 1.  But what do I know, when you can pass the ball and kick field goals I guess why bother.  Anyway from the 1 yard line Jordan Cameron was wide open and Campbell missed him.  He followed that up by having Greg Little wide open and firing the ball into the chest of the only defender between the Browns and 6 points.  At some point in that sequence, Jason Campbell turned into some sort of Colt McCoy/Alex Smith clone.  He never recovered.  He showed why the Browns are his fourth NFL team, and he's never been viewed as a long term answer at any of his previous stops.  He probably played himself on Sunday and not the role of Otto Graham as he had in his previous 2 starts.  He is who he is.  And he was himself in Cincinnati.  He constantly checked down to his running backs and tight ends, completing just 7 of his 54 passes to wide receivers. He held the ball and didn't move out of the pocket.  I honestly had a moment where I thought Brandon Weeden might give them a better chance.  That's how bad Jason Campbell was.  It wasn't all his fault but if he was better the Browns had an opportunity to win.  Especially early.  The opportunities were there to bury the Bengals, and they couldn't do it.

I can't say what the Browns did on their bye week to prepare for this game.  It really was a big game.  They were 1.5 games behind Cincy with winnable games on the horizon.  Win this one and they're right in it.  But they cracked under pressure.  The coaches and the players.  Cracked.

According to this post if a team blocks a punt they win the game 90% of the time.  The Bengals blocked TWO Cleveland punts.  TWO!!!!!  IN ONE GAME!  What the hell did Chris Tabor do during the bye week?  I don't know who is to blame, but it sure looked like Spencer Lanning was slow getting the ball kicked.  But there were blocking problems as well.  One would think those problems would be solved after the first punt was blocked, but again these Browns are a stubborn bunch.  In addition to the TWO!!!!!  punt blocks in one quarter, the Browns allowed a defensive touchdown off an Ogbonnya fumble.  Devone Bess was wide open on the play also.  But JaColt McCampbell was determined to get his running backs the ball on passes.  ALOT.  I might pay for the All-22 just so I can watch this game.  I'm shocked at how often Campbell checked down.  Shocked.  I can't imagine that Josh Gordon or Devone Bess couldn't win one on one against the Bengals secondary.  Shocked.

The Browns were shocked too.  In the second quarter they allowed 31 points.  31 points.  31 points.  In a quarter.  To a team whose quarterback was playing AWFUL.  Unbelievable.  Only in Cleveland.  To cap off the stupidity show in the second quarter, Jordan Cameron actively worked to get out of bounds on a 0 yard pass play on a third and thirteen with 34 seconds left in the half.  All he has to do is go down and at least force the Bengals to use their last timeout, assuming they would have.  They may have just taken it into the locker room.  But instead the Browns punted, gave up a 27 yard return, and gave the Bengals an additional 3 points before the half.  Just a stupid football play. 

Giving up 31 points in one game is bad.  Giving up two punt blocks in a season is bad.  Somehow the Browns gave this up in one quarter.  There's nothing else to say about it.  What else can possibly be said?

The second half was just as bad as the first from an offensive standpoint.  It was just a horrible game all around.

I can't figure out these Browns.  When I think they need to lose they win.  When they need to win they lose.  It doesn't matter anymore.  They're still in contention for a playoff spot in a weak AFC, especially with their upcoming schedule.  They need to start with Pittsburgh next week. 


Random gifs

Holy Auburn

LOLOL

Apparently this is now a 15 yard penalty in the NFL.  What a joke.

Good try good effort Texas Tech.  Thanks UC.

Week 4 - 2013

 

Remember last weekend when I said it didn't get much better?  IT GOT BETTER.  Oh man did it get better.  What a sports weekend in Cleveland.  What a Sunday.  In addition to the Browns systematic shutdown of the Bungles and victory in the battle of Ohio, the Indians completed an incredible September by winning against the Twins and guaranteeing a wild card game back in the 216 on Wednesday.  Wild card game Wednesday, nationally televised Browns game on Thursday, it's gonna be an exciting week here in Cleveland.

The Browns are 2-2 after their victory over the Bengals.  They are tied for first place in the AFC North.  The legend of Brian Hoyer is growing.  Hoyer was, for the second time in the past two weeks, the better quarterback on the field.  Is he the "championship level quarterback" that Banner and Lombardi seek?  I have my doubts, but at this point I could care less.  I just want the Browns to win.  I don't care who is the quarterback as long as they play well enough to win games.  And Hoyer has certainly done that over the past 2 weeks.

There are plenty more games, plenty of time to find out if Brian Hoyer, pride of North Olmsted, is the answer at quarterback.  But his play has been awesome.  Both of the teams that he defeated qualified for the playoffs last season.  He is decisive, his arm strength is above average, and he has the moxie that the position requires.  He caught the Bengals without two of their starting defensive backs, but he was impressive regardless.  He'll take center stage on Thursday night with a chance to win a third straight game.

He'll have his chance to stake his claim, to prove the doubters wrong, and to really legitimize Michael Lombardi as a general manager.  As someone who has been as critical of him as anyone, I can't help but to have a slight taste of crow right about now.  Between Hoyer, Mingo, the defensive free agents, and the Richardson trade, the moves he's made are certainly looking like the right ones.  We can only hope that continues.

The defense played outstanding.  Barkevious Mingo was excellent.  He looks like a DeMarcus Ware clone.  He has a sack in each of his three games.  His run support needs work, but his motor is non stop, and his athleticism is off the charts.  He appears to be a special player.  Joe Haden is one of the top five cornerbacks in the NFL.  This Browns defense is almost championship caliber, and we should enjoy what we get to see while we have Ray Horton.  I don't think he's long for Cleveland, because he's going to be a head coach somewhere.

Another week, another run game shut down by the front seven.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Browns are a legitimate number 2 cornerback away from being a top 5 defense.  Six points is all the Bengals could muster.  And the Bengals are pretty good.  The Browns stuffing them on fourth and one in the second quarter set the tone for the rest of the game.  It was awesome.  There aren't enough good things to say about Desmond Bryant and Phil Taylor.  Those guys are playing at a Pro Bowl level.

Andy Dalton looked horrible, that's a fact.  He really is exactly who I thought he was.  The Bengals are too good to only score 6 points.  But the Browns secondary played a part in that.  Haden (and/or Dalton) frustrated AJ Green all game.  He basically made no impact.  Chris Owens had a great strip sack and recovery on a well designed cornerback blitz.  Loved the play by Tashaun Gipson in the 4th quarter, where he rearranged Jermaine Gresham's internal organs forcing the dropped pass.  The next play was the interception by Buster Skrine, which basically decided the game.

If it weren't for Billy Cundiff and his lousy kicking, the game would have been decided by then.

The most impressive thing that I saw in that game was the 12 play 91 yard drive in the fourth quarter.  What a drive.  That was grown man football.  That was one team imposing its will on another team.  That was the Browns letting the Bengals know that they were not losing this game.  Hoyer was great, going 5-5, including a great touch throw to Jordan Cameron for 31 yards in between defenders.  Willis McGahee got his legs under him on that drive, looking like at least a serviceable solution at running back.  It was big boy football and the Browns played it better.  17-6 Browns victory.  Two wins in a row with a big Thursday game against the Bills.  3-2 after five games very possible.  I think we all would have taken that at the beginning of the season.

Joe Thomas made his 100th straight start.  He's actually never missed a snap in his career.  It was 6,054 straight before yesterday's game.  That's incredible.
The Browns still have 0 rushing touchdowns this season.
Jordan Cameron is on pace for 120 catches 1440 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Oh yeah and Pittsburgh is 0-4, and may be the worst team in football.  VICTORY MONDAY!


Random gifs

Troll hard Knowshon

Geno Sanchez

Barry Sanders Jr Everybody

Oh yeah and the Indians locker room celebration was legendary.  WINDIANS

Week 6

It is said that we cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.  In a literal windstorm at Cleveland Browns Stadium, with the figurative winds of change blowing in, the Browns adjusted their sails and won for the first time this season, beating the Bengals 34-24.

Everything seems a little better on Mondays when the Browns win.  The Browns control the energy in this city during football season, and they finally put together a game that Clevelanders can feel good about.  They are no longer the only winless team in the NFL, no longer owners of an 11 game losing streak, no longer winless in their last 12 games within the division.  And tomorrow they will officially have a new owner, one who will be involved and visible.  Maybe just maybe this thing will turn around, but regardless Sunday's game was something to feel good about in a season that hasn't had much of that.

11-5 Starts Today was written on a banner in the end zone.  It was awesome in a hilarious way, and typifies the mentality of the greatest fans in the world, Clevelanders.  It was also noted by multiple players as inspiring following the game, so props to whomever came up with that gem.  The team actually came out firing, holding the Bengals to a 3 and out on their first series and moving the ball when they got it, utilizing Trent Richardson early and often (thank goodness) and converting some long third downs (where has Josh Cooper been all year?).  Unfortunately, it looked like it might be the same old story after a Weeden pass was deflected by Geno Atkins and intercepted by Michael Johnson with the Browns on the move.  The Bengals cashed in on a long touchdown pass to Jermaine Gresham, who was isolated one on one with Craig Robertson.  That's not ideal, but only becomes a long touchdown when your strong safety bites down hard into no man's land and your free safety puts his helmet into Robertson's chest instead of the receivers.

The Browns showed some fight though and responded with a tremendous throw and catch from Weeden to Josh Gordon to tie the game.  In the extremely windy conditions, this was a really incredible throw and a great catch by Gordon.  Weeden had time, stepped up, and delivered.  Not sure any quarterback we've had since we've been back can make that throw.  Maybe Frisman Jackson.  Maybe.  And what a catch, one handed by Gordon, who has certainly looked worthy of a second round pick the last two weeks.  He looks like the playmaker the offense has been missing and will hopefully only continue to get better.

The offense stalled after that (for a while in fact), and the Bengals turned a nice punt return into an AJ Green touchdown before the half and led 14-7.  It could have been worse, but the refs and the timekeeper gave the Browns some home cooking when it looked like Dalton spiked the ball with 1 second left on the clock in field goal range, but they ruled time had run out and that was not reviewable.

The third quarter is an odd time in games for the Browns.  According to the NFL the Browns haven't scored a touchdown on their opening second half drive in 30 games.  Yikes.  The offense sputtered but were bailed out by their defense and special teams.  In spite of not gaining a first down, the Browns were able to add 2 Phil Dawson field goals, set up by a Joe Haden interception and a 60 yard Josh Cribbs punt return.  They took the lead for good on a beautifully executed 10 play drive, where Weeden went 4-4 for 43 yards and Montarrio Hardesty (!!) ran like a man possessed and capped the drive with a leaping 1 yard touchdown.  The offensive line dominated the final quarter and a half of the game, giving Weeden time to throw and opening up holes for Hardesty. 

The Bengals answered with a field goal to cut it to 20-17, but the resilient Browns marched down the field again, set up by a great kick return by Cribbs and great running by Hardesty.  Weeden found Jordan Cameron on a 3rd and 1 play for 23 yards, and found a wide open Ben Watson for a 2 yard touchdown on a well designed playaction pass in the red zone.  On the next Bengals play, Sheldon Brown jumped in front of a Dalton pass and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown, putting the Browns up 17 with 7:50 remaining.

It wouldn't be a Browns game without some dramatics, as the Bengals answered with a Green touchdown that only took about two and a half minutes off the clock.  The Browns ran the ball twice and after a Cincinnati timeout decided to throw on third down, the pass was incomplete and the clock stopped.  Note to Shurmur - you're riding an 11 game losing streak.  That is not the point in the game to get cute.  Make them burn their timeouts dummy.  Bengals get the ball and the Browns let them move down the field, causing the typical hypertension that the Browns generally do.  However this was their day, as Emmanuel Stephens came up with his first career sack, stripping the ball in the process.  Billy Winn scooped it and was heading for a fat guy touchdown, but he was run down just short of the endzone at the Cincinnati 42, and that was essentially your ballgame.

There are many reasons why this is a win to feel good about.  First and foremost, it's a game that they withstood some adversity.  Their starting running back left the game, as did their starting guard.  They were down until the first play of the fourth quarter.  Their offense went seven possessions in the second and third quarter without gaining a first down.  They could have folded, they've done it in the past, but they didn't.  They made plays to win the game.  Sheldon Brown made the interception that LJ Fort couldn't against the Eagles.  Weeden didn't force any bad throws.  There were no killer penalties.  Cribbs made plays on special teams.  It was a team win.  It's how you win in the NFL, and the players need to know it.  Countless guys contributed, the Skrine's, Hardesty's, Greko's, Stephens's.

And it was a win that everyone needed, from the fans, to the players, to the coaches, to the new owner.  The monkey on their backs was becoming an elephant, and it has been removed.  At least for today, they gave us something to feel good about.  11-5 started yesterday, a new era starts tomorrow, and hopefully, a winning streak starts next Sunday against the Colts.


Random gifs

Yeah so just your normal pick 6 off a blocked punt here

Things like this never get old

Go Bills