Sunday, December 07, 2008
Matt Wasowski’s Running Game Blog – Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans
Matt Wasowski’s Running Game Blog – Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans, December 7, 2008
1:00pm – Five minutes until the Browns (4-8) with their two-headed quarterback monster of Ken Dorsey and Joshua Cribbs – at least, I hope - face the Titans (11-1). Our offensive coordinator, Rob Chudzinski, was viewed as a genius last year but has been much more mortal here in 2008. This year he was supposed to use Cribbs more at QB to energize the offense, but so far he’s only put him behind center a handful of times. Now, with nothing to lose, here’s hoping we see the “Flash” package a lot today.
1:03pm – Rod Bironas to kick off to Cribbs. I hope our own kicker, Phil Dawson, gets the Pro Bowl nod this year over Bironas. It’s sad that that’s what I’m rooting for here in week 14. Sigh.
1:05pm – The scoreboard isn’t functioning. With Dorsey at QB today, it might not be needed anyway. Dorsey hasn’t started an NFL game since November 2005 when he was with the 49ers. Though he put up 22 points that day. Cribbs returns the opening kick to the 36 and then Dorsey hands off to Jamal Lewis for a gain of nothing. I’ll try to refrain from being too tough on Lewis, but he’s noticeably slower than last year. He’s still running very hard but he just can’t make anyone miss. I think he might have two gains of more than 20 all year. And on second down Dorsey hits Edwards for six yards. A completion. Maybe a confidence builder. And then Dorsey makes a great play on third-and-three. Surrounded by three Titan defenders he slings a slant to Edwards in stride for a gain of nearly 30.
After an incompletion on first down, Lewis rumbles for maybe a yard. But there was no hole, so Lewis’s slowness didn’t matter. Third and long. He throws a strike to Donte Stallworth and Stallworth drops it. This is noteworthy for two reasons. First, a Cleveland quarterback actually looked to Stallworth. He’s been regarded (and rightly so) as a huge bust. We signed him in the off-season to a 7-year $35 million contract. He’s missed five games and has 15 or 16 catches all year. Yep, that’s a cool $500,000 per reception. But in his defense, I feel Quinn and Anderson never even looked at his side of the field. Ever. They’d lock in on Braylon Edwards and/or Kellen Winslow and just ignored Stallworth completely. Which leads me to my second point. The drops. Everyone knows Edwards has killed the Browns this year with dropped passes. So let’s hope it’s not contagious. Edwards has two catches. Maybe he’s finally getting over it, albeit too little too late.
Oh, and Dawson nails a 48-yard field goal. Pro Bowl! Pro Bowl! Take that, Bironas.
1:13pm – Kerry Collins trots onto the field. Can the Browns defense play even half as well as it did last week against the Colts? Even if they do, that means they’d only allow 6 points today. Yeah, I think that would be acceptable. Let’s see Shaun Rogers out-play Albert Haynesworth today. Rogers is the best defensive player I’ve ever seen the Browns have. Can’t say enough about him.
Collins completes a short pass on second down to lightning-fast Chris Johnson for a first down. Johnson’s probably going to pass the 1,000 yard rushing mark today.
On second down, Brandon MacDonald blitzes off the left edge and forces Collins into intentional grounding. 3rd and long; come on, defense. And again, MacDonald, with the exception of two awful games against Baltimore and Denver, has been a beast this year. He’s going to be a good one even though he’s been ripped by many in the media.
And then Chris Johnson bounces a draw play to the outside and gets 17! At least this time it wasn’t shoddy tackling by the Browns – for once – it was just Johnson’s moves and speed. His nickname is 'Dash' and we can already see why. He also ran the fast 40-yard-sprint in the combines this past spring.
Collins completes a nice out rout and just like that the Titans are in Cleveland territory. Then Collins throws a seem route that D’Qwell Jackson should pick off, but drops. Jackson’s the primary source of frustration when it comes to our defensive woes. He leads the team in missed tackles and possibly dropped interceptions. And it’s so frustrating because he always seems to make the right reads and is often in the right position to make a tackle or pick off a pass, but his execution just isn’t there. In other words, he does the hard part but can’t finish. I hope this is fixable because he could be a stud. He leads our team in tackles even though he's missed the most too.
On third down Rogers gets pressure right up the gut and forces a completion. Titans punt. No complaints here.
1:24pm – We’re up 3-0 on the best team in the AFC. Let’s hope Dorsey remains smart out there. And just like that he heaves a duck off his back foot, but the ball was so “woefully underthrown” (announcer Dan Fouts accurately says) that Edwards had to come back for the ball and ran into Nick Harper, drawing a defensive pass interference play. Thus, a gain of 30. And now the “flash” formation with a direct snap to Cribbs who scampers hard for 7 yards on first down. A fun –and effective- play call.
Then Dorsey fumbles the exchange from center, but somehow recovers. Normally I’d say we can’t stand prosperity but in this case I’ll say it’s good luck. But on third down Titans linebacker David Thornton knocks down a pass to Steve Heiden. Our punter, Dave Zastudil, lofts a beautiful high punt to the 2-yard line but Cribbs, easily the best special teams player in the NFL, makes a uncharacteristic gaff. He tries to down the ball but it glances off of his chest and into the end zone. So much for pinning back the Titans. But it’s hard to knock Cribbs for anything.
1:29pm – On first down, D’Qwell Jackson makes me eat my words! He drops back into a zone and tips a Collins throw to himself and dives to grab it. Fouts again, “This was a harder interception than the one he dropped.” Go figure.
1:30pm – Lewis loses one. Again, the Titans line just blew up the play. But why isn’t Jerome Harrison on the field? Again, the greatest fault of Chudzinski and head coach Romeo Crennel has been their constant unwillingness to give Harrison the ball. He’s averaging more than EIGHT yards a carry this year and is infinitely quicker than Lewis. If the Titans can effectively do ‘Smash and Dash’ and the Giants can effectively use ‘Earth, Wind, and Fire’ (and both teams are a combined 22-2) why can’t a 4-8 team with equally good personnel figure out how to use two different backs? Put in Harrison!
Their d-line sniffs out a screen pass. Third and 11. Dorsey looks long but pulls it back in and dumps off a screen pass to Jason Wright. Dawson connects on a 41-yard field goal. He can sniff Honolulu. Browns up 6-0 on the 11-1 Titans.
1:35pm – After a false start by Tennessee, LenDale White and Chris Johnson take hand-offs up the middle on first and second down but we force a third-and-three. Collins hits Brandon Jones right in stride on a crossing route for a nice third down gain. The Browns defense holds up again on first and second down and force a third-and-long. Our D-line, as usual, gets zero pressure on Collins but our prevent zone allows Chris Johnson to run after a three-yard catch for a first down. This soft defense worked last week against Tennessee, but I think we can be more aggressive this week. After all, Collins is no Peyton Manning. Oh, and did you notice the Titans used White AND Johnson during the same drive. I'm just sayin...
On first down, Johnson goes right up the gut again. And White does on second down. (See a theme here?) Titans’ center Kevin Mawae is doing a nice job so far on Rogers. They’re down to our 27 yard line. Third and one.
End of first quarter. We’re on the road against a team that’s 11-1 and we’re winning. Tennessee is putting together a nice drive, but at this point, I’ll take the 6-0 lead.
1:45pm – Start of the second quarter.
On third and one, Rogers and Corey Williams use their fatness to take up space and allow Andra Davis to plug the middle for no gain. Fourth and one. And then ugh! We stuff the fake hand-off up the middle but fullback Ahmad Hall sneaks to the sideline, catches a short pass and then runs untouched for a 28-yard touchdown. So much for our lead. Wish they’d have been conservative and just handed it off. A good play call for a team that would normally run the ball in that situation. We’re down 7-6.
1:49pm – On a short kick-off, Cribbs carries a few tacklers to the 37 yard line. Good starting position for Dorsey (or, hopefully, Cribbs). Hooray, it looks like Harrison is in. And Cribbs is in the backfield too. Edwards breaks free down the right side but Dorsey overthrows him. Good play call. Had the defense lined up to stuff a hand-off to Cribbs. Just bad execution by our third-string quarterback. But on second down Cribbs takes a direct snap and rushes for a first down. Fouts says he looks confident as a running back. Cribbs takes another handoff and follows fullback Lawrence Vickers right up the middle for a gain of six. He takes another direct snap, makes a nice sidestep, but is swallowed after a gain of one. At the least the calls are creative! Third and three. Harrison and Dorsey back in, but Dave Ball forces Dorsey into a weak 1-yard completion. Just out of field goal range. I’ve never had so much fun watching a drive that only picked up 20 yards.
1:56pm – Man, Chris Johnson is shifty. He juked safety Sean Jones and linebacker Kameron WImbley, both of who had him dead-to-rights in the backfield, but he dances for a few positive yards. Johnson then gets close to a first down on a screen pass. Third-and-short, come on defense! This time on short yardage the Titans do hand it off but Johnson makes it by about four inches. Johnson made a fast cut to elude Rogers.
On first down, Rogers (almost literally) swallows Johnson. Man, CBS just showed the guts of our defensive lineman – those guys are fat! Shaun Smith's thigh is bigger than my torso (though I don't know if that's a knock Smith or myself). But more power to them; they’re nimble and playing well. On third-and-six, Brodney Pool breaks up an inaccurate pass and we force a punt that Cribbs returns a few yards. On the punt, two Browns nearly blocked it. I can’t think of the last time the Browns blocked a punt. In fact, I can’t recall a blocked punt since we’ve been the ‘new Browns.’ Is there a researcher in the house? Oh, and while we’re at, can we try a fake field goal at some point too? I don’t think we’ve done one of those since Mike Pagel threw to Van Waiters against the Vikings in 1989.
2:02pm – “The front four of the Titans is slamming the door,” says Don Criqui. He’s right. They’ve stuffed Lewis twice this drive. But again, Lewis is just so slow. If there’s not a hole, he’s not gaining positive yards. On third down, Jevon Kearse pressure Dorsey and leads to an incompletion. That was a fast, useless drive. Zastudil booms a 54 yard punt to the 6 and gunner Mike Adams immediately makes the tackle. Great special teams continue!
And not to beat a dead horse, but when you have a guy who’s averaging more than EIGHT yards per carry, why not give him the ball? We’ve probably ran 20 plays already and he hasn’t touched the ball once. Stop making it harder than it is! Since Lewis clearly isn’t going to run through the wall that is the Titans defensive front, let’s put in a guy who can run around it.
2:06pm – Case in point. To start the drive, ‘Smash’ LenDale White is the featured back. He’s a change of pace to Chris Johnson and starts out by picking up 15 yards. And then they put in Johnson and throw him a screen pass for seven. Not rocket science here, Chudzinski, especially when Dorsey isn’t going to light up the scoreboard.
On second down, Johnson picks up 20 and passes the 1,000 yard mark. Fouts says the pounding of White and the quickness of Johnson is starting to work. Are you listening , Chud?
Collins throws another crossing route, this time to Algae Crumpler, and then hits an out pattern to Justin McCairens down to the 15. Tack on a ticky-tack roughing-the-passer penalty on Corey Williams and in three plays the Titans have gone from their own 47 to the six.
At the 2-minute warning, Criqui says that Tennessee coach Steve Fisher told him during the week that the Browns’ pass rush doesn’t concern him. Hilarious! First, coaches aren’t supposed to say things like that publicly, but second, he’s totally right. Our pass rush is non-existent. We’re barely averaging more than a sack-per game. And on third down, White takes it down our throats for a touchdown. Just like that, a plodding running team has scored 14 unanswered points. I wonder if Fisher mentioned that Jamal Lewis doesn’t concern him either. Maybe he did so Crennel and Chudzinski are trying to prove him wrong. It ain’t working.
That was Tennessee’s third 10+ play drive. Yikes. Our defense bends and breaks. Down 14-6.
2:20pm – On the extra point Shaun Smith apparently stepped on someone’s helmet so now the Titans are kicking off the 45 and Bironas blasts it into the stands. Good thing they don’t get 3 points for that.
Let’s see Dorsey go 80 yards in 1:11. Umm… Let’s see him not get sacked and killed.
2:23pm - Dorsey makes two short throws in the middle of the field to Syndric Steptoe for only 10 yards. 30 seconds already went off the clock. Time to take a shot? Though Tennessee is waiting for that. Dorsey throws a deep out Edwards and it’s broken up. 37 seconds at our own 30. Hmm…time to take a knee, Dorsey.
They flash a stat that the Browns have 67 yards of offense and Chris Johnson alone has 87. Nothing more to say there.
Dorsey completes a 10-yarder to Wright and then Harrison catches an underneath pass for a whopping six yards. 15 seconds left. At midfield. 10 more for Dawson’s range…but Dorsey is sacked and they don’t even bother to call a time out. Really? Why not? One more play to throw a Hail Mary? Why not??? What’s the harm? Wouldn’t it be nice if we just tried? Is that too much to ask for or is that a telltale sign of a team that has no hope?
Halftime. Down 14-6.
We have 84 yards of total offense and Jamal Lewis has 5 carries for 3 yards. With Tennessee’s dominating defense licking its chops to face Dorsey in the second half, and with ‘Smash and Dash’ getting going, ye olde second half comeback isn’t really an option. Can I start looking ahead to Monday night next week against the Eagles? If Jamal Lewis starts running to South Philly now he might make it on time.
Ok, let's start the second half.
2:41pm – On the first play from scrimmage, Shaun Rogers gets hurt. I wasn’t even going to write about the second half but I had to mention this. Having our team MVP get injured is sort of fitting. Maybe even poetic. Or just nauseating. A perfect part a perfectly disappointing season.
That’s it. I’m done.
Browns GM Phil Savage showing Bill Clintonesque Qualities?
Monday, October 20, 2008 at 05:15PM
It appears that Browns General Manager Phil Savage hasn't learned a basic lesson from former President Bill Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal - that withholding information causes scandals. Let's review: Bill Clinton had sexual relations with "that woman," denied it, denied it some more, and the media was relentless. His 'relations' became a giant scandal as speculation grew and grew over the days and months until finally he admitted what everyone suspected all along. Eventually he was impeached. On the other hand, during his first White House campaign, George W. Bush admitted to being arrested for cocaine possession the moment it was brought up by the media, and it was subsequently forgotten minutes later.
My point: Withholding information causes scandals - not divulging information. The media wants something it can cling to, something it can hunt down. The moment the hunt is over, a new media cycle - a new hunt - begins, and the previous scandal is long forgotten.
So why does Phil Savage insist on keeping Browns injuries hush hush? When Donte Stallworth hurt his quad in warms-up before the Dallas game, he refused to offer a timetable for his return even though team doctors told him 3-5 weeks. As a result, the fans turned against Stallworth because they assumed it was a mild injury from which he should have instantly returned. When he finally returned after 4 weeks, no one was happy. Yet if we knew he'd be out for 4 weeks, the speculation, rumors, and rampant discontent would have never started.
So why did Savage refuse to let Kellen Winslow reveal he had a staph infection that kept him in the hospital, and why doesn't he allow any player to discuss their injuries? Speculation over Winslow's disease ranged from swollen testicles to various sexually transmitted diseases. No one knew that it was a staph infection. We could have sympathetic. We could have worried for his health and safety. Instead, he's now facing a fine and/or suspension by the team for revealing the truth. He probably had countless people asking him every day about his injury and he had to keep deflecting all those questions. I don't think many people could keep up such a facade for two weeks.
And what advantage did the Redskins gain by not knowing Winslow had a staph infection? If they had known it was staph, would have they have beaten us by 30 points? Would they have sprayed anti-bacterial spray on their uniforms? What exactly did we gain from the secrecy? Other than the fact that it took a couple weeks longer to realize that the Berea practice facility is becoming increasingly known as a bacterial breeding ground?
Memo to Savage: Be up front with people and scandals will never arise. It's that easy. The thrill of the media's hunt will be quashed if there's nothing for which to hunt. Guess what. The cat's out of the bag and now it's a big deal. Is Savage really surprised? Or is he so clever that we're now focusing on staph instead of on our inconsistent quarterback and butter-fingers star receiver?
Consistently Inconsistent
Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 05:14PM
We just watched the Browns lose by 3 to the Redskins, as we scored a paltry 11 points. Though the Redskins' defense is highly ranked, the 11 points can primarily be attributed to the Browns' own miscues - namely miscues by Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards. Edwards had 4 or 5 more drops and Anderson consistently simply missed open targets, particularly on screen passes. Though DA is known for his cannon arm, I couldn't help but be envious of Washington QB Jason Campbell who seemingly can't throw the ball further than 20 yards downfield but is remarkably accurate and hit his receivers in-stride all day. It still amazes me how accuracy is overlooked when evaluating quarterbacks. Anyway..let me get to my point.
What's so infuriating about watching Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards in games like today's is that they're so consistently inconsistent. Anderson and Edwards were world beaters last week against the Giants but today neither looked like starting NFL players. And this has been the story throughout their careers. How can a coach or general manager keep relying on a quarterback who, on any given day, might go 14-for-37 like DA did today? Especially when not under much pressure. It's significantly easier to prepare a gameplan for someone like Campbell, because with Campbell, you know what you're gonna get. Whereas on any given Sunday with Anderson you're going to get any number of possible performances. You know he can be a star and you simultaneously know he can be what he was today - a terrible NFL starting quarterback.
And what's dangerous about this situation is that it will keep Brady Quinn on the bench. As long as Anderson shows glimpses of greatness, Crennel will keep playing him despite his long stretches of ineptness as he waits for the greatness to re-emerge. Quinn's career remains idling while Anderson's career slogs ahead, along with the Browns' 2008 season.
Real-Time Blog: Browns vs. Giants Monday Night Football October 13, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008 at 11:42PM
Here was my first attempt at a real-time diary/blog during a Browns game. I had no idea what to expect but it didn't distract me too much from enjoying the game. I haven't really edited this so it might be pretty sloppy. But anyhoo...voila:
8:35pm - I'm watching the game at my friend Brendan's apartment in Brooklyn. I grew up with him in Cleveland and he conveniently lives eight blocks from me, so we watch nearly all Cleveland games together. He has also a brand new giagantor HD-enabled TV, so his place wins. Even though the Browns never win any time I ever watch with him. We have a rule not watch to games together, but we're breaking it quite conspicuously. So when the Browns lose, I'll take the blame.
I'm also wearing my orange hoodie to show my team colors. I wouldn't describe it, though, as my "lucky hoodie" because, frankly, no Cleveland fan has any lucky charms/clothing/pets/etc. We've never won anything since 1964. So frankly, if any Cleveland fan claims to have lucky charms, he's lying to you.
8:39pm - Doorbell rings. Did I mention two Giants fans will be watching with us? At least someone here gets the chance to be happy tonight.
8:40pm - Yes, Hank Williams Jr., I am ready. Why can't we get a new song? It's been 15 years of this song and I hate country music. "This is a really stupid intro," my friend Lee says. He's coming with me to the Thursday night game in Cleveland in three weeks against Denver.
8:41pm - Ok, we just got a break, technically 0 seconds into the game. Joshua Cribbs drops the kick-off but it doesn't veer left and out of bounds, but conveniently it goes through the end zone. Starting at the 20 is better than the 3. Breaks like these rarely happen, or when they do, we tend to ignore them.
8:42pm - We claim we're going to pound the ball at the Giants D-line. But we throw first. On 2nd down Jamal beats it down their throat for six, and then, Derek Anderson actually hits Braylon Edwards in stride and he runs and runs. 50 yards in 3 plays. Sweet.
8:44pm - "Are Browns fans all that hairy," says the female Giants fans. Brendan has to explain the Dawgs. Sometimes you assume everyone knows things that everyone knows. Brendan taunts the male Giants fan about their linebackers.
8:45pm - A motion penalty on guard Eric Steinbach. Six plays into the game. "That's Browns football," says Brendan. At least we're trying to stick to our gameplan and are running it now. "We've gotta score a touchdown." Brendan again.
8:47pm - Just like the start of the Dallas game. After positive plays on O to start the game, Anderson fumbles the snap to stall a promising start. Self-inflicted. Again. On third down Anderson is booed loudly after throwing a short cop-out pass to Cribbs. Announcer Tony Kornheiser says, "They only have four touchdowns all year." Yeah, we know. After Phil Dawson's short field goal, we still only have four.
This leads me to a big point. Traditionally, the Browns players don't "make plays." This phrase means that no one goes above and beyond and does something unexpected. They actually did last year and we ran up and down the field. So on the third-down long reception to Edwards, why couldn't he have stiff-armed the only Giants defender or just cut inside and scored a touchdown? Make a play, Braylon! You only had one guy to beat and he beat you. When points are at a premium, your playmakers have to step up.
8:53pm - Giants have the ball and on cue, Brandon Jacobs picks up 6.8 yards - his average for the season. Amazing. He better have already bought his offensive line plane tickets to Hawaii in February. Two plays later, Jacobs picks up another 6 or 7 and Brendan says, "Look at all the Browns being stood up."
8:55pm - Four plays for the Giants, two first downs. No pressure on two pass plays. No push on running plays. Let's hope Eli implodes for some reason.
Stat comes up that the Giants line has started the same unit in 21 straight games. That explains a lot.
8:57pm - Chris (the male Giants fan here) watching Jacbos hit Willie McGinnest in the chest and remarks about using Jacobs to wear down defense.
8:58pm - Yes! Brodney Pool and Brandon McDonald double Plaxico Burress down the middle of the field and Pool picks it off. This is remarkable. A poor throw by Eli and a reception by our secondary. (Their hands aren't to be trusted). Even pressure that made Eli hurry his throw.
9:00pm - They set up Joshua Cribbs (a former QB at Kent State) at QB and run him for 12 yards. There have been complaints about the Browns under utilizing Cribbs and Jerome Harrison, our other ultra-quick running back who always seems to make a play. Hopefully our coordinator Rob Chudzinski will throw in some more wrinkles.
An interesting note on Harrison: he graduated from the Pac-10's Washington State the same year as Reggie Bush - and had more yards than Bush their senior seasons. He has talent! I guarantee Bush had more talent around him at USC than Harrison did in Pullman, Washington; Harrison did a ton of it on his own based on sheer athletic ability.
9:04pm - A slant to Stallworth and he makes a nice run-after-catch; the whole reason we gave him almost $40 million. We're dying to see him! And then Steve Heiden sidesteps a defender and picks up an additional 9 yards. He made a play! I just jinxed him. He's Winslow's back-up. He'll probably break his cup on his next catch.
Yep, I jinxed him. Anderson throws his way, misses him badly, and then we get called for a "self-inflicted" penalty on offense. Beating ourselves. Who's surprised?
Anderson tries to hit Stallworth on a 3rd-and-13 and, as Ron Jaworski says, "simply makes an inaccurate throw." We're from Cleveland. We have low expectations. But we do have some expectations. Come on, DA.
My next big point: My friend Mark texts me and simply says: Drive stalls. Mark is also from Cleveland also lives in New York. He's watching the game with his dad and 2-week old son, all of whom are donning Browns jerseys. His newborn's name - GRADY! Yes, he managed to talk his very logical and intelligent wife to name their first child after a Cleveland Indian. You have to admire the loyalty there..unbelievable! Hopefully this new Grady won't disappoint - like the Indians always have. Sorry, Mark, umm..I mean your Grady will be lead us to our first World Series title in 2031. You better get me box seats for the Series!
End of 1st Quarter. Browns 3, Giants 0. Well, we aren't losing. But it doesn't feel like we're winning either.
Start of 2nd Quarter
The Giants start with a very solid drive. Derrick Ward is running strong and ESPN finally flashes the Giants' unheard of rushing stats. Having their top 3 backs average more than 6.0 a carry is as likely as Browns' safety Mike Adams tackling Jacobs in the chest. Oh wait, Jacobs just flattened Adams on his way to a touchdown. And then Jacobs naturally ran straight to Corey Williams of the Browns and taunted him back. Earlier in the week Williams said Jacobs is afraid to get hit in the mouth. Maybe Williams should go back to the bench and ask Adams about that. Though Adams probably already has his jaw wired shut.
Giants up 7-3.
Did I mention a few minutes ago it felt like we weren't winning. Now it's true.
First play after the kick-off. Edwards breaks Aaron Ross's ankles for a 70+ yard completion. He gets down to the 4 but again, HE CAN'T MAKE A PLAY. Juke him. Run sideways. Dump oil out of the back of your cleats. Outrun him. Just do something to score the f*cking touchdown! Yes, I'm aware we just completed a bomb down to the 4-yard line. If we don't get a TD on this possession I won't be surprised (as much as I want to be).
Ok, first-and-goal from the 4. Anderson throws a dart that's tipped at the line. It was initially called pass interference but replays show Antonio Pierce tipped it. Brendan says, "Why can't we just ram it in there." Then, on cue, Jamal Lewis makes a great cut back. Tucker and Heiden make killer blocks on the play. Welcome back, Tucker! You're still a tough guy even though your wife just made you get a haircut.
Browns 10 - Giants 7 (I need to start consistently formatting the score updates)
9:31pm - Did I mention my one complaint about gigantor HD TV's? They stretch the field to make 10 yards look like 20. I just through Ahmad Bradshaw ran the kickoff back to midfield, and he actually only got to the 30. Stupid scary TV's.
9:34pm - Browns' best off-season acquisition was DT Shaun Rogers. He was billed to be a beast and has been all year. He just swallowed Jacobs on a run up the middle. He then crushes Eli - but not soon enough and Eli throws for 32 to Burress. Then a phantom block-in-the-back takes it back 15.
Brendan laughs and says, "told ya" to the room. We always get 15-yard penalties in our favor on big plays. It's our best play...that's sad.
Next play Rogers nails Eli again and Plaxico reverts to his old form with Pittsbugh and drops the pass. A good play all around for our dawgs.
Our DB Brandon McDonald knocks a bomb away from BUrress...he's one of the best corners in the AFC already. You heard it here first.
A cut to a female fan wearing a dog bone in her hair. The female Giants fan says, "Wow, women in Cleveland are pretty." As Jane Krakowski's character on 30 Rock says, "Every (skinnyish woman) West of the Appalachians is a model."
We force a punt. Success. Good job, D!
9:40pm - I just noticed Mike Tirico's hot pink highlighter. Kudos to him for not matching it to his tie ala Digger Phelps. He's discussing the merits of Brad Johnson taking over for Tony Romo. Tony Kornheiser makes fun of Terrell Owens.
9:43pm - A third-and-6 and Anderson puts it between Edwards's 1 and 7 on his jersey. Braylon hangs on and gets nailed. They both needed that for their confidences. Can I say ‘confidences?'
9:45pm - Another ball to Heiden. He was our starting TE for several years before Winslow Jr. It's not that surprising, but surprising nonetheless.
Anderson is 9 of 14 for 186 yards. His best 1.5 quarters since last November.
My phone is oddly quiet. My friend Rich from work has only texted me once gloating about his Giants when Jacobs ran over Adams. Mark texts me constantly when we're getting slaughtered. I hope my phone stays quiet. No news is good news. Especially from Cleveland fans. We're all fatalists.
On another 3rd down, Anderson throws an out to Syndric Steptoe two seconds before Steptoe's break. What an unusually accurate mid-range pass.
A post to 3rd-string blocking TE Darnell Dinkins for a long TD reminiscent of Anderson last year. Jaworski lauds Anderson on the difficulty of throw. Lee - who's also U Miami alum - says, "Kenny Phillips should have been there." He's right. Winslow from U Miami should have been there too, but for now, I'm not arguing with Dinkins.
Browns 17 - Giants 7
Dawson blasts the kick-off through the endzone.
9:53pm - "This has to be the biggest lead Cleveland has had all year." Yeah, Tony, we get it. Though I suppose we deserve it. I'd like to enjoy this lead for now, but I can't. And you won't let us either. I was at Heinz Field last year and as we went up 21-6 I turned to my friend Chris, a die-hard Steelers fan, and said, "You should be feeling pretty good right now." And I wasn't taunting him or being sarcastic.
My friend Don, a displaced Jets fan living in New Orleans, texts me: Dammmn! Derek Anderson looks like Eli..and Eli looks like Kellen Clemens.... Ouch.
Brendan's wife says, "Wow, they're winning." She's genuinely surprised and not used to it in her casual adopted fandom. Brendan says, "well, they have tendency to blow leads at the ends of halfs." Can we blow a 10-point lead in less than two minutes. Let's find out!... Oh, wait.
9:58pm - Another break. Eli underthrows Hixon and our DB Eric Wright's poor coverage isn't exposed. Interestingly, Hixon beat Wright long, which is the opposite of Wright. Wright gives up so many short plays via ultra-soft zone.
A sack! A fumble! ...A penalty! Illegal contact downfield negates the play. We finally force a big turnover and don't give up points at the end of a half and then Adams chucks Hixon. It was a penalty. Stupid Browns. Can't stand success.
10:03pm - Did I mention the Giants have marched down the field? First-and-goal from the 3. Bleh. Can't stand prosperity. Did I mention that?
10:05pm - Why did we have our back-up safety matched up on Burress? TD Giants. Ah, McDonald was on Toomer who cut inside after starting outside. "And look at that, it's a three-point game," Brendan says. Damn Kornheister for not letting us enjoy our success after the Dinkins touchdown. We knew it would be short-lived.
Browns 17 - Giants 14
Again, it doesn't feel like we're winning.
10:08pm - We throw a 4-yard out to Heiden (who drops it). You've got to throw at least 10 yards to make any progress with 8 seconds left. Then we try another out and Anderson still throw it incomplete.
Oh well. We're going into the half up 3. That's a swing of 20 more (or less) than we expected as we went into this game.
Halftime. Browns 17 - Giants 14. Doesn't feel like we're winning.
10:11pm - Man, I'm pooped. Writing non-stop is a war of attrition. Don't know about the second half. Might post a bit less frequently. Phew!
10:18pm - Switched to the Phillies-Dodgers game. Ryan Howard's fat. He was the only guy on the team who couldn't tag on a blooper. And on cue, Martin weakly tries to block a ball in the dirt and Howard rumbles home to tie the game. I lived in Philly for seven years. Go Phils! Manny doesn't deserve to go the World Series this year after letting Scott Boras walk all over Boston.
Ok, back to the Browns. Lee just laughed at me for not stopping my diary. But Brendan makes a good point. "We're winning and you've been blogging. You can't stop. Well, until we start losing." I tell him my theory about no good luck charms. He agrees, "Yeah, we need to wear our unlucky stuff." Hm...that's a good point. Can we use reverse psychology on Cleveland sports?
10:24pm - Tirico finally mentions "The Mistake on the Lake." Can't believe we made 110 minutes into the game without hearing that. Then he mentions we don't handle the end of halves well. Duh. Jaworski counters saying we should be proud. He's right. But we aren't.
On the first play of the second half Eli throws a horrible pass to Burress that's easily picked off by my boy McDonald. I'm telling you, he's one of the best pure cover corners in the AFC. And I don't care if I just jinxed his career by saying so even though I definitely just did. I said it last year too when he became a starter in the 2nd half of the season. And I say it again.
10:28pm - A reverse to Harrison. He can fly. He's shifty. Braylon thought he held the cornerback and he actually didn't get flagged for it. All is well. We have a smart play call and Braylon catches a break.
Lewis gets the ball twice for two modest gains. I like the play calling despite the lack of success. Keep Jamal happy (insert federal drugs charge joke here).
Then Anderson throws a fade right through Stallworth's hands. On cue, "He's getting paid $35 million." They're right. MAKE A PLAY! Sure, he had to fully extend, but come on, you're "getting paid $35 million" to make plays like that. I don't make $35 million and can give a good try too.
Browns 20 - Giants 14
"Why aren't the Giants running more?" asks the male Giants fan. An excellent excellent point. We're still getting hit in the mouth. Shh..don't ask Coughlin this!
10:33pm - "Another turnover would be nice," Brendan says. He's serious. He won't get it.
We make a remark about Eli throwing 3 INT's against Minnesota last year and then joke about how sad it was at the time that the Giants claimed to get confidence when they LOST to the undefeated Patriots last year because they played them closely. I mean, that sounds like a pathetic mantra of a loser. Brendan interjects, "Yeah, the Browns get confidence all the time." I set ‘em up...
I just went upstairs (yes, an apartment in Brooklyn with steps) and got a glass of water. I have to take the steps one at a time because I screwed up my knee. I had a cortisone shot this morning for the first time of my life. Cortisone shots are supposed to be magical. Mine didn't do a thing. Maybe that means I'm tougher than Winslow who gets eased by these shots all the time.
Jacobs is a beast, and a fast beast. McDonald tried to chase him down from behind and couldn't catch Jacobs. He weights 265 pounds and can fly. Yikes. Corey Williams nails him on the next play. Keep hitting him!
Adams rushes in from his safety position and rookie Alex Hall from D2 St. Augustine pile on Eli and force a punt. Pressure / coverage sack all in one. Go Dawgs! Adams has done well on year after Sean Jones got injured in the opener.
10:45pm - Michele Tafoya's having a bad hair day. The girls here didn't comment on it. Think they're busy talking about shopping for carpets. Dinkins drops a pass, but Anderson is still on. Harrison up the middle and gets his heals clipped. Man, so close. "They're beating the team at the moment that is considered to be the best team in NFL," says Kornheiser, just as back up running back Jason Wright powers through for a first down on three straight running plays. The fans erupt on the call of, "First down Browns!"
Anderson wants to throw long and throws it short. He didn't force it. A good incompletion. And then Edwards runs 10 yards downfield before the snap. "'Hut,' ‘Hut,' this isn't rocket science," says Jaworski. So true.
Mark finally texts me, "Penalties are a function of coaching." You cannot imagine how much Mark loathes Romeo. I could write an entire blog about it.
Lewis scampers up the middle and then Jaworski says, "Browns fans, another flag" even before the call is made -against us, of course. 10 penalties and we're still winning. How? Anderson scrambles and buys some time and hits Edwards..in his helmet! Edwards promptly extends his lead league in number of drops. And then the Giants take a cue from the Browns book and knocks Wright four yards ahead to give us a first down on third and long.
And then another penalty on Cleveland before the ball is snapped. A completion to Harrison. And then Fraley - OUR CENTER - moves early. That's now 8 or 9 false starts. Lee says, "Dude, you guys have had the ball for 10 minutes and aren't even at the 30 yet. I think you already have over 100 yards on this drive." He might be right.
End of 3rd Quarter: Browns 20 - Giants 14
Brendan's smiling and optimistic. Not a good sign.
11:00pm - I just texted, "I'm optimist.. that's bad." And then Anderson throws a TD to Braylon to FINISH A DRIVE. Aaron Ross is hurt, or as Lee says, "You know why he's down, because he got juked."
Then Kornheiser said, "every evidence." Why is he so smart on PTI and a dunce on MNF? Why play that role?
Jaworski says the Browns are one game away from turning around their season. Brendan says, "we're always one game away from turning around our season."
Browns 27 - Giants 14
The Giants get the ball back and Jacobs obliterates Pool, but grabs his facemask and backs them up 15 yards. Wow. We assumed the flag was for offsides on Cleveland. Meanwhile, Kornheiser is killing us. I've wanted someone to stop praising Cleveland before. The Giants are still almost averaging 6 yards per carry and are still throwing way too much.
11:12pm - After a first down Ward springs through a hole for 14. I think that pushes their rushing average to 6 per again. Why do they pass at all? Brad Johnson can run this offense. Inside the 20. 8 guys in the box. Jacobs still gets 6 on first down. And the Browns MAKE A PLAY! Eric Wright picks off Eli at the five (he actually caught the ball), he stumbles (and doesn't fall down), he gets hit by Eli around midfield (and actually manages to stay in bounds), and ends up with a game finishing TD! A dagger. A 15-point swing.
Why didn't they just run it down our throats?
Then we go for 2! Killer instinct. Ha.
Browns 35 - Giants 14
11:21pm - Two plays and the Giants are already down to the 30. We're up 21 but terrified simultaneously. This is how we think! Ward goes for 20 more and now they're already in the red zone after one pass and two running plays! This is not surprising. By the way, are the Giants accepting job applications for running back? I could get 5 yards a carry with these holes and I'd work for the league minimum. I can write a mean cover letter. I'd get a call from their HR department, I know it.
Matt Stairs crushes a go-ahead homer for the Phillies. Mauls it. But our own no-longer C.C. Sabathia hit his homer in June against the Dodgers even further. He's fat and strong.
In the last two plays the Giants have completed two passes, gone nowhere, and taken 1:15 off the clock. Again, breaks we rarely get. I know it sounds like I'm whining, but this is usual for Cleveland fans. Sorry. Eli throws behind a kind-of-open Steve Smith in the endzone and we hold on downs. Now I'm optimistic and we switch back to the NLCS. My phone is quiet. I guess we all feel inevitability of a win now. Who would have thunk it? I expected a score of about 35-14, but with the Giants winning. Now, do the Browns capitalize and come out strong next week in Washington or do they get complacent again and lay an egg? I mean, going into this week the Redskins were the second best team in football. Is it possible that next week could be a trap game - for the Browns?
"There are going to be so many drunk drivers in Cleveland tonight!" says Brendan. He's totally right. At least I can walk home on my bad knee. Anyone have some cortisone and a syringe?
Jamal carries four Giants about seven yards for a first down to help kill the clock. He runs for six more and almost takes off Corey Webster's head with his shoulder pad. Running in the fourth quarter like he did in the second half of last season. Let's stick with the run. It brought the safeties up today and set up the passing game. Simple if it works. And for two games in a row it's worked. Now let's hope Chudzinski and Crennel don't outthink themselves. As our GM Phil Savage said upon signing Jamal last year, "A hungry Jamal is a good Jamal."
My friend Rich texts me and says he's embarrassed for his team's defense upon learning we haven't punted all game. Our punter, Dave Zastudil, is arguably our best player. I'd trade him for a high school punter if he won't have to punt again all year.
A few kneel-downs and we win. 310 yards for Anderson. Eli struggles. And Coughlin insanely abandons the run after (I'm not looking at a stat sheet here) averaging 6+ yards again on the ground. Goodbye Giants winning streak. Hello Cleveland winning streak of two.
Go Browns!
Final Score: Browns 35 - Giants 14
6 Hours Til Browns and Giants on Monday Night Football
Monday, October 13, 2008 at 02:59PM
The Browns kick-off in less than 6 hours against the Giants and it's already shaping up to be a typical Cleveland game. Well, typical in the sense that:
1) Just when we seemed to find a stroke of good luck and good timing and it appeared we'd have all our starters healthy, Shaun Smith got downgraded to 'doubtful' because of his broken hand, and of course, Kellen Winslow Jr. also got downgraded because of his undisclosed illness. Now I realize that one's illnesses are inherently personal, but I can't believe that NO ONE has figured out what's wrong with him! I mean, the Cleveland media is generally respectable (to a fault, at times) about respecting our city's athlete's private lives, but come on, not even anyone at ESPN has been able to figure out what's wrong with K2. There was a rumor floating around that he had swollen testicles (yes,I purposely chose the story on ballhype.com, it was just too easy), but I think the person who started that rumor was just bored. (I would have gone with acromegaly or alien-hand syndrome. Those two are doozies). Not even one reporter could crack this? No one at the Clevleand Clinic could leak this info? I'm sick of the media letting Romeo dodge our injury team's situation; it actually hurts the Browns too (like in the Donte Stallworth situation) because everyone gets antsy and frustrated.
Romeo needs to manage expectations differently. Geez, just tell reporters that every player will be out 3 weeks longer than the doctors say. That way, when they return "ahead of schedule," everyone comes out a winner.
Poor K2. He's the toughest guy on the team. I'm genuinely worried. This illness must be pretty serious.
2) Corey Williams is talking smack about Brandon Jacobs. Seriously? We're 1-3. They're 4.0. Jacobs (and Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward) averages more than SIX yards per carry. Oh, and they're the defending Super Bowl champs. And WE'RE talking trash. Smart move, Corey. Maybe you have an incentive clause tied-in to giving opponents bulletin board material.
3) The Browns will be sporting throwback uniforms. Sure, they want to maximize revenue by selling some more merchandise, but we're historically bad when we dress up for the big lights. Granted, when our overall winning percentage since 1999 hovers around .400, it's hard to find any positive winning percentage stats, but I can't even remember a win when we wore our throw-backs. Though maybe we wore number on our helmets against Houston last year. At least we aren't wearing orange pants.
All signs point to something dreary on the shores of Lake Erie tonight....
1:00pm – Five minutes until the Browns (4-8) with their two-headed quarterback monster of Ken Dorsey and Joshua Cribbs – at least, I hope - face the Titans (11-1). Our offensive coordinator, Rob Chudzinski, was viewed as a genius last year but has been much more mortal here in 2008. This year he was supposed to use Cribbs more at QB to energize the offense, but so far he’s only put him behind center a handful of times. Now, with nothing to lose, here’s hoping we see the “Flash” package a lot today.
1:03pm – Rod Bironas to kick off to Cribbs. I hope our own kicker, Phil Dawson, gets the Pro Bowl nod this year over Bironas. It’s sad that that’s what I’m rooting for here in week 14. Sigh.
1:05pm – The scoreboard isn’t functioning. With Dorsey at QB today, it might not be needed anyway. Dorsey hasn’t started an NFL game since November 2005 when he was with the 49ers. Though he put up 22 points that day. Cribbs returns the opening kick to the 36 and then Dorsey hands off to Jamal Lewis for a gain of nothing. I’ll try to refrain from being too tough on Lewis, but he’s noticeably slower than last year. He’s still running very hard but he just can’t make anyone miss. I think he might have two gains of more than 20 all year. And on second down Dorsey hits Edwards for six yards. A completion. Maybe a confidence builder. And then Dorsey makes a great play on third-and-three. Surrounded by three Titan defenders he slings a slant to Edwards in stride for a gain of nearly 30.
After an incompletion on first down, Lewis rumbles for maybe a yard. But there was no hole, so Lewis’s slowness didn’t matter. Third and long. He throws a strike to Donte Stallworth and Stallworth drops it. This is noteworthy for two reasons. First, a Cleveland quarterback actually looked to Stallworth. He’s been regarded (and rightly so) as a huge bust. We signed him in the off-season to a 7-year $35 million contract. He’s missed five games and has 15 or 16 catches all year. Yep, that’s a cool $500,000 per reception. But in his defense, I feel Quinn and Anderson never even looked at his side of the field. Ever. They’d lock in on Braylon Edwards and/or Kellen Winslow and just ignored Stallworth completely. Which leads me to my second point. The drops. Everyone knows Edwards has killed the Browns this year with dropped passes. So let’s hope it’s not contagious. Edwards has two catches. Maybe he’s finally getting over it, albeit too little too late.
Oh, and Dawson nails a 48-yard field goal. Pro Bowl! Pro Bowl! Take that, Bironas.
1:13pm – Kerry Collins trots onto the field. Can the Browns defense play even half as well as it did last week against the Colts? Even if they do, that means they’d only allow 6 points today. Yeah, I think that would be acceptable. Let’s see Shaun Rogers out-play Albert Haynesworth today. Rogers is the best defensive player I’ve ever seen the Browns have. Can’t say enough about him.
Collins completes a short pass on second down to lightning-fast Chris Johnson for a first down. Johnson’s probably going to pass the 1,000 yard rushing mark today.
On second down, Brandon MacDonald blitzes off the left edge and forces Collins into intentional grounding. 3rd and long; come on, defense. And again, MacDonald, with the exception of two awful games against Baltimore and Denver, has been a beast this year. He’s going to be a good one even though he’s been ripped by many in the media.
And then Chris Johnson bounces a draw play to the outside and gets 17! At least this time it wasn’t shoddy tackling by the Browns – for once – it was just Johnson’s moves and speed. His nickname is 'Dash' and we can already see why. He also ran the fast 40-yard-sprint in the combines this past spring.
Collins completes a nice out rout and just like that the Titans are in Cleveland territory. Then Collins throws a seem route that D’Qwell Jackson should pick off, but drops. Jackson’s the primary source of frustration when it comes to our defensive woes. He leads the team in missed tackles and possibly dropped interceptions. And it’s so frustrating because he always seems to make the right reads and is often in the right position to make a tackle or pick off a pass, but his execution just isn’t there. In other words, he does the hard part but can’t finish. I hope this is fixable because he could be a stud. He leads our team in tackles even though he's missed the most too.
On third down Rogers gets pressure right up the gut and forces a completion. Titans punt. No complaints here.
1:24pm – We’re up 3-0 on the best team in the AFC. Let’s hope Dorsey remains smart out there. And just like that he heaves a duck off his back foot, but the ball was so “woefully underthrown” (announcer Dan Fouts accurately says) that Edwards had to come back for the ball and ran into Nick Harper, drawing a defensive pass interference play. Thus, a gain of 30. And now the “flash” formation with a direct snap to Cribbs who scampers hard for 7 yards on first down. A fun –and effective- play call.
Then Dorsey fumbles the exchange from center, but somehow recovers. Normally I’d say we can’t stand prosperity but in this case I’ll say it’s good luck. But on third down Titans linebacker David Thornton knocks down a pass to Steve Heiden. Our punter, Dave Zastudil, lofts a beautiful high punt to the 2-yard line but Cribbs, easily the best special teams player in the NFL, makes a uncharacteristic gaff. He tries to down the ball but it glances off of his chest and into the end zone. So much for pinning back the Titans. But it’s hard to knock Cribbs for anything.
1:29pm – On first down, D’Qwell Jackson makes me eat my words! He drops back into a zone and tips a Collins throw to himself and dives to grab it. Fouts again, “This was a harder interception than the one he dropped.” Go figure.
1:30pm – Lewis loses one. Again, the Titans line just blew up the play. But why isn’t Jerome Harrison on the field? Again, the greatest fault of Chudzinski and head coach Romeo Crennel has been their constant unwillingness to give Harrison the ball. He’s averaging more than EIGHT yards a carry this year and is infinitely quicker than Lewis. If the Titans can effectively do ‘Smash and Dash’ and the Giants can effectively use ‘Earth, Wind, and Fire’ (and both teams are a combined 22-2) why can’t a 4-8 team with equally good personnel figure out how to use two different backs? Put in Harrison!
Their d-line sniffs out a screen pass. Third and 11. Dorsey looks long but pulls it back in and dumps off a screen pass to Jason Wright. Dawson connects on a 41-yard field goal. He can sniff Honolulu. Browns up 6-0 on the 11-1 Titans.
1:35pm – After a false start by Tennessee, LenDale White and Chris Johnson take hand-offs up the middle on first and second down but we force a third-and-three. Collins hits Brandon Jones right in stride on a crossing route for a nice third down gain. The Browns defense holds up again on first and second down and force a third-and-long. Our D-line, as usual, gets zero pressure on Collins but our prevent zone allows Chris Johnson to run after a three-yard catch for a first down. This soft defense worked last week against Tennessee, but I think we can be more aggressive this week. After all, Collins is no Peyton Manning. Oh, and did you notice the Titans used White AND Johnson during the same drive. I'm just sayin...
On first down, Johnson goes right up the gut again. And White does on second down. (See a theme here?) Titans’ center Kevin Mawae is doing a nice job so far on Rogers. They’re down to our 27 yard line. Third and one.
End of first quarter. We’re on the road against a team that’s 11-1 and we’re winning. Tennessee is putting together a nice drive, but at this point, I’ll take the 6-0 lead.
1:45pm – Start of the second quarter.
On third and one, Rogers and Corey Williams use their fatness to take up space and allow Andra Davis to plug the middle for no gain. Fourth and one. And then ugh! We stuff the fake hand-off up the middle but fullback Ahmad Hall sneaks to the sideline, catches a short pass and then runs untouched for a 28-yard touchdown. So much for our lead. Wish they’d have been conservative and just handed it off. A good play call for a team that would normally run the ball in that situation. We’re down 7-6.
1:49pm – On a short kick-off, Cribbs carries a few tacklers to the 37 yard line. Good starting position for Dorsey (or, hopefully, Cribbs). Hooray, it looks like Harrison is in. And Cribbs is in the backfield too. Edwards breaks free down the right side but Dorsey overthrows him. Good play call. Had the defense lined up to stuff a hand-off to Cribbs. Just bad execution by our third-string quarterback. But on second down Cribbs takes a direct snap and rushes for a first down. Fouts says he looks confident as a running back. Cribbs takes another handoff and follows fullback Lawrence Vickers right up the middle for a gain of six. He takes another direct snap, makes a nice sidestep, but is swallowed after a gain of one. At the least the calls are creative! Third and three. Harrison and Dorsey back in, but Dave Ball forces Dorsey into a weak 1-yard completion. Just out of field goal range. I’ve never had so much fun watching a drive that only picked up 20 yards.
1:56pm – Man, Chris Johnson is shifty. He juked safety Sean Jones and linebacker Kameron WImbley, both of who had him dead-to-rights in the backfield, but he dances for a few positive yards. Johnson then gets close to a first down on a screen pass. Third-and-short, come on defense! This time on short yardage the Titans do hand it off but Johnson makes it by about four inches. Johnson made a fast cut to elude Rogers.
On first down, Rogers (almost literally) swallows Johnson. Man, CBS just showed the guts of our defensive lineman – those guys are fat! Shaun Smith's thigh is bigger than my torso (though I don't know if that's a knock Smith or myself). But more power to them; they’re nimble and playing well. On third-and-six, Brodney Pool breaks up an inaccurate pass and we force a punt that Cribbs returns a few yards. On the punt, two Browns nearly blocked it. I can’t think of the last time the Browns blocked a punt. In fact, I can’t recall a blocked punt since we’ve been the ‘new Browns.’ Is there a researcher in the house? Oh, and while we’re at, can we try a fake field goal at some point too? I don’t think we’ve done one of those since Mike Pagel threw to Van Waiters against the Vikings in 1989.
2:02pm – “The front four of the Titans is slamming the door,” says Don Criqui. He’s right. They’ve stuffed Lewis twice this drive. But again, Lewis is just so slow. If there’s not a hole, he’s not gaining positive yards. On third down, Jevon Kearse pressure Dorsey and leads to an incompletion. That was a fast, useless drive. Zastudil booms a 54 yard punt to the 6 and gunner Mike Adams immediately makes the tackle. Great special teams continue!
And not to beat a dead horse, but when you have a guy who’s averaging more than EIGHT yards per carry, why not give him the ball? We’ve probably ran 20 plays already and he hasn’t touched the ball once. Stop making it harder than it is! Since Lewis clearly isn’t going to run through the wall that is the Titans defensive front, let’s put in a guy who can run around it.
2:06pm – Case in point. To start the drive, ‘Smash’ LenDale White is the featured back. He’s a change of pace to Chris Johnson and starts out by picking up 15 yards. And then they put in Johnson and throw him a screen pass for seven. Not rocket science here, Chudzinski, especially when Dorsey isn’t going to light up the scoreboard.
On second down, Johnson picks up 20 and passes the 1,000 yard mark. Fouts says the pounding of White and the quickness of Johnson is starting to work. Are you listening , Chud?
Collins throws another crossing route, this time to Algae Crumpler, and then hits an out pattern to Justin McCairens down to the 15. Tack on a ticky-tack roughing-the-passer penalty on Corey Williams and in three plays the Titans have gone from their own 47 to the six.
At the 2-minute warning, Criqui says that Tennessee coach Steve Fisher told him during the week that the Browns’ pass rush doesn’t concern him. Hilarious! First, coaches aren’t supposed to say things like that publicly, but second, he’s totally right. Our pass rush is non-existent. We’re barely averaging more than a sack-per game. And on third down, White takes it down our throats for a touchdown. Just like that, a plodding running team has scored 14 unanswered points. I wonder if Fisher mentioned that Jamal Lewis doesn’t concern him either. Maybe he did so Crennel and Chudzinski are trying to prove him wrong. It ain’t working.
That was Tennessee’s third 10+ play drive. Yikes. Our defense bends and breaks. Down 14-6.
2:20pm – On the extra point Shaun Smith apparently stepped on someone’s helmet so now the Titans are kicking off the 45 and Bironas blasts it into the stands. Good thing they don’t get 3 points for that.
Let’s see Dorsey go 80 yards in 1:11. Umm… Let’s see him not get sacked and killed.
2:23pm - Dorsey makes two short throws in the middle of the field to Syndric Steptoe for only 10 yards. 30 seconds already went off the clock. Time to take a shot? Though Tennessee is waiting for that. Dorsey throws a deep out Edwards and it’s broken up. 37 seconds at our own 30. Hmm…time to take a knee, Dorsey.
They flash a stat that the Browns have 67 yards of offense and Chris Johnson alone has 87. Nothing more to say there.
Dorsey completes a 10-yarder to Wright and then Harrison catches an underneath pass for a whopping six yards. 15 seconds left. At midfield. 10 more for Dawson’s range…but Dorsey is sacked and they don’t even bother to call a time out. Really? Why not? One more play to throw a Hail Mary? Why not??? What’s the harm? Wouldn’t it be nice if we just tried? Is that too much to ask for or is that a telltale sign of a team that has no hope?
Halftime. Down 14-6.
We have 84 yards of total offense and Jamal Lewis has 5 carries for 3 yards. With Tennessee’s dominating defense licking its chops to face Dorsey in the second half, and with ‘Smash and Dash’ getting going, ye olde second half comeback isn’t really an option. Can I start looking ahead to Monday night next week against the Eagles? If Jamal Lewis starts running to South Philly now he might make it on time.
Ok, let's start the second half.
2:41pm – On the first play from scrimmage, Shaun Rogers gets hurt. I wasn’t even going to write about the second half but I had to mention this. Having our team MVP get injured is sort of fitting. Maybe even poetic. Or just nauseating. A perfect part a perfectly disappointing season.
That’s it. I’m done.
Browns GM Phil Savage showing Bill Clintonesque Qualities?
Monday, October 20, 2008 at 05:15PM
It appears that Browns General Manager Phil Savage hasn't learned a basic lesson from former President Bill Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal - that withholding information causes scandals. Let's review: Bill Clinton had sexual relations with "that woman," denied it, denied it some more, and the media was relentless. His 'relations' became a giant scandal as speculation grew and grew over the days and months until finally he admitted what everyone suspected all along. Eventually he was impeached. On the other hand, during his first White House campaign, George W. Bush admitted to being arrested for cocaine possession the moment it was brought up by the media, and it was subsequently forgotten minutes later.
My point: Withholding information causes scandals - not divulging information. The media wants something it can cling to, something it can hunt down. The moment the hunt is over, a new media cycle - a new hunt - begins, and the previous scandal is long forgotten.
So why does Phil Savage insist on keeping Browns injuries hush hush? When Donte Stallworth hurt his quad in warms-up before the Dallas game, he refused to offer a timetable for his return even though team doctors told him 3-5 weeks. As a result, the fans turned against Stallworth because they assumed it was a mild injury from which he should have instantly returned. When he finally returned after 4 weeks, no one was happy. Yet if we knew he'd be out for 4 weeks, the speculation, rumors, and rampant discontent would have never started.
So why did Savage refuse to let Kellen Winslow reveal he had a staph infection that kept him in the hospital, and why doesn't he allow any player to discuss their injuries? Speculation over Winslow's disease ranged from swollen testicles to various sexually transmitted diseases. No one knew that it was a staph infection. We could have sympathetic. We could have worried for his health and safety. Instead, he's now facing a fine and/or suspension by the team for revealing the truth. He probably had countless people asking him every day about his injury and he had to keep deflecting all those questions. I don't think many people could keep up such a facade for two weeks.
And what advantage did the Redskins gain by not knowing Winslow had a staph infection? If they had known it was staph, would have they have beaten us by 30 points? Would they have sprayed anti-bacterial spray on their uniforms? What exactly did we gain from the secrecy? Other than the fact that it took a couple weeks longer to realize that the Berea practice facility is becoming increasingly known as a bacterial breeding ground?
Memo to Savage: Be up front with people and scandals will never arise. It's that easy. The thrill of the media's hunt will be quashed if there's nothing for which to hunt. Guess what. The cat's out of the bag and now it's a big deal. Is Savage really surprised? Or is he so clever that we're now focusing on staph instead of on our inconsistent quarterback and butter-fingers star receiver?
Consistently Inconsistent
Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 05:14PM
We just watched the Browns lose by 3 to the Redskins, as we scored a paltry 11 points. Though the Redskins' defense is highly ranked, the 11 points can primarily be attributed to the Browns' own miscues - namely miscues by Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards. Edwards had 4 or 5 more drops and Anderson consistently simply missed open targets, particularly on screen passes. Though DA is known for his cannon arm, I couldn't help but be envious of Washington QB Jason Campbell who seemingly can't throw the ball further than 20 yards downfield but is remarkably accurate and hit his receivers in-stride all day. It still amazes me how accuracy is overlooked when evaluating quarterbacks. Anyway..let me get to my point.
What's so infuriating about watching Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards in games like today's is that they're so consistently inconsistent. Anderson and Edwards were world beaters last week against the Giants but today neither looked like starting NFL players. And this has been the story throughout their careers. How can a coach or general manager keep relying on a quarterback who, on any given day, might go 14-for-37 like DA did today? Especially when not under much pressure. It's significantly easier to prepare a gameplan for someone like Campbell, because with Campbell, you know what you're gonna get. Whereas on any given Sunday with Anderson you're going to get any number of possible performances. You know he can be a star and you simultaneously know he can be what he was today - a terrible NFL starting quarterback.
And what's dangerous about this situation is that it will keep Brady Quinn on the bench. As long as Anderson shows glimpses of greatness, Crennel will keep playing him despite his long stretches of ineptness as he waits for the greatness to re-emerge. Quinn's career remains idling while Anderson's career slogs ahead, along with the Browns' 2008 season.
Real-Time Blog: Browns vs. Giants Monday Night Football October 13, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008 at 11:42PM
Here was my first attempt at a real-time diary/blog during a Browns game. I had no idea what to expect but it didn't distract me too much from enjoying the game. I haven't really edited this so it might be pretty sloppy. But anyhoo...voila:
8:35pm - I'm watching the game at my friend Brendan's apartment in Brooklyn. I grew up with him in Cleveland and he conveniently lives eight blocks from me, so we watch nearly all Cleveland games together. He has also a brand new giagantor HD-enabled TV, so his place wins. Even though the Browns never win any time I ever watch with him. We have a rule not watch to games together, but we're breaking it quite conspicuously. So when the Browns lose, I'll take the blame.
I'm also wearing my orange hoodie to show my team colors. I wouldn't describe it, though, as my "lucky hoodie" because, frankly, no Cleveland fan has any lucky charms/clothing/pets/etc. We've never won anything since 1964. So frankly, if any Cleveland fan claims to have lucky charms, he's lying to you.
8:39pm - Doorbell rings. Did I mention two Giants fans will be watching with us? At least someone here gets the chance to be happy tonight.
8:40pm - Yes, Hank Williams Jr., I am ready. Why can't we get a new song? It's been 15 years of this song and I hate country music. "This is a really stupid intro," my friend Lee says. He's coming with me to the Thursday night game in Cleveland in three weeks against Denver.
8:41pm - Ok, we just got a break, technically 0 seconds into the game. Joshua Cribbs drops the kick-off but it doesn't veer left and out of bounds, but conveniently it goes through the end zone. Starting at the 20 is better than the 3. Breaks like these rarely happen, or when they do, we tend to ignore them.
8:42pm - We claim we're going to pound the ball at the Giants D-line. But we throw first. On 2nd down Jamal beats it down their throat for six, and then, Derek Anderson actually hits Braylon Edwards in stride and he runs and runs. 50 yards in 3 plays. Sweet.
8:44pm - "Are Browns fans all that hairy," says the female Giants fans. Brendan has to explain the Dawgs. Sometimes you assume everyone knows things that everyone knows. Brendan taunts the male Giants fan about their linebackers.
8:45pm - A motion penalty on guard Eric Steinbach. Six plays into the game. "That's Browns football," says Brendan. At least we're trying to stick to our gameplan and are running it now. "We've gotta score a touchdown." Brendan again.
8:47pm - Just like the start of the Dallas game. After positive plays on O to start the game, Anderson fumbles the snap to stall a promising start. Self-inflicted. Again. On third down Anderson is booed loudly after throwing a short cop-out pass to Cribbs. Announcer Tony Kornheiser says, "They only have four touchdowns all year." Yeah, we know. After Phil Dawson's short field goal, we still only have four.
This leads me to a big point. Traditionally, the Browns players don't "make plays." This phrase means that no one goes above and beyond and does something unexpected. They actually did last year and we ran up and down the field. So on the third-down long reception to Edwards, why couldn't he have stiff-armed the only Giants defender or just cut inside and scored a touchdown? Make a play, Braylon! You only had one guy to beat and he beat you. When points are at a premium, your playmakers have to step up.
8:53pm - Giants have the ball and on cue, Brandon Jacobs picks up 6.8 yards - his average for the season. Amazing. He better have already bought his offensive line plane tickets to Hawaii in February. Two plays later, Jacobs picks up another 6 or 7 and Brendan says, "Look at all the Browns being stood up."
8:55pm - Four plays for the Giants, two first downs. No pressure on two pass plays. No push on running plays. Let's hope Eli implodes for some reason.
Stat comes up that the Giants line has started the same unit in 21 straight games. That explains a lot.
8:57pm - Chris (the male Giants fan here) watching Jacbos hit Willie McGinnest in the chest and remarks about using Jacobs to wear down defense.
8:58pm - Yes! Brodney Pool and Brandon McDonald double Plaxico Burress down the middle of the field and Pool picks it off. This is remarkable. A poor throw by Eli and a reception by our secondary. (Their hands aren't to be trusted). Even pressure that made Eli hurry his throw.
9:00pm - They set up Joshua Cribbs (a former QB at Kent State) at QB and run him for 12 yards. There have been complaints about the Browns under utilizing Cribbs and Jerome Harrison, our other ultra-quick running back who always seems to make a play. Hopefully our coordinator Rob Chudzinski will throw in some more wrinkles.
An interesting note on Harrison: he graduated from the Pac-10's Washington State the same year as Reggie Bush - and had more yards than Bush their senior seasons. He has talent! I guarantee Bush had more talent around him at USC than Harrison did in Pullman, Washington; Harrison did a ton of it on his own based on sheer athletic ability.
9:04pm - A slant to Stallworth and he makes a nice run-after-catch; the whole reason we gave him almost $40 million. We're dying to see him! And then Steve Heiden sidesteps a defender and picks up an additional 9 yards. He made a play! I just jinxed him. He's Winslow's back-up. He'll probably break his cup on his next catch.
Yep, I jinxed him. Anderson throws his way, misses him badly, and then we get called for a "self-inflicted" penalty on offense. Beating ourselves. Who's surprised?
Anderson tries to hit Stallworth on a 3rd-and-13 and, as Ron Jaworski says, "simply makes an inaccurate throw." We're from Cleveland. We have low expectations. But we do have some expectations. Come on, DA.
My next big point: My friend Mark texts me and simply says: Drive stalls. Mark is also from Cleveland also lives in New York. He's watching the game with his dad and 2-week old son, all of whom are donning Browns jerseys. His newborn's name - GRADY! Yes, he managed to talk his very logical and intelligent wife to name their first child after a Cleveland Indian. You have to admire the loyalty there..unbelievable! Hopefully this new Grady won't disappoint - like the Indians always have. Sorry, Mark, umm..I mean your Grady will be lead us to our first World Series title in 2031. You better get me box seats for the Series!
End of 1st Quarter. Browns 3, Giants 0. Well, we aren't losing. But it doesn't feel like we're winning either.
Start of 2nd Quarter
The Giants start with a very solid drive. Derrick Ward is running strong and ESPN finally flashes the Giants' unheard of rushing stats. Having their top 3 backs average more than 6.0 a carry is as likely as Browns' safety Mike Adams tackling Jacobs in the chest. Oh wait, Jacobs just flattened Adams on his way to a touchdown. And then Jacobs naturally ran straight to Corey Williams of the Browns and taunted him back. Earlier in the week Williams said Jacobs is afraid to get hit in the mouth. Maybe Williams should go back to the bench and ask Adams about that. Though Adams probably already has his jaw wired shut.
Giants up 7-3.
Did I mention a few minutes ago it felt like we weren't winning. Now it's true.
First play after the kick-off. Edwards breaks Aaron Ross's ankles for a 70+ yard completion. He gets down to the 4 but again, HE CAN'T MAKE A PLAY. Juke him. Run sideways. Dump oil out of the back of your cleats. Outrun him. Just do something to score the f*cking touchdown! Yes, I'm aware we just completed a bomb down to the 4-yard line. If we don't get a TD on this possession I won't be surprised (as much as I want to be).
Ok, first-and-goal from the 4. Anderson throws a dart that's tipped at the line. It was initially called pass interference but replays show Antonio Pierce tipped it. Brendan says, "Why can't we just ram it in there." Then, on cue, Jamal Lewis makes a great cut back. Tucker and Heiden make killer blocks on the play. Welcome back, Tucker! You're still a tough guy even though your wife just made you get a haircut.
Browns 10 - Giants 7 (I need to start consistently formatting the score updates)
9:31pm - Did I mention my one complaint about gigantor HD TV's? They stretch the field to make 10 yards look like 20. I just through Ahmad Bradshaw ran the kickoff back to midfield, and he actually only got to the 30. Stupid scary TV's.
9:34pm - Browns' best off-season acquisition was DT Shaun Rogers. He was billed to be a beast and has been all year. He just swallowed Jacobs on a run up the middle. He then crushes Eli - but not soon enough and Eli throws for 32 to Burress. Then a phantom block-in-the-back takes it back 15.
Brendan laughs and says, "told ya" to the room. We always get 15-yard penalties in our favor on big plays. It's our best play...that's sad.
Next play Rogers nails Eli again and Plaxico reverts to his old form with Pittsbugh and drops the pass. A good play all around for our dawgs.
Our DB Brandon McDonald knocks a bomb away from BUrress...he's one of the best corners in the AFC already. You heard it here first.
A cut to a female fan wearing a dog bone in her hair. The female Giants fan says, "Wow, women in Cleveland are pretty." As Jane Krakowski's character on 30 Rock says, "Every (skinnyish woman) West of the Appalachians is a model."
We force a punt. Success. Good job, D!
9:40pm - I just noticed Mike Tirico's hot pink highlighter. Kudos to him for not matching it to his tie ala Digger Phelps. He's discussing the merits of Brad Johnson taking over for Tony Romo. Tony Kornheiser makes fun of Terrell Owens.
9:43pm - A third-and-6 and Anderson puts it between Edwards's 1 and 7 on his jersey. Braylon hangs on and gets nailed. They both needed that for their confidences. Can I say ‘confidences?'
9:45pm - Another ball to Heiden. He was our starting TE for several years before Winslow Jr. It's not that surprising, but surprising nonetheless.
Anderson is 9 of 14 for 186 yards. His best 1.5 quarters since last November.
My phone is oddly quiet. My friend Rich from work has only texted me once gloating about his Giants when Jacobs ran over Adams. Mark texts me constantly when we're getting slaughtered. I hope my phone stays quiet. No news is good news. Especially from Cleveland fans. We're all fatalists.
On another 3rd down, Anderson throws an out to Syndric Steptoe two seconds before Steptoe's break. What an unusually accurate mid-range pass.
A post to 3rd-string blocking TE Darnell Dinkins for a long TD reminiscent of Anderson last year. Jaworski lauds Anderson on the difficulty of throw. Lee - who's also U Miami alum - says, "Kenny Phillips should have been there." He's right. Winslow from U Miami should have been there too, but for now, I'm not arguing with Dinkins.
Browns 17 - Giants 7
Dawson blasts the kick-off through the endzone.
9:53pm - "This has to be the biggest lead Cleveland has had all year." Yeah, Tony, we get it. Though I suppose we deserve it. I'd like to enjoy this lead for now, but I can't. And you won't let us either. I was at Heinz Field last year and as we went up 21-6 I turned to my friend Chris, a die-hard Steelers fan, and said, "You should be feeling pretty good right now." And I wasn't taunting him or being sarcastic.
My friend Don, a displaced Jets fan living in New Orleans, texts me: Dammmn! Derek Anderson looks like Eli..and Eli looks like Kellen Clemens.... Ouch.
Brendan's wife says, "Wow, they're winning." She's genuinely surprised and not used to it in her casual adopted fandom. Brendan says, "well, they have tendency to blow leads at the ends of halfs." Can we blow a 10-point lead in less than two minutes. Let's find out!... Oh, wait.
9:58pm - Another break. Eli underthrows Hixon and our DB Eric Wright's poor coverage isn't exposed. Interestingly, Hixon beat Wright long, which is the opposite of Wright. Wright gives up so many short plays via ultra-soft zone.
A sack! A fumble! ...A penalty! Illegal contact downfield negates the play. We finally force a big turnover and don't give up points at the end of a half and then Adams chucks Hixon. It was a penalty. Stupid Browns. Can't stand success.
10:03pm - Did I mention the Giants have marched down the field? First-and-goal from the 3. Bleh. Can't stand prosperity. Did I mention that?
10:05pm - Why did we have our back-up safety matched up on Burress? TD Giants. Ah, McDonald was on Toomer who cut inside after starting outside. "And look at that, it's a three-point game," Brendan says. Damn Kornheister for not letting us enjoy our success after the Dinkins touchdown. We knew it would be short-lived.
Browns 17 - Giants 14
Again, it doesn't feel like we're winning.
10:08pm - We throw a 4-yard out to Heiden (who drops it). You've got to throw at least 10 yards to make any progress with 8 seconds left. Then we try another out and Anderson still throw it incomplete.
Oh well. We're going into the half up 3. That's a swing of 20 more (or less) than we expected as we went into this game.
Halftime. Browns 17 - Giants 14. Doesn't feel like we're winning.
10:11pm - Man, I'm pooped. Writing non-stop is a war of attrition. Don't know about the second half. Might post a bit less frequently. Phew!
10:18pm - Switched to the Phillies-Dodgers game. Ryan Howard's fat. He was the only guy on the team who couldn't tag on a blooper. And on cue, Martin weakly tries to block a ball in the dirt and Howard rumbles home to tie the game. I lived in Philly for seven years. Go Phils! Manny doesn't deserve to go the World Series this year after letting Scott Boras walk all over Boston.
Ok, back to the Browns. Lee just laughed at me for not stopping my diary. But Brendan makes a good point. "We're winning and you've been blogging. You can't stop. Well, until we start losing." I tell him my theory about no good luck charms. He agrees, "Yeah, we need to wear our unlucky stuff." Hm...that's a good point. Can we use reverse psychology on Cleveland sports?
10:24pm - Tirico finally mentions "The Mistake on the Lake." Can't believe we made 110 minutes into the game without hearing that. Then he mentions we don't handle the end of halves well. Duh. Jaworski counters saying we should be proud. He's right. But we aren't.
On the first play of the second half Eli throws a horrible pass to Burress that's easily picked off by my boy McDonald. I'm telling you, he's one of the best pure cover corners in the AFC. And I don't care if I just jinxed his career by saying so even though I definitely just did. I said it last year too when he became a starter in the 2nd half of the season. And I say it again.
10:28pm - A reverse to Harrison. He can fly. He's shifty. Braylon thought he held the cornerback and he actually didn't get flagged for it. All is well. We have a smart play call and Braylon catches a break.
Lewis gets the ball twice for two modest gains. I like the play calling despite the lack of success. Keep Jamal happy (insert federal drugs charge joke here).
Then Anderson throws a fade right through Stallworth's hands. On cue, "He's getting paid $35 million." They're right. MAKE A PLAY! Sure, he had to fully extend, but come on, you're "getting paid $35 million" to make plays like that. I don't make $35 million and can give a good try too.
Browns 20 - Giants 14
"Why aren't the Giants running more?" asks the male Giants fan. An excellent excellent point. We're still getting hit in the mouth. Shh..don't ask Coughlin this!
10:33pm - "Another turnover would be nice," Brendan says. He's serious. He won't get it.
We make a remark about Eli throwing 3 INT's against Minnesota last year and then joke about how sad it was at the time that the Giants claimed to get confidence when they LOST to the undefeated Patriots last year because they played them closely. I mean, that sounds like a pathetic mantra of a loser. Brendan interjects, "Yeah, the Browns get confidence all the time." I set ‘em up...
I just went upstairs (yes, an apartment in Brooklyn with steps) and got a glass of water. I have to take the steps one at a time because I screwed up my knee. I had a cortisone shot this morning for the first time of my life. Cortisone shots are supposed to be magical. Mine didn't do a thing. Maybe that means I'm tougher than Winslow who gets eased by these shots all the time.
Jacobs is a beast, and a fast beast. McDonald tried to chase him down from behind and couldn't catch Jacobs. He weights 265 pounds and can fly. Yikes. Corey Williams nails him on the next play. Keep hitting him!
Adams rushes in from his safety position and rookie Alex Hall from D2 St. Augustine pile on Eli and force a punt. Pressure / coverage sack all in one. Go Dawgs! Adams has done well on year after Sean Jones got injured in the opener.
10:45pm - Michele Tafoya's having a bad hair day. The girls here didn't comment on it. Think they're busy talking about shopping for carpets. Dinkins drops a pass, but Anderson is still on. Harrison up the middle and gets his heals clipped. Man, so close. "They're beating the team at the moment that is considered to be the best team in NFL," says Kornheiser, just as back up running back Jason Wright powers through for a first down on three straight running plays. The fans erupt on the call of, "First down Browns!"
Anderson wants to throw long and throws it short. He didn't force it. A good incompletion. And then Edwards runs 10 yards downfield before the snap. "'Hut,' ‘Hut,' this isn't rocket science," says Jaworski. So true.
Mark finally texts me, "Penalties are a function of coaching." You cannot imagine how much Mark loathes Romeo. I could write an entire blog about it.
Lewis scampers up the middle and then Jaworski says, "Browns fans, another flag" even before the call is made -against us, of course. 10 penalties and we're still winning. How? Anderson scrambles and buys some time and hits Edwards..in his helmet! Edwards promptly extends his lead league in number of drops. And then the Giants take a cue from the Browns book and knocks Wright four yards ahead to give us a first down on third and long.
And then another penalty on Cleveland before the ball is snapped. A completion to Harrison. And then Fraley - OUR CENTER - moves early. That's now 8 or 9 false starts. Lee says, "Dude, you guys have had the ball for 10 minutes and aren't even at the 30 yet. I think you already have over 100 yards on this drive." He might be right.
End of 3rd Quarter: Browns 20 - Giants 14
Brendan's smiling and optimistic. Not a good sign.
11:00pm - I just texted, "I'm optimist.. that's bad." And then Anderson throws a TD to Braylon to FINISH A DRIVE. Aaron Ross is hurt, or as Lee says, "You know why he's down, because he got juked."
Then Kornheiser said, "every evidence." Why is he so smart on PTI and a dunce on MNF? Why play that role?
Jaworski says the Browns are one game away from turning around their season. Brendan says, "we're always one game away from turning around our season."
Browns 27 - Giants 14
The Giants get the ball back and Jacobs obliterates Pool, but grabs his facemask and backs them up 15 yards. Wow. We assumed the flag was for offsides on Cleveland. Meanwhile, Kornheiser is killing us. I've wanted someone to stop praising Cleveland before. The Giants are still almost averaging 6 yards per carry and are still throwing way too much.
11:12pm - After a first down Ward springs through a hole for 14. I think that pushes their rushing average to 6 per again. Why do they pass at all? Brad Johnson can run this offense. Inside the 20. 8 guys in the box. Jacobs still gets 6 on first down. And the Browns MAKE A PLAY! Eric Wright picks off Eli at the five (he actually caught the ball), he stumbles (and doesn't fall down), he gets hit by Eli around midfield (and actually manages to stay in bounds), and ends up with a game finishing TD! A dagger. A 15-point swing.
Why didn't they just run it down our throats?
Then we go for 2! Killer instinct. Ha.
Browns 35 - Giants 14
11:21pm - Two plays and the Giants are already down to the 30. We're up 21 but terrified simultaneously. This is how we think! Ward goes for 20 more and now they're already in the red zone after one pass and two running plays! This is not surprising. By the way, are the Giants accepting job applications for running back? I could get 5 yards a carry with these holes and I'd work for the league minimum. I can write a mean cover letter. I'd get a call from their HR department, I know it.
Matt Stairs crushes a go-ahead homer for the Phillies. Mauls it. But our own no-longer C.C. Sabathia hit his homer in June against the Dodgers even further. He's fat and strong.
In the last two plays the Giants have completed two passes, gone nowhere, and taken 1:15 off the clock. Again, breaks we rarely get. I know it sounds like I'm whining, but this is usual for Cleveland fans. Sorry. Eli throws behind a kind-of-open Steve Smith in the endzone and we hold on downs. Now I'm optimistic and we switch back to the NLCS. My phone is quiet. I guess we all feel inevitability of a win now. Who would have thunk it? I expected a score of about 35-14, but with the Giants winning. Now, do the Browns capitalize and come out strong next week in Washington or do they get complacent again and lay an egg? I mean, going into this week the Redskins were the second best team in football. Is it possible that next week could be a trap game - for the Browns?
"There are going to be so many drunk drivers in Cleveland tonight!" says Brendan. He's totally right. At least I can walk home on my bad knee. Anyone have some cortisone and a syringe?
Jamal carries four Giants about seven yards for a first down to help kill the clock. He runs for six more and almost takes off Corey Webster's head with his shoulder pad. Running in the fourth quarter like he did in the second half of last season. Let's stick with the run. It brought the safeties up today and set up the passing game. Simple if it works. And for two games in a row it's worked. Now let's hope Chudzinski and Crennel don't outthink themselves. As our GM Phil Savage said upon signing Jamal last year, "A hungry Jamal is a good Jamal."
My friend Rich texts me and says he's embarrassed for his team's defense upon learning we haven't punted all game. Our punter, Dave Zastudil, is arguably our best player. I'd trade him for a high school punter if he won't have to punt again all year.
A few kneel-downs and we win. 310 yards for Anderson. Eli struggles. And Coughlin insanely abandons the run after (I'm not looking at a stat sheet here) averaging 6+ yards again on the ground. Goodbye Giants winning streak. Hello Cleveland winning streak of two.
Go Browns!
Final Score: Browns 35 - Giants 14
6 Hours Til Browns and Giants on Monday Night Football
Monday, October 13, 2008 at 02:59PM
The Browns kick-off in less than 6 hours against the Giants and it's already shaping up to be a typical Cleveland game. Well, typical in the sense that:
1) Just when we seemed to find a stroke of good luck and good timing and it appeared we'd have all our starters healthy, Shaun Smith got downgraded to 'doubtful' because of his broken hand, and of course, Kellen Winslow Jr. also got downgraded because of his undisclosed illness. Now I realize that one's illnesses are inherently personal, but I can't believe that NO ONE has figured out what's wrong with him! I mean, the Cleveland media is generally respectable (to a fault, at times) about respecting our city's athlete's private lives, but come on, not even anyone at ESPN has been able to figure out what's wrong with K2. There was a rumor floating around that he had swollen testicles (yes,I purposely chose the story on ballhype.com, it was just too easy), but I think the person who started that rumor was just bored. (I would have gone with acromegaly or alien-hand syndrome. Those two are doozies). Not even one reporter could crack this? No one at the Clevleand Clinic could leak this info? I'm sick of the media letting Romeo dodge our injury team's situation; it actually hurts the Browns too (like in the Donte Stallworth situation) because everyone gets antsy and frustrated.
Romeo needs to manage expectations differently. Geez, just tell reporters that every player will be out 3 weeks longer than the doctors say. That way, when they return "ahead of schedule," everyone comes out a winner.
Poor K2. He's the toughest guy on the team. I'm genuinely worried. This illness must be pretty serious.
2) Corey Williams is talking smack about Brandon Jacobs. Seriously? We're 1-3. They're 4.0. Jacobs (and Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward) averages more than SIX yards per carry. Oh, and they're the defending Super Bowl champs. And WE'RE talking trash. Smart move, Corey. Maybe you have an incentive clause tied-in to giving opponents bulletin board material.
3) The Browns will be sporting throwback uniforms. Sure, they want to maximize revenue by selling some more merchandise, but we're historically bad when we dress up for the big lights. Granted, when our overall winning percentage since 1999 hovers around .400, it's hard to find any positive winning percentage stats, but I can't even remember a win when we wore our throw-backs. Though maybe we wore number on our helmets against Houston last year. At least we aren't wearing orange pants.
All signs point to something dreary on the shores of Lake Erie tonight....
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