Trent Richardson breaks Browns rookie touchdown record
December 16, 2012Weeden: “I didn’t play well for the most part…”
December 16, 2012The Cleveland Browns were outplayed and out-coached in their final home game of the year against the Washington Redskins. Their record dropped to 5-9 as they lost 38-21. The Browns win streak was ended at three and the Redskins’ was extended to five.
The part where the Browns were outplayed is obvious. Brandon Weeden turned the ball over with two interceptions in meaningful time as he went 21-for-35 while having three more passes batted down. Out-coached? Anyone who watched Kirk Cousins playing in his first start of the year – making decisive throws, changing plays at the line, thriving even as the Browns’ defense mostly shut down the running game while it was still meaningful – would have a tough time coming to any other conclusion.
The Browns came into today’s game with a chance to prove that they made strides against a pretty poor defense. Instead, they looked predictable and ineffective as they turned the ball over too much. Even the bomb touchdown to Travis Benjamin was a gift of an opportunity as Brandon Weeden barely recovered his own strip-sack fumble as his helmet flew the other direction a few plays prior. Incidentally, the fly route for 69 yards from the shotgun was one of the few times where the Browns seemed to play to Weeden’s strengths. Contrast that with the coaching staff across the field that has done nothing but work with the inherited strengths of Robert Griffin III and today’s result is all the more depressing.
On offense, the Browns continue to rely on all their mis-direction pre-snap to cover for them. Instead of mixing up snap counts, looking off receivers and giving different looks, the Browns prefer to have Alex Smith, Ben Watson and Jordan Cameron do the hokey pokey before fifty percent of the plays from scrimmage. It is maddening to watch and apparently isn’t doing much to set up the Browns’ offense for consistent success. Even that being said, it is probably the most consistent thing about the offense: Pre-snap motion of the tight ends.
The Browns had a real chance too. Kirk Cousins hand-delivered the first touchdown for the Browns when he threw into coverage near Pierre Garcon. Sheldon Brown tipped it and T.J. Ward took it deep into Redskins territory for first and goal. Trent Richardson and a convoy of Browns players won the scrum at the goal line and the Browns took a 7-0 lead. The Browns’ rookie runner also secured the rookie rushing TD record for the club with 10, surpassing Jim Brown and Eric Metcalf. Richardson would later add to his lead giving the Browns their 14-10 halftime lead.
That lead wouldn’t hold.
Brandon Weeden opened the second half with a very bad interception when he completely missed the underneath linebacker. That linebacker had an easy one as the ball was returned to the Browns’ 15 yard line. The Redskins needed two plays to make it 17-14, played defense, and added another TD on the next drive to make it 24-14. I say it that quickly because it felt just that fast.
Believe me when I say it’s strange to say the Browns’ defense didn’t play badly. They were owned by Kyle Shannahan’s bootlegs at times and really, how can you say that they played anything but badly when they gave up 38 points and let a first-time rookie starter, Kirk Cousins, beat them? I say it because in the flow of the game it really felt like the Browns defense was holding serve and giving the offense a chance to win. After helping deliver the Browns’ first TD and ensuring a 14-10 halftime lead, the defense was greeted with a short field on Weeden’s interception to start the second half.
The defense sets up the offense, but the offense also sets up the defense. The offense punted six times, turned the ball over twice and went 0-2 on fourth down plays. This, against a team that was not heralded defensively coming into the game. Maybe I’ll change my mind when I look back at this one, but I think the defense can defend the performance somewhat.
In the end, the Browns close out the season at home quieting the talk this past week that maybe the Browns should keep Pat Shurmur for another year in the name of continuity. Also quieted will be any minuscule talk about whether or not the Browns could somehow sneak into the playoffs at 8-8. The talk that will be ramping up in all likelihood will be regarding the NFL draft, Pat Shurmur’s replacement and possibly (okay, definitely) Colt McCoy.
Hey, what do you think it would take to get the Redskins to trade Kirk Cousins? You know they traded most of their draft picks to St. Louis for RG3.
Just saying.
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(AP Photo / Tony Dejak)
55 Comments
Well, in the desperate search for positives, clarity is good. Shurmur just made any Banner hesitation go poof.
Maybe Banner can use the game tape to convince Heckert that he should want to stay even while Pat gets das boot.
This was an absolute disaster, and at home to boot. Weeden is NOT the guy… period. He was a reach by Heckert(who should be canned) and could not even move the ball against the 2nd worst pass defense in the NFL. I would be OK with Weeden’s rookie performance weeks ago against a team like the Ravens, but its week 15! He is not the answer and the Browns will never be more than a wild card team with him as QB. He hasn’t improved looking off defenders in 15 weeks, will only throw the ball more than 7 yards if the receiver is WIDE open, holds the ball WAY too long, I could go on forever… Receivers are rarely WIDE open in the NFL. He looks confused, lackadaisical, unenthused… All Weeden has is a rocket arm, which is good for nothing if you don’t know what to do with it (Ryan Leaf anyone??).
I said on Twitter earlier in the day that I wouldn’t be the bit surprised if the rumor mill started protecting Heckert from Weeden by suggesting the Weeden pick was actually Holmgren’s doing. It just seems to me that it has always been kind of intimated anyway.
I’ll add that the Browns were completely out coached again. The Browns looked good for the first series, but good coaches continually adjust(like Shannahan did) and Shermer knows nothing about adjusting during a game. Dick Jauron isn’t even a 500 coach(historically), and Heckert reached with desperation on almost every pick in this years draft. We couldn’t beat a so-so team with their 2nd string QB that has the 2nd worst pass defense in the league at home after 14 weeks of preparation! All the suggested “progress” that was being made goes out the window with this loss. This week was the “test”, and the Browns failed it miserably. HASLEM, it’s time to clean house bro!
Loss to a first time starter and backup with Denver and Pittsburgh to finish.
Sorry Pat…I think this is it.
Totally agree. Thank you Pat for making the decision easier. It just seemed there were no adjustments the entire game.
Agree with everything but Heckert
The most frustrating thing to me about this game is that the one part of the team that has seemed solid as of late has been the defense…and they proceeded to get absolutely torched in the second half. It was like they had never seen a play action bootleg before in their lives. Cousins looked like Aaron freakin’ Rodgers out there. Yes, Weeden played poorly, but the defense couldn’t get off the field in the 2nd half, and that hurt just as much.
Thoroughly disappointing final 30 minutes. It’s hard to believe that we were actually winning the game at half time.
You guys had an article weeks ago where someone said that Heckert didn’t want to draft Weeden where he was drafted that it was in fact Holmgren who wanted him. I remember because I commented that i thought Holmgren’s job was on the “business side” of football which was constantly mentioned here. I never believed that for a minute. It was one of the reasons I wasn’t so harsh on Heckert about the drafting of Weeden but if you go back to draft night you’ll see I was clearly upset by the decision to draft Weeden especially at the spot he was selected.
I was never sold on Weeden from draft night but I’ve been quiet. I’m still not ready to kill the guy but I think it’s pretty clear he’s 1.Regressing and 2.Is in desperate need of a much better mentor/coach/coordinator. Also I loved Russell Wilson and thought Cousins and Foles would have been much better choices then the selection of Weeden when he was drafted at the point he was selected. That’s water under the bridge now but I did say it.
I can’t recall if it was Bud Shaw or Uncle Terry, but one of the columns in today’s PD intimated just that. Heckert was responsible for all draft picks but McCoy and Weeden — Mike was the “quarterback guy.”
I am and have been a HUGE Weeden supporter, defender, and optimist. I have seen him clearly regress during the second half of the season. There was a stretch of four games where he was playing very good, and then he hit a wall. I originally thought it was just the “rookie wall” but it looks more and more like the book is out on him and teams know how to scheme against him to beat him.
I hold out slight hope that change in coaching will make him better – in the mold of how Shannahan made Cousins look terrific today….but I’m just losing faith with him quickly.
So what do we do?
1. Do we give him another year with same coaching, i.e., continuity.
2. Stick with Weeden as starter one more year with new coach.
3. Use draft to acquire new QB.
4. Free agency/trade for new starter QB – like…?
I don’t agree with the spelling of “Shurmur.”
To answer #4….Flacco’s a FA…..Vick should be available….possibly Alex Smith…..and then there is always Colt.
#3 options include Barkley and Geno Smith.
Or is anyone serious with Cousins. I know that’s shallow thinking just because he torched us today….but he looked damn good.
Scratch #4 off the list. I doubt no FA QB will want to be on a team that changes starting QBs every year.
Not saying I want him….but you don’t think Banner and Heckert hold any weight with Vick and the Eagle connection?
hard to say. But again he may not want to be on this team if he loses his starting spot the year after. I’d say stick with Weeden and let him develop. I’m not going to give up on him, especially not during his rookie season.
Surprised nobody has mentioned the fact that this was literally the game to save Shumurs job and how bad he failed the test.
The last home game in a season where you actually still had playoff potential and he gets schooled all over the place.
Safe to say today was the final nail in the coffin for Pat and may have just started Banner calling the bus depot to inquire on the cost of one way tickets for Brandon Weeden as well.
Here’s a stat that indicts the defense: Cousins started 1 – 6 with the interception. After that, he went 25 -31.
Listen, no doubt this kid was brilliant today, a 4th round rookie looking off defenders, finding third options and being totally decisive and confident. But hitting 5 of every 6 passes while throwing 31 times from the first quarter on? Garcon was open every play and was robbed of one called an incompletion, linebackers were invisible and the secondary seemed more concerned about jawing with receivers ans going for body shots rather than covering and wrapping up on tackles. Haden got away with grabs and an out of bounds hit that wasn’t called. As if they had a reason to be cocky and relax after Griffin was benched and they had a measly 7-point lead.
I thought this was a bellweather game, a canary in the coalmine to see how we’d do against a mediocre opponent on a role and needing to win. The resulting collapse indicts plenty of folks, from the HC, the assistants who didn’t adjust, the QB coach most responsible to develop the QB, and the players who somehow presumed this was in the bag.
OK, end rant. But if I hear anyone suggest Pat needs more time I’ll lose it. And as much as I admire Heckert, if he wants Pat as a condition of his staying without final roster control, even if it’s just for proof that he still has organizational leverage, he’s lost me too.
Also side question… In a game where the coach is coaching for his job was it a mistake to stick with Weeden when it was clear he didn’t have it that day?
Wait a minute, I thought Banner was going to wait until the end of the season and examine all of the games played before making a decision on Pat.
I think he is the more likely candidate than over paying for Smith.
Okay good. And how about the coaching part….do you like option 1 or 2?
This is good therapy for me as my mind is in panic mode.
But is that your vote? Do you want Vick more than the other options (including sticking with Weeden)?
I don’t know my answer, and just trying to gauge the other opinions out there.
Yeah and when you evaluate wins against the Steelers 3rd string QB, the west coast Browns and the 2010 Browns versus a loss to a 4th round draft pick QB making his first start which was the last home game of the year with actual playoff implications guess which one weighs more?
Wow… Run on sentence much?
wait, one more rant. The Fox play-by-play calls Mike Martz “coach”? All game, non-stop? No, stop. Bill Walsh in the booth is still “coach,” or Bear Bryant or Paul Brown or someone who it feels weird to call “Mike.” Amateurish and unsuccessful ploy to burnish his bona fides. Let his commentary evidence whether he’s worth hearing. Totally got on my bad nerves.
My vote is a combo…
Veteran Vick teaching Geno Smith.
And to get Geno, we are using 1st round pick with no round 2 pick…..right?
We will never land Geno… Too many horrible teams needing QB’s in front of us.
Just daydreaming I guess.
I’ve already commented similarly about Shumur but disagree about Weeden.
You don’t toss the first round QB overboard after his rookie year because of a horrible game, especially when he’s been much better. And if you think the HC’s sins including not properly coaching the rookie QB or tailoring to his strengths, that’s further reason to get a better coach to coach him up. I can’t think of a college QB coming out or an available veteran who right now obviously exceeds Weeden’s potential. If you toss a rookie after one year, if you just won’t abide the ups and downs of a new QB even in year 1, you deserve to be stuck on the never ending merry-go-round.
I guess for me it boils down to Weeden being a reach pick in the first place. He was drafted first round, yes but at 29 years old he needed to be good out of the gate, so that he can progress to great in the next two years.
If we draft him with this skill set at 22, 23, or even 24 I’m in for the ride.
Now with all that said, get the right coach over him next year that actually plays to his strengths and I may sing a different tune….being a Cleveland fan I am prone to changing my sports opinions by the second.
What I want to know is: is Trent Richardson really a 3.5 yard-per-carry running back? Is our o-line that bad? Or, is our run game calling so predictable that Trent is forced to make two people miss in the hole each and every play? For all of the glory of the rookie TD record, it’s important to note that he’s still well under 900 yards and has a season ypc of 3.5. That’s pretty lousy, actually. Of the 46 RBs who qualify, he’s 41st in ypc. You don’t trade up to #3 for a guy that has those kinds of numbers. So, I (legitimately) ask you all: is Richardson just ordinary like Jim Brown said he is, or is our running game so woefully predictable that it’s killing TRich’s value?
i was very anti-trent at the beginning. but to me the kid is pretty good. he just seems like the kind of RB who needs 25-30 touches per game. And he ain’t gonna get that here. I mean, really, why would you give him 25 carries when you can have a senior-citizen errantly throw the ball 50 times instead? makes sense to me.
I likewise disagree with the spelling of “Haslam.”
Things working against Trent
1. Injury
2. Pat’s run play selection
3. Every swing pass to him is at the line or behind. Trent can catch and they need to send him out passed the line and get the ball in his hand while moving.
4. Not using Trent and Montario in the backfield at the same time
5. Injury
I don’t think you can pin it all on the line or Trent or Shurmur. How about this…the running game isn’t working…period.
All I know is this. They traded up to make sure they got TRich, and so far, all they’ve done us underused him. And when they DO use him, they don’t do a good job of it.
After watching today’s game, along with MANY other Browns games and games not involving the Browns, I’m ready to pin it on coaching, particularly on offense. I know this isn’t revolutionary thinking, but I just don’t think Shurmur is capable of the creativity and adaptability on display with other teams.
Take the 49ers. I’m watching them take on the Patriots on SNF, and I see them running plenty of shotgun (much of the time in the Pistol formation), option reads, spread out formations and unique running configurations to aid in Gore’s running style. All of these offensive formations and setups are designed to play to the strengths of their personnel.
And that’s just it…why can’t the Browns do the same thing? I’ll offer my suggestions.
-2-back sets with Hardesty
-option-read with Cribbs
-almost shotgun-exclusive formations for Weeden to stick with what he was successful using in college
-unbalanced lines to take advantage of the 12 tight ends on the roster
Any other ideas?
I was kind of watching to see if the holes weren’t there for Trent as it seemed Hardesty always has a hole to run through. The answer was no. Now I don’t know why that is but it seems more a product of teams loading up on the spots he normally runs to. if memory serves ( and it is getting fuzzy in my old age) they barely run Trent in the edges its always between the tackles. This may also be a due to his ribs now that I think about it. Maybe the likelihood of him getting popped in the ribs is higher on the edges.
But anyhow can Shurmur just leave like Davis did? Really tired of seeing us out-coached
Watching SF and NE . Can our new owner sign over half his truck stops and get us Harbough? (SP?)
I think there’s a few things going on:
1) He’s hurt and cannot help but sometimes hit a hole or take contact in a way that protects his ribs (I saw this less today but he didn’t run much either).
2) He’s the type of back, like Jerome Bettis, that can get stopped a lot early but then wear the defense down and get a lot of second half yards. But you have to run him a lot. Trent is not a get a little crease/run for daylight home run hitter. He’s a “ride me and i’ll stomp these guys until they’re stepping aside at 3:30 or so” kind of guy.
3) As good as this o-line is, they are better at pass protection because they don’t run enough. As Joe Thomas said a few weeks ago and we’ve heard coaches say before, a line gets better at run blocking when they do it a lot. Let’s be honest: When Pat runs a lot it’s to start setting up a lot of Weeden throws, or to kill clock. It’s not to impose Trent’s will on the opposition. Last off-season I never thought they would throw so much, especially after taking a workhorse-type RB at #3 overall.
Its this unintelligent nonsense that will keep the Browns as the worst in the division. Weeden isn’t the problem, the coaches aren’t the problem, the fans, the constant rebuilding, the terrible football atmosphere and lack of patience that make Cleveland one of the worst places in the NFL for players to endure that is the problem. Just shut up and stop freaking out every time they lose a game. Let them build some chemistry and experience before shrieking like idiots about how everything needs to be torn down.
Its hard to stick with a running game averaging less than 2 yards per carry (after the big 14 yard “game breaker” run is removed)
If people agree that Weeden is regressing, that’s an indictment of Shurmur and the fact that he’s supposed to be a QB developer. As for the nonsense of throwing Weeden out with the bathwater, has anyone else noticed that his worst games all seemed to come against the NFC East? In three of those games, Weeden looked like a deer in the headlignts – like he had no idea what was coming or what the defenses were throwing at them. And the NFC would know Shurmer’s tendencies more than anyone else.
Getting rid of Weeden is panicked nonsense. Getting rid of Heckert is a bit of a gamble. But getting rid of Shurmer? Done deal after today, IMHO.
Shut up, Pat.
Vick and the Dawg Pound?
That’s how all good running backs work. They get 2-5 yards a carry, and break off a couple big ones to raise the average.
you want Vick teaching someone how to play QB?