Breaking the Bletcherous Bengals: Browns-Bengals Preview
November 26, 2017
A crazy long-term Lindor contract, and Greg Schiano: While We’re Waiting
November 27, 2017The Cleveland Browns are still winless. The Browns lost their 11th game of the season, falling to the Cincinnati Bengals on the road, 30-16. The Browns once again had chances to possibly pull out a win, but mistakes, poor play and a bad call (in my opinion) killed any of those chances. The Browns actually outgained the Bengals in the game, 405 total yards to 361 total yards, but the scoreboard still went in the way of the Bengals. Here is how the game transpired.
The Browns offense opened the game up with an impressive drive, leaning heavily on the run game. Cleveland posted 50 yards rushing on the opening drive, but the team’s struggles in the red zone emerged again, causing the drive to stall and the team to settle for the field goal. The Browns lead did not last, as the Bengals drove 75 yards to the end zone to take the early 7-3 lead. The Browns looked like they were going to respond to the Bengals touchdown, but a huge taunting penalty by receiver Bryce Treggs killed the momentum of the drive, causing the Browns to have to try for a 43-yard field goal, which was missed by kicker Zane Gonzalez. After one quarter, the Browns trailed the Bengals 7-3.
The Bengals first offensive drive of the second quarter looked very similar to their first drive of the game. Cincinnati was able to tear up the Browns run defense, including quarterback Andy Dalton pulling off a 25-yard scramble. But this time, the Browns made a play to stop the drive from getting into the end zone. Edge rusher Myles Garrett picked up his fifth sack of the season, stopping the Bengals drive in its tracks and forcing the Bengals to settle for a field goal. Following that field goal, Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer left the game for a drive with a possible concussion, forcing the Browns to go to Cody Kessler. In Kessler’s only drive, he managed to lead the offense to negative nine yards in three plays. The Bengals followed that successful defensive stand with another field goal, making their lead, 13-3. The Browns got some good news on the next drive with the return of Kizer, but Kizer was unable to do anything on his first drive after returning from the possible concussion. The Bengals continued their field goal party, adding their third of the day and making their lead, 16-3. However, the Browns did not give up and call it a half. Kizer led the offense 75 yards in a two-minute offense. Time ended up forcing the Browns to kick the field goal, but the Browns were able to chisel the deficit a little with the field goal, ending the half trailing, 16-6.
Cincinnati opened the second half with what seemed to be an omen for the rest of the half. The Bengals strolled 78 yards to the end zone in ten plays to make the score, 23-6. Though, the Browns had different ideas. The offense responded with a sustained drive that should have netted a touchdown, but receiver Corey Coleman dropped a perfect dime in the end zone from Kizer, resulting in the Browns having to settle for another field goal. The momentum stayed on the Browns side as the defense stopped the Bengals on the next drive, giving the Cleveland offense solid field position to possibly cut the deficit down. But, Hue Jackson’s play calling waved its ugly head. On a 3rd-and-1 at the Cincinnati 44-yard line, with the run game humming, Jackson called a play-action pass that ended up getting Kizer sacked, along with any momentum or hope of the Browns cutting the deficit. At the end of three quarters, the Browns still trailed the Bengals, 23-9.
The Browns defense stepped up again to start the fourth quarter, forcing their second straight punt of the half. This time the Browns offense took advantage of the stop. Kizer and the offense traveled 89 yards to pay dirt in 15 plays, converting multiple fourth-down plays on their way to the end zone. Kizer’s three-yard touchdown run made the Browns deficit, 23-16. The Browns defense had a chance to give the ball back to the offense to tie the game up, but a questionable penalty killed any chance of that happening. Dalton threw a beautiful pass to receiver Josh Malone, but Browns safety Jabrill Peppers broke up the pass with a crushing hit on Malone. Though, the refs called an unnecessary roughness penalty on Peppers for the hit, negating the third-down stop and giving the Bengals new life on the drive. The call, in my opinion, was wrong. Peppers hit the receiver in the chest with his helmet and the receiver was not defenseless because he had already taken multiple steps after the catch before Peppers hit him. The call ended any real chance for a Browns comeback as the Bengals capitalized on the call, driving down to the end zone for a win-cementing touchdown. The Browns offense tried to start a miracle, but the Bengals held strong and turned the Browns over on downs. In the end, the Browns lost their 11th game of the season, falling to the Cincinnati Bengals, 30-16.
As with most of the games this season, we are forced to look for silver linings and bright spots in losses. I think Kizer was one of those silver linings. Kizer finished the game completing 18 of 31 passes for 268 yards, while also rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown. After a rough game last week, Kizer rebounded to play a good game that kept the Browns alive for most of regulation. Nevertheless, the Browns lost the game and the team is still looking for a win.
The Browns will look for win No. 1 next week in San Diego as the team travels to play the Chargers.
68 Comments
That’s what a proper STRONG SAFETY is supposed to do…
Cleveland Browns Land Hue Jackson As Next Head Coach
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Was just thinking about how uniformly unhappy we were with the befuddled Pat Shurmur. Only won 9 games in 2 seasons. Was his own OC, and appeared overmatched on game day. The wins weren’t aesthetic enough or were against teams that couldn’t take us seriously. Now I’m a wee bit nostalgic.
“Peppers hit the receiver in the chest with his helmet ”
I realize the interpretation of this has split Browns fans into Hatfields and (Colt) McCoys, but I must admit I’m not sure how anyone can conclude Peppers made no contact with the receiver’s helmet. Unless someone slipped a psychoactive drug in my Thanksgiving leftovers, I see indisputable evidence that Pepper’s helmet hit the receiver’s helmet/facemask (and he acknowledged as much in his post-game comments). Am I missing something here? What is the benefit of denying this empirical reality? What is to be gained by shouting angrily from the wrong side of the debate about player safety?
I guess everyone is frustrated and needs to feel we were within a hair of victory, but…come on…
It’s an interesting exercise to think how many wins former Browns coaches might have with the 2017 roster. How many victories would Shurmur, Mangini, and Pettine have eked out by now? How about Bruce Arians? Would Bill Belichek be .500?
Perhaps this has been Rizzo’s go-to talk radio effervescent the whole season and I’ve been fortunate enough to not hear any of it, but an interesting question nonetheless
One thing that bugs me…. how to choose…
Kizer has thrown ball OB instead of giving WR a chance at a jump ball late in he game when a TO reallly doesn’t matter. Third and goal with 3 min left down 14 and you throw it 20 yards OB? Pathetic
It just sucks because it essentially ended the game. If a player is leading with his helmet and going in like he was fired out of a cannon i get it, but a call on a hit like that is what is going to ruin football. I guess he should have let him catch the ball and had it first and goal from the 3 instead of hitting him and trying to knock the ball out
I was hoping Kizer’s play this year would make me think about getting something other than a qb with the first pick
“but a call on a hit like that is what is going to ruin football.”
I think quite the opposite — calls like this are what is going to *save* football, at least in the short-term.
Nate, deep down are you really upset that the Browns lost? Do you think that–absent the call on Peppers–they win this game? I guess I’m just so far into the throes of apathy with the Browns that the losses don’t phase me one bit now. I’m just glad the Bengals receiver is ok, because that was one heck of a collision
I am not upset that they lost. I am more upset that peppers made a hard hit on the guy and hard hits are now penalties and he was pounding himself in the head calling himself an idiot for hitting the guy hard and trying to knock the ball out. I feel like in college football the targeting calls are costing a few kids some games. It isn’t as big of a deal because most of top ncaa teams have a lot of depth. Everything is catered to offense. Why is a RB allowed to use his helmet when he is about to get tackled? When have you ever seen an offensive player get a call against them for helmet on helmet?
An *illegal* hit, Nate, he made an illegal hit. The rules are the same for guys on other teams too.
Otherwise, I agree with you that there is still inconsistency in how the game is officiated with regard to offensive and defensive players. In addition to what you describe, stiff arms can deliver a powerful blunt force to a defender’s head, and it is literally never called a penalty. What will save football (again, in the short term) is finding ways to phase out the most clearly neurologically damaging hits, and the league (and NCAA) still has a ways to go. Far from being a sign of football’s decline, Peppers penalty actually demonstrates progress in enforcing the rule by the letter and spirit of the law, and creating an incentive for a young player to use a technique that is safer for him and his fellow players
Wins aren’t part of the process. It’s also very frustrating that this team can’t put together a complete game. One week the offense is good, then the next week it’s the defense.
Too funny, Kizer completes 18 lousy passes and people act like he is going to be Tom Brady.
Kizer = Rocket arm / jello head. how many receivers did he overthrow today? Derek Anderson 2.0
… and Corey Coleman dropped a perfectly thrown TD pass.
Compounding the problem is that this year’s college QB’s would make me think about getting something other than a QB with the first pick
hi CHRIS … unless the Browns get Cousins or McCarron in FA , the Browns probably have to take Rosen with the 1st overall pick , or at the very least , take a QB with their second 1st round pick … if they don’t it will once again give the appearance they don’t know what they’re doing as far as the most important position on the team , or they think they’re smarter than everyone else .
sure , there could be a HOF-in-waiting in the 3rd or 4th round , but they simply can’t wait that long to address the QB position … and if they don’t acquire a veteran through FA or a trade , i would actually be okay if they decided to draft TWO QB’s.
I think a lot of the disagreement (that I’ve seen) is on the issues of:
– Whether the WR was defenseless as he was taking his third step and
– Whether Peppers led with the head.
Regardless, a similar hit was made against a Browns WR at the end of the game that wasn’t called.
No one is saying he’s going to be Brady. People are just saying he had his best game so far. And he did.
hi HUM … who knows , between Shurmur , Chud , Mangini & Pettine , one of them might still be here had they been given a little more time … maybe not.
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… since 1998 ?
I was initially upset at the apparently erroneous “defenseless receiver” call on the field, but from the first replay also thought it was an illegal helmet v. chinstrap hit. These calls are so hard on the refs in real time. They’ll get skewered if a high def super slo-mo replay shows a head shot so they’re going to err on the safety side. And they should. Still wish they would have had a fraction of this safety concern when James Harrison concussed Colt, because that was not the NFL “good ol’ days.”
’98?
Amen. People were so critical of Brad McCoy’s response to the situation, but him pushing the issue prompted the NFL to take more serious steps to protect players, including appointing objective neurologists to monitor players during all games.
Hard to believe the NFL allowed such brutish, violent play to go unpunished as recent as 2011.
Is there a clip of the hit on the Browns WR?
If it wasn’t called, the play should be sent in to the league office.
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well , it would be nice if the Browns could put a complete game together … Kizer played good & the Browns outgained the Bengals 405 – 361 yards … but Corey Coleman dropped a perfectly thrown TD pass , BBC dropped 2 easy INT’s , they let Joe Mixon have a big day , settled for too many FG’s in the red zone & Zane Gonzalez missed a FG for good measure … it all adds-up to another defeat.
He’s a rookie with the worst receiving corps in history plus a shaky blocking scheme. He might end up being awful, but he’s not been put in a position to succeed.
I think drafting a QB in the first round is the wrong way to go. It’s better to get a journeyman who can teach and has experience playing in a broken system.
Pat Shurmur was better than we deserved. Mike Pettine was also a guy we unfairly ran out of town.
A few big games coming up. Can the home team man-up, focus, and get the job done?
The Chargers gave us a win last year.
The Packers are limping along.
The Steelers will be resting everyone and still play down to their opponents.
Will one of those 3 break the dream of the perfect season?
Anyone see Phil Dawson’s 57 yard game winner?
Just sayin.
Anyone who thinks THAT was the moment that victory slipped from our hands clearly hadn’t watched much of the game, and apparently hasn’t watched much of the season.
The moment that victory slips is usually either the national anthem or the coin toss.
yeah, sickening that we don’t get to keep Phil as a warm fuzzy mascot and the guy to ensure precious points. It’s true that his kickoffs couldn’t reach the end zone but tell me Colquitt couldn’t take care of that part.
The Chargers are much better than last year. And the game is in Los Diego.
The Packers gave the yinzers all they could handle.
No way the yinzers are going to risk giving us our only win.
The good news is that (A) I’m still looking forward to a parade, and (B) I had a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon not paying the slightest bit of attention to the Browns.
right. As if Kizer was about to lead a TD drive to tie it, then win it on the road. As if you’re going to win on the road when your “playmaker” WR goes full Braylon on a perfectly thrown TD pass. As if Cincy didn’t get robbed of a punt return for a TD by a phantom clipping call. As if the loss wasn’t really about failing to stop the league’s worst running team and dropping Dalton’s usual interceptions.
hi RGB … i saw it … and he made it with plenty to spare.
well, disagree. Shurmur was certainly no worse than Hue. And “we” didn’t run or anyone else Pettine out of town. He was a desperate hire that resulted from a botched process caused by a previous incompetent coaching termination. If his tenure seemed short it doesn’t mean he demonstrated head coaching skills. We’ve been without a competent HC we don’t remember what that looks like on the field, and assume everyone hired by Lerner/Haslam just needs more time.
hi HARV … I liked Chud & he obviously didn’t get a fair shot.
If I see it, I’ll pass it on your way. It wasn’t as hard of a hit as Peppers’s hit, but it was a very similar type of play. Maybe in the last drive of the game, across the middle, I forget which of the bad browns WRs was targeted.
Actually, I found the game to be relatively watchable. As far as Browns games go that is.
agree. That’s the one guy since ’99 that could still prove his HC chops. Actually, Butch had some too but freaked out.
Exactly
Plus Shurmur’s become a great OC since then. He has fricking Case Keenum in the MVP discussion. At this point I think most of the Browns problems derive from ownership miscues-inability to properly identify the proper talent in both the FO and coaching at THE RIGHT TIME. Not giving a committed plan enough time (although Romeo did last 4 yrs but didn’t complete his extension).
Schedule release day
So, I’ve been listening to the self-righteous talking-heads trying to out-outrage each other for a week over the heinous crime of junk-grabbing by Baker Mayfield. Some even to the point of questioning his Heisman candidacy.
SO WHAT, I say. So the F what! Get over yourselves.
I hope we draft him.
San Angeles?