While We’re Waiting… Josh Cribbs’ Injury Status
November 17, 2009It Can’t Get Much Worse; Should the Browns Go After Charlie Weis?
November 17, 2009I get sick and tired of getting “the look” from my wife after Browns games. I have been married just over three years, and “the look” has become ridiculously commonplace during the NFL season. As I have stated before, my wife is a Colts fan from Indy. The look is that piteous, apologetic look that combines all the misery of Browns fans into one and says “maybe things will eventually get better, but I can’t really say for sure.” It is the kind of look that Sally Field would have given to a disappointed young Forrest Gump. All Forrest wants to do is fit in and be normal. Unfortunately for us, it doesn’t appear that we are going to get any kind of amazing savant-like experiences later in life like Forrest Gump.
It wasn’t all bad last night, I guess. A scoreless halftime against an improved Ravens offense seemed like something of a victory for the Browns. In the first game against the Ravens the Browns were down 20-0 at halftime. This time, the Browns defense came to play. In the first half, the Browns’ defense forced four punts and a missed field goal. For the game, the Browns’ defense forced Baltimore to punt seven times. It would have been eight if the Ravens hadn’t just run into the line on fourth down at the end of the game.
On the Ravens’ scoring drive, the Browns defense looked horrendous for two or three plays in a row. The final touchdown run could have been saved if someone (anyone) had thought to call a timeout. The Browns didn’t have enough players on the field at the time and the Ravens took advantage. The touchdown was preceded by another scorching of Brandon McDonald on the year. Derek Mason faked McDonald out of his shoes and Flacco hit him for a 41-yard catch and run.
Other bright spots on defense were the three QB sacks. There were a lot of pressures too. David Bowens had two sacks and Brandon McDonald got credit for the other. There was one really frustrating play at the quarterback involving Jason Trusnick. Trusnick was blocked and stumbled down as he tried to wrap up Joe Flacco’s legs. The ref called him for low hit on the QB, AKA the Tom Brady rule. From the perspective of the rule book, it was exactly the right call. My problem is that the rule absolutely stinks on ice. It was a legitimately non-malicious attempt to sack the quarterback and in the NFL it is illegal. Don’t hit the QB high, and now don’t hit him low. I mean, I get it a little bit, but it makes for some serious frustration sometimes.
So, how about that offense? Oof. I don’t want to say too much about the players, especially Brady Quinn. I think it is a waste of breath for the most part. The combination of players and coaching that spent two weeks working on this ought to be ashamed of themselves. The passes were quicker than anything I have ever seen. The screens that were missing during Derek Anderson’s run at starting QB were back to an embarrassingly ineffective degree. Granted the Ravens defense is still elite, but the pass rush that they were easily able to generate at will was disappointing to say the least. Again, the Browns had two weeks to plan for this game and apart from a long catch and run by Massoquai and a reverse by Cribbs it was basically toothless.
The defense obviously spent a lot of time planning for this game and Rob Ryan’s crew showed up and played effectively. I can’t say anything close to that for the offense. Did it appear to anyone else like there was anything different since the last time Brady Quinn played? Were Carl Smith’s fingerprints all over this one, or did it look like the same exact garbage that we had a few weeks ago with this team? I didn’t expect a massive overhaul, but I also didn’t expect to see the same exact ineffectiveness either. I know this team is without Braylon, K2 and Joe Jurevicius, but the lack of even a few plays strung together is astonishing.
But that is par for the course in this season of discontent. I was happy to see a lot of fans in the seats at the start of the game. I know that a lot of fans are still divided on the whole “protest” thing, but I will remind everyone that ultimately we all have the same goal. I won’t pretend to be able to predict how they can get back to respectability at this stage in the franchise’s history. I will say the pressure is on to do something right this time as the Browns are staring down the prospect of welcoming 11 new players via the draft.
Next up? The Browns will look to win game #2 in a game where #2 is an appropriate moniker. That’s right folks. The Great Lakes Classic gets a regular season appearance as the Browns head to Detroit Rock City for a matchup with the 1-8 Lions. And before you think the Browns have a chance in this one, consider that the Lions have scored almost 16 points per game this season. The Browns have scored 78 points on the year compared to Detroit’s 143. (Sad trombone sounds.)
34 Comments
We are losing to Detroit by 14, book it.
How the entire staff save Rob Ryan hasn’t been pink slipped two hours ago this morning is beyond me.
I was at the game and found DP Mike and his little protest beforehand. He had very little accompaniment aside from on-lookers, and there were a couple of cameramen in the area, probably waiting for more people to show up. As you could tell by looking at the stands at kickoff, practically the only ones not in their seats were Mike, club seaters too scared of a little weather, and the guy I saw dragged off by his neck in a chokehold by the overaggresive security staff for bugging a female reporter while on camera. The last part was the most entertaining. The security guards whose uniforms kind of look like cops (not the blue coat stadium guys, but the hired help) were out of line for how physical they got.
My point, and a new plan for the brown out/protest would be what most people are already doing. At the end of the 3rd quarter, if, as last night, the Browns show absolutely no intention of competing, nothing other than the plainest of plain vanilla offenses, and are as hopeless as they were last night and many others, then the 4th quarter should be played in front of an empty stadium. We hung out til about 3 minutes left in the game, for no reason. Each possession in the 4th, I kept saying, give them one more chance to try something, maybe they’ll get creative down by 2 scores, and just nothing.
4th quarter walkouts! Already supported by 70% of the bored to death fans, just need to get the last 30% on board.
1-15. Book it
I rarely have a chance to watch the Browns, and I have to say that I wasn’t as humiliated as I expected. More than competitive, the defense looked like a solid NFL defense. It seemed like if the O-line was ANY better, they’d have been right in the game.
Judging by the amount of video that ESPN prepared and showed during the second half, they did not expect a competitive game. Lebron clips, Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden clips, Craig Ehlo, The Big Lebowski. The only thing missing was old Friends episodes.
(Correction: it wasn’t The Big Lebowski, it was Rob Ryan. Sorry)
Garbage. Not saying Quinn is the savior or anything but they even let Wynn throw longer routs and he’s gotta be better than that?????? Oh well at least from how much i saw the defense looked into it.
0-16 (Mangini will appeal to the league to have that game forfeited so he can judge how the team will respond to adversity during the off-season)
Re: The call on Trusnik
Didn’t Gruden and Jaworski comment, upon seeing the replay, that it was a horrible call because Trusnik was blocked into Flacco?
The defense played inspired football but I’ve never seen such a bad offensive gameplan in my life. The Browns Backer bar I was at last night gave the remaining fans (about 8 people) a free car bomb for staying and watching the entire game. It wasn’t worth it.
After that pathetic performance there is no chance Mangini will be around after this season……….is there?
I saw that the Lion’s are giving 2.5. Place your bets now…
Next week is the week that Cleveland falls in love with Mangenius. Bookserve it!
@J-Dub
What Browns Backers bar? I had the same experience down in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. I was just wondering if it was the same bar. I usually go every week but stayed in last night since I could watch them from home.
I hope Mangini stays…there’s definitely signs that this team will make some progress in the next year. If we get Lerner to spend some money in the offseason (cap-free, right?), this team could win 10…book it.
Favorite part of the night was Gruden yelling “if the Raves wore their throwbacks they would be the Cleveland Browns.” I actually enjoyed Gruden all last night
It’s sad that every week I get excited to watch the Browns play on TV. I grew up while the Browns were gone. It just depresses the heck out of me every week, and I don’t know why I keep getting myself up only to be let down
“Trusnick was blocked and stumbled down ….From the perspective of the rule book, it was exactly the right call”
This isn’t an accurate statement. By rule, if he is blocked towards the QB (which he was), the penalty shouldn’t have been called. There was a freaking hand in the middle of his back as he was falling towards Flacco.
as I read this, Aerosmith’s “Dream On” is playing on my work radio. That about sums it up.
@ #10 – What encouraging signs?
Brandon McDonald’s facebook status: “Only 7 games left… Da countdown begins!”
These guys hate playing for Mangoonie. Get him outta here and let him go coach I-AA where he belongs
At least you guys can rejoice that you’ll have a complete overhaul. In Baltimore, fans are preparing to dismiss a potentially 9-7 squad.
#We’reSoSpoiled
@10 nobody: I’m not sure if you’re serious, but I happen to agree with you. Although there have been almost NO positive signs to a casual fan, in fact, we seem to have gone backward; if we don’t at least wait another year, then we’ll have ANOTHER coach come in and start ANOTHER new system, with HIS personnel, and rebuilding will be delayed yet again.
If they manage to get a few O-linemen in the draft who have promising rookie seasons, and win even 5-6 games NEXT year, it will have been worth keeping Mangini for 2-3 years.
Brandon McDonald should learn how to cover someone instead of counting down the season on facebook
Despite having no time to throw all night, BQ did manage to “stretch the field” a couple times at the end by heaving the ball 40 yards downfield and 15 yards out of bounds. Seriously, what the heck was that?
BTW, Craig, your description of your wife’s “Sally Field look” is hilarious.
If Mangini is still running this cluster muck next year, I’m sure he’ll use those 11 draft picks to add depth to our kick coverage teams and our practice squad. But that would be more production than we’re currently getting out of the 36th overall pick in last year’s draft.
Worst Browns team ever.
I’m tired of this nonsense about “blah blah he needs 3 years”
Parcells and Sporano (sp?) came into Miami and turned a 2-14 team into a wildcard team over night!
I’m not saying that’s gonna happen in every case, but we are so much worse than last year it’s not even funny. I don’t know how anyone can justify this crap any more, especially as the team regresses. Even Joe Thomas has gotten much worse this year.
Was it just me or was there WAAAAAAAAAAY too much shifts before the snap. They are trying to get too cute with their looks. Just line up and run the play!!!!
@22: Yeah they won a wild-card in a division with the Mangini Jets, the Cassel Patriots, and the Buffalo Bills. They also won five straight to END the season. They also had a couple high profile vets including Ronnie Brown, Joey Porter, Chad Pennington, and Ricky Williams.
The Jets, who were so excited to get a blustery new coach, are in the same place they were last year under Mangini. Denver, who hired a new coach because they UNDERachieved at 8-8, have lost three straight. TB is just as bad as the Browns.
I wonder what the breakdown would be of all the BAD teams that installed new regimes recently, and how they performed.
@ 24 – You can’t just look at the records. That doesn’t tell the whole story. We are by far the worst team. Even KC and TB were putting more points up than we were, they were just losing. We are the laughingstock of the league.
As for the personnel of the Dolphins, yes, but whose fault/credit is that?
[…] having two weeks to prepare for last night’s contest with the Baltimore Ravens, the Cleveland Browns managed to accumulate only 160 yards of total offense. Quarterback […]
The only time I saw Jerome Harrison last night is when he politely stepped aside so that Ray Lewis could have an unobstructed path to Quinn.
What a great lede … made me laugh outloud as the wifal unit supplies me with same look and I share your pain.
If we can’t laugh at ourselves, at least we can laugh at each other.
WFNY.. Can we start a fire Daboll protest? He is by far the worst thing about this team. When will Mangini throw him under the bus already like he did with Kokinis?
Lieutenant Daniel Taylor: Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?
Forrest Gump: I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.
“I may not be a smart man, but I do know what bad football looks like…”
@bobby- if I hear the word ‘protest’ again I’m going to throw up. Sickening.
22– that turnaround for the dolphins was the single biggest turnaround in the history of professional football. That is not normal, even with the best personnel people.
ok, maybe not protest… a WFNY petition to fire Daboll?