It Can’t Get Much Worse; Should the Browns Go After Charlie Weis?
November 17, 2009Photos of Eric Wright’s Mercedes Released
November 17, 2009
After 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 Brady Quinn amassed a passer rating of 23.5 through the air. The Browns carried the ball 26 times, collecting 86 yards. But one thing that jumps out of the box score, running back Jerome Harrison did not receive one carry, nor was the recipient of any of the countless screen passes thrown.
Jamal Lewis carried the ball 10 times – becoming the 20th player in NFL history to accumulate 2,500 rushing attempts. The Wildcat allowed Josh Cribbs to tote the ball six times. Quinn ran it twice, Mohamed Massaquoi once. The balance of the carries were taken by former practice squad running back Chris Jennings who had seven carries for 18 yards.
Jennings also caught one of the short passes and managed to take it for 10 yards. Jerome Harrison, one of the only play-makers on the Browns managed to have zero carries, zero receptions, zero total yards.
When asked in an interview this morning as to why he received zero playtime in a shutout loss, where the Browns simply could not move the ball, Harrison replied with, “I have no idea.”
Succinct and to the point. And understandably irritated.
In no means is Jerome Harrison the answer to the Browns problems. But as pointed out here in the past, Harrison’s skill set is perfect for the screen plays that Brian Daboll and Brady Quinn apparently cannot get enough of. Harrison is stellar in the open field and has great hands.
In Harrison’s first three games (begninning on week 2 due to preseason injury), Harrison had 62 touches. With 48 carries and 14 receptions, the scat back averaged 3.7 yards on the ground and 6.2 yards through the air.
Since week four (152 combined yards against Cincinnati), Harrison has managed to get 21 carries and four receptions, including the zeroes that were listed above.
Aside from explaining why the team opted to call timeouts and go for an apparent 16-point touchdown with time running out, Eric Mangini may have to answer some questions as to why he did not play one of his more electric players in a game where the offense was inept at best.
16 Comments
Does Harrison have an escalator clause related to number of touches in his contract? If so, Eric Mangini has no knowledge of it.
“We played the players we thought gave us the best chance to win.” droned Browns head coach Eric Mangini. (Cut/paste)
Please insert answer to all personnel queries until we are rid of this dynamic leader.
Harrison stood there and watched as Ray Lewis came through untouched and ran right past him on a blitz. Grab some bench, three five.
“Harrison’s skill set is perfect for the screen plays that Brian Daboll and Brady Quinn apparently cannot get enough of.”
How can you say that as if Quinn calls the plays? I think pasture patty bingo would be a more effective way to call a offense than what Daboll is doing!
“How can you say that as if Quinn calls the plays?”
Quinn loved Darius Walker (56 receptions in 2006) and John Carlson (47). Yes, he also had his two big WRs, but there is no denying that BQ has a preference for shorter-routes. Look at what he did with Winslow/Harrison last season.
Perhaps I should not have grouped Quinn in as if he were “calling” the plays, but there is no denying that this offense is at least attempting to focus on Quinn’s strengths. Rightfully so, or not.
Scott you bring up a good point about Quinn throwing to his RB and TE in college even. If the browns are trying to set him up to do this though they still need to have a guy going 20+ yards downfield to open it up. 5 yard passes dont work when every reciever is going 5 yards. Look in Denver. Even Orton will take a chance when a guy is wide open deep down field (He hit Brandon Marshall on a wide open post in their game this weekend).
Wasn’t jerome hurt?
Those two late out of bounds throws at the end of the game really concern me. Partly because BQ’s arm is clearly not in the top two-thirds of NFL QBs (probably even lower than Charlie Frye caliber), and mostly because I fear the years of criticism about his long-ball game have become a pathology for him.
I see BQ and want to believe in the guy, but there may just be basic limitations in his game that have been exacerbated by total organizational dysfunction over the last 3 yrs.
No, he played plenty last night. He just never touched the ball.
I have a beef with Daboll trying to run a “Wildcat” offense without putting someone like Harrison on the field. You defeat the purpose of the Wildcat by handing the ball to Lewis or Vickers. Miami runs it so well because they have two faster running backs plus a quick guy like Pat White, from whom you must respect a throw (Cribbs). The Browns make no effort to get their quickest and most elusive playmakers onto the field for their version, and I think that basically tells the defense: “Guess who’s running the ball: CRIBBS!”
I think Munch on 850 AM this morning said it best, Re: the Cleveland Wildcat — A MildCat. Or, a PussyCat. Yep.
@ 3 – right on. As dynamic as Harrison has shown himself to be in certain limited situations, his blocking is atrocious. As long as he can’t help in protection, he’s not going to see the field under a Mangini regime.
He was used as a lead blocker.
@11, You’re right, Harrison is a bad blocker. @12, you are right, Harrison was used as a lead blocker.
Jamal is old and slow but can block. Harrison is fast but ascribes to the John St. Clair philosophy of blocking. Look back at the last few games. Jamal in = running play. Harrison in = passing play. Why in the world do they play to each of these guys weaknesses?
Just one more thing to leave you scratching your head while watching this team.
why is quinn so friggin gun shy? there’s no way that all those wr screens, rb dump offs and 4 yrds passes were the primary routes. daboll is an idiot too but i really think quinn is afraid for his life back there. maybe its the qb carousel situation and he’s afraid one mistake and he’s back on the bench, maybe the pro game is just too fast for him. but he plays like a scared little girl and tries to get the ball out as soon as he can. either he really is a horrible, horrible, deep passer, or he was playing it safe for himself avoiding a meaningless interception to end the night on those 2 bombs
@ jewpants- I thought that at the beginning of the year, but I really do question whether Daboll is actually calling a deeper route. For the first time on Monday night the announcers talked about the receivers only running 5 yard routes. That may be a little exaggeration, but I wouldn’t doubt that the routes are being designed for 10 yards or less. The only way the short passing, ball control offense works is if you open it up. At least one WR needs to be running 15+ yards down field on some sort of seem, corner, post, slugo, w/e so that if the D keeps playing up you can get a wide open WR (like i said in #6 w/ denver). This O is too basic right now as a whole. If I were Quinn, I would start ignoring Daboll’s play calling and just hurry up with my own. He’s supposed to be smart and know the whole play book so why not?
I’m a BQ supporter (and still am ahead of DA) but 14 is pretty much right. I don’t know if Daboll is just that terrible or what but there were way too many quick bubble screen type plays to the WRs. The problem though is that nobody is afraid of the WRs so that play doesn’t work. Even if Quinn had thrown those passes on target there would have been no gain–they practically were getting hit as the ball arrived.