NFL: Browns Phil Taylor takes hysterical dive trying to draw penalty
November 17, 2013
Wooden Shjips, Mansions, Boys on the Radio, Night Terrors of 1927 – Music Podcast – WFNY Podcast – 2013-11-16
November 17, 2013
The Cleveland Browns had a meaningful game against the division leading Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and responded very poorly. They started the game great going up 13-0, but quickly imploded into a cornucopia of bountiful gifts for the Cincinnati Bengals to feast upon. Interceptions, punt blocks, fumbles and offensive ineptitude took the place of pumpkins, grapes, apples and squash. I’m thinking of so many bad jokes about the Browns getting squashed that I’m not even going to bother. Given a chance to respond to opportunity, the Browns failed on this day.
The Cleveland Browns ended up giving up 31 points in the second quarter to go down 31-13 at the half. The Bengals also only had three first downs on offense in the first half. Sound unbelievable? It looked unbelievable. The Cleveland Browns absolutely imploded as they put their backs to a different end zone to start the second quarter. That’s what happens when your offense coughs up the ball twice via fumble and interception while your punt unit gives up a partial block that goes for eight yards and then a complete block which gives up a touchdown.
Of course Rob Chudzinski doubled down on the aggressiveness with just under a minute left, decided to try and drive the field to score. Jason Campbell checked down like crazy, the Browns punted and gave up a big return to Pacman Jones for 27 yards. Andy Dalton again showed basically nothing, but the aggressive attempt and nice return gave the Bengals field goal position. And with that, the Browns went to halftime down 31-13 and the Bengals only had three first downs. I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s absolutely astonishing.
Given that deficit the Browns weren’t able to do a whole lot in the second half. They had a nice long touchdown pass to Josh Gordon, but other than that were largely listless on offense. The weather wasn’t conducive to a comeback, but the offense didn’t look remotely capable if they’d been playing in a dome situation.
If I might offer a little bit of silver lining to this overall stinker, it is that I find it hard to draw any conclusions about the team based on the mistakes they made. Punt blocks are kind of flukey, really. For Jason Campbell to have a bad game rife with turnovers on top of it, made it worse. You knew that Jason Campbell probably wouldn’t play turnover free football the whole year. He’s provided much more than Brandon Weeden, but he wasn’t going to walk in with his track record and punch his ticket to Hawaii.
This team is still an average team with an above average defense that can’t overcome tremendous mistakes in any one phase. Certainly they’re not a team that can find a way to overcome a 31 point quarter hand-delivered to the opponent via blocked punts and turnovers.
So the Browns didn’t cut the divisional lead. They didn’t sweep the battle of Ohio. Jason Campbell proved that he’s not likely going to become a pro bowler for the Browns. Incidentally, Brian Hoyer likely would have had a game or two like this as well. I’m just playing the percentages here, of course.
Other than that, there’s no time to look at what could have been. It’s Steelers week.
26 Comments
Great day for Haden – did Green have 20 yards?
Horrific day for Chris Tabor’s special teams. Meltdowns all day.
Judgement day for Jason Campbell. 32 year old journeymen QBs are not so because they were never given a chance, any more than Shelley Duncan was a starting outfielder just waiting for the chance. Cut the valentine stories from ex-coaches, cut the “elite” references. This was nothing but Brady Quinn redux.
Ok, clarity is good. We need a QB. We need a few minimally competent RBs and some receivers who compete for position and the ball. And we need to stop thinking this team is ready to compete before they have a reliable offensive player who can grab a game by the throat.
What a let down after that start. What got me is that they looked meek, especially when the Bengals smelled blood and upped the aggressiveness. I didn’t see the same level of fight.
At least we can rule out Campbell as a possible answer at QB, and Ob at RB too. Campbell channeled his inner Colt and OB had a rough game (missed block on the punt leading to a TD, fumble to a TD). As Craig alluded to, percentage wise, backups playing the starting roles are going to have more of these types of games than not…so we shouldn’t be terribly surprised when it happens during a meaningful game against a tough opponent. Doesn’t mean it still doesn’t sting, but let’s face it, we kind of knew it was coming.
Boggles my mind that the only time they target Cameron is 5 yds downfield. Use his mismatches and let him get out and run. So aggravated with the team, but at least it let me get stuff done earlier than I expected.
The lack of fire in this team for this game is a mystery, starting with Campbell. This was his shot, after many years of mediocrity, to make something of his career, and he seemed not to realize it. If anyone other than Brandon Weeden had been sitting on the bench, Campbell would have been yanked at halftime.
I don’t know what this team does the rest of the year. That should pretty much end the playoffs talk. Personally, I’ll limit my hopes to beating the Steelers.
Waiting for Next Year.
Just my opinions here…
1. We had first and goal three times today. Ended up with 2 FGs and a turnover on downs. Had we scored a TD on the first and second time, we’d be up 14-0, and then Haden’s pick-6 makes it 21-0. I think that may have been too much for Cincy to come back from. I feel we lost our chance to bury them early.
2. With Bobby Rainey exploding on the scene, count me in to see Fozzie as our main back. I know he is small, but he is one move away from breaking long runs everytime – you can flat out see it when he runs. If he was carrying the ball during Obie’s big gainer in the 1st, it would have been 6 because he has the breakaway speed.
3. Campbell played bad. Nearly every throw was behind targets or he couldn’t pull the trigger. You can expect bad games from him I know…but this one puts a check in Hoyer’s column on the argument of who should start next season.
4. I never want to hear Rich Gannon do a Browns game again. Just horrible analysis and cheap comments that have zero truth to them, or are just lazy.
5. Played this week for first place, now we play next week to stay out of last.
Go Browns.
Craig do NOT let people get after the coaches for this one. This was a super poor effort from the players. Shameful.
1. It struck me right away that Marquis Gray has usually been the upback or next to the C recently. I hope that didn’t impact the punt blocking assignments.
2. The D held AJ Green to 7 yards, forced two turnovers, held Dalton to 93 yards, held Bernard to 86 total yards, held the Bengals to 3.5 yards/carry. Before the game that would have been viewed as a huge Browns’ win.
3. Campbell decides awfully quickly not to go upfield with a pass.
4. It’s pretty clear why the Browns were so high on a Dion Lewis type. The holes are often there, but McGahee/Ogbi just aren’t quick enough to get to them, and they don’t have breakaway speed after catches/checkdowns.
5. While the play calling generally looks good, I don’t understand why Cameron doesn’t seem to be a target in the red zone. On the flip side, he doesn’t turn his head very quickly in the middle of the field or find a spot to catch balls sometimes.
1. Awesome point on this.
3. I thought the opposite actually. I watched him look down field, look down field, look down field, and simply refuse to pull the trigger. It was different than the KC and BAL game where it was a real quick release.
4. Let’s go Fozzie as the feature back – especially after seeing Rainey in TB.
5. I watched this over and over on rewind. Each time on the goal to go’s, Cameron was jammed and overpowered at the line. Campbell did have him wide open on one play and threw it away on the run instead.
Haven’t looked at Rewind yet, so I’ll trust you on 3/5. I don’t think Fozzie knows the playbook well enough yet and/or might not be big enough/able to block enough to do that yet.
Campbell and the special teams blew it big time today. They wasted a monster effort by the defense. Nearly every point scored by the bengals was a direct result of poor play by the offense and special teams.
I am especially disappointed by Campbell. You’re gifted a 13-0 lead, and you throw a sloppy pick right at James Harrison. That gave Cincy life when they were on the ropes early. I’m not saying play super conservative with three quarters to go. Just see the giant man wearing a bright orange jersey right in front of you.
This could have been the game that ran Dalton out of town with the way it started. Instead, we’re wondering what could have been had our offense been merely average and our punt team able to complete a successful forfeit of ghe ball. This was tougher to watch than some of the Weeden action…and that’s saying something.
You’re probably right about Fozzie. But just from the eye test he looks faster, quicker, and stronger than Rainey…and when Rainey gets 160 yards on 30 carries I start thinking that perhaps Fozzie, with a full opportunity, could do the same, if not better.
I had seats at the 10 yard line of the North Endzone. All 61 points were scored on that side of the field. That seems a little crazy.
You can tell how bad the city wants a winner – the Browns had a losing record and a 3rd stringer at QB going into the bye and for some reason everyone on TV/radio was talking about the playoffs. Naturally, the Browns disappointed in classic, nauseating form.
That pick was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
Campbell overachieved for 2 games and now we’re back to square 1. Perhaps they can redeem themselves against Pissburgh?
With the “study in mediocrity” that is the fight for the 2nd wild card, we are still right in it. Win the next two at home against very beatable opponents and we’re 6-6. We aren’t done yet. Can we still think playoffs? Sure. Should we do that to ourselves? That’s another question.
I think Gordon and Cameron are two offensive players who can grab a game by the throat….but they are still learning from mistakes. They play positions that require them to be given the chance though – yes Gordon needs to fight for balls better all the time, just not some times, but Cameron I feel already has that down. He has fought for, and won, plenty of contested balls this year, and I believe will only get better. He just needs consistent opportunity to come his way….like as in 10 targets a game. If he gets this – he can do what Graham is doing.
“Naturally, the Browns disappointed in classic, nauseating form.”
Why did they disappoint again? Because unrealistic fans had even more unrealistic expectations? We’re on our 3rd QB, have virtually no running game and can’t seem to get consistent effort from our WR Corps. Our offense scored all of 13 points yesterday.
If your expectations were high (an unrealistic stance, but hardly unexpected) then yes, I can see where you would be disappointed.
For me, while I want my team to win, I see the many flaws this team has. I’m not entirely hurt by this loss, because flukes happen…and this was a very very flukey loss.
There is a place between ZOMG WE ARE GOINGTO THE SUPERBOWL!!!@#!@$! and We should start throwing games to ensure we get the 1st pick in the draft – it’s called the 2013 Cleveland browns. Unlike 2008-2012, the roster has improved and we are a better team then we have been in years, but no team goes from zero to hero in one year. It may look like the have, but it really doesn’t happen EVER. Look at San Fran in 2011 or KC in 2013. Both were teams that were “horrible” the year before but really they were just like the browns are today. They had drafted several good players but were one or two pieces short of consistently winning. They got the pieces (in both cases they were coaches) and boom – playoff teams.
I think we got the coaching staff to win games, but we obviously need a QB. We our career backups have a good games, we win – when they don’t, we loose. It’s not rocket surgery. One consistent QB and we are easily a 9-7 team with legit aspirations of the playoffs. If you throw in a serviceable running back, we could be 10-6. Time to back off the ledge and accept that we never really had a chance to go from 5-11 to 11-5 with the roster we started the year with, but we will go from 7-9 to 9-7 or 10-6 next year.
BTW, think back to the 1984 browns and what a difference one supplemental draft pick made in 1985…
Holy crap I hope no one was seriously thinking about Campbell as the starter next season – unless we were going to give our draft pick a free season to learn. I’m really hope no one is excited about Hoyer starting either. We have sunk awful far if anyone thinks either of these guys are legit starters.
Apparently I have to re-watch the game but how can the browns beat cincy in every offensive category and people say they were not trying. What was cincy doing? Perhaps it was the fact that the Browns were completely snake bit and every time they thought something was going to go their way there was a fumble or a tipped pass for an interception. Every team has games like that and it sucks. If the browns were a better team, perhaps they could have overcome it, but I just don’t see how people can say they were not trying when they obviously played better than Cincy in every statistical category other than freak turnovers (and there were a lot of them!)
I think they were trying, though I think some of that is that Campbell never looks like he’s pushing (even when time is running down) and the WRs don’t seem to come back to get balls.
Overall though agreed.
I would only blame Campbell for not throwing the ball down field. I don’t know if our receivers just weren’t putting in the effort that it takes to get open or if Campbell was just checking down out of fear. The cameras never showed anything further than 10 yards down field because that’s the only place he was throwing the ball.
Umm….they disappointed because they didnt win, despite a solid defensive effort. They play that game 10 times, I think we should win 8. Dalton had 97 yds passing, and we still gave up 41 points. How was that NOT disappointing???
one word comes to mind when summing up this game and the last several years……..bumbling
I get that. I guess I was more (internally) focused on the “nauseating” verbage. I would have preferred to win. I think our defense is more than good enough to win us games…but not against that kind of offensive/specail teams ineptitude.
Maybe I’m a more realistic fan than most. I wanted to win. I think we have the talent to win that game. Unfortunately, in almost every conceivable way, the ball seemed to bounce the Bungles way. I want the win, but I think that we are neither good enough nor talented enough to expect a win.