Jordan Cameron headlines Browns week two inactives
September 14, 2014Browns win home opener 26-24!
September 14, 2014The first half of the Browns home opener is in the books with the Browns taking the lead into the locker room 16-10. I’m going to venture to say that the Cleveland Browns couldn’t have started with more intensity. Mike Pettine deferred on the kickoff. With that move, his defense looked inspired and the Browns home crowd made life miserable for the Saints. Paul Kruger was a monster. Karlos Dansby was everywhere. Coverage was very good. Tashaun Gipson benefitted from one of Kruger’s second quarter pressures and took a high pass straight to the house to make it 16-3. The Browns were really rolling at that point.
The Browns offense was alright too. They moved the ball a little bit. They scored ten first-half points on a Miles Austin play-action slant TD and a field goal. Even without Ben Tate, the Browns committed to the run game going for 47 yards on 14 carries. Brian Hoyer was only 9/19 passing, but he stayed out of trouble and got the ball out quickly for the most part. That’s all anyone has ever really hoped for from Brian Hoyer.
Unfortunately for the Browns, the defense gave up a late Jimmy Graham touchdown to make the game a close one at halftime. Browns maintained the lead from their mostly dominant half, 16-10, but that leaves plenty of room for the Saints in the second half.
If the Browns expect to take this game from the Saints, they’re going to have to double down on the defense and running game. Even when the Browns passing game is working, it’s on the play-action. The Browns defense is going to have to consider double-teaming Jimmy Graham as well. Graham started slowly, but he didn’t finish slowly as he caught that TD over single coverage by Joe Haden. It wasn’t awful coverage, but as everybody knows, Jimmy Graham is a mismatch over pretty much every individual defender in the NFL.
As I said in the open, the Browns deferred, so they get the ball back first to start the third quarter.