Browns QB wins, Kluber’s future salary and Dion Waiters tweets: While We’re Waiting
December 11, 2014My Sportsman of the Year: Joe Haden
December 11, 2014The Cleveland Browns lost a tough game this past Sunday, falling to the Indianapolis Colts in a dramatic finish 25-24. The Browns were ahead for much of the game until Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck led a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter to get the win. The offense struggled for most of the contest, scoring just 10 points versus the Colts’ defense. Because of these offensive struggles, the Browns defense attemptedto win the game by themselves.
The Browns’ D scored two of the team’s touchdowns, effectively outscoring their own offense. The defense did this against a Colts’ offense that is ranked second in points per game (31.3) and first in yards per game (432.4). They held the Colts to just 362 total yards of offense and forced four turnovers in the game. Andrew Luck completed 24 of 53 passes for 294 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Browns’ defense tried to single handily win the game for the team, but the defense was not enough to cement the win. In this week’s film room, I will take a look at the two defensive touchdowns and the last stand the defense gave to try to hold onto the win.
So come on in, take a seat and enjoy this week’s defensive film room. After you have read through my thoughts on this week’s game, let me know what you saw from the Browns defense this week. Roll the tape!
Fumble Recovery for a Touchdown
This was the first score of the day for both teams. It was a 3rd and 10 play late in the first quarter on the Indianapolis 10-yard line. Browns’ defensive lineman Desmond Bryant and linebacker Paul Kruger combined to sack Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck and force a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown by linebacker Craig Robertson. Here is how the play went down.
The Colts are lined up in a shotgun formation with a running back to the right of Luck. The offense has two receivers out wide to the left with a tight end on the end of the left side of the line and a single receiver out wide to the right. The Browns are in a Cover One defense with single man coverage on all the pass catchers in the play. The Browns are rushing six players including blitzing two safeties (Donte Whitner and Jim Leonhard) and a linebacker (Craig Robertson).
As you can see here, the Browns have every target covered very closely in single man coverage. This is a huge part of the play because it shows that Luck had nowhere to throw, except maybe to the drop down to the tight end. This tight coverage made Luck hold onto the ball longer so the rush could reach him.
The pass rush succeeded not because of the overload of rushers, but because of great moves by a couple of the rushers. Both Desmond Bryant and Paul Kruger were able to beat their blocker and get to Luck. Both of the two players dipped their shoulders to get around the blocker and get the sack. The defense then swarmed to the ball and Craig Robertson fell on the ball to get the big defensive touchdown. It was a combination of good coverage and pass rush that enabled the Browns’ defense to get this big touchdown.
Interception for a Touchdown
This is a 2nd and 10 play on the Indianapolis 12-yard line early in the third quarter. Justin Gilbert’s interception here gives the Browns a 21-7 lead over the Colts. Here is how the play transpired.
The Colts are lined up in a shotgun formation with a running back to the left of Luck and four receivers out wide. The main route to focus on this play is the out route by receiver Reggie Wayne. The Browns are in a Cover One with man coverage on all the receivers. The defense is rushing five on the play with linebacker Barkevious Mingo initially rushing the passer and then going back in zone coverage.
This play by corner Justin Gilbert is all based on reading the quarterback’s eyes. Gilbert is in man coverage with the outside receiver Hakeem Nicks. Gilbert keeps an eye on Luck in the backfield and sees that he is targeting the out route by Wayne. Gilbert then leaves his man coverage and cuts under Wayne to intercept the ball and take it to the endzone. It was a great and smart read by the rookie cornerback. The other key to the play was the good pass rush that put pressure on Luck to throw the ball.
4th Down Play on Goal line
This play could have cemented the win for the Browns if the defense could have stopped the Colts on this 4th down play. This two yard gain by Boom Herron was a 4th and 1 play on Cleveland three-yard line. Here is how the play happened.
The Colts design a run to the right by Boom Herron. The Colts are in the I-Formation with two tight ends on the right end of the line and one tight end on the left end of the line. The Browns have six defensive players with their hands on the ground with a linebacker rushing off the edge on both sides of the line. The Browns have three other players in the box and 3-yards behind the line.
The initial push is good by the Browns, especially from defensive lineman Billy Winn. He stays strong on his blocker and does not lose any ground, causing Herron to run outside of him. Next part of the play is the smart undercut by Barkevious Mingo. Mingo takes out the full back to allow the players behind him to come in free to get the tackle.
The two players that I believe were the main culprits in not getting the stop are safety Donte Whitner and linebacker Craig Robertson. Whitner and Robertson go too far outside and get fooled by Herron on the spin move. They were in position to make the game-winning stop, but overran Herron and let him get the first down play.
Defensive Highlight
The Browns defensive highlight is linebacker Barkevious Mingo. Mingo probably played his best game of his career this past Sunday versus the Colts. On Sunday, he notched two tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, five quarterback hits, and one pass defense. He showed his pass rushing ability that everyone was expecting when the Browns drafted him. According to ProFootballFocus, Mingo received the second highest overall grade (3.5) of all the Browns’ defenders for his performance. He also was tied for the second best pass-rushing grade (2.4) on the Browns’ defense.
Defensive Lowlight
It is hard to give a defensive lowlight for this great performance, but the only real lowlight for the defense was the 4th down play late in the game. The Browns had a chance to seal the win if they could have made the 4th down stop on the three-yard line with under a minute to go in the game. But, this would have not been a lowlight had the offense scored more points and been able to extend the lead that the defense gave them.
24 Comments
Interesting to see the coach’s tape of Gilbert’s pick 6. On tv I saw him breaking tackles and beautiful moves, things you can’t teach, a natural ballhawk just waiting for the light to go on. Here I see all his teammates blocking to the left, wide open side of the field – one plant and pivot that direction and he would have strolled in and run 20 fewer yards. But whatevs, I was going nuts in real time because that return sure was purdy.
I don’t think he could cut left because the initial Colt player almost wraps up his ankles (Wayne?). Gilbert’s momentum to break that tackle took him to the right and the left was gone as an option.
He made 3 Colt players miss or broke tackles and his speed got him to the corner of the endzone before 2 more Colt players had a chance to get him there. He had good blocking (including the snap-back block that freed the corner on his last cut), but that was a really good return.
Joe, great highlights from that game and breakdowns. Fantastic point on Mingo on that 4th down play. On Sunday, I thought that he was also partially at fault for not getting Herron, but I agree with your assessment on this breakdown that he was taking out the FB and left Boom open for Robertson and Whitner. Amazing effort by everyone on the defense though and a shame it was wasted.
look again- he wasn’t forced laterally to the right. He can turn on a dime. Listen, it was gorgeous and the bird’s eye view is 20/20. Just saying look at the field, look at what 3 teammates saw. I’m glad he went right now because it shows the talent lurking within. What an athlete.
I kept thinking earlier this week: if they had stopped Indy there and won would Pettine have gone to Manziel or said “a win is a win”? Because win or lose, Hoyer was consistently awful.
I don’t see it. He is moving right to make the pick, he’d have to hard cut to go left and Wayne might be able to get to him if he slowed at all to do it. Then again, look at those other cuts, so maybe he can make that play?
Agree though, either way, great to see the athleticism in use.
I think he told us that answer by Hoyer not being replaced in the 4th quarter.
probably right but hard to wrap my brain around. You’d think at that point many in the locker room would rebel when the QB has regressed to where he can’t move the team at all.
Wondered that myself, but disagree with mgbode. Unlike past close calls where Hoyer saved his job with a game-winning drive, the lasting impression of this game would have been the last interception and the D saving his (_|_)
I wish we could have found out the answer (as we’d have another slash in the W column).
Am I the only one who saw this article’s title and immediately thought of the old SNL Celebrity Jeopardy skit with “Sean Connery” where they had a category, “The pen is mightier…”?
Suck it, Trebek
Agreed. And then we wouldn’t have seen the dark side of mgbode. I’ve never seen you so…angry like you have been this week about the decision to start Hoyer last week. I don’t blame you for being upset about the outcome of the game, but you’re usually more even-keeled about hindsight decisions.
let’s see what happens in the next episode of Back To The Future with Johnny Be Good! Go Johnny Go!
Yeah, I definitely let it get the best of me.
I was really surprised by the decision to start Hoyer last week. It seemed so obvious that he was done. Then, the game played out for the offense exactly how I thought it would with Hoyer except the defense kept making play after play after play to keep us alive.
So, when the inevitable happened that the defense finally tired and Indy came back and we had sit there and watch haplessly, I was definitely not happy about it because that was a game we likely needed to make the playoffs.
But hey, that is done now. We get to see if we have anything in Manziel and if the defense can continue to be the anchor of our team (in a good way, not with the line too short and it’s dragging us under way).
S words for $500
Nope, definitely not the only one.
I wasn’t 100% surprised, and to say after the fact that it was the wrong decision and that Manziel would have absolutely done better and led us to victory is completely subjective, yet some people (not you) were SO adamant that they KNEW how things would have gone.
buckfutter
Nope.
“Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”
“No, but I didn’t something to YOUR mother with THIS mouth.”
threeve $texas
(a shame JFF’s number isn’t 3 as that would have worked perfectly)
I agree with mgbode – while he absolutely could have gone left, once he was twisted by Wayne he was seeing right and empty space. He likely thought Indy players were coming that way already and just kept going the direction he was headed already, which is the right move. Poor Mingo was so excited to block someone, though…
While I think you’re right about Whitner getting partially fooled by the spin there, it’s really hard to criticize being partially fooled by an against the grain inside backspin 270-degree dive. That’s just a fantastic dive-spin by Herron to get the first and he really deserves the credit for that effort.
Just to clarify – check out that spin. He’s moving to his right, yet spins clockwise back toward his own goal and then toward the direction of the guys chasing him from behind before he can do a fall-dive the other way as he finishes spinning. That’s an absolutely fantastic move to get an extra two feet.
http://media1.giphy.com/media/35pTQFiy14OeA/giphy.gif