Urban Meyer pleased with defense, offers no excuses for offense after Hawaii game
September 14, 2015Chuck Booms talks about the Browns’ miserable opener – WFNY Podcast – 2015-09-14
September 14, 2015The Cleveland Browns, of all teams, should not be heard complaining about there being too many exhibition games. Yet again, they began the season playing as if this was their fifth preseason game. Yet again, the Browns began the season appearing unprepared.
After ten straight years of opening game losses, not to mention a long string of losing seasons, a feeling of desperation is an understandable emotion for a team such as the Browns. It’s also understandable for Josh McCown, a career backup quarterback finally getting an opportunity as a full-time, full-season starter, to feel somewhat desperate to prove himself. Playing desperately may be understandable, but it shouldn’t be acceptable. Many of the mistakes made by the Browns against the New York Jets on Sunday were the type that disciplined high school teams overcome in August.
Josh “Rhymes with Brown” McCown took a number of unnecessary risks with his scrambling during the exhibition season. He played the third preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as if it was a playoff game and absorbed some hits he had no business taking. Yes, we know he’s athletic and ultra-competitive, but it’s up to him as a veteran and a leader to show more wisdom in those situations. And it’s up to the coaches to reinforce that self-discipline.
On the Browns’ third offensive play of the year, McCown scrambled for a first down, took his first hit, landed hard, and looked a little shaken. Fourteen plays later, McCown made the mistake of trying to dive over, or through, the three Jets defenders converging on him at the goal line. The ball was not well protected and came out on the first hit. The second player to hit him, linebacker, DeMario Davis, nailed McCown helmet to helmet and sent him spinning, literally and figuratively.
An aside: The hit by Davis looked very much like it could have been flagged for a 15-yard penalty, which would have given the Browns a first-and-goal inside the one-yard line. In slow motion it seems clear that Davis aimed his helmet at McCown’s, hit his target and spun him around 180 degrees. For all the attention paid to the new protocols for head injuries after the fact, the NFL doesn’t seem to have any way of enforcing such penalties (once they’re missed by the refs during the live action) except to fine the offender long after the game is decided.
Regardless of the legality of the hit by Davis, however, McCown made more than one mistake. If he was going for the end zone, he should have cut to his right to avoid the head-on collision with three tacklers, but taking it straight ahead, he should not have left his feet. Either way, he should have secured the ball. He also could have slid feet first at the two-yard line, but the goal line was evidently too tempting. Lessons: 1) If you’re the QB, protect yourself, don’t put yourself at risk; 2) Protect the ball; 3) Don’t leave your feet in an attempt to dive over tacklers. Are these concepts foreign to players at the NFL level?
Then there were those penalties. On that first drive by the Browns, on the very first play after the Browns reached the Jets’ nine-yard line with goal to go, John Greco was flagged for a false start. Now it’s first-and-goal from the 14-yard line. After McCown’s fumble was recovered by the Jets in their end zone for a touchback, Alex Mack plowed into the Jets players from behind. That 15-yard penalty gave the Jets the ball on their 35-yard line instead of their 20.
On Johnny Manziel’s first drive, he made an excellent run to the Jets’ 15-yard line. That run was called back due to a 15-yard personal foul penalty on an obviously illegal chop block by Isaiah Crowell. Manziel threw a touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin on the ensuing third-and-19, but, again, another self-inflicted wound.
After the Browns’ only touchdown, there were penalties on two consecutive extra point attempts. What’s wrong with this picture?
In the Jets’ series following the Browns’ TD, Tashaun Gipson intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick but gave it right back as Brandon Marshall ripped it away from him. After the pick, Gipson’s first responsibility was to protect the ball. So that was another huge (and very avoidable) turn of events.
In the second quarter, a holding penalty stalled a drive. Later, when the Browns were at the Jets’ five-yard line, a delay of game penalty was followed by a lowered-expectations field goal.
Halftime adjustments? To start the second half, Shaun Draughn caught the kickoff nine yards deep and took it out. Not only did he not reach the 20-yard line, a holding penalty pushed the Browns back to their own nine-yard line. Dumb … and dumber, one is tempted to suggest.
Manziel was not at his most accurate (he missed an open receiver in the end zone), his interception shouldn’t have been thrown, his two fumbles were probably avoidable, and maybe he tends to take off running too often, but this is not to rag on No. 2. He was forced to scramble far too often and was unsupported by a running game (except for his own). Say this about Johnny Manziel after one week: he threw the longest pass completion of the day (the 54-yard TD to Benjamin) and he knows how to slide feet first to avoid getting unnecessarily battered.
We can lament the Browns’ inability to stop the Jets’ running game and their lack of pressure on the Jets’ quarterback. We can wonder where the Browns’ vaunted offensive line was last Sunday since they didn’t block very well, either for the run or for the pass. But the mental mistakes are the most frustrating because they seem the most avoidable. Avoidable because football teams at every level, from high school, to college, to the pros, seem capable of beginning a season playing like they’ve been practicing this stuff for a few months — or for a career.
Until the Browns improve their self-discipline and football smarts, the motto “Play Like a Brown” doesn’t mean much more than a long-range goal.
29 Comments
80-161 since 1999.
I think we all know what “Play Like A Brown” means.
I’ve been emotionally checked out from the 2015 Browns the moment they signed Josh McCown to be their starting QB. I threw my tantrum in the comments section of this website then and won’t rehash it now. I am officially a “social” Browns fan now. Like social drinkers, I will watch the Browns only in the company of family and friends at an already scheduled social events. If I’m on my couch alone at 1 pm on a Sunday during the next three months or so, I won’t automatically tune in out of habit. I may watch the game if there’s literally nothing else to do, but I’ll watch it as a cold-blooded analyst, not a bleeding-orange-and-brown-Browns-fan I’ve been all these years. My Browns fandom is no longer a one-way street; they have to prove to me they have a feasible plan to produce a respectable football team in the next 2-3 years. Notice I said a respectable team. Not a championship team, a playoff team, or even a winning team. Just a football team that looks like it was put together by living breathing NFL executives.
Anyway, I watched yesterday’s game at an opening day party and couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s one thing to say that this team doesn’t have a QB or any playmakers on the outside. We knew that on the first day of training camp. But when your two most highly touted units–the offensive line and defensive backfield, which are supposedly both talented and deep–perform the worst out of any other unit, you know we’re in for a long season. We were promised a team that would win (or try to win) by running the ball and playing defense. And both of those “rooms” (tm, Mike Pettine) totally stunk it out on the field. At least the overmatched Johnny Manziel and WR-corps put forth a little effort. The O-line and DB’s, supposedly studded with Pro Bowlers, fell flat on their faces. Tell me again a single unit on this team that is NFL-caliber?
RE: Manziel “and he knows how to slide feet first to avoid getting unnecessarily battered.”
Buster Skrine disagrees.
He made the wrong decision once, but Manziel did slide on every other running play. I was glad to see he was usually making the smart play. And the slide looked very natural, as opposed to what we’ve seen from RG3 and even Brian Hoyer when he tried to slide and ended up with a torn ACL.
That’s actually more wins than I would have guessed. I would have thought we were closer to winning a quarter of our games than a third.
Glad to brighten your day.
Well, I will never ever not be a full browns fan. But agree with everything else. I think our OL is very over-rated. I think Haden, Gipson, and even Whitner are over – rated. The best player on the team yesterday was the Punter who had a 66 yard punt and a 56 yard punt, like the pro-bowler he is. This browns team will go down to 4 or so wins this year, if they are lucky. I would say Manziel is second best yesterday, despite the TOs. He did not get many reps, and his runs were run after no one was open, he tried the pocket first. He looked better yesterday than any time last season, period. Yes, he made mistakes, but I have a feeling this Manziel will get it. After his TD throw, he was more into his team mates than “See me” or money signs. Johnny football is resting in peace.
“Tell me again a single unit on this team that is NFL-caliber?”
Punting!!!
I can’t blame McCown for trying to score or for not making the right cut. He’s not some shifty running back, and stuff happens quickly out there. Yeah, he put himself in harm’s way, but it’s football. It happens.
Also, I can’t complain about no flag on the helmet-to-helmet hit. McCown was flying through the air head-first. You can’t expect a defender to figure out in a split-second how to avoid hitting his head. Again, it’s quick, it’s football, and it happens. It was a good no-call.
Long-snapping looked sharp. You don’t kick a 48 yard extra point without a nice snap afterall.
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I heard a former Browns player was going to join the Browns receiving corps and he will fit right in. Eddie Gaedel. Too bad Meinhardt Raabe isn’t still available. Then we could get rid of Hartline. I’m glad McCown is so smart in the playbook, so well-liked and such a veteran but then the game starts and his brain fills with stupid juice. QBs do NOT go airborne. Do we have to tell you why after all this time, Josh?? I now see what the problem has always been. I want Austin Davis.
Rich, Don’t forget it was 3rd and goal. Although we usually see a penalty called there (esp hit on QB) both players dove and there was no other way he could have made that play had he not done what he did. Both players left their feet and if the ball carrier is leaving with his head, there is not much the defense can do to stop him aside from what they did.
Hopefully Johnny will be able to use this week to gel with the offense and feel more comfortable. I don’t see how there is any way McCown gets back out there this week. If Johnny plays well, and McCown is ready for the Oakland game, what is the call.
I agree on the no flag. If the defender avoids McCowns helmet, the defender’s helmet lands in McCowns ribs and broken bones and potential punctured lungs ensue.
Take away that 10 win season and…ouch
hmmm … i thought the browns WERE respectable in the 1st half. and i have to laugh … i recall “the world is coming to an end” after the 1st game last year & the browns still got to 7-4.
pettine will have them ready & they will spank the titans at home this week & you will love them again.
good grief … it’s only 1 game !
hi NATE … the browns were flagged for a 15 yard penalty on the play mccown was hurt. so , if anything , you might get off-setting penalties & have to replay the down.
To Nate and MrC, re the helmet-to-helmet hit: Clearly it was an illegal hit and there are no qualifying conditions that make it legal, are there? Like it being accidental or to avoid the rib cage? Or “I was in the air and had no control over what my helmet hit …”? When a player’s helmet collides with another helmet, especially on the less protected ear hole side, the player is, in effect, using it as a weapon. “Yeah, I aimed the gun at him but it went off accidentally,” isn’t much of a defense is it?
The obvious problem is that the NFL allowed those vicious hits for so many years, players are still trying to overcome the instinct to lead with the helmet, to use it as a weapon. What I was trying to say in the above column is that the NFL thinks it is absolving itself of blame when it acts long after the fact instead of immediately after the play. It could have acted right after it happened. They reviewed the play, didn’t they? Because it was a turnover. But they’re powerless to take any action at the moment … and my impression of the NFL is that they don’t want to make the game less violent. It’s what sells, so they think.
In Sunday’s Bengals-Raiders game when Adam Pacman Jones ripped the helmet off Amari Cooper and then banged Cooper’s head against it (right under the nose of an official), what happened? If that had occurred on the street, Jones would have been arrested for assault. In the NFL the billionaire owners will see that the millionaire player gets fined but he won’t be suspended. No, they won’t deprive the depraved fans of their gladiators.
That was after the play man.
I would like to say it was a good no-call. It is a very hard rule that allows judgement. If they always follow the letter of the law, we will get BS penalties like when Kruger hit luck high with his arms and the force of the hit (like a head on car collision, sent Lucks head forward into Krugers helmet. Penalty was called and Colts have automatic first down. It is not an easy call, but I am not going to say malicious, or cheap shot, or even weapon in this case.If you watch the play again, it looks as though the defender tries to stick his shoulder into McCown and thier helmets hit.
I can see the pro/con to reviewing penalties (especially the automatic first down type), but it slows the game way down and I think we are entering a much less entertaining game if there are more interruptions.
I would not group the Pacman Jones play into the same category as this one. That was a punk play that should suspend the guy for a few games. He ripped the helmet off the guys head after the play. The video shows him trying to slam Cooper’s head into his helment, but it also looks to me as if his thumbs are on Cooper’s eyes as he is slamming his head down (possible an “eye gouge”).
Watch the McCown play again full speed. The defender lowers his head toward the endzone as if to NOT hit the carrier with his helmet and more to hit him with his shoulder to try to prevent him from scoring at the 2 yard line.
i’m pretty sure it was at the end of the play … the jet who recovered the ball in the back of the end-zone got elbowed in the head before the play was over.
either way it’s offsetting , is it not ?
If they play was over, they would give Browns ball on 15 after Browns penalty I believe, or at least Browns ball on the 1. If they both happened during the play it would have been replay down.
yes, yes you can blame McCown!!! Good lord. After 20+ years of football, he should know the result of him getting injured for a play with 5% chance of success. It’s called recklessness and should know better. It’s a legal hit. He’s a runner and he lowered his helmet. There is actually a run that was added in 2012 that is supposed to prohibit runners from leading with the helmet.
I think (hope?) the defensive backfield just had a bad day. I think we’ve seen plenty there historically not to write them off. By the same method of evaluation, I fully agree that the O-line is overrated.
Actually the Browns have been 84-173 since 1999. A 4-12 season got missed in this calculation – to be fair there’s been a lot of them, so it’s totally understandable that it got overlooked.
Still… right there at a 33% winning percentage… Go Browns! 🙂
Ha! Gaedel’s name I remembered but Raabe? Oh, of course. You wanna get to the Super Bowl? Follow the yellow brick road!
Actually, I just chose him as the next most famous person small enough to be Browns receiver. The other would be Tom Thumb. Why do we need three receivers out of five to be smaller than me? I was too small to play receiver in high school. One,OK. Two with Benjamin because he has done well. But two Hawkins twins?? I would have taken Pryor or Mayle or Lenz over one of the smurfs. Wasn’t that whole thing demonstrated to perfection on Sunday?? We have Marshall you have little teeny guys. Game. Set. Match.
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