Fools gold in Frisco

The Cleveland Browns were able to generate little offense other than one play and despite Pat Shurmur's "We battled" comments appeared to meekly drop a 20-10 decision to the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park.
Colt McCoy's 45 yard TD pass to Joshua Cribbs was the only effective play from the offense on the day and the game was really not as close as the score indicates,in what is quickly becoming a trend with this team.
Cleveland falls to 3-4 on the season and travels to Houston next week and a date with the first place Texans.

Brownie Bits

1) Unable to run the ball after the first quarter calf injury to Montario Hardesty (That just added the butterscotch to the sundae of an awful fantasy football week),the Browns were not exactly dazzling throwing the football either.
Take the one dab of glitter off the board in the touchdown pass to Cribbs and the Browns were almost incapable of moving the football.


2) For what seems to be the millionth game in a row,Colt McCoy picked up passing yards in garbage time to make his day look far better than it really was.
However,I cannot blame all of this on McCoy-his weapon from the backfield was a guy on the practice squad in Houston two weeks ago and a group of receivers that seem to specialize in the three yard route when you need eight.
McCoy has many of his own issues,but this mess is cannot be totally blamed on him....

3) One cannot blame the receivers for the routes that they run.
They are going with the play that is called,but this note is a pet peeve of mine since the Belichick era and it just drives me nuts.
I know that the idea behind the "West Coast Offense" is for the receivers make yardage after the catch,but it is painfully obvious to anyone watching the team that this group of skill players,with the arguable exception of Greg Little,is not capable of turning nine yards out of a three yard pass.
Yet,these same plays featuring these routes are called again and again and rarely succeed in the objective-gaining first downs!

4) Frank Gore bulled his way for 134 yards on the ground,but the Browns defense did control him in the second half for the most part and that (theoretically at least) kept Cleveland in the game.
The Browns have made some defensive strides this season,but they still lack the type of playmaker that turns games around.

5) Too bad that D'Qwell Jackson grabbed Frank Gore's facemask on a third down that would have forced a punt and gave Cleveland a chance to tie the game.
Instead,the drive continued and ended in David Akers field goal that put the game out of reach.
Jackson had ten tackles and unfortunately would have a good game overshadowed by a penalty.

6) The only touchdown of the day appears to be not a called play.
Josh Cribbs was a decoy and not part of the reads for Colt McCoy on a particular pass play,but throughout the game,Cribbs claimed to be open on this route.
McCoy changed up on his reads and the play ended in the touchdown.
I like to see a little variations on plays occasionally.
It makes defenses a little less certain and can break a big play on occasion.

7) The injury to Montario Hardesty meant that Chris Ogbonnaya played the entire game.
Considering he was not even playing two weeks ago,his 37 rushing yards and five catch day was decent enough,but my question is why are the Browns only carrying three running backs?
With Peyton Hillis nicked up and the injury history with Hardesty,this does not make sense to me.
The Browns will have to pick up a back this week as insurance against Hillis or Hardesty not being ready to play in Houston...

8) Best player on the field in this one?
Navorro Bowman of the Niners.
Bowman might not get the pub of his excellent teammate Patrick Willis,but he is every bit the player that Willis is and seemed to be in on every play-run or pass.
Bowman and Willis are the exact type of linebackers that the Browns have none of-tough linebackers that can run,play against the run or pass and play every down.....

9) Cherie and Rachel (Boy,am I thrilled that she has caught the football bug!) like Colt McCoy a lot and their complaints are constant every week that he just does not have the time to throw the football.
There is more to the struggles of the young Texan than just that,but their point is valid on this part-the right side of the line is just awful.
Tony Pashos is not quite to John St.Clair level awfulness,but he still is not blocking anyone and any team that has a pass rusher that is comfortable from rushing off either end should be lined up against Pashos.
That will equal a nice day for that defender.
Cleveland needs a right tackle badly and should be drafting one no later than round two next season.
Nine sacks allowed in two weeks tends to make these issues pretty visible.


10) Alex Smith has been decent enough as the blocking third string tight end,but his behaving like a guy that won the game with a ten yard catch has gotten very old.
Settle down a bit and act like a veteran...


11) I miss the Brown jerseys.
Most teams wear the colored jerseys at home,but Cleveland has been wearing white at home.

C'mon guys,the name of the team is the Cleveland BROWNS,right?


Photo Credit-AP