Browns grilled in Houston 30-12

The Cleveland Browns allowed two touchdowns to start the game and ran just one offensive play in between the pair.
It did not get any better as the Browns visit to Houston ended in a 30-12 loss to the Texans.

Only Colt McCoy's two yard flip to Josh Cribbs in the fourth quarter allowed Cleveland to hit the end zone.
Phil Dawson nailed two field goals of longer than fifty yards for the other six Browns points..
Cleveland hits their midway mark with a record of 3-5 and will host two teams that bring less than glossy records to Lake Erie and represent the Browns best chance to win over the rest of the season.
1-7 St.Louis hits town next week and 2-6 Jacksonville the week after.
Lose both of those and who knows what the future brings...


Brownie Bits

1) The Cleveland Plain Dealer asks on its front page tonight-Is it fair to judge Colt McCoy under the current circumstances?
My answer is Yes and No.

No,because very few quarterbacks would be winning with the talent that the Browns have surrounded Colt McCoy with.
Yes,because giving McCoy more time delays the process of rebuilding this franchise.
In other words,it may not be fair and it really is not a true opportunity for Colt McCoy,but Cleveland cannot afford to gamble on being fair and wasting another year or two and have McCoy not pan out.
Simply put-Life may not always be fair....

2) For the first time,this season,I gave the defensive line low grades.
The Houston offensive line was stronger and simply blew open the holes for Arian Foster and Ben Tate to gallop through.
The Browns raved about the Houston "zone blocking' system after the game,but as with any system-it is all about the talent in said system.
If it was more than that-every team would be using the same system....

3) The offensive line has not improved any and Tony Pashos was injured in the game.
Pashos has been oft-injured and ineffective when he has played over the last two seasons,so it is not that Pashos is a huge loss.
It is more along the line of the return of the waiver wirers from early in the season-Artis Hicks and Oneil Cousins...

4) I do not want to be too hard on Chris Ogbonnaya and Thomas Clayton.
These guys are down the roster backups and special teamers,they are not one,two or even three running backs in the NFL,but the facts still remain-injuries are are a fact of life and the lack of depth on this team shows up when they occur.
These guys are slow backs and cannot hit the hole.
The best thing Ogbonnaya does is fall forward when he gets hit.
At least he gains a yard that way instead of losing one.

5) Finally saw Jordan Cameron hit the field today and he caught a short pass.
If I have any criticism of the 2011 draft,it was using an early fourth round pick at a position that did have depth in Ben Watson and Evan Moore.
Cameron may turn out well,but for now,I could name five positions that I would have rather seen that pick used at...

6) Speaking of the tight ends,when you consider that the tight ends are solid and being covered by linebackers often,why were Watson,Moore and Cameron thrown just five passes combined and yet Greg Little,who was covered well most of the day eight?
I think Little has potential as a playmaker,but it is clear that the Browns are forcing him the football and defenses have recognized that fact.
If they want to take away Little,make defenses pay and using the tight end might go a bit in that direction.

7) It is OK to have questions about Colt McCoy,but one question should not be about his toughness.
McCoy was pounded today relentlessly and got up after a huge kill shot by Brooks Reed,yet got the throw off to Greg Little anyway in the play that Little went after the ball and the play set up the only Browns touchdown.
Colt McCoy is one tough football player.

8) My nephew Jeff watched the game with me today as he is the only Texans fan I know and he commented on the return to form of D'Qwell Jackson.
My response to Jeff was this-Jackson is a nice player,but not a playmaker.
He does the basics well,but guys like Jackson tend not to make the plays that a game turns on.
Credit the former Maryland Terrapin with one thing though,he did have the only interception of Matt Schaub on the day.

9) Talk about the Houston offense,if you wish,but the Texans have quietly put together as aggressive a young defense as I have seen in a while and that is without Mario Williams.
Brian Cushing is well known,but Brooks Reed was all over the field and J.J Watt looked strong on the line.
Houston looks to be a team to deal over the next few seasons....

10) The big loss on the day looks to be T.J. Ward,who undergoes an MRI on an injured foot on Monday.
Ward's loss adds even more stress to an undermanned secondary....

I'll be back later with a look at Ohio State-Indiana and the Devils exciting win Saturday over Winnipeg!

Photo Credits
Tate:Thomas Shae-Getty Images
Pass Rush:Bob Levey-Getty Images