On this Sunday in Cleveland,those statements were correct as a bad snap forced one Billy Cundiff kick to bang off the upright and a missed block allowed a Raven to reject another field goal attempt.
Combine that with Justin Tucker's 32 yard field goal on the last play of the game and you have the recipe for a gut-gnawing 23-21 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Brian Hoyer threw for 290 yards and a touchdown,while rookie runners Isaiah Crowell and Terrence West each ran for a score on the ground.
The now 1-2 Browns enter their bye week (Doesn't it seem too early for these) before returning on October 5th in Tennessee against the Titans....
Brownie Bits
1) This one hurts and if it seems that I am more critical this week,please keep in mind that this one should have been the Browns,
Unlike the loss in Pittsburgh,which points could have been given for coming back at all,this game was there to be taken and a combination of poor plays along with bad luck gave this game to Baltimore.
One could say that is progress in itself,I'll choose to say more is needed...
2) In the bye week,the Browns need to bring in some long snappers to take a look and consider a replacement for Christian Yount.
Yount's bad snap forced the missed extra point in the win against the Saints and his snap was certainly low on the 50 yard field goal try by Billy Cundiff that clanged off the upright.
Never hurts to take a look....
3) On Cundiff's blocked field goal,I hold him blameless.
Billy Winn essentially whiffed on his block and the rush blew by him off the corner and the block resulted.
I like Winn on the defensive line and on kicks,defensive linemen are often used as beefy protectors,but if this is what Winn brings to that table in that spot,find someone else...
4) The defense was a mixed bag in this loss.
Let's start with the positive.
Had to love the stop in the fourth quarter on fourth down and the team did take Torrey Smith and his gamebusting speed off the table for just two catches and 25 yards,so there were some positives to speak of..
5) The bad?
Well,the Browns turned Lorenzo Taliaferro and Kyle Justzczyk into stars as Taliaferro looked like Earl Campbell bowling over Browns and Justczyk looked like Tom Rathman from 49er days gone by as he just strolled out of the backfield catching swing passes at will and turning them into first downs and on one occasion a touchdown.
The Browns run defense has certainly been a huge problem and that needs addressing immediately.
6) More bad?
The Ravens went right at Joe Haden late in the game with the aging,but crafty Steve Smith and Smith was the winner with the 32 yard reception that put the Ravens in short field goal range for Justin Tucker.
Combine that with Justin Gilbert's pass interference call and Mike Pettine's pride and joy combo was invisible when crunch time arrived....
7) The play that I would most like to have back is the 70 yard pass to Taylor Gabriel in the fourth quarter.
This may be the biggest indictment of Brian Hoyer-his arm.
Gabriel was so wide open that he would have waltzed (or cha-cha maybe)
However,Hoyer's throw floated a bit and Gabriel had to wait like an outfielder for the Indians and camp under it.
Gabriel waited so long that he fell down and despite getting up for more yardage,he was held out of the end zone and Cleveland would score zero points as this was the drive that resulted in the blocked field goal attempt.
Something to keep an eye on as the season progresses...
8) Nice to see both rookie backs do well as both scored a touchdown.
Terrence West is going to be a solid back,but Isaiah Crowell might be the more talented back with breakaway ability.I like West as he does fall forward to gain yards,which is not always a talent that Browns backs have had (I'm looking at you, Trent Richardson),but Crowell might be special.
The question is on a team with West and Ben Tate will he get the carries to prove it?
9) The Browns did nothing in the fourth quarter offensively and I question the play call of a pass on first down on the final drive.
When that pass was incomplete,the Ravens knew the next play would be a run and the resulting short run and 3rd down incomplete pass left the Browns having taken just seconds off the clock..
10) Before that drive,Travis Benjamin left a punt bounce over his head and cost the team valuable field position.
Benjamin is returning from an injury that ended last season,but he seems very tentative on the field.
11) Twice the Browns were called for 12 men on the field.
That is a communication problem and can be overcome,but that could come down on the coaching staff.
12) The Johnny Manziel play.
Yeah,it looked cool and was something right off every playground pickup game that you can imagine,but it was illegal and a good thing that Terrence West was flagged for not being set on the play.
They won't get away with that one again and even though I applaud the attempt to keep opponents off balance with a "Johnny" play package,I do wonder if this is the best way to utilize your first round draft pick...
13) How the Browns react to this loss will tell the tale for this season.
The schedule gets softer after a brutal start as three of the next five games are against winless teams and the Titans have just one win.
Only Pittsburgh at home interrupts a run against bad teams as the Jaguars,Raiders and Buccaneers follow.
If this team picks itself up from these close losses,this season is not lost.
Let's see what Mike Pettine and staff can do after this heartbreaker.....
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