Side note-If you root/watch for any of the teams,you really need to follow me on Twitter,I'm always there during games.
However,I had hope despite a 28-10 deficit for a few reasons-a late TD in the first half,The Browns strong rally in the last game that they were trailing like this (27-3 vs Pittsburgh at Heinz Field) and most importantly it was Charlie Whitehurst taking the snaps for the injured Jake Locker.
Not Jake Locker will not remind many of Jake Plummer let alone Warren Moon,but those of you that remember our Seattle coverage days will remember the ineptitude of Mr.Whitehurst.
Amazingly,in a sloppy game,Brian Hoyer capped off a day of 292 yards and three touchdowns with two touchdowns strikes to Travis Benjamin in the fourth quarter after a 4th quarter blocked punt by Tank Carder to lift Cleveland to a stunning 29-28 win over the shocked Titans.
Ben Tate rushed for 123 yards while Taylor Gabriel grabbed four passes for 95 to pace the Cleveland offense.
The now 2-2 Browns will host Pittsburgh next week by Lake Erie,..
Brownie Bits
1) There are tons of things to write about and I'm sure that I'll miss a few,but the key play of the game to me was knocking Jake Locker out of the game on a Buster Skrine blitz.
Locker injured his thumb on Skrine's helmet on the followthrough and was gone shortly after.
Charlie Whitehurst did throw two touchdowns in the second quarter,but was terribly bad in the second half.
Any type of offense from Tennessee in the second half wins them this game.
2) Why on Earth did Ken Whisenhunt go for it on 4th and 1 from the Titan 42 with 3 minutes to go?
I get the argument that with one timeout for the Browns that a first down wins the game,but your offense had done nothing all half-you punt the ball and hope for the long field to take its effect....
3) Had to love the stuff of Charlie Whitehurst on the above note,but the Browns allowed way too many rushing yards (175 yards and a average for a 4.9 yard avg) to a team featuring Shonn Greene and Bishop Sankey.
The run defense is going to have step up and fast!
4) Huge rejected punt by Tank Carder for the safety in the fourth quarter,
That block saw the ball go out of the back of the end zone for two points,but those points allowed the touchdown and extra point to win the game instead of having to go for two for the tie.
Carder went right up the middle untouched for the block and a change in momentum that you could tell that the Titans went into protect the lead mode thereafter.
5) I was ready to be all done with Travis Benjamin when he fumbled a punt that had Tennessee not committed a penalty,would have cost possession and valuable time.
All of which made me feel like an idiot when Benjamin would grab both fourth quarter touchdown passes and the game winner was a tightrope walk to stay inbounds.
So maybe if the Browns continued to use Benjamin as a wideout and used Jordan Poyer or Jim Leonhard as a punt returner that could be a better way to go...
6) I thought the Browns running game was dominant with Ben Tate rushing for 123 yards and getting another fifty plus from Terrence West and Isaiah Crowell.
Tennessee was pounded by the three backs and I would make an argument that the team didn't use them enough in the red zone,most notably the third quarter drive that saw Tate run for seven yards and throw two passes thereafter.
Sometimes you can outsmart yourself....
7) I have wondered about the Browns wide receivers and still do,but I like Taylor Gabriel.
He has shown an ability to get open down the middle and for such a slight frame,he is a tough little player.
I think he is going to be a weapon that the Browns can use more and more as the season goes on...
8) Joe Haden left the game with an injury and his status for the Pittsburgh game is unknown,which might be a good thing considering how Antonio Brown generally abuses him.
That's a little tongue in cheek and you never want to lose a corner of Haden's stature,but Haden has not gotten off to a great start....
9) Really-REALLY bad tackling in the first half that saw the Titans break tackles and fake Browns out of their pants.
Buster Skrine and K'Waun Williams both missed several tackles among others and that needs to upgraded across the board...
10) Justin Gilbert saw the field seldomly and accumulated no stats.
Not what you expect from a first round pick.
If Joe Haden sits on Sunday,Gilbert is going to see more time.
11) The Browns were 0 for 2 on fourth downs,but one of them was a bit of bad luck as Jordan Cameron was wide open for a touchdown,but a Tennessee paw batted the ball back to the turf.
I wouldn't put too much stock into that.
12) Finally,this win was the biggest in Cleveland Browns history and the largest ever for a road team in league history,
Now if they can just play a whole game like this!!!!
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