The Browns then regressed to the norm as the Arizona Cardinals scored the final 27 points of the game-24 of them in the second half and brought back a 34-20 win back to the Valley of the Sun.
Josh McCown threw three touchdowns in the first-two to Brian Hartline and one to Gary Barnidge before being ineffective,pounded and replaced by Johnny Manziel in the garbage time that was the final drive.
The now 2-6 Browns travel to Cincinnati for a wonderful Thursday night game against the undefeated Bengals....
I've talked about this game and some of the issues that I'll write about on the podcast below,so if you'd rather listen-try here.
If this sounds redundant,I apologize.
Brownie Bits
1) Josh McCown was not terrible (3 TD's,1 INT) in defeat,but he was clearly a beaten man in body,if not spirit.
McCown was beaten up and in my opinion,Mike Pettine should have taken him out of the game far sooner than he did-not for performance,but for overall health.
The Browns were not going to profit from a possibly concussed McCown and trying to do so was borderline criminal.
2) Take that alone and you can see that the Browns,or at least Mike Pettine, do not think highly of Johnny Manziel.
I've seen reports that Ray Farmer likes Manziel and Mike Pettine does not,so I can see some sort of fracture there,but having so little confidence in the skills of the Aggie that you would rather see the concaved hulk of Josh McCown out there,I have no recourse other than saying that you are extremely unlikely to see at least two (if not all three) of Ray Farmer,Mike Pettine and Johnny Manziel in Cleveland next season.
It's just too chaotic.
3) Another example of the possible divide between the front office and the field staff-Dwayne Bowe,who was actually activated for this game,yet didn't arrive on the field until that same drive that saw Johnny Manziel.
Manziel threw one pass to Bowe,who didn't move showing all the effort of a deceased worm as the ball whizzed into the Arizona sideline.
Farmer paid this guy millions,Pettine doesn't even want him on the field.
4) Brian Hartline did find the end zone twice of his four catches,but only caught four of ten targets.
Hartline dropped some passes that I didn't expect from a sure-handed receiver.
5) Another mediocre or bad day for the running game-20 carries for 39 yards-10 of those on a run for your life Josh McCown scramble.
Isaiah Crowell was especially bad-14 yards on 10 carries,but not as bad as...
6) Robert Turbin. The must have addition that was worth waiting for from Seattle carried the ball three times,fumbled twice,lost one of those to the Cardinals and produced three whole yards!
Wow,I can see what the excitement was all about...
7) I was pleased (as much as you could be) to see some defensive rookies do some good things.
Danny Shelton had a few tackles including one huge stuff of Andre Ellington on a third down run,showing what Browns fans hoped to see from Shelton as a disruptive presence against the run.
Ibraheim Campbell finished with five solo tackles after the injury to Donte Whitner and seems like a good tackler at least.
Nate Orchard even made a few tackles as well.
The three rookies had been mildly disappointing in the first half,perhaps they will pick it up in the second half...
8) The Cleveland secondary took a hit from more than the Carson Palmer aerial assault (374 yards,4 touchdowns) when Joe Haden and Donte Whitner each left the game with concussions.
Considering that the Browns play on Thursday,it is very unlikely that either will play against the Bengals.
Look out Andy Dalton fantasy owners!
9) Before the game between Twitter,Pre-Game shows and people emailing me,I had FIVE names rumored as possible trade bait on the Browns.
Some of these are believable (Barkevious Mingo),some make sense to get something before they leave for free (Alex Mack) and some would be ridiculous unless someone was giving up the moon (Joe Thomas).
Paul Kruger and Dwayne Bowe's names also came up and some of these would make sense at the right price.
I wouldn't move Thomas unless I was getting a top 10-12 draft pick,but I'd listen to offers on the others.
The problem is that makes a team already having problems competing as far as talent and would make it far worse.
I'd bet that few of these actually happen....
More on this in the podcast.
10) Finally,I said in the preview that the Browns would finish at 3-13.That looks very likely at the halfway point with a 2-6 record.
I think this is likely no better than 4-12.
Remember 2-14 is better than 4-12....
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