I had tweeted earlier in the game whatever happened-win or lose,that I was sure that it would be the worst thing for the Browns.
Whether the result is the worst thing for the Browns in the long run remains to be seen,but when Baltimore's Brent Urban rejected the kick and Baltimore's Will Hill grabbed the bouncing ball and headed toward the goal line-the storyline was set-Tackle Hill and go to overtime,if Hill reaches the end zone,the game is over.
You know the result by now as the Ravens took a 30-24 win in Cleveland.
The floundering 2-9 Browns were led by Josh McCown and Austin Davis throwing for 275 yards and each threw a touchdown in the loss.
Cleveland will continue their three game homestand against Cincinnati next week....
Brownie Bits
1) Right off the stick-the Browns bungled the final drive after a interception should have put them in a better position to win.
Mike Pettine for having two timeouts allowed far too much time to run off the clock (I counted over 20 seconds before one play) and then called a run that lost yardage,when the running game had been a non-factor all evening.
That was poor clock management and that goes on the coach.
2) Want to feel worse? Brent Urban's block came between BOTH of the Browns first round picks!
I realize Danny Shelton is just a big body used in these situations and not an offensive lineman,but still the irony!!!
3) The final play ruined what could have been a great Browns debut for Austin Davis,who was bumped up with the Mike Pettine/Johnny Manziel fiasco to the second quarterback slot.
Davis and his game tying touchdown to Travis Benjamin gave the team and the crowd a little life.
I don't think Davis is the next Kurt Warner,but for the price he cost (waiver wire addition),Davis was a worthwhile addition,even in the role that he is now in.
4) Josh McCown played reasonably well and his courage is unquestioned,but he entered the game battered,continued to be hammered by the Baltimore defense and Mike Pettine continued to send him out onto the field.
I have no question that McCown wished to continue and he shows the heart of a champion by continuing to play,but sometimes you have to save a player from himself and "stop the fight in the corner".
McCown may have broken his collarbone and if that's so----
5) The circus begins,Austin Davis or Johnny Manziel?
Does Mike Pettine continue his childish dislike of Manziel?
Does Manziel continue to act like a 16 year old who watched his parents leave home for a week?
Beats me,but I can tell you the worse scenario- One or the other patches together another decent run of play to convince someone that quarterback isn't a need...
6) Zero running game again with 63 yards for the game.
The number appears worse when you take away 10 on a Travis Benjamin gimmick play and 19 from the quarterbacks.
What has happened to Isaiah Crowell? Seven carries for seven yards.A very disappointing year..
7) Super play on the interception and run TD by Karlos Dansby.
Dansby has done this six times in his career and the second this season with the Browns,
Full credit to the veteran on that and for the surprising burst of speed down the sideline too!
8) Travis Coons had connected on every field goal he had attempted (18)but his long was 44 and the Browns seemed to be keeping him out of situations where he would miss.
Contrast that to elite kickers such as Justin Tucker,Stephen Goskowski and Mason Crosby,where their teams will run them out at every opportunity,unafraid of a miss that could cost field position.
The Browns had to take the chance and Coons had never been in the situation of a kick this long,let alone with the game on the line-Coons kicked it low to give the extra distance and that set up the block...
9) Cleveland special teams handed Baltimore 13 of their 30 points between the block and a punt return for a score by Kaelin Clay (playing his 2nd pro game),the Browns special teams,which usually are at least decent,cost this team a win..
10 ) Since Josh McCown looks to be done for the year,let's give him one more note of credit,his final TD pass of the season to Marlon Moore,looked like one of those old NFL films of Archie Manning,running,slipping and sliding and then tossing to Moore for the score.
Whether you think Josh McCown is or should have been the number one quarterback in Cleveland-the guy has played his guts out and been very classy in all areas...
11) Just terrible tackling.
I'm not going to cover them all because I just don't have the time,but it seemed so frequent that you could count multiple missed tackles on almost every play that gained even moderate yardage..
12) The play that I think showed the lack of respect for a sad franchise came in the fourth quarter when the Ravens had a 4th and 1 inside their own 30 in a tie game and they go for it!
Matt Schaub goes right at Danny Shelton and gets it on the sneak.
13) Now we move on to the important things-draft talk.As of now,the Browns would pick second behind Tennessee.
The Titans have Marcos Mariota,so second would be fine,but San Francisco and Dallas are each right behind and both need QB"s.
The game vs the Niners in two weeks might go a long way towards the Browns getting their young quarterback,Joey Bosa or none of the above...
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