Pretty? Nope,but Cleveland wins anyway 22-17

The game wasn't the most visually exciting and the competition wasn't strong,but the Cleveland Browns managed to do the important thing and earned the W with a 22-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Cleveland.
Brian Hoyer threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns in the win while Taylor Gabriel led the offense with five catches for 87 yards and a score.
The now 5-3 Browns travel to Cincinnati for Thursday football action in a game that should see just where the Browns stand after three games against weaker teams..

Brownie Bits

1) This post may sound a bit shrill for a team that won and considering how the Browns past has been,I may seem ungrateful.
However,this was not very well played.
Brian Hoyer threw for 300 yards and two score,but he was also picked off twice and continues to be very inaccurate throwing.

2) The play that I thought could cost the game when Tampa took the lead happened in the first half.
Hoyer under a medium rush has Ben Tate all alone on the far sideline and Hoyer uncorks a bad pass.
Tate did manage to catch the ball for a first down,but the ball was so badly overthrown that Tate's momentum drove him out of bounds on a play that he should have walked in for the touchdown.
Instead the drive stalled and the Browns settled for a Billy Cundiff field goal....

3) Brian Hoyer still is winning though and despite my frustrations over his inaccuracy,I still am not among the bunch calling for Johnny Manziel.
I just think for all of Hoyer's warts,Hoyer gives the Browns the best chance to win right now.

4) Last item on Brian Hoyer-Why the team doesn't do more hurry up is a question to me.
Hoyer seems so much more comfortable in the up tempo offense and as a result,his completion percentage improves....

5) The running game continues to be bad and much of this is the play calling.
The smallest of the group in Terrence West gets the majority of his runs between the tackles and Ben Tate,who is larger,but struggles to make people miss,seems to get his runs called on pitches and sweeps.
I'd reverse that and I didn't see Isaiah Crowell at all....

6) Terrence West may not have set the turf on fire with his running (48 yds on 15 carries),but he did catch a TD pass and his block on Lavonte David was just enough to give Brian Hoyer time to release the ball on the game winning pass to Taylor Gabriel.
Nice to see young runners realize there is more to the game than just having the football..

7) Very pleased to see the special teams have their best game of the season.
Billy Winn blocked a field goal,Craig Robertson deflected a punt (It only counts as a punt block,if it goes behind the line of scrimmage) and the return team managed not to turn the ball over! Good day!

8) Huge game from Donte Whitner (right after I cut him from my fantasy team) with a pick,a deflection,solid tackle numbers and a near sack of Mike Glennon.
I wish the Browns would blitz Whitner more often! He is big enough and quick enough to do that effectively...

9) Loved the Joe Haden batted pass to Whitner as well.
Haden has played very well in the last few weeks and with A.J.Green waiting on Thursday,the Browns are going to need Haden playing at the high level....

10) The offensive line is still struggling without Alex Mack in the run game,but I understand why.
Nick McDonald isn't Alex Mack.If he was,then he'd starting for someone else,not backing up in Cleveland.
That's what I hate about the new NFL coaches favorite phrase "Next Man Up".
Sounds great,but very seldom is said next man up nearly as good as the guy he replaced.
Expecting otherwise is silly and foolhardy...

11) Buster Skrine is often a player that brings good and bad thoughts to the field,but the 5'9ish Skrine is going to have no chance against a talented player with size like Tampa rookie (and 6'5) Mike Evans caught both Buccaneer touchdowns in finishing with seven catches for over 100 yards.
Skrine would have position and Evans would just go over him like a power forward leaping over a guard for a rebound.
Nothing that can be done about that and that is why we hope Justin Gilbert can develop into a solid corner where he has the size to deal with the Evans types and allow Skrine to cover the smaller slot receivers that do not physically overmatch him.

12) Finally,I'm scared.
Looking at those awful Tampa Bay uniforms scares me to death what we have waiting for us next year in Cleveland for the Browns changes.
I'll never figure out why teams try to fix what isn't broken,but those Buccaneer uniforms are just bad....