Bengals bop Browns 23-10

The Cleveland Browns got Robert Griffin back into the lineup for the first time since the opening loss,but it did little good as the Browns fell to 0-13 with a 23-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Cleveland.
Isaiah Crowell rushed for 113 yards as just about the only offensive bright spot.
Cleveland travels to Buffalo next Sunday against the Bills...

Brownie Bits

1) Lets start with the positives.
Trailing 20-0 at the half,the Browns could have very easily packed it in,but they didn't and made somewhat of a game of it.
It is cliche' to be sure,but these are the moral victories that rebuilding teams look for.

2) Improved play on both lines.
The Browns sacked Andy Dalton four times and allowed three on Robert Griffin,but other than a great game by the Bengals Geno Atkins,I thought the offensive line played reasonably well in protecting Griffin and...

3) They even blew open a few holes for Isaiah Crowell,who ripped off a 42 yard run and finished with over 100 yards on ten carries.
I was pleased to see that it was Jonathan Cooper opening the hole for Crowell on the long run in his first start.
Nice to see there is still some sort of a running game in town..

4) Emmanuel Ogbah finished with six tackles and a sack and half and seems to be finishing the season strong since being used at defensive end after starting the season as a standup linebacker.
It's so Browns to constantly move guys out of their comfort zone and another thing that gives me hope with guys like Ogbah is learning to play to a players strengths,not shove the round peg into the square hole.

5) What scares me most?
The 49ers still have just one win and if the Browns get lucky and win a game and San Francisco continues to lose-I could have went through all the misery for nothing..

6) The Browns did sign cornerback Jamar Taylor to a three year contract extension this week,so that locks down one of the three major free agents for the offseason.

7) That leads us to the others-Terrelle Pryor was a total non-factor with one catch for three yards on just three targets.
There were a few factors-good coverage,bad quarterbacking and not looking his way enough,but you gotta get the ball to your best playmaker.

8) Jamie Collins was tremendous with 13 solo tackles and a sack.
I wondered how Collins would perform coming here after the Patriots and I've loved his effort.
Hopefully,there will be a way to keep Collins around because I think he is a potentially (definite if he stays) a cornerstone for this team.

9) Robert Griffin was terrible.
I wrote it and stand by it.
He did score the only Browns touchdown,so that's something,but....

10) He was inaccurate,heaving balls into the sidelines and other than one drive,failed to move the team and looked to be rusty at least and nowhere near an NFL quarterback at most.
I'll give him this one,but I have a feeling that after these next three games,Robert Griffin will be moving on as yet another failed attempt to solidify the Browns QB dilemma...