Cleveland Browns Season in Review-The Defense

The 2014 Cleveland Browns were a mixed bag on the defensive side of the football.
Surprising in some areas,deficient in others,but a group that has established a foundation to build on for the overall future...

The defensive line struggled with injuries all season and that's too bad as they should have been pretty good at top throttle.
Desmond Bryant was the healthiest and most consistent and finished with five sacks.
Armonty Bryant was playing very well when he went down with a knee injury and Phil Taylor was effective stuffing the run until his season ending injury,
Billy Winn shows promise and John Hughes missed a lot of time with injury,but showed me lots of toughness in returning to play in the final meaningless game when he didn't have to.
Ahtyba Rubin was disappointing and might be ready to go elsewhere and Ishmaaa'ly Kitchen is just another depth lineman.
The Browns finished last in the league against the run and while the loss of Phil Taylor helped that number stay so low,Cleveland still could use a big and physical lineman
The line also needs to generate more of a pass rush and I think the Browns might be interested in adding another end and a tackle in the draft and free agency.

The linebackers were a much improved unit over last year and could have been the most improved period.
Paul Kruger rebounded from a disappointing first season and was a strong pass rusher as Kruger finished with 11 sacks.
The other outside backers weren't as productive as Jabaal Sheard continued to struggle in his move from end.
Sheard is a free agent and will likely to find a team that will use him at defensive end.
Former first rounder Barkevious Mingo still was not a breakout player,but in his defense,Mingo played the entire season with a torn bicep,so I am willing to give him a pass.
Outside linebacker is a definite need,even if just for depth after the loss of Sheard.
The inside backers were better as Karlos Dansby did exactly what he was signed to do with veteran leadership and strong tackling.
Craig Robertson was greatly improved ,especially against the pass,where Robertson struggled against in the past and rookie Christian Kirksey played well and looks to be a contributor for quite a while...

The secondary was improved as was expected before the season,but not for the reasons that I thought that they would be,
Joe Haden continues to build a All-Pro resume' with what I thought was his best season yet on the corner and Buster Skrine had his best season as well.
Skrine struggles with bigger receivers and I still think he would be better served covering someone in the slot,but Skrine gets better every year.
Skrine is a free agent,so it'll be interesting to see how highly the Browns consider retaining him
The Browns expected to be able to move Skrine to the slot after installing a rookie corner.
The surprise was that the rookie to make his presence felt was free agent signee K'Waun Williams,who played very well until a late season injury.
Williams might be able make Skrine move to the slot next season,should he return as Williams was that impressive.
First round draft pick Justin Gilbert had his occasional victories (a pick six),but more often was uninspired,beaten and had off the field issues all contributed to making his rookie year an extremely disappointing one.
I wouldn't be ready to write Gilbert off yet,but he might need a boot camp style intervention in order to turn his career around.
Donte Whitner was very similar to Karlos Dansby as the Browns got exactly what they hoped for with his signing.
Whitner's partner Tayshaun Gipson had six interceptions when his season ended due to injury and looked to have a chance at making some all-pro teams when the injury occurred.
Jordan Poyer will be the only returning backup safety as steady veteran Jim Leonhard announced his retirement after the season...

The Browns defense had its ups and downs,but I am encouraged entering 2015.
They need some reinforcements,especially on the defensive line,but the defense shows promise for the future..

Grades

Defensive Line:C-
Linebackers B-
Secondary B

Back later with the special teams and a grade for the coaches/front office

Cleveland Browns Season in Review-The Offense

A bit late,but I've been taking my time getting to this in order to give this series the attention that deserves.
Over the next few weeks (hopefully sooner),I'll be looking at the Browns on offense,defense,special teams and mixed in (or in a post of its own) some thoughts for the off-season.
Usually the free agent season and draft are about as good as it gets for Browns fans,so I always try to address that.

Quarterback once again bedeviled the Browns and looks even worse for the 2015 season.
Brian Hoyer has his supporters and share of good games,but even at his best,Hoyer consistently underthrew and overthrew receivers,left points on the board and drove me crazy with accuracy issues.
I still wouldn't mind bringing Hoyer back under the right contract and conditions,but there are two quarterbacks that I prefer in the free agent crop,although only one might have a chance to be more than a stopgap solution.
I admit that the frustration of watching Hoyer made me want to see Johnny Manziel,especially after his touchdown drive in Buffalo.
However,that was as good as it got for the diminutive Texas A&M product,who looked overmatched after Buffalo and was more noted for off the field antics than playing performance.
Frankly,I'm just not sure what to do about Manziel for 2015.
If you draft a quarterback high,you admit Manziel was a mistake without a second year,but on the other hand,a decision to play Manziel could end in disaster if he performs in the manner that he did last year.
If anyone wants to give anything for him,I think I'd take it,but a outright release such as some are calling for is a stretch....
I liked the grit and moxie shown by rookie Connor Shaw in the final game against Baltimore and want to keep him around,but a lack of arm strength limits the upside of Shaw to be more than a quality backup...

The running game showed a vast improvement over 2013,but still was inconsistent.
Terrence West,Isaiah Crowell and the departed Ben Tate each had their big games,but each were benched at times and each had issues holding onto the football.
Tate showed an alarming lack of burst around the corner and wasn't used enough in the passing game.
The lack of speed likely was the main reason (other than a reported locker room issue) that Tate was released,but not playing to his strengths did not put Tate in a position to succeed.
I think Crowell is the more skilled and talented of the two returning backs and if I was selecting the player to carry the load,I'd select Crowell,but West was solid as well-when he didn't tap dance behind the line of scrimmage.
I think the Browns will select one or the other as the main back in camp and the other will see carries at a reduced rate.
The team talked a good game at fullback with Ray Agnew bookending that position with a cameo from Kiero Small.
Neither showed much in the passing game and neither looked to be anything more than average as lead blockers.

Ray Farmer was criticized for not devoting draft picks to a wide receiver and for a while,Farmer looked quite smart.
As the season progressed,Farmer's group began to come back to the field like a six furlong horse running a mile and a quarter.
Josh Gordon was disappointing and uninspired in his return from suspension and considering Gordon will likely miss the 2015 season to another suspension,Farmer's hand will be forced to do something (and maybe more than one) in the draft and/or free agency.
Miles Austin performed well when he was able to play,but once again injuries bit the former Cowboy and he is a free agent.
I'd be fine with bringing him back at the right cost.
Andrew Hawkins was very productive when he was able to be used inside in the slot,but struggled when forced outside due to the rash of injuries and suspensions.
Hawkins size works against him in the outside positions.
Taylor Gabriel was a nice sign as an undrafted free agent,but is small for a larger role than a 4th receiver.
Travis Benjamin is the only other Browns WR to catch a ball and he too is on the smallish side.
Ray Farmer is going to have to do something in the next few months.
Jordan Cameron has the ability to be a huge part of any teams passing game,but Cameron is a free agent and between being a little underused (24 catches on 48 targets in ten games) along with persistent concussion issues and a reported desire to be on the Western side of the country makes tight end a upgrade as well.
The Browns got more than expected from veteran blocking types Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge as pass catchers (30 catches for just under 400 yards between the pair) and both are solid blockers,but neither are the type of players that you would want to hitch your horse to as a starter.

The Browns offensive line certainly missed Alex Mack at center after his injury and it really hurt the running game.
I think the Browns would have been best suited keeping John Greco at center for Mack instead using Nick McDonald and Ryan Seymour there.
I understand the value of keeping the solid Greco at right guard,but desperate times etc and both McDonald and Seymour were sieve-like at center.
Joe Thomas might have had his best year at left tackle and rookie Joel Bitonio deserved Rookie of the year consideration at left guard.Mitchell Schwartz was adequate at right tackle,but no more than that.
I'm still not against a better solution than Schwartz at the right tackle,someone that is more of a hard nosed run blocker than Schwartz,who is more of a finesse' blocker suited to the pass blocking/deflect the rusher away of the previous west coast era...

Grades
Quarterback:C
Brian Hoyer wasn't great,but he did win seven games-although I wouldn't credit him with winning all those with his arm.

Running Back: B-
Fast start,slow finish brought this bunch back to the pack.
Two quality rookies and somewhat of a learning curve allows this grade.

Wide Receiver C-
The Browns got about all they could have expected from Miles Austin and Andrew Hawkins and wound up expecting too much by Hawkins playing him outside.
Taylor Gabriel was a huge surprise,but still this is a below average bunch.

Tight End C
Jordan Cameron's season was disappointing,injuries or not,although Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge gave all that they had to offer..

Offensive Line B+
Grade would have been higher had Alex Mack stayed healthy.
Overall,a above average year despite post-Mack issues at the center spot...

Stay tuned over the next week when I take a look at the defense.

10 thoughts on the National Title Game

Ten thoughts from the National Championship game and the Ohio State Buckeyes-winners of the first ever playoff!

Olentangy Offerings

1) I did a podcast on my buddy R.L.Malpica and I's Cleveland Sports Outsiders before the game.
Remember that I (tongue in cheek) picked Oregon to win and we talked about the problems at quarterback for 2015,if all three quarterbacks returned.
Good luck with that decision,Urban Meyer!

2) I spoke on the podcast about that I thought the key was the Oregon pass rush and how much they could pressure Cardale Jones.
They didn't do much against Jones,which enabled him to throw the ball with ease most of the time and since they couldn't key on Jones-Oregon couldn't...

3) Key on Ezekiel Elliott,who was basically unstoppable in rushing for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
Elliott was the key reason for winning these games as Elliott put the numbers up that made one think more of Eddie George and Archie Griffin than what Buckeye fans expected from him.
Elliott is most likely the preseason favorite for next years Heisman....

4) Underrated play that might have swung the game Oregon's way-after the first drive resulted in a Ducks touchdown,the second saw Marcos Mariota hit a wide open Dwayne Stanford in the hands with a ball that Stanford would have likely scored with.
Stanford dropped the ball and Oregon would not score another touchdown for the rest of the half...

5) Oregon was able to move the ball against Ohio State,but another key was poor red zone and third down conversions against the Buckeyes.
Oregon scored just their first drive touchdown in the red zone and was an anemic 2 for 12 on third down.
That will rarely get the job done against good teams...

6) There was no doubt that this was all Ohio State.The Buckeyes turned the ball over four times with three of them in Oregon territory.
This game was close was close for three quarters,without those turnovers-it would not have been...

7) We all too often hear about the speed possessed by the SEC and to a lesser extent the Pac 12 school and Ohio State has come a long way in cutting into that gap under Urban Meyer,but there still is a place for rugged Big 10 style football and this win showed it on both sides of the football.
The Ohio State offensive line shoved Oregon off the line to create those gaps for Ezekiel Elliott and the front seven allowed Marcos Mariota hard earned yardage,but other than the opening long strike in the second half,only occasionally allowed the Ducks the big play that marked their offense this season...

8) I wonder if the Big 10 would like to reconsider their selection of Minnesota's Jerry Kill as conference coach of the year?
Three quarterbacks and a national title,think Urban Meyer wins a re-vote?

9) The other key play of this win?
The Buckeye defense stepping up after Cardale Jones had the ball slip out of his hand and turning the ball over to Oregon on the OSU side of the field.
It was the only time that I felt that Oregon was ready to swing the game their way and the defense dug down and held Oregon to just a field goal.
The three points cut the lead to one,but holding the Ducks out of the end zone kept the lead and felt like a victory...

10) We wrap with a look at 2015,where I would think that Ohio State will be ranked either first to start the year or worst second to TCU.
I'm fine with either because under the new system,it's not where you start,but where you finish.
Too bad TCU (who is on the Buckeye schedule for 2019 and 2020) isn't on the schedule next year-I'm sure that game would have a ton of hype over the summer!

11) Bonus-Stuff it Mark May!

Sugar is sweet as Ohio State stuns Alabama!

This is over a day late by the time that I finish this,but given the surprise,the significance and wanting to review the tape-better to have a good column to start 2015 than a rushed one as the Ohio State Buckeyes stunned the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 42-35 in New Orleans to win the Sugar Bowl!
Even more importantly,the Buckeyes advance to Dallas next week to meet the Oregon Ducks,who destroyed Florida State in the Rose Bowl for the National Championship!

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns with the final crushing blow,an 85 yard run for the eventual winning score,while Cardale Jones threw for 243 yards and a touchdown in the victory....

Olentangy Offerings

1) Once again,I apologize for being so late,but wow,watching at work and then coming home to break down tape,I just wasn't up for it.
What a thrilling game to watch and with apologies to Minnesota's Jerry Kill-all things considered,how could anyone give the Big 10 coach of the year to anyone other than Urban Meyer??

2) The Buckeyes had so many great plays in this one,but the 85 yard run up the middle by Ezekiel Elliott will be the one that stands the test of time.
It was Elliott that was the main difference in this victory....

3) When I left for work,Alabama had just moved their lead to 21-6.
Ohio State would score the next four touchdowns with two passing scores (one by Evan Spencer on a trick play),a Elliott run and an interception return,
When those things all click,it's a good night..

4) Speaking of the trick play,the Evan Spencer pass to Michael Thomas for the touchdown at the end of the first half was inspired.
Yes,Thomas did a tremendous job staying in bounds,but calling a play like that near the end of the half with time ticking down took some guts..

5) Wish that sanity had prevailed with under three minutes to go and with Alabama having two timeouts to not have thrown a deep incompletion on first down.\
Had the Buckeyes just run the ball,Bama would have never been able to make the last desperate drive as they would have far less time to do anything with the ball...

6) Cardale Jones looked a little rattled for the first quarter and a half,but began to get into rhythm and cadence a bit after that.
The one thing that I like about Jones that so many quarterbacks with far more experience do not do?
He recognizes when a play is not going to work out and throws the ball away.
A underrated trait that is going to help his development as a passer.

7) Alabama's MVP was punter JK Scott with five punts inside the 20.
If Alabama would have won this game,I would have voted Scott the defensive MVP/

8) Lane Kiffin has never been a favorite of ours,but we must give Lane credit for helping the Buckeyes to the win.
Wait,Lane coaches for Alabama? Oh well,that must be why the one thing that worked for Alabama was the running of Derrick Henry and Ohio State couldn't stop Henry at all.
Kiffin quit running Henry in the leader for puzzling decision of the day.

9) Give the defense credit as they picked off Blake Sims three times and sacked him three more.
I've been critical of Luke Fickell in the past,but his squad has progressively gotten better.
With three players that shape up as future award winner candidates and all-americans in Darron Lee,Joshua Perry and Vonn Bell even the defense as Urban Meyer said "The Future is bright at Ohio State"...

10) 10 of 18 on third down against Alabama?
I wouldn't have believed it before hand,but the third down conversions might have been the biggest offensive stat...

11) Had to feel good for Steve Miller and his interception for a touchdown.
Miller is overshadowed by Michael Bennett,Joey Bosa etc and it's always nice to see the steady but solid guy catch a break...

12) So it is onto Dallas and the waiting Oregon Ducks.
Lots of parallels between the offenses and the coaches-this shapes up as a fun game...

13) Liking the playoffs? Think of this-last year the BCS would have given you Alabama vs Florida State.....

Browns lose in Baltimore-Finish 7-9

The Cleveland Browns gave a valiant effort in Baltimore all things considered,but an exhausted defense finally cracked as they allowed 17 points in fourth quarter play in a 20-10 Ravens victory.
Terrence West rushed for 94 yards and the only Cleveland touchdown,while Connor Shaw finished with 177 passing yards with a touchdown and a fumble.
Cleveland finished the season at 7-9,losing their final five contests and now have a bye until next September...

Brownie Bits

1) I'm going to try to stick to this game and news on the B.B's today with thoughts on the season on the upcoming season in  reviews,but there is a lot of news before this game,so this may be the longest B.B. ever....

2) Jimmy Haslam announced after the game during a press conference that both Mike Pettine and Ray Farmer would retain their positions for next season.
There had been some speculation that one or both could pay for the late season collapse,but both are safe.
I was in favor of keeping Pettine,50/50 on Farmer,so I'm OK with the decision.
For good or bad,there needs to be some continuity right now and despite some questionable decisions by both,I'll chalk that up as part of the learning growth and hope for better days...

3) No Josh Gordon,No Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel placed on IR in order to avoid suspending him.
Gordon missed a Saturday walkthrough,Gilbert missed a Saturday team meeting and Manziel skipped a rehab session for an injured hamstring.
I was fine with all of those decisions.I'll discuss what I think should be done with each of those three in the season review,but the most upsetting thing was no more than a day or two before this,Manziel and Gilbert were telling the media how they had gotten the message and were ready to act like professionals etc.
The new era for those two lasted about 48 hours.
You want to change the culture in Cleveland? Everyone is accountable.

4) Including Ray Farmer.
Again,the Browns have Gilbert (who was my top rated corner) and Manziel (who I was in favor of trying,although I felt he was a boom or bust pick) and their attitude/commitment issues because of Ray Farmer.
I was talking to a Browns fan yesterday before the game and he asked me what corner I wanted before the draft-I wrote it and I stick by it-Justin Gilbert.
I watch a lot of tape,I also consider myself pretty draft savvy as my long time friends know,but I don't have access to players,friends,coaches etc of prospects.
I only know what I see on the field,the Browns have far more access to those things than that and to not only take two of these type guys,but to trade up for them shows either the lack of insight or inexperience on Ray Farmer's part to think he can change them.
8 times out of 10,the lazy,immature,troubled player doesn't change,this franchise cannot have another draft of those types of chances.

5) Connor Shaw showed me enough to say that he could be a good backup in the league,but as seems to be typical of Cleveland QB's lacks arm strength.
All things considered,Shaw did exactly what you would have hoped for a player in his situation-didn't put the Browns in a huge hole via mistakes and gave them a chance to win...

6) The defense was as valiant as you could have expected in a game that the Browns had nothing to play for and the opponent did.
Put what Mike Pettine said before the game about 8-8 aside,I doubt that was a huge thing to play for.
The defense fought their heart out and some of those guys that we never heard of before the last two games may be factors for jobs next year-namely defensive tackle Jamie Meder and linebacker Scott Solomon.

7) Joe Haden played well despite a flu battle,Torrey Smith made one big play against him,but Haden wasn't beaten-the throw was perfect and the bigger man grabbed it.
Other than that,Haden showed a lot of guts in the game.

8) Terrence West ran hard and played well as the fulcrum of the offense,but keep in mind that he was extremely motivated as he is from Baltimore.
It was encouraging to see West run well,but considering the circumstances I'd hesitate to put West completely off the immaturity list quite yet....

9) Even though Connor Shaw played passably,that didn't mean it was easy.
The offensive line allowed four sacks and it could have been twice that without Shaw's mobility.
More on this in the season review,but once again and it seems like I write this every year-right tackle is a need position....

10) John Hughes returned from the DL with one game to go and finished with seven tackles.
Give Hughes credit-he could have said he passed on a meaningless game to get ready for next season.
Hughes played and played well..

11) The Browns have plenty of questions and near the top of the list is the lack of depth.,
Ray Farmer traded picks to move up four times in the 2014 draft and as a result drafted just five players.
The Browns have two 1's,two 4's and two 6's in the next draft.It'll be interesting to see how much they move up this time.

12) The Browns first round picks will be in the 12 spot and the 19 notch from Buffalo.
Right now,the big deal from last draft looks like Sammy Watkins for the Bills,Justin Gilbert,the 19 and a Buffalo 4th rounder for the Browns.
I like the Buffalo end better currently....

Browns pitiful vs Panthers in 17-13 loss

Johnny Manziel was injured after an ineffective first half and the Cleveland Browns still had a lead in the second half before surrendering a final drive that resulted in a Carolina Panthers touchdown and a 17-13 Carolina win..
Brian Hoyer did come off the bench and gave the Browns the lead at 13-10 with a 81 yard touchdown pass to Jordan Cameron with ten minutes to play in the game.
Not a lot of highlights other than except for new kicker Garrett Hartley drilled both of his field goal attempts.
The now 7-8 Browns travel to beautiful Baltimore to finish their regular season....

Brownie Bits

1) Number one thing about this loss that has been little noted in the recap is one play that a horrendous call that cost the Cleveland Browns a victory in  Charlotte.
Billy Winn tumbled to the ground with an interception with no Panthers around.
Without being touched,Winn tossed the ball back to Jordan Poyer (I think it was Poyer),who ran the ball into the end zone.
The referees gave the ball to Cleveland but said Winn "Had given himself up on the ground" and the ball was blown dead.
One-Why would Winn do that with no Panthers close enough to touch him?
Two-If he had,why would have he pitched the ball to another player?
The Browns lost seven points in a game they lost by four.

2) Johnny Manziel has a lot of work to do if the Browns are to get anything out of the first rounder that they spent on him.
I'll admit that it was the gamble in the draft that most intrigued me (I was fine with the gamble,but knew from the start there was a huge risk),but most rap the arm strength of the Texas A&M Aggie.
I think that's underrated,but what might be overrated?
His speed and quickness.
He had huge problems being able to run away from the pass rush-for a running quarterback that is a huge problem...

3) Brian Hoyer threw the long bomb to Jordan Cameron and did give somewhat of a spark to a dull game,but was wiped out on a pass rush.
Hoyer stayed in the game with the injury,but is considered unlikely to start in the finale in Baltimore.

4) Isaiah Crowell finished with 55 yards on 16 carries,but 26 of those yards came on one carry,
Crowell got the bulk of the carries as Terrence West didn't play due to "a bad week of practice".
I'm tired of that phrase.
I have more to say about that in the season recap,but I will say this-I wonder why the Browns are drafting guys that don't want to practice....

5) Give Karlos Dansby tons of credit for guts as he returned from injury when he still isn't at full speed to play in a meaningless game. Dansby was all over the field and finished with 12 tackles (solo and assisted combined).
That is the leader that this team needs and why the Browns brought the veteran to Cleveland...

6) Really like what I've seen from fourth rounder Pierre Desir in the last two games.
Desir had been inactive until the game last week,but shows the signs of having the potential to be a solid corner.
Desir made one excellent play in the end zone knocking down a fade pass to Kelvin Benjamin,
If Desir can continue to progress next season,he may make for the failure (for now) of Justin Gilbert.

7) Scott Solomon came out of nowhere to post a strong game including a sack against the Panthers.
Solomon reminded me a little of the 49ers rookie Chris Borland....

8) Carolina rushed for 209 yards against the Browns increasingly soft run defense.
Phil Taylor's loss as a run stuffer might be the Browns defensive answer to the loss of Alex Mack on the offense...

9) The offensive line didn't exactly help the Browns quarterbacks as it seems they were under attack all day from the pass rush.
Joe Thomas might make the Pro Bowl,but he hasn't had that type of season.
Thomas has been clearly a cut below his normal standards this season..

10) With one game to go,the Browns would have the 13 and 16th (from Buffalo).
It still has some time to play out,but as of now the deal shapes up as Justin Gilbert and the Bills 1 and 4 next year for Sammy Watkins.
Looking at Gilbert's play-I like the Buffalo end better....

Run over by Bengals,Browns lose 30-0...

In the biggest game of their season,the Cleveland Browns went out and played their worst offensive game of the season in a 30-0 loss to the revenge-minded Cincinnati Bengals in Cleveland.
There were no offensive numbers worth mentioning that weren't,well,offensive in a different way,but Johnny Manziel tossed two interceptions in the defeat that saw him fail to reach even the pedestrian number of 100 yards passing for the day.
The now 7-7 Browns will finish their season on the road in Carolina and Baltimore.

Brownie Bits

1) I was fine with the decision to start Johnny Manziel over Brian Hoyer.
Hoyer had been so bad that I felt it was worth a try.
Manziel was disappointing and there is blame to spread to around .
Manziel seemed overwhelmed and borderline unprepared.
If Manziel is going to play in this league-he has a long way to go.

2) The big question-Do the Browns win this game if Mike Pettine had started Brian Hoyer?
No.I just don't see it all things considered,but if you would have preferred a 30-14 loss,Ok.
Hoyer might have engineered more offense,but I think this was a rearend kicking in the making and the starter didn't matter other than maybe some garbage points...

3) The play calling didn't help Manziel much either.
In a game that you were down quickly and early,the Browns didn't throw the ball enough (18 passes) and when they did,it looked like a return to the three yard pass day of old.
Manziel threw just one pass of over 15 yards for a completion (32 yards to Josh Gordon) and allowed the Bengals to play press coverage....

4) More than Manziel was bad in this game as the run defense allowed the most rushing yards to a team this season as the Bengals blew the Browns off the line of scrimmage to the tune of 244 yards,with 148 of them to noted wordsmith Jeremy Hill.
Hill had spouted off after the Browns win in Cincinnati about not being impressed with the Browns.
If he wasn't then,wonder what he thinks now???

5) By the Browns not being able to stop the run,the Bengals were then able to spot Andy Dalton and not force him to win the game.
Dalton's numbers look light (117 yds and a INT) and they are,but they were able to not have to throw the ball to win,keeping those numbers down...

6) Five first downs and 1 of 10 on third down.
Ugh,Kyle Shanahan didn't help Manziel with makeable third downs with run up the middle calls on 1st and 2nd down,especially once the Browns got down 20,but this is still a bad number.

7) Jeremy Hill was able to add something the Bengals needed-a power runner between the tackles.
Hill gained most of his yardage that way and I'll address this more in the off season,but the Browns miss Phil Taylor immensely and if Taylor doesn't appear ready to start next season,Cleveland will need a defensive tackle in the worst way.

8) The Browns lost Joe Haden and Justin Gilbert to injury and no word if they will play against Carolina yet.
The Bengals didn't need to throw much,but considering the big picture,the pass defense could have been far worse..

9) The Browns waived Billy Cundiff and added former Saint Garrett Hartley,who never touched the field as Spencer Lanning did the kickoff and only once did the Browns threaten to score.
Johnny Manziel threw up a floater off his back foot that was snared in the end zone by a Bengal ending the Browns only serious scoring threat...

10) The offensive line was not the answer either to any prayers as they were beaten often off the line by Bengal rushers that left Johnny Manziel throwing off his back foot with little time to throw.
Center has been an issue since the loss of Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz is a player degressing not progressing at right tackle.
Right tackle has been a Browns achilles heel for years and it needs to be fixed...

11) Finally,some are ready to give up on Johnny Manziel.
I'm not,but others are saying the Browns are saddled with Manziel for next season too.
I disagree,sometimes one needs to cut loose a mistake and if after three games,the Browns are convinced this is a disaster-I wouldn't be against a QB.
I think it would be premature,but if the last two games are disasters similar to this,you have to at least consider the possibility....

Exhausted Defense finally fails,Colts beat Browns 25-24

The Cleveland Browns defense did all that one could ask for against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts,but they spent almost the entire second half on the field and lost on a Luck to T.Y. Hilton pass with under a minute remaining to give the Colts their only lead of the day and the only one that they would need in a 25-24 heartbreaker.
The Browns scored two of their three touchdowns on defense as Craig Robertson recovered a Luck fumble in the end zone and Justin Gilbert grabbed a pass of Luck's and returned it for another.
The now 7-6 Browns will host the Cincinnati Bengals in their final home game next week in what is now a must win....

Brownie Bits

1) Right off,it's clear that Mike Pettine made the wrong decision in sticking with Brian Hoyer over Johnny Manziel,but not for the reasons that you might think.
Hoyer played scared that he was going to be lifted and you could see that with each throw.
Hoyer didn't thrive on the competition,he was afraid he was going to screw up and that became a self-fullfilling prophecy...

2) I loved our defense yesterday.
They hammered and hassled Andrew Luck into mistakes and they simply were worn out by the end of the game.
When you are on the field the entire second half and they were-against a good offensive team,you cannot play at a high level forever.

3) Here are the Browns offensive plays on each drive in the second half-3,3,3,5,4,5,2.
Produced just three points and that was due to field position from a Colts turnover.
Circle that one!

4) Speaking of field goals,Billy Cundiff can go now.
Cundiff has missed field goals in each of the last FIVE games and his first half miss from 40 yards was very makeable.
In a one point loss,that's inexcusable...

5) Craig Robertson continues to play well in the absence of Karlos Dansby.
Robertson had the TD,but just missed an interception and finished with 10 solo tackles.
Well played.

6) Josh Gordon seemed a bit,well less than interested.
Gordon wasn't targeted as much as before and he was wide open for what would have been a long score had Brian Hoyer not overthrown him by five yards (I'm not kidding),but he was never a factor in this game and he should have been considering the Colts were missing their top corner in Vontae Davis....

7) Hoyer also had Taylor Gabriel open for a sure TD and overthrew him by a good five yards.
I really wanted to like Brian Hoyer,but the Browns just cannot live with a guy that completes less than half of his passes,if he can't complete the deep ball either..

8) Jim Leonhard! A sack,a pick in the end zone for a turnover and another pick that will not hit the stat sheet because it came on a two point conversion.
Love having guys like Jim Leonhard on the team...

9) Joe Haden covered T.Y. Hilton great all day until he just wore down in the fourth quarter.
Looking at the Hilton numbers (10 for 150 and 2 scores) and you would think Hilton dominated.
Watch the tape-he didn't-he just wore Haden down...

10) I thought the referees did a good job in letting the players play and only the last drive pass interference call against Buster Skrine tainted that .
The refs let them play and then call a light call like that one...

11) Want a non-Luck MVP?
How about former Buckeye Boom Herron on a 4th and 1 from the Browns 2 on the last drive.
Herron looked to be stopped cold for a game saver for the Browns,but Herron's legs never stopped moving forward and drove/spun his way for a yard that he never should have had...

12) Finally,The Browns need to win out to make the playoffs and that's possible,if unlikely,but what if they lose out?
Could Jimmy Haslem can Mike Pettine for the collapse,the sticking stubbornly to Brian Hoyer etc?
Haslem always has wanted a big name,so something to think about,if the Browns finish 7-9.....

Beyond Words-Buckeyes win Big 10 59-0 over Wisconsin!

 It is isn't often that I am speechless on sports,but last night I was as the Ohio State Buckeyes working with a third string quarterback starting his first game against a strong opponent with a Heisman candidate simply rolled over the Wisconsin Badgers 59-0.
So many offensive stars in this one that I'll try to address below,but suffice it to say that it'll be a long time before this game is forgotten by Ohio State fans.
The now 12-1 and Big Ten Champion Buckeyes will wait until tonight to see if this was enough to get them into the final four or will they settle for one of the New Years Day spots in the highest second tier of bowls??

Olentangy Offerings

1) I picked Wisconsin in this game close,but I told everyone that I would pick the Buckeyes with J.T,Barrett close.
I also added though that if I had to pick one coach to get a quarterback up to speed in this situation it would be Urban Meyer.
Start with Meyer and his offensive coaching staff when you pass out bouquets for this win..

2) Cardale Jones threw three touchdowns and 257 yards and it was apparent from the first drive that Jones was prepped and ready for this game.
Jones showed a bigger arm than either Braxton Miller or J.T.Barrett and his style is more Terrelle Pryor than the two others.
Jones has a set of skills that might prove to make (to my surprise) Ohio State even tougher in the coming weeks-no matter who they play....

3) There was a runner that went over 200 yards in this title game,but it was not the heralded Melvin Gordon,it was Ezekiel Elliott that was unstoppable. Elliott ripped off 220 yards on two touchdowns and the Badgers simply could not stop Elliott,who may have scored again had he not thrown a shoe on a long run....

4) Devin Smith finished with 137 yards and two touchdowns,one of them coming down between two defenders.
"Big Play Devin" continues to be the guy that the Buckeyes looks for in the deep passing game and Ohio State might look back with wishes that they had gotten him more involved over the year.

5) This game could have been over 60 points on the point.
In the second quarter,Ezekiel Elliott dropped a pass that he would have strolled into the end zone with and OSU settled for their only Sean Nurnberger field goal of the day.

6) Melvin Gordon came into the game with tons of hype and it was deserved.
Gordon against the Ohio State run defense was my main worry and another reason that I picked Wisconsin.
Instead,Gordon was corralled and kept under control with 76 yards,but he needed 26 carries to do so which is an average of less than three yards a carry...

7) I've been very critical of Luke Fickel as a defensive coordinator through the years and I'm not sure who created this game plan,but the thought was brilliant as they often had eight and nine men in the box to stop Melvin Gordon.
I was (stupidly perhaps) reminded of the 6-2 Stack Monster defense employed by the brilliant defensive coordinator Craig T.Nelson in "All the Right Moves".
Credit where it is due and unless the Buckeyes get scorched in the coming games,Fickel may have saved his job for another year...

8) I've read some tweets/articles that suggested that the Badgers were "Intimidated" by Ohio State.
I have doubts on that.
When these two teams play,it has been a close and hard hitting game for years and that not only casts a shadow on a good Wisconsin program along with the Ohio State victory.

9) Four forced turnovers including a Joey Bosa fumble recovery for a score.
I hate to be melodramatic here,but could this effort have been a tribute to the tragic loss of Kosta Karageorge?
Michael Bennett forced two of the Badgers fumbles and he wore 53 as a tribute to Karageorge.

10) Finally the big question-Are the Buckeyes in?
Answer-I don't know,but they could not have stated their case any strongly.
I have no problems with Alabama or Oregon and Florida State has won all games and despite the recent shots at the Seminoles,they have won all their games,so to me they are in.
That leaves the Buckeyes with TCU and Baylor.
Nothing against those schools,but no one in the Big 12 plays defense at all,
The loss to Virginia Tech looks bad and if OSU doesn't get in,they can blame the Hokies for turning so mediocre after a great night for them (6-6),but that is a different team.
I have a bias,but if it is me,It is Florida State (Undefeated),Alabama (toughest conference sked),Oregon (tough conference,played a good non-conference team in Michigan State) and the Buckeyes ( impressive finish and playing well on both sides of the ball).
What this really does is point out that the real need is for an eight team playoff and if that means the conference championship games go away in order to do so-fine......

Browns bounced in Buffalo 26-10,Manziel Debuts

The Cleveland Browns laid another huge egg when they needed to win in Buffalo as the Bills bullied them in the second half for a 26-10 Buffalo win.
In a game not exactly filled with offensive highlights,Johnny Manziel rushed for the only Cleveland touchdown off the bench in the fourth quarter.
The now 7-5 Browns will be home for the next two weeks against division leaders Indianapolis and then Cincinnati.

Brownie Bits

1) Brian Hoyer was deservedly benched for Johnny Manziel.
Hoyer threw two interceptions,but it could have been even more had Bill defenders held onto the ball.
The move was a long time in coming and Manziel certainly added a little bit of excitement to a team that badly needed it..

2) That said,I'm not sure that starting Manziel is the answer next week against the Colts.
Once you make the move to start Johnny Manziel,he is the guy.
You cannot flip back and forth with a young quarterback and if that is the plan,I'd rather see Hoyer next week.
You want to give Brian Hoyer one last chance? Fine,as long as when Johnny Manziel goes in-he stays in.

3) Terrence West is disappointing.
West rushed for more yards yesterday than Isaiah Crowell,but 18 of his 32 yards came on the last play of the game when the Bills just played out the string.,
West's fumble that Jerry Hughes scored a touchdown on swung the game to Buffalo and even though Mike Pettine claimed the fumble was "inexcusable" West still would play later in the game.

4) Josh Gordon caught seven balls for 75 yards,but there was still some miscommunications with the quarterbacks (especially Brian Hoyer) and the team still seems reluctant to send him deep.
I'd think that the deep ball would open things up a bit,but perhaps the coaching staff's mistrust of Brian Hoyer throwing deep comes into play there.

5) Buffalo's Aaron Williams head first spear of Gary Barnidge in the first quarter sent Barnidge to the bench with a rib injury and surprisingly no penalty called.
Count on the league hitting Williams with a fine after the game is reviewed.

6) Johnny Manziel may not be the answer to the Browns problems,but one thing is certain-the rap on his arm strength is unfair.
Manziel was throwing darts and the throws he made on the scoring drive were the type that Brian Hoyer doesn't make.
Manziel might not make it big,but it won't be because of his arm...

7) Manziel's other drive ended with the "same old Browns" roll of the eyes as on 4th and 6,Miles Austin ran a five yard route and was tackled shy of the first down.
Does anyone have stats on how many times that has happened in the last 15 years?
Answer-No and too many to count.

8) The one bright spot on the day was Joe Haden,
Haden had an interception,a block of a Buffalo field goal try,some batted down passes and held talented Sammy Watkins to three catches and just 13 yards on the day.
Haden is in the zone right now and looks to have plenty of challenges ahead of him with T.Y.Hilton and A.J. Green to cover in the next two games.

9) Wish I could say the same for the Browns anchor on offense as Joe Thomas struggled with Mario Williams as he was beaten several times and called for holding three times (some declined by Buffalo).
Could be just a bad matchup,but Williams certainly had his way with Thomas...

10) The defense did not play badly and held Buffalo to just one touchdown.
Yes,Buffalo added three field goals and Jim Leonhard made a great interception in the end zone to foil another threat,but all and all,this was a very solid defensive effort-I was pleased with them...

11) I winced when the Bills thrust the dagger into the heart of the Browns on a third down that Cleveland had to have a stop on with a catch and run for 40 plus yards to tight end and former Browns Marquis Gray.
Gray can do so many things that I was in favor of keeping him around,but he was an early cut by the Browns in camp.

12) This was a huge loss.I figure 10-6 will get you into the playoffs,9-7 could go either way.
A win over the Bills would have allowed the Browns to go 2-2 to get to 10-6.
Now they have to go 3-1.
My guess? It's unlikely....

Ohio State beats michigan,but breaks Barrett

The Ohio State burst through the gate in the fourth quarter with a big play on the offense and then one on the defense to pull away from the michigan Wolverines with a 42-28 win at the Horseshoe in Columbus.
Ezekiel Elliott's 44 yard run on fourth and one gave the Buckeyes a 14 point lead and Darron Lee added a 33 yard scoop and rumble to finish off the visitors late in the game.
Elliott finished with 121 yards rushing and two scores for Ohio State.
The big loss was to quarterback J.T. Barrett in the third quarter to a broken ankle to end the season for the Texan in what might prove to be the final crushing loss in a season marred by injury.
Ohio State finished the season at 11-1 and completed an undefeated season in the conference at 8-0.
The hobbled Buckeyes will meet Wisconsin next week in the Big 10 title game in Indianapolis...

Olentangy Offerings

1) J.T. Barrett out for the season and that is a huge loss.
Cardale Jones has ability and I'm not ready to concede an automatic loss to the Badgers or anyone else,but Jones is definitely an unknown.
Just keep in mind-J.T. Barrett was a question mark just a few months ago....

2) Has any team ever lost two Heisman Trophy candidates at any position let alone quarterback in one season?
I'm not saying it hasn't happened,but I can't recall it.

3) J.T Barrett had ran for two scores and thrown for another one before the ankle injury.
Barrett's three scores set a Big Ten record for touchdowns in a season at 45 breaking the record set by Drew Brees at Purdue.
Since this will be likely my last chance to discuss Barrett,I'd just say that Barrett has conducted himself with class on and off the field and no matter what happens with Braxton Miller,Barrett has shown himself to be a worthy Buckeye,

4) Huge play with fourth and one at their 44 leading by seven to go for it and then have Ezekiel Elliott run for the score.
With Cardale Jones at QB,the safe play might have been punt-Urban Meyer didn't go safe-he went for the throat...

5) Elliott ran 17 times for his yards against the Wolverines,but I'd bet that he will run at least 25 times vs Wisconsin.
Cardale Jones can run,but he is more a Terrelle Pryor runner than a Braxton Miller or J.T.Barrett,the Buckeyes just might become a power running team vs the Badgers.

6) Joey Bosa has been great all year,but he jumped offsides and cost OSU a turnover (they would score on the drive) and his ripping off a helmet of a michigan runner may have been funny,but it cost 15 yards and allowed a drive to continue.

7) Defense will need to step up next week after an iffy performance to a pretty bad offense.
A little under 400 yards isn't good enough against Wisconsin or a postseason opponent...

8) Devin Gardner may not be a very good quarterback (although he played well enough vs the Buckeyes),but he showed huge sportsmanship by coming out to talk to the injured J.T. Barrett.
Very nice.

9) Well,since this might be my last note to Brady Hoke,who looks to be out the door-I'll make it a good one.
From your crybaby attitude to your disrespect towards OSU and beyond-It's been nice beating you around the last few years.
Bye Brady!

10) Going to be tough against Wisconsin.
Those games are usually toe to toe combat anyway and with a team that struggles to stop the run against the best runner in the nation (Melvin Gordon),this was a pickem game,but without J.T. Barrett?
The Vegas line lists the Badgers a 4 point favorite.Sounds about right...

Browns fly over Atlanta 26-24

Billy Cundiff booted a 37 yard field goal on the last play of the game in the Georgia Dome and as a result,the Cleveland Browns moved to 7-4 with a 26-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Isaiah Crowell rushed for two touchdowns as part of his 88 yard rushing day,while Josh Gordon caught eight passes for 120 yards in the win.
Brian Hoyer passed for over 300 yards,but was intercepted three times.
The Browns are scheduled to be in Buffalo next Sunday against the Bills,but due to the weather situation could be playing that game at a neutral site...

Brownie Bits

1) Josh Gordon made an impact in the return to the lineup with his statistics,but really opened things up for Andrew Hawkins,who grabbed 5 passes for 93 yards.
If this is going to be how the benefit of Josh Gordon is going to be for the Browns,please keep Gordon as a model citizen!

2) Josh Gordon is the key to this offense.
Look at the difference in the simple screen that saw Gordon bull his way up sidelines for first downs that no other Brown (and few other WR's in the league) can do.

3) Brian Hoyer was very impressive in the last drive that won the game for Cleveland,but boy was he bad for most of this game.
Hoyer continues to be inaccurate and frustrating to watch,but the record remains the bottom line and that is the bottom line,my friends....

4) Many people have been critical of Josh Gordon for not leaping into the air on a bad Hoyer interception in the endzone,but looking at the angle that Gordon was on,I'm not sure that Gordon could have deflected the ball,even if he had leaped.
Hoyer threw a bad ball and tried to thread a needle that the smarter play would have been to throw the ball into Stone Mountain..

5) Isaiah Crowell ran for his yardage on just twelve carries and in my opinion,Crowell continued to prove that he is the better back than Terrence West,who was OK himself with 62 yards on 14 carries.
Crowell runs hard and looks the part of a workhorse back,if the Browns only give him the chance..

6) Other than one touchdown catch,Joe Haden did a pretty good job keeping Julio Jones under control.
Haden might have had the best game of the year and did it against one of the better pass catchers in the game..

7) Looks like the Browns sustained a huge loss in the league leader in interceptions as Tashaun Gipson might be out for the season with a knee injury suffered late in the game.
The ballhawking Gipson would be another huge loss for a defense already missing Phil Taylor and Karlos Dansby and gives each portion of the defense a missing key member....

8) Mike Pettine did a poor job in clock management late in the first half,but the worst decision almost cost the Browns the game.
Billy Cundiff does not have a huge leg,yet Pettine tried a 60 yard field goal that Cundiff was well short on.
However,Atlanta had called a timeout,so having seen that Cundiff could not get the ball there,one would think that you could have Brian Hoyer put the ball up and hope Josh Gordon could come down with it.
Instead,Cundiff was told to try again and again was short,but this time Devin Hester was waiting and he almost took the ball back for a score.
Joel Bitonio hustled downfield to make the tackle,but Spencer Lannig slowed Hester up to buy Bitonio time to make the play.
Kudos to them both to save the day...

9) Atlanta made some silly decisions too on their final drive that saw Matt Bryant kick a field goal that gave the Falcons the lead on back to back plays.
Smith called a timeout after second down and then called a pass to Devin Hester on 3rd and 2 that Justin Gilbert knocked down.
Right there saved two timeouts that Cleveland would have likely used and then would have had just one timeout left for their final drive.
Poor decisions by Smith allowed the Browns a better chance of winning this game....

10) The best play of the game was made by Paul Kruger,who pressured Matt Ryan,forced him to step up in the pocket,fell to the turf and then got up hustling to sack Ryan anyway!
Kruger was the key signee of 2013,but it's 2014 that the linebacker has begun to pay huge dividends with two sacks yesterday and eight on the season.
Loving that hustle!

11) Just a thought and it may not be one that can be made,but assuming Tashaun Gipson is out for the season,what about Justin Gilbert moving to safety?
Gipson's spot requires more athletic ability and ball skills than the Donte Whitner spot and I would think Gilbert is more than capable of doing that....

12) Finally this.
7-4 with a winnable game against Buffalo at a neutral site.
I don't take any game as a W as a team with losses to Houston and Jacksonville cannot afford to do that,but let's say they win and it's 8-4.
That leaves four games-two at home vs the Colts and Bengals,two on the road vs the Panthers and Ravens.
Beat Buffalo and split the final four,10-6 might be good enough to get them into the playoffs and who saw that coming?

Sloppy Buckeyes slide by Indiana 42-27,Clinch Big 10 East!

The Indiana Hoosiers hung tough with the Ohio State Buckeyes for three quarters before Jalin Marshall atoned for a bad week in Minnesota with four straight touchdowns to lift Ohio State to a 42-27 win over the Hoosiers at the Horseshoe.
Marshall grabbed three touchdown passes from J.T. Barrett and returned a punt for a score to lead the Buckeye rally.
Barrett finished with 302 yards and four touchdowns,although he was intercepted twice.
The Buckeyes improve to 10-1 with the victory and 7-0 in the Big Ten East as the Buckeyes clinched the division title and representative to the Big 10 title game in Indianapolis.
Next Saturday,Ohio State hosts michigan in what is likely to be Brady Hoke's swan song as coach.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Jalin Marshall played Harvey Dent over these last two games,as against Minnesota,he fumbled twice,but he was the dominant player/
The punt return cracked the game,but the one handed catch pictured and two shovel passes caught killed the Hoosiers.
Just hold onto the ball,Jalen and special things happen.

2) J.T,Barrett got two TD passes that were closer to runs,but he got an interception that he didn't deserve either deep in Indiana territory as a good pass was deflected into Indiana hands.
Barrett wasn't terrific,but 400 yards of total offense sure is Ok with me..

3) Ezekiel Elliott scored the first touchdown on a 65 yard run,but only carried 12 times after that.
Sometimes Tom Herman forgets about the running game and against the undersized Hoosiers,pounding the ball more might have blown this one open sooner.

4) Give punter Cameron Johnston a game ball with three of his five punts dying inside the 20.
Great job punting with one ball literally causing a divot in the ground at the one yard line.
Johnston punts in the NFL one day-bank on it..

5) The run defense continues to have problems as Tevin Coleman rushed for 228 yards  and three scores including a 90 yard run.
Look out against Wisconsin and Melvin Gordon,although the West rep will be the winner of the Wisconsin-Minnesota game....

Shorter than usual,but I wanted to get this finished before the Browns start.I may do an editors note version tomorrow...

Browns pull a cropper against Texans 23-7

The Cleveland Browns apparently cannot stand prosperity as for the second time this season,the Browns played a bad game after a huge win.
This time,the victor was the Houston Texans,who came into Cleveland and handed the Browns a 23-7 defeat.
Brian Hoyer threw for 330 yards,while Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel each went over 90 yards receiving on the day.
The now 6-4 Browns will be on the road for the next two weeks against Atlanta and Buffalo....

Brownie Bits

1) J.J. Watt might be the best player in the game.
Watt caught a touchdown pass against our best coverage linebacker in Christian Kirksey,abused Mitchell Schwartz all day in harassing Brian Hoyer and was clearly the best player on the field.

2) Watt apparently is not great on the punt rush as he roughed Spencer Lanning twice,with one of those keeping the only Browns scoring drive of the day alive.
So,he isn't perfect.

3) Brian Hoyer's numbers look great,but I didn't think he played well.
Hoyer continues to frustrate me with inaccurate passing and I have a feeling that the problem is going to get worse as the weather increasingly gets colder.
I know Hoyer is a local Clevelander and all that, but wind carries the ball.
If you aren't accurate in prime conditions,how can you expect it to improve?

4) Isaiah Crowell was the surprising starter and was OK with 61 yards,with a long of 35 yards.
Crowell did fumble on a drive,but that was not sloppiness,it was just an excellent play for the Houston defender.

5) Ben Tate likely will be gone as a Brown at the end of the season.
Tate was given two rushes for -9 yards against his old team and rarely saw the field.
There was likely not a game that he would be more motivated for all season and the Browns didn't use him.
I'm not saying that he would have been productive,just that he would have been at the top of his game as far as effort.

6) Huge loss to the defense with the departure of Karlos Dansby,who will undergo an MRI on his knee today.
Jabaal Sheard also left the game with a foot injury,so the injuries are beginning to pile up on the front seven,
IF Dansby is out for the year,which is possible, and the loss of Phil Taylor on the defensive line,the Browns defense is in huge trouble against the run especially.

7) I didn't see Justin Gilbert one time yesterday.
When you cannot get on the field as the number one choice,red flags continue to fly...

8) The Browns allowed over 200 yards on the ground with 156 to Alfred Blue and that's not going to get things done on the scoreboard.
The run defense regressed in this loss and if the defensive losses are long term,this will continue to be a problem.

9) Special teams is still a problem as Billy Cundiff missed a field goal and an awful snap eluded Spencer Lanning and only a great run and kick from Lanning avoided a huge disaster.
That doesn't even count the kick return TD of Marlon Moore that was called back on a holding call.

10) Miles Austin dropped a few big passes in the 4th quarter,but everyone can have a bad game,so I can excuse things for one week.

11) If you would have told me that the Browns would be 6-4 without Josh Gordon,I would have taken it,but there is something that is disappointing.
Two losses to awful teams offset division wins and for all the numbers,I'm disappointed in the offense.
Maybe it's just the day after a bad loss,but I feel a bit down....

Ohio State freezes out Minnesota 31-24

J.T. Barrett threw three touchdowns and ran for another as the Ohio State Buckeyes survived snowy conditions to defeat the Minnesota Golden Gophers 31-24 at a cold Minneapolis.
Barrett's 86 yard TD run was the key chunk of his 189 yards on the ground and Barrett added another 200 through the air.
The now 9-1 (6-0 Big 10) Buckeyes will return to the Horseshoe for their final two games of the regular season-next week vs Indiana and the following Saturday vs that team up north.

Olentangy Offerings

1) J.T. Barrett is slowly winning me over as a Heisman candidate.
In a year without a candidate that stands out,Barrett is accumulating numbers that deserve at least an invite to the ceremony for the Heisman,

Barrett's 38 total of touchdowns are already more (with 2 games to go) than both of the last two winners (both also freshman QB's) Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston did in their winning seasons...

2) The Barrett run was the longest TD run for a quarterback in Ohio State history and his 189 yards rushing was the most ever for a OSU quarterback.
For the first time,I'm starting to lend a little credence to the idea of Braxton Miller transferring someplace for next season.
I'm not sure that even Urban Meyer can pull off a system that is going to make two quarterbacks of this quality happy..

3) This game was not that close.
Two turnovers basically handed Minnesota field position for two touchdowns and even when the score was close,which during two different times-I never had that feeling that the game was slipping away,..

4) Jalen Marshall is going to be a big time playmaker,but he is going to have take better care of the ball.
Marshall was fast and loose with a fumble off a catch just before he scored and caused a touchback and later fumbled a punt that gave Minnesota a short drive for a TD.
This should come along,but needs to improve...

5) The cold and snow had its share in the game,but didn't seem to be overwhelming.
Ohio State did very well considering the conditions and the wind was strong,but only really played into the game once as the wind took a 52 yard attempt by Minnesota's Ryan Santoso and slammed the ball into a upright on a kick that looked like was going to be successful...

6) The run defense still concerns me as David Cobb rushed for 145 yards and three scores.
Cobb is a good back,but not the type of back that Ohio State is going to face in Indianapolis in Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon.
That needs to be shaped up and soon.

7) Another key play was early in the third quarter when a touchdown off an interception was called back for a pass interference.
The Minnesota receiver was falling down,but the defender did have a hand on him.
I thought the flag was light,but usually a grab and clutch means penalty,,

8) Cold? Yep. The 15 degrees at kickoff was the coldest for the Buckeyes since their 1964 game against michigan,
Even in the Big 10,if Minnesota can ever get their program to the top,that stadium is going to be quite an advantage.
Why the NFL Vikings didn't take that into account shows that dollars were more important to them than winning...

9) Joey Bosa bounced back from a tough day in East Lansing with seven tackles and a sack.
Bosa did have a knee brace,but it didn't seem to affect his any..

10) Ohio State entered the day 8th in the playoff ratings,
 The question becomes how much do they jump?
Minnesota sliding into the ratings last week at 25 will help a smidgen in the quality win category and the late night loss by number six Arizona State will guarantee one spot.
The key becomes how far does Mississippi State fall after their first loss and could 4th rated TCU slide after a close four point win over a three win Kansas team....

Buckeyes win the Big 10 Rumble over Michigan State 49-37

J.T.Barrett threw for 300 yards,threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more as the Ohio State Buckeyes answered the biggest challenge on their schedule with a victory over the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing 49-37.
The win should clear the way for the Buckeyes for the Big 10 Championship game,provided they can take care of business in their final three games.
Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns,while Devin Smith and Michael Thomas each caught touchdown passes and finished with 129 and 91 yards respectively in receiving.
The now 8-1 (5-0 Big 10) Buckeyes will play their final road game of the season next week at Minnesota...

Olentangy Offerings

1) Either Michigan State's fifth ranked nationally defense was overrated or the Ohio State offense came into their own last night in East Lansing.
I think both come into play a little,but there can be no doubt that the Buckeyes offense matured.
Tom Herman called a great game and the Buckeyes easily discovered that J.T. Barrett can be trusted and,,,

2) I had commented to my Buckeye buddy Ian that if the Buckeyes were going to win,they were going to have to cut the reigns on J.T. Barrett,let him play and see what they had.
What that means is that in both of the Buckeye struggles this season (The loss to Virginia Tech and the overtime win over Penn State),Ohio State had kept Barrett conservative and didn't allow the offense to be aggressive and played not to lose.
Last night against the Spartans,Ohio State made the decision to let Barrett run the offense and attack.
Well over 500 yards later and a huge win on the road,that decision was proven to be the right one...

3) J.T. Barrett may have extinguished the ghost of Braxton Miller in this game.
I'll put aside the issue of Miller vs Barrett in 2015 as a topic for next year,but 2014 is the year for Barrett,who as a pure passer might be better than Miller.
Barrett was strong in the pocket and even though Barrett isn't as speedy or as elusive runner as Miller,he is a more powerful runner.
Great night (5 TD's will do that) for Barrett..

4) Ian and I also wondered around halftime why the Buckeyes didn't use Ezekiel Elliott more,especially when he had been effective on the ground.
The second half would see Elliott's use and be increased to the tune of 154 yards with a long run of 47 yards.
Elliott will come in quite handy in....

5) Could this win send the Buckeyes to the final four?
Well,it is possible,but what it will take is Michigan State winning to finish with two losses and either Wisconsin or Nebraska to win out entering the Big 10 championship title game.
I'm still not sure that happens,but those two teams will have do their jobs for the chance to increase..

6) Pivotal play-Late in the first half,Michigan State took over after a Dontrel Wilson fumble on the kick return and Michigan State quickly scored a touchdown that was called back for holding.
Michael Geiger then missed a field goal from 39 yards away.
Uncle mo had switched and...

7) J.T. Barrett began to establish that Michigan State could be beaten with the pass-especially the medium pass  and struck on the first play with a 79 yard catch and run to tie the game to Michael Thomas.
Those two plays meant the difference between 24-14 Spartans in front of a rocking crowd and a 21-21 tie deflating the stadium...

8) Joey Bosa was kept under control by the Michigan State offensive line,but the attention given Bosa allowed Michael Bennett to have his best game all season,
Bennett's name was consistently called and was the best Buckeye player on defense in the win...

9) Dontre' Wilson fumbled two kickoffs (the Buckeyes recovered one of them) and dropped a easy touchdown pass.
Wilson partially redeemed himself later with a fourth quarter touchdown catch,but for a player that hit Columbus with hype as a playmaker,I've been disappointed...

10) Hard to believe (or maybe not) this victory over the 8th ranked Spartans was the first win over a top ten team since Urban Meyer hit Columbus.
The scheduled non-conference powers have turned out to be not so powerful and the weak Big Ten hasn't added much either.but this does add to that resume'.

11) -The defense still allowed 37 points and the pass defense still is flawed (356 yards allowed).
I'm afraid that against top notch competition that the defense still isn't quite of national title quality.
I'm not saying the Buckeyes are a title threat if they get to the playoffs and I still think they are a year away from being a strong all-around team,but this was a great road win over a classy and strong competitor.

12) I'm a Mark Dantonio fan and he is building a classy program in East Lansing.
The Spartans played hard,but not dirty and conducted themselves with class before,during and after the game.
Nice to see someone from Michigan coach with class,but the gentleman that doesn't know how to conduct themselves with grace likely will be looking for a new job in a month....

Browns Bully Bengals 24-3!

The Cleveland Browns set the tone from the opening kickoff and were never threatened as the Browns bullied the Cincinnati Bengals and trounced them on their way out of town to the beat of 24-3.
Terrence West rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown,while Ben Tate and Isaiah Crowell each scored a rushing touchdown as well.
The now 6-3 Browns have 10 days off before hosting the Houston Texans.

Brownie Bits

1) 6-3 and first place in the division (Tied with Pittsburgh)?
Yep and even though the Steelers are likely to take their half game lead back on Sunday (Steelers haven't had their bye yet) after they deal with the weak sister Jets-It's still a pretty good feeling.

2) Key play-the Craig Robertson interception to put the doubt in Andy Dalton's mind early that these are a different set of Browns.
I'm putting the game on DVD as I write this and the body language from Dalton wasn't good from that point on.

3) And another key-The Browns actually slammed the ball into the end zone after the turnover!
All too often,the Browns of the past and even the present,make a big play and then settle for a field goal.
This night,the Browns established that this was going to be a long hard night for the home team...

4) Terrence West got the bulk of the carries and yards in this game (94 yds 26 carries),but Isaiah Crowell and Ben Tate each scored a touchdown along with double digit carries.
I still think it's going to be tough to get all three backs that carries that they need every week,but on a evening where the running game HAD to be successful to gain a win, the result was a great one..

5) Brian Hoyer did what he needed to do to win.
The numbers aren't glossy-198 yards and no touchdowns,but he passed for several key third downs,didn't make a mistake (no turnovers) and considering he did not have Jordan Cameron or Andrew Hawkns-Hoyer used what he had and I thought he played very well...

6) The offensive line had missed Alex Mack,but they were the unsung soldiers in this win.
The line drove the Bengals off the ball and allowed a running game that had been struggling to set the tone to pound away.
The line also excelled in pass protection as Brian Hoyer was not sacked and rarely was hurried..

7) The pass rush was active too.
Desmond Bryant had the only two sacks,but Billy Winn had one called back after a penalty and the rush harassed Andy Dalton all evening...

8) Three interceptions and a fumble forced by the Cleveland defense.
Two picks by Buster Skrine and the forced fumble after Jeremy Hill had ripped off a nice run ended a Bengal drive that might have swung some momentum had the drive continued.
Mike Pettine's big play D might have began to set itself in this game...

9) Browns fans have begun to call for former Brown Josh Cribbs to get a tryout to return punts and even after a win,those cries might continue as Jim Leonhard,who is the "hands" punt returner (the player that you expect to catch it) fumbled a punt.
That miscue gave the Browns three different players that have fumbled punts this season.
Maybe the fans are onto something??

10) Miles Austin might not have the yardage in the win of a number one receiver,but it seemed like every time the Browns had a 3rd and medium to long,it was Miles Austin grabbing just enough yardage to move the chains.
Austin's numbers might go up even more in two weeks,when you know who returns...

11) Greg Little was going to make the Browns pay for releasing him as he bloviated all week to the media.
End game: One catch 8 yards.One penalty 15 yards against.
SO the price the Browns paid was gaining seven yards for allowing Greg Little on the other team.....

12) Keep this in mind.
The Browns will have ten days of Browns fans,media and league followers telling them how great their story is.
Last time this happened after pounding Pittsburgh,the Browns heard all of this and laid an egg against a bad Jacksonville team,
That game is the only game that Jacksonville has won to date and if this becomes a (gasp) playoff run,might be the one that could haunt the Browns.
The next opponent is the Houston Texans,a better team than the Jaguars,but the game is in Cleveland,so that is a difference as well.
Part of growing as a team is not getting too high or low,I'm looking forward to seeing how the Browns enter that contest..

Photo Credits:Cleveland Plain Dealer

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....