Cleveland Browns Season in Review-The Defense

The Cleveland Browns poured lots of money into their defense under the assumption that they would be a run first team that would win by pounding the ball on offense and shutting teams down on defense.
Now we know how that turned out,but I think a lot of this can be blamed on defensive coordinator Jim O'Neill and his decisions/philosophy.
Here is our look at the Browns defense....


The defensive line was still a sieve against the run,but they did manage a mildly improved pass rush with the Bryants (Desmond and Armonty) leading the group with 6 and 5.5 sacks respectively.
Armonty Bryant also was used as a standup outside backer,which he wasn't quite as effective at.
Randy Starks didn't bring as much as hoped for after being signed as a free agent and John Hughes didn't set the world on fire after signing an extension before the season.
Danny Shelton was somewhat of a disappointment after being drafted in the first round,but played very well over the final month and gives me hope that this maturation will continue next season.
The surprise was Jamie Meder as the former Ashland Eagle showed signs of at least being a strong rotational player,while third rounder Xavier Cooper was seldom used after being a preseason terror.

The linebackers still lacked impact players as Jim O'Neill continued the sad Browns tradition of not using players skills in the best usage.
Paul Kruger was less than strong (16 tackles,2.5 sacks),but Kruger was used less and less in the pass rush (his strength) and more in pass coverage,which isn't really his game.
Kruger has a 6.5 million dollar roster bonus coming and considering his drop in performance,the Browns could cut him loose unless Ray Horton thinks he can revitalize Kruger.
Nate Orchard was drafted to be a rush end at outside linebacker,but O'Neill rarely cut him loose and used him in pass coverage more often.
Orchard was surprisingly good in that role,but he wasn't drafted to do that-Orchard might have had a much larger impact had he been used as a pass rusher more often.
Former first rounder Barkevious Mingo was used similarly as Orchard and like Orchard was drafted as a pass rusher.
Mingo has tremendous speed,but lacks strength and when he would reach the quarterback,this lack of strength often hurt his ability to bring the QB down.
Mingo might go elsewhere,unless Ray Horton decides to try a reclamation project in a similar manner to Paul Kruger.
Karlos Dansby was his solid self,but at 34,the Browns at minimum need to be thinking about replacing him down the road.
Craig Robertson was nothing special at one inside spot,while Christian Kirksey played well,although I don't see him being a top level starter.

The secondary was pretty bad and I might be being a bit generous in that statement.
Joe Haden struggled early,never got better and wound up missing most of the season with concussion problems.
The Browns will need him to bounce back,because for all the money put into the secondary,there isn't anyone capable of replacing him.
Veteran Tramon Williams was brought to Cleveland to be the second corner at age 32.
With the injuries to Haden,Williams was forced into the top spot and was overwhelmed at the number one corner.
Williams is best suited to be a 3rd or 4th corner at this stage of his career and the Browns simply asked too much of an aging veteran.
The Browns used a variety of young players at the corner and none truly distinguished themselves.
Pierre Desir has the physical skills,but still is very raw,K'Waun Williams is more polished,but has a susceptibility to injury,Charles Gaines played late in the season with mixed results,Johnson Bademosi was badly beaten and was overmatched as anything more than a special teams player and Justin Gilbert continues to give the Browns next to nothing from a top ten draft pick.
At safety,Donte Whitner is still a solid tackler,but is getting worse and worse in pass coverage as he clearly has lost a step.
Tashaun Gipson had quarrels with the front office before last season over being tendered a contract,went out and was less of the ballhawking centerfielder than in 2014 and will likely leave via free agency.
Look for the Browns to address this position in either the draft or free agency.
Ibraheim Campbell played fairly well in his late season playing time and might have a chance to be the long term starter at strong safety.
Jordan Poyer is a special teams player that should be limited to just that role rather than any secondary time....

Andy Lee was one of the better punters in the league after being traded for from the 49ers with a 46 yard average.
Lee might have been the teams best asset in many ways.....

Grades

Defensive Line D+
The Bryants aside,the line didn't do a lot of pressuring the passer and the run defense remained a huge problem...

Linebackers C-
Nothing special,very few playmakers and players not used to their best abilities turned what was thought to be an asset into a below average unit...

Secondary D-
Lots of money spent for a low performing group.
A unit that spent more time chasing players than tackling them.

Punting A
Andy Lee was often this teams best weapon and was well worth the seventh round pick spent to acquire him....

Cleveland Browns Season in Review-The Offense

I always seem to get delayed in doing these season in reviews for the Browns and often get to the point of abandoning them because of the delay.
I do them anyway because I like having them in the archives,so here goes....

The quarterback play wasn't anything to get excited about,but considering that the distinct lack of weapons that each passer had to deal with,the play could have been far worse.
Between the three quarterbacks that started games (Josh McCown,Johnny Manziel and Austin Davis),they combined for 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions,which isn't a number that leads many leagues,but wouldn't have been a number that makes one wince either.
McCown had problems staying healthy and had some high-profile miscues,but he set a Browns record for passing yards in a game and wasn't a minus on the overall.
McCown was always around (even when injured) and did exactly what he was brought in for-keep the position warm,try to tutor Johnny Manziel and act with class.
I would have little problem with McCown returning to try to mentor whatever rookie that they draft this year.
Johnny Manziel showed glimmers of progress,especially when allowed to freelance as he did at Texas A&M,but still struggled in the pocket and with his off the field issues,just isn't worth the hassles that his behavior brings with him.
Austin Davis pretty much is about what you would expect from a third string quarterback,but the decision to sign him to a long term contract stills makes me wonder when you have the ability to sign someone for that slot for around the minimum without losing production.

The running game wasn't the best either,but did have its occasional bright spots.
Isaiah Crowell finished with over 700 yards as the main back. On a good team,Crowell isn't the back to be the bellcow,but he can be solid as a secondary back.
Duke Johnson wasn't anything special as a ballcarrier (379 yards on 104 carries),but showed electric moves as a pass catcher with 61 receptions and looks to be a long term contributor in a third down/pass receiving role.
Only one other player carried the ball more than twice-the since released Robert Turbin (60 yards on 18 carries),who showed a disturbing tendency to fumble on his way out the door.

The wide receivers were led by Travis Benjamin,who fell just short of 1,000 yards on 68 catches.
Benjamin started faster than he finished,but some of that can be attributed to being a little under the radar in early play and being the big play target when Josh McCown played,who preferred going downfield more than Johnny Manziel.
I still think Benjamin is better suited to being a second or even third receiver,but on the 2015 Browns,he was clearly the best they had.
The remainder of the corps struggled with injuries and missed time,which led to a parade of no-name receivers throughout the season.
Brian Hartline made some tremendous catches,but missed three games and often was ignored by the various passers.
Taylor Gabriel missed three games,but caught just 28 passes and appeared to regress over the season.
Andrew Hawkins was out for half the season with concussion issues and was deeply missed at the slot position.
Hawkins hopefully will be able to return to full health for 2016 as Hue Jackson has experience with Hawkins with the Bengals and should use him often.
Marlon Moore is more of a special teamer type and the less I mention the waste of dollars on Dwayne Bowe (nine million for five catches) the better.
Terrelle Pryor likely made the training camp roster with his one spectacular catch (only one of the season) against Pittsburgh and knowing Hue Jackson helps him there.
Actually,it wouldn't surprise me to see Jackson either return Pryor as a backup QB or at least use him often in trick play formation/play calls.

The tight end position brought far more than fans could have ever expected from Gary Barnidge.
Barnidge came to Cleveland with a reputation as a strong blocker with limited pass catching skills.
Barnidge proved all of those wrong with a phenomenal season that surprisingly surpassed that of the departed Jordan Cameron.
Barnidge finished with 79 catches (many of them in the jaw-dropping category) and for over one thousand yards-Barnidge deserved the contract extension that he signed before the end of the season.
One feels silly asking for more from Gary Barnidge,but it could happen.
When you look at the numbers that Tyler Eifert accumulated in Cincinnati under a Hue Jackson offense,one could see even more from Barnidge-if the Browns have the ability to give him some help on the outside.
The other three tight ends combined for eight catches and under one hundred yards.
Jim Dray was essentially a blocker,Rob Housler suffered a season-ending injury early in the year and E.J. Bibbs didn't see the field much after showing unique physical skills in the pre-season.
I'd like to see more of Bibbs in 2016.

The offensive line was better than you would think from a three win team.
The tackles were good enough as left tackle Joe Thomas continued on his way to the Hall of Fame and Mitchell Schwartz put together his best season as a Brown-just in time for the Browns to lose him via free agency.
The guards were a little above average,albeit not tremendous.
Joel Bitonio missed the final month with an ankle injury and took a small step back after a tremendous 2014 as a rookie.
John Greco was his typical steady self at right guard-solid,but unspectacular.
Alex Mack returned from his broken ankle and suffered a drop in play.
Not that Mack was poor,but he clearly was not what he had been before the injury.
Mack is going to likely explore free agency and for a 30 year old player that might be in decline,Mack might be too expensive for my tastes to return.
First round pick Cameron Erving was touted as the best center in the draft,but versatile enough to play tackle or guard.
What the Browns received was a disappointment on a level rarely seen even by Cleveland standards.
Erving had lowlights of being bowled over and thrown into backfields to the point of having issues even blocking for field goal attempts.
Erving looked to be not strong enough for guard or quick enough for tackle among other issues.
Center is still reported to be his best position,so I'm open to him being the replacement for Alex Mack,should Mack leave,but he needs to hit the weight room in a major way during the downtime.

Travis Coons was 28 of 32 on field goals,but was kept away from long field goals because a low trajectory lended itself to the possibility of blocks.
Coons performance was more acceptable,but I would love to see a bigger leg challenge Coons for 2016.

Grades

Quarterback C-
Nothing great to see,but quarterback play is really hard to grade with a team that saddles the passer with so few weapons.

Running Back D
The numbers simply don't indicate anything to get more excited about than that other than Duke Johnson's numbers as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Wide Receiver D
You get what you pay for and Ray Farmer's lack of interest in upgrading the passing game gave him what he deserved-a lost job.
Travis Benjamin almost lifted the grade to a C-.
Almost.

Tight End A
Gary Barnidge was tremendous and was the only offensive skill player to stand out every week...

Offensive Line B
Better in pass protection than as true earth movers in the running game and with the issues of Cameron Erving whenever he filled in considered,the O-Line might not have been worth the dollars spent on them,but still was more than adequate on the whole.

Kicker C-
Travis Coons was accurate enough,but the failings outside of 40 yards deeply hurt a team that often struggled to move the ball into scoring range...

I'll look at the defense sometime soon.....

Pigskin Picking Machine-Playoff Edition

The PPM keeps rolling on with four playoff games!

Last Week:5-0
Overall; 105-43

Patriots over Chiefs 23-20
Broncos over Steelers 24-16 (this pick is made only because of the questionable health of Ben Rothlisberger and Antonio Brown)
Seahawks over Panthers 16-14
Cardinals over Packers 34-24

Disgrace to the game

It was sad to watch the "game" Saturday night between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Not just because the Steelers were handed a victory by two boneheaded decisions by the Bengals and not just because of the sloppy play that could be somewhat blamed on the rainy conditions.

No, this game was disgraceful by the behavior of the two teams on the field and the actions of both teams reflected badly on the game itself.
I cannot say I was surprised that something happened, but I was surprised that so much of it occurred.
Pittsburgh has employed players that made a career of questionable tactics for years such as Joey Porter (and then bring him back as a coach), James Harrison, and even offensive players such as the now-retired Hines Ward known for his knee-cutting blocks, but Cincinnati has slowly begun to rival the Steelers and Ravens for players with thuggish behavior as Marvin Lewis, who coached in both Pittsburgh and Baltimore copied the M.O. by giving every malcontent/cheap shot artist that he could "rehabilitate" a position on his club.

This game featured the Bengals' Vontaze Burfict nearly knocking Antonio Brown's head off with a cheap shot, Adam "Pac Man" Jones pushing coaches, Jeremy Hill challenging four Steelers to a fight and someone coming off the bench to push a Steeler for a penalty that allowed a Steeler drive to continue.

Pittsburgh certainly wasn't going to allow that to stand as Ryan Shazier knocked out Giovanni Bernard on a play that deserved a flag (I'm a huge Shazier fan, but that wasn't clean), William Gay dancing around in the endzone (earning a flag), Mike Munchak(a coach!) drawing a flag for pulling the hair of a Bengal along with the aforementioned Porter in the middle of the field arguing with Bengals and drawing the flag that meant the game.

I'm still trying to figure out what Porter (a linebackers coach) was doing on the field with the fallen Antonio Brown (an offensive player), but he was an instigator as a player so it makes sense to do it as a coach.
It's been reported (with no verification) that Porter was voted a game ball for his stunt with Pac-Man Jones- classy.

This just scratches the surface of the issues of this game.
Look, I'm not a violet and I love a hard-nosed game, but this went beyond that- it was just plain dirty and cheap.
In other words, a sad excuse for a game.

Editors Note: Forgot to mention Mike Tomlin going for two with the score 15-0.
The extra point would have meant it would have taken 2 touchdowns and 2 two-point conversions to tie-no coach decided to go for two in that situation unless you are trying to run the score up or your kicker is injured, which Chris Boswell was not.
A Steeler loss would have been worth Tomlin trying to explain that decision alone.

I don't blame Steelers fans for being happy with the win, it is the playoffs and you take it any way that you can get it, but I wouldn't be proud about it.
Bengals fans shouldn't complain too much (although the Shazier hit should have been a penalty) as they played in just as bad of a manner and even they added to the "event" with the throwing stuff at an injured Ben Rothlisberger.

Marvin Lewis clearly has lost control of his team and you can make a real case for his removal of the old NCAA term "Lack of institutional control".
Meanwhile, you watch the same old Steeler routine every week with Mike Tomlin with his sheepish grin of tacit approval at press conferences basically condoning this crap.
It's simply a sad state of affairs in both cities.

A friend of mine has been a Bengals fan for years and last night, he had enough and renounced his fandom.
It was that bad and it was a disgrace to the game...

Pigskin Picking Machine-Playoff Edition

We continue to the NFL Playoffs and add the National Championship for College.

Last week:3-3
Overall:100- 43

National Championship
Alabama over Clemson 38-21

NFL Playoffs
Chiefs over Texans 21-14
Steelers over Bengals 35-28
Seahawks over Vikings 24-19
Packers over Redskins 26-20

So YOU had a bad day-Browns fall to Pittsburgh 28-12

The Cleveland Browns finished off another sad season with a 28-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Travis Coons booted four field goals for the Browns points in a game that saw five trips to the red zone result in four field goals and an interception.
The Browns finish 3-13 (as we predicted) and will pick second in the NFL Draft in April...

Brownie Bits

1) I'm not going to get into the game too much,but I'll give the Browns this much and boy do I HATE using this term-they battled.
Outmanned and outgunned,they did play hard and didn't roll over in a game that meant nothing to them and everything to Pittsburgh.
Wow.

2) That said,the Browns forced three turnovers and came away with next to nothing to show for it.
You want to pull upsets? You need to take every advantage and they just didn't.

3) The one highlight was the terrific interception return by Craig Robertson,who made the Steelers look silly as he eluded them like Tanner Boyle making the cops miss in the Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
Sadly,he only brought the ball to the Pittsburgh five and on this day,if the Browns were going to hit the endzone,the defense was going to have to do it...

4) Austin Davis didn't have much time to throw,but he still gets an F to me.

5) For all the B.S. about Mike Pettine throwing it all out there and becoming Riverboat Pettine in a desperate stand against a superior force,that became very apparent early on ( other than one first quarter fourth down attempt )that wasn't going to happen-nothing ventured,nothing gained...

6) Terrelle Pryor made one big play that likely got him a training camp spot from someone as he went over the top of a Pittsburgh corner for a 42 yard gain and just took the ball away.
That play will get him a contract somewhere next year.

Just a shorter version than normal-Check the Podcast for more thoughts and I'll be working another post for today or tomorrow on the firings of Mike Pettine and Ray Farmer with the ridiculous ideas of the process of rebuilding the front office.

Buckeyes hit the Fiesta!

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a Fiesta Bowl record tying four touchdowns and 149 yards as the Ohio State Buckeyes bullied and ripped their way through the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on their way to a 44-26 Fiesta Bowl victory.
J.T.Barrett threw for over 200 yards and another touchdown in the win.
Ohio State finishes their season at 12-1 and next plays Bowling Green at the Horseshoe in September...

Olentangy Offerings

1) This game looks closer than it was.
As someone always looking for a way to find a way to lose as I watch-I never had that feeling that the Buckeyes were remotely challenged at all.

2) Ezekiel Elliott finished his OSU days by physically beating down Notre Dame.
You could clearly see the Irish wincing at bringing Elliott down and the Buckeyes dominated at the line of scrimmage.

3) Joey Bosa was ejected for targeting in the first quarter.
Had Bosa not been ejected (by the letter of the law,the ejection was warranted,but still a dumb rule),this game would have truly been a massacre.
Ohio State was up 14-0 when the play happened and it allowed a Vonn Bell interception to come off the board.
Between that and Bosa destroying off the line of scrimmage,OSU looked on the way to a huge win,if 16 isn't enough already...

4) Yes,the targeting rule is dumb.
Joey Bosa's helmet did hit the ND player-in the chest!
Add into that that the quarterback was on the move and you could argue that the targeting rule needs some revising.
All things considered,the rule should be revised for a 15 yard penalty (at best) for plays that did not involve helmet to helmet and no ejection.

5) Even with the Notre Dame scores,the defense still played pretty well considering that the Buckeyes played without three quarters of their defensive line.
Tommy Schutt (broken foot),Adolphus Washington (suspension) and Bosa weren't on the field by the end of first quarter,but Sam Hubbard took up some slack.
Ohio State still ended the game with four sacks,so imagine what could have been!

6) Braxton Miller touched the ball just four times,but I wanted to take a minute to thank a player that graduated early,always worked hard and never complained about his situation.
I'm not sure about Miller's NFL future,but he's a high character guy-someone should take a look..

7) Next season is a rebuilding one.
Now this is Ohio State,so it won't be that bad,but they go to Michigan State and Wisconsin next year,get underrated Bowling Green and add Oklahoma at Norman for non-conference,so a four loss season isn't out of the question.
However J.T. Barrett is back and Urban Meyer often does his best work when underestimated so one never knows,but the people that complained about schedules shouldn't have much to say next year.

8) The mass exodus of talent is part of a rebuild,but the recruiting class is supposed to be strong.
So strong that some analysts rate it as tops in the country.
I'm not a recruiting guru,so I'm taking the word of others,but the step back will be a small and fast one...

9) Finally,the what might have been.
Yes,the play calling still makes me wonder against Michigan State and yes,the Buckeyes would have been a better ratings draw and I think would have offered better competition in the final four.
Howevee,no matter how great they looked vs Michigan and Notre Dame,that loss meant they didn't deserve to be there.
Even if they might have been the best team...

10) Let the cries for 8 teams begin.
I plan on talking about this tonight on the podcast!
Yep,there will be a podcast tonight and another on Monday-Enjoy!

11) Anyone know just what Battlefrog is or does?
They sponsored the Fiesta Bowl and I have never heard of them or whatever they make/do etc..

Pigskin Picking Machine

We conclude the NFL season and most of the bowl season with the PPM.

Last Week:7-1

Overall:97-40

College 

Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State over Notre Dame 30-17

Orange Bowl

Oklahoma over Clemson 24-19

Sugar Bowl

Alabama over Michigan State 21-16

NFL

Steelers over Browns 35-10

Falcons over Saints 45-42

Game of the Week

Packers over Vikings 28-20

Browns run out of time vs Chiefs 17-13

The Cleveland Browns used a ball control offense to hang in there against the favored Kansas City Chiefs and had a chance late in the game to win.
However,a Johnny Manziel completion to Darius Jennings deep in Kansas City territory was the last gasp as the Browns could not get another play off in a 17-13 win for the home team.
Manziel threw for just 136 yards and an interception,but rushed for 108 with Isaiah Crowell adding another 88 for the suddenly ground-bound Browns..
The 3-12 Browns host Pittsburgh this week in the finale' of an awful season...

1) Johnny Manziel's passing numbers were pretty bad,but I'm not going to blame him-Manziel wasn't sacked,but he was constantly running for his life from either a fierce Chief pass rush or awful Browns offensive line (I think it's both).
Considering that fact,it was a miracle the Browns had any offense at all..

2) Manziel was inaccurate (13 of 32),but I loved the taking the blame for the loss in the locker room despite it not being all his fault.
Manziel may be immature off the field,but that is the type of thing that you like to see from a quarterback of any age....

3) The key part of this game?
Cleveland taking 12 minutes off the clock in the second half and coming away with just three points.
A touchdown would have tied the game and settling for three was the final score for either team in the game.

4) Isaiah Crowell continued his resurgence with the aforementioned 88 yards including the only Brown touchdown.
I don't think Crowell is ever going to be a Pro Bowl level back,but I think if you had another solid back with him in tandem-Crowell could be very effective in the right situation...

5) I'm not against Mike Pettine surviving for another year,especially if the tradeoff is the firing of Ray Farmer,but he made himself look bad again with the handling of Dwayne Bowe.
Pettine made Bowe a captain (former Chief) after so many inactives and was rewarded with an inability to get open on an afternoon that ended with zero catches on one pass thrown to him.

6) I have been critical of Ray Farmer's draft prowess,but Nate Orchard is beginning to show signs of having potential three down playing time.
Orchard finished with a sack and a interception and even thought he was drafted to increase the pass rush,Orchard has been surprisingly strong when used in pass coverage.
I'd still like to see Orchard used more as a rusher,but for a Ray Farmer draft pick,Orchard has been reasonably productive...

7) The defense did show up in the second half with a shutdown of the Chiefs as they kept Kansas City off the board.
They came up huge on a 3rd and inches stop in the fourth quarter and Danny Shelton has had his best two games of the year against Seattle and Kansas City.
Combine that with the play of Jamie Meder and I have a little hope for the improvement against the run for 2016.

8) The Browns secondary let the team down on both Kansas City touchdowns.
On the Jeremy Maclin score,Jordan Poyer didn't give any help to Tayshaun Gipson on the rotation inside and on Travis Kelce's TD,Tramon Williams was simply beaten on the ball and just was out of position..

9) In a league that has started using roman numerals and abbreviations for senior and junior on jerseys,can anyone tell me why the Browns have two players named Williams that play in the secondary and not use an initial?

10) If indeed,this report is correct and Mike Pettine survives this season-look back at a gutsy high effort against a playoff team on the road as a possible reason why.
Pettine has to show that his team hasn't quit on him to return and the Browns are outmanned,outgunned but not always outgutted.
It'll be interesting to see the effort next week vs the Steelers...

Pigskin Picking Machine

The PPM starts early this week with all the bowl games,so here they are for this week.

Last Week:2-1

Overall;90-39

Bowl Games

Poinsettia Bowl

Boise State over Northern Illinois 29-19

Go Daddy Bowl

Bowling Green over Georgia Southern 36-20

Bahamas Bowl

Western Michigan over Middle Tennessee State 24-23

Heart of Dallas Bowl

Washington over Southern Mississippi 23-20

Texas Bowl

LSU over Texas Tech 43-29

NFL
Chiefs over Browns 23-10

Saints over Jaguars 28-26

Game of the Week

Cardinals over Packers 35-32

Defenseless in Seattle-Browns lose 30-13

The Cleveland Browns played respectable for a while,but as expected,were worn down by the physical pounding given by the Seattle Seahawks and left Seattle with a 30-13 defeat.
Johnny Manziel hit Gary Barnidge in the first quarter for the only Cleveland touchdown.
The now 3-11 Browns travel to Kansas City next Sunday for their final road game against the Chiefs,who have won eight games in a row.
Good luck.....

Brownie Bits

1) Good news-San Diego defeated Miami,so if the Browns lose their final games as I expect them to do-they can pick no worse than second.
The team they are now battling-Tennessee plays Houston at home and then the Colts in Indianapolis.
Keep an eye on that scoreboard...

2) Most of the fans are likely talking about Johnny Manziel,but I didn't think he played badly with a score and an interception.
The Cleveland Browns have many issues-Johnny Manziel is far from the top of that list...

3) That said-I'm not convinced that he is the answer either.
His elusiveness allows things to happen that a more conventional quarterback could not do,but the lack of size makes that almost a must.
Watching Manziel makes me wish Mike Pettine had just given him the ball to start the season and really have a lot of data to a make a decision with...

4) The lack of discipline and smart play showed when Tramon Williams grabbed a facemask on the final play of the half and allowed Seattle;s Steven Hauschka to drill a field goal on an untimed play.
You expect that from the younger defensive backs-Williams was brought here to treach them how to-not how NOT to...

5) Take away a 39 yard run by Duke Johnson (longest of the year by him) and the Browns rushed for just 55 yards.
So much for the revitalized running game.

6) Maybe it was the return home to Washington,but Danny Shelton looked the best he has all season with two tackles for loss.
I thought Shelton and Desmond Bryant were each effective in play and effort.

7) But the Browns still couldn't stop the run as Christine Michael,who was brought back off waivers from Dallas ripped the Browns for 84 yards on 16 carries as Seattle rushed for 182 yards on today....

8) John Greco left the game at guard early with injury which meant the return of Cameron Erving,who was called for one holding penalty and didn't get thrown across the field any,so for Erving,that was a good day...

9) Dwayne Bowe played and caught two passes.
Terrelle Pryor dropped the only pass thrown to him and other than that,his only time touching the ball was another of those ridiculous wildcat plays for a one yard loss.
The wildcat is worthless without the threat of a pass and it stuns me to think of how many people that get PAID to work in the game cannot figure this out.

10) I didn't expect a winning performance and for a half,the Browns hung in there against a far superior team on the road.
I expect the same result next week in Kansas City.
The only way that a Browns win either of the last two games would truly make me happy would be over Pittsburgh-if it would cost them a playoff spot.
Otherwise-Bring on the draft.
And have someone other than Ray Farmer doing the picking...

Browns stiff arm 49ers 24-10

The Cleveland Browns managed for one day to be the type of team that Mike Pettine envisioned them to be-A physical run-first type of team that can stuff the opponent's running game and break them down.
The result was a dominant 24-10 Browns win for what might be the final win of the season.
Isaiah Crowell rushed for two scores and ran for 145 yards with Johnny Manziel tossed a touchdown along with 270 yards for the day.
Cleveland improves to 3-10 on the season with the victory and falls out of the lead in the race for the first pick in the draft behind Tennessee and San Diego.

Brownie Bits

1) It's interesting to me that the fans that want change in the management team and the reaction to this win.
Browns fans seemed happy with this win over an almost equally crummy team (4-9 to 3-10),even at the cost of losing the top overall draft pick.
Cleveland dropped from first to third with the win,but...

2) I don't see the Browns winning again against their tough competition fighting for playoff berths (at Seattle,at Kansas City and Pittsburgh at home),so I don't see them sliding below third overall.
Tennessee (at New England,home vs Houston and at Indianapolis) and San Diego (Miami,at Oakland and at Denver) would need to win once for the Browns to pass them,although the tiebreakers are strength of schedule,so that could change as the final games play out...

3) The 49ers came in thinking that even with Browns retread Shaun Draughn as the their ball carrier that that they could run the football against the worst run defense in the game.
Turned out they couldn't as they finished with just 71 yards.
Much of that was being behind in the second half,but Cleveland was able to shut down the run effectively to much surprise...

4) Brian Hartline had a nice game with eight catches for 107 yards as the main target for Johnny Manziel,but he broke his collarbone and will miss the remainder of the season.
Hartline's absence will likely mean either more playing time for Terrelle Pryor among others...

5) I thought Johnny Manziel played well,but you have to consider the opposition.
I did like that Manziel was allowed to roam from the pocket and not forced into the mold,so "letting Johnny be Johnny" was the right move for the this day...

6) Isaiah Crowell has been a disappointment this season,but again consider the foes,but he looked to show signs of the hard nosed back that we saw glimmers of last season..
I don't think Crowell is a franchise back by any means,but I've liked his ability and would like to see him stay around-even if not as a number one back...

7) Nine sacks from a team that struggled to rush the passer all season!
The Niners clearly have a bad line and Blaine Gabbert isn't the most adept at avoiding a rush,but still that's pretty impressive.
Armonty Bryant had two sacks  and continues to show talent for rushing the passer at times.
Bryant's problem is under Mike Pettine/Jim O'Neill that they are trying to use him as a standup linebacker in the 3-4 when he clearly is better suited as a rush end.
I have hope for a Bryant breakout next year that will use his talents better...

8) I've ripped Ray Farmer for his bad drafting,but his second round pick Nate

Orchard finished with two sacks yesterday showing the pass rush ability that the Browns hoped he would add.
The problem with Orchard (as with past number one Barkevious Mingo,who was pre-Farmer) is that the Browns continue to try to make a pass rusher into a pass defender.
Even yesterday,Cleveland isolated Orchard on a receiver and was called for pass interference allowing the 49ers to get a first down deep in their own territory...


9) Serious concern about the special teams and kicker Travis Coons.
Coons had a field goal blocked as the "Ray Farmer special" kicked in as both first rounders Danny Shelton and Cameron Erving got blown up by the rush and rejected the kick.
Coons would kick a field goal later,but even then,the 49ers got a finger on it.
The special teams has had a bad last few weeks...

10) This might have been the last highlight of the year-hope you enjoyed it!!!!

Bengals embarrass Browns 37-3

The Cleveland Browns set a new low on Sunday as they were battered into their worst loss ever to the Cincinnati Bengals 37-3 in Cleveland.
Other than Travis Coons and his 47 yard field goal at the end of the first half,there were no highlights of note.
The now 2-10 Browns host San Francisco next week...

Brownie Bits

1) With the Tennessee win,the Browns now have the worst record in the league and as of now-the top pick in 2016.
There is your highlight of the day.

2) The Browns never crossed into the Bengals red zone all day and inside the 30 just twice.
Unreal...

3) I didn't think Austin Davis was that bad.
I mean he wasn't great (230 yds,1 Int),but he wasn't the reason for this beating.
Those reasons go way beyond Davis and his performance.

4) The fact that Davis was down to two healthy receivers by the games end (Brian Hartline and recently promoted Darius Jennings) gave the Browns and Davis even fewer playmakers than the normally inept team usually has,
The questionable decision of Mike Pettine to deactivate both Dwayne Bowe and Terrelle Pryor left the Browns vulnerable to injury and of course being the Browns-they got them as Travis Benjamin and Marlon Moore each were driven from the game...

5) Add in that the offensive line gave Davis very little time to throw and you had the makings of a rout.
Davis was only sacked three times,but he was harassed and hammered on almost every one of his 41 dropbacks.
The lowlight here was..

6) First round pick Cameron Erving being thrown aside by Geno Atkins like Ken Patera throwing the tire in old World's Strongest Man action wasn't the only bad thing from Erving.
Erving was benched and replaced by waiver wire pickup Austin Pasztor-he was that bad.
I realize Erving's best position is center and we'll see what he can do there next year when Alex Mack leaves,but for now,Erving looks to be yet another Ray Farmer wasted draft pick.


7) I don't think Danny Shelton has been terrible this season,but it did make me wonder why the noted run stuffer was absent from the field on a fourth and one in the first quarter.
Naturally,Andy Dalton went right at that spot for the first down and later would see a huge gap in the line and walk into the endzone for a score....

8) Another 144 yards yards allowed on the ground and Andy Dalton had time to throw all day other than one sack by Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo.
Complete domination on the line of scrimmage by the Bengals..

9) A.J. Green generally torched Tramon Williams on the day,which included a score,but Williams did track Green after a long gain which showed moxie and on the score,Williams was supposed to receive help from the safety-who was nowhere to be found.

10) This game was just brutal to watch and the feelings among Browns fans now is about as low as it can be.
Other than maybe this week's game against San Francisco,the final four games are likely to be just as ugly to watch.
I'm fine with that.
The Browns are never bad enough to gain the type of talent that changes teams.
Usually they are just mediocre-for once being the pits could possibly pay off....

Can it get any crazier? Browns blocked by Baltimore 30-24

It appeared that the Cleveland Browns were in a position to win Monday Night as Travis Coons prepared to attempt a 51 yard field goal to win and end the game.
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...

Harbaugh Hammered in Ann Arbor! Buckeyes cruise to 42-13 win!

Ezekiel Elliott ran over the Michigan Wolverines for 214 yards and two touchdowns,while J.T.Barrett added 139 yards and three touchdowns as Ohio State bounced back from their loss to Michigan State with a 42-13 romp over the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
The running game dominated the game with 369 yards as Ohio State outscored Michigan 28-3 in the second half.
The 11-1 Buckeyes now will wait and watch to see if they have a slim chance of retaining their national title or will settle for a New Year's Day bowl-most likely the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Olentangy Offerings

1) This was the dominant performance that Buckeye fans have waited for all season and in the second half brought the type of bully ball that could have beaten Michigan State.
Easy to say and "if" can be the saddest word in any language,but it would have been interesting to see if this effort would have been enough...

2) Want another person to blame other than last week's victims for not returning to the final 4?
Michigan punter Blake O'Neal,who had he gotten rid of that punt he muffed against the Spartans,would have given Michigan the win.
Give that win to the Wolverines,take it away from the Spartans and look at the rest of the results and it's Ohio State in Indianapolis next Saturday.
I was laughing as hard as anyone on that day,but it did cost the Buckeyes.

3) An interesting note is how muted Jim Harbaugh was as the game went on.
The guy that was smashing buckeyes on gravesites wasn't quite so outspoken when his team was getting pounded.
Other than the Harbaugh whine on his team getting called clearly for roughing the punter,the king of the khakis had to watch his team get pummelled...

4) The best player on the field was Joey Bosa,who is one of those special players that dominates even when the numbers don't say so.
Bosa finished with an interception,a forced fumble and a sack that looked like it ended the career of Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock.
I know the Browns need a QB badly in next year's draft and I'm really high on Memphis passer Paxton Lynch,but they could go far worse than tabbing Bosa.

5) I have this sinking feeling that I'm going to be watching Bosa shrug in Baltimore for a long time-Bleech.
I think the chances are unlikely that Bosa comes back,but the chance grows if his younger brother and Buckeye commitment Nick is coming along in his recovery from an injury to play next season.
Playing with your brother is a special experience and it's possible,if not likely that situation might keep Bosa in Columbus.

6) Other than the late first drive that saw Michigan score their only touchdown,the defense was lights out.
The first quarter stiffening when Michigan looked to make the first score of the game six rather than the eventual three was huge and set the tone for the more physical team...

7) Ohio State didn't throw the football a lot (15 times),but they did take shots down the field that they didn't do against Michigan State and between that,some option and some misdirection plays,Ohio State was able to use the threat of being more than Ezekiel Elliott to ....

8) Give Michigan more Ezekiel Elliott.
Elliott's 214 on 30 gave the nation's second ranked defense a small taste of physical football.
For Michigan's talk of not having "Harbaugh guys",they still have plenty of four star recruits over there and plenty of talent,so this was imposing your will on a darn good defense...

9) I thought the move of Ed Warriner to the press box with Tim Beck to help with play calling smacked of gimmickry before the game,but it clearly paid dividends.
As noted above,the play calling was tremendous and its often easy to say that when the players perform well,but the Warriner/Beck paring seemed one step ahead of the yellow and blue,so it must have had some positive effects...

10) Urban Meyer is now the second Ohio State coach in school history to win his first four games against the Wolverines.
I'll take that number every time over a nutcracker in khakis every time!

11) The win gives Ohio State the edge in the all-time series against the Wolverines in Big 10 play,Michigan will always have an edge after winning 13 of the first 15 games in the series....

12) Finally,I'll wrap up with this-Short of either North Carolina (vs Clemson) or Florida (vs Alabama) pulling huge upsets,the Buckeyes will not be in the playoffs.
That's disappointing,but can you really be disappointed in 11-1?
Sure,it was rocky at times and often seemed like they were underachieving,but 11-1 is nothing to scoff at.....

Podcast-Buckeyes Smacked by Sparty

Disappointed in the Ohio State loss,so I put my thoughts on the podcast...

Twisted in Pittsburgh-Browns trashed 30-9

The Cleveland Browns crawled into Pittsburgh and if you could leave in a maneuver lower than a crawl,the Browns left that way as the Pittsburgh Steelers crushed the Browns 30-9 in a game that wasn't even that close.
Johnny Manziel threw for 372 yards and threw the only Browns touchdown to Gary Barnidge as the offensive "leader".
The now 2-8 Browns have next week off and will return on Monday Night Football against 2-7 Baltimore in a matchup that I am sure ESPN has to be thrilled with....

Brownie Bits

1) I didn't think Johnny Manziel played poorly.
He wasn't perfect as his awkward fumble on the Browns first play led to a Pittsburgh score showed,but I thought he played reasonably well.
I cannot hold his one interception against him either as it was scrambling for his life on fourth down and tried to make something happen.
Not tremendous,but not awful...

2) I did think that the facemask shown on Manziel by Arthur Moats should have warranted an ejection of Moats.
However,I don't think that the facemask was a deliberate one and Moats seemed apologetic after the game....

3) Manziel was accurate (33 of 41),but other than a 61 yard play to Travis Benjamin,most of the throws were short and medium (not many of those either) and the play calling seems to take away any type of deep passes.
Nothing wrong with that,if Manziel has proven that he can't-however if he isn't allowed to try-he won't prove the point...

4) Now the first and goal from hell.
Johnny Manziel appeared to have scored on a scramble,but a replay reversed the call to make a first and goal from the half yard line.
Multiple penalties and the desperate Manziel interception later.Zero points.
That was so bad that words can't describe...

5) 12 penalties for 188 yards.
Not the mark of a well-coached or disciplined team.
With four pass interference penalties resulting in large chunks of yardage to Pittsburgh,you knew that wasn't going to end well....

6) The Browns entered the game dead last against the run and I expected a huge game from DeAngelo Williams.
The Browns held Williams to 54 yards,much of it in the fourth quarter,so that was better than expected,but when you throw like Pittsburgh did-who needs the run?

7) The Browns never took advantage of a hobbled Ben Rothlisberger,who entered the game after a Landry Jones injury.
Rothlisberger clearly was not as mobile as he normally was,yet the Browns rarely blitzed or trying anything different to try to add a pass rush.
A very vanilla and lackluster effort from defensive coordinator Jim O'Neill...

8) Hated the red zone "wildcat" call with Isaiah Crowell in the shotgun.
The wildcat deservedly is dying and here the Browns are running it without a passing threat.
Ugh.

9) I thought the Antonio Browns somersault into the endzone was classless.
I'd expect no less from the guy that karate kicks punters,but I'd think he'd be happy enough playing against the Cleveland corners to not do things like that.

10) Cameron Erving committed two holding penalties and was the toast of twitter vines as Cameron Heyward literally ran over Erving.
Erving was out of position for the day at left guard,but he was certainly abused.

11) Cameron Heyward-31st pick in 2011.The Browns ? traded up for Phil Taylor at the same position.
The Steelers love picking Ohio State players.The Browns have an aversion to them in the draft..

12) Finally,I'm at my wits end with the Browns.
I'm for continuity,but do you really want Ray Farmer picking your next franchise player after his failures,just to say there is stability?
Mike Pettine seems so embedded with Jim O'Neill that I don't know if the head coach is flexible enough to make the defensive changes that are needed.
As the closing credits roll on Corner Gas goes-"I don't know the same things you don't know"....

Buckeyes drop Illinois,Bullpen notes!!!

Ohio State kept the Illibuck trophy with a 28-3 win over Illinois.
Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 181 yards and two scores to lead the now 10-0 Buckeyes to the victory.
Ohio State will host Michigan State next Saturday before traveling to you know where the following Saturday...

I was exhausted from work and went to sleep,so I missed the game up until late in the third quarter.
The result is that I'm not going to do game coverage.
I suggest going to Eleven Warriors for that,if you wish.

Bullpen Notes

Those of you that were here at the beginning few years might remember a different format on coverage and bullpen notes finished the coverage.
For one day,it's the return of bullpen notes!

I watched the second and third period of the Devils 4-0 win over Pittsburgh,even though I was home.
The Devils seem to be putting it all together under John Hynes,but a word of caution-I've seen a change of system and attitude jump start teams that lack some talent before and rarely do they sustain it all season.

New Jersey goes out to Western Canada for a four game swing,just as I do a 13 day work run.
SO that means I doubt if we will have much Devils coverage until I return....

Finally,thrilled to see the upset of the world as Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey in Australia in the female MMA title fight.
Some of you may remember the podcast where I discussed my weariness of Rousey and my wish to see her beaten.
I didn't go as far to pick Holm to beat Rousey because I don't know enough about that sport to make a logical reason to predict things,but yesterday on twitter before the fight,I made a few remarks and watched the weigh-in for the bout.
It made me see two things to relate to boxing and made me think Holm could win.
The first was the obvious where Rousey seemed a little nervous and jittery compared to Holm.
Sometimes (not always) a fighter in Rousey's position acts that way because some doubt has crept in.
Interesting to watch as Rousey scuffled with Holm and that relates to my second point.
Holly Holm looked to be the bigger fighter.
In the scuffle,it was Holm swinging down on Rousey and keeping her at bay.
If she could do that there,there was a chance she could do that in the fight.
It reminded me of the 1980 fight between Pipino Cuevas and Thomas Hearns,which was a pickem fight between two stars that ended in a spectacular KO that sent Hearns on the road to stardom.
Hearns looked to be so much more of a physical power than Cuevas that you took one look at the fighters,it made you think-the bigger fighter has a major edge,if they take advantage of it.
Holm did.

Ohio State moves past Minnesota 28-14

In a performance that was less than smooth at times on offense,Ohio State held serve and defeated Minnesota 28-14 at the Big Horseshoe in Columbus.
Ezekiel Elliott ran for 114 yards and a score while temporary starter Cardale Jones threw and ran for a score.
The now 9-0 Buckeyes travel to Illinois next Saturday in what will be the final prep for the rugged final two games vs the teams from the school up north...

Olentangy Offerings

1) As pictured,the first score was an interception return for a score by Vonn Bell that almost came off the board.
Joshua Perry was initially called for targeting against Gopher passer Mitch Leidner,but a replay showed that call was incorrect...

2) Cardale Jones was workmanlike,but not great in the win.
Jones did score the backbreaker late in the game on a 38 yard run,but underthrew receivers and missed potential big plays.
I'll be fine with the return of J.T.Barrett,who seems to run the offense smoother...

3) On a night that Ezekiel Elliott could have made a move in the Heisman race,he delivered enough to keep his 100 yard string going,but not enough to excite anyone.
Elliott is likely to get an invite to New York,but I don't think he is a threat to win the award.

4) Michigan State's surprising loss to Nebraska hurts the Buckeyes a little in their showdown with the Spartans in under two weeks,but it still doesn't kill playoff hopes or anything.
It really just took some gloss off the matchup,but it'll still be a glamour matchup.

5) The Buckeye defense continued to be very strong.Other than one defensive breakdown,Minnesota could do nothing against the Silver Bullets...
This could have very easily been 28-0 without a breakdown and a short field...

Shorter than usual as I have some things to do at the road office....

Browns bounced in Cincinnati 31-10

The outgunned Cleveland Browns hung tough with the unbeaten Cincinnati Bengals for a half before the Bengals made some positive adjustments and crushed Cleveland in the second half on the way to a 31-10 Cincinnati win.
Johnny Manziel threw for the only Browns touchdown late in the first half to pull within 14-10 at the intermission.
The now 2-7 Browns have ten days off before visiting Pittsburgh.
Hard to believe,but between a Thursday appearance and a bye week-the Browns have just one game between now and the final day of November..

Brownie Bits

1) Of course,the first thing about this game is how did Johnny Manziel play?
15 of 33,168 yards and the one score aren't great numbers,but he didn't turn the football over and Manziel had very little in the way of help.
A great outing? No,but Manziel doesn't get blame for losing either...

2) Manziel actually was quite effective in the first half before the Bengals mixed things and wouldn't allow him to leave the pocket..
The odd thing was Mike Pettine in perhaps the first time a halftime interview was interesting,
Pettine said that Manziel was "OK but we need settle him down and stay in the pocket".
Which was exactly what the Bengals wanted to do and in the second half,Manziel and the Browns were largely ineffective...

3) It's pretty clear that expecting Johnny Manziel to sit in the pocket is a recipe for losing.
Manziel's one bright spot came off a scramble and then a nice pass on a line to Duke Johnson late in the first half.
If you expect Manziel to be in the same style as Josh McCown and play in the same system-you are setting him and you up to fail.

4) I did like what I saw from Isaiah Crowell last night at times.
Crowell put his head down and earned some hard yards (10 carries 38 yards) along with catching a few balls out of the backfield.
I think Crowell might be one of those backs that need 18 carries to get revved up and wear down a defense.
We won't know that until the Browns try it.

5) Dwayne Bowe caught a few passes (3 for 31 yards),so the Browns have something to show for their dollars,but he still seems to be less than enthused as far effort goes.
Only Mike Pettine might be less enthused about Dwayne Bowe than Dwayne Bowe is about football.

6) Most pivotal drive of this game came in the second quarter when Randy Starks stepped up and put a team in position to score.
Sadly,it wasn't his Browns.
Starks made a nice hit on a Gio Bernard run play,but had to tell everyone about doing his job and was called for a taunting penalty-good for 15 free Bengal yards.

7) Starks then clearly lined up in the neutral zone on a fourth down play for Cincinnati on the Browns six yard line.
I'm watching on TV and screaming "GET BACK" and Starks couldn't figure that out.
Andy Dalton's pass was incomplete and the Browns would have had the football.
Instead,the Bengals took the gift of a first down and scored on the next play.

8) The Browns tiny pass catchers sure didn't help as Taylor Gabriel and Travis Benjamin each dropped passes right to them.
Have you noticed that Travis Benjamin puts up nice numbers when he is the third or fourth option,but he is the number one receiver and the numbers just aren't there.
Benjamin is not that type of player and the Browns are using him that way....

9) The Browns would be well suited to use Duke Johnson more as a wideout.
Johnson's pass catching skills are excellent,I've seen little of his use as a running back to make me overly excited.

10) It was nice to see Nate Orchard arrive with a big play on Andy Dalton that forced a Bengal field goal,
Orchard didn't bit on the fake to the running back,stuck with Dalton and hauled him in.
Had Orchard not made that play,Dalton would have likely strolled into the end zone.

11) Finally,this.
I've been pontificating for years about the need for the Browns to be bad-2-14 style bad,not 5-11 mediocre.
Now that this looms as a possibility,you cannot complain about losing.
I'll point out the problems with this team,but I will not gripe about losing football games.
You have my word.