Category: Cleveland Browns (Page 82 of 114)

Despite some awful numbers last Sunday.

Batch was 9 of 16 for 65 yards, one interception and a 39.8 passer rating. But he impressed his coaching staff with his poise and will get another chance Sunday.

I’m not real sure this makes a big difference for the Browns. The Steelers are at their heart a running team, and we haven’t been all that solid in run defense.

Reuben Droughns is getting all the credit, but the offensive line on this Browns team is studly. The run blocking has been outstanding. So it is with great trepidation that I hear Cosey Coleman is getting an MRI on his knee today.

“I really can’t diagnose this injury,” said Coleman. “The doctor says it’s a sprain. We’ll get an MRI [exam] in the morning just to make sure. I almost felt like I could’ve gone back, but the doctors told me I should just sit out.”

Hope he’s o.k.

I think the biggest news from yesterday’s Browns win is that Trent Dilfer probably kept Charlie Frye on the bench indefinitely. And that starts a lot of dominoes falling. Let’s again look at the schedule.

At Pittsburgh next week. Browns are probably looking at a thumping there, and no matter how bad Dilfer plays, he’s not gonna get most of the blame. Then home to Miami and at Minnesota, two games I think we’ll win. Suddenly the Browns are 5-6. No reason to change QB’s now.

Plus, at 5 wins, you are not looking at the top pick in the draft in 2006. You’re lookin’ more at the 4th, 5th, 6th pick. So the argument that you need to see Charlie Frye in order to decide whether or not you take Matt Leinart with the first pick is moot. You won’t have the opportunity. No franchise QB no-brainers still on the board at that point. So the Browns really have no incentive at all to play Charlie Frye.

In fact, if I’m picking at that spot on the board, forget about offense…I’m hoping that OSU linebacker AJ Hawk is still around. How good would he look in a Browns uniform?

So here we are…half way through the season…and the Browns sit at 3-5. Isn’t this what we all expected? Didn’t we all say they’d end up 6-10? Let’s look at the remaining schedule to see where those next three wins are gonna come from.

I’m gonna say they lose both Steelers games, at Cincy, and at home against Jacksonville. So that gives ’em 9 losses. Who’s left…home against Miami…probably win that…at Minnesota…ok, I think we could win that one…at Oakland, we almost never win there, so lets throw that one in the loss column, that gives us 10 losses….end the season at home with the Ravens. So that’s you’re 6th win.

Tada! 6-10.

PRE-GAME TAKE – Yawn. When does Charlie Frye start? Good breakdown of the thinking behind that eventuality here. Need to figure out if Frye’s worth taking a pass on Matt Leinart with the potential first pick. Also, PD remembers the 10 year anniversary of the worst day in Cleveland sports history here. Read it. It’s a litany of treachery.

My pick? Titans win by 10. Kickoff at 1.

WIND UPDATE – Good thing Charlie Frye ain’t starting today. Gusts up to 45 mph.

11.41 1st qtr – Wind is gonna be hilarious. McNair’s 3rd & 2 pass just went straight up in the air. Punt caught the wind, went into the end zone. Could be some picks today.

4.01 1st qtr – BROWNS TD – Deep ball on 1st down to Northcutt, ball was underthrown, probably affected by the wind, Northcutt made a great play on the ball. Lots of passes up to now were wind-affected, probably ended some drives on 3rd down. Browns 7, Titans 0.

Browns offense looks very solid otherwise, especially running game. Not sure why we decided to throw on two consecutive 3rd & 2’s on the first drive, especially given the wind. Defense seems a bit sloppy, and no pass rush at all.

END OF 1st – Browns 7, Titans 0 – Not a bad start. Defense stiffening up a bit, Browns running game is encouraging, and the big play to Northcutt is the difference. Some strange refereeing. Browns actually look like an NFL team. Wind is nuts.

10.29 2nd – Nice defensive series, after giving up a big run to near midfield, Browns defense gets good penetration into the Titans’ backfield on 3 consecutive plays, forces a punt. Nice.

7.20 2nd – Droughns/Dilfer fumble on handoff. Man, did Crennel look pissed.

4.30 2nd – Big play by Kenard Lang on 3rd down, forces a 50 yard FG attempt, which of course, misses. Why the hell would you attempt a 50 yard FG in this wind? Still Browns 7, Titans 0.

2 MINUTE WARNING – Titans get big punt return, missed tackle on first down, puts them in Browns territory. Gonna require some good defense to keep them from scoring before the half.

1.24 2nd, Titans 7, Browns 7 – Titans just march right down the field, score on a TD pass to tight end. Never had a second down. Too easy. Defense might as well not have been on the field.

HALFTIME – Browns 7, Titans 7 – Terrible no-call on an obvious pass interference penalty at the 1-yard line on Browns last drive of the half. Clock probably could have been managed better though.

TIM’s TAKE? One minute they’re playing defense, the next they’re giving up yards in chunks. Offense looks as usual…inconsistent, too. Very hard to care about this game.

12.09 3rd qtr – Browns 10, Titans 7 – Nice drive ends in a FG after another no-call pass interference at the goal line. Big play to Antonio Bryant, who really needs to (a) hold the ball better, and (b) PUT A BELT ON SO YOU’RE DAMN PANTS DON’T FALL DOWN EVERY TIME YOU GET TACKLED. Nice FG in a tough breeze.

6.12 3rd qtr – Browns 17, Titans 7 – Excellent drive, featuring 74 yards of Reuben Droughns, plus 10 that came back on a holding call. Droughns is winning this game. 52 yard screen play to Droughns the big play of the drive. First Browns rushing TD in almost a year by the new RB signed three days ago. Which means this offensive line’s run blocking is really the story.

Good defense on ensuing Titans possession. Forces a punt, Browns start near midfield.

2.10 3rd qtr – handoff to Terrell Smith on 4th & 2?!?!?!! Boy was that a dumb call. Titans take over on their 43, but luckily, go 3 & out. Looks like every pass McNair throws is affected by the wind.

BLOW A FAKE PUNT!!! He had the 1st down if he catches the ball. Wind looks to have affected that pass too.

END OF 3rd qtr BROWNS 17, TITAN 7 – Droughns rips off two big runs, down to the 4 yard line, then LIMPS OFF THE FIELD as the quarter ends. Lovely. Just wonderful.

13.35 4th qtr – Browns 20, Titans 7 – 3rd & goal, Droughns comes back into the game, but for some odd reason, they go with a pass play, and of course, Dilfer air mails one out of the end zone. Still, good to see Droughns come back into the game. Looks like the Browns might get a win.

10.32 4th qtr – Teams trade 3 & outs, Browns seem willing to watch the clock tick down….why is Terrell Smith getting any plays to him? 2d & 10 and you throw him a rollout pass in the flat for no gain? Titans still have time here, fellas, taking over at their 27.

7.13 4th qtr – Titans score TD, Browns 20, Titans 14 – Titans march down the field again, score a real easy TD. Idiot announcer Steve Buerlein literally declares the Titans have lost in the middle of the TD drive – “gonna be hard to get over a loss like this in a bye week.” It ain’t a loss yet, dumb ass.

DROUGHNS HELPED INTO THE LOCKER ROOM.

5.35 4th qtr – DOUBLE REVERSE HILARITY!! Dilfer lead blocks, misses everybody. Huge gain. Best executed double reverse I’ve seen in years. Big play. Now in field goal range.

3.24 4th qtr – Browns lose yardage on next 3 plays after the double reverse, Titans sniff out a screen on 3rd down, good punt down to the 7 yard line. Game SO NOT over.

2 MINUTE WARNING – Steve Buerlein not talking about Titans getting over a loss anymore. Browns still lead. Titans driving, but have a long way to go for game winning TD. I’m gonna say the Browns hold on at this point.

4th & 8, game on the line from Titans 28, AND MCNAIR IS SACKED. Buerlein can now resume speaking of a Titans loss.

0.48 4th qtr – Dawson kicks FG to put it out of reach, Browns 23, Titans 14…..THEN A HOLDING PENALTY…….gotta kick it again, that last one was wind blown, got in there anyway, but if you have to kick twice to get a field goal in this wind, that’s not a good thing, no matter how close you are, and this one is not close. 40 yard field goal attempt……….is………………..no good. For God’s sake.

Titans take over at their 30.

Titans take 4 plays to get to the Browns 30, then McNair under pressure throws a pick as time runs out. Whew.