SB Nation - Hank Poteat

Post-Game Thread: Roethlisberger Sacked 8 Times; Cribbs Puts on a Show

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:37:50 -0000

Roethlisberger was on the ground all game long.

Right now, I don't care what the Cleveland Browns record is for the 2009-2010 campaign. In Eric Mangini's first year as head coach of the Browns, we beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 to make it almost impossible for Mike Tomlin's defending Super Bowl Champions to reach the playoffs.

The defense was absolutely amazing today, and that includes every unit -- the defensive line, the linebackers, and especially the secondary. The pressure was brought early and often from Rob Ryan, resulting in an insurmountable 8 sacks. For the record, let's take a look at all of the players credited with sacks...

DL Corey Williams (2 sacks)
LB Marcus Benard (2 sacks)
DL Brian Schaefering (1.5 sacks)
LB David Bowens (1 sack)
DB Hank Poteat (1 sack)
LB Kaluka Maiava (0.5 sacks)

Besides the sacks, the man-to-man coverage by Eric Wright was tremendous, and Brandon McDonald didn't do a bad job either. There were other unsung heroes too, because upon review, every time Roethlisberger dropped back to throw, nobody was open.

The defense played all four quarters too. The offense didn't hang them out to dry, but they were scoreless in the second half.

The individual star of the game was Joshua Cribbs. Words cannot express the type of game he had in terms of providing the Browns with an advantage in field position all game long. His 55-yard punt return in the first quarter set up a field goal, and the rest of the game, he ran extremely effectively from the Wildcat. On 8 carries, Cribbs had 87 yards. Why is that so impressive? Because every time he was under center, the defense KNEW he was going to run it. They couldn't stop him.

And, did I mention it all came against the Steelers? Celebrate, Cleveland fans -- December 10, 2009 was our Super Bowl, and we came away with the trophy.

Browns Border on "Respectability" in 30-23 Loss to Chargers

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:14:39 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

16 days ago: San Diego Chargers fullback Mike Tolbert (35) dives into the end zone in front of Cleveland Browns safety Abram Elam (26) on a 66-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (9-3)	WEEK 13	CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-11)
	VS.
30		23

Sure, I could lecture the defense on how pathetic it was to give up a 66-yard touchdown pass, mostly via the catch-and-run type. Or, I could complain that despite the amount of time our defenders had to adjust to the jump balls thrown by Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates always came down with them. It wouldn't be fair to complain about our defense though, as the unit is barely representative of the one that started the season. From the first week, I believe only Eric Wright, Abram Elam, and Kamerion Wimbley are healthy enough to stay at their positions.

What bordered on respectability was the play of the offense. Although we only scored seven points in the first three quarters, we had several "threatening drives," which shows progress compared to the numerous three and outs we've been accustomed to.

Let's get to the full review of the game, starting with the goat of the game...

WEEK 13 - SAN DIEGO CHARGERS VS. CLEVELAND BROWNS (COMPLETE GAME REVIEW)

GOATS OF THE GAME:

Hank Poteat: While I am not 100% positive that he was in on the plays, I thought I recall him making poor efforts on several of the Chargers' big plays, including Tolbert's 66-yard dash. I always thought of Poteat as a scrub prior to his career in Cleveland, and he's done very little to change that reputation in my mind. Coye Francies, please?

AWARDING GAME BALLS:

Jerome Harrison: Two of our better games this season -- against the Cincinnati Bengals the first time around, and now against the Chargers -- have come with Jerome Harrison at tailback. I was thrilled to see Harrison get the start over Chris Jennings, and although Harrison's YPC average doesn't appear desirable (3.5), he provides the burst to the outside on plays that can help move the chains.

Eric Mangini also praised his blocking, so he is back in the good graces of the coaching staff. I didn't pay specific attention to it, but I recall one play where I saw a blitz come and Harrison stepped up and firmly picked it up. Harrison's biggest contribution was as a receiver, which I will elaborate on below.

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Jerome Harrison found his groove against the San Diego Chargers, scoring twice in the fourth quarter.

Harrison as the Checkdown: One of Brady Quinn's problems this season is that he has been checking down to wide receivers on very short passes. As much as we try, the wide receiver screens to Mike Furrey at the line of scrimmage won't cut it. Harrison was always in position to be relatively open and the check-down receiver for Quinn, which seemed to make Quinn more comfortable when going through his progressions.
Production Proves It: Harrison came through when Quinn went to him, with 7 catches for 62 yards and 2 touchdowns. The touchdowns both came in the fourth quarter, one of them on a very nifty shuffle pass.

Some fans complained that Harrison had a few drops, but if he had caught those plays, they would've been for short gains and would've kept the clock running. Nonetheless, I'm sure he didn't try to drop them as a football savvy decision, which still means there is a slight underlying problem in catching the ball.
Tomlinson Passes Brown: Maybe I'm just a little cynical, but I couldn't stop laughing at what progressed on the television screen when LaDainian Tomlinson passed up Jim Brown on the rushing list. The play by play announcers were so "in" to it, talking about Tomlinson's and Brown's accomplishments.

Then, when Tomlinson officially passed Brown, he pointed up towards a suite and the announcers commented, "and he appears to be saluting the legendary Brown...," only to have the cameras flash to Brown drinking a bottle of water as if he could care less. Of course Brown congratulated Tomlinson following the game; just how it went down on television brought a chuckle from me.
Robo Shows His Worth: Ah, so there's Brian Robiskie. Arguably, the playing time of Robiskie will be looked back on as one of the most controversial issues of the season because there might have been legitimate points to both sides of the argument.

Robiskie was touted in the draft as "the most NFL ready receiver." But, what if that wasn't the case? What if the coaches were right, and that in reality, Robiskie needed a lot of work?

Either way, what I saw Sunday against the Chargers was a receiver who looked the most polished out of what we have, particularly because when Brady Quinn rolled out, Robiskie rolled with him and caught the ball without issue. In one instance, he even shielded a defender and then ran for yards after the catch, completing a 43-yard reception.

Robiskie, in single coverage on a deep ball in the fourth quarter, also nearly came away with a touchdown. The defender knocked the ball away just as it arrived though. In what I consider to be Robiskie's first "true chance," he delivered. An effort like this against the Steelers would be even sweeter.
Can We Please Have Some Moore? I promise ~~not~~ to overuse that tagline for as long as Evan Moore is producing as a member of the Cleveland Browns. Promoted from the practice squad, I hardly expected Moore to even see the field Sunday. Instead, he was in the game early and often, showing extremely impressive hands and solid route running ability for a tight end. It's way too early to deem him any form of a savior at the tight end position, but he can suddenly be added to the mix of "players to look forward to" the rest of the way.
Close Enough Redemption: When Phil Dawson missed a 45-yard field goal early on in the first quarter, it ended up hurting. However, we have to remember that 45 yards is still not a chip shot. Dawson came back later and redeemed himself by drilling a 49-yard field goal to give us a chance at another onside kick. Both of Dawson's onside kicks were executed very well; Tomlinson just did a good job fielding the second one and the Chargers' blockers did their jobs on that play.
Quinn's Mistakes: While shined, he did have two big blunders. There was one pass where he went for a quick slant over the middle and failed to see the linebacker coming across. The defender only deflected the pass instead of having a possible pick six. Quinn then held onto the ball too long when we were threatening to score in the first half and was stripped of the football, taking more points off the board.
An Entire Series: It was interesting the way Brian Daboll used Joshua Cribbs on offense Sunday. I've been an advocate before of using Cribbs in the Wildcat throughout the game at varying instances. Instead, during the fourth quarter, Daboll suddenly pulled out a series which used Cribbs in the Wildcat. On first down, Cribbs took off for 30 yards. On the next first down, he was stopped for a 1 yard loss.

On second down, Cribbs ran the option play and pitched it back to Chansi Stuckey who ran it for 6 yards. On third down, Cribbs took off for 2 yards, setting up a 4th-and-3. Enter Quinn again, who fired a high pass past the first down marker to Cribbs. Cribbs, in a catch I usually don't expect from him, leaped up and caught it, hanging on for the first down. Several plays later, Harrison had one of his two touchdowns.
Rubin's Hit: I believe that Darren Sproles was the victim. He caught the ball, made a few defenders miss by the sideline, and then turned right into a spearing Ahtybin Rubin, who had quite the momentum coming from the spot he did.
Too Many Big Plays: If Rob Ryan needs to focus on something the rest of the way with the players he has at his disposal, it has to involve limiting the number of big plays by the opposition through the air. The Chargers had passing plays of 56, 66, 31, and 41 yards, and some of those were catch-and-run.
Still Intrigued: On defense, the only player I really seem to be following now is Matt Roth. He had half of a sack and continues to employ a bull-rush strategy.
We Should Try That: I hope that Daboll took note of the play in which Naanee received a pitch and then quickly threw the ball (as opposed to selling the reverse across the entire field and then throwing it). Naanee hit a wide open Tomlinson, and we were lucky that one of our defenders was still in the vicinity to prevent the play from going the distance.
Still a Mixed Bag: Good footwork by Mohamed Massaquoi on his touchdown in the first quarter, but he and Quinn just don't seem to be on the same page still. Throughout the game, Quinn seemed much more in sync with Moore, Harrison, Stuckey, and Robiskie.
Good Strategy: I don't know who tried to push the Chargers player into the football on the punt, but whoever did that, props to them. Had Abram Elam's foot not barely touched the ball upon replay review, the Browns would've had a chance to tack on a field goal just before the half.
Brownies: It looked like Mike Furrey was at safety quite a bit, but also on the targeted end of some of the Chargers' big pass plays...it's a good thing that after the Bye, I've felt better about this Browns team overall...for the first time in 35 games, the Browns scored an opening drive touchdown.

Thursday, the Browns take on the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are vulnerable right now, having lost four straight. It's been awhile since a Browns coach has been able to defeat the Steelers, and Mangini has the opportunity to officially put a dagger in Pittsburgh's playoff hopes.

Kamerion Wimbley and Browns Defense Play With Fire Despite 30-6 Loss to Bears

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:49:25 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

about 1 month ago: Chicago Bears safety Danieal Manning (38) picks up the loose ball after a fumble by Cleveland Browns tight end Steve Heiden in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. At left is Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (92), who forced the fumble. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-7)	WEEK 8	CHICAGO BEARS (4-3)
	VS.
6		30

As far as I'm concerned, the Chicago Bears played no better against the Cleveland Browns than they did against the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago when they lost 45-10. QB Jay Cutler supported my point that he's a tad overrated, but he was rewarded nonetheless with a rather easy 30-6 victory over the Browns.

Has a Browns team ever been so helpless on offense? I guess you could technically say we're at the same level as the Oakland Raiders, but that's not the type of competitive comparison I want to be making on gameday. The funny thing is that if our offense would've just taken a knee on every series this week, we probably only would have lost by a score of 10-3 (note: I realize that is not a reality, since the space-time continuum obviously would've resulted in different production for the Bears). Our defense played much better than last week and weren't rewarded for it; as far as the rest of the league is concerned, our defense is still a joke.

Let's get to the sad review of the game...

WEEK 8 - CLEVELAND BROWNS VS. CHICAGO BEARS (COMPLETE GAME REVIEW)

GOAT OF THE GAME:

Steve Heiden & Mohamed Massaquoi: Obviously QB Derek Anderson could go here every week, but it's only fair to spread the wealth. In the second half, when the Browns were actually showing some form of a threat, there were two cases in which Anderson made some of his best throws of the game -- one on a small pass to Steve Heiden, and another on a timing pattern to Mohamed Massaquoi.

For whatever reason, both players coughed up the football. It wasn't even like they were hit by a blindsided poke at the football either; Heiden even seemed to wrap both arms tightly around the ball and it just...fell out. That's extremely frustrating, because Heiden is supposed to be our only "Mr. Reliable" left on offense. He also dropped a pass earlier in the game. For as in-sync as Massaquoi and Anderson looked against Cincinnati, that "chemistry" no longer exists.

AWARDING GAME BALLS:

Kamerion Wimbley: Credit to defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for helping turn Kamerion Wimbley around. He's no DeMarcus Ware, but he's getting to the quarterback a lot more than his last two years under Crennel. With his sack Sunday, he surpassed his sack total from last season. He also delivered a punishing shot on QB Jay Cutler as he released a pass, resulting in a bloody mouth for Cutler (and probably a fine).

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Bears QB Jay Cutler was hit hard all day by the Browns defense, including here by LB Kamerion Wimbley.

In Stride: (Marks calendar) We are 8 games into the 2009-2010 NFL season, and for the first time this season, we finally saw a smart play design for Joshua Cribbs as a receiver (although the execution of it could have been accidental). Derek Anderson was pressured and then stepped up in the pocket.

Before he got to the line of scrimmage, he turned and threw a route nearly parallel to the line of scrimmage at Cribbs, who had motioned out of the backfield and into the flat. Cribbs caught the pass in stride and ran up the sideline for a gain of 23 yards.
By the Numbers: The final line for Anderson is as follows: 6-of-17 for 76 yards and 2 interceptions. His QB rating was a lowly 10.5. Anderson's production level is getting worse and worse by the week. At this point, I think I'd be content going back to watching Quinn get sacked every play.
Applaud the Play Call, Hate the Statistic: The Browns scored their only touchdown of the game near the start of the second half. Taking advantage of a horrible punt by the Bears, Jamal Lewis pounded his way down to the one-yard line. The Browns failed to punch it in on 1st-and-goal from the one, so on second down, Anderson sneaked forward and used his tall frame to stretch the ball over the goal line for the score.

I like the call on second down because we won't lose yardage on it, and if we fail to get in, we'd still have two downs remaining to go back to Lewis or do a small pass play. Afterward though, I was a little sick knowing that I'd still have to hear all of the play-by-play announcers say "the Browns do not have a single rushing touchdown from their running backs this season!"
Injuries Galore: There has to be a correlation between a losing season and the number of injuries that start piling on. After already losing LB D'Qwell Jackson for the season, LB Eric Barton and DB Eric Wright suffered shoulder injuries. Wright returned, but Barton will likely undergo tests to determine the extent of his injury.
Rob Ryan Fired Up: I appreciate the enthusiasm that Rob Ryan shows each week, and unlike our offensive coordinator, Ryan seems to know how to make adjustments after a letdown. Whereas the defense was brutal in giving up 31 points to the Packers, they had one of my favorite performances of the season in giving up 30 points to the Bears (23 when you don't include Anderson's pick six). After the Browns stopped Cutler on a 4th-and-1 from the 1-yard line, Ryan was out on the field jawing at Jay Cutler. I believe the defense is still playing hard because of him.
Wimbley's Knockdown: When Wimbley knocked down Cutler's fourth-down pass at the goal line, it was obviously a bad decision because an interception would've brought the ball out to the 20-yard line. Then, our offense wouldn't have been backed up into seeing Anderson throw a pick six from his own goal line. Granted, it's better that he knocked the ball down than let the receiver catch it, but he knocked it down as if it was a Hail Mary pass attempted from mid-field.
A Little Scared? I think punter Brad Maynard was a little scared of Joshua Cribbs. On 5 punts, Maynard averaged a quite pathetic 30.4 yard average. On the other side of the field, props to punter Dave Zastudil for recording a touchdown-saving tackle on punt returner Devin Hester early on.
Staying With the Play: Kudos to DL Kenyon Coleman for staying home when the Bears tried a reverse with Devin Hester. As Hester was handed the ball, Coleman shot at him like a cannon and took him down. How many times have we seen our defensive players be in position for a play like that, but end up whiffing?

When you see this on TV, chances are the pass is going to be picked.

Francies Sees Action: Finally, we got to see a little bit of Coye Francies. He was subbed in after Eric Wright went down with an injury. On Francies' first play (I think), the Bears ran the ball with Matt Forte, who sprinted to the edge for a 10-yard touchdown. Soon after that, Francies left with an injury of his own, forcing Hank Poteat into the game. (Sigh).
It's About Time: One-third of our payoff for the Braylon Edwards trade finally showed up today, as WR Chansi Stuckey made his first catch of the season as a member of the Browns. He made a few nice moves after the catch to stretch the play to an 11-yard gain.
The Other Third: With the more exotic blitz packages thrown at Cutler, the other third of the Edwards deal was more productive this week. Jason Trusnik sacked Cutler once and also led the team with 7 tackles.
Should've Been a Fumble: When Jay Cutler was hit and the ball came loose for about a 15+ yard loss, the play should've stood. I didn't see any indication that Cutler's arm was moving forward; it was moving laterally at best. His arm was angled that way due to a hit from a Browns defender too. Even with the overturn, who was Cutler throwing the ball to? It might have even hit his offensive lineman, which would be an illegal touch. In the end, the Bears had a comfortable 2nd-and-10 to work with.
Adams and Pool: Whatever the combination was, it seemed to work this week. It seemed like Mike Adams was in mostly on first- and second-downs, with Brodney Pool coming in on obvious passing downs. Pool recorded an interception when he dove to the ground after a tipped pass. As he tried to get up, he was rewarded by being drilled by two or three Bear linemen.
Inserting Quinn Late: The decision is still baffling to put Brady Quinn into the game when he did. We had literally no chance of coming back, and the substitution was made in a half where several offensive players had fumbled the ball. Why not make the change at half-time when Anderson was awful as usual?
Evaluating "the Other Guy": There's not much to fo on. His first pass was located well. He had the right idea on the second play -- getting rid of the ball quickly when they brought the house. A week ago, that's the similar adjustment that Aaron Rodgers made to Donald Driver for a long touchdown. The third down play was another dropped pass. Then, we punted. Booooooooo.
Lerner's Staredowns: I think fans would've rather watched Randy Lerner stare down and scold the players and coaches all game than watch the actual game. If someone has footage of Lerner doing this, it must be seen!
Bad Timing of Wildcat Plays: Yeah, let's run the Wildcat on a 3rd-and-19 play. There just doesn't seem to be a "method to the madness" of running the Wildcat formation. I agree with running it, but we never build off of it or use the formation to our advantage the following play.
Brownies: Welcome back Phil Dawson; you get to join the sad state of the team by having your extra point blocked...Joe Thomas registered two tackles in the game...safety Ray Ventrone had two special teams tackles...former Glenville High School and Ohio State product Ted Ginn Jr. had two kick returns for touchdowns to beat Braylon Edwards and the New York Jets.

Up next, the Browns have a Bye week before coming back home the following week against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. It should be an interesting two weeks though; let's hope that Randy Lerner comes through with some form of positive news, whether it be the firing of Brian Daboll or the hiring of a team president.

Broncos Get a "Gimme" as Browns' Lackluster Gameplan Leads to 27-6 Loss

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:03:07 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Cleveland Browns' quarterback Brady Quinn (10) fumbles the football in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos.

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CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-2)	WEEK 2	DENVER BRONCOS (2-0)
	VS.
6		27

After the Browns' effort against the Broncos this past Sunday, one thought popped into my mind: What the hell was that?

There are teams who simply don't have the talent to win regularly, but then there are teams who have some of the right pieces to the puzzle and are lacking a good gameplan on offense. That's where the Browns are stuck right now, which is quite discouraging considering the change I expected from the new regime. Sure, growing pains are to be expected, but I'd rather see the offense take some shots than...than...well, quite frankly, I don't know how to describe the non-existent gameplan that Brian Daboll seems to be using.

WEEK 2 - CLEVELAND BROWNS VS. DENVER BRONCOS (GENERAL THOUGHTS)

Goat of the Game - Brian Daboll: I thought about giving it to Brady Quinn again, but I'll take a rarity for me and give it to a coach. I liked the formations that Daboll was using in the preseason to keep defenses off balanced, along with how we were keeping defenses on their toes with the number of screen plays we were running. Now, the talent utilization isn't there, and neither is the gameplan. Examples to follow below.
Using Joshua Cribbs: What was Cribbs' strength as a receiver supposed to be? Catching the ball quickly in stride and using his momentum, like he does on a kick return, to burst through the defense. Instead, we saw Cribbs get the ball over and over again on comeback routes short of a first-down marker. That's what Mike Furrey is for (*assuming he goes beyond the marker). Also, what happened to the Wildcat formation? What are we doing, reverting to the stubbornness of the Romeo Crennel days already?
Involving Mohamed Massaquoi: Isn't there a reason we drafted two receivers in the second round of this year's draft? I was under the impression that it was because we needed receivers desperately. And yet, we see that Massaquoi doesn't get a catch, and Brian Robiskie isn't even active. The reviews on both men weren't outstanding during training camp, but surely they should be receiving more reps. We need better route runners, and at least Massaquoi can provide that.
Harrison as a Receiver: So far, I would've never guessed that Eric Mangini ever managed Leon Washington in New York, because the past two weeks, neither James Davis nor Jerome Harrison have been used enough as a receiver out of the backfield.
What HAVE We Seen? We've seen a lot of runs up the middle to Jamal Lewis, resulting in longer third downs. We've seen a lot of third-down and long throws go short of the first-down marker. We've seen Brady Quinn hold onto the ball too long in certain situations, resulting in a sack. We've also seen Quinn move away from the pocket too quickly, resulting in a negative play more times than not. In other words, what we've seen is a complete mess. In the next few weeks, we'll see how good of a coach we have to do anything he can to clean that mess up.
Right Tackle Isn't Cutting It: For the first half of a game, RT John St. Clair is doing a decent job. But when we fall behind and are forced to pass, teams are having a field day against him. St. Clair allowed Elvis Dumervil to have four sacks against Quinn in the second half, with three of them coming in the fourth quarter. That came after I had been laughing at the Packers for giving up five sacks to Bengals DE Antwan Odom. St. Clair wasn't wanted by the Bears for a reason, and we're seeing it. Get well, Ryan Tucker.
Special Teams Fumble: Our special teams unit did a much better job this week in coverage. On the first kickoff, Blake Costanzo forced and recovered a fumble that set our offense up with its only viable threat of the game. Phil Dawson and Dave Zastudil each had a solid day performing their respective duties.
Defensive Effort: Our defensive effort was much less impressive against the Broncos than it was against the Vikings. Nonetheless, in the first half, thanks to two missed field goals, Denver only had 13 points heading into the third quarter. We were just one score away from tying the game, but the final result appears in the books as a three-touchdown blowout. That's what makes the lack of a gameplan on offense ever-the-more frustrating -- simple execution, and who knows how things could've changed in our favor.
Mack's Shotgun Snaps: We've seen too many snaps from rookie center Alex Mack be errant, and it cost us against the Broncos, setting Denver up for their only first-half touchdown.
The Nickel Backs: Right now, it appears that Hank Poteat is our nickel back. I supported the release of Roderick Hood only if that meant we were committed to giving Coye Francies more playing time. Poteat was burned several times by Brandon Stokley, often on third-and-long situations.
Quiet Play from Pool: Doesn't it seem like Brodney Pool's name hasn't even been mentioned the past two weeks? I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or a good thing. I remain pleased with Abram Elam, but again, I'd like to see how these guys play when our offense actually gives them a lead to work with.
Edwards' Success: Another reason to be discouraged by our lack of success on offense? Braylon Edwards has not had issues hauling in the football the past two weeks and seems to be focused. That was supposed to be our problem last year; what's our excuse now?
Won't Say It: I won't say it. I'm wondering about it, but I won't say it. That something has to do with our quarterback situation. It's only fair to give a player some live game-action to grow.
Converting Third Downs: The Browns only converted 3/14 of their third downs. That's a very good way to get our defense back on the field, especially in the second half of a game. We're not like the Colts, who can have the ball for 14 minutes and still have their offensive playmakers put up Pro Bowl stats.
Usally Don't Diss Them...: ...but the CBS announcers were pretty bad for our contest on Sunday. At the start of the game, Steve called Bill by the name "Bob", only to say shortly after that, "opps, sorry about that, I meant Bill!" That's a sure sign of chemistry right from the get-go. Eric Wright is widely known as one of the top 5 cornerbacks in football too, if you didn't notice.
Gum Chewing: Was that the same piece of gum that Mangini was chewing the whole game?
Getting Pressure: How discouraging is it to see Rex Ryan go to the Jets and light up Tom Brady with unbelievable pressure the entire game? The Browns still brought more pressure against Denver than they would have last year, but the plays did not result in any sacks. There were a few ducks that could've been picked with more luck being on our side.
McDonald's Redemption: There was a play late in the game that Brandon McDonald took the wrong approach on, but overall he didn't seem at all fazed by last year's collapse. His interception that was out of bounds in the end zone was a great play, even if it didn't stand.
Brownies: I guess Steve Heiden isn't a part of our gameplan either...Jamal Lewis looked good early on, and I blame his lack of success on the gameplan...had the Ravens lost Sunday, we might have been playing for the division lead this Sunday.

My optimism is down heading into the Ravens game this week. With my expectations tamed, perhaps I won't feel so surprised if we get blown out again.

Here is the roll call of who participated in the game thread, with emily522 having the most to say...

Roll Call: ChrisPokorny, Brownsyup, theW0LF, cleveland teamer, emily522, L Train, doggrad87, ejruiz, kwoog, Rocland, BradyQuinnisBeast, woodsmeister, Simmsinns, Buckeye Brad, JustBob, RelapsingDawgCatcher, SpecialBrownie, elsandito, Monsters of the Midway, kentuckybronco, kjc, BringBackKosar, DisplacedBuckeye, Dawgs Bite Back, Bumblyjack, irish1083, themadlibs, mrich, Mocking Dan, Chief WaDrew, rockybrown, DaytonDogg, Jamals6082, BLAZER_FAN_199, JulioBernazard, fwembt, Dawgger, portland, oregon, Brownie's Year, Dawg Nuts, Riverboat Sam, dmbshn41, Overlord1976, skipkirk, Rod Grimes, ericwright11, ukcatfan29, Michael Jay, The Brown Note, VABrownsFan, ELGee, Les Fleurs Du Mal, Pruitt, gahnki, Roger Dorn, athensdawg2, Juannieboy, Denarchy, dragon43078, math_geek, Elway4Prez, realmccoy, Bernie19Kosar, McGeorge
Total Users: 64
Total Posts: 889
Total Threads: 1

Name	# of Posts
emily522	132
Jamals6082	83
DaytonDogg	62
ChrisPokorny	48
DisplacedBuckeye	41
dmbshn41	40
BringBackKosar	40
Simmsinns	39
Dawgger	39
Brownie's Year	32
Michael Jay	27
woodsmeister	26
irish1083	26
Bumblyjack	24
Dawg Nuts	20
BLAZER_FAN_199	17
RelapsingDawgCatcher	14
Roger Dorn	11
kwoog	11
JulioBernazard	10
Rod Grimes	8
ejruiz	8
BradyQuinnisBeast	8
skipkirk	7
ukcatfan29	7
athensdawg2	7
fwembt	6
Pruitt	6
Overlord1976	6
kentuckybronco	5
kjc	5
SpecialBrownie	5
Brownsyup	5
ELGee	5
Juannieboy	5
portland, oregon	4
theW0LF	4
elsandito	4
themadlibs	4
Les Fleurs Du Mal	3
JustBob	3
VABrownsFan	2
McGeorge	2
realmccoy	2
Dawgs Bite Back	2
ericwright11	2
cleveland teamer	2
Monsters of the Midway	2
Elway4Prez	2
Chief WaDrew	2
Bernie19Kosar	1
dragon43078	1
Denarchy	1
math_geek	1
doggrad87	1
Mocking Dan	1
mrich	1
Buckeye Brad	1
rockybrown	1
Rocland	1
The Brown Note	1
L Train	1
Riverboat Sam	1
gahnki	1

Lighting Up The Scoreboard -- Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos

Ted Bartlett — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:30:13 -0000

Happy Saturday, Broncos fans, and other distinguished guests. I said I would have something up this weekend, and I do. Since Hoosierteacher runs Chalk Talk on Fridays, I think I am going to regularly run this feature on Saturdays. Please look for it if you like it. I mentioned in ST&NO that I have been having technical difficulties with this project. Unfortunately, my Madden footage came through in black and white for some reason this week, and I didn't realize it until last night. Last week, the Pinnacle rendering software was freezing up; so, I guess this is better. At least I got SOME video. I will work on figuring out the problem for next week.

I incorporated some production advice from some community members, particularly by improving my microphone placement. Last time, I used a little desk stand, and leaned into it. This time, I used a boom, and positioned the mic at a good distance without having to lean in (see below.) I also remembered to turn on my pre-amplifier this time, which helped immensely. I also consciously used far fewer separate audio tracks, and did much less editing of them, at Endzone's suggestion. No music this time either. I wanted to see how it went without any, and I haven't made any lately which I love for this purpose. We'll see how that works in the future. Please continue to provide feedback and technical tips. It is greatly appreciated.

Bonus Football Note:

I tend to be wordy when I am lecturing, so I ran out of time. I wanted to further illuminate some information on the play where the QB throws into the overload blitz, the last play of the video. Note in the diagram that SS Brodney Pool (#21) is in center field, and FS Abram Elam, (#26) is not on the imaginary hash mark, and is instead lined up vertically even with the slot receiver, Jabar Gaffney. That indicates that the nickel CB, Hank Poteat (#23) is coming. Knowshon Moreno has to know that, and know that he is responsible for Kamerion Wimbley (#95) if he comes. If they do both come (which they do here,) the free rusher is the man furthest outside (Poteat,) and it is the QB's responsibility to know that, and to get the ball out quickly to Gaffney or Eddie Royal. Always remember, a pass-blocking scheme always has to work inside-out. If there's a free guy, he must be the furthest one outside. It is a simple function of priority, where it's most important to block the players with the shortest distance to travel to the QB. Luckily, Kyle Orton is experienced at throwing the ball with rushers quickly bearing down on him, from his time with the Bears.

This is a fairly easy read, to see the overload, make the check-off, and hit that quick out to Gaffney. The only time it's a lot of trouble is when it's 3rd and 12, so, as always, it behooves the Broncos to stay out of those situations.

Previewing the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Schedule: Week 15

Chris Thorman — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:12:05 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

3 months ago: Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn (10) passes the ball to Josh Cribbs for a first down under pressure from Tennessee Titans defensive end Dave Ball (98) during a preseason NFL football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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Week 15 brings the Cleveland Browns to Arrowhead Stadium. At this point in the season, and at this point in our predictions, we have the Kansas City Chiefs sitting on a record of 7-6.

Crazy? Yeah, it is a little crazy. But we are after all Chiefs fans, no?

If you're a casual follower of the Browns like I am, you know about Dante Stallworth and his legal issues. You've heard about the Brady Quinn v. Derek Anderson debate. And I'm assuming you know that Eric Mangini is now the head coach.

But beyond that I don't know that much. After the jump, SB Nation's Browns blogger Chris answers some of our questions about the Browns. I've also added the Browns' depth chart as of now for more reference.

Make sure you check out Dawgs by Nature for all things Cleveland Browns.

Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3rd String
QB
RB	Jamal Lewis	Jerome Harrison	James Davis Cedric Peerman
FB	Lawrence Vickers
WR1	Braylon Edwards	Mohamed Massaquoi
WR2	Joshua Cribbs	Mike Furrey	Brian Robiskie
TE	Robert Royal	Steve Heiden	Martin Rucker
LT	Joe Thomas
LG	Eric Steinbach
C	Hank Fraley	Alex Mack
RG	Floyd Womack	Rex Hadnot
RT	John St. Clair	Phil Trautwein
Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3ird String
DE	Kenyon Coleman	C.J. Mosley
NT	Shaun Rogers	Ahtyba Rubin
DE	Robaire Smith	Corey Williams
LOLB	Kamerion Wimbley
ILB	D'Qwell Jackson	David Veikune
ILB	Eric Barton	Kaluka Maiava	Blake Costanzo
ROLB	David Bowens	Alex Hall	Leon Williams
LCB	Eric Wright	Hank Poteat	Marquis Floyd
RCB	Brandon McDonald	Coye Francies	Gerard Lawson
FS	Brodney Pool	Mike Adams	DeAngelo Smith
SS	Abram Elam	Nick Sorensen
Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3rd String
K	Phil Dawson
P	Dave Zastudil
H	Dave Zastudil
LS	Ryan Pontbriand
KR	Joshua Cribbs	Gerard Lawson	Jerome Harrison
PR	Joshua Cribbs	Gerard Lawson	Jerome Harrison

What do the Chiefs have to worry the most about...Jamal Lewis and the running game or Braylon Edwards and the passing game?

This question is tough to answer since our game isn't until Week 15, so I'll try to base my answer as if the Chiefs were facing the Browns earlier in the year. I'd definitely pick Braylon Edwards and the passing game. The media has automatically written off the Browns, but there is still some potency on the offensive side of the ball. Just two years ago, Derek Anderson and Edwards were Pro Bowlers. Sure, last season's struggles "might" have shown their true colors, but how can anyone guarantee that Edwards won't go back to having the same type of season he had in 2007? Brady Quinn will probably be the starting quarterback. Although he doesn't sling it as much as Anderson, Brian Daboll (the Browns offensive coordinator) would be foolish to leave out the deep patterns to Edwards.

On the other hand, the running game appears bound to struggle as long as Jamal Lewis is in the lineup. He had a down season last year and has not shown the same power he used to have throughout this year's training camp. Lewis claims he's just "holding back" for the regular season, but I think it comes down to him not having very much left in the tank anymore. Fans in Cleveland like our sixth-round draft pick James Davis at running back, but I'm not going to sit here and say that he's going to be awesome. He was great in the preseason, but the real evaluation will come when he's against first stringers in the regular season. This lack of assurance in the running game almost makes Edwards and the passing game more of a threat by default.

Will the Browns use Josh Cribbs as a WR more often? The Chiefs did that with Dante Hall and it seemed to ruin him in the return game. Any thoughts/concerns on that?

Not only should the Browns use Cribbs as a receiver more often, he should and will be starting opposite Edwards (according to our depth chart). He started in the preseason and did very well. I don't think you can compare Cribbs to Dante Hall or Devin Hester in their transitions to wide receiver because they have different styles. Hall and Hester rely more on elusiveness, whereas Cribbs finds the hole, powers through it and keeps on going. During the preseason, we saw several plays against first-stringers in which Cribbs caught the ball on a quick pattern towards the sideline and then stiff-armed the first cornerback he met before being taken down a little bit later by another defender. I know the Browns took Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi in round two this year, but if it were up to me, I'd shelve their growth and give Cribbs the starting opportunity -- I'm that intrigued by him.

The Chiefs are just transitioning to the 3-4 defense. Can you talk a little bit about what the Browns transition to the 3-4 was like a few years ago and how it stands now?

The transition was exciting at first. All we could think about is how our defense was going to be nasty like the Ravens defense. And then, something bad happened -- we saw Romeo Crennel's 3-4 defense in action. Ever since then, it's been a nightmare. We never generated any pressure. We never stopped the run. We never stood out from any other defense in the NFL. Most importantly, we barely had any of the type of players we needed for the system. Last year we acquired Shaun Rogers, but one man can only do so much. I think Mangini and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan have done a better job finding players that are comfortable with the 3-4 alignment, but we're several years into the defense and aren't even half as good as the Ravens' defense.

Many thanks to Chris for stopping by and giving us his answers! Read more about the Browns at Dawgs by Nature.

My prediction for this game is, let's say....17 to 13 in favor of our Chiefs. I don't think we'll have faith in this offense very often this year. Current record at this point: 8-6.

Check out all of our season game previews at this link.

Browns Cut CB Corey Ivy, RB Noah Herron

Chris Pokorny — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:43:13 -0000

According to the National Football Post, the Cleveland Browns cut CB Corey Ivy and RB Noah Herron.

The release of Ivy is particularly surprising. When Eric Mangini took over the Browns, the team was lacking depth at cornerback, specifically the nickel back position. Corey Ivy, Roderick Hood, and Hank Poteat were brought in to contend for that role, and the team has waived the frontrunners in Ivy and Hood already. This seems to increase the roster odds of DB Gerard Lawson to make the team.

The release of Herron helps the roster odds of FB Charles Ali. The remainder of the cuts should be in later today before the 6 PM deadline.

WR Jordan Norwood, via his Twitter feed, stated yesterday that he was released.

Stay tuned to Dawgs By Nature for all of the latest on the Browns cuts.

Roderick Hood is the Surprise Cut as Browns Trim Roster to 78

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:57:54 -0000

The Cleveland Browns trimmed their roster from 80 players to 78 players Monday morning, with one of the cuts standing out: CB Roderick Hood. When the Browns first signed Hood, he was expected to compete with CB Brandon McDonald for a starting role. If he couldn't beat out McDonald, then the former member of the Arizona Cardinals seemed to be a lock for the nickel back position.

Hood did not come on strong enough in camp to unseat McDonald, but the cut is still a surprising one. It was expected that either Corey Ivy or Hank Poteat would be released before Hood. Perhaps the fact that Hood had a bad game this past Saturday against the Tennessee Titans, coupled with the emergence of sixth-round CB Coye Francies, led to the decision.

Here is the list of the cuts the Browns made this morning:

LB Roderick Hood
LB Robert McCune
TE Nate Jackson

None of the other cuts are very surprising.

Also among the news this morning is that OL Ryan Tucker underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last Wednesday. Tucker probably won't be ready for the opener, meaning our depth against the Minnesota Vikings will be slim with Rex Hadnot not scheduled to return until Week 2 at the earliest.

OL Branndon Braxton was re-signed, presumably due to the offensive line situation. Mangini also declined to name a strarting quarterback at this point.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 25 - Another Transaction

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:57:50 -0000

Is there really a point to roster transactions this late into training camp? Sure, maybe we're trying to scout players that might end up on our practice squad in the future, but a week really isn't a lot to go by.

As I'm sure you can tell, the training camp reports are more so "general team notes" now as opposed to specifics on how the day went. It's like that every year as public camp sessions come to a close.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 25 (8/25/09)

The Transaction: After being involved in a couple of reverses late in the game against the Detroit Lions, the Browns waived former Jet WR Paul Raymond. Taking his place is DE Brian Schaefering. Does that name sound familiar? It should, because he was signed by the Browns in May of last year before being waived at the end of training camp. He was added to the Browns' practice squad in early December, before Eric Mangini signed him to the Jets' active roster for the team's final game of the regular season.
Play of the Day: After getting behind CB Hank Poteat, WR Braylon Edwards caught a Brady Quinn pass one-handed in the end zone for a touchdown.
Hot Start, 'Meh' Finish: After starting hot in practice, QB Derek Anderson cooled down and didn't do as well in game simulations. His best plays came early on, when he connected with WR Brian Robiskie and Edwards for scores.
Still MIA: S Brodney Pool did not return to action. All of the other players who have been out stayed out, except for WR David Patten. Patten returned to action and was practicing.
Players at Safety: In his press conference, Mangini brought up the fact that other players on the roster have experience at safety, perhaps alluding to the injuries of Brodney Pool and Hamza Abdullah. Mangini noted DB Hank Poteat and WR Mike Furrey. I loved reading about how a good portion of the media didn't seem to know Furrey started at safety for the St. Louis Rams for nearly a whole season. There's nothing wrong if individual fans don't know that, but if you're constantly writing about the Browns, it should've stood out as a unique note in his player profile when the team first signed him.
Center Update: Maybe we just panicked a little too early about rookie C Alex Mack. After a rough start to training camp, Mack has continued to settle in smoothly. However, you could also note that the "turnaround" started right around the point that a certain someone stopped practicing (Shaun Rogers).

Tuesday's Links/Camp Sources

Furrey to the rescue at safety? (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)
Quotes, notes, observations (Akron Beacon Journal, Storm)
Berea Report: Back in the spotlight (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)

Browns Dominate Lions 20-0 in First Quarter, Go on to Win 27-10

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:20:06 -0000

More photos » by David Richard - AP

4 months ago: Cleveland Browns' Josh Cribbs (16) heads for the end zone on a punt return for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)

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DETROIT LIONS (1-1)	GAME #2	CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-1)
	VS.
10		27

For once, I felt bad for the opposition. They don't know who their quarterback will be, they are turning the ball over, they can't stop the run very well, and they really don't have a great running back. They are last year's 0-16 Detroit Lions.

What I saw from the first overall pick in the draft, Matthew Stafford, was a complete mess. He was confused by our coverages numerous times, making it easy to bait him into dangerous throws. When our defense did leave a few players wide open, Stafford horribly overthrew them. You expect a rookie to take some time to adjust to the league, but no where near as bad as Stafford was.

That was good news for the Browns' defense though, because it gave our players the opportunity to build some confidence and quickly get the ball back into the hands of our offense. In the end, the result was almost a complete 180 from last week's debacle against the Green Bay Packers.

PRESEASON GAME 2 - LIONS VS. BROWNS (GENERAL THOUGHTS)

Preseason Game Ball - It's Time to Pay Up: Besides making progress as a wide receiver, Joshua Cribbs is just too good in the return game. If Eric Mangini wanted Cribbs to prove to him that he was worthy of a raise, then Cribbs is doing a heck of a job showing off his abilities. On the first play of the game, Cribbs returned the kickoff for a touchdown, disproving my theory that returners would have a tougher time this season without a wedge.

The play was brought back due to a phantom holding call on Abram Elam, but I'll live with that in the preseason since it gave our offense an early look on the field. In his next opportunity, coming on a punt return, Cribbs shifted through the defense and was off for an 84-yard touchdown.
The Truth on Derek Anderson: Did we learn anything new on Derek Anderson? Not really. He definitely played better than he did the previous week, and part of that had to do with making quicker decisions. Anderson was assisted by the playcalling of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who tailored the playbook to Anderson's strengths. This was Anderson, for the most part, at his best -- but we already knew he could make these plays.
The Struggles of Derek Anderson: If you're a new reader, don't get me wrong -- I like Anderson and wouldn't be ticked off if he was the opening day starter. But you can't call his performance perfect when he missed a wide open Braylon Edwards down the sideline. A better throw would've resulted in a long touchdown, and would've prevented the need for a long third down play (which Anderson did convert on).

Then during the two-minute drill, Anderson could only find RB James Davis on some dumpoffs. His lack of touch on short throws proved to be a weakness when his extra-high pass to Davis was tipped and intercepted by the Lions, allowing them to kick a field goal just before half-time. Anderson also had a play earlier in which he had no touch, firing a quick slant to Edwards either into the ground, or low and behind him for an incompletion.
Quinn - Fine From What We Saw: At least Brady Quinn didn't tank during his limited action at quarterback. I did not agree with Quinn being inserted on a 3rd-and-1 play to start the second quarter. Anderson started that drive, and at the very least, Anderson should have stayed in until the chains were moved. He started with a nice 24-yard completion to Brian Robiskie, but then the play-calling became much more conservative with an emphasis on the run and throwing short passes on third down.

John St. Clair didn't help Quinn's cause with a few penalties to set the drive back. Quinn was OK, but in no way can you look at this game and saw that Quinn lost his shot at the starting role. At best, you can say that Anderson did enough not to have Quinn be named the starter immediately following the game.
Lewis on the Ground: Looking at the stat sheet, Jamal Lewis had another low-carry average, having 3.3 yards per carry on seven attempts. I don't see this as him struggling though; that is Jamal Lewis. Remember that throughout his career, minus the times he just obliterated the Browns as a member of the Ravens, he made his mark by pounding away and staying strong during the second half of the game.
Davis' Stock Back Up: It's been about two weeks now since the James Davis show has had some highlights, but his 81-yard touchdown run changed that. It was a simple give-up call on 3rd-and-12 just before the end of the fourth-quarter -- a quick pump fake by Brett Ratliff, followed by the delayed draw handoff to Davis.

Davis shot through the line and the safeties overcommitted to the inside, allowing Davis to make a nice juke move to the outside where he then had the help of blocking from two Browns receivers. Davis then kicked it into another gear, outracing everyone to the end zone. Davis claims that it was the longest run he's had in his football career.

Rookie RB James Davis runs for an 81-yard touchdown.

Taking Advantage: DB Eric Wright took advantage of Stafford's inexperience and of the Lions' lack of healthy receivers when he intercepted the Lions' first pass of the game. His return went for about 5 yards on the stat sheet, but ended up taking him a whole football field to get that. I hate the pesky celebration penalty after the fact, but I guess a rule is a rule.
Ivy, Poteat, Francies: It was a great day to be a Browns cornerback, that's for sure. Between the three players listed in the subtitle, Corey Ivy had the most notable plays. He lit up one of the Lions' receivers on a third-and-short pass, and was also in on the tackle that caused a fumble at the start of the third quarter (Mike Adams had the recovery).

Hank Poteat had several nice plays, notably an interception near the sideline that didn't count after his hip fell just a bit out of bounds. Coye Francies, the rookie, had some tight coverage again. He left for a play or two with a hip injury, and returned on a play where he wasn't in press coverage and gave up a first down.
Quiet Night for Tight Ends: I'm not going to complain here, because I'd rather see our backs and receivers in the preseason over our tight ends. It was nice to see Steve Heiden back for his first game, catching a 20-yard pass from Derek Anderson. To see him in on a double tight end set with the first-string unit provides hope that he won't be a roster casualty.
Vickers With the Assist: I saw more of our fullbacks tonight, particularly Lawrence Vickers early on. He hit several of his blocks very well, paving some lanes open for Lewis, including on his touchdown run in the first quarter. We haven't heard much about Vickers this camp, but I believe he's still an intregal part of our running attack.

QB Derek Anderson celebrates in belief that he has won the quarterback competition (in reality, this was him celebrating Davis' TD run)

Backup QB's: I'm still not very impressed with Brett Ratliff, although our second-string offensive line is not very good in protection. Richard Bartel had his opportunity, but blew his chance when he just barely overthrew an open Lance Leggett deep down the field. I didn't get to see enough of Bartel this camp to have an opinion of him, but he'll probably be cut after the third preseason game when rosters are trimmed to 75.
Furrey & Edwards: You can just tell that our third-down offense is going to be built around Mike Furrey after these first two preseason games. Even when we're in third-and-long situations, we're throwing the ball to him on short routes to see if he can break them open. he's not that type of player, but I'd imagine that for the preseason, those are really practice situations to focus on getting him the ball on "3rd-and-7", even if it's really a "3rd-and-15". Braylon Edwards had a catch -- nothing special, but at least the talk of the drop from Green Bay can die down for another week.
Ticket Sales? The Browns are doing their 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks, 4 tickets for $99 deal again for this weekend's game against the Titans. I bet the Browns sell a few more of those packages than they did for the Lions game. A good outing at home can do that.
Bernie Ripping on Brown: Announcer Bernie Kosar really ripped on Lions sixth-round RB Aaron Brown. Once a year, there is always a player on the opposing team in the preseason that gets on Kosar's nerves. I look forward to who that player is, and boy did Kosar rip into Brown. It started after Brown took a handoff on 3rd-and-6 out of bounds for a gain of four, rather than staying in bounds to fight for the extra yardage.

A few plays later on a pass play, Brown scurried out of bounds to avoid contact. (roughly transcribed) "This Brown just doesn't appear to like contact. That is not going to show up well for him in the film room or for when any teams in the league are looking for a free agent running back." Then on the Browns' series, Kosar notes that veteran Ryan Tucker is still in the game. "13 years Ryan has been in this league, and he's one of the toughest guys I know...definitely Aaron Brown on the other side of the spectrum from TCU...he's not even close to that type of toughness the way he runs out of bounds." I might be snoozing in the second half of preseason games if it weren't for Bernie.
Special Teams & Kaluka Maiava: I'll give him this own category this week because I'm running out of fresh sub-titles. Maiava had two early special teams tackles and made some positive plays defensively. Also having a good play on special teams was veteran LB Blake Costanzo. I know Gerard Lawson is backing up Cribbs as a returner, but I can't see him making the team again.
This Week's Marcus Benard: ...is DB Bret Lockett. Lockett saw some action with the first-string defense and made several individual one-on-one tackles. That ability intrigues me, even to the point where I now might change my mind and want to keep him over backup S Nick Sorensen (who did have a nice block on Cribbs' punt return TD). I had no idea where LB Marcus Benard was this week, as I didn't hear his name mentioned once. I have to imagine he didn't even play.
Down on Foster: I'm not at all impressed by the play of George Foster. He's even rivaling Isaac Sowells when it comes to down performances. Foster was responsible for Ratliff's fumble in the third quarter, a play that led to Lions QB Drew Stanton throwing a touchdown on his first play.
Cleaning Up the Penalties: On special teams, the Browns had one too many penalties, negating a few nice punts by Dave Zastudil and Cribbs' first touchdown return. As good as the game was as a whole, we'll have a few players running laps for their mistakes.
Brownies: LB Kamerion Wimbley played well early, as did MLB Eric Barton, who made a nice play on the ball dropping back into coverage and drilled Stafford on a free blitz...RB Chris Jennings came close to blocking a punt on two consecutive possessions.
Final Word: Thanks for being a footnote, Shaun Smith.

Eric Mangini has a decision to make. Starting quarterbacks are usually named by the third preseason game, but based on our first two games, you can't really say one player outplayed the other. It should really come down to how the quarterbacks have done overall in training camp, and most importantly, who Mangini has more faith in to lead the type of offense he wants the Browns to run. If he wants mistake-free football, Quinn should be the guy. If he wants the high risk/high reward route, maybe it's Anderson.

NOTE: To all fantasy football DBN players, remember that the draft is at 9 PM EST tonight!

Here is the roll call of who participated in the game thread, with rufio and myself having the most to say...

Roll Call: kjc, doggrad87, dergru, Roger Dorn, BradyQuinnisBeast, rufio, gahnki, skipkirk, rockybrown, ChrisPokorny, irish1083, nickjs21, woodsmeister, danzig, dohior, JustBob, aufrank, BrownDawg1409, Bernie19Kosar, Juannieboy
Total Users: 20
Total Posts: 294
Total Threads: 1

Name	# of Posts
rufio	59
ChrisPokorny	59
Roger Dorn	35
JustBob	23
woodsmeister	19
gahnki	17
BradyQuinnisBeast	17
BrownDawg1409	13
rockybrown	10
skipkirk	10
Juannieboy	8
irish1083	6
aufrank	5
nickjs21	4
dergru	3
kjc	2
doggrad87	1
Bernie19Kosar	1
dohior	1
danzig	1