SB Nation - Terry Cousin

Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2009: Cornerback Preview (Part 1) - Will Hood Surpass Wright or McDonald?

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:38:20 -0000

The anticipation for the start of the 2009 Cleveland Browns season is growing, as we now preview the final position left to be covered -- cornerback. There are eight cornerbacks on the team, so like I've done with a few other positions, I'll be breaking the position down into two parts. Today, in Part 1, we'll take a look at the starters and a few of the veterans Mangini has brought to camp.

1. ERIC WRIGHT - STARTING CORNERBACK

Eric Wright (#24)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190
College: UNLV
Experience: 3 years
Stats: 66 tkls, 3 INT in '08

Finally, I have found a position that I can't bash Romeo Crennel for the way he handled it. He had two young cornerbacks in Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald, and both of them saw the field as starters over a few veteran players.

Between the two, Wright seems to have a more secure job than McDonald does. After a good rookie season two years ago, Wright was equally as good last year and even showed the ability to create some turnovers with three interceptions and two forced fumbles. Another reason you have to be excited about Wright is that opposing quarterbacks seemed to throw more to the receiver Wright wasn't covering, something that isn't uncommon when teams feel you are the best corner on the team. This is a unit that held Peyton Manning to without a passing touchdown or very many positive plays. Wright might have had more interception opportunities if teams had not targeted Brandon McDonald when he was struggling and Terry Cousin (or the depleted nickel back position) throughout the year.

Wright might not reach Pro Bowl status, but I think he can reach and even surpass the type of player Leigh Bodden was when he was at his best with the Browns.

Job Security: A
Player Quality: B
Final Roster Odds: 100%

2. BRANDON MCDONALD - STARTING CORNERBACK

Brandon McDonald (#22)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 195
College: Memphis
Experience: 3 years
Stats: 75 tkls, 5 INT in '08

Brandon McDonald had a few really bad games last season after starting the season fine. This led to rumors that he would be benched for a period of time, and they came true when Travis Daniels started one game. That only lasted one play though, as McDonald was back one play later.

Even though McDonald had slightly better numbers than Wright last season, he was not "solid" as consistently as Wright was. There are definitely two sides to the story here.

On one side, you could say that on the plays McDonald was burned on, it wasn't really his fault. The other factors in the equation include the Browns' safeties misreading the plays, or our defensive coordinator calling for McDonald to be in a tough one-on-one situation. On the other side, you can say that the negative plays fall on McDonald's shoulders, exposing the fact that he was nothing more than a former fifth-round draft choice.

I think McDonald really excelled when he was a nickel back, and was manageable with the potential to improve at the cornerback position. Rod Hood might challenge for a starting spot, and if that's the case, I wouldn't mind seeing McDonald slip to No. 3. After all, it's no use having two good cornerbacks only to have teams line up three-four receivers and pick on the backups.

Job Security: B-
Player Quality: C+
Final Roster Odds: 100%

3. RODERICK HOOD - NICKEL / BACKUP CORNERBACK

Roderick Hood (#26)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 198
College: Auburn
Experience: 7 years
Note: Was in Super Bowl

In terms of credentials and current ability, Roderick Hood should be significantly better than the players who have had this role over the past two years -- Ralph Brown and Terry Cousin. Hood is coming over from the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, where he started for two seasons. Last season, Brown was actually the nickel back in the Cardinals' secondary (to his credit, Brown played better with the Cardinals than he did with Cleveland).

I headed over to Revenge of the Birds, our Arizona Cardinals blog, to see what some of their fans had to say back when Hood was released. While fans weren't crushed to see him leave, overall, they enjoyed his stay with the team. The main concern seemed to be his inability to make a play on the ball despite the fact that he was in perfect position:

"He’d be in perfect position but wouldn’t turn his head. I don’t know if he just didn’t have the ball skills to turn his head and find the rock or just didn’t trust himself enough and didn’t want to take his eyes off the receiver. He was very good when he was facing the QB and could drive on the ball but running with a WR and turning and finding the ball was not his strong suit."

Link

Some attributed this to a lot of bad luck, while others deemed it as Hood's weakness. I guess it's something we'll be able to evaluate ourselves in the preseason, isn't it?

Player Quality: B
Final Roster Odds: 100%

4. COREY IVY - VETERAN BACKUP CORNERBACK

Corey Ivy (#35)
Height: 5-9
Weight: 188
College: Oklahoma
Experience: 9 years
Note: Former Raven

Before the Browns' last minute decision to sign Hood, I had Corey Ivy pegged as our nickel back, believing at the time that he would compete with veteran Hank Poteat for the job. Most of you should be familiar with Ivy, as he spent the past three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. It should be noted that he had a pretty high sack total for a backup cornerback with Baltimore; in three seasons with them, he registered 7.5 sacks.

Ivy also brings some starting experience with him, though he isn't in the same class as Hood in that respect. I would put him closer to the league that Cousin was in for us last season. Ivy really isn't physically gifted, but has the experience factor in aggressive defenses. Also, a player of his caliber only becomes an issue if he is on the field too often; as a fourth cornerback or a fill-in elsewhere, he can be an asset.

Over at Baltimore Beatdown, Ivy was often referred to as Corey "I can't cover anybody" Ivy, and they weren't too concerned about finding a replacement for him.

Player Quality: D+
Final Roster Odds: 60%

5. HANK POTEAT - VETERAN BACKUP CORNERBACK

Hank Poteat (#23)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 195
College: Pittsburgh
Experience: 9 years
Note: Former Jet

While the ranking above might indicate that I would put Ivy over Hank Poteat, that is far from a sure bet. In fact, heading into camp, they should both have an equal chance at making the roster. Poteat probably even has the edge heading into it, considering he played for Mangini the past three seasons in New York.

A few months ago, John B from Gang Green Nation offered some humorous insight as to what we might expect with Poteat this season:

"Poteat will be cut in camp, resigned before Week 1, cut after Week 5, resigned after Week 7, and spend the rest of the year as a solid nickel."

Poteat has been a veteran backup for the New England Patriots and the Jets over the past four seasons and can also contribute on special teams. Both Ivy and Poteat are entering their ninth NFL seasons.

Player Quality: D+
Final Roster Odds: 60%

Safety Position Quality (Starters / Primary Backups): B-

This season, it's a relief that we're not trying to find a second or third cornerback, but rather a fourth or fifth cornerback. A rotation of Wright, McDonald, and Hood should fill the first three spots, but I only think one player between Ivy and Poteat will remain on the team. Both players are too similar, and it seems beneficial to have a young player available for the fifth spot. That's what Part 2's preview will be about. Although there are only three players left to cover at cornerback -- Gerard Lawson, Coye Francies, and Don Carey, they will be the topic of discussion for our final training camp positional preview piece of the season. Look for that some time on Friday.

Poll

Between Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, and Roderick Hood, which pair would you like to see starting (the cornerback not listed would then be the nickel back)?

Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald

310 votes

Eric Wright, Roderick Hood

279 votes

Roderick Hood, Brandon McDonald

19 votes

I'll wait for what mooncamping says and then decide

42 votes

650 votes | Poll has closed

CB Hank Poteat Signed, Holly Visits Buccaneers

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:32:32 -0000

Several years ago, when the Cleveland Browns were in the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, I recall CB Hank Poteat getting burned consistently by our receivers. He was a large part of the reason Kelly Holcomb threw for over 400 yards in that game. At that time, I thought to myself, "how could this 'Poteat' guy be on any team?"

Well, now he's not just on any team -- he's on the Cleveland Browns. To be fair, Poteat has proven me wrong the past several years by filling in as a decent role player for the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. Poteat spent three years with Eric Mangini, but I wouldn't say his roster spot is a definite lock. He could inevitably end up being this season's Terry Cousin, if worst comes to worst.

I'd much rather have Daven Holly filling that role. Unfortunately, I haven't heard any reports about the Browns being interested in bringing him back. The latest reports have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers interested in Holly.

I'd have to imagine that under the new regime, signing players coming off injuries is a turnoff (see Sean Jones; Daven Holly). Ryan Tucker, also injury-prone, just had his contract restructured to stay with the team.

Finally, in other former Browns player news, CB Leigh Bodden is nearly going from worst to first after signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots. Again, thanks for Shaun Rogers, Detroit.

Gold Star for Mangini's and Kokinis' First Transactions

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:30:53 -0000

As most of you know by now, the Cleveland Browns released several players on Monday. Monday was the first day that teams were allowed to start disposing of their players, and Eric Mangini and George Kokinis made moves towards improving the future of this team. In other words, they didn't get it "wrong".

QB Ken Dorsey: After his performance at the end of the season, I don't think anybody would argue against Dorsey's release (except for Bernie Kosar, perhaps). He was only considered a mentor to Brady Quinn at first, but I think we're past the point of mentoring for him now.
QB Bruce Gradkowski: He had a limited amount of time to show what he was capable of. Unfortunately for Bruce, he failed miserably.

OL Eric Young: These type of guys come and go, with their only real chance of hanging on being if the head coaching position remains consistent.
LB Antwan Peek: By far, this is the toughest cut to brush off, but it was a necessary one. Peek has been plagued by injuries almost more than Courtney Brown was. On top of that, Peek was never a Pro Bowl caliber player in the first place. This cut also means that focusing on OLB in the draft and in free agency remains a high priority, since the chances of Willie McGinest being retained are not too strong.
CB Terry Cousin: The veteran defensive back definitely underachieved last year, as he was not the answer we had hoped for when DB Daven Holly went down. It's good to see Mangini dump him, considering he did take a crack at veteran DB Ty Law last season.
K Jason Reda: Who knows; you might see him back in training camp.
P Mike Dragosavich

SB Nation is in the process of compiling the most complete and accurate list of free agents in the NFL, as many sites have outdated or inaccurate reports. When that becomes available, I'll post it for everybody to see and discuss.

Cut Day Claims First Victims, QB Target Available?

Adam T — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:37:15 -0000

Yesterday teams started making roster cuts. I am sure this is no longer a complete list, but here are some of the early names. Since the teams that did the most cutting were the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions, we probably would not be interested in any of these guys for anything more than depth.

Adam Jones, CB
Bruce Gradkowski, QB
Terry Cousin, CB
Jason Reda, K
Mike Dragosavich, P
Eric Young, OL
Ken Dorsey, QB
Antwan Peek, OLB
Dan Campbell, TE
Jon Dunn, OL
Edwin Mulitalo, G
Leigh Bodden, CB
Dwight Smith, DB

The interesting news from yesterday is that Tampa Bay signed QB Luke McCown to a two-year deal. The deal is worth $14 million with incentives. Many believe this means the Bucs will part ways with Brian Griese and Jeff Garcia. Unless Garcia is insistent on finding a starter's gig, he could be the off season target Angelo brings in for competition.

Cleveland Browns Defense: What Went Wrong? Part 1

rufio — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:19:47 -0000

To put it simply: a lot.

I will attempt to show for the 2008 season what our defensive goals were, how we sought to accomplish them (with respect to individual players and the defense as a whole), and why exactly our defense failed to become an elite unit.

Because it was the most positive memory of the season that I have, I went back and looked at the tape of our Monday night game against the New York Giants. I will use this footage as sort of a case study that will (hopefully) explain what went wrong this season in general.

Clearly, everything that was bad about the Browns' defense in 2008 can not be covered in one write-up, so this will be a multi-part review, hopefully reaching larger conclusions in future installments. This entry will look at the Browns in man-to-man coverage.

Against the Pass

Man Coverage

When it went right: During the Giants' opening drive, our defense was in classic "bend" mode, giving up chunks of positive yards on 5 of 6 plays to open the game. We let the Giants get 40 total yards on those first 6 plays which amounts to a whopping 6.67 yards/play, the Giants easily averaging a first down for every two plays they ran. The drive ended well for us, however, with Brodney Pool intercepting Eli Manning to close the drive.

So what did we do for the two plays (including the turnover) in the opening drive where we didn't give up positive yards? Somewhat surprisingly, we played man-to-man coverage.

On last play of that opening drive, the Giants had lined up with 4 WR and RB Brandon Jacobs to Eli Manning's left in the shotgun package. We countered by going to our Dime package (4 CB), moving pass rushing OLBs Kamerion Wimbley and Willie McGinest to DE and having 4 down linemen. Shortly before the snap, S Nick Sorensen moved up to the line of scrimmage, showing blitz. Here, Sorensen is just crossing the yellow 1st down line on the top half of the screen.

With Sorensen up at the line and S Brodney Pool deep, we basically tipped our hand that we were playing either Cover 1 with Pool in deep coverage (man) or Cover 3 (which would almost definitely be zone).

Off the snap, you can see Sorensen blitz to Kamerion Wimbley's right. Sure enough, we are in Cover-1 (man).

Kamerion Wimbley was lined up next to Shaun Rogers to form the right side of the defensive line. Wimbley and Rogers ran what is called a "stunt" or sometimes a "game" where they basically cross paths en route to the QB. Rogers' job is to shoot the B gap between LG and LT and occupy the LG. If Sorensen occupies the LT, McGinest occupies the RT, and Corey Williams can demand a double team from the C and RG, there should be no one left to block Wimbley, who is to loop back inside Rogers into the A gap between C and LG.

In other words, ideally, the play would like this:

I believe there is a design flaw in this blitz even though it ultimately ended up being successful. As you can see, one blocker was all the Giants needed to take care of Corey Williams. Shaun Rogers probably would have demanded at least a partial double team and let Wimbley get to the QB easier. Corey Williams (based on what I had heard about him) was pretty good at shooting gaps in Green Bay, and could have performed the stunt with Wimbley. Rogers is the only player on our team who demands a double team.

Here, you can see McGinest (#55) beating his man. Sorensen is engulfed (as one might expect a backup S to be by a starting LT), Williams can't get any movement on the RG, and Wimbley and Rogers are both beginning to beat their men.

McGinest didn't get the sack, but he did force QB Eli Manning to step up into the pocket. Along with Rogers, McGinest helped make Manning a sitting duck for Kamerion Wimbley who is seen here just before he gets a hit on Manning.

As illustrated by the Worldwide Leader above, Eli was staring Plaxico Burress down the entire play. Because of the pressure applied by Wimbley, Rogers, and McGinest, he had nowhere else to go and either had to take the sack or throw to Plax. Note in this image how far Brodney Pool seems to be from the play.

Brandon McDonald has very good coverage on Burress (the right of the two receivers), and Pool gets a good jump on the ball. Eli may have had a shot if he is able to step in to this throw, drive the ball, and sink it down in to the back-left corner of the endzone. In other words, there is probably a place that Eli could have put the ball where Burress could make the catch but neither McDonald nor Pool had a shot at it, BUT the teamwork of the pass rush and the secondary made this in to a big play for our defense.

(Pool makes the interception).

When it went wrong: Probably remembering our earlier success, we went back to almost the same exact defensive play later in the 2nd quarter. In the same Dime package, this time we lined Corey Williams up at the 1 technique with his nose over the C's right shoulder. We also brought MLB D'Qwell Jackson up, showing blitz between Williams and LDE Willie McGinest.

If you are reading this blog, you have probably seen a QB step and maybe flex his hands as though he were receiving the shotgun snap (possibly even accompanied by a head fake by the center) only to not get the ball. Offenses do this to try to sniff out "late" movements by the defense that are to be made shortly before the snap. In the photo above, you can see the C with his head down, looking for the signal from Manning, while Eli does his little step. Below, you get Sorensen's reaction.

If timed correctly, blitzes and late shifts can give offenses all types of trouble. A QB thinks he has made the correct read and knows who will get open, but the defense changes looks and what he thought was there is now gone. Show one thing, then take it away. (Side note: I don't know much of anything about Baseball...can anyone explain why Baseball defenses don't do this type of thing? Seems like it could at least distract a hitter every now and then...)

Eli sees the blitz coming, makes the adjustment, and Sorensen knows he has been sniffed out so he just lines up at the line of scrimmage.

Corey Williams is presumably lined up closer to the C to make it easier for him to draw the C's protection his way and to allow Kamerion Wimbley an free pass to the QB. I would guess that D'Qwell's presence up on the line was intended to draw the RG's protection, making it all the more necessary for the C to block Williams.

We wanted the play to look like this:

With the HB either having to cross in front of the QB to try to get a piece of Wimbley, or running a pass route to try to catch the ball, and not staying in to pass block at all.

Here is what actually happened:

I like the fact that Romeo and Mel Tucker made an in-game adjustment by moving the DL around and even sending more people at the QB (6!) to try to create pressure. They did get a favorable matchup with D'Qwell Jackson being blocked one-on-one vs a RB (although if Brandon Jacobs had been in the game, he has the advantage 1-1 vs just about any LB).

(Jackson using his favorable matchup and beating the RB, while the rest of the blitz is nullified by the Giants)

The first thing that accounts for the failure of this play is still the coaching staff's fault, though.

In my humble opinion, if you send 6 (six!) rushers at the QB, you should be able to design your rush such that an unblocked rusher gets to the QB. I showed how the Eagles and the Ravens were able to get untouched rushers to the QB. The reason they were able to get untouched rushers to the QB was because they utilized the concept of "overload".

Basically, "overloading" an offense means bringing more rushers than they can block. You can actually overload an offense by sending more than the offense can block (so 7 in this case), you can give the perception of overload by making the offense think you are bringing more than they can block, you can overload locally by bringing more than an offense can block in a given area of the line (usually one half of the line).

Instead of overloading, we just trusted our players to beat their blockers one on one, and we didn't even create mismatches (such as trying to get the RB to block a 300+lb. lineman instead of ~240 lb. Jackson). A few of our defenders eventually beat their men. Jackson forced Eli up in the pocket, and Rogers spun off of his man and got a big hit on Manning.

BUT because of another mistake by our coaching staff, the Giants got positive yards.

(Rogers about to crush Eli)

Above, you see 33+ year old, 12 year veteran Terry Cousin guarding the Giants' fastest, best, (insert gun joke here)-est WR Plaxico Burress. Cousin is listed at 5'9", 185lbs, while Burress is listed at 6'5", 232. This is a mismatch.

That's a 30 yard gain. Not a back breaker, but not the type of play you want to give up if you are to become an elite defense. Part of the reason the Giants were able to do this is that Cousin is not a good player, but a lot of the blame rests with the coaches for asking him to try to guard Burress.

Refusing to move another DB over to cover Plax (and probably give it away that we were playing man coverage) for one play isn't that big of a deal. Romeo and Mel didn't learn from their mistake, however. As you can see below, the Giants exploited this same mismatch for a TD later in the game.

Cousin lines up over Burress and doesn't get a great bump at the line...

Man coverage, with Burress starting to get separation out of his break. Two defenders are waiting for a run out of the shotgun, five rushers don't have time to get to Manning...

Cousin not closing well on a ball thrown high to the 6'5" Burress...

Touchdown.

Outside of Shaun Rogers, our front 7 didn't have a lot of pass-rushing talent. Our defensive backs weren't Pro Bowlers. But, when the whole defense worked together in a way that surprised the offense and got pressure on the QB, they could still get the job done in man coverage in 2008.

Quinn's Last Start a Forgetful One in 16-6 Loss

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:44:46 -0000

Box Score - 11.23.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	7	6	3	0	16
	0	6	0	0	6

Maybe Brady Quinn shouldn't have played after all against the Houston Texans. After the game, it was revealed that due to playing and practicing with a fractured finger, his injury had worsened to the point where he will miss the remainder of the season.

Even with Quinn's injury, it wasn't a legitimate excuse for the egg the Browns laid against the Texans. For the first time this season, I didn't feel depressed after the game -- I just felt empty. That's a telling sign when you know the season is over.

Let's get started with the goats of the game for Week 12, and there was one player who was especially deserving of one...

Goats of the Game (Hang Your Head)

WR Braylon Edwards cannot hang on to a pass in the end zone from QB Derek Anderson. The catch would've made it a 16-13 game with enough time left to play.

Braylon Edwards: This was perhaps the worst of them all. He has been dropping passes in every game this season, but the problem was really dangled in front of our eyes Sunday when Rob Chudzinski called for every pass play to go his way. I believe the official statistic stated that he was targeted 17 or 18 times, with about 3 or 4 drops. It was worse than just those drops though -- a poor effort on Brady Quinn's second interception, and a possible momentum-changing jump ball touchdown dropped, just to name a few.
Jamal Lewis: With Quinn having an injury to his finger, I blame Chudzinski for not giving Lewis more touches. However, Lewis lost two fumbles against the Texans (Anderson was credited with the second one, officially). It has been a long time since Lewis has put the ball on the ground, but his turnovers certainly didn't swing the momentum our direction.

Awarding Game Balls (Solid in Defeat)

Shaun Rogers: Consistently neglected in the game ball section this year, it's time for Rogers to receive another one. He has been the most consistent player on the 53-man roster, with another high-impact game against the Texans. He blocked his second field goal of the season, and although he didn't record a tackle, his presence was felt regularly.
Brodney Pool: The defense didn't look "great", but they kept fighting. Pool intercepted Sage Rosenfels early in the third quarter to set the Browns up with great field position. It was negated two plays later though, when Quinn threw his first interception.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

Thomas' Lowlights: In round two, Mario Williams had the edge on Joe Thomas. It wasn't the typical shutdown game for Thomas, who allowed Williams to knock down our quarterback several times.

If you were frustrated by the Browns' effort this season, here is some good news: you'll get to watch Derek Anderson for the rest of the season!

Quinn the Starter? We'll See: Exactly why was Brady Quinn named the team's starting quarterback or 2009 already? Don't get me wrong -- I have no problem with the "decision". However, after Romeo Crennel benched Quinn in an attempt to get a "spark" from someone else, how can he justifiably act like this was "all part of the plan"?
Poor Performance: There are some things I liked about Quinn's game, but it really kills me that he didn't get more opportunities to prove himself this season. In the end, Quinn didn't do enough to show that he can immediately take charge of the offense next season. Sure, the fans might be behind him, but the same may not be true for whoever our head coach is.
Anderson Slinging: Prior to the game, I said we shouldn't be surprised if we saw Derek Anderson (not on the sidelines, but in the game). His entrance came under unexpected circumstances, but he played nonetheless. I thought he actually did provide a spark with several nice throws to Braylon Edwards.
J. Wright is Bad Luck: If I'm Anderson, I never want to throw the ball to Jason Wright again. The last two times that Anderson has attempted a pass to Wright, it has been intercepted. Not that it is necessarily his fault, but I'm just tired of Wright being involved in the offense -- I wouldn't mind dumping him in the offseason.
Dawson's Shank: All kickers have them every now and then, as Phil Dawson shanked a chip shot field goal in the fourth quarter that would've drawn the Browns to within one possession.
Tackling Pays Off: We played back a little more. We were a little tentative in taking risks. The reason? We were focused on tackling. This was without question the best game this season our defense had from a tackling sense, as everybody, including Terry Cousin, made fundamentally sound tackles. Maybe next season, we can be like every other defense in the league and not look like we're learning how to play the game of football on the fly.
Secondary Affected: Our cornerbacks were affected the most by the tackling aspect, as Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter pretty much shredded Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright. Credit Sage Rosenfels on the first and only touchdown of the game though, as he threw a perfect pass to Walter in the corner of the end zone.

The Browns should have run the ball more with Jamal Lewis, if for nothing more than to take pressure off of Quinn.

Harrison Involved More: This may sound greedy, but even though Jerome Harrison had a season-high eight touches, I wanted more. Not just from Harrison, but from Jamal Lewis too. As I explained earlier in the goats section, it made little sense to throw it 32 times and run it 20 times when we were never even behind by more than ten points.
Welcome Back, Vickers: One player who had a quiet, but nice, game in return was fullback Lawrence Vickers. I thought he really opened up the holes well for the few times Lewis did carry the ball early in the game.
Winslow's Pass Interference: This has got to change too. We've already missed Joe Jurevicius' presence on third downs this season, so when we do execute them, it's a relief...that is, until you see a yellow flag down with the officials calling offensive pass interference on Kellen Winslow.
Really Got Under My Skin: This one really made me irate, so here goes a rant: in the fourth quarter, Joshua Cribbs received the ball and rolled out to the right. He suddenly pulled up ready to throw the ball, but quickly saw that nothing was there and tucked it for a short gain on the ground. Are you kidding me? We have been waiting for Cribbs to throw the football for about two years, but the play has never been called. Cribbs throwing the ball should be the "dagger" type of play when we are up by ten points, or the "shock" type of play in the second or third quarter when we are down by three. Why would you run the play late in the fourth quarter when we are down by two possessions? That is the best time Chudzinski could think of to call a Cribbs pass? Not against the Steelers? or Ravens? Sickening.
Wimbley's Pursuit: Although he was "let free" on the play, I'd credit Kamerion Wimbley's sack on Rosenfels as his best one of the season. The Browns need to do a lot more of what happened on that play -- spread Wimbley out further so that someone else occupies the left tackle.
Brownies: It was a frustrating game defensively if you were watching on television, but you couldn't tell based on the box score...we held Steve Slaton to 3.5 yards a run, intercepted Rosenfels twice, and held the Texans to just 16 points, their third-lowest total of the season.

The game was a dud, plain and simple. I tried to avoid talking too much about Romeo Crennel's decisions in this game, because it's obvious that what he did was just as bad as what Andy Reid did with Donovan McNabb against the Baltimore Ravens.

Against Indianapolis, we'll be facing one of the hottest teams in the AFC. We've only won one game at home this year, but it's not time to throw the towel in. We defeated Peyton Manning's brother, Eli Manning, and the New York Giants earlier this year, proving that wonders can happen on any given Sunday (unless you're the Detroit Lions). Also, I haven't forgotten about last season. And neither should you have. What needs to be in store this Sunday for the Browns?

Revenge.

Travis Daniels Could Replace Brandon McDonald

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:04:32 -0000

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported this morning that cornerback Travis Daniels could replace struggling starter Brandon McDonald this Monday against the Buffalo Bills. While Daniels has seen minimal playing time this season, the move might not be a bad one.

I am still intrigued with giving McDonald more starting opportunities this season. However, he is coming off two of the worst games in his career. After being burned that much, opposing teams will continue to attack. Putting McDonald as the nickel back this Monday could take away some of the pressure facing him, allowing him to regain any confidence he has lost.

Either way, whether Daniels starts or not, he will at least split reps with McDonald.

"[Coach Romeo Crennel] made a decision and I support it," McDonald said. "I'm not going to be angry about it. I love T. Daniels. I love what he brings to the game. I know he can come in and help us, so I'm not really aggravated about it. But I am aggravated at myself and how I've been playing the last couple of weeks."

Daniels has started 25 games during his NFL career, including five last season with the Miami Dolphins. Since joining the Browns this season, he has been shelved behind veteran Terry Cousin, forcing him to play exclusively on special teams.

Crennel also reports that there will be more linebacker and safety rotation on the defensive side of the ball. Hopefully that means more Leon Williams and less Andra Davis. What about rookie linebacker Beau Bell?

He added that rookie linebacker Beau Bell has been making good progress, "but just finding the chance to get him up and active is an issue."

Ummm...what?

Poll

Would you agree with starting Travis Daniels to give Brandon McDonald some time to build his confidence again?

Yes, starting Daniels is good

81 votes

No, let McDonald continue to learn on the job

42 votes

123 votes | Poll has closed

Broncos Hand Browns Another Depressing Loss, 34-30

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:29:42 -0000

Box Score - 11.6.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	7	3	3	21	34
	7	13	3	7	30

Show hope. Insert dagger. Twist.

There hasn't been a more painful stretch in a span of five days since the Browns returned to the NFL. After having a two-possession lead in two home games late in the game, we came away with two losses. Our record should be 5-4, right in the thick of the wildcard and divison playoff race. Instead, we're 3-6, with our only playoff hopes coming down to going undefeated the rest of the way. That isn't going to happen.

The offense played very well in the debut of Brady Quinn as the team's starting quarterback. Considering the fact that we played a conservative gameplan and scored 30 points, that definitely adds to the excitement he'll provide this team in the future. Right now, the concerns shift back to the defensive side of the ball. They are at the forefront of this week's goats...

Goats of the Game (Unbelievably Bad)

Brandon McDonald: It's beginning to become a little more evident as to why McDonald was a fifth round draft pick last season. That may be a little too harsh of a statement after he played "well" over the first stretch of the season. Over the past two weeks though, he has not faired well against Mark Clayton, Eddie Royal, Brandon Marshall, or anybody else that he has covered. When the potential "makeup" plays came his way, McDonald dropped an interception. Our defense as a whole deserves just as much blame, but McDonald was attacked the most and therefore shoulders the blame.
Kamerion Wimbley: I planned on listing Kellen Winslow here, but because he deserved a game ball and a goat award at the same time, I am cancelling them out (and will discuss him in the general notes section). Wimbley had a sack on Jay Cutler, but never mind that. The play that stands out to me came when he was basically carried several yards by Broncos fullback Peyton Hillis to the sidelines on a running play. That, coupled with the fact that we consistently saw rookie linebacker Wesley Woodyard make sure-tackles against us, just drove me nuts.

Awarding Game Balls (Gold Stars to Put on Their Locker Door)

Joshua Cribbs: After returning to form last week against the Ravens, Cribbs kept his antics up for he second game in a row. He averaged 27 yards per kick return, but you could just tell on each of them that he was a shoe string tackle away from taking the kick another 20-30 yards. Then, on offense, the Browns utilized him more than any other time in history. It was only three times, but it paid off as he carried the ball 3 times for 48 yards.

Quinn has an impressive debut but came away with a loss.
Brady Quinn: His worst drive was probably his last drive. Overall, it was a great game for Quinn. I could sit here and nitpick on a few other throws, but that would really be unfair. This was Quinn's first career start in the NFL, and he played very well. His first touchdown throw to Winslow was threaded perfectly. And, although it was called back due to offensive pass interference, his rollout throw in the fourth quarter to Braylon Edwards shows the extra dimension he adds to the offense. Next time, we'll see if the team allows him to sprinkle in some deep bals.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

Jamal Fails to Reach 100: For most of the game, I agreed with the play calls of offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, an upgrade over the past few weeks. Jamal Lewis was on pace early on to go over the 100-yard mark for the first time this season with ease. Instead, he didn't even get close. He totaled 60 yards on 19 carries, as he was mostly stuffed at the line of scrimmage after the first quarter. With how porous Denver's defense is, that should not have happened as often as it did.
Not Working, Use Harrison: This was the problem I had offensively against Denver. Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis each got some carries early, and both were very effective. Then, Lewis couldn't find room to run, and it appeared to be because he wasn't quick enough to make a move to the open area. Why not insert Harrison back into the game, make him stretch the defense to the outside again for positive yardage, and then attack inside with Lewis again? Instead, we tried to go inside and outside with Lewis (on pitch plays). It failed.
The Touch: A returning Donte Stallworth had an effective game. In particular, I enjoyed watching his first reception, in which Quinn threw a perfect touch pass over his shoulder, allowing him to pick up yards after the catch. Derek Anderson might have completed that pass too, but it would've been a rocket at his hip. That would've stopped Stallworth's momentum, allowing the defense to come up and stop him just shy of a first down. Those differences can go a long way.
What's the Deal?: Although McDonald was a goat, there was no excuse for constantly allowing him to be in single coverage. The only reason Denver didn't score more early on is because Marshall dropped a few passes in which he was wide open. In the fourth quarter, full-well knowing that Cutler was going to heave the ball over and over again, we left McDonald out on an island on a 93-yard touchdown pass. On the inevitable game-winning touchdown, Marshall easily beat McDonald on the play, with no safety help. On the previous play, Denver ran the same exact play and we had the same exact defense. We were lucky they didn't score the first time, and yet we let them try it again one play later.
Good Winslow: The good Kellen Winslow caught 10 passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns, all season highs. I said it earlier this season -- Winslow would not start performing this season until Quinn was under center, because the frustration between him and Anderson just seemed to be too high.

Late in the game, Winslow had three critical miscues.
Bad Winslow: The bad Kellen Winslow showed up three times in the fourth quarter. Each time contributed to the loss, because twice it put our struggling defense back on the field, and the third time it prevented us from moving the chains on our final drive.
Kind of Embarrassing: I think the approach that Jay Cutler took against our defense was smart -- throw it up and let my guy muscle it our of the air. When he was able to use that philosophy not once, not twice, not three times, not four times...heck, I could keep on counting. When he was able to use that philosophy so many times, it tells you two things:
Reason 1 - Linebacker Coverage: Our linebackers are horrible in pass coverage. How do you allow a hobbled tight end, Tony Scheffler, to find the comfort zone between four defenders? There's such a thing as being aware of where the quarterback is planning on throwing the ball before he throws it. Our linebackers are just standing somewhere for the sake of standing there.
Reason 2 - Not Physical: We weren't physical enough. When Mike Adams had a shot for an interception down at the goal line, he quickly went down because of offensive pass interference. He needs to take charge and make that play happen. With so many jump balls, Denver's receivers should have been telling Cutler, "hey, I don't like all these jump balls...you're hanging me out to dry against an oncoming defense". Instead, not only were the Denver players not getting hit, they were coming away with the football. We had one good hit -- from Willie McGinest -- and that broke a play up.
Missed Opportunities: What happened to the defense that was able to feed off of the home crowd against the Giants? For every opportunity late in the game against Denver that the defense had, we blew it. I already mentioned McDonald's drop. On a tipped pass by Corey Williams, D'Qwell Jackson also failed to come away with an interception. When the Broncos ran it with their fullback on fourth-and-one, he was driven back by our defensive line getting a push up front. Instead of our linebackers coming from the side to make a clutch tackle, Hillis just shifted to the side and dove forward for a first down.\
Get Back Soon: This message goes to fullback Lawrence Vickers. All of these flat passes to fullback Charles Ali are too reminscient of when Maurice Carthon would get the ball to Terrelle Smith in the flat. The results are always the same -- no gain with the risk of a fullback getting stripped.
Brownies: Again, Seth McKinney wasn't great, but he did okay filling in for Eric Steinbach...I do wish we would've taken a more serious crack down field to Braylon Edwards...Steve Heiden came away with a few more Jurevicius-like catches...Phil Dawson is again money from beyond 50 yards, and opposing teams still cannot field his kickoffs.

The Brady Quinn era should not have started with a loss. In post-game press conferences, he played the leader role by taking the blame, but everyone knows that the defense was atrocious. We've got the Buffalo Bills up next after what ends up being a "second bye week", and we'd like to make some changes on the defensive depth chart. But...what can you really change?

Terry Cousin over Brandon McDonald?

Nice depth. Oh, yeah...and real playoff contenders -- the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets -- just signed DeAngelo Hall and Ty Law, respectively.

"Prevent Offense" Allows Ravens to Steal Victory From Browns, 37-27

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:02:03 -0000

Box Score - 11.2.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	10	3	7	17	37
	7	6	14	0	27

Last season, the only game I chose not to do a game review for was the season finale, a game in which the Cleveland Browns defeated the San Francisco 49ers. All of the anticipation following that game was on the Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans contest -- and after how depressed Cleveland fans felt after seeing the Colts roll over and die in that game, it didn't feel worth going back and analyzing our game.

Similarly, I didn't really feel like analyzing the loss to the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday for several reasons. First off, its a short week, and we need to get prepared for tomorrow's game against the Denver Broncos. Second, with the team announcing QB Brady Quinn as the team's new starting quarterback, the direction of the team from the Ravens game should be much different than the direction of the team against Denver.

Nonetheless, I'm sure some of you were still looking forward to a review. With it being a little more brief than usual, let's get started with the goats this week...

Goats of the Game (We Hate Them This Week)

Browns DB Sean Jones had a rough game. Here, he is seen missing Ravens RB Ray Rice.

Braylon Edwards: A perfect , momentum-changing play was right in Edwards' hands to be made, and he dropped it. The drops have plagued Edwards all season long -- this isn't the type of thing the Texans worry about with Andre Johnson or the Cardinals worry about with Larry Fitzgerald. A quarterback change might help Edwards catch softer passes up close, but it won't help him catch balls such as this one. If he makes that catch, you can almost be assured that Anderson would be set to quarterback Thursday. If you really wanted Quinn to play, maybe to some fans this was a blessing in disguise in terms of still being "excited" for Browns football this year.
Sean Jones: This was one of the worst games I've ever seen Jones play. I was thrilled to have him active before the game, but obviously his knee injury still had some lingering effects. He was the culprit for several of the Ravens' big plays, something our secondary usually prevents.
Rob Chudzinski: I have to go with a third goat this week, because it is a tagline in the article name. "Prevent Offense". Ugh. More on this in the general notes section.

Awarding Game Balls (Gold Stars to Put on Their Locker Door)

KR Joshua Cribbs was unstoppable against the Ravens, as he returns a kickoff here for a 92-yard touchdown.

Joshua Cribbs: It took him long enough, but Cribbs finally had his first complete special teams performance of the season by looking like the Cribbs of old on return duties. With the Browns trailing 10-0 early on, Cribbs returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. He also had a punt return for 32 yards, which allowed Anderson to be in position to fire a touchdown pass to Edwards on the first offensive play. After the Ravens kicked a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter, Cribbs had a 38-yard return to put us at the 40-yard line. Despite the loss, Cribbs' effort will not be overlooked -- this is a big reminder that the team will need to rework his contract in the offseason.
Phil Dawson: The special teams unit gets both of the game balls, eh? After a well-executed two-minute drill (with much less time than that) in the first half, the Browns were in position for a 54-yard field goal. Dawson had missed two 50+ yarders already this season, but he drilled Sunday's attempt with so much power and accuracy that it definitely would've been good from 60 yards. He also had a crafty kick towards the sideline that almost resulted in an onside kick recovery for Cleveland.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

Run, Run, Pass: This is the path to doom when you're facing the Baltimore Ravens defense. Sure, I respect the fact that Jamal Lewis wants his carries. But...facts are facts -- Baltimore's secondary was playing poorly, but up front, they still have the No. 1 run defense in the entire league. And yet, in the fourth quarter, run, run, pass was called on two consecutive possessions while we had the lead. On the third possession, we still ran the ball on first down despite it not having worked on the previous two drives.
Why Such a Bad Idea: This season, Derek Anderson can barely complete 50% of his passes. With the Browns facing 3rd-and-long situations and the Ravens' defense definitely expecting the pass, that completion percentage is going to be even lower. The gameplan was nothing but a setup for failure, and Rob Chudzinski absolutely deserves the blame for not understanding that beforehand.
Declining the Penalty?: While he is a solid veteran kicker, I'm sure everyone will agree that Matt Stover is past his prime. Expecting him to connect on 40+ yard kicks is a risk in itself, and 50+ yarders turn the odds in your favor. Facing a 41-yard field goal, Romeo Crennel had the option to accept a 10-yard holding penalty. Sure, the Ravens would've re-played third down, but it would've been something like 3rd-and-21. Maybe they run a draw play and still get enough to kick a 41-yarder. But, maybe they don't. It just didn't make sense to decline the penalty unless you truly have no faith in your own defense.
Defensive Collapse, Too: It wasn't just Chudzinski's horrendous offensive calls that cost us the game: Mel Tucker deserves his share of the blame too. After we build a 14-point lead in the third quarter, our defense was extremely fired up and had the Ravens backed up to their own 15-yard line facing a 3rd-and-16. Much like the secondary had given up all day though, Joe Flacco fired a 20-yard strike to receiver Derricterk Mason. My best friend, Terry Cousin, appeared to be in coverage on the play. After that, the Ravens just kept on running draw play after draw play after draw play for positive yardage.

QB Derek Anderson watches as the Ravens put the nail in the coffin in regards to the game and his starting quarterback role.

Screen Pass, Picked Off for TD: Another sign of the horrid game called by Chudzinski was the fact that he didn't call a screen pass until late in the fourth quarter. And, on top of things, it was Jason Wright in the game as opposed to Jerome Harrison. As much blame as I'd also put on Wright on the play, the fact is that Anderson still had the option to throw the ball away and hope for a fourth down play. Even a failed conversion on fourth down would've kept us in the game, but a pick six removed all hope. What a shame.
Winslow Back and Focused: For as much off-the-field trouble he had two weeks ago, Kellen Winslow will never have a problem catching the football. His catch to prevent a possible interception (which was called offensive pass interference) represents the type of effort every player on this team needs to give.
Flacco Was Okay: I usually don't review other teams' players, but I'll make an exception here. Joe Flacco played a solid game against the Browns. The reason he was more successful than Anderson was in the end? The offensive playcalling. Everything the Ravens ran offensively made sense to counter our defensive approach.
Steptoe Ineffective: When Syndric Steptoe fumbled, it ended a three-game span in which the Browns were turnover-free. Donte Stallworth has taken a lot of heat from Cleveland fans, but I think some fans have attacked him the wrong way. He is not a "pussy" or "weak" player because he isn't out there playing. Some people are injury prone, and it's a shame that they can't do anything about that. The correct way to go about it is to just be frustrated that the Browns invested so much into a guy who had a history of injuries.
Jamal Lewis: 19 carries, and a Browns loss. For some reason, I don't think we would've won if we had given him one extra carry in this game (referring to the commonly mentioned 20-carry theory). Again, that goes back to the frustration with Chudzinski.
Too Much Commitment: I love the safety blitz, but what is with bringing nine men against Flacco late in the game? He just pitched the ball quickly to Mason again, who only had to make one move for a walk-in touchdown. Why can't our linebackers be trusted to drop back into coverage after a fake blitz?
Brownies: In limited time, Seth McKinney filled in well for Eric Steinbach...Shaun Rogers, though not mentioned elsewhere in the review, was our defensive MVP again...the cornerbacks played way too far off the Ravens cornerbacks for the first half of the game.

The Derek Anderson era is over for now -- and I do say that as somewhat of a cliffhanger, because starting quarterbacks go down with injuries all the time. Quinn is the new leader of this team though, and I'm sure he's ready to inject some life back into the offense.

Road Woes Plague Browns' Offense in 14-11 Loss to Redskins

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:50:05 -0000

Box Score - 10.19.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	0	0	3	8	11
	0	0	7	7	14

After Sunday's loss to the Washington Redskins, clearly there is only one man to blame: Phil Dawson. Only kidding, of course, as it was clearly the underachieving offense that cost us yet another football game.

Just think about that -- the Browns, potential-wise, are supposed to have one of the best offenses in football.

We held one of the AFC's best teams, Pittsburgh, to just 10 points. Result? Loss.

We held one of the NFC's best teams, Washington, to just 14 points. Result? Loss.

This week, it wasn't the playcalling that was the problem. The adjustments that Rob Chudzinski has made over the past several weeks were still on display. However, if you can't even execute a screen pass to a receiver at the line of scrimmage, you can't move the chains to set up the remainder of your gameplan as a coordinator. The goats of the game this week are back again, and although a major case can be made for two of our players on offense getting the award, I'm going to substitute one of them for a defensive player.

Goats of the Game (The Reason We're Not .500)

"We're only tugging onto each other because we couldn't hear the play call from the sideline!"

Derek Anderson: For as many steps forward as he appeared to take against the New York Giants, he took a lot of those steps back against the Redskins. I wasn't too surprised due to all of his road woes last season, but I was certainly discouraged. I don't think he's lost the right to his job yet. Right now we're 2-4 and still far from the season being over.
Terry Cousin: I was flabbergasted when I read that Mike Adams would be inactive for the game. Although the defense played well, Cousin was Ralph Brown-esque. I believe I remember most of Jason Campbell's success coming on crossing routes over the middle. Each time, including Santana Moss' touchdown, Cousin was in on the coverage.

Awarding Game Balls (Fewer Than Last Week)

Eric Wright: He has really made amends for fumbling an interception against the Bengals several weeks ago. After intercepting an Eli Manning pass for a touchdown last week, he came up with a huge strip on Clinton Portis when it looked as if we were dead and buried. Credit Wright for hustling on the play when Portis was already a step ahead of him.
Jamal Lewis: He may still be averaging under 100 yards in most of these games, but he is fulfilling his duties by running for over four yards a pop. His effortless hurdle in full stride for a 22 yard gain was a sight to see. Not being able to punch it in down at the goal line with several cracks was discouraging, but that's where you also need the threat of a capable quarterback.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

"1/8 from the one-yard line is a high percentage in my book. So much, that I won't throw the red challenge flag."

IN for the TOUCHDOWN?: Forgive me if I have missed confirmation that shows otherwise, but a major factor in this game came with about a little over 8 minutes to play. Derek Anderson dumped a screen pass off to Jamal Lewis, and Lewis followed lead blocker Rex Hadnot down the field. Lewis was ruled down at the one-yard line...but why? On replay, it looks like Lewis merely stumbled while trying to use Hadnot as a shield, and tripped himself down at the one-yard line. Still untouched though, his momentum carried his body and the ball into the end zone, where a defender then touched him.
No Red Flag: Remember when we used to complain so much about Romeo Crennel wasting challenges? Well, apparently he's gone into a shell now, because through six games, I don't even recall him throwing it once. Had he thrown it in this instance and if the play had been ruled a touchdown, we would've had a lot of time left to come back and win. Granted, failing to get the ball in with four attempts is no excuse, but neither is missing this call.
Running Wild: The Redskins might just have the best running back in the league. Clinton Portis dazzled once again, rushing for 175 yards on 27 carries against the Browns. The high yardage count is still attributable to some of our defensive shortcomings, but overall he just deserves props on being one of the best, and perhaps most underrated, players in the game.

"Damn."

Still Missed It: I joked in the opening line that Dawson was to blame for this loss. In all fairness, he does deserve a share of the blame. He showed tremendous leg strength in the preseason, connecting on a couple of 50+ yarders. Last week's miss from beyond 50 yards didn't have as much relevance because we ended up winning big. But, in Dawson's first pressure kick opportunity of the season, he failed to come through. Remember, we won at least two more games last season because of late kicks by Dawson (Seattle and Baltimore).
Eight Punts: From no punts to eight punts. At least Dave Zastudil didn't show much rust, as he booted the ball well throughout the game.
Late Defensive Stop: One of the most surprising things this season came on the Redskins' final "true" drive of the game, when they had a chance to run out the clock. After running all over the Browns all game and only needing a first down, I thought our depleted defensive line would be toast by the second carry. To my surprise, the unit reached down deep and played their hearts out until the final whistle, fighting through fatigue and the misery of watching a crappy [Browns] offensive effort.
Kellen Winslow: The friction between Winslow and the team is not good for overall team morale. Staph infections remain a huge problem, and it's getting laughable to try to accept that all of the infections with Cleveland players specifically are merely a coincidence. Whether his suspension is lifted or not for next game though, right now, we are a better football team when Steve Heiden starts for several reasons -- blocking, chemistry with Anderson, and having more respect from the coaching staff.
By the Way: Did we draft Martin Rucker and Beau Bell just to sit them all season? Just wondering, because right now our starting tight end is at odds with the team and Andra Davis remains invisible.
Sean Jones & Ryan Tucker: With the positive news of Sean Jones returning, there was the negative news of Ryan Tucker being listed as inactive for the game, and possibly for the near future as well. Jones played "ok" and led the team with ten tackles, but he seemed to be a beat off. After having a game's worth of live action under his belt again, I expect the rust to have worn off by the Jacksonville contest.
Offensive Line: Anderson was hit a lot more against Washington than he was against the Giants, but that isn't an excuse. On many of his throws, including the failed one to Braylon Edwards right before our field goal attempt, he had plenty of time to make the appropriate throw.
Harrison's Involvement: Several users complained about the team not using Jerome Harrison earlier in the game, but would that have really made a difference? Lewis was running the ball fine, and the real problem were things like Anderson overthrowing Donte Stallworth on a screen pass, or Edwards completing missing the hot slant route on a Redskins blitz. I think fans were automatically thinking "Harrison = Spark". In truth, the plays were called all had "Spark" written all over them, with a little asterisk * mentioning the failed execution. Bottom line: I felt Harrison was intended to be used correctly for the third game in a row -- it just didn't come off that way.
Cribbs' Hit: Cribbs showed a lot of toughness by returning to the game after taking a huge blow earlier in the contest. Credit goes to Gerard Lawson though, who had arguably our best kick return of the season in place of Cribbs -- a tough, bounce-off-defender return for 43 yards.
Slight Steps Forward for Wimbley: I saw a few things I liked from Kamerion Wimbley, particularly once when he almost had an interception dropping back in coverage. Wimbley needs to drop back more often to mix up the play calls and leave the opposing team's left tackle wondering whether or not he's actually going to come.
Brownies: While only having two catches for the second week in a row, I thought Donte Stallworth opened up the offense again...Steve Heiden was heavily underutilized in this game...although Edwards had several drops again, most of them would've netted minimal yardage...can the team clone Shaun Rogers?

Believe it or not, the Redskins game was losable. It kills me that we didn't seize the advantage and get back to .500, but we still showed that we can compete with a very good football team, even on the road, until the final seconds.

The bigger game comes this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Why were we left out of the postseason last year? Because we had a horrible conference record in comparison to Tennessee.

Right now, we're only one game back of a tie for the wildcard. One game! That is no reason to give up hope. The Jaguars will be competing for one of those wildcard spots though, so if we can take them out this weekend, that will be a huge step forward in getting our season back on track.