SB Nation - Kamerion Wimbley

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

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

14 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.

Bengals are playing winning brand of football with powerful rushing offense and dominant defense

Kirkendall — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:45:57 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

21 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga holds up a sign to fans after his team defeated the Cleveland Browns 16-7 in their NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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While watching Sunday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, I had this feeling I've never felt before. By the second half I felt so confident that the Bengals were going to win this football game, that I stopped moaning about failed pass protection schemes or the play-calling. Oh, we're going to punt it so our defense can play? The same defense that hasn't allowed any team to gain 100 yards rushing in seven straight games? The same defense that's allowed a third down conversion rate of 22% in the three games leading up to Sunday? The same defense that's only allowed two touchdowns once in a game since losing to the Houston Texans?

Please, bring it.

There's no doubt that the offense is struggling to put up points. Since scoring 45 against the Chicago Bears, the Bengals offense has scored an average of 16.8 points per game. The ten points scored in the second quarter against the Browns is the first time the Bengals have scored double-digit points in any quarter since the 14 points in the first quarter against the Ravens on November 8. Carson Palmer went 12 quarters without throwing a touchdown pass before completing a four-yard pass to tight end J.P. Foschi in the second quarter against the Browns. Palmer's on pace to record 3,384 yards passing, which is only 500 yards more than his career low his first season as the team's starter (not including injury-filled 2008). Even then, he missed three games. His efficiency is down. His touchdowns are down. His yards-per-attempt is down (6.9).

And yet, the belief has always been that the Bengals have to rely on Palmer's arm to win. My cousin called me Sunday night and asked me, do we rely on Palmer anymore? If Palmer were to go down to injury for the season, how much would this team lose? We saw what happened last year. But as he observed, the team was built around Palmer and the passing game. It wasn't until late in the season that a Palmer-less offense started to become efficient by successfully rushing the football with a rising defense.

What if Palmer would go down this year? It would hurt, because defenses still gameplan the Bengals passing game; always a threat, always able to score from anywhere on the field. The truth is, this Bengals team is built to succeed without Palmer. This team is built to run the football. You can see that with the talent they have at running back. You can see that with an offensive line that's built to rush block first. How many Jumbo formations have we seen with at least one extra lineman? Did you see Dennis Roland going into motion against the Browns?

My point, as some may irrationally conclude, isn't anticipating an injury to Palmer. My point is that this team can win any football game, no matter who's playing. Carson Palmer is off? Well, the Bengals only have three running backs with 100-yard rushing games under their belt (how many teams can claim that?). The offense has no rhythm and can't pick up a first down? Oh, there's that defense again, who since allowing 28 points in the loss to the Houston Texans, have only allowed 11.2 points per game and, check this out, only 232.8 yards-per game.

As of this posting, the Bengals have the best scoring defense in the NFL.

I just checked that again.

The Bengals have the best scoring defense in the NFL, allowing 15.8 points per game. There's a chance that New England takes that lead after Monday Night Football. However, the Patriots will have to hold the Saints to ten points or less. Fat chance.

If this isn't the most complete team that the Bengals have fielded since the Sam Wyche era, then I'm afraid I'll never know what a complete team is. More people stand up on this team, contributing towards a winning brand of football than we've seen in ages. This team isn't built or about a single person. This isn't about how well Palmer does, or how he's supposed to put up 30 points a game. Sure, it would be nice if the offense exploded every week. What fan in this world in any sport wouldn't love that? But that's not the reality right now. They're not an explosive offense. They are an efficient offense that consumes the clock, converts third downs and wins field position.

And then there's the defense, whose scoring defense still ranks first in the NFL. I just checked again.

What do most people say about championship football? You win by running the football and stopping the run. Again, this defense hasn't allowed any team to gain 100 yards or more in seven straight games. The Bengals offense has rushed for 100 yards or more in eight of the season's 11 games. Furthermore, the Bengals rushing offense has recorded 150 yards or more five times and 200 yards or more twice.

Powerful rushing offense. Dominant defense. Isn't that championship football? If you're still not convinced, or have a Christmas list of concerns, let's go quickly gloss over some reminders. The Bengals are 8-3. The Bengals are 6-0 in the division. The Bengals have won 11 of the past 14 games. The Bengals have a three-game lead with five games left. The Bengals, as of now, would have the second seed in the playoffs, which means a bye during wild card weekend and hosting at least one home game. Furthermore, the Bengals are a fluke pass and a fumble away from being 10-1. It's that close.

Now, that is what we've been begging for for 20 years. Soak it in. Enjoy it.

Wait. You want Carson Palmer to throw more? With five games remaining, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is on pace to record 489 passing attempts. As disbelieving as this may sound, that's only 20 less pass attempts than he had during the 2005 season where the Bengals made the playoffs.

	2005	2009 *
Attempts	509	489
Completions	345	298
Completion %	67.8	61.0
Yards	3,836	3,384
Yards/Att	7.5	6.9
Touchdowns	32	22
Interceptions	12	11
* Projected

Admittedly, the issue isn't just Palmer, if one can even make that assessment. No. It's all the parts. It's the offensive line struggling on stunts and blitzes on the outside. It's receivers not catching passes, or penalties that negate 15-20 yard passing plays because someone was flagged for offensive holding.

Take Sunday's game. On the Bengals first play of the game, the situation is first-and-ten at their own 20-yard line. The offense lines up off-set I with Daniel Coats motioning right. Cleveland brings their front three with eight sitting in coverage. Andrew Whitworth latched onto Robaire Smith, who took an outside step while the left tackle was clipped by Bernard Scott going into his route, knocking Smith free. Palmer, barely completing a five-yard pass to Laveranues Coles, was knocked down by Smith. A few Bernard Scott runs and a first down later, the offense lines up off-set I, strong side left. Kamerion Wimbley lines up at left outside linebacker over Dennis Roland. Wimbley took an inside slant on Roland who clearly lost the battle within the first two steps. Bernard Scott tried to help, but in his mind, he had his own blitzer to worry about in Mike Adams. Wimbley tackled Palmer as the quarterback released the pass to Jeremi Johnson for a for a five-yard gain. Furthermore, Browns cornerback Eric Wright was called for defensive holding. First down.

Two drop backs. Twice Carson Palmer is on the ground. It wasn't that Palmer was on the ground all game -- NFL's Game Center shows he was knocked down six times. However, it shows that Palmer was pressured all game long, most of the time making throws he didn't want to make.

After Larry Johnson's consecutive first down runs (more on that later), Palmer takes the snap under center. Matt Roth sprinted from the outside linebacker spot and sacked Palmer for a four-yard loss. The problem here is miscommunication by the offensive line. Defensive end Kenyon Coleman slanted in, which caused Dennis Roland to move inward with the end. Typically, Roland should have handed Coleman off to Bobbie Williams and picked up Roth, the blitzing linebacker on the outside. Williams saw the problem and pulled out as quickly as he could from his guard position take out Roth on the edge. It was a split-second too late, as Roth sped rushed far enough that there was nothing Williams could do.

Sometimes the issue was miscommunication between Palmer and the receivers. On first-and-15 at Cleveland's 29 yard line, Palmer dropped back threw it to the right with no Bengals receiver in the picture frame. Coles' route went in while Palmer looked for Coles to go out.

But mostly, it was pressure -- whether it was really there or not.

On third-and-17 at the Browns 31-yard line, Palmer takes the shotgun snap, feels pressured on the edges and scrambles up the middle. The Browns only rushed three guys. Wimbley took a wide angle around Roland, who locked up with the defensive end six yards behind the line of scrimmage. Wimbley used his upper body strength to make continued progress -- it was like Roland really wasn't there -- showing up in Palmer's peripheral vision. That was enough for Palmer, who ran for 12 yards, finished with a terribly uncomfortable dive into the turf, setting up the game's first score of the day.

And sometimes you can only say, it was a bad throw.On third-and-five at Cleveland's 47-yard line with 14:02 left in the second quarter, Palmer takes the shotgun snap. With a great pocket, Palmer overthrows Coles, nearly picked by Brodney Poole. Bengals punt. On first-and-ten at the Bengals 34-yard line, Palmer drops back and feels pressure that wasn't there. He rushed the throw to Coles running a crossing pattern, which also fell incomplete.

And sometimes you just take the hit. With 9:12 left in the first half, the Bengals lined up first-and-ten at Cleveland's 42-yard line. Palmer faked the handoff to Larry Johnson. Dennis Roland locked up with Matt Roth, who bull-rushed Roland into the pocket. Palmer saw the pressure, moved up and sidestepped behind Roland. Kamerion Wimbley lined up at the right outside linebacker spot, latched onto Daniel Coats. Once he saw the play-action, Wimbley shrugged off Coats, readjusted to Palmer stepping up and leveled him. Palmer tried to make a throw to the left in an area without any Bengals receivers -- except for Chad Ochocinco about eight yards away. Intentional grounding. On the next play, Palmer watched defensive back Mike Adams come off the edge, unblocked. Palmer let go of the football well before he was ready, forcing a terribly underthrown football to skip to a waiting Laveranues Coles. On third-and-20, Palmer drops back. Protection was very good. He had time. However, being knocked around that much that early in the game causes one to have alarm bells violently ringing in ones head well before they should. Palmer takes off, reaching the line of scrimmage and throwing across the field to Coles in the middle of the field. Incomplete. Drive comes to a merciful end. Thank the lord. Bengals punt.

And sometimes there's nothing left to do. With 11:43 left in the third quarter, Palmer completed a third-and-six pass to Chad Ochocinco for a 15-yard gain. Wimbley came off the right side, using his speed to put Whitworth in a predicament. Either hold the hell out of the defensive end, or let him crush Carson Palmer. Whitworth held, negating a 15-yard pass and a first down. Cincinnati would punt after a six-yard screen pass to Brian Leonard.

As mostly everyone else, I would love for this offense to explode. However, sometimes you have to take what you're given. And the Bengals have been given a powerful rushing offense that's working nearly every week, whereas the passing offense is struggling mightily. So the question shouldn't be why aren't the Bengals throwing the football more. We already know why. It's because it's just not working right now and forcing it to work would be -- in the great words of Mr. Mackey -- "bad, mmmkay?"

Carson Palmer said it best after the game.

“We came in with the game plan that we wanted to take some shots, but they were going to play a certain way and against two shells and have two high safeties. We had a couple plays where we were going to take some shots, but on one of them I scrambled on for seven or eight yards, and the other we took a check-down. They weren’t going to come out of what they were doing defensively. They weren’t going to give us single high looks and let us throw the ball over their heads. They let us run for 200 yards. We stuck with the game plan once we figured out what their game plan was and kept pushing the ball.”

Where the passing offense struggles, the rushing offense flourishes. Let's realize a few things. Cedric Benson has missed back-to-back games and the last 10 quarters. He's still in the top ten with 859 yards rushing. Benson's getting healthy again and when he returns, he's going to run with very, very fresh legs. If that's not scary exciting, then I don't know what scary exciting means. Actually, I don't know what scary exciting means anyway.

Benson has missed the previous two games. What have the Bengals done in Benson's absence? They've averaged 193.5 yards rushing -- which is the best two-game stretch all season. Let me put that further perspective. Before Oakland, the Bengals had the league's 11th best rushing offense, averaging 122.3 yards-per-game. With a Monday Night Football game left, the Bengals are now ranked seventh, averaging 135.3 yards-per-game. They've jumped four points in the rankings, and added 13 yards to their average.

All without Cedric Benson. In the great words of Cleveland, "that's nasty."

But as impressive as Bernard Scott was last week, Larry Johnson's performance against the Cleveland Browns was great. And guess what? It wouldn't have happened with the great effort by the Bengals offensive line.

On third-and-one at the Bengals 44-yard line with 8:34 left in the first quarter, Cincinnati lines up double tight end single back formation. Palmer does his funky right-handed exchange to Larry Johnson. Within the first frame after the ball is snapped, the Bengals offensive line had opened a hole at the point of attack. Daniel Coats and Andrew Whitworth sealed the right side. Bobbie Williams turned Shaun Rogers. Kyle Cook neutralized Cleveland's inside linebacker and the left side of the offensive line eliminated any trailing defenders protecting cutback lanes. Johnson squeezed through the hole between Williams and Whitworth on the right, dodged a tackle by Abram Elam and fell forward for a ten-yard gain and the first down.

On the next play, Johnson gets the handoff. Andrew Whitworth sealed the inside linebacker. Bobbie Williams and Kyle Cook slowed the defensive end and tackle respectively while Jeremi Johnson punishes the outside linebacker for the gull of trying to make a play in the backfield. Johnson sidestepped behind Jeremi, cut back to the right behind Williams' block and ran down the right hashmark for another 12 yard gain.

On second-and-ten at the Bengals 34-yard line with 10:59 left in the second quarter, Palmer hands the football off to Johnson. Cincinnati lined up big-formation with Andrew Whitworth outside of Dennis Roland at right tackle and Anthony Collins at left tackle. Every offensive lineman had a hat on a defensive player. The secondary made first contact on Johnson about eight yards past the line of scrimmage. On the next play, Johnson picked up another seven yards thanks to a kick out block on Wimbley by fullback Jeremi Johnson.

Even Bernard Scott had his moments. After Nate Livings was called for offensive holding, the Bengals were pushed back to their own 27-yard line with first-and-twenty. Every offensive linemen had a hat on a Browns defender. Not just that, the line was pushing back the Browns defense and not allowing the defender to shrug off the block. And it was Jeremi Johnson, once again, who made the initial block that kicked out an outside linebacker looking for glory on a stop in the backfield. Scott fought off a Mike Adams attempted tackle for ten yards, picking up 21 yards and a first down in the process.

When stargazing, you finally find the star named Andre Smith. The problem with watching the offensive line during a live game, is that you don't always know who is in the game before the snap. More than any team, the Bengals employ a rotation with their offensive tackles that no two plays will have the same personnel on the line. On the first play of the second quarter, the Bengals lined up at Cincinnati's 48 yard-line on first down. Andre Smith made his first appearance (that we could tell) at right tackle with Andrew Whitworth on Smith's outside shoulder. Kenyon Coleman was Smith's guy. At the snap, Smith rose and sat in pass protection, ready to receive Coleman, who was very slow off the ball. Smith allowed Coleman an outside move, keeping pace with the defensive end, who even resorted to a spin move. Good job, ol' rook. The play, however, did break down after outside linebacker David Bowens blitzed up the middle. Bobbie Williams did pick him up, but Bowens had already won the battle simply with a quicker step to the outside. Palmer sprinted down the right sidelines for a five-yard gain.

Smith would make sporadic appearances throughout the game. While not noticeable, he made quality blocks.

On first-and-ten at Cleveland's 32 yard-line, Smith lined up at right tackle with Whitworth on his outside shoulder. Smith attacked Robaire Smith with Bernard Scott coming from behind. While Andre didn't move Robaire, the Browns defender wasn't able to make a move on the runner either. Scott picked up 11 yards on the play. On the next play, the Bengals called a sweep to the left away from Andre Smith, who slowed Robaire's progress down the line of scrimmage, looking at the second level for any unsuspecting linebacker to break in half. Good day, ol' rook.

It's my firm belief that this is the most complete Bengals squad that Marvin Lewis has ever put together. It might be the best squad in 20 years of Bengals football. They are winning with a strong rushing offense and a powerful defense. There's things to fix. There always is. But I believe that this Bengals squad can beat any team in the NFL this year because their strengths always dictates championship football. Perhaps I'm banging the homer drum. I've done that before and I'm not afraid to show how proud I am of this squad. So I'm enjoying it. It hasn't happened a lot in my lifetime.

Report: Shaun Rogers Out for Season

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:56:27 -0000

More photos » by Tony Tribble - AP

21 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, right, is dragged down by Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Tribble)

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The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that according to a league source, Cleveland Browns DT Shaun Rogers will miss the remainder of the season due to either an ankle or Achilles injury. Rogers was reportedly on crutches in the Browns locker room after the game with a distraught look on his face. Ahtyba Rubin will likely take Rogers' place for the remainder of the season.

Rogers wasn't the only player to leave with an injury Sunday against the Bengals. The following three players also left the game with injuries:

DL Kenyon Coleman (knee)
LB Kamerion Wimbley (knee)
DB Brodney Pool (head injury)

The most concerning injury among those three has to do with Pool, who already has a history of concussions. With the league's recent added emphasis on protecting players who have concussions, you wonder if Pool is getting to the point where he might need to retire early.

"Of course, I'm worried about him," said Eric Wright. "I didn't know until just now he had a head injury."

If Wimbley can't go next week against the Chargers, the team's linebacker unit will feature Jason Trusnik and Matt Roth on the outside and Kaluka Maiava and David Bowens on the inside.

Any way you look at it, this defense isn't going to get any better in an already dismal 1-10 season.

Post-Game Thread: Bengals Sweep AFC North With 16-7 Win Over Browns

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:39:22 -0000

More photos » by Tony Tribble - AP

The Browns have found themselves a new WR.

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After breaking out offensively against the Detroit Lions last week, the Cleveland Browns' offense returned to normal this week, gaining only 169 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals' defense.

Overall, the Browns really only had two drives -- their opening drive, and their touchdown-scoring drive. The touchdown drive in the third quarter was creative, including a Joshua Cribbs-to-Brady Quinn pass, a nice back shoulder throw from Quinn to Mohamed Massaquoi, a quick run to Jamal Lewis, and then a five-wide QB sneak for the touchdown by Quinn. The score brought the Browns to within 13-7 half-way through the third quarter, keeping the Browns in the game.

A late field goal in the third quarter by the Bengals made it a two possession game again, and the Browns weren't aggressive enough in the fourth quarter to put any more points on the scoreboard.

Defensively, the run defense was not very good but the team managed to make a few key stops on third downs. Most impressive on the day was new LB Matt Roth, who recorded a sack and appeared to have a knack for bull-rushing.

On the down side, DT Shaun Rogers was carted off during the game. LB Kamerion Wimbley also left the game on two different occasions with injuries.

Nightlink: Bears O too complicated?

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:30:29 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

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Brad Biggs of the Sun-Times has a nice piece today about the problems with the Bears offense, more particularly the Red Zone offense. He starts off by talking about Ron Turner wanting to scale back the Bears offense. Seriously.

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he's ready to start paring back the playbook with the Bears clearly struggling seven games into the Jay Cutler era. At this point, following Sunday's 30-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field, it's fair to say the Bears aren't doing much of anything very well with the possible exception that Cutler is doing a decent job of getting the ball to Devin Hester on a regular basis.

NFC North Standings

W L T PF PA

Minnesota 7 1 0 244 174

Chicago 4 3 0 159 150

Green Bay 4 3 0 187 134

Detroit 1 6 0 113 205

(updated 11.3.2009 at 1:44 AM PST)

	W	L	PF	PA
Minnesota	7	1	244	174
Chicago	4	3	159	150
Green Bay	4	3	187	134
Detroit	1	6	113	205

Speaking of Devin Hester, he is starting to put up some solid numbers as a WR, the following is from some Bears blog on Sporting News. :)

* Devin Hesterlooked good in the return game, and his 7 catches for 81 yards has him with 35 receptions on the year (tied with Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh) for 10th in the NFC, and 454 yards, good for 9th best in the NFC. Still not #1 WR numbers, but it's a heck of a start.

Anyway back to the article from Biggs.

He sort of compliments Matt Forte, but points out a missed blitz pick up he had.

Matt Forte, who rushed for the two offensive touchdowns, showed some signs yesterday and looked good on a 28-yard reception to pick up the game's first first down. He got in some open space and took advantage of the room to run. But on the very next play Forte's assignment was to pick up blitzing linebacker Eric Barton and he completely whiffed.

Forte has been real good in his blitz pickups in his young career. Can anyone recall him missing like that in the past?

Turner talked about players executing afterward and he's right. Surely, his call accounted for Browns linebacker Kamerion Wimbleyon third-and-goal from the Cleveland three-yard line early in the second quarter. With an empty backfield after Forte motioned out wide to the left, Wimbley came free off the left side. Tight end Greg Olsen released into the flat and left tackle Orlando Pace blocked down on right end Robaire Smith. I'm not going to venture a guess as to whose responsibility Wimbley was, but when you leave him unblocked what happens is an 11-yard sack and no shot at the end zone.

I'll venture a guess. If Pace blocked down and the guy he blocked down on wasn't double teamed, that tells me Pace did his job. If Olsen released into the flat I'm guessing he should have at least chipped Wimbley allowing Cutler just enough time to read the rush from Wimbley and throw to a releasing Olsen.

Biggs goes on to add 10 more thoughts on the Bears, always a good read.

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.

A Most Delicious Matchup

Mitchell_M — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:58:37 -0000

Mmm...Browns...

Now, I know what you're thinking. Historically this season, I've been more negative than some of you would care for. I look at it as being more realistic, but at the same time it comes off as having a serious lack of faith in the team.

Allow me to attempt to salvage my reputation by coming out and saying that this is easily the best matchup of the year for the Packers and that they should absolutely roll on the Browns. Why do I say that? The answer is after the jump.

CLE rushing vs. GB defense: Jamal Lewis used to be the workhorsiest running back in the NFL. He's fallen off, to say the least (67 carries, 233 yards, 0 TDs). Jerome Harrison was supposed to be change-of-pace back in the vein of Leon Washington, Chris Johnson, and Darren Sproles. Needless to say, he has not realized that potential yet (61 carries, 228 yards, 0 TDs). Rookie James Davis looked promising, but was lost for the season. The Cleveland stable of running backs, ranked 18th in yardage, is mediocre at best.

The offensive line isn't much better. Joe Thomas (6'6", 312) is a stud at LT, but he specializes more in pass protection. The rest of the line is not nearly as studly. Eric Steinbach (6'6", 295) is an athletic LG who can move in space, but has historically had problems with sustaining blocks and keeping his base. Rookie center Alex Mack (6'4", 311), backup center/starting RG Hank Fraley (6'3", 310), and RT John St. Clair (6'6", 320) are merely average.

Green Bay has surprisingly turned into a surprisingly stout run defense over the course of the season. They're ranked 16th against the run, but the difference between 10th ranked Tennessee and 20th ranked New England is less than 20 yards. Nick Barnett seems to have recovered fully from his ACL injury, Brandon Chillar has continued to excel as a rotation linebacker, Clay Matthews had a small coming-out party last week, and A.J. Hawk has been relegated to the bench for over 75% of the defensive snaps.

Advantage: Green Bay. Having finally settled on a rotation for the front seven, the defense is starting to hit its stride.

CLE passing vs. GB defense: The only bright spot in the passing offense is rookie WR Mohamed Massaquoi. The Georgia product may not be able to recreate Braylon Edwards' production (or drops), but he has already established himself as a productive member of the NFL. Mike Furrey, former St. Louis safety turned receiver, is a homeless man's Wes Welker. From there, it's all downhill in Cleveland.

Derek Anderson once submitted a stat line of 2/17 for 23 yards and kept his job. That's how bad the quarterback situation is in Cleveland. Between him and Brady Quinn, it's hard to declare a winner. Quinn is easily more accurate than Anderson, but Anderson has the arm that can make all the necessary throws. If you somehow combined them into a super-conglomerate-quarterback, they might be servicable. But until then, Eric Mangini will have to continue choosing between dukey and doo-doo.

And by the way, how in the world does Eric Mangini still have a job? The Brady Quinn Era lasted all of 2.5 games. The second-best player on offense (and second-leading receiver) was Braylon Edwards, who's now a member of the Jets. They were reportedly shopping Joshua Cribbs before the deadline, presumably because they don't want to have any success on special teams.

Green Bay finally is starting to figure out a rotation of linebackers that work well with blitz packages, especially on passing downs. The group of Matthews-Barnett-Chillar-Kampman has produced well, especially when Kampman moves onto the line. Al Harris, Charles Woodson, Nick Collins, Tramon Williams, and finally healthy (for now) Atari Bigby are licking their chops this week. It might get ugly.

Advantage: Definitely Green Bay. The only thing preventing this defense from dominating this week is injuries.

GB rushing vs. CLE defense: Cleveland has a defense which has been exploited like a British colony. Their 30th-ranked run defense is anchored by Shaun Rogers. Is it any coincidence that all the teams that the 6'4" 350 lb. mammoth tackle has played for have been awful against the run? Probably, especially now that Cleveland defensive star D'Qwell Jackson is out for the year. But the rest of Cleveland's front seven are non-descript. Robaire Smith and Kenyon Coleman are the main ends, with former Packer Corey Williams rotating in. Eric Barton, Kamerion Wimbley, David Bowens, and David Veikune will have to step up to replace Jackson's leadership.

Meanwhile, rumors abound of Ryan Grant's imminent departure from Green Bay. Well, perhaps "imminent" isn't the right word, but those in charge at 1265 are not pleased and have been looking for ways to improve the position. Whether or not Ahman Green can be considered an improvement is yet to be seen. In any case, Grant is still producing at a slightly-above-average clip (3.8 ypc). Perhaps his numbers are lower because of the offensive line? After all, Grant did finish last year on a relatively strong note, so maybe he is getting primed for a second-half explosion, a la Cedric Benson in 2008.

Advantage: Green Bay, because Cleveland sucks more at stopping the run than Green Bay does at establishing it.

GB passing vs. CLE defense: I played defensive back in high school, and I was good enough to not get burned on a regular basis. One week, I caught the flu, and tried playing in that week's game after starting to get over it. Two long pass plays later, I was riding the pine for the rest of the game and didn't start the next week.

The point is, if any of the Browns' defensive backs were among the players who caught the flu, they will be in for a long day.

The Browns' pass defense is ranked 23rd, a number that would likely be worse if Cleveland weren't constantly losing and having opponents run the clock out against them. The corners (Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald) are actually not horrible players, but they're constantly left alone by the putrid safety tandem of Brodney Pool and Abram Elam. If you thought Derrick Martin and Jarrett Bush were bad, wait until you see Wright matched up against Donald Driver and pass him off to the safety who isn't there.

Speaking of Green Bay's receivers, they have certainly stepped up in the last few weeks. Seven Packers have over 100 yards receiving on the season, and Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Jermichael Finley are all averaging over 15.0 yards per catch. As long as the drops don't come back, these guys will get open and get yards.

Oh, and Aaron Rodgers is awesome. Let's hope he stays healthy despite his dangerous work conditions.

Advantage: Green Bay by a long shot.

No-longer-so-preliminary verdict: The biggest thing that worries me about this game is the potential for the team to fall into a trap, given the looming November 1st visit from a certain NFC North team. But before we start repeating the Admiral Ackbar message from Week 3, recognize exactly how different this team is in Week 7. With Atari Bigby healthy, a more suitable replacement for Mark Tauscher, and the reunion of Aaron Kampman and the 3-point stance, this Packers team is far more capable than they were in the first quarter of the season.

Poll

What outcome do you see for Week 7 against Cleveland?

Big GB win.

505 votes

Slim GB win.

61 votes

Too close to call.

6 votes

Slim CLE win.

24 votes

Big CLE win.

16 votes

612 votes | Poll has closed

LB D'Qwell Jackson Goes on Injured Reserve

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:54:35 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

4 months ago: Cleveland Browns wide receiver Paul Hubbard (89) catches a pass as Cleveland Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (52) defends at the Cleveland Browns NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, in Berea, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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The Cleveland Browns placed LB D'Qwell Jackson on the injured reserve Tuesday due to a shoulder injury. Jackson suffered the injury during the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Jackson being the team's defensive captain and Mangini's highest-coveted played on defense, the loss is a big blow to the defense. In a positive light, it should provide some first-year experience to either David Veikune or Kaluka Maiava. Considering Jackson is in line to be one of our starting middle linebackers for the foreseeable future though, it would've been ideal to have Veikune or Maiava be able to work alongside Jackson. Another option at inside linebacker is Jason Trusnik, who started in place of Wimbley against the Steelers.

Eric Barton now takes on a bigger role, as it would seem to make sense for him to take over some of Jackson's responsibilities. Jackson already had 57 tackles this season.

Assuming Kamerion Wimbley returns from the flu this weekend, this is my guess for the starting linebacker unit that will be on the field against the Green Bay Packers:

David Bowens - Eric Barton - Jason Trusnik - Kamerion Wimbley

I think Maiava will split reps with Trusnik, but I don't think Mangini will throw him into the starting unit just yet, especially with the "respect" he showed to Trusnik last week by starting him over Alex Hall.

Defense and Special Teams: All You Need to Win a Football Game as Browns Prevail 6-3

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:09:09 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

2 months ago: Cleveland Browns kicker Billy Cundiff, right, is congratulated by Browns punter Dave Zastudil after his winning field goal against the Buffalo Bills late in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-4)	WEEK 5	BUFFALO BILLS (1-4)
	VS.
6		3

Who says you need an offense to win a football game? That in itself is not necessarily a true statement, as the Cleveland Browns did have a fairly good day on the ground with Jamal Lewis in their 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Around the league, the media made a joke of this game, but I think the joke was more so on the state of the Buffalo Bills. After how dismal the first three weeks of the season were, the fact is that the Browns challenged a now 4-1 Bengals team two weeks ago and took care of business against the Bills on the road. Let's get to the review of the game...

WEEK 5 - CLEVELAND BROWNS VS. BUFFALO BILLS (COMPLETE GAME REVIEW)

AWARDING GAME BALLS:

Dave Zastudil: I probably sound like a broken record since everyone is well aware that Zastudil had a fantastic game en route to being the Special Teams Player of the Week. As bad as Trent Edwards is, we probably couldn't have come away with a victory had we not dominated the field position game.

Zastudil had seven punts downed inside the 20, with three of them being at the 1-, 1-, and 4-yard lines. Zastudil gave credit to players like Mike Adams for helping to stop those balls from going into the end zone, but the punts were so beautifully placed that it made the gunners' jobs a lot easier.
~~Derek Anderson:~~ Sike.
Eric Wright: After Derek Anderson threw an interception, the Bills had an opportunity at gaining some momentum. The Browns were able to move Trent Edwards out of the pocket, but with a lot of time to throw, I believe it was Terrell Owens who became open deep. Edwards' throw was terribly underthrown, and Eric Wright took advantage by intercepting it at the same time he turned himself around. Wright's pick canceled out Anderson's pick, allowing the game to continue being a special teams battle.

GOATS OF THE GAME:

Robert Royal: The Browns had an opportunity to put the game away when Derek Anderson lofted his only good throw and one of his few deeper throws of the game over the left middle of the field to Royal. Without a defender near him and playing in the stadium he had been in for several years, Royal simply dropped the ball. Please give these reps to Steve Heiden, as Royal, as a receiver, is starting to make me miss Darnell Dinkins. DINKINS!
Derek Anderson: There are a lot of valid excuses that can be made for Anderson's 2-of-17 completion rate. With that said, there are also a lot of things that Anderson clearly could've done better. Anderson rarely throws the ball into a receiver's comfort zone, especially with the running backs.

GENERAL THOUGHTS

The running of Jamal Lewis set the Browns up for a game-winning field goal.

Give it Up to the Defense: I thought the Bills were going to run the ball all over the Browns, but we clearly made an improvement Sunday. The run defense has shown signs of brilliance in which they'll give up nothing, but then give up several consecutive big runs late in the game. If the Bills ripped a decent-sized run on Sunday, the Browns usually followed it up with a stuff.
Stopping the Duo: A big key was holding Fred Jackson, a key contributor to the Bills the first four weeks of the season, to just 30 yards on 13 carries. That killed the "dynamic duo" threat the Bills tried to present us with.
One Big Problem Remains: All of a sudden, we can't stop the quarterbacks from running with the football -- and I'm talking about quarterbacks who usually do not take off and run. Edwards had an unacceptable 40 yards rushing on 4 attempts against the Browns. Surely, the Browns will be more aware of Ben Roethlisberger this Sunday, but how will that hinder the other aspects of our defense in exchange?
Established an Identity: I had a lot of problems with Brian Daboll's inability to call a passing play on first- and second-downs. With so many running plays, where was the playaction fake too? I don't even know if I saw one playfake in the game from Cleveland. I do give credit to Daboll for at least having a comprehensible gameplan though, which was clearly to run the ball down the Bills' throat no matter what the situation.
Lewis Returns: For those of you who thought Jamal Lewis was done (in terms of playing time), think again. A week after Jerome Harrison had over 30 carries, this week it was Lewis' turn, who touched the ball 31 times for 117 yards (a 3.8 average). Overall, there were some plays where I thought a better running back would've gotten more, but he still made the proper moves to get the maximum yardage he could. And, I can't complain when the guy is hurdling over defenders in the fourth quarter.
Harrison's Line is Low: It was a rather uneventful game for Jerome Harrison, who had 8 runs for 21 yards. Props to the coaching staff for giving Harrison more than the regulated four-carries-or-less he's been accustomed to with Lewis in the lineup. Keep giving the ball to Harrison, because eventually, he'll make the defense pay. More of an effort should've been made to get the ball to Harrison on some of Anderson's 17 pass attempts though.
An Update Look as Massaquoi: So, how did Mohamed Massaquoi handle his first game as the No. 1 receiver? Not too well, with about three passes that he should've been able to haul in. I'm going to give all of the receivers somewhat of a "bye" for the Bills game though since everyone seemed to struggle. If those struggles continue, then I'll re-evaluate.
Looks to RoBo: I saw the jersey of Brian Robiskie in motion a few times, but I don't recall any passes being thrown his way. Maybe next week against Pittsburgh? Chansi Stuckey just needs some more with with Anderson. Where was Mike Furrey throughout the game?
Costanzo Rules Again: I think Blake Costanzo is going to set a special teams record or something with the amount of fumbles he is recovering. When most players dive at a loose football, the ball bounces elsewhere. When Costanzo dives at it, it's like the ball gravitates right to him. Does he have some secret type of magnetic attraction device planted?
Bigger Plans for Trusnik: It was certainly a surprise to see Alex Hall on the inactive list and new special teamer Jason Trusnik seeing pretty important reps at linebacker. I guess Mangini has bigger plans for Trusnik than we originally envisioned. Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer says that one of the reasons Hall was inactive was because the team wants him to learn his assignments better. Maybe that's true, because Hall has been a disappointment this season with his lack of impact.

The interception by Eric Wright kept the Bills' offense silent.

Good Game for Corey Williams: Before the game, I pleaded for a defensive lineman besides Shaun Rogers to step up. That player was Williams, who even received props from Rogers after the game. Rogers was his usual self, pushing offensive linemen into Edwards throughout the game. I also thought Kenyon Coleman stepped it up a notch.
Roughing the Passer: Give me a break. Corey Williams made a great hit on Edwards, a clean one in my book, and it nearly cost us the game because the Bills had several big plays afterwards. The officials have lost the concept of "roughing the passer" league-wide.
Motioning Cribbs: Part of the commitment to the running game? The number of pre-snap motions/fake handoffs we did to Cribbs the whole game. Cribbs didn't get many opportunities to return kicks, but he had to of been tired after the game trying to sell the fake on almost every play. The one time we did hand it off to him? A 31-yard burst that led to a field goal. I think we can get away with giving it to him a few more times too.
Fair Job to Cundiff: I don't know how much more of Billy Cundiff we'll be seeing, as Phil Dawson's return has to be on the horizon. Cundiff has made all five of his kicks since joining the team, with his only blemish being the kick out of bounds near the end of the game. It could've been costly, but with Edwards at quarterback, I real wasn't sweating it. Interesting note to read that Matt Stover originally turned down an offer to join the Browns once Dawson got hurt.
Wimbley Matches: Through five games, LB Kamerion Wimbley has four sacks. That equals the total number of sacks he had all of last season. He doesn't look like a Pro Bowler by any means, but the Rob Ryan has done a better job with timing the blitzes, and bringing pressure from more than just Wimbley's side to keep the offensive line off-guard.
Ugly Penalties: Dick Jauron should be fired. There is no excuse for that many penalties, especially that many false starts in your own stadium!
Brownies: How cool would it have been to see the Browns snap the ball before the Bills' timeout on the punt to end the third quarter...despite being doubtful, D'Qwell Jackson played and led the team in tackles...Mike Adams continues to be a great utility player...Trent Edwards is no Carson Palmer.

Up next, the Browns have the Pittsburgh Steelers. The rivalry doesn't seem as strong with our current losing streak against them, but I think all it will take is one win over them to finally get the blood boiling again. Who knows -- maybe a win against the Steelers will help define the "legacy" of Eric Mangini in Cleveland.

Four Downs and Out: Dawgs by Nature brings us some Browns knowledge for Sunday

Kirkendall — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:39:38 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

2 months ago: Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson reacts during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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Do you have the same feeling that I have? The Bengals, after an emotional win against the defending Super Bowl Champions, could let down and play poorly against the Cleveland Browns. Will it be a loss? Will it be too close? I'm worried. Then again, we're Bengals fans. Certainty has never seen a home in our vocabulary.

In the meantime, Chris, blogger of Dawgs By Nature, stops in to let us know what we should expect on Sunday.

Note: We do questions and answer forums for our rival opponents each week. If there's a specific question you'd like asked for our next opponent, you're welcome to email me personally. Next week it's the Ravens and then the Texans and Bears. Just make sure you have your question emailed to me by Tuesday.

1. The situation with the Cleveland Browns quarterbacks has been well documented. If you were the coach, who would you start against the Cincinnati Bengals and why?
Chris: That's a loaded question, because if I were the coach, I think I would have played to Brady Quinn's strengths better in my offensive gameplan. Considering the gameplan in place though, I agree with the change to Derek Anderson this week. Quinn was not handling any form of pressure well and gave up on plays too soon.

As soon as Anderson came in, he faced the same pressure but stood in the pocket and delivered a throw as if nobody was about to take him down. The amount of picks he threw against the Ravens came more so out of desperation, so I won't hold him completely accountable for his stats. Anderson is more willing than Quinn to take shots down the field, and with a player like Braylon Edwards as our top wideout, that's what we need right now at QB.

2. Jamal Lewis, in some media circles, was projected as a cut during final cut-down day. He missed last week against the Baltimore Ravens and sat out of practice Wednesday. Do you believe that he’ll contribute at all against the Bengals this weekend? Or is he expected to sit out?
Chris: Lewis also sat out of Thursday's practice, so the outlook isn't too good for him right now. I'm expecting Jerome Harrison to get the start again, and that's a good thing. Despite being dominated by the Ravens last week, Harrison still ran the ball well, even in the first half when the Browns were still within striking distance.

3. Situation: the Browns have the football, they’re down by four points with three seconds on the clock and its fourth-and-goal at the Cincinnati three-yard line. Who do you give the ball to for the Browns to score and win the game?
Chris: With Derek Anderson under center, I think it has to be the fade or quick out to Braylon Edwards. We don't have a guy like Kellen Winslow at tight end anymore, and our other receivers are either inexperienced or not suited for this type of situation. Another option would be Joshua Cribbs in the Wildcat with the option to either run the ball or throw the ball, but that's taking a considerable risk.

Situation II: Same situation as above, but reverse the teams. Which defensive player do you rely on the most to make a play?
Chris: Since I imagine a pass play coming, I'm hoping for pressure to get to Carson Palmer from Kamerion Wimbley on the edge, forcing an errant throw.

In conclusion: I'm optimistic this week with Derek Anderson under center that he can re-live the magic he brought in 2007 when he took over for Charlie Frye. However, the Browns have been so abysmal the past three weeks, while the Bengals have beaten a 2-1 Packers team, the Steelers, and barely lost to an 3-0 Broncos team. If I take the Browns, I'd be taking them on hope alone, which is something I cannot do. Bengals win 24-21 after a late
Palmer touchdown again.