OFFENSE
| Category | Bengals | Browns |
| Points Scored | 24.7 (5th) | 17.0 (26th) |
| Passing | 241.3 (6th) | 173.9 (25th) |
| Rushing | 101.2 (23th) | 83.0 (30th) |
| Total Offense (yards) | 342.5 (8th) | 256.9 (30th) |
DEFENSE
| Category | Bengals | Browns |
| Points Scored | 23.3 (25th) | 20.8 (16th) |
| Passing | 254.4 (32nd) | 190.8 (7th) |
| Rushing | 123.2 (21st) | 136.9 (28th) |
| Total Defense (yards) | 377.6 (32nd) | 327.7 (18th) |
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Quarterback It's hard to argue about what Tony Romo is doing in Dallas, but right now, Carson Palmer is the hottest quarterback in football. He has thrown six touchdowns to only one interception over the past two weeks, with a quarterback rating near 130.0. Part of the solution for Palmer getting back into the offense has been the frequency of passing. To keep up with what their defense is allowing, Palmer has been throwing the deep ball often to "go for it all". Meanwhile, after throwing an interception in every game this season, Charlie Frye has not thrown a pick in his past two games. Unfortunately, he's only thrown one touchdown, a sign that our aggressiveness down near the red zone is down. Frye has held onto the football way too long at times though, and definitely needs to correct that issue as the season comes to a close. |
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Running Back The Bengals ground game is only ranked 21st in the league, but it has still been a far cry better than what the Browns have delivered with Reuben Droughns. Droughns will be returning this week, and although he struggled the first time he faced the Bengals defense, he should be able to have some success against a team that is really beaten up on that side of the ball. Jason Wright will supposedly spell Droughns, which is what we should've been doing all season long. The Bengals have a better back to spell than the Browns do though, in the very versatile Chris Perry. If the Bengals struggle to beat the Browns secondary, their ground game is still good enough to grind out yards and run down the clock late in a game. |
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Receiver Want to know what Chad Johnson has done over the past two weeks? Not much, just 17 catches for 450 yards and five touchdowns. It doesn't take a genius to realize how effective he's been since the Bengals have started throwing him the football, and I'm not even sure Leigh Bodden would be able to stop him at this rate. The Bengals still spread the ball around to Chris Henry and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, while the Browns attack has become two dimensional. Besides Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow, no one else is getting the football. Where is Joe Jurevicius? or Joshua Cribbs? or Dennis Northcutt? The Bengals are dropping less passes as well, and although the Browns were basically even at this position to begin the season, that isn't the case now. |
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Offensive Line Why do I have to even bother with this ranking every week? We all know the opponent will be ranked better than us most of the time, and all I do each week is bash Joseph Andruzzi for his awful gameplay. The only reason our running game succeeded last week was because Wright knew how to hit a hole and accelerate forward. The good news for the Browns here is that the Bengals are still beat up on their offensive line with center Rich Braham and guard Bobble Williams out. Tackle Levi Jones is questionable, but in the end, Carson Palmer isn't on his rear nearly as much as Charlie Frye has been. |
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Defensive Line The starting defensive line for the Browns have only recorded two sacks this season. Meanwhile, the Bengals defensive ends have been sacking the opposition often this season, with Robert Gathers having seven sacks (and a knockout to Trent Green) and Justin Smith having six and a half sacks. The Browns have been able to stop the run better lately, but it's clear that we cannot get to the opposing quarterback late in the game. We saw it last week with Ben Roethlisberger, who had all day to throw during his fourth quarter comeback. I guarantee you that if the Browns are passing in the fourth quarter against the Bengals though, pressure will be all over Frye. |
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Linebacker What's this? It's finally a category in which I'm giving the Browns the advantage. Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons practiced on Friday for the first time in two weeks, but his status is still questionable. This group has been hurting all year for the Bengals, starting from Odell Thurman's suspension to David Pollack breaking his neck against Cleveland. The second-string of linebackers hasn't been anything to brag about, where as the Browns have at least had continuity at the position. Andra Davis needs to have more of an impact on games besides recording tackles though, because right now, the only thing he's good for his having his name first on a stat sheet rather than making a game-changing play. |
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Secondary The Bengals are the worst pass defenses in the NFL, period. They can't stop receivers, tight ends, and heck, they may not even be able to stop Terrelle Smith if we threw him out there. This has been the biggest difference for the Bengals this season, because they relied on their secondary to cause turnovers all the time last year. They did well in doing that against Drew Brees last week, but they also gave up over 500 yards passing, something that is incomprehensible. And, although Chad Johnson wants to leap into the Dawg Pound this week after scoring a touchdown, it'll probably have to come on a play in which Bodden won't be covering him (like zone coverage). |
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Special Teams It wasn't too pleasing to see the Browns give up a great return to the Steelers last week, but the Browns made up for it with Joshua Cribbs first runback of the season. Cribbs is just so exciting to watch every time he gets a chance, that in a way it almost makes up for our defense allowing some points. Everyone knows that our special teams has played well, so there's really no need to explain any further. |
This is the official gameday thread for today's game. Any comments you would like to make before, during, or after the game should be placed into this thread. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!
0 recs | 18 comments
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
4 and 11 so we throw a 5 yard pass it just doesnt make sensekjc - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
If Braylon doesn't want to be part of the cure then he is part of the problem.Charlie needs an O'line and a running game. His accuracy is fine when he gets time and his receivers run routes he delivers.
What can we do? No matter who we plug in at QB, at Head Coach, at O'line, at D'line, in the backfield, in the secondary, it doesn't seem to matter. Nothing works. And I didn't believe Crennel was the answer when they hired him and I still don't today!
And if Michigan State wants a coach that can get his team to play for two quarters...Grantham's their man! Let the "guru" take more responsibility with the defense. What the heck does Crennel do anyway but spend most of the game looking lost and then giving postgame press conferences with no contrition for the garbage he gaves us on yet another Sunday.
I LOVE the Browns. I just wish I had more to love than memories of olden days.
rusty1ga - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
It doesn't make sense, but once again, it stems from protection problems. The blitzer was not enough touched on that play, so Frye's only hot read was Winslow, who obviously couldn't get too far down the field that quickly. Just an awful game for Browns fans...Chris Pokorny - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
Ouch.APV @ Dawgs By Nature - November 26, 2006
Well now
Hideous, absolutely hideous. Braylon and Charlie seemed to get into it a bit. What a horrible game.Rayman @ Dawgs By Nature - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
im convinced braylon wants out of cleveland. he never wanted to come here and as far as im concerned he will never be a true brown.kjc - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
If the Bengals have a porous defense, the Browns did not show up to play today.I personally have not seen a worse exhibition of so-called professional football than I saw today.
Romeo has not shown any signs that he is an adequate head coach and Charlie Frye has not shown signs that he will be an adequate NFL quarterback even though he has been starting for a year now.
I doubt any other NFL head coach would have been shut out in this game.
Also, Romeo has lost control of the team. The players are all squabbling on the sidelines today. Last week, they were trash talking before and during the game. A good head coach would get his players to perform on the field before they mouth off.
palcal - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
I think that in terms of players reacting on the sidelines, it's a factor of losing with the assumption that we should be a much better football team. I don't think Edwards would be a cancer to this team, because the demeaner he has still does not seem like what Terrell Owens would do. He had more of a frustrated attitude, while Owens is just an asshole because he feels he should get the football on every play.I'll have my review up tomorrow, but as I'm thinking right now, there aren't any clear bright spots that come into mind. Dennis Northcutt could've been a possibility, but then he fumbled late in the game. I'm sure I'll have to stretch to find something position, such as Hank Fraley's down the field block on someone when Braylon Edwards made his only positive catch of the game.
I have faith that the Browns will respond against the Chiefs next week. We won't win, but the fact remains that we've been competitive with every team we've faced this season except the Bengals. The Chiefs run a slow tempo offense by pounding it with Larry Johnson, so our defense will actually be able to substitute. It was made clear in this game that our defensive line has absolutely no pass rush in a quick situation, and when that happens, any quarterback can pick a team apart. To contrast, if the Browns tried the same thing Cincinnai did, the Bengals front four would get to us within three seconds.
Travis Wilson needs to be activated next week if he's healthy though.
Chris Pokorny - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
Braylon is mouthing off before he produces.Romeo is handling him with kid gloves.
If the players respected Romeo, they would be showing it on the field.
palcal - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
Frye admits the team did not show up today.What is he being paid for, if he doesn't show up on Sunday? I assume if practices like he plays on Sunday, he would not be starting.
How much more slack with Charlie and Romeo be given? I do not understand why Charlie was not pulled today.
palcal - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
Late in the game today, Derek Anderson should've been given a shot. The reasoning wouldn't have been punishment to Frye necessarily, because he's not the only person that needs to improve. However, with how much of a beating Frye was taking, there was nothing else he could've done in that game to BENEFIT himself for our next game or the future.Chris Pokorny - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
An interesting note here:Sports Illustrated's Peter King has reported that Braylon Edwards did not berate Charlie Frye on the sidelines during the game. Although it appeared that way, Edwards was supposedly grabbing Frye by the jersey, telling him that his offensive line was letting him down. If Droughns was doing anything, he was probably simply telling Edwards to just "calm down" or "give him some space".
Chris Pokorny - November 26, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
The most depressing thing about the Browns right now (and for most of the last seven years) is that they've simply lost any relevance to the rest of the league. As a fan, you can't expect your team to be vying for the title every season, but you can expect the team to be competitive and have some significance for the broader outcome of the season. As it stands now, the Browns pass through every week as an NFL sidebar, noticed only by their presence on the same field with some other, more significant team.APV @ Dawgs By Nature - November 27, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
This season is now all about turning Braylon Edwards into a responsible citizen. Winning games has become a secondary consideration to Romeo.Romeo is making Butch Davis look like a super coach.
If the front office is smart, they will hire a
VETERAN COACH and QB.
palcal - November 27, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
In his webcast today, Tony Grossi puts stong support behind idea of hiring EXPERIENCED head coach, rather than Browns continuing to be training ground for rookie head coaches.palcal - November 27, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
Tony Grossi's comments today:Romeo's days are numbered, after blowing Carthon and Edwards situations
Randy has been evading media, but is in locker room after game
Jim Brown is Randy's alter ego
Brown placed blame for disaster on Romeo
Question whether Randy will allow Savage to pick next head coach
palcal - November 27, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
Who out there, who? Would you bring in to drive this train wreck?And what do we do about Edwards?
Does Charlie keep his job?
We need a linebacker that teams have to scheme for. I would't get too concerned about the secondary. We are building depth right now with the health issues and Sean Jones is proving himself.
rusty1ga - November 27, 2006
Re: Bengals vs. Browns Gameday Thread
Three cheers for Jeff Fisher!Chris Pokorny - November 27, 2006
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