Dawgs By Nature

It wasn't the most exciting event, but I was thrilled to see some Cleveland Browns football live. The heat lived up to its expectations, as it had to be near 95 degrees with no periods of shade in sight. I arrived when the gates opened and originally sat around the 40-yard line in the fourth row. A few minutes later, knowing that I would be taking notes throughout the game and preferred not to have the sun on me throughout the whole scrimmage, I moved to the very last row where there is a slight overhang providing shade.

I was disappointed to find out that they weren't doing dollar hot dogs this year. I'm a real stickler for the price of food at a stadium, so $5 a hot dog was out of the question for me. Although, technically I had spent $6 at the stadium the year before ($5 admission + $1 hot dog), so one $5 hot dog would've been less money. That didn't matter to me, I decided to spend nothing.

If I had to do it again, I probably could've walked in at 1:00 p.m. and gotten the same seats I got. The lower bowl was probably around 50% full; there were about three open seats on both sides of my group. The practice routine was nothing out-of-the-ordinary, but it did give me a chance to jot down which players were on the Brown Team and which players were on the White Team. I almost got everybody, and as I started writing down names, the reason certain people were on certain teams made sense. The Brown offense had the No. 1 team, but the No. 2 defense. The White offense had the No. 2 team, but the No. 1 defense. This way, it would be the No. 1 offense vs. the No. 1 defense (and vice-versa for the twos). Ryan Pontbriand, Phil Dawson, and Dave Zastudil were on both teams. Here were the rosters:

A couple of roster notes: I was not able to spot Steve Heiden, so I'm not sure if he played or not. I also didn't see Charles Ali, which would make sense since he has been out. I neglected to look who played fullback for the white team, although neither team really ran a lot of running plays. I think Noah Herron is doubling as a fullback for the White team.

In terms of who was on what team, I guess these would stand out the most:

• Brian Robiskie with the second-string offense.
• Ryan Tucker and Hank Fraley with the second-string offense.
• Corey Williams with the second-string defense.
• Alex Hall with the second-string defense.

Let's get to the practice. I'll do a drive-by-drive rough layout of the plays, along with notes (if necessary for each drive). The Brown team has won the toss and chosen to receive the ball, and we're underway right at 1:00 p.m. There were four quarters, each lasting ten-minutes each. There are officials on the field, and contact will be allowed but it is not permitted to take a player to the ground.

FIRST QUARTER

Drive One: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Dawson kicks off, receiver fields ball in end zone and takes a knee for a touchback. Drive starts at the 20.
• 1st-and-10 = Handoff to Jamal Lewis, with the play designed to the left. Shaun Rogers busts through and stuffs Lewis for a loss of four, but really the whole defense was there.
• 2nd-and-14 = Anderson tries a screen pass to Jamal Lewis, but it's incomplete as Robaire Smith sniffed the play out.
• 3rd-and-14 = Anderson turns and throws to Braylon Edwards at the line of scrimmage, and he runs it for a seven-yard gain. Not enough for the first, so it's time to punt.
• 4th-and-7 = Joshua Cribbs fielded the punt and had about a 20-yard return. It looked like he was off for a touchdown, but the refs blew him out of bounds somewhere I guess.
• Notes: A solid first drive for the defense, but one of those opening drives that seemed typical of the Browns last year, with a slow start right off the bat and trying to claw your way back.

Drive Two: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Drive starts at the 49 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = Brady Quinn is under center and takes the snap. He playfakes and looks to be going deep. He fires a bomb into the end zone and Lance Leggett makes a great catch with two defenders right trailing him for a touchdown. XP from Dawson is good.
• Notes: Wow, what a bang! It looked like Roderick Hood and Nick Sorensen were the two defensive backs that were beaten by Leggett. Quinn threw the ball from about his own 40, so it traveled a good 60 yards in air. Now it's time to see how Anderson responds to Quinn's impressive start.
  
• SCORE: WHITE TEAM 7, BROWN TEAM 0.

Drive Three: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Dawson kicks another touchback. Someone was offsides on the kicking team, so the drive will start at the 25.
• 1st-and-10 = Anderson throws to Royal but the pass is incomplete, with the coverage by Abram Elam.
• 2nd-and-10 = Anderson takes the snap but right away Robaire Smith comes unblocked through the middle of the line. He touches Anderson for the 10-yard sack.
• 3rd-and-20 = Screen pass to James Davis. He does a nice job gaining 15 yards, but the defense was basically just trying to prevent a first down here.
• 4th-and-5 = Gerard Lawson now fields the punt, and he bobbles it! It doesn't hit the ground, but it was a bobble that would've made your heart race on gameday. Minimal gain after that.
• Notes: Another three-and-out for the first-team offense. Hard to judge Anderson at this point since the sack wasn't his fault, but 0-for-2 on offense has to say something. After the punt, we hear whistles and the stadium announcer saying "this is a simulated TV timeout", drawing some laughs throughout the stadium.
  

Drive Four: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Drive starts at the 30 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = Draw play to Jerome Harrison who takes it for about 8 yards.
• 2nd-and-2 = A quick WR pass in the flat to Brian Robiskie, but he's taken down for a loss of one.
• 3rd-and-3 = Either Brady Quinn or Brian Robiskie misread this play, but either way there is a miscommunication. Robiskie is covered one-on-one at the top of your television screen (just imagine there is one), and Quinn throws a floater up the field pretty quickly. However, Robiskie stops, almost expecting a comeback route. The pass sails to nowhere land, and it's time to punt.
• 4th-and-3 = Mike Furrey fields the punt a little deep for my liking at the five and takes it for a little gain, but there's a block in the back called. Half the distance to the goal, brought back to the 8-yard line.
• Notes: The two plays to Robiskie were negatives. I'd still like to know who was at fault on the third-down play. Even if both players made the right read though, it appeared as though the corner had pretty good coverage on the play.

Drive Five: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Drive starts at the 8 yard line...oh boy.
• 1st-and-10 = Dump pass to Robert Royal falls incomplete.
• 2nd-and-10 = Anderson has some time to throw and sees Robert Royal with a slight opening over the middle. He fires a rope to him about 15 yards, but D'Qwell Jackson extends out and does a tremendous job tipping the pass away.
• 3rd-and-10 = The third time is the charm I guess, as Anderson again goes to Robert Royal. This time the pass is complete for 13 yards and the team's first first down.
• 1st-and-10 = Anderson is again throwing, this time a pass to rookie WR Mohamed Massaquoi by the sidelines for about a gain of 8.
• 2nd-and-2 = Anderson throws a sideline pass to Mike Furrey but it is too high and out of bounds. Timeout.
• 3rd-and-2 = Shotgun formation, draw to James Davis is enough for a first down as D'Qwell Jackson is in on the tackle.
• 1st-and-10 = Anderson is getting comfortable now as he fires another strike to Mohamed Massaquoi for 16 yards and a first down.
• 1st-and-10 = With pressure from Adam Hoppel (I think), Anderson throws a sideline pass to Mohamed Massaquoi for 6 yards. Massaquoi did a great job keeping his feet in bounds.
• 2nd-and-4 = Anderson dumps it off over the middle to James Davis, who takes it for about an 11-yard gain.
• 1st-and-10 = Corner blitz comes and Anderson's pass on a designed WR screen (this one had blocking set up from the other receivers on that side of the field) is tipped at the line of scrimmage by Corey Ivy. If Ivy didn't tip it, the play would've gotten some good yardage.
• 2nd-and-10 = WR Paul Hubbard gets in on the action with an 11 yard catch and another first down.
• 1st-and-10 = For the first time this drive I think, Anderson is not in shotgun but rather in single back formation. Before the play gets started, Shaun Rogers busts through the line and is called for encroachment.
• 1st-and-5 = We're now 20 yards away from the end zone, as Anderson is trying to complete a potential 92-yard drive. With five receivers wide, Anderson fires it to Edwards for a gain of 6 and a first down.
• 1st-and-10 = I'm not sure who the receiver is, but Anderson has him running a post route from the slot at the top of your screen to the middle of the field. Anderson fires the ball on a rope with the receiver having inside position on the player covering him, but OH NO! D'Qwell Jackson jumps the route from the other direction and intercepts the pass! Run DQ, run! Jackson takes it from the goal line to the 42-yard line before being called down.
• Notes: After an impressive drive, it ended in typical Anderson fashion with a heartbreaker. He had done a greta job moving the ball down the field with underneath routes and sideline passes. He took a chance by going over the middle when he really didn't need to, because it appeared he has some receivers open underneath again. Nonetheless, Jackson is having a fantastic game so far, as is the first-string defense. I don't know why the Browns were in shotgun in just about every play of this drive.

Drive 6: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Drive starts at the 42 yard line after DQ's pick.
• 1st-and-10 = Empty backfield, Quinn drops back and throws it to Joshua Cribbs for 8 yards.
• That's the end of the first quarter. Richard Bartel is warming up, so I assume he's about to come in...

SECOND QUARTER

(continued)

• ...and sure enough, Richard Bartel is under center. I haven't heard much in camp about him or Brett Ratliff, so I'm interested a little to see what they have to offer. Bank on Anderson/Quinn returning in the second half.
• 2nd-and-2 = Noah Herron is in the game, and he carries it for 1 yard.
• 3rd-and-1 = Bartel throws to Brian Robiskie, but the pass is incomplete due to great coverage by rookie CB Coye Francies. Time to punt.
• 4th-and-1 = Furrey calls a fair catch at the 15-yard line.
• Notes: The White team failed to capitalize on good field position, but they are setting the Brown team back again. Brett Ratliff is coming in for the Brown team in relief of Anderson.

Drive 7: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Drive starts at the 15 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = James Davis on the carry is brought down for a loss of one by Kamerion Wimbley.
• 2nd-and-11 = David Patten turns his body towards Ratliff at the snap and expects a quick pass to him. Instead, Ratliff throws the ball about five yards up the field past him. if a cornerback had been there, that would've been begging for a pick six.
• 3rd-and-11 = Dump pass underneath to James Davis. Two defenders are there and play the "contain game", as Davis only gets a few yards.
• 4th-and-7 = Another great punt by Dave Zastudil, about 60 yards, as Gerard Lawson is running backwards to catch it at the last second. He dances around and settles for the loss he has already created.
• Notes: Another three-and-out for the Brown team, as Ratliff looked a bit shaky. So far, Davis hasn't really gotten anything in the run game, but I'm extremely annoyed by the whistle being blown when a running back gets touched. None of this scrimmage accounts for potential broken tackles on run plays (or YAC on passes if a receiver is touched).

Drive 8: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Drive starts at the 17 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = Bartel throws it to Martin Rucker for a gain of 9 yards.
• 2nd-and-1 = Harrison takes the carry for no gain.
• 3rd-and-1 = Bartel does a QB sneak, which in my book is a cheat in scrimmages because you're not allowed to kill the quarterback. Oh well.
• 1st-and-10 = False start on Kurt Quarterman.
• 1st-and-15 = Quick pass to Joshua Cribbs for a 9 yard gain.
• 2nd-and-6 = Another pass to Joshua Cribbs, this time for about seven yards and a first down. Ball is at the 39-yard line.
  
• 1st-and-10 = Bartel throws the screen pass to Harrison, but the defense is all over it. Not only were three guys in Bartel's face, three guys were covering Harrison as he caught the ball. Loss of four on the play.
• 2nd-and-14 = A few people needed to get by me on this play, so I didn't hear who the players involved were. I peaked at the OBR twitter feed, and it appears that Noah Herron might have caught the pass for a gain of 5 yards.
• 3rd-and-9 = Bartel is sacked by Louis Leonard, bringing the two-minute warning after the play.
• 4th-and-alot = Another good punt by Dave Zastudil, with Mike Furrey bringing it out to the 18 yard line.

Drive 9: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Drive starts at the 18 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = Ratliff fires incomplete to Robert Royal with good coverage from Hamza Abdullah on the play.
• 2nd-and-10 = Sideline pass to Mike Furrey for 16 yards and a first down.
• 1st-and-10 = Pressure comes on the play and David Bowens gets the sack on Ratliff.
• 2nd-and-14 = Ratliff throws to Mike Furrey but Brandon McDonald is there to defend the play, incomplete.
• 3rd-and-14 = One again on third-and-long for the Brown team, they dump it off underneath to James Davis for a gain of seven. Yawn. Timeout by the other team to save some clock.
  
• 4th-and-7 = This one is Dave Zastudil's finest one of the afternoon. The ball had to net around 70 yards as it was downed at the three-yard line by a diving Blake Costanzo.
• Notes: The first-team defense has been getting some decent pressure, causing a lot of third-and-longs. A lot of the plays the teams are getting pressure on appear to be in the 3-4 solid defensive sets, although I am no where near as good as recognizing these formations as someone like rufio would be. Plus, in trying to jot down notes, I'm forced to focus more on what the offense does and have to try to quickly check the defense on the titantron replay.

Drive 10: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Drive starts at the 3 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = With barely any time on the clock, Noah Herron takes it for a three-yard gain as the clock ticks down to half-time.
• Notes: The scrimmage started exciting, but once the backup quarterbacks came in, the action was kind of boring, as expected. This is a full 15-minute half-time coming up, with youth organizations on the field getting to play against each other (two games, one on each side of the field). I am annoyed by seeing both teams do nothing but pack the line and go for running plays every single time. Not one pass. Even though that's a lot about what these levels of football are about, I hate that. The score is still 7-0 Brown team at the half.
  

THIRD QUARTER

Drive 11: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Dawson kicks off deep again, but Joshua Cribbs decides to bring it out this time to the 17-yard line. Brady Quinn is coming back in at quarterback.
• 1st-and-10 = Playfake and a pass to Lance Leggett, just like their first play of the first half. This time, it's only for 11 yards.
• 1st-and-10 = Quinn takes the shotgun snap and has a weird poise, just standing there as if nothing is happening. Then he throws to Leggett again, but the pass is incomplete with Coye Francies having good coverage.
• 2nd-and-10 = Jerome Harrison gets the ball for a gain of only run. He's really not finding much room to run, but neither are any of the other running backs. The holes are closing up pretty quickly though.
• 3rd-and-9 = Quinn has a ton of time to throw on this play. Finally, he sees Lance Leggett over the middle and takes a chance to him. Leggett has the ball at first, but Coye Francies appears to get his hand in the way at the same time, causing the ball to deflect high in the air. No other defenders are around for the pick, so it falls incomplete.
• 4th-and-9 = A weird read by Mike Furrey on the punt here, as he has looked tentative all game in returns. The ball hits the ground at the 20 and he lets it bounce all the way to the 10.
• Notes: Of the second-team players, I've taken notice of Coye Francies. He has really done a great job at playing tight coverage and deflecting some passes. Lance Leggett has been the target most of the day for Quinn.

Drive 12: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Drive starts at the 11 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = Anderson starts off with a high pass to Mohamed Massaquoi that he can't pull in, as it goes through his hands. The pass was catchable, but Anderson could have made it easier since they weren't very far away from each other.
• 2nd-and-10 = It's another high pass from Anderson, this time to Jamal Lewis in the flat for a small three yard gain. D'Qwell Jackson was all over him when he caught it.
• 3rd-and-7 = There's a breakdown in the play, so Anderson bails and rolls out to his left. Luckily, he finds Mike Furrey open for a nine yard gain and a first down.
• 1st-and-10 = Anderson takes the snap and pressure is coming again...Shaun Rogers with the sack! He runs off to the side and does a little sack celebration. Derek Anderson sort of throws the football at him. Whether it be playful or out of frustration (I couldn't tell), Anderson is given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, adding to the big loss on the play. The team is now backed up to the 7 yard line.
• 2nd-and-25 = Draw play to Jamal Lewis for a meaningless gain of two.
• 3rd-and-23 = The defense leaves the middle of the field open, so Anderson dumps it to Jamal Lewis. Lewis takes one or two steps and drops the ball. He picks it up, goes another yard or two, and is touched by a defender for a nine yard pickup.
• 4th-and-14 = Now, Dave Zastudil picks the time to have his only bad punt of the game, shanking it out of bounds at the 50.
• Notes: We know that Shaun Rogers is a beast, but there have been a few times now that defensive lineman have come free. It seems they are coming from right in the middle. I can't say for sure, but can only speculate/assume that Alex Mack is one of the sections in the line they are able to get through. Anderson made a bone-headed decision with the misconduct too. Here, another simulated TV timeout occurs.
  

Drive 13: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Drive starts at midfield.
• 1st-and-10 = Quinn is still in, and he gets a seven yard pass to Brian Robiskie. The drive didn't last long for Quinn though, as Richard Bartel comes back into the game after the play.
• 2nd-and-3 = Noah Herron gets the carry for four yards, good enough for a first down.
• 1st-and-10 = Getting the ball again is Noah Herron as the defense packs everyone close to the line. Herron gets past the defensive line and jukes and...he's off to the races! Herron outruns the defenders behind him for a 39-yard touchdown! The XP is good.
• Notes: What makes the run impressive is that all day, the whistle has been blown if a back is getting touched. Herron had enough burst to get through the line, and then did a nice move to continue evading defenders on his path to the end zone.
• SCORE: WHITE TEAM 14, BROWN TEAM 0.

Drive 14: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Dawson does a shorter kickoff (purposely I believe) near the sideline, and it's fielded by Roderick Hood, who just falls on it to be safe. Drive starts at the 24 yard line, and Ratliff is back in.
  
• 1st-and-10 = Pitch play to James Davis, who is swarmed by defenders for a five yard loss.
• 2nd-and-15 = Ratliff completes to Mike Furrey for a gain of ten, making it a managable third down. David Patten finally enters the game now.
  
• 3rd-and-5 = Ratliff has time to throw and he's going deep down the left sideline! David Patten is there along with a defensive back for a near-jump ball situation past midfield. The defensive back jumps, but it's about a yard over his head and the pass falls right into the hands of Patten! Patten is off for the races about 25-30 more yards, capping a 71 yard touchdown pass and finally getting the Brown team on the board for a necessary response. The XP is good.
• Notes: Not the greatest timing patten since the defensive back had a great shot at it, but it worked and was probably the right decision since Ratliff had a one-on-one.
• SCORE: WHITE TEAM 14, BROWN TEAM 7.

Drive 15: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Dawson kicks another touchback as Cribbs knees it in the end zone.
• 1st-and-10 = Trying to ride the hot hand, Noah Herron gets a carry for two yards.
• 2nd-and-8 = Bartel tosses a screen pass to Jerome Harrison, but the pass is behind him and falls incomplete.
• 3rd-and-8 = Finally getting on the board with a sack is Alex Hall, as he touches Bartel from the left side. That's the first sack by the No. 2 defense.
• 4th-and-15 = I wrote down "47" and nothing else, and honestly I don't recall what happened. After flipping to my next page of notes, I see that the ball is starting at the 47 for the Brown team.
• Notes: Not much to speak of here, except the fact that Bartel hasn't been too impressive.

Drive 16: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Drive starts at the 47 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = Ratliff fakes the draw and throws down the right sideline for Mohamed Massaquoi. The pass sails over his head and out of bounds, but Brodney Pool and Brandon McDonald had it covered anyway.
• 2nd-and-10 = Ratliff throws down the middle and it's David Patten again! He's off for the races but is stopped at the six-yard line after beating Brandon McDonald on the play.
• 1st-and-Goal = Everyone is covered in the end zone. Ratliff tries Braylon Edwards over the middle, but Abram Elam has it covered. Incomplete.
• 2nd-and-Goal = Ratliff bounces a pass in to Braylon Edwards for an incompletion over the middle. That's the end of the third quarter.
• Notes: Ratliff is finding some chemistry with David Patten, but those big plays don't mean he's playing better than the other quarterbacks.

FOURTH QUARTER

(continued)

• 3rd-and-Goal: Before the snap, I notice that it's Derek Anderson back under center to start the fourth. He takes the snap and is worried that no receivers are open...but wait! The middle of the field IS open! Anderson scampers and dives into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. I'm sure the defense is thinking, "bullshit, if we were allowed to hit him, we would have". Nonetheless, it's a tie ballgame after the XP is good.
• Notes: Anderson was pumped up after the run. The play was challenged but stood as called.
• SCORE: WHITE TEAM 14, BROWN TEAM 14.

Drive 17: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• Dawson kicks off and Cribbs returns it to the 22 yard line. Brady Quinn is back in at quarterback.
• 1st-and-10 = Jerome Harrison carries the ball for three yards.
• 2nd-and-7 = Jerome Harrison carries the ball for two yards.
• 3rd-and-5 = Quinn rockets the ball between two defenders and into the arms of Joshua Cribbs for a nice first down.
• 1st-and-10 = Quinn now throws deep to Brian Robiskie down the sideline. He dives and makes the catch!...but the official rules that he didn't get both feet down in bounds, so the potential 35-yard play doesn't count.
• 2nd-and-10 = Very poor throw on this one by Quinn. He had Lance Leggett wide open near the sideline on a simple 10-15 yard pass with room to run, but he airmailed it.
• 3rd-and-10 = Quinn fires it to Leggett, but the ball bounces off his hands and Mike Adams dives for it. Adams has the interception and gets up for a small return.

Drive 18: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• Drive starts at the 30 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = Jamal Lewis carries the ball for three yards. He's getting small gains, but if contact were allowed, he'd be able to drive the ball more. It'd be unfair to judge him too much on this scrimmage, or any of the running backs really.
• 2nd-and-7 = Jamal Lewis gets the ball again, this time for two yards.
• 3rd-and-5 = Anderson throws incomplete to Braylon Edwards, but Eric Wright is upset when he sees the official toss a flag for pass interference. First down.
• 1st-and-10 = Jamal Lewis is getting his work in. He carries the ball for one yard, but a facemask penalty gives the Brown team a fresh set of downs.
• 1st-and-10 = They are inching closer to the end zone, now just about 13 yards away. Jamal Lewis runs it for two more yards.
• 2nd-and-8 = One more time! Jamal Lewis gets the ball for a gain of one.
• 3rd-and-7 = On a quick slant, Anderson throws behind Mohamed Massaquoi incomplete. Brandon McDonald had the coverage.
• 4th-and-7 = Here comes the field goal unit. Phil Dawson lines up from 28 yards and hits it to give the Brown team 17 unanswered and the lead.
• Notes: After Quinn's pick, the Brown team had a short field to work with and decided to drain some clock with Jamal Lewis. They got some points and the lead, which is what counts here I guess. On the sideline, Shaun Rogers appears upset.
• SCORE: BROWN TEAM 17, WHITE TEAM 14.

Drive 19: White on Offense, Brown on Defense

• There is 3:50 left, so it's kind of a "do-or-die drive". Kickoff is brought to the 25 yard line.
• 1st-and-10 = Quinn starts great with a quick pass to Joshua Cribbs for 14 yards.
• 1st-and-10 = Quinn now tries Martin Rucker, but the pass is low and incomplete.
• 2nd-and-10 = Draw play to Jerome Harrison, but only for a gain of one yard.
• 3rd-and-9 = Pressure comes and Quinn throws a floater off his back foot deep for Brian Robiskie. The pass is out of his reach, but Roderick Hood is called for illegal contact prior to the pass. First down.
• 1st-and-10 = A short pass to Jerome Harrison for one yard.
• 2nd-and-9 = A dump pass goes to Jerome Harrison for eight yards. The two-minute warning is here, and Quinn has the team in okay position to drive.
  
• 3rd-and-1 = Quinn now goes to Joshua Cribbs for six yards and a first down at the 40 yard line. There is just under a minute left.
• 1st-and-10 = Another quick slant pass to Brian Robiskie for six yards. A timeout is called with 0:39 left.
  
• 2nd-and-4 = Martin Rucker catches a pass for three yards and goes out of bounds.
• 3rd-and-1 = Rather than doing a short play or run, Quinn is looking deep. No one is really open though, and he overthrows Jerome Harrison out of bounds.
• 4th-and-1 = The White team is going for the tie rather than the win. Phil Dawson is brought out to try a 49-yarder. The snap is back, the ball is down, the kick is up and it is...NO GOOD! It had the distance, but it hit 3/4 the way up the left crossbar and then sailed wide left. That just about seals it.
• Notes: It really wasn't a memorable final drive, but Quinn did give his side a chance to tie it up. It would've been better to get closer for Dawson though.

Drive 20: Brown on Offense, White on Defense

• After a few knees and timeouts, the game is over. Anderson and company win.

FINAL SCORE: BROWN TEAM 17, WHITE TEAM 14.

Here are some other general notes:

1. I thought Coye Francies had great coverage throughout the entire scrimmage. He was always right on his man and did a good job breaking up passes without being called for interference. Hamza Abdullah also had a pretty good day, getting his name mentioned several times on tackles and for being in coverage on an incompletion.
2. This practice failed to showcase the talent of Jerome Harrison or James Davis. Maybe the fact that no fullbacks really played hurt them. Noah Herron had the best burst, but I'm not going to jump the gun and overly praise him for that one play.
3. Shaun Rogers is a beast. He was the best defensive player on the field. D'Qwell Jackson was a very close second, making an interception, a great tipped pass, and a lot of tackles that weren't "Andra Davis" tackles.
4. Overall, Brady Quinn had the better practice, but neither of the quarterbacks made me go "wow" beyond Quinn's first play to Leggett. Quinn needs to work on hitting his receivers when they are wide open, and Derek Anderson still needs to make better decisions to "complete" a drive. Brett Ratliff is definitely the No. 3 ahead of Richard Bartel.
5. For the receivers, I was bummed not to see Braylon Edwards targeted much at all. Or, maybe that meant that Eric Wright had good coverage. Mike Furrey displayed a knack for getting open and settling down in a spot. Mohamed Massaquoi had the edge over Brian Robiskie in the practice, albeit not that much. I liked Lance Leggett, but he did have some inconsistency late with a ball or two that he could've held on to with better body positioning. I might have been most intrigued by Joshua Cribbs. He caught the ball a lot and had some decent yards after the catch. It's probably wishful thinking, but I'd like him to be the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver at times.
6. On returns, Mike Furrey and Gerard Lawson were too tenative and looked awkward fielding punts. Keep Cribbs there (why not try RoBo?).
7. A great scrimmage for Dave Zastudil, considering he got a ton of work in punting for both sides.
8. I liked what I saw from our first-team offense. In the preseason game, I think I'd like to see how Brady Quinn does with our first-team offense. If it's a true competition, it's only fair to give each quarterback an equal shot.

That's about it for now. I'm sorry I couldn't evaluate the defensive schemes better, but it's tough to multitask in a situation like this. Also, the teams weren't taking the normal game-length time to move on to their next play. They would run one play, and then get the next play going soon after that. The practice ended around 3:10 p.m. I might not be able to answer your detailed questions, but if you want to throw them out there, go ahead. I, or someone else who attended, will try to answer them.