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Waiting for Next Year
Browns Get Leveled by Ravens in Pitiful 16-0 Monday Night Game
by Chris Pokorny on Nov 20, 2009 12:31 PM EST
in General News
34 comments
| BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-4) | WEEK 10 | CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-8) | |||
 |
VS. |  |
|||
| 16 | 0 |
When I went to the Giants vs. Browns game Monday Night, the excitement running through my veins throughout the game was a euphoric feeling.
When I went to the Ravens vs. Browns game on Monday, there was a completely different feeling: emptiness. Since we're out of contention, I'm beyond the point where I feel "crushed" after a loss. I was very pleased with the performance of the defense, but the continued inept performance by the offense just left me blank.
Let's get to another sad review of the game...
WEEK 10 - BALTIMORE RAVENS VS. CLEVELAND BROWNS (COMPLETE GAME REVIEW)
GOAT OF THE GAME:
- Brian Daboll: Seriously? That was the game plan you came up with in two weeks of preparation? The Ravens' defense, particularly due to their secondary, hasn't been great this season, and we didn't try testing them until there was less than 20 seconds on the clock. Instead, every play we ran played right into the strengths of the Ravens' defense.
AWARDING GAME BALLS:
- Rob Ryan: To the opposite side of the spectrum, the game ball goes to Ryan. The Ravens had a decent drive early on when they missed a field goal, but after that, the Browns' defense really only gave up one touchdown. Part of that had to do with the Ravens not looking very impressive on offense either, but the Browns brought enough pressure throughout the game to rattle Joe Flacco, and Ray Rice didn't have a breakout game against us for once.
GENERAL THOUGHTS
- Short Throws All Day: It became annoying that the fans behind me kept bringing this up, but they were right. The only pass plays we were looking for all day were ones that were right at the line of scrimmage. On our first drive or two, I was excited about this -- the Ravens were playing a little off, and the throws played to Quinn's strengths.
Then, as we started to run the same plays throughout the rest of the game, the Ravens kept creeping closer and closer to the line of scrimmage. No adjustments. Not a single one. - Furrey Stumbling: I know that Mike Furrey isn't supposed to be a "catch and run" receiver, but there were two or three plays where he actually had some space to work with and he just stumbled to the ground. On a day where we couldn't do anything right, it became more frustrating to see us slip even when the Ravens finally were out of position.
- Running the Wildcat: I don't know how this came across on television, but every time we ran the Wildcat formation, the safeties were almost right on top of the line of scrimmage -- even closer than when Quinn would throw the ball. I guess it's asking too much in that situation to have Cribbs stand in the pocket and deliver a deep throw to someone like Mohamed Massaquoi, who would've had one-on-one coverage.
- Inside Linebackers: With both of our starting inside linebackers done for the year, Kaluka Maiava and David Bowens looked pretty good together. Bowens provided the pass rush, and Maiava made two tackles that stopped a receiver shy of a Ravens first down, which is something I didn't expect from the rookie.
- Production Means Nothing: So, I guess we're back to having a head coach who puts too much into the fact that Jerome Harrison isn't a great blocker. The 100+ yard performance he had against the Bengals this season, arguably our best offensive game of the season, doesn't factor into the mix. Not that I'm against Chris Jennings -- yet -- but I'm getting pissed that Harrison is getting the shaft yet again.
- Ray Rice's Pass: The Ravens picked the right time to do a passing play with RB Ray Rice. As soon as he was handed the ball, I knew a pass was coming because the whole offensive line rolled out but made sure they weren't beyond the line of scrimmage. The receiver was wide open, but Rice took an extra second before releasing the ball, allowing our defensive backs to catch up and break up the play.
- What Did the Shifts Accomplish? There were so many times during the game that our team would line up in one formation, and they we'd suddenly have three guys quickly shift to different positions. I guess that's what our offense worked on during the bye week, because it's the only thing we did effectively, albeit with no results, all game.
- Snap the Ball? After our shifts were occurring, the Ravens shifted their whole defense as well. There were times where we could've quickly snapped the ball to catch someone out of position, but that never happened.
- No Huddle Presence: Another thing the Browns -- or both teams rather -- implemented was the "no huddle approach." I don't mind the approach necessarily, but if you're play calling is atrocious and you still take awhile to snap the ball, it's not really accomplishing anything unique. Sure, maybe the Ravens can't substitute, but it's not like they were chasing us down on 20 yard gains every play.
- Reverse to Massaquoi: I haven't checked how it came off on television, but one of the few play calls I liked was the reverse to Massaquoi, because it tried to catch the defense off guard when usually it's just Cribbs who runs the ball. The Ravens read it perfectly though and were right up at the line to stop Massaquoi. Of course, that leads more to the point about Cribbs throwing the ball...
- The New Punter: Our new punter didn't shank any punts, which was a good thing. He doesn't have a great leg though, so
ifwhen we're backed up throughout the rest of the season, I'm expecting the scores to become even more ridiculous in favor of the opposition. - Very Good Kick Coverage: I was impressed with how the Ravens handled their special teams duties of stopping Joshua Cribbs. They had their players quickly down the field, and usually pinned Cribbs in a situation where he had no where to go. On Cribbs' only good return of the day, Brady Quinn blew it with a pick.
- Quinn's Performance: The performance by Brady Quinn was very disappointing, but again I bring the problems back to the horrific playcalling. Why is it that when Derek Anderson plays, he gets to chuck it into the defense? Quinn should have the same "privileges." If he throws an interception, then fine -- at least we'll see evidence that he's not capable of it.
- Leveling Cribbs: Besides the hook-and-ladder play making no sense when we were down by two 8-point possessions, Joshua Cribbs was on the receiving end of a cheap shot. I didn't get a good look at the play live, because after I saw him lateral the ball with nobody but Robert Royal in the area, I had just stood up to make sure I had my gloves and hat with be before I left. Thankfully Cribbs appears to be okay, and the coaches are indicating he might play this Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
- Brownies: Where was Brian Robiskie again? The fans behind me kept saying "WE SHOULD GET THE BALL" after the Ravens' penalty on special teams, but they failed to realize that the five-yard penalty would not have netted a first-down for us. Last year, half the crowd stood the whole game due to all of the exciting plays. This year, the crowd was still standing, but it was because we would attempt a deeper throw, even if it looked god-awful.
Up next, the Browns will face the lowly Detroit Lions. I have no faith in the Browns offense, but the defense could very well deliver a performance similar to the Buffalo game for a win. Rookie QB Matthew Stafford has been prone to mistakes, and if our defense creates turnovers, a 6-3 type of game might be enough to win again.
34 comments | 0 recs |
GOT NUMBERS? Analyzing the Detroit Lions vs. the Cleveland Browns
by Ryan Kelsey on Nov 19, 2009 6:00 PM EST
49 comments
Ugh. According to Advanced NFL Stats, the Browns are 32nd in total team efficiency and the Lions are 31st (Football Outsiders actually has the Lions 32nd, Raiders 31st, and the Browns 30th). This will be a game played by two of the most terrible teams in the NFL. Is this year's version of the Browns the worst in team history? That sounds like a post I might write during the offseason. For now, we get to preview an awful football game.
49 comments | 0 recs |
A "Brownie" For Your Thoughts - The UFL: Who In The NFL Should Make The Switch?
by SpecialBrownie on Nov 19, 2009 12:40 AM EST
33 comments
The United Football League. Officially starting in 2009, the UFL took over the "unofficial" minor league football spot from the bankrupt Arena Football League. It's basically a four team league filled with NFL misfits who just couldn't play up to par in the NFL. Familiar names you might recognize in the UFL are DB Tra Battle and OL Brandon Braxton.
33 comments | 0 recs |
Browns place TE Steve Heiden and P Dave Zastudil on IR; Claim two players off waivers.
by Ryan Kelsey on Nov 18, 2009 10:06 PM EST
21 comments
The Plain Dealer is reporting that TE Steve Heiden and P Dave Zastudil have been placed on the IR.
Heiden hurt his ankle in Monday Night's game against the Ravens. Zastudil has been battling an injury for several weeks and had to sit out Monday Night's game. Reggie Hodges assumed the punting duties and probably will keep the very demanding position for the rest of the season.
Heiden had 10 catches for 73 yards and a rare Browns' TD. Pride of Ohio University, Zastudil already had 25 punts downed inside the 20 (out of just 49 punts!) and was averaging 44.7 yards per punt.
Replacing them on the roster are two players claimed off waivers:
- Pittsburgh LB Arnold Harrison. Has 7 tackles this year for the Steelers and 30 tackles in his 3 seasons, all with the Browns' Rival. He was undrafted out of Georgia.
- Green Bay WR Jake Allen. I can't find much about him, except it appears he was on the Packers practice squad all of 2008 and 2009 until being signed and active for 1 or 2 games. He had no catches or stats in those games. He was undrafted out of Division III Mississipi College (where he was a D-III All American). He is 6'4" 198 lbs.
21 comments | 0 recs |
Week 11 Power Rankings - I'll Give You 32 Guesses...
by SpecialBrownie on Nov 17, 2009 9:24 PM EST
273 comments
...what the Browns' average position is.
Key: Ranked Position - Linked Website
Quote from above website
32 - ESPN.com
It's hard to imagine Eric Mangini ever fixing this mess.
32 - Fanhouse.com
Here's some good news about the Browns: Their defense wasn't half-bad against the Ravens on Monday night. Shaun Rogers looked particularly spry and he's the kind of player that can make offenses miserable. Unfortunately, we've yet to find a defensive player who doesn't make the Browns offense miserable.
32 - FOXsports.com
The offense has scored four touchdowns, all season. Wow. They've been held under 10 points in six of nine games. Double wow. They've also been restricted to under 200 total yards six times.
32 - CBSsports.com
That offense is as bad as I've seen. I mean ever. They can't even attempt passes down the field. What an eyesore.
32 - Yahoo!sports.com
Chance to see just how bad they are against the one-win Lions.
I'll update as the week goes on. Some other football sites haven't posted their Week 11 rankings yet.
*ADDED SITES*
32 - BleacherReport.com
QB Brady Quinn got the start on Monday Night Football against the Ravens and to say he played miserable would be an understatement. Quinn was 13-31 for 99 yards and two interceptions, one which was returned for six and was sacked four times. There are some bad teams in the NFL but it’s a pretty safe bet the Browns are the worst. They have no running game and absolutely no talent or depth at wide receiver. They most likely will have the first pick in next year’s draft.
32 - OBR.com
The quarterback switch came a few weeks too late for this team to have any chance to be competitive. Needs Still to be Filled: WR (depth-speed), LT (depth), RT (depth), ILB (veteran depth), OLB (pass rusher), CB (veteran depth).
32 - SBNation.com
Josh Cribbs's agent was none too pleased with his player being knocked out on a meaningless play with three seconds left in last week's 16-0 beatdown at the hand of the Ravens. To be fair, hasn't every Browns play been pointless this season?
273 comments | 0 recs |
Post Game Thread: Baltimore @ Cleveland
by Ryan Kelsey on Nov 16, 2009 11:45 PM EST
440 comments
Browns lose. 16-0. Defense played very good. Not sure what the offense did with the extra week.
Discuss.
440 comments | 0 recs
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns - Official Game Thread
by Chris Pokorny on Nov 16, 2009 1:35 PM EST
in General News
1020 comments
If you didn't see the update a few days ago, tonight's game against the Baltimore Ravens will not be blacked out locally, thanks to several organizations and media outlets "buying out" the unsold tickets. That's good news for die-hard Browns fans, so hopefully we see some improvement in the offense after the bye week.
| BALTIMORE RAVENS (4-4) | WEEK 10 | CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-7) | |||
|
VS. | |
|||
| Date: | November 16, 2009 | Location: | Cleveland, OH |
| Time: | 8:30 p.m. ET |
Stadium: | Browns Stadium |
| TV: | ESPN/FOX 8 |
Favorite: | Ravens by 11 |
| Radio: | WTAM, 1100 AM | Over/Under: | 39 |
| SBN Coverage: | Baltimore Beatdown |
Announcers |
Jon Gruden, Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski |
The Browns lost to were destroyed by the Ravens earlier this season. Brady Quinn started that game but was pulled at half-time and replaced by Derek Anderson. At the time, the change was surprising, but understandable. Our offense was terrible under Quinn, and much of that seemed to have to do with his lack of confidence in the pocket.
After so many 2-of-17 for under 100 yards and 2 interception type of games for Anderson though, it was clearly time to go back to Quinn. Quinn now has a chance at redemption -- both against the Ravens, and at proving himself capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL again.
Let's start off this week's preview with the overall team statistics heading into Week 10...
OFFENSE
| Category | Ravens |
Browns |
| Points Scored | 25.8 (9th) | 9.8 (32nd) = -2 |
| Passing | 242.1 (14th) | 121.5 (31st) = Push |
| Rushing | 116.1 (14th) | 99.6 (25th) = -1 |
| Total Offense (yards) | 358.2 (11th) | 221.1 (32nd) = -1 |
DEFENSE
| Category | Ravens |
Browns |
| Points Scored | 19.2 (9th) | 26.1 (28th) = -1 |
| Passing | 225.8 (17th) | 238.6 (25th) = -1 |
| Rushing | 94.9 (6th) | 170.5 (31st) = Push |
| Total Defense (yards) | 320.6 (12th) | 409.1 (32nd) = Push |
| BALTIMORE RAVENS | Position | CLEVELAND BROWNS | ||
| Joe Flacco has been solid this season except in his two matches against the Cincinnati Bengals. |
 |
QB | Remember my three keys for Quinn: Trust your protection, more first down passing, and more screen passes. |
|
| Ray Rice's production has changed Baltimore's three-man committee into a one-man wrecking machine. |
|
RB | Jamal Lewis will have one last chance (if he stays true to his word) to have a good game against his former team. |
|
| How fortunate are the Ravens that Derrick Mason decided to come back for another season after all? |
|
WR | Chansi Stuckey has been on the injury report, but with his experience, he really should be the receiver who steps up. |
|
| The Browns weren't able to get to Flacco much in their first encounter, and the line does a fine job blocking for the run game late. |
|
OL | I'm giving the Ravens the edge here for one reason: our offensive line wasn't as good for whatever reason under Quinn. Hopefully that improve tonight. |
|
| It's expected that the Ravens will have Haloti Ngata back on the field, as the Ravens missed him against the Bengals last week. |
|
DL | I'm finding it difficult to rate the performance of our defensive line again this year. We don't have a "young stud" on the line, but the problems still seem to be at the LB position. |
|
| The Ravens are still trying to fill the void left by Bart Scott in the offseason at the other inside linebacker position. If Quinn wants the short passing game to work, look towards Tavares Gooden. |
|
LB | I'd be real excited if Marcus Bernard received some playing time tonight, even if it meant he was ahead of David Veikune. I won't get my hopes up though ahead of time. |
|
| If starting cornerback Fabien Washington can't go, then Lardarius Webb, a 3rd rounder, will make his first career start. |
|
DB | Will S Mike Adams start in place of Brodney Pool again? Against the Bears, it paid off as Pool was able to contribute better in spot situations. |
|
| The Browns deserve at least one favored category. |
ST |  |
You've had two weeks to rest, Joshua Cribbs. Put on a show for the country. |
|
If Randy Lerner had stood back and done nothing during the bye week, I'd be less optimistic about this game. Thanks to the ruckus that was made though, I find it hard to believe that nothing will change on the offensive side of the ball. Our offense will be banking on the level of confidence that Brady Quinn has. It won't be enough to produce a win, but hopefully it's enough to prevent another embarrassment.
FINAL PREDICTION: Baltimore Ravens 27, Cleveland Browns 17.
CHRIS' RECORD IN PICKING BROWNS GAMES: 7-1
CHRIS' OVERALL NFL PREDICTIONS RECORD: 102-41
This is the official gameday thread for the Cleveland Browns in Week 10 as they face the division rivaled Baltimore Ravens. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this thread. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!
*Note: I will be at tonight's game, and will not be able to comment during the game (I might try once via the mobile site). Please keep the discussion going as you guys have done all season!
1020 comments | 0 recs |
Browns Add Punter Reggie Hodges to Roster
by Chris Pokorny on Nov 15, 2009 5:00 PM EST
in General News
41 comments
Cleveland Browns punter Dave Zastudil was listed as questionable on the team's injury report with a knee injury. According to reports today, the team signed veteran punter Reggie Hodges.
Hodges entered the league back in 2005 as a 6th round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams. He only lasted a year with them, as he had a below average 38.0 yards-per-punt average on 22 attempts, with only one punt being downed inside the 20.
Hodges didn't see action again until 2008 when he played 12 games with the Jets. In 2009, he played four games with the Titans. His career average of 40.1 yards per punt isn't ideal for a Browns team that needs to pin teams back often to compensate for our lack of offense. Zastudil was averaging 44.7 yards-per-punt with the Browns this season.
This isn't a guarantee that Zastudil will miss Monday's game, considering the team still had a roster spot open. Two weeks ago, Phil Dawson played but Billy Cundiff was still on the team's 53-man roster at the time.
41 comments | 0 recs |
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