Dawgs By Nature

In the NFL, when you think of the honor of "Most Valuable Player", what comes to mind? Usually, it's quarterbacks who throw for the most passing yards or touchdowns in a single season (or running backs who break touchdown records).

In the NBA, when you think of the honor of "Most Valuable Player", what comes the mind? Usually, it's the player who leads the league in points, or leads the league in assists with a fair amount of points scored as well.

In MLB, when you think of the "Cy Young", what comes to mind? Usually, it's the player who has the most wins, with a solid earned run average playing the difference in a tiebreaker.

With all of those standards pretty much set in stone, could someone, specifically in the NFL, rewrite those standards one day? Someone like...Joshua Cribbs? Back when Shaun Alexander broke the touchdown record and won the MVP award, did he really do anything overly special? I mean, why are we saying a player is more valuable than everyone else just because the team decided to hand him the ball at the goal line for three-four drives each game when they were already up by two touchdowns? Couldn't any other running back in the league have been inserted into that offense and accomplished the same thing?

When you consider a player like Cribbs though, everything changes. Has a player ever before been able to...

1. Return kickoffs
2. Return punts
3. Cover on kickoffs
4. Cover on punts
5. Play wide receiver
6. Play running back
7. Play quarterback

...all at a high level? Granted, by high level, I don't mean he would make a great starting quarterback or a team's No. 1 receiver, but he can certainly throw and catch better than a whole heck of a lot of other players in the league who don't have either quarterback or wide receiver designated as their sole position. When you couple that with the fact that he is perhaps the best player in the NFL in the first four categories, a player of Cribbs' caliber could most definitely set a new standard for the league's most valuable player.

Against the Tennessee Titans, Jamal Lewis couldn't even average one yard per carry against their defensive line. When Cribbs got into the game at quarterback, the direct snap formation allowed Cribbs to find a hole in the defense every time. The Titans defensive line was tentative -- even so to the point where it looked like if he threw a pass, the defensive line would be clueless on how to react.

Then, in the fourth quarter, the Browns finally called a pass play with Cribbs. Calling that play at that point of the game was horrible on Chudzinski's part considering the score, but the play was awe-inspiring nonetheless. Cribbs received the ball in Shotgun and stood there...for what seemed like an infinity compared to the amount of time Ken Dorsey had been receiving. Then, he wound up and threw a better looking deep ball than any of our quarterbacks had thrown all season. In my mind, the play was good enough to have been complete to Braylon Edwards.

This week against the Philadelphia Eagles, reports indicate that Cribbs will again be more involved with the offense. I'm intrigued.

We're not talking about using him like Michael Vick, Vince Young, or Daunte Culpepper. By my assessment, the hype of a full-time quarterback who can run hasn't produced "the answer" to a team's offensive woes. With innovation, that can change...

Last season, Ken Whishenhunt's experiment of giving Matt Leinart a few series to share with Kurt Warner didn't work out too bad. This season, more mobile players have been placed in the backfield, such as Baltimore's Troy Smith and Miami's Ronnie Brown, with significant success. You can go as far as saying that the Dolphins' creative use of Brown is the reason they are currently in position to win their division. And, while Smith hasn't won games for the Ravens, there have been times where he has made a play that could be looked at in hindsight as a difference maker.

Maybe I'm merely thinking in a dream world here, but Joshua Cribbs has the potential to be the most complete player in the NFL (under a new coaching staff). Some people have questioned whether he should be pushed beyond his current workload. Having a guy that is willing to give 110% on kick returns (plays that often involve some of the game's "sickest" collisions), is asking a lot in itself. Do you know what is not asking a lot though?

Being a football player.

If Cribbs can do it all, then let him. If he can be the difference in a sport that is always filled with games decided by three points or less, then let him.

I didn't have time to do my traditional game review of the Titans game, but I'll still leave a few general comments here (note, my Cribbs' essay above is part of the review too)...

1. Awarding a Game Ball - D'Qwell Jackson: Jackson had one of his better games as a Cleveland Brown. Sure, he may have been noticed a little bit more because he had two interceptions. Looking beyond that though, Jackson tackled aggressively and with some apparent heart. Some of the leadership skills I'd look for in a middle linebacker were present. Maybe not enough to be the premiere guy in a 3-4 defense, but enough to be the second man.
2. Lewis Playing Opposite of Style: The more I see out of Jamal Lewis, the more I want to put the running back position at the top of our "needs" list in the offseason, particularly in the draft. With teams having a lot of success in young running backs the past two years, there are only so many that can go around.
3. No Quick Routes: Ken Dorsey's playing style should have involved quick routes against the Titans. On the first throw, that's what I saw. Right away, I thought, "all right, Chudzinski has the right idea." I didn't see the play again though, besides an attempt or two that were too telegraphed and tipped by the defensive line. A game like this forces me to put less faith in our offensive coordinator.
4. No Red Flag: Crennel not throwing the red challenge flag on Cribbs' pass attempt made me sick. If you're looking for a chance to possibly give your team, particularly Cribbs and Braylon Edwards, something positive to think about after a tough loss, that was the time to do it. Piss on team morale though, because Crennel doesn't care about the development of this team anymore.

We're 2-0 in Monday night games. Against the Eagles, can we improve that mark to 3-0?

Box Score - 11.30.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	3	0	0	7	10
	3	3	0	0	6

Last year, the Cleveland Browns averaged 25 points a game. For our defense to give up just three points in our stadium against the Indianapolis Colts and come away with a loss is shameful. We don't have the most talented group of guys on defense, but every time the unit seems to play a heck of a game (versus Pittsburgh, Washington, Indianapolis), our offense lets them down.

Against Indianapolis, it was even worse. The defense had the lead in the fourth quarter...and they never lost it. They still held -- but all it took to lose the lead was a Derek Anderson turnover for a touchdown. Frustrating.

Let's get started with the goats of the game game balls for Week 13. I always start off with the goats of the game following a loss, but I'm not going to let the offense take away the praise our defense deserves...

Awarding Game Balls (Peyton Manning? Pft...)

The Browns' secondary, including DB Brandon McDonald and S Brodney Pool, caused Colts QB Peyton Manning to not lead his offense to a touchdown for the first time in his era.

1. Brandon McDonald: I couldn't be happier about how well McDonald has played since his "benched-but-not-really-benched" situation a few weeks ago. McDonald had two huge plays in the game, both of which had to aggravate Peyton Manning significantly. On the first one, he broke up an absolutely picture perfect pass from Manning to Reggie Wayne in the end zone. Then, to start off the Colts' second half, he stayed right with Wayne again on a deep comeback route, turned around, and jumped up for the interception. His tackling was sound on several occasions as well.
   
2. Brodney Pool: This was the first time since the 2003 opener that the Colts did not score a single offensive touchdown (yes, they DID score one touchdown in Week 17 against the Titans last year). Ironically, the Colts were facing the Browns in that game -- a contest we lost 9-6. Pool was a contributor in stopping Manning, as he forced a fumble on Manning's fourth-and-goal QB sneak attempt from the one-yard line. Although it looked like Manning wouldn't have made the end zone anyway, he has a big body and may have been able to stretch the ball across the goal line. Pool prevented that, and also had another solid game all around.
   

Goats of the Game (Bite Me)

1. Syndric Steptoe: I outlined this as a critical mistake on offense in the game thread. After McDonald picked Manning in the third quarter, the Browns had the ball on 3rd-and-2 from the Colts' 17-yard line. Cribbs lined up in shotgun and took the direct snap. He sprinted to his right, but was taken down for no gain. Why? Because Syndric Steptoe completely whiffed on his block. He didn't need to take out his defender; all he needed to do was get a little chip on him. He failed, and Phil Dawson missed the field goal try. Who knows; if we get the first down there, maybe we eventually get a touchdown to change the outcome of the game.
   

RB Jamal Lewis got the touches he wanted, but failed to come through despite an injured Colts defense.

2. Jamal Lewis: He wanted the ball. He got it 24 times, but still only rushed for a minimal 77 yards. After another hot start to the game, he had a weak finish. Isn't that supposed to be in reverse order? Lewis was facing a Colts' defense that was without Bob Sanders to start with. Then, they lost Gary Brackett and a few other players to injury during the game. For Lewis to not have been able to get over the 100-yard mark again helped make things difficult on our offense.
   

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. Anderson's Final Start: It was another poor outing for Derek Anderson. Sure, maybe you can blame the weather conditions, especially since Peyton Manning had one of his worst outings of the season too. At a critical point of the game though, Anderson was stripped by the Colts, giving up the only touchdown of the game. Anderson is too much of a "confidence quarterback" at this stage of his career. He hasn't led us to any come-from-behind victories in games that he started. He may still get a chance to start next season depending on what head coach comes in, but the chances aren't very good.
   

Let's go to RB Jason Wright at the critical juncture of the game. Why not? It worked against the Ravens and the Texans!

2. Our Philosophy: After most of us have expressed our disapproval in Jason Wright playing this season, what did we see late in the game against the Colts? With 1:50 to go and down by four, the first three plays were dumpoffs to Wright (one of which fell incomplete) that barely covered and yards and did nothing but drain the clock. You don't do that unless you have three timeouts.
3. Run Defense Comes Through: The defense's stoppage of the Colts' ground game was more impressive than what they did against  Fred Taylor and Maurice-Jones Drew earlier this season. The Colts were held to just 90 yards rushing on 3.1 yards a pop. A bigger test comes against the Titans' duo of Chris Johnson and LenDale White.
   
4. Rookie Sighting: Alert: We had a Martin Rucker sighting for the first time this season! During the fourth quarter against the Colts, he caught a 9-yard pass that wasn't as easy as pitch-and-catch play. With Kellen Winslow set to be sidelined with a high ankle sprain, and since the season is a wash, we'd better see Rucker involved with the offense the rest of the season.
   
5. Stallworth Non-Sighting: I don't think it's necessarily the fault of Donte Stallworth that he's not posting great statistics. However, another 1 catch, 4 yard type-of-performance is discouraging. We might as well have given Tim Carter a huge contract and asked him to duplicate last season's production.
   
6. Zastudil / Cribbs Combo: Punter Dave Zastudil played an important in the Colts' lack of scoring. Zastudil averaged 50.5 yards per punt on four attempts, with two of them being downed inside the 20. Joshua Cribbs amazing efforts as a gunner contributed to the ball being downed or the Colts' returners having no room to run. On his two attempted returns, the Colts' returner averaged zero yards on two attempts.
   
7. Blaming Shaffer & Thomas? Meh...: I wouldn't. We were facing the Indianapolis Colts defense, and for Joe Thomas and Kevin Shaffer to have to deal with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, respectively, for the entire game is a lot to ask for. When you get into third-and-long situations like Anderson did, you have to have a quick alarm clock in your head, or at least some awareness that your pocket isn't going to last. Rather than blaming Shaffer and Thomas, I'll credit Freeney and Mathis, with the only blame going towards Anderson.
8. Poor Dorsey: Every time Ken Dorsey takes a snap during a regular season game with the Browns, we're backed up to the point where we need to get a pass down the field. That's not his game, and of course, he now has an interception to show for it in the box score.
   
9. Cheering for Injuries: Applauding an injury should never happen. Maybe inside you feel good that it forces a position change, but you shouldn't high-five the guy next to you. The fans who did cheer for Anderson's injury live at the game are going to give all Cleveland fans a bad reputation. On the same note, the players themselves took things way too seriously. There was no way that everybody in the stadium was cheering, so they should understand, "hey, that's just how some of these idiots want to react." Then, move on. Don't start talking to the fans and start getting ready to pick a fight with them. Just do what you're paid to do: play football.
   



10. Revenge Factor: Well, we came really close to getting the revenge we wanted to get on the Colts, but it didn't happen. Was that really a big deal to me after the game though? No. I just wanted to win the game; and also, if getting the Colts into the playoffs helps take the Baltimore Ravens out of it, that'd be all the better.
11. Manning's Passes: Neglect his first Hail Mary interception. Although our secondary did a solid job at not letting Manning explode, he still made several throws that leave you in awe. 
    
12. Not Much Else: Unfortunately, in a 10-6 game without a single offensive touchdown, there's not a lot more to discuss in a game review.
13. Brownies: For the second straight week, we tackled very well...Unlike last week, we combined it with better coverage this week too...Mike Adams blitz to start off the game had some potential, but Manning reacted quickly...Shaun Rogers remains a machine.
    

I can't say the game was a dud like I did in the Texans game two weeks ago. Because Manning and the Colts have a premiere offense, I was so focused and impressed during the game by how well our defense played that I can't say I was bored in the least. Our offense was inept, but they also played a pretty good field position game -- it's just unfortunate that Anderson fumbled in the end.

Up next, we've got the best team in the AFC, the Tennessee Titans, on the road. I'm looking forward to seeing the type of day our defense has against a well-managed Titans offense.

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

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

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

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

Goats of the Game (Hang Your Head)

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

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

Awarding Game Balls (Solid in Defeat)

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

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. Thomas' Lowlights: In round two, Mario Williams had the edge on Joe Thomas. It wasn't the typical shutdown game for Thomas, who allowed Williams to knock down our quarterback several times.
   
If you were frustrated by the Browns' effort this season, here is some good news: you'll get to watch Derek Anderson for the rest of the season!

2. Quinn the Starter? We'll See: Exactly why was Brady Quinn named the team's starting quarterback or 2009 already? Don't get me wrong -- I have no problem with the "decision". However, after Romeo Crennel benched Quinn in an attempt to get a "spark" from someone else, how can he justifiably act like this was "all part of the plan"?
3. Poor Performance: There are some things I liked about Quinn's game, but it really kills me that he didn't get more opportunities to prove himself this season. In the end, Quinn didn't do enough to show that he can immediately take charge of the offense next season. Sure, the fans might be behind him, but the same may not be true for whoever our head coach is.
   
4. Anderson Slinging: Prior to the game, I said we shouldn't be surprised if we saw Derek Anderson (not on the sidelines, but in the game). His entrance came under unexpected circumstances, but he played nonetheless. I thought he actually did provide a spark with several nice throws to Braylon Edwards.
   
5. J. Wright is Bad Luck: If I'm Anderson, I never want to throw the ball to Jason Wright again. The last two times that Anderson has attempted a pass to Wright, it has been intercepted. Not that it is necessarily his fault, but I'm just tired of Wright being involved in the offense -- I wouldn't mind dumping him in the offseason.
   
6. Dawson's Shank: All kickers have them every now and then, as Phil Dawson shanked a chip shot field goal in the fourth quarter that would've drawn the Browns to within one possession.
   
7. Tackling Pays Off: We played back a little more. We were a little tentative in taking risks. The reason? We were focused on tackling. This was without question the best game this season our defense had from a tackling sense, as everybody, including Terry Cousin, made fundamentally sound tackles. Maybe next season, we can be like every other defense in the league and not look like we're learning how to play the game of football on the fly.
8. Secondary Affected: Our cornerbacks were affected the most by the tackling aspect, as Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter pretty much shredded Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright. Credit Sage Rosenfels on the first and only touchdown of the game though, as he threw a perfect pass to Walter in the corner of the end zone.
   
The Browns should have run the ball more with Jamal Lewis, if for nothing more than to take pressure off of Quinn.
9. Harrison Involved More: This may sound greedy, but even though Jerome Harrison had a season-high eight touches, I wanted more. Not just from Harrison, but from Jamal Lewis too. As I explained earlier in the goats section, it made little sense to throw it 32 times and run it 20 times when we were never even behind by more than ten points.
   
10. Welcome Back, Vickers: One player who had a quiet, but nice, game in return was fullback Lawrence Vickers. I thought he really opened up the holes well for the few times Lewis did carry the ball early in the game.
11. Winslow's Pass Interference: This has got to change too. We've already missed Joe Jurevicius' presence on third downs this season, so when we do execute them, it's a relief...that is, until you see a yellow flag down with the officials calling offensive pass interference on Kellen Winslow. 
12. Really Got Under My Skin: This one really made me irate, so here goes a rant: in the fourth quarter, Joshua Cribbs received the ball and rolled out to the right. He suddenly pulled up ready to throw the ball, but quickly saw that nothing was there and tucked it for a short gain on the ground. Are you kidding me? We have been waiting for Cribbs to throw the football for about two years, but the play has never been called. Cribbs throwing the ball should be the "dagger" type of play when we are up by ten points, or the "shock" type of play in the second or third quarter when we are down by three. Why would you run the play late in the fourth quarter when we are down by two possessions? That is the best time Chudzinski could think of to call a Cribbs pass? Not against the Steelers? or Ravens? Sickening.
13. Wimbley's Pursuit: Although he was "let free" on the play, I'd credit Kamerion Wimbley's sack on Rosenfels as his best one of the season. The Browns need to do a lot more of what happened on that play -- spread Wimbley out further so that someone else occupies the left tackle.
14. Brownies: It was a frustrating game defensively if you were watching on television, but you couldn't tell based on the box score...we held Steve Slaton to 3.5 yards a run, intercepted Rosenfels twice, and held the Texans to just 16 points, their third-lowest total of the season.
    

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

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

Revenge.

Box Score - 11.17.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	6	7	3	13	29
	0	10	3	14	27

The Browns won for the third time in their past four road games, taking out the wildcard-contending Buffalo Bills 29-27 on Monday Night Football. It was our second Monday Night victory of the season in two attempts -- we have one more in December against the Philadelphia Eagles.

I think that overall, when you look at the state of the team, we are a better football team than last season. Looking at our schedule heading into the season, we feared that despite being better, we'd have a worse record. We do have a worse record at this point (4-6), but it's not because of the competition. We've defeated the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. We've defeated two potential playoff teams in Buffalo and Jacksonville. And, we dominated the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens -- two teams with great records -- until making team history with collapses.

The odds aren't in our favor now, but we still love Cleveland Browns football, and our team gave us another wild one against Buffalo. Let's get started with the game balls for Week 11...

Awarding Game Balls (Making Fans Jump for Joy)

K Phil Dawson kicked a tremendous game for the second year in a row versus the Buffalo Bills.

1. Phil Dawson: I didn't agree with the decision to kick it short on kickoffs as often as we did, but I'll assume those calls came from special teams coach Ted Dashier. Dawson is listed here for being the hero against the Bills for the second year in a row -- by now, I'm sure Buffalo fans hate him to death. Dawson went an incredible 5-for-5 on the road, with each one of them being spot on. His finest piece of work came on what turned out to be the game-winning field goal with 1:39 remaining, as he calmly drilled a career-long 56-yarder.
   
2. Jerome Harrison: I'm not exactly sure if four touches merits praise for the coaches in terms of getting him involved a whole lot more, but at least they stuck with him while he was hot. At the start of the fourth quarter, Harrison burst through the line for a 72-yard touchdown. I was screaming and jumping out of my seat as I saw him get past the third level. His work may have been even more important after that though -- following a Bills kick return touchdown, Harrison came right back out for a 9-yard run (tack on a personal foul penalty), followed by a nice 21-yard reception on a play the Indianapolis Colts often run. He didn't return after that due to a hamstring injury, but he led us to 10 points in the two drives he was utilized.
   

Goats of the Game (Could Have Cost Us)

1. Andra Davis: Welcome back to the goat section Andra Davis. After making a nice interception in the first quarter, the rest of the game was unbearable. The entire defense couldn't tackle Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson, but Davis was the worst of them all. Please, Romeo: get Beau Bell in there already. I don't care if Bell gets juked out of his shoes on every single play; removing Davis from the field is a victory in itself.
   

WR Braylon Edwards can celebrate another aspect: he had several nice blocks down the field.

2. Braylon Edwards: He had 8 catches for 104 yards, but it could have been so much more. Edwards was targeted on several other occasions, but couldn't come away with a reception. The most notable ones were a nice high pass on the team's first drive, and a ball that hit Edwards right in the face on the final drive. I do give a lot of credit to Terrence McGee for having excellent coverage on Edwards throughout the game, but Edwards is supposed to be a Pro Bowl receiver. There were clearly catches in that game that he knows he's talented enough to catch; the wait for him to break out of his funk continues on.
   

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. Outstanding Defense: Yes, of course there were a lot of things our offense should have done to adjust better to the Bills' defense. Nonetheless, I thought Buffalo gave Brady Quinn a lot of tough looks in his first road start, and I'm glad that they did. It allowed us to see how Quinn would respond to that type of pressure.
   

QB Brady Quinn may have been pressured, but he wasn't flustered.

2. Quinn Did What Needed to be Done: Statistically, it wasn't a very pretty game for Quinn, as he completed just 39% of his passes for a QB rating of 55.9. Maybe Derek Anderson would've had been stats in this game, but that's not what is important to look at in this case. Quinn was blitzed heavily all night long and did a great job getting a throw off down the field most of the time. The option of using him on a bootleg run panned out well too. My favorite throw is his one on our final drive that set up Dawson's long field goal -- a corner blitz came free from the edge, and Quinn almost instinctively without seeing him was able to step up, double pump, and fire a completion.
3. Missing Stallworth: It was good to see Edwards get involved this week, and Winslow was still targeted several times as well. However, I don't like the fact that we heard Syndric Steptoe's name mentioned more on the receiving end than Donte Stallworth's. Things looked bright last week between Quinn and Stallworth, but having zero catches the next week is not what this team paid so much money for.
   
4. McDonald's Redemption: I couldn't have been happier for Brandon McDonald, who made up for last week's miscues with two big plays against the Bills: an interception and a forced fumble, each of which led to a Dawson field goal. The tackling was still atrocious, but if you can't tackle you at least need to make up for it as McDonald did.
   
5. Strong Consideration for E-Wright: There probably should have been a third game ball handed out to cornerback Eric Wright. Blanketing the fast Lee Evans most of the game, he held him to without a catch the entire game. Heck, I don't even remember him being targeted once, despite the fact that Trent Edwards often had light years to make a decision. That's the first time Evans has failed to record a catch in a game in nearly 70 games.
   
6. Special Teams Edge: Trying to determine who had the better special teams on Monday Night is a tough one. Dawson had five field goals including the game winner, while Rian Lindell missed the game winner. The Bills' coverage on Cribbs was solid, while the Browns' coverage on Leodis McKelvin was poor. There is one play that will lean me towards Cleveland: in the first quarter, Mike Adams perfectly downed a Dave Zastudil punt at the one-yard line on a play most special teamers would probably muff into the end zone in the heat of the moment.
   
7. Did You See Orr?: I sort of rushed seeing the game since I was on tape delay, but I didn't really notice any difference in terms of Shantee Orr's playing time. If anyone has any word on that, feel free to chime in. I noticed Travis Daniels in on the action more often, but he was just part of the depressing non-tacklers.
8. Ahtyba Rubin: Even before he made a critical fumble recovery, I noticed Rubin making a few more plays than usual. If anything, it looked as if Rubin was receiving the type of proportional playing time I expected Orr to get at linebacker.
   

The Browns' defense couldn't stop Bills RB Marshawn Lynch late in the game.

9. "Reason 2 - Not Physical": I listed "not physical" as reason number two of our defensive shortcomings in my review of the Denver Broncos game, and it applies to the Bills game as well. Marshawn Lynch has a lot of talent, but he had not had a good game all season. In the past three games, we've allowed rookie Ray Rice to have a career day, fullback Peyton Hillis to beat us on fourth-and-one, and Lynch to win 1-on-6 matchups with 20 yards to go against us. We're not catching unlucky breaks in terms of backs getting hot; we're just that bad when it comes to tackling.
   
10. Fullback Slant: Heh, I'll take a quick fullback go/slant route over the middle any day over a fullback flat pass. When Charles Ali caught Quinn's pass in stride, I thought, "holy crap, is that Ali out there?" I would've hated to have been the defender to meet him for the tackle.
11. Ineffective Back: There was a lot of discussion before the season in debating who was better served as the Browns' backup running back: Jason Wright or Jerome Harrison. Wright had two decent seasons as a backup, but this year he has been in my opinion a detriment to the offense. I still put some of the blame on him for not turning around quick enough on Haloti Ngata's interception a few weeks ago, and I blame Wright for not doing a good job in picking up the blitzes Buffalo brought up the middle. All you need is a chip, but all I saw were whiffs.
12. Crennel's Reactions: At the end of the game, I couldn't help but roll over laughing at Romeo Crennel's excited reactions to Dawson's successful kick and then Lindell's miss. As they showed him walking to the center of the field after the game, I could've sworn he had a facial expression that was trying to look normal but was really holding back a huge smile.
13. Opposite Reaction: After I saw those reactions from Crennel, I saw someone on the OBR mention how Crennel looked pissed off after Jerome Harrison's huge touchdown run. I went back and checked the tape and was laughing -- but baffled -- at just how true this was. If you taped the game, go back and check it. A montage of these past two bullet points would make you laugh.
14. Brownies: Quinn had a heart-clutching throw late that should have been picked and cost us the game...it goes without saying, but Shaun Rogers remains a beast, as he had another Pro Bowl type of game...I kid you not: right before Cribbs' four-yard touchdown run, I said to my brother, "I bet we'll run a double reverse to Joshua Cribbs here." It was only a single-reverse, but close enough.

The defense was horrible again in the fourth quarter, meaning our "rotations" didn't really keep people any fresher. In the end, the "W" is what matters, and Brady Quinn has improved to a .500 record at 1-1. This is the third straight game that we should have blown out the competition based on how we started the games; maybe we can do that this Sunday against the Texans. Thank goodness for a regular Sunday 1:00 PM game too -- I've missed those.

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

Show hope. Insert dagger. Twist.

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

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

Goats of the Game (Unbelievably Bad)

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

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

1. Joshua Cribbs: After returning to form last week against the Ravens, Cribbs kept his antics up for he second game in a row. He averaged 27 yards per kick return, but you could just tell on each of them that he was a shoe string tackle away from taking the kick another 20-30 yards. Then, on offense, the Browns utilized him more than any other time in history. It was only three times, but it paid off as he carried the ball 3 times for 48 yards.
   
   Quinn has an impressive debut but came away with a loss.
   
2. Brady Quinn: His worst drive was probably his last drive. Overall, it was a great game for Quinn. I could sit here and nitpick on a few other throws, but that would really be unfair. This was Quinn's first career start in the NFL, and he played very well. His first touchdown throw to Winslow was threaded perfectly. And, although it was called back due to offensive pass interference, his rollout throw in the fourth quarter to Braylon Edwards shows the extra dimension he adds to the offense. Next time, we'll see if the team allows him to sprinkle in some deep bals.
   

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. Jamal Fails to Reach 100: For most of the game, I agreed with the play calls of offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, an upgrade over the past few weeks. Jamal Lewis was on pace early on to go over the 100-yard mark for the first time this season with ease. Instead, he didn't even get close. He totaled 60 yards on 19 carries, as he was mostly stuffed at the line of scrimmage after the first quarter. With how porous Denver's defense is, that should not have happened as often as it did.
   
2. Not Working, Use Harrison: This was the problem I had offensively against Denver. Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis each got some carries early, and both were very effective. Then, Lewis couldn't find room to run, and it appeared to be because he wasn't quick enough to make a move to the open area. Why not insert Harrison back into the game, make him stretch the defense to the outside again for positive yardage, and then attack inside with Lewis again? Instead, we tried to go inside and outside with Lewis (on pitch plays). It failed.
3. The Touch: A returning Donte Stallworth had an effective game. In particular, I enjoyed watching his first reception, in which Quinn threw a perfect touch pass over his shoulder, allowing him to pick up yards after the catch. Derek Anderson might have completed that pass too, but it would've been a rocket at his hip. That would've stopped Stallworth's momentum, allowing the defense to come up and stop him just shy of a first down. Those differences can go a long way.
   
4. What's the Deal?: Although McDonald was a goat, there was no excuse for constantly allowing him to be in single coverage. The only reason Denver didn't score more early on is because Marshall dropped a few passes in which he was wide open. In the fourth quarter, full-well knowing that Cutler was going to heave the ball over and over again, we left McDonald out on an island on a 93-yard touchdown pass. On the inevitable game-winning touchdown, Marshall easily beat McDonald on the play, with no safety help. On the previous play, Denver ran the same exact play and we had the same exact defense. We were lucky they didn't score the first time, and yet we let them try it again one play later. 
   
5. Good Winslow: The good Kellen Winslow caught 10 passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns, all season highs. I said it earlier this season -- Winslow would not start performing this season until Quinn was under center, because the frustration between him and Anderson just seemed to be too high.
   
   Late in the game, Winslow had three critical miscues.
   
6. Bad Winslow: The bad Kellen Winslow showed up three times in the fourth quarter. Each time contributed to the loss, because twice it put our struggling defense back on the field, and the third time it prevented us from moving the chains on our final drive.
   
7. Kind of Embarrassing: I think the approach that Jay Cutler took against our defense was smart -- throw it up and let my guy muscle it our of the air. When he was able to use that philosophy not once, not twice, not three times, not four times...heck, I could keep on counting. When he was able to use that philosophy so many times, it tells you two things:
8. Reason 1 - Linebacker Coverage: Our linebackers are horrible in pass coverage. How do you allow a hobbled tight end, Tony Scheffler, to find the comfort zone between four defenders? There's such a thing as being aware of where the quarterback is planning on throwing the ball before he throws it. Our linebackers are just standing somewhere for the sake of standing there.
   
9. Reason 2 - Not Physical: We weren't physical enough. When Mike Adams had a shot for an interception down at the goal line, he quickly went down because of offensive pass interference. He needs to take charge and make that play happen. With so many jump balls, Denver's receivers should have been telling Cutler, "hey, I don't like all these jump balls...you're hanging me out to dry against an oncoming defense". Instead, not only were the Denver players not getting hit, they were coming away with the football. We had one good hit -- from Willie McGinest -- and that broke a play up.
   
10. Missed Opportunities: What happened to the defense that was able to feed off of the home crowd against the Giants? For every opportunity late in the game against Denver that the defense had, we blew it. I already mentioned McDonald's drop. On a tipped pass by Corey Williams, D'Qwell Jackson also failed to come away with an interception. When the Broncos ran it with their fullback on fourth-and-one, he was driven back by our defensive line getting a push up front. Instead of our linebackers coming from the side to make a clutch tackle, Hillis just shifted to the side and dove forward for a first down.\
11. Get Back Soon: This message goes to fullback Lawrence Vickers. All of these flat passes to fullback Charles Ali are too reminscient of when Maurice Carthon would get the ball to Terrelle Smith in the flat. The results are always the same -- no gain with the risk of a fullback getting stripped.
12. Brownies: Again, Seth McKinney wasn't great, but he did okay filling in for Eric Steinbach...I do wish we would've taken a more serious crack down field to Braylon Edwards...Steve Heiden came away with a few more Jurevicius-like catches...Phil Dawson is again money from beyond 50 yards, and opposing teams still cannot field his kickoffs.

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

Terry Cousin over Brandon McDonald?

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

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

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

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

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

Goats of the Game (We Hate Them This Week)

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

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

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

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

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

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

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

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

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

Box Score - 10.26.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	7	10	0	6	23
	0	7	7	3	17

Ignoring the Ravens game in which Anderson skewed the number of points our defense allowed, these are the point totals we've given up as of late: 10 points (Pittsburgh), 12 points (Cincinnati), 14 points (New York Giants), 14 points (Washington), and 17 points (Jacksonville).

Three of those opponents are currently ranked in the top four of most peoples' power rankings. In other words, nearly half-way through the season, it should be official: the defense has exceeded expectations this season. We've exceeded expectations without productivity from Corey Williams or our linebackers. We've exceeded expectations without Robaire Smith and Shaun Smith being available.

Most importantly, we've exceeded expectations because of one player -- Shaun Rogers. He'll most certainly kick off the game balls this week after the type of game he had...

Awarding Game Balls (It Means They Did Good!)

Two starts, two game balls for Heiden.
Five starts, zero game balls for Winslow.

1. Shaun Rogers: I tried to give him two game balls, but he just went up and denied the second one (cue laughter). Rogers has been a one-man wrecking crew all season on the defensive line, but his effort against the Jaguars was his most impressive thus far. He led the team with 9 tackles, recorded one sack, and blocked a field goal early in the fourth quarter. It seemed like six-on-one in trying to block Rogers, and Rogers won the battle.
   
2. Steve Heiden: Earlier this season, Anderson missed a wide open Heiden on a fourth-and-one playaction pass. Facing the same scenario against the Jaguars, the Browns ran practically the same play (although Heiden did not try to sell being a blocker this time). Heiden's spark in victories over the Giants and the Jaguars cannot be overlooked by the coaching staff.

Goats of the Game (Failed Efforts in Victory)

1. Terry Cousin: Yep, that's all we needed -- the Jaguars throw a heave to the end zone towards the end of the game, and Cousin is mugging the receiver so the ball can end up on the one-yard line. Because there were so many people in the area though, I'm assuming the referees would've had a difficult time sorting throw exactly who was doing what -- they are more concerned in that situation with whether or not someone is out of bounds or comes down with the football.
   
2. D'Qwell Jackson: Granted, Jackson plays better than most of our linebackers, but now that that's the case, it's time for him to show the potential of being an elite linebacker. He is reading plays fairly well and is in position to make a great play, but what happens? He misses the tackle. With a mobile quarterback like David Garrard, you can't afford to have that happen. I know others were responsible for Garrard getting free too, but this is more of an "expectations" case.
   

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. Fire From Crennel: Romeo Crennel showed some fire this week. When the Jaguars were penalized 15 yards with about 25 seconds left in the game, Crennel was fuming as to why the team was, in essence, granted a timeout instead of the 10-second runoff rule being applied. Also, fans reported seeing Crennel utter the "F" word after the Browns failed to get a first down following a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. Granted, cursing isn't an incentive to praise a coach necessarily, but at least he's morphing out of statue phase.
   
2. Which Anderson?: On the Derek Anderson barometer, which type of player did we see on Sunday? We saw a great road Derek Anderson. He completed a higher percentage of passes early on than he usually does, including several big plays down the field. I'd guess that Anderson has now earned himself two more week's of playing time, considering we play two games in five days.
3. Run Defense: When judging a run defense, I like to zone in on what the running backs did, and not the quarterbacks (to me, that is a different area to judge). The Browns absolutely stuffed the Jaguars' duo of Maurice-Jones Drew and Fred Taylor. The pair averaged just 2.65 yards-per-carry on 20 touches. The most impressive stat is this one though: the longest single carry that either running back had was 5 yards. Maybe I'm just forgetting some games, but I don't ever remember that happening since returning to the league.
   
If WR Matt Jones had come down with this catch, our wildcard hopes would have instantly taken a massive hit.

4. Worth a Heart Clutch: If you weren't clutching your heart when Matt Jones was open and tipped the ball twice before not being able to haul it in, then I want to know what sleeping pills you were on. The Browns had a very similar tip-ball situation last year while on the offensive side. Thankfully Jones didn't catch the game-winner right then and there, but it is still inexcusable to allow the Jaguars' best receiver, who has a height advantage on our corners, to roll open to the corner of the end zone.
   
5. Third Down Percentage: Heading into the game, I projected that the Browns would lose because of our inability to stop the Jaguars on third down. Well, the Jaguars completed 11/20 third downs (though it was a higher percentage earlier on), forcing our defense to stay on the field longer. In a way though, that adds to the credit our defense deserves, for their persistence of holding off the Jaguars and not being fatigued by the game's end.
   
6. Lacking Harrison: One thing really lacked offensively, and that was not including Jerome Harrison in on the gameplan. Sure, I'm glad that we were able to run with Jamal Lewis while having a lead early on for once, and I'm sure the coaches felt that way too. Still, they can't let that get in the way of a guy who has been a running-back equivalent to Steve Heiden in terms of spark.
   

WR Syndric Steptoe dives just short of the goal line on a 53-yard catch-and-run.

7. There You Go, Steptoe: We don't need a big-play third receiver for our offense to succeed, but it'd certainly be nice to have one. Syndric Steptoe's 53-yard catch-and-run down to the one-yard line had me more excited than at any other point in the game. It came on a third-down play when the game was tied and the passing game had lost its early buzz. It's a shame he couldn't get in for a score, but it was a heck of an effort nonetheless.
8. Then, the Bad: After you have just demoralized the opposing team's defense with a 53-yard catch down to the goal line, you can punch it in, right? Nope. In the past two weeks, we are now 1/12 in situations where we are practically at the one-yard line. Anderson's worse pass of the game came on the first play following the big catch -- with the Jaguars' DB playing up to the line, Anderson fired a WR screen to Braylon Edwards. With a little bit of a better read, the DB takes that back for a pick six. In the end, the Jaguars had twelve men on the field and the play was nullified. Maybe Anderson recognized that, but I can't imagine he did.
   
9. Northcutt Drop-Free: It was interesting to watch Dennis Northcutt face us, as I stated before the game. It seemed as if he excited a little too much on his first catch of the game (which he almost dropped), but after that he went on to have a fair game, posting 5 catches for 49 yards.
   
10. Offensive Line: We dominated the Jaguars' defensive line. They sacked Anderson once, but he was not pressured very often, allowing him to make the type of throw he did to Braylon Edwards deep down the field in the first half. Joe Thomas was actually beat once, causing a near-disastrous fumble, but Thomas quickly fell on top of the ball. Still, here's hoping to Ryan Tucker returning next week to make the line even better again.
11. No, No, No!: No...you're...you're wrong Randy Cross! His comment about the Browns having a solid linebacking unit for the future had me laughing. If our linebacking corp is solid, then the rest of the league must be horrible (which, they are not).
12. Bell's Rookie Impact: This really shouldn't be this far down the list because it was such a significant play towards the outcome of the game. Beau Bell stripped the Jaguars on their kickoff return right after we had taken the lead. Our offense couldn't put the game away, but it allowed us to put another field goal on the board, forcing Jacksonville to need a touchdown to win.
13. Dawson 3-of-3: On the road, three successful kicks? That's what we depend on from Dawson. He didn't hit a "true" game-winner or anything, but he added nine points to the scoreboard, including a 42-yarder late.
    
14. Brownies: The Steelers lost to the Giants shortly after the Browns game ended, closing the gap between us and them...the Andra Davis watch continues, as he posted just two tackles...Joshua Cribbs is still lacking a little on returns, but he had a 38-yarder and continued to be a monster in return coverage.
    

At 3-4 with a division game this week against the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns are back on the right track. The margin for error is still very slim though, and with two games in a span of five days coming up, it'll be critical that Derek Anderson is on the top of his game. That's taking a leap of faith, but Crennel isn't going to make a change during that stretch. We'll either be 5-4, 4-5, or 3-6 when it's all said and done. Anderson can survive the first two records, but not the third.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Awarding Game Balls (Fewer Than Last Week)

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

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

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

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

"Damn."

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

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

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

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