How do the Browns go from leading in the first half to being blown out of Baltimore in the second? Turnovers and silly penalties. Leading 10-7, Ray Lewis blew up Kellen Winslow on a short reception. Winslow was pretty much set up by Anderson, who led him right into Lewis, whose big hit led to Winslow giving up the ball and it being intercepted. That play seemed to energize the Ravens, who intercepted Anderson on the next possession and returned it for a touchdown. Then Braylon Edwards negated a first down run with a block in the back and Mike Adams retaliated after a punt, giving Baltimore good field position. The Browns did not play smart, well or physical. They deserved to lose.
Some other thoughts:
–Here's another example of silly play. Leading 7-0, the Browns had the ball. They committed two false start penalties and had to punt. A short punt gave the Ravens a short field, and they scored to tie the game. Just not smart.
–Baltimore's scoring drives were 43, 12 and 35 yards. Their other touchdown was an interception return.
–Ed Reed has to be on the list of Browns-killers. Seven of his 35 interceptions have come against the Browns. Two of his four touchdown returns off picks have also been against Cleveland.
–I don't go to Brady Quinn in Cincinnati. I give Derek Anderson one more chance. But I do give Quinn more reps in practice and if Anderson falters again, I make the call to Quinn. If Anderson is going to play this way, he's not going to be around past this year so there's no sense in not going to Quinn.
–This year Anderson has completed 47 percent of his throws, with two touchdowns and four interceptions. That's not good enough. And though it's not all his fault – when does Braylon Edwards come out of his slump? – Anderson is also not helping his cause.
–Is Romeo Crennel's future in doubt? Well, he's 0-3 and when he got his contract extension this offseason he was asked what it meant to him. "It means," he said, "that I've got to win this year."
–Kellen Winslow got held pretty blatantly on a pass across the middle in the third quarter. That miss hurt the Browns, as did Anderson missing a wide open Josh Cribbs down the sidelines in the fourth quarter.
–What in the world is with Donte' Stallworth.
–Sunday's game in Cincinnati – it's between two 0-3 teams to see who will get out of last place.
–Said Hank Fraley when asked if the team still could think playoffs, "We need to think about a win. If we win, then we can think about playoffs."
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
On second thought, maybe that Elton John look-alike had a point.
http://www.strangesports.com/content/item/105193.html
people seem to be trying to place blame. Notice the defense looked like the worst run defense in the league. Notice the Browns got beat in every aspect of the game, including special teams. I have never seen so many feeble arm tackle attempts by an NFL special team. Why is Joshua Cribbs the best tackler on the team? The media seems to like to blame the success of last year. How horrible is it when not reaching the playoffs with the easiest schedule in the league is considered successful. It is clear to me that a problem like this starts from the top and trickles down to everyone and everything. Sorry, injuries are not the cause of this failure.
pat, nice article on the "pathetic" browns. there will be no 0-2 (now 0-3) giants-like comeback for this team this year. i don't think the browns need a total rebuild. this is not another 3 year plan project. but they need to startchanging things right now by firing romeo crennel and giving quinn his chance to lead the team. derek "scott mitchell" anderson is killing the team right now.
fire romeo now!
As I and many others have stated this team is Unprepared for the games no intensity no emotion.It is high time for a change. FIRE ROMEO NOW .There is a former Browns coach availible that all he hase done was win Marty Schottenheimer would be the perfect replacement All he does is win
FIRE ROMEO NOW
cincinati will win. pitiful
I would not have been at all surprised to see a headline this morning that Romeo had been fired. I've never seen a team with so much talent make so many fundamental mistakes, and I've never seen a team with so many players getting injured in practice or warmups.
After the WTF decisions in the Cowboys and Steelers games, the Browns coaching staff is gaining notoriety around the league. Here's an interesting quote from the blog of a Baltimore Sun sportswriter: "Apparently, the Browns didn't study the film of the Ravens' win against the Bengals. The Ravens used a similar plan to shut down the Bengals' passing attack."
I guess they were too busy painting numbers on footballs for Braylon Edwards this past week to look at game film.
Romeo must go.
Pat, once again you are not an idiot; I am for watching these Browns.
I am NOT having any fun watching the Browns play. It seems to me that we need a head coach with head coaching experience in the NFL. All of our head coaches have been coordinators of one kind or another. Head coaching is a whole new ballgame. The mistakes the players are making are fundamentals(many high school/college players don't make them as often as we do). I am a Browns fan no matter what, but I'd like to be a Browns fan of an at least respectable team!!!