I was all set to write in tomorrow's Beacon Journal that the Browns lost to Tennesese because they only gave Josh Cribbs the ball seven times at quarterback.
Then I saw the stats. Set aside Cribbs' six runs, and the Browns ran 13 times for 11 yards. The Titans ran for 235 yards. Pitiful. Just pitiful. On both sides of the ball.
There is an axiom in the NFL that was true back in the days of Bronko Nagurski, and it's true through Marion Motley and Jim Brown and today: In the NFL, teams that run the ball and stop the run win the games. The corollary, of course, is that teams that ask their third quarterback to throw the ball 43 times because they can't run the ball will almost always lose the game.
The Tennessee Titans are the 2008 embodiment of this axiom. They run the ball and they win. They also stop the run with a defense that flies around and plays with an aggression that the Browns lack.
The team that is the reverse embodiment of the axiom is the Browns. They are giving up a pathetic 145 yards rushing per game, and running for 100 yards. Over time, these numbers will cost a team, and clearly they cost the Browns Sunday. Cribbs could have run more often from the "flash" formation (named after his college alma mater, Kent State), but not enough to overcome 235 yards by Tennessee. He could have thrown seven or eight more passes, but that would not have been enough to overcome the Titans power offense.
Tennessee simply is better. It has more talent, and it knows what it wants to do with the talent. Romeo Crennel surely can be second-guessed for playing cautious, and the second-guesses are justified. Trying Cribbs more could not have been worse. Heck, I'd have gone lights out with Cribbs the way Chris Palmer did against Philadelphia in 1999 when he had Kevin Johnson passing and Dennis Northcutt running. But if you remember that game, the Browns still lost. Everyone was happy that they tried something, but they still lost.
And they lost because they did not have the talent on the field to compete. Just like the Browns on Sunday did not have the talent on the field to compete. The most glaring piece missing Sunday: A third quarterback signed in case he needed to play (like the Titans' Chris Simms) as opposed to a third quarterback signed to be a mentor and semi-assistant coach (Ken Dorsey). Dorsey is an amazingly nice and good person, but he's simply not a viable quarterback.
But then again the Browns run defense is not a viable run defense – less you consider 145 yards per game "viable." And the pass rush is lacking. And the depth at receiver is problematic. And the secondary has issues. And, as the season goes on, the offensive line is becoming a bit more of a question mark.
Crennel's cautious approach didn't help the cause much on Sunday, but the bottom line is the talent differential between the two teams was what determined the outcome – exacerbated by the fact the Titans were using the guy who started the season as the backup QB and the Browns were using No. 3.
Tennessee simply is better.
This really does not bode well for Monday night's game in Philadelphia, does it?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I am thrilled with today's loss. 3 more games till the end of the Romeo Crennel era which has been a disaster multiplied by Lerner inexplicably approving contract extension for crennell and others at the end of last year's fluke season. This team has no heart and it starts with the coach. I am tired of the excuses and the Romeo is a nice guy excuses. This team has no respect for him or each other. Bring in someone, anyone, who can at least restore some professionalism to this franchise.
pat, are you honestly telling me that the titans have more talent on the offensive side of the ball? i'll give you the defense but the offense??? come on!!! kerry collins?? lendale white is nothing more than a bowling ball! what about number 3 pick joe thomas and big free agent eric steinbach? these guys have gone from great to lacking talent in one year? and braylon? i'm sorry but his piss poor play is not caused by a lack of talent. jamal lewis has a ton of talent too, he's just on empty. name me one player on the titans offense with more talent than josh cribbs.
the most glaring piece missing today was a coach who was willing go for 6 instead of 3. a guy who was willing to lose a time out to challenge a call. not only is romeo playing to lose he is sacrificing the team's future to play mcginest and other stiffs who will be nowhere near a brown's uniform next year.
they scored 9 points. not because of a lack of talent on the offensive end. but because of poor coaching. savage is a joke but your undying love for romeo crennel is getting sickening. nice guys don't screw over the fan base just to stick it to the g.m. your nice guy romeo is a fraud.
Well put, Hanfor, though I wouldn't fret about how Lerner spends his money.
I saw some heart today in D'Qwell Jackson, and I am not obsessing over his two picks. He was active and aggressive. He plays with pride and desire.
I do think the Browns should check the language in Brandon McDonald's contract, as he is apparently under the impression he doesn't have to tackle anyone in the fourth quarter. Opponents surely realize this is so, also.
Chris Johnson's body language as he scored from the 20 tells you he was surprised not to get challenged at about the five. Pitiful. He'll be a non-starter next year—or grow up fast. That was less than manly.
Pat, the titans are a better team for sure. However, their coach actually coaches up the guys that get drafted. Where as ours stunts their growth more so than teaching them squat. RAC may be the perfect gentleman and a really nice guy, but he is way over his head. I and many others thought they won last year in spite of Romeo as much or more so than they won with him. He really did not coach much last year either, we just had a patsy schedule and fluke season. I like Phil but he also should have seen through that, and stuck with the plan he had at the start of last year.
I think newspaper sports columnists should have a bi-monthly published assessment of their past columns to review if they were right or wrong. Because many get on their high horses when they write their stuff, they almost always refer to when they were subsequently right, but they rarely admit when they're subsequently found to be wrong. Take Terry Pluto, for example. I went back to read his archived column from February 8, 2005, the day after Crennel was hired. I was expecting the fawning paragraphs to eventually describe how Pluto personally washed Crennel's feet. Oy vey. Not that Pluto would ever write the words "Oy vey" after the words "the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost."
Seriously, I think it would be a good idea. Columnists are supposed to judge others, I think one column every other month should be devoted to judging themselves. By extension, the readers can then judge the columnists' credibility. Six columns every calendar year. I nominate Pat to take this idea and be the first to run with it.
http://www.spiritlessons.com/images/File_PassionMovie_WashingFeet.jpg
alan, terry has been in full confession mode for about a month. here is yesterday's mea culpa:
"Perhaps his biggest mistake was hiring a rookie general manager in Phil Savage and a rookie head coach in Romeo Crennel in 2005.
(Confession time: I endorsed them both in print to the extent of even writing a story in Akron before Savage and Crennel were hired, urging Lerner to consider them as a package deal. I can't say to Lerner, "Hey, I told you so . . .")"
Did Pluto really write that??
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2008/12/whats_wrong_with_the_browns_ho.html
apologies in advance for the bud shaw content.
Shouldnt "playing cautious & second-guessing" be put on Chud? I've seem some ridiciliously horrible offensive plays, lacking all creativity & possessing predicitabliity for the last several weeks.
I just dont get how Chud has somehow come out of this trash season without a finger pointing his way.
Rex Ryan for Browns head coach.
dawgpound83, you are right about chud. but a real head coach either strips the coordinator of play calling responsibilities or finds someone who is capable of doing the job.