First quarter: Bengals take early lead
I have no idea why Brian Robiskie is not active and recently signed Jake Allen is. How much can a receiver know of the offense in just a few days? … Blitz stops Browns first drive after Brady Quinn made nice third-down throw to Chansi Stuckey. … Larry Johnson gets his first carry for Cincinnati and busts up the middle for 10 yards. … He gets 13 on his second. … On third-and-10, Carson Palmer makes a first-down completion to Chad Ochocinco, who is right on the line on an out. Palmer put the ball right on the line as well. … It's nice when it works. … Bengals drive ends in field goal. … Cincinnati 3, Cleveland 0.
Second quarter: Yet one more untimed down gives points to opposition
Browns not getting much done offensively here. Cincinnati, meanwhile, ran for 55 yards in the first quarter. … Browns keep putting eight in the box defensively to counter the run game. … How long will it take for the Bengals to try to hit one down the field? … Matt Roth is getting a lot of playing time at linebacker after being claimed last week, and he's been pretty effective. … Neither offense is doing much. … Chansi Stuckey drops a third-down pass and Browns punt. … Bengals are playing terribly. Where was this Browns defense against Detroit? … As I write that, Bernard Scott runs for 22 on first-and-20. … Carson Palmer making every handoff with his right hand, as if he hurt his left. Nothing announced though. … Cincinnati gets touchdown on another big-time throw by Palmer, on the run with Shaun Rogers in pursuit between two Browns. … Horse-collar tackle on scrambling Palmer by Rogers leads to (drum roll please) an untimed down for the Bengals. … Aren't defenders allowed to have a horse-collar tackle when the quarterback is out of the pocket? … Palmer probably faked the injury anyway, right? … Cincinnati tries 53-yard field goal, and it's good. … Another untimed down leads to points for the other team. … Amazing. … Cincinnati 13, Cleveland 0.
Halftime
Apparently Palmer has been dealing with a thumb injury on his left hand all season. … Thought I'd clear that up for the record. … You are welcome.
Third quarter: Browns get a touchdown with some trickeration
Brady Quinn had quite a second quarter: 2-for-7 for 4 yards. …. Hoo hoo. … For the half he was 4-for-10 for 32, with 24 coming on one pass. … Hoo hoo hoo. … I said that Quinn had to follow up the Detroit game with another good one. He's not doing it with 9:51 left in the third quarter. … Cribbs throws a pass on a reverse to Brady Quinn, who makes a nice catch! … Nice call. … Browns have some momentum going. … Brodney Pool escorted to the locker room with a head injury. That's scary as Pool has had a history of concussions. … And Browns score on a quarterback draw. … Another nice call as the middle was wide open. …Bengals get big pass to Laveranues Coles thanks to nice blitz pickup by Larry Johnson. See that Jerome Harrison? … Palmer is somehow making this work making handoffs to his right and only using his right hand. … At this point (1:43 to go in third) the Bengals have 173 rushing, the Browns 46. … Bengals get a field goal and lead 16-7. … That untimed down field goal at the end of the half looks a little bigger right now. … Josh Cribbs breaks off a third-and-6 pass at 5 yards and Quinn throws low to him, setting up fourth-and-1 as quarter ends. It's execution like that that leads to losses. … Cincinnati 16, Cleveland 7.
Fourth quarter: Browns finish with less than 200 yards in offense
Browns go for it to start the quarter. I like the decision with the ball just short of the 50. Wonder if they will call a quarterback sneak. Gee, it was. And Quinn makes the first down. … So much for that drive. Browns punt from 43. Unless it's a fake. No fake. … Why not go for it on fourth-and3? This is a 1-and-9 team right? … Immaterial as Bengals have to punt with 10:19 left. … Browns need a Cribbs return. And the punt rolls out of bounds at the 13. … Someone just asked about the crowd being quiet. The Browns put many crowds to sleep. … There's a potent offensive series. Two quick screens to Cribbs and a short out to him, along with a false start. Browns punt. … Bengals blow a first-down pickup on fourth down with a false start. Is this really NFL football? … Browns open a drive with a 2-yard pass to the fullback and an incompletion behind Michael Gaines. … The drive ends on a bomb down the sideline to Mohamed Massaquoi that was incomplete. Why throw that pass on third-and-10, and more important why punt on fourth and 10 from the 36? What good does a punt do when there's 3:49 left and the team is down nine? … Twice I'd have gone for it on fourth down. Not that the odds of making it were good, but down nine the Browns have to try something. … Shaun Rogers just got hurt, and it didn't look pretty as someone rolled into his left leg from behind. … Browns get ball back with 3:04 left. … This is not a pretty game, and the Browns will need a Detroit-type miracle to win. … John St. Clair just got away with a blatant hold. … A lot of Browns staring with hands on hips as the offense sputters its way downfield. The team does not ooze confidence it can pull off a miracle. … Chansi Stuckey fumbles after a third-down reception. … Yet another gaffe. … Now it's fourth and 16. … But, Mangini challenges wisely and wins. So it's fourth-and-5. … No matter. Fourth-down pass is incomplete as Quinn is blitzed. Game's not over officially but i's over with Quinn throwing for right around 100 yards. … Cincinnati 16, Cleveland 7.
That first sentence is the very first thing I thought, too. Anybody in their right mind really believe those 127 fifth-round 2010 draft picks are Mangini's savior if he's going to be choosing them? The guy deactivates his own two 2009 second-round picks, and then draws up passing plays in the dirt for a kid he plucked off Green Bay's practice squad three minutes ago. What a joke.
I agree alan. We can only hope Mangini is gone after this season.
Why in the world Randy Lerner says Mangini is his coach next year is beyond me. He deactivates his two second round draft picks and inserts a guy, Jake Allen, they just signed. If they were bringing in Randy Moss at a moments notice I could understand it, but Jake Allen? They get a productive game from Jerome Harrison and his reward like that of Robiskie and Veikune is to be deactivated. They have a power runner, Jamal Lewis, whose best days are admittedly behind him and on third down and one they bring in Josh Cribbs. Of course he doesn't make it. Surprise, surprise, did anyone in the stadium think Josh wasn't going to run it? Throw to him, have him pass it, do something creative for a change. Better yet let's do that on a first down when the defense may have to guess what's coming. Oh wait, I almost forgot, we are talking Mangini aren't we.
at least the illusion of a browns offense has been dispelled for the mangini drones.
The thing that bothers me is that the Browns are running a lot of running plays. Why don't we throw a few more passes?
Horse collars should be allowed when the quarterback is out of the pocket, at least when the Browns are on defense. And I bet that no-good Palmer was faking. Why is the whole world against poor Coach Mangini?
no doubt pool faked his injury.
So, on 4th and 3 at the Cinci 43 yard line, you punt the ball after you went for 4th and 1 on your own side of the field?
Don't understand that one.
You don't understand that decision? It's simple. It's Mangini and the Browns
I know I am dealing with the Browns. Mangini is horrible at play calling.
I know what we can do, let's throw two high percentage long bombs. It would help, of course, if they were in bounds or anywhere near the receiver which they weren't. You're being kind to call it play calling.
Its horrible, it really is. Mangini has screwed this team up so bad.
At least they have four of their last five at home for the stretch run
There going lose them all anyway. 1-15, FIRE MANGINI
Did everyone notice that Poteat couldn't cover a tight end for a TD? Does anyone know why he is getting to play and Francies isn't? And McDonald didn't look good again.
I read Grossi's repeated gossip/speculation?? that Robiskie's father raising trouble over the bus trip is why Robiskie isn't active.
Sure hope Mangini has nothing to do with next year's draft — whether he's around or not!
I would like to raise this, but sort of dread it, too, as someone will only suggest Derek Anderson should be the QB when, as a fan who is tired of DA, I hope he just goes to another team and is successful or isn't and bad mouths Cleveland or doesn't … but Quinn's QB rating was 39.6 (by formula, if I've got it correct), 15 of 34 for 100 yards.
The Gannon comments sort of suggest that Quinn can get better with more experience (that the game, I guess, still hasn't slowed down for him … and the receivers need to play more with him because "they aren't on the same page"). Others have suggested that he's inaccurate and will never be any more accurate and his arm is Ok, but isn't good enough that teams will live with his inaccuracy as they will with Anderson.
Which is it?
Did anybody see or even remember what Manning showed that the Colts stayed with him that first year? Aikman? Was it just that they were Number 1 draft picks in the whole draft?
One positive that comes out of today is the play of the offensive line. They gave Quinn plenty of time, he just needs to get the ball to Massaquoi.
Actually, Keith, that ridiculous junk stat, the quarterback rating, was 51.3 for Quinn today. Not sure how many pitching saves and pitching holds he had.
51.3 isn't as bad as I thought, anyway ….
I just don't know what to make of Quinn. I do not pretend to be smart enough to know whether they should let him start in 2010 or not. Last week he looked great….this week passes were everywhere.
hey fake terje, i don't use caps. i also didn't watch this game. colts/texans for me.
Thall, what's not to know or make of Quinn? When everybody wet their shorts after Quinn's game against Denver last year, they thought it was a "breakout game." As if having a good game against the second-worst pass defense in the league was a revelation. And then Quinn has a good game against the Lions, who, the past three seasons, have had the worst combined pass defense in NFL history. That's right, history.
So what's not to know or make of the guy? He now has stiffs for receivers, but that's no excuse. He's just horrible when the pocket starts to close. He was horrible at it in college, nothing has changed. It's who he is. And you've gotta love his pass precision on most of his bombs, which kills even more civilians than the U.S. military's bombs.
quinn is a decent back-up at best. anderson would have trouble making a ufl roster.
I make Quinn to be a handsome stud who's worthy of living in the pit in mom's basement. He rubs the lotion on his body or he gets the hose again!
Hey, fake alan t., are you 14-years-old? I have yet to read one of your fake posts which doesn't rise about Beavis level.
I just like to talk Browns without all of this imposter stuff and Silence of the Lambs references. *sigh*
I'll come back tomorrow.
Thall, I'm afraid to say it's a likelihood that fake terje/fake alan t. will be back tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day (you get my point), so you'll have to opt for Plan B, whatever that is.
Keith, Peyton Manning had a very good rookie year. The reason the Colts were 3-13 when he was a rookie was because the Colt's defense was dreadful. Manning was NFL All-Rookie first team and set rookie records with 26 TD's and 3,739 yards passing. As good as he did in his first year, it was by far his worst season. He made the Pro Bowl in his second season.
Aikman had a terrible first season throwing for 1,749 yards, 9 TD's and 18 INT's in 11 starts. Aikman's career highs were 23 TD's and 3,304 yards. He had nowhere near the stats that Manning had, but he didn't need to with Emmitt Smith and many more talented players surounding him.
Another stellar week for Braylon Edwards with 3 receptions for 40 yards. Lucky for the Jets, their defense bailed them out and they beat a lousy Panther's team.
Option B: all you girls stop talking about the Browns totally, all together.
The team was bad (so they started in the hole), and they gutted it, and now it will take a couple of years to rebuild back to mid-division level, where they will tear it all down and start again. Get used to it.
Huh-huh-huh-huh, he said 'hole'. Speaking of 'holes', when are you guys going to put a log in system on this blog? You have it everywhere else. The Beacon Journal is a joke. If you guys offer me another subscription at the local store, flea market, sporting event, or even non-sporting events like a Browns game, I'm gonna get violent. Nobody wanting to find out about the Browns reads your paper 'cuz you have no reporting abilities on the Browns. All of the information worth a hoot comes from the national press, the local guys just eat off the freebie bar and collect checks.
** Sigh ** I wanted to talk about how bad the Browns are…
You see what I mean, Thall? Now there's even a fake Thall. I'm not sure if it's an honor for you or not.
Geez Alan. I'm hurt.
You're hurt, Pat? I don't get it. Are you referring to the fake alan t. post at 7:08? If you are, 'twas not me. Or I. There's a fake terje, a fake alan t., a fake Thall, and oh, there's also that fake Pat McManamon, too. You're the real Pat McManamon. I think.
I was hurt but now I'm OK. My fantasy team moved to third place due to the Bengals kicking and defensive contributions.
Did I say McManoman? I meant McManamon of course. Where's that undo button?
If you ignore her, she will go away.
Hey McManoman, maybe you can post a Sunday "Beside the Point" column this week.
Pat,
Sometimes you comment in the comments, so I'm guessing you do glance through this, anyway.
There seems to be a problem with "fake" commenters.
There is a way to stop that. If whoever handles the site for the paper will (I believe it can be programmed, but since I wouldn't know how, I can't swear to it) change the "Name" to disallow the [space] bar as a character, no one can just add one to appear to be someone else. And, people like me who use one would have to reregister without a space ….
Thanks Brian D. for the info on Manning and Aikman.
these wordpress blogs have options already built in that can prevent imposters. it's up to pat or his web dude to make that change. it takes about one minute to do.