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Was a win over Bengals too much to ask? Now Cleveland fans must root for Colts
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist
Published on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007
BEREA: Well, as Stanley once said to Oliver, this is another fine mess you've gotten us into, Ollie.
The Browns have made a mess of their playoff chances by botching a game in Cincinnati.
Now there are a lot of ifs and ands, and wondering what and why.
And a game will be played Sunday in Cleveland Stadium that means nothing whatsoever to the Browns' playoff chances.
Well, there's a slim chance it could mean something.
If the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts tie Sunday night — yes, Sunday night, everyone has to wait until late Sunday to know the Browns' fate — then the Browns would need a win over the San Francisco 49ers to reach the playoffs.
Chances of a tie are minuscule. As in two-tenths of 1 percent. There has been a tie in the NFL once in every 500 games the past several years. You can tie up the tie in a big red bow and put it under the tree, because that's where it's pretty much staying.
So if the Browns win or lose Sunday, it does not matter.
Because if the Titans beat the Colts they are in, and if the Titans lose to the Colts, the Titans are out and the Browns are in.
Suddenly, this season of resurgence has the real chance of ending in disappointment.
The Titans play in Indianapolis, but the Colts are expected to use their starters only a short time, a half at most. The Colts know their playoff slot. They know they have a first-round bye. The worst thing that could happen would be a major injury to a key player in a meaningless game. They won't risk it.
The Titans have pretty much everything to play for.
This does not guarantee the Titans will win, mind you. A few years ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers played backups the entire game against the Buffalo Bills, who needed a win to make the playoffs. The Steelers trounced the Bills.
It does mean the Browns had the ball in their hands Sunday, and they dropped it.
''You can talk about it and all that, but it is what it is,'' coach Romeo Crennel said Monday. ''We lost a golden opportunity because we don't have control.''
Appointing blame almost seems pointless. There were plenty of mistakes Sunday to go around.
A mishandled field-goal snap caused by the wind, Derek Anderson's interceptions (DA was DOA on Sunday), a missed fourth-and-1 at the 19-yard line, receivers dropping balls no doubt blown by the wind, a continued reliance on the pass in conditions that were nearly impossible in which to throw.
Pick any of them.
Had the Browns made that field goal, or had they kicked the early field goal instead of trying to convert on fourth-and-1, they would have been trying a field goal at the end to win.
They didn't.
Now Browns fans worldwide have become Jim Sorgi fans.
Who's Jim Sorgi?
Peyton Manning's backup.
Yes, it has come to this. Browns fans waiting up all night Sunday to see whether Jim Sorgi can outduel Vince Young.
You have to wonder what this game means to the evaluation of Anderson, who had done so much all season. In the biggest game of his brief career, Anderson had his poorest game.
There have been two games Anderson played when he looked tight: at Pittsburgh (especially in the second half) and at Cincinnati.
At Pittsburgh, Anderson got first-half touchdowns on two short drives and in the second half did next to nothing. At Cincinnati, he threw four interceptions, leading his coach to say: ''When you turn the ball over four times, you can't play very good, whether all of them were your fault or not.''
No arguing that point.
Anderson's two interceptions late in the first half were abysmal throws. The forced throw to Kellen Winslow in the back of the end zone was a poor decision in good coverage.
Did he come up tight? Who knows?
He sure played like it.
For the first time this season, too, it seemed like the Browns' play calling could have been better. The windy conditions cried out for Jamal Lewis to run 30 or 35 times; he got 21. The Bengals' Kenny Watson (Kenny Watson?) got 30. The Browns fell behind, yes, but that day and that wind cried out for pounding the ball. Just check who ran more and who won.
The question will be raised whether Tony Dungy owes it to the league to play his starters the entire game. Crennel was realistic about it, saying Dungy will do what is best for his team.
''The scenario of not playing starters has occurred before,'' Crennel said. ''The league still goes on.''
The Browns still can make the playoffs with a Titans loss. That might mean they back in, but if they get in, they deserve to be in.
On Monday, though, it was painful to hear Crennel talk about the reality of Sunday's loss. The Browns have accomplished a lot this season, but at this moment, things are not exactly upbeat.
That's the price you pay when you can't beat a 5-9 team with a playoff spot on the line.
Kelley, Adams out
Knee injuries suffered Sunday landed defensive back Mike Adams and nose tackle Ethan Kelley on injured reserve. Adams ranked second on the team with 18 special teams tackles and added 10 tackles, a sack and two passes defensed. Kelley started six games and played in 13 with 27 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble.
Patrick McManamon can be reached at
pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com
Beacon Journal sportswriter Marla Ridenour contributed to this report
Get the full article here.
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