Events Calendar
In This Section
Toyota recalls Prius, hybrids over glitch in brake software
Google lowers fee for breaking phone contract
Texas company buys vast gas resources
Buffett joins with Paulson in predicting big payback
Local families get helping hand
EU's decision to assist Greece gives Dow boost
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Complaints against officer keep coming
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Citizens United v. F.E.C. (Part 4): Kennedy's and O'Connor's Basic Approaches to Constitutional Decisionmaking – Top Down and Bottom Up
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
Track HR Research
Akron Gamer:
'Tecmo Bowl' recreation of Super Bowl XLIV
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Browns allow Lions to throw all day long
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist
Published on Sunday, Aug 24, 2008
DETROIT: Well that sure will make everyone rest easier, won't it?
The Browns only trailed 16-6 at halftime in Saturday's full-priced exhibition game against the Detroit Lions, which is a great improvement from the 30-3 deficit in the first quarter against the New York Giants.
If this continues, they might only lose the opener by six or seven points.
Seriously, though —
The Lions have this fine gentleman who sings a fight song of sorts every time the Lions score.
''Forward down the field.''
''A charging team will not yield.''
''Go hard, win the game.''
''With honor you will keep your fame.''
And on and on.
Yes, it's annoying — but it really gets annoying when it's sung about 82 times like it was Saturday, or every time the Lions scored a touchdown or kicked a field goal in their 26-6 win.
One might suggest a better song for the Browns, especially their secondary. Make it a derivative of the old Lionel Richie All Night Long theme.
Call it All Day Long, and on the many evenings when the Browns appear on national television, bring back Richie and make it All Night Long again.
Because that's the way it's going to be if the Browns' secondary does not find itself here in the final two weeks before the opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Offenses will just throw the ball all over the field.
All day long.
Less than a week after Eli Manning and Domenik Hixon became superstars, Jon Kitna had a first quarter in which he spun away from rushers to find open receivers and go 9-for-11.
When Dan Orlovsky took over, little changed. He moved the Lions and completed passes at will — though one overthrow led to an interception.
Yikes.
The third preseason game is supposed to be a dress rehearsal, a time when the starters get significant time so they're ready for the season. Kitna didn't even play into the second quarter, which is what happens when you are more effective than Jon Kitna should ever be.
Yes, the Browns were without their starting safeties, Brodney Pool out with a concussion and Sean Jones back home with swelling in his knee (never a real good sign).
Those absences can affect things.
But there will be games this season when one or two guys are out; the team still has to play. And both Jones and Pool played against the Giants and things didn't go real well then either.
The secondary is of primary concern for two reasons.
First is that it reflects a problem. Since Daven Holly was injured a long time ago, the Browns' secondary has appeared to lack depth. Now that it's been on the field, it lacks depth.
Second is that it will not take opposing teams long to find this weakness and exploit it. This is an age of spread-the-field offense, of using several wide receivers. The Browns added all this bulk up front — and Shaun Rogers looked pretty good against his former team — but that bulk won't be effective if teams will be throwing the ball all over the field.
It's a tad reminiscent of the time when Steve Spurrier coached Florida and started calling three- and four-wide receiver plays against his team's defense on the second or third day of practice.
The defensive coordinator — in his first year — said, ''Coach, we haven't even worked on nickel yet.''
''Well,'' Spurrier said, ''it looks like we'll be throwing it all over on you guys today.''
If other teams know the Browns aren't ready to stop the pass, they will simply throw the ball all over on them.
The Browns' offense? Well, without Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis and Braylon Edwards it struggled, producing no first downs in the first quarter and two field goals in the second.
Brady Quinn? He got a lot of pressure, and Jerome Harrison missed a very catchable pass on fourth down in the third quarter.
But Quinn also looked like a backup trying to become the starter, throwing some poor passes on third down and never getting into the end zone.
Overall, this was another bad impression from a practice game. The Browns actually had an illegal formation called on a kneel-down late in the first half. Name the last time that happened.
The only consolation is this offense proved a year ago that it can move the ball and score.
The defense has yet to prove itself.
Right now it's a good thing the Browns seem to have an offense.
Because it sure looks like their best chance will be to outscore teams to beat them.
Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/mcmanamon/.
DETROIT: Well that sure will make everyone rest easier, won't it?
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
