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Failure to thwart runs major factor in loss
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist
Published on Monday, Sep 08, 2008
CLEVELAND: Is there a team in football that can bring its fans down quicker than the Cleveland Browns?
The Browns get on the cusp of the playoffs, they lose to a bad team in Cincinnati.
The Browns get a lot of offseason hype, they play drearily in an opening-game loss.
The Browns get 10 season openers in a row at home, they lose nine, once when a player takes off his helmet on the field before the game is over.
Sunday's effort in the opener against the Dallas Cowboys was defenseless — in every sense of the word.
The Browns played no defense in a 28-10 loss.
And there was no defense for the way they played.
They were disorganized and sloppy on offense and perplexed and overmatched on defense.
For good measure, they added a penalty for illegal formation while defending an extra point.
How that happens is a subject of much study.
Then, down 28-7 early in the fourth quarter, coach Romeo Crennel elected to kick a field goal that made the score 28-10. That has to be on some chart the Browns use on the sidelines, the one that says, ''Bypass the chance to score a touchdown down 21 and instead make it an 18-point game.''
Touchdown, 2-point conversion, touchdown, extra point, field goal — and the game is tied.
That decision just did not add up.
''If we had gone for it and missed, you'd have asked why we didn't kick the field goal,'' Crennel said. ''There were 10 minutes left, and a lot can happen in 10 minutes.''
The latter part of his statement is correct, but one must respectfully disagree with the first part.
Going for the first down would not have been second-guessed because going for the first down seemed like it would give the Browns their only chance to win.
The Cowboys are a good team, a very good team. Their offense is one of the better ones in the league. Tony Romo looks mature. Terrell Owens and Jason Witten are outstanding. And the mammoth offensive line is as good as any.
But the way they moved the ball on the Browns, in Cleveland, was an insult.
And an embarrassment.
Witten ran wide-open all day. Browns safeties were never near him.
''He beat us in zone [coverage], he beat us in man,'' Crennel said.
Check.
Owens and Patrick Crayton seemed to be open when needed, and unlike a Browns receiver who wears No. 17, they caught the ball. But at least No. 17 played for the Browns; their other starting receiver missed the game after hurting himself in pregame — an oddity in itself.
Dallas also had a running game, with Marion Barber running for 80 yards and Felix Jones powering up the middle for an 11-yard touchdown on his first run in a regular-season professional game.
The Cowboys racked up 457 yards in offense.
They converted a first-and-28 in two plays.
They had touchdown drives of 80, 69, 69 and 86 yards and were headed for another 80-yarder when Romo was intercepted in the end zone.
When that happens, an offense has the ball a lot, and Dallas had it in this game for more than 37 minutes.
It was nearly effortless for the Cowboys, and it again highlighted the main problems with the Browns, which are mainly on the defensive side.
The Browns struggled in the secondary. That was to be expected. They were overmatched.
What was a huge problem was the lack of a pass rush.
But a big part of that, especially early, was that the Browns chose to drop players into coverage and rush only three. That left guys in coverage, and left nobody near Romo. He wound up with 320 yards passing.
There was an odd attitude in the locker room, as if the Browns were trying to convince themselves that the preseason wasn't real and this game was not an indicator.
''We are a better team,'' running back Jamal Lewis said. ''We know that.''
''We know we're a better team,'' linebacker Willie McGinest said. ''Hopefully, we take this personal.''
Confidence is a large part of success in the NFL, especially with so many teams so close in ability.
But the way preseason went and the way the first game went do nothing to add to the team's confidence, especially on defense.
There might be a Joe Horn on the market to help at receiver, but there aren't many defensive backs or standout pass rushers.
The pass rush is the pass rush.
Which is to say, there does not appear to be much of one.
The secondary is the secondary.
Which is to say, inexperienced and vulnerable.
And the linebackers lack a big-time playmaker.
The offseason effort was to shore up the run defense. Well, Dallas had 167 yards rushing, and more than half came from its No. 2 and No. 3 backs. Some of that came late, when the defense was dog tired from chasing Romo all day, but 167 yards is 167 yards.
This game did little to inspire confidence.
That's a problem heading to Sunday and a home game against Pittsburgh. The Steelers have won 15-of-16 and nine in a row against the Browns.
Ponder the way the Browns played Sunday, then consider that the Steelers, a team that always seems ready to start a season, scored 38 in their opener.
Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/mcmanamon/.
CLEVELAND: Is there a team in football that can bring its fans down quicker than the Cleveland Browns?
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Akron, , OH
Posted 06:48 AM, 09/08/2008
A direct reflection of the coach is the result!!
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 06:55 AM, 09/08/2008
the crennelephant has reared his ugly head again. I've never seen a team look so unprepared... and that's over the last 5 games including preseason. Crennelphant must go!
Bethesda, MD
Posted 07:36 AM, 09/08/2008
A dreary team rivaled only by the Indians.A dreary coach rivaled only by Wedge.
Posted 09:02 AM, 09/08/2008
Does this mean Anderson gets traded and Quinn plays?
Posted 01:48 PM, 09/08/2008
nothing says opening day and getting booed off the field. football season is back.
Posted 03:35 PM, 09/08/2008
After watching the Buckeyes play hoorible on Saturday, I was looking for some relief with the Browns. Based on the defensive performance, its going to be a long season.
akron, oh
Posted 04:39 PM, 09/08/2008
Its always a long season with the Browns. Where have you people been?
Posted 08:10 PM, 09/08/2008
allways think of brownies when i look in toilet in the morning lol
Posted 09:35 PM, 09/08/2008
The offense has an excuse, but the defense? The defense is NOT going to get better, and with these cornerbacks THERE IS NO WAY WE ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL! If there is any way to bring in a corner, please by God do it!
Posted 03:44 PM, 09/10/2008
Browns should worry, steelers scored 38 AND pulled Ben, Willie, and Hines in the 3rd quarter!
