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Do IT this week: Layering
Team's secondary remains a primary concern
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 09:16 p.m. EST, Nov 19, 2009
BEREA: Brandon McDonald's resilience is being put to the test.
Again.
McDonald, a third-year cornerback with the Browns, is used to being in the spotlight, usually for all the wrong reasons. This time his moment to forget came on Monday Night Football, when he gave up Derrick Mason's 41-yard reception early in the third quarter that set up the only touchdown the visiting Baltimore Ravens needed in their 16-0 victory.
Browns coach Eric Mangini tried to come to McDonald's defense Thursday, saying that McDonald was supposed to have help and that a lot of cornerbacks have been beaten by Mason, a 13-year veteran.
''I don't think he was alone on that play by any stretch,'' Mangini said.
McDonald already was benched once this season for the Oct. 4 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. But that lasted just one play, just as it did last year when then-coach Romeo Crennel sat him down for a Monday night game against the Bills in Buffalo.
McDonald also contributed to one of the secondary's worst games of 2009 in a 27-6 loss Sept. 20 against the Broncos in Denver. McDonald was the defender on Jabar Gaffney's 49-yard reception to the Browns' 2 early in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Broncos running back Peyton Hillis scored to put the Broncos ahead 20-6.
It was nearly a replay of 2008 against the Broncos, when McDonald was victimized on two touchdown passes and dropped two interceptions.
McDonald often takes the fall for the Browns' struggles in the secondary, but he's not alone in being burned for big plays. The defense has given up 39 plays of 20 or more yards this season, with the high of 10 against the Steelers at Pittsburgh Oct. 18.
''I'm a competitor. Being in the position I'm in, I'm not going to always make the plays, I'm not always going to make the perfect tackle, I'm going to miss tackles, I'm going to misjudge balls,'' McDonald said. ''I try to eliminate as many of those as I can. If everybody's doing that, then as a defense we get some things done.
''That's been one of the major downs of this defense, giving up the big plays. We'll have 'em where we want 'em for a while, then they'll get some momentum. Then it all rolls on from there.''
What irked McDonald most about the Mason play was that the Browns were playing Cover 5, which he thought was the best coverage possible for the route Mason ran. Joe Flacco's pass to the short right turned into a big gainer when McDonald missed the tackle.
''The concept of a Cover 5 is to take away that one receiver and you're supposed to have help over the top,'' McDonald said. ''Usually I'd be in a press technique in that situation, but knowing what type of routes they like to run as far as short, intermediate routes I thought I could kinda bait him into throwing exactly what he threw.
''What I did wrong was in my technique normally I'm supposed to just sit and wait on a route like that. I kinda gave him a little too much . . . I was kinda backing up a little too much . . . and he was able to sit down in front of me and I wasn't able to get the jump that I wanted to get on it.''
That wasn't all McDonald did wrong.
''On top of that, I didn't make a tackle and our safety wasn't where he was supposed to be,'' he said. ''I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do.''
McDonald said it was the turning point of the game. Strong safety Abe Elam dragged Mason down at the Browns' 13, and running back Ray Rice scored on the next play to give the Ravens a 7-0 lead.
''We played well up until that point, then that's kinda when it all started to go down,'' McDonald said.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh called Mason's catch ''the key.''
''We needed something,'' Harbaugh said. ''To finally hit that was great. I thought they did a great job covering us all game and he was pretty well covered on that one, too. Derrick spun out and broke the tackle.''
McDonald described his season as ''inconsistent,'' and Mangini agreed.
''There's been some times where he's played really well and some times where he's had some plays that he'd want back and we'd want back,'' Mangini said. ''The thing with Brandon, though, is he's a very competitive guy. He's competitive in practice, he's competitive in games. It's a function of improving the areas you have to improve in.''
A fifth-round pick in 2007, McDonald has recorded 37 tackles (33 solos), two sacks, four pass breakups and a forced fumble. But he's well aware of his flaws.
''When I don't make the plays I know I can make, it frustrates me and it doesn't help our defense,'' he said.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
BEREA: Brandon McDonald's resilience is being put to the test.
Again.
McDonald, a third-year cornerback with the Browns, is used to being in the spotlight, usually for all the wrong reasons. This time his moment to forget came on Monday Night Football, when he gave up Derrick Mason's 41-yard reception early in the third quarter that set up the only touchdown the visiting Baltimore Ravens needed in their 16-0 victory.
Browns coach Eric Mangini tried to come to McDonald's defense Thursday, saying that McDonald was supposed to have help and that a lot of cornerbacks have been beaten by Mason, a 13-year veteran.
''I don't think he was alone on that play by any stretch,'' Mangini said.
McDonald already was benched once this season for the Oct. 4 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. But that lasted just one play, just as it did last year when then-coach Romeo Crennel sat him down for a Monday night game against the Bills in Buffalo.
McDonald also contributed to one of the secondary's worst games of 2009 in a 27-6 loss Sept. 20 against the Broncos in Denver. McDonald was the defender on Jabar Gaffney's 49-yard reception to the Browns' 2 early in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Broncos running back Peyton Hillis scored to put the Broncos ahead 20-6.
It was nearly a replay of 2008 against the Broncos, when McDonald was victimized on two touchdown passes and dropped two interceptions.
McDonald often takes the fall for the Browns' struggles in the secondary, but he's not alone in being burned for big plays. The defense has given up 39 plays of 20 or more yards this season, with the high of 10 against the Steelers at Pittsburgh Oct. 18.
''I'm a competitor. Being in the position I'm in, I'm not going to always make the plays, I'm not always going to make the perfect tackle, I'm going to miss tackles, I'm going to misjudge balls,'' McDonald said. ''I try to eliminate as many of those as I can. If everybody's doing that, then as a defense we get some things done.
''That's been one of the major downs of this defense, giving up the big plays. We'll have 'em where we want 'em for a while, then they'll get some momentum. Then it all rolls on from there.''
What irked McDonald most about the Mason play was that the Browns were playing Cover 5, which he thought was the best coverage possible for the route Mason ran. Joe Flacco's pass to the short right turned into a big gainer when McDonald missed the tackle.
''The concept of a Cover 5 is to take away that one receiver and you're supposed to have help over the top,'' McDonald said. ''Usually I'd be in a press technique in that situation, but knowing what type of routes they like to run as far as short, intermediate routes I thought I could kinda bait him into throwing exactly what he threw.
''What I did wrong was in my technique normally I'm supposed to just sit and wait on a route like that. I kinda gave him a little too much . . . I was kinda backing up a little too much . . . and he was able to sit down in front of me and I wasn't able to get the jump that I wanted to get on it.''
That wasn't all McDonald did wrong.
''On top of that, I didn't make a tackle and our safety wasn't where he was supposed to be,'' he said. ''I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do.''
McDonald said it was the turning point of the game. Strong safety Abe Elam dragged Mason down at the Browns' 13, and running back Ray Rice scored on the next play to give the Ravens a 7-0 lead.
''We played well up until that point, then that's kinda when it all started to go down,'' McDonald said.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh called Mason's catch ''the key.''
''We needed something,'' Harbaugh said. ''To finally hit that was great. I thought they did a great job covering us all game and he was pretty well covered on that one, too. Derrick spun out and broke the tackle.''
McDonald described his season as ''inconsistent,'' and Mangini agreed.
''There's been some times where he's played really well and some times where he's had some plays that he'd want back and we'd want back,'' Mangini said. ''The thing with Brandon, though, is he's a very competitive guy. He's competitive in practice, he's competitive in games. It's a function of improving the areas you have to improve in.''
A fifth-round pick in 2007, McDonald has recorded 37 tackles (33 solos), two sacks, four pass breakups and a forced fumble. But he's well aware of his flaws.
''When I don't make the plays I know I can make, it frustrates me and it doesn't help our defense,'' he said.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
Comments
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Kron, OH
Posted 09:36 PM, 11/19/2009
FIRE MANGINI NOW!!
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 09:48 PM, 11/19/2009
Fire the whole lot of coaches and coordinators. Completely bad play calling along with a team with no leadership = NO REAL FOOTBALL TEAM FOR CLEVELAND!
Akron, OH
Posted 10:44 PM, 11/19/2009
Why the hell are you picking on McDonald?
rmk/akron
The, US
Posted 11:00 PM, 11/19/2009
because he's a terrible player
Posted 07:35 AM, 11/20/2009
with players of this caliber, i don't know how they can do it(maybe smoke and mirrors), but they need to win 1 more game somehow to get out of the #1 pick. there is no draft choices that stands head and shoulders and cannot miss worthy of the money it will take to sign. awful hard to trade out of it also.
Posted 08:25 AM, 11/20/2009
ken, the #1 draft pick is no big deal; we all know they can trade down.
Akron, Oh
Posted 08:44 AM, 11/20/2009
How they are going to pick a team out of this yrs.draft,just not going to happen,no one knows
football at the browns..its showing right now..
Let the Coach from Mount Union Coach the Browns
at least this Guy Knows how to WIN..and find
Good Football Players..
Powell, OH
Posted 08:44 AM, 11/20/2009
Trade down? You make it sound easy. You'd have to hope some team falls in love with one of the QB's in the offseason workouts.
Back to ol McDonald: clearly he "gambles" a bit, as all dbacks do. However, some coaches won't allow it, and these coaches shouldn't until they get better safety play. Ebram isn't turning out to be the safety he was hyped up to be in the draft day trade. I'm hoping the Browns find one in the draft, and there are two good ones worthy of top 8 picks.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:48 AM, 11/20/2009
I can assume the defense will break down in the third quarter and beyond with all the 3-and-outs the offense gives them. Sets them up for failure.
uniontown, oh
Posted 10:16 AM, 11/20/2009
Who ever can fix this team will be the most loved person in the history of Ohio. Any ideas who this might or could be? I don't have a clue. Good luck.
Akron, Oh
Posted 11:08 AM, 11/20/2009
Who cares--its the Browns. I say they should move again.
N. Canton, Oh
Posted 02:38 PM, 11/20/2009
The Browns were great when the Cardiac Kids played...what a team they were....How time flies.
Wichita Falls, Tx
Posted 04:10 PM, 11/20/2009
Charley Casserly & Mike Holmgren together as DOFO & GM, They would draft out a great team. I would use the 1st pick in the draft to take the best player at the position I need. That being said, what division are we in? Duh, AFC North - it's all about the DEFENSE!!!! Draft all Defense, get the best players that you can! Use free agents, & undrafted rookies to fill in the offense. Don't think it will work? Look at the next coming draft, More talented players than the NFL has positions. I tell any of you out there, this is the time to reload, we can be turned around in a year if, and only if we have the right people picking our talent! Mangina is not it! Wake up Brownies, get with the program, build the front office into a respectable group, draft the best DEFENSE you can, the rest will follow.
Posted 09:17 AM, 11/21/2009
Did you hear about the new item at "McDonald's"? It's called "The Brandon".
You pay your money, get a bag full of nothing but the smell of burnt toast.
