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By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 09:58 p.m. EST, Nov 29, 2009
CINCINNATI: Holding Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer to a season-low 110 passing yards was little consolation to Browns defensive captain David Bowens after Sunday's 16-7 loss in Paul Brown Stadium.
''They didn't pass the ball,'' Bowens said. ''They came out and ran the ball 75 times. Who needs to pass?''
It may have felt like 75 carries to the 32-year-old linebacker, especially when the Browns (1-10) lost four defensive starters to injury. The Bengals (8-3) pounded out 45 carries for 210 yards against the league's lowest-ranked defense and completed a 6-0 sweep in the AFC North for the first time in franchise history.
It marked the third time this season the Browns have given up 200-plus yards rushing and the fifth time they've surrendered 170 yards or more.
Cincinnati's latest reclamation project, seven-year veteran running back Larry Johnson, turned in his first 100-yard day as a Bengal, with 22 carries for 107 yards. Rookie Bernard Scott, a sixth-round pick from Abilene Christian, added 18 carries for 87 yards.
The Bengals didn't appear to miss Cedric Benson, the ex-Chicago Bear who had his breakout game last Dec. 21 against the Browns. Benson sat out his second consecutive game with a hip flexor strain, and his impending comeback will create a dilemma for Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.
Browns coach Eric Mangini has a dilemma of his own if all four defenders hurt against the Bengals are unable to play next week at home against San Diego. Lost were nose tackle Shaun Rogers (ankle), defensive end Kenyon Coleman (knee), outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley (knee) and free safety Brodney Pool (head). With medical tests scheduled for today, Mangini had no updates on their conditions, although Wimbley spoke in the locker room afterward.
Browns quarterback Brady Quinn and the offense regressed to their early-season form, managing just 169 yards and falling below 200 for the seventh time in 11 games. Coming off his best game as a pro against Detroit, Quinn completed 15-of-34 for 100 yards and a 51.3 rating, but saw at least five of his passes dropped.
''I can always throw them a better ball,'' Quinn said.
He notched the first rushing touchdown of his career, a 9-yarder on a quarterback draw, to cut the gap to 13-7 with 6:52 remaining in the third quarter and also caught an 18-yard pass from Joshua Cribbs on the drive. But the Bengals stuck with their plan and the Browns offered little resistance.
When two-time Pro Bowler Johnson was released by Kansas City on Nov. 9, he was averaging 2.7 yards per carry and had appeared to have lost his quickness and power. The Bengals signed him on Nov. 17 as insurance with Benson hurt.
''The thing I got from today's game is that he's more patient than I thought he was,'' Bowens said of Johnson. ''He kind of lets the movement develop upfront and he picks his hole and hits it. A lot of respect for L.J.''
Browns defensive lineman Corey Williams credited the Bengals with a game plan that Palmer said seemed more befitting bad weather.
''I'm not going to say they wanted it badder than we did, they just took advantage of our weaknesses,'' Williams said. ''We had a lot of missed tackles, just bad ball on our part. There comes a point where guys have to look in the mirror and say, 'Do I really want this?' Everybody in this organization needs to do that.
''We have to step our game up upfront. Any time you let a team rush for 200 yards, something's not right. We can't give up.''
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.
CINCINNATI: Holding Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer to a season-low 110 passing yards was little consolation to Browns defensive captain David Bowens after Sunday's 16-7 loss in Paul Brown Stadium.
''They didn't pass the ball,'' Bowens said. ''They came out and ran the ball 75 times. Who needs to pass?''
It may have felt like 75 carries to the 32-year-old linebacker, especially when the Browns (1-10) lost four defensive starters to injury. The Bengals (8-3) pounded out 45 carries for 210 yards against the league's lowest-ranked defense and completed a 6-0 sweep in the AFC North for the first time in franchise history.
It marked the third time this season the Browns have given up 200-plus yards rushing and the fifth time they've surrendered 170 yards or more.
Cincinnati's latest reclamation project, seven-year veteran running back Larry Johnson, turned in his first 100-yard day as a Bengal, with 22 carries for 107 yards. Rookie Bernard Scott, a sixth-round pick from Abilene Christian, added 18 carries for 87 yards.
The Bengals didn't appear to miss Cedric Benson, the ex-Chicago Bear who had his breakout game last Dec. 21 against the Browns. Benson sat out his second consecutive game with a hip flexor strain, and his impending comeback will create a dilemma for Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.
Browns coach Eric Mangini has a dilemma of his own if all four defenders hurt against the Bengals are unable to play next week at home against San Diego. Lost were nose tackle Shaun Rogers (ankle), defensive end Kenyon Coleman (knee), outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley (knee) and free safety Brodney Pool (head). With medical tests scheduled for today, Mangini had no updates on their conditions, although Wimbley spoke in the locker room afterward.
Browns quarterback Brady Quinn and the offense regressed to their early-season form, managing just 169 yards and falling below 200 for the seventh time in 11 games. Coming off his best game as a pro against Detroit, Quinn completed 15-of-34 for 100 yards and a 51.3 rating, but saw at least five of his passes dropped.
''I can always throw them a better ball,'' Quinn said.
He notched the first rushing touchdown of his career, a 9-yarder on a quarterback draw, to cut the gap to 13-7 with 6:52 remaining in the third quarter and also caught an 18-yard pass from Joshua Cribbs on the drive. But the Bengals stuck with their plan and the Browns offered little resistance.
When two-time Pro Bowler Johnson was released by Kansas City on Nov. 9, he was averaging 2.7 yards per carry and had appeared to have lost his quickness and power. The Bengals signed him on Nov. 17 as insurance with Benson hurt.
''The thing I got from today's game is that he's more patient than I thought he was,'' Bowens said of Johnson. ''He kind of lets the movement develop upfront and he picks his hole and hits it. A lot of respect for L.J.''
Browns defensive lineman Corey Williams credited the Bengals with a game plan that Palmer said seemed more befitting bad weather.
''I'm not going to say they wanted it badder than we did, they just took advantage of our weaknesses,'' Williams said. ''We had a lot of missed tackles, just bad ball on our part. There comes a point where guys have to look in the mirror and say, 'Do I really want this?' Everybody in this organization needs to do that.
''We have to step our game up upfront. Any time you let a team rush for 200 yards, something's not right. We can't give up.''
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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Posted 10:24 PM, 11/29/2009
Uh, might be smart to start playing our draft picks to see what we have. One would think that with all of the injuries to linebackers, that Veikune could get some time on the field.
Could he be that bad?
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 01:42 AM, 11/30/2009
very little that is wise has been done or will be done.
and that's the simple problem.
Posted 07:45 AM, 11/30/2009
Just like Crennel, the season is a bust. It is a chance to play some draft picks and get them game experience. But Mangini is stubborn.
Akron, Oh
Posted 07:47 AM, 11/30/2009
So I see we played a WR named Allen - Robiske is officially a bust?
Cleveland, Oh
Posted 08:04 AM, 11/30/2009
Mangenius befuddles most of us with his decisions. He is desperate to save his own neck. He would rather pick up guys from the scrap heap than develope his own draft picks. What a pud. I said it before and I'll say it again. This egomaniac has single handedly destroyed this franchise in less than a year. Shame on you Mr. Lerner for picking such an ill eqipped man for the job and giving him full control over your team.
Cleveland, Oh
Posted 08:08 AM, 11/30/2009
Mr. Lerner you're making Art Modell look good right about now. At least the most hated man in Cleveland sports history gave us some teams to root for. This entire situation is abominable and I'm being nice right now. Ive been a Browns fan for 45 years and for the first time I am totally emotionally detached from this franchise. So sad!!!
Snydertown, OH
Posted 08:11 AM, 11/30/2009
Our receivers couldn't catch a cold !!!
But Pittsburgh STILL SUCKS !!! Ha ha.
Canton, OH
Posted 08:12 AM, 11/30/2009
can we do like you do in scrabble when you don't like your tiles - trade them all in at once for new ones.?????
except for Cribbs and Lewis.
Canton, OH
Posted 08:38 AM, 11/30/2009
we sux. . .
Posted 09:27 AM, 11/30/2009
1. quinn was pretty bad but was still better than any other game but detroit. that's pretty sad but it's true. i still have not ruled out his potential to develop. wouldn't put any money on it but it's a possibility.
2. now that another linebacker (wimbley) is out, do you suppose we might see our 2nd round pick in the last draft? of all the criticism against mangini, the most powerful one is the fact that he appears to be a lousy judge of talent. worst team in football, half the team on the injured list, and you still cant get your two 2nd round picks active? i call that a whiff!
Posted 09:28 AM, 11/30/2009
and we have 11 picks in the next draft, a draft that has been labeled as loaded. can we trust mangini to pick these guys too? please, get someone in the front office soon.
Posted 10:40 AM, 11/30/2009
diedre,
Lewis is retiring, so there would be no reason for the Browns to keep him. Also we have some other good players worth keeping, like Joe Thomas, Mack (center), Shaun Rodgers, Wimbley, Wright, Dqwell Jackson.
Yes the team is playing very badly. Yes Mangini has made some bad decisions. But blowing the entire team up and starting over will not necessarily solve anything.
Thankfully I was out of town for Thanksiving so I missed the game. Sounds like I didn't miss much, and can delete the recording from my DVR without watching it.
GO CAVS!!
Posted 10:55 AM, 11/30/2009
Why does this forum allow 2 guys with the same name?
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:56 AM, 11/30/2009
This is sad,we've got 2nd round picks we are not playing,and the clown that picked them is not playing them..
So what the heck are you going to do with 11 picks??
Dang we need someone who understands how to play football running the Browns..
at least art got our hopes up...
Posted 11:01 AM, 11/30/2009
After Notre Dame fires Weis and Kansas fires Mangino, the Browns should pick up both of those guys to help coach this pathetic team on offense and defense. The only problem I see is that you would have to make the sideline bigger for that many tubs of goo to stand and coach, not to mention Lerner would blow all his cash on the team meals. A possible upside would be that the coaches might start eating all the players who are not worth a darn. Addition by subtraction.
akron, oh
Posted 11:01 AM, 11/30/2009
What else is new! The Browns should have never hired Mangini, but they did. Lerner never consider anyone else, and should have. I am sure when Lerner gets tired of losing money, he will do something about this.
Posted 11:03 AM, 11/30/2009
Why does this site continue to delete posts?
Canton, OH
Posted 11:03 AM, 11/30/2009
steve - i was joking.
I know there are some decent players -
The game is almost worth watching to see the play where Cribbs threw to Quinn.
Hopefully Shawn Rodgers will not be out too long too.
Posted 11:14 AM, 11/30/2009
Maryann, the Browns are a cash cow even when they lose like this. Lerner is not losing any money nor will he lose money until the stadium is half empty. And that half empty week after week in the first qrt. not the 4th.
youngstown, oh
Posted 07:59 PM, 11/30/2009
People post that we need to see more of BQ to see what he can do. I have seen enough. Other than the Detroit game, which was a statistical anolomy, he has been very consistent. He is what he is. I watch Dixon for Pitt. and see him throw the ball downfield and then see BQ with his dink and dunk and realize that is who he is------- a pussbag!!!!!!!!!!
Erie, Pa
Posted 03:52 PM, 12/01/2009
Pittsburgh, Pa
December 1, 2009 9:23 AM ET
Amid wide speculation over the disappointing play calling performance of offensive coordinator Bruce Arians during the disastrous loss to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night sources close to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization have confirmed they are interviewing the former Norte Dame head football coach for the offense coordinator position. Weis is secretly due to arrive in Pittsburgh within the next few days.
Sources also indicated that another motive for the Weiss interview is that the Steelers were very disappointed at not being able to sign Larry Johnson formerly of Kansas city now with rival Cincinnati Bengals. Rumor has it that Arians did not feel Johnson would fit into his offensive scheme...potentially fuelling an already controversial situation!
If Weis accepts, Sources say Bruce Arian' s contract could be terminated as early as this week
