Thursday Morning QB: Your Procrastinator's Review of the Browns/Vikings

Monday morning my ass. I'm too busy reading articles about the games. I watch all the big plays on Sportscenter, YouTube, and my DVR. And quite honestly, I'm too f'n hungover to start jabbing nonsensically on the old typer. Now, by Wednesday or so...

One of my favorite pastimes is to read visiting news sources about the big beat down they took from the Vikings. Of course, it doesn't always work that way—many times the Vikings "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory," and I'm left wincing from comments on news sources like Cleveland.com.

But this Monday, I was able to revel in the spastic fanbase being both embarrassed and outraged, in all their unflattering moniker endowing glory: 

Dudes, Lerner hired "Man-gina", what did you expect? 8-8?

Also, Brady Quinn is affectionately known as "Noodles," "Queenie," and "Brady Frye." And that's coming from the Browns fans—that's not Derrick Anderson loyalists.

I also garnered Browns nation has the belief Cleveland was hanging with the Vikings, and the Browns merely failed to play a complete game. If only the team could have played all four quarters, instead of just a half game—goes the contention—the Brownies would have most likely won.

A quick look at the scoring results of Adrian Peterson's career by quarter shows this is not the case. The Vikings' game plan is to run the ball in the first quarter to set up success in rushing it in the fourth. As a result, the first half was merely the offensive line softening the opposition for AP to run wild in the second.

For proof, I give you Adrian Peterson's 28 (two postseason) career Touchdowns by quarter:

1st Q  - 5

2nd Q - 7

3rd Q  - 6

4th Q  - 10

As a result, the best way to beat the Vikings is to throw the ball down field early and often. In recent history, they've had a poor pass defense, largely because of their stout run defense—the Vikings have led the league in rush defense the past three seasons. Get up in points and you make the Vikings beat you throwing the ball, not pounding it with Adrian. And the only way to do that is to pass.

In looking at the the Browns game, we can see they did not in fact do any of that.

Amazingly I found this quote from the Minneapolis StarTribune:

"Afterward, Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards told Winfield that Cleveland's game plan was to stay away from the Vikings left corner. Edwards also shared another interesting nugget of information that surprised Winfield.

"He said the game plan was for them to run the ball," he said. "I was telling him, 'We've got too much beef in the middle for you to run the ball. "

Too much beef, indeed.

Further, the Browns ran 55 offensive plays, 35 passes, and 20 rushes. At first glance, it seems they tried to pass by the Vikings through the air.

But once again, breaking the game down by quarter, you can see 26 of the 35 pass plays came in the fourth when the game was safely put away. They passed three times in the third, 10 in the second, and a mere five in the first—when it was the most imperative time to gain a lead and force the Vikings QB to beat you, not their RB.

Clearly "Mangenious" and his game plan had a less than desirable effect. A team with less talent can beat a team with more, but they'd better have a real genius wearing the headphones. One at least, that would not play directly into the opponent's strengths.

Adrian Peterson 2,000 Yard Watch

180 yards per game = +55 yards for a 2,000-yard season, and -7.5 yards for a 3,000 yard season.

Un - f'n - believable...