Cleveland Browns Week 15 Game Summary and Review

Hello Browns fans! I thought the Cavaliers were the only team in town that knew what a win streak was. I am pleasantly surprised by the events of the last few weeks. Yesterday’s game was a complete win for the Browns. In other words they played well in all three phases; offense, defense and special teams. This was clearly the finest performance this year.  The last few weeks give new President Mike Holmgren some difficult decisions to make in his first few weeks on the job. With that, on with the show!

Offense:

Quarterbacks – To be fair I have been critical of Derek Anderson ever since 2007. From what I have seen he has not progressed at all. But if I am one thing I am fair. His performance in yesterday’s game was good enough to win. He did not turn the ball over. He threw the ball away when nothing was there. He played a decent game.

            As fans we could see what makes D.A. so frustrating to watch. On the touchdown pass to Massaquoi he threw a perfect pass. Only a handful of guys in the league can throw the ball like he did on that play. Unfortunately he threw the same kind of fastball on a screen pass that resulted in a missed opportunity. It was blocked and designed perfectly. The only thing missing was the throw. In addition it seemed he was trying to blame the running back for missing the play. That makes you question his leadership ability. It was clearly his missed throw that doomed the play.

            We have waited for 3 seasons to see D.A. correct his approach on short passes. It has not happened. If he could change this I would feel much better about him as our quarterback. None the less he played a solid game and consequently helped his team win. Grade: B-

Running backs – Jerome Harrison continued his onslaught of the record books yesterday with a 39 carry performance for 140+ yards. The 39 carries is a new Browns record. It is surprising that a player who has been exiled on the bench for the better part of 4 years owns two Browns records for running backs. Doesn’t seem like he fits in with Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly or Marion Motley but he has been placed in the record books in the same company as these Hall of Famers.

            The thing that is evident to me with Harrison is his vision. In the NFL you have windows that open and close quickly. In many ways the vision is the most important skill any running back can have. Harrison has the vision to make 3 yard gains 9 yard gains. This guy appears to be a keeper. The one bad thing he did was a fumble inside the opponent’s 10 yard line. You can’t give away scoring opportunities like that if you are going to continue to win games.

            Lawrence Vickers continues to make good blocks in the running game. He has been as important to the running games success over the last few weeks as anyone. He is the unsung hero in the suddenly effective running attack. Grade B+

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends – Mohammed Massaquoi continues to impress. He has struggled at times this year but he looks like he has a bright future as a receiver in this league. Once he learns how to get open consistently he is going to be very difficult to cover. I like his size and his speed. He had separation on the 2^nd quarter touchdown pass from D.A. 

            Brian Robiskie is still a work in progress. People have asked me if I think he is a bust. Simply put, no. You can’t tell what type of receiver you have until his 3^rd year in the league. I think he is going to be a solid pro. He has outstanding hands and he is very smart. This will allow him to grow into the position. My guess is he is a player Holmgren will keep and continue to work with.

            Where has Evan Moore been for most of the season? This could be one of Mangini’s offseason finds that ends up being a solid player for the Browns. I like the guys’ hands. He catches everything thrown his way. As he continues to develop he will be a solid role player for this team. Grade: B-

Offensive Line – Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Alex Mack, Rex Hadnot and Pork Chop Womack are slowly but surely becoming a solid offensive line. Want proof? The sacks are down considerably over the last 4 games. And if you are wondering the rushing attack has moved up to 10^th in the NFL. It is amazing what a few good weeks will do for your stats.

            None of the improvement happens without the improved play of the offensive line. They pushed Oakland’s front four around for most of the day. Simply put, they were outstanding yesterday. Grade: A

Defense:

Defensive Line – The line has shown improvement since the loss of Shaun Rogers. I didn’t think that was possible but the following stat is telling. In the last 4 games (all without Rogers) the Browns have held the opposition to under 100 yards rushing 3 times. That is an incredible stat when you consider how bad they had been early in the year. It shows that the defensive scheme is coming together.

            They have been solid in the run game. I would like to see more pressure in the passing game from this group. But a win is a win. The play of line allows the linebackers to be in position to make plays. Based on the last few weeks the job is getting done up front. Grade: B

Linebackers – One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Thanks again Miami! Matt Roth is a player. In football sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. He has fit into the Mangini / Ryan system perfectly. He is good in the run game and even better in the passing game. He has 4 sacks in 5 games with the Browns. That translates to 13 sacks for the year. That is Pro Bowl caliber play.

            The more I see David Bowens play the more I like this guy. All he does is play hard. What more can you ask for? He is a solid player that makes a difference in the locker room and on the field. He made an interception of Charlie Frye’s first pass. It set up the first touchdown for the Browns. I would really like to see him stay with the team beyond this year.

            The future is bright with the young talent at the linebacker position. This group gives the Browns something to build on for next season. Grade: B+

Secondary – Since we are on the subject of continuous improvement I would have to say the secondary has been doing things better as of late. They did give up over 300 yards passing yesterday which has to improve. But they did contribute in the takeaway department. Both Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright had interceptions deep in Browns territory. That stopped two potential scoring opportunities for the Raiders.

            McDonald has had a difficult year to say the least. But yesterday he played his best game of the season. We can only hope that Brandon will move beyond this year and be the player that he was in 2008. It will only help the Browns get better faster.

            Abram Elam had some great hits yesterday. You need a safety that will at least get the receivers attention when coming across the middle. He was able to get some good shots on Oakland’s group yesterday. He is an acquisition that Mangini was able to make that has not been talked about enough. This guy is a solid player. He hasn’t been able to show it all that much on this squad but I think we will find this was a good get by the coach. Grade B-.

Special Teams: In the words of Randy Cross during Sunday’s telecast “Pay the man!”  Even the national broadcasters see what we fans see. Josh Cribbs is too valuable to our team. Pay this guy what he deserves. He has earned the promotion this year. Let’s do this right front office. Pay him and be done with it.

            He made another big special teams play on Sunday when he batted a ball back on a punt that pinned the Raiders at their own 1 yard line. It was a great play. It is just another example of what Josh Cribbs does for this team. He affects it in so many facets.

            One of President Holmgren’s first priorities should be to extend the contract of Josh Cribbs. He is much too valuable of a player for this team.

            Despite all of the rhetoric and bold talk by the Raiders they did not kick to Josh Cribbs on kickoffs. Enter Jerome Harrison. All he did was take a short kick and return it 40 yards. It was a pleasant surprise to see. It also gives teams in the future something else to think about as they attempt to neutralize Josh Cribbs.

            If not for a lucky penalty on the Raiders a botched fake field goal attempt could have changed the games outcomes. Thanks again to the Raiders for being undisciplined.

Grade: B

Coaching:

Offensive Coordinator – Brian Daboll has made the Browns a running team. The body of work over the course of the year has not been very good. But now the Browns seem to have an identity on offense. Run first, pass second.  As critical as I have been of the coach he has been able to do something that many have failed at. The Browns have their identity. They run the football to win. Is it a coincidence that the Browns have won 3 in a row? The Browns have run for over 150+ yards in three straight games. That is how you play football in the AFC North.

            The passing game is still lacking. It was average at best. You must incorporate the pass in your offense to have a balanced attack. The youth of the receiving corp. doesn’t help. Ideally you want a 1/1 ratio run and pass. This gives you a balanced attack and keeps the defense on the defensive. It is very difficult to defend when a team can do both. That is part of the excitement of Mike Holmgren. The man knows offense. He knows the importance and the success a balanced attack will bring. Overall it was not a bad performance by the Coach Daboll. We will see if he continues to grow with the Cleveland Browns. When all I said and done I expect Coach Daboll to be with another organization next year. Grade: B

Defensive Coordinator – If there is a coach on the staff that the players respond to it has to be Rob Ryan. In the midst of a 4-11 stretch the defensive players gave him the old Gatorade shower after the victory. It would appear the players believe in the coach.

            Ryan has been able to get the defense to improve. As stated before the run defense has become much better. Upon his hire he said it would be an attacking defense. To date, they have 37 sacks. They could very well get to the 40 sack mark with a strong showing against Jacksonville. That is a huge improvement over last year’s total of 17 sacks.

            If Holmgren retains any of the coaches I would like to think it is Ryan. Even though Holmgren’s background is in the 4-3 alignment the defense has improved greatly under Ryan’s tutelage. This will make an easier transition if in fact other changes are made. Grade: B+

Head Coach – The only stat that counts for a head coach is wins and losses. The Browns have put together a 3 game winning streak. None of us would have that would be possible after the first half of the season. Much of the credit has to go to coach Mangini. His team has improved in every category since the bye week. That is what we wanted to see in a rebuilding year.

            The difficult part for Coach Mangini is he may not be retained. It is possible that the coach could be released after a 4 game winning streak if they can close out the season against Jacksonville. That would be a first in the NFL. Welcome to Cleveland Mr. Holmgren. These are the types of strange factoids the Browns always seem to be attached to.

            Overall Mangini has done a good job in December. The Browns are winning. That is obvious. The naysayers will note that these are weak teams that the Browns are beating. My response, isn’t that what they are supposed to do? A win is a win in the NFL. It doesn’t matter who it is against. Grade: B

Next week:

The Browns close out the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags have been all but eliminated from the playoff race. All that is left for both teams is playing for pride. Can the Browns close out the season on a 4 game win streak? Survey says….NO! Sorry Browns fans. The Jags take this one 24 – 20.