Cleveland Browns Vs Detroit Lions: 10 Observations on the Brownies
The Cleveland Browns have their third preseason game in the books with a loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Saturday.
Clearly outplaying the Lions in the first half, the Browns brought in their backups earlier than expected in the third quarter, when reports suggested the Browns would play their starters through the third quarter.
That is a very good sign for the Browns because their first team offense is indeed light years beyond where it was one year ago.
While watching the game, I jotted down mental notes, and here are the things that stood out the most to me for the Browns.
Jake Delhomme Is Putting All His Critics To Bed
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Decisive, accurate, and in control are all things that Delhomme has shown in his three preseason games in a Browns uniform.
This is everything and more that Browns fans could hope for because if Delhomme can continue to avoid turnovers and play at this high level all season long, then he could easily be in the running for Comeback Player of the Year in the NFL.
A much needed breath of fresh air for Browns fans to see how a real NFL veteran quarterback is supposed to play and lead their team.
No quarterback has showed this much promise wearing an orange helmet since Vinny Testaverde was under center in the early to mid-90's.
13 Different Receivers Caught Passes
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Last year, the Browns quarterbacks had trouble making decisions and getting the ball to a spot for the receivers to catch the ball and that led to many bad passes and dropped balls.
Nothing like that this preseason and both Delhomme and backup quarterback Seneca Wallace have the ability to put the ball in a catchable area for the receivers to make a play.
With so many Browns catching passes versus the Lions, there is a good chance that no one receiver will stand out statistically over any other this season.
Having 1,000-plus yard receivers is nice, but the versatility in having many weapons will help the Browns compete and hopefully win games which is the best-case scenario for the Browns this year.
"Fumble, Fumblaya, Fumbleruski" (Rob Schneider in Necessary Roughness)
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This is not the Texas State Fighting Armadillos from the film Necessary Roughness, but the Browns are playing like that when it comes to coughing up the football.
It was bad when the Browns fumbled the ball five times in the monsoon at Cleveland Browns Stadium against the St. Louis Rams last week, but four more fumbles inside of the dome against the Lions will not make head coach Eric Mangini a happy coach this week.
You can bet there will be many players running extra laps during practices this week to make up for putting the ball on the ground.
Hopefully the Browns are just getting these fumbles out of there system now in the preseason before the regular season starts.
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Defensive Rookies Not Playing Like Rookies
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Both rookies T.J. Ward and Joe Haden started looking much more comfortable playing in the Browns' secondary and both tied for the team lead in total tackles with five.
Ward was once again seen flying around the field and making plays, but Haden really started standing out versus the Lions.
Haden had great coverage and was able to get his hand into a couple of plays to break up passes, plus any football fan could tell by watch this game, that Haden really enjoys initiated contact with opposing ball carriers and he is very solid when it comes to wrapping up his opponent.
The Browns have had many questions with regards to their tackling ability in the secondary over the past couple of years, but Haden, Ward, Sheldon Brown, and Eric Wright all look to prevent that stereotype this upcoming season.
Eric Wright the Playmaker
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Wright is in the final year of his contract and looks to have a big season this year to secure himself big money and a long-term deal from the Browns.
With his play against both the Rams and Lions these past two games, Wright will earn himself that new deal easily if he can continue is play in the regular season.
Whether he is sticking his arm into an opposing receivers midsection to break up a pass, or being near a fumble to return the ball for a score, Wright looks to take the next step to becoming one of the premier young cornerbacks in the NFL this season.
Still No Pass Rush
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Lions second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford was able to stay off the ground for much of the game and the Browns defense managed zero sacks and only three quarterback hits.
Hopefully, this is just defensive coordinator Rob Ryan playing coy all preseason and not calling his crafty blitzes to create a pass rush from a numerous amount of angles, or this could be a direct result of the Browns needing Shaun Rogers back on the line.
I will go with the first of the two in saying Ryan is playing coy in his playcalling because the Browns were still able to generate a pass rush last season without Rogers in the lineup because he was in the Injured Reserve.
Browns fans are crossing their fingers that this is what is happening right now.
Josh Cribbs Shows His Receiving Skills Are Improving
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Cribbs was bad to form in returning kicks against the Lions, averaging over 27 yards per return, but his big highlight was as a wide receiver.
Reports throughout training camp, including my own reports, have said that Cribbs' skill level as a receiver was drastically improving and on a 30-yard sideline pass, Browns fan were able to see his improvement first-hand.
Cribbs went up over his defender and caught the ball with both hands, while coming down with both feet inbounds for a spectacular catch.
He may not be a No. 1 or even a No. 2 starting receiver, but his versatility and talent will be showcased from time to time in this fashion as a receiver throughout the season.
Center Alex Mack Struggling a Bit With Snaps
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The Browns' second-year center had many troubles during his first training camp in 2009 botching snaps and he had to run a ton of laps for his rookie mistakes, but in the second half of the 2009 regular season Mack puts those botched snaps behind him and he played as well as any veteran center in the league.
Now it appears the Mack is having similar issues in the past two preseason games with bad snaps.
Two against the Rams could be blamed on the rainy conditions, but that is still not an excuse for an professional athlete at this level of competition.
Another botched snap versus the Lions is very worry some though.
Again, I hope he is getting these out of his system now and this is not a sign of a sophomore slump in 2010.
Backup Running Backs Still a Mystery
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Neither James Davis nor Chris Jennings was able to stand out as to who may have an inside track to get a final roster spot at running back.
Davis did show more explosiveness when he caught his four passes out of the backfield and he may have the edge of Jennings.
Both will be able to prove themselves a final time in the fourth and final preseason game by playing in the majority of it on Thursday night versus the Chicago Bears.
Lions Note: Ndamukong Suh Plays Dirty
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It may have been an accident, but when Suh wrapped up Delhomme's head that was one of the most dirty plays that a defensive lineman can do besides trying to blow out a quarterbacks knees.
Suh should know better than this and he knows it is a no-no to go after a quarterback like this.
He probably wasn't intentionally trying to hurt Delhomme but he should get slapped with a fine for this play from the NFL league office too.
Final Thoughts
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First, my thoughts and prayers go out to Nick Sorensen with his injury because the replay clearly showed that his head to sandwiched between two Lions helmets and hopefully he will have a quick recovery.
With regards to the game itself, I think it is clear that the Browns offense is actually ahead of the defense right now and I feel safe to say the if the starters played the entire game, the Browns would have won easily.
With only one more game left, the Browns will look to improve their depth and perhaps a backup or two will step their own game up to the next level and shine because depth is an issue in a few areas like on the defensive line.
(Also posted on Dawg Scooper: THE Cleveland Browns Blog)
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