Jets vs. Browns: Observations of Cleveland After Tough Last Minute Overtime Loss
The Cleveland Browns hosted the New York Jets in Week 10 of the 2010 NFL regular season at Cleveland Browns Stadium on the coast of Lake Erie.
A nail biter for Browns fans especially in the last half of the fourth quarter and in overtime, but the Jets won with seconds remaining in overtime on a Santonio Holmes touchdown for the second week in a row for both the receiver and the Jets too.
In a tough fought game, the Browns showed both weakness and strength, and here are 10 observations on the team after they are now 3-6 this season.
All Quarterback Talk Should End Now with Colt McCoy
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Rookie quarterback Colt McCoy might only be 2-2 in his first four starts, but he has done nothing that deserves a benching from the coaching staff, and he actually has made the offense a better unit since taking the lead four games ago.
He is decisive, confident, commands the huddle and offense, can see defenses and make adjustments accordingly, and he proved he can be clutch.
In the fourth quarter, McCoy made some great throws and got help from some solid hands by both tight ends Ben Watson and Evan Moore.
All talk of the Browns needing to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft needs to stop now because they have McCoy, and he is the future in Cleveland.
Scott Fujita's Injury Was Evident in Second Half
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Starting outside linebacker Scott Fujita went down prior to halftime with an injury and never came back into the game.
His leadership-and-run stopping ability was sorely lost in the second half as the Jets had ridiculously long ball-controlling drives and nearly quadrupled the Browns time of possession.
Without Fujita, the Browns defense needs to find a new voice and leader, and if Fujita is due to miss any time, then look for David Bowens to step up as he did in the last half of the 2009 season.
Peyton Hillis Cannot Do It All HImself
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Running back Peyton Hillis might be a one-man wrecking crew, but he cannot single handedly lead the offense week in and week out.
Call him a Beast, the Hulk or whatever else you want to, but the Browns need another playmaker on offense, and there is a glaring issue after you talk about McCoy and Hillis at the skill positions.
Hillis may have ran for 82 yards with a 4.3 yards per carry average and a touchdown versus a tough Jets defense, but he needs more guys to shoulder the weight of the offense too.
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Better Pass Rushers Needed in Offseason
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Whether it was Brad Smith or Mark Sanchez, with his injured leg, the Browns could not wrap up whoever was behind center when there was a chance to get a sack.
Perhaps it was a product of bad tackling or maybe that the Browns need more talent on the defensive line to rush the passer, but a focus needs to be made in improving the pass rush and looking at getting younger promising pass rushers for the future too.
Too many veterans can be a good thing on defense, but an infusion of talented youth is needed for 2011.
Eric Wright: Is It in His Head?
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Coming into the 2010 season, Eric Wright was a promising young cornerback in the NFL, and he was also going into a contract season which should have meant he would be playing top-notch football too.
After getting burned by the likes of Anquan Boldin, Terrell Owens and others, Wright has looked less-than-stellar in 2010.
Some have said that Wright might have it "stuck in his head" about getting burned often, and it is affecting his game, but you can bet that Wright will not get a big dollar contract he was expecting to get at the end of this season by either the Browns or another team if the Browns pass on Wright after the season.
Josh Cribbs: Where To Go from Here?
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Josh Cribbs got his extended contract, but after a few injuries this season and every team teeing off on his whereabouts on the field, he really has been ineffective thus far.
Do the Browns coaches need to get back to the drawing board with Cribbs?
Something needs to happen because when you give a player a bigger contract, you better figure out how to get the ball in his hands more—period.
There is not enough Cribbs with the ball in his hands, and both McCoy and Hillis and the rest of the Browns offense really need to get him more involved to add another dimension to "The Peyton Hillis Show."
How Can Marcus Benard Go from Fainting To Getting Another Sack?
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Marcus Benard (No. 58) fainted in the Browns locker room earlier in the week and hit the floor before being rushed to the hospital.
It was a bit of a surprise to see the Browns' leader in sacks fully suited for the game against the Jets after that drama.
But look at these numbers.
Bernard has 5.5 sacks this season and going back to 2009, when he first started seeing playing time, he has a total of nine sacks in 15 games.
Not bad for an undrafted player out of Jackson State.
He needs to be utilized more as a pass rusher the rest of the season and is one of the only young talented pass rushers on this roster which bodes well for the defense's future.
Overall Thoughts
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President Mike Holmgren has to be happy with his team despite the loss, but there are glaring holes that both he and general manager Tom Heckert need to start thinking about after this season ends.
Positions in need (in no particular order) include: cornerback, defensive end, inside linebacker, safety, right tackle, wide receiver and perhaps running back.
The Browns fought hard, but this loss shows they are only a player or two away from competing with the best consistently each week.
Not that it is time to start talking about the offseason, but at 3-6, the Browns are a step further from even considering that P-word after an NFL season ends.
Great to see a competitive team on the field each week and no matter what the Browns' record is at the end of this season, progress is showing and being made.
Browns fans should be very happy and proud of that fact alone.
(Also posted on Dawg Scooper: THE Cleveland Browns Blog)
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