The new DPL.

Brandon Weeden threw three interceptions and the Browns never got anything going in coach Rob Chudzinski's debut.

0 Comments


CLEVELAND (AP) -- With more offensive firepower at his disposal, Miami's Ryan Tannehill could make huge strides in his second NFL season.

On Sunday, he took the first one.

Tannehill passed for 272 yards and a touchdown, leading the Dolphins to a season-opening 23-10 win Sunday over the Cleveland Browns, who lost their ninth straight opener and fell to 1-14 in Week 1 since 1999.

Tannehill, surrounded by better talent on offense after Miami's offseason spending splurge, threw a 34-yard TD pass to Brian Hartline in the third quarter and drove the Dolphins to a game-clinching TD in the fourth.

Daniel Thomas had a 1-yard scoring plunge with 6:48 left, putting the Dolphins up by 10 and they turned it over to their defense.

Miami's Cameron Wake had 2 sacks and the Dolphins' defensive line sacked Cleveland quarterback Brandon Weeden six times and hurried him countless more.

Weeden threw three interceptions and the Browns never got anything going in coach Rob Chudzinski's debut.

By game's end, FirstEnergy Stadium was nearly empty as Browns fans bailed in the final minutes.

Rookie Caleb Sturgis kicked field goals of 49, 45 and 36 yards for the Dolphins.

Hartline, an Ohio native who had friends and family members at the game, had nine catches for 114 yards. Brandon Gibson added seven catches for 77.

Tannehill went 7-9 as a starter during an up-and-down rookie season, showing the Dolphins enough promise that they wanted to invest more in his future.

The club signed free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace, Gibson and re-signed Hartline to a five-year, $30 million contract.

With Miami leading 13-10, Tannehill took the Dolphins 85 yards to set up Thomas' TD.

On the drive, Tannehill completed 6 of 7 passes for 78 yards -- none of them to Wallace, who had just one catch for 15 yards.

Tannehill didn't get any boost from Miami's running game as the Dolphins were held 20 yards on 23 carries.

For the Browns, this opener was like so many previous ones.

Cleveland hasn't won a home opener since 2004, and despite some renewed energy with the addition of better players, the Browns haven't changed.

Weeden finished 26 of 53 for 289 yards and one TD, but he was plagued by several drops and his offensive line was manhandled by Miami's front four.

Weeden was missing top wide receiver Josh Gordon, who is suspended for the first two games for violating the league's drug policy.

The Browns also hurt themselves with nine penalties and couldn't get running back Trent Richardson away from Miami's tacklers. He had 47 yards on 13 carries, but none in the fourth.

Tannehill hooked up with Hartline in the third quarter to give the Dolphins a 13-7 lead.

Three plays after Browns safety T.J. Ward dropped a possible interception in the end zone, Tannehill waited for Hartline to run a double move and get past cornerback Buster Skrine before hitting his wide receiver in stride down the left sideline.

Weeden and the Browns' offense overcame a bizarre, ugly first half -- five penalties, three interceptions -- to somehow lead 7-6 at halftime.

With 28 seconds left, Weeden hit a leaping Jordan Cameron in the back of the end zone for Cleveland's lone TD, a score that gave Browns fans a chance to breath and brought a fist pump from Chudzinski.

Before that, the Browns had hurt themselves with the costly infractions and picks, two of which bounced off the hands of Cleveland's receivers.

The Browns' TD was like a trip to the dentist: painful and slow. The Dolphins helped with two defensive penalties, including one by former Browns cornerback Dimitri Patterson, who yanked on the facemask of Davone Bess following a short pass to give Cleveland a first down at the 15.

On the TD pass, Cameron got behind linebacker Philip Wheeler and Weeden put nice touch on his throw to the back corner.

Sturgis kicked field goals of 45 and 49 yards to give the Dolphins a 6-0 lead in the first half.

Miami's second field goal came after Weeden's second interception by Patterson

 

*HELP*

 

As reality sets in again.

 

Disgusting . cant polish turds which is what Lombtard & Banner put out there . not to mention no discipline . havent had any since Mangini left . yeah i miss him .

i see no difference between this years mess on offense as to what Shurmur ran ..disgusting boring and no talent to be found .

 

Trent Richardson rushed 13 times for 47 yards and caught two passes for 30 yards in Sunday's Week 1 loss to the Dolphins.
On the first drive of the game, the Browns did what everyone expected. They gave Richardson the ball four times and he shed defenders for 26 yards. After that, they inexplicably gave up on the run and tried to win with Brandon Weeden's arm. It led to a tragic misuse of the team's best offensive player and an ugly loss with 13 called runs against 59 called passes. Expect the Browns to reevaluate their play-calling ahead of next week's game and try to establish Richardson. The problem is that they'll be facing the Ravens' elite run defense. T-Rich may be a strong buy low by the time Week 3 rolls around.

 

@=

 

I guess, I'm glad I was unable to watch today. I broke for lunch at 1:30 and tuned in the local game on the radio just in time to enjoy the TD that put us up by 1.

Didn't get any updates til I got back to my desk, then saw the score on ESPN, and clicked in periodically to find things simply deteriorated from then on. Chit, chit and double chit.

My first reaction: "another stillborn season begins". It's an over reaction, I know, but this is getting old, and so am I.

O and 4 for in the AFC north, so first and last in the division.

Now we'll see if we have coaches who are ready for the NFL. Do they have what it takes to learn and improve? Bluez thanks for he posts, that was my only resource other than the box score, and I heard 3 Ints by Weeds and thought "here we go again", but with 3 coming off our own recievers, and what appears to be a day under seige from the Miami D, I'll withold judgement.

Can I get a pitcher with an IV?

 

Im now thoroughly convinced Weedens not 'the answer'

Cousins? I know we're desperate - but why the hell is this guy on the roster?

:!

 

Ryan Tannehill played a game of catch up and down the field with his receivers Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson.

0 Comments


CLEVELAND ? With the Cleveland Browns? new-look defense needing its biggest stop of the game, defensive backs Buster Skrine and Chris Owens decided to take the series off.

In fact, their entire performance on Sunday was off.

Ryan Tannehill played a game of catch up and down the field with his receivers Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson. You know, those two wide outs who are the Dolphins? perennial Pro Bowlers. (That is not fact, but sarcasm.)

Hartline was targeted 15 times and finished with nine catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. Gibson was targeted 10 times and had seven catches for 77 yards. Tannehill finished 24-for-38 for 272 yards.

Who could be found across the line of scrimmage on each play in which Hartline or Gibson had a big gain? Buster Skrine or Chris Owens.

Skrine and Owens weren?t the only reasons the Browns lost ANOTHER opener.

But they sure were a big reason.

The Browns? defense stopped the run. Miami finished with 20 yards rushing on 23 attempts for an average of 0.9 per carry. The Browns? defense got to the quarterback to the tune of four sacks and seven quarterback hits. The Browns? defense ? more specifically Joe Haden ? shut down their No. 1 wide receiver Mike Wallace.

Tannehill targeted the $60 million man Wallace five times and he was held to one catch for 15 yards. Unfortunately, Haden couldn?t cover both sides of the field. While Haden blanketed Wallace, the other side of the field ?occupied by Skrine and Owens ? was so damn wide open.

Let?s go back to what proved to be the game-sealing drive. Miami took over on its own 15-yard-line ahead 13-10 with 11:54 remaining in the game. That?s when Tannehill began playing catch with Hartline and Gibson.

? Tannehill pass short left to Gibson. Gibson caught the ball, faked out Owens and ran for 24 yards.

? Tannehill pass short left to Hartline. Owens missed the tackle and Hartline ran for 16 yards.

? Two plays later on third and 9, Tannehill pass short right to Gibson for 14 yards, who was wide open in the middle of the field. Owens on the coverage.

? Tannehill to Hartline. Slant route, 7 yards. We?ll call it Tashaun Gipson on the coverage.

? Two plays later on third-and-2, Tannehill found Gibson for six yards and the first down. Skrine on the coverage.

? Tannehill to Hartline for 11 yards. Hartline ran an underneath route and was guarded by LINEBACKER Paul Kruger. Kruger is fast, but not guard a wide receiver fast.

? Finally, on first and goal from the Browns? 6-yard-line, Skrine was called for pass interference setting up 1-yard touchdown run by Daniel Thomas.

?

?Ryan did a good job placing the ball, the line did a good job protecting and we jelled,? Hartline said. ?Brandon made catches and we moved the ball around. That?s where we want to be most of the time.?

In all, it was a 10-play, 85-yard drive that took 5:06 off the clock and brought the Browns? season-opener record to 1-13 since 1999.

?I thought the ball went to the right place a vast majority of the time based on the coverages that we got,? Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said.

In another hapless home opener effort that featured dropped balls by wide receiver and drive-killing and touchdown-removing penalties by guards ? well, just Oniel Cousins, specifically ? the inability to have a proper corner opposite Haden doomed the Browns.

This game proved no longer can you just stop the run and win a football game in today?s NFL.

Remember Leon McFadden? The Browns? third-round draft pick out of San Diego State was penciled into the right corner back position. He was quickly erased during the offseason.

Remember Alabama corner back Dee Milliner? He was selected three spots after the Browns took linebacker Barkevious Mingo in the first round of last April?s draft. Mingo didn?t play Sunday because of a bruised lung suffered in the offseason. Milliner started for the Jets.

Remember free agent corner back Brent Grimes? He spurned the Browns for the Dolphins. Grimes started Sunday opposite former Browns player Dmitri Patterson.

Once again, the Browns start the season 0-1 and the upcoming 15 games seem daunting. Most of the preseason hope generated is waning. Where have you heard this before? Oh just pretty much every season since 1999.

Next up for the Browns is the defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens on the road followed by more 2012 playoff teams in the Minnesota Vikings (on the road) and the Cincinnati Bengals (at home).

Hooray ? football is back!

 

Browns center Alex Mack?s rookie contract is scheduled to expire in March, but he?s not open to striking a new deal during this season, La Canfora reported Sunday, citing an unnamed source.

So Mack will play out the remainder of his rookie deal without contract talks taking place in the background, according to the report. Some players avoid negotiations during the season to prevent them from becoming a distraction.

Mack, 27, has started all 64 games for the Browns since they drafted him in the first round (21st overall) in 2009. He made the Pro Bowl in 2010.

On July 31, Browns General Manager Mike Lombardi said the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Mack fits the profile of a player the Browns want to sign to a contract extension.

?I think Alex certainly has proven that he?s a good player on and off the field,? Lombardi said. ?I think he stands for that, and I think he has the ability to continue to play well. So he certainly fits the profile.?

*WALL*

 

i hope he breaks sumpthing this week thats the only way they will get rid of the worthless fat turd *HELP*

 

CLEVELAND: Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden moved slowly as he crouched and sat in a chair beside his locker Sunday evening, his pale torso covered with pink welts.

Weeden had just been pummeled, though he wasn?t alone. The entire organization felt the pain after suffering another stinging defeat in a regular-season opener.

Defenders harassed and battered Weeden as the Browns fell 23-10 to the Miami Dolphins in front of an announced crowd of 71,513 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Dolphins tallied 16 quarterback hits, including six sacks, five of which came in the second half. Weeden believes he has never been hit that much before in a single game.

?Things didn?t go great today,? Weeden said before visiting the trainer?s room when his postgame news conference ended. ?Unfortunately, it happens. It sucks. But I?m confident in our team. I?m confident in this group of guys we have, and I?m excited moving forward.?

Fans might not share the enthusiasm. After all, the Browns are now 1-14 in openers ? including 1-13 at home ? since their expansion era kicked off in 1999, and they have lost nine in a row.

The loss also spoiled Rob Chudzinski?s debut as an NFL head coach. No coach has prevailed in his first regular-season game with the Browns since Bud Carson in 1989.

?There were points in the game where I thought we were going to get over the hump, but we weren?t able to do it,? Chudzinski said. ?It is one game, and that?s our focus and that?s what I talked to the guys about afterwards. We will learn from this, and we will move on.?

The Browns compiled a long list of miscues.

Wide receivers Greg Little and Travis Benjamin dropped two passes apiece. Right guard Oniel Cousins was penalized four times. Strong safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Joe Haden each dropped a would-be interception. Running back Trent Richardson was held to 47 rushing yards on 13 carries (3.6 average).

?The mental mistakes are the things that eat at you more than anything as a player,? Weeden said. ?The dropped balls or missed throws or missed blocks.?

While Weeden, the 22nd overall pick in last year?s draft, struggled to stay in one piece during the second half, his counterpart thrived. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the eighth overall selection in 2012, exploited the weaknesses in the Browns? secondary and took advantage of a worn-down front seven that sacked him three times in the first half but only once after the break.

With his No. 1 receiver, Josh Gordon, serving a suspension for violating the NFL?s substance-abuse policy, Weeden completed just 26-of-53 passes (49.1 percent) for 289 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions, all of which were in the first half, and finished with a passer rating of 48.4. Tannehill completed 24-of-38 passes (63.1 percent) for 272 yards and a touchdown with an interception, posting a rating of 82.3.

Leading by three points with 11:54 remaining, the Dolphins started their first possession of the fourth quarter at their own 15-yard line, and Tannehill picked on cornerback Chris Owens while orchestrating a 10-play, 85-yard touchdown drive to bury the Browns. Tannehill completed 6-of-7 passes for 78 yards, and running back Daniel Thomas plunged into the end zone from 1 yard out to give the Dolphins a 20-10 lead with 6:48 left.

?We had [Tannehill] bottled up so long and contained throughout the first half and mainly the third quarter,? free safety Tashaun Gipson said. ?That drive kind of shifted the momentum from our defense to their offense.?

The Dolphins sent the vast majority of the home crowd to the exits during the next series. On fourth-and-2 at the Browns? 33-yard line, Dolphins All-Pro defensive end Cameron Wake plowed past fullback Chris Ogbonnaya and sacked Weeden with 5:33 remaining. Caleb Sturgis then tacked on his third successful field goal, a 36-yard attempt, with 3:59 left to extend the Dolphins? lead to 13 points.

Wake tormented the Browns all day, repeatedly beating right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and others en route to 2? sacks and six quarterback hits.

?We knew he was going to create some havoc,? Weeden said.

The Browns led 7-6 after a sloppy first half, but Tannehill took control in the third quarter. Ward dropped a would-be interception at the goal line on an overthrown deep pass from Tannehill to wide receiver Mike Wallace.

?It touched my hands, so definitely felt like I should have caught it,? Ward said. ?I had to adjust at the last minute and just didn?t bring it in.?

Three plays later, wide receiver Brian Hartline, a GlenOak High School graduate, beat the coverage of cornerback Buster Skrine with a double move and caught a 34-yard pass from Tannehill, helping the Dolphins go ahead 13-7 with 6:46 left in the third quarter.

The Browns trimmed their deficit to 13-10 on the ensuing series. New kicker Billy Cundiff capped a nine-play, 59-yard drive by making a 39-yard field goal with 3:02 left in the third quarter after the drive stalled partly because of pressure from Wake.

Although Haden limited Wallace to one catch for 15 yards, he also had one of Tannehill?s long passes deflect off his fingertips during the Dolphins? first possession of the third quarter.

?It?s just a missed opportunity,? Haden said. ?I dropped the ball.

?[Losing is] not a good feeling at all. Now we just can?t sit here and be all salty, upset or cry about it.?

The Browns led 7-6 at halftime despite Weeden throwing three interceptions in the first half. The second one deflected off the hands of Little, and the last one was thrown behind tight end Jordan Cameron, who got his left hand on the ball.

Former Browns cornerback Dimitri Patterson picked off both of those passes after they ricocheted. Patterson made his first interception at the Browns? 27, and it led to Sturgis? 49-yard field goal that gave the Dolphins a 6-0 edge with 13:37 left in the second quarter. His second pick was essentially negated when inside linebacker D?Qwell Jackson tipped a pass from Tannehill over the middle, allowing Gipson to intercept it and return 29 yards to the Browns? 44.

Eleven plays later, Cameron maneuvered behind the coverage of linebacker Philip Wheeler and cornerback Brent Grimes and caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Weeden in the back corner of the end zone with 28 seconds left in the first half.

The Browns, though, didn?t show much life after that. And with the defending Super Bowl-champion Baltimore Ravens next on the schedule, they?re trying to keep their heads up.

?I feel real good about us,? Richardson said. ?This time last year, if something would?ve happened like this, we?d be arguing. Now we?re still putting it together and we know what we need to work on. It?s early. Don?t lose hope in us, and we?re not going to lose hope in us. We hope our fans stay behind us. Lesson learned here. Don?t get it wrong. We?re going to come back and play hard.?

 

For all the raving about Chud and Norv, they sure didn't impress anybody week 1. Are they unable to make any in game adjustments??? Geezus. When chit isn't working ya gotta try something else!!

There are obvious ways to counter a speed pass rush like the Browns were facing yesterday....

1. Run the damn ball! Why they abandoned the run so quickly is a head scratcher. It was like, T. Rich started off hot, then we got some bad breaks on a few tipped passes, and they forgot all about runnng...Even if it's not tremendously successful, it at least slows down DE's that have their ears pinned back coming hell bent after your beleaguered QB.....

2. Get a phuqing TE over there to help out your obviously over-matched RT! We should have had help over there on every play. Not just once in a while.... No QB can be successful getting hit as often as Weeden was yesterday...

3. Run some hurry-up offense. Nothing wears out, or at least slows down, a pass rusher like the hurry-up....Why we didn't at least try something like that is a mystery.



All in all, it was just a mess. Other than Jordan Cameron and our run defense, we were just awful... Tannehill wasn't great. He should have had 4 picks. We just dropped 3 of them! Joe Haden and Craig Robertson dropped easy ones, and TJ Ward had one hit him in the hands too....Robertson should have had a pick 6, but it bounced right off his chest...Not to be outdone, our receivers dropped everything in sight as well. So it was a fest....Burn the film.... get ready for Baltimore....and for god sakes get a RG. Cousins is an embarrassment. His horrible performance was the most glaring weakness I've ever seen. The whole right side of the O-line was just dreadful....

 

Updated at 6:04 p.m.

The drum line was cool. Cell phones worked. Player intro?s were jazzed up. The punting was outstanding. Billy Cundiff didn?t miss a kick.

Ray Horton?s defense attacked as advertised ? until it gassed out in the fourth quarter.

And the Browns? offense sucked the energy out of another opening day.

The latest Browns? reboot started the same way as all the others. They lost to the Miami Dolphins, 23-10. That makes nine Game 1 losses in a row and 14 out of 15 openers since the Browns returned in 1999.

So Rob Chudzinski becames the seventh coach in a row to start his Browns? career 0-1. No Browns coach has won his first game on the job since Bud Carson in 1989.

?It is one game,? Chudzinski said. ?That?s what I talked to the guys about afterwards. There?s a lot of football left to be played this season.?

That theme was repeated by others in the losing locker room. And it is true, but the lasting feeling of this loss was that Brandon Weeden looked no better than as a rookie in making quick decisions, delivering the ball under duress and leading his team to victory.

In a meaningful head-to-head encounter, Weeden was severely outplayed by Miami?s Ryan Tannehill. So let the quarterback chatter begin.

Tannehill, who was passed up by the Browns in favor of Trent Richardson in the 2012 draft by the previous regime, threw for 272 yards and one touchdown in leading the Dolphins to a coveted road win.

Tannehill wore down the Browns? defense in the fourth quarter with an 85-yard touchdown drive. Daniel Thomas vaulted over from the 1 for the dagger. On the drive, Tannehill picked on cornerback Chris Owens for four of his six completions. Buster Skrine added the obligatory pass interference penalty in the end zone on a Tannehill fade to set up Thomas? TD.

?They made plays. They have a good quarterback,? said safety Tashaun Gipson, whose interception on a ball deflected by linebacker D?Qwell Jackson set up Weeden?s only touchdown drive late in the second quarter.

Weeden was 26 of 53 for 289 yards. He threw a touchdown to Jordan Cameron at the end of the first half. He was intercepted three times ? twice by ex-Brown Dimitri Patterson, who had to leave in the second half with a groin injury ? and sacked six times.

You can say that Weeden was victimized by balls skimming off receivers? hands ? two of his interceptions deflected off the hands of Greg Little and Jordan Cameron -- and by total breakdowns on the right side of his line. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and right guard Oniel Cousins couldn?t handle Cameron Wake (2.5 sacks and six QB hits alone).

Cousins had four penalties for 33 yards, and one of them also negated an 18-yard gain.

?He?s the best we have (at right guard),? Chudzinski said to the question of why he didn?t try somebody else. ?And he?s gonna get the job done for us. He?ll make improvements and get better and we?ll move on.?

The official stat sheet credited the Dolphins with 16 hits on Weeden, including the sacks. Weeden said it was the most he could remember ever being hit. But when he wasn?t under siege, he failed to make the throws or make his decisions quickly enough.

The Browns were a preposterous 1 of 14 on third downs.

Despite the Browns? amped up pass rush, which resulted in four sacks and three additional QB hits, Tannehill converted 8 of 16 on third down. That was amazing considering the Dolphins gained a total of 20 yards rushing on 23 attempts and had no run longer than five yards.

Right end Desmond Bryant, who hardly played in the preseason, was all over the stat sheet ? two sacks, two tackles for losses, four QB hits and one pass defensed.

Nose tackle Phil Taylor conceded the defense was gassed in the fourth quarter.

?You?re gonna get tired on the field that long,? he said. ?It is what it is. We still got to go out there and do our job.?

Weeden said he got hit on all three of his interceptions, one of which was on a third-and-8 deep ball for Travis Benjamin at the Dolphins? 1.

Trent Richardson started the game running like a lion released from a cage. He carried four times for 26 yards in the first six plays. After that first series, Richardson carries nine times for 21 yards. He had two catches for 30 yards.

?I wasn?t shocked (with the overall result),? Richardson said. ?I knew we were a long way away from where we want to be. I?m glad we had this game right here. We know what we need to work on, where to get better.?

As his custom, Weeden claimed to do some good things out there.

?I felt I stood in there, kept the team battling in the fourth quarter,? he said. ?Obviously a few throws I?d like back, like to do a few things differently.

?The mental mistakes as a player are the ones that eat at you more than anything. First game out of the box, me and Jason (Campbell) talked about it during the week, is the hardest game of the year. You don?t have a great idea what they?re gonna do. Our guys are jacked up, trying to make something happen and try to do too much.?

Weeden escaped three interceptions in the first half ? and that number could easily have been five ? and left the field with a 7-6 lead on a seven-yard touchdown to Cameron.

It was such a badly needed good throw-good catch sequence, the crowd let out a collective expression of relief as if a giant kidney stone had been passed.

Cameron atoned for a drop/interception earlier, making catches of 16 and 11 yards to move the Browns to the Dolphins 4. Thereafter ensued one of the most exasperating series of red zone plays executed by the Browns under any regime.

First down from the 4: Weeden, all day to throw, throws it away when he can?t find anyone open. A holding call on Dolphins linebacker Dannell Ellerbe gave the Browns a first down at the 2.

First down from the 2: Weeden frantically gets the ball to Davone Bess, who rolls out of bounds at the 1. But the Browns are penalized five yards for not having enough players at the line of scrimmage.

First down from the 7: Another Weeden frantic pass is deflected at the line of scrimmage, wiping out a flag on the Dolphins for interference.

Second down from the 7: Weeden plants and sees Cameron at the back of the end zone. Cameron nabs it and Cundiff converts the extra point in his first scoring chance in the post-Phil Dawson era for a 7-6 lead.

Cameron wound up with nine receptions for 108 yards.

 

If I may gentlemen,

Its not all disaster and I think this game showed that the Browns are still trying to find an identity on offense.

They had some drives that crapped out and the 3 picks killed the day, but they also sustained some drives and at the end of the first half they were winning.

At the end of the third they were down by 3.

I know the loss stings because of the uncertainty in what Weeden will be and the idea that it was another home opening loss but despite the turnovers the defense held a much improve Miami unit to under 24 points.

Its not the end of the season, just look at the rest of the north, you are all tied at this point.

 

Here are my take aways from the game:

1. The receivers need to catch the ball. I am reading all of these national columns talking about how Weeden is already on the hot seat after throwing three int's. IMO, he threw one, but three happened. My big gripe is the last play of the game. Why not just chuck the ball 30 yards up in the air and let Cameron or Little go up and get it?? Mental mistake. He was also Hit/Hurried/Sacked on around 60% of his dropbacks. Come on man!

2. We need Gordon back. This is supposed to be a vertical offense, but we dont have a vertical weapon. The Benjamin INT would have been a TD if Gordon were streaking down the right sideline. Benjamin is fast, but Gordon is big and physical and he would have been able to muscle up on that ball.

3. RG/RT/FB play was lack luster. Cousins had somewhere around 5 penalties (that were called...he held just about every play). As much as I like Mitchell Schwartz, he was just outmatched by the size and speed of Cameron "The Browns should have signed me" Wake. Finally Obie didnt do too bad, but if they think an 220 lb rb is going to come from the opposite side on a designed block and take him out then perhapd Norvelle isn't quite the genius we made him out to be.

4. The run D looked fantastic. Im not sure we were up against a good running game, but we held them in check. Like it was mentioned we ran out of gas at the end. We see where our depth was important after losing Rubyn and Winn going down.

5. Remember: DBs are WRs who cant catch. Moving on...

6. Return game. Take that damn rookie out of there! he took 3 kicks out that were 8-9 yards deep and got us to the 14 each time...way to go. Our offense was doing so great we need to start off with that 5 yard handicap.

 

By Fred Greetham
OBR Senior Browns Reporter
Posted Sep 9, 2013




What was a big reason the Browns lost Sunday's home opener to the Miami Dolphins? Look to the Browns' third-down success, or lack thereof.

0 Comments


BEREA, Ohio ? One stat line could sum up the Browns offensive woes from Sunday's 23-10 loss to the Dolphins.

1-of-14 on third down conversions.

No matter what level of football is being played, a team that can't convert on third downs isn't going to be very successful.

"That's not good at all," Davone Bess said. "We have to get better. A lot of those were self-inflicted negatives, alignment issues, false starts, whatever the case may be, we hurt ourselves before the play even started."

Rob Chudzinski pointed to that statistic, as well.

"Third down, we need to focus on and get better at and needs to improve," he said. "We have to be able to make the plays to extend the drives or on defense to be able to get off the field.

"At the end of the day, this is the NFL and a handful of plays that will affect the outcome of the game."

Chudzinski said there were several factors in the third down failures.

"A little bit of everything," he said. "Some of it was being in long third down situations and that makes it tough. When you have a negative play on first or second down and those types of situations makes it tough to convert. We also had some protection issues as well. We made some mental mistakes, as well."

Bess came to the Browns with the reputation as being one of the best third down receivers in the NFL. He caught five passes for 47 yards, with a long of 17 yards. He was targeted 10 times, but had an 18-yard catch called back on a penalty. He said he can't remember a more dismal performance by a team on third down.

"That's something that me personally, I pride myself in being able and wanting the bulls eye unmoving the chains," he said. "One for 14 is never going to get the job done, so we have to do a better job."

Bess said there were a lot of reasons for the poor performance.

"There were a lot of what we call S.I.N.'s (self inflicted negatives)," Bess said. "Sometimes when your back is against the wall, you have to be able to execute from an assignment standpoint. If you don't do that, you're killing yourself before the play even starts. We have to work on things and not kill themselves before we go out and try to execute the play."

Bess said the Browns were able to convert on third downs for the most part in the preseason.

"We did a good job in the preseason of handling the information and it's just us executing," he said. "From a players standpoint, we just have to be a little more detailed. Whether it's studying more or in the film room studying and watching more tape, we have to be able to execute on our behalf."

Bess knows the Browns have to be successful on third down in order to win.

"We know it is what it is," he said. "We all have responsibility. We know the coaches will do a better job. We will do a better job and we just have to be able to execute on critical downs. We all know that third down can be the difference between winning and losing the game and we just have to be more alert and understand (what we need to do)."

Bess thinks the Browns will come back and play much better.

"We have to be able to bounce back," he said."We're disappointed at the outcome, obviously.

"We know we hurt ourselves more than the opposing team did," he said. "We have to get better and we have to attack the day and go in and execute and do what we do in practice and carry it over to the game."

Chudzinski said it's not time to panic.

"Again, this is one game and there's a lot of football left to play," he said. "These guys will learn from going through the process of getting better and looking forward to next week."

EXTRA POINTS

Trent's Role: Chudzinski was asked why RB Trent Richardson only carried the ball 13 times in the game after having success on the first two drives.

"I think it was just the course of the game," he said "Trent is a critical part of our offense. We want to get him the ball as much as we can. I thought in the first half we had a pretty good mix going. We had a lot of two minute situations and then obviously, got into the fourth quarter."

Richardson had 47 yards rushing and had two receptions for 30 yards.

"The real key is on third down where we have to convert on third down and give him more opportunities."

Chudzinski was asked if Richardson could stay on the field on third down.

"We can, but we want to make sure that Trent stays fresh, as well."

Weeden's Game: QB Brandon Weeden had a poor game with 26-of-53 for 289 yards and a 48.4 rating. He was sacked six times and hit 16 times.

"The protection issues were there," Chudzinski said. "I think Brandon had some ups and down and there are some throws he would love to have back. I think the one thing you saw was his resiliency and his toughness. I think if anybody had any questions about that prior to this game if you look at the game, he kept bouncing back."

Chudzinski said that Weeden had some bumps and bruises, but physically, he was fine.

"Brandon is a tough player,"Bess said. "There were several times he stayed in there and took some shots. Collectively, overall he did a solid job of getting the guys in the huddle and getting us lined up right to make necessary plays, but we fell short and that's the name of the game."

Cousins Troubles: It was well documented that OL Oniel Cousins had a rough game in his start at right guard. Chudzinski said after the game that Cousins was "the best we have" for the position. Chudzinski said he didn't consider pulling him during the game.

"Oniel has gotten the majority of the reps, so it's important for the guy getting the reps (to play)."

Cousins had four penalties, including two holding calls, an illegal hands call and a false start. One of the penalties called back an 18-yard first down to WR Davone Bess. Another nullified a touchdown pass to TE Gary Barnidge.

Cousins was one of the few players that came into the locker room to face the media.

"Most definitely, I want to do everything in my power to get better," he said. "My main focus is tightening my technique and foot work.

"I have to get better personally and as a group we have to get better."

Chudzinski said all of the offenses problems weren't on Cousins.

"His pass protection was OK, but the penalties we have to eliminate," he said. "Again, Oniel has worked and improved and he will continue to improve."

Chudzinski said he is confident Cousins will be ready to face his former team, the Ravens this Sunday.

"I'm confident he will improve."

Injury Update: Chudzinski said there were no major injuries to come out of the Dolphins game.

"We had some other bumps and bruises, but no major injuries."

He said DB T.J. Ward missed a series with a shoulder injury, but returned.

"We'll get him treatments and see how he is Wednesday."

DL Billy Winn suffered some cramps, but was alright.

Chudzinski was asked about updates on OL Shawn Lauvao (ankle) and LB Barkevious Mingo (lung), but he said he would update their status on Wednesday

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Why are Browns fans already so gloomy?

Some of the people who just joined the Browns organization may be wondering that. Yes, they lost 23-10 to Miami. Yes, it was a stink bomb of an opener.

Hey, it's one game. No one should have been predicting playoffs for this team. Right? But here's the problem: It not only was a bad game, it was a boring one.

If the Browns had lost 30-27, it would be an entirely different vibe around Browns Town. Fans would be talking about how the offense actually was fun to watch, how the game kept their attention. There would be a sense of hope, of something different about this season. Part of being a fan is the longing to be entertained.

Browns fans are an abused football family given the move of the franchise, followed by the anguish of the expansion era. But most of all, they have been touchdown deprived. In the last five years, the Browns have not averaged more than 18.9 points or ranked higher than 24th in scoring.

Even when they did reach the end zone, too often it was an agonizing ordeal -- sort of like watching a man try to cut his lawn with a pair of nail clippers.

Fans bought into the hype about the hiring of Rob Chudzinski and Norv Turner to assemble something that looks like a viable NFL offense that actually reaches the end zone a few times a game.

Before we dig deeper into the ditch if despair, I believe Chudzinski and Turner know what they are doing. I believe if anyone can turn Brandon Weeden into a legitimate quarterback, it's these coaches. And I believe they are two smart and experienced guys who will make some adjustments before next week.

That said, I still don't believe how they didn't put the ball into the hands of Trent Richardson more often. Or how they became so pass-happy, so soon in a game where the Browns actually had a 7-6 lead at the half and Weeden was having a miserable day throwing the ball.

Weeden spent the entire fourth quarter passing out of the shotgun. He threw it 25 times and was sacked four times.

Richardson's final carry was at the end of the third quarter -- for seven yards. He ran the ball five times for 17 yards in the third quarter, a total of 13 times for 47 yards in the game. Not great, but hardly hopeless. He was the most talented offensive player in an orange helmet Sunday, but the Browns failed to take advantage of that. This guy can catch some passes, with 51 receptions a year ago.

Sunday's game showed the lack of depth and talent at wide receiver. It's also unfair and unrealistic to assume Josh Gordon's return in Game 3 will fix most of the problems.

Weeden played a poor game, and he was brutalized by a Miami pass rush. But this was an entire failure for the offense, from the blocking to the passing to the coaches and their game plan.

And that's why so many fans are so grumpy right now.

 

By Greg Cielec
OBR Contributing Writer
Posted Sep 9, 2013




But except for a beautifully executed touchdown pass from Brandon Weedon to Cameron Jordan, the offense kept Miami in the game with illegal formations, dropped passes, penalties, and sacks.

2 Comments


And it ended once again the same way, a lonely and quiet walk across the West 3rd Street Bridge back to the Warehouse District and down to the Flats.

Another Opening Day loss in a game that the Browns could have won.

Besides the game, it was a great day. We had a wonderful tailgate, saw tons of familiar faces and old friends. The weather turned to the better, as sunshine filled the stadium. Too bad we had to watch the game.

Where to begin? Fault goes all around to an offense that in the first half could not hold on to the ball and in the second half could not protect the quarterback. A defense that attacked in the first half and got figured out in the second.

Let us begin with the pregame. Is the NFL turning into the NBA? Flames and smoke and music being played too loud. What happened to the days where it was totally about the game? We sang the national anthem then straight to kickoff. Now it is way too much manufactured enthusiasm. I would like to think the Browns and their fans are above that. But somebody in Berea is listening to some marketing consultant who saw all this waste of money entertainment at some other stadium.

For most of the first drive the Browns did what I thought they were going to do the whole game, run the ball game. Little did I know?The interception that ended the drive was Weedon?s fault, the only one of the game that really was.

Before the second series we were treated to two huge banners, one in each end zone. The one at our end said in big letters THIS IS THE DAWG POUND. Those of us sitting there already knew that. Again, more manufactured enthusiasm. I guess someone upstairs knew which way the game was going to go. And while I?m ranting about stupid stuff at the games, what?s with the field announcer and his THIRD DOWN proclamations each defensive series?

I really thought the game was turning to the Browns in the second period when they had two sacks on a three play Dolphins drive; then Travis Benjamin made something out of nothing on a punt return.

But except for a beautifully executed touchdown pass from Brandon Weedon to Cameron Jordan, the offense kept Miami in the game with illegal formations, dropped passes, penalties, and sacks.

The biggest disappointment of the afternoon is how the offensive line fell apart in the second half. Oniel Cousins, filling in at guard for the injured Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston, got manhandled. He should not be in the lineup next week. Go with the rookie Garrett Gilkey; he could not do worse.

For all talk of all the new stuff with the Browns, it seemed a lot like last year. Too many crossing and out routes, not enough downfield passing. Leading at halftime 7-6, they were completely outplayed in the second half. The Chud era started as the Shurmer era ended, with getting outcoached in the locker room at half time.

Most of the positives for the afternoon occurred off the field. We attended a great tale gate party in the Flats, complete with roasted chicken, fried shrimp, and corn the cob. And, yes, a few adult beverages. Fans seemed enthused for the game, and everyone came wearing their best Browns garb. It was great to see all the old friends in the Dawg Pound whom I have been sitting with for years, and everyone seemed so upbeat and positive.

We will be coming direct to you next week from Charlotte, North Carolina, where we will be watching the Browns/Ravens game with the Charlotte Browns Backers. We will be down that way for a little golf and will take in the Vanderbilt at South Carolina game.

Text by Greg Cielec

Photos by Dave Hostetler

Season Ticket Holders, Section 120, Row B, in the Dawg Pound