Five Bad
1. HoyIRmania
He gone
The biggest negative on Thursday night was the loss of hometown hero Brian Hoyer. Playing in his first prime time game for the Browns, he started well and was only a Josh Gordon drop away from a probably touchdown. Just a few attempts later, he escaped the pocket and ran, but failed to get down quick enough to avoid Kiko Alonso. The hit resulted in a torn ACL for Hoyer and an abrupt end to his promising season. He is expected to be ready for OTAs in 2014 and Chud has said he’s “relying” on Hoyer, so it’s unlikely this is last we’ve seen him.
2. Heavy legged Willis
It became clear during the game that Willis McGahee is still working his way into football shape. He hadn’t played since breaking his leg last season and spent the entire offseason without a team. He provided more than he had in previous weeks but failed to crack 100 yards on 26 carries. Most noticeable was his lack of burst. He did manage to find a seam occasionally, but lacked an extra gear when he had green field in front of him. The vision is still there for McGahee, the question remains as to whether the legs are.
3. Cold as ice
Brandon Weeden spent the week maintaining the belief that the Browns are still “his team” and that he was “preparing as if he was the starter”. Coming off the bench, it looked like these words were little more than sentiment. In direct comparison with Hoyer, Weeden looked slow and ponderous and his first two throws resulted in throwaways. Before he got into the game, it seemed like his weaknesses were dialled right up, as he struggled through his reads and held on to the ball for an almighty time, resulting in a costly sack in the redzone.
4. Rush D dented
The Browns D kept up a solid performance against one of the top rushing offenses in the NFL, but did take a couple of hits and look slightly less infallible as it had in recent weeks. On obvious run downs, they maintained their stout front but gave up more yards on delayed runs. They gave up their biggest play on the ground of the year, as rookie Barkevious Mingo (usually a good edge setter) lost contain on the play and CJ Spiller bounced the run to the outside and took it 60 yards to the house. All in all, the Browns ceded 3 rushing TDs. It was still a solid performance, but below the very high standards they had set this season so far.
5. Returns
Kick off returns continued to be a problem against the Bills. The Browns are still trying to find a reliable kick returner after trying a few different players at the position. Greg Little unwisely ran back two kicks and barely got them to the 10 yard line, before being replaced by Bobby Rainey whose first kneel down was met with a cheer from the crowd. They signed Fozzy Whitaker prior to the game against the Bills and have Dennis Johnson on the Practice Squad, so it’s probable we will see more players tried at the position as the Browns try to find a reliable guy.
Five Good
1. Weeden steadies
After a very shaky start, Brandon Weeden gradually found his groove. He went 13/24 for 1 TD and most importantly no turnovers. He managed to keep the Browns on track and guided them to the win over Buffalo. He has always been a rhythm passer and improved as the game went on, throwing with better timing and accuracy as his confidence rose. Most notably he hit two big pass plays, first to Greg Little deep to move the offense into the redzone and then hitting Josh Gordon in single coverage for the TD. A commendable more than stellar performance, Weeden did enough for the win and heads into the game against Detroit with a little wind under his sails.
2. Skrine steps up
We have been spoiled by Joe Haden’s rapid adaption to the NFL. In reality, young CBs take their lumps in their first years in the league (even first rounders) and Skrine has been no stranger. Browns fans were surprised when he was named starter opposite Haden after his struggles on the outside in his NFL career so far. On Thursday, he finally lived up to his athletic potential. Consistently looking back for the ball, he had two big pass breakups and flashed quick feet mirroring route breaks and used his stellar speed to bring down EJ Manuel for a sack after the Bills QB had escaped the pocket. If he can keep up this level of play, he might solve one of the few problems in the Browns D.
3. A wild run game appears
It might not have been pretty, but the Browns finally managed to get the ground game up to a functional level. Willis McGahee scored the Browns first rushing TD of the year five games into the season and although they only averaged 2.8 yards per carry, they managed to move the ball well enough to win the time of possession battle and give Weeden enough of a platform to lead the Browns to victory. In previous weeks it has all been on the QB, but if the Oline can continue opening lanes and McGahee can get his NFL legs back then it will be a big boost to the offense.
4 Run rabbit run
Travis Benjamin honed his speed chasing rabbits back in Florida, and he made the Bills look like Elmer Fudd. He used his blazing speed to break Eric Metcalf’s 20 year old punt return record, returning 7 punts for 179 yards and one touchdown. His 79 yard TD return swung the game back towards the Browns and ignited the crowd (including huge blocks by Josh Aubrey and Eric Martin). It’s a wonder how Benjamin wasn’t returning punts all last season as he is beginning to look like one of the most dangerous returners in the league. He was so good on Thursday that he got Shaun Powell cut.
5. Bryant II
It was a difficult offseason for Armonty Bryant. The seventh round pick was arrested for a DUI, following legal trouble at East Central University his final year. This led to questions over whether the Browns should cut the rookie. Ultimately the Browns gave him a second chance, and he repaid it against the Bills. Having come into the rotation earlier in the season due to injuries, he gained extended playing time when Desmond Bryant left the game with a high heart rate. He recorded his first sack in the NFL, fighting past two players to take down QB Jeff Tuel. It was clear to see how much the moment meant to him.
The Factory of Sadness 