The Bad
1. The Right Side of the Line
One of few bright spots
It was bad, just fugly. Former RT Oniel Cousins started the game at RG and might as have not been there. Beaten off the snap, pushed backwards and sped past, it was a performance that was very hard to watch and impacted everything that the Browns attempted to do on Offense. He showed little to no NFL ability, playing patticake with opposing D-linemen and moving his feet like he was in a tar pit. And it doesn’t seem like help is coming. Possibly more worryingly was the performance of last year’s standout rookie RT Mitchell Schwartz. He looked a second off the pace and far from the solid pass protector that he was in 2012. Partly forgivable for his performance due to the fact he was facing one of the elite pass-rushers in the league in Cameron Wake, it is nevertheless concerning to see a regression from his rookie year. Dane Brugler reported that some actually see his future at guard, and that some in the building “really pushed for it”.
2. Number twos corners
What was a concern in the offseason became a straight up problem against the ‘Fins. The quality of corner play opposite Joe Haden was not pretty on Sunday as Ryan Tannehill and co. (mostly Stereotypical White Guy Receiver Brian Hartline) had their merry way against Buster Skrine and Chris Owens. Miami’s West Coast Offense made good use of the cushion afforded them by the Browns’ DBs, beating the pass-rush with quick short passes exploiting the space in the flats. Lacking size at the position (Skrine and Owens, as well as rookie Leon McFadden, all measure 5’9”), the Browns were unable to utilise much press coverage. On one of the few occasions that Skrine matched up in press-man against Hartline, he was beaten down the sideline on a double move for a touchdown. There are legitimate concerns that the Browns lack another corner capable of playing on the outside.
3. Brandon Weeden
At best, we didn’t learn anything new about Brandon Weeden. At worst, he was everything his critics say he is. He gains kudos for hanging in there and taking his lumps, but the resulting play wasn’t pretty. Continuing the theme of his rookie season, he locked on to his primary read repeatedly, failed to work through his progressions and gunned it to covered receivers. He threw an ugly pick to Nolan Carroll, attempting a bomb to a double covered and boxed out Travis Benjamin. He also seemed to get gunshy after two passes were picked off after they slipped through Greg Little’s and Jordan Cameron’s hands. Weeden was unable to play productively outside of his comfort zone, his accuracy was scattershot and lacked touch. The impressive performances of the preseason feel a long time ago.
4. The coaching
The Browns got away from their gameplan against the Dolphins. After hearing all summer about how they intended to load up Richardson, he only got 13 carries in the game and none in the 4th quarter. They played a close game as if they were down by 20; Brandon Weeden slung it 53 times. The protection faltered all game and they failed to remedy it, doing little to slow up the Miami rush and leaving Schwartz floundering one-on-one against Cameron Wake for much of the contest. Most egregiously, on a key 4th & 2 they had Chris Ogbonnaya matched up against Wake, predictably ending in a sack. On D, they failed to do anything to counter Miami exploiting the cushion allowed to their receivers as they extended drive after drive with quick 5 and 10 yard passes. The team also struggled with a lot of functional penalties such as holds and false starts. It was a poor overall performance from a vaunted coaching staff.
5. 3rd Down
Good offenses move the ball on 1st and 2nd down. Functional offenses move the ball on 3rd down. The Browns went 1-13 on 3rd down conversions in the game, failing to extend drives and keep the D off the field. Receivers couldn’t get open, Weeden was inaccurate and the line failed to hold up. It is a continuation of the offensive ills of last season, when the team struggled perpetually with 3rd down conversions. It is going to be another long and unproductive season if the Browns don’t work out how to move the chains regularly.
The Good
1. FA giving up FA
The free agency money poured into the front 7 looked like money well spent. Desmond Bryant was a monster at DE, getting two sacks and stymieing Miami on the ground with two tackles for loss. Given big money as a lesser known name, he slotted in perfectly and looks as if he is going to be a playmaker on the D-line for the Browns. The Browns marquee signing from the Ravens, Paul Kruger, also performed well. He added one sack and two tackles for loss, an encouraging start in his mission to become and every-down linebacker after being a pass-rush specialist in Baltimore. Quentin Groves also sacked Ryan Tannehill and had a tackle for loss and looks as if he is going to be a valuable addition to the pass-rushing corps.
2. Lockdown Joe
Joe Haden continued to build his growing reputation as one of the best corners in the NFL with a lockdown performance on Mike Wallace, holding the $60m man to 1 catch for 15 yards. Haden has produced elite ability in stretches in his three years as an NFL player, but is yet to make a Pro-Bowl appearance or be named an All-Pro. He missed out last year due to his suspension ruling him ineligible for consideration and struggled to perform with injuries in 2011. However, with more national attention on the Browns D, expect him to get the national recognition that his talent deserves. He’s off to a great start in 2013
3. Jordan Cameron
Much of the preseason buzz was about the athletic TE’s fit in Norv Turner’s offense and he did not disappoint. Taking on a much larger offensive role than he had in his NFL career, he caught a team high 9 passes for 108yds and a TD and could have had much more, coming open often and having a second TD ruled out by a holding penalty. He looked smooth running down the field and displayed good chemistry with Brandon Weeden, working himself open on broken plays and displaying his athleticism with some impressive catches. There remains work to be done as a blocker and he was partially at fault for one INT, but it seems that the excitement over him as a receiving option is legitimate. Look for him to get a lot of attention (from both teams) in Baltimore.
4. You don’t run on the Cleveland Browns
A running theme of the Cleveland Browns in the past few seasons has been their inability to defend the rush. That ended Sunday. They held the Dolphins to less than a yard per carry. Less than a yard. Lamar Miller gained 3 yards on 10 carries as the Browns contained the speedy rusher by plugging lanes and forcing him to run East-West. Daniel Thomas fared a little better with 14 yards on 8 carries, but all in all the Dolphins run game was an insignificance. The Browns had 8 total tackles for loss and made life a misery for the Miami RBs. Ray Horton has said that he feels this could be the Browns’ “calling card” on D this year. It was a very encouraging sign after years of failing to stop opponents from grinding out games.
5. Bess just throw it his way
Davone Bess was pretty much as advertised. He got open in the slot and displayed secure hands, something this offense is in dire need of. He seems to have the QB’s trust as Weeden repeatedly looked to him in key situations (another Weeden trait, locking on to guys he trusts), and looks as if he can be a security blanket in the pass game and will be a steal for the minimal price the Browns paid (a 4th and a 5th for Bess, a 4th and a 7th). It was encouraging to see him fit in so well after playing a limited amount in the preseason and his role will only expand as the team gets comfortable with the new offense and as Josh Gordon’s return from his suspension opens up the passing game.
The Factory of Sadness 