Fifth Down: Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns

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 4^th 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 4^th & 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.  3^rd Down

Good offenses move the ball on 1^st and 2^nd down. Functional offenses move the ball on 3^rd down. The Browns went 1-13 on 3^rd 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 3^rd 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 4^th and a 5^th for Bess, a 4^th and a 7^th). 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.

Almost Famous

Cleveland Browns 16 – 17 Philadelphia Eagles

Boom goes the dynamite

The Browns took on the Eagles in the first game of the year, one which many expected to be a blowout win for Philadelphia. However, it didn’t turn out that way and turned into a real battle of attrition between the teams. Both offenses struggled against two very strong defensive performances in a game that could only be described as a slugfest.

I don’t want to waste too much time talking about the offense as, frankly, they don’t deserve it. Needless to say it was pretty awful all-round. Rookie Brandon Weeden missed a lot of throws and looked rattled, the receivers failed to consistently get open, the team failed to create running lanes and the playcalling failed to inspire (but we expected that). There isn’t a single area that cannot be improved upon going into the Bengals game. It was like watching a punch drunk boxer wildly flailing, just hoping to connect. A below average offensive performance would have been enough to win the game (and was) and the Browns failed to muster that. It was a very tough test for a very green offense. Hopefully take their lumps, keep their heads up, and move on to Cincinnati.

“There are two months-worth of mistakes we can correct” – Pat Shurmur.

Let’s try and keep it under a month next week.

It was a wholly different story with the defense. They put together a stellar performance, limiting one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. It was an exciting performance. Defensive coordinator Dick Jauron brought pressure consistently and it showed results. Michael Vick started the game very sharply, going 7 for 7, but the Browns took their opportunities to knock him around and it produced results. They completely knocked Vick off his stride and most importantly, finished plays. Every single defensive play, players swarmed the ball. It was not unusual to see four guys all getting in on a tackle, ensuring that the play was over. They created several turnovers, consistently bailing out the offense and creating opportunities for them that they failed to capitalise on (Phil Dawson aside). The only real miscue came from an unlikely source, cornerback Joe Haden biting on a double move by Jeremy Maclin to leave him wide open in the endzone for a touchdown. Aside from that, he put in a strong performance, keeping DeSean Jackson quiet for the most part and intercepting a tipped pass for a long return. It was a similar story for other senior players on the field. Safety TJ Ward was all over the field, leading the team in combined tackles (along with corner Buster Skrine), forcing a fumble from LeSean McCoy and getting a sack on Michael Vick.  D’Qwell Jackson led well at the heart of the defense. Known for being a tackling machine, he took on a different role against the Eagles, dropping back and excelling in coverage. He tipped one pass that created an interception, then read Vick’s eyes and picked him off before taking it to the house. He was joined by two rookie linebackers in getting interceptions. Both Craig Robertson and LJ Fort (who also had a sack) picked off Vick and it was refreshing to see linebackers capable of dropping back in coverage. There are still a few questions about the run defense, as they were not tested very much in this area and McCoy did manage to break 100 yards on 20 carries, but they did limit his big play opportunities and stopped him in the backfield a few times. It was a mature performance, even when lacking starters Chris Gocong, Scott Fujita and Phil Taylor. On the whole more experienced than the offense, the defense looks as if it is beginning to blossom and the performance they put on will have the rest of the league on notice.

“I gotta get out of Cleveland” – Battered Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.

Dawg bites man

Special teams did their job. It was good to see Reggie Hodges back out there playing, I feel he is an underrated punter and should be recognised as one of the better punters in the league. Cribbs returned the ball well and managed to create a few yards, though I would like to see Travis Benjamin get a shot on punts. The coverage teams played well and stopped any big returns. A special word for the ever reliable Phil Dawson who appeared in his 200^th game for the Browns, only the 5^th player to do so.

Offensive Play of the Game: Trent Richardson popping Kurt Coleman’s helmet off like a bottlerocket.

Defensive Play of the Game: D’Qwell Jackson dropping back for the pick 6, and the first touchdown of the year.

Player of the Game: Hard to single one defensive player out but it goes to D’Qwell Jackson. He covered the whole field and gave the Browns the opportunity to win the game.

Honourable Mention: Rookie LJ Fort, the first player to record and interception and a sack on their debut since Kevin Hardy in 1996.

Phil Dawson Award: Phil Dawson. 200 up and reliable as ever.