Not Ready For Primetime Anytime Soon

Even the planned “boycott” of the Browns by fans who planned on showing their displeasure to the world by having the game open to empty stands, only to have them make their way to their seats some time in the first quarter……failed. I guess the fans just couldn’t wait to see what the Browns would do. Or maybe they realized that it could be a looooong time before MNF comes to Cleveland again, so they just wanted to savor this one prime-time kickoff. Regardless of the reason, the fans were treated to the only way the Browns and their inept offense can have a competitive game…..by it being scoreless. At least until the second half, that is.

It’s not to say that there weren’t some bright spots…..or at least one. That was the play of the Browns defense. Against one of the highest scoring offenses in the NFL, the Browns injury-depleted group went toe-to-toe with the Ravens offense and held them scoreless for the entire first half. Outside of a couple blown plays and one real brain cramp in the second half when the confused Browns had only 10 players on the field thus allowing the Ravens and Ray Rice to get a quick touchdown, the Browns even looked pretty good in the second half. The Ravens are now a pass-first team and holding Baltimore to only 155 yards passing, is something the Browns defense can hang its hat on.

The real problem for the Browns continues to be their offense. MNF posted a stat during the telecast that really brought to light how inept the Browns offense has been. The Browns went into the game scoring only five offensive touchdowns over a 14 game span. The last team to score only five offensive touchdowns in a span of 14 games was the 1932/1933 Cincinnati Reds. After that season, the team shut down operations. Yikes! Not to be outdone, the Browns now have extended that to 15 games instead of 14. The only thing standing in the way of making it 16 games is a matchup against the Detroit Lions next week. Money in the bank!

There was more than enough inept play on offense to go into detail about the failures of most players on the offensive side of the ball. The one thing that I really struggle with though is the offensive play calling. I understand that the Browns offensive was facing blitzes most of the night, but when a team blitzes, it takes people out of coverage. The Briwns MUST start trying to stretch the field! It’s not as if Brady Quinn CAN’T throw the long ball. The problem is there is no way to tell he can because the Browns continue to call bubble screens and short passes, when not running Jamal Lewis up the backs of his linemen for three yards. When a defense doesn’t have to worry about being even challenged deep, then they can blitz all day and let their coverage play closer to the line. That is exactly what the Ravens did and until the Browns show some kind of vertical offense, they can expect to see that from every team they play, for the rest of this season.

As stated, up next are the Lions as the Browns travel to Detroit. Talk about a barn burner! I called the Lions ticket office to see what time the game started and they said, “Doesn’t matter to us, What time can you make it?” I am not sure what to do……get a cheeseburger for a buck at McDonalds, or use that dollar to scalp a ticket to the game. I’ll think about it.

I’ll previw more of that game in the coming days. Until then, savor this sign from a frustrated fan who is fortunate that only New York can support two NFL teams. The Browns are staying put.