Stillers 13, Browns 6 ���. Nov. 23, 2003 ����Game #11
Stillers-Browns Postgame
Analysis and Grades
The Clev
Browns handed the Stillers an early Christmas gift, giving away the ball 5
times and giving away the game to the Stillers.� The Stillers did show more grit and heart than we've seen in
months, but only the ineptitude and gratuity of the Brownies allowed the
Stillers to eke out the 7-point win.�
Grades:
QB:�
The Madd Ox was horrible, scattering throws so wildly that it brought
back horrible memories of Kordell Stewart.�
How bad was it?� 9 of 24, for 73
yards�and no, that's not a typo.� And it
wasn't the case of Saddox missing harmless 5-yard passes at midfield.� He had Kreider for an easy TD in the
3Q, but foolishly threw behind the big FB.�
He had Doering open deep late in the 3Q, but overthrew him with a
line-drive rope instead of laying it out with some loft.� And there were several throws that was thisclose
to being picked.� If Maddox wants a new
contract worked up in the offseason, he damn sure better have more production
that this.� C-.�
RB:�
The Tubby Tailback had his best game of the season, rushing 24 times for
93 yards.� He actually ripped off a 21
yard run, and ground out some important yards in the 2H.� On the sour note, Bettis showed his slowness
several times during the game, gaining meager yardage on plays that fully
appeared to be open for several yards.�
Amoz had 6 carries for mostly small yardage.� Haynes carried once for a 2-yard loss.� B.�
FB: Kreider had a solid game,
continually punishing defenders.� He
added a big 15-yard reception.� A.�
WR:�
The WR crew did little, although, as noted, Maddox was such a
scattershot that it made the WRs job tough.�
Between slipping on routes, and waving at errant passes, the receivers
had a frustrating, low production day.�
Plex had 2 grabs for 21 yards, and Ward with only 1 grab for 13.� El had a grab for 6.� Plex had his weekly false start.� C+.��
TE:�
Mr. Stonefoot, Mark Bruener, finally caught a pass this season, and it
resulted in the lone Stiller TD.� Don't
think that Bruener bedeviled the Browns' defense with a series of quick moves,
jukes, busted tackles, and so forth.� He
grabbed a 1-yard TD pass on a play in which he was so wide open that the
nearest defender was in a different zip code.�
Tuman grabbed 1 pass for 6 yards.�
The blocking was ok.� B.�
OL: The O-line opened numerous holes
Doughboy Bettis to run through.� The
pass protection for Maddox was generally adequate.� Marvel Smith, back from the long hiatus, got bullrushed on the
first series and got the QB sacked.�
Simmons sat like a statue on the other Maddox sack.� It's not saying much, but this may have been
the best, or 2nd best, outing of the year from this maligned group.� A down note was the foolhardy penalties,
once by Simmons (false start), and then Ross and Faneca false starting on
consecutive plays in the 4Q.� B+.�
DL:�
The D-line had a strong game.�
Smith, Kimo, and Hampton all deserve to be lauded.� Smitty batted 2 passes and helped stuff the
run, as did Fat Casey.� Kimo was pretty
disruptive, including a forklift of LT Barry Stokes that ended with Kimo's sack
of Holcomb.� Backup DE Rod Bailey
chipped in with a drop of Holcomb.� The
one down note was the foolish offsides penalties, committed by Kimo and Hampton
in the very first series.�� A-.�
LB:�
KenBell and James Farrior led the way today with stellar efforts.� Farrior led all Stillers with 10 solos, and
played sideline to sideline.� Farrior's
pressure also led to the Alex INT.�
KenBell displayed the kind of hitting that the entire defense has been
lacking this entire season.� He belted
Jackson and forced a 2Q fumble that led to the lone Stiller TD.� Then, with the game in the balance in the
3Q, Bell crushed Jackson on a 2d & goal plunge from the 1, which stopped
Jackson stone cold.� Porter had some
relentless pressure, abusing Stokes time and time again.� Porter also had the sack and forced fumble
of Holcomb late in the 1Q, not Jason GilDong.�
The stat sheet credited GilDong; it was Porter who made the play.� Speaking of the Gilded Dong, Big Jason did
nothing the entire day.� The Stillers
could have placed a 55-gallon drum out there at LOLB and gotten the same effectiveness
and productivity.� The Big 3:� A-.�
Jason GilDong: D.�
DB:�
The secondary gave up a fair amount of passing yardage, but unlike the
entire season, they gave up no long plays or hideous TDs.� And, unbelievably, they actually defended
several passed balls!� Leading the way
was Lil' Deshea Townsend, with 3 passes defended.� He had a good bust-up on a potential TD pass from the Stiller
16-yard line in the 1Q.� A few plays
later, he had another bust-up.� Townsend
isn't making superstar plays, but compared to the woeful play of DeWayne
Washington, Townsend is truly setting the world on fire.� Troy Pola continues to improve, because he's
getting more PT.� He forced an
incompletion late in the 2Q with a good rush and a hit on the QB as he threw.� On the down side, Troy was flagged for
offsides, as well as a hold.� Sad Scott
had a key INT, and also teamed with Hope to stop N-cutt short of the end zone
on that big 4th down play.� Hope got
more PT than he has in his NFL career, and acquitted himself fairly well.� Logie dropped an INT in the 2Q, but chipped
in with some decent tackling. �Burnt
Alexander had an INT on a ball thrown into triple coverage, meaning we're
probably saddled with the sorry SOB for yet another season.� A-.����
Spec
teams:� The spec teams were shaky.� Reed missed a 45-yard FG.� Josh boomed a 2Q punt all of 29 yards.� Then late in the 4Q, from the Clev 47, the
Stillers needed a clutch pooch punt to pin down the Browns.� Instead, Josh rocketed a punt into the EZ
for a touchback.� The return game did
little.� Troy Pola committed a hold on a
decent KO return in the 1Q, but redeemed himself with a clutch tackle of N-cutt
on the final play of the game.� C-.�
OC:�
Mularkey continued his puzzling, grab-bag ways.� In the 2Q, the Stillers began a drive at the
Clev 40.� On the first play, Bettis
ripped off a 13-yard run.� This seemed
to be the opportunity to seize the momentum of what was a rather humdrum game,
and jam the ball a few times down the throat of the Brownies.� Instead, Mularkey ordered 3 straight passes,
and Reed's 45-yard FG was no good.�
Flare pass to Batboy Bettis on 3d & goal at the 3?� Utterly asinine.� And 1st & 10 from under the shadows of our own goalpost, and
Mularkey has the slowest QB in the NFL dropping back to pass from the EZ, and
then attempting a pass to Kreider, who was barely out of the EZ.� Then there's the series late in the 4Q.�� The Stillers faced a 3d & 12 at the
Clev 40 � leading the game 13-6 -- and what does Mularkey order up?� The SG draw to Haynes, good for a LOSS of
2.� And when Dan Kreider is the leading
pass catcher (tied with Plex) in a game, you know there are problems with
scheme and use of resources.� C-.��
DC:�
Tiny Tim Lewis breathed a long sigh of relief.� Clev had several good drives and golden opportunities, but 2
foolish unforced turnovers killed the Browns.�
The loss of William Green clearly hampered the Browns as well.� The secondary definitely stepped it up
today.� Question -- why'd it take 11
(ELEVEN) weeks for this to happen?�
C+.�
�
HC:� Billy Cowher
will be all proud of his team after this game.�
Of course, you saw more of the pussy football that Cowher personally
promulgates.� SG draw on 3d & 12 at
the Clev 40 yard line late in the 4Q??�
This was the
kind of gutless playcalling we saw on Monday nite vs. SF.� You go for the first down on that play, or
perhaps even a TD by going deep.�
SETTLING for a FG try or a punt off a weakassed draw play is the kind of
play that separates the champs from the chumps.� And make no mistake -- there is no bigger chump in the NFL than
Little Billy Cowher.� C.�
Synopsis:�
There will be an enormous amount of gushing and fawning over the
Stillers after this game.� Any win over
Clev is as good as prom night, but like the wins over Arizona, et al, this win
needs to be kept in perspective.� Clev
gave away this game so badly that Tagliabue's office might very well
investigate if a fix was in the works.�
Rarely have I seen an NFL team just give away turnovers the way this
Brownie team did today.� Cleveland
sucks, and we just happened to suck just a little bit less than they did today.� Stay tuned for further analysis and articles
from the Stillers.com staff during the week.�