Stillers
16, Browns 13 (OT) ���. Sep. 29th, 2002 ����Game #3
Stillers-Browns
Postgame Analysis and Grades
Facing the hated Browns in the
100th meeting of this turnpike series, the Stillers came from behind, and then
hung on to eke out a 16-13 win.� Mixing
in equal amounts of slop, carelessness, and lethargy, the Stillers managed to
turn this 100th meeting into a nail biting barnburner that very easily could
have been a devastating loss.�
Big Plays:
1. On Clev's first drive,
facing a 3 &12, Couch has all day against a 3-man rush, and calmly
completes a deep crosser to Davis for 31 yards, which set up an easy FG.
2.� Later in the same drive, WR Quincy Morgan
drops a TD pass on an out pattern near the goal-line pylon, and the Browns
settle for 3 instead of 7.
3.� On the 2nd Clev drive, Jamel White dashes 54
yards up RT, setting up another FG.
4.� On a 3d & 10 at the Clev 36 early in the
2Q, Stew hits Ward on a deep seamer for 28 yards, setting up a FG.
5.� Bettis is initially ruled "in" for
the TD, but the challenge is correctly judged, and Bettis is ruled down at the
1.�� The next play, Stewart fumbles the
snap on 3rd & 1, thus forcing a Stiller FG.�
6.� Early in the 3Q, Clev. blocks a Stiller
punt, giving them golden field position at the Stiller 41.� 7 plays later, Clev. scores the go-ahead TD.
7.� On a 2d & 4 at the Clev. 24 at 9:05 4Q,
Stew throws a horrible INT in the EZ to a double-covered Ward.
8.� Maddox hits Burress for a 9-yard TD pass,
tying the score late in the 4Q.
9.� Adra Davis makes a spectacular 1-handed INT
in OT�
10.� �but Dawson hooks a 45-yard FG.
11.� Peterson's chippie FG is blocked in OT, but
luckily he is unable to advance the ball past the LOS, and Fiala recovers the
fumble.� Pete boots the next FG try thru
the uprights for the Stiller win.�
Grades:
QB: Stewart had a spotty day before his
benching.� He completed some nice passes
here and there, and was also victimized by lazy footwork by Burress, a slip by
Burress, and a mis-timed and low jump on a high pass to Breuner.� He was also harassed a fair amount by the
Clev defense, although some of that seemed self-induced by an indecisive
Stewart.� There were several passes that
were just plain awful, and he finished with a measly, peewee yards/attempt of
under 6.� Just like the last game, Stew
foolishly fumbled the snap near the enemy goal-line, which forced a FG try
rather than a possible TD plunge.� The
one deep pass he threw all game was a low- line-drive pass to Ward that could
have been defended by Tattoo from Fantasy Island.� Now in his 7th NFL season, Stewart still cannot comprehend the
physics of putting air underneath deep balls.� The INT was classic Stewart at his worst, and all too reminiscent
of the fateful 2Q, 2nd down INT versus Denver in the Jan. 1998 AFC Title
Game.� On a 2nd down & 4, Stewart
forced a hideous pass to a blanketed, double-covered Ward, while Burress was
WIDE OPEN on a crosser.� Stewart remained
on the bench thereafter, with Maddox assuming the helm.�� All Maddox did on his first drive was
crisply march the team 77 yards and a tying TD late in the 4Q.�� Maddox threw the INT in OT, although it was
more the case of an outstanding defensive play than a pitiful pass.� Maddox regrouped and marched the team into
chipshot FG range in OT for the game-winning FG.� Stewart: D+.�� Maddox, in
his first meaningful work in about 5 years: A-.��
RB:�
The Tubby Tailback was fairly quiet all day.� A good many of his runs were meager gains for 1 yard or nothing
at all.� He did spin off nicely on the
2Q run that initially was called a TD, but that was about it in terms of impact
from the mega-millionaire lardback.� His
longest run was a whopping 5 yards, and 24 yards on 14 carries just ain't
gettin' the job done.� Too often, Bettis
was tip-toeing and then getting toppled as easy as a bowling pin.� Fu gave the team a nice boost with some
hard-charging running in the 2nd half, gaining 20 yards on 4 rushes.� AZ was pretty quiet, though he did gain a
critical 1st down in OT with some nice quickness and speed on a SG draw.� This group will have to do more for the
Stillers to be considered contenders.�
B-.���
FB: Kreider opened a few holes with
some good blocks.�� B.�
WR:�
Ward led the way with 9 grabs for 104 yards, including a sterling,
Swann-like grab on a deep crosser that was thrown high & off-target by
Stew, but Ward scaled the ladder and hauled it in.� Burress awoke from his slumber with 8 grabs for 84 yards and a
TD.� He made a nice pluck on a high out
pass from Stew early in the game.� But,
as occurs all too often, Burress' mental lapses caused disaster for the
Stillers.� On a 3d & 1 running play,
Burress was flagged for a ticky-tack hold.�
On the ensuing play, Burress caught an out pass near the sideline, but
lazily -- as is his penchant -- failed to get both feet in bounds.� It is this kind of lazy footwork by Burress
that is rapidly becoming his trademark.�
Terrence Mathis was finally given some work, and responded with some
clutch grabs.� Randle El had a busy day,
grabbing 5 passes, including an incredible spin and RAC in OT that set up the
chippie FG.� He also ran the ball twice
and smartly threw one ball away on a gimmick play in which Stew was covered. �B+.�
TE:�
This line from the boxscore says it all:� "Bruener�1 reception, minus 2 yards."��� Yes, the dashing, bedeviling Mark Breuner,
with one grab for negative yardage.�
What was incredulous on this play were two things: why was Bruener is
such a dumbassed location on a QB scramble to catch a minus 2-yard pass�.and
with the location of the grab near the sideline, why did the supposedly savvy
Breuner even catch the ball?� Later in
the game, Mister Stonefoot was thrown a high seamer, and he responded with an
ill-timed jump in which his feet might have cleared three nickels stacked atop
each other.� Might have, because
it's plausible Breuner's feet may have skimmed the nickel atop the stack.� The God of Blocking played the entire game,
yet the Stiller running game was plagued with more penetration that you'd see
in a John Holmes film.� C.���
OL: The O-line had a chance to dominate
against a rushing defense that had resembled the Sieve of Aristosthenes, but
instead the O-line waddled and slathered their way throughout the entire
game.� The Browns got immense and
continual penetration on both running and passing plays.�� Ex-Stiller Orpheus Roye looked like a cross
between Alan Page and Randy White, thoroughly whipping his man several times
and blowing into the backfield.� Wayne
Candy was flagged for a foolish false start on 4th & less than a yard.� Throughout the game, the Browns were able to
stampede unimpeded into the Stiller backfield.�
For a unit as experienced and healthy as this one, this was grossly unacceptable.� D.�
DL:�
The D-line had an average game against a very average Cleveland
O-line.� Smith and Hampton were pretty
active, yet at the same time, the Stillers were getting gashed for huge chunks
of yardage by little Jamel White.�
B-.�
LB:�
James Farrior continues to look like an OLB trying to play ILB.� He was soft and flaccid on the White TD run,
and on several other plays he was "catching" the blocker rather than
knifing by and making the stick.� He did
make some solid stops.� Foote played in
place of the injured KenBell and chipped in with some adequate plays.� Clark Haggans played a fair amount and
chipped in a few times, including a nice, quick rush that led to a sack of
Couch.� Haggans did drop an INT near the
GL on a 3rd down pass, although that often happens to a 3rd-year LB who has
overtly rotted on the pine his first 2 seasons in the league.� Porter had a pretty strong game.� He spent most of the day in coverage, and
snared 1 INT to go along with a team-high 5 solos.� The most invisible LB, of course, was none other than Casper
Gildon, the supposed "pro bowler" who spent the entire day getting
bullied about or titty-fighting & playing patty-cakes with an opposing
blocker.� Despite being on the field for
every one of Cleveland's 53 plays, Jason The Gimcrack stood around with thumb
inserted up his southern orifice and sat fallow, doing absolutely nothing.� And I mean, absolutely jack shit
nothing.� In all, this crew needs to
step up its play if the Stillers are to make a run.� Gildon: D.�� Rest of LBs:
B-.���
DB:�
The secondary partially redeemed themselves from the toasting in games 1
& 2 with a pretty solid effort.�
Flowers was flagged for PI, but redeemed himself soon thereafter with a
sack in which he beat TE Mark Campbell.�
Townsend had good coverage and a nice breakup on an end zone pass to
Davis in the 3Q.� Chad and DeWayne
provided far tighter coverage, and some pretty good tackling.� Mike Logan made a stupendous play to fight
off a block on a screen pass, and then pop up and make the stop, a play that
some "pro bowl" LBs are thoroughly incapable of making.� Logan also had some good harassment on the
QB on blitzes.� B+.���
Spec teams:�
Yet another day of slop, shit, and vomit from a Bill Cowher-coached
special teams.�� Amongst the barf:�
- 37-yard punt, giving the
Browns golden field position for their 2nd FG drive.��
- 33-yard KO return after a
Stiller 2Q FG.���
- On a squib kick late in
the 2Q, rookie V. Haynes is flagged for being offsides.� The following squibber was piss poor, and
sloppy coverage allowed Clev to return the ball to the Pit 49.�����������
- On the opening KO of the
2H, Peterson booms the ball all the way to the 25, giving Clev. beautiful FP at
their 39.�
- Townsend is flagged for a
hold on a 3Q punt.�������
- Clev. gains 18 yards on a
punt return reverse that would have netted far more if the Cleveland
lead-blocker would have swiveled his head and blocked Josh Miller.������������������
- With new snapper Dan
O'Leary and "left guard" James Farrior imitating mannequins, and with
Josh Miller studying the authenticity of Paul Tagliabue's signature on the
football with the thoroughness of an auctioneer at Sotherbees, Clev. blocks a
3Q punt.��� ���
- Late in the 4Q, just
after the Stillers tied the game, Peterson promptly boots the kickoff out of
bounds.� ����
- Late in the 4Q, Jerame
I'm-not-a-Man commits a dumbassed hold, backing the Stillers up to their 5-yard
line.� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ����������� ���������
- An easy, chip-shot,
game-winning FG -- marginally longer than a PAT -- is blocked in OT on a kick
that had poor height for such a short distance, and only by the grace of God do
the Stillers get a reprieve and the chance to win the game on another FG
try.�
There were a few bright
spots, such as a few swift returns by El and a nip of the OT FG by Kimo's
helmet, but all in all, this game was replete with the kind of foolhardy
special (read: handicapped) teams slop that has become the trademark of
a Billy Cowher coached football team.�
F.�
OC:�
Mularkey had 2 weeks to prepare for this game, and all we saw was a
grab-bag assortment of cutesy gimmick plays that had no set-up whatsoever.� Most enraging were the little cutely plays
on 3rd & short, one of which did get the requisite yardage but the other
easily sniffed out by Clev., forcing Burress to make a reaching block that drew
a flag.� By no means am I asking for
Neanderthal football on 3rd & short, but Mularkey not only takes his best
decoy, Bettis, out of the game on 3rd & short, but then adds to the
stupidity with no-brained gimmickry when the defense is actually looking for
the gimmicks.� The best time to run
gimmicks is on 1st or 2nd downs, when the defense is looking for bland vanilla,
such as a Bettis plunge.� Pulling Bettis
on 3rd & 1 is essentially sounding a loud alarm siren to the opposing
defense, along with bullhorn that blares,�
"Attention on the defense: beware of chicanery from the Stiller
offense!!"� What's more maddening
is the absurdly slowwwww pace that Mualrkey used, once again, for this Stiller
offense.� I'm all for clock usage and
time of possession, but the meandering, plodding manner that this Stiller
offense operates in is pure madness.�
And, with the Stillers facing a 4th & 1 in the 1Q, they had to burn
a timeout with a 1 sec on the playclock because the play call apparently wasn't
made in a timely manner.� Another TO was
used to avoid a DOG penalty late in the 2Q, before the 3rd & 9 pass
attempt.� Not to defend the shoddy play
of Stewart, but Maddox no doubt was the recipient of what a crisp, rapid-fire
rhythm can do for an offense, as opposed to the past 2-3/4 games in which the
offense's pace has resembled a drunken wino stumbling down Stanwix Street after
a late-nite drinking binge.� Stewart
completed passes of -2 and 1 yard to receivers on plays in which he was scrambling
-- and you have to ask WHY in the name of Jesus H. are Breuner and Ward even in
a spot on the field to catch passes of negative or minimal yardage?� If it happens in a game, it more than likely
happens in practice, and Mularkey has obviously condoned, and perhaps has even
encouraged, such asinine stupidity of receivers placing themselves in a
position to snare a pass for minus 2 yards.�
Another knock on Mularkey was the no-brained playcall on the 2nd & 4
in the 4Q.� The Stillers were rumbling
over the Browns on this drive, gaining rushing yardage of 6, 4-1/2, 3, 5, and
1.� I could live with a pass here, if
it were SET UP with a play action.� In
fact, it clearly was NOT, and the result was a hideous INT.� Finally, there was the absurd refusal to even
attempt a pass to Burress late in the 1st half, with the Stillers knocking at
the door deep in Cleveland territory.��
In typical fashion, the Stillers ignored the enormous advantage Burress
had over the Clev. CBs, and then settled for the FG.� All in all, Mularkey needs to pick it up immensely.�� D+.�
DC:�
Tiny Tim, the Stiller DC, picked it up some with tighter coverage, as
well as some good use of Mike Logan, which, incidentally, had been called for
by this very writer last
week.� Getting gashed by Jamel White
and an average O-line isn't a very good sign, although a majority of those
yards can be attributed to a certain "team captain" who more resembles
a water boy or a parking lot attendant.�
B.�
HC:�
Thanks to the missed FG and an incredibly lucky break after the blocked
FG in OT, Billy Cowher avoids the utter disaster of an 0-3 start.� Armed with an extra week to prepare and work
out the kinks, the Stillers fiddled and farted around for well over 3 quarters
of play before getting it somewhat in gear.�
Even then, the Browns had the game in the bag, but missed a game-winning
FG in OT.�� With an extra week of
preparation, and playing a must-win game at home�this was the best that
Billy Cowher could do??� Utterly
pathetic, and piss poor.� Even kicking
the FG on 2nd down was an overly conservative Cowher move.� Half the Browns starting secondary was out
with injury, and he's got a huge mismatch with Burress, yet Cowher couldn't
stand the thought of taking a stab on a fade in the EZ and then, if
unsuccessful, kicking the FG on 3rd down, which offers the same benefits as
kicking on 2nd down.� The responsibility
for the continued special teams atrocities has to, at some point in time, fall
on the head coach, who happens to have one, and only one, specialty from
his NFL playing experience: Special teams.�
In all, this was a sloppy goatrope that buys the team some new life, but
leaves far too many question marks.�
There is one man responsible for the planning, preparation, and
crispness of execution, and his name is Billy Cowher.� It's high time he be held accountable and responsible. D.��
Synopsis:
�Any win over Cleveland is just about as good
as being a kid on Christmas morning, but this win admittedly has a sour taste
to it.� The overt, outrageous slop and
lethargy from a team playing at home in a must-win game is nothing short of
reprehensible.� The way this team was
whipped on both sides of the ball in the trenches, I can't help but wonder if
these Stillers were enjoying beer in the same Hofbrau beer tent at the
Oktoberfest in Munich, as I was the day (and night) before this game.� Like some of the cheesy wins this team
lucked into at the start of the '99 season, don't allow this hollow win to hide
the blatant warts that exist on this team�warts that seemingly have no sign of
disappearing any time soon.� One cheesy,
overly fortuitous win should not erase the memory of what has been 11 or 12
poorly played quarters in these first 3 games of what was supposed to be a
Super Bowl campaign.� This team needs to
get the fire burning very soon, or soon enough they'll be looking at the
playoff picture with binoculars.� Next
up is a tough road trip to New Orleans, and it will be interesting to see if
this team shows any marked improvement from the slop and lethargy we saw
today.�