Stillers 26, Browns 14..... Jan 3, 2022 …………Game # 16
Stillers-Browns Postgame Analysis and Grades
The 7-7-1 Stillers hosted the 7-8 Browns in Ben’s last home game. The Stillers wheezed and sputtered all game long, but mustered just enough, along with vast ineptitude by Cleveland, to eke out the win.
Due to the late-nite nature of this game, this report will be a bit condensed.
Grades:
QB: Ben had a very bland, ordinary game in his final home game.
First series – threw a meager pass on FIRST down to Fryboy, for 4 yards…..er, a 4 yard LOSS. Why even attempt this pass ? Sure as shit, this blew the drive all to hell, and they had to punt 3 plays later.
2d series - 3d & 9, and Checkdown Charlie, BenRoth, checks it down for a 3-yard LOSS. Brilliant !! What a gunslinger….!
3d series – poor deep ball, throw way too far to Dionte.
Mid 2Q, got stripped of the ball, but recovered.
It was a helluva career by Big Ben, but the need for retirement is painfully obvious after the one. Finished 24 of 46 for a paltry 123 yards passing, or 2.7 yards per completion, which is rather sorry. C+
RB:
Harris – Big time power run for a TD to cap off one helluva game by Najee Harris. 28 rushes, 188 yards, 6.7 yards per rush. Ran like a beast all game long. Dude's a baller. A+
McFarl – never saw the field on O.
Snell – ran a plunge, 4Q, for 3 yards.
FB:
Watt - Carried the ball on a FB plunge, 4th & 1, 1Q, and got the needed yardage. Stop the presses -- First carry of the season!
WR:
Wash – again rotted the pine. Thrown a deep ball, late 1Q, but the ball was a bit too long. Was never targeted again.
Dionte - dropped one pass in the 1Q, and another in the 2Q. Snared a short TD pass, 10:39 2Q. Had 8 grabs for 31, which obviously is rather puny. B-
Claypool – thrown a variety of combat catch balls, but didn’t catch any of them. Had 3 grabs for 17. C+
GayRay McCloud – rare, good grab, late 2Q, holding on at the Clev 4 despite a big hit. Caught some other piddly stuff. Targeted a ridiculous TEN times, and finished with a piddly 4 grabs for 35. C
TE:
Pat FryBoy – had 5 grabs for 22.
Gentry – thrown an elaborate play-action pass with all sorts of movement and motion…..all for no gain.
OL: Overall, the line blocked adequately. The run blocking produced the biggest game of the year for Harris. For as shoddy as this Oline has been, they were a damn sight better than the Oline was the last time these 2 teams played at Heinz Field. Amazing what happens when ya get rid of over-rated deadwood like Fat Maurkice and company.
KenDick Green sat out due to a calf, replaced by JC Ass-an-hour. (He blows ass at least once an hour.)
Fat Trai Turner got whipped by Clowney for a strip sack, 2Q, although Ben recovered the ball.
Okorofor completely olayed Clowney on a 3d down pass play from the PIT 11, nearly causing a safety, with Ben sacked at the 1. Overall, a decent effort. B+
DL:
Heyward – The $65M Man had 4 solos.
Had 2 batted passes, 1Q, including one on the 4th & 7. Early in the 3Q, The Scammer got a Dong Sack for a whopping ONE yard loss, when Fake Gayfield, like a coward, bailed out of the pocket on 3d & 3. B
Tuitt – another vaunted DE who again sat out, ailed by Fat Wallet Disease. F-
Wormley – sat out due to Covid.
Loudermilk – batted a pass, 2Q. Drew a holding flag on a ground play, early 4Q. Drew a holding flag on a pass play, 4Q. Dude is a future starter, hopefully in 9 months. A
Adams – harassed Faker on a 3rd down drop-back, 3Q. Good read and sniff of screen play, early 4Q, which forced a throw-away. B+
Mondeaux – chipped in late in the game.
LB:
Bush – sat out due to Covid.
Schobert – also sat out due to Covid.
Watt –
2d series - Sitter Watt gets CAVED in, and Chubb cruises thru a hole 12 feet wide for a 32-yard run.
Batted a pass, late 1Q, while being totally unblocked. Got a sack, next play. Of course, it was on a play where he beat the rookie 4th round right tackle, James Hudson. Dong Sack, via a coverage sack, by Sitter Watt, late 2Q. The QB re-cocked the ball like 5 times on this play.
In the 4Q, Hudson imitated a pylon, and Watt came in basically Untouched and got the sack.
Got a bat, 3Q, while being totally untouched and unblocked. I’m not going to fawn over stat-padding against a woeful, inept blocker, but it was an adequate game. B+
Highsmith – nailed Faker Gayfield for a sack, last play of 3Q. Big play to drop Chubb for a 2-yard loss, 4Q. Nailed Faker Gayfield for a sack, 4Q. Was highly active and had 7 solos. A
Spillane – big lick on Chubb, first play, for a 2 yard loss. Got abused by Hooper for a long pass play, early 4Q. Chipped in decently on run stuffing. B
Marc Allen – decent run stop, late 2Q. Provided some adequate play amid a game where the ILB spot was completely bereft. Nice effort.
Burrito Charlton – did nothing.
Tuscka – got a sack, 4Q.
Gilbert- chipped in at ILB.
DB
Haden – got tooled by Njoku for a short TD, late 3Q. On a 4th and NINETEEN, this stupid-fuk needlessly jarred a WR, getting a PI flag and allowing Clev to keep the ball. This play should have basically ENDED the game with only 3:00 remaining. Half decent bust-up of a pass in the EZ, although the pass was a good 4 feet underthrown. C
Cam Sutton - flagged for PI late in the game, giving Cleve the ball at the PIT 1.
Norwood – little PT on D. Snared an INT late in the game.
Edmunds – pretty much did nothing. Had 1 solo all evening.
Minkah - quiet evening.
Pierre – thankfully saw little or no PT on D.
‘Spoon – big INT, 2Q. Dude is pushing Joe Haden out of town with each solid performance. Busted up a curl pass, late 2Q. Got tooled by Peoples for a long RAC, late 3Q. Busted up a pass, early 4Q. A-
Killebrew – got his face shoved into the turf by Chubb on a ground play, 3Q.
Spec teams:
Harvin – thankfully sat out. Waitman booted punts in his place. Superb 53 yard punt, 1Q. (Of course, Justin Layne ruined it with a 15-yard masking flag on what was a simple, cake-easy tackle.) Grabbed a high snap deep in his own EZ and got the punt off, and booted it 53 yards, no less. A+
Boswell – 4 for 4 on FGs. Helluva game. A+
RayRay – nearly caused a disaster, bobbling and dropping a punt inside his own 10, 3Q. Luckily, he recovered, but lost 8 yards in the process.
OC: Matt Canada oversaw a moribund, bungling, inept offense that was gaining TWICE as much on the ground as opposed via air, yet insisted on flinging the ball over 45 times.
1st & goal at the 4, late 2Q, with Harris having run the ball very, very well in the 1H. Sure as shit – 1st down (to GayRay, no less), pass, incomplete. 2d down, pass, incomplete. 3d down, pass, incomplete. Najee Harris never touches the ball, and the offense doesn’t so much as gain an INCH, settling for a piddly FG.
Ben calls a Timeout on 3d & 9, very late in the 3Q. Then comes out of timeout, and within 1.6 seconds of the snap, fires a very intentional TWO yard out pass to RayRay McStink, which was inc. Of course, had the ball been caught, it would have gained 4 yards. What the sam fuking hell did Canada and BenRoth discuss during the TO ?? Targeting RayRay McClod TEN times during the game…..? About 7 times too many. D+
DC:
Keith Assler had the luxury of facing the spotty, struggling Faker Gayfield, and the Browns were missing RB Kareem Hunt.
First series - Clever defensive scheme by Keith Assler .....Spillane covering Jarvis Landry. Fuking brilliant !!
Faker Gayfield playing one of the very worst games of his NFL career, made Assler’s job easy. Toss in a human pylon at RT, and his job was even easier. B-
HC: Mike Asslin will surely be all proud over eking out a thin win, at home, over the hapless, bungling Browns. And who knew Clev coach Kevin Stephanski was Stoogelin’s equal when it comes to totally eschewing a successful ground game…? Stoogelin is probably too dense to realize how miserable life is going to be once Ben retires in a couple of weeks. C+
Synopsis: A nice home-field send-off for Big Ben, coupled with a win over the hated Browns. Not shabby. Next up, the regular season finale against the hated PoeBirds.
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