Stillers 41, Brownies 9���. Jan 2, 2011 ����Game # 16
Stillers-Browns Postgame
Analysis and Grades
The
Stillers roared out to a fast 14-0 lead and then coasted to a cake-easy 41-9
stomping of the hapless BrownNosers, thereby securing
the AFC North and a 1st round bye.���
Grades:
QB:�
Benji started quick, throwing a rare, but nice, high arc that LED Mike
Wally for a 56-yard bomb TD.�� He
finished 15 of 22 for 2 TDs and no INTs.�� Ben also had a nice read and run on a key 3D
QB draw.� Benji is now 12-2 when playing
in his home state of OH. �����A+
RB:�
Mendy is rapidly becoming the guy that can occasionally impress me, but
then just as quickly enrage me with half-assed or nit-witted efforts.���
�� He had a terrific power run deep in Clev
territory in the 1Q, busting 2 tackles for a 7-yard gain.� Runs like this make me beam with joy.� But then, in the 2Q, he grabbed a flare pass
and had ACRES of open room.� Mendy got a
head of steam and dashed down the sidelines...and then meekly tip-toed,
UNTOUCHED, out of bounds after a 24-yard game.��
This was simply a gutless, heartless, wretched play by a
larger-than-average RB with a full head of steam.�� He�s got a DB to take on, and at that point
he can either bowl the guy over or put on a juke and dash for some more yardage.��
�
��� Then, on a 1 & G later in the 2Q, Mendy
took a toss sweep, and with good blocking developing, the only debate seemed to
be what kind of end zone jubilation he might do.� Instead, Mendy meekly tip-toed like a
complete butt-hump, and was easily nabbed by a smallish DB for a meager 1-yard
gain.�� Very, very
poor.��
Redman got
some work at RB and continues to impress.�
He had a good blitz pick-up on a pass play to Ward for 8 yards.� He also had a strong power run on 3d & 2,
gaining 5.� At this point, I see no
reason why Redman has not established himself as THE go-to guy in short-yardage
situations.�� He has a nose for a small
crease, and he runs low and know full well how to burrow
for extra yardage.�
FB: Legursky
played FB on 2 GL plunges that went it for TDs.��� Well done.����� A
WR:�
Wally led the way with 3 grabs for a buck-oh-five.�� Very impressive.�� Along with the TD bomb, he snared a short
slant and took it 41 yards on 3d & 3.�
Wally is really, really emerging as a true #1 receiver.� His patterns are crisp, his hands are
reliable, and he�s playing with a ton of confidence.�
Ward had 5
grabs for 45, and a nice TD catch.�� He
also made a strong catch on an early 3d & 7, snaring a tough out pass and
getting both feet IB.�
Sanders and
Brown continue to improve and flourish.�
Sanders had just 1 grab, for 16 yards.�
Brown had 4 for 52, including a nice RAC on a bubble screen that went
for 26 yards.�
Randle El
had 2 grabs for 21, and threw a superb pass off a toss-sweep gadget play for
the TD to Ward.�� ���A+�
TE:�
Miller was ignored until 10:18 2Q.��
He grabbed 4 for 55.�� He had a
good roll into the EZ for a TD, and in the 2H, had a superb rumble over
a DB after a short RAC, gaining 16 yards.��
Spaeth
played and fortunately was not thrown any passes. �����Miller:�
A��� Spaeth:� Inc
OL: The line had a fairly solid effort
all day long, although it was against a depleted Clev D-line.��� Still, they gave Ben plenty of room and
time, and opened up some good running holes as well.�� They committed no penalties, which of course
is an extreme rarity.��
��� Foster twice paved the way on GL plunge TDs.�� On the first,
he literally drove his man into the ground to open up the hole for Mendy.��
�� Pouncey got nicked up late in the 3Q,
getting grabbed and thrown to the ground in a really cheap-assed play by Fat
Shaun Rogers.��� Legursky
replaced him at center.� ����A-
DL:�
The line did a solid job today.��
Or particularly surprising prowess was Ziggy Hood, who had a very
stellar effort today.�� ��He
showed a high motor and ranginess that we�ve not seen since....well, never.�� Using a good spin move, he applied rare
pressure and got a sack.� Hood stopped Hillis on a 2-yard run.�
He had a good read on a boot to the Clev right, and forced a TA.� Hood applied a good clean-up hit on Cribbs on a Wildcat keeper.�
Dude made more plays in 1 game than he had in the prior 10 games
combined.��
Keisel had
a FF and a bat.�� The rest of the DL
played solidly.����� A
LB:�
Timmons led the way with 9 solos and a FF.� He enraged me with a whiff on a BLIND-side
sack attempt, after which Dolt completed a 15-yard pass on 1st & 15.� He had a superb hustle-play on a wide bubble
screen in the 1Q.��
Taunto
Farrior didn�t taunt any Clev fans, which is how he originally got his nickname
in the first place some 4 years ago.�� He
was badly tooled by Watson on a drag-out on the 1st series, but Watson bobbled
the ball right into Pola�s hands to save Taunto�s
bacon.�� On the next series, however,
Clev astutely went right back to Watson on Farrior, with Watson easily beating
a clumsy, off-balance Farrior on 3d & 10 for a 12-yard gain.�� Very poor.�� He did read and blow up an end around for
-3.��
LaMarr
Woodley had just another wretched, pitiful game, hopefully cementing his signing
with another team come the off-season.�� He
whiffed on a sack of McCoy deep in PIT territory, which allowed McCoy to break
outside contain and nearly hit a WR in the back corner of the EZ.��� Having learned nothing, on the very next
play, WoodenDick again LOST outside contain, allowing
Dolt to scoot outside and throw a perfect pass to the EZ that was DROPPED by
the clumsy Clev WR (Royal).��� Stupidity
like this simply enrages me.��
��� After having done NOTHING the entire 1H,
Woodley got a half-DONG sack on the final play of the 1H, created when McCoy
had to dodge 2 defenders �and then Woodley got the cheesy slop
sack.�� This was the ONLY play that Big LaMarr had on the stat sheet in 2-1/4 quarters of
play.��
�� In the 2H, Woodley AGAIN lost outside
contain, allowing McCoy to get outside on 3d & 10 on a play that
Madison got a sack after chasing down the QB.��
Foote
busted up a pass in the EZ in the 2Q.��
Sylvester
sniffed out a screen and applied a good stick.�
He also, unlike Woodley, read a QB bootleg on the 2-pointer and contained
the QB with a good ANGLE, forcing an errant pass.� He�s already 3 times smarter than
Woodley.���
Timmons,
Harrison, Sylvester:�� A���� Farrior:�
B��� ���Woodley:��
D+��
DB:�
Pola had the athletic INT on the 1st series, setting the tone.� He also had a spectacular leap over the line
that nearly corralled McCoy for a sack.��
Ryan Clark
had a long, ugly day.�� He was juked by
McCoy on a scramble.� On the next play,
he got shrugged off by Watson in hilarious fashion during a RAC.� He was beaten for the Royal TD in the 2Q, but
Royal dropped the pass.�
Ike was far
too high on a tackle attempt of Massaquoi, resulting
in a 31-yard gain.��� Poor.�� �����Pola:��
A�����
All others:� C-�
Spec
teams:� Suisham did a very
effective job of squib kicking, and Cribbs was never
a factor.�� Sylvester had a rugged tackle
on KO cover, and Fox applied a good tackle later that hobbled Cribbs.� Sylvester
later led a charge in KO coverage in the 2Q.�
Suisham
nailed a 41-yarder in cold weather, and also added a 24-yarder.�� This dude is rock solid right now.�� ���Krapinos boomed a punt into the EZ for a touchback.����� A
OC:�
Arians had a rare, nice day.��� I was
pleased that he struck immediately after the Pola INT with the bomb to
Wally.��� With Wally�s speed and Ben�s
arm, this play should be run at least 3 times a game.��
It was far
from perfect, of course.� On a 2nd &
7 in the 1Q (after a 3-yard plunge on 1D), Arians went with a 2 TE set, which I
can live with.�� What I can�t live with,
is a NON-play action pass in a set that �features� Matt Spaeth and NO Mike
Wallace; no Sanders, and no Brown.��� Unacceptable.�� At
this point, unless Wally is gassed from having run a deep route, his ass need to be ON the field for EVERY play.� This guy strikes fear in EVERY defense and it
opens up a ton of acreage for other receivers.��
When you sit Wally and insert Matt Spaeth in order to PASS the football,
you�ve diminished your offensive capability by, oh, 70%.���
Then there was
the 1st down play at the CLEV 12, which was a designed slant to Randle
El that was inc.��
WHY ???���
��You have Ward, Miller, Wally,
and Sanders....yet ya throw a pass to the worst,
smallest WR on the team ???�� Why ?��� Fuking stupidity !���
While the
gadget play using Randle El to hit Ward was nice, it could have just as easily
been kept in Arians� hip pocket until it was, you know, actually needed.� The Stillers were up by 28 and didn�t need
this gimmickry.�� I�d have preferred this
be kept under-cover and then exploited in a tight playoff game.�
Miller wasn�t
thrown a pass until 10:18 2Q.�� Unacceptable.�� �������B-�
DC:�
Dick padded his stats and reviled in glory after shutting down rookie QB
Dolt McCoy.� Dick is so clever!!�� With the game still in doubt in the 1Q and
early 2Q, Dick allowed cake-easy conversions on:
��� 3d & 10
��� 3d & 11
��� 3d & 10��
Very poor.��� A massive concern going forward into the
playoffs is this assaholic addiction by nearly the
entire defense of GRABBING HIGH on tackles.��
Timmons and Ike were victimized today with this foolishness, and the
past few games
HC:� After last
year�s embarrassing loss to Clev, Tomlin had his fellows ready to hunt
bear.�� I wasn�t pleased with how many
starters were still in the game in the 3Q.�� The Stillers led at halftime, 31-3.� At this point, the ENTIRE bench should have
been cleared off and INSERTED into the game.�
�Nope, not
Tomlin.� Asleep at the wheel, he
apparently felt that some more garbage time against a lifeless, disinterested
Clev team would somehow better prepare his starters for the rigors of playoff
football.��
���� Ben was still in
the game to start the 2H, and wasn�t pulled until the Stillers took over at
5:34 3Q.�� Pouncey got needlessly nicked
up with a stinger late in the 3Q, with the Stillers holding a commanding,
dominating 38-3 lead.� WHY
??�� Why was the guy even in the
game at that point ???���
Then Tomlin, in the 2nd half of this blowout, challenges 1
play and called a TO to mull over a challenge.� This, from a guy who rarely ever
challenges plays in meaningful games, and now, in this blowout, he�s throwing red
flags like a dart player.���� ���B-�
Synopsis:�
It�s always nice to whip ass on the hated Browns.�� The only downfall to the way the schedule played
out, is that the Stillers played the past 2 games
against JV competition, which isn't a good way to do a final tuneup for the playoffs.��
However, they are fairly well rested and should get ample rest and heal
some wounds with the bye week.�� The
Stillers will host a playoff game on Sat, Jan. 15th, at 4:30 PM against either Indy, KC, or Balt.���
(Still Mill
and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the