A Recap of Game #14 – Browns @ Seahawks
Well it was a great start to this game, but after that it was all downhill for the orange and Brown. Johnny Manziel and the offense were decent but the defense was once again awful. In the end, I came away thinking less of the Seahawks. I don’t believe they are a great team – they simply feasted on a weak team. Let’s look more into this game.
Offense:
Quarterback – Johnny Manziel made several plays and avoided a few key sacks. I did not expect the signal caller to excel in this contest (and he didn’t) but figured he would be respectable. That was pretty much the case in this matchup. If the Browns want to keep the quarterback and pair him with playmakers, the franchise might actually have something under center. That is a long ways a way, however.
Running Back – The more productive back in this contest was Duke Johnson. The rookie had a couple decent runs between the tackles, but he was also able to catch and run as a receiver. I was not surprised to see the running game struggle mightily, but the fact that DeFilippo was able to still utilize the backs was something that was sorely needed. Hopefully they can improve upon this output next game.
Wide Receiver – Drops, drops, and more drops for the wide outs – that’s what happens when you have a depleted unit. Terrelle Pryor, Marlon Moore, and Travis Benjamin each missed on great opportunities in this contest. It is beyond obvious that this team needs a top-flight target for their quarterback who can command double teams and haul in passes in traffic.
Tight End – It was Gary Barnidge doing Gary Barnidge things in this game. The tight end hauled in a touchdown (his ninth of the year, tied for the most in franchise history) and made a tremendous play to pick up a third down. Once again, he was only guy within this group to make a play – unless you could Jim Dray breaking up a possible interception in the first quarter. No E.J. Bibbs in this game, and I continue to be disappointed.
Offensive Line – John Greco got hurt early and left the game in the first quarter. Filling in, rookie Cameron Erving continued to look rough and was dominated consistently. I hope he is just learning the tricks of the trade and will pick up the professional game – but I do not have a lot of confidence at this point. The other guys held up their end of the bargain; which is a tall order against the Seattle defense.
Defense:
Defensive Line – Facing a third (or fourth) string running back, I would like to believe that the Browns were decent against the running game. They did allow a fair amount of yardage to several backs (including the quarterback) – but it could have been a ton worse. Danny Shelton made some nice tackles, and Xavier Cooper was active upfront. Meanwhile Desmond Bryant did his best to be around the football all contest long. However that was not the reason why the defense failed today.
Linebacker – Once again the outside linebackers were invisible and could not take the shrimpy quarterback down with a sack. Maybe Nate Orchard can be a solid linebacker, but this coaching staff is putting him in spots to stop the run. Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo never rushed the signal caller and could not help in run support. On the inside, Karlos Dansby and Chris Kirksey had some tackles but there were far from disruptive.
Secondary – I don’t care if it was Charles Gaines, Pierre Desir, or Johnson Bademosi – the cornerbacks were awful in all aspects of coverage. They simply could not cover Doug Baldwin – who is apparently Jerry Rice. It’s pathetic to see a little guy hit less than talented guys for multiple scores, especially when the Browns cannot do this. There needs to be some changes next year – I don’t care if it’s coaching or personnel but this is just sad.
Special Teams: Raheem Moestert might have been the best player for the Browns in this game. The new returner made the most of his opportunities and actually returned kicks past the twenty-yard line. Realistically, this part of the roster was not why the team was defeated handily.
Coaching: I’m tired of defending this coaching staff (especially for the defense) – they are putting guys in bad spots and making them make plays they simply are not able to. I like DeFilippo and what he has done but the defensive game plans are terrible. Two more games of this garbage and then there’s more time off from watching bad football.
intentionalhounding 