"Browns offense is (pick one) putrid, abysmal, needles-to-eyeballs-bad. But trail only 10-0 at half," Tweeted Cleveland Browns beat writer Tony Grossi after the first 30 minutes of Sunday's game. Unfortunately for Cleveland fans, things didn't get much better during the second half of play.
The Baltimore Ravens played ugly, ugly football, and still managed to defeat the Browns 24-10 on Sunday. A game recap and box score can be found here.
The game was over: When Baltimore RB Ray Rice(notes), who ran all over the Browns in both halves, answered a Phil Dawson(notes) field goal with a much more significant play. A plethora of Baltimore miscues coupled with a Dawson field goal had the Browns trailing the Ravens just 10-3 with under six minutes remaining in the third quarter. On the first play following the Browns kickoff, Rice sped down the field for 67 yards, a run that landed the Ravens down at the Cleveland six-yard line. That one play eliminated any momentum and confidence the Browns may have had following the field goal, and also resulted in the nail-in-the-coffin score.
The difference: There's obviously not just one thing that separates these Ravens from these Browns. An inability to find the end zone has crippled Cleveland throughout the 2011 season, and it did so again on Sunday. A 52-yard completion to running back Peyton Hillis(notes) took the Browns inside the Baltimore six-yard line halfway through the third. Cleveland couldn't come up with a game-changing play, however, as two Colt McCoy(notes) incomplete passes forced the Browns to settle for three.
The Ravens found themselves in a similar situation on the very next drive following Rice's jaunt down the field. Baltimore needed only two plays to score six, a touchdown that put the Ravens up 17-3. In just a few minutes of play, we saw why the Ravens are a team that's finishing the season with a winning record, and why the Browns are, well, the Browns.
Poor Colt: Every week, I feel as if I'm defending quarterback Colt McCoy to Cleveland fans demanding more from the young QB. The interception he threw at the end of the first half, one that resulted in three Baltimore points, was a horrendous pick, as bad a pass as he'll throw all season long. Can you really blame him for trying to make that throw? His wide receivers and tight ends again hung him out to dry with numerous drops and by running incorrect routes. Any quarterback, especially one that has won at every level, is going to be at least a bit frustrated when dealing with such setbacks.
I'm not suggesting McCoy is definitely "the guy." Anybody who claims that McCoy isn't, however, is making quite the statement about those playing alongside the current Cleveland QB. Outside of top tier quarterbacks such as Tom Brady(notes), Aaron Rodgers(notes) and (maybe) Drew Brees(notes), I'm not sure there's a QB in the league that could consistently win games with this particular offense.
Browns MVP: Rookie defensive end Jabaal Sheard(notes) continues to impress. He now has a sack and forced fumble in three straight games. The Cleveland pass defense seems to have a solid foundation. If the offense looked half as good as the team's defense, Browns games wouldn't be so painful to watch.
Overall: Just another completely missable game played by the 2011 Cleveland Browns. Thursday night's game in Pittsburgh could be even uglier. All I want for Christmas is one more Browns win this season.
Even Santa can only do so much.
