Game Notes vs. Baltimore

[TheClevelandSound]

Here are my observations and criticisms:

 

-Peyton Hillis is the real deal and will be the starting RB for the rest of the season. We got a STEAL. He will be a probowler this year. He set the record for most rush yards in a game against Baltimore in Cleveland Browns history. Nuts.

 

-Eric Wright blew cock today. Not only was he overmatched, but he played half ass on every coverage and was just burned. I know for a fact he was not playing at 100% effort. Literally one player blew the game for us. If someone else was on Boldin, the score would have probably been different. That is a certainty. I dont understand why Wright did so bad he has impressed me for the last 3 years. We needed to give him some help in the game and focus efforts on Boldin. I believe Sheldon Brown should have been on boldin the whole game and Wright on Mason, since he isn't as big of a deep threat.

 

-How does the 1st ranked team in least amount of penalties last year get so many undicipline ones today. Matt Roth, really? You blew the last chance of us tying the game. I am very surprised Robaire Smith did not get flagged for his push of Todd Heap after the false start. This dug us into a hole.

 

-What happened to getting Josh Cribbs more involved in the offense? Yes he had some really good catches but we only ran one WildDawg play which was really effective. Why not run that again? Cribbs had one play as a RB which failed. Return game was terrible again. What happened to the trick plays with him and Wallace that they were bragging about all training camp? MORE CRIBBS!

 

-Our receivers are, to put it nicely, TERRIBLE! We need to go get Jackson this week, or someone to help u.s Massoquai can't get open to save his life. His route running is medicore at best. Stucky was a no show. Cribbs was the #1 in this game if you even want to call him that. Ben Watson helped out alot but Evan Moore was clearly open on some plays including that last 3rd down and wasnt even targeted. We need new receivers. No argument.

 

-Wallace should be our starter for the enitre season. He doesnt turn the ball over much, has a stronger arm, and is more athletic and mobile than Delhomme. He makes smart decisions and overs more elements for the defense to worry about. My only concern is his deep balls always seem to go out of bounds, which isn't exactly settling.

 

All we need is for Sheldon Brown to cover the opponents #1 receiver and our WR core to step it up, and we will win games. It's hard to blame the coaching anymore.

 

 

[TheClevelandSound]

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/...rback_er_3.html

 

BALTIMORE -- Browns cornerback Eric Wright pinned the 24-17 loss to the Ravens on himself, saying he had "horrible day and I let my team down.''

 

Wright let receiver Anquan Boldin run free all afternoon and gave up three touchdowns to him, although the middle one was a miscommunication between Wright and rookie safety T.J. Ward.

 

"I didn't feel like myself today at all,'' said Wright. "He's obviously a good player, but I didn't play up to my ability, not even close.''

 

Wright said he wasn't sick, and if there was something else going on with him, he didn't let on. He talked about not being able to get to the place mentally where he needed to be, but didn't explain why.

 

"We have 10 other guys on that field that are playing their hearts out, doing their responsibilities and playing tough and I just couldn't be the player we needed for us to win,'' he said.

[Mark O]

If that was the case...I still blame him for not taking himself out of the game when he knew "he wouldn't be in the right place mentally".

 

 

[Gips]

I tend to blame the DC when its obvious a player is beside himself and shouldnt be playing and doesnt ask him to come out, this isnt the first time wright has looked like a space cadat floating almost aimlessly around the field over the last 3 years, and it should have been obvious to both wrights teammates and ryan he needed to be pulled, the player will rarely ever opt out on their own, feeling if they do then he has let his teammates down as well...

 

That is a coaches call and ryan is responsible in the end and will be again if he allows wright back in to the next game...we have an future elite CB in development and sheldon brown and i have no doubt either of them could have covered boldin like a glove if not batted a couple away or even picked one off if flacco would have even tried to throw to him to begin with..wrights poor performance and ridiculous coverage made him an easy target and a free shot for flacco when he needed it on demand..

 

Wright has never been a good man coverage defender in my book and with all the safety blitzes he couldnt handle boldin and looked like he was expecting a sack to resue him or a forced under throw to pick off and he kinda laid off his target..

 

Another note is with womack and pashos our right side was strong as hell in run and pass protection against one of the best defenses in the game, a little jelling and our line is good to go....a little more time for seneca is a good thing, a little more time for jake is a must!

[BrownB499]

If that was the case...I still blame him for not taking himself out of the game when he knew "he wouldn't be in the right place mentally".

 

At what point is it the coaches responsibility(this is not a bash Mangini post) to realize the player is hurting his teams chance to win?

 

Much like the Tampa game where Delhomme hobbled though out the 2nd half...coaches should have pulled him

 

If your CB where limping badly and your opponent continuously went after him,wouldn't it make sense to pull the guy?

[manbearpig]

The announcers on the radio in Baltiwhore we're saying that if they were the coach, or Flacco they would just look Eric Wright and throw it there all day long...

[Mr. T]

Everyyone knew to throw the ball to his side.

[hoorta]

At what point is it the coaches responsibility(this is not a bash Mangini post) to realize the player is hurting his teams chance to win?

 

Much like the Tampa game where Delhomme hobbled though out the 2nd half...coaches should have pulled him

 

If your CB where limping badly and your opponent continuously went after him,wouldn't it make sense to pull the guy?

 

Amen- it's OK for a player to have a bad game. And props to Wright for admitting you sucked big time all game. OTOH- Hayen was shutting down whoever he was covering all day. it ain't exactly Rocket Science to let Joe take a shot at covering Boldin- he'll have to eventually anyway- and rotate Wright onto someone else.

 

If we can see EW is getting torched, what's your excuse Mr Ryan?

[BrownsKidd]

Amen- it's OK for a player to have a bad game.

 

It's ok to have a bad play or two... but an entire game is not ok. Sorry.. I don't agree, and I don't think anyone should. Coaches should have seen it, and provided double coverage or took wright out. An entire bad game cost us another possible win.

[Canton Mike]

Amen- it's OK for a player to have a bad game. And props to Wright for admitting you sucked big time all game. OTOH- Hayen was shutting down whoever he was covering all day. it ain't exactly Rocket Science to let Joe take a shot at covering Boldin- he'll have to eventually anyway- and rotate Wright onto someone else.

 

If we can see EW is getting torched, what's your excuse Mr Ryan?

 

There is my question too. I saw absolutely NO adjustment regarding Bolden & I didn't see Wright getting help. I also wondered why they didn't turn Haden loose on Bolden....after all, what would that have hurt.

Mike

 

[buster]

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/...rback_er_3.html

 

BALTIMORE -- Browns cornerback Eric Wright pinned the 24-17 loss to the Ravens on himself, saying he had "horrible day and I let my team down.''

 

Same thing.......not just last game.......try the last couple seasons. This guy is terrible- I hate our secondary.

 

How to beat the Browns- just throw deep. It's that simple.

 

 

[kosar_win]

I agree adjustments needed to be made, but since we cut MacDonald, we only have 3 CBs. Since the Ravens were playing 3 WR sets, it would have been difficult to take Wright out. Yes, we should have made some adjustments to compensate, but I do not think that taking Wright out would have been a viable option.

[ATENEARS]

Good post. We won in the trenches, we won TOP, our QB played a smart game for the most part ... we lost because of the vast difference between their receivers and scemes and our receivers and scemes, both offensively and defensively. We have NO wide receivers. Boldin was avaiable, he is young guy, but we don't go for the superstars because we are not a contending team. But how do we become a contending team drafting Brady Quinn, Eric Wright, Brian Robiskie, Mohammed Massoquoi, David Veikune in the first two rounds? And then when we have a chance to win a big game we have a coaching staff that refuses to remove a guy that is getting absultely toasted by a guy he souldn't be on the same field with?

 

I'm on board with Holmgren and Heckert ... but when does the fucking pain end? Throw us a fricking bone.

 

Zombo

 

It ends here:

[The Gipper]

I am sure it has been said before, but I will say it again: Eric Wright had no business going one on one with Anquon Boldin.

Boldin may be one of the 5 best WRs in the NFL. Eric Wright has been a steady performer, and perhaps he had a subpar day, but there is no way in hell that he should have ever been left alone with Boldin..even on his best day.

A poor pass rush and a poor choice on who or who not to double up as far as I can see.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

Trading Quinn for Hillis was a great move no doubt. The guy is a bull. Hope he can hold up for a few good years.

[ATENEARS]

I read this on a Raven Message Board ... it made me feel as if we are getting somewhere, as I've never heard these words murmurred in the new era:

 

"the (Baltimore) defense was great the first two games, but simply was pushed around in Cleveland"

 

... If only we didn't have two ball boys and a punt returner running pass routes .....

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

I am sure it has been said before, but I will say it again: Eric Wright had no business going one on one with Anquon Boldin.

Boldin may be one of the 5 best WRs in the NFL. Eric Wright has been a steady performer, and perhaps he had a subpar day, but there is no way in hell that he should have ever been left alone with Boldin..even on his best day.

A poor pass rush and a poor choice on who or who not to double up as far as I can see.

 

They should've swapped Sheldon and Wright. Eric is a smaller finesse CB that struggles against big physical receivers, why not let Eric cover Mason and let a more physical Brown cover Boldin. Let Ward cover Heap and play the run, Haden covers Housh when they go 3 wide and Elam makes sure nothing gets behind him.

[djdawg2010]

I'm on board with Holmgren and Heckert ... but when does the xxxxing pain end? Throw us a fricking bone.

 

Zombo

 

 

Me too Zombo! WTF is it going to take to get this team to become successful??!!! So tired of hearing... "oh we're rebuilding, and it takes time, blah blah blah!" We've been rebuilding for 10 MUTHA F***N' YEARS!!! The 80's teams were the greatest memories that I have of the Browns, and unfortunately because of HORSE MOUTH we came up short! I wasn't born the last time we won it all! I'd like to see it happen at least ONCE!!! The Browns are slowly losing their fanbase, and there is a whole lost generation of fans out there. I mean, an angry fanbase is still good, because at least that means we care. It's when the apathy sets in that will be a problem. And that is unfortunate, because the fans of this team fought tooth and nail to keep the name, history and colors in Cleveland, and for the rights to get a new team. Who knew that it would be like this? I'm really tired of the excuses, and the fact that only in Cleveland does the most hated rival's fanbase have such a large presence! If I'm Randy Lerner, and Mike Holmgren, I am absolutely EMBARRASSED about that fact!

 

Sorry, just frustrated. I will always represent my team, and my city, and I hope the other fans will find the testicular fortitude to continue to do as well. But man, is it rough!

[CLEVELandMILIDH]

Dont look at the last 10 years, thats not fair to the current regime. Look at the progress from Eric's first year to this year, its substantial. Look at the players brought in: Roth, Fujita, Brown, GoCong, Hillis, Delhomme, Wallace and we've added 6-7 starters in 2 years through the draft. I know its hard to have patience when you've been waiting this long, but you cant deny the progress being made, and made the right way. I guarantee you blowing this thing up and starting all over again will not make us more competitive next year, another year of drafts, free agents and player development under Mangini will.

[shoot]

We definitely need to land a QB before we go after the big name free agent WRs.

 

Thankfully, our running game looks really damn good. Now if only Harrison can stay healthy and play like he did at the end of last year, we could have a 1-2 punch with him and Hillis just like Carolina or the NY Jets have with their backs.

[Frenchie]

 

Sorry, just frustrated. I will always represent my team, and my city, and I hope the other fans will find the testicular fortitude to continue to do as well. But man, is it rough!

 

 

I think we're all there with you. Very frustrated!

 

First, we took out three QB's and brought in three new ones. Even though I agree with the decisions, know what? 1) we will never win with constant turnover at the QB position and 2) we will never win until we draft/trade for a franchise QB with the real stuff. I don't think he is on the current roster. Why is this so hard? Why couldn't we do what Phili, Washington, Texans, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, Bengals Colts, Giants, Saints, KC Detroit and so many other teams have done. Get the right guy and stick with him! Did anyone see the highlights of Vick's game? Character aside (and I know that's important) ... but what talent.

 

Recievers? How many posts were on this board about our need at this position? We know rookies rarely do well at the position. Where did the good recievers go? Ravens & Bengals! Just what we needed. Why didn't we go out and sign a couple of veteran recievers. It's not like they weren't there. Sorry guys, that one is on management.

 

Drafting has been consistently poor. We catch a break every once in a while ... but overall, we repeatedly do poorly with high draft choices. We will never win if we don't draft solid players in the top three rounds.

 

Coaching. I hate to say it, but I've never been on board with the OC. I can't complain about the DC. As for the HC, he impressed me more last year as a hard ass discipline jerk than this year as a soft patsy. Last year, EM reduced errors and penalties. He didn't have a lot of talent but he used what he had. For some reason, he's softened this year. You can hear it in his press conferences. What happened to the kick-ass coach that preached hard-nosed football and made no excuses? We need good coaches that can make good decisions or we won't win.

 

In conclusion, there are a lot of pieces in place in Berea and, who knows, perhaps they will gel into a decent football team with more experience playing together. Assuming that drafting improves with Heckert and he maintians or improves the existing talent in certain areas, all we need to find the franchise QB, sign a couple of FA recievers and get the right coaches. If we can so that in the off-season, we will rise quickly. If not, expect more frustration.