Mike Pettine Time?

[bbedward]

Hmmm... I don't know if I'd say the D lost us some games. I haven't gone back and looked,... maybe they did? I might be wrong. But if you're referring to some of those games in which we were ahead and kept giving the ball back to the other team without running much time off the clock, I don't think we can hang that solely on the D...

Definitely not solely, but a game winning NE drive hurt among others I can't specifically remember.

 

Really there's probably 3 games that the QB played very well and we lost, indicating a good QB will not make us instant super bowl contenders as some seem to think.

[Spectralcow]

Yeah, this is the kind of stuff I thought you meant. Prior to 1:01 left in the 4th quarter, the Browns Defense had given up 21 points in that game, and that was only after already giving up a late 4th quarter TD. Not even all of the Top 10 defenses in the league (in pts allowed per game) gave up less than 21 points per game in the 2013 regular season. So, while the Browns Defense DID make some major mistakes up to that point in the game (particularly in previous 4th quarter TD drive), they'd actually done pretty well containing a playoff team's offense up to that point.

 

Everything changed with 1:01 left in the 4th quarter when the Browns special teams failed to recover an onside kick. Had the Browns gotten the ball back at 1:01 after the New England TD like they should have, they could have run the remaining minute off the clock, and Brady wouldn't have gotten another shot at a game-winning TD drive. But, they didn't. Special teams failed to get control of the ball, and THEN the Browns defense failed to stop the New England offense again.

 

Don't get me wrong. The Browns offense did NOT play well in those last few minutes, they definitely gave up two TDs very quickly, and they made some huge mistakes that made those TD drives possible for NE. They are not blameless AT ALL. In fact, I'm fine with the statement that they were primarily to blame.

 

However, special teams DID give the ball back to Tom Brady on the Cleveland side of the field, which made it possible for New England to score another touchdown despite the fact that the Browns should have been able to just run out the clock for the win.

 

The Browns defense had an interception, a fumble recovery, and 4 sacks in that game, and they held New England to a lower 3rd down conversion percentage than the Browns offense had. And, again, prior to New England recovering the onside kick with 1:01 left, they had given up less than the league average of points given up per game to a playoff team.

 

Admittedly, the Browns defense performed terribly in the final two drives of that game. No one would argue that. However, I can't look back at that game and say without a conversational asterisk that the Browns defense lost that game for them. Had special teams recovered the kick with 1:01 left and not given the ball back to Brady on the Browns side of the field, that game was most-likely a win for the Browns.

[bbedward]

Yeah, this is the kind of stuff I thought you meant. Prior to 1:01 left in the 4th quarter, the Browns Defense had given up 21 points in that game, and that was only after already giving up a late 4th quarter TD. Not even all of the Top 10 defenses in the league (in pts allowed per game) gave up less than 21 points per game in the 2013 regular season. So, while the Browns Defense DID make some major mistakes up to that point in the game (particularly in previous 4th quarter TD drive), they'd actually done pretty well containing a playoff team's offense up to that point.

 

Everything changed with 1:01 left in the 4th quarter when the Browns special teams failed to recover an onside kick. Had the Browns gotten the ball back at 1:01 after the New England TD like they should have, they could have run the remaining minute off the clock, and Brady wouldn't have gotten another shot at a game-winning TD drive. But, they didn't. Special teams failed to get control of the ball, and THEN the Browns defense failed to stop the New England offense again.

 

Don't get me wrong. The Browns offense did NOT play well in those last few minutes, they definitely gave up two TDs very quickly, and they made some huge mistakes that made those TD drives possible for NE. They are not blameless AT ALL. In fact, I'm fine with the statement that they were primarily to blame.

 

However, special teams DID give the ball back to Tom Brady on the Cleveland side of the field, which made it possible for New England to score another touchdown despite the fact that the Browns should have been able to just run out the clock for the win.

 

The Browns defense had an interception, a fumble recovery, and 4 sacks in that game, and they held New England to a lower 3rd down conversion percentage than the Browns offense had. And, again, prior to New England recovering the onside kick with 1:01 left, they had given up less than the league average of points given up per game to a playoff team.

 

Admittedly, the Browns defense performed terribly in the final two drives of that game. No one would argue that. However, I can't look back at that game and say without a conversational asterisk that the Browns defense lost that game for them. Had special teams recovered the kick with 1:01 left and not given the ball back to Brady on the Browns side of the field, that game was most-likely a win for the Browns.

Yea I do think coaching was a problem all year round too. Not just time management but an atrocious special teams, a defense that couldn't stop a screen pass, an offense that ran 1 time in the 2nd half with the lead.

 

Hopefully greener pasturea ahead regardless.