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| Browns WR Greg Little stretches the football, over the endline for the Browns lone touchdown on the day vs. the Broncos. |
Box Score: Broncos 34, Browns 12 Final
Pretty much what I had expected. One of those games you don't even get upset or angry, not even disappointed. What I saw were two teams, one that has plans of heading to the Big EZ in Feburary, and the other...well, the Browns. Yesterday's games was one of those, that was over the minute Peyton Manning took the field. For the majority of the afternoon, Peyton played pitch and catch with his skilled players, as the Browns D was unable to come up with any answers to stop one of the best QB's of this generation. The Broncos continue to dominant the all-time series over the Browns, running their record to 22-5 vs. the Browns. By the way, I'd like to thank whomever from CBS, who thought it would be grand to show flashbacks of the 1986 & 1987 AFC Championship Games. Just what I wanted to get reminded of, as I watched the current Browns squad get blown out, I appreciate that CBS.
The Offense:
Same ole, same old story. The Browns again at times were able to move the ball on the Broncos D, but were unable to finish drives off with touchdowns, and settled for two more Phil Dawson FG's on the afternoon. Browns QB Brandon Weeden, completed 12 of his 19 passes on the afternoon for a eye-popping 104 passing yards, left the game early in the 3rd quarter after suffering a shoulder injury. Trading touchdowns for FG's vs. Peyton Manning, sets you up for ultimate failure, and thats exactly what happened in this one. RB Trent Richardson, rushed 9 times for 53 yards (5.9 per/carry), as he itches closer to the 1,000-yard mark on the season in rushing yards, with one more game remaining next week. He too, suffered an injury at the end of the game, as he was rolled up on by Browns backup QB Colt McCoy. Both Weeden & Richardson sound like they will be fine and should be able to go next week vs. the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Speaking of backup QB Colt McCoy, he got his shot, and showed why we wasted a 1st round pick on Weeden in last spring's NFL Draft. Colt went 9 of 17 over the last quarter or so, tossing a touchdown pass to WR Greg Little (6 catches, 58 yards), while throwing a number of balls into the ground a good 5-10 yards in front of the attended receivers. He was also sacked four times, as the offensive line gave up 6 sacks on the afternoon (by the way, Von Miller...I like your moves...). It's safe to say that it was another disappointing afternoon from this unit, as inconsistent play has doomed them all season long.
The Defense:
What happened to these guys? During the teams three-game winning streak, they were giving up points of 14, 17, and 7. In the last two weeks, its been 38 and 34, and they don't have a single guy that can cover a wide receiver. Old "grey beard" #24 S. Brown, got picked on early and often, till he had enough from Peyton and left the game with an injury. Now, whenever a starter leaves the game, you would think thats bad, but in Brown's case it's actually a good thing. Yet, his backup Buster Skrine, is just as bad if not worse. It was a long day for this unit, as Peyton was Peyton with all his pre-snap antics, and firing passes all over the field to wide open receivers. It could have been worse, had the Broncos been able to finish off a couple drives, and Peyton's INT right before half, cost 'em at least three points. As like years past, the Browns were unable to get any sort of pressure on the quarterback (Peyton), and struggled to cover a single receiver in an orange jersey.
Theres not a single position on the Browns depth chart, that they won't be looking to add to in the offseason, as this team has noticable holes all over the field.
Next Week:
One more game! One more chance to grab that 6th W on the season and finish the 2012 campiagn on a bright note. Next weeks contest, a road trip down to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers (7-8), who were eliminated from the playoffs in their home lose to the Bengals (9-6) yesterday afternoon, 13-10. The Browns look for the season sweep vs. the Steelers, winning the 1st meeting up in Cleveland, 20-14 back in Week 12.
