Autumn Thunder: Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Golden Gophers

[Innocent]

Week 4:
The Cleveland Browns (2-1) vs. The Washington Redskins (3-0)
Sunday October 3rd, 2004, 1:00 pm.





Cleveland Browns Stadium, The Browns Home Field

VS.

The Browns return home after a successful road trip against two NFC East teams. In week 4 they now face their third NFC East opponent in three weeks, as the undefeated Washington Redskins come to town intent on continuing their unbeaten streak against the surprising 2-1 Browns.

Injury Report:

SS Todd Franz(68) – Dislocated Elbow, Inactive.
RT Jon Janses(91) – Turf Toe, Inactive.
SS Robert Griffith(86) – Bruised Shoulder, Inactive.

Redskins Scouting Report:

Offense:
The Redskins enter week 4 with the third best offense in the NFL, behind only the Giants and St. Louis. They use a balanced attack, and are ranked 5th in both the run and the pass, but every game they seek to establish the run with NFL Icon Clinton Portis(94) who is averaging 5.3 yards a carry this season and is 3rd in the NFL with 308 yards, but no touchdowns. Portis is also third on the team in receptions, with 10 for 77 yards. Rock Carthwright(80), who spells Portis, also has a respectable 38 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. Young starter, Patrick(83) Ramsey, has a passer rating of 88.7, with a 63% completion percentage, 762 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Rod Gardner(87) is Washington’s leading receiver with 18 receptions for 173 yards and 5 touchdowns, but speedy Laveranues Coles(91) has 231 yards on 17 catches and a single touchdown. The offensive line is lead by RG Randy Thomas(94) and LT Chris Samuels(93). Jon Jansen(91) is another excellent tackle but is currently injured and Vaughn Parker(79) is starting in his place. C Cory Raymer(80) and RT(playing LG) Ray Brown(77 at guard) round out the line.

Defense:
Washington’s defense, ranked 11th in the league, excels against the pass and is indisputably lead by their linebacking corps, perhaps the best in the league. NFL Icon Lavar Arrington(98) makes the start on the right outside spot with a team leading 23 tackles, as well as an interception. Marcus Washington(90) start on the other side, while Michael Barrow(90), with two sacks, starts in the middle. Despite the speed and athleticism of their linebackers Washington has still struggled to stop the run, allowing 328 yards of rushing so far this season. Washington also has a solid secondary; their starting cornerbacks are Shawn Springs(89), Fred Smoot(88), and Walt Harris(81) at the nickel position. Speedy rookie Sean Taylor(87) makes the start at free safety and Matt Bowen(83), who had 85 tackles last season, makes the start at strong safety.

Special Teams:
There’s nothing special to be said about the Redskin’s kickers, except that there are three of them: place kickers John Hall(85) and Jeff Chandler(75) and punter Tom Tupa(84), a former quarterback who started for the Phoenix Cardinals in 1991 and played backup for many years. Chad Morton is a very dangerous kick returner who is averaging nearly 40 yards on kick returns, but only 6 on punts.

Recap:

Phil Dawson Lines up for a Field Goal Attempt in the Final Seconds

This is what football legends are made of. 4 seconds to go in the game, your team is down by a field goal. You’ve already missed one today, but now your team is counting on you to give them another chance to win the game. Can you do it? Then, just as you feel ready to kick, the other team calls a time out, trying to put you on ice--to get in your head. 4 seconds left, the whole team, the whole city, 50,000 screaming fans, they’re all counting on you.

But there were 59 minutes and 56 seconds of play time leading up to this final play (well okay 47:56 in my game). The game had begun as positively for Cleveland as could be expected, when playing in a cool light drizzle they took their opening drive 55 yards in 14 plays, including 10 runs for 51 total yards, while Garcia completed 2/3 for 14 more yards. The Redskin defense was as weak against Cleveland's running attack as they had been against every running attack so far this year, and the Browns would exploit it for nearly 150 yards. On the final play of the drive, fullback Terrell Smith surged forward and punched into the end zone from the 1 yard line. On the Redskins' opening drive, however, despite a beautiful 26 yard pass from QB Patrick Ramsey to Laveranues Coles, the Redskins were brought to a halt and forced to punt from the Browns 39.

Earl Little makes a Touchdown Saving Tackle

The first quarter ended with the Browns still ahead 7-0 and once again in possession of the ball. The running game continued to prove effective, as the Browns gained 43 yards on 7 carries, including a 26 yard scamper by Garcia, while Garcia continued to throw well, going 3/3 for 21 yards. The Browns scored again, this time a 32 yard Phil Dawson field goal to give Cleveland a 10 point lead. But the Redskins were not satisfied with their poor opening drive, and responded with scoring drive that moved rapidly downfield. Clinton Portis had a whopping 22 yard run, as Earl Little made a touchdown saving tackle, and 3 Ramsey passes went for 37 yards, including a 22 yard reception by tight end Mikhael Ricks, before Portis took it into the end zone from 7 yards out, breaking free from Andra Davis in the backfield in the process -- 10-7 Cleveland.

Whoops, Garcia gets Picked off by CB Shawn Springs

With 1:49 left in the half Garcia made his first mistake, and veteran CB Shawn Springs picked off a pass intended for Dennis Northcutt. The Redskins took ample advantage of the mistake and in less than a minute, ran 7 plays and gained 58 yards, including 1 run for 5 yards, and 6 passes for 53 yards. Ramsey connected with his TE Ricks for a 6 yard touchdown pass to make it a 14-10 game. With what little time was left Garcia managed to create another meaningful drive, throwing 2/4 for 30 yards to Antonio Bryant and Frisman Jackson, and another Garcia scramble for 10 yards. This set up a 43 yard Dawson field goal to make it a 14-13 game at the half.

The first half ended a relatively even affair; the Redskins had 171 yards of total offense, 33 of which was on the ground, while the Browns had 207, with 119 on the ground. Ramsey had out-dueled Garcia through the air, throwing 13/17 for 148 yards and a touchdown to Garcia’s 9/18 for 88 yards and an interception. Portis had only carried the ball 4 times, but had 34 yards and a touchdown. The Browns had spread their running out with Green having 43 yards on 9 carries, Suggs 37 on 7, and Garcia 36 yards on a pair of scrambles. The Redskins receivers were lead by Coles and Portis who each had 4 catches for 65 and 32 yards respectively.

Patrick Ramsey had a Very Rough Second Half

(Try the Music, it is Special Just for this Collage!)

The near total lack of a Redskins’ running attack did not go unnoticed by the Browns defensive coaching staff who made a number of adjustments to prepare for the second half. Without having to worry about Portis the Browns began to drop extra men into pass protection, including defensive linemen who would be responsible for a number of broken up passes during the second half. The extra men in pass protection forced Ramsey to remain in the pocket longer then desired, and allowed the Browns pass rush, now supplemented by blitzing linebackers from time to time, to get severe pressure on Ramsey. The pressure combined with the thick covered forced Ramsey to throw 8 incompleted passes in a row as Coach Gibbs doggedly refused to resort to the running game. And the Browns defense would tally 6 sacks, at least 3 hits, and several more hurries before the end of the game. The Browns offense faired little better, however, until Garcia found rookie TE Kellen Winslow wide open in the corner of the end zone for a 4 yard touchdown pass, the first touchdown of Winslow's career. Garcia was perfect on the drive, with 5 passes for 44 yards and the touchdown. A subsequent two-point conversion succeeded to make it a 21-14 Cleveland lead.

Rookie TE Kellen Winslow’s First Career TD Reception

The Browns would threaten to score again at the beginning of the 4th quarter after the Redskins were forced to punt from their own 1 yard line and Dennis Northcutt returned the punt to the 29. But the Browns would only move the ball 17 yards before Jeff Garcia had a potential touchdown pass swatted away by nickelback Ryan Clark, and then Kellen Winslow dropped what would have been a touchdown pass on third down, and this set up a 29 yard Dawson field goal to bring the score up to 24-17 Browns. After the kickoff, the Redskins continued to throw into the maws of the Browns defense, setting up a 40 yard field goal for their first score of the second half, to bring them within a touchdown with only a few minutes left to go in the game.

With only three minutes remaining Phil Dawson lined up for a 51 yard field goal attempt, and although the kick had the distance, it hooked left and wide at the last moment. The missed kick would be a stunning missed opportunity, and gave the Redskins excellent field position. The Browns had earlier punted from only two yards further out, and likely should have stuck to the same conservative strategy rather than relying on Dawson’s questionable leg strength. The ‘Skins continued to refuse to give the ball to Portis, as Ramsey moved the ball through the air effectively against a now tiring Browns secondary. To make matters worse, veteran safety Earl Little would leave the game with a minor hand injury for the rest of the game. Without either of their starting safeties the Brown pass defense began to crumble, and Ramsey soon found WR Darnerien McCants for a 9 yard touchdown, to tie the game at 24.

The Browns had the ball once again, with 1:26 left to go in a tie game. If their offense could find the same rhythm that had driven them downfield to score 4 times already this game, it would be over. Garcia looked good to start with, tossing a pass to William Green who took it for a first down. But after hurrying the team to the line Garcia scrambled out of the pocket in the face of an intense Redskin pass-rush and attempted to force a pass, but off-balance the pass came out as a lame-duck which was easily picked off by the rookie free safety, Sean Taylor. The Redskins were in easy field goal range, and just ran out as much time as possible, narrowly avoiding disaster when Clinton Portis fumbled on the 6 yard line, before kicking a 33 yard field goal to take the lead 27-24 with fewer than 50 seconds left in the game.

Garcia would not repeat his mistake, and was 3/6 as he moved the ball 41 yards on two passes to William Green and a 21 yard reception by Andre King to set up a 41 yard field goal attempt by Phil Dawson.

…4 seconds left, the whole team, the whole city, 50,000 screaming fans, they’re all counting on you.

You take your best shot, the snap is good, the hold is down, you’ve thought of the wind, the angle at which you must kick to get the distance and avoid the block, your foot connects sharply with the ball and you watch it sail end-over-end straight on down the field toward those open goal posts… and you watch it hook, and hook it does, sailing 10 feet left of the goal posts. Your team has lost, and you know that tomorrow you will be the goat, that is the life of a kicker.

Final Score: Washington Redskins 27 Cleveland Browns 24

Player of the Game: QB Patrick Ramsey - 25/41, 284 yards, 2 TD

Browns Analysis:
The Browns played very well against a tough Redskins team that tried to pick apart a the much maligned Cleveland secondary, and largely failed. While Ramsey finished 25/41 (60%) for 284 yards and 2 touchdowns, for large portions of the game Cleveland shut him down entirely, at one stretch forcing 8 straight incomplete passes. For most of the second half Portis was not even an issue due to Joe Gibbs’ extremely strange play calling, he finished with only 9 carries for 57 yards and a lone touchdown. He could have been a much larger factor in this game, but the Redskins chose to keep the ball in Ramsey’s hands. The defensive line played very well, piling up 5 of the Browns’ 6 sacks against Ramsey while combining for 9 tackles. Rookie safety Sean Jones played well with 6 tackles and a pass deflection, filling in for the injured Robert Griffith.

The offense also played a solid game, sticking to the Browns ball-control offense and moving the ball with the running game and primarily short passes. Jeff Garcia had, arguably, his best game of the season, which is not saying much at this point. He finished the game 23/45 (51%) for 243 yards with a touchdown and 2 interceptions, as well as 35 yard of rushing on 4 carries. His primary receivers were William Green and H-Back Steve Heiden out of the backfield. Green had 6 catches for 46 yards while Heiden had 5 for 31. The leading wide receivers on the day were Antonio Bryant and Dennis Northcutt, each with 3 catches, for 49 and 44 yards respectively. Tight End Kellen Winslow had only 2 receptions for 17 yards, with a touchdown pass, and another dropped touchdown pass. Surprisingly Winslow proved to be a very effective blocker against the Redskins linebackers, and providing the Browns best run blocking on the game. Running the ball William Green gained 74 yards on 13 carries, for an impressive 5.7 yard per carry average, with a long of 19. Lee Suggs carried 11 times for 45 yards, for a not unimpressive 4.1 yard average.

With the exception of Phil Dawson’s missed field goals the special teams unit played very well. For much of the ball game the Browns were able to stay ahead because they were winning the battle for field position, with returner Dennis Northcutt averaging 27.6 yards on kick returns and 8.7 in punts, including two returns nearly broken for touchdowns. The coverage team did its part as well limiting Chad Morton to under 20 yards per kick return and 6 yards on his one punt return. Frost marks his first game with a sub 40 yard average on 5 punts, but placed 3 of them within the 10 yard line and another barely bounced into the endzone.

Next Game: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Michigan Wolverines

[Innocent]

Week 4 News around the NFL

Who is the Best Offensive Player in the League?

Jerome Bettis of the Steelers?


Or Brett Favre of the Packers?

Jags Win, Colts Lose Again
The Jaguars, on the shoulders of quarterback Byron Leftwich, handed the Indianapolis Colts their third loss of the season, 38-10. Byron Leftwich was 22/34 for 250 yards, 4 touchdowns, and tossed a single interception, completing 11 times to WR Reggie Williams for 103 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Fred Taylor also caught 4 passes for 41 yards and ran for 93 yards on 21 carries, with a 24 yard touchdown run. The Colts had trouble with the passing game when Peyton Manning suffered a bruised shoulder in the third quarter, he was 13/22 for 158 yards and a pick at the time, and looks to be healthy for next week. Backup Jim Sorgi finished the game, throwing 11/16 for 108 yards and another pick. Edgerrin James had 94 yards on the ground on 22 carries, and a touchdown, but fumbled the ball as well. Colts LT Tarik Glenn allowed 3 sacks against Jacksonville, as the Colts offensive line woes continue to trouble them.

Bucs Pound Broncs
Tampa Bay routed Denver 27-3 as the Bucs’ defense held the Broncos to 175 yards of total offense. It did not help the Broncos cause that Jake Plummer left the game after his first pass, and was replaced by backup Matt Mauck who performed miserably, completing only 9 of 27 for 107 yards and also throwing two interceptions. The Bucs’ Brad Johnson also threw 2 interceptions, both picked by Champ Bailey, and completed 21/31 for 238 yards. Neither passing offense generated a touchdown. The Broncos running back stable was held to under 100 yards as Reuben Droughns and Garrison Hearst each carried 13 times and had 47 and 35 yards respectively. For the Bucs Charlie Garner carried 16 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, Michael Pittman had 10 carries for 35 yards, and Mike Alstott carried 7 times for 22 yards and a touchdown. Bucs’ wide receiver Tim Brown was the star of the game with 8 catches for 119 yards, including a long of 60 yards. Derrick Brooks lead the Tampa Bay defense with 11 tackles, a sack, and an interception.

Eagles Edge Bears
Philidelphia won its first game of the season, barely edging the Bears 19-13, narrowly avoiding a 4th quarter comeback attempt. Without Brian Urlacher the Bears’ defense surrendered nearly 400 yards, as Donovon McNabb went 19/40 for 284 yards and an interception and ran for 50 yards on 7 runs, including an 18 yard scamper for a touchdown. Correll Buckhalder gained 73 yards on 18 attempts, as Brian Westbrook once again did not play. Bears’ quarterback Rex Grossman, making his second start, was 23/42 for 196 yards and a touchdown, but as the Bears quarterback woes continued, he threw 4 interceptions. The Bears’ running game also did not develop as Thomas Jones gained only 66 yards on 16 attempts, and Anthony Thomas has 14 on 3 carries. The Eagle’s defense was lead by Dhani Jones who piled up 6 tackles, 2 sacks, and an interception, while the Bears’ John Mobley had 9 tackles.

Patriots’ Woes Continue in Buffalo
The Buffalo Bills handed the Pats their second loss of the season, as the defenses dominated the game. Tom Brady was 19/39 for 187 yards and a touchdown, but was picked-off three times, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Troy Vincent, in one of the worst games of his career. The Bills’ Drew Bledsoe did not fare much better, going 15/34 for 162 yards and a pair of touchdowns as well as 2 interceptions. The run defenses did not allow much either, but Corey Dillon had 68 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown, and Kevil Faulk had 13 yards on 3 carries. Willis McGahee had 64 yards on 19 carries, and was held to a long of 7 yards. Travis Henry carried 3 times for 9 yards. The Bills’ Takeo Spikes had 8 tackles, a sack, and 2 interceptions.

Chiefs Win on Monday Night
Kansas City defeated Baltimore with a field goal with only 1:15 left in the game, 25-22. Trent Green was solid again, going 22/35 for 189 yards and a touchdown, while Ravens’ embattled starter Anthony Wright was 19/32 with two touchdowns, and an interception as well as a fumble. Priest Holmes averaged 4.5 yards a carry as he gained 91 yards on 20 carries, but continues to have trouble finding the end zone, and only has one touchdown this season. Jamal Lewis did not perform as well, averaging only 3.9 yards, but did manage 75 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Deion Sanders, the 38 year old who recently came out of retirement to play with the Ravens, had a 43 yard kick return. Ray Lewis was the best defensive player of the game with 8 tackles and a sack.

Arizona Rolls over New Orleans
The Cardinal defense dominated the Saints offense, holding them to only 169 yards, as Arizona dismantled New Orleans 28-7. Aaron Brooks was held to 153 yards of passing, completing 17 of 32 and throwing three interceptions, as well as one touchdown. Cardinal quarterback Shaun King continued to be surprising as he completed 21/34 for 211 yards and 3 more touchdowns, only a single interception marred his performance. Deuce McAllister was unable to establish anything sa he was held to under 3 yards per carry, gaining only 41 yards on 14 tries. Emmit Smith did not perform much better, but ran 23 times for 73 yards. Rookie WR Larry Fitzgerald had 8 receptions for 78 yards and his first career touchdown. WR Nathan Poole also pulled in a 26 yard touchdown, and WR Bryant Johnson had a 23 yard touchdown. Arizona’s rookie DT Darnell Dockett had 6 tackles, and a whopping 3 sacks against the speedy Aaron Brooks.

Al Wilson Breaks Shoulder
Denver Bronco’s dominating middle linebacker Al Wilson(96) broke his shoulder in Denver’s loss to Tampa Bay. He has been placed on IR, and finishes the season with 17 tackles and a sack. With Wilson’s backup, Patrick Chukwurah, already on the inactive list with a broken ankle, the Broncos have signed Armegis Spearman(74), who hasn’t started since 2000 with the Bengals, for 2 years and rookie. Rookie Grant Wiley(64) has also been promoted from the Broncos’ practice squad to backup Spearman and give the Broncos 6 healthy linebackers.

Bears’ Lose Guard
Chicago suffered another serious injury this week as RG Rex Tucker(89) suffered a disclocated elbow, and is expected to miss most of the rest of the season as other damage to his elbow heals. Usual tackle Marc Columbo(72 tackle, 71 guard) will move to guard and Qasim Mitchel(75) will start at LT.

Curtis Martin Out
The New York Jets have lost Icon HB Curtis Martin(95) for at least 8 weeks to a broken tailbone suffered in the Jets 33-24 loss to Miami. He has 300 yards on 67 carries and three touchdowns so far this season. Lamont Jordan(84) will start in his stead, and B.J. Askew(61) moves up to the 2nd position.

Broncs RB Trouble Continues
Denver’s Running Backs continue to be upset by the lack of a clear starter. Rueben Droughns, who did not carry in the loss to Tampa Bay, has been especially vocal. Unless the Broncos start to win, Mike Shanahhan is going to have a very bad situation on his hands trying to juggle Rueben Droughs(85), Mike Anderson(82), and Garrison Hearst(82).

Bengals OLB Kevin Hardy Dominates
Kevin Hardy had an astounding 16 tackles in the Bengals 30-10 loss to Pittsburgh this week.

Franchise Quarterback Ken Dorsey Benched
The 49ers have benched Ken Dorsey(74) after he threw four interceptions in the 49ers loss to St. Louis. He currently had a passer rating of 46.9 after throwing 78/151 for 623 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He will be replaced by QB Tim Rattay(78) as the 49ers remain winless.

Bengals Nate Webster is Inactive
Cincinnati MLB Nate Webster(84) has made inactive for next weeks game, and is expected to miss most of the rest of the season with a dislocated elbow. Rookie Caleb Miller(79), a 3rd round pick out of Arkansas, will start in his stead.

Rams Add Guard, Turley Dominates
Replacing the injured Adam Timmerman, who was placed on Injured Reserve with a broken tibia last week, the Rams signed 27 year old Mo Collins(85), a former starter for the Oakland Raiders. Meanwhile RT Kyle Turley dominated the 49ers this week with 10 pancake blocks.

Pittsburgh’s Brutal Running Game
Jerome Bettis had an impressive 42 carries against the Bengals, grinding out 161 yards rushing, while the offensive line dominated in the running game; C Jeff Hartings had 14 pancake blocks, RT Oliver Ross and RG Kendal Simmons each had 10 pancake blocks leading the way for Bettis.

Eagles Injury Problems
The Eagles have placed WR Greg Lewis(77) on IR with a broken foot. His season is over with 13 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown. Billy McMullen(71) now moves up to Philidelphia’s 4th receiver spot. The Eagles are hoping that center Hank Fraley and HB Brian Westbrook will finally return, and help them turn the season around.

Titans Troubles
After their loss to the Chargers, Titans backup QB Billy Volek expressed his displeasure with his lack of playing time. Meanwhile C Justin Hartwig surrendered 4 sacks in the loss, as the Titans troubles continue.

Packers Give it Up
Green Bay Guard Marco Rivera surrendered 3 sacks in the Packers first loss of the season, a 30-17 defeat at the hands of the New York Giants.

Scouting Reports
Bears rookie WR Bernard Berrian has a team leading 19 catches for 140 yards.
Bears punter Brad Maynard has dropped 10 of 23 punts within the 20 yard line, and has a 42.6 average.
Bengals TE Tony Stewart has 8 receptions for 46 yards after barely making the team in training camp.
Chiefs T Willie Roaf is having the best year of his career.
Chiefs G Donald Willis is playing like he’s back at North Carolina A&T.
Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez has 17 receptions for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns.


More Rookie Firsts
Bills rookie WR Lee Evans had his first touchdown catch in the Bills victory over New England. Browns TE Kellen Winslow had his first career touchdown reception in the Browns loss to Washington. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald had his first touchdown reception in the Cardinals win over New Orleans. Chargers RE Igor Olshansky had his first career sack. Pats DT Vince Wilfork had his first career sack against Drew Bledsoe. Raiders WR Carlos Francis recorded his first career touchdown in the Raiders narrow win over the Texans. Redskins FS Sean Taylor had his first career interception off of Jeff Garcia.

Players of the Week:
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich - 22/34 for 250 yards, 4 TDs.
Buffalo Bills FS Troy Vincent - 7 Tackles, 1 Interception, 1 TD, 1 Forced Fumble.

Horse Trailer Player of the Game:
Kansas City Chiefs RE Vonnie Holliday - 3 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 1 Fumble Forced, 1 Fumble Recovered

Week 4 Power Rankings

: I accidently cut off the records for the power-rankings, I've now fixed it.

League Leaders

Passing
1: Brett Favre – 109.0, 84/131, 963 yards, 9 TD, 0 INT
2: Drew Brees – 96.1, 102/147, 1098 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT
3: Kurt Warner – 95.1, 99/143, 933 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT
4: Byron Leftwich – 92.2, 66/144, 727 yards, 9 TD, 3 INT
5: Trent Green – 91.6, 790 yards, 86/140, 790 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT

Rushing
1: Jerome Bettis – 542 yards, 135 carries, 4.0 average, 3 TD
2: Tiki Barber – 457 yards, 110 carries, 4.1 average, 3 TD
3: Ladainian Tomlinson – 400 yards, 94 carries, 4.2 average, 5 TD
4: Jamal Lewis – 373 yards, 94 carries, 3.9 average, 5 TD
5: Clinton Portis – 365 yards, 67 carries, 5.4 average, 1 TD

Receiving
1: Amani Toomer – 36 rec, 412 yards, 4 TD
2: Isaac Bruce – 27 rec, 387 yards, 3 TD
3: Keenan McCardell – 27 rec, 347 yards, 0 TD
4: Tory Holt – 26 rec, 335 yards, 4 TD
5: Antonio Gates – 26 rec, 216 yards, 2 TD
6: Larry Fitzgerald – 25 rec, 264 yards, 1 TD

Tackles
1: OLB Kevin Hardy – 37
2: MLB Ray Lewis – 36
3: OLB Dhani Jones – 36
4: OLB Derrick Brooks – 35
5: OLB John Mobley – 34
6: OLB Brian Simmons – 34

Sacks
1: LE Aaron Kampman – 6
2: MLB Randal Godfrey – 6
3: Many – 5

Interceptions
1: CB Gary Baxter – 5
2: CB Sheldon Brown – 4
3: Many - 3

Defensive TDs
1: Many – 1

Week 4’s Key Games

Game of the Week: Baltimore Ravens (2-2) at Washington Redskins (4-0) – Sunday Night

Tennessee Titans (2-2) at Green Bay Packers (3-1) - Monday Night

Next Game: #23 Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Michigan Wolverines

[Innocent]

At this point it is sort of my thought that I will post the posts from one week of the season every day until I catch up, that should be a readable amount, and I'll probably catch up as I'm heading into the offseason.

[billmatic]

wow, that's a lot of information at once, gonna take a while to get caught up. looks good though.

[Innocent]

Quote: Originally Posted by billmatic

wow, that's a lot of information at once, gonna take a while to get caught up. looks good though.

Yeah, I'm sorry about that, I dont know how else to catch this up to where I am though

[Innocent]

Week 7: Battle for the Little Brown Jug
The #23 Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-0) at #8 The Michigan Wolverines (4-1)
Saturday October 9th, 2004 – 12:30 pm. National Broadcast.

Michigan and Minnesota resume one of the oldest rivalries in college football this weekend as the two top 25 ranked teams duke it out in front of over 110,000 fans in the Big House here in Ann Arbor Michigan. The Gophers have not had the jug since 1987, and the Wolverines do not look prepared to surrender it yet. Both teams are 1-1 in Big Ten play and are still in the title chase.

The Little Brown Jug, the Oldest Trophy in College Football.

Michigan’s Key Players:
HB Jerome Jackson (SO – 84)
WR Braylon Edwards (SR – 95)
WR Jason Avant (JR – 88)
WR Steve Breaston (SO – 86, KR/PR – 99)
LT Adam Stenavich (JR – 90)
LG David Bass (SR – 98)
DE LaMarr Woodley (SO – 93)
DT Gabe Watson (JR – 90)
OLB Pierre Woods (JR – 92)
CB Marlin Jackson (SR – 94)
SS Ernest Shazor (JR – 94)

Minnesota’s Starters:

Mark Setterstron(86) has been moved back to LG and Mike Nicholson(72) takes over at LT. MLB Mario Reese remains suspended for this game, so MLB Dominique Sims will be handling the position full time.

Minnesota’s Key Players:
QB Bryan Cupito (SO – 84)
HB Marion Barber (JR – 93)
HB Laurence Maroney (SO – 90)
TE Matt Spaeth (SO – 87)
LT Rian Melander (SR – 92) Injured
C Greg Eslinger (JR – 94)
DT Anthony Montgomery (JR – 88)
CB Ukee Dozier (SR – 82)
CB Trumaine Banks (SO – 80)
FS John Pawielski (JR – 76)
SS Justin Fraley (SR -78)
K Rhyss Lloyd (SR – 94)

Recap:

This game, which would prove to be one of the most exciting so far this season, began with Michigan dominance. The Wolverine defense forced a three-and-out on the first Gophers possession of the game, and their offense took over with confidence. On 2 runs and 4 passes they moved the ball 33 yards, but found themselves with 4th and 4 from the Gophers 32 yard line. But with supreme confidence in their offense, and looking to make a statement, the Wolverines elected to go for it on fourth down. Michigan lined up in shoutgun, and faked a hand off to HB Mike Hart as the 6’ 3” Braylon Edwards ran a fly route toward the end zone, covered by 5’ 10” Trumaine Banks. This was a physical mismatch that the Wolverines would try to exploit throughout the day, and it was very successful this time as Edwards made a leaping catch well out of the reach of Banks to pull in a 32 yard touchdown pass to open the scoring 7-0.

Braylon Edwards Towers over CB Trumaine Banks

The Gophers returned to offense with four successful rushes for 25 yards before Bryan Cupito tossed a deep pass over the middle to Jared Ellerson, who broke a tackle and ran down field before pitching the ball to Paris Hamilton who gained an addition 5 yards before being tackled, for a total of 44 yards. The big gain set the Gophers up with first down on the Michigan 13, and Minnesota would run the ball 5 times before finding themselves with a 4th and goal from within the 1 yard line. Like Michigan, Minnesota chose not to settle for a field goal, and handed off once again to Marion Barber who pulled a tackler into the end zone to tie the game at 7.

After 25 yards on 4 runs and 4 yards on a play action pass Cupito completes a deep pass to Ellerson who breaks a tackle and then laterals the ball to Paris Hamilton who takes it another 5 yards, for 44 total yards, giving the Gophers first and 10 at the Michigan 13. 5 runs later the Gophers had fourth and goal from within the 1 yard line, and elected to go for it, Barber punched it through to make it 7-7.

Ellerson Breaks a Tackle after a Reception

The Gophers would be the next to strike, as the Minnesota defense held Michigan and forced a punt that gave the Gophers possession of the ball at the Michigan 46. Bryan Cupito’s passing got the Gophers down to the 5 yard line. But on a 2nd down pass attempt TE Matt Spaeth dropped a pass after breaking wide open in the end zone, and on third down CB Marvin Jackson knocked another Cupito pass away, setting up a 22 yard Rhyss Lloyd field goal to give the Gophers a 10-7 lead. The remaining first quarter and most of the second quarter were quiet before Rhyss Lloyd kicked another field goal, this one from 41 yards out, after 6 Gophers runs for 6 yards. The Gophers were now ahead 13-7 with the 2nd quarter winding down. The second Michigan scoring drive of the game would not be a long one. Following a Minnesota punt, with only 2 minutes left in the half, Mike Hart ran for 10 yards to move the Wolverines to their own 48 yard line. On their next play Michigan ran another effective play action pass, and QB Chad Henne found his TE Tim Massaquoi at the Gophers 35, but OLB Kyle McKenzie was not close enough to make a tackle, and found himself, along with safety Justin Fraley, in a foot race for the end zone against the big 6’ 4” tight end. Massaquoi, showing surprising speed, reached the end zone without being touched, an impressive 52 yard TD pass for the Wolverines to put them up 14-13 going into halftime.

Noone Could Catch TE Tim Massaquoi Before he’d Gone 52 Yard for the TD

The first half ended with the teams separated by a single point, 14-13. Minnesota had out-produced Michigan with 200 yards to their 162 in the first half, but had only been able to reach the end zone once. Michigan QB Chad Henne, a true freshman, was 6/15 for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Bryan Cupito was a more modest 6/12 for 108 yards. The running game had also worked well for both teams, although Minnesota utilized it far more with Laurence Maroney gaining 44 yards on 8 carries and Marion Barber 43 on 18 and a touchdown. Mike Hart had only 9 carries, but 43 yards. Minnesota’s offense had controlled the clock very well, with twice the time of possession of Michigan, and only a single good play had put the Wolverines on top. Both teams looked very good, and although Michigan had the lead, it was a slim one and Minnesota had outplayed them throughout the half. The most troublesome problem for the Gophers was the poor production of HB Marion Barber, who was averaging under 2.4 yards per carry. While Maroney was very effective, the Gophers need both of their running backs to perform against a defense as good as Michigan’s.

Thus, when the Gophers got the ball after a defensive stop, they turned immediately to Marion Barber and the run offense. On his second carry he gained 19 yards, and two runs later he had an 18 yard run. The Gophers would tear up 67 yards, moving the ball better on the ground then they had all game, including 49 yard on the ground in 6 runs, 3 of which were for 10+ yards. With the Michigan defense expecting more runs the Gophers used a play-action pass, which had worked so well for Michigan in the first half, and Bryan Cupito connected with fullback Justin Valentine in the flat, and he rumbled 18 yards and plowed through a hit into the end zone. Laurence Maroney easily converted for 2 points on a toss to the outside, to give the Gophers a 21-14 lead.

Valentine Would not be Denied the Endzone on an 18 yard Reception

Both defenses took over for the remainder of the quarter, as the teams exchanged punts, and the Wolverines failed to convert on a 4th down as Chad Henne overshot a wide open Braylon Edwards. But on a Michigan punt from Minnesota territory the game would hinge in the balance. With the threat of a fake looming the Gophers chose to play a safe punt defense, leaving safeties Pawielski and Fraley back to catch the punt if it were a kick instead of a fake. The Wolverines chose to punt the ball, but Pawielski muffed it as his own player nearly ran into him, the ball skittered along the ground as players from both sides dove for it. But Gopher DT Mark Losli would be the one to come up with it, saving the Gophers and dodging a bullet. The third quarter expired without another score, as the Gophers continued to protect their 21-14 lead.

The Michigan offense had been effectively shut down for the entire second half when Chad Henne and Mike Hart took to the field to open the fourth quarter. The resulting drive would be the best Michigan would produce in the game, as Hart carried 8 times for 37 yards and Henne completed 3 of 5 for 37 yards. With 1st and goal from within the 5 yard line the Wolverines failed to find the endzone on their first three attempts. Electing to once again try for the end zone on 4th and goal from the 1, Mike Hart carried the ball outside, and with a little help from his blockers, he slipped around the Minnesota defense and into the end zone, to tie the game at 21.

Mike Hart Gets a Little “Help” from a Block in the Back

Minnesota responded to Michigan’s best drive, with an impressive offensive display themselves. Barber carried twice to start the drive, gaining 6 and then 5 yards for a first down. Bryan Cupito then completed a 27 yard pass to Jared Ellerson before the Gophers gave the ball to Barber once again, who gained 4 yards on two carries. On 3rd and 6 Cupito completed a pass to Barber for 11 yards, and the first down. Laurence Maroney then came into the game to spell Barber and ran twice, both times for 12 yards, the second good for a touchdown to put the Gophers ahead 28-21.

Michigan had the ball once again with under 5 minutes to go, and hoped to repeat the success of their last drive. But the Minnesota defense, which had been so dominant for most of the game, rose to the challenge once again. Facing a fourth down, with 2:45 left in the game, and all of their timeouts Michigan chose to play very conservatively and punted the ball to Minnesota. The Gophers ran down most of the remaining clock, and forced Michigan to use two time outs, before a Rhyss Lloyd punt gave the Wolverines the ball at their own 20, with 23 seconds remaining, and 1 time out. Chad Henne simply tried to throw long four times, but on the first three passes the ball was either deflected or failed to reach the receiver. On 4th down, the last play of the game, agonizing Michigan fans watched as big tackle Anthony Montgomery sacked Chad Henne, for the win.

Final Score: Minnesota 28 Michigan 21

Minnesota Wins the Jug!

Minnesota Hats off to Thee!
To thy Colors True we shall ever Be!
Strong and Firm United are We!
Rah-rah-rah for Ski-U-Mah!
Rah Rah Rah Rah!
Rah for the U of M!

M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A
Minn’sota!
Minn’sota!
Yaaaaaaaay Gophers!
RAH!


Laurence Maroney shows his Speed

The Game’s Key Players:

Michigan Wolverines
QB Chad Henne: 12/33, 215 yards, 2 TD
HB Mike Hart: 24 car, 114 yards, 1 TD
WR Braylon Edwards: 4 rec, 94 yards, 1 TD
LT Adam Stenavich: 6 Pancakes
SS Ernest Shazor: 9 tackles (1 tfl), 1 pass deflection
CB Markus Curry: 8 tackles (1 tfl), 1 pass deflection
RE LaMaar Woodley: 6 tackles (2 tfl), 1 sack

Minnesota Golden Gophers
QB Bryan Cupito: 9/16, 164 yards, 1 TD
HB Marion Barber: 35 car, 109 yards, 1 TD, 1 rec, 11 yards, 4 punt returns, 8.7 average
HB Laurence Maroney: 16 car, 104 yards, 1 TD
LG Mark Setterstrom: 7 pancakes
DT Anthony Montgomery: 6 tackles (1 tfl), 1 sack
DE Eric Clark: 6 Tackles (3 tfl), 1 sack
CB Trumaine Banks: 6 tackles (1tfl), 5 pass deflections
CB Ukee Dozier: 5 tackles, 2 pass deflections
K Rhyss Lloyd: 2/2 XP, 2/2 FG (long 41), 7 punts, 41.4 average

Gophers’ Analysis:

This game will be remembered as one of the greatest Gophers wins in recent memory. Taking the jug away from Michigan at the Big House was no easy task, and the Gophers put the memory of last weeks loss to Penn State out of their minds and played power football all day. Special credit must go to the defense which held a potent Michigan offense to only 323 yards, and continually stepped up to keep Chad Henne, Braylon Edwards, and Mike Hart in check.

The Minnesota Defense made this Win Possible

The offense played very well too, gaining 376 yards against a good defense, and refusing to let Michigan force them out of their game plan. 212 yards of rushing is a solid game for any team, even if Marion Barber struggled. Laurence Maroney finished the game with a 6.5 yard average, and a long of 27 yards. His speed is incredible, and when the blocking holds up he is a very dangerous back. Considering the trouble that Marion Barber had this week the Gophers could turn to Maroney more often in the coming weeks.

Minnesota will be relishing this one for the rest of the season, and now heads into next week with the momentum of a huge win at their backs. Perhaps the Gophers will actually turn things around after last weeks loss.

Next Game: Regular Season Week 5 Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

[Innocent]

Week 7 College Update

#4 USC Upset…. Again!
The Cal Bears have defeated USC again, just like last year, only this year it was on the road, 49-42. Cal’s offense was lead by receiver Geoff McArthur who brought in 8 catches for 175 yards and 4 touchdowns. USC now appears not only out of the race for the National Title, but potentially out of contention for the PAC-10 Title.

#6 Oklahoma Beats #3 Texas in Rivalry Game
The Sooners once again handed the Longhorns a demoralizing defeat in their annual rivalry game, the Red River Shootout, in Dallas. Texas, despite solid play, seems to be unable to defeat Oklahoma and lost this season 35-17. The Sooners were lead by quarterback Jason Qhite who was 20/31 for 308 yards and an impressive 4 touchdowns. Texas HB Selvin Young carried 34 times for 169 yards, and caught 4 passes for 48 yards.

#9 LSU Downs #20 Florida
In an SEC game between two top 25 teams LSU came from behind to defeat Florida decisively 42-28. RE Melvin Oliver had 10 tackles (7 tfl), 3 sacks, and a TD for the Tigers and LE Tranell Morant had 7 tackles (6 tfl), 3 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery for the Gators.

#17 Tennessee Edges #7 Georgia
In another key SEC game between two top 25 teams the Volunteers kicked a game winning field goal to edge the Bulldogs 20-17. LE Karlton Neal had 7 tackles (5 tfl), 2 sacks, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble for the Vols while backup MLB Jarvis Jackson had 6 tackles (tfl) and a touchdown for the ‘Dogs.

Coach's Poll:
#Rank (Last Week's Rank) Team(#1 votes) wins-losses [Big Ten teams in bold]

# 1 (1) Florida State(42) 5-0
# 2 (2) Auburn(21) 6-0
# 3 (6) Oklahoma 4-1
# 4 (5) Virginia 5-0
# 5 (9) LSU 4-2
# 6 (10) Louisville 5-0
# 7 (11) Virginia Tech 6-0
# 8 (3) Texas 4-1
# 9 (12) South Carolina 6-0
#10 (13) Iowa 4-1
#11 (14) Kansas State(1) 4-1
#12 (17) Tennessee 3-2
#13 (7) Georgia 3-2
#14 (16) Miami 2-2
#15 (18) Penn State 6-0
#16 (4) USC 3-2
#17 (8) Michigan 4-2
#18 (19) North Carolina State 4-1
#19 (23) Minnesota 6-1
# 20 (21) Ohio State 3-2
#21 (24) Maryland 4-1
#22 (25) TCU 5-0
#23 (NR) Boise State 5-0
#24 (20) Florida 3-3
#25 (NR) Utah 4-1

Dropped Out: (15) West Virginia 4-2, (22) Nebraska 3-2


AP Poll:
# 1 (1) Florida State(44) 5-0
# 2 (3) Auburn(21) 6-0
# 3 (6) Oklahoma 4-1
# 4 (5) Virginia Tech 6-0
# 5 (8) Iowa 4-1
# 6 (10) South Carolina 6-0
# 7 (2) Texas 4-1
# 8 (12) Virginia 5-0
# 9 (11) LSU 4-2
#10 (13) North Carolina State 4-1
#11 (4) Georgia 3-2
#12 (19) Tennessee 3-2
#13 (15) Penn State 6-0
#14 (18) Minnesota 6-1
#15 (16) Miami 2-2
#16 (17) Louisville 5-0
#17 (9) Michigan 4-2
#18 (20) Kansas State 4-1
#19 (7) USC 3-2
#20 (21) Ohio State 3-2
#21 (24) TCU 5-0
#22 (14) Nebraska 3-2
#23 (NR) Utah 4-1
#24 (NR) Boise State 5-0
#25 (NR) Tulsa 5-0

Dropped Out: (22) Oregon 3-2, (23) West Virginia 4-2, (25) Ole Miss 5-1




Heisman Watch
#1: Ronnie Brown HB – Auburn (136 car, 818 yards, 8 TD, 14 Rec, 170 yards, 4 TD)
#2: Mike Imoh HB – Virginia Tech (123 car, 775 yards, 11 TD, 10 rec, 112 yards, 1 TD)
#3: Zack Mills QB – Penn State (104/150, 1511 yards, 29 car, 80 yards, 16 total TD)
#4: Darren Sproles HB – Kansas State (119 car, 743 yards, 5 TD, 7 rec, 91 yards, 4 TD)
#5: Jason Campbell QB – Auburn (61/92, 854 yards, 44 car, 148 yards, 15 total TD)

Players of the Week:

NCAA:
Offense: Noah Herron HB - Northwestern
Vs. IU W (60-31) 9 rec, 192 yards, 4 TD, 20 car, 107 yards.
Defense: A.J. Davis CB – NC State
At UNC W (44-27) 7 tackles (2 tfl), sack, 3 interceptions, touchdown.

Big Ten:
Offense: Noah Herron HB - Northwestern
Vs. IU W (60-31) 9 rec, 192 yards, 4 TD, 20 car, 107 yards.
Defense: Brandon McKinney DT – Michigan State
Vs. Illini L (61-59 OT) 8 tackles (6 tfl), 3 sacks, forced fumble, recovered fumble.



Big Ten Standings
1: 3-0 #15 Penn State (6-0)
2: 2-0 #10 Iowa (4-1)
3: 2-1 #19 Minnesota (6-1)
4: 2-1 Illinois (3-3)
5: 2-1 Northwestern (3-3)
6: 1-1 #20 Ohio State (3-2)
7: 1-1 Purdue (3-2)
8: 1-2 #17 Michigan (4-2)
9: 1-2 Indiana (4-2)
10: 0-3 Michigan State (2-6)
11: 0-3 Wisconsin (2-4)

Next Game: Cleveland Browns (2-2) At Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)

[Innocent]

Week 5:
The Cleveland Browns (2-2) at The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
Sunday October 10th, 2004, 1:00 pm.





Heinz Field, Home of the Steelers

VS.

The Browns, undefeated on the road, travel to Pittsburgh this week to take on division rival Pittsburgh. The Steelers are currently leading the AFC North with a 3-1 record, but a win by Cleveland would give them a share of the lead. These two teams have a rivalry going back before either team was part of the AFC; the Browns currently lead the rivalry series with a 55-47 record.

Injury Report:

HB Duce Staley(88) – Dislocated Ankle, Inured Reserve.

SS Robert Griffith(86) – Bruised Shoulder, Inactive.

Steelers Scouting Report:

Offense:
After a short affair with the spread offense, the Steelers have truly returned to the old-school Pittsburgh offense, focusing on the bruising running of Jerome Bettis(90), who leads the league with 542 yards on a league high 135 carries, and piling up more rushing yards then any other team. The Steelers have also seen some production from their spell backs, Verron Hayes(76) and rookie Willie Parker(73) who have 23 carries for 56 yards. Leading the way for Bettis is the best offensive line in the country: LT Marvel Smith(90), LG Alan Faneca(97), C Jeff Hartings(89), RG Kendall Simmons(85), and RT Oliver Ross(80) while FB Dan Kreider(85) lead blocks and tight Ends Doug Jolley(81) and Jay Riemersma(71) are also involved in run blocking. Rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger(90) makes his fifth start under center, he is having an excellent year for a rookie with a passer rating of 87.5, completing 67/101, for 752 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. His leading receiver is the icon Hines Ward(94) who only has 9 receptions for 161 yards so far this season. Antwaan Randle El(85) and Plaxico Burress(87) round out an impressive receiving corps.

Defense:
The Steeler defense is ranked 8th in the league, having allowed 1,012 yards so far this season. As should be expected of a 3-4 defense, they have performed better against the pass (661 yards, 10th) then against the run (351 yards, 12th). They have only allowed 13/2 yards per game, the second lowest average in the league after the Seahawks. The defense is lead by excellent all-around defensive back Troy Polamalu(90), who has 23 tackles (2 tfl), 2 sacks, 5 pass deflections, and a forced fumble so far this season. The Steelers defensive line is made up of LE Aaron Smith(88, 1 sack), RE Kimo VonOelhoffen(85, 1 sack), and NT Casey Hampton(95, 2 sacks, 14 tackles) with Kendrick Clancy(86) available as a pass-rusher at tackle. The Steelers linebackers, Clark Haggans(84, 3 sacks), Kendrell Bell(92, 16 tackles, 2 sacks), James Farrior(87, 16 tackles, 1 sack), and Joey Porter(95, 20 tackles, 2 sacks), are possibly the best linebacker group in the league. All are athletic, with speed and strength, and would be starters anywhere in the league. The rest of the Steelers secondary is composed of cornerbacks Chad Scott(86, 1 int) and Deshea Townsend(82, 1 int), and FS Chris Hope(78, 16 tackles).

Special Teams:
Antwan Randle El(99) is one of the most dangerous kick returners in the NFL today; he is averaging 26.5 yard per kick return, and 15 yards per punt return with two touchdowns. Place kicker Jeff Reed(83) is 11/12 on field goals and P Chris Gardocki(92) has not had a punt blocked in 13 years of professional football.

Browns NFL Icons: None

Steelers NFL Icons: WR Hines Ward(94)


Recap:

The game opened under cloudy skies and pouring rain. The sound of distant thunder accompanied the cracking of helmets and the thud of feed of wet turf at the opening of the game. This was the sort of game that fans of the AFC North dream of--two ancient rivals battling it out in old-school run-oriented football on a muddy field under cloudy skies. The newest chapter of the Steelers-Browns rivalry was underway in Pittsburgh, much to the delight of the Steelers fans who packed the bleachers as full as they could be.

The Steelers won the flip and took to the field with their powerful offense, which moved the ball with purpose against a tough Cleveland defense. It only took the Steelers, led by Big Ben Roethlisberger, 9 plays to move 72 yards. The ball was handed off to Jerome Bettis 5 times, as he punched out 22 yards on the ground, while Roethlisberger was 3/4 for 50 yards, despite being hit hard by hard-hitting Browns’ defensive end Kenard Lang on all three of his first pass attempts. But on his first throw without Lang’s interference, Big Ben tossed a deep ball to Hines Ward who picked it out of the air from among three Browns’ defenders: Earl Little, Sean Jones, and CB Daylon McCutcheon who has been maligned for his poor performance in recent weeks. The touchdown opened the game with a quick 7-0 Steeler lead.

Hines Ward Catches a Touchdown Among Browns Defenders

The Browns hoped to respond quickly--Cleveland could not afford to let Pittsburgh set the pace of the game, a response was necessary to prevent their ponderous offense from falling too far behind. But, as has become all too common these past few weeks, Jeff Garcia’s mistakes under center have made life very difficult for Cleveland. Looking to complete a pass over the middle to slanting WR Antonio Bryant, Garcia underthrew the ball ever-so-slightly allowing linebacker Kendrell Bell to make a leaping interception. WR Andre Davis, running a route parallel to Bryant, was close enough to make the tackle, but Bell simply shrugged him off, with Bryant out of the way, Steelers’ RE Kimo vonOelhoffen puts a solid block on LT Ross Verba, and with no other Browns players in the flat to his right, Bell was able to maneuver into the open field and race down field a full 59 yards for another touchdown, making it a 14-0 Steeler lead only a few minutes into the game. Demoralized, and already feeling beaten, the Cleveland offense took to the soggy field once again.

Kendrell Bell Picks it Off, he’d go 59 Yards for the Touchdown

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The Browns offense had great difficult moving the ball against the Steeler defense throughout the first quarter, but were able to get close enough to set up a 53 yard field goal attempt for kicker Phil Dawson, equaling the longest successful kick of his career. Last week against the Redskins Dawson missed a 53 yarder that would have made it a tie game at the end of regulation, as well as the 41 yarder he missed at the end of regulation. Here, once again, he would miss from 53 yards out, but this time the consequences would be much less serious. The first quarter ended shortly after the missed field goal, 14-0. The Browns had only scraped together 53 yards of total offense. The Steelers, on the other hand, continued to plow ahead. Ben Roethlisberger managed to toss another long pass, this one to Antwaan Randle El, for a 40 yard touchdown after beating Browns’ CB Otis Smith deep. The Browns had been prepared to stop another run play, and the cleverly designed play-action pass caught Smith unaware. With the linebackers run-blitzing, no safeties were covering deep and thus Randle El was left free for the touchdown reception.

Randle El Celebrates His 40 Yard Touchdown Reception

The Browns could only hope to show some resistance before the end of the half, and they yet would. After an excellent Gardocki punt pinned the Browns back on their own 3 yard line they would rise to the occasion. RB William Green opened the drive with a 4 yard run out of a goal line formation, to provide some breathing room. The next play was a simple counter out of a double tight end right, double wide left single back formation. Kellen Winslow shifted to the outside as a flanker and he and Steve Heiden provided key blocks as William Green swung to the right and right into the Steelers secondary without being touched, only excellent pursuit and a good ankle tackle in the open field by Troy Polamalu, who had 7 tackles on the day, prevented Green from covering the full 93 yards for a touchdown. Instead the Browns had to settled for a 20 yard gain. Jeff Garcia and William Green continued to press downfield, with Garcia completing passes to both Dennis Northcutt and Antoni Bryant before converting a 3rd and long with a 12 yard scramble. But as Garcia was hit he bruised his shoulder and was forced to leave the game to receive some medical attention. Backup QB Kelly Holcomb finished the drive by first threading a needle to Kellen Winslow, who was double covered, for a 20 yard gain, and then handing the ball off to William Green who easily took it the remaining yard for a touchdown. The drive moved 97 yards in just over 3 minutes, and scored with 30 seconds remaining in the quarter. It had taken the Browns only 10 plays- 6 runs and 4 passes, with only one incomplete pass. It was exactly what Coach Davis had wanted to see from his offense, and it would be their most successful drive of the game.

Polamalu Saves a Touchdown

The Steelers responded in the final 30 seconds with a few passes to set up a 26 yard field goal by kicker Jeff Reed, to make it a 24-7 game as it moved into the half. The Browns, with the help of their 97 yard drive at the end of the half, had managed to put up 162 yards of total offense, while the Steelers had made 200. Jeff Garcia was 7/14 for 60 yards, and the interception to Kendrell Bell. Kelly Holcomb was 2/2 for 31 yards, while Big Ben was most impressive with 12 completions on 16 attempts for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. With the passing game so effective the Steelers had not run as much as is typical, giving Bettis a rest with only 9 carries for 29 yards in the first half. The Browns running backs had found some success, Green had 42 yards on 9 carries and a touchdown, while Suggs only had 7 on three. Jeff Garcia had also made 30 yards on three scrambles. Hines Ward had a remarkable first half with 4 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Browns’ rookie SS Sean Jones, playing for the injured Robert Griffith, had 5 tackles (1 tfl) in the first half. One of the telling stats of the game was that while the Browns had only a single pass deflection, by Anthony Henry, the Steelers had 4 in the first half.

The second half did open much better than the first for the Browns. Returner Dennis Northcutt fumbled the ball on the opening kickoff, only quick action by rookie HB Adimchinobe Echemandu prevented the Browns from losing the ball. And despite some success from both offenses neither was able to score a single point in the third quarter, but the Steelers were able to move within field goal range at the end of the quarter to open the 4th with a 43 yard Reed field goal. The drive had been indicative of the entire third quarter, using 10 plays to move only 39 yards. Jerome Bettis had carried 4 times for 16 yards, while Roethlisberger had dropped back to pass 6 times for a meager 23 yards, largely because of two sacks one by Kenard Lang and the other by DE Courtney Brown.

The “Bus” Takes it Out on the Browns Defense

Looking for a quick strike to salvage some hope for a win, the Browns finally had some second-half success on offense, moving rapidly toward the Steelers end zone. But a clipping penalty against Ross Verba called back a completion to Kellen Winslow, and set up 1st and 25. 1st down was an incomplete pass, and on both 2nd and 3rd down Garcia’s passes were dropped, both very catchable balls. This set up an impossible 4th and 25 situation for a short-distance offense, but it was too late in the game for a field goal to do any good, and so the offense went for it anyway. Jeff Garcia tried to make something happen, but flushed out of the pocket he was sacked at midfield, turning the ball over. Only a defense miracle could save the Browns now, and as Hines Ward caught another Roethlesberger touchdown pass to make it 34-7, with just over five minutes left, it was clear that Cleveland did not have a chance left.

The Browns sent in their second team offense and defense for the remaining possessions, including rookie HB Adimchinobe Echemandu and QB Luke McCown. Neither team managed to score before the end of the game, as the Steelers simply used the running game to run down the clock.

Final Score: Pittsburgh Steelers 34 Cleveland Browns 7

Player of the Game: MLB Kendrell Bell - 5 tackles, 1 interception, 1 TD

Browns Analysis:
It cannot be said that the game went any different then expected. Although Cleveland hoped to extend its road winning streak, the Steelers were simply too tough of a team. If the offense had been able to maintain the kind of rhythm it found on its one successful drive, perhaps it could have put some more points on the board, but in the end it was limited to a season-low 234 yards by a very tough defense. Jeff Garcia once again performed below expectations, and it can be expected that calls for him to be benched will be voiced throughout Cleveland for the next week. With another sub-50% completion game, completing only 12 of 27 for 106 yards, this is perhaps justified. But many of these throws were late in the game, when the Browns were simply looking for a prayer to have any chance of a come-back. Absent the three incomplete passes following the clipping penalty on Garcia’s final drive, he would have finished 12/24, not nearly so bad considering the tough Pittsburgh pass defense. Additionally Garcia produced 35 yards of rushing on 4 scrambles, a talent that neither Kelly Holcomb or Luke McCown possess. Of course, there will remain the issue of the Bell interception returned for a touchdown, Garcia’s 10th pick of the season in only his 5th game. But in the end, even if it were a 14 point swing, it likely would have made little difference.

Cleveland’s run blocking remained sub-par, but William Green was able to pound out 63 yards on 13 carries, and a one yard touchdown. Lee Suggs, however, had only 15 yards on 4 carries. It can be argued that he was underutilized today, but he did not show any intensity on his few runs and we can guess that Butch Davis had his reasons for keeping him off the field, perhaps also considering Green’s success in the passing game where he had 3 catches for 18 yards. Dennis Northcutt continues to be Cleveland’s leading wide receiver, bringing in 4 catches for 23 yards, while Antonio Bryant and Andre Davis each had two. Kellen Winslow was disappointing once again, only two receptions for 28 yards, and another dropped pass.

The Browns defensive line and linebackers played as well as can be expected, limiting Jerome Bettis to a season-low 96 yards on 22 carries, not that this would be considered an achievement against most backs, but he is averaging 140 yards per game. The Browns pass defense, however, was terrible once again. Rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger was 19 of 24, for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns. Only two passes were deflected by the Browns all game, both by Anthony Henry, as the Steelers only failed to complete 5 passes. Hines Ward led the team in receiving with 5 receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns, as Roethlisberger spread his passes out very well. Warrick Holdman was the Browns defense standout with 7 tackles, primarily in run-support, but rookie SS Sean Jones was very impressive with 6 tackles, including one for a loss. The defensive line also played relatively well, combining for 7 tackles and a sack.

Excepting Phil Dawson’s missed field goal, for which he can be forgiven considering the distance, the Browns special teams unit played well once again. Dennis Northcutt averaged over 20 yards per kick return, as he has every game so far, and returned a single punt for 11 yards. Derrick Frost once again averaged over 40 yards per punt, with 58 yards being the longest of 5 on the day including 1 within the Steelers 20 yard line and a touchback. The coverage team kept Antwaan Randle El contained, limiting him to 22 yards average on kick returns and downing him quickly on punt returns, allowing him only 2 for 3 yards apiece.

Quaterback Luke McCown sees his First Playing Time

The few minutes of play allows for a few comments on the second-team players. Rookie QB Luke McCown completed 2 of 4 passes in his first NFL action, for 13 yards. He therefore finished with a higher passer rating then starter Jeff Garcia had either on the game, or has on the entire season. Rookie HB Adimchinobe Echemandu did not look impressive with only 9 yards on 3 carries, but did have a nice 9 yard run on the last play of the game. By the time he got his carries the Browns offensive line was just worn down, and too tired to provide even the same level of run blocking it had for the rest of the game. FS Chris Crocker had 3 tackles, 1 on special teams, and saved two potential touchdown runs, while Michael Lehan had 3 tackles, also one on special teams, and returned a kickoff for 27 yards, raising the possibility that he may replace Northcutt in this duty. The backup linebackers and defensive linemen also performed well, and most had at least one tackle before the end of the game.

Next Game: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Michigan State Spartans