Tomorrow is Promised to No One- A Madden 17 Story Line Dynasty

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Cleveland 'Stills' One in Denver!

In a Very Sloppy Game, Rookie QB Brings Home the Win

Denver, CO- The James Ashford coaching era has started off with a bang!

Despite being down 17-0 at the end of the first, allowing running back C.J Anderson to run for over 150 yards, an injury to starting quarterback Kevin Hogan, and turning the ball over 5 times, the Cleveland Browns defeated the Denver Broncos 35-31 to start off the 2017 season undefeated.

"Oh man that was not pretty." Coach Ashford said after the game. "I think we were to excited and unfocused to start the game. You can't have all those turnovers, those penalties, and bad tackling and expect to win the game. Luckily the other team had more turnovers."

The Browns defense, despite allowing Anderson to rush for 120 yards in the first half thanks to a 70 yard touchdown run, held firm and forced 7 Broncos turnovers.

"You talk about a unit that had a lot of Jekyll and Hyde moments." Defensive coordinator Thomas Williams said. "That's to be expected when you play a lot of young guys though. There will be growing pains and we definitely felt them today."

That held most true with Broncos slot receiver Marlon Brown who torched rookie cornerback Derall Clark with 126 yards and 2 touchdowns. Clark oftentimes looked lost out there, but as the game went on he found his footing and even intercepted a Trevor Siemian pass.

"Yeah he had a rough start." Coach Ashford said. "But he gained some confidence and experience as the game went on and that is what we are looking for."

The first quarter was a disaster for the Browns. Denver got the ball first and proceed to fly down the field quickly. Siemian, who was playing place of the injured Paxton Lynch, looked like an elite quarterback with his throws. The defense was able to stop them on the first drive and hold them to 3 points, but after a series of 3 and outs by the Cleveland offense and a really bad interception by Kevin Hogan, the Broncos were able to jump out to a 17-0 lead including a beautiful 95 yard drive. The worst part came when Hogan was sacked by Derek Wolfe and laid on the field in agony for a few minutes.

"Worst part of the freaking day." Rookie right guard Chris Walden said. "I struggled with him [Wolfe] all day and to let him get to my quarterback and hurt him? Man.."

Many people were expecting Broncos linebacker Von Miller to be the one causing problems for the Browns but it was Wolfe who abused the two rookies on the right side of the line for 4 sacks and causing numerous blown plays.

After Hogan was escorted to the locker room, rookie quarterback Theodore Stills was put in the game for the first time in his NFL career. A moment that came much sooner then anyone expected. He was able to move the offense a little better in the 2nd quarter but it was the final drive of the quarter that really showed what he could bring to the Browns future. Down 24-6 with 1:21 left, Stills led a brilliant drive down the field that ended with him jumping over the top of the pile for his first NFL touchdown. With it being 24-13 at the half, the Browns were still somehow in the game.

"He has a lot of heart and passion." Offensive coordinator Porter Edwards said. "That's part of the reason we drafted him. He really did well today."

The 3rd quarter was relatively quiet as both teams exchanged the football via turnovers and punting. The Browns defense really stepped up and not only slowed down the running game, but they pressured the quarterback more. Veteran cornerback Joe Haden showed why he is still one of the best defenders in the league as he intercepted the ball 3 times and shut down Denver wide receiver Demaryious Thomas. The quarter ended with Stills throwing his first NFL touchdown pass to a wide open Terrelle Pryor Jr. After a successful 2 point conversion the score was 24-21 and the Browns were back in business.

Cleveland's defense forced the Broncos offense to go three and out on the first series of the 4th quarter and the offense got the ball back with a chance to take the lead. After a couple of stuffed Isaiah Crowell runs (who did not have a good day running the ball) the Browns found themselves facing a 3rd a long. When the ball was snapped, Stills found himself facing a fierce pass rush and threw the ball up for grabs where it was intercepted by safety Darian Stewart. With the ball at the Cleveland 45, Denver had a chance to really put this game away. On the first play, Siemian stepped back to throw and was smacked by blitzing linebacker Christian Kirksey. He fumbled the ball and defensive end Kroy Biermann picked it up and raced all the way to the end zone for the touchdown. 28-24 Browns.

"I got lucky on that play." Biermann said. "The ball just kind of bounced into my arms and all I could think of was 'Don't trip over your feet man!'"

Cleveland had the lead for the first time all game but they could not put the game away. Finally with 2:14 left, the Denver Broncos were able to march down the field and take the lead on a touchdown strike from Siemian to Brown.

With 1:03 left and down 31-28, the rookie quarterback had a chance to show what he can do and he delivered. Stills threw accurate passes and guided the offense to the Denver 5 yard line. On 2nd and goal and 30 seconds on the clock, the Broncos showed a blitz formation like they have all game. This time Stills recognized it and threw a quick slant to a streaking Corey Coleman for the touchdown.

"I saw the defenders creeping up and I changed the play." Stills said. "The line held up and I somehow threw an accurate enough ball for Corey to catch. I am glad he did too."

The defense held their ground and the clock ran out to solidify the Browns victory.

"It was a great win and these guys showed a lot of fight today." Coach Ashford said. "But now it's onto Baltimore. We cannot have the errors against them that we had today."

He is correct about that but Browns fans can savor this hard fought victory. It has been awhile since we have tasted an undefeated record even if it is just 1-0. It is unknown right now how severe Kevin Hogans injury but if he has to be out for awhile, Stills has shown that he is capable of taking up the reins.

Apologies again for the lack of pictures. The rest of the game recaps will have them. Promise!

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos
Sep 9, 2017	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Cleveland Browns (0-0)	0	13	8	14	35
Denver Broncos (0-0)	17	7	0	7	31

Team Stats Comparison
	CLE	DEN
Total Offense	387	439
Rushing Yards	55	173
Passing Yards	332	266
First Downs	19	13
Punt Return Yards	14	4
Kick Return Yards	57	73
Total Yards	458	516
Turnovers	5	7
3rd Down Conversion	4	4
4th Down Conversion	1	0
2-Point Conversion	1	0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	100%	100%
Penalties	4	2
Posession Time	32:09	19:51

Cleveland Browns PASSING C/A YDS TD INT T Stills 21-36 292 2 2 K.Hogan 8-16 75 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD I.Crowell 17 51 3.0 0 D.Johnson Jr 3 8 2.7 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD G,Barnidge 8 82 10.3 0 C.Patterson 7 68 9.7 0 T.Pryor Sr. 4 113 28.3 1 C.Coleman 4 61 15.3 1 W.Snead 3 20 6.7 0 J.Conner 2 17 8.5 0 I.Crowell 1 6 6.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK J,Vasquez 0 1 C.Walden 0 2 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD C.Kirksey 10 2 0 0 J.Agurs 7 0 0 0 J.Haden 4 0 3 0 K.Grugier-Hill 4 0 0 0 W.Hill III 4 0 0 0 E.Ogbah 3 1 0 0 D.Clark 3 0 1 0 J.Taylor 2 0 0 0 T.Ashley 2 0 0 0 D.Jordan 2 0 0 0 K.Biermann 2 1 0 1 D.Easley 1 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG S.Gostkowski 2-3 3-3 9 42 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 A.Thigpen 6 329 54.8 3 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M.Goodwin 4 57 14.3 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M.Goodwin 2 14 7.0 0

Denver Broncos PASSING C/A YDS TD INT T.Siemian 16-44 286 2 4 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD C.Anderson 18 173 9.6 2 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD M.Brown 6 126 21.0 2 J.Gresham 4 74 18.5 0 D.Thomas 2 50 25.0 0 E.Sanders 2 14 7.0 0 C.Anderson 1 9 9.0 0 A.Quarless 1 13 13.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK B.Hart 1 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD C.Harris Jr 7 0 1 0 D.Wolfe 6 4 0 0 B.Marshall 6 0 1 0 J.Wilcox 6 0 0 0 S.Ray 6 0 0 0 A.Taib 5 0 0 0 D.Stewart 4 0 1 0 R.Cockrell 3 0 0 0 J.Thomas 3 0 0 0 V.Miller 3 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG B.McManus 1-2 4-4 7 49 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 M.Palardy 4 171 42.8 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D.Harris 3 54 18.0 0 E.Sanders 1 19 19.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD E.Sanders 2 4 2.0 0

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Around the League

Top Stories

Always Ready
Larry Fitzgerald has been a top receiver for many years. He is now 9th on the all time receiving yards list.

Jameis Lights It Up
It was a big day for QB Jameis Winston whose 3 TD passes helped the Bucs beat the 49ers 23-13.

Hostile Territory
In a heated rivalry game, the Atlanta Falcons came away with the 20-17 victory of the Saints.

Off to a Bad Start
In their first opening day game without Tom Brady, the Pats fall to the Bills 16-10.

Time For a Change
The Vikings replaced running back Stefan Taylor with Tim Hightower at half time.

100!
With his 100th victory, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is one of the elite coaches in the league.

Ouch!
The Chicago Bears lose running back Jordan Howard for 4 weeks and cornerback Prince Amukamara for the season.

The first week of the 2017 season is in the books and some teams and players are off to a fantastic start! Let's take a look at who is currently leading the league in their respective categories:

NFL League Leaders - Updated: Sep 13, 2017
Passing Yards		YDS	Rushing Yards		YDS
	1. Aaron Rodgers (GB)	368		1. C.J Anderson (DEN)	173
	2. Matt Ryan (ATL)	366		2. Lamar Miller (HOU)	114
	3. (R) Theodore Stills (CLE)	292		3. LeSean McCoy (BUF)	110
	4. Trevor Siemian (DEN)	286		4. Doug Martin (TB)	109
	5. Jameis Winston (TB)	270		5. Jonathan Stewart (CAR)	106
Receiving Yards		YDS	Tackles		TKL
	1. Julio Jones (ATL)	196		1. Paul Posluszny (JAC)	12
	2. A.J Green (CIN)	129		2. Tony Jefferson (ARI)	11
	3. Davante Adams (GB)	126		3. C.J Mosley (BAL)	11
	4. Marlon Brown (DEN)	126		4. Eric Kendricks (MIN)	11
	5. Terrelle Pryor Sr. (CLE)	113		5. Craig Robertson (NO)	11
Sacks		SKS	Interceptions		INT
	1. Derek Wolfe (DEN)	4.0		1. Joe Haden (CLE)	3
	2. Oliver Vernon (NYG)	4.0		2. Craig Robertson (NO)	1
	3. Akiem Hicks (CHI)	4.0		3. Jameel McClain (LA)	1
	4. (R) Dareon Mason (PIT)	3.0		4. Sean Davis (PIT)	1
	5. Dee Ford (KC)	3.0		5. Darian Stewart (DEN)	1

Here is a look at the NFL division standings after week one:

NFL Standings - Updated: Sep 13, 2017
NFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Philadelphia Eagles	1	0	0	20	3
Washington Redskins	1	0	0	22	10
Dallas Cowboys	0	1	0	20	27
New York Giants	0	1	0	10	22
NFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Chicago Bears	1	0	0	27	10
Green Bay Packers	1	0	0	27	24
Minnesota Vikings	0	1	0	3	20
Detroit Lions	0	1	0	21	24
NFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Atlanta Falcons	1	0	0	20	17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers`	1	0	0	23	13
Carolina Panthers	1	0	0	27	20
New Orleans Saints	0	1	0	17	20
NFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Seattle Seahawks	1	0	0	23	3
Los Angeles Rams	0	1	0	10	27
San Francisco 49ers	0	1	0	13	23
Arizona Cardinals	0	1	0	24	27
AFC EAST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Buffalo Bills	1	0	0	16	10
New England Patriots	0	1	0	10	16
New York Jets	0	1	0	3	23
Miami Dolphins	0	1	0	13	28
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Pittsburgh Steelers	1	0	0	28	13
Cleveland Browns	1	0	0	35	31
Cincinnati Bengals	1	0	0	27	23
Baltimore Ravens	0	1	0	10	29
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PF	PA
Houston Texans	1	0	0	24	7
Indianapolis Colts	1	0	0	27	14
Tennessee Titans	1	0	0	24	21
Jacksonville Jaguars	0	1	0	7	24
AFC WEST	W	L	T	PF	PA
Kansas City Chiefs	1	0	0	29	10
Oakland Raiders	0	1	0	23	27
San Diego Chargers	0	1	0	14	27
Denver Broncos	0	1	0	31	35

Finally lets take a look at our AFC and NFC players of the week:

NFC Offensive Player
Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston
20-34, 270 YDS, 3 TD

NFC Defensive Player
New York Giants DE Oliver Vernon
8 TKL, 4 Sacks

AFC Offensive Player
Denver HB C.J Anderson
18 ATT, 173 YDS, 2 TD

AFC Defensive Player
Denver DE Derek Wolfe
6 TKL, 4 Sacks, 2 FF

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

[thesportsguru11]

Ouch New England...

Good dub for the Brownies though!

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Quote: Originally Posted by thesportsguru11

Ouch New England... Good dub for the Brownies though!

I know! I am not too confident in New England this season but I never count out Belichick. The win was unexpected for us though. It was a really rough start but things fell our way as the game went on.

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Chapter Four

James Ashford stood on the sidelines of FirstEnergy Stadium watching his coaches put the team through various practice drills. Normally they practiced at the team facility in Berea, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, but today he wanted to change things up.

He blew his whistle and stepped out onto the field waving his arms.

“Alright guys, on me!”

He watched as the players gathered around him, sweat pouring off their bodies and gasping for air. A cool breeze had just blown in and many of them were signing in relief. He waited until everyone had quiet down.

“Good practice today guys. I liked the hustle and attention to detail that was shown today. Let’s make sure that carries over to Sunday.”

Everyone nodded.

“Does anyone know why I decided to hold practice here today?” He said gesturing at the stadium.

“To have us get used to playing here?” Rookie cornerback Derall Clark said.

“Partly.” James said “Time to throw a little history at y’all. Who knows what year this stadium was built?”

There was silence then Joe Thomas, the longest tenured Brown on the team answered. “1999.”

“Correct. But this stadium is actually built on the site of the original Cleveland Stadium which opened back in 1931.”

Some of the players nodded in mild amusement while others were occupied with the thought of hitting the showers and ending practice.

“In fact some of the debris from the old stadium now serves as an artificial reef in Lake Erie.” James continued. “So we are standing on the site where some of the best of all time used to walk. Players like Otto Graham, Jim Brown and Bernie Kosar led the Browns to some spectacular victories here.”

He paused. He had everyone’s attention now.

“For far too long people have assumed that they can walk in here and get an easy victory. This place was nothing but a pit stop to them. The Dog Pound invited nothing but laughter and mockery.”

Some of the players nodded.

“That ends now.” He stopped and looked at every single player. “We will not be pushovers. We will not be the helpless browns. Every single team that steps on this field should expect the fight of their lives.”

“Hell yeah!” Thomas said.

“We will make it to where they should be afraid to see us on the schedule. People should fear having to play us at home.”

“That’s right coach!” Cornerback Joe Haden said and several players banged their helmets on the ground in agreement.

“This is our home. We will defend it with everything we got.” James said. “Just like the legends who came before us, we will leave our mark!”

Thomas came forward and kneeled on one knee and raised his helmet in the air. “I promise I will defend this house with everything I got. For my brothers and for the men who came before me.”

Everyone on the team raised their helmet in the air and followed suit.

“For the team!”

“Defend this house!”

“Whose house is this?!” James said.

“Our house!”

“WHOSE HOUSE?”

“OUR HOUSE!”

“Alright men.” James said stepping in the middle with his arm outstretched.

“Let’s get back on the bus and head back to the facility. Brotherhood on three. One. Two. Three...”

“BROTHERHOOD!” The team shouted and then headed towards the buses laughing with each other.

James watched the team head out and started to follow. Defensive coordinator Thomas Williams came up to him and slapped him on the back laughing.

“That was some straight up ‘Remember the Titans’ s**t brother.”

“One of my favorite movies.” James said with a small smile.

“Do you think it will work?”

“I guess we’ll see pretty soon.”



A few hours later, James was walking through the team facility. Most of the players and coaches had gone home for the day and only a few stragglers were left to get in some extra film study and exercise.

He strode his way towards general manager Sashi Brown’s office fuming. He had just gotten off the phone with the agent for quarterback Cody Kessler. Apparently Kessler was upset that he was backing up rookie quarterback Theodore Stills instead of starting in place of the injured Kevin Hogan and now he wanted to be traded. James knew something was wrong when Kessler called in sick to practice. He had no patience with players that didn’t want to be a part of the team.

As he walked by the trainer’s room he heard laughter. Curious, he poked his head in to see what the commotion was about. Kevin Hogan was laying on a bed with a giant ice pack wrapped around his abdomen with what looked like Saran Wrap. Theodore Stills was sitting next to him holding a tablet.

“Okay you see what is happening on this play?” Hogan said wincing as he pointed to an image on the tablet. “You see how he backed off Terrelle a few yards and made it look like he was in zone coverage? He was baiting you.”

“He wanted me to throw that ball?” Stills said.

“Yeah. I think it was what? Your second series? He wanted to see how well you can diagnose a defensive scheme. So he backed off a few yards so that you could only see Terrelle going across the middle with seemingly no coverage and when you threw the ball…” Hogan pressed a button on the screen. “He knew he had the speed to catch up and intercept the ball which is what happened.”

Stills shook his head in amazement. “The defenders on this level are so fast.”

“Yeah, but you’ll get used to it.”

Stills looked up and saw James standing in the doorway. “Hey coach!”

“Go home rookie. Relax for a little while.”

“I am coach, I was just getting some clarification on a few things.” Stills said standing up and grabbing his gym bag. “I appreciate the help man.” He said to Hogan.

“Yeah, no problem.” Hogan said laying back down gingerly.

“Goodnight rookie.” James said.

“Night coach!” He said walking out.

James walked over to Hogan and patted him on the shoulder. “How are you doing?”

“Sore.” He said wincing as he tried to sit up.

“No it’s ok, you can keep laying down.”

Hogan nodded and sighed as he laid back down. “This sucks coach.”

“I know. Has Dr. Watson said anything more?”

He shook his head. “No but he is pretty sure it’s a sports hernia. He is in his office right now getting me an appointment to get an ultrasound.”

“Ah.” James said. “I actually had one of those when I was playing at Texas Tech. It was a b**ch because you don’t realize how often you use your stomach muscles. Sneezing, laughing, coughing.”

“Crapping.”

James laughed. “That too.”

Hogan sighed. “It also sucks because I worked so damn hard to get that starting position and now I probably won’t get another chance. At least not with this team.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

He laughed and then winced in pain. “I do. I am out for at least five weeks. That kid is really talented and I have no doubt he will secure the starting job. Look at Bledsoe and Brady or Prescott and Romo.”

“Well I still see you as an important part of our plan.”

“Oh I am not saying I want to be traded or released.” Hogan said quickly. “I’ll do everything I can to help this team. Hell that kid asks me a million questions a day. It’s just…”

“I know.”

Silence fell between the two men that was punctuated by the sound of someone opening a door. A short portly man with owl rimmed eyeglasses and a white lab coat came strolling up carrying a clipboard full of paper.

“Good evening coach!” The man said in a thick Scottish accent. “Come to check on our patient eh?”

“How’s he doing Dr. Watson?”

“Well.” He shuffling his papers. “He is gonna be in a lot of pain I am afraid. But I got some medicine that will help with that. I am gonna get him set up to get an ultrasound to see if we need to do surgery.”

“No!” Hogan said grimacing as he tried to sit up. “No surgery.”

“Lay back down there laddie.” Dr. Watson said.

Hogan laid back down. “No surgery doc.”

“I highly doubt you will need it son. It’s just a precautionary measure.”

“So if the scan comes back ok, will we still be looking at five weeks?” James said.

“Aye. Just lots of rest, ice and painkillers.”

“Alright, I will keep my fingers crossed for that.” James stood up and patted
Hogan on the shoulder. “Take it easy okay?”

Hogan nodded.

“Don’t worry coach, I’ll have him up and going in no time.” Dr. Watson said as James walked out.

“Thanks doc.” James said with a small smile. As he headed towards Sashi’s office, he couldn’t help but marvel at how unfair this game could be sometimes.

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Matchup Preview

Can the Browns find some magic against rival Baltimore?

Cleveland, OH- Fresh off a hard fought win against the Denver Broncos in week one, the Cleveland Browns will face off in a AFC North division game against the Baltimore Ravens in their 2017 home opener.

"We've been waiting for this game all summer." Head coach James Ashford said. "It's our home opener against a hated division rival. Can't get much better then that."

Browns fans have never liked the team from Baltimore since they Art Modell abandoned Cleveland in 1996 but could do nothing as their beloved team has consistently struggled against the Ravens. The Browns are 9-27 all time versus Baltimore.

"Coach actually gave us a history lesson on all that this week." Tackle Joe Thomas said. "He really has emphasized the importance of playing at home and I think that fight will show today."

If Coach Ashford and company want to turn this franchise's sorrows around, it begins with stopping the ever dangerous Joe Flacco. Flacco struggled last week in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs but he could turn it on at any moment, especially if he can get speedster wide receivers Mike Wallace and Ted Ginn Jr. going.

"Our young guys are going to have another test today." Defensive coordinator Thomas Williams said. "The other side has a solid pair of play-makers so we really need to be on our game today."

Flacco will be without talented tight end Dennis Pitta, who is out with an injury, and will have to rely on 2nd year running back Kenneth Dixon. Dixon is not as talented as C.J Anderson, who the Browns faced last week, but stopping the running game is a matter of pride for this D.

"Oh yeah man that was awful." Linebacker Christian Kirksey said. "We want to prove that we are better then that so run defense is definitely a priority today."

On the other side of the ball, rookie quarterback Theodore Stills will be making his first NFL start today in place of the injured Kevin Hogan. This will be no easy task as he will face a tenacious Ravens D that features Terrell Suggs, C.J Mosley, and Eric Weddle. However, the story before the game is focused on backup quarterback Cody Kessler. Sources say Kessler is unhappy with backing up Stills and wants to be traded.

"I will only comment on the game." Coach Ashford said. "I would like to think that every player fortunate enough to suit up today is focused on the task at hand."

It's a story to keep an eye on for sure, but for now we will see if the rookie can keep the same kind of composure that he showed last week. Offensive coordinator Porter Edwards said that he would like to see running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr. get more carries today. Both backs had a hard time getting going last week.

"Last week is not what I am as a player." Crowell said. "I can't wait to get out there in front of this home crowd and really start playing."

If Cleveland can play mistake free football, unlike last week, and keep the pressure on Joe Flacco, they might be able to get an elusive win against a division foe.

Last Game Results:
Cleveland Browns 35 Denver Broncos 31
Baltimore Ravens 10 Kansas City Chiefs 29

Prediction: Baltimore 24 Cleveland 17

Players to Watch

QB Joe Flacco (82)

LE Timmy Jernigan (85)

MLB C.J Mosley (90)

Matchup Preview *|* September 17, 2017
	@
Baltimore Ravens (0-1, 0-1 Away)		Cleveland Browns (1-0, 0-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 383 Total Yards 458 247 Total Offensive Yards 387 181 Passing Yards 332 66 Rushing Yards 55 10.0 Points Per Game 35.0 Defensive Stats Comparison 397 Total Yards Allowed 439 205 Passing Yards Allowed 266 192 Rushing Yards Allowed 173 29 Points Allowed 31 0 Sacks 4 0 Fumble Recoveries 3 1 Interceptions 4 Injury Report TE Dennis Pitta/Broken Hand 4 Weeks QB Kevin Hogan/Abdominal Tear 5 Weeks LT Ronnie Stanley/Foot Fracture 4 Weeks Game Notes

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Taking Over!

Converted WR Terrelle Pryor abuses Baltimore Secondary in Win

Browns WR Terrelle Pryor (11) out jumps Ravens CB LaDarius Webb (21) for a long catch late in the 3rd.

Cleveland, OH- In the first division game of the 2017 season for these AFC North rivals all eyes were on Cleveland's rookie quarterback Theodore Stills, but it was quarterback turned wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr. that stole the show. Pryor had 214 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns to help his team get the close victory over the Baltimore Ravens 31-30.

"It's a division game man." Pryor said after the game. "Winning these games are so important. I wanted to go out there and prove that not only can I play in this league when so many people said I couldn't, but that we are a team that will not go down without a fight."

Fighting for each other and the team has been the mantra of new head coach James Ashford all summer and it seems to be paying off as the Browns have fought hard in both games this season and are now at 2-0.

"This is a special group of guys." Coach Ashford said. "I knew that when I took the job. If we learn from our mistakes and grow as a team, we could be something."

It was a tale of two halves for these teams. The first half featured stout defenses on both sides. Rookie quarterback Theodore Stills and Raven's quarterback Joe Flacco struggled as they both threw a pair of picks. Stills threw his to talented linebacker C.J Mosley on a pair of badly timed throws.

Raven's MLB C.J Mosley (57) intercepts a Theodore Stills pass.

"He is a lot faster in person then he is on tape." Stills said. "I really thought I could get the ball in there before he could get it."

On the other side, Flacco struggled against a Browns D that was putting a lot of pressure on him, something that was lacking against the Broncos last week. The resulting pressure caused Flacco to throw 2 interceptions and lose a fumble that led to a field goal. Still, Cleveland found themselves down 13-3 at the half.

Browns CB Jamar Taylor (21) picks of an errant Flacco pass.

"We had several mistakes on that first half that led to us being down." Coach Ashford said. "Yet we were only down 10 and capable of making adjustments to turn this game around."

The second half featured an explosion of offense as both teams had made great adjustments at the half. Cleveland had the ball first and Stills lead a terrific drive down the field that featured a lot of Pryor and finally scored a touchdown that cut the lead in half. Baltimore responded with a fantastic drive of their own to go up by 10 again. Both teams exchanged touchdown drives again and it was 27-17 Ravens at the end of the 3rd. At the start of the 4th and with another chance to cut in the lead, Stills handed it off to running back Isaiah Crowell, who had another awful game today, and was hit by a blitzing Terrell Suggs. Crowell lost the ball and it was recovered by the Ravens on Cleveland's 30 yard line.

Raven's WR Mike Wallace (17) celebrates on the way to the end zone after a long TD.

"I don't even want to talk about it." Crowell said brushing off reporters after the game. "I sucked today."

Cleveland's defense held and only allowed a field goal to make it 30-17. The Browns were still in the game but time was running out. Could the rookie quarterback engineer another 4th quarter comeback?

"I've had the utmost confidence in him since day one." Offensive coordinator Porter Edwards said. "The problem is getting him to believe in himself."

With time ticking away and down 2 scores, Stills took the field. After Pryor had abused them all game, Baltimore rolled more coverage over to his side to prevent him from doing any more damage. That was perfectly fine for the Brown's as Stills was able to utilize Cordarrelle Patterson, Willie Snead and last week's touchdown hero Corey Coleman.

"It's something I think Cleveland has been waiting for since I've been here." Veteran lineman Joe Thomas said. "A prolific offense featuring good receivers and a quarterback who can actually get them the ball."

Browns WR Corey Coleman (19) catches a TD pass.

Stills would put together two terrific drives that ended in touchdown tosses to Corey Coleman and the defense held for the Browns to escape with a 31-30 win and their first division victory of the season.

Brown's CB Joe Haden (23) intercepts a Flacco pass to end the game.

"I don't care where we stand at the end of the season." Coach Ashford said. "If these guys have fought for each other and this team all season and given everything they got, I will call that a win."

As great as that sounds, winning is the only thing that matters in the NFL. Browns fans have finally tasted it and they will want more. The season is still very young but it seems Coach Ashford and Theodore Stills are the men the fans have been waiting for.

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Sep 17, 2017	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Baltimore Ravens (0-1)	6	7	14	3	30
Cleveland Browns (1-0)	3	0	14	14	31

Team Stats Comparison
	BAL	CLE
Total Offense	459	512
Rushing Yards	116	58
Passing Yards	343	454
First Downs	15	17
Punt Return Yards	21	49
Kick Return Yards	34	97
Total Yards	514	658
Turnovers	5	4
3rd Down Conversion	3	8
4th Down Conversion	0	1
2-Point Conversion	0	0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	66%	66%
Penalties	3	4
Posession Time	21:49	30:10

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		BAL	CLE
10:37	(BAL) J.Tucker, 43 YD FG	3	0
7:28	(BAL) J.Tucker, 23 YD FG	6	0
1:12	(CLE) S.Gostkowski 18 YD FG	6	3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		BAL	CLE
2:41	(BAL) T.Benjamin, 35 YD pass from J.Flacco (J.Tucker kick)	13	3
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		BAL	CLE
11:23	(CLE) T.Pryor, 7 YD pass from T.Stills (S.Gostkowski kick)	13	10
7:58	(BAL) M.Williams, 39 YD pass from J.Flacco (J.Tucker kick)	20	10
4:04	(CLE) T.Pryor, 18 YD pass from T.Stills (S.Gostkowski kick)	20	17
2:36	(BAL) M.Wallace, 60 YD pass from J.Flacco (J.Tucker kick)	27	17
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		BAL	CLE
10:53	(BAL) J.Tucker, 27 YD FG	30	17
6:21	(CLE) C.Coleman, 30 YD pass from T.Stills (S.Gostkowski kick)	30	24
1:53	(CLE) C.Coleman, 9 YD pass from T.Stills (S.Gostkowski kick)	30	31

Baltimore Ravens PASSING C/A YDS TD INT J.Flacco 20-40 358 3 4 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD K.Dixon 15 109 7.3 0 J.Allen 1 7 7.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD C.Gillmore 5 67 13.4 0 M.Wallace 5 104 20.8 1 T.Benjamin 4 61 15.3 1 K.Dixon 3 23 7.7 0 M.Williams 2 82 41.0 1 D.Inman 1 21 21.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK M.Yanda 1 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD T.Suggs 11 0 0 0 K.Correa 9 1 0 0 R.Wilson 6 0 0 0 C.Mosley 6 0 2 0 T.Young 5 0 0 0 L.Webb 5 0 0 0 S.Wright 4 0 0 0 T.Gordon 3 0 0 0 N.Fairley 1 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG J.Tucker 3-3 3-3 12 44 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 S.Koch 3 109 53.0 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD T.Benjamin 1 20 20.0 0 T.Ginn Jr. 1 14 14.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD T.Benjamin 2 21 10.5 0

Cleveland Browns PASSING C/A YDS TD INT T.Stills 33-57 467 4 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD I.Crowell 20 54 2.7 0 D.Johnson Jr. 4 5 1.3 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD T.Pryor 11 214 19.5 2 C.Coleman 6 118 19.7 2 C.Patterson 6 47 7.8 0 G.Barnidge 4 36 9.0 0 W.Snead 4 52 13.0 0 I. Crowell 2 0 0.0 0 BLOCKING PANCAKE SACK J.Thomas 0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD C.Kirksey 7 0 1 0 J.Agurs 5 0 0 0 D.Shelton 4 1 0 0 K.Biermann 4 1 0 0 W.Hill III 4 0 0 0 J.Haden 2 0 2 0 D.Clark 2 0 0 0 T.Ashley 2 0 0 0 J.Taylor 1 0 1 0 X.Cooper 1 1 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG S.Gostkowski 1-2 4-4 7 18 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 A.Thigpen 3 115 38.3 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M.Goodwin 5 97 19,4 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD M.Goodwin 3 49 16.3 0