Kellen Winslow probably was forced out of bounds on the last play of yesterday’s 27-21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but the Cleveland Browns did not deserve to win that game anyway. They made too many mistakes to win, particularly on the road. Four turnovers, ill-timed and stupid penalties, and the inability to stop the run late caused this defeat more than a possibly missed call. In fact, Cleveland was the beneficiary of some horrible calls earlier in the game.
Besides the two interceptions and fumbled snap by Derek Anderson, I thought the offense wasn’t patient enough against Arizona. The Browns seemed to move the ball effortlessly by running the ball and going underneath the Cardinal defense, letting the running backs catch short passes and run for good gains. However, the quarterback and offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski seemed intent on forcing the ball downfield and the result was two picks, one of which was returned for six. I understand the Browns like to attack, but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.
Defensively, Cleveland did a good job containing the Cardinal passing attack. Because of the turnovers, Kurt Warner worked with a short field much of the game, but never could really get anything going without standout receiver Larry Fitzgerald. It was pointed out that with Fitzgerald out, the Browns really clamped down on Anquan Bolden. Once again, though, when it really mattered the defense could not stop the Edgerrin James and the Cardinals running attack. James got the usual 100 yards against Todd Grantham’s crew, and allowed the Cards to run valuable time off the clock in the fourth quarter. It was telling that when Romeo Crennel was asked about how the defense performed despite the turnovers, he said their play was not good enough.
Even Joshua Cribbs got involved in the mistake game. Maybe he was frustrated by Arizona not kicking the ball to him, Cribbs made an ill-advised attempt to field a short punt, and muffed it. The Cards recovered the ball, and they marched in for a touchdown and an 11-point lead. I’m all for a guy trying to make plays, but once again a little patience needs to be exercised. Remember, this is a young team for the most part, and these guys are playing for a playoff spot for the first time. This is where the coaches and veterans have to exert some leadership.
Now, on to the officiating. Apparently these crews are assigned early in the year, because the zebras were beyond bad. Cardinals’ coach Ken Whisenhunt challenged two calls that should have been overturned and weren’t. Instant replay really worked yesterday. To my eyes, Sean Jones did not catch the deflected pass late in the second quarter. On replay, the ball clearly hit the ground. Then, in the third quarter on Braylon Edwards 67 yard touchdown reception, the Arizona defender hit Edwards’ leg causing him to go down. If that’s not a tackle, I don’t know what one is. And I’m not even bringing up, the silly Leigh Bodden kicking the ball (yes, it was silly, but really who cares about it), and Winslow’s catch to end the game.
Next week, the Browns have the opportunity to show they are a playoff team. They should go to the Meadowlands and beat a mediocre Jets team. If they do just that, with two winnable home games (Buffalo and San Francisco) remaining, they can end up at 10-6, which should be good enough for a playoff spot. However, they have to eliminate the silly mistakes. They also have to get off to a good start. You can’t allow a bad team to think they have a chance to win. If you can get up on New York early, they might just pack it in. Yesterday’s loss wasn’t catastrophic; it was a speed bump on the road to the post-season.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 