Now that was football. The kind you watched in the old NFL Films footage from the 50’s and 60’s. The kind you and your friends went out and played when the first snow of the season covered the ground. It wasn’t antiseptic, under a dome, or in a warm weather climate. It was good, old-fashioned football. What made it even better was the Cleveland Browns moved one step closer to a playoff spot with an 8-0 win over the Buffalo Bills. The Brownies are now 9-5 for the season, and have just their second winning season since 1999.
GM Phil Savage probably had a day like yesterday in mind when he signed Jamal Lewis to a one year contract last spring. In fact, he was undoubtedly thinking about the entire months of November and December. Lewis has been a force the last five games, averaging over 110 yards per contest in that stretch, capping it with a 163-yard performance against the Bills. The running back ran through and around the Buffalo defense, getting better as the game went on. He now has gone over 1,000 yards on the season, and has shown he is worthy of a contract extension since he is only on a one-year deal.
The Browns dominated the game until the last two minutes when the Bills mounted a drive to tie the game. It made me wonder why Buffalo had not attacked the defense like that sooner, but they had a first down on the Browns’ 15-yard line with less than a minute to go. But, on fourth down and five from the ten, they curiously called a screen pass that was snuffed out by Chaun Thompson for virtually no gain, which preserved the victory. It was a miserable day for offense, but the Cleveland defense did a better job stopping the ground game than their Buffalo counterparts. Controlling Marshawn Lynch was the key for the defense.
Offensively, the Browns set a tone that they were going to be aggressive on the first play when Derek Anderson went deep for Braylon Edwards. The passing game made just enough big plays, including a 25-yard catch by Joe Jurevicius off a deflection, and a great grab by Edwards to set up the team’s second field goal. Kellen Winslow couldn’t make connections with his QB in the first half, but wound up grabbing a couple key balls in the second half. Until the Bills’ last drive, Cleveland’s passing game was better as well.
Perhaps the special teams were the biggest reason for the win. How Phil Dawson made the 49-yard field goal in those conditions was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe the team was actually going to attempt the kick. But, kick it he did, and his line drive just cleared the crossbar. Also, the Bills’ special teams gave the brown and orange a safety when they snapped the ball over punter Brian Moorman’s head. Even Dave Zastudil got into the act with a 56-yard punt that he landed on the Buffalo one-yard line.
With a win next Sunday at Cincinnati, the Browns clinch a playoff spot. They won’t be backing into the post-season either; winning would mean a 10-win season. Jamal Lewis battered the Bengals for over 200 yards the last time these two teams met, so look for more of the same punishing running attack from the Browns’ offense. Defeating a divisional foe on the road is no easy task, however. Despite Cincy’s 20-13 loss to San Francisco Saturday night, they will be ready for the Browns.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 