What happens when a physical football team meets its match? The Cleveland Browns found out today as they were out-toughed by the Atlanta Falcons, losing 20-10 at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
The old bugaboo that was the biggest reason the team hasn’t been able to win consistently over the last ten years raised its ugly head once again, as the Browns couldn’t run the football, gaining just 48 yards rushing, and they couldn’t stop the run, allowing Atlanta to gain 165 on the ground. That’s a recipe for defeat on a regular basis.
The other nightmare that came true for the team was Seneca Wallace getting injured at the end of the first half. Wallace was playing well, hitting 11 of 15 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown to Peyton Hillis, but when he went down, it forced Jake Delhomme back in the game, and he wasn’t sharp or healthy.
Delhomme missed several open receivers early in the second half, and he was still gimpy enough that he could not elude the pressure applied by Atlanta’s defense. A mis-handled snap also made the Browns settle for a field goal after a sack of Falcon QB Matt Ryan, which caused a fumble giving Cleveland the ball deep in Atlanta territory.
Delhomme will be hammered for two interceptions, but the first, which was batted up in the air, caught on a dive by DE Kroy Biermann, and returned 41 yards for a touchdown, wasn’t the quarterback’s fault, as he never saw the Falcon coming until it was too late. The second was caused when the veteran was hit as he was throwing, causing the ball to be off target.
Which brings us to the offensive line, which did not give an acceptable performance. In particular, Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas was dominated by Atlanta DE John Abraham. It was a hit by Abraham that knocked Wallace out of the game, and he also was a factor on the second interception of Delhomme.
Thomas has not played like a Pro Bowler this season.
Defensively, the Browns did a great job of keeping Ryan in control, as he hit on 16 of 28 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown, most of which came in the second half. The time of possession in this game was about even, but the Browns’ defense seemed to be on the field most of the game. In the first half, the offense really only generated one significant drive, that the one they scored on.
Coordinator Rob Ryan did a great job of keeping the Falcons out of the end zone in the first half, and actually allowed just 13 points for the game, which is, when all is said and done, good enough to win.
LB Marcus Benard had another sack, giving him 3.5 for the year, and Scott Fujita had the one that forced a fumble early in the second half that should have given Cleveland control of the contest. Not cashing that in for a touchdown was a huge swing in the game, as on the subsequent drive, Ryan hit WR Roddy White for a 45 yard touchdown pass giving Atlanta a lead they would not relinguish.
So, now Eric Mangini has a problem at quarterback, much like he had all of last season. Will Delhomme be healthy enough to start next week in Pittsburgh? If he’s not, can Wallace go? And no matter who plays, can the offensive line protect him. What happened today is what occurs when you have a one dimensional offense, and the defense takes that option away.
You have a big problem winning football games. And when you bill yourself as a physical team and you get dominated, you really have a problem. The guess here is it will be a tough week of practice for the Cleveland Browns.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 