Who wants to talk about the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns?
Granted, Peyton Hillis ran over the New England Patriots defense this afternoon to the tune of 184 rushing yards on 29 attempts in a dominating 34-14 win, but it would be very difficult to change quarterbacks after back to back wins over the defending Super Bowl champs and a team that came into the game with the best record in the AFC to date.
Sure, the Browns used a trick play to score their second touchdown, a 13 yard run by wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, but this contest was all Browns from the first play of the game, when Josh Cribbs took the opening kickoff back 36 yards.
You want numbers? Try 404 total yards to New Englands’ 289, including a whopping 230 yards on the ground. Let me tell you, if you allow that many rushing yards in an NFL game, you have been totally outplayed.
Cleveland had the ball for slightly over 38 minutes, keeping Tom Brady and the Patriot offense where they couldn’t hurt the Browns’ defense. That is the bench.
As for the quarterbacking play, Colt McCoy was as efficient as you can be, completing 14 of 19 passes for 174 yards, and getting his first NFL touchdown on a 16 yard scramble in the second half. He hit seven different receivers and orchestrated the attack superbly. Besides the touchdown run, Eric Mangini mentionned another play where the rookie was flushed out of the pocket and found Josh Cribbs for a first down.
Those plays are made by playmakers.
Although Hillis fumbled in the first half, he was tremendous setting a career high in rushing yards and accounted for 220 total yards of offense, including a reception on a touch throw by McCoy for 29 yards and a first down in the second half. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King said Hillis was the best player in the Brady Quinn transaction and he was absolutely right.
Defensively, coordinator Rob Ryan pulled out his bags of odd formations and blitzes again to confuse Brady and it worked. There were times when Cleveland lined up without any defensive linemen.
LB Chris Gocong made several big stops early in the game as the Browns controlled the running game early and made the Patriots a one dimensional attack. They only sacked Brady once, by Ahtyba Rubin, but the hurried the three time Super Bowl winner several times causing him to throw the ball away or miss his intended target.
Even the first Patriot touchdown was a deflected pass into the hands of rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez at the back of the end zone, although CBS’ Rich Gannon described the play as if that was the intent all along.
And the defense stopped a late first half drive when S Abe Elam took the ball out of the hands of rookie TE Rob Gronkowski as he fought for extra yardage.
The special teams also contributed with Cribbs’ kickoff returns and the recovery of a short kickoff that was mishandled and recovered by Ray Ventrone.
So the Browns end the first half of the schedule with a 3-5 record and two straight wins with the New York Jets coming to Browns’ Stadium next week in the “Ryan Bowl”, Jets’ head man Rex against Cleveland defensive coordinator Rob.
It is apparent that this football team is improving, and is now capable of beating any opponent. It’s a tough, physical team that when it doesn’t make mistakes can win. Finally, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for long suffering Browns’ fans.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 