Sep
29
Written by:
LarryMac
9/29/2009 9:30 AM
With one of the league's worst offenses - an offense that has scored one touchdown in nine games, dating back to last year - playing one of the top defenses, the outcome of this game may have been predestined. Nonetheless, the Browns still managed to disappoint.
Brady Quinn went only 6 for 8 in the first half, with 34 yards and an interception as he continued to play a short game and never stretch the field or the Ravens' defense. Jerome Harrison got the start with Jamal Lewis nursing a bad hamstring and provided the closest thing to a spark that the Browns have seen in quite awhile, with over 50 all purpose yards in the half including a 17 yard run that marked the longest run against the stingy Ravens defense this season.
The Ravens capitalized on Quinn's early interception to seize a 7-0 lead that they pushed to 20-0 by halftime.
For the second half, Eric Mangini made the move to Derek Anderson, hoping for "a spark". Anderson completed his first two passes and did engineer the Browns' only scoring drive but ended the half 11 of 19 for 92 yards with three interceptions as the Ravens added two more touchdowns, hammering the hapless Browns 34-3 as Joe Flacco passed for a career-high 342 yards.
The Good: Jerome Harrison finished the game with 52 rushing yards and another 33 yards receiving.
The Bad: Braylon Edwards continues to be a non-factor as opposing defenses center on him since the Browns have no other playmakers. The Browns defense didn't have the second-half lapse that we've seen so far this season, but was completely outplayed. They still swarmed to the ball, but the Ravens were able to use that against them and cause overpursuit on misdirection plays that led to three Baltimore rushing touchdowns in which the runner went untouched into the end zone.
The Ugly: The playcalling in this game was perhaps the worst yet, with Mangini opting for a QB sneak by Quinn on first down after a long run by Harrison and also choosing to follow a Harrison run that was called back after a penalty with the exact same play. Anderson attributed his three interceptions to rust. One, perhaps two, of them had the look of miscommunication or lost timing with receivers. The third was a pass into triple coverage that never should have been made.
People who were honest with themselves were expecting a Ravens win, but this was demoralizing. The defense played better, although it certainly didn't show in the final score as the Ravens offense got four extra cracks at it. Moreover, in benching a starter that he took too long to name in favor of sending a rusty QB who hasn't had quality practice time with the first squad in against an elite defense, Mangini has reignited the QB controversy that has torn this team apart for the past two seasons. His personnel decisions continue to confound and confuse everybody who's watching...and more and more threaten to decrease the number of those who are.
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