Monday Musings: giant-killing Cleveland Browns have life
Posted By Admin on October 31, 2010
The Cleveland Browns have started the 2010 season in the same way that they finished their last two campaigns – anchored to the bottom of the AFC North.
Say what you will about their struggles, but there must be something there, some spark, some hidden desire that is quite capable of emerging and turning them into something much more than their 2-5 record shows.
While the Browns’ win tally might put them in line with the NFL’s sloppiest, they possess another record that sees them enter altogether more elite company.
When they beat the New Orleans Saints 31-17 on Sunday, they did something only seven other teams have ever done before: beat the defending Super Bowl champions three years in a row.
And the Browns didn’t just beat the Saints. They picked them apart – quite literally. Drew Brees threw four interceptions, and never seemed to be on the same page as his wide receivers. David Bowens personally accounted for two of the picks, taking them both back for touchdowns, and the Saints couldn’t recover.
Brees said: “Whenever you throw a pick, you’re going to be upset. I think we are all doing a little soul searching. We know how good we can be. Obviously, we aren’t playing that way right now.”
Remarkably, the biggest play of the game came on a fake punt: Reggie Hodges took the snap, and watched as the struggling Saints parted in front of him like the Red Sea. He even juked a player out of his skin, before eventually being brought down just shy of the endzone.
The Saints put up 184 yards more than their opponents, but never once had the lead in the game. It was through trickery and relentless defence that the Browns won, rather than any sort of beautiful offence, but they won nevertheless.
They’re giant killers. And next year’s champions better watch out.
Now let’s look at some of Week 7′s other standouts…
Darren McFadden exploded back onto the scene after missing time due to a hamstring injury, rushing for 165 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries, and adding 31 yards and another score on two catches as the Oakland Raiders stomped on the Wembley-bound Denver Broncos. He’s now 8th on the leading rusher list despite playing in less games than his peers.
DeAngelo Hall tied an NFL single-game record by snagging four interceptions, and even took one 92 yards for a touchdown to help the Washington Redskins trump the favoured Chicago Bears 17-14. It’s not often that a player single-handedly lifts his team from the jaws of defeat, but Hall did just that on Sunday.
Ed Reed made a dazzling debut after missing the first six games of the season due to injury. It’s amazing to think he can contemplate retirement when he so effortlessly dominates the game. He had two interceptions and a forced fumble against the Buffalo Bills as the Baltimore Ravens sent them spiralling to 0-6 on the season.
Roddy White set the Atlanta Falcons soaring with 11 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The Cincinnati Bengals came close to winning, but had no answer for the big wideout who continues to make a name for himself with routine big games.
Davone Bess made a beautiful catch and took it 26 yards for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ punishing defence. Although the Miami Dolphins came up excruciatingly short in a 23-22 loss, Bess is clearly one to watch in an up-and-coming offence that is starting to look very threatening.
Comments
Leave a Reply