Cleveland Browns Game 12: Winners and Losers
December 2, 2013Video: Eddie George and his sons watching Ohio State’s win over Michigan
December 2, 2013
The media waited outside the locker room a few minutes longer than usual after Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars. Judging by Rob Chudzinski’s mood for his post-game press conference, it would come as no surprise if the first year coach didn’t deliver a stern message to the team.
“Disappointing, difficult loss,” said Chudzinski stepping to the podium. “We made too many critical mistakes we were not able to overcome today. We won’t stand for losing. We’re going to get this fixed; it’s unacceptable.”
Disappointing is a word that Chudzinski has used several times in previous losses. Perhaps it was the tone behind the words on Sunday that seemed different. The words were crisper. Sharper.
“It’s not about the effort of the group today; it’s about the mistakes,” Chudzinski continued. “This was a team loss. Everybody is accountable. Every area of the team can get better and could be better today.”
No question that there were let downs in all three phases of the game. The offense killed the team’s chances with turnovers. The defense had the lead to protect with under four minutes to go and Jacksonville 80 yards from the end zone. The special teams didn’t have many errors, but Billy Cundiff did miss a long field goal.
It isn’t hard to imagine which particular portion of the game upset Chudzniski more than most. In the last two minutes and forty-seven seconds of the second quarter the Browns lost the lead on a pair of interceptions and a fumble by quarterback Brandon Weeden. The Browns went from being up a touchdown, to down a field goal heading into halftime.
“It was critical in the course of the game,” said Chudzinski about that sequence. “It was huge and a huge momentum swing going into the half. Multiple turnovers there occurred, and [we] can’t have it. They were able to get 13 points in a short amount of time, and it really changed the complexion of the game. I thought our guys rallied at halftime and came out with a big drive in the second half and showed their determination and showed the type of character that this teams is made of. But again, those critical mistakes, turnovers, are killing us in those games. We’re just not able to overcome.”
There were several players that could have, and did share blame after this one. Cornerback Joe Haden took responsibility for allowing the game winning touchdown. Alex Mack took responsibility for the errant snap that sailed over Weeden’s head and cost the team a safety and the lead.
Safeties Tashaun Gipson, and T.J. Ward were both quick to defend Haden, saying that the whole defense was responsible for surrendering that final touchdown drive, not just the last play in which Haden was beat in the end zone. D’Qwell Jackson would echo those sentiments.
Chudzinski was quick to point out that despite the mistakes, the team didn’t quit and will get better.
“We will stick together as this team has done,” Chudzinski said. “They’re professionals and they won’t give up. They didn’t give up today. I’m fully committed to getting this thing turned and finishing our last four games and getting this thing on the right track.”
That right track may be difficult to find this coming week.
Following the game, Brandon Weeden was examined for a concussion. Those results were positive and Weeden entered the league’s concussion protocol. That could mean he is unavailable for next Sunday’s game against the Patriots. It is possible that Jason Campbell is cleared of his concussion in time to play this week, but there is still a question of his ribs which were hurt again last week against the Steelers. Campbell was forced from the game in the first half after a shot to the midsection. He later returned to the game, but those ribs are going to be bothering him for a while.
That could mean the Browns are down to newly signed quarterback Alex Tanney on the road in Foxboro against the 9-3 Patriots.
Following New England, the Browns have one more home game against the Chicago Bears (6-6) who are fighting for the NFC North division title, just one loss behind Detroit. Then the Browns hit the road for their final two games against the Jets (5-7) and the Steelers (5-7). Cleveland will likely be underdogs in all four of those contests, with the possible exception of the Jets.
92 Comments
I personally already haven’t been standing for losing for years. We’re still losing though.
His logic is faulty. Starting Weeden = standing for losing.
Chud is saying exactly what he should say. Berea emits a losing stench that can’t be easily eradicated. No productive Browns player has played for a NFL winner. Losing is in the halls, the walls, the locker room. It’s like no one on the field knows how to step on the opponent’s neck and win the freaking game. The most important player lacks basic QB skills, otherwise steady snappers hit guys in the leg or put it 5 feet over the target’s head at the worst time, your best player gets coverage brainlock against one of the league’s worst QBs to end the game. At home yet. Joe Haden is lauded for getting teary and feeling responsible – great. How bout instead playing smart and tough when it’s balls to the wall time.
Chud should call them out for yesterday. They have more talent than Jacksonville and were at home. You cannot win if players don’t have it within themselves to step up when it counts.
Couldn’t agree more. People will undoubtedly talk about the front office and coaching staff because, well, that’s what we do. And I’ll hear it a bit, but here, if there ever was a time when we were more talented and more situated (home) than an opponent to put it squarely on the players’ shoulders—this was it.
I know a Weeden-led team deflates morale, but my god—this is a new low in lack of heart. Good point about not having winners in the locker room (save a Paul Kruger) or more than a few guys who are emotionally vested (DQ and Haden). I guess the only way to develop that is to start winning. We need to break the vicious cycle somehow, some way…
That TD throw coverage looked wonky in replay. It looked like Haden wasn’t prepared for the snap (appeared to be looking away) and as he tried to regain composure/control he overreacted to the double move.
why do I have the feeling that in private, Banner and Lombardi are high fiving each other with how their “plan” is working out?
But like Harv and Everitt said above, that loss yesterday is on the players. That was a game they were actually equipped to win, and they failed.
Tired of hearing the same thing from every coach and every player every year since 1999. The media should just not bother talking to anyone in the organization at this point until all of these promises of change actually happen. If/when the wins finally start coming, then I’ll care about what anyone affiliated with the team has to say.
Can’t stand losing? Then have Weeden retire to get him off the books, even if you cough up a severance package, which would be the rest of his signing bonus.
More like the Browns were equipped to not lose but Weeden threw away the game (literally). Ginger wilted in the spotlight.
I said it on a post yesterday and Harv just reinforces it…..We are mired in this losing stench because we simply don’t have winners or anyone who knows how to win….Someone , somebody, somehow has to change that….it could be a QB…it could be a defensive player….I am not sure….But until someone just grabs victory by the throat and starts to show these guys how to win nothing will change…not draft picks , free agents or prima donna players…..There is no heart in this team t win…..blame Weedon all we want but its way ore than that….its a culture that just wont go away…..The great franchises know how to win…( Pgh, Balt, NE, Philly, ) and some don’t…( Cleve,)…. Nothing changes till that culture changes….God I hope we find someone who can lead us out of this miserable condition…..
And lest anyone think you need to win the SB you don’t…….Just learning to win and being competitive and making the playoffs on a semi regular basis is all one cant really ask…..since 1990 we have appeared in a total of 3 playoff games and lost 2 of them…..that is absolutely and totally unacceptable….Take Banners old team….Philly in that same 20 year time period has been in 26 !!! yes 26!!!! PLAYOFF GAMES…..unbelievable…..and can it really be because they drafted better than us?????…Maybe losing is just inherent and something we will never get out of….
Guarantee they win…. one more….. and it’ll be the one that blows them like 9 draft slots.
Absolutely.
actually, Kruger is part of my point. He’s getting paid like a guy who with the game on the line should be beating his man and freaking out a slow-footed Henne. Yesterday there was not a no-huddle to tire him out, no 2-step drops and quick throws. Henne is a bad QB with but one productive receiver and scads of time in the pocket. Kruger needs to beat his man, and he’s not doing that nearly often enough.
Having no other quarterbacks = staring brandon weeden
It’s good to have a coach who get’s angry about losing. But until he starts winning, he’s still the same as Shurmur and the rest.
I’ve never understood this whole “winners” line of logic. Too close to True Scotsman territory for me. We’ve had a lot of guys who have won National Championships, Super Bowls, etc. But they weren’t “true” winners. Just fake ones. They weren’t really all that mentally tough, just lucky.
I’m guessing it would be the Jets as they keep freefalling and then they would draft ahead of us due to the tiebreaker.
At this point, I’m on board the tanking bus, and I was on it before the Jacksonville game. After the Browns laid eggs against both the Bengals and Steelers, both glorious opportunities to be among the teams vying for that last playoff spot in the AFC, then fine lose to even the lowly Jaguars and push towards getting a better draft pick. I know this is what the front office wants and I commend Chud for trying to win in spite of it, but this is the path now.
yeah, we could get Colt McCoy back, he won a lot.
It is too late to tank. There are eight teams with equally bad or worse records than us and six of them need starting quarterbacks so they won’t be looking to trade back wtih us. We screwed the pooch again.
Brandon Weeden was examined for a concussion. Those results were positive
I’m not the only one who thought the positive thing was that Weeden wouldn’t be the QB anymore, right?
Chud said the right things post-game yesterday, but he’s holding the bag for a front office that didn’t intend to compete this year. When you trade out of your draft, you’re not trying to win now. When you draft a developmental DE in the the top ten when you already have Jabaal Sheard, you’re not trying to win now. When you install a new defensive scheme when the old one was working, you’re not trying to win now. When you don’t tend to last year’s holes in the off-season, you’re not trying to win now. And of course, when you’re have more cap space going into the season, you’re not trying to win now.
I don’t think Berea realized exactly how devastating their punted season build for the future plan would be either for fans or for current players.
The problem with the plan is that they this front office needs to dispose of their hoarded resources productively. Just collecting the parts to build for the future is no guarantee of success. The only thing we can tell for sure from the Banner regime is that there is no urgency to win now or soon. Only to build some god-damn groundwork for long-term success which are really just words to all of us who have heard this for the last 15 years.
Finally it’s laugh-able that there should be any angst at these results because the team is executing the plan perfectly. I doubt Banner would change any of his moves in order to have been a better team this year; what he would change is to ratchet down the happy-talk about competing this year. The Jags, Jets, Panthers, Raiders set the bar low for themselves and easily jumped over it. Somehow the Browns got talked up as sleeper contenders and they just weren’t.
because all these players came from losing college programs and don’t understand how to win. In fact, they were all picked last in pick up games and couldn’t start in the arena league until they got to the NFL – what LOSERS!!! Not to mention that you say we don’t have to be winners to learn how to win, but we must be winners to learn how to win? that’s circular at best.
Philly was in 26 playoff games because they had a consistently good roster with good QB play – not because they had a mystical culture of “winning”
Cleveland browns with a B+ or better QB is 9-7 with no other changes to the roster – NOT ONE. it’s that simple. The coaching is good enough and the supporting cast is good enough. God forbid they get a starting RB as well. Then it could get crazy…
There’s plenty of time to tank. If the Browns go 0-4 the rest of the way, they will catch up to most of the pack. Remember, a lot of these teams play each other. Someone will have to win between Buffalo and Tampa Bay on Sunday. Washington and Atlanta play each other. Oakland could easily beat the Jets this weekend. Jacksonville still plays both Houston and Buffalo. Also, none of the teams below the Browns have played as poorly as the Browns over the last 3 weeks, so they have that going for them.
respectfully disagree. Tanking won’t help the Browns, as their frequent tanking years attest. Good scouting and a coherent plan to build a winning roster will. Good franchises find impact players wherever they pick. Bad franchises cannot, wherever they pick.
This is not an Indy squad filled with players who know how to win and a clear can’t -miss college QB waiting there. This is a roster filled with guys who have no idea how to close out a game and no clear franchise QB waiting to be grabbed. Winning breeds winning, and losing more losses.
No one is more on board the “tanking is overrated” train than me. I’m the engineer and track-layer. Most QBs who have been to a Superbowl since the Browns came back in ’99 were drafted outside of the top 10 picks of the NFL draft. But with sure-fire losses at New England and Pittsburgh coming up, I don’t see the benefit of winning a game against either the Jets or Bears. I don’t know if that will make any sort of difference to the team mindset at this point in the season.
Head to head doesn’t count in draft tie-breakers, its strength of schedule.
your third paragraph, all day. As Terry Pluto wrote over the weekend in another context, it’s a whole lot easier to collect assets than to use them wisely. What is Indy’s #1 pick, or Pittsburgh’s #3 and 4, or even the results of this year’s ineptitude? For all we know they are, cumulatively, nothing but pot sweeteners to draft our next failed QB.
The consensus is that the 2014 draft would be more talent-rich than the 2013 draft, especially at QB. However, guys like Mariota and Boyd have gotten exposed and Miller is more like a RB at times. Best QB options available I think are Murray out of UGA, Bridgewater, and Manziel (AKA Johnny Football).
Pretty sure that Holmgren had a concussion when he thought that drafting Weeden was a good idea. That or drunk. Same could be applied to Richardson as well, adding in the fact that he watched the wrong tape.
Houston is executing the plan perfectly. They may get to insert Teddy Bridgewater on a team that competed for a Superbowl the past 2 seasons.
I agree with most of what you say, but I guess I differ in that none of this bothers me. I knew this would be another rebuild, even if the front office didn’t have the gumption to call it such.
So many teams hit fools gold with a good season here or there. That’s just how the NFL works. While some fans would like that, I’d prefer a few rough years and a real sustained winner.
I know: we’ve heard it all before. But this time we have a new owner who is committed to a front office led by someone who has actually known success in the position. I don’t think we’ve ever had that before. So I’m willing to give it time.
Agreed. Losing out means a 4-12 record and that almost always will get you in or almost near the top 5. And unlike last year, there’s a couple QB’s who are actually worthy of going that high in the draft (Bridgewater, Carr, Hundley, Mariotta if he comes out). And even if this FO disagrees, there are probably enough QB-starved teams who will trade up to get those guys. Trading down actually makes sense because for the first time in awhile, there are some QB’s who are worthy of being selected in the bottom of the 1st round like Mettenberger, Boyd, McCarron. Really a good draft for QB’s in terms of quality and quantity.
Except, from everything I’ve heard on the local sports talk down here, Houston is in cap hell with a lot of commitments to a few players.
I also think Houston’s true talent level is closer to this year’s record than last year’s. They have a lot of really good players and then a lot of jetsam.
I think, outside of QB, the most important factor to sustained winning is having as complete a roster as possible, all the way down to the practice. Houston does not have that. New England does.
not sure on Marriota. he hasn’t been the same since he got hurt in the Stanford game (but there is at least a valid quesiton if he is more like RGIII and that he relies on his gifted ability to run to help setup his passing).
Boyd is so up and down. There are games/plays where he looks for real and then others where you don’t know what he’s doing. definitely a risk.
I’d say no to Murray. Too much would have to go right with him being an older,small, accuracy-driven QB. But, I did watch the Vandy game and that might be clouding my head on him. I liked him better last year (as I did with Boyd).
I think their offense has that pretty well (outside QB). Their issue is that they have zero-depth on defense and it gets exposed alot once a few injuries happen.
It’ll depend on what else happens, but I think they would be right back in the playoffs if they got Bridgewater.
or weakness in schedule as it pertains to the draft
I still want that Pitt game. I don’t care. I want the Browns to beat Cinci, Baltimore and Pitt all in the same season for the first time in NFL history.
That’d be neat, but I have trouble envisioning a way for it to happen. The Steelers stomped us in our own house. Their rapey QB has been playing at an extremely high level in the 2nd half of the season. Antonio Brown is (somehow) a legit top receiver. Their super-old defense has really picked up their play. The Browns would have to hope for a string of injuries, one of which has to include Roethlisberger.
The Jags tried to quick snap a few times on the Browns (once resulting in offsetting penalties), and at every game I’ve been at I’ve commented that if teams were smart they would try it more. Haden often and Skrine/Owens/et al are very often not set prior to the snap – and by not set I mean they’re still a few feet away from where they’re trying to be positioned before the ball is snapped, and not because they were making adjustments. They simply saunter slowly over to their assignment.
Murray could slide and be a later round pickup because of his injury. Georgia hasn’t looked that good since he went down and they only got raked (again) because of their conference.
all valid points, but there’s a few other factors that favor us:
Haden can shut down a.brown (he did once he got mad at himself for giving up that TD, hopefully it’s a full game effort this time)
Pitt is still just a 5-7 team that may be out of the playoff picture by wk17 and have Miami & Cinci next up.
Ben has been playing better but their rush game is still in the dumpster.
Except for the Bills game, their defense is still giving up alot of yards and points.
===============
all that being said, they will be heavily favored, but I’m going to hang onto some hope for it to happen because, well, there’s little else to root for this season.
“We won’t stand for losing. We sit for it. That’s why we have benches on the sidelines.”
Oh, if he’s a later round guy, then he’d be a prime “Kirk Cousins special” pickup. Get a QB in round1 and get Murray as a backup to groom too? I’m all aboard that type of thought.
Oh, if he’s a later round guy, then he’d be a prime “Kirk Cousins special” pickup. Get a QB in round1 and get Murray as a backup to groom too? I’m all aboard that type of thought.
Kubs and Smith will be gone so I guess it depends on how the reboot goes. I agree that they have a lot of talent though and could be back pretty quickly. But again, so much of success now is gaming the salary cap. Not sure if they can get the depth they’ll need.
Sidenote: Dennis Johnson, who was a Brown for a hot second, has played pretty well at RB for them over the past couple weeks. Mostly in relief, but still. Not sure how we couldn’t have found space for him.
Kubs and Smith will be gone so I guess it depends on how the reboot goes. I agree that they have a lot of talent though and could be back pretty quickly. But again, so much of success now is gaming the salary cap. Not sure if they can get the depth they’ll need.
Sidenote: Dennis Johnson, who was a Brown for a hot second, has played pretty well at RB for them over the past couple weeks. Mostly in relief, but still. Not sure how we couldn’t have found space for him.
And Cleveland doesn’t have a QB but I guess as long as you got hope along with blinders and amnesia there’s always a chance!
There’s angst jim because when this team won some games early their fan base completely overreacted with the aid of great sports media. Once the bloom was off the rose and reality sunk in the same fan base went into their “woe is me, end of the world” mode. This is how you go from supporting Weeden to start the year to hating the guy to believing Hoyer was the savior and then Campbell. It’s the same old tired story.
There’s angst jim because when this team won some games early their fan base completely overreacted with the aid of great sports media. Once the bloom was off the rose and reality sunk in the same fan base went into their “woe is me, end of the world” mode. This is how you go from supporting Weeden to start the year to hating the guy to believing Hoyer was the savior and then Campbell. It’s the same old tired story.
i’m always extremely wary of sample sizes on these RBs. the bulk of his carries were against a Jags defense that made McGahee look like he had something left in the tank.
i sort of put Dennis in the same category as Rainey in that they are backup RB flotsam that could hit for a game or two but will never be anyones main guy.