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September 23, 2014The Cleveland Browns found about as many ways to blow a football game as you can think of on Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens, losing on a last-second field goal, 26-24. In a game that had plenty of good and plenty of bad, let’s take a look behind the box score.
3 – Games to start the season which have been decided by a last second field goal. The Browns are 1-2 in those games.
1 – The number of games decided by a field goal or less during the 2013 season. That lone game, came up in New England with the Browns leading by two touchdowns with under two minutes to go and then surrendering an onside kick, and a defensive pass interference call in the end zone to blow it. Remember that one?
11 – The average margin per loss in 2013. Nine points higher than two-point average margin per loss in 2014. Progress, right?
76% – Brian Hoyer’s completion percentage against Baltimore. Hoyer was extremely efficient for 95% of the game, feeding the ball primarily to his top wideouts Hawkins and Austin.
11.6 – Yards per attempt for Brian Hoyer on the day. After hitting on just 1-of-6 deep balls against New Orleans, Hoyer flipped the script in Week 3. The Browns’ QB connected on five of his deep balls, with passes to Gabriel for 70 yards and Benjamin for 43.
83.3% – Hoyer’s completion percentage on throws over 15 yards. This was an area of concern after he only completed one such throw against New Orleans and strong winds expected to play a factor against Baltimore. Instead of succumbing to his dink-and-dunk game manager title, Hoyer connected on five of his six deep passes and kept the Ravens’ defense honest.
87% – The probability of a Browns’ victory with 2:35 to go in the game following Joe Flacco’s incomplete pass to Torrey Smith.
3 – Number of consecutive incompletions to end the game. Hoyer was 19-of-21, good for a 90% completion percentage as Billy Cundiff lined up to kick a 36-yard field goal to give the Browns a seven-point lead. That field goal was blocked, and Hoyer would miss on his last three throws of the game. Not good.
4 – Number of missed kicks this year for the Browns’ special teams unit. The botched extra point which almost cost them the game against New Orleans, a doinked Billy Cundiff field goal off the post against New Orleans which was negated because of a Saints penalty, the poor snap and hold causing the Cundiff missed field goal against Baltimore, and then the blocked field goal against Baltimore. Errors like these are inexcusable.
2 – Number of LeBron touchdown celebrations. Terrance West got the party started doing LeBron’s pump-chest pound-salute ditty which surely took hours in front of the mirror to craft. Then, Kyle Juszcyk, a graduate of Cloverleaf High School, paid homage to King James with a simulated chalk toss after walking into the end zone on a nine-yard touchdown reception.
94 – Where Joe Haden ranks among ProFootballFocus’s best cornerbacks through the first three weeks. After getting a fat pay day in the off season, “Lockdown Joe” has been abused by the likes of Antonio Brown, Jimmy Graham, and Steve Smith Sr. this season, giving up big plays at the most inopportune times.
91 – Where Justin Gilbert ranks among ProFootballFocus’s best cornerbacks through the first three weeks. Gilberts’ struggles were more than evident in the Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, but the rookie seemed to have settled in some against New Orleans. Unfortunately, “toast” returned as a synonym for Justin against Baltimore, highlighted by a 31-yard pass interference call where the rookie never came close to making an attempt to play for the ball. All this talk about it being difficult for rookie corners to succeed in the NFL is being shattered by the Bears’ Kyle Fuller who is PFF’s top-ranked corner.
112 – The number of balls Andrew Hawkins is on pace to catch this season. Through three games, Hawkins is eighth in the NFL with 21 catches and third with 33 targets. Without Josh Gordon or Jordan Cameron being factors in the passing game this season, Hawkins’ numbers are a testament to the player he is. Kudos to the Cleveland Browns’ front office for making him an offer Cincinnati couldn’t match and adding a reliable route runner and receiver who is a threat for yards after the catch.
3 – Targets for Jordan Cameron on the day. Cameron made his return after missing time due to a shoulder injury, but was hardly a factor in Sunday’s game. There’s still a lot of season left to play, but one can only wonder what the lack of numbers the USC product has been able to put up will do to impact his value when looking for a new contract this offseason.
3 – Combined number of wins of the Browns’ next five opponents following the bye week. After three tough weeks to start the season, the schedule opens up nicely for the Browns going @Tennessee (1-2), vs. Pittsburgh (2-1), @Jacksonville (0-3), vs. Oakland (0-3), and vs. Tampa (0-3). The next five opponents are a combined 3-12 on the year, providing the Browns a great opportunity to position themselves in the middle of the playoff hunt as mid-season approaches.
9 Comments
I’m troubled by Cameron and the snaps he got. If he’s going to be targeted, fine, let him play. But if not, don’t put him in. He’s an atrocious blocker and yet was often put in the backfield to help block.
It looked like neither Hoyer nor Shanahan knew how to play with a lead at the end of the game.
Agreed.
I don’t understand what they are doing with him when/if he plays. It seems like the TEs get more catches when Cameron isn’t one of them.
With that said, the Browns should have a legit shot of going 5-2 over then next seven games, putting them at 6-4 with Josh Gordon coming active…it could get interesting.
The score was 23-21 Mr. Jones..
# – Number of Drops by the WRs out of the 6 incompletions in the game. I remember at least 2
It was weird that they seemed to go away from him. I wonder, did Baltimore start to double him after the first big play?
Belated note about Cundiff: I don’t have the numbers but Jim Donovan noted a few weeks ago that he has never been Phil Dawson from 50 yards plus. He’s not in the upper tier of kickers, so the Browns might just have to adjust their 4th down (and even third down) decisions to reflect his limitations. Looks to me like he has plenty of distance but not a ton of accuracy.