INDIANAPOLIS, IN - 'Nobody's team'. That was the monicker given to the Cleveland Browns in the off-season, heading into a 2011 which looked incredibly dire.
The fanbase of a franchise which has gone 62 - 114 over the past decade will cling to anything it can - including its running back gracing the cover of a videogame.
And that same running back provided a spark in their week one win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a tenaciousness which hasn't been seen in Cleveland for many decades.
A modest contingent of fans travelled with the team to watch them take on the Indianapolis Colts - one commenting they came to see this year's Superbowl stadium, because "no way in hell do we make it".
The big story, as it was in week one, was the miracle return of Colts QB Peyton Manning from neck surgery. Who knows what the season would have been like for the Colts if he had been required to sit out the entire year, as many experts predicted.
The Browns won the toss and elected to defer the kick, a move many were unsure about - it's a bold coach who'll give Manning the ball to start the game.
But as it was Colts coach Jim Caldwell elected to give the ball to Joseph Addai three consecutive times, resulting in an early 3-and-out.
In fact, both teams traded early possession swaps for the majority of the first quarter until Colt McCoy and Hillis put together a drive which had the Browns well within the red zone.
It faltered there however, and Shurmur was left with a tough decision - 4th and 2 on the Colts 11 yard line. He would elect to kick, commenting later that he felt it better to take the points as the Colts can fight back from almost any deficit.
He would take the 3 on offer again in the second quarter, Dawson converting another field goal. Possession then switched twice, before the Colts found themselves trapped in their five yard line courtesy of a fantastic Maynard punt - a line drive which Cosby completely misjudged. From there, the Colts began to march upfield and looked ominous.
Manning knew the Browns would have the ball after the half, and this was his last chance to close the gap. He would fail, the drive culminating in a missed field goal by Vinateiri from 42 yards out - with just a minute left on the clock.
The Browns set about running the clock, but the stubborn Colts called timeouts selectively. Hillis had been largely contained, having 12 carries for only 17 yards, but the timeouts allowed he and his offensive line to catch their breath, the Colts timeouts coming back to haunt them as the Browns scored the game's opening touchdown.
The third quarter mainly consisted of the Browns defense making up for McCoy's poor throwing, aside from a Vinateiri field goal to close the gap to 13-3.
Cleveland was putting on an air of quiet confidence as they began the 4th quarter with a 10 point lead, but it wasn't fooling anyone - least of all Manning.
He had an ace up his sleeve, one he had barely used all game after rookie cornerback Joe Haden intercepted him the first time he went to that particular well. This ace is former pro-bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne, and he tore the Browns' secondary to shreds in the fourth as Manning tried to mount a comeback.
Shurmur would later speculate an injury to strong-side linebacker Scott Fujita, the team's primary pass-rushing LB, is what allowed Manning to start getting comfortable late in the game - indeed, the Colts did not convert a third down until the fourth quarter.
Regardless, Wayne's score saw the Browns' lead cut to just 3 - with 10 minutes left on the clock. The Browns response was swift, though some would argue it should have burnt more clock, as Hillis bagged his second on the day.
From there, the Colts tried to find a way to make up the 10 point deficit but could only find 3 points through Vinateiri's boot, the Browns an unlikely and uncharacteristic 2-0 on the season.
Manning knew the Browns would have the ball after the half, and this was his last chance to close the gap. He would fail, the drive culminating in a missed field goal by Vinateiri from 42 yards out - with just a minute left on the clock.
The Browns set about running the clock, but the stubborn Colts called timeouts selectively. Hillis had been largely contained, having 12 carries for only 17 yards, but the timeouts allowed he and his offensive line to catch their breath, the Colts timeouts coming back to haunt them as the Browns scored the game's opening touchdown.
The third quarter mainly consisted of the Browns defense making up for McCoy's poor throwing, aside from a Vinateiri field goal to close the gap to 13-3.
Cleveland was putting on an air of quiet confidence as they began the 4th quarter with a 10 point lead, but it wasn't fooling anyone - least of all Manning.
He had an ace up his sleeve, one he had barely used all game after rookie cornerback Joe Haden intercepted him the first time he went to that particular well. This ace is former pro-bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne, and he tore the Browns' secondary to shreds in the fourth as Manning tried to mount a comeback.
Shurmur would later speculate an injury to strong-side linebacker Scott Fujita, the team's primary pass-rushing LB, is what allowed Manning to start getting comfortable late in the game - indeed, the Colts did not convert a third down until the fourth quarter.
Regardless, Wayne's score saw the Browns' lead cut to just 3 - with 10 minutes left on the clock. The Browns response was swift, though some would argue it should have burnt more clock, as Hillis bagged his second on the day.
From there, the Colts tried to find a way to make up the 10 point deficit but could only find 3 points through Vinateiri's boot, the Browns an unlikely and uncharacteristic 2-0 on the season.
| Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts | |||||
| Sep 19, 2011 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Cleveland Browns (1-0) | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Indianapolis Colts () | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| CLE | IND | |
| Total Offense | 362 | 288 |
| Rushing Yards | 212 | 57 |
| Passing Yards | 150 | 231 |
| First Downs | 17 | 9 |
| Punt Return Yards | 45 | 4 |
| Kick Return Yards | 73 | 99 |
| Total Yards | 480 | 391 |
| Turnovers | 1 (-1) | 0 (+1) |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 6-16 (37%) | 2-13 (15%) |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0-0 (0%) | 1-1 (100% |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0-0 (0%) | 0-0 (0%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 1/1 | 1/2 |
| Penalties | 3-25 | 3-25 |
| Posession Time | 30:58 | 17:02 |
| Scoring Summary | |||
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | CLE | IND | |
| 3:28 | (CLE) P.Dawson, 23 yard FG | 3 | 0 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | CLE | IND | |
| 8:43 | (CLE) P.Dawson, 45 yard FG | 6 | 0 |
| 0:00 | (CLE) P.Hillis, 68 yard run (P.Dawson kick) | 13 | 0 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | CLE | IND | |
| 3:26 | (IND) A.Vinateiri, 34 yard FG | 13 | 3 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | CLE | IND | |
| 11:16 | (IND) R.Wayn 10 yard pass from P.Manning (A.Vinateiri kick) | 13 | 10 |
| 8:14 | (CLE) P.Hillis, 10 yard run (P.Dawson kick) | 20 | 10 |
| 2:38 | (IND) A.Vinateiri, 26 yard FG | 20 | 13 |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No comments:
Post a Comment