Last night marked the second time this season the Cleveland Browns held an opponent to under 20 points.
Too bad it was also the sixth time Mangini’s offense failed to put up at least seven.
Facing the Ravens on Monday Night Football, Cleveland’s defense rose to the occasion and surrendered only one touchdown and 10 total points. In fact, Baltimore’s defense scored nearly as many points, six, with a Brady Quinn interception in the third quarter. Speaking of which, the Browns held the Ravens scoreless in three quarters of play.
It’s just a shame the Ravens held the Browns scoreless in all four.
Brady Quinn threw two interceptions and completed well under 50 percent of his pass attempts, finishing the night with 99 passing yards. Both interceptions were the result of receiver deflections, the second of which hit Mike Furrey in the hands and chest before being caught by Chris Carr.
Quinn has seven turnovers to one touchdown this season. His passer rating is just 51.0. Scapegoating him and Derek Anderson, who has 12 turnovers to two touchdowns and a 36.2 rating, would be easy. It helps explain why Cleveland is averaging 8.7 points per game this season, why the team ranks 32nd in total yards of offense and a distant 32nd in turnovers. It also explains why the Browns only win came when the defense held Buffalo to three points — six points and the two would have tied, a touchdown and Cleveland would be 0-9.
The real source of issues is deeper than the players, who are, by the way, outmatched on a weekly basis. It goes back to the team’s various general managers who have crippled the franchise. And, at least this season, it goes back to Eric Mangini, who insisted on bringing in as many of his former Jets players as he could while shipping Cleveland’s one talented receiver, perhaps its only talented offensive player, Braylon Edwards, to New York.
Granted, Mangini inherited one of the league’s worst franchises, but even last season’s Browns won four games. In truth, Cleveland hasn’t looked this bad since re-expansion in 1999. Tim Couch is widely regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in league history, but even he managed a passer rating of 73.2 in his rookie season.
Watching the Browns this season is like watching them ten years ago. Unlike then, however, there’s no hope or excitement; only disappointment and disgust.
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