Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers - 20Oct2013

Browns at Packers - 4pm game - in the first qtr, GB alread leads 14-0! My 24-14 GB win prediction could be way off. Browns only look bad on offense, defense, and special teams in the first qtr. #browns #nfl

(Trying this in one post instead of 100+ microblog posts.)

Will defensive coordinator Ray Horton blame fatigue for the bad Browns defensive play in the first quarter? 14 points?

Weeden did through an interception in the first qtr to give GB a short field, but Rogers passing and Lacy running are shredding the Browns. 38 points surrendered by Browns defense in the last 3 qtrs going back to the second half of last Sunday vs Detroit when the Lions scored 24 second half points.

First qtr offense poss for Browns:
- 3 and out
- int
- 3 and out, then a fake punt, generous spot by refs, measure, first down, but challenge by GB on the spot. could be short and GB's ball with another short field for the Packer offense.

Why can't the Browns defense hold the offense to field goals?

After review, the refs say the call on the field stands. Close call. Probably not enough info to overturn ruling on the field.

2:09 left in 1st qtr and Weeden is 2 for 10 passing. A couple drops by Browns pass catchers and overthrows by Weeden.

It just seems like Weeden is too afraid of throwing an interception. Can't force passes nor make dumb decisions, but the QB needs supreme confidence to trust his arm and receivers.

After the Browns successful fake punt on 4th and 4, the Browns stall on the next series and punt. Touchback. GB starts on own 20, leading 14-0. 1:12 left in 1st qtr.

Need big play or at least a stop by Browns defense now. Play some field position. So far so good. Now 3rd and 6 on GB first series. Packers on own 24. First qtr ends.

First play of 2nd qtr, Rogers completes pass to Nelson for 13 yard gain, plus a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Browns LB Kruger. GB at Cle 48.

Pass to Lacy gains 25 or so, but hold penalty on GB. Packers, 1st and 20 on own 42.

Hey, the Browns defense stopped Lacy on a running play for no gain. Kruger with the good tackle.

Short pass completion gains 5. 3rd and 15. GB at own 47. False start GB. 3rd and 20. GB self-destructing on this drive. It's not the Browns defense stopping GB. Short pass completion and run gains 12. 4th and 12. Whatever works. GB offense stopped themselves on that drive.

After the punt, Cle starts on own 12. Cannot have another 3 and out. Browns offense has looked horrible thus far. Comical. Rusty. Klunky. Like a team in its first preseason game. The offense needs to take this ball to midfield before punting. Get a couple first downs.

Weeden under center. 1st down run up middle by Obj gains nine. Nice.

2nd down run by Obj gains nothing. May have lost a little. That's weak.

Gray in on 3rd down. McGahee runs up middle, stopped, extends arms, got the good spot. Will measure. First down. 3 running plays gain 10 yards. Oh well, move the sticks. Control the clock.

Moderate pass to around the Cle 42 yard line, dropped by Gordon. Holy crap. Struggling QB and the Browns pass catchers are dropping passings. That was a nice pass, chest high, and simply dropped by Gordon. But a GB DB threw Gordon to the ground after the dropped pass for some moronic reason. 15 yard penality. Cle now at GB 37.

Browns now 3rd and 7 on own 40, and first down! Great protection, Weeden in the pocket, nice pass to sideline to Cameron who makes a fine sliding catch. Cle at GB 44. Good drive going.

Running play gains 6. Obj, I think ran the ball. That's good offense. At GB 38.

Short out pass completed for first down. Now the Browns offense looks professional on this drive.

6:40 and ticking. Run gains 2. Weeden has time, and then he gets sacked. Pocket protection was good, and Weeden did nothing to move nor throw the ball away. Loss of 10. 3rd and 18.

Weeden scrambles and runs for 11 or so. 4th down. 46 yard FG attempt. Good! 5:11 left in 2nd. 14-3 GB leads. Good drive. Took a lot of time off the clock. Weeden, however, needs to avoid the big sack. That hurt. He dropped back and set himself, looked around, looked around, and then finally a GB defender broke free and sacked Weeden.

The Browns defense got plenty of rest on that poss by Cleveland. Browns defense needs to force another punt. Maybe Cle can snag another FG before halftime.

After short kickoff, GB starts on its own 31. Players scrapping after play. Hey how about that. A kickoff return. Almost forgot what a kick return was like.

First GB series, 3rd and 2, pass compl, first down. GB on own 45. Browns defense struggles with 3rd down plays.

Misleading stats. Browns defense is ranked 7th overall in the NFL.

Rogers moves well enough that he can run the ball at times for at least a short gain.

Lacy runs for first down. GB at Cle 33.

Quick pass by Rogers, nearly intercepted, but Browns penalty. 5 yard penalty for unknown reason. 1st and 5 at Cle 28.

Little dump pass to Lace gains 5. Prob a first down. 1:59 left. Play stopped for 2 min warning.

Browns defense failing here. At the very least, need to hold GB to a FG attempt.

Rogers missfires on a wide open WR in the end zone. Browns defense lucky there. That should have been a touchdown for GB.

Pass compl gains 9. 3rd and 1. Rogers takes a long time to snap. Inside handoff, run to Franklin, first down.

First goal just inside 10. Run gains a yard or two. GB not using timeouts.

Pass knocked down. Browns call timeout. 3rd and goal from 8. 0:14 left. A little strange that GB did use a timeout after one of those running plays. What if Cle commits penalty on this next timed play, and it's 3rd and goal with only 8 seconds left? What if Cle commits penalty that is automatically first down for GB?

Browns fortunate that Rogers missfired a couple plays ago on that one pass play to end zone.

Rogers scrambles to his right, nobody open, pass thrown away. Good defense. A little fortune on that drive for Cle.

FG is good. 17-3. 0:03 left in 2nd.

After kickoff, halftime ends. Browns fortunate it that it's not 21-3. Rogers missfired badly on that one play a short time ago. Busted defense or WR just got free when Rogers scrambled to his left. Rogers was running forward and overthrew the wide open WR. He could have underthrown the pass, let WR stop and wait for ball, and it still would have been a TD.

I figured that if the Browns had a chance, the Browns defense would have to hold GB under 20 points, 24 max. Unfortunately, the Browns offense only had one good possession in first half.

Weeden was 5 of 14 for 48 yards in the first half. Most of that production occurred on the FG drive. Cannot take a sack and a 10 yard loss when protection was good. Have to chuck the ball away.

GB gets ball first in 2nd half. After kick return, GB starts on own 25. A few plays later, GB at Browns 44.

Now GB at Cle 27. Rogers tearing up the Browns defense.

Unless the Browns defense played basketball at halftime, they should be rested right now.

Hey, a 3rd down play now. Browns defense has stiffened on this series. 3rd and 10.

Kruger sacks Rogers!. Nice. Loss of 8. Kruger's first sack since game 1 vs Dolphins.

GB will attempt 52 yard FG. No good. Browns defense did its job after getting scorched on the first few days of the drive. Give up the yards between the 20s but force field goal attempts. That 3rd down sack was huge. A loss of 8. That changes the FG attempt from 44 to 52. May have made the difference.

The Browns defense has done enough on the last two GB poss to keep Cle in the game if the offense can score a TD.

I start 2nd half with a vodka and tonic along with some almonds to munch on. I ate a some Canal Junction cheese at halftime. Bought the cheese yest at Toledo Farmers Market.