Browns Score An Undramatic Win From Seahawks
In what will undoubtedly go down as the defensive struggle of the year, the Cleveland Browns defeated the Seattle Seahawks by six to three in front of some 66,000 rabid orange and brown clad fans at Cleveland Browns Stadium yesterday.
All joking aside, Cleveland’s victory on Sunday showcased a young defense that is looking to become the backbone of this team. Browns’ defense held the Seahawks to 137 yards total offense. This total was lowered further by the late scratch of Marshawn Lynch from Seattle’s roster. Cleveland’s team defense also racked up three sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Unfortunately, the Browns’ offense didn’t look too much better this week, totaling only 298 yards. The highlight of the stagnant offense was surprising the previously non-existent running game. With Peyton Hillis out with a hamstring injury, Montario Hardesty got 33 rushes, converting that to 95 yards.
In comparison, the Browns ran the ball 17 times total in the week priors game against the Raiders. During Sunday’s match up they nearly matched that total by the end of the first half.
Why the Browns decided that this should be the week to return to the run is surprising – Seahawks went into the game with one of the best run stopping defenses – hopefully it is a sign of what is to come. While Hardesty’s total yards wasn’t massively impressive, especially considering how many times he got the ball, it did show that Cleveland could run the ball and control the clock. The Browns’ offense had the ball for a total of 42 minutes, almost three quarters of the game.
While the running game picked it up some what yesterday, the passing portion continued to be a downer. Colt McCoy went 20 of 35 for 178 yards and one interception. Again leading the team with receptions was rookie wideout Greg Little, who contributed five receptions for 31 yards.
One standout was the play of the newly acquired running back Chris Ogbonnaya, who racked up nearly 60 yards from three carries and five receptions. With Hillis’ status as a starter in question, it is nice to see the Browns’ management is being proactive in trying to fill any gaps that may arise during the remainder of the season.
The true story behind this game was the incredibly slow and often mind numbing pace it went at. With neither team getting in the end zone it wasn’t much of a spectacle for fans.
The longest tenured Brown Phil Dawson put up the teams only points on the day. His two field goals, both over 50 yards long, showed that the veteran still has plenty left in the tank, though for how many more seasons is hard to say. It will truly be a sad day when Dawson decides to hang it up.
Looking at the schedule this was a game that the Browns should of won. Hopefully this win will instill some confidence in the team. It should be interesting to see if they are committed to the run now or if it was a one off game plan.
Photo by Dennis
