Revisiting the Stains loss

[CJD]

(11-30-2021, 03:14 PM)Whacked Wrote: Let’s not live in the past.

What’s done is done.

Water under the bridge.

Yada yada yada. I get it.

But that loss and AT HOME (!) still makes me scratch my head.

We got the same smack down that we just layeth on the Stoolers

What exactly happened? How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again - especially not the final game of the season where we will surely be needing a win.

On the first drive, The Bengals look dominant, moving the ball with ease, until Burrow has one bad read that swings the game 14 points. Mistake #1.  Then they got the ball back and remained a dominant offense, tying it up.

After that, the Browns get a touchdown in their first offensive drive. Should have been a field goal, but the Bengals were called on a pass interference in the end zone that seemed pretty unnecessary...

The Bengals are driving yet again, and then Samaje Perine drops an easy 3rd down conversion. Mistake #2. The 4th down conversion was pass rushers being pass rushers (along with a result that...you could have called DPI if you wanted to), but we should have never been in that position anyway.

Then, a blown coverage that Eli Apple was apparently not entirely to blame for, according to Awuzie. Mistake #3.

Being down 2 touchdowns when, to this point, your offense has been productive every time they've been out there is frustrating. It also means you can't really run the ball as much as you want. There is only so much clock left and you need some explosive plays to get back into the game.

The Bengals get the ball back and are, once again, looking good. And then, on 2nd down, Chase fumbles the ball. Mistake #4.

And then, the nail in the coffin, a 70 yard rush by Nick Chubb due to missed tackles to put the game out of reach 31-10 early in the 3rd quarter. Mistake #5.

Now the Bengals are down 3 possessions and the Browns are able to just grind the game away with Nick Chubb. The Bengals' attempts to come back are snuffed out by the Browns' elite pass rushers. Because they were too far down to run the ball, Garrett and Clowney just pinned their ears back and had fun.

The comedy of errors that was the 3 of their first 4 drives led to a hole that they couldn't dig themselves out of and played perfectly into the Browns strengths.

The Browns' weaknesses, namely Baker Mayfield, were not a factor because they were up so much so quickly that his inability to throw the ball (outside of a wide open 60 yard pass due to miscommunication) did not matter.

You're not going to win many games when you turn the ball over 3 times and don't force any turnovers. Not to mention both Higgins and Chase dropped touchdowns (granted, they ended up scoring a TD on the Chase drop drive anyway, but that's time gone).

A missed block here. A dropped pass there. A missed tackle here. A bad read there. Very small mistakes, but when they pile up in a single game, especially when they are tide turning plays, it's hard to put together a win. 

I don't think this same thing will happen in week 18.