Revisiting the Stains loss

[Tony]

(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.

There was really no point to this, was there? 

[Tony]

(11-30-2021, 03:38 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Like I said in my underappreciated thread about the offensive adjustments, the reason we lost to the Jets and Browns is simple.

Defenses adjusted and started focusing Chase, but we hadn't adjusted ourselves. In the Browns game, Mixon only had 13 carries (for 64 yards and 2 scores). Without Chase, our pass offense isn't as dynamic, yet we were still throwing like it was (40 passes vs Cleveland).

Over the last 2 weeks, we've adjusted and have been feeding Mixon (30 and 28 carries), and targeting other WRs more.

How are you gonna run down 3-4 scores?

[*PhilHos*]

(12-02-2021, 02:51 PM)Tony Wrote: How are you gonna run down 3-4 scores?

Ask the Steelers. They kept doing it this past Sunday.

[bengalguy71]

(12-02-2021, 02:41 PM)Tomkat Wrote: Ummm, I don't think you're gonna get many brownie-points (see what I did there?) around here... defending against the derogatory nicknames we give other teams...

Squeelers, Stealers, Shittsburgh, etc
Ratbirds, etc
Stains, etc

Not looking for brownie points TK. The Cleveland organization did PB very dirty which is why he started the Bengals.  

But here's the catch.  In the midst of this Swamp Cancel Culture, they didn't change their name!  

They could have REALLY disrespected him BY changing their name.

Until they do, I will not disrespect, directly or indirectly, the name of one of the greatest minds in football!

[bengalguy71]

(12-02-2021, 02:44 PM)Sled21 Wrote: After the way they treated Paul Brown, they no longer deserve that name. The ****stains it will be forever.

IF they hated him so much, why didn't they change the name of the franchise, especially in this Swamp cancel culture??

Until they do, I will NOT disrespect the name of one of the greatest football minds ever!!

[tBengal]

The Stains have a good OL and DL. They got after our QB all game.

[Tony]

(12-02-2021, 03:13 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Ask the Steelers. They kept doing it this past Sunday.

Ya, and Najee still couldn't muster 30 yards lol...

[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.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(12-02-2021, 03:46 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: 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.

Yup, pretty much the same reasons we lost to the Bears.

[*rfaulk34*]

(12-02-2021, 03:20 PM)bengalguy71 Wrote: IF they hated him so much, why didn't they change the name of the franchise, especially in this Swamp cancel culture??

Until they do, I will NOT disrespect the name of one of the greatest football minds ever!!

The actual team that Paul Brown started and coached moved to Baltimore. Changed name, whatever, it's still the actual fluid team that he started. The new team was started by a different ownership group and they struck a deal to keep the name and records of the team that left, so while the name is the same, the records for the "team in Cleveland" are historic, you can disparage this current team all you want without disparaging PB because that's not his team currently in Cleveland. 

[Essex Johnson]

(12-02-2021, 04:04 PM)Wyche Wrote: Yup, pretty much the same reasons we lost to the Bears.

Big difference between the two games:  our Defense played well with Bears, we were leading at half then our offense turned the over 4 straight times...

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(12-02-2021, 04:27 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Big difference between the two games:  our Defense played well with Bears, we were leading at half then our offense turned the over 4 straight times...

True, but I chalked that up as the Browns being a superior team to Chicago. Once we played right into their strengths, it was over. 

[bengalguy71]

(12-02-2021, 04:27 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: The actual team that Paul Brown started and coached moved to Baltimore. Changed name, whatever, it's still the actual fluid team that he started. The new team was started by a different ownership group and they struck a deal to keep the name and records of the team that left, so while the name is the same, the records for the "team in Cleveland" are historic, you can disparage this current team all you want without disparaging PB because that's not his team currently in Cleveland. 

No, YOU can disparage the team all YOU want.

Their nickname wasn't changed and still holds HIS name, so I will not disparage the name because it still disparages PB regardless of all the red tape.

My original response was that I didn't know who the name of the Stains, and that I wouldn't disrespect his name!

You can twist and slant it all you want, it doesn't change how I see it.

[Sled21]

(12-02-2021, 03:20 PM)bengalguy71 Wrote: IF they hated him so much, why didn't they change the name of the franchise, especially in this Swamp cancel culture??

Until they do, I will NOT disrespect the name of one of the greatest football minds ever!!

Did I say they hated him? I said the way they treated him, firing him and kicking him to the curb.

[Shake n Blake]

(12-02-2021, 02:51 PM)Tony Wrote: How are you gonna run down 3-4 scores?

On our first 4 drives (when we were within 2 scores or less), we passed a whopping 21 times to only 9 carries for Mixon. Here's how those drives ended:

Drive 1: 7 throws to only 2 runs for Mixon. Drive ended with a pick 6...which contributed to the early deficit.

Drive 2: 6 passes to 4 runs for Mixon. Ended with an 11 yard TD for Mixon.

Drive 3: 5 passes to 2 runs for Mixon. Ended with 2 straight incompletions.

Drive 4: 3 passes to 1 run for Mixon. Ended with a Chase fumble.

-------

The more I dig, the better my theory looks. Our defense does have serious issues stopping Baker, but on the offensive side, we've been better of late when we feed Mixon heavily. Teams are throwing a ton of attention on stopping Chase and the long ball. Burrow even said as much at his last presser.

So throwing 2.5 times for every Mixon carry was a terrible formula with the opposing D focusing on stopping the pass so much.

[BengalYankee]

(11-30-2021, 03:38 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Like I said in my underappreciated thread about the offensive adjustments, the reason we lost to the Jets and Browns is simple.

Defenses adjusted and started focusing Chase, but we hadn't adjusted ourselves. In the Browns game, Mixon only had 13 carries (for 64 yards and 2 scores). Without Chase, our pass offense isn't as dynamic, yet we were still throwing like it was (40 passes vs Cleveland).

Over the last 2 weeks, we've adjusted and have been feeding Mixon (30 and 28 carries), and targeting other WRs more.

But, but, but I have Chase on my fantasy team. 

[*Awful Llama*]

(12-02-2021, 04:27 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: The actual team that Paul Brown started and coached moved to Baltimore. Changed name, whatever, it's still the actual fluid team that he started. The new team was started by a different ownership group and they struck a deal to keep the name and records of the team that left, so while the name is the same, the records for the "team in Cleveland" are historic, you can disparage this current team all you want without disparaging PB because that's not his team currently in Cleveland. 

Exactly.  The real Browns, that you and I grew up watching, are no more. What exists up on the Lake now, apart from having the same name and playing atop the land where Municipal Stadium once stood, is just a 22-year-old expansion team run by a truck-stop grifter.  Granted, they have won playoffs games since we have, but the only thing to truly link them to the real Browns of the past is their delusional, obnoxious fans.  

[bengalguy71]

(12-02-2021, 04:46 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Did I say they hated him? I said the way they treated him, firing him and kicking him to the curb.

I agree with you my friend.  And because my father followed PB at the start of his NFL career, I don't think 'HATE' is too strong of a word about how they felt about PB, because he spoke his mind and that pissed them off BIG TIME!

The second it was made public he was coming to Cincy, 50 miles up the road, my dad said he was coming with him and changing teams!

I just don't like disrespecting his name, even though he made two, IMHO, grevious choices in hiring Tiger Johnson to replace him as HC, and NOT Bill Walsh, and handing the team over to MB!

[bengalguy71]

(12-02-2021, 08:17 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: Exactly.  The real Browns, that you and I grew up watching, are no more. What exists up on the Lake now, apart from having the same name and playing atop the land where Municipal Stadium once stood, is just a 22-year-old expansion team run by a truck-stop grifter.  Granted, they have won playoffs games since we have, but the only thing to truly link them to the real Browns of the past is their delusional, obnoxious fans.  

Not to mention they have 1 playoff win to the Bengals 0, and there win isn't even a year old!!

Also, I wonder if their fans called them the Stains for all those years of egg laying like our fans call this franchise the Bungles when they lay an egg??

Despite all that . . me, myself, and I will never disrespect the name as long as it stands!

[Shake n Blake]

(12-02-2021, 07:49 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: But, but, but I have Chase on my fantasy team. 

He'll rebound at some point. If Mixon keeps going off, defenses will swing in that direction. Just in time for your playoff run.