What a game yesterday! That was some amazing stuff. I couldn’t believe I was watching what I was watching. Simply incredible! The comeback, the play calling, the playmaking, the heart, the leadership, the emotion. All makes you think there is reason to believe. In a time when we needed something, anything, yesterday could be the turning point. Or at least something to build on. Coming off two heartbreaking loses, this is exactly what we all needed. Let me tell you about in case you missed it.
Trailing by 13 mid-way through the fourth quarter, it looked like the Browns were on their way to a third straight loss. Giving the Bills a taste of our own medicine (making a double-digit comeback in the fourth quarter) seemed like as good of a possibility as Delonte West not being on a suicide watch list. But then, the skies opened up and finally, finally, The Chocolate Dumpling finally saw the light.
Facing a third-and-1 at the 48-yard line with 7:45 to play, he surprisingly ran the ball instead of his usually play call of a deep ball to BE Droppies (Braylon Edwards’ new name). Jamal Lewis was able to pick up the first down and keep the drive alive.
Facing a fourth-and-four at the 30, with 6:18 left, The Chocolate Dumpling, even more surprisingly, didn’t send in the field goal unit and instead went for it and Brady found Winslow for the first down.
Then, on first down, The Chocolate Dumping got creative and used Cribbs at quarterback. He ran on first down, setting up a second down play we’ve been waiting for. Cribbs took the direct snap, ran right, then throw a perfect pass to Donte Stallworth. The extra point put them within 6.
Then, and this may have been the biggest surprise of the game, the defense actually stopped the Bills three-and-out and Romeo was able to save one timeout. After the punt, the Browns took over at their 43-yard line; 2:14 to play, one timeout, needing a touchdown.
Quinn was perfect running the two-minute drill. He hit the short outs, hit the passes over the middle and was quick enough, yet under control, to get the team to the line for the next play. He didn’t waste 22 seconds between every play. He didn’t waste downs by spiking the ball. And he made all the right decisions. Then second-and-goal from the six, after BE Droppies right on schedule dropped an easy touchdown pass, Brady went right back to him for a fade. BE Droppies made the circus tip-toeing, over two guys catch and the Dawson extra point won the game. The play further hammered home the point that if you want BE Droppies to not catch the ball, don’t throw it directly too him. He doesn’t make the easy catches.
This game was such a change of pace from the way the rest of the season has went. No horrible field goal decisions, no wasted timeouts, no horrible clock management, no fullback runs on third-, or fourth-and-one, creative play calling with Cribbs, BE Droppies almost earning the right to get rid of the new nickname and no fourth quarter blown lead instead, the Browns did what they usually let the other team do. The season has hope. It’s something to build on and maybe Cleveland Brown Stadium won’t be filled with boos every Sunday and maybe all us Browns fans won’t hate ourselves for living in this region come every Sunday evening.
Wait a second… What!!! I’m looking at the paper this morning and there isn’t a Browns score. What’s going on? Oh, damn! That was just a dream. Well it’s a nice dream. Almost as nice as a Sunday without having to deal with the Browns.
Got to admit, it was nice to watch football with out being pissed at the world yesterday. Even more fun to watch all the other sucky performances. For a complete list, see Graig’s site, but without looking at it, here’s the suckiest performances that I enjoyed. Ben Roethlisberger, that Jewish quarterback, Mike McCarthy challenging an obvious Adrian Peterson touchdown and wasting a timeout they could have used and also deciding that a 50+ yard field was just as good as driving the ball further and making it easier for your kicker, Jake Delhomme throwing four INTs and still dominating the Raiders, Bills continuing to be right on about my Michigan State comparison and Daunte Clupepper. It’s nice to see other people suck and not the Browns.
