Boo birds all over the Browns in loss

By Neal Coolong  |   Sunday, November 02, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Cleveland Browns
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The exhausted gurgle coming from the chests of the Browns' defensive front seven couldn't drown out the "Bra-dy! Bra-dy!" chant that resonated throughout Cleveland Browns Stadium during Baltimore's 37-27 win Sunday.

While Cleveland gave up 197 rushing yards to the Ravens, the fans were calling for quarterback Derek Anderson's ouster and the start of the Brady Quinn era. Anderson's Browns trailed 30-27 when he was pressured into throwing a screen pass right to Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. He ran it back 45 yards for the game-sealing touchdown.

Commentary: And let the chants ring. While the loss was hardly the fault of just Anderson, the fact is that the Browns struggled both offensively and defensively, and the insertion of any one player short of Jim Brown in his prime isn't likely to inspire a dramatic turnaround.

Before the calls for Quinn began, wide receiver Braylon Edwards dropped a perfectly thrown pass from Anderson when he had two steps on Ravens cornerback Corey Ivy. The play likely would have gone for a touchdown, which would have given the Browns a 34-27 lead. Yet, somehow, Anderson is to blame. Edwards, who leads the NFL with 12 dropped passes this season, heard his share of boos, too, as the Browns were 2 of 12 on third down and managed just 274 total yards.

To illustrate the ineffectiveness of the Browns' offense, return man Josh Cribbs outgained it by racking up 278 return yards on his own; he also added a TD.

Fan Pulse: Props to The Browns Board for this stat: Since last year, in games where Anderson has completed at least 50 percent of his passes and has one interception or fewer, the Browns are 12-0. In games where Anderson completes under 50 percent of his passes or has had two or more interceptions, the Brows are 1-10 (the only win was against Buffalo in a snowstorm).

Fantasy Football Impact: Anderson and Edwards did hook up on a 28-yard touchdown pass, and Anderson added a 7-yard score to Jason Wright.

Injury Watch: WR Donte Stallworth did not play for Cleveland. He was listed as questionable going into the game with a quadriceps injury.


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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one...
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