A questionable false start penalty pushed Cade York's game-tying field goal try to 60 yards. It was blocked by Malik Harrison. (Baltimore Sun)
Game mismanagement leads to more late Browns errors in 23-20 loss to Ravens
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
BALTIMORE, MD
The Browns didn’t lose, 23-20, to the lucky Baltimore Ravens because of lack of commitment during the practice week.
They didn’t lose because of two questionable calls by the officials at the end.
They lost their usual way – because of poor game management decisions in critical situations that reduced their margin for error. That’s the pandemic destroying their season in 2022, and there’s no vaccine for it.
“We found a way to lose the game. We’ve been doing that a lot,” said running back Kareem Hunt.
After the game, profane screaming blasted through the concrete block wall separating the locker room and the visitor’s interview room as media waited for Kevin Stefanski to deliver another post-mortem of frustration and exasperation. At least they’re mad.
“Emotions running wild after a loss. Everybody just trying to get it right, you know?” explained receiver Amari Cooper.
“Just normal football,” said Stefanski.
Well, normal for the Browns.
On a day Joe Woods’ beleaguered defense held Lamar Jackson to 120 yards passing and 59 yards rushing and tight end Mark Andrews to no catches on two targets, the Browns ultimately blew a golden chance for a must-win when a 34-yard touchdown pass to Cooper was negated by offensive pass interference and a phantom false-start penalty pushed Cade York’s game-tying field goal try to 60 yards. It was blocked.
Why was it blocked? Possibly because the Browns shortened the placement of the spot one yard closer to the target?
This was Stefanski’s answer when asked if he regretted that strange move:
“Obviously, with all of these things, you are trying to execute in the moment. Sometimes they are going to make a play, but ultimately, we have to get cleaned up and get the ball off there,” he said.
That lame explanation rivaled the officials calling a false start on Michael Dunn on what would have been a 55-yard York attempt.
“The left tight end moved, for sure,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh. “I also felt like they were trying to draw us offsides with a double cadence. What the centers do a lot of the time is they’ll move the ball. I thought he picked the ball up. You can’t pick the ball up. You’re really not allowed to move the ball in a hard fashion to draw someone offsides, but that’s what I thought it was. Then, they said also that the left tight end moved, so they kind of got themselves on it, and that’s what they called.”
Browns guard Joel Bitonio said former teammate JC Tretter, watching from home, texted him that it was a bad call.
York’s ensuing 60-yard attempt was deflected by Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison.
“I promise you it was going in if the guy hadn’t blocked it,” York said. “I think the guy just made a helluva play and jumped up and got it. Wasn’t by much, but definitely a frustrating way for a kick not to go in.”
Let’s go back to Cooper’s offensive pass interference penalty.
The Browns were down, 23-20, and driving after linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who had a strong game, punched the ball out of running back Justice Hill’s hands at the Browns’ 16 with 3:12 to play. Brissett hit on a big third-down pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones for 37 yards to the Ravens’ 42. After two more plays, the Browns had third-and-2 at the 34.
There was 2:24 to play. Plenty of time to work the clock and ride the unstoppable Nick Chubb (91 yards and a TD on 16 carries) down the field. But, of course, Chubb was not on the field with the game on the line.
Brissett had had an outstanding game (22 of 27 for 258 yards) except for two fumbles, one of which was lost. On third-and-2, Stefanski went for one of his “explosive” shot plays when Cooper was single-covered down the right sideline by Marcus Peters. Brissett actually laid the ball in perfectly to Cooper, but Cooper was flagged for the veteran move of pushing off slightly. It’s a call often overlooked for the light amount of contact involved.
Cooper said, “It’s like, ‘Let us play.’ It ain’t like I’m beating him up all the way down the field. We’re fighting to win.
“I know I did some stuff. At the end of the day, there’s probably more gamesmanship that could be displayed on my part. Those calls are very subjective. It’s never what you do, it’s how it’s done. Probably could have done it a little earlier than when the ball is coming. I think I could go up and catch that ball without even touching him.”
Stefanski didn’t have a good explanation for going for the TD with so much time on the clock.
There was also some more situational mismanagement in the middle of the game that cost the Browns in such a tight contest.
The Browns had a decent drive going on the last possession of the first half. They were down, 13-10. Brissett got to the Browns’ 40 at the 1 minute mark after a pass interference on Peters, and then took a sack, took another sack and threw short for Hunt. The Browns had to punt without a field-goal try.
After the Browns’ resurgent defense forced a three-and-out on Baltimore’s first possession of the second half, the Browns started at their own 40. Brissett took a sack on first down, completed a 2-yard pass to Chubb on second down, and lost the ball on third down trying to throw when Calais Campbell hit his arm.
The Browns’ blocked field goal try wasn’t the only gaffe from Mike Priefer’s special teams, of course.
They also displayed the usual sloppy tackling in allowing a 46-yard punt return by David Duvernay, which led to a Justin Tucker field goal. Tucker had three field goals (one from 55 yards) to York's two.
So now the Browns are 2-5 – their worst record in the Stefanski era after their first four-game losing streak in three years. They play host to the 4-3 Bengals on a Monday Night Football Halloween night special.
Scary stuff.
