Late mistakes doom Browns in Joe Flacco's debut
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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.
INGLEWOOD, CA
Instant takeaways from Browns 36-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams …1. Heart-breaker: A missed PAT and a Joe Flacco interception late in the fourth quarter were costly mistakes for the Browns that prevented them from winning a game with a fourth quarterback this season. The final score of Rams 36, Browns 19 was deceptive. It was close until the errors. The Rams pounced on them with two touchdowns to win going away and send thousands of Browns fans in SoFi Stadium running for the exits. In his season debut for the Browns, Flacco was real good until the interception. He was without receiver Amari Cooper (concussion) for the last 2 ½ quarters and still passed for 254 yards and two touchdowns on 23 of 44 passing. His only two sacks came in the final minute, one for a safety. Also, the defense badly missed cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder) and defensive end Myles Garrett was largely ineffective playing with an injured left shoulder. The good news for the Browns (7-5) is Pittsburgh (7-5) and Denver (6-6) lost, keeping the Browns in the thick of the AFC wild-card race. The Rams improved to 6-6.
2. One big error: Flacco’s interception with 6:32 in the fourth quarter – the only turnover of the game – was a crusher. The Browns had mashed out long scoring drives all game, but on first down, the coaches went for the home run. Elijah Moore was open deep, but Flacco’s ball was underthrown to the wrong side of Moore, who didn’t locate the ball well. Ex-Brown John Johnson saw it all the way, made the interception and returned it 42 yards to the Browns’ 24. Matthew Stafford got the touchdown on a 3-yard dart to Cooper Kupp, who curled inside the goal line in front of Juan Thornhill.3. Oh, no: Dustin Hopkins missed a PAT wide right with 8:49 after a flawless, 75-yard touchdown drive should have tied the game at 20-20. Instead, Hopkins’ second PAT miss of the season kept the Rams ahead, 20-19. Flacco completed the drive with his second TD pass of the game, an 8-yard toss to wide-open Harrison Bryant on the left side after Flacco’s play-fake froze the end entire defense.4. Defense hurting: With Myles Garrett (shoulder) ineffective and Denzel Ward (shoulder) missing his second game, Stafford took advantage with a 75-yard scoring drive to take a 20-13 lead at the end of the third quarter. On the possession, running back Kyren Williams eluded Garrett’s tackle attempt for a 10-yard run, and Stafford picked on cornerback Mike Ford for two big completions to Demarcus Robinson, one for 30 yards and the other for a 7-yard touchdown.5. Stop, and score: The Rams got the ball first in the second half and were forced to punt after a three-and-out defensive series. The Browns’ offense took advantage with a long possession of 15 plays that ended in a tying field goal to make it 13-13. Two real good catches by the Browns were taken away. David Njoku’s 27-yard catch-and-run was overturned on replay review when it was ruled his back foot touched out of bounds before his catch. Later, Elijah Moore continued a good day with an acrobatic catch on the right sideline inside the 10, but an illegal formation call on Cedric Tillman wiped it out. Moore and Flacco hooked up on the next play for a 22-yard pass play.6. Take your time: I thought the Browns made a tactical mistake on their last possession of the first half, and it cost them three points. They took possession with 4:37 to go in the half. The situation called for a “4-minute” offense – move the ball slowly to eat up clock and come away with points. But a 42-yard completion to Elijah Moore on first down. made Stefanski greedy for seven. Flacco threw the ball on four of the next six plays, even though Jerome Ford had a 10-yard run in between. Dustin Hopkins kicked a 40-yard field goal to tie the game, 10-10. But the Browns used up only 2:31 on the clock. Stafford took over and drove 66 yards for a Lucas Havrisiki chip shot as time expired in the half for a 13-10 Rams lead.
Joe Flacco took the Browns 75 yards for a touchdown on his first series after sitting out the whole year in New Jersey. (Cleveland Browns)
7. Butt cheek alert: Moore made his best catch of the season on the 42-yard play. He leaped and hauled in Flacco’s pass at the right sideline and managed to get his left side down while holding his left leg up as it cross the out of bounds line. It was ruled a catch on the field. Sean Payton challenged and lost. Referee John Hussey announced that “the receiver’s butt cheek” landed in bounds before his left leg landed out of bounds.
8. Ouch, ouch: Both teams lost starting receivers within minutes of each other in the first half. First, Amari Cooper left with about 8:31 to go when he was crunched by two defenders after a Flacco dart went through his hands and hit him in the ribs. Cooper did not return after being evaluated for a head injury. Exactly 10 seconds of game time later, Rams receiver Puka Nacua hit the ground hard on his right side after making a coach inside the right sideline on a ball over the head of cornerback Mike Ford. Nacua walked off gingerly holding his right side with an injury to his ribs. Nacua came back, however, to start the second half.
9. What was that?: The Browns’ defense was crushed on a 70-yard Nacua touchdown in the first quarter. On second-and-1 from the 30, the Browns crowded both safeties Juan Thornhill and Grant Delpit at the line of scrimmage. The middle of the field was wide open. Stafford saw it and after Nacua beat cornerback Kahlef Hailassie off the line of scrimmage, it was easy peazy for Stafford and Nacua to hook up in the middle of the field. The defense also committed four penalties in the first quarter alone to help the Rams.
10. Missing the Warden: Ward’s absence was really felt again. With the Pro Bowl cornerback out a second game in a row with a shoulder injury, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz rotated Ford and Hailassie as the other outside cornerback against three-receiver formations. Stafford pick on both backups in the first half, and it kept at it in the third quarter.
11. Rust? What rust?: Three Browns quarterbacks combined for nine touchdown passes over the first 11 games. It took Flacco one series to get his first TD pass. Flacco executed the first, scripted offensive series without flaw. Flacco moved the Browns 75 yards in nine plays, completing 4 of 5 passes for 65 yards. He absolutely zinged a 22-yard pass to Cooper on third-and-14 to cross mid-field. Flacco’s touchdown came on a deft play-fake to Jerome Ford and then a soft pass to wide-open Ford in the left flat. Ford scampered in for a 24-yard score.12. Pre-game notes: No surprises on the Browns’ inactive list: Cornerback Denzel Ward, quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, receiver Marquise Goodwin, center Luke Wypler, defensive end Isaiah McGuire, defensive tackle Siaki Ika, offensive lineman Leroy Watson.
