Monday leftovers
Brian Hoyer doesn’t need to be great in order for the
Browns’ offense to hum. He just needs to be efficient and not make mistakes.
He was the epitome of efficiency in Sunday’s big victory
over the Pittsburgh Steelers. A quick look at the statistics reveals the
Cleveland quarterback threw just 17 passes in the 31-10 victory.
With a running game that pounded out 158 yards against a
defense that prides itself on stopping the run, Hoyer now has a weapon that enables him to manage the game and still be productive. He doesn’t need to put the ball
up that often. He just needs to complement the ground game.
He completed only eight of those 17 passes, but totaled 217
yards in the process, an average of 27.125 a completion. He connected on passes
of 42, 51, 31, 31, 24, 17, 12 and nine yards, a remarkable display of
long-distance accuracy.
A majority of those completions came off a play fake or some
sort or misdirection rollout action away from the flow. He struggled to find open
targets in straight dropbacks, but flourished otherwise.
There is no question the strong Cleveland running game
allows Hoyer to be more effective with his play fakes and overall ball-handling. Opposing teams are
buying those fakes, opening up passing lanes in which the Cleveland quarterback
can better operate.
The infantry portion of the Cleveland offense has gained
146½ yards a game this season, reinforcing Kyle Shanahan’s goal to revive that
aspect of the offense. The offensive coordinator has worked a minor miracle
thus far.
To give you an idea on just how much the ground game has
improved, rookie running back Isaiah Crowell has scored four touchdowns
already. The Browns scored four touchdowns in the entire 2013 season.
There’s
more.
Last season, the Browns rushed for 1,383 yards. This season,
they are on track to pile up 2,342 yards. Shanahan can take a deep bow. He
introduced the zone-blocking scheme (ZBS) to the offensive line, which took to
it quickly and has thrived.
Even when center Alex Mack went down midway through the
second quarter Sunday with what appears to be a season-ending broken leg, the
line did not miss a beat when John Greco moved to center and Paul McQuistan
replaced him at right guard.
There is no question the Browns will miss the leadership of Mack,
arguably their best offensive lineman. The only damage is to the depth at the position.
Now that Ben Tate seems to be back at 100% and Crowell
appears to have gained the confidence of the coaching staff despite a slight
case of the fumbles, there is absolutely no concern with the ground game.
The beneficiary of all this largesse has been Hoyer, who
balances that delicate equation with smart decisions. Like his mentor in New
England, he keeps his mistakes to a minimum.
He doesn’t have the greatest talent with which to work in
the passing game, but he is maximizing that talent. And there is not much more
the coaching staff can ask of him.
* * *
A new wrinkle to the ground game seems to be paying off.
Several times in the Pittsburgh victory, instead of a direct handoff, Hoyer tossed
the ball to a breaking running back.
Rather than finding a hole straight ahead on a direct
handoff, the toss enables the running back to catch the ball while moving,
mostly toward the edges of the offense, then pick a hole against a moving
defense.
The ZBS also allows the running back to look for cutback
lanes on the backside against teams that have a tendency to overpursue. The
Steelers, at least on Sunday, were easily influenced by zone blocking flows and
overran plays.
Tate and Crowell used those cutback lanes on the backside to
pick up significant yardage. Quality blocking by wide receivers on the weak
side also seals off defenders who stay home.
* * *
The Browns appeared to have caught a break on Buster
Skrine’s interception of a Ben Roethlisberger pass that was deflected at the
line of scrimmage by defensive tackle John Hughes late in the third quarter.
It was ruled an interception on the field, but the replay
appeared to show the ball barely skimming the ground before it settled in
between the Cleveland cornerback’s arms.
Because it was a change of possession, the play was
automatically subject to review. Referee Tony Corrente, after communicating
with the replay crew in New York, announced the play, as called on the field,
stood.
It might have been one of those rare situations where video
replay was not conclusive enough to overturn the call. Had the call been no
interception, that, too, would have stood.
* * *
In one of the great turnarounds in the venerable
Browns-Steelers series (this was the 126th meeting), the Cleveland
offense absolutely dominated in the final six quarters of this year’s two
games. The Steelers raced out to a 27-3 lead at the half of the
season-opening game in Pittsburgh. Since then, the Browns have outscored their
rivals, 55-13. And that last Pittsburgh TD was a gimme.
* * *
From the department of what were they thinking: With the
ball at the Pittsburgh 44 midway through the second quarter and the Steelers
trailing, 14-3, Roethlisberger dropped back to pass on a third-and-1. With a
running game that was gouging the Cleveland defense, why throw the ball?
The long throw down the left sideline for wide receiver
Markus Wheaton fell incomplete. Has to make one wonder just what was going
through the mind of Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley. The Browns
drove 85 yards for a touchdown on the next series.
* * *
Nice to see Jordan Cameron back in Hoyer’s crosshairs. The
big tight end, when healthy, can be a nightmare to opposing linebackers and
safeties. If he can stay reasonably healthy, it opens up numerous possibilities
for Hoyer.
* * *
Of some concern to defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil has to
be the tackling in the first quarter. Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount could
have been stopped for small gains, but managed to break numerous tackles and pile up plenty of yardage after contact.
Fortunately, the Browns’ offense built up enough of a lead where Roethlisberger
was forced to go to the air.
* * *
Notebook: The Browns ran only 56 plays to pile up their 31
points. The Steelers ran 76 for their 10 points. . . . Use of the no-huddle
intermittently worked beautifully against the Steelers, who had problems
handling it. Crowell’s touchdown following the first Hoyer-Cameron connection
in the second quarter was a prime example of the effectiveness of up-tempo. . .
. An unusual sight on the sideline was Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III. Must like
basking in the winning atmosphere. . . . Spencer Lanning averaged 40.7 yards on
six punts. Not good enough. . . . Long snapper Christian Yount was perfect for
the second week in a row. He can relax now. But not too much. . . . Wide
receiver Andrew Hawkins was shut out for the first time this season. He was
targeted only twice. . . . With significant injuries to Mack, Armonty Bryant (knee) and K’Waun Williams (concussion) and a growing list of the injured and
unavailable, Cleveland General Manager Ray Farmer will earn his keep this week.
Blah, blah, blah!
ReplyDelete" This one will not be close, though. Unlike the first game when the Steelers allowed the Browns to climb back into the game, that will not be the case Sunday. Big Ben and his merry men jump out in front early, finish the job they almost didn’t in Pittsburgh and leave Cleveland with a season sweep. Back to the same old, same old. Make it:
Steelers 34, Browns 16"
And I'm supposed to take you seriously??????
And of course, you have never been wrong.
ReplyDeleteAs for taking me seriously, why do you even stop here? To get your jollies? Well, glad to accommodate you.
Don't go away. I like your company. Keeps me on my toes.