As the title of this Blawg post indicates, I saw some good things, some bad things and some ugly things.
The Good
Almost the entire first half was good. The Browns shot down Adrian Peterson for only 25 yards and the defense held tough on many series.
Offensively, the play-calling was a little too safe for my liking, but it set the tone for some good things. Brady led the offense down the field right away, but had to settle on a field goal. Still, they at least were able to come away with points and actually led the Vikings at halftime.
The Bad
The Browns were flat -- offensively and defensively -- in the second half. Mid-way through the third quarter, it looked as if the defense had given in to defeat.
Brady's lack of snaps with the first team during training camp showed, as miscommunication with the receivers led to many missed opportunities.
The Ugly
Penalties. Way too many penalties. This is something the Browns will need to fix fast, and I know Mangini will continue to address it.
The Browns had two opportunities to score from the 2 yard line and fail miserably on both attempts. Why? Because of the stupid Wildcat Offense.
I don't understand why just about every team in the league feels the need to adopt this fad formation. It's not exciting, it's stupid. Stop it.
Nothing against Josh Cribbs, I think he's a fabulous special teamer, but any team who counts on him as a major component of its offense has problems. From 2 yards out, Quinn could have easily punched it in on a QB sneak. Or give the ball to Lewis. Just don't run the Wildcat, let alone two times in a row.
Overall, the Browns exceeded expectations in the first half and resorted to their old self in the second. I agree with Mangini, however, in that there were enough positive things yesterday on which to build.
Go Browns!
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