Defense's staggering finishes have veteran Sheldon Brown steaming

[BernietheKid]

Defense's staggering finishes have veteran Sheldon Brown steaming
Published: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 10:36 PM Updated: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 10:37 PM

Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Veteran safety Sheldon Brown was upset after a 24-23 victory over the Panthers that the Browns almost let get away.

If not for John Kasay's missed 42-yarder, the Browns would've blown it for the third straight week. The Browns gave up pass plays of 32 and 28 yards on the final drive to set up the field goal attempt with four seconds remaining.

"The thing is, we shouldn't even have been in that situation," said Brown. "We had the game in our hands earlier, then we come out at halftime and we don't finish. It's been things like that all year and we've got to continue to work on playing 60 minutes. We'll play 30 one week, 45 one week. We just need to figure out a way to play 60.

"The sign of a championship team is when you have a killer mentality, you attack and don't let it become like the situation we had. This is something that we need to address and it starts from top to bottom."

Brown said perhaps the victory is a turning of the tide.

"But it's still so frustrating because it shouldn't even have come to that," he said.
"That's why I'm upset ... It's just another situation where we don't play 60 minutes and you have a heartbreaker at the end. We've got to stop making excuses for that and just realize it's not acceptable."

He said the team still hasn't recovered from the loss of linebacker Scott Fujita to a knee injury.

"When Scott went down, it kinda hurt us a little bit," said Brown. "He's a really a vocal leader on this football team. We've just got to continue to grow as a team and communicate."

David Bowens agreed the defense has to stop making mistakes.

"We can't get down when things aren't going well," the linebacker said. "At times we get bummed out because of the turnovers. We practice these situations everyday. The focus has to be there. It's a lack of communication and tackling.

"Our tackling definitely has to be a lot better. Guys want to go strip the ball and that's fine, but secure the tackle first. That's going to be a point of emphasis, especially going down to Miami with those two good running backs."

John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer
Joe Haden heads upfield after intercepting a pass from Jimmy Clausen intended for the Panthers' Dante Rosario late in the fourth quarter. Haden eventually fell down, thinking that the game was in hand. "If I didn't (think the game was over), I would've tried to score," he said afterward.

Haden's interception: Rookie Joe Haden, starting in place of the injured Eric Wright, picked off a Jimmy Clausen pass with 1:28 remaining.

"Oh yeah, I thought the game was over, that's why I went down to the ground," said Haden, who was stripped after his pick in Jacksonville last week. "If I didn't, I would've tried to score."

Haden has a team-high four interceptions, with one in each of the last three games. He's the first Brown to have three picks in three games since Bernie Parrish in 1959.

"It was like a Cover 5 trap," said Haden. "If my receiver No. 1 goes outside, I look inside to No. 2 and if he runs an out route, then I trap the ball and try to go in there and make a play. He ran a curl instead of an out and Jimmy had to throw it outside because Mike Adams was there, so I just turned into it and caught it."

Haden acknowledged the defense has to do better. "But it feels good to finally win one of these close ones," he said.

Those aching toes: Josh Cribbs gutted it out on his injured right foot, but was limited to returning kicks and punts. Twice, he deferred to Clifton Smith on kickoff returns when the pain got too bad.

"He was pretty limited," said Eric Mangini. "I give Josh a lot of credit for working all week to get in the game. It just got to the point where he felt he was completely ineffective doing anything and we didn't want to put him at risk."

Said Cribbs, who had four toes dislocated two weeks ago against the Jets: "When I felt like there were plays to be made, I told them to put Clifton in. I didn't want to hurt the team. I didn't aggravate it, but I don't know how I'll be for next week."

Cribbs averaged 8.3 yards on punt returns and 22.3 yards on four kickoffs.

A costly mistake: Evan Moore lamented being stripped at the Panthers' 2 in the second quarter after a six-yard catch. Earlier, he was hit helmet-to-helmet in the end zone and came up a bit wobbly, but didn't mention whether it had a lingering effect.

"I've got to do a better job of putting that ball away," he said. "[Panthers linebacker Jason Williams] did a good of stripping it. I was trying to fight for yards. He just pulled it away as I was going down. I can't let that happen. It's a big mistake, especially with the ball on the 3-yard-line or wherever it was. ... I couldn't let it affect my play the rest of the game."

It's a Buckeye sighting: Receiver Brian Robiskie, who hasn't gotten many chances this season, caught all seven passes thrown his way to lead the team. He had 50 yards, including a long of 15.

"It's nice for this type of performance to happen," said Mangini. "I'm hoping it's a springboard. What the difference was, I couldn't tell you right now."
Robiskie had only nine catches heading in.

"It goes back to executing when a play is called," he said. "Jake [Delhomme] is a guy who knows the offense and he is really going to work to find the open guy. I was fortunate to get open and he found me a couple of times."

Saved by the holder: Long snapper Ryan Pontbriand didn't have one of his best efforts on Phil Dawson's game-winning 41-yard field goal.

"It was just one of those things," he said. "It just came out high and fast so it just kept rising. I told [holder Reggie Hodges] 'thanks for saving my behind.' He did an amazing job. I'm going to beat myself up over it. Fortunately, it didn't affect the outcome of the game."

Dawson also complimented Hodges for the hold, as well as for punting the ball out of bounds at the 5 prior to the Panthers' final drive.

"Reggie deserves a lot of credit," said Dawson. "Both he and I talked this week about rebounding and having strong games. Neither one of us were pleased with how we did last week. To come up in the fourth quarter the way he did, he deserves a lot of credit and I'm really happy for him."

Special visitor: The Browns gave the game ball to 9-year-old Ryan Trewin of Canal Fulton, who is ill. He was a special guest of the Browns on the field and in the locker room.

"We were happy to be able to win the game for him," said Peyton Hillis.

Defense's staggering finishes have veteran Sheldon Brown steaming: Browns Insider | cleveland.com

[DaBrowns41]

Maybe if he'd get better and stop getting burnt and/or benched for rookie CB's, that wouldn't happen.

[Enigmatic Evil]

Hey whatever, I'm glad to see somebody with a fire in their eye getting on the team for the poor play sunday. It's something the ENTIRE team needs to shoulder, not just Jake Delhomme, not just Eric Mangini, not just St. Clair, etc. The WHOLE team nearly lost this one. Win as a team, lose as a team. Glad to see Sheldon Brown getting fired up and saying what everyone out there is thinking. God knows we're not going to see Mangini get like that in the media. Is it wrong that, that's exactly what I want the head coach to be doing? I want him to come out after an ugly game, call out players, call out the team and DEMAND MORE! He's the Head Coach, and I know that's not exactly his style but a little passion please, a little FRUSTRATION, he was showing it on the field at the very least.

[BernietheKid]

Eric Mangini blames lack of intensity for defense's poor outings

Published: Monday, November 29, 2010, 9:20 PM Updated: Monday, November 29, 2010, 9:21 PM

Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer


John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer
Eric Mangini unleashed a profane series of objections on Sunday when officials allowed Carolina to attempt a game-winning kick by John Kasay after receiver Brandon LaFell was ruled to have gotten out of bounds on his reception of a Jimmy Clausen pass. "I was glad the kids were actually at the game yesterday, so they weren't watching it on TV," he said. "It wasn't G-rated what I was yelling."

BEREA, Ohio -- A day after cornerback Sheldon Brown said the Browns lack "killer instinct" and have had unacceptable meltdowns, coach Eric Mangini called out his defense for coming out flat against the Panthers.

"I feel like we should've played much better than we did defensively," he said. "And I felt at times during the game, we did that, but that's not how we play. It's consistency. That's what we need to do. It's consistent, good, smart football. Tackling is a huge component of that, just fundamentals."

Mangini said the lackluster performance began during the week.

"Defensively, I don't think we had as good a week of practice and I think it showed," he said. "They went down and scored [a touchdown] on the opening drive of the game, and that hasn't happened in 23-odd games. I don't think we came out playing with the right level of intensity. That's not what we do. That's not the way we approach it. In the running game, technique, run-fits and tackling needs to improve."

He lamented two consecutive weeks where the Browns have allowed a big play at the end of the game -- the 75-yard screen in Jacksonville and a 32-yard pass and run to Mike Goodson by the Panthers.

"We had the guy hemmed up there on the sideline and he gets away and it goes for another 20-odd yards," he said. "Can't happen. We have to work on getting that fixed immediately."

He acknowledged losing defensive end Robaire Smith for the season to a back injury and linebacker Scott Fujita for an extended period with a knee injury have hurt.

Fujita will be out probably a few more weeks.

"It's significant," said Mangini. "Robaire is excellent against the run. He also sets a certain tone. He's got a tone similar to Matt Roth. He's a tough guy and we miss Robaire a lot.

"Scott's done great things this year. [He's] another guy that was voted as a defensive captain and his versatility, especially his role on third down, that's been missed, and for a lot of different reasons.

"Some of it's the way he plays and some of it is the way he sees the things and communicates out those alerts or adjustments defensively. When you lose two guys like that, it makes it hard."

He pointed at changing faces in the secondary, with injuries limiting Eric Wright and Mike Adams. Adams returned Sunday and Wright has a chance to play in Miami this week. It forced newcomer Eric King into action and Ray Ventrone into an expanded role.

"But everybody faces those challenges," said Mangini. "You have to deal with them and come out and put your best foot forward."

Wacky ending: The Browns sent in tape from the end of the game, when the officials apparently botched the ruling after Brandon LaFell's 28-yard catch that set up John Kasay's 42-yard field goal attempt.

First, the officials missed Sheldon Brown's touch of LaFell's elbow while the receiver was inbounds, meaning the clock should have kept running. Second, after the catch survived a review, the officials still left time to set up the kick. Mangini had been assured that if the catch was upheld, the clock would run out.

"I needed some blood pressure medicine," said Mangini. "I was glad the kids were actually at the game yesterday, so they weren't watching it on TV. It wasn't G-rated what I was yelling."

Mangini said he won't be permitted to share the league's findings on the play.

Rookie impact: Mangini said Joe Haden, with interceptions in each of his last three games, will likely start again in place of Wright, who has been out with a knee injury. Wright might be able to come back on a limited basis this week. Still, Haden has most likely earned a starting spot.

"Joe has done really well," said Mangini. "He's getting better as we go. He's making a strong, strong case for continued playing time."

This is Peyton's place: Peyton Hillis has exceeded Mangini's expectations this season.

"Yeah, he has," Mangini said. "I thought he was pretty good and a great addition, but he's been outstanding. I don't know how else you describe the things that he does. He shows up, works like crazy, is a great guy, loves being here and plays his heart out every week. Runs people over on the goal line, catches everything we throw to him, blocks well.

"Yeah, he's made for Cleveland."

Eric Mangini blames lack of intensity for defense's poor outings: Browns Insider | cleveland.com

[DirtyDawg]

This defense is no where near as good as we have been fooled into believing it is this season.

They pretty much play a conservative, almost prevent defense all game long and their best hope is that they'll get a red zone stop or get a lucky turnover.

But like has always been the case, most of the time when the chips are down at the end of the game, they don't stop anybody at all.

The sissy arm tackling like it's tag football... it just shows no heart whatsoever and that we have a bunch of sissies on defense that have no desire.

[golfer704u]

Interesting I don't see any of the players blaming the coaches or game plan. Their blaming themselves and their lack of execution.

[Greythan]

There is absolutely no conservatism played by this defense. I'm not sure what team you've been watching. Ryan attacks all the time. We're blitzing more this year than I've ever seen a Browns defense blitz.

[Greythan]

We do tackle poorly at the end of games. Its an intensity thing and not a game plan thing. Coaches have to influence that, but guys like Brown have to know that stopping the ball carrier is the priority before going for a strip (i.e., his really dumb play on that 75 yard catch/run against the Jags).

[Masters]

Originally Posted by Greythan

There is absolutely no conservatism played by this defense. I'm not sure what team you've been watching. Ryan attacks all the time. We're blitzing more this year than I've ever seen a Browns defense blitz.

Not true of the CAR game or the Jets game. They played back more in both of those games.

[Greythan]

Carolina: Abe Elam had 2 sacks. We blitz a lot.

[Vegasdogg]

Translation?

"Come the fuck on. WTF people? T A C K L E !!! Jesus, Come ON!!!! "

LOL

[OzDawg]

but...mangini shows no emotion..thats a clone right?