The Cleveland Browns let yet another game slip away in the second half, this time to the previously 2-11 Cincinnati Bengals yesterday afternoon in Paul Brown Stadium.
While there are those who will say that the Browns should not be discouraged by a loss to a Bengals team that is better than their record indicates, let there be no sugar coating of how bad this loss really was.
The offense played uninspired to say the least, with the touchdowns on the opening drive and on the Browns final possession being the only bright spots. There are many who would even say that on the Browns' final touchdown, wide receiver Brian Robiskie caught a break when Bengals safety Keiwan Ratliff, who was supposed to be covering Robiskie on the play, fell down.
Maybe the most telling stat of the day, though, was the fact that a team that boasted a top 15 rushing offense heading into the game only managed one first down via the run the entire game.
The defense, despite holding Cincinnati to only 19 points, looked downright terrible. Not only did it seem they did not know how to tackle either Bengals running backs Cedric Benson or Bernard Scott, but at times it seemed as if quarterback Carson Palmer had forever and a day in the pocket to throw the ball. The Browns did force the Bengals to kick three field goals, but those positives were mitigated by the fact that they weren't able to force the Bengals to punt until the fourth quarter; they also failed to record a turnover.
And that does not even take into account the questionable play calling by the Browns, including passing up on a game tying field goal at the end of the half, a questionable 3rd-and-1 call late in the second half inside the Bengals 20, and an onside kick by the Browns when they still had the two minute warning and two timeouts left.
Browns apologists will argue that the Browns are still an improved team over the 2010 version, and without all the pieces in place inconsistencies like yesterday's game are bound to happen.
While that may be true, the fact that it is the second consecutive game in which the Browns were wildly inconsistent has to be alarming. If Eric Mangini wasn't on the coaching hot seat before yesterday's game, Mike Holmgren more than likely has a spot warming for him after the loss.
With only two games left on their 2010 schedule, Sunday vs. Baltimore, and January 2nd vs. Pittsburgh, the question remains: are the Browns really that much improved from the 2009 version?
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