COLTS 9, BROWNS 6

All that offensive firepower, and only five field goals. As the curtain lifted on Butch Davis’ third season opener, most expected a shootout on the order of last year’s 40-39 barnburner against Kansas City. Instead, we got the same score as the previous year’s opener, the last-second loss against Seattle in Davis’ first game.

Some might lay this loss on Kelly Holcomb’s doorstep. He found success splitting the seam of the Colts’ defense early on, but they adjusted, and Holcomb forced two ill-advised passes into coverage. But those who advocate for the sudden resurrection of Tim Couch have not only short leashes, but short memories.

Others may say that the loss of Ross Verba hampered the offense’s ability to pound the ball into the end zone, despite six good cracks from inside Indy’s three. But despite getting stuffed repeatedly, the Browns averaged a respectable 3.8 yards per rush and surrendered no sacks. The line was not the team’s downfall this day.

The real culprit was the offensive coaching staff — the folks who select the personnel packages, call the plays, and help to manage the flow of the game.

Any casual observer of the Browns knows that the team’s strength is its nifty fleet of wide receivers. Yet the Browns seemed obsessed with a package featuring three tight ends and their fifth-best wideout, Andre King. That personnel package was a bomb. You might as well have instructed the QB to call out signals like, “Hand-off to Willie, right side. Don’t try to stop us. Please.” Sorry, football is more than brute force. It is about deception and misdirection. When you leave KJ, Quincy, ‘Cutt, and Davis on the sidelines, a clever defense just might get the idea to focus on the possibility of a running play.

Not once did the Browns loft a fade pattern to the talented Morgan in the end zone.

Not once did a play-fake to Green precede a deep throw down the sideline or up the middle of the cover-2. After pelting the Falcons with six pass plays of 30+ yards the week before, the Browns’ longest gain yesterday was just 25 yards. And that was on linebacker Kevin Bentley’s interception return.

And I still question the clock management. The Browns won this game 5-1 if you count how many time-outs you have in your hip pocket when the gun sounds. So what difference does that make? Consider these two cases:

— First drive of the game: On William Green’s fifth carry of the drive, he scoots through the middle of the defense and lands in the end zone. The officials spot the ball inside the one. Maybe his knee hit before the ball crossed the line. Maybe not. It’s the first half. Challenge the call and at least give your guys a breather before slamming the ball into the end zone. Instead, two more Green runs and a pass toward the tight end yield nothing but a field goal and a moral letdown.

— Two-mintue drill, first half: After the third holding penalty of the half, the Browns complete two short passes, both in bounds. It’s now third and seven at the Cleveland 40 with a minute to go and ticking. Call your first time-out to talk it over? Naaaaa. Instead, run the clock. In fact, huddle up. Guess what happens? Just like the previous drive, a forced pass over the middle is intercepted, setting the Colts up for a tying field goal as the first half ends.

Nice effort by the young linebackers. Glad to see Courtney Brown make some plays. Green ran hard. Holcomb actually had a higher QB rating than Manning, a credit to our entire defense. But the game planning and management were indefensible. The flip side of the conservatism that cost us the playoff game last January, call it the “prevent offense.”