BEAVER BELIEVER: So much for the Good Derek, Bad Derek alternating pattern. Bad Derek must have taken his harmless turn during the bye week. His last two games are easily the best performances of his pro career, and the numbers are so similar it’s spooky:
- vs. Miami: 18-25, 245 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
- at St. Louis: 18-25, 248 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Let’s see him turn the same trick next Sunday, with Charlie Frye a witness on the opposite sideline.
The drastic reduction in interceptions and fumbles is most heartening. Anderson now has the best won-lost record of any Browns starting QB since the return.
By the way, I see no reason not to tender DA at the highest level and keep both him and Quinn in ’08. May the best man start. Talk of trading either one is foolhardy.
THE DETROIT DIVA: I was almost ready to retire Braylon Edwards’ nickname. In honor of his stellar season, with no real controversies or immature outbursts, I was going to drop the derision altogether. (It’s been a practice of mine, when players insist on promoting their own nicknames, to find more appropriate appellations.) I was in awe of his patterns, footwork, and surehandedness against the Rams, right up until the point where he lost his head, or at least the helmet that should have stayed attached to it.
What in the name of Dwayne Rudd was going through his mind? It was the last play of the third quarter. It was also his last catch of the game. The coaches gave him a gold-plated opportunity to redeem himself with a game-clinching short pattern on third-and-two with 1:42 to go. He couldn’t handle it. For some reason, passes that don’t require him to leave his feet give him the most fits.
TRAGIC CARPET: It was a rough first quarter, and not just on the scoreboard. The team’s leading tackler and special teams tackler, linebackers D’Qwell Jackson (ankle) and Kris Griffin (Achilles tendon), respectively, were injured and didn’t return. Getting that haunting feeling … artificial turf … Jamir Miller … Achilles tendon … career-ender …
SHADES OF ’02: Well, the last time a Browns player was penalized for removing his helmet, and the last time a Brown hurt his Achilles tendon on a domed stadium’s turf, and the last time they let Gus Frerotte complete a third of his passes, the Browns went on to make the playoffs. I think I’ll leave it right there, lest we jinx the team’s owner.
SEASONING: It’s natural to want more of Jerome Harrison, based on some tantalizing play in his rookie pre-aeason and effective spot duty the last two games. But I’m OK with a series or two per game. Something to be said for bringing in fresh legs, not letting defenses see too much of the shifty little back, and letting him prove his reliability over the course of the season.
The same might be said of Josh Cribbs’ role on offense. One or two plays a game from a package tailored to his talents. Just a matter of time until it includes a run-pass option for him.
D MEANER: Just a few days after Phil Savage was saying how Romeo’s stoic demeanor was a strength, it was obvious to all that he was chewing out his defense for surrendering 14 points early. It was a welcome sight. They allowed just two more field goals after that.
The Browns ended two Ram drives in which they ran on both third-and-one and fourth-and-one. An impressive bull rush sack by nose tackle Ethan Kelley, consecutive deflections by Willie McGinest, and the best effort I’ve seen from Shaun Smith — I won’t say it was a good game by the Browns defense, but there were signs of improvement.
Leigh Bodden salvaged an otherwise subpar game by snagging his career-high fourth interception, the second one this year that sealed a victory. The overall number of missed tackles was down, and Leon Williams was a force inside.
The ability of this unit to generate turnovers will be crucial to the Browns’ playoff hopes. I think they’re bound to give up yards, but if they can get off the field early maybe twice a game due to fumbles or picks, this will be a winning team, because the offense and special teams can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
