Let me start by saying this recap will not be your typical recap. You want numbers and situational stats, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Frankly, this game wasn’t good enough for me to even bother looking up numbers and plugging them in.
That’s not completely true, either. Here’s the numbers you need to know. The final score was Ravens 16, Browns 0. Goose egg. Zip. Nada. Flatline. Brady Quinn? 12 of 30 completions, 85 yards and two picks, including a pick six. Let’s look at this dreck of a game.
The Ravens:
It is beyond me that this team is the same Ravens from the first four games of the season. This offense used to average 30 points per game. They squeak ten offensive points off the Browns defense? Flacco was constantly under pressure. The running game was weak. The Ravens offense displayed on Monday Night is the same offense we’ve seen for years.
The problem for the Ravens, however, is that, while they have the same old Elvis Grbac style of offense, their defense is getting old. The Bengals exposed them in the first half of last week’s game. The Ravens defense can’t claim any moral victories Monday because they were playing the Browns. The Ravens will lose two to Pittsburgh this season, which sucks because I was hoping they could help knock the Steelers out of the playoff picture. The only team they are knocking out of the playoffs is themselves.
The Browns:
There isn’t much to say here. The Browns suck. They are probably right now the absolute worst team in the NFL. Several, if not most, high powered college teams could easily kick this team around. The running game is stale with the aged Jamal Lewis. The receiving corpse (not a typo by the way) is non-existant and the coaching is terrible.
But let’s focus on the quarterback situation. Monday night saw the latest in the Cleveland Quarterback Shuffle, as Brady Quinn, effectively screwed out of his snap bonus for the season, regained ‘control’ of the offense. Cleveland has several millions of dollars flushed into two quarterbacks that will never succeed in Cleveland, or anywhere else. Quinn clearly did not have any help on the offense. Quinn clearly knew this. Quinn clearly has quit and is scared to even be on the field.
All of this begs a huge question. When will the NFL and ESPN finally decide to adopt a flex schedule policy for MNF? Many say the logistics make such a concept impossible due to production issues. Fine. As the ratings continue to plummet as a result of backyard football games like this one, I assure you someone will rethink those logistics.