The Cleveland Browns fell to the New York Giants on Sunday, October 7 and dropped to 0-5 on the season. I can honestly say this does not surprise me. Yes I was hoping for a win like every other Cleveland fan but I knew the chances were slim. To prevent a nervous breakdown as a Cleveland sports fan you need to be a realist. I try my best.
Brandon Weeden was not bad
There are two distinct camps when it comes to the not-so-young rookie quarterback. You are either one who wishes he were never drafted so Colt McCoy could lead the team or one who accepts the fact he is the starting quarterback who lacks NFL experience and will make mistakes.
Weeden completed 22-35 passes for 291 yards on the day. He threw a pair of touchdown passes; both to rookie Josh Gordon and compiled a passer rating of 84.3. Despite completing 62.9 percent of his passes and throwing for nearly 300 yards, he was picked off twice.
Those who have a strong distaste for Weeden remember the interceptions, while the other side sees slow improvement amidst the disappointment. At the same time I have no defense for the attempt to throw a pass twice on a single play. I believe even high school quarterbacks know that is against the rules. Regardless, it is hard to "hate" Weeden this week. He was not that bad.
Reserve receivers step up when needed
Josh Gordon recorded two receptions for 82 yards with both receptions resulting in touchdowns. Jordan Norwood recorded nine receptions for 81 yards. Greg Little was a non-factor (read as: limited targets resulting in fewer dropped passes). While it was a shame Mohamed Massaquoi and Travis Benjamin were inactive due to hamstring injuries, it was clear the receivers in the back-end of the depth chart were ready to step up.
For Gordon, fan's caught a glimpse as to why the Browns gave up a second round pick in next year's draft to grab him. Norwood proved he was just as good as any other receiver on the team. My blood pressure was happy that I was not exposed to multiple dropped passes and ridiculous poses after seven-yard receptions on second and 10. I saw the receiving game as a positive this week.
Peyton Hillis who?
Say what you will about "not drafting a running back with a No. 3 overall pick." With each passing game I am more and more impressed with Trent Richardson. Against the Giants he logged 81 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown while netting 47 yards on 5 receptions. On the year he has tallied 303 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while picking up 169 yards and a touchdown through the air. Color me impressed.
More Cleveland Browns Commentary from Paul Rados:
Cleveland Browns at New York Giants, October 7, 2012: Fan Preview
Greg Little disappoints, but not yet a lost cause for the Cleveland Browns: Fan's take
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens, September 27, 2012: Fan Preview
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns, September 23, 2012: Fan Preview
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, September 16, 2012: Fan Preview
Sources:
All data provided by NFL.com
Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Browns fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados.
