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Browns fall behind early, get trampled
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) is sacked by a Houston Texans defenders in the third quarter of Sunday’s NFL game at Reliant Stadium in Houston. The Browns lost 30-12, with McCoy playing the role of pinata in his fi rst NFL game in his home state, getting sacked four times and unoffi cially hit on eight other occasions.
By Tony Grossi
Cleveland Plain Dealer
HOUSTON
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Some claim that is the definition of insanity. In truth, it is the story of the Browns’ season. Lose the ball on offense, get trampled on defense, fall behind on the scoreboard.
Turnover, touchdown, ball game.
A week ago in San Francisco, it took two plays for the Browns to dig their grave. On Sunday in Reliant Stadium, it took one — a fumble by running back Chris Ogbonnaya, making his first NFL start in his hometown.
The Houston Texans had 14 points before the Browns ran their second offensive play. The rest of the game was typically ugly, painful and insulting to anyone still clinging to the hope that the Browns would turn a corner this season. They are stuck in a revolving door, unable to escape from the throes of ineptitude.
Their 30-12 loss to Houston — a team missing its best player on offense and best on defense — dropped the Browns to 3-5.
“I don’t want to say we’re at a crossroads, but this is a point where you can go one of two ways — pack it in and fold or keep trying to get better,” said linebacker Scott Fujita. “And defensively we can’t afford to take a step back.”
For weeks, defense was the Browns’ only hope of staying competitive. They saw on Sunday what happens when that unit fails them. Utter hopelessness.
Houston’s famed zone-blocking scheme opened the holes and backs Arian Foster (124 yards, one touchdown) and Ben Tate (115 and one) cut back and through and over the Browns’ defense like nobody was there. Frequently, there wasn’t.
“I’ve had my [butt] kicked before, but that was one of those that will take a few days to get over,” Fujita said.
Quarterback Matt Schaub added a two-yard touchdown run and enjoyed the type of game with which Colt McCoy, his beleaguered counterpart, is not familiar. Schaub was hardly touched and hardly needed to exercise his arm. For the record, he was 14-of-23 for 119 yards and was intercepted once.
McCoy played the role of pinata in his first NFL game in his home state. Playing from behind from the start resulted in a predictable array of blitzes, pressures, and hits to various body parts. McCoy was sacked four times and unofficially hit on eight other occasions.
The loudest hit came on the Browns’ only touchdown drive late in the game. Brooks Reed de-cleated McCoy just as the ball was leaving the QB’s hand. McCoy was writhing in pain and didn’t see Greg Little outleaping cornerback Kareem Jackson for the ball at the Texans’ 5.
McCoy gingerly got up, caught his breath and completed the drive, throwing 2 yards to Josh Cribbs in the end zone on a fake-and-roll two plays later. McCoy’s pass on the two-point try was intercepted.
The rest of the Browns’ points came on field goals of 50 and 51 yards by Phil Dawson.