With the 22nd pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns drafted Oklahoma State quarterback, Brandon Weeden. Weeden, the oldest rookie in this years draft at 28 years old, was named the starting quarterback in their first preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Weeden completed 3-of-9 passes for 62 yards, threw one interception, and fumbled in his NFL debut. Weeden was left short handed after wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi left the game with a concussion. In addition, the Browns were without their rookie running back, Trent Richardson, who underwent knee surgery earlier in the week.

Although Weeden struggled,  he still helped his team earn a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions. It was definitely not the start Weeden or the Browns wanted to witness, especially with the play of back-up quarterback, Colt McCoy. McCoy completed 6-of-8 passes for 88 yards and also had one rush for 20 yards. The only way McCoy could rise and become the starting quarterback come week one of the regular season is if he continues to outplay Weeden, and Weedon continues to struggle.

The Detroit Lions are coming off their best year, finishing with a winning record for the first time since the 2000 NFL season. In addition, the 10-6 Lions made the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 NFL season. A large part of their success came from the potent offensive duo of quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

Stafford threw for a career high 5,038 yards, 3rd best in the NFL behind Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Stafford threw 41 touchdowns, also 3rd best in the league last season. As for his number one receiver, Johnson led all wide receivers with 1,681 yards and was 2nd in the league with 16 touchdowns.

Stafford and Johnson connected twice against the Browns Friday night for 36 yards. Detroit running backs Joique Bell and Keiland Williams both played great games. Bell carried the ball 16 times for 89 yards. Williams carried the ball 9 times for 71 yards and one touchdown. Both running backs are fighting to earn a third-string position on the depth chart.

Sadly enough, this past offseason may have brought more attention to the Lions than last years’ successful season. Last year’s first round pick, Nick Fairley, was arrested twice, and running back Mikel Leshoure was arrested twice and suspended for 2 games in the upcoming season. Cornerback Aaron Berry was also arrested twice. Offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath was arrested, while wideout Titus Young and safety Louis Delmas were involved in an altercation during team workouts.

Ndamukong Suh was pulled over for speeding going 91 mph in a 55 mph speed zone. As a result of their trouble off the field, Aaron Berry was cut and Johnny Culbreath was waived. Nick Fairley could possibly be the next suspended player. (Why would he be the next suspended player? – Please add some more details to this.)

The Lions must overcome their reckless offseason and become more disciplined in order to continue to take strides in the right direction. Detroit will be back in action Friday, August 17 against the Baltimore Ravens. As for the Browns, Weeden will have another shot to prove himself NFL ready against a weak Green Bay Packers secondary on Thursday, August 16.

Image Courtesy of  The Official Cleveland Browns

The article Weeden Earns “W” in NFL Debut appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Houston Texans (6-3) enjoyed a comfortable 30-12 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns (3-5) at Reliant Stadium. The win improves what is already the Texans’ best start to a season in franchise history, and Head Coach Gary Kubiak will be pleased with what he saw from his side, not least from rookie linebacker Brooks Reed, who collected two sacks and generally looked solid in defense, helping the keep the Browns to just 172 yards.

With Cleveland only managing to put up 107 points in their opening seven games, their offense was always likely to struggle, especially against Houston, who have the third best defense in the NFL, allowing just 286.8 ypg. However, with the Browns currently fifth in the yards allowed table, and dangerous wide receiver Andre Johnson still sidelined with injury, Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron will be left wondering what happened to his side.

The Texans put themselves into a commanding position in the first quarter, registering two touchdowns, the first a 27-yard rush from Ben Tate, and the second was a darting run from quarterback Matt Schaub from two yards out. Arian Foster compounded Cleveland’s problems when he rushed for 19 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter, extending Houston’s lead.

With just under five minutes left to play, Colt McCoy sparked Cleveland’s fans hopes of a comeback, when he found Josh Cribbs for a two-yard touchdown pass, but it proved too little too late for the Browns, who had looked second best all game long.

The game was won on the ground, with Foster recording 124 yards on 19 carries, and Tate racking up 115 yards on just 12 carries. Stripped of both Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty, the Browns could not make a similar impact on the ground, with running back Chris Ogbonnaya only managing to rush for 28 yards from his 13 attempts.

Cleveland, lacking an effective running option, turned to the passing game. With Mohamed Massquoi out for a second consecutive game, McCoy targeted Cribbs consistently. Although Cribbs did grab a touchdown pass to help his team, the wide receiver could only average ten yards per reception, and rarely troubled an in-control Houston defense.

Browns Head Coach Pat Shurmur will be hoping that both Hillis and Massaquoi can return to full training this week, as their meagre haul of 12 points just goes to highlight how toothless the Browns offense has looked of late.

The Browns will look to pick themselves up in Week 10 when they face the St Louis Rams at home, one of the few teams to have actually scored less points than the Browns prior to the Week Nine games. Meanwhile, the Texans will visit the inconsistent Buccaneers as they attempt to further cement their place at the top of the AFC South.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/HoustonTexans

The article Texans Run Through Cleveland Browns, 30-12 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The San Francisco 49ers (6-1) improved their record with a 20-10 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns (3-4) at Candlestick Park. Although the Browns were tipped by many to fall short against the 49ers, Head Coach Pat Shurmur will be disappointed that his side was unable to kick on from their hard-fought win over the Seahawks a week ago, and move beyond the .500 mark.

The Browns were without both first choice running back, Peyton Hillis, and wide receiver, Mohamed Massaquoi, who currently leads the team in receiving yards. With these omissions, it looked as if they may struggle offensively, especially against the in-form defense of the 49ers.

Throw into the mix that Cleveland have only had nine plays of 20 or more yards so far in the season, by far the worst record in the league, and the Browns looked up against it from the off.

With Cleveland’s defense performing so well against the Seahawks last week, allowing just 137 yards, Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron will have been unhappy that San Francisco managed to put together two drives, culminating in a rushing touchdown and passing touchdown for Fred Gore and Michael Crabtree respectively, without his side being able to offer anything in return.

While Gore was dominating the rushing game for the 49ers, making 134 yards on 31 carries, the Browns, bereft of Hillis, were struggling to make a similar impact, with Chris Ogbonnaya leading for Cleveland with 37 yards from 11 carries.

Despite Colt McCoy putting in a valiant effort — completing 22 of his 34 attempts for 241 yards — the 49ers defense held strong;  linebacker Navarro Bowman had an impressive performance with a game-high 11 tackles to his name.

The visitors did put themselves in with a good chance of securing a comeback in the fourth when McCoy found Josh Cribbs for a 45-yard touchdown pass with just over six minutes left in the game. This reduced San Francisco’s lead to just seven points, making it a one possession game and setting up a tense ending.

Unfortunately for the Browns, though, San Francisco worked themselves into decent field position before David Akers kicked a field goal to make it a two possession game, effectively ending any hopes Cleveland had of heading home with the victory.

The Browns remain on the road, travelling to Houston to play the Texans next week in what will be another difficult match for Shurmur’s side, and what could very well be a game that plays a big part in whether Cleveland will regard this season as a success.

The 49ers, who will also be on the road next week, playing the Washington Redskins, are looking like they could make a real impact in the playoffs this season, and are already four games clear of their nearest divisional rivals, the Seahawks.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/clevelandbrowns

The article Cleveland Browns Fall to Confident 49ers, 20-10 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.