Blue Bolt
11-05-2006, 10:48 PM
CASE OF END-ZONE ENVY
Inability to score touchdowns dooms Browns in loss to Chargers
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sportswriter
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/15938924.htm
:Helmet: SAN DIEGO - The sixth loss in eight games was a little more maddening and frustrating than the others.
The Browns thought that they had a great chance for an upset Sunday in Qualcomm Stadium, but one of the fundamental elements of football did them in: Touchdowns.
The inability to score and to stop LaDainian Tomlinson from scoring were the main reasons that the Browns left with a 32-25 loss.
``That is the whole game,'' tight end Steve Heiden said. He shook his head.
The Browns led the San Diego Chargers 12-10 at halftime but squandered chance after chance to get in the end zone. Meanwhile, Tomlinson scored three times in the final 16:08.
``There's nothing I can tell you that I haven't said,'' wide receiver Braylon Edwards said. ``It was the same old stuff. We lost.''
The frustration was palpable. The Browns had chances but still have not won consecutive games since 2003.
``Opportunities like this don't come along very often in the course of a season,'' kicker Phil Dawson said. And Dawson had a career-high six field goals. Which in a nutshell was the problem.
The Browns didn't score a touchdown until the game's waning minute despite the fact that they moved to or inside the Chargers 20-yard line (the ``red zone'') on six possessions. Five times they got field goals.
``We move the ball all right,'' Heiden said. ``Just gotta score.''
``That's key,'' tight end Kellen Winslow said. ``A great team like that, you got to capitalize early. They got so many weapons you got to score early.''
Frye said the Chargers had something to do with the scoring troubles. ``They tighten it up in the end zone,'' he said. ``I give them credit for that. Their defense is tough down there.''
``They do what all teams do versus us,'' Winslow said. ``That's just sit back in Cover 2, Cover 4, soft coverage and let us go the long haul.... Don't allow big plays, which they didn't.''
They played the same when the Browns were inside the 20.
``The flats and stuff are open,'' said Winslow, who had a career-high 11 catches for 78 yards. ``We got to make plays, plain and simple.''
Tomlinson carried the Chargers in the second half -- scoring from 41 yards to give them a 17-12 lead, from the seven to make it 24-15 and from the eight to make it 32-18 with 3:53 left. He finished with 172 yards on 18 carries, an almost-ridiculous 9.6-yard average.
The weird thing is the Browns seemed to be containing Tomlinson for almost three quarters. In the first half, he had just 43 yards on seven carries. Until he broke free on his 41-yard run with 1:08 left in the third quarter, he had 49 yards. In the final quarter-and-one minute, Tomlinson ran for 123 yards.
``It is what it is,'' linebacker Kamerion Wimbley said. ``He's a great back and he makes plays when they need them.''
``He showed today why he's the best,'' linebacker Andra Davis said.
The Chargers brought out a play they hadn't used to break Tomlinson loose on his long touchdown. Quarterback Philip Rivers faked a handoff to Tomlinson to the right and let the defense flow that way. He then handed off left, and Tomlinson cut back and burst through untouched.
``It was effective,'' Davis said. ``With a guy like LT, everybody has to be right.''
``I knew LT would come out in the second half and do what he does,'' Winslow said. ``He's the best back I've ever seen. He's awesome.''
Some of the numbers made the loss nearly inexplicable. The Browns had 237 yards in returns -- including an 81-yard punt return from Dennis Northcutt (that only set up a field goal).
The Chargers also gave the Browns 113 yards in penalties. On one drive, the Browns used 13 plays and three penalties to get into scoring position -- and got a field goal.
A couple of fumbles bounced into the Browns' hands. A penalty negated Dawson's only missed field goal. And a depleted defense missing four starters -- Willie McGinest, Orpheus Roye, Daven Holly and Leigh Bodden (who re-injured his ankle in the first quarter) -- hung tough for three quarters.
``We've got to keep it up for four quarters,'' Wimbley said.
Frye, playing with a thumb that he bruised Friday in practice, had moments. But he also struggled -- as at least two passes were close to Chargers interceptions and touchdowns.
He was sacked five times and hit numerous other plays (including once by defensive end Derreck Robinson after the whistle had blown due to a penalty). Frye had another fumble that the Chargers recovered at the Browns' 10-yard line negated by an illegal contact penalty, and threw an interception that bounced off Edwards' hands.
Yet when the fourth quarter started the Browns were only behind by five.
``We thought we should have come out of here with a win,'' Wimbley said.
Inability to score touchdowns dooms Browns in loss to Chargers
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sportswriter
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/15938924.htm
:Helmet: SAN DIEGO - The sixth loss in eight games was a little more maddening and frustrating than the others.
The Browns thought that they had a great chance for an upset Sunday in Qualcomm Stadium, but one of the fundamental elements of football did them in: Touchdowns.
The inability to score and to stop LaDainian Tomlinson from scoring were the main reasons that the Browns left with a 32-25 loss.
``That is the whole game,'' tight end Steve Heiden said. He shook his head.
The Browns led the San Diego Chargers 12-10 at halftime but squandered chance after chance to get in the end zone. Meanwhile, Tomlinson scored three times in the final 16:08.
``There's nothing I can tell you that I haven't said,'' wide receiver Braylon Edwards said. ``It was the same old stuff. We lost.''
The frustration was palpable. The Browns had chances but still have not won consecutive games since 2003.
``Opportunities like this don't come along very often in the course of a season,'' kicker Phil Dawson said. And Dawson had a career-high six field goals. Which in a nutshell was the problem.
The Browns didn't score a touchdown until the game's waning minute despite the fact that they moved to or inside the Chargers 20-yard line (the ``red zone'') on six possessions. Five times they got field goals.
``We move the ball all right,'' Heiden said. ``Just gotta score.''
``That's key,'' tight end Kellen Winslow said. ``A great team like that, you got to capitalize early. They got so many weapons you got to score early.''
Frye said the Chargers had something to do with the scoring troubles. ``They tighten it up in the end zone,'' he said. ``I give them credit for that. Their defense is tough down there.''
``They do what all teams do versus us,'' Winslow said. ``That's just sit back in Cover 2, Cover 4, soft coverage and let us go the long haul.... Don't allow big plays, which they didn't.''
They played the same when the Browns were inside the 20.
``The flats and stuff are open,'' said Winslow, who had a career-high 11 catches for 78 yards. ``We got to make plays, plain and simple.''
Tomlinson carried the Chargers in the second half -- scoring from 41 yards to give them a 17-12 lead, from the seven to make it 24-15 and from the eight to make it 32-18 with 3:53 left. He finished with 172 yards on 18 carries, an almost-ridiculous 9.6-yard average.
The weird thing is the Browns seemed to be containing Tomlinson for almost three quarters. In the first half, he had just 43 yards on seven carries. Until he broke free on his 41-yard run with 1:08 left in the third quarter, he had 49 yards. In the final quarter-and-one minute, Tomlinson ran for 123 yards.
``It is what it is,'' linebacker Kamerion Wimbley said. ``He's a great back and he makes plays when they need them.''
``He showed today why he's the best,'' linebacker Andra Davis said.
The Chargers brought out a play they hadn't used to break Tomlinson loose on his long touchdown. Quarterback Philip Rivers faked a handoff to Tomlinson to the right and let the defense flow that way. He then handed off left, and Tomlinson cut back and burst through untouched.
``It was effective,'' Davis said. ``With a guy like LT, everybody has to be right.''
``I knew LT would come out in the second half and do what he does,'' Winslow said. ``He's the best back I've ever seen. He's awesome.''
Some of the numbers made the loss nearly inexplicable. The Browns had 237 yards in returns -- including an 81-yard punt return from Dennis Northcutt (that only set up a field goal).
The Chargers also gave the Browns 113 yards in penalties. On one drive, the Browns used 13 plays and three penalties to get into scoring position -- and got a field goal.
A couple of fumbles bounced into the Browns' hands. A penalty negated Dawson's only missed field goal. And a depleted defense missing four starters -- Willie McGinest, Orpheus Roye, Daven Holly and Leigh Bodden (who re-injured his ankle in the first quarter) -- hung tough for three quarters.
``We've got to keep it up for four quarters,'' Wimbley said.
Frye, playing with a thumb that he bruised Friday in practice, had moments. But he also struggled -- as at least two passes were close to Chargers interceptions and touchdowns.
He was sacked five times and hit numerous other plays (including once by defensive end Derreck Robinson after the whistle had blown due to a penalty). Frye had another fumble that the Chargers recovered at the Browns' 10-yard line negated by an illegal contact penalty, and threw an interception that bounced off Edwards' hands.
Yet when the fourth quarter started the Browns were only behind by five.
``We thought we should have come out of here with a win,'' Wimbley said.