Colts 10, Browns 6: Anderson lost in another disappointing defeat
Scott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram
CLEVELAND — The Browns opened August with playoff expectations, a coach with a fresh contract extension and a pair of young quarterbacks with bright futures. As November gave way to December under a bitter rain, the summer had become more mirage than memory.
The Browns fell to 4-8 with a 10-6 loss to the Colts (8-4) on Sunday, a miracle probably wouldn’t save coach Romeo Crennel’s job and Ken Dorsey is the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart.
A season that was lost in a 1-4 November, including four defeats on the lakefront, took a turn toward runaway train Sunday when quarterback Derek Anderson needed the help of two trainers to make it from the field to the sideline as the crowd cheered. He injured his left knee — the initial diagnosis is a sprain of the medial collateral ligament — with 1:07 remaining as he tried to engineer a comeback.
The Browns held the high-powered Colts offense without an offensive touchdown, but still slipped to 1-6 at home, with just a Dec. 21 meeting with Cincinnati remaining. The stadium was about 30 percent empty at its fullest, and the Browns failed to score a touchdown for the second straight game — both at home. Tight end Kellen Winslow left the game with an ankle injury on the first play of the second half and will be further examined today.
“The guys played the game plan very well, hung in there and we were fighting and we were getting done the things we needed to do in a close game,” Crennel said. “At the end, we made a couple mistakes that ended up costing us the game.”
Anderson will be evaluated again today, but he nor Crennel sounded optimistic he’d be able to play in the final month. He will likely join Brady Quinn (broken finger) on injured reserve. For the moment, Dorsey is the only healthy quarterback on the active roster.
“I’ll see (today) exactly how bad it is,” Anderson said. “It doesn’t feel very good.”
After a first down, the Browns had the ball at their 45-yard line with 1:16 left. Anderson dropped back and quickly had right tackle Kevin Shaffer’s helmet in the side of his knee.
Robert Mathis, known for his speed rushing around the edge, used power and leverage to push Shaffer straight back. After Shaffer fell into Anderson, Mathis tackled him with one hand above the knee and another below it.
“I just felt the burn, the pain,” said Anderson, who experienced the same sensation when he sprained an MCL in college.
Anderson is due a $5 million bonus in the offseason and the front office appears to have chosen Quinn as the long-term quarterback. If this was his final appearance as a Brown, Anderson departed the locker room wearing flip-flops, cargo shorts and an Indians hat. He refused crutches even though he was limping badly.
He went 16-for-26 for 110 yards and a 71.0 rating, consistently checking down to the running backs and tight ends as the Colts cover-2 defense took away the deep ball. The game plan that called for a lot of Jamal Lewis (24 carries for 77 yards, as the Browns fell to 11-2 when he gets 20 carries) in an attempt to limit Peyton Manning’s possessions was working as the Browns led 6-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
That’s when the big mistake caught up with Anderson again. With 9:45 left, he dropped back and the pocket collapsed as end Dwight Freeney steamrolled left tackle Joe Thomas. Freeney hit Anderson as he tried to throw, and Mathis returned the fumble 37 yards for the winning touchdown.
Anderson had started his throwing motion, but Crennel didn’t challenge.
“I told RAC it came out the back,” Anderson said of Crennel. “There was no reason to waste a challenge.”
The game’s most pivotal plays were bull rushes from speed rushers weighing less than 270 pounds.
“As tackles we did a pretty good job of stopping their spins,” Thomas said. “When you do that, you’re a little susceptible to the bull rush. That was kinda their Plan B.”
Anderson praised his line, which opened the game with eight straight runs that set up a Phil Dawson 34-yard field goal after Colts running back Joseph Addai fumbled on the opening snap.
“They played their (butt) off,” Anderson said of the linemen. “Those ends are fast and great players.
“Every single guy in here cares about each other and cares about wining. We love RAC and we’re going to play for RAC. That’s the biggest thing the last four weeks, knowing the entire situation.”
The defense showed it hadn’t given up on the season by holding Manning and the Colts without an offensive touchdown for the first time since the 2003 opener, when Indianapolis won here 9-6. The Browns forced three turnovers and stuffed the Colts at the goal line at the end of the first half to keep a 6-3 lead.
“It is a testament to how far we have come as a defense,” said safety Sean Jones, who had an interception.
The loss is evidence of how far the offense has regressed. The eighth-ranked unit from a year ago entered Sunday ranked 27th, then managed 193 yards. They were 0-for-3 in the red zone and 0-for-1 inside the 10.
“The thing last year that helped us put more points on the board was big-play ability,” guard Eric Steinbach said. “We’re calling the right plays and getting yards, we’re just not getting huge chunks.”
“Teams kinda figured out what we’re doing,” Anderson said of the red zone. “We blew chances. We missed throws, missed balls.”
Anderson has the best record of a quarterback in the franchise’s expansion era, but it slipped to 13-14.
“I’m not trying to drop balls out there, lose games for us,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and give everything I’ve got.
“I’m probably going to be sick about it tonight. We had the opportunity to beat the Colts, with a guy like Peyton Manning leading his team. It didn’t happen.”
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Scott Petrak | The Chronicle-Telegram December 1st, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 5% |
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Comments
Comment from
the banker
December 1, 2008, 9:54 am
I just laugh now, we are truely the Cleveland Clowns
Comment from
mfitzpat66
December 1, 2008, 2:05 pm
Well whats left? I think we have talent but apparently it is not being used properly. It looked like the Colts knew what we were going to do before we did it. I don’t see how Crennel can come back next year and if Quinn is the quarterback then Anderson won’t be back. I guess all we can say is maybe next year which we have said MANY TIMES in the past.
Comment from
Haxor
December 1, 2008, 3:43 pm
Cleveland wants to be in the big time, but face it Cleveland is a dyeing city like most other cities in Ohio. How can you expect anyone to come out and give it there all in a second rate town. Anyone who has been in Cleveland and left now has a super bowl ring , coincidence ? I don’t think so. The day Cleveland has a winning football team; you better have a really good winter coat because that is the day Cleveland (H e ll) Freezes Over. You can change the owners, the coaches and the players and it will all be the same until you change the City!
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