Zane Gonzalez (Image Credit: Jonathan Bachman | Getty)
Heartbreak. If this is what our season is going to be like this year, I would suggest that those fans with heart conditions find something else to do on Sundays. It just doesn’t seem fair. Why can’t the chips fall our way, just once? Another week of “the Browns fought hard” and yet, another week of “the Browns lose.”
All week we heard about how amazing Drew Brees is; and he is. How great the Saints offense is; and it is. How the Saints defense giving up 48 points to Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a fluke; and it was…maybe. It was even said on NFL Gameday that the Saints would hang a 40 burger on the Browns defense. The Browns played well against the Steelers but there’s no way they’re going to be able to hang with the Saints. Well in the words of Chris “Boomer” Berman, “THAT is why they play the game!”
More of the same
The Browns defense showed up once again, picking up where they left off last week, causing turnovers. But again, like last week, the offense couldn’t take advantage of them. Two weeks in a row now its been like someone giving you the winning lottery numbers but you won’t go and play them. 3 points off 2 turnovers is not a winning recipe. But believe it or not, we go in at the half up 6-3 and dare I say in control of this game.
Third quarter is more of the same with our defense keeping the high-powered Saints offense in check. We even got to Drew Brees a few of times. Larry Ogunjobi got 2. He should’ve had 3 sacks but just like last week against the Steelers, a questionable penalty wiped out a third down stop. The Browns Carlos Hyde took the ball around the left end and dove towards the pylon scoring a touchdown. Then what we saw next was a foreshadowing of things to come, when Zane Gonzalez missed the extra point wide left. Yet we went into the fourth quarter leading the Saints 12-3 and still in total control of the game.
The Drew Brees Reality Check
Damn how I wish that just for this week, the game ended after three quarters!! But when it comes to the Browns, it’s as if we must continue to play until we find a way to lose the game. Now after a descent drive, we have a chance to increase the lead, but Gonzalez missed a 44-yard field wide left. Now I can hear a collective “uh-oh” resonating throughout Browns Nation, because we know what happens when the Browns fail to put teams away. It’s like that huge wave that you see coming but you can’t do anything about it. I so did not want the Browns “to be in that number”, when the Saints came marching in, Drew Brees was coming and there was nothing we could do about it. A Drew Brees to Michael Thomas touchdown cut the Browns lead to 12-10.
Come on offense, let’s put together a drive that milks the clock, ends with a touchdown and get out of New Orleans with our first win of the season. Okay, okay, you can stop laughing now. We know it’s the Browns and just as history has proven, Tyrod Taylor throws his only interception of the day and it could not have come at a worse time…deep in our own territory. The Saints score a touchdown and successful 2-point try to take the lead 18-12. We blow it! It’s over right? Not so fast sports fans! I told you last week that these ain’t the same old Browns.
Avoiding Heartbreak
We put together a pretty good 3-minute drive that gets us just inside Saints territory and now its fourth down with 5 yards to go for a first down. This is it. The Browns just couldn’t hang on and close the deal. Ah but the 2018 Browns are fighters. They don’t give up!
Tyrod dropped back and launch a pass down field towards the endzone. “Nooooo what are you doing? We only need 5 yards” ran through my mind and most likely all of Browns Nation as we collectively held our breaths as we watch the football start its decent towards the back of the end zone. But wait!!!! What is this? Who is this? Who is under that orange helmet that we see streaking past the deepest Saints defender? We realized that it was the rookie, Antonio Callaway as he reached out and caught the long pass ensuring both feet were in bounds as he continued out the back of the end zone. TOUCHDOWN!!!!! OMG! Are you kidding me? Was he in bounds? Are there any flags on the play?
See unfortunately, these are the questions that we must ask when something this great happens to us.
He’s in and no flags. We are tied at 18 with a chance to take the lead with under a minute and a half left in the game. But again, this is the Cleveland Browns! Remember that foreshadowing I mentioned earlier? Yep you guessed it, Gonzalez missed the extra-point wide left. This can’t be happening. Not again!
And just like that… Heartbreak
Okay regroup guys, there’s still time. Defense had been tough all game. Three and out, get the ball back with a chance to win. Drew Brees had other thoughts, and who would he use to drive the dagger through our hearts, the son of the very coach that I once played for in high school. Yep, Cleveland’s own Ted Ginn Jr. He caught a crossing route and took off, finally getting pushed out of bounds well in field goal range. That really hurt!! After three short plays and a successful field goal, the Browns are down 21-18 with 21 seconds left.
Again, new Browns! We hit on 2 big pass plays and we are close enough to give Gonzalez a shot at a game-tying 52-yard field. Third time is the charm! Snap, ball is down, kick is up; it has the distance. It is….NO GOOD!!! After his previous 3 kicks all missed wide left, Gonzalez over corrects and pushed it wide right. Heartbreak, AGAIN.
When will it end? When will we finally be able to say, “Browns Win”? The good thing is that it’s a short week with the Jets coming to town on Thursday night. Come on Browns, let’s give our fan at First Energy Stadium and around the world that elusive win that we so desperately want and need!
