Week 3 Grades

The breakout season for the Browns so far has been a bust. We're 0-3 and even an upcoming match-up with the 0-3 Bengals doesn't breed much confidence right now.

This season has been a disaster. First the Cowboys. Then the Steelers. Now the Ravens. All three opponents have made the Browns look foolish.

It's time, yet again, to get out the old grade book and put down just how I thought the Browns performed against the Ravens.

(Note: I did not give out grades in Week 2 partly because I never actually got to see the game and partly because I was disgusted we lost to the Steelers again).

Here are my grades for Week 3:

Offense

• Offensive Line - They're playing somewhat better than they did in Week 1. But, Anderson was still sacked five times (not to say that's all their fault, but still).
  Grade: C
• Tight Ends - Winslow is still the best player on the field. But he can't do it all ... two catches for 14 yards just isn't enough.
  Grade: C
• Wide Receivers - Not much you can do when your QB consistently throws the ball behind you, over your head or to the defense. Doesn't help that nearly half the completions were to running backs.
  Grade: D
• Running Backs - Jamal only had 56 yards. Then again, that's what happens when you get in a hole and the coaches abandon the running game. Harrison caught a pass out of the backfield for a TD. Why not play him more?
  Grade: B
• Quarterbacks - Let's see here, he completed six passes to his wide receivers, two passes to his tight end, four passes to his running backs and three to the defense. He made Joe Flacco, who was 13-for-19 for 129 and two interceptions, look good. Can we please officially put an end to the Kelly Holcomb Project, err, I mean the Derek Anderson Project?
  Grade: F
• Summary - Pathetic. That's all I can say. There's still some talent there, unfortunately it starts with the coaches and the QB and the talent isn't getting much help from either.
  Overall Grade: D+
  

Defense

• Defensive Line - The Ravens didn't exactly run wild on on like they did in the Jamal Lewis days, but they did rush for 151 yards and three TDs.
  Grade: D
• Linebackers - D'Qwell Jackson led the team again with 14 tackles. Not only that, he also had an interception (perhaps we should put him on offense).
  Grade: C-
• Safeties & Corners - They've showed some pretty good improvement since the Dallas game. Not bad, really, for the amount of experience they really have.
  Grade: C
• Summary - Just like Week 1, they gave up 28 points, and they're lucky it wasn't more than that. Then again, they really do need some help from the offense.
  Overall Grade: C-

Special Teams and Coaches

• Special Teams - We sure could have used a big-time TD return yesterday. The special teams didn't play great, but they didn't play horrible either. As a big fan of Phil Dawson, I can't give the special teams a less than average grade.
  Grade: C
• Coaches - What can I say? Something has to be done, obviously. It doesn't bother me as much as it does some people that Romeo shows no emotion on the sidelines (he probably learned that from Belichick). But seriously, I wonder sometimes if he really does know what he's doing. For a great breakdown of the coaches, read this entry on Ace Davis' Browns Blog.
  Grade: D

So, here we go into Cincinnati with an 0-3 record. The good news is, the Bengals are also 0-3. Looks like a good old fashioned Battle of Ohio where the only thing on the line is the state's first win.