So many times, we tend to pass judgment too harshly and too quickly. Each week, after we have had a chance to digest the game, here at DawgBones.com we will break down the Cleveland Browns game from the week before. Let us look at the top 5 good things, the top 5 bad things and the top 5 things that failed to impress us in this week’s game. The segment is called 20/20 Browns Hindsight we hope you enjoy it.



Top 5 Good Things: 49ers Game

1. There was only one way the Browns would lose to the San Francisco 49ers and that was if RB Frank Gore had a big day. The Browns held Gore to 94 yards rushing and out of the end zone last Sunday. Although Gore made up 51% of the 49ers offense the Browns were not going to let him beat them. To their credit the defensive coaches made sure they kept Gore from taking over the game.

2. KR/PR Joshua Cribbs continued his pro bowl season on Sunday when he took a punt back for a 76 yard TD. It was the first punt of his career that he has returned for a TD. Later in the game Cribbs had a 94 yard kickoff return for a TD called back on a questionable holding call. All told Cribbs had 3 kick return TD's called back due to penalties on the year. Cribbs also added 4 special teams tackles giving him a team high 20 on the season along with 2 fumble recoveries.

3. When starting QB Derek Anderson left the game in the 2nd quarter, with an injury to his right wrist and pinky, the fans of the Cleveland Browns got their chance to see rookie QB Brady Quinn. Many will argue on both sides as to whether Quinn or Anderson is the future at the position for the team and that remains to be seen. What we do know is the offense did not miss a beat with Quinn in the game. In fact it appeared that offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski called more passing plays with Quinn in limited action then he did with Anderson in. Quinn marched the team down the field 57 yards in 11 plays for a 23 yard Phil Dawson field goal. Quinn would have had his first TD of his NFL career had he not had 2 balls dropped in the end zone. The future is very bright at the QB position for the Cleveland Browns.

4. Over the last 6 games the Cleveland Browns defense did not allow an opposing team to score more then 20 points. In fact the defense had what many would consider a total transformation. In the last 6 games the team only gave up 6 passing TD's, this after allowing 23 TD passes in the teams first 10 games. On Sunday the defense held the 49ers to just 7 points, 185 total yards of offense and 5 sacks.

5. RB Jamal Lewis capped off his season with yet another 100 yard performance against the 49ers. Lewis toted the ball 26 times for 128 yards against the 49ers giving him 5 100 yard rushing games on the season. His 1,304 yards rushing on the season made him only the second Browns RB in team history to eclipse the mark. The only other RB to do so was Hall of Fame RB Jim Brown. Lewis finished 5th in the league in rushing even with missing 2 games. Had he played those games Lewis may have won the league's rushing title in 2007. Not bad for someone who was thought to be washed up and out of gas.



Top 5 Bad Things: 49ers Game

1. All season the Browns have had issues with penalties, Sunday was no different. The Browns were flagged 9 times on Sunday, 1 of those penalties cost the team a TD. On the season the team was flagged 114 times, 34 more times then their opponents! The total made the Browns the 3rd most penalized team in the NFL in 2007, clearly something that must be addressed this off-season.

2. It has been a difficult season for the Browns field goal unit this year. They had 2 botched snaps this season where holder Dave Zastudil could not get the ball down. They had 2 filed goals blocked this season, 1 Sunday against the 49ers. The other blocked field goal was in Oakland and would have won the game for them and given them 11 wins and a playoff birth. There are many phases of special teams and this is one appears to be their Achilles heel.

3. Sunday we saw both Killen Winslow II and Baryon Edwards drop consecutive passes in the end zone. Some drops hurt more then others, but all drops hurt. The failure down the last 6 games of the year to get touchdowns in the red zone really hurt the Browns. The Browns were 8-20(40%) in the red zone over the last 6 games, 0-3 on Sunday. Over the first 10 games the Browns were 22-35(62%) in red zone efficiency. There clearly is a difference between scoring Tad's and kicking field goals and now we see it.

4. The officials appeared to really gaff upon further review on Cribs' kickoff return for a TD. They flagged backup offensive linemen Lonnie Friedman for holding on what appeared to be a very clean block. There is shared blame of course. The Browns have been flagged a lot this year and the officials have been very liberal with the hankies this season. The fact that there is such subjectiveness to calling penalties means the system is very flawed. If holding could be called on "every play" then why is it not called and who decided what plays it should be called? Hmmm....

5. QB Derek Anderson continued his red zone woes by throwing another interception in the end zone to end a 1st quarter drive. It was his 4th red zone interception in the last 2 weeks. After he threw the interception Sunday it appeared that the play calling got much more conservative. Could offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski be losing confidence in Anderson?



Top 5 things that failed to impress: 49ers Game

1. The fact that the 49ers came to play with QB Chris Weinke, a guy they just signed 2 weeks prior, tells you what kind of a season it has been in San Francisco. Frank Gore carried the ball 21 times, they should have run him 41 times.

2. This list has got to have QB Derek Anderson on it. He continues to look sporadic late in the year. The red zone interception was atrocious, but then he comes back with a 45 yards TD pass to Braylon Edwards. A play in which Anderson had to stand tall and take a hit to deliver and he did both. Browns fans would just like to see some more consistency out of Anderson and his team mates and coaches want to see it as well.

3. The crowns at Cleveland Browns Stadium seemed hung over. Sure they were playing a 5 win 49ers team, the game meant nothing to their playoff hopes, but it was a historic game none the less. It was the first time since the league went to a 16 games season that the Browns had won 7 games at home. Browns fans may have forgotten that the Browns won just 2 games at home in 2006.

4. Sure veteran LB Willie McGinest recorded 2 sacks on Sunday, but it only gave him 3 on the season. We are left asking the question, "Where has that been all year"? Conversely while the team was racking up 5 sacks, none of them came from 2nd year LB Kamerion Wimbley. Wimbley led the team with 5 sacks on the season, but never made the impact he did in his rookie year of 2006.

5. The Browns signed DE Bobby Hamilton to play in week 17 and possibly the playoffs, he started on Sunday against the 49ers. The question we have is why did they not sign him a bit sooner? He didn't just play, he started and that means he is 10 times better suited to play in Romeo Crennel's defense then a guy like Simon Fraser. Browns defensive linemen have been dropping like flies as of late and Hamilton may have helped in Arizona or Cincinnati.

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