Archive for November, 2011

The Cleveland Browns once again held a lead late against the Cincinnati Bengals, only to squander it away in the fourth quarter. While there were definite signs of progress, this year’s team has upheld the tradition of losing in Cleveland. The road to building a respectable team seems endless for Browns fans, and the frustration certainly shows. The team is on the right track, and will become contenders eventually, but for now, another disappointing season enters its final stretch. So, despite the progress shown by some players, what was most disappointing about the Browns’ loss to the Bengals?

In a move that was hinted by head coach Pat Shurmur on Monday, the Browns have gone ahead and waived long snapper Ryan Pontbriand, who, up until this season, was typically only mentioned when named to the Pro Bowl. Pontbriand has had a rough couple of weeks, starting with a snap that ricocheted off the foot of center Alex Mack against the St. Louis Rams (leading to a failed 22-yard field goal attempt) and ending with a low snap on a missed 55-yard field goal attempt Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Pontbriand has had a long and dependable career with the Browns, but those two [...]

The young but impressive Cleveland Browns defense suffered a major blow this week, as linebacker Scott Fujita broke his right hand in the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals (maybe it came from launching Jerome Simpson across the field) and will undergo surgery to repair it, possibly ending his season. While it isn’t official quite yet, it seems likely that the Browns will shut Fujita down for the rest of the season, leaving the team even thinner at the linebacker position. If Fujita does in fact go on injured reserve, the Browns might add a linebacker. Currently, the plan is to move Chris Gocong to [...]

Flopping is an art form that is generally reserved for the sport of soccer – it is occasionally seen in other sports, but the greatest flops of all time belong to “the other football.” Enter Jerome Simpson. The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver made his case for one of the greatest flops of all time on Sunday, reacting to a shove by Browns linebacker Scott Fujita as if he were hit by a bus. Either Fujita packs a mean punch or you can end the Oscar race for Best Actor early. Watch the glorious theatrics below: Follow @steve_dimatteo Follow @dawgpounddaily

At least the Brows were able to score a touchdown in the first quarter. Yes, the Cleveland Browns finally started strong in a game, but couldn’t close the deal on the road, eventually falling 23-20 to the Cincinnati Bengals. It was another startling reminder that the team needs playmakers on offense. As of right now, with the game on the line, who can quarterback Colt McCoy trust? However, even as the Browns faltered down the stretch, the game was still tied at 20 when head coach Pat Shurmur opted to try a 55-yard field goal with 1:55 left to play. Rather than [...]

The Cleveland Browns take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, beginning the most grueling part of their schedule, in which five of their last six games are against AFC North opponents. The Browns lost to the Bengals in the first week of the season, thanks to a quick-snap play in which the Bengals offense caught the Browns defense napping. The Browns even held a 17-13 lead going into the fourth quarter, only to squander it for a 27-17 loss. Since that time, the Bengals have become playoff contenders while the Browns have been mired with inconsistency. But divisional games always [...]

It has been reported that Cleveland Browns running back Montario Hardesty has practiced this week and is expected to play against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. This is good news for the Browns, as they will need all the help they can get against the league’s third-best rush defense. The Browns might have even better news come Sunday as Peyton Hillis, who was originally ruled out for the game, is now a game-time decision. He was able to practice on Friday, running drills and taking a couple of handoffs. This marked the first time that Hillis was able to practice since [...]

Cleveland Browns running back Montario Hardesty has been limited in practice this week, but the good news is that he was able to practice at all. Hardesty has been out for the last three games with a torn calf muscle, which only adds to the belief that he is a fragile player. Nevertheless, Hardesty appears ready to return on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals and, if he does, it appears that he will get the start. It comes off as a surprising move for a couple of reasons. For one, Chris Ogbonnaya has performed admirably in the absence of Hardesty and [...]

The Cincinnati Bengals are having a season few people expected, as the team is currently 6-4 and fighting for a playoff spot. Better yet, the Bengals are still very much in contention in the supremely tough AFC North. But best of all, they’re doing it with rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green leading the way. This apparently means little to Bengals fans, as the team failed to sell out Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Because of this, the game will be blacked out on local television in the Cincinnati market, along with various other nearby television markets. Surprisingly, the only game [...]

Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury and will be missing his sixth game in a row this Sunday as the team takes on the Cincinnati Bengals. Given the drama that has surrounded Hillis’ season, it doesn’t come as a surprise that he can add a long-term injury to the ever-growing list of reasons to put 2011 as far out of his mind as possible. Nevertheless, Browns head coach Pat Shurmur is optimistic that Hillis will return this season, having this to say about the beleaguered running back: “Based on what [Hillis] [...]