Mike | Bottlegate

It’s over. It’s finally over. You know in Call of Duty when you’re on your “Last Stand?” Just laying on the ground bleeding out, about to die, and blindly shooting at the other team hoping to do some damage? That’s what these last couple of games for the Browns felt like. Just laying there waiting to die and waiting for the season to end.

Honestly though, we need to give credit to this coaching staff and group (most of them) of players. With all the stupid bullshit distractions they’ve faced the past couple weeks, it’s refreshing to know that they never quit and never laid down. That’s a lot more than we could say about past teams. So kudos or something, even though you lost 5 in a row… you didn’t quit. So, uh, thanks for that? Let’s look at the game tape.

The teams traded field goals in the first half and went into halftime tied at 3-3.

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Any other QB in the league this is penalty. Connor Shaw? Nope. I imagine the ref said “Buckle up your chinstrap son, this is the NFL.” Then gave him a pat on the ass and accepted a $20 from Terrell Suggs.

They would’ve had to call an ambulance for Tom Brady

That pass went for 49 yards BTW.

Terrance West scored after that.

Browns took the lead but in a later drive by the Ravens Joe Flacco threw 2 passes to Torrey Smith and Baltimore drove down the field in about 6 seconds, took the lead, and never looked back

And the Ravens added another TD to win 20-10 AND the Browns fell to 7-9 when they were once 7-4 AND ended the season on a 5 game losing streak AND are the only team in the AFC North that didn’t make the playoffs AND still don’t have a legit NFL quarterback at the moment AND…. AND…. sigh. Got all that?

Quick thoughts:

– How about Joe Haden, man? Has the flu, gets an IV just to play in this “meaningless” game with his 7-8 team and comes in and balls out (aside from the long Torrey Smith pass). He didn’t have to play today, he could have easily taken the day off to rest up for his 2nd straight Pro Bowl and no one would have blamed him. We need more guys like Joe who actually give a fuck about the name on the front of the jersey. If anyone cared about this team as much as Haden, we wouldn’t be 7-9 and losers of 5 in a row.

– You don’t tell Meder when the play starts, he tells you. Nice to see a NE Ohio kid getting some playing time.

– Really encouraged by Craig Robertson. The past few games I’ve seen him making plays all over the field. I don’t know what his actual defensive stats are in those games but every time I look up it seems like Craig is drilling some guy into the ground.

– Kudos to Connor Shaw. Undrafted rookie. Wasn’t even on the roster last week. Depleted receiving corps and O-Line. And has to make his first start on the road vs. a division opponent fighting for their playoff lives. Oh, and he has Terrell Suggs staring him in the face every play… I doubt he’s the answer to the Browns QB problems but he certainly earned my respect yesterday.

– Could this year have gone any worse for our two first round draft picks? Seriously, if you would have told me it’d be the “worst case scenario” for those 2 guys I wouldn’t have even thought it’d be this bad.

– We’re gonna need a punt returner next year.

– It’s taken A LOT but I’m almost at my breaking point with Johnny Manziel. Almost. I’m still not ready to write him off yet. He definitely needs to grow the fuck up though.

– I don’t think I could say anything about Josh Gordon, Johnny Manziel, or Justin Gilbert that hasn’t already been said… but holy shit I can’t want for Pettine’s press conference on Monday. I hope he brings it strong.

-This Alabama fan on Instagram sure doesn’t like Johnny Manziel

– Thank GOD Jimmy Haslam isn’t firing Pettine or Farmer. That’d set this franchise back about 5 years. Think about this though- if Harbaugh already wasn’t going to Michigan would Haslam back Pettine like he did? Something to ponder.

RIP Cleveland Browns 2014 Season. See you guys at a draft party somewhere. Let’s do some shots. Thanks for reading these every Monday.