While the Browns 2015 season has been filled with controversy, questions about players not playing, and the future about coaches and the front office, for one Sunday it all came together.
On a unseasonably warm day at First Energy Stadium, there was no pregame stories about quarterbacks, trades or players not happy, and it paid off as the Browns dominated the San Francisco 49’ers 24-3.
The return to the lineup of Johnny Manziel paid off for the Browns, as he was poised and played confident. He wasn’t perfect, as he did throw an ugly interception across his body, but overall was 21-for-31 for 270 yards with a TD to TE Gary Barnidge and the one pick.
He also ran four times for 18 yards, but the real story on the ground was Isaiah Crowell, who came out of nowhere for his best game of his career, running 20 times for 145 yards and two scores.
“Did a lot more good than he did bad,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said following the win.
Crowell had a 54-yard run to highlight the day, and also put up over seven yards per carry.
“When you win, there’s an overreaction. When you lose, there’s an overreaction,” Pettine said.
The Browns defense, after being run and thrown on all season, stepped up for their best game of the year, allowing just 10 points and holding the Niners to 221 yards and 15 first downs.
They also recorded nine sacks, and held the Niners to 2-for-13 on third downs.
49’ers QB Blaine Gabbert was 18-for-28 for just 194 yards with one score. Former Browns now 49’ers running back Shaun Draughn ran for just 43 yards, and overall the Niners ran for just 71 yards on 17 carries.
The Browns got on the board with 5:40 to play in the first quarter as Crowell went in from a yard out to make it a 7-0 lead. This coming after Travis Coons had a field goal blocked earlier in the quarter.
Coons hit a 26-yard field goal with 9:06 to play in the second quarter to make it 10-0. The Niners to that point had done little, but were able to get a Phil Dawson field goal to draw it to 10-3, which was the score at the half.
Cleveland put it away with a third quarter touchdown as Manziel hit Barnidge with a 2-yard score to make it a 14-point lead at 17-3.
The run game stayed strong for the Browns and they avoided mistakes, and it paid off as Crowell went in from three yards out to make it a 
24-3 game with 8:53 to play.
The final score came from Gabbert in garbage time, as hit Jerome Simpson with a 5-yard score with 1:48 to play to make it a 24-10 final.
The Browns recovered an onside kick to seal their third win of the year.
The path for the Browns to get a 4th win will get much tougher, as next week they travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks, who are on a roll after beating the Steelers three weeks ago, the Vikings last week, and Sunday blowing out the Ravens in Baltimore 35-6.
High School
OHSAA Releases Football Regional Final Pairings
Recent Comments