2022 Postseason
Well, the one blemish on our record for this season was against Miami – and here they come again, visiting us for our first playoff game of the postseason.
AFC Divisional Playoff: Miami (11-6) at Cleveland (15-1)
The Dolphins got a great season out of second year running back Corwin Hutton, and have a nice young pair of receivers to complement him in the offense behind a titanic line. Their defensive front is very solid – we will probably need to find the softer spots in the secondary and outside. We are only made 5 point favorites at home – Miami is a very solid team.
On our first possession, we march with great ease through the Miami defense, and top the drive off with a short TD pass from Brock to Stewart – very impressive. Miami starts with a three and out, netting a negative two yards in their three plays. Again, very impressive – for us.
We are ahead 10-0 after a short drive, when Miami hits on a 58-yard pass and catch, and they get right back into the game, after showing no early signs of life. We extend our lead with a long drive for a short FG, but 13-7 isn’t that towering a lead for the yard edge we have. Miami drives, and actually takes thee lead on us with another nice TD pass – it’s 14-13 in a game we feel like we’re dominating. But our defense has allowed a few big plays, and that makes a huge difference. That score holds up through the second quarter, and into the halftime break.
Hutton squirts for 32 yards to convert a third and long for Miami, and they add a FG to their slim margin. We come back with a long drive, that nets another FG, and closes the gap back to one point, as the third quarter winds down. We’re back and forth, and we get the ball back at our 18 yard line with about nine minutes left – we’re entering the final stages of this one, and we really lack much momentum.
Passes to Sellers and Pendleton get us out to the 44 yard line with a first down. We pick up another first down on a dump-off to FB Beers, who just gets enough for the new set of downs. A nice run by Stewart gets us 12, but then we get called for a hold – and face first and 20. We get to third and six, but cannot convert – and we line up for a huge field goal attempt from 47 yards. Bass nails it, and we take the 19-17 lead.
From their 33, Miami gets a fresh start – but we force them to fourth and seven right away. With 2:48 on the clock, they have to punt, and hope they can stop us. We have a near-disaster on a backfield fumble, but FB Beers lands on the loose ball. Regardless, Miami will get their last chance – they take over at their 44, with 2:02 remaining, but only one timeout.
We hold them, but then… we hold them. A defensive holding penalty turns fourth and ten into first and ten. At our 44, they have a 3rd and 2 to go – then DE Finch breaks through and gets a huge sacks on their QB Gammon, who fumbles the ball away. DE McCombs, Finch’s counterpart, jumps on it, and we take over. We should be in great shape.
We run a couple of simple run plays… and unbelievably, Gus Stewart loses the ball amidst the tearing grasps from the Miami defenders. Miami gets one more chance – starting out near midfield, and just under a minute to play. Stewart takes his seat on the sidelines, and silently prays for the defense to pull this one out of the fire.
Miami completes a 14 yard pass to get to our 38 – they are within range for a long field goal already. They stop the clock with a spiked ball, with 23 seconds left. Stewart is pacing, anxiously. Miami wastes no time at all – they tee up and try the 55 yard kick…
It’s good!
Miami takes the 20-19 lead, with 18 seconds left on the clock, and now the Browns need some sort of miracle to pull this one out. The kickoff goes for a touchback – meaning it must happen from scrimmage. We get three tries, and see a pass dropped by Pendleton, one tipped away by a defender, and finally… the last play of the game sees a desperate outlet valve pass get dropped by Gus Stewart.
We walk off the field with our heads hung low… Gus Stewart lowest of all.
Season Wrap-up
Miami loses to the Jets in the AFC Championship game, and it’s the Jets who get to face New Orleans in the Superbowl. Ugh. The Saints get the 10-7 win, and we are left to wonder about what might have gone down as our greatest team.
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2022 Awards List
Award Player Team
**Player of the Year Gus Stewart CLE
Front Office Bowl MVP Broderick Poplawski NOS
Coach of the Year Not Yet Awarded
Legend of the Game Not Yet Awarded
**Offensive Player of the Year Gus Stewart CLE
Defensive Player of the Year Matthew Ingram CIN
Offensive Rookie of the Year Clay Roy ARI
Defensive Rookie of the Year Leslie Ragsdale JAX
All-League First Team Quarterback Michael O'Neal OAK
**All-League First Team Running Back Gus Stewart CLE
All-League First Team Fullback Jason Davies SEA
All-League First Team Tight End Johnnie Jennings CIN
All-League First Team Wide Receiver Lee Bergsman SFO
All-League First Team Wide Receiver Sherman McGregor IND
**All-League First Team Center Jackie Beyer CLE
All-League First Team Offensive Guard Ted Freeman OAK
All-League First Team Offensive Guard Otis Tyrrell IND
All-League First Team Offensive Tackle Conrad Craig BUF
All-League First Team Offensive Tackle Moe Yost WAS
All-League First Team Punter Marc Hedges TEN
All-League First Team Kicker Scott Schultz SFO
All-League First Team Defensive End Dixon Keith HOU
All-League First Team Defensive End Tony Jenkins STL
All-League First Team Defensive Tackle Dennis Schwartz SFO
All-League First Team Defensive Tackle Joe Cote TBY
All-League First Team Inside Linebacker Raymond Stephens NOS
All-League First Team Outside Linebacker Matthew Ingram CIN
All-League First Team Outside Linebacker Jerome Gann DET
All-League First Team Cornerback Herb Beall DET
All-League First Team Cornerback Zack Ward NYG
All-League First Team Safety Jim Foley NYJ
All-League First Team Safety Josh Benton BUF
All-League Second Team Quarterback Randall Kay NYJ
All-League Second Team Running Back Tracy Jose JAX
All-League Second Team Fullback Percy Schroeder SFO
All-League Second Team Tight End J.J. Diligencia WAS
All-League Second Team Wide Receiver Frank Flowers MIA
All-League Second Team Wide Receiver Timothy Henderson STL
All-League Second Team Center Leon Craven OAK
**All-League Second Team Offensive Guard Moe Somerville CLE
All-League Second Team Offensive Guard Antoine Griffith NOS
All-League Second Team Offensive Tackle Ryan Logan SFO
All-League Second Team Offensive Tackle Brett Goldsmith JAX
All-League Second Team Punter Peter Swift GBY
All-League Second Team Kicker Darren Fleming MIA
All-League Second Team Defensive End Calvin Carter CAR
All-League Second Team Defensive End Graham Pierce SEA
All-League Second Team Defensive Tackle Tommy Allen SDO
All-League Second Team Defensive Tackle Shannon Nordby DAL
All-League Second Team Inside Linebacker C.J. Blackwell JAX
All-League Second Team Outside Linebacker Leon Coughlin SDO
All-League Second Team Outside Linebacker Louis Howard IND
All-League Second Team Cornerback Jerry Sachs WAS
All-League Second Team Cornerback Preston Craig GBY
All-League Second Team Safety Luther Stoutmire NYG
All-League Second Team Safety Kyle Bolender CAR
League's Fastest Man J.J. Rosser AKR
League's Strongest Man Ryan Logan SFO
Not too surprisingly, our awards center on our running game, which was our most prolific ever. Beyer and Somerville paved the way inside for a fabulous season from Gus Stewart – earning another triple award set for the season.
Where do we go from here? Clearly this is a team with a lot of capability – I don’t have any reason to shoot lower than a return to the very top right away. We have some singular financial issues in the way of that goal, and might have to make a tough decision at QB – but overall, we’re in pretty good shape.