Week 10: Pittsburgh (7-1) at Cleveland (6-2)
HUGE GAME. Deion Brock remains doubtful, so Glenn Dixon is in again. We need to snap out of our funk, and this is the time and place to do it – no doubt about that. Regrettably, the Pitt defense has our number, and the only TD we post is on an interception by LB Andrew Wallace – we get beaten 23-14, and now are openly in free fall.
Week 11: Cincinnati (1-8) at Cleveland (6-3)
It’s tough to be too upset about being 6-3, unless you started 6-0. Hopefully, a visit from Cinti will cure what ails us. We need overtime, but eke out a 20-17 win at home here, and at least break the streak. Stewart has 107 yards rushing, and Glenn Dixon adds 60 of his own. Solid win, though I’d much rather have seen a 40-10 thrashing.
Week 12: Cleveland (7-3) at Chicago (3-6-1)
We show up and look very sharp again, especially on defense. DE Zach Finch gets 3 sacks and the game ball, as we roll to a 20—3 win. Strong showing on the road.
Regrettably, we have lost TE Karl Sellers again – he suffers his third injury of the season, and I can’t help but have some long-term worries about him now (right after we sink huge money into his future with a monster contract).
Week 13: Miami (9-2) at Cleveland (8-3)
Very tight game, as would be expected – we get into overtime, and we prevail on a TD run by reserve RB Daryl Sims. Deion Brock, back off his second injury this year, is solid and keeps us on course with 26 of 36 completions.
WR Don Pritchett stands at 710 yards through 12 games – he’s 40 yards behind a 1,000-yard pace, but one big game could get him right back into the picture. He has 9 TDs, and is probably on his way to his best season.
Week 14: Cleveland (9-3) at Detroit (4-7-1)
We get a nice, powerful win here 30-6. Two TD passes from Deion Brock, and two TDs off defense and special teams make it a good showing overall. A good showing, and our team is looking like a factor again. We’re a game behind Pittsburgh, but still have hope for the division title.
Week 15: Cleveland (10-3) at Baltimore (7-6)
We get another solid win, 24-13, to probably put Baltimore away for the year. Our 11-3 record is definitely going to be good enough to get us into the playoffs – the only real issue remaining is whether we can catch Pittsburgh. The winner of our division will almost certainly be the AFC’s #1 seed, too.
Week 16: Green bay (4-10) at Cleveland (11-3)
We get a very solid win at home, 30-9, and keep pace with Pittsburgh, though our hopes of catching them dwindle each week they win. Deion Brock, though not feeling 100%, has a nice game, and goes to WR Don Pritchett a lot. Pritchett has his “big game” this week, with 155 yards and a TD, and his season total stands at 961 yards… with one game left, he basically only needs to show up and he’ll finally crack the mythical barrier we’ve chased for so long.
Week 17: Cleveland (12-3) at Cincinnati (2-13)
Cinti gave us trouble last time, but here we have extra incentive – Pittsburgh lost their final game, meaning we could pull even with a win here. We’d be tied in all the tiebreaker stats, so I don’t know who would win the division – but that would mean a lot to do so.
Somehow, some way, we manage to lose to Cincinnati. It’s 21-20, the same margin by which Pittsburgh lost their final game, so it hurts just as much. Anyway – we will be the top wild card team – the #5 seed, and will have to play on the road while the Steelers take the week off and wait for whoever gets lucky this week. Ouch.
Code:
2021 Regular Season Standings
AC North W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Pittsburgh 13 3 0 .813 451 293 9-3 4-2
Cleveland 12 4 0 .750 402 242 8-4 3-3
Baltimore 9 7 0 .563 315 333 6-6 4-2
Cincinnati 3 13 0 .188 276 349 3-9 1-5
AC South W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Houston 7 9 0 .438 287 324 5-7 5-1
Indianapolis 7 9 0 .438 269 275 6-6 4-2
Jacksonville 7 9 0 .438 260 347 4-8 2-4
Tennessee 6 10 0 .375 348 308 4-8 1-5
AC East W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Miami 12 4 0 .750 348 304 8-4 3-3
Buffalo 11 5 0 .688 392 330 9-3 4-2
New York J 10 6 0 .625 379 263 7-5 3-3
New England 6 10 0 .375 282 399 5-7 2-4
AC West W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Denver 11 5 0 .688 395 288 8-4 5-1
San Diego 8 8 0 .500 309 289 5-7 3-3
Oakland 6 10 0 .375 279 389 4-8 3-3
Kansas City 6 10 0 .375 228 341 5-7 1-5
NC North W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Detroit 7 8 1 .469 304 326 6-5-1 5-0-1
Chicago 5 10 1 .344 250 348 4-7-1 2-3-1
Minnesota 5 11 0 .313 300 346 4-8 2-4
Green Bay 5 11 0 .313 341 405 3-9 2-4
NC South W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Carolina 11 5 0 .688 375 324 9-3 5-1
New Orleans 11 5 0 .688 363 271 8-4 5-1
Tampa Bay 6 10 0 .375 289 375 5-7 1-5
Atlanta 4 12 0 .250 261 355 4-8 1-5
NC East W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
New York G 13 3 0 .813 451 230 10-2 5-1
Philadelphia 10 6 0 .625 327 291 8-4 4-2
Washington 5 11 0 .313 295 369 4-8 2-4
Dallas 4 12 0 .250 231 354 3-9 1-5
NC West W L T Pct PF PA Conf Div
Arizona 14 2 0 .875 415 227 10-2 6-0
San Francisco 9 7 0 .563 344 357 7-5 2-4
St. Louis 7 9 0 .438 330 371 6-6 2-4
Seattle 5 11 0 .313 255 328 4-8 2-4
Our allowing only 242 points all season is pretty good, but invites comparisons to Arizona, who outdid us on both sides of the point scale. Alas.
Tough to complain about 12-4 – the ones who ought to be complaining are the 10-6 Jets, who watch 7-9 Houston make the playoffs.
Code:
2021 Summary for Cleveland Browns
Record: 12-4
Winning Pct.: .750
Cleveland Browns Team Rank
Rushes 480 3
Rushing Yards 2373 2
Yards Per Carry 4.94 1
Pass Attempts 483 28
Completions 295 31
Passing Yards 3374 24
Yards Per Attempt 6.98 13
3rd Down Conversions 39.6 15 (T)
Points Per Game 25.1 4
Turnovers 17 7
Turnover Margin +6 9 (T)
Opponents Team Rank
Rushes 412 10
Rushing Yards 1385 1
Yards Per Carry 3.36 1
Pass Attempts 565 25 (T)
Completions 298 5
Passing Yards 3852 22
Yards Per Attempt 6.81 12
3rd Down Conversions 37.5 10
Points Per Game 15.1 3
Turnovers 23 16 (T)
Week Team Versus Oppnt
1 38 at PIT 31
2 25 MIN 21
3 40 at HOU 14
5 41 DEN 7
6 28 OAK 6
7 21 at SDO 10
8 13 at KCY 21
9 16 BAL 24
10 14 PIT 23
11 20 CIN 17
12 20 at CHI 3
13 22 MIA 16
14 30 at DET 6
15 24 at BAL 13
16 30 GBY 9
17 20 at CIN 21
$$WC at HOU
Passing Pos Att Comp Yards Y/Att TD Int
2 Brock QB 253 154 1680 6.64 12 3
19 Dixon QB 227 139 1677 7.38 15 7
**Team --- 483 295 3374 6.98 27 10
Rushing Pos Att Yards Y/Att TD
39 Stewart RB 313 1544 4.93 8
37 Sims RB 99 440 4.44 3
19 Dixon QB 35 302 8.62 2
**Team --- 480 2373 4.94 13
Receiving Pos Targ Catch Yards Y/Ctc YAC TD
89 Pritchett WR 135 74 993 13.4 276 10
82 Pendleton WR 90 56 685 12.2 104 6
39 Stewart RB 76 48 365 7.6 119 0
80 Sellers TE 50 36 383 10.6 102 4
83 Tilton WR 47 32 498 15.5 80 3
88 Parker WR 31 17 183 10.7 23 1
**Team --- 483 295 3374 11.4 770 27
Defense Pos Tack Asst Sack Hurr Ints Defn
59 Michl ILB 98 35 1.0 2 0 8
20 Eskridge S 84 23 2.0 2 3 9
24 Weed S 67 22 0.0 1 3 4
55 Wallace ILB 60 25 5.0 8 3 5
92 Worsham DT 53 29 4.0 10 0 0
95 Capstraw DT 47 24 2.5 12 0 0
32 Furr CB 43 15 0.0 0 2 12
50 May OLB 43 12 1.5 2 1 7
77 Finch DE 42 21 12.0 22 0 0
71 Quinn DE 39 16 5.5 13 0 1
91 Dodge OLB 36 12 4.0 5 0 1
52 Gunn ILB 30 11 0.0 1 0 3
28 Enochs CB 28 13 2.0 0 0 11
40 Cottle CB 27 8 1.5 0 1 5
35 Helmuth S 21 0 0.0 0 0 1
**Team --- 810 273 43.0 81 14 73
We got some of the results we really wanted - #1 against the run in yards per carry allowed (3.36 is great – might be the best we’ve done). We fit the profile, despite our game plan, of a team that runs and stops the run, and isn’t awful anywhere else. We regained a plus in turnover margin, and the final outcome isn’t so bad.
On offense, the two-headed QB monster was successful (necessitated by injuries, I’d add) as both guys were very effective. We were not a big play pass attack, but 60% complete and better than 2-1 on the TD/Int ration is a good recipe.
RB Gus Stewart posted yet another steady, excellent seasons – another 1,900 yards from scrimmage as if it were nothing. He also stays healthy – not even a minor injury in his eight seasons, which is unbelievable.
As for WR Don Pritchett. Does it get any better than this? In the final game of the year, he can’t complain that he didn’t have chances – he had 10 balls thrown his way on the day. The result? 3 catches, 32 yards, a season low, and a three-digit total yet again. It’s gotten to be downright uncanny. He breaks the team record, and posts the team’s 13th single season of 800+ yards (Pritchett’s third), without a single soul ever topping the magic millennium mark.
Defensively, our front managed to stay healthy pretty well through the first half of the season, but we then lost LB May and later LB Wallace, which really hurt. DE Zach Finch stepped up and became the impact pass rusher we hoped for, and his 9 sacks in the second half of the season might be a good tiding.
I’m happy with CB Randy Furr, and in our system I expect he can be solid for us. He also helped out on special teams, with the best punt return average on the team.