2017 Postseason
AFC Wild Card Game: Indianapolis (11-5) at Cleveland (11-5)
Indy is a team that seems to have been franknsteined together with a variety of parts off the free agent heap. QB Bubba Avila is pretty solid, signed to a cheap two year deal. RB Damon McNeil might be the league MVP, though, an he is home grown. Solid team, and they got a huge boost with a star DT in the draft this year in monster DT Gabe Dawson.
Indy cashes in their first possession for a FG, and draw first blood. It’s back and forth for a while, but in the early second quarter we get a nice TD run from Gus Stewart – with this notation:
Code:
CLE 39 Stewart ran around left end for 17 yards and a touchdown!
CLE 63 Gruber knocked IND 77 Boyer flat to create the hole.
Midway through the second quarter, Indy kicks another FG, and it’s 7-6. They put constant pressure on us with their offense, and it’s only our red zone toughness that keeps their next possession to three pints as well. It’s 9-7 Indy at the half, but could be lots worse.
Indy drives again, and again we force a kick – they take the 12-7 lead. This is okay so far, it’s not out of hand, but they have outgained us by more then 150 yards so far – we need to do something with the ball for once. We again kill ourselves with penalties, and punt it right back to them. They again convert their third downs, and get to our side – but we stop them just outside FG range. I guess that’s progress.
We get the ball back, give it to Gus for four consecutive plays, and get two first downs. Great. Then we commit another false start penalty, dig a hole, and punt it back. Awful. We’re not out of this game, but it sure feels like we are.
We give the Colts a first down with a pass interference penalty, but then stop them and get the ball back near midfield, following a good return by Caston. Nothing doing – our offense is in reverse half the time.
We’re down to 7:21 left when we get the ball again – we have to make something happen, and soon. Three and out, and a punt back to the Colts. Maybe our defense has to make the play. The D comes up big again, and stops the Colts – we get another chance with our offense. 3:7 left, from our 25 – this might be our last shot.
Stewart gets loose on the first play, and takes it 29 yards to the Indy 46. Our best play since the TD run – he’s over 100 for the game, though it doesn’t feel like it. We get the next first down, but are called for a chop block, and get first and 10 from the 44 instead of the 29. (Bug?) 2:07 remaining – we need to score a TD here, or its’ all over.
Stewart for 3. Brock scrambles for 2. Brock overthrows Newsome. Fourth and 5.
Brock looks for Burroughs, but underthrows the pass. Indianapolis takes over on downs, and we’ll try to hold and use our three timeouts.
On third and 6, Indianapolis’s RB McNeil breaks a 33-yard run, and that ought to do it. Knee. Knee. Ballgame. Colts 12-7.
Here are the stat lines that absolutely killed us:
Code:
Team Statistics IND CLE
3rd Down Plays 8/17 2/11
Penalties 4 11
Penalty Yards 30 75
So, we fail in our attempt to make the unprecedented three-peat, and fall out in the wild card round.
Season Wrap-up
It’s Minnesota and Tennessee in the Superbowl this year (again – remember that little list of “roster ratings?” from the season start). Tennessee wins it for the AFC, keeping the title on our side for the third straight season.
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2017 Awards List
Award Player Team
Player of the Year Jacques Cheatham PHI
Front Office Bowl MVP Kelly Bryson TEN
Offensive Player of the Year Damon McNeil IND
Defensive Player of the Year Matthew Ingram NYJ
Offensive Rookie of the Year Jim Rayburn PIT
Defensive Rookie of the Year Randall McCorkle GBY
All-League First-String Quarterback Jacques Cheatham PHI
All-League First-String Running Back Damon McNeil IND
All-League First-String Fullback Eugene Abah OAK
All-League First-String Tight End Cory Gomez NOS
All-League First-String Wide Receiver Paul Murray ARI
All-League First-String Wide Receiver Darrin Prentice JAX
**All-League First-String Center Monty Nunley CLE
All-League First-String Offensive Guard Rex Bussey CHI
All-League First-String Offensive Guard Andre Sinclair IND
All-League First-String Offensive Tackle Derrick Ellwood WAS
All-League First-String Offensive Tackle Jerry Cottrell OAK
All-League First-String Punter Rod Hardy KCY
All-League First-String Kicker Ethan Maumau NYJ
All-League First-String Defensive End Dixon Keith HOU
All-League First-String Defensive End Dominic Fonseca BUF
All-League First-String Defensive Tackle Isaac Timmons JAX
All-League First-String Defensive Tackle Kris Kemp GBY
All-League First-String Inside Linebacker Don Hammond STL
All-League First-String Outside Linebacker Matthew Ingram NYJ
All-League First-String Outside Linebacker Jackie Hancock MIA
All-League First-String Cornerback Bert Schneider STL
All-League First-String Cornerback Harris Jacobs NOS
All-League First-String Safety Dave Sinclair OAK
All-League First-String Safety Jerald Jacobs DAL
All-League Second-String Quarterback Nolan Graham NOS
**All-League Second-String Running Back Gus Stewart CLE
All-League Second-String Fullback Eric Pritchett TEN
All-League Second-String Tight End Johnnie Jennings GBY
All-League Second-String Wide Receiver Jeff Quinn BAL
All-League Second-String Wide Receiver Leslie Oliver SEA
All-League Second-String Center Desmond Harden PIT
All-League Second-String Offensive Guard Larry Zellars SFO
All-League Second-String Offensive Guard Dennis Fahey TEN
All-League Second-String Offensive Tackle Moe Yost ARI
All-League Second-String Offensive Tackle Eugene Green ATL
All-League Second-String Punter Matt Hughes CAR
**All-League Second-String Kicker Mo Crain CLE
All-League Second-String Defensive End Bryce Tate NED
All-League Second-String Defensive End J.R. Westbrook BAL
All-League Second-String Defensive Tackle R.J. Jahr NED
All-League Second-String Defensive Tackle Drew Worsham TEN
**All-League Second-String Inside Linebacker Curtis Davis CLE
All-League Second-String Outside Linebacker Leon Coughlin ARI
All-League Second-String Outside Linebacker Percy Dotson GBY
All-League Second-String Cornerback Hardy Kragen HOU
All-League Second-String Cornerback Amos Robinson KCY
All-League Second-String Safety Tony Dancy CHI
All-League Second-String Safety Derrick Bryant MIA
League's Fastest Man Mercury Hanley HOU
League's Strongest Man Chester Mendoza JAX
We end up with a pretty decent showing – Gus Stewart has to settle for second team this season, but we do get three other Browns onto the all-pro team. LB Curtis Davis has been sensational, playing out of position as our strong-side backer, he has put up extremely good numbers year in and year out. He might be a HOF player at the end of the line – he has something like 67 sacks in 6 seasons for us, which is awfully consistent.
Speaking of the HOF – Jacques Cheatham is a mortal lock, with his fifth Solecismic MVP award, and his eights all-pro recognition. He and QB Kim Roux are the battling titans of this league’s history.