Johnny Manziel is ‘Money’ For The Cleveland Browns In Win Over 49ers
By Joe Russo
Dec 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (34) is chased by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) and free safety Eric Reid (35) during a 54 yard run during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Rapid Reax: 2nd Half
It’s almost hard to believe, but the Browns actually played through a second half of a game. Week after week, we’ve seen Mike Pettine fail to make any adjustments after the break and get rolled by opposing coaches in the 2nd half. Instead, the Browns came out and continued their solid play Sunday afternoon.
How great was Isaiah Crowell today? He added a 54-yard rush, which gave him to runs of 50 or more yards. Crowell led the charge for a Browns running game that easily beat not just its season average, but its previous season high. The Crow’s 140 yards are the most by a Brown since Peyton Hillis late in 2010. I don’t think adding Austin Pasztor to the starting line up made the impact, but this is the best the offensive line looked all season. They opened running lanes and kept Manziel out of trouble all afternoon.
The defense, as hard as it is to believe, also continued their strong play in the 2nd half. Even with the garbage time touchdown drive for the 49ers late in the fourth, the Browns allowed only 10 points and 221 total yards. Granted, this was against the worst offense statistically in the league and a group missing starters at multiple positions, but a win is a win. The Browns notched 9.0 total sacks from seven different players, making it truly a team effort in controlling the flow of the game.
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