TRENT RICHARDSON was not even supposed to play this week due to recurring pains in his ribs. For the Browns it was a good thing he did play because they needed every single last one of his 122 yards rushing to pull out a difficult 7-6 victory over the San Diego Chargers at home. Richardson who was a weight lifting star in college at Alabama, put the Browns offense on his back throughout the game with his physical/unaffected style of running.
San Diego took over first and ten on their own 19 after the opening kickoff. This drive was a promising one for the Chargers but it ended on a fine 4th and 1 tackle by Browns defensive back TJ WARD, who went low and hit the legs of Chargers running back JACKIE BATTLE who went down near the Cleveland 30 yard line.
The first scoring drive of the game was aided by a penalty versus the Charger defense, some helpful leadership by Weeden, and the determined running of Richardson. BRANDON WEEDEN (11 of 27 for 129 yards, no score, and no interception) helped keep this drive alive as on 2nd down and 7, he couldn’t find anyone to throw to so he ran forward for three yards then slid to the ground. A holding penalty versus San Diego and Weeden’s short gain helped advance the ball to the Browns 43 yard line. If Weeden hadn’t gained those three yards and no penalty would have been called, the Browns would have been faced with a 3rd and 4 at their own 33 and there was no guarantee that the Browns offense would have been able to gain the necessary yards for a first down (their season long struggles on 3rd down have been well documented). Later, Weeden kept the drive alive again with a 9 yard reception to running back CHRIS OGBONNAYA. Then on 4th and 1, Weeden lunged forward behind center ALEX MACK and gained the first down at the Browns 26. Two plays later, Richardson burst up the middle, broke some tackles, and sped the last 15 yards all alone to the end zone to eventually give his team a 7-0 lead.
San Diego took over at their own 18. But on 3rd and 3, the drive was killed when RONNIE BROWN (102 yards total offense) caught a PHILIP RIVERS (18 of 34 for 154 yards, no scores, and no interception) pass and gained only 1 yard, due to the quick reaction of defensive linemen JUQUA PARKER, JOHN HUGHES, and BUSTER SKRINE. Cleveland took over on their own 35. The drive was dominated by Richardson runs that took them to their own 44 yard line. They eventually were forced to punt on 4th and 1.
The Chargers took over at their own 36. But the drive died on the first play of the drive as rookie linebacker JAMES-MICHAEL JOHNSON ran up to then hit RYAN MATHEWS (24 carries for 95 yards) to force a fumble that was recovered at the Chargers 46 by fellow rookie BILLY WINN. But those two defenders’ combined turnover went to waste, as the Browns offense ended the connecting offensive drive with a Richardson run that was stuffed for minus 1 yard on 3rd down.
Winn made another big play for the Browns defense, as he sacked Rivers on for a 6 yard loss on the first play of the drive. Then a Mathews carry for no gain on 2nd and 16 and a Rivers heave into double coverage (against cornerback JOE HADEN and free safety USAMA YOUNG) to receiver DANARIO ALEXANDER (he was signed this week to take the roster spot of recently released kicker NATE KAEDING) on 3rd and 16 to force a punt.
On the last drive of the half for both teams and near the tail end of the half, Chargers right tackle JEROMEY CLARY caught a pass that was tipped in the backfield by a Browns defender and he [CLARY] subsequently lost 8 yards on the play. Even with that negative carry by Clary, the Chargers were still able to muster a NICK NOVAK 43 yard field goal to put the score at 7-3, Cleveland.
Las Vegas bettors would have liked to have wrung receiver ROBERT MEACHEM’S neck for dropping a sure 51 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. This was a game in which the Chargers were favored (not heavily) to win. Meachem was all alone deep and down the middle of the field and he just dropped Rivers’ pass. The score would have put the struggling Chargers offense up 10-7. Instead the Chargers were forced to punt. The Browns took over at their own 8 yard line. But three plays gained just 7 yards to their own 15 yard line and they were forced to send in punter REGGIE HODGES again.
Later in the third quarter, an ERIC WEDDLE 20 yard kickoff return down the left sideline set up the Chargers at their own 43 yard line. The Chargers ended up advancing inside the Browns 30 yard line where on fourth down, they were able to get a 31 yard field goal from Novak. The score was now 7-6.
On 3rd and 12 from their own 28, Weeden threw a completion to GREG LITTLE for 22 yards to midfield. The play worked because the cornerback covering him dropped a little too far back, which enabled Little to break down his route and catch the ball before right cornerback QUENTIN JAMMER (coming across the field and worried about another receiver in the area) could react. Later in the drive and on 3rd and 10, defensive end COREY LIUGET came through untouched and buried Weeden for a 9 yard sack to force a 4th and 19 punting situation with just under 21 seconds left in the third quarter.
But the biggest play of the game belonged to Skrine. As on 4th and 10 for the Chargers from the Browns 44 yard line and with little time left in the game, Skrine batted away a pass that was intended for receiver MALCOM FLOYD. Due to Skrine’s pass defense, Rivers’ pass didn’t arrive anywhere near Floyd who was covered by veteran cornerback SHELDON BROWN. The Browns then proceeded to run out the clock with a few offensive plays of their own.
