Browns defense terrific, Shedeur Sanders struggles – Terry Pluto’s Halftime Scribbles

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles successful my notebook arsenic nan Browns lead nan Bengals 14-12 astatine nan half.

1. The Browns defense has been turning turnovers into points. In nan first quarter, nan Bengals were driving for a score. Joe Burrow dropped backmost to pass, and his propulsion was tipped by Cleveland’s Shelby Harris. Linebacker Devin Bush grabbed nan deflection and ran it backmost 97 yards for a TD. Myles Garrett threw a cardinal block.

2. Harris is simply a tremendous illustration of really a protect lineman tin effect a crippled by keeping his arms up erstwhile rushing nan passer. Harris has done that respective times complete nan years. The Bengals past missed different other point, conscionable a bad kick.

3. As for keeping your hands while rushing, springiness Alex Wright credit. He did conscionable that arsenic he blocked a Cincinnati other point.

4. The Browns 2nd TD came erstwhile Cincinnati’s Noah Fant caught a pass. It was knocked free by Cleveland’s Jerome Baker. Sam Webb picked up nan loose shot and ran it backmost 47 yards for a TD.

5. Dumb is dumb: The Browns defense was flagged TWICE for excessive celebrations aft scoring those 2 TDs. Once is bad enough, but TWICE?

6. Those penalties are a large deal. They added 15 yards to nan other constituent attempts. That forced Andre Szmyt to footwear what amounted to 47 yards for each other point. The rookie drilled both.

7. After nan opening time 16-14 nonaccomplishment to nan Bengals erstwhile Szmyt missed a 36-yard section extremity and an other point. His occupation was connected nan line. The Browns gave him different chance and he’s go 1 of nan amended kickers successful nan NFL.

8. When Bush picked disconnected that Joe Burrow pass, it ended a streak of Cincinnati’s 12 consecutive trips into nan reddish area scoring a TD. The Bengals came into nan crippled pinch a 5-2 grounds pinch Burrow starting and 1-8 erstwhile he was hurt.

9. Shedeur Sanders had a miserable first half. He dropped back, tried to tally and past fumble. That group up a Bengals TD. Sanders was sacked 3 times. Twice, he held nan shot excessively agelong and group up nan sacks. He besides threw 2 passes that were astir intercepted. He was 5 for 10 passing for 48 yards.

10. The Bengals scored a TD connected a walk from Burrow to Tee Higgins precocious successful nan first half.

11. Myles Garrett was not capable to get a sack successful nan first half. He needs 1 much to group nan NFL azygous play record.

I'm grateful to my readers who person publication maine for decades. I'm nan writer of much than 30 books, a victor of nan National Headliner Award arsenic nan nation's champion sports columnist successful 2020 and champion sports writer in...