Written by Dave Kolonich

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It’s easy to forget at times, but how tough of a player is Josh Cribbs? 

Just barely a week after getting knocked out of last week’s game – and mere days following his acknowledgement that the hit that knocked him out was legal – Cribbs returned to pace the Browns’ special teams.  Although more significant plays occurred thanks to David Bowens, Eric Wright, Peyton Hillis, Reggie Hodges and the usual terrific play from the kick coverage units, Cribbs remains the emotional leader of this team and the most important player in the city.

The mere fact that Cribbs played this week – and played well – speaks volumes about his heart and passion for the game.

But Peyton Hillis in the fourth quarter and the second of David Bowens’ touchdowns comes pretty close.

And about those special teams….

Most Valuable Punter

Is there anything Reggie Hodges can’t do?  Last week, our mostly anonymous punter pinned the Steelers deep multiple times, then did the same this afternoon against the Saints.  Throw in one of the best open-field runs the Browns have had in years and I’m fairly certain that a legend is growing in Cleveland.

And for one drive at least, the likes of Brian Daboll called some legendary plays.  Although he’s known as the biggest punching bag in Cleveland, Daboll called a great fourth quarter drive simply by putting the ball into Peyton Hillis’ hands, then by drawing up a wonderful sandlot third-down pass play.

And despite the best efforts of Eric Steinbach, Phil Dawson showed why he’s still one of the game’s best kickers.

Speaking of another legend….

Back to Basics

I’ll admit that the prospects of this game terrified me.  Considering Rob Ryan’s penchant for dialing up what ultimately have proven to be chaotic blitzes, I was afraid that the electric Saints of 2009 would return this afternoon.  However, give Ryan some credit for simply putting his defense into positions to make plays – using primarily a mix of three and four man fronts, with some decent coverage following behind.

Or, what a novel concept….the secondary isn’t very good, so let’s not further tax them by blitzing safeties on every other down.

Also, bonus points have to be considered for the play of the linebackers – primarily Scott Fujita – who played his best game as a Brown.  Any game in which the Browns’ defense can slow down three separate opposing screen passes equals progress in my opinion. 

But then again, when you rush two linemen in coverage and drop nine defenders into coverage, how do you allow an eleven-yard touchdown reception?

But I digress….considering that I will be watching those Bowens’ touchdowns for the next several months.

The New Seneca Wallace

Much like last week, we’re probably still operating within the theory of lowered expectations as it relates to Colt McCoy.  McCoy again didn’t do much to ensure our trust that he is the future of the franchise, but also didn’t hand the game over to the Saints.  In this sense, McCoy again played a Wallace-like game and was effective on some early downs.

However, yet again – it’s obvious that the talent surrounding McCoy does little to elevate his game.  For evidence, look no further than McCoy’s third-down passing efforts or the over necessary split second dropbacks that defined most of the Browns’ afternoon.

Or in other words, the Browns’ overall offensive attack rivaled the dark moments of 2009 for much of the afternoon.

But in the end, the Browns’ creative coaching effort, physical toughness and opportunistic defense – combined with a discipline meltdown of sorts by the Saints led to one of the best efforts we’ve seen in years.

Much more tomorrow – it’s not everyday our Browns defeat the defending Super Bowl champions.