For the Browns, the 20-10 loss to Baltimore was not the worst loss of the season. That happened the previous two weeks.
The Ravens held Browns running back Peyton Hillis to 35 yards rushing on 12 carries. They did it by stacking the line and gang tackling him. 2. It's still amazing how they dismantled New Orleans and New England after the bye week. Those victories raised their record 3-5. Who'd have guessed that they'd have lost 5-of-7 after those two stunning victories? Yes, the final score of this game was 20-10, which seems somewhat close. Baltimore's superior talent and experience had the game under control. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has led his team to the playoffs in his first three pro seasons -- only the fourth quarterback to do so since 1970.
3. For the Browns, most games this season have been close. They are 3-4 in games decided by three or fewer points. They are 3-7 in games decided by a touchdown or less. It will be interesting to see how team president Mike Holmgren views these tight games. They are a clear sign of progress compared to a year ago, when the Browns lost seven games by at least 13 points. They were 1-3 in games decided by three or fewer points in 2009's 5-11 season.
4. You can talk about how the Browns had some trouble a few times with clock management at the end of the first half. It happened again Sunday. Or how two on-side kicks didn't work this season. But those are minor compared to not being able to win at Buffalo and Cincinnati -- games where the Browns admit they were out-hit and unable to stop the run.
5. In this three-game losing streak, the Browns have allowed 192, 188 and 161 yards rushing. Meanwhile, they have run for only 105, 59 and 102 yards. Their goal was December was to win games by stopping the run and by running the ball well on offense. That's how they finished last season on a 4-game winning streak.
6. Holmgren seems to have three choices for 2011: A) Coach the team himself. B) Hire a new coach. C) Surprise most people by bringing back Mangini, but with significant changes being made to the offensive coaching staff. The Browns offense has scored only four touchdowns in the last four games. No doubt, Holmgren has some ideas about what must be done on offense, where the Browns entered the day ranking 29th out of 32 teams.
7. Most opposing coaches this season has praised the Browns for their effort and mentioned how the team has improved. The Ravens John Harbaugh's opening remarks included: "The Browns (are) a really good football team ... a highly motivated team. They came to play... This team fights." Overall, the Browns have played hard for Mangini most weeks, and they have not spent much time second guessing the coaches or blaming each other. That is a sign of solid leadership.
8. For all the kind words about the Browns, Baltimore vowed to stop Peyton Hillis. The Ravens did it by stacking the line and gang tackling Hillis. He had only 35 yards on 12 carries, and didn't play much in the second half because he has taken a physical beating this season. He also only caught one pass (for 5 yards). The Ravens had someone covering him on every play, even when it seemed the ball was not coming near Hillis. Other teams have done the same the last few weeks, highlighting the limitations of the Browns offense.
9. Colt McCoy had his first real rookie game with three interceptions and no touchdowns. Twice, he underthrew Mohamed Massaquoi. Perhaps the receiver could have done a better job of breaking up the interceptions, but McCoy correctly labeled them as poor throws. It's also possible the 13-degree wind chill and the 20-mph gusts swirling around the stadium created the first real wintry weather for McCoy as a quarterback. When playing at Texas, McCoy said the worst weather he faced was a game at Kansas.
10. The weather won't prevent McCoy from being an effective quarterback. He is a quick study, a mature, no-excuse guy who has gain the respect of the Browns veterans. McCoy had only three interceptions in his first 152 throws before Sunday. It's hard to create these weather conditions in practice. You don't want your quarterback tackled, nor is the wind at the training complex in Berea the same as on Lake Erie.
11. Because McCoy had only 45 career interceptions in 53 starts at Texas, I wondered if he ever had thrown three picks in a game. The answer is that he had four in a 2007 loss to Kansas, and three in a few other games. They did not seem to hurt his confidence.
12. Rookie have rough games. The Rams' Sam Bradford seems like a future star, and he has 18 touchdown passes compared to 14 interceptions. But in his three games before Sunday, it was zero touchdown passes, five interceptions. Very few rookies make an impact at the quarterback position. Watching McCoy every week makes me wonder why the Browns don't use the No-Huddle offense more often with him. He seldom has trouble getting his teammates lined up in the right spots, and he seems to know what should be done on offense. I stand by my assertion that McCoy is the Browns most promising rookie quarterback since they returned in 1999.