{mosimage} For the fans of the Cleveland Browns it has happened again - they have found a new way to lose a football game. Whether it is the Drive, the Fumble, Red Right 88, the helmet, they seem to come up with improbable way after improbable way of losing games.

This Sunday the Browns had the only opponent that during the preseason it appeared that they could beat prior to the bye week. The Raiders were mired in nearly as much ineptitude as the Browns. But coming off the spectacular offensive performance of week two against the Bengals there was some hope that the Browns were beginning to find the corner to turn. But during week three they took a major step back. They displayed the same lack of defense that they showed against the Bengals and little of the offense. Until Josh Cribbs made his 99 yard kick off return they were unable to move the ball or to keep from making a crucial penalty.

At about 8 minutes to go Derek Anderson finally found his arm and began to move the team. He scored to bring the team within 2 points at 26 to 24. The defense was able to get the ball back - but only after allowing to move the ball so that they had a long field to go. They were able move quickly down the field with no time outs and completions to Winslow, Edwards and Jurevicous to get the ball into position for a 40 yard field goal. The Raiders then executed a play from the Denver playbook by letting the Browns line up for and kick the game winning field goal only to find out that the Raiders sideline had been granted a time out an instant before the ball was snapped for the field goal. On his next attempt Phil Dawson was unable to get enough height to clear the Raiders rush and the game was over.

This next week the Browns will certainly see little patience in the home crowd for the incompletions and interceptions thrown by Derek Anderson in the Raiders game. The offensive circus of the Bengals game will not bring any sympathy from the home crowd which is hungry for a winning team.

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JEH45 said:

	Did the kicker actually kick the ball before the timeout, and did he make it?
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September 25, 2007
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Judge said:

In reviewing the postgame comments and watching the replays, the Raiders head coach advised the sideline ref that he would be calling a time out before the kick. He positioned himself beside the ref and called the timeout just before the ball was snapped. The ref then blew the play dead. Virtually as the whistle blew the ball was snapped. Dawson kicked the ball and made the kick. The replay shows that the Raiders defense either did not rush on the first attempt of just stood up. When the kick was attempted the 2nd time Dawson kicked the ball low and the Raiders got a big push blocking the kick. Clearly this type of icing the kicker would have been more difficult under the old rule where the time out was called by a player on the field.

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September 25, 2007
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