The Top Five Reasons Cleveland Browns Fans Are in Full Meltdown Mode

Cleveland fans are an interesting lot. We are fiercely loyal and completely unforgiving at the same time.

If a team and/or coach gives us something to believe in, we’ll latch onto them and elevate them to God-like status. Spit in our face or talk down to us, you have no chance. The offender may as well get out while the gettin’ is good.

The decision to start Derek Anderson over Brady Quinn elicited knee-jerk responses from the collective fan base. Of course, a lot of the decisions made by head coach Eric Mangini have elicited knee-jerk reactions from the fans.

The last week has been particularly drama-filled as the Browns were absolutely crushed by Baltimore in a game so devoid of passion from the Cleveland players, it’s created an onslaught of columns around the Internet about how bad a coach Mangini is, and whether or not the team quit.

But before anyone decides to call Cleveland fans “bad,” remember two things: This fan base is completely frustrated by the present situation due to the recent multiple failures of the past, and we see no hope in sight of this rudderless stink ending any time soon.

So here are five good reasons why Cleveland Browns fans already have gone into full meltdown mode.

Begin Slideshow

Cleveland Browns: Climbing Out of the Wreckage

Three weeks in and that ledge is looking pretty good right now.

 

It’s actually difficult to encapsulate just how bad this team looked on Sunday. From the coaching to the players, it was even uglier than most people anticipated. The 34-3 final score would make the casual observer think the game was closer than it actually was.

 

Let’s look at some stats.

 

The Ravens gained 479 total yards to the Browns 186; they outgained the Browns on first downs 28-11. The Browns were 3-of-12 on third downs, the Ravens 4-of-11. The Browns made no attempts to convert on fourth down.

 

Time of possession was once again lopsided, 28:42 for the Ravens, 21:18 for the Browns. Only Peyton Manning can overcome that kind of deficit, and we obviously don’t have a Peyton Manning anywhere on this roster.

 

Speaking of quarterbacks, the teams tied on quarterback usage, with both teams using two quarterbacks. Of course, the Ravens waited until the game was well out of hand before putting in Troy Smith to run out the clock.

 

Head coach Eric Mangini, on the other hand, decided 2.5 games was enough for Brady Quinn and threw Derek Anderson on the field for the second half.

 

Anderson then promptly reminded everybody why he lost the quarterback competition to begin with by throwing an interception on his fifth play. This was followed by two more interceptions before the final gun sounded.

 

After the game, Mangini said he was looking for a “spark” to get the offense going.

 

So other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

 

When Browns owner Randy Lerner hired Mangini, the decision split the fan base into two camps, those who thought another branch on the Bill Belichick coaching tree was a great find, and those who didn’t.

 

I lean toward the latter camp because we’d just fired a coach from the Belichick coaching tree and I wasn’t eager to go that route again.

 

However, I wanted to give Mangini the benefit of the doubt, even if I refused to swallow the Kool-Aid.

 

After the first three games, I’m wondering if the Belichick tree is rotten to the core.

 

Mangini’s decision to bench Quinn smacks of desperation. It reeks of a coach who spends so much time second-guessing himself, he can’t commit to anything, thereby leaving the team floundering in the surf, looking for a life raft.

 

The preseason competition, in retrospect, looks like a fiasco of over-thinking the team into a giant hole they may not be able to get themselves out of. It shows Mangini never really had any confidence in Quinn.

 

Unlike last year, Quinn has played like a guy looking over his shoulder, waiting to be benched. So that’s exactly what happened. I don’t feel bad for him because of it, either. Quinn played like garbage, he got benched. End of story.

 

Given the current situation, it’s now obvious Quinn had every reason to be looking over his shoulder. When you are constantly being benched, it can’t help but affect your on-field play, not that I’m excusing Quinn.

 

However, when you look at the sidelines, you have an offensive coordinator calling for a quarterback sneak on first-and-ten after a 17-yard gain by the starting running back.

 

I could dignify that coaching decision with a snarky comment, but it’s just not worth it.

 

How is the public supposed to take this coaching staff, and their talent evaluation, seriously when they throw the ball backwards on third down, attempt Wildcat formations that go nowhere, and call for a QB sneak on first down?

 

No, you now have lost your credibility, and not just with the fans. There are a lot of guys in that locker room who are going to be spending the next 14 weeks playing not to get injured.

 

Mangini said after the game he would get rid of any players who showed any evidence of quitting, which prompted me to wonder aloud, “Okay, so do you cut the entire team for quitting in the fourth quarter last week?’

 

Mangini also said after the game the team has to “identify the things we do well” and concentrate on improving those thing.

 

I now will ask the question everyone else is thinking: What, exactly, is it this team does well?

 

Due to poor play and poor coaching, there is no passing game. Our running backs are either old or injured, so there is no running game. Our wide receivers can’t catch the ball, or are inactive. The defense can’t stop the run or cover receivers.

 

I would like Mangini to name just one thing this team does well except draw fines for violating team rules.

 

The Bengals appear to be rising from the grave, so we can’t count on reviving the season by playing an equally bad team next week.

 

What we can count on is Mangini not naming a starting quarterback until just before kickoff, because we all saw how well that worked for us the last time.

 

Mangini talks about accountability with his players. He needs to apply that theory to his coaching staff. I have seen all I need to see of Brian Daboll’s play calling. It’s time for him to go.

 

Three weeks into the season, this team looks worse than it did last year, and that’s with half the roster turned over. The New York Jets are 3-0, and look at this moment like a team headed to the Super Bowl.

 

Was it coaching that kept them out of the playoffs last year?

 

This question has to be asked. It may not be fair, but life isn’t fair.

 

All Browns fans know right now is Mangini’s favorite shell game is back in play as we wait to see who starts at quarterback versus the Bengals. I said a few weeks ago to not be surprised if Brett Ratliff is the starting quarterback by Thanksgiving.

 

I don’t look so crazy now, do I?

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Cleveland Browns: Climbing Out of the Wreckage

Three weeks in and that ledge is looking pretty good right now.

 

It’s actually difficult to encapsulate just how bad this team looked on Sunday. From the coaching to the players, it was even uglier than most people anticipated. The 34-3 final score would make the casual observer think the game was closer than it actually was.

 

Let’s look at some stats.

 

The Ravens gained 479 total yards to the Browns 186; they outgained the Browns on first downs 28-11. The Browns were 3-of-12 on third downs, the Ravens 4-of-11. The Browns made no attempts to convert on fourth down.

 

Time of possession was once again lopsided, 28:42 for the Ravens, 21:18 for the Browns. Only Peyton Manning can overcome that kind of deficit, and we obviously don’t have a Peyton Manning anywhere on this roster.

 

Speaking of quarterbacks, the teams tied on quarterback usage, with both teams using two quarterbacks. Of course, the Ravens waited until the game was well out of hand before putting in Troy Smith to run out the clock.

 

Head coach Eric Mangini, on the other hand, decided 2.5 games was enough for Brady Quinn and threw Derek Anderson on the field for the second half.

 

Anderson then promptly reminded everybody why he lost the quarterback competition to begin with by throwing an interception on his fifth play. This was followed by two more interceptions before the final gun sounded.

 

After the game, Mangini said he was looking for a “spark” to get the offense going.

 

So other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

 

When Browns owner Randy Lerner hired Mangini, the decision split the fan base into two camps, those who thought another branch on the Bill Belichick coaching tree was a great find, and those who didn’t.

 

I lean toward the latter camp because we’d just fired a coach from the Belichick coaching tree and I wasn’t eager to go that route again.

 

However, I wanted to give Mangini the benefit of the doubt, even if I refused to swallow the Kool-Aid.

 

After the first three games, I’m wondering if the Belichick tree is rotten to the core.

 

Mangini’s decision to bench Quinn smacks of desperation. It reeks of a coach who spends so much time second-guessing himself, he can’t commit to anything, thereby leaving the team floundering in the surf, looking for a life raft.

 

The preseason competition, in retrospect, looks like a fiasco of over-thinking the team into a giant hole they may not be able to get themselves out of. It shows Mangini never really had any confidence in Quinn.

 

Unlike last year, Quinn has played like a guy looking over his shoulder, waiting to be benched. So that’s exactly what happened. I don’t feel bad for him because of it, either. Quinn played like garbage, he got benched. End of story.

 

Given the current situation, it’s now obvious Quinn had every reason to be looking over his shoulder. When you are constantly being benched, it can’t help but affect your on-field play, not that I’m excusing Quinn.

 

However, when you look at the sidelines, you have an offensive coordinator calling for a quarterback sneak on first-and-ten after a 17-yard gain by the starting running back.

 

I could dignify that coaching decision with a snarky comment, but it’s just not worth it.

 

How is the public supposed to take this coaching staff, and their talent evaluation, seriously when they throw the ball backwards on third down, attempt Wildcat formations that go nowhere, and call for a QB sneak on first down?

 

No, you now have lost your credibility, and not just with the fans. There are a lot of guys in that locker room who are going to be spending the next 14 weeks playing not to get injured.

 

Mangini said after the game he would get rid of any players who showed any evidence of quitting, which prompted me to wonder aloud, “Okay, so do you cut the entire team for quitting in the fourth quarter last week?’

 

Mangini also said after the game the team has to “identify the things we do well” and concentrate on improving those thing.

 

I now will ask the question everyone else is thinking: What, exactly, is it this team does well?

 

Due to poor play and poor coaching, there is no passing game. Our running backs are either old or injured, so there is no running game. Our wide receivers can’t catch the ball, or are inactive. The defense can’t stop the run or cover receivers.

 

I would like Mangini to name just one thing this team does well except draw fines for violating team rules.

 

The Bengals appear to be rising from the grave, so we can’t count on reviving the season by playing an equally bad team next week.

 

What we can count on is Mangini not naming a starting quarterback until just before kickoff, because we all saw how well that worked for us the last time.

 

Mangini talks about accountability with his players. He needs to apply that theory to his coaching staff. I have seen all I need to see of Brian Daboll’s play calling. It’s time for him to go.

 

Three weeks into the season, this team looks worse than it did last year, and that’s with half the roster turned over. The New York Jets are 3-0, and look at this moment like a team headed to the Super Bowl.

 

Was it coaching that kept them out of the playoffs last year?

 

This question has to be asked. It may not be fair, but life isn’t fair.

 

All Browns fans know right now is Mangini’s favorite shell game is back in play as we wait to see who starts at quarterback versus the Bengals. I said a few weeks ago to not be surprised if Brett Ratliff is the starting quarterback by Thanksgiving.

 

I don’t look so crazy now, do I?

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Looking Ahead to Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

Most Cleveland fans are looking forward to this game like most people look forward to a trip to the dentist.

After reading various other preview articles and running down the rosters, I see no point in doing any kind of typical matchup or “Here’s what we need to do to win.”

The reason?

This team is terrible.

The Detroit Lions have a better chance of winning on Sunday than the Browns do, and the Browns have won a game in the last calendar year.

A Cleveland victory on Sunday would be the equivalent of Appalachian State beating Michigan a few years ago.

It would be almost foolishly optimistic to go into this game expecting a win, especially considering how bad the first two weeks have played out, so instead, let’s look at some attainable goals the Browns need to accomplish this week.

 

Score a meaningful touchdown

The touchdown scored at the end of the Vikings game essentially was a “gimme” achieved in garbage time, so it’s time for the Browns to put together a drive that focuses on getting the ball into the end zone, and not just field goal range.

Head coach Eric Mangini has become known for his almost comically elaborate efforts to keep everything a secret so as not to give opposing teams a competitive advantage.

Right now, it looks like he’s so obsessed with keeping his offensive scheme a secret that he hasn’t even revealed it to his own team yet.

I think he’s saving the “real” offense for a playoff run, so why waste it this early in the year so teams can defend against it later?

Snarkiness aside, it’s time to start running plays my dog is calling from the living room floor (okay, keep the snarkiness). It’s not that the offensive schemes shown so far are boring, they’re almost pathetically amateur.

If our running game is so non-existent that it’s not even worth trying, use it to your advantage. Try a flea-flicker. It’s not like the Ravens are expecting Brady Quinn to throw deep.

Speaking of Quinn, let me be the last person to say, “Stop playing not to lose!!”

Quinn’s play smacks of a guy so fearful of throwing an interception, he won’t throw to a receiver unless he’s absolutely, 100 percent positive that receiver is open.

While it may limit his interceptions, it also allows the defense to close in and eliminate the short game.

Take a chance, already.

 

Play four quarters

The defense has run out of gas in the first two games by the end of the third quarter. The corollary to that is the offense barely sees the field in the second half.

Either way, this team needs to come out and play the entire game.

I’d keep writing on this point, but that about says it all.

This is one of the few times where I’ll take a moral victory over a real victory. It’s been far too many years of bad football in Cleveland.

I want to be Appalachian State.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Top 10 Most Disappointing Moments in Cleveland Browns History

You know where this is going, and it won’t end well.

Being a Cleveland Browns fan since 1965 means you are a glutton for punishment and you enjoy having your hopes and dreams crushed into ashes.

No Cleveland Browns team has won a championship since 1964, and the franchise remains one of only five teams to never have appeared in a Super Bowl.

(The other four are the Texans, Jaguars, Lions, and Saints)

The complete disintegration of the team this past Sunday in Denver brought to mind some spectacular failures againt the Broncos in the past, which in turn raised more bad memories of the entire franchise.

Looking back on the history of the Browns, it’s frustrating to realize the Dwayne Rudd Helmet Toss, the 49-0 beatdown from the Steelers in 1999 and the entire 2008 season don’t even make the Top 10.

Even Jim Brown retiring a few years earlier than he should have doesn’t make this list of failures, disappointments and embarassments.

To be a Cleveland fan in the 21st Century is an exercise in patience and the sports fan equivalent of the Bataan Death March.

The Browns currently are undergoing their fourth rebuild since they returned to the league in 1999. That’s a lot of bad football. Considering the Browns were the New York Yankees of football until Art Modell purchased them, it should be no surprise no dates prior to 1961 appear on this list.

While it’s never fun for a Cleveland fan, enjoy this trip down memory lane.

Begin Slideshow

Cleveland Browns/Denver Broncos: Quitting Already

That game just sucked all the life out of the season for me.

 

                                                CUE ORCHESTRA

 

A man sits on his porch, enjoying a beautiful late summer day. The sun is shining, birds are singing and the man sits back with a comfortable sigh. Then some clouds roll in and a bird poops on his head.

 

Yep, that’s about how the day felt for me.

 

It was no surprise to me, given the way the offense played in the first half, that the defense would once again be physically exhausted by the end of the third quarter. What I didn’t expect was to see the team just flat out quit in the fourth quarter.

 

The Browns had no life on either side of the ball during the last quarter and, frankly, I’m a little upset about it. The 27-6 loss hurt.

 

Let’s start with the offense, which was putrid. I don’t know why, but Brady Quinn has played the first two games like someone just waiting to be benched. It seems to me that Quinn is afraid to make any mistakes, fearful that he’ll be benched immediately.

 

I know this can’t be coming from head coach Eric Mangini because, when asked, Mangini gave a flat denial that he even thought about inserting Derek Anderson. I speak a little Mangini, and flat denials translate pretty evenly into English.

 

Also, if you paid any kind of attention to the game, which, unfortunately, I did, you would’ve noticed the frequent camera cuts to Anderson every time Quinn ran off the field after a three-and-out.

 

Where was Anderson? Was he by the coaches, headset on, involving himself in the game?

 

Nope, Anderson was over in the corner doing his best “Nobody Loves Me!!” routine.

 

Besides, if you think Anderson is the answer to the problems on offense, please refrain from commenting. In fact, I don’t even want to know what the color of the sky is in your world.

 

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s game plans so far this year have brought to mind two words: Boring and inept. I’m just not sure which way it’s leaning from week-to-week.

 

Quinn’s performance not withstanding, it would be nice to see Daboll call a play that actually moves the chains on third down. Better yet, how about throwing a pass into the end zone when you’re on the goal line?

 

All other things being equal, if I were the Browns owner, I would be bringing Daboll into my office this week and officially putting him on notice. The play calling wasn’t just bad, it hardly qualified as professional.

 

That’s also on Mangini. I said last week this is Mangini’s first real test as a head coach. Romeo Crennel refused to move on from offensive coordinator Maurice Cauthon, even though Cauthon was clearly in over his head. Mangini must not make the same mistake.

 

While it’s only two weeks in, Daboll has done nothing to dissuade me from my opinion that he may be in over his head.

 

The Browns did manage to get 11 first downs, but Denver got 25. That’s unacceptable. That goes beyond poor player performance. Garnering only 11 first downs is damning evidence that your offensive philosophy DOES NOT WORK.

 

Third down efficiency was laughable with the Browns going 3-14. Quinn hung in the pocket for more plays in an effort to silence the critics (including myself) who say he checks down too quickly.

 

However, Quinn then appeared to become paralyzed by indecision, something he showed no evidence of in his three games last year, and the offense shuffled off the field with nothing more than two field goals on the day.

 

I’m now concerned about Quinn, but again, Anderson was given far more chances to fail, so I see no reason to call for Quinn’s head yet. Quinn can throw downfield, but on the rare occasions he did, his accuracy was suspect.

 

Jamal Lewis fooled all of us real good last week by showing us some flashes of speed. But the real, 30-year-old Lewis landed in Denver on Sunday and proceeded to stutter step his way into collapsed holes and not make any substantial gains.

 

On the odd play when Lewis did gain more than a yard or two, I couldn’t help but look at the replay and say, “A faster running back would’ve gotten more yards than that.”

 

Braylon Edwards had a good game. Bravo, sir. If Edwards remembers what made everything work this game for the rest of the season, the Browns will be a better team for it.

 

Once again, it’s only been two weeks, but the right side of that offensive line is a sieve and I no longer see any reason why John St. Clair should be on this team. St. Clair has turned the false start into an art form.

 

The defense continued to show they are old and slow with Shaun Rogers being the only threat on the field. However, that defense looked like it just didn’t care anymore in the fourth quarter.

 

My feelings on St. Clair also extend to Hank Poteat. Just awful.

 

The Broncos gained a total of 449 yards on offense, and I’m surprised it wasn’t more. The defense was exposed on all its blitzes as not having the right personnel to get the job done as Kyle Orton was able to avoid the rush most of the time and complete his passes to the wide open receivers.

 

I do credit defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for at least trying, something I can’t say for Daboll.

 

Special teams played well and was the only area of the game the Browns beat the Broncos.

 

Draft Watch

 

I noted to anyone who would listen in April that passing on Rey Maualaga three times was a mistake.

 

On Sunday, one of our second round draft picks, Brian Robiskie, was not injured yet was put on the inactive list. Mangini obviously did this to send a message.

 

Meanwhile, Maualaga spent the day being a menace to the Green Bay Packers.

 

I’ll stop before I really get angry.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Looking Ahead to Browns/Broncos

The Browns made a poor showing the first week of pre-season against a good team, following that up with a fine performance against a much weaker team.

 

The similarities between the first two weeks of the regular season and the first two weeks of the preseason are pretty obvious from a scheduling standpoint. Now let’s hope they stay similar from a performance standpoint.

 

After wetting the bed in Green Bay, head coach Eric Mangini took his team to task the following week and a much better looking team took the field against Detroit. Granted, it’s Detroit, but there was no question the Browns LOOKED better.

 

The Vikings, barring an epic collapse or rash of critical injuries, are most likely playoff-bound. The Broncos, barring a year like the 2008 Miami Dolphins, probably are destined to spend January at home.

 

Facing a much weaker run defense, look for Jamal Lewis to turn it up this week. With no Williams Wall to contend with, I would be surprised if Lewis doesn’t have more yards this week.

 

The offensive line needs to show more focus for obvious reasons. The amount of pre-snap penalties last week added on to an already miserable afternoon.

 

The two areas that need to show the most improvement this week, though, are special teams and coaching, specifically offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s play calling.

 

Special teams play last week resulted in Minnesota getting great field position far too many times with an offense that can kill you 12 different ways.

 

As stated in my earlier columns, Daboll’s play calling was almost criminal vs. the Vikings. Granted, Daboll is a rookie, but through the pre-season and now one week of the regular season, I want to ask Daboll if he understands the basic concept of moving the ball forward.

 

While Mangini took the blame for the Wildcat formation on the goal line, it’s a team effort and both coaches need to do better.

 

I grow tired of watching plays that end before the ball is snapped because I read the play sitting in my living room.

 

As a fan of Ohio teams, I get tired of watching Ohio State and the Browns continually run offenses that are too conservative and get shut down when facing talented defenses.

 

Daboll talked in his press conference this week about things not working out “the way we planned.” That may be because the plan wasn’t very good.

 

While Daboll revealed they have practiced with Joshua Cribbs throwing out of the Wildcat formation, its absence during the game was the main reason the goal line play calling did not work.

 

Cribbs wisely stated it was his job to get in the end zone on the first try, but the coaches, in trying to run the same play twice, doomed the drive to failure.

 

This can’t happen. You have to be smarter than that.

 

Mangini preaches smart football. Smart football was not being played on offense last week.

 

Moving on . . .

 

I’m not talking about the quarterbacks. Our quarterback knows what he needs to do.

 

On the defensive side, I noticed last week Shaun Rogers being lined up as a middle linebacker on a few plays. That was an interesting turn of events and I look forward to seeing what Rob Ryan does with this defense this week.

 

I’m truly excited about the possibilities of this defense, even considering the limited talent pool we have. A good coach brings out the best of the players he has and can make a poor talent pool function effectively.

 

The safety blitzes last week were nice to see, and I’m hoping to see Kyle Orton on his back more than a couple of times this week.

 

The defense was expected to be one of the Browns glaring holes this year, but Ryan and Mangini have got that defense playing smart so far.

 

If it weren’t for the defense just becoming flat-out exhausted in the second half vs. the Vikings, that game would’ve been a lot closer.

 

I look forward to both sides of the team coming together and producing wins.

 

The Broncos, now coached by Josh McDaniels, are a team just as much in transition as the Browns. This is a game the Browns definitely can win, and a game I will truly be upset about if they lose.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Cleveland Browns Midweek Thoughts: Staying on the Same Page

While deconstructing last Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, my thoughts inevitably turn to the debacle that was the Brown’s passing game.

Debating what went wrong with Brady Quinn and his receivers was an enlightening exercise because one unarguable fact rose to the surface during this debate:  Braylon Edwards doesn’t know what he’s doing.

 

I suggested more reps with Quinn were needed, but conceded that was splitting hairs. This “splitting hairs” point was proven, as my brother pointed out, by watching the Bears/Packers game where Jay Cutler was equally as bad at finding his receivers.

 

Then when you think about Edwards through the years, you have to remember he left Derek Anderson with a whole lot of nothing as well. Former Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano was pretty adamant on STO Monday night that Edwards just can’t run routes.

 

With that being said, I’m pretty sure Edwards time in Cleveland is coming to an end, because I have to believe Eric Mangini sees the same things Rutigliano does. What happens to Edwards, though, still is a mystery.

 

Plus, when you look back at the preseason, Quinn went out of his way to NOT throw the ball Edwards’ way.

 

Tight end Robert Royal ended up being the team’s leading receiver in Week One and recipient of the touchdown-scoring throw, for cryin’ out loud!

 

While the Edwards avoidance policy probably contributed to the interception throw, you can hardly blame Quinn for not wanting to throw to the guy. Edwards scouting report says just two things on it:

 

1. Braylon Edwards drops most passes thrown his way.
2. Braylon Edwards should not be the target of the passing game as he tends to drop most passes thrown his way.

I’ll concede Edwards had a spectacular catch that was ruled incomplete that was a touchdown, but that’s the problem with Edwards, he never seems to make those big catches without some kind of asterisk attached.

 

The bigger problem with the Browns passing game at this point is the complete lack of talent at the position, not that I haven’t said that same statement three or four times already. What Mangini did with that problem on Sunday is what’s perplexing.

 

Edwards was on the field, but basically was a non-participant because not only can he not catch the ball or run routes, he doesn’t handle the blocking aspects of the job well, either.

 

I don’t know if Mike Furrey even suited up for the game and Joshua Cribbs was busy being forced to not fool anybody with the Wildcat formation on the goal line.

 

Mohamed Massaquoi, whose name I can now spell without having to look it up, was on the field for a few plays, but I don’t recall seeing Brian Robiskie at all.

 

With a defense like Minnesota’s versus the run, the Browns were wise to try and throw the ball more, but it’s hard to keep a defense on their toes if all your wide receivers are over on the sidelines drinking Gatorade.

 

Like in the preseason, I expect Mangini will have the team looking much better in Week Two. It takes bad games to make teams better since their flaws all are exposed for the world to see.

 

The difference between this year and last year is that we have a head coach who is much more capable of fixing those flaws.

 

 

A note about special teams

 

Leon Williams and DeAngelo Smith were both cut this week; signed were wide receiver Ray Ventrone and offensive lineman Billy Yates.

 

Despite being labeled a wide receiver, Ventrone played mainly on the Patriots special teams unit last year. Given how bad our special teams blocking was versus the Vikings, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Ventrone won’t be catching many passes for the Browns.

 

While Cribbs runback for a touchdown was spectacular, his conversion to second wide receiver/Wildcat punching bag means he no longer participates on the defensive side of the special teams. It’s a tradeoff.

 

Yates signing makes sense in the sense that our offensive line can’t remember their own snap counts in their own stadium.

 

Finally, I was happy to see Mangini take the blame for the bad play calling on the goal line, even though it originated from offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. It was his prerogative to accept or deny the call and he shouldered the responsibility.

 

I point this out because I expected Mangini to just give a bland, “we’re all accountable” answer to the question.

 

Rather than check this point on my “Naughty Coach” list, this raised my respect for Mangini. Instead of playing cloak and dagger, he stood up and took the blame.

 

Don’t let it happen again.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Minnesota Vikings Vs Cleveland Browns: The Campaign Begins

When the Browns take the field on Sunday, get ready for something you haven’t seen on the Cleveland sideline in years—Preparation.

 

Head coach Eric Mangini has taken a lot of criticism from the media over his handling of the quarterback situation, which I have added my voice to. I thought he overplayed the incident and created an unnecessary distraction.

 

But it’s over and we’re ready to play football. Not only are the fans ready, but the team will be ready for the beginning of the season as well. What’s gotten lost over the last few weeks—as everyone wrung their hands in frustration over Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson—is that Mangini will be fielding a team actually prepared to play a real, regular season football game.

 

Gone are the days of Romeo Crennel wandering the sidelines, looking for the nearest buffet line while his team floundered on the field, not sure where the end zone was or if scoring points was a real objective.

 

Do I think the Browns are going to win?

 

Maybe.

 

I’m a big believer in the “Any Given Sunday” theory. Brett Favre might come out with some rust on his arm and throw a few timely interceptions. Of course there’s still Adrian Peterson to think of, but Favre absolutely will be throwing the ball, let’s not kid ourselves.

 

Match-ups include Favre versus the Browns defense, Quinn versus destiny, and Mangini versus the world.

 

Favre is healthy and the Brown’s defense is weak, with a secondary so thin it could be described as anorexic.

 

The defense also has a huge hole in the middle now that Mangini was forced to admit Shaun Rogers has an injured foot, and listed him as questionable on Friday’s injury report. Then again, in the name of confusing the Vikings, Rogers may just have an ingrown toenail and will tear it up on Sunday.

 

Rogers is the mainstay in this thin defense. Backup Ahtyba Rubin showed progress during the preseason, but Rogers is a beast who could not be contained last year.

 

It’s hard to see how the Browns will stop Peterson from scoring five touchdowns on 579 yards this Sunday without Rogers, but stranger things have happened.

 

Expect Quinn to come out slinging. The knock on Quinn is that he stays away from the deep ball, checking down his receivers too quickly and going with the safe pass. Don’t be surprised to see Quinn blow those notions up by 1:15 p.m. (1:18 if the Vikings get the ball first, there’s Peterson’s run to think of).

 

Since both Kevin and Pat Williams will be playing Sunday, it will be a true test for rookie running back James Davis. If Davis can break through that wall, we’ll know he’s the real thing.

 

If Jamal Lewis can find his 25-year-old legs somewhere in his 30-year-old body, it would take a lot of pressure off the passing game and allow the Browns to spread the Viking’s defense out.

 

The problem is, there are too many “ifs.” Add to that the Mangini Mystery Factor, and this game could be a lot more interesting for Browns fans than most of the national sports media believe.

 

Mangini likes to keep everything close to the vest, so much so that I wonder if the team breakfast before the game will only be described as containing “mystery meat.”

 

What color uniforms will the Browns wear? Well, that’s a closely guarded state secret, the answer to which might give Minnesota a clear competitive advantage, so we’ll let you know the uniform colors after the game, just in case the game is blacked out in your area.

 

In closing, I’m not expecting a miracle, but sitting here, before one game is played, is it too much to hope that the Browns can be this year’s Miami Dolphins?

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Cleveland Browns: Absent Shaun Rogers Primary Concern for Secondary

Coming out of the pivotal third week of preseason, it’s plain to me that our quarterback situation in Cleveland is only as important as you want it to be.

 

If you think having the starting quarterback named yesterday, then this team is in huge trouble.  If you’re like me and believe the quarterback actually was chosen back in the spring and that this whole “competition” has been one long Passion Play, then all is well.

 

I’m worried that our starting running back options have come down to a guy who clearly has lost a step, despite any spin you might have heard coming out of Berea, and an untested rookie.

 

Granted, James Davis has looked great in his preseason showings, but let’s not go and crown him the next Adrian Peterson just yet.  We need a few weeks of knockout performances in the regular season under our belts before it can be stated Davis was a late round steal.

 

What every Cleveland fan should be worried about is the defense, specifically the absence of Shaun Rogers and the fact that our best safety appears to be Brodney Poole.

 

Rogers’s absence is disturbing because we don’t know if it’s an injury, or if Eric Mangini just decided to take it easy on Rogers and, by default, found another way of messing with the rest of league.

 

This is where silence on a possible injury comes in handy because, if Rogers was injured at some point, nobody saw it, so Mangini has plausible deniability.  It doesn’t work if, say, your starting quarterback is driven into the ground and is seen visibly nursing a shoulder injury.

 

I’m talking to you, Bill Belichek.  Not commenting on his shoulder will not make the injury go away, and you have not gained a competitive advantage because every opposing head coach saw the same thing everyone else did.

 

I’m hoping Mangini is just messing with everyone, because this defense needs Rogers.  He is probably the only player on this team an opposing head coach would lose sleep over.

 

Joshua Cribbs might cause an opposing coach some worries, but Cribbs is easily contained as long as our starting quarterback is busy running for his life and not throwing the ball.

 

Rogers aside, the secondary versus Tennessee was atrocious.  Kerry Collins and Vince Young looked like they were playing a high school team when it came to the passing game.  The Browns defense wasn’t even playing good enough to be called mediocre.

 

Brandon McDonald had a good game, but McDonald always has managed to squeeze out a good game or two since he’s been with the Browns.  McDonald is what he is, but he’ll never be more than Brandon McDonald.

 

I don’t know what to do about our safeties and corners because other than McDonald and Poole, I couldn’t pick any of other guys out of a lineup.  They’re that invisible on the field.

 

When the camera pans down, following the ball across the field, all I saw the last few weeks was the opposing team’s receiver being wide open and running for miles…except versus Green Bay when Donald Driver somehow got into the edge of the camera frame.  I’m sure it was a mistake and we’ll never see him again.

 

Abram Elam?  What have you done for me lately?

 

Rod Hood?  Welcome to Chicago.

 

Alex Hall?  Don’t let one interception go to your head.

 

As for stats, the defense didn’t produce anything stat-worthy, which only proves the offense better put up a lot of points this year.  Individual tackling stats don’t mean very much if you don’t have sacks, and the total yards given up approaches mileage length.

 

Mangini has shown during the preseason that he tackles obvious flaws head-on and tries to make sure that flaw is corrected next week.  In the case of the defense, I’m not sure there are enough weeks in the season to correct all the flaws.

 

Coming up on Thursday is the final preseason game versus the Chicago Bears.  I’m not doing any kind of traditional preview/review as there isn’t much to be said on either count.

The fourth preseason game determines who makes the team, who makes the practice squad, and who joins me next week in the unemployment line.

 

I’ll watch it with detached amusement and hope I see some glimmers of hope out of the first series or two when the starters are in.

 

Other than that, it’s time to look forward to Week One and the Minnesota Vikings.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010