Browns-Broncos: Brownies Bomb in Denver, 27-6

It is often said that things sometimes have to get worse before they can get better. 

The Cleveland Browns better hope for two things.  One, that the proverb is true and two, that they can’t get much worse then their performance in a 27-6 loss to the Denver Broncos.

In a game that could have been a lot worse if not for two Matt Prater missed field goals, the Browns once again kept it close in the first half only to be manhandled after the second half kickoff. 

Failing to take advantage of opportunities presented by the Broncos and presenting more than a few to Denver was the story for the beaten and battered Browns.

Cleveland got a gift on the opening kickoff when Peyton Hillis fumbled. But the Browns was unable to convert the turnover into a touchdown and had to settle for a Phil Dawson field goal.  The Broncos, on the other hand, were able to convert an Alex Mack botched snap into a touchdown pass from Kyle Orton to Tony Scheffler.

If the Browns play-calling could be described in two words I would go with “boring” and “horrible.”  Once again deciding not to stretch the field, Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll instead attempted to utilize a short passing attack. 

This was rendered ineffective by Brady Quinn’s inefficiencies and the inability of the offensive line to give Quinn time to throw.

After looking decent in two starts in 2008, Quinn has looked over-matched and unable to make plays. 

Today was no different as he seemed to have little or no cohesiveness with his receivers all game. Tackle John St. Clair did not help things as he yielded four sacks to Denver’s Elvis Dumerville, which set a Broncos franchise record. 

It was, once againm another game without an offensive touchdown, which makes it seven inept games out of eight for the Browns.

The Browns defensive performance mirrored that of the first game versus Minnesota.  They managed to keep the team in the game in the first half, helped by Prater’s two missed kicks, but derailed as the second half wore on.

Whether it is just being worn down by the opposing offense, not having enough playmakers on that side of the ball, or just losing faith that the offense will keep you in a game, the Browns defense can not seem to put a complete game together.

So it’s 0-2 for the Browns with a trip to Baltimore to face the rugged Ravens staring them right in the face.  If the Browns don’t find some sort of consistency—or more importantly, some sort of team identity—in a hurry, they are looking at an even more brutal season than most predicted.

For the Browns sake, they better hope that proverb exist for a reason.  Because it will be very difficult to get much worse than they have been in the first two games of the season. 

The Cleveland faithful would rather these games not get much more difficult to watch.

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Browns’ 2009 Can Not Be Judged By Wins Alone

With the Cavaliers falling short in the NBA playoffs and the Indians’ reverting back to their mid-1980s ineptitude, Cleveland fans are starved for some winning.

 

With the NFL about to kick off 2009, the Browns don’t look like they are going to change that trend anytime soon, but when it comes to this season the Browns cannot be judged by their record.

 

Lacking an identity from the top down since their reincarnations, the Browns’ have been mismanaged by three separate regimes since the Lerner Family was awarded the franchise in 1999.

 

Eric Mangini is the latest to take a chance at rebuilding the once-proud franchise after three up an down years at the helm of the New York Jets.

 

What Mangini lacks in personality and forthrightness he makes up with attention to detail and accountability. The latter is something that has been missing in Cleveland for a long time.

 

While Mangini may or may not be able to generate a winning record in his first year along the shores of Lake Erie, how he constructs the team is of much more importance.

 

Since their return, the Browns have not just played bad football.  At times, it would be hard to classify the product on the field as professional football. 

 

If Mangini can make the Browns look like a professional football team for 16 weeks, it would be a giant step in the right direction.

 

Minimal penalties, competent games plans and putting players in a position to succeed are things that have not been seen on the North Coast for the last 10 years.

 

These things along with crisp execution and motivation need to be laid as the foundation to establish a consistent winning franchise in the NFL.

 

While establishing this foundation is key, the wins will not follow quickly in 2009 as the Browns face a serious lack of talent on both sides of the ball. 

 

This is why the 2009 campaign cannot be judged by the win column.  How many players and at what positions are what Mangini’s Browns should be evaluated upon.

 

On offense it’s time to turn over the reins to Brady Quinn and see what he can do.  A first round draft pick QB needs at least two seasons to be evaluated properly. 

 

Brady Quinn has had three games.  The likes of Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith and Heath Shuler have gotten more than that.

 

No offense to Derek Anderson, but we have seen what he can and cannot do.  He may be a serviceable NFL QB, but the need to evaluate Quinn is paramount to 2009.

 

Because if neither Quinn nor Anderson is the answer, then the Browns have a huge hole they need to fill for 2010 and beyond.

 

The rest of the offense is young and their development must parallel Quinn’s.  A number of questions need to be answer that will determine the direction of the franchise for 2009 and beyond.

 

Can James Davis and Jerome Harrison be a formative duo to supplant Jamal Lewis in 2010 if not sooner? 

 

How will Brian Robiskie and Mohammed Massaquoi develop as complements to Braylon Edwards?

 

Does Edwards fit into Cleveland’s long term plans and can he realize the enormous potential that rests deep inside?

 

The Browns also need to develop a cohesive offensive line.  The offensive line is always more than the sum of its parts. 

 

In 2007, moving Ryan Tucker to guard somehow made The Human Parking Cone, Kevin Shaffer, into a serviceable NFL right tackle. 

 

Rookie Alex Mack is thrown into the fire at center with Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach anchoring the left side of the line.  How this unit gels will undoubtedly affect the development of the offense as a whole.

 

The defense is an even bigger cause for concern.  Shaun Rogers looks to me the only playmaker on that side of the ball in a defense that desperately needs more. 

 

The 3-4 defense demands a hard hitting impact player at ILB.  D’Qwell Jackson may be a good second ILB but the Browns will need to find and develop a playmaker.

 

They also lack the pass rush from the OLB position that Kamerion Wimbley provided in 2006 but has been unable to replicate since. 

 

Without that pass rush, young CBs like Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald are left on island more often that not for way longer than a DB should have to cover.

 

The safety position is also a concern, as Abe Elam has looked shaky in pre-season and Brodney Pool suffered yet another concussion that may inevitably cut his career short.

 

A rugged, ball-hawking safety needed to lead the defensive backfield and set the tone across the middle.  The Browns have no one ready to fill that role.

 

So the key for the Browns in 2009 is not how many games they win, but how many players they can develop.  Because if they can fill a number of personnel voids internally this year it will minimize the areas that they have to focus on in 2010.

 

If they do not have the players in place to fill some of these needs, or they are incapable of developing them, then the Browns face a much steeper mountain than they already do climb back to respectability.

 

In a city that is starved for sports related success, the words patience, progress and development are not popular ones. 

 

But when it comes to the 2009 Cleveland Browns, they are the only ones that can be used to accurately gauge if their campaign is a successful one of not, regardless of what the win column says.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

For Mangini’s Browns Its a Deja Vu Debut

Well that was definitely worth the wait.  Ineffective quarterback play.  Porous run defense.  Inopportune penalties.  Bad tackling.  Failure to capitalize on opportunities.  All were consistent traits of the Romeo Crennel led Cleveland Browns for the past four seasons.  Unfortunately for Eric Mangini, they were all traits of his Cleveland Browns in his head coaching debut, a 17-0 whitewash at the hands of the Green Bay Packers.

Mangini was brought into Cleveland to instill hard work, discipline, and work ethic to a floundering franchise.  An actual touchdown would be nice for starters as the Browns failed to find the end zone on offense again after six straight games with the same problem in 2008.

The only difference was that in this game the Browns actually were thought to have two “capable” quarterbacks at their disposal and not placeholders named Ken Dorsey or Bruce Gradkowski.  But neither Brady Quinn nor Derek Anderson was able to put points on the board against a Green Bay defense that was using the 3-4 against live competition for the first time.

Quinn started and looked very effective out of the gate hitting crafty veteran Mike Furrey on a couple of third downs during the opening Browns’ drive to move the chains.  Jamal Lewis ran tough as the Browns mixed the run and pass effectively and a well timed end around to Josh Cribbs netted 29 yards, which was the Browns’ high individual rushing total for the game.

In the end, Quinn was unable to put any points on the board as he misfired on a third down pass to Cribbs and the Browns has to settle for a 31 yard field goal attempt by Phil Dawson.  That kick split the uprights but a holding penalty by Hank Fraley pushed the kick back 10 yards and Dawson pushed the ensuing kick wide right to give the Browns nothing to show for their troubles.

Anderson fared no better as he led two drives that totaled five official plays.  A three and out on the second series of the game and a two play drive that started on the 50 yard line after a Mason Crosby miss of a 60 yard field goal.  The three and out was much better than the second series as Anderson was picked after being hit while throwing on the second play of the drive.  Even worse, both series took place against the Packers’ second string defense.

Quinn returned on the last series of the half as the Browns ran the two minute drill down 14-0.  He used Furrey, Cribbs, and new tight end Robert Royal to put the Browns into the Red Zone for a second time.  But the results were the same as the Browns were held scoreless once again.  Braylon Edwards dropped a touchdown in the back of the end zone on a difficult, but catchable, ball on 2nd-and-goal.  On 3rd-and-goal, Quinn scrambled and went back to Edwards but was intercepted by Anthony Smith.

In the end, no light was shed on the quarterback conundrum that the Browns face as Quinn failed to make plays when he needed to and Anderson was not given enough of an opportunity (five plays) to establish a rhythm.  Those hoping for The Brett Ratliff Experience to provide a spark were treated to two quarters of skittish play that resulted in three sacks and two interceptions.

Those hanging their hat on the defense being improved under Mangini and Rob Ryan were also left disappointed despite allowing only 17 points.  The Green Bay first team offense carved up the Browns’ defense for 14 points in two series with very little effort.  In fact, the Green Bay offense held the ball so much in the first half, it only allowed Quinn and Anderson two series apiece.

Aaron Rodgers took advantage of Abe Elam on the first drive of the evening.  On 3rd-and-10, with the Browns only rushing three, Rodgers surveyed the field with no one open.  He scrambled and stepped up in the pocket and that was enough to entice Elam to break towards the line of scrimmage and allow Donald Driver to blow past him.  Rodgers hit Driver in perfect stride for 53 yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Packers’ second possession yielded the same result as they methodically marched down the field on a 12 play, 68 yard drive that culminated in a Ryan Grant touchdown and a 14-0 lead.  Rodgers picked apart the Browns defense through the air while Grant, Brandon Jackson, and DeShawn Wynn ran all over the field on the ground.

In the end, the Browns defense conceded 392 yards to the Packers with 230 of them being on the ground.  The lack of consistent pressure that was common during the Crennel years was still in place under Ryan and Mangini.  Defensive holding penalties and too many men on the field infractions extended both Packers’ touchdown drive in the first quarter.

Ahtyba Rubin and Kendrick Moseley were the only two Browns to stand out on defense providing constant pressure and activity thought the first half.  Rookies Coye Fancies and David Veikune were recipients of interceptions from Brian Brohm but those picks only prevented the score from being more lopsided.

In the end the Browns were left with the same questions that seem to have plagued them for the ten years since their reincarnation in 1999.  Do they have an NFL quarterback on the roster?  Can they effectively stop the run on defense?  Do they have impact playmakers on either side of the ball that can change the course of a game?  Do they have enough talent on their roster to be competitive in the brutal AFC North?

In fact, the night was symbolized perfectly by the solid, brown pants that they wore for the first time since the pre-season debacle in New York last season.  Instead of being ready for prime time, the 2009 Cleveland Browns looked exactly the same as the 2008 model… the same color of their pants.  Complete and udder crap.

The Detroit Lions come to the Erie Shore next weekend for pre-season week number two.  The Lions went 0-16 last season but anyone who watched the Browns for the last six weeks of 2008 knows that the Lions were not the worst team in the NFL during that time.  For Cleveland’s sake they better hope they can change that in the next seven days or its going to be a long 17 weeks in the regular season.

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