Eric Mangini Retained as Browns Head Coach: Five Reasons Why

The reports coming out of the Cleveland Browns Berea, Ohio, complex state Head Coach Eric Mangini can stop updating his resume, his job is safe for one more year.

Mike Holmgren, president of football operations, made the call Thursday afternoon, holding to his promise to have Mangini’s fate settled by the end of the week.

While this move is listed as surprising by some, especially those with an agenda against Mangini, it makes sense when you take a step back and look at the big picture.

Mangini has been a polarizing figure, no doubt about that, but if you are going to judge a coach on one season, you have to look at the entire season, good and bad, and that’s what Holmgren has done.

For those people concerned about Joshua Cribbs, read my article about that situation and realize now that the Mangini situation is settled, Holmgren now can focus on getting a general manager and getting the Cribbs deal done.

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Eric Mangini Is Still the Browns Head Coach—Maybe

The ball is in Eric Mangini’s court as to whether or not he will remain the Cleveland Browns head coach in 2010.

 

New President of Football Operations Mike Holmgren said he spoke briefly with Mangini this afternoon before setting up a meeting for Wednesday.

 

At an afternoon press conference Tuesday, Holmgren said he gave Mangini a list of things to think about for “The Meeting.”

 

At this point, it appears Holmgren is open to keeping Mangini, because why have a meeting with a head coach to talk about football if you’re just going to fire him. Seems like a complete waste of time, and Holmgren noted he doesn’t like to waste time.

 

As for the current state of the team, and Mangini’s performance, Holmgren was very forthcoming.

 

“They won four games in a row, that’s pretty good,” said Holmgren. “The team finished strong, they did. There is a lot more as to how this plays out. I’m not going to micro-manage, I’m going to hire good people. I’m going to take an active role in everything.”

 

When asked if he’s put lists together for potential coaching candidates, Holmgren jokingly said he has lists for everything, but the most important quote to come out that exchange was, “If change is necessary, change will take place.”

 

Continuing to address the Browns late season improvement, Holmgren said, “Over the course of a season, a young team can improve. You can see growth, you can see development.”

 

Referring to his time in Seattle, Holmgren noted Matt Hasselback’s first year was rough, but ended with three straight victories against playoff teams.

 

“That was the springboard for what happened in the future,” he said. “We were having a lousy season, the team was way better at the end of the year than it was at the beginning of the year.”

 

As for coaching philosophies, West Coast Offense and defensive schemes, Holmgren noted coaching trees were irrelevant.

 

“All that matters in the organization is success.”

 

Holmgren repeatedly stressed he was not going to do more than his front office duties, but added he hadn’t figured out the power structure for the draft room as of yet.

 

“Little Kingdoms in these organizations are not healthy,” he said.

 

That quote is telling as power struggles ultimately are what sunk the Browns in 2009.

 

Holmgren also confirmed he will be interviewing Tom Heckert, the Eagles general manager, for the Browns GM position. Holmgren confirmed there are other candidates for the GM job, but declined to name any names at this time.

 

As for the Joshua Cribbs contract situation, Holmgren sounded hopeful. “I want Josh here,” he said, acknowledging the three years remaining on Cribbs’ contract as being unusual.

 

“A player should get what he deserves, and he’s been a fine player.”

 

What people should take out of this press conference is Holmgren is not doing anything hastily, which is the most refreshing bit of news any Browns fan could hear.

 

The problem with the Cleveland Browns under owner Randy Lerner is he always made hasty decisions, refused to think anything through, and then always seemed surprised the situation blew up in his face and he had to start over.

 

Holmgren seemed determined not to fall into the trap of making hasty decisions while showing understanding that his role has changed in the process of bringing a Super Bowl Championship to Cleveland.

 

“I have to re-arrange how I think about the team,” he said. “You go in and take a program that’s been down a little bit . . . and you want to build it up.”

 

If Mangini can work with Holmgren, the Browns can go far. Mangini can coach a team, that much is obvious given his time in New York and the last month in Cleveland.

 

Now it’s up to Holmgren to put all the pieces together.

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Jacksonville Jaguars-Cleveland Browns: Once More with Feeling

It will be a cold and blustery day in Cleveland, but this is football weather, and the Browns have the advantage over the Florida team.

 

The Jaguars must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. They need a lot of help from other teams, but a loss seals their fate. This should mean this game will be a knockdown, drag-out, slugfest since the Cleveland players are auditioning for jobs next year.

 

The most interesting aspect of this game will be the coaches. Eric Mangini and his merry band of fellows now are twisting in the air, unsure if they’ll still have jobs after today.

 

A failure to make the playoffs on the Jaguar’s part could mean changes on that particular staff as well. Everyone is going to be bringing their “A” game today.

 

My feeling, as of today, on the Brown’s coaching situation is that the future already has been decided and today’s outcome won’t affect that one way or the other. That feeling could change. We’ll see if Mike Holmgren has anything to say after the game.

 

With the renewed emphasis on the running game, look for Jerome Harrison to get a lot of carries again. Conversely, don’t be surprised to see Maurice Jones-Drew scampering for a lot of yards.

 

If the weather is half as bad as it looks, both offensive coordinators would be wise to stay on the ground.

 

For Cleveland, what little success Brian Daboll has had has come with the running game, and he should stick to it. Plus, every time you take the ball out of Derek Anderson’s hands, it’s one fewer interception attempt.

 

Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan really has gotten the best he can out of his last-ranked defensive unit. If they can make one last stand today and shut down the Jaguar’s running attack, it’s one more reason to keep Ryan around next year.

 

Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker used to hold the same title in Cleveland under Romeo Crennel. He knows Cleveland, having also grown up in the city, but more importantly, he knows exactly what his new team is walking into.

 

This game will come down to which defense can hold up better under the conditions and whoever can capitalize on the most mistakes. The Browns turnover ratio is -12 to the Jaguars +2, so the Browns have to protect the ball.

 

In an early January game to be played in arctic conditions, it probably will be a low-scoring affair, but I’ve been wrong before.

 

Jaguars 17, Browns 13

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Jacksonville Jaguars-Cleveland Browns: Once More with Feeling

It will be a cold and blustery day in Cleveland, but this is football weather, and the Browns have the advantage over the Florida team.

 

The Jaguars must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. They need a lot of help from other teams, but a loss seals their fate. This should mean this game will be a knockdown, drag-out, slugfest since the Cleveland players are auditioning for jobs next year.

 

The most interesting aspect of this game will be the coaches. Eric Mangini and his merry band of fellows now are twisting in the air, unsure if they’ll still have jobs after today.

 

A failure to make the playoffs on the Jaguar’s part could mean changes on that particular staff as well. Everyone is going to be bringing their “A” game today.

 

My feeling, as of today, on the Brown’s coaching situation is that the future already has been decided and today’s outcome won’t affect that one way or the other. That feeling could change. We’ll see if Mike Holmgren has anything to say after the game.

 

With the renewed emphasis on the running game, look for Jerome Harrison to get a lot of carries again. Conversely, don’t be surprised to see Maurice Jones-Drew scampering for a lot of yards.

 

If the weather is half as bad as it looks, both offensive coordinators would be wise to stay on the ground.

 

For Cleveland, what little success Brian Daboll has had has come with the running game, and he should stick to it. Plus, every time you take the ball out of Derek Anderson’s hands, it’s one fewer interception attempt.

 

Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan really has gotten the best he can out of his last-ranked defensive unit. If they can make one last stand today and shut down the Jaguar’s running attack, it’s one more reason to keep Ryan around next year.

 

Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker used to hold the same title in Cleveland under Romeo Crennel. He knows Cleveland, having also grown up in the city, but more importantly, he knows exactly what his new team is walking into.

 

This game will come down to which defense can hold up better under the conditions and whoever can capitalize on the most mistakes. The Browns turnover ratio is -12 to the Jaguars +2, so the Browns have to protect the ball.

 

In an early January game to be played in arctic conditions, it probably will be a low-scoring affair, but I’ve been wrong before.

 

Jaguars 17, Browns 13

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Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson Await Mike Holmgren’s Decision

Happy New Year to you and yours! One game left, and a whole pile of questions greet Cleveland Browns fans in the New Year.

 

Derek Anderson has one game left to impress Mike Holmgren enough to be kept around for one more year, but even a 300-plus yard performance probably won’t be enough for Anderson to wear brown and orange another year.

 

It’s not a bad or a good thing. It’s a disappointing end to what was once considered a very promising career.

 

Anderson grabbed the reigns in the 2007 season and took his game to new heights. Unfortunately, cracks began appearing in his game fairly early on, and supporters of that year’s first round draft pick, Brady Quinn, were quick to jump on those cracks.

 

Then the meltdown against Cincinnati forever sealed his fate with a good majority of the fanbase. When a quarterback intercepts a team out of the playoffs, that doesn’t bode well for his future, Pro Bowl selection or not.

 

Going into the 2008 season, Anderson was the starter, but Quinn was lurking should Anderson falter. Anderson did nothing but give Quinn supporters fodder for their argument, but Quinn injured his throwing finger almost immediately after being named starter.

 

In 2009, the scars from the debacle that was the quarterback competition still linger. Once again, Quinn is injured, but now having had time to show more “stuff.” The problem is that Quinn hasn’t been very impressive.

 

Quinn throws fewer interceptions, but he seems to have the same accuracy problems Anderson has. Throw into this mix offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s soul-killing, mind-numbing awfulness, and the jury still really should be out on Quinn.

 

However, Holmgren is the one in charge now, and if he knows one thing, it’s quarterbacks. Holmgren most likely already has a good idea of what he wants to do. Whatever his decision is, the fans should throw their full support behind it.

 

Unlike Eric Mangini, Holmgren has earned the benefit of the doubt. That’s not meant to be an easy bash on Mangini; it’s stating the reality of the situation.

 

Mangini defenders’ line of argument has been that Mangini wasn’t given a fair chance and was maligned and doomed in the eyes of the local media, and a good portion of the fanbase, from day one.

 

While not completely false, as I’ve said before, Mangini does a lot of his own grave digging. No one should feel sorry for him because of it. Dealing with the media is part of the job. If you don’t like it, don’t take the job.

 

Add to this the fact Mangini never won anything as a head coach, and his arrogance over the position and tendency to be heavy-handed never sat well with anybody.

 

Now Holmgren is in charge, and Mangini is on the hot seat.

 

Holmgren had a teleconference with the media earlier this week, and I talk about it here .

 

The only things to really add are questions. Does bringing in the “right guys” as quickly as possible spell the end for Mangini, whose early mistakes doomed the season before it really began?

 

If Holmgren decides to scrap both quarterbacks and start over, who will he go for in the draft? Or will he go the free agency route?

 

Has Mangini done enough over the last month to save his job? Does Holmgren believe Mangini can accept no longer being the guy in charge in Cleveland?

 

The next 10 days will start answering many questions and set the tone for the 2010 season. Hopefully, that tone will be a winning one.

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Mike Holmgren, Urban Meyer, and the Week That Was in Cleveland

It started with a text.

 

Then there was a phone call.

 

Within 15 minutes on Saturday, I was being inundated with Urban Meyer information and how he resigned from Florida to come coach the Cleveland Browns for Cleveland’s new head of football operations, Mike Holmgren. Everyone who talked to me was positive Meyer was coming to Cleveland.

 

We all know how that little situation played out, but it did add to an already interesting week in Cleveland. On a side note, I wish Meyer the best in his road to recovery.

 

If you want to read my takes on what Holmgren will do, you can read that here and here .

 

If you want to read what I think of the quarterback situation, I’ll tell you right now it’s nothing better than “muddled.” But for those of you out there who really like me, you can read the expanded version here .

 

Today brings the Oakland Raiders to town and the epic clash between two giants at the quarterback position. In brown and orange, there is fallen hero Derek Anderson. In the Raider black and silver is the “almost was” former Browns QB Charlie Frye.

 

Anyone who is a student of the game truly is not impressed at this point.

 

Anderson’s QB rating is 36.2 with two touchdowns and nine interceptions in just five starts.

 

You read that correctly. Try and channel Principal Ed Rooney from the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as you repeat that number, “NINE Times.”

 

Frye’s last appearance in Cleveland was in a Browns uniform against the Steelers after beating out Anderson for the starting job in 2007. He lasted exactly two quarters, was sacked five times and didn’t score a point before being shipped off to, ironically enough, the Seattle Seahawks, former home of Czar Holmgren, the next day.

 

Frye currently boasts a 38 QB rating, albeit in very limited playing time, so it looks like the Raiders have the edge on quarterback matchups.

 

The Browns are ranked 31st in overall defense while the Raiders are ranked 27th. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan just came from Oakland, so the general ineptitude of both defenses speaks more to talent issues than coaching.

 

The Raiders ranked 27th in defense last year while the Browns ranked 26th. Given the talent implosion in the Browns secondary this year combined with key injuries to the few talented players the Browns possessed on their line, this is not statistically significant.

 

The Raiders also are vulnerable to the run, giving up a league-leading 20 rushing touchdowns this year. Last week, Jerome Harrison channeled his inner Jim Brown to run for 286 yards and three touchdowns.

 

The Browns might have the edge on this aspect of the game even when you consider they didn’t score a rushing touchdown until a few weeks ago.

 

More importantly, just about the entire Cleveland Browns team (with the exception of Joshua Cribbs, Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, Phil Dawson and a few others) is auditioning for their jobs next year.

 

That certainly will motivate the guys and should make for an interesting game.

 

Prediction: Browns 37, Raiders 24

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Mike Holmgren and Eric Mangini: The Duel in Cleveland Begins

Christmas is a time for family, fellowship, and good will toward mankind.

It also is time for NFL coaches and their assistants to start losing their jobs.

The silver lining on some of these holiday firings are guaranteed contracts that allow the unfortunate coaches to sit at home and collect a paycheck for an additional few years. In most cases, that’s plenty of time to hook on somewhere else.

In the coming days, new Browns head of football operations Mike Holmgren will be sitting down with head coach Eric Mangini. Given what happened to former general manager George Kokinis, it’s not that big of a reach to say Mangini also could find himself looking for an attorney in the New Year.

Firing anyone in the NFL “for cause” and refusing to pay the remainder of their contract is a big deal. Raiders owner Al Davis is the only owner who does it with regularity, and the quality of coaches he’s now able to attract has diminished significantly, which is why most teams rarely do it.

The Browns did it to Kokinis after the Bears game this year, and the subsequent lawsuit speaks volumes. On one hand, you have Kokinis alleging he was lied to and marginalized from day one by Mangini. On the other hand, Kokinis didn’t do his job.

According to the minuscule amounts of information that have leaked from the team’s sources, Kokinis didn’t really try all that hard to fight for his job, instead just retreating to his office.

Bear in mind Kokinis actually was fired for not doing his job, and according to his own lawsuit, he’s not arguing that point.

Since the fact Kokinis was promised certain powers that Mangini ended up performing no longer is an arguable point, this leaves Holmgren with an interesting scenario: How much can Holmgren trust Mangini?

When Holmgren sits down with Mangini, my gut tells me Mangini will be evaluated on two different criteria.

The first test will be the trust factor. Holmgren will discuss the events of the past year regarding Kokinis with Mangini and evaluate whether Kokinis gave up too easy, or if Mangini so thoroughly dominated the situation, that Kokinis had no recourse other than to wait the situation out.

In other words, Holmgren will have to expose Mangini to “double jeopardy” regarding the Kokinis situation. Legally speaking, did Kokinis get bullied out of his job due to a hostile work environment?

It’s probably pretty fair to say at this point Mangini has lost a lot of his power around the front office, so Holmgren probably isn’t worried about a power struggle at this point, but he does have to be completely honest about the situation and determine if Mangini will try and undermine him at some point.

Assuming Mangini passes the trust test, the next test will determine if Mangini can accept all the changes that are going to be made and move forward.

This test, most likely, will come in the form of a statement of change. This statement might sound something like this: “Mr. Mangini, I will be firing offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and your entire staff under him to bring in my own guy and install the West Coast offense. Is this going to be a problem?”

My hunch is Mangini will say whatever he has to say to keep his job. Losing two head-coaching jobs in one calendar year doesn’t bode well for his future in the NFL. Add to this all the enemies he made at the NFL league offices during the Spygate situation, Mangini has to realize he put himself in a corner.

Mangini was fired from New York after the team collapsed late in the season and missed the playoffs, but if you stop to examine things, Brett Favre was injured for the last month of the season and the team still was better than they were in 2007. That means there was more to Mangini’s dismissal in New York than just missing the playoffs.

But the New York media was so thrilled to see Mangini fired, they never really questioned the underlying reasons, and Cleveland has lost another season because of it.

Throwing colleagues under the bus and making enemies in high places has been Mangini’s M.O. since the first day he became a head coach. He held others to draconian levels of accountability while never taking responsibility for any of his own shortcomings.

Mangini made a lot of enemies in New York. He seemed to go out of his way to alienate people once he got to Cleveland, though no one really has figured out why.

That’s a funny way of going about business when you haven’t won anything as a head coach.

Once owner Randy Lerner decided to bring in a “serious, credible” leader, and Mangini realized he wasn’t that guy, the national apology tour started.

In a weird way, because he never seems to do anything in a direct fashion, Lerner finally forced Mangini to be accountable over the last month and the team is better for it.

If Holmgren decides to give Mangini one more year, which is possible due to economic factors and Jon Gruden’s contract situation with ESPN and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that’s fine. The Browns would have to buy out both contracts at this point.

 

I bring up Gruden’s name because he’s the most likely candidate for Holmgren. See my column here.

 

If Holmgren decides to fire Mangini, there’s no point in getting upset. Mangini dug his own grave and would have no one to blame but himself. If the firing is “for cause,” once again, Mangini would have no one to blame but himself.

 

The Raiders and former Browns quarterback Charlie Frye are coming to town Sunday and Derek Anderson is starting. Merry Christmas everybody!

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Hiring Holmgren: The Cleveland Browns Need To Get This One Right

As the last few days have played out, it appears more likely Mike Holmgren will be the new football “czar” in Cleveland.

 

The Washington Redskins already have filled their post after Vinny Cerrato resigned, and Seattle has indicated they’re not interested in bringing Holmgren back.

 

Also in play here is the “Rooney Rule” mandating the Browns must give a serious interview to a minority candidate.

 

Define “serious” for me and maybe I’ll take that interview a little more seriously (pun intended).

 

League rules aside, I have to point out a disturbing similarity with this job interview process and the one that brought Eric Mangini to Cleveland last year. Both searches seemed to focus on one man far too quickly to the exclusion of all others.

 

This is an observation from a true outsider not privy to the goings-on inside the halls of the Cleveland Browns headquarters. Perhaps they have made other phone interviews with other serious, credible candidates who haven’t made the headlines.

 

There were rumors of other candidates, such as Bill Parcells, Ernie Accorsi, and a handful of others, but no public declaration like there was this year with Holmgren, or last year with Bill Cowher.

 

This isn’t to say I’m now against bringing in Holmgren, I’m just trying to be consistent with my criticisms.  

 

Holmgren was stripped of his GM duties in Seattle following the 2002 season, but this could be looked at as a positive. Holmgren made his mistakes in Seattle and, hopefully, he has learned from them.

 

The danger with a person like Holmgren is that if he is hired and the season starts to go sideways, he may try and take over head coaching duties. That situation is where I would hope he has learned trying to do too much usually results in more losing.

 

Whatever happens, if Randy Lerner gets this hire wrong, then he will have nothing but a huge string of failures defining his tenure as the Browns owner. Whether the NFL steps in at that point is debatable, but don’t count on it.

 

Assuming, for the sake of argument, Holmgren is hired in the next few days, what does that mean for the Cleveland Browns and Mangini?

 

Many national pundits expect Mangini to be shown the door if Holmgren is hired. This isn’t a narrow branch for the pundits to walk out on. Holmgren has no history with Mangini and the Browns are 2-11 so far this season.

 

Mangini’s bungling of the quarterback situation, his refusal to admit as mistakes the hiring of Brian Daboll as an offensive coordinator and the apparent over-drafting of Brian Robiskie and David Veikune are all reasons why Lerner is looking for a new GM.

 

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact Mangini became the de facto GM the minute he was hired, and the lawyers now are trying to figure out exactly what former GM George Kokinis did during his short tenure in Cleveland.

 

Mangini has a terrible public persona with much of that damage self-inflicted, so I’m not going to feel bad for him should he go. However, the Browns finally have shown progress in the last few weeks.

 

The big question for everyone, including the new head of football operations, is what will the next three weeks show us?

 

Kansas City is up next on Sunday. If the Browns look terrible and lose, Mangini probably should just start packing up his office.

 

If the Browns look good but lose, then we’re one step closer to Ndamukong Suh, and that’s a good thing.

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San Diego Chargers-Cleveland Browns: Long Road to Ruin

After injuries decimated what little talent is left on the Cleveland Browns defensive unit, the long, slow, painful march to the end of the season officially begins.

 

While the defense ranked last in the league before the injuries, coordinator Rob Ryan always managed to keep things looking interesting. You always got the feeling if Ryan could get a major talent upgrade, this defense could be in the top five.

 

I hate playing around with “ifs,” but it’s all Browns fans have to play with this year. “If this had happened,” or “if that hadn’t happened” seem to be the two repeated motifs when it comes to talking about the Browns.

 

With basically a Division III college defense out on the field, it’s hard to comprehend how this team will match up against the San Diego Chargers and running back LaDanian Tomlinson. Tomlinson, who with 12,257 career rushing yards is on the cusp of passing Jim Brown’s career mark, won’t have to worry about injured nose tackle Shaun Rogers, the Browns only real threat.

 

Tomlinson has 148 carries for 497 yards and eight touchdowns. The Chargers offense is ranked 15th overall.

 

Even if completely healthy, the talent head coach Eric Mangini assembled on defense probably wasn’t going to perform much better against that offense, so any notion of blaming upcoming failures on the injury bug should be squashed immediately.

 

Turning to the Browns offense, which is ranked 31st in the league, the differences are astounding. While the Browns defense consistently has shown signs of life before collapsing in the second half, the Browns offense poked its nose out of it’s hole in the ground against Detroit before quickly retreating into the darkness again.

 

The difference between the Brown’s coordinators is very fascinating. As I said about Ryan before, I get the feeling Ryan could field one of the top defenses in the league if given the right talent.

 

I don’t get that feeling with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. I think if you gave Daboll Peyton Manning and a bunch of Hall of Fame Receivers and backed it up with Adrian Peterson at running back, this offense still wouldn’t make it out of the bottom 10 teams.

 

I’ve released my anger toward Daboll’s incompetence. It’s not his fault he was promoted to a position his resume clearly shows he didn’t earn or deserve. That fault lies squarely on the shoulders of Mangini.

 

Mangini took an organization in need of rebuilding and made it worse. Instead of laying a foundation, Mangini nuked what little was left of it.

 

As a coach, he has failed to develop two quarterbacks, an offensive coordinator, several offensive lineman, killed the career of a potential Hall of Fame running back and probably set the organization back another three years.

 

Mangini’s coaching style now can be criticized as being obstinate, not open to any ideas that don’t come from himself and paranoid to the point of paralysis. It’s become clear that Mangini does not tolerate any challenges to his authority, benign or otherwise.

 

When former general manager George Kokinis tried to assert his authority, per his contract, Mangini squashed him.

 

When he needed an offensive coordinator, he hired someone who wouldn’t challenge his ideas and would do exactly what was being fed down the pipeline because there would be no other option available. It’s not like Daboll is some offensive coordinator prodigy waiting to become the next Lindy Infante.

 

After losing to Detroit, Mangini tried throwing Lion’s head coach Jim Shwartz under the bus. With the mounting injuries and pressure to show any kind of progress, the question to ponder today is who’s next to fall victim to Mangini’s campaign to deflect blame?

 

Whoever gets blamed, the final score probably won’t be pretty; Chargers 45, Browns 7.

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Browns-Bengals: Can Brady Quinn Light Up the Field Again?

As head coach Eric Mangini continues his “please don’t fire me” press tour across the America, let’s hope he’s saved some time to assess what went right with Brady Quinn last week in Detroit.

 

Quinn posted a 21-33 performance with four touchdowns, a 133.1 passer rating, and had no turnovers last week. Most of the production was in the first quarter, but let’s not quibble over details.

 

A lot of people, including myself, were quick to call for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s head this year as the offense continued to find new rock bottoms in which to sink to.

 

That hasn’t changed.

 

That being said, I hope Daboll has turned a corner and is finally starting to figure this job out because Mangini doesn’t look at all ready to fire him.

 

Going into Cincinnati, keeping the no-huddle offense seems to be a no-brainer. Quinn is a smart quarterback, even if you want to complain about certain physical characteristics, Quinn does better when you let him play football without restriction.

 

One characteristic of a no-huddle offense is the quick reads the defense has to make at the line since the ball is moving so fast. Quinn is smart enough to capitalize on defenses who don’t adapt fast enough.

 

While Quinn’s first stint as starter this year was not successful, in hindsight, it looks like Quinn was never given the “vote of confidence” from Mangini and that he was playing scared.

 

Daboll’s lack of creativity combined with the short leash Quinn was obviously on combined for 10 horrible quarters. Mangini appears to have learned from that mistake.

 

Speaking of Mangini, between his national interviews last week, and an actual local interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer , it is possible Mangini finally looked in the mirror and realized his NFL career may be over if he doesn’t start analyzing and changing things about himself.

 

Mangini always talks about getting players to hold themselves accountable for their actions and growing and improving as a result, yet it’s been painfully obvious he does none of that himself, other than token gestures that prove nothing.

 

All of his interviews seem to carry the same message, that being: Please don’t fire me, new Cleveland Browns Football Czar. I can get better if you give me a chance.

 

Anyway, I’ve found his sudden friendliness with the media interesting given the surrounding circumstances he finds himself in. Back to the game.

 

The Bengals have been a much better team this year, and everyone, including myself, is trying to figure out what the underlying reason is for the sudden change.

 

Granted, Carson Palmer is having one of his best seasons and the Bengals defense is giving up fewer points, but it’s such a drastic swing from last year that it’s hard to pinpoint “one” reason for the turnaround.

 

The Browns have had a grand total of one good week on offense, and their defense failed them last week when even a mediocre performance would’ve guaranteed a victory.

 

If Palmer is firing on all cylinders again, and Chad Ochocinco stays Chad Ochocinco, it could be a very long afternoon for Rob Ryan and the Browns.

 

But last week proved anything can happen on any given Sunday. So I’m quashing the cynic in me and predicting another very entertaining game. The Browns played the Bengals very close and lost in overtime in their last matchup this season.

 

Look for Quinn to have another productive day and for the defense to try and climb out of the cellar. It’s going to be another high-scoring affair with the Browns squeaking out their second win of the season to the delight of Steelers fans everywhere.

 

Browns 30, Bengals 27.

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