When Mangini Calls Out The Browns in Public, It’s Time To Panic

There were far too few positives for the Cleveland Browns to build on in Saturday’s preseason-opening 17-0 defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers.

Both the offensive and defensive lines were dominated, Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, fighting to establish themselves as a No. 1 quarterback, floundered. Costly penalties helped keep the Browns off the scoreboard, and the defense failed to resemble the improved unit new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has promised.

So what? It was the first preseason game, played against a team the Browns will face in the final week of October. With Green Bay on the regular season schedule, safe to say Ryan or head coach Eric Mangini weren’t about to expose the Packers to much in the Browns arsenal.

Though fans and media members alike prematurely went for the panic button after the team’s lackluster performance, Saturday evening shouldn’t be taken as an indication of what the 2009 season has to offer.

But what’s truly disturbing is what transpired Tuesday during the Browns’ morning practice, which prompted Mangini to show his disgust through the media with his team’s general lack of football savvy.

The Browns’ first-year head coach has a reputation for revealing next to nothing about his attitude toward the team, the status of injured players, or for that matter, who’s winning the quarterback competition. That being said, Mangini’s rant during Tuesday afternoon’s press conference should have been a red flag for the Browns and their fans.

After countless miscues, mental mistakes and assorted stumbles the likes of which Mangini takes pride in ridding his team of, he vented his frustrations and held back little.

“It’s not good enough,” Mangini said according to Cleveland.com. “There are too many mistakes. We had mistakes in the two-minute drive, a false start on fourth-and-two, had a false start when we were backed up… Things like that, they’re just going to kill you. They going to kill us.”

To get to the point where Mangini publicly called out his team in such a fashion is tangible proof that he’s more than a little disappointed with what’s transpired. But he didn’t stop there.

“That’s just bad football,” Mangini said in regards to how the two-minute offense performed. “And it’s under our control if you look at the scoreboard and understand what we have to do. That’s it. We have to put the plays in the context of the game.
“Know the situation, anticipate what’s going to happen, be able to react to that, understand the person you’re playing against, what his traits are. Anything short of that, you’re just running plays.”

Yes, these are the toughest days of training camp, the team is learning a new system and practices have been far more demanding than those run by former head coach Romeo Crennel. But that’s no excuse for the general lack of execution the team has displayed to this point.

The Browns’ roster isn’t exactly chocked full of talent. For the team to have even limited success, it will have to be sharp mentally, drastically reduce its mistakes and retain possession of the football for extended periods.

If Tuesday’s effort was a preview of what’s to come, Browns Backers will be in for yet another excruciatingly long season.

 

Cleveland Browns Training Camp: What We’ve Learned So Far

With the Cleveland Browns just a day a way from their preseason opener Saturday at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, it’s time to take a look at the most important things we’ve learned from the first two weeks of training camp.

 

1) Neither Derek Anderson nor Brady Quinn has established himself as the No. 1 quarterback.

Though many in the media believed head coach Eric Mangini’s declaration of an open quarterback competition prior to camp was a just a charade to increase Anderson’s trade value, he’s given each player equal reps with the starting offense in order for one or the other to prove himself to be the go-to guy under center.

But the most troubling issue the team has faced so far is that both QBs have looked equally mediocre. Anderson and Quinn have both struggled to get the ball in the end zone during two-minute drills and each has been intercepted far more times than the coaching staff deems acceptable.

It’s very possible the defense is far ahead of the offense in learning the new coaching staff’s system and in turn is making things extra tough in the quarterbacks. But the hope was that either Anderson or Quinn would take the lead by this point of camp.

In a press conference Thursday, Mangini admitted that has yet to happen.

“They’re both making strides in different areas,” Mangini said according to Cleveland.com. “As we talked about a long time ago, you have to really see who does separate themselves from the other one. When that time comes, it will be clear and that’s why you wait to make a decision.”

It’s been reported Anderson will get the start Saturday night, so we have to believe Mangini thinks D.A. has done the most to impress his new head coach. Seeing how Anderson handles himself with the first team against Green Bay’s starting defense Saturday evening should go a long way toward the final decision.

 

2) Rookie running back James Davis has been the most pleasant surprise of camp.

Davis, the Browns’ final selection and last of the the team’s three sixth-round selections in this year’s draft, has impressed coaches, the media, and fans alike with his quick feet, pass-catching ability, nose for the end zone, and special teams play.

The Clemson product was pegged as a second- or third-round pick had he left college after his junior year. But after deciding to return to school, Davis slipped down the draft boards this spring after a shoddy offensive line, sub-par quarterback play and a midseason head coaching change hindered his production as a senior last fall.

Possibly with a nod from starting running back Jamal Lewis, who grew up in the same Atlanta neighborhood as Davis and has trained with him during the offseason, the Browns took Davis most likely as an afterthought.

But Davis has done everything right in camp and has put himself in position to be Lewis’ primary backup and featured running back of the future.

 

3) First-round pick Alex Mack has struggled his way through the early part of training camp.

Mack is exactly the kind of player Mangini was looking for when the Browns traded down twice in the first round. He’s got the intelligence and size the coaching staff was looking to add to the offensive line.

But things have hardly come easy for Mack, who has run more laps as punishment for mental mistakes than anyone on the roster. Making things even more difficult for Mack has been the fact that he’s learning the ropes while being forced to contend against Cleveland’s most dominating defender, Shaun Rogers.

But Mangini still likes what he sees from Mack, both on and off the field and predicts a bright future for his top draft pick.

“It’s a lot of new things for (Mack) and he’s attacking it,” Mangini said. “He’s a smart kid. He spends time, not just the allocated time, but he spends extra time really trying to soak it all in.”

 

4) Camp Crennel this is not.

Practices under Mangini have been smooth, crisp and efficient. As promised, Cleveland’s first-year head coach has been a disciplinarian, hiring NFL referees to call penalties during drills and sending players running after errors in judgement, flags or fumbling the football.

This is a drastically different approach than that of former head coach Romeo Crennel, whose training camp had a much more delicate pace, with far fewer drills in full padding and players often standing around waiting for their turn to participate, rather than maximizing their time on the practice field.

The Mangini system should have a positive affect on the team entering the regular season as the Browns should be much better prepared for real-time action. Mangini’s team now spends countless hours practicing in specific game situations, most notably special teams and the two-minute offense.

 

5) Braylon Edwards has come to play.

Yes, Edwards missed the beginning of camp due to an undisclosed non-football injury and was again riding a stationary bike earlier this week after a problem with his foot.

But when he’s been on the field, last year’s league leader in dropped passes has caught everything that’s been thrown his way, consistently beat defenders and wholeheartedly bought into the Mangini way.

It’s been well noted that Edwards is not only poised to erase the memory of a dreadful 2008 season, he’s in a contract year. So look for Edwards to become more motivated than ever to play to his potential.

 

6) These are still the Cleveland Browns.

Optimism for the upcoming season seems to always run rampant in the shores of Lake Erie at the beginning of training camp. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

As stated previously, neither quarterback has shined bright, the two-minute offense isn’t where it should be and despite the presence of refs, penalties are far too common.

If this team is to have even limited success, dropped passes, fumbles and Cleveland’s old standby, the false start, must be minimized.

The Browns Under Mangini: It’s Anyone’s Guess

It didn’t take long for the kind of drama first-year Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini strives to squash to rear its ugly head as the preseason got off to a thundering sputter Tuesday for a franchise engulfed in the familiar setting of rebuilding mode.

After sitting out the final portion of spring workouts due to an undisclosed injury, Browns’ No. 1 receiver Braylon Edwards returned to the team yesterday, one day after his designated report date, and according to the team, promptly failed his physical and was immediately placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.

Other than that, the Browns organization has given out zero additional information on a situation that’s become the first tangent distraction under Team Mangini. The way shreds of details were grudgingly divulged to the public was, to say the least, secretive.

The Edwards matter came to light while being buried in the press release announcing the signing of second-round draft pick Mohamed Massaquoi to a four-year contract. A day later, there’s still no individual story regarding the Edwards injury on the team’s official website, ClevelandBrowns.com.

This of course leads to rampant speculation of what’s actually going on behind drawn curtains at Browns headquarters in Berea, Ohio.

Cleveland Plain Dealer beat reporter Tony Grossi reported yesterday afternoon a source hinted Edwards was injured playing basketball. But message boards have exploded with blind guesses as to the true nature of the situation.

Some believe the Browns have a deal in the works to ship Edwards elsewhere after a season in which he led the NFL in dropped passes. Others think Mangini is trying to teach his top receiver a lesson in accountability after missing his delegated date to arrive.

For the time being, no one, aside from members of the Browns front office, players, coaches, and training staff knows for certain what’s the reality of the issue. And that’s exactly how Mangini wants it.

The handling of Edwards is a prime example of what to expect from the Mangini regime. Call it an information underload.

True to his roots as a member of the Bill Belichick coaching tree, Mangini would rather give out his credit-card numbers than discuss details of matters such as these, which he believes aren’t worthy of outsiders’ ears. Mangini doesn’t just play his cards close to the vest, he plays them under it.

Like Belichick, his former mentor and current rival, Mangini was known to report the only bare minimum required by the league on weekly injury reports while serving as head coach of the New York Jets. At last season’s end, few could have guessed Brett Farve would need surgery on his throwing arm just to even contemplate his annual unretirement party.

But it’s not only communication regarding injuries that fans and media members alike will find has become limited. Mangini his been positively vague regarding top priorities such as the quarterback competition or team strategies on both sides of the ball. Even his training camp schedule was much of a mystery up until last week.

For as long as Mangini is in charge, attempting to pry particulars from Browns coaches on matters from the most trivial on up will be a battle in futility, regardless of whether or not Mangini is taken to task for his tight-lipped policy. The design, of course, is to keep opponents guessing on even the most inconsequential of affairs.

In the end, there’s no sense in fighting it. From this point forward, media members and fans alike will be forced to rely on often unfounded rumors and speculation as to what’s really going on with Mangini’s Cleveland Browns. But should that bring positive results, who’s to argue?

 

Positive Signs for the 2009 Cleveland Browns

Last football season was one of the most frustrating Cleveland Browns fans can remember. What began with great expectations after 2007’s surprising 10-6 campaign quickly spiraled downward as the Browns limped to a 4-12 finish.

That paved the way for a new coaching staff and a new general manger as team owner Randy Learner scrambled to right a ship that’s never truly been completely seaworthy since the team returned to the NFL in 1999.

With a rash of new talent, head coach Eric Mangini has taken the reins of the perennial underachievers and vowed to be the disciplinarian the Browns have desperately lacked over the course of the last 10 years.

With the first tangible chapter of the Mangini era rapidly approaching in Friday’s date for rookies to report to Browns headquarters in Berea, Ohio, there are several things Browns Backers should be looking toward with hope for future success.

First and foremost will be a new sense of accountability for every player on the roster, from the undrafted rookie free-agent signee all the way up to the veteran leaders.

Mangini will not tolerate any mental mistake, be it a flag for a false start, a pass-interference penalty or losing possession of the football. Under the leadership of Mangini and his staff, expect the Browns to play hard, play smart and drastically reduce the miscues that impede the team’s development.

Though Mangini and first-year offensive coordinator Brian Daboll have revealed next to nothing about what to expect from the Browns offense, the head coach has offered up a nugget of a philosophy which should be met with encouragement by Browns fans.

Mangini’s hope for the offense is for it to have the ability to adjust from week to week depending on Cleveland’s opponent.

Being capable of running the ball on teams who struggle to defend the ground game or pass against those with a weak defensive backfield will be a welcome change from years spent under one-dimensional former head coach Romeo Crennel.

Expect the defense to improve as well. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has implemented a system in which the Browns will attack, rather than react and adjust to what opposing offenses throw at them. This year look for the Browns to put more pressure on the quarterback, swarm to the football and defend the pass better than they have in years.

Finally, by the time the Browns break camp with eyes toward the season opener at home Sept. 13 against the Minnesota Vikings the competition for the starting quarterback position will be in the rear-view mirror.

The torturous Derek Anderson-Brady Quinn saga might live on for the first few weeks of training camp, but look for Mangini to eventually pick his guy and stick with him. No matter which side of the debate Browns fans sit on, most will agree ending the QB competition will be a refreshing way to start a fresh season.

In the end, the Browns might not have the depth and overall talent this season to contend with the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North. But Mangini and company might take more than just a small step toward turning the Browns into a competitive franchise in the near future.

Preseason Priorities For The Cleveland Browns

By MICHAEL HEINBACH

Building from the ground up. It’s a position Cleveland Browns fans are all too familiar with.

For the fourth time since the Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999, a new coaching staff has taken the reins of the franchise with a vow to change the culture of losing that’s plagued the team the past 10 seasons.

With the start of training camp rapidly approaching and several questions yet to be answered, it’s time to take a look at the three most pressing issues that need to be addressed by head coach Eric Mangini and his staff prior to the season opener, Sept. 13 at home against the Minnesota Vikings.

Priority No. 1: Agree to contracts with the remaining four unsigned draftees and get them into camp immediately.

The rookie training camp reporting date for the Browns is next Friday, the earliest for any team in the NFL. Already inked to four-year deals are all three of Cleveland’s sixth-round selections—running back James Davis and cornerbacks Don Carey and Coye Francies —as well as forth-round pick, linebacker Kaluka Maiava.

But time is running out to get the Brown’s top four draft picks—first-round offensive lineman Alex Mack, second-round wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi, and outside linebacker David Veikune—to sign on the dotted line in order to be in camp by the start date.

The importance of having the rookies at team headquarters in Berea, OH, at the very beginning of training camp is immeasurable. The jump from college to the NFL is immense, as first-year players are faced with new schemes, a new playbook, a different coaching staff, and the increased speed of the pro game.

Each minute the rookies aren’t with the team as it conducts meetings and practices grossly stunts their learning curve. To get the most out of the 2009 draft class, each member needs to be in camp on Day 1.

 

Priority No. 2: Resolve contract disputes with wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs and place kicker Phil Dawson.

Cribbs, a fan favorite due to his special teams play on both sides of the ball and his local ties as a former Kent Sate quarterback, became a distraction when he held out of voluntary workouts in May in an effort to renegotiate his contract.

The contract was slated to pay him the remaining four years of a $6.77 million, six-year deal signed prior to the 2007 season.

After a face-to-face meeting with Mangini, Cribbs joined the team for workouts, but he’s still searching for the new deal he says was promised by the Browns’ old regime. He’s again threatening a hold out if the grounds for a new contract aren’t being laid.

Dawson, the last of the 1999 Browns remaining on the roster, has consistently kept the kicking game from being an area of concern through his 10 years with the Browns. And while Cleveland fans might think the team owes Dawson a debt of gratitude, Mangini has no personal ties to him and might be willing to cut Dawson loose.

Whether Mangini and the front office decide to negotiate new deals, attempt to trade them, or outright cut either Cribbs or Dawson, these decisions have to come soon in order to promote continuity among the team.

 

Priority No. 3: Promptly chose a starting quarterback.

Many in the media believe the decision to start Brady Quinn over Derek Anderson has already been made, and that the facade of a quarterback competition exists only to increase Anderson’s trade value.

Assuming that’s truly the case, why give Anderson reps with the first team, taking away time for Quinn to develop a comfort level with his receiving corps?

The bottom line is that whoever starts under center, that guy needs all the work with the starters so a chemistry can be developed with his offensive line, running backs and receivers.

If the Browns go into their third preseason game without an established starter under center, the offense will again underachieve through the early portion of the regular season schedule.

 

 

The Mangini Way: A Recipe For Success

Eric Mangini was chosen to be the next coach of the Cleveland Browns for many reasons, but the biggest might be the fact that he’s the polar opposite of the man he replaced, Romeo Crennel.

Players respected Crennel and defended him through last season’s downward spiral which led to his eventual firing. But even the casual observer could see the Browns lacked discipline, focus and accountability, and that was a direct reflection of Crennel’s coaching.

Though Crennel was thought of as a players’ coach and his guys loved him for it, the positive results never came.

Enter Mangini, the Browns’ fourth full-time head coach since the team’s rebirth in 1999.

Through rookie minicamp, OTAs, and the mandatory mini-camp that concluded last weekend, players, the media, and fans alike got a glimpse of the how the Browns’ new regime runs team activities much like a boot camp.

No longer are players standing around during practice, waiting for the next drill or their turn to participate. Workouts are now choreographed to maximize efficiency and players are expected to be in the right place at the right time at all times.

NFL referees were at practices calling penalties during drills and all players, from veteran team leaders all the way down to undrafted rookie free agents, are held accountable for their miscues. Anyone who errs, be it being flagged for a penalty, turning the ball over, or making the wrong read, is sent away to run laps. If Mangini reminds his troops of their toughest gym teacher from grade school, he’s getting his point across.

Thus far, offseason workouts have put a strong emphasis on specific game situations, most notably the two-minute drill. Mangini knows the difference between a 7-9 team and one that heads to the playoffs with an 11-5 mark can be the proper execution of the two-minute offense during the course of several games.

Even when Mangini sent his players away at the end of mini-camp for seven weeks before veterans report to training camp July 31, he gave them a little food for thought.

“I told the guys, ‘You don’t want to just head off to the beach, throw on some suntan lotion and pick up a book,'” Mangini said in a press conference last Saturday. “The book you want to pick up, if you are, is the playbook. You want to be studying and making the information that you have been given just second nature. So now you are not thinking, you are reacting and you are playing, and your true ability comes out and you give yourself the best chance to be successful.”

Mangini went on to say, “The same thing physically, you need to maintain the level of fitness that you have currently and improve upon it, because it is a challenge, physically, during camp and then moving into the season.”

Mangini’s disciplinarian approach is exactly what the Browns were in need of, but it only works when everyone on the team subscribes wholeheartedly.

In the draft and though free agency, Mangini added not just talent, but intelligent players willing to take a team-first attitude.

Mangini added to Cleveland’s roster six former New York Jets, who played for him in the Big Apple, including veteran linebacker Eric Barton and safety Abram Elam, to help the team make the transition to life under Mangini’s leadership. The Browns drafted more of the same, hoping that smarts and the proper attitude will overcome what the team may lack in physical attributes.

The Mangini way might not immediately transform an underachieving team into a playoff contender like he did in 2006, his first year with the Jets when he turned a 4-12 team to one that made the postseason. But know for certain he’s going to get the most out of every player at every position on the team.

There’s little doubt that when the Browns hit the field for their season opener Sept. 13 at home against the Minnesota Vikings, Browns fans will see team ready to play to its potential.

Five Steps the Cleveland Browns Can Take for a Positive 2009

The best part about the Cleveland Browns’ 2008 season was that it ended. And even the ending was tough to swallow.

The bitter completion to a season of disappointment came when the Pittsburgh Steelers slammed the door on the Browns’ campaign by clubbing them 31-0 at home.

With 2008, it’s coaches, the 4-12 record and several players all in the review mirror, it’s time to look forward with the notion the Browns have bottomed out and there’s nowhere to go but up.

The Browns are officially in transition mode as new head coach Eric Mangini and a bevy of new personnel add to a solid core of young, but unproven talent, while cutting the previous season’s losses. The upcoming campaign will undoubtedly have its trials and tribulations as transition seasons always do.

It’s hard to imagine the Browns as this year’s surprise success story like last season’s Miami Dolphins or Atlanta Falcons, though the New York Jets went from 4-12 in 2005 to 10-6 and a playoff berth in their first season under Mangini.

However, there are some simple steps the Browns can take to make next season a positive one. Here’s a list of five things the Browns can do in 2009 that will make the season a step in the right direction, regardless of wins and losses.

 

1) Produce a competitive offensive line that plays as a cohesive unit.

An offense is nothing if its line is weak. The running game falters if there’s never a hole to run through. A passing attack can’t thrive should the quarterback have no time to get set in the pocket. 

Improvement in the offensive line is imperative. Has there been any team in NFL history that ended the season with three quarterbacks on injured reserve other than the 2008 Cleveland Browns?

 

2) End the competition for starting quarterback.

Either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson has to emerge as the Browns’ quarterback, while Mangini must choose his guy and stick with him. Then the selected QB needs to assume the role of captain of the offense. There can’t be a leader if he’s always looking over his shoulder.

The smart money is on Quinn to take the reins for good and for the Browns to search for the best package in return for Anderson before the season begins. 

 

3) Develop a consistent pass rush.

Last year, Cleveland allowed 42 touchdowns as the competition racked up an average of 356.5 yards of offense a game and opposing quarterbacks were sacked a total of 17 times. Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware collected 20 sacks by himself.

Giving running backs gaping holes to run through and quarterbacks too much time in the pocket allows the other team to gain yards in chunks. A solid pass rush would make things much more difficult on the opposition. 

 

4) Consistently compete in the battle for time of possession.

Many of the problems Browns had in 2008 stemmed from the defense spending too much time on the field. Opponents averaged nearly five minutes more of possession a game than the Browns last year. 

The offense needs to limit turnovers and routinely surmount sustained drives of over four minutes in order to have a chance to win.

 

5) Change the culture of losing.

Mangini and his staff need to instill a belief in their troops that they have the talent to compete with anyone in the NFL. As unrealistic as it sounds, the Browns need to believe they can and should win every game on the schedule.

The top-tier teams in the league begin the season expecting to go 16-0. If the Browns believe in themselves, it could go a long way toward reversing last year’s downward spiral.

Expectations for the Cleveland Browns’ Offense

The questions surrounding the 2009 Cleveland Browns are numerous. Trying to answer them all is an exercise in futility, something the Browns were all too familiar with last season.

There’s plenty of new personnel and an entirely new coaching staff. Most importantly, there will be a new playbook that takes over for jettisoned head coach Romeo Crennel’s— the one that failed to produce a touchdown by the offense over the final six games of 2008.

Looking at new head coach Eric Mangini’s tendencies and the players he’s brought into the fold since being hired in January, it becomes a little easier to envision what this year’s Browns will look like on the field.

Mangini, like his predecessor in Cleveland, is another disciple of Bill Belichick. Yet his coaching style and philosophies are far more similar to Belichick’s than Crennel’s ever were.

To a fault, Crennel was thought of as a players’ coach. Under his guidance, there was a general lack of discipline and accountability surrounding the team that inevitably led to a miserable 4-12 finish to the 2008 campaign.

What Browns owner Randy Lerner envisioned when hiring Mangini was a 180-degree about face in that department. Mangini knows there’s nothing more important than the football and will not tolerate playing fast and loose with it.

The drafting of sure-handed receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi, as well as the acquisitions of veteran pass-catchers David Patten and Mike Furrey, means the heat is on Braylon Edwards, the Browns’ top receiving threat.

Edwards’ penchant for dropping passes will not sit well with his new coach. Including Joshua Cribbs, who has nearly become exclusively a kick returner, the Browns now list eight wide receivers on the roster.

Should Edwards remain with the team when the season begins, he’ll be on a very short leash and certainly not re-signed when his contract expires at the end of the year if he continues to put football on the ground.

Mangini began his tenure in Cleveland by stating the battle for starting quarterback would be an open competition. But his style dictates that the job is Brady Quinn’s to lose.

The Browns’ new coach would prefer an accurate passer, like Quinn, rather than one from the gun-slinging, rocket-arm school like Derek Anderson. Having Brett Favre forced on him by New York Jets management last season obviously didn’t workout and may have done irreparable damage to Mangini’s hairline.

In regards to the passing game, expect a wealth of screens and short slant patterns when throwing on first or second down. In third-and-long situations, don’t hold your breath for the long ball, but expect routes that have the intended receiver catching the ball just beyond the first-down marker.

With the Jets, Mangini developed a love for the two-pronged running attack and used Thomas Jones and Leon Washington to complement each other. Both made the Pro Bowl last season and each is unhappy in their current contracts. Mangini might try to work another deal with his former team for one of the two, but let’s focus on the current roster.

Jamal Lewis still has some gas left in the tank and will be called on to be bruising punisher that wears down opposing defenses in the fourth quarter. But unlike Crennel, Mangini should find more value in getting touches for Jerome Harrison, who is more of a speedy scat back.

Should sixth-round draft pick James Davis meet expectations, he could see some time giving Anderson some much needed breathers.

This should lead to Lewis doing his grinding up the middle and Harrison running around the ends and catching quick screens. Most likely, the Browns will run first to set up the pass, rather than the other way around.

All this depends on what Mangini feels are the team’s strengths coming out of preseason camp. But a study of Mangini’s past does a decent job of providing a glimpse at the future of the Browns’ offense.

 

 

 

A Masochist’s Love Affair With the Cleveland Browns

By MICHAEL HEINBACH

I grew up in a Connecticut suburb of New York City and have lived in Missoula, Mont., for the last 15 years.

So why would a relatively sane, 35-year-old man with that background devote a large chunk of his life to an undying, passionate love for the Cleveland Browns?

To me, the Browns are like a certain ex-girlfriend of mine, who for the purpose of this story we’ll call Amanda.

When Amanda and I first met (does a successful relationship ever begin in a bar?), it was fireworks and I was floored.

She was stunningly gorgeous, smart, witty, funny… Did I mention Amanda was stunningly gorgeous?

Within weeks, I was pretty sure I was in love. It’s not like I’d picked out the names of the children we were going to have (I was still wrestling with the girl’s name), but I was in. All the way in.

But my friends saw what I was blissfully ignoring. Amanda was no good for me. They told me our relationship was one-sided, with me doing all the giving and her all the taking. Yet I was blinded by the light.

How is that relationship like my affair with the Cleveland Browns? Not red right 88, the drive, the fumble, the pre-genius Bill Belichick’s releasing of Bernie Kosar, the relocation to Baltimore, the drafting of Tim Couch or a miserable last 10 seasons have been enough for me to break it off with the Cleveland Browns.

Unfortunately, it seems they don’t have the ability to dump me, like Amanda did.

I can’t shake my love for the Cleveland Browns, which stemmed from my father who was originally a Cleveland native. My first real memory of the Browns is from September 1981, when my family visited my grandmother and uncle in Cleveland.

Uncle Stu took us to the season opener on Monday Night Football against the San Diego Chargers at Municipal Stadium for my first NFL game.

The Browns were full of hope, coming off quarterback Brian Sipe’s MVP season and the Kardiac Kids’ heartbreaking first-round playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders.

A summary of my first Browns game: Chargers 44, Browns 14 as Dan Fouts and Bolts racked up 535 yards of total offense and foreshadowed a disappointing 5-11 season for the Browns.

Welcome to the club, kid. I was hooked.

Somehow, those not-so stunningly gorgeous orange helmets couldn’t scare me away. When the Browns received Kosar in the 1985 supplemental draft it was the first time I’d heard an athlete say he wanted to play in Cleveland. Has anyone said it since? 

The Browns even turned into a very good team that, minus a horse-faced quarterback from Denver and a Cleveland running back who picked the absolute worst time to contract the dropsies, would have played in its first two Super Bowls.

The pain ensued through the early 1990s before Browns owner Art Modell, unsatisfied with old Municipal Stadium, broke the collective heart of Northeast Ohio and moved the club to Baltimore after the 1995 season.

When the Browns were reborn in 1999, it was if Amanda had taken me back and I was all for it. Things will be different this time, I just know it.

What a way to start! A 43-0 pummelling at home before another national television audience dished out by the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. Couch, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, threw an interception on his first NFL pass attempt. She’s ba-ack.

Through 10 seasons, I’ve sat at my favorite local sports bar and watched the Browns  do nothing but disappoint. A recent influx of native Clevelanders to Missoula has reaffirmed the theory that misery loves company.

Still, there we are, 11 a.m. every Sunday, barking with optimism at the opening kickoff and crying in our suds before halftime.

There’s nothing the Cleveland Browns can do to keep me away. Believe me, they’ve tried everything and I’ll still be running to the bar for this year’s opener like a lemming to a cliff.

I wonder what Amanda’s up to these days?

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