Browns-Bills: It Will All Be Decided in the Trenches

The Cleveland Browns will visit Buffalo to take on the disappointing 1-3 Bills this Sunday.

 

The Bills came into the season with high hopes that they would improve upon three straight 7-9 seasons, especially with the addition of Pro Bowl wide receiver Terrell Owens to match with 1,000-yard receiver Lee Evans. The slow start isn’t exactly what coach Dick Jauron envisioned.

 

Particularly troubling is the apparent regression of third-year starter Trent Edwards, whose completion percentage has dipped from 65.5% in 2008 to 59.8% thus far. He has thrown 5 touchdown passes with 5 interceptions in the first four games.

 

It was expected that Owens, Evans, and third receiver Josh Reed would give Edwards all the weapons he needs. The fact that the running game is averaging 4.8 yards per carry makes Edwards play all the more perplexing.

 

So far this season, the three (Owens, Evans and Reed) have just 29 catches and three touchdowns over the first four games.

 

Running back Marshawn Lynch, who ran for over 1,000 yards in both of his two seasons in the NFL, is working his way back from a three-game suspension.

 

He adds one more playmaker to a team that was already getting excellent production from backup RB Fred Jackson.

 

Jackson has 333 yards on 4.8 yards per carry (plus 18 catches for 160 yards) despite the fact that the last two weeks, the Bills have had to abandon the run while playing from behind.

 

It has been more than a challenge for the Bills to get the ball into the end zone. The team has yet to record a rushing touchdown, thanks in large part to their offensive line, which can get manhandled near the goal line. They are extremely young and a bit undersized.

 

Left tackle Demetrius Bell returns to the starting lineup after missing last week’s game with a groin pull. The second-year player is not the prototypical blind-side tackle, weighing in at only slightly over 300 pounds.

 

The team lost starter Brad Butler for the season. In his place is right tackle Jonathon Scott, who was waived by the Detroit Lions before last season. He is raw and has a difficult time in pass protection.

 

Rookies start at both guard spots.  Eric Wood (first round) and Andy Levitre (second round) both have shown that they are capable run blockers, but they are having a tough time adjusting to NFL defenses as pass blockers.

 

The only real veteran across the line is fifth-year center Geoff Hangartner, and even he has not been a full-time starter since his second year in the league with the Carolina Panthers.

 

The offensive line has already surrendered 16 sacks and there does not appear to be a silver lining on the horizon.

 

The Bills believed second-year TE Derek Fine made current Brown Robert Royal expendable. But so far, he has had little impact and has been suffering from a severe case of the dropsies.

 

Although some of the national pundits made the Bills the sexy pick to break out this year because of the multitude of skill player options, the Bills offense will continue to struggle until the offensive line gets up to speed. That may not happen all year.

 

The Buffalo defense may be even worse. Although the team does run a lot of their offense out of the “no huddle,” that doesn’t quite explain why their time of possession numbers are so awful.

 

Despite garnering six sacks last week, the Bills defense was pounded into submission by the Miami Dolphin run game. The Dolphins scored 38 points and accumulated 250 yards on the ground.

 

The week before, the Saints shelved its potent passing attack and instead rushed for 222 yards. New Orleans did not even bother to break out Drew Brees’ arm in the 27-7 win.

 

DT Marcus Stroud, DE Aaron Schobel, DE Chris Kelsay, and Ryan Denney have a combined nine sacks. While the front four has the ability to get after the quarterback, they are being blistered against the run. DT Kyle Williams has the potential to turn into a real impact player as he gains more consistency.

 

The linebacking corps is the weakness of the defense (as long as starter Paul Posluszny remains out of the lineup with a broken arm). Second-year player Marcus Buggs has taken over for Posluszny, and he is not yet up to the task.

 

Kawika Mitchell and Keith Ellison are the starters at outside linebacker. Neither is a game-changer.

 

There are rumblings that the Bills may experiment with moving Mitchell to inside linebacker and insert rookie Nic Harris into the starting lineup.

 

Harris was a big hitter at the University of Oklahoma, and at this point the Bills have to make some kind of move to improve a disastrous unit.

 

Terrence McGee is a solid cornerback, but the Bills are having a tough time finding a compliment on the opposite side. Leodis McKelvin was the starter, but he is on the IR.

 

The job is Drayton Florence’s for now, but he was on the “burn unit” in Jacksonville last year. Look for the Browns to test Florence early and often.

 

Safeties Donte Whitner (a Cleveland Glenville graduate) and Bryan Scott are the strength of the defense. Both are as capable in run support as they are as ball-hawks. Whitner in particular is having a sensational year.

 

Both punter Brian Moorman and kicker Rian Lindell are solid. But Browns kick returner Joshua Cribbs has to be licking his chops when he watches the film of the Bills poor coverage units.

 

The Browns may be a team in transition, but they may just have the line play to pull this game out. The word is that Jamal Lewis is a go this week.

 

He and/or Jerome Harrison must have big games to keep the pressure off what is now a very inexperienced receiving corps.

 

The good news is that the Bills front seven cannot seem to stop the run even when teams are telling them its coming.

 

This is a good game to break in some of the young receivers because Buffalo only has one decent cornerback. But in order for the Browns passing game to be successful this weak, THEY MUST RUN THE FOOTBALL!

 

It will be an interesting chess match when the Bills have the football. The Bills have the firepower at wideout and running back to play with anybody.

 

However, if the Browns are able to shut down the Buffalo run attack, the front seven (especially Shawn Rogers and Kamerion Wimbley) have the ability to make life miserable for Trent Edwards.

 

Controlling the line of scrimmage on early downs will be the key to the game for both teams.

 

I look for the Browns to build on the momentum they gained from last week’s performance, and finally get a win against a team that has really taken on a lot of injuries for so early in the season.

 

Final Prediction:  Cleveland Browns 20 – Buffalo Bills 17

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Baby Steps For The Cleveland Browns Against The Bengals

There are no such things as “moral victories” in the NFL…but the Cleveland Browns finally played competitively and have something to build on.

 

Carson Palmer, and the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals, put together a long opening touchdown drive to open the game and at the end of regulation. Those two drives, and a fumble by Jerome Harrison that was returned for a touchdown, ultimately did the Browns in.

 

However, in the spaces in between, the Browns coaching staff, offensive unit, defensive unit, and special teams were all worthy of at least a pat on the back for their play.

 

 

Special Teams

 

I do not think it’s necessary to tell Browns’ fans that Joshua Cribbs is just a special player. There may have been faster return men in the NFL over the years, but there have been none that have the combination of speed, vision, and ridiculous strength that he possesses.

 

Cribbs finished the day with an astounding 223 return yards. If there are game balls to be given out in a loss—he gets mine.

 

On top of Cribbs, the coverage units gave the Browns great field position all game, blocked a field goal (Shawn Rogers’ 11th of his career), and forced a fumble on a kick return. Game balls all around to the Special Teams.

 

 

Offensive Line Play

 

The much maligned offensive line gave up two sacks on the day, which has to be applauded given that the team threw the ball 48 times. Not only did they keep Derek Anderson relatively clean, they paved the way for Jerome Harrison’s 121 rushing yards.

 

It is amazing how good the offensive line can look when the quarterback is making his reads, and getting the ball out of his hands on time. It’s only one game, but with Anderson under center over the last two seasons, the offensive line has surrendered much fewer sacks per game.

 

 

Brian Daboll

 

Early in the game, Daboll made a couple of head-scratching decisions, including calling for a slow-developing flea flicker on first down and ten. Daboll must have missed the film session showing the tendency of the Bengals defense to blitz on first down.

 

On the other hand, Daboll did a fine job of keeping the Bengals on their heels, and mixing up his play-calling. The Browns also threw a nice wrinkle into the offensive scheme with a lot of pre-snap movement, especially with the tight ends.

 

Daboll also did a solid job of utilizing Cribbs, and Mohammed Massaquoi for the day. He put Cribbs in the slot receiver role where he is better equipped to handle safeties and nickelbacks, and split Massaquoi wide to take advantage of his ability to stretch the field.

 

One particular well-designed play that should be pointed out, was something that didn’t even result in a completion…but was a great play-call none-the-less. The play involved using Cribbs as a decoy on a wide receiver screen, and then taking a shot downfield to Braylon Edwards.

 

The Browns did a better job as a whole of executing the offense, which certainly makes an offensive coordinator’s duties easier. When the offense actually converts a few first downs, the offensive coordinator suddenly doesn’t look so bad.

 

 

Running Back

 

A costly fumble in the first quarter dampened a pretty good day from Jerome Harrison, who finished with 121 yards on 29 carries, and 5 catches for 33 yards.

 

Harrison showed he is capable of making plays when given the opportunity—something Browns fans knew all of last year.

 

However, the Browns are still short in the running game. When it came right down to it, the Browns could have used a grind-it-out back to run some clock down when they held the lead mid-fourth quarter.

 

They rolled the dice with the roster before the season ever started by relying on thirty-something Jamal Lewis to be healthy all year. The fourth quarter of this game showed exactly why it was mistake not to go out and get another running back that could pound the game to a conclusion.

 

 

Defense/Defensive Coordinator

 

Hats off to defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for the job he did against Carson Palmer, and the Bengals.

 

This team is clearly under-manned, as was evidenced in the first, and last drives of regulation (along with the last overtime drive). But, he confused Palmer for most of the game with his multiple-defensive back scheme.

 

Using safety Mike Adams, and wide receiver Mike Furrey, at cornerback ended up keeping the Browns in this game. Brodney Pool played a monster game at safety as well.

 

Eric Wright, Shawn Rogers, Eric Barton, D’Qwell Jackson, and Kamerion Wimbley all played inspiring football. The defense as a unit never quit, even after the offense failed them early in the game.

 

 

Derek Anderson

 

Overall DA played a fine game. He delivered the ball quickly, and hit receivers in their breaks. In fact, he was delivering the ball so quickly that some of the receivers looked surprised that they were getting the ball on time. Braylon Edwards, Mike Furrey, Jerome Harrison, and Robert Royal all dropped catchable balls.

 

The team’s third-down conversion rate improved drastically with Anderson under center. They converted seven of 20 third/fourth downs, and actually ended the game with more first downs than the Bengals.

 

Anderson led the team to 395 total yards, and he finished the day with 269 yards passing. The four scoring drives were the most by the Browns all season, and the 395 total yards were almost double the seasons’ average.

 

Anderson still has trouble with the old adage, “Live to play another day.” On one play, he nearly had a screen pass intercepted when he should have thrown the ball away. And instead of settling for a field goal later in the game, he forced a pass on third and long that was intercepted in the end zone.

 

He did, however, learn from his mistake on the ensuing drive. Again faced with the same scenario, he made the correct play by throwing the ball out of reach of the defender in the end zone which resulted in an incompletion. In that same drive, he ate the ball on fourth and one, and ran it in for what was then the go-ahead touchdown.

 

The beneficiary of Anderson’s ability to get the ball down the field was Mohammed Massaquoi. Massaquoi finished the game with eight catches for 148 yards.

 

The one thing the Browns’ coaching staff most certainly learned, was that Massaquoi can stretch a defense, and is not afraid to catch the ball in traffic. It looks like the Browns have finally found themselves a legitimate number two receiver.

 

 

Eric Mangini

 

Head coach Eric Mangini should be given some credit as well. After the way the Browns were humiliated in the first three games, this team could have easily quit on him.

 

Instead, it looks like the team closed ranks, and ignored the visceral attacks of the media and the fans.

 

Using Furrey at defensive back brought back shades of his use of Troy Brown during his assistant coaching days with the Super Bowl Champion Patriots.

 

Starting Mike Adams also lit a fire under Brandon McDonald. McDonald ended up playing well when he was on the field—even showing up in the run game.

 

Starting Derek Anderson, in hindsight, turned out to be the right call. The offense badly needed a spark, and Mangini was not afraid to make the tough decision, even though he knew he would be roasted by the hometown fans.

 

After Braylon Edwards lost his cool, Mangini pulled him aside and got the message through that it is ok to protect your teammate (RB Jerome Harrison), but you cannot lose your head at such a crucial time in the game. Under former coach Romeo Crennel, Edwards might still be ranting and raving on the sidelines.

 

Twice Mangini made the “right” call during game management situations.

 

Down 14-0 late in the first half, his decision to go for it on fourth and goal was the right call. If the Browns were going to get back into the game, they had to score a touchdown at that point.

 

The decision to throw instead of run was also the right call given the teams’ inability to punch it in with the run game, especially with Jamal Lewis unavailable.

 

After a big return put the Browns in scoring position mid-fourth quarter, the Browns put themselves in a bad third and 16 situation. Rather than risking taking points off the board, Mangini protected the ball, and settled for the field goal that extended the lead.

 

Mangini has rightfully taken abuse from the fans for some of the decisions he has made early this year. But, he should be commended for rallying the troops, and getting them ready to play this week.

 

The fans of this town cannot be expected to settle for “respectable” losses week after week, nor should the players or coaching staff consider this a win.

 

But in the face of what could have been a total collapse, the Browns took some baby steps today.

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Improving Bengals Take on Cleveland Browns in Week Four

The Cincinnati Bengals are next in line to give the Cleveland Browns their weekly beating. The Bengals, by all accounts, should be sitting at 3-0 except for a freak play that cost them a win in the waning seconds of opening day.

 

The Bengals have vastly improved since last season’s debacle largely due to the health of their leader, quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer calmly led them on a 16-play, 71-yard drive which culminated in a four-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds on the clock to beat the Steelers last week.

 

In week one, Palmer led the Bengals on a 91-yard drive to give them a lead with only 41 seconds on the clock. In a week two win over the Packers, Palmer threw three touchdown scores.

 

Needless to say, Palmer’s leadership and arm were sorely missed in 2008.

 

Not coincidentally, Chad Johnson’s return to form has coincided with Palmer’s return. Johnson has 14 catches for 234 yards in 2009.

 

The loss of T.J. Houshmandzadeh to free agency hurts the Bengals, but Caldwell, Laveranues Coles, and Chris Henry are all solid (albeit somewhat inconsistent) receivers.

 

The Bengals running game was a disaster in 2008 until Cedric Benson took over the starting role in the second half of the year. He looks even better so far this year, averaging almost 100 yards per game at a 4.4 yards per carry clip.

 

Daniel Coats starts at tight end but is not used much in the passing game. He is, however, a fantastic blocker. His bone-crushing hit on Steelers LB James Farrior sprung Benson for a 23-yard score in the fourth quarter last week.

 

The Bengals have three new starters on the offensive line in 2009, including second-year center Kyle Cook. Cook is going to have his hands full this week with Shawn Rogers after taking a beating from the Steelers Casey Hampton last week.

 

Andrew Whitworth moved from left guard to left tackle in the off season. Whitworth’s size (6’7”, 335 lbs.) make him ideal for the position. Whitworth is a tough, hard-nosed player, but there will be growing pains learning the technique it takes to play against NFL edge-rushers.

 

Andre Smith was drafted in the first round to take over the right tackle position. He held out, finally signed a big contract, showed up to camp overweight, and proceeded to get injured.

 

In the meantime, the Bengals are scrambling to fill his position. Anthony Collins was benched after giving up two sacks against the Packers. Second-year player Dennis Roland got most of the playing time last week.

 

Ten-year veteran Bobbie Williams is the only holdover from last year that is playing his original position. The left guard spot is still in transition. Nate Livings (six starts in 2008) is the starter, but was inactive against the Steelers. Evan Mathis got his second start in his place.

 

Outside of Williams, this offensive line is young and inexperienced. They are, however, very big. It will take some time for them to jell.

 

Because of their size, these young offensive lineman can be effective in the run game. However, protecting the passer will be a problem all year.

 

Defense is where the Bengals have shown the most improvement from last season. They are finally seeing the fruit come to bear from all those drafts spent on that side of the ball.

 

But it is a key free agent addition who is finally realizing his vast potential. Defensive end Antwan Odom had 13 sacks in his second year in the league. But injuries and inconsistency have left coaches wondering if he would ever show that form again.

 

Well this year, Odom is answering his critics with an astounding seven sacks in three games! He has been unblockable so far this year, even collapsing the pocket when he doesn’t get credit for a sack.

 

The Bengals did come out of the Pittsburgh game with some injury concerns. Specifically, DT Tank Johnson (foot) and rookie LB Rey Maualuga (knee) are key components to the Bengal defense who will be questionable this week.

 

The Bengals do not have a great deal of depth in the front seven, so it would be a huge loss if either cannot play. Domato Peko, Jonathan Fanene, and Pat Sims are part of the defensive tackle rotation. Peko plays in the base defense and Fanene will sub in obvious passing situations.

 

Veteran Dhani Jones starts at middle linebacker. Jones is an intelligent player, but no longer possesses the athletic ability to be a difference maker.

 

OLB Keith Rivers appears to be turning the corner as an impact linebacker in his second year in the league. And of course, his former USC teammate Maualuga is well-known in Cleveland for being passed by in the draft. Maualuga is playing like the star he was in college, silencing the NFL scouts who let him drop on the draft boards.

 

Leon Hall, now in his third-year, is turning into a shut-down corner. Fourth-year cornerback Johnathan Joseph is a better than average corner on the opposite side. There is very little NFL experience backing them up.

 

Roy Williams and Chris Crocker start at the safety positions. Williams is a big-hitting, five-time Pro Bowler, but has a reputation for occasionally getting caught peaking into the backfield. Crocker is a seventh year journeyman who started his career in Cleveland.

 

This defense has held up well in the first three games, largely due to the play of Odom. There is certainly some athleticism. But they are by no means a juggernaut. There are holes that can be taken advantage of.

 

While the Bengals have started the season 2-1 and are improving, it is a very fragile 2-1. Because there is such a lack of depth, one or two injuries at key positions could send this team into a free fall.

 

Right now, they are playing better than the Browns (who isn’t?!), so they get the edge. But stay tuned on these Bengals because the bottom could drop out at any moment.

 

 

Final Prediction: Cincinnati Bengals 21 – Cleveland Browns 16

 

 

 

 

 

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Improving Bengals Take On Browns In Week Four

The Cincinnati Bengals are next in line to give the Cleveland Browns their weekly beating. The Bengals, by all accounts, should be sitting at 3-0 except for a freak play that cost them a win in the waning seconds of opening day.

 

The Bengals have vastly improved since last season’s debacle largely due to the health of their leader, quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer calmly led them on a 16-play, 71-yard drive which culminated in a four-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds on the clock to beat the Steelers last week.

 

In Week One, Palmer led the Bengals on a 91-yard drive to give them a lead with only 41 seconds on the clock. In a Week Two win over the Packers, Palmer threw three touchdown scores.

 

Needless to say, Palmer’s leadership and arm were sorely missed in 2008.

 

Not coincidently, Chad Johnson’s return to form has coincided with Palmer’s return. Johnson has 14 catches for 234 yards in 2009.

 

The loss of T.J. Houshmandzadeh to free agency hurts the Bengals, but Caldwell, Laveranues Coles and Chris Henry are all solid (albeit somewhat inconsistent) receivers.

 

The Bengals running game was a disaster in 2008 until Cedric Benson took over the starting role in the second half of the year. He looks even better so far this year, averaging almost 100 yards per game ata clip of nearly four and a half yards per carry.

 

Daniel Coats starts at tight end but is not used much in the passing game. He is, however, a fantastic blocker. His bone-crushing hit on Steelers LB James Farrior sprung Benson for a 23-yard score in the fourth quarter last week.

 

The Bengals have three new starters on the offensive line in 2009, including second-year center Kyle Cook. Cook is going to have his hands full this week with Shawn Rogers after taking a beating from the Steelers Casey Hampton last week.

 

Andrew Whitworth moved from left guard to left tackle in the offseason. Whitworth’s size (6-foot-7, 335 pounds) makes him ideal for the position. He is a tough, hard-nosed player, but there will be growing pains learning the technique it takes to play against NFL edge-rushers.

 

Andre Smith was drafted in the first round to take over the right tackle position. He held out, finally signed a big contract, showed up to camp overweight, and proceeded to get injured.

 

In the meantime, the Bengals are scrambling to fill his position.

 

Anthony Collins was benched after giving up two sacks against the Packers. Second-year player Dennis Roland got most of the playing time last week.

 

Ten-year veteran Bobbie Williams is the only holdover from last year that is playing his original position. The left guard spot is still in transition. Nate Livings (six starts in 2008) is the starter, but was inactive against the Steelers. Evan Mathis got his second start in his place.

 

Outside of Williams, this offensive line is young and inexperienced. They are, however, very big. It will take some time for them to gel.

 

Because of their size, these young offensive lineman can be effective in the run game. However, protecting the passer will be a problem all year.

 

Defense is where the Bengals have shown the most improvement from last season. They are finally seeing the fruit come to bear from all the draft picks spent on that side of the ball.

 

But it is a key free agent addition who is finally realizing his vast potential. Defensive end Antwan Odom had 13 sacks in his second year in the league. But injuries and inconsistency have left coaches wondering if he would ever show that form again.

 

Well this year, Odom is answering his critics with an astounding seven sacks in three games. He has been unblockable so far this year, even collapsing the pocket when he doesn’t get credit for a sack.

 

The Bengals did come out of the Pittsburgh game with some injury concerns. Specifically, DT Tank Johnson (foot) and rookie LB Rey Maualuga (knee) are key components to the Bengal defense who will be questionable this week.

 

The Bengals do not have a great deal of depth in the front seven, so it would be a huge loss if either cannot play. Domato Peko, Jonathan Fanene, and Pat Sims are part of the defensive tackle rotation. Peko plays in the base defense and Fanene will sub in obvious passing situations.

 

Veteran Dhani Jones starts at middle linebacker. Jones is an intelligent player, but no longer possesses the athletic ability to be a difference maker.

 

OLB Keith Rivers appears to be turning the corner as an impact linebacker in his second year in the league. And of course, his former USC teammate Maualuga is well-known in Cleveland for being passed by in the draft. Maualuga is playing like the star he was in college, silencing the NFL scouts who let him drop on the draft boards.

 

Leon Hall, now in his third-year, is turning into a shut-down corner. Fourth-year cornerback Johnathan Joseph is a better than average corner on the opposite side. There is very little NFL experience backing them up.

 

Roy Williams and Chris Crocker start at the safety positions. Williams is a big-hitting, five-time Pro Bowler, but has a reputation for occasionally getting caught peaking into the backfield. Crocker is a seventh-year journeyman who started his career in Cleveland.

 

This defense has held up well in the first three games, largely due to the play of Odom.

 

There is certainly some athleticism.

 

But they are by no means a juggernaut. There are holes that can be taken advantage of.

 

While the Bengals have started the season 2-1 and are improving, it is a very fragile 2-1. Because there is such a lack of depth, one or two injuries at key positions could send this team into a free fall.

 

Right now, they are playing better than the Browns (who isn’t?!), so they have the edge. But stay tuned to these Bengals because the bottom could drop out at any moment.

 

Final Prediction: Cincinnati Bengals 21 – Cleveland Browns 16

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Brownie Points: Excuses, Fights, Injuries, and Advice

Just a few thoughts as the Cleveland Browns prepare for their upcoming game with the Baltimore Ravens this week:

 

 

 

EXCUSES

 

Plenty of Browns fans are quick to excuse quarterback Brady Quinn’s play so far this season. Granted, he doesn’t have many starts under his belt, and I am not ready to call for him to be replaced after only two games.

 

But one excuse that has been making the rounds is that coach Eric Mangini stunted the growing process because he made Brady earn the job in the pre-season.

 

The theory is that if Brady were named the starter earlier, he could have developed better chemistry with his receivers. I say that is absolute nonsense.

 

Brady has been throwing balls to his best receiver Braylon Edwards for going on two years now. He has gotten plenty of repetitions with his receivers during off-season conditioning, OTAs, mini-camps, training camps and practices.

 

If you looked at preseason games throughout the league, starting quarterbacks and the first teamers get very few opportunities to play for fear of injury.

 

In fact, the reason that teams bring so many backup quarterbacks into camp is that there is a legitimate concern for their starting quarterbacks to suffer from “tired arm” because of the number of throws they have to make.

 

If anything stunted Brady’s growth, it occurred last pre-season when he and his agent wasted rookie practice time after holding out during contract negotiations. He really could have used that valuable time.

 

The bottom line is that Quinn is struggling because he has not caught up with the speed of the NFL…and not because he wasn’t named the starter until the week before the season started. Even practice and preseason games do not prepare young quarterbacks for the jump from college football to the professional game.

 

 

 

FIGHTS

 

The local pundits are up-in-arms about the lack of discipline in the Browns’ locker room as a result of rookie cornerback Coye Francies throwing punces at his defensive backfield mates after being doused with a bucket of ice water.

 

The bigger joke is how much everyone is making of the issue. Francies may have over-reacted, but not nearly as much as the media and the fans.

 

Practical jokes on rookies in a football locker-room are the norm and not the exception. And guess what fans? These guys are human beings, not robots. Just because the team has lost a few games, it does not mean that they have to hang their heads in the locker until they get a win.

 

The next time Joe Salesman in your office loses a client, are you going to tell him to sulk and cry about his failures until he picks up a new client?

 

And a word of warning to Francies…be wary of the Turkey Hunt during the Thanksgiving week.

 

 

 

INJURIES

 

Two players who have traditionally played well against the Ravens appear to be out this week: RB Jamal Lewis and K Phil Dawson.

 

Losing Dawson hurts because he essentially has been the Cleveland scoring offense for going on eight games.

 

And who can forget the kick that bounced over the crossbar two years ago that led to the Ravens collapse down the stretch (and helped propel the Browns to a 10-6 season)?

 

Losing Lewis is even bigger. He gets up for games against his former team. He is also one of the few guys prepared for how hard this Ravens defense hits and flies around the field.

 

This will be a “welcome to the NFL” moment for rookie RB James Davis. There is nothing he learned in college (or the pre-season) that can even remotely match the intensity he will see this week.

 

The Browns would be wise to line up Jerome Harrison in the backfield for the first few series, at least until Davis can get a feel for the flow of the game.

 

Not having guards Floyd Womack or Rex Hadnot (both listed as doubtful) is going to put even more pressure on both of these young running backs.

 

LB David Bowens and NT Shawn Rogers also showed up on the injury report as Questionable. The coaching staff better pray both can play on Sunday.

 

 

 

AND MORE

 

Memo to Browns’ Offensive Coordianator: Let’s hope Brian Daboll does not resort to a “ball control” offense to try to keep the game close. As famously put by former NFL coach Herm Edwards, “You play…to win…the game!”

 

The Browns only hope is to take advantage of the Ravens suspect cornerbacks and propensity to blitz their linebackers. The only way to counter that is to throw the football.

 

If the coaching staff is afraid to let Quinn and the receivers make plays, they might as well just not show up Sunday.

 

Memo to Browns Defensive Coordinator: Please…please…please! Do not leave Camerion Wimbley out on an island with TE Todd Heap this week! Camerion looks as though he has improved immensely since 2008, but that should not be his role on this team.

 

Good luck and Godspeed, Cleveland Browns. You are going to need it.

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Ravens vs. Browns Preview: Happy Learned How To Putt

When previewing the Cleveland Browns games in the past, I have made a habit out of waiting until the end of the article to give my prediction. This week, I think I will just dispense with the formalities and get right to it. The Browns are going to lose, and lose big.

 

My Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 31, Cleveland Browns 13

 

I don’t think I am going out on a limb here, but let’s take a trip down the Baltimore Ravens roster for the reasons why anyway.

 

The Ravens defense has the well-deserved reputation as one of the league’s stingiest, but the much-improved offense is what is sending out chills among the NFL’s elite. There was once a time when the Ravens defense would play its heart out and the offense would let them down. That time is no more.

 

As the line in one of my favorite movies (“Happy Gilmore”) goes, “Uh-oh, Happy learned how to putt.”

 

It all starts with second-year quarterback Joe Flacco. The youngster is quietly developing into one of the league’s better signal-callers. While Baltimore handled him with kid gloves in 2008, they have taken the training wheels off and let him roll so far this season.

 

After a tremendous preseason, Flacco has followed that up with two solid starts. Flacco has five TD passes and has thrown for almost 500 yards in leading the Ravens to a total of 69 points. That is getting the job done.

 

What is most amazing about what Flacco is doing is that he is doing it without the help of a big-time receiver. The addition of Kelly Washington to “Old Reliable” Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton has helped. But none of them strikes fear in opposing defenses. Washington’s size and speed do give the Ravens the hint of a deep-threat.

 

A healthy Todd Heap at tight end adds another weapon to the offense. He has two touchdown grabs thus far, and it appears that Flacco will look to him near the goal line.

 

Second-year running back Ray Rice and veteran Willis McGahee have formed a solid one-two punch in the backfield. Both will benefit from the sharing of duties—McGahee because of his injury history, and Rice because of his lack of size.

 

The Ravens coaching staff seems to have just the right recipe when handling the backfield. McGahee has 123 yards rushing on 4.9 yards per carry with three touchdowns. He also has six receptions and a touchdown in the first two games. He’s not strictly the “goal line back.”

 

Meanwhile, Rice has become the starter and has garnered pretty impressive stats in a limited role himself (144 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, seven receptions, 8.3 yards per catch). The Ravens will most definitely use him in the passing game to create a matchup problem with a linebacker.

 

Le’Ron McLain has been moved from halfback to fullback and is a load when carrying the ball in short yardage situations.

 

The offensive line has improved immensely over the past two years. Matt Birk was brought over from the Vikings to provide some stability to the center position. He may no longer be the player he was when he earned his sixth Pro Bowl in 2007, but he is intelligent (Economics Degree from Harvard) and plays with an edge.

 

Left tackle Jared Gaither is a mountain. Standing at 6’9” and weighing in at 340 pounds, he is developing into a first-class, blind-side tackle in his third year.

 

Former first round pick Ben Grubbs mans the left guard position. Also in his third year, Grubbs is on his way to developing a Pro Bowl reputation.

 

The right side of the offensive line is not quite as talented. Marshal Yanda and Michael Oher start at guard and tackle respectively. Both are young with room to grow, but neither consistently stands out.

 

Overall, the Ravens offense is finally giving the Baltimore faithful something to get excited about. For far too long, Baltimore fans have had to root for their defense to put some points on the board and hope their offense just didn’t make a mistake.

 

Thus far, the Ravens have really made teams pay in the red zone. They have scored seven touchdowns in eight trips inside the 20-yard line. After wins against San Diego and Kansas City, the Ravens lead the AFC in scoring and their offense is ranked fourth overall with 403 yards per game.

 

The Browns linebackers better come to play this week or it could get ugly in a hurry. Because the Ravens offense keeps you guessing and incorporates the backs and tight ends in the passing game, they have been especially adept at keeping the linebackers on their heels.

 

This is no longer a one-dimensional team and it certainly is not a one-dimensional offense. There is no one sure way to scheme against the Ravens.

 

The best advice is to let the cornerbacks play on an island and devote the rest of the team to stopping Baltimore’s ability to utilize McGahee and Rice in both the running and passing games. But even that, given Flacco’s recent play, is no guarantee for success.

 

Ironically, while the offense has soared, the defense has taken a small step backwards. While the yardage totals are still among the league’s best, they have surrendered 24 and 26 points in their two games. Those are not alarming numbers for most teams, but it has not been the dominance we have come to expect out of Ray Lewis and his cohorts.

 

Lewis, who has somehow found the fountain of youth, is still playing at a high level. His fourth quarter, bone-crushing stop on fourth down against the Chargers perhaps saved the game last week. After 18 tackles in two games, he is showing no signs of slowing down.

 

DE/OLB Terrell Suggs may be an even better linebacker than Lewis at this point in his career. He already has 54 sacks after only six full seasons. At 28-years old, he will be putting the fear of God in quarterbacks for years to come.

 

He came into the league as strictly a pass-rusher, but is developing the ability to stop the run and play in coverage as well. Suggs is what the Cleveland Browns have hoped Camerion Wimbley would become when they drafted him in the first round in 2006.

 

Except for Lewis and Suggs, linebacker was a big area of concern heading into this season after losing Pro Bowl OLB Adalius Thomas and ILB Bart Scott (2006 Pro Bowl). Filling their spots are seventh-year veteran Jarret Johnson and Taveres Gooden. Special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo will also spot Gooden in certain packages.

 

The jury is still out on Gooden and/or Ayanbadejo as regulars at inside linebacker. Johnson is a 265-pound hybrid who had two sacks on opening day. He has had limited success in a limited role for his career.

 

Although all of these three are unproven, some believe that it was the system that made Scott and Thomas anyway, and not the other way around.

 

The front three of Trevor Pryce, Kelly Gregg, and Haloti Ngata is stout. Although Ngata and Gregg are primarily run-pluggers, they can collapse the pocket. Pryce is getting long in the tooth, but still can rush the passer. Ngata and Gregg are especially strong at holding the point of attack and keeping the linebackers free to pursue ball-carriers.

 

Add All World safety Ed Reed to this mix and you have the makings of one of the best defenses in the NFL. Reed is the most dominant ball-hawking safety in the league, if not ever. With 43 interceptions, an astounding 11 career touchdowns (special teams and interception/fumble returns), and four blocked punts in 108 games, he has a bust waiting for him in Canton, Ohio.

 

The opposite safety, Dawan Landry also is a big-play threat. Landry has had an injury-plagued last two seasons in the league. However, he looks to be finally over those health concerns and was voted to the all-rookie team in 2006.

 

The one area that the Ravens can be exploited is at the cornerback position. Dominique Foxworth was signed to a rather large off-season contract. It was a move that left some NFL scouts scratching their heads, as Foxworth has played four rather non-descript seasons with the Broncos and the Falcons.

 

Fabian Washington starts at the other cornerback position. Many feel he is more suited to be a nickel corner than a starter. He suffered a slight concussion in last week’s game against the Chargers. He should suit up and be ready to play this week against the Browns.

 

If Washington is not able to play, the Ravens will be extremely thin at the position, leaving only seven-year nickel-back Frank Walker, special teamer/nickel-back Chris Carr and rookie project Lardarius Webb at the position.

 

There is a severe lack of size at cornerback for the Ravens that can be taken advantage of if Brady Quinn can remain upright. The Ravens have given up four touchdown passes in two games and Chargers QB Phillip Rivers threw for a whopping 436 yards in game two.

 

In the Chargers’ game, 6’5” WR Vincent Jackson lit up the Ravens secondary for 141 yards, Darren Sproles caught a pass out of the backfield for an 81-yard score (124 receiving yards on the game), Malcom Floyd made a 40-yard catch, Antonio Gates caught five passes for 78 yards, and Chris Chambers made two 15-yard grabs (and dropped a beautiful pass from Rivers).

 

The Browns’ receivers do not possess the same size matchup problem that the Chargers’ receivers do. But the fact remains, the Ravens cornerbacks are less than stellar.

 

The only chance that the Browns have in this game is going to require offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and quarterback Brady Quinn to do something that they have not been comfortable with—throw the ball down the field.

 

With their size, Braylon Edwards, Mohammed Massaquoi, and Josh Cribbs can all out-muscle these miniature corners. But in order to keep the heat off Quinn, the running game is going to have to at least keep them honest.

 

Jamal Lewis has had some past success against his former team. The team also might want to get RB Jerome Harrison involved in the passing game judging by the performance of Darren Sproles against the Ravens.

 

This is Quinn’s week to prove he has the ability to make plays with his arm. If he cannot, this game will be blowout city. Nothing that Quinn has done thus far inspires much confidence that Quinn has that capability.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Cleveland Browns Doomed By Dumervil, Missed Opportunities

In almost a repeat performance of last week’s loss to the Vikings, the Browns were methodically taken apart by the Denver Broncos, 27-6.

 

In the end, the Browns were plagued by lost opportunities, and Elvis Dumervil in the form of the Tasmanian Devil.

 

Dumervil sacked Brady Quinn four times on the day as John St. Clair did his best imitation of a Spanish matador.

 

Despite Dumervil’s dominance, this was a game of missed chances for the Browns.

 

As in the Minnesota game, the Browns played a respectable first half, down just 10-6. The difference in the half was that while Cleveland settled for two field goals when inside the red zone, the Broncos managed to hit paydirt.

 

The game started with the Browns recovering a fumbled kickoff return. They proceeded to kick away opportunity number one when they had to settle for a Phil Dawson boot.

 

After forcing a Bronco punt on the next possession, the Browns decided to return the favor when rookie center’s bad snap was recovered by Denver. Denver wasted no time in making the Browns pay on a quick slant to Tony Scheffler.

 

They took advantage of a mix-up on defense, which forced rush-linebacker Camerion Wimbley into covering  Scheffler.

 

Scheffler initially lined up tight, but split out wide in the formation. The Browns defense appeared confused and it turned into a match-up that Scheffler would easily win.

 

A promising drive for the Browns stalled after a strike over the middle from Brady Quinn to Braylon Edwards for 20 yards. Another missed opportunity ensued when Quinn checked down to Joshua Cribbs for a short gain on third and long.

 

This play turned out to be an omen, as both Quinn and Cribbs on several occasions throughout the game failed to find the sticks.

 

The Browns did manage to get another field goal from Phil Dawson. But those turned out to be the last points the Browns offense would put on the board.

 

Hank Poteat got beaten on a quick slant that Brandon Stokley turned into a big gain of 37 yards. Denver settled for a field goal to go into the half with a 10-6 lead.

 

Once again, the second half turned into a disaster. The Browns wasted numerous opportunities to continue drives, while the Broncos converted several second- and third-and-long opportunities.

 

The offense attempted to open up the playbook in the second half, but Quinn misfired on two separate occasions on plays that have to be made to win games.

 

After Edwards made a spectacular 24-yard catch over Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey, Quinn overthrew a wide open Mike Furrey over the middle.

 

Later in the game, Quinn and Edwards hooked up for 16- and 12-yard gains. But Quinn under-threw Mohammed Massauoi who was matched up with a linebacker and no safety help over the top. If either of these plays are made, it changes the entire complexion of the game.

 

After a short run put Denver up 20-6, the Browns had one more opportunity to make something happened.

 

But instead of answering with a drive of their own, they followed with the following sequence: Screen play for loss; false start to open drive; Dumervil sack; Dumervil sack; and punt.

 

Denver put the game completely out of reach on the back of Knowshon Moreno and a Correll Buckhalter cutback for a 45-yard touchdown run. Game…set…match.

 

Denver did what they had to do to win the game. They bottled up Josh Cribbs in the return game, they put pressure on Quinn, and they made plays on offense when they had to.

 

The Browns defense did not play particularly bad until the fourth quarter. But they appeared out of gas as Denver started to have success running the ball late.

 

The fact is, the offense just did not sustain drives and forced the defense to be out on the field too long. When the offense is put in a position to score, their red zone offense resembles a Chinese fire drill.

 

That has been the story of the Browns for most of 2008, this preseason, and the two opening games.

 

The usual playmakers showed up for the Browns: Braylon Edwards on offense and Shawn Rogers on defense. But their efforts were wasted.

 

Different team…different day…same result.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Game Notes: Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears Preseason Game 4

Below are my game notes complete with misspellings, abbreviations, and grammatical errors. Blog Style.

Story line of the game: Neither Brady Quinn nor Anderson to play today. What does that mean? Obviously, Mangini has made a decision on who his starter is. I’m guessing Quinn.

Does it mean he doesn’t want Anderson to do anything special and cause people to second guess his decision if its Quinn? Is he contemplating trading one of these guys and he wants to see what he’s got in Ratliff and Bartell…can they handle the 2nd and 3rd string roles?

Maybe he’s already made up his mind on the depth chart and we are all reading too much into this. Maybe he just wants to keep the Vikings guessing…because it is clear the two QBs pose different looks.

 

After watching Brett Ratliff’s first pass, does anyone still want to trade the loser of the DA/Quinn battle?

Gerard Lawson out to 32 on return.

 

Drive 1. Ratliff’s first pass of the game was picked off, which is now his third interception against zero touchdown passes.

NT Rubin active with 2 tackles on first defensive series. Alex Hall makes a great play stringing out a running play to get a tackle for a loss and forcing a field goal after Chicago gets the ball with a short field. 3-0 chi.

 

Drive 2. Ratliff comes back, stands tall in the pocket and hits a wide open TE Aaron Walker for a gain of 17. Rookie RB James Davis continues to look impressive blasting through a very small hole for a big gainer 21 yards. He follows that up with a nice sweep for 9 yards, showing excellent patience.

Davis kicks out and finds a hole outside for 5. Davis dropped for 1 yard gain. Ratliff throws to the wrong side of Rucker incomplete. Browns set up another nice screen play. Alex Mack throws a fantastic lead block to spring Herron 12 yards. Davis dropped for no gain. Massaquoi hit for 7 yrd TD on a slant – wide open. 7-3 Browns.

Rookie CB Coye Francies jumped a screen play to the WR to force a loss of 3. and Browns force another punt.

 

Drive 3: There was a David Patton and Brian Robiskie sighting both catching short passes. This time C. Jennings is the beneficiary of a well-executed screen pass for 10.

Recently cut Rod Hood had to feel good about breaking up a 3rd down pass against his old team, forcing a punt.

False start ruins a perfectly placed punt which would have pinned the Bears on the 1. One of the few mistakes the special teams has made under new coordinator  Brad Sealey.

Leon Williams gets a much-needed sack with Brian Schaefering, as both are on the bubble. Safety Mike Adams is really having himself a great preseason. He picks off a pass.

Brodney Pool is really going to have a difficult time winning back his starting safety spot when he comes back from injury.

 

Richard Bartel gets an early opportunity in drive 4. Robiskie is wide open over the middle on a pass from Bartell for 26. Chris Jennings showing good speed as he turns the corner for 5.

David Patton picks up a first down on a quick slant on a nice pitch and catch from Bartel. Nice cut-back for 5 for Jennings.

Lance Leggett, who has been quiet all preseason, catches a 7-yard quick hitter to the 5 yard line. Incomplete to Leggett on 3rd and 2, who looked like he cut the route short, while Bartel threw to the open spot. Short Field Goal for Dawson. Nice 11 play 58 yard drive engineered by Bartel. Browns 10-3

Alex Hall makes something happen again with a 10 yard sack. 3 plays and out for Chicago.

 

Drive 5. Nice return by Lawson for 13 yards when it looked like he was initially stuffed. Chris Jennings continues to run well on a toss sweep for 13.

Follows that up with the same play to the other side. Ali with a great block on both plays springing him for 12. Run forward Jennings…loss of  5. Browns drove stalls. 51 yard attempt good for Dawson. 13-3 Browns.

Lawson earning his keep on special teams with a tackle on the kickoff. Garrett Wolf breaks through several missed tackles for 11. Wide open, great move from Johnnie Knox for 43 yards on run after the catch …poor play by Corey Ivey and  soon to be cut Brett Lockett.

Got to keep the play in front of you with such little time on the clock. Sloppy play puts chi in fg range. Coverage sack by  newly signed Schaefering. He got a ½ sack earlier in the game. 40 yard field goal from Gould. 13-6 Cleveland

Wow, Lawson looks good returning kicks. Takes it out to 37 from the goal line. Nice block from rookie RB James Davis. Another impressive run after catch from Jennings to get out of bounce and stop the clock near midfield. Sack of Bartell. He has to get rid of ball quicker.

Rucker fights hard to get a first down as well as a roster spot on gain of 10. Jennings takes a pass in flat and fights through several defenders to get out of bounce again. But makes a stupid rookie mistake by flipping the ball at a Bear to pick up an unsportsmanlike penalty. Drive and half ends with a sack.

 

Good half except for first play and the last defensive series.

 

Second half

Alex Hall chases a play down from behind on pass in the flats. He has really surprised me in pass coverage this preseason. Whose this QB Caleb Hanie? Colorado State…never heard of him. Jesus, somebody stop him…9 scramble, 8 to Davis, 4 to Davis, 18 to Wolfe, 25 to Gaines. TOUCHDOWN CHI! That was brutal! 13-13.

Gerard Lawson 55 yard return! Go ahead Cribbs…sit out…who needs ya.

Bartel 4 yard pass to Patton. Jennings run of 3. Bartel scrambles for 5. Rucker catches another pass for  on a nice read from both players for 10. Beautiful pass and catch as Patton beats man coverage on lob for 29 yards. Now we know why Rod Hood was cut.

Hood beat again on a slant to Brian Robiskie for TD. Replay shows Robiskie’s knee was down just short of goal line. Bartel punches it in on a QB sneak. Bartel again manages a nice TD drive. Looks a heck of a lot better than Mangini’s boy Ratliff. 20-13 cleve.

Another break down on special teams giving up a 50 yard kickoff return.

Pass too high from new rookie QB Brett Basanez. Thank God that Hanie guy is done. Stuffed run by Blake Costanzo. Well thrown ball between coverage to pick up first down…Basanez to Petermen for 19. Bootleg fails. Missed tackle from CB Francies on slant causes 18 yd TD to Rideau. 20-20.

Lawson again takes it across the 30 on KO return. Patten nearly killed getting undercut out of bounce on end around. Rucker from Bartell again for 17. Rucker is really helping is cause today.

Ali with a nice kickout block on short gain for Jennings. No where to go as Bartel takes a sack for loss of 5. Short of 1st down on pass to Jennings. This Jennings kid has some explosion and nice hands.

I just mentioned how good the special teams looked last week and they look terrible today. Punt return for Bears of 38 yards. Tack on 5 for penalty.

 

It’s scrub time now with a minute to play in the 3rd quarter. Francies pass interference. The kid is having a rough night after a solid camp. Was that Beau Bell I saw make a tackle? Chasing the play. He’s as good as cut.

Very good defensive series from Schaefering. 3 tackles and add another sack.  He was a real long-shot heading into this game, but he opened some eyes today. FG for the Bears to make it 23-20 Chicago.

Lawson has been fantastic returning kicks today. Takes it out to the 35.

 

Brett Ratliff back into the game for Bartell at QB. Ratliff looks erratic throwing the ball. Takes a sack.

1st three and out of the game. 53 yard punt from Zastudil and crazy-looking return for 11.

Bears QB Basanez looks sharp. Throws strike for 21 to Iglesias. Hits Iglesias on another deep hook…dropped. Hits Knox on 19 yard curl…Iglesias again for 11. There are some DBs on the field for the Browns who should just pack their backs and go home straight from Chicago. Chicago stalls. FG puts chi up 26-20.

Lawson stopped short of the 30 for the first time today on kickoff return. Jennings burst for 6. Ratcliff is REALLY struggling, almost picked again. Muff punt return…Cleve ball. Oops, somebody missed a block, loss of 4. All Jennings on this drive. But Ratliff is terrible-3 straight incompletions. Drop pass from Norwood didn’t help – Cut! 33 yd fg for Dawson. 26-23 Chi.

Basanez and Iglesias are eating the 3rd teamers up… 9 yrs, 26 yrds. 1 more 1st down and it’s Victory Formation Time for chi. There it is…game over. Bears 26—Browns 23.

Plenty of work to do for the coaching staff tonight. It’s final cut time.

Top Ten Conclusions From Cleveland Browns’ Preseason Game One

The dust has cleared from preseason game number one for the Cleveland Browns.

 

Packers 17 – Browns 0.

 

14-0 when the first-teamers were on the field.

 

I’m not one to put too much stock in exhibition games – win, lose or draw. Remember, last year’s 0-16 Detroit Lions went 4-0 in the preseason. 

 

But you can draw some conclusions from what can politely be described as a very poor performance.

 

Conclusion number 1:

 

It’s going to take some time for Eric Mangini to get these Browns from continually shooting themselves in the foot with unnecessary and untimely penalties.

 

Hank Fraley’s holding call in the first quarter took points off the board in the first quarter. In that same quarter, a defensive holding call by cornerback Corey Ivey on fourth down kept a Green Bay touchdown drive alive.

 

Mangini has made it one of his biggest points to prevent those types of mistakes during practices. But those were pretty big penalties from the first team that cannot continue if this team wants to avoid last year’s disaster.

 

Conclusion number 2:

 

Braylon Edwards still looks good running routes. On the other-hand, he still drops passes.

 

His drop of a sure touchdown on a perfect strike from Brady Quinn led to an interception on the very next play.

 

Braylon, it is not a requirement that you jump for every pass in order to make a highlight reel!

 

Conclusion number 3:

 

The Browns have not solved their run defense issues, nor can they rush the passer.

 

The team was gashed all night by the Green Bay rushing attack.

 

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers spent the first quarter doing his taxes before having to look up-field to find a receiver.

 

It is understandable that the coaching staff does not want to show off all their defensive blitz packages. However, this was a scene that looked all too familiar.

 

Conclusion number 4

 

Josh Cribbs looks like he has turned the corner as a wide receiver. In addition to a 29-yard running play, he caught two passes for 30 yards in the limited time the first unit was on the field.

 

He ran crisp routes and was his usual exciting self when he touched the ball in the open field.

 

Conclusion number 5:

 

The second team defense looked pretty good despite some issues with the running game.

 

I guess you have to have to put some positive spin on an overall bad day. In this case, the second unit did not surrender a touchdown.

 

Backup end C.J. Mosley looked particularly active, as did backup nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin.

 

Backup cornerback Coye Francis picked off a Brian Brohm pass in the fourth quarter.

 

A number of younger players are going to make it difficult when the final cuts have to be made.

 

Conclusion number 6:

 

Cornerback Eric Wright has shown some improvement.

 

Wright batted down a ball on a fourth down play when he made an excellent read of a quick slant.

 

Later, Wright put himself in perfect position to defend a go-route and knocked down another pass attempt.

 

Conclusion number 7:

 

The running game is not good right now.

 

Except for a trick end round play by Josh Cribbs in the first quarter, the Browns did very little on the ground.

 

The Packers played without several key players from their starting unit, yet the Browns were unable to get much of a push from their offensive line.

 

The team added a lot of bulk across the offensive line in the off-season which leads me to…

 

Conclusion number 8:

 

Jamal Lewis may be running out of gas.

 

He has suffered a number of minor bumps and bruises and had off-season ankle surgery. There is a possibility that he can still pick up his game.

 

But he certainly isn’t getting younger and is about to reach to two magic numbers as far as running backs are concerned – 30 (age) and 2500 (carries).

 

Conclusion number 9:

 

Brady Quinn will be the starting quarterback.

 

Quinn moved the offense 66 yards on 10 plays in the first quarter, putting the team in field goal position.

 

Later, Quinn put together a well-executed two-minute drill which would have resulted in a touchdown had Edwards held on to a touchdown pass.

 

Granted, he made a big mistake on the next play by throwing an interception when a field goal would have sufficed.

 

But Derek Anderson looked terrible. He replaced Quinn for two forgetful series.

 

The first series resulted in a punt after three plays.

 

The second resulted in an under-thrown interception after two plays.

 

More alarming than the actual badly thrown pass was that he threw into double coverage on a poor read.

 

This is more of the same Anderson we saw last season.

 

Conclusion number 10:

 

The Cleveland Browns have a long way to go before they are a playoff team.

 

This is a big reclamation project for the new coaching staff and for management.

 

The coaching staff has a lot of work to do to instill a winning atmosphere in the clubhouse. This team needed a total makeover in attitude.

 

The personnel is improving, but there are still holes to fill in a lot of areas.

 

It [this game] appeared to by a carbon copy of what Browns’ fans witnessed in 2008.

 

Putting a better product on the field is going to take some time.

Derek Anderson Vs. Brady Quinn: What We Know after the White/Brown Scrimmage

The Cleveland Browns held an Open House on Sunday.

 

The team played a live scrimmage and gave their fans a chance to see the new-look team.

 

Because there is such a high turnover from the 2008 version, there are plenty of position battles to watch.

 

But to most of the local media, along with a high percentage of Browns-backers, there is only one training camp battle that matters—Brady Quinn versus Derek Anderson.

 

So, after one live Brown vs. White scrimmage, what have we learned about the quarterback battle?

 

Absolutely nothing.

 

Anderson’s “white” squad edged out Quinn’s “brown” squad 17-14 in front of 14,314 patrons at the stadium.

 

Anderson quarterbacked the first offensive unit against the first defensive unit. The offense struggled to move the ball on the ground, forcing Anderson to shoulder the load.

 

He did manage to move the ball through the air and even capped off a drive with a six-yard touchdown run.

 

Unfortunately, Anderson threw a costly interception in traffic after a moving the offense in a long, no-huddle drive.

 

Quinn perhaps threw the pass of the day, a 51-yard touchdown strike to Lance Leggett.

 

He also through an interception on a pass that bounced off Leggett’s hands that should have been caught.

 

It was difficult to get a read on Quinn though, given that he was operating the second unit against the second-string defense.

 

So to recap: Anderson has a great arm, but may, on occasion, make a poor decision. Quinn can move the ball against the second string.

 

Which is exactly what we knew after last year’s training camp.

 

A lot of speculation is growing that Anderson working with the first unit means something. But Coach Eric Mangini cautioned the media not to read anything into that.

 

The guess is that Brady gets a chance with the first team against the Packers this Saturday.

 

The truth is, that despite being pressed to issue a final determination at the position, Mangini is going to let this play out until the third game of the preseason (if not longer).

 

Mangini has no horse in this race. He didn’t sign Anderson and he didn’t draft Quinn.

He is a new coach, so it is unlikely he has any pressure from the organization to pick one over the other.

 

And it is unlikely, despite all the hand-wringing to the contrary, that anyone knows for sure who is better suited to be the starter.

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