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

It started with a text.

Then there was a phone call.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prediction: Browns 37, Raiders 24