Bleacher Report - Articles by Phil Nagy

A Note To Browns Management: A Quarterback Is a Necessity!

Phil Nagy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:03:19 -0400

Another wonderful Sunday afternoon was again spent agonizing over my beloved Cleveland Browns. The Pittsburgh Steelers once again dominated the talent-deprived Browns to the tune of 27-14. It could have been, and should have been, a lot worse as 3 consecutive possessions of Steeler turnovers kept the score respectable.

This morning as I drove to work, reflecting on the game and listening to ESPN Radio's 'Mike and Mike in the Morning', one thing really hit me (and has been hitting us all as Browns fans since 1999). In the NFL, a competent quarterback is vital!

Just watch the way Ben Roethlisberger has his way with our defensive backfield. Or highlights of young Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers torching opponents for big wins; even Matt Schaub throwing for nearly a 4-spot against the Bengals. That doesn't even touch what Drew Brees and Tom Brady did. Holy cow those guys are good.

The bottom-line is, the NFL has been, and will always be a quarterback-driven league. If your team has a solid quarterback, it will be a solid team, regardless of what other pieces are in place. Quarterbacks make everyone else better.

Sure, having weapons like Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Heath Miller and Rashard Mendenhall helps. I'm pretty confident, however, that if the Browns and what they currently have on their roster added a quality signal-caller, it would be a different story, truly. The quality of talent in the free-agency/salary-cap era of the NFL is that good.

Derek Anderson is not the answer...still. Need we remember that this guy was on the practice squad behind Kyle Boller and the rest of the vaunted Ravens offense of a few years ago, and when he did come to the Browns he was third on the depth chart behind future hall of famers Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye? I think you can sense my humor here.

My point is that Derek Anderson isn't good.

For me, I still don't think we've seen enough of Brady Quinn to truly make a judgment on his future, though I'm guessing we won't see him get his chance, sorry Brady.

So, Browns fans, with the season heading for another top 5 pick, who do you want? Which quarterback (of the big 3) can lead this team? Is there somebody else in the college ranks? Or do George Kokinis/Eric Mangini go the free agency route? Only time will tell.

To me, it's crystal clear—you have got to have a good quarterback in this league. Then, everything else can and should fall into place. This team's number one concern should be getting the right guy for the long haul—then maybe we can finally blog about something good.

As always, keep the faith Browns fans!

Braylon Edwards Traded to New York, Cleveland Hopes He Packed Negative Press Too

Phil Nagy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:17:26 -0400

Breaking news out of Cleveland this morning...

It's official: The Braylon Edwards era in Cleveland has ended.

For weeks, we had been hearing about player fines and grievances, and this morning, we found out who the major culprit was: Mr. Edwards.

This weekend's scuffle with LeBron James' friend was the straw that broke Eric Mangini's back, as Edwards has regularly been a thorn in the side of his new head coach.

The timing was right. In this weekend's loss to the Bengals, Braylon had zero catches and several drops, while Mohamed Massaquoi had eight receptions, emerging as a solid set of hands for the Browns offense.

When you couple this with Mangini's desire for control, ethical conduct, respect, and trying to be Bill Parcells, you knew it was only a matter of time.

The deal has not been fully disclosed as to what the Browns will receive for Edwards, other than special team stud Jason Trusnik and "lots of upside" receiver Chansi Stuckey, along with undisclosed draft picks.

Time will tell if this is a good move for the Browns or not, but if anything, we may see some addition by subtraction. Edwards was a bit of locker room cancer, a head case, and a pretty boy prima donna receiver who has done nothing but underachieve since 2007.

Now we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that this IS Eric Mangini's team.

Keep the faith, Browns fans! Maybe we'll see a playoff appearance in our lifetime!

It's Derek Anderson's Job, Again

Phil Nagy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:55:20 -0400

Well Browns fans, the Man-genius is giving the ball back to Derek Anderson for this weekend's game vs. the surprising 2-1 Bengals. Coach Mangini's explanation was confusing and full of intelligent-sounding words; but at the root of the issue, he thinks Derek Anderson gives the team a better chance to win now.

I do not disagree, but unless the play-calling improves, we find a running game, and the right side of the line solidifies, I do not think the Browns have a prayer of scoring (let alone winning) anytime soon. Mangini has once-again 'out-thought' the situation.

Cleveland reporters barraged Mangini with questions like "why didn't you just go with Derek from the start" (my translation), and Mangini skirted the question saying "based on the information we have...we made this decision now."

What new information was presented to him? Three interceptions in one half, forcing the ball in tight places, with no chance to success, or something else? Regardless of the real reasons, the Browns are moving forward, so I'll do the same.

What does this mean for Brady Quinn?

Frankly, I don't know. In his interview, he looked depressed, and didn't hide his disappointment well.

I don't think the team will move him this year, there isn't much of a market. And you really never know, Brady's one injury away from returning to the field. It seems to me that Brady's game hinges on confidence, and right now, he has NONE.

What little was there is now gone, and I'm not sure if this kid will ever be the same, or can ever be the same as a member of the Cleveland Browns.

The real story to watch during these next weeks is this: has Mangini lost his players?

Have the fines, and the rules, and the 'baby-Belichick-isms' without Belichick results turned these players against Eric? What happens when guys on this team start playing for themselves and not the team? What happens if Derek Anderson sucks in the first half this week, with Mangini bench him?

Eric Mangini is already on the hot seat in just three weeks of real football, and not just because his team is 0-3, its the way he's gotten to 0-3 and the way his players are/are not responding.

All we can do is wait and watch. But that's what Brown's fans do best...anxiously await SOMETHING positive to happen to this team. Keep the faith, brothers and sisters.

Same Crap, Different Year

Phil Nagy — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:38:53 -0400

As a lifelong Browns fan, I've learned a few important things.

1) Art Modell totally screwed us, and we may never recover.

2) Maybe it wasn't all Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, Terry Robiskie, and Romeo Crennel's fault.

3) Maybe the culture of this team can never recover and regain the glory we once had.

As I sat on my couch watching another season begin to slip away in week two, I couldn't help but ask myself, will this ever go away?

This being the giant pit in my stomach (and no doubt ulcers) that causes me to verbally assault my TV, then my dog, which leads to a "change the channel if you can't watch it without getting mad" from my wife (who coincidentally was just as mad from our B-deck seats at last weekend's OSU/USC game).

I just wonder if this team can ever get it together?

We've begun to see a trend in sports...teams with strong leadership from the top develop winning cultures, hire great coaches, draft, sign, and develop quality players, and consistently find themselves in the playoffs.

As I look back at the nine-plus years since our triumphant return to the league, we kept hearing, "just wait, just wait, it takes time".

Well, my patience for waiting is wearing thin.

Is it ALL Randy Lerner's fault?

I don't know, but something's gotta give.

To further vent (which is all I'm really doing here). I think today's Broncos game reinforced a few things.

1) Our defense is good, when we get a chance to catch our breath.

Sure, it was easy to chalk up last week's second half debacle to the awesomeness of Adrian Peterson, but to make Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno look as good as AP did last week, may have something more to do with us than them.

It's called a first down, and we should try to get one occasionally, so that those guys can rest, and have something left in the 4th.

2) Brian Daboll is an offensive dope OR (and its a big or, I'll admit) Brady Quinn and our offense just suck like the vacuum of space.

How many more times do I have to watch a five-yard out on 3rd and 8?

Give yourselves a chance, call a play that allows receivers to go eight yards or more.

2a) Alex Mack may be the future, but I'm not sure if he (and the rest of the non-Joe Thomas or Eric Steinbach line) should be the present.

Elvis Dumervil, four sacks? Ouch. Sure, Brady holds the ball forever waiting for his check-down to turnaround, but still, its hard to convert when he's on his back.

3) This is really just a curiosity thing, but what the hell did Brian Robiskie do to get in the Mangini-dog-house?

I'm frustrated, which at this point is the norm for Fall and football season, and wondering when will it ever end...it's like we're stuck in Groundhog Day, and with the Browns, its the same s**t, different year.

Browns-Ravens: ...And They're Still the Browns...

Phil Nagy — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:58:24 -0500

Just when you thought they had actually turned things around for good, the Browns reminded the football world that they are still the same old Browns. A week after a great team-win on the road in Jacksonville, Cleveland came home to a wild crowd and a gorgeous day, only to give up 24 points in the final 16 minutes to the hated Ravens.

Early and often, they made Joe Flacco look like a Pro Bowler, as he picked apart the young secondary that had shined in prior weeks. There were way too many missed tackles and unexplainable inconsistencies.

For instance, how can the defense get great pressure and force a big sack, and then on 3rd-and-forever, give up a big pass to Derek Mason (who was quite open), for a drive-extending first down. However, you can't blame this one solely of the defense; they did their best, considering how much they were on the field in the second half.

I'm not sure who's totally at fault, Derek Anderson or Rob Chudzinski, but regardless who the culprit was, the Browns were inept at best in the second half. Five-straight three and outs helped Baltimore score those 24 unanswered points while barely letting our defense sit down on the sidelines before they were back on the field.

How many drives will we see Jamal Lewis up the middle for one, then up the middle for two, and then Derek throws a bad pass, or completes a great five-yard out on 3rd-and-7. I've hated that play call ever since Chris Palmer called it years ago (I thought we were past that).

On another drive, Anderson broke the pocket right into oncoming rushers for a sack. And how about more tipped passes...how does a 6'6'' quarterback get passes deflected at the line? Don't even get me started on Braylon's dropped passes—that's just pathetic.

This team is all over the place, and I'm not sure Romeo Crennel/Phil Savage know where to go from here. Three out of four wins, one over the Super Bowl champs, and yet, they just seem lifeless some weeks; if you saw today's game, you know the latest example.

Something has got to give, and if it doesn't, Romeo won't last the year. I'm not sure if Brady Quinn does any better, if Chud continues to call stupid plays, but something has got to give, otherwise we may as well not show up.

I guess they're still the Browns...

Derek & Goliath Postgame Wrap

Phil Nagy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:05:00 -0400

A Tuesday morning update to the previous predictions.

What Derek Must Do For the Browns to Win: First and foremost, limit the turnovers. It is going to be hard to win with no turnovers, but if he is responsible for more than one, game over.

Second, make SMART decisions. Go through a read or two, maybe even three (offensive line permitting), and make a good throw. If nothing is there, get rid of it or check down, quickly.

Third, be the leader. Anderson's teammates voted him a captain for a reason, and in times like these, his presence in the huddle is a must. Derek needs to look his guys in the eyes and demand more of them. If he can do this effectively, anything can happen.

Fourth (although not entirely in DA's hands) offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski needs to call good plays. Chud needs to call quick three-step drops and some easy out routes to give Derek some confidence, then let him stretch the field (the return of Stallworth could be huge).

No turnovers, smart decisions, solid reads, leadership in the huddle (we can only assume), good playcalling, and the return of Stallworth, all lead to a Browns romp!

Derek Anderson gained confidence early and did not disappoint. He made great reads and never forced the ball into tight spaces with covered receivers (I wonder how much of that have to do with Kellen not being in the game???).

I think about a play in the first half when Anderson was looking left, looking left, and was about to force something until he looked right, to dump off to another wide-open receiver. That decision proved to me that he just may be back.

Another huge factor for this game, and for Derek, was that zeros on the stat sheet. Zero sacks (for the No. 3 ranked defense), zero punts (Sorry Zastudil), zero turnovers! If you do those things, you win, pretty much all the time. Anderson had amazing pass protection and took advantage of it!

Three Giant Defenders to Watch (and Derek should be!):

DT - Fred Robbins. While most of the attention goes to names like Tuck, Kiwanuka, and Umenyiora, Robbins is a beast in the middle of the line. He should always be accounted for and can get in the backfield quickly. Leading the team with four sacks, he will give Eric Steinbach everything he can handle.

LB - Antonio Pierce. Pierce is the heart and soul of the defense and seems to be in on every tackle. The silver-lining here is that Pierce did not practice for much of the week and is questionable for the game with a quadricep injury.

CB - Aaron Ross. Ross is the leading tackler on this defense, which says a lot about his skills. But this ex-Texas Longhorn is hard-nosed, gritty, and FAST. Look for him to shadow Braylon Edwards for much of the night. That will be a fun matchup to watch.

These three players were neutralized, which played a big role in the outcome. A quick recap: Robbins was ineffective (as was the entire D-line) at getting to Anderson. He accounted for only two tackles and was more or less shut down. Pierce didn't start the game with his quad injury, but played most of the game after it was apparent the Browns were there to play.

Pierce only mustered three tackles and was burnt several times over the middle by Cleveland's tight ends. He is still reeling from the Dinkins touchdown right over his head.

Ross played much of the game on Braylon Edwards as expected, and Braylon destroyed him. Ross, who led the team in tackles coming into the game, only had two. In addition, Ross did not have a pass deflection and left the game with an apparent ankle injury after Braylon shook him for his fourth quarter touchdown catch.

Ross also bit hard on a fake by Edwards, which lead to the 70-yard reception in the second quarter. (On a side note: If Derek doesn't under-throw that ball, Braylon waltzes into the end zone, but all was well, as Jamal Lewis punched it in a few plays later.)

The game was surreal; No Browns fans, players, or coaches could have even scripted it this good. The stadium was rocking, full of deafening electricity. The Browns made a statement that their season is not over, and Derek Anderson's season was just beginning, and they did it on national TV!

As always, we keep the faith.

GO BROWNS!

Will the Real Derek Anderson Please Stand Up?

Phil Nagy — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:04:54 -0400

Remember that no-name guy who was picked up off of the Ravens' practice squad? We're talking about a QB who had hardly a thrilling career at Oregon State (pre-USC upset days of course), and wasn't even on the Ravens roster.

This guy was not even good enough to be on the roster for Baltimore, a team that hasn't had a decent quarterback in the franchise's brief history (yet had a Super Bowl championship?). Yet, Phil Savage picks him up to be the third QB behind Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye, which should say something right away. Through free agency, awful play, a hold-out by first round pick Brady Quinn, more awful play, and a trade later, this guy find himself starting for the Cleveland Browns.

This 2007 season is different than most because he has a real, honest-to-goodness offensive line in front of him, a potentially world-class runner behind him, two high draft picks to throw to, who are both finally healthy in the same year, and brand new Offensive Coordinator who actually knows how to call to a play or two.

This quarterback has a mediocre year and ends up making the Pro Bowl*!

In typical Cleveland fashion, management assumes he must have been the ONLY reason the team played well, and re-sign him to a deal.

A few weeks into the following campaign, after a horrible preseason, (which everyone writes-off as nothing) people begin to see that perhaps he wasn't the reason everything went so well in the prior year.

But in fact just about any bi-ped with a usable throwing arm could have made the Pro Bowl on that team, on that year, in those circumstances. We don't remember that when he had to make plays to win games, to get us into the post-season, he choked, horribly. It should have been a sign.

So, I want to know if the REAL Derek Anderson please stand up? If you are really the reason we went 10-6 last year, then please, by all means, show yourself! If you are just another decent college quarterback who got credit for the strength of the team around him, please sit down, and let someone else have a go?

As always, keep the faith!

Phil

*the 2007 Pro Bowl selection was injury-aided (thanks Tom)

Where for Art Thou, Romeo Crennel?

Phil Nagy — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:52:43 -0400

At the end of the 2007 season, everybody loved Romeo. How could he do so much better in one year? Wow, this guy is the real deal! Just give him a few years with his players, and watch. Super Bowl, baby!

I know I was drinking the Crennel Kool-Aid most of last season. But less than a month into the 2008 campaign, we may be seeing his true colors...again.

His downfall started with poor clock management. In both the Dallas and Pittsburgh games, Crennel mismanaged his timeouts at the end of half and the end of the game. Sure, that alone may not have won both or either of the games, but it certainly could not have hurt.

Crennel has never managed a game well. During his tenure he has rarely challenged effectively and his decisions on when to take his timeouts are questionable at best.

His legend grew in the first games as well, as he decided to go for field goals in situations that did not require a field goal. Specifically, in the Steelers game: when you are down 10-3, you need a touchdown to tie, two-point conversion to win.

But getting three points, making it 10-6, still requires a touchdown, and you would have to give the ball back to an offense that has run all over you in the previous 50+ minutes of the game.

Why not take a shot on fourth down, and have a real chance to win the game, not a 70-yard drive in 22 seconds with no timeouts? Silly man.

His debacle has only been accelerated by the lousiness of his defensive units. For a coach who was the defensive genius behind the Patriots dynasty, how come Cleveland's defense stinks, still? You can't blame it all on lack of talent and injuries. Those things can affect any team, and the good coaches overcome it.

Romeo "hand-picked" Todd Grantham, and then Mel Tucker, but we still are talking about a unit that is ranking 23rd in total defense right now, and 25th against the run. With an offense as anemic as they are this year (last in the NFL in total yards), that spells 0-16 season to me, in a year that had "experts" picking them as a dark horse for the Super Bowl. Can we say "the Browns are on the clock"?

The only silver lining to this season is that we will see in the next few weeks what Romeo is really made of, or we will see him pack his bags. The popular choice for his successor has been and will continue to be Bill Cowher, but I am not so sure that Bill wants this headache. So, Romeo, here's your chance to earn that $4 million extension, and prove to Cleveland, and the world, that you are a good coach!

Yet, we keep the faith. Go Browns!