Bleacher Report - Articles by Steve Tater

Red-Hot San Diego Chargers Visit the Stumbling Cleveland Browns

Steve Tater — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:56:31 -0500

The news just keeps getting worse for the 1-10 Browns as they prepare for the red-hot San Diego Chargers this week.

Starting safety Brodney Pool is likely out for the remainder of the season—if not his career—after suffering yet another concussion.

There is word that running back Jamal Lewis' impending retirement may be coming sooner than he planned after a report that the Browns will place him on the Injured Reserve list.

Nose tackle Shawn Rogers—clearly the Browns’ best defensive player—is now down for the season with a broken leg.

Defensive end Kenyon Coleman and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley are also doubtful for the Chargers’ game.

The Browns already had the following names on the IR: starting linebackers Eric Barton and D’Qwell Jackson, tight end Steve Heiden, punter Dave Zastudil, backup running back James Davis, and offensive lineman Ryan Tucker.

To say the Browns were out-manned before the injury bug hit would be grossly understated. To say the Browns are over-matched after the injuries would be akin to calling the Pope "kind of" religious.

San Diego is riding a six-game winning streak after completely dismantling the Broncos and Chiefs in back-to-back weeks.

After a 2-3 start, the Chargers are finally looking like the Super Bowl contenders many experts thought they would be before the season began.

Quarterback Philip Rivers leads a diverse group of playmakers on offense. Rivers has a 101.6 quarterback rating helped by his 19 touchdown passes against just six interceptions.

It’s a “pick your poison” between running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles, wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd, and tight end Antonio Gates.

Sproles and Tomlinson can beat you on the ground or through the air, and Floyd (6’5”/225 lbs.), Jackson (6’5”/230 lbs.), and Gates (6’4”/260 lbs.) have such a tremendous size advantage over opposing defensive backs that it is nearly impossible to match-up against them.

On the offensive line, left tackle Marcus McNiell and left guard Kris Dielman are Pro Bowlers, and center Nick Hardwick has been a Pro Bowl alternate.

If the Chargers do have an Achilles heal on offense, it is the right side of their offensive line. Despite having two of the game's biggest gamebreakers at running back, both backs’ yards per carry averages are down as a result.

Rookie third-rounder Louis Vasquez has had a difficult adjustment to the pro running game after coming out of pass-happy Texas Tech.

Starting right tackle Jeromey Clarey is now out for the season. He will be replaced by either back-up guard Brandyn Dombrowski or Jon Runyan, who was just talked out of retirement last week.

The defense is active and is especially strong against the run. Improvement on this side of the ball is the main reason for the team’s turn-around after a 34-23 loss to the Broncos on October 19.

Louis Castillo leads a rather non-descript group of defensive lineman. The Chargers front three do not make plays, but simply keep offensive lineman from hammering away at a solid group of linebackers.

Shaun Phillips has supplanted All Pro Shawne Merriman as the most disruptive force on the San Diego Defense. The sixth-year pro is becoming impossible to handle with a single blocker and must be accounted for at all times.

Merriman has not shown the same explosiveness that he had prior to his Achilles tear in 2009. He has recorded sacks in only two games this year and might miss the Browns’ game with a foot injury.

First round pick Larry English has not made much of an impact thus far, but may get a chance to play if Merriman does not suit up.

Stephen Cooper already has 80 tackles at middle linebacker. And although the opposite, starting middle linebacker Kevin Burnett might miss the game because of a concussion, Brandon Siler and Tim Dobbins are more than capable veteran backups who have received plenty of playing-time.

Antonio Cromartie and Quentin Jammer form arguably the best book-end cover corners in the league. Their ability to lock-down outside receivers forces teams to look to their tight ends and running backs much more than they would like.

The safety position is in a state of flux for the Chargers now that Eric Weddle will not play due to injury.

Rookie safety C.J. Spillman will play his first NFL game at safety in place of Weddle. Spillman will be thrown into the fire after spending all of the season on the inactive roster or special teams.

Kevin Gregory will likely start at the other safety. Rookie backup Kevin Ellison may also see some action.

Although the Chargers have some injury concerns of their own, they just have too many weapons on the offensive side of the ball for the Browns to keep up.

Because the Chargers cornerbacks are the strength of the team, the Browns will be forced to get some production out of the tight end position—something that they have not been able to do all year.

Look for the Chargers to jump out ahead early and never look back.

Final Prediction: San Diego Chargers 34 – Cleveland Browns 6

Five Things Browns Fans Should Be Thankful For

Steve Tater — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:59:46 -0500

My grandmother used to tell me every Thanksgiving that no matter how bad things seem, there is always someone that has it worse than you. It didn’t matter if someone close to her was sick, going through tough financial times, or even if someone had died – grandma was always thankful for the things she had no matter how meager. Before the Thanksgiving turkey was cut, everyone at the dinner table had to recite what they were thankful for. For Cleveland Browns fans, it might be a while before we eat. After losing to the lowly Detroit Lions to fall to 1-9, we might have to just throw out the tired, lame “I’m thankful for my family” response. But in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I will give it a try.

Begin Slideshow

Quinn For HOF, Daboll The Next Air Coryell, Stuckey The Next Rice

Steve Tater — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:44:15 -0500

Brady Quinn is the second coming of Tom Brady after his 300 yard, four touchdown performance against the Lions.

Brian Daboll is being favorably compared to Don Coryell after the Cleveland Browns offense scored a whopping 35 points in the game (24 points in less than 12 minutes in the first quarter).

Chansi Stuckey is the perfect second option, playmaking wide receiver the Browns franchise has been looking for.

Let’s be real honest here. None of the aforementioned sentences are true.

What we saw was a mirage that would be a mistake for anyone to take as reality.

The Detroit Lions have allowed more points than any team in football and they showed why on Sunday. Blown coverages, bad tackling, and overall confusion from defensive backs have been a staple of the Lions’ defense for years.

It would be wise to take a step back and analyze exactly how the Browns managed to score 37 points in a game before we start building a bust for Brady Quinn in Canton—and we start calling Brian Daboll the next hot head coaching candidate.

After all, we have seen those same big numbers out of Derek Anderson and we all know how that turned out.

Quinn threw touchdown strikes of 59 and 40 yards to Mohamed Massaquoi and Chansi Stuckey early in the game.

On both, Massaquoi and Stuckey broke completely free when the Lions defensive backfield bit on play action fakes. Good defenses do not let that happen twice in a season, let alone twice in a game.

The third touchdown was set up by an interception return by Eric Wright which gave the Browns first and goal field position at the six yard line.

The fourth touchdown pass was a two-yarder to Michael Gaines, who forced his way into the endzone by the shear force of his weight. That touchdown was set up by a series of short runs, short passes, and a Detroit offsides penalty which kept the drive alive.

Granted, it was nice to see some life from an offense that was non-existent for nine games. At least it made the game ‘watchable’ (which is something I could not have predicted when two dreadfully woeful football teams lined up for kick-off).

But before we start getting too comfortable with the play-calling of Daboll and the passing of Quinn, we should keep a mindful eye on the fact that the Lions defense is atrocious.

The Lions surrendered 10 plays of 20 or more yards the week earlier. The fact that the Browns managed two is not cause for a ticker tape parade.

All this game did is set up a future date with the Oakland Raiders in what I will less-than-affectionately dub as "The Draft Bowl."

Cleveland Meets Detroit in The Toilet Bowl

Steve Tater — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:43:13 -0500

In what could quite possibly be the most unwatchable sporting event in the last decade, the 1-8 Cleveland Browns meet the 1-8 Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Save the Oakland Raiders, this is a meeting of currently the two most anemic franchises in the NFL—maybe in all of professional sports.

Clevelanders, do you think you have it bad? Try these numbers on for size:

Since 1995, the Detroit Lions have been to one playoff game.

The Lions have a grand total of one playoff win since 1957. That’s right! 1957!

The 2008 team is the only team in NFL history to lose all sixteen games in a single season (The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 0-14).

They now have lost 31 out of their last 33 games.

The Lions have played above .500 just 15 times in the last 52 years. To put that into perspective, the Browns have eclipsed that total 26 times in the same time period.

Ineptitude has not been solely reserved for the Browns franchise.

If misery loves company, then Detroit and Cleveland fans should form their own Facebook group.

Like many teams before them, the Lions guessed that they could turn their fortunes around by drafting a quarterback in the first round. But they have quickly found out that despite Matthew Stafford’s considerable skills, they are still a long ways away from respectability.

While their offense has managed to put some points on the board, the team has surrendered a league worst 264 points.

When the bottom feeder offense meets the bottom feeder defense this weekend, something has to give.

On offense, the Lions do possess one of the NFL’s best weapons in wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Unfortunately, he has missed all or part of four games because of injury.

Last week, Johnson played his first full game since week four against the Vikings and did catch eight passes for 84 yards. At 6’5”, 236 pounds, he can run by, through, or jump over nearly every cornerback in the National Football League.

With Johnson, Bryant Johnson, Dennis Northcutt, and rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew, Stafford isn’t afraid to air the ball out. The results have been mixed, however, as he currently has a 1:2 touchdown to interception ratio.

A big disappointment has been running back Kevin Smith who looked like he was turning the corner as a pro last season. He is averaging only 51.5 yards per game on a paltry 3.4 yards per carry.

Like the Browns, the Lions have issues on the right side of their offensive line along with the left guard slot. However, center Dominic Raiola and left tackle Jeff Backus are solid.

On the defensive side of the ball the Lions are a mess. In their last game against the Vikings, the team gave up ten plays of 20 yards or more.

Four different safeties are either injured or playing hurt. The Lions may have to resort to starting benched cornerback Anthony Henry at one of the two spots.

The Lions have had to sign eight different defensive backs since the start of the season because of poor play or injuries.

Outside linebacker Ernie Sims, who is a tackling machine when healthy, will miss the Cleveland game with a hamstring injury.

Detroit’s front four generate little to no pass rush and do an even poorer job stopping the run. The team is pining for the days when they could rely on current-Brown, Shawn Rogers to control the line of scrimmage.

Left outside linebacker Julian Peterson is the lone play-maker the team has on defense, and even he has struggled because the defensive lineman cannot keep him clean to make plays.

Former Steeler, Larry Foote has put up big tackle numbers at middle linebacker, but he has been unable to create turnovers like he did with Pittsburgh.

This Lions team may be the Cleveland Browns last hope of garnering a second victory (and vice versa).

I do look for the Browns to finally put the ball in the end zone this week. And if the Browns defense plays as well as it did against the Ravens on Monday night, that might be enough to finally put one in the win column.

Final Prediction: Cleveland Browns 17 – Detroit Lions 14

Cleveland Browns: A View From Up Close

Steve Tater — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:09:44 -0500

I attended my first Cleveland Browns game of the season Monday night and remembered why I prefer to sit in the comforts of my own home while watching a football game.

While certainly there are some benefits to watching a game live, I missed my big screen, TIVO, and refrigerator where I can grab a beer for significantly less than the $6.50 per Randy Lerner charges me.

At the same time, seeing the game in person certainly does give one a different perspective, especially when you are as close to the field as I was.

Here are just a few observations from my vantage point.

Wow these guys are big!

It is not as if I have never seen NFL football players before, but it never ceases to amaze me how ridiculously large these players are.

The television screen just cannot do justice to players like Joe Thomas and Shawn Rogers. Even players who are smaller by NFL standards look super-human up close.

When I started watching NFL football as a little boy, today’s linebackers were the size of defensive linemen. Jamal Lewis might have played offensive guard in the late 1960s, early 1970s.

However, I do want to give special mention to wide receiver Brian Robiskie.

Mr. Robiskie would do well to seriously hit the weight room in the offseason if he wants to survive in this league. Brian, don’t be afraid to mix in a protein shake and a steak with those salads.

Favorite sign of the night

One thing about Cleveland sports fans that you have to like: they sure can be creative when describing their disappointment in their team.

I saw a little boy with a brown, paper bag over his head that brought back memories of the New Orleans Ain'ts.

I saw some other pretty inventive ways Browns fans were voicing their displeasure with Eric Mangini and ownership, but my personal favorite was from the fan holding up a sign that says it all:

“HEY BALTIMORE CAN YOU TAKE THIS TEAM TOO?”

“A” for effort for the defense

The Cleveland Browns defensive unit deserved a better fait against the Ravens. Outside of an ill-advised gamble by cornerback Brandon McDonald, the defense played their hearts out.

Linebacker David Bowens in particular played a fantastic game. Making the shift from the outside to the inside due to injuries, Bowens was all over the field.

Although it didn’t show up in the stat line, Shawn Rogers disrupted the Ravens attack with his ability to manhandle the middle of the line of scrimmage. He was so fast off the ball that it appeared as if he already knew the snap count.

The defensive backfield showed up big, allowing only three catches to Ravens wide receivers in the entire game. That is an amazing statistic for a team that ended up on the losing side of a football game.

The Baltimore Ravens have a diverse group of weapons on offense that makes them difficult to defend. The players and coaching staff held them in check for most of the game.

My hat is off to a defense that has been depleted by injuries for keeping their energy up on a team that has nothing to play for—that is no easy task.

I feel like I am watching a high school offense

Those were the words I used to describe the Browns as I watched, in dismay, the Brown's anemic offense.

Off tackle plays, screen passes to wide receivers, and the inverted wing-T (“wildcat”) on third-and-long are plays teams use when they do not trust their quarterback and offensive line.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll may have good reason not to trust either, but at some point you have to throw caution to the wind and let the ball fly. This is the NFL not Friday Night Lights.

Three plays that should concern Brady Quinn fans

Please don’t pepper me with Derek Anderson comparisons. The real question is, “Is Brady Quinn an NFL quarterback?”

I am not going to completely cast the blame on Quinn for the two interceptions. Those interceptions could have been caused by an array of factors of which I do not have the answer: miscommunication, off-target throws, inability to haul the ball in by receivers, bad routes by the receivers....

He also inexplicably has fallen prey to the bad habit of patting the football which has slowed his release. In fact, that habit caused a near-interception on a short pass over the middle that was open for a split second.

But, all-of-the-above can be corrected in practice and film study.

What was of more concern to me were three plays that had very little to do with the outcome of the game, but each pointed out concerns about Quinn’s arm strength that cannot be corrected.

The first was on a long out-pattern to running back Lawrence Vickers on the first play of the second series of the game. Quinn floated a wobbly pass over Vickers’ head that had no chance of success.

The second and third were desperation heaves to end the game that looked as though someone shot the ball in mid-air as they landed harmlessly out of bounds.

Improved play-calling, a wide receiver that can make plays down the field, and an offensive line that can keep the quarterback upright are not going to make a bit of difference if the Browns do not have a quarterback who can get the ball down the field.

So unless the Cleveland Clinic can perform a transplant by attaching Quinn’s head onto Anderson’s body, the Browns' quarterback search will continue.

What were you thinking Eric Mangini?

I do not take issue with the play call. Hey, at least they appeared to play the game to the final whistle.

But, at what point do you take your star player off the field on a meaningless play at the end of regulation?

Joshua Cribbs had no reason to even be on the field for the last play of the game, let alone putting him in a defenseless position on a hook-and-ladder.

The Ravens wanted payback for a perceived "cheap shot" by Brady Quinn earlier in the game—and Eric, you gave them a perfect opportunity to take out what is now your best player.

Cribbs and his agent have every right to be mad.

The fans failed walk-out attempt

There was a growing ground swell from some Browns fans who wanted to stage a walk-out on the national scene of Monday Night Football.

Some believed that by not showing up until the second quarter it would leave an undying impression on the owner that, “we’re not going to take it anymore!”

That protest quickly lost steam when fans realized that they paid $20 for parking, and $32 to $280 for their seats. For those prices, I am not going to miss any action even to watch a bad team.

I was lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to get my ducats for free, but here is a note to Cleveland Browns fans who really want to send a message to Randy Lerner about the state of the team, “stop buying tickets!”

Cleveland Browns' Eric Mangini: Deja Vu All Over Again?

Steve Tater — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:00:13 -0500

On my way to the office today, I was listening to a local sports talk radio show taking merciless shots at Eric Mangini.

Callers to the show chimed in with their own negative views of the beleaguered head coach. And that is putting it lightly.

Just yesterday, veteran running back Jamal Lewis took a not-so-subtle swipe at the head coach for what he deems to be working the players too hard.

Without getting into the legitimacy of Lewis’ gripe, it occurred to me that I had been in this place before as I listened on my car speakers.

New head coach takes over a team that was bludgeoned to death the year before under complaints that the previous regime was too soft on its players.

Head coach proceeds to dismantle the roster to rid the team of malcontents and players who do not want to play by his rules.

Head coach unceremoniously benches the hero quarterback and Clevelanders threaten to charge the gates of the Browns' headquarters.

Veteran players begin to squeal on the head coach to the media because he’s working them too hard and is not approachable enough in the clubhouse.

Soft-spoken, egotistical, and remorseless head coach makes enemies with the media because he is...well, soft-spoken, egotistical, and remorseless.

The local fans and media members take turns joining into the fracas by consistently beating the life out of the head coach on the airwaves and in the newspapers.

Just as all those previous events begin to float through my head, a caller to the talk show comes on and says, “this is like déjà vu all over again…you guys are running this coach out of town just like you did to Bill Belichick.”

Now, this particular media member gets defensive and cut off the caller by shouting him down with, “revisionist history,” “Modell let him go before he took the team to Baltimore,” and “Bill admitted he made mistakes when he was with the Browns.”

While it is in fact true that the Browns were on their way out of town with or without Bill Belichick, apparently some in the Cleveland media forget their places in history, as well.

In 1995, I placed my one and only phone call to a sports talk radio station. In fact, it was to that exact same talk show host I was listening to today (who, by the way, I think is fantastic and I happen to agree with roughly 80 percent of the time).

He and a Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter had just spent the previous three months taking apart coach Belichick at virtually every turn and I called to defend the man.

I reminded them both that neither had ever coached a football team—let alone coached an NFL team to the playoffs, nor had they been on a Super Bowl-winning coaching staff. I tried to explain to them that this guy is young and he will learn from his mistakes, and he has a reputation as a very smart football guy.

I further went on to say that even though no one wants to admit it, he took over a team on the decline and it will take a little while to clean it up.

I was quickly dispatched, as I assume I did not comport to the lynch mob mentality of the remainder of their listeners.

“If you don’t want to jump off this cliff with the rest of our sheep, we don’t want you on our show.”

So let’s look at the history that followed Bill Belichick after he left Cleveland:

Belichick was roasted for saying that a legendary Cleveland quarterback had “diminishing skills.”

Let’s also not forget that same legendary quarterback openly defied the coach’s play call by “drawing one up in the dirt.” Although Belichick didn’t say it at the time, these events led him to cut the legendary quarterback from the team probably more than the player’s “diminishing skills.”

And that same legendary quarterback who tried to lead a revolt against the head coach went on to win...zero games as a starter in the NFL.

That’s right, sports fans! He did not win a single game as a starter again!

Meanwhile, Bill Belichick went on to lead one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties to four Super Bowl appearances and collect three Lombardi Trophies.

He has solidified his spot in the Football Hall of Fame as one of the most successful coaches to ever carry the clipboard.

That brings us back to today.

While it is hard at this point to point to any successes that current head coach Eric Mangini has made with these Cleveland Browns, he is only one year into the “process”—I use that term because I know much everyone hates to hear it.

The team is ONE YEAR removed from the Club Crennel approach that led to a 4-12 season!

The team is ONE YEAR removed from a 2008 draft class that did not have a single pick until round four!

The team is ONE YEAR removed from a team that had not decided on its starting quarterback, and was precariously thin at just about every position on the football field!

Fans and the media may not like his personality. The players may not like his methods. But one year is just not enough time to evaluate a coach who took over the mess he took over.

I am not predicting Super Bowl rings or even success for Mangini here in Cleveland. For all I know, he may end up being just another in a long line of disappointment us Clevelanders have had to endure.

I fully expect to receive plenty of angry comments from disaffected Browns fans who are calling, “Off with his head!”

And after all Cleveland Browns fans have been through over the years, they have every right to be mad about the product they are seeing on the field.

Perhaps I take too much joy out of simply stating the contrarian opinion, but I do want to remind everyone of this rather apropos quote from philosopher George Santayana:

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Cleveland Browns General Manager Search: Weighing the Options

Steve Tater — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:52 -0500

A lot of big names are being bandied about to be the next General Manager of the Cleveland Browns.

We have heard names such as Mike Holmgren, Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Cowher, and Mike Shanahan.

There certainly will be some interest on the part of owner Randy Lerner in each. So let’s look at the background, wisdom as a choice of each, and the chances that that they may actually have an interest in the Cleveland Browns’ position.

Mike Holmgren

Holmgren will be 62 by the time next season starts and last coached the Seattle Seahawks in 2008.

He is highly regarded as a quarterback developer, having worked with such All-Pro quarterbacks as Joe Montana, Steve Young, Brett Favre and Matt Hasselbeck as an assistant and head coach in the NFL.

He also worked as a quarterback coach with Brigham Young University at a time when they were putting up record passing numbers under head coach LaVell Edwards.

He won a Super Bowl as a head coach in 1996 with the Packers. After a highly successful stint as a head coach with the Packers, he left the team largely because he wanted control over personnel decisions (something he did not have in Green Bay).

His stint as a coach/general manager with the Seattle Seahawks did not go quite as smoothly, although he did manage to take the Seahawks to their lone Super Bowl appearance in 2005. The Seahawks record was 86-74 during his tenure.

The rumor is that Holmgren comes as a package with Jon Gruden as the head coach. A Gruden-Holmgren duo makes for a pretty impressive twosome, as Gruden boasts a pretty solid resume in his own right.

The downside to Holmgren is that his record as a general manager is not nearly as sterling as his record as a coach. If the Browns intend on keeping current head coach Eric Mangini, this would not be a match made in heaven.

The two come off entirely different coaching trees with completely different coaching philosophies. If Holmgren does become the next decision maker, Mangini’s days are numbered.

The guess is that it would not take much other than big dollars to push Holmgren out of retirement.

Mary Schottenheimer

Local sentiment is on the side of Marty Schottenheimer, who was the Cleveland head coach during what was unquestionably the franchise's best run of football since the glory years of the 1950s and ‘60s. He amassed a 44-27 record as head coach of the Browns.

How quickly fans forget that they once were calling for Marty’s head when he “couldn’t win the big one” against arch-rival John Elway and the Denver Broncos.

Schottenheimer followed up his Browns experience with a successful run as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing 101-58-1 in 10 years. But again, Marty just could not get his team over the top in the playoffs.

He finished 8-8 in his one season with the Washington Redskins, and led the San Diego Chargers to a 47-33 record in five years.

Although Schottenheimer was successful for virtually every team he coached during the regular season, he could never get the “playoff monkey” off his back.

Another thing to keep in mind with Schottenheimer is that he has very little experience as a general manager. Throughout his coaching career, he was surrounded by strong personnel evaluators who generally had the last word with respect to roster decisions.

It remains to be seen whether Schottenheimer has the ability to run a franchise. His lone experience in “running the show” was in his one year with the Redskins.

Although Schottenheimer does not have a direct link to Eric Mangini, Mangini did give Marty’s son his first job as an offensive coordinator with the Jets.

Additionally, their coaching philosophies are not all that different. They both believe that strong defenses and power running games are the keys to success.

Thus, if Randy Lerner is serious about keeping Mangini around, this might not be such a bad match.

At this point in his career, Marty would probably sign any contract an NFL owner put in front of him.

Bill Cowher

This is a name that many Cleveland fans have been dreaming about for a decade. Cowher cut his teeth as an assistant with the Browns and became one of the most successful coaches in history with the hated Pittsburgh Steelers.

There are several reasons why Bill Cowher might want to come to Cleveland, not least of which is his ego. Although he still is a beloved figure in Pittsburgh, he never believed his pay from the Rooney family was commensurate with what he was able to accomplish as a field general.

There certainly must be a part of him that would love to stick it to his former employer as a divisional rival.

Despite all that, there are a number of reasons why Cowher coming to Cleveland would be a long shot.

First of all, he is a Carolina resident and there has long been talk that he has been waiting around with bated breath for the Panther opening so he could stay close to home. Because of the recent failures of the Panthers, that time may be coming soon.

Secondly, he was already offered a king’s ransom to come to Cleveland by Randy Lerner last year. Little has changed that would make the Browns more attractive the second time around.

The word on the street is that Cowher wants the dual role as the head coach and the general manager. Money and complete power are the only things that are going to talk him out of retirement.

That may not necessarily be a good thing. Keep in mind that although Cowher was a great coach, he was never the architect behind the player decision process with the Steelers.

Most forget that Tom Donahoe was the Director of Football Operations from 1992 through 2000 and is credited with many of the player acquisitions which made the Steelers a powerhouse.

Kevin Colbert took over for Donahoe in 2000 and still holds that position.

Mike Shanahan

Mike Shanahan is perhaps the one name on this list who has successfully built a franchise from the ground up as both a coach and a personnel decision-maker.

He has two Super Bowl rings as a coach and led the Denver Broncos to a 138-86 record in his tenure.

He may still have some desire to coach, but at 58 years old, that may or may not be in the cards in the NFL.

Shanahan is a brilliant offensive mind, dating back to his days as an offensive coordinator with the Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers (1992).

Shanahan may have been the beneficiary of being the head coach of the Broncos during the John Elway era, but the one thing his teams always were able to do is run the football, no matter who was toting the rock.

He seemed to find diamond-in-the-rough running backs and offensive lineman all over the draft board and his style of play lends itself to the cold, blustery playing conditions here in Cleveland.

One other consideration is that Shanahan’s son, Kyle, is a rising star and is the youngest offensive coordinator (28) in the NFL with the Houston Texans. Kyle currently has the Texan offense clicking with a journeyman quarterback and a less-than-stellar group of running backs.

Although Kyle may not be ready to be a head coach, perhaps his father could coax him into being the head coach in waiting as he tries to breath new life into the Browns disastrous offensive attack.

Mike Shanahan has a track record and is just the kind of tough-minded leader that this franchise has lacked since its rebirth in 1999.

He does have a rather autocratic style, however, which will most certainly not mesh with Eric Mangini. Thus, if Shanahan is brought on board as General Manager, Mangini will not make it past the opening introductions.

Shanahan, at this time last year, could afford to be picky with regards to who his next employer would be. But currently, there is not enough interest around the league for him to turn down a job if Lerner met his salary demands.

Others

There are some among the local fan base and media who are calling for the Browns to bring in an old-timer who has run a team in the past who can teach Cleveland legend Bernie Kosar the ropes.

Kosar does not have enough NFL experience to just jump into the job despite his legendary football acumen and die-hard allegiance from Browns’ fans.

Since Ernie Accorsi has hedged on whether he would like to join the Cleveland Browns organization, an interesting choice as Kosar’s mentor might be former Redskins and Texans GM Charley Casserly.

Regardless of which way Randy Lerner turns, his best option would be to slowly and methodically weigh his options and listen to advice from those in the NFL inner-circle, rather than jump the gun like he did in his last major hire.

Time for Jamal Lewis and the Cleveland Browns to Part Ways

Steve Tater — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:03:15 -0500

Jamal Lewis should be considered in the same breath as some of the great running backs to ever play in the NFL.

A legitimate case can be made that he should receive serious consideration for the Hall of Fame when he finally calls it quits.

He earned a Super Bowl ring in a season in which he was essentially his team’s only offensive weapon.

He won the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2003. In that season, he became only the fifth running back in the history of the NFL to rush for over 2,000 yards.

In that same year, he fell only 39 yards short of setting the single season rushing record held by Eric Dickerson. His 295 yards rushing in a single game set an all-time record.

Lewis recently passed Eddie George and Tiki Barber to move into 21st on the all-time rushing list and should find himself in the top 20 by the time this season ends.

But more than just statistics should describe the football player that is Jamal Lewis. He was, and is, a warrior.

Never one to shy away from contact, Lewis has caused many a defender to wake up on Monday morning wondering what truck ran over them the day before.

He played the game hard. He played through injuries, and he inspired his teammates with his quiet but brutal style of play.

He fought for every yard and left carnage in his wake.

He was signed in the year 2007 by the Cleveland Browns when some questioned exactly how much he had left after seven seasons of his battering-ram approach to the game. After all, he had been outright waived by the Baltimore Ravens when management believed that Lewis’ career was coming to an end.

He proved all naysayers wrong by rushing for over 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns while leading the Browns to their best record since the rebirth of the franchise.

Lewis is now adamant that he will retire when this year comes to an end.

Those may just be the words of a proud man who simply does not like losing—or it just might be the realization that his body can no longer handle the weekly wear-and-tear that an NFL running back of his ilk dishes out and takes.

Despite my complete and utter respect for Mr. Lewis' career, it is time for both he and the organization to go their separate ways.

Lewis has revived his career on several occasions, going all the way back to a terrible knee injury he sustained as a college football player. But after over 2,500 carries (before this season ends), the Cleveland Browns can no longer rely on him if they want to move forward to respectability.

Professional football is a cruel business, and unfortunately players of his stature have to check their egos at the door when they are nearing the end of their careers.

Both he and the Cleveland Browns will be better off if he chooses to retire, rather than face the cold indignity that comes when a franchise decides that a player should not be part of their future.

I am hoping that Jamal does not have a change of heart so that he does not have to face that degradation.

Thank you for your service, Jamal! You truly have been one of the greats of my generation.

Cleveland fans, Baltimore fans, and NFL fans in general owe you a debt of gratitude.

But it is time for the Cleveland Browns to move on...and for you to end your career with grace.

Chicago Bears Hungry in Their Week Seven Cleveland Browns Matchup

Steve Tater — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:05:08 -0500

The Cleveland Browns head to Chicago to take on a Bears team that is licking its wounds after a 45-10 beat down from the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

The Bears seemed to be riding high after starting the season 3-1, including a win against the world champion Steelers. But they are now on a two game losing streak and are hungry to put on a beat down of their own this week.

Offensively, the Bears have the weapons to do it. But defensively, they are struggling to overcome the loss of All Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte lead the offense.

Cutler has struggled to gain consistency after being traded away from the Denver Broncos. But with one of the leagues strongest arms and the capability to buy time in the pocket with his feet, he can light teams up on any given day.

Cutler is coming off of a three-interception game and has now thrown five picks in the last two (nine interceptions in the Bears three losses). The season has been a tale of two Cutlers as in the teams' three wins he has seven touchdown passes against just one interception.

Forte, who ran for over 1,200 yards in his rookie debut, is going threw some growing pains in his sophomore season. Forte currently has just one touchdown run against three fumbles, and his yards per carry average has dropped to 3.5 in his second season.

He did manage 121 yards on only 12 carries in Week Four against the Lions, but he has had three games this season where he was not even able to get over the 30-yard barrier.

It seems as though the Bears are a team in transition as they attempt to find their offensive identity from a run-first team to a team more reliant on the passing game. Look for coach Lovie Smith to try to gain more balance in their attack against the Browns this week.

The receiving corps is led by Devin Hester, who is starting to establish himself as more than just an electric return man. Hester is coming off his first 100-yard receiving game this year and is beginning to figure out the intricacies of the position.

The rest of the wideouts are average at best. Second year wideout Earl Bennett is becoming Cutler’s go-to guy in third-down situations, but has not established himself as a big play threat.

Rashied Davis was beginning to look like a playmaker in 2008, but is currently buried down the depth chart as the team looks to use return man-wide receiver Johnny Knox to take shots down the field in three-receiver sets.

Knox, in his rookie season out of small Alibene Christian College, has three receiving touchdowns (all over 20-yards) and one kickoff return for a touchdown this year.

The offensive line is a veteran group whose old legs are having a difficult time in the run game.

Center Olin Kreutz is in his twelve year. Left tackle Orlando Pace, now in his thirteenth season, is struggling to regain his Pro Bowl form after several seasons of injuries.

Right tackle Chris Williams is the only youngster on the line. The former first round draft choice is learning on the job as he comes back from back surgery that ruined what would have been his rookie year.

Nine-year veteran Roberto Garza, Frank Omiyale, and Josh Beekman split time at the guard spots.

The defense is reeling after getting torched by the Bengals in Week Six. Carson Palmer threw five touchdown passes, and former-Bear Cedric Benson ran over, around and through the Bears defense in route to 45-points last week.

The Bears cannot figure out exactly what lineup they want to send out on the field at linebacker, switching Nick Roach and Hunter Hillenmeyer between the outside and middle linebacker slots.

The one mainstay is outside linebacker Lance Briggs, who already has 46 tackles over six games.

The Bears defense is allowing a Cleveland Browns-like 40 percent conversion rate on third downs. That did not happen when Urlacher was in the lineup.

The front four consists of Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison, and Anthony Adams splitting time at the defensive tackle positions, and Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye at the ends.

Harris is the teams best run-plugger in the middle but has been dealing with a string of injuries. Brown and Ogunleye are solid edge rushers, but age is beginning to creep up on them.

Charles Tillman has the ability to be a shut-down corner and will usually matchup with the oppositions' best receiver. He managed to contain Calvin Johnson and Roddy White, but was beaten all over the field by Chad Johnson against the Bengals.

Second year player Zack Bowman starts at the opposite cornerback position. He is young and improving, but teams will continue to pick on him until he shows he can stop it.

Rookie Al Afalaya starts at safety and can hit. His coverage skills are still a work in progress, however.

Danieal Manning is beginning to open some eyes at the opposite safety spot. He has been the one pleasant surprise for the Bears defense in 2009, showing a real nose for the ball.

Manning combines blazing speed, outstanding instincts along with a complete disregard for his body when filling holes to stop the run. He is starting to draw comparisons to Steelers all-world safety Troy Polamalu.

The Bears are hungry after two straight embarrassing losses, and will look to get off the schneid against the Browns.

If the Bears are able to establish their running game early, Cutler will be too much for the Cleveland defense to handle.

The Bears defense is not the Monsters of the Midway of the past, but they do not need to be against the Browns.

If Jamal Lewis and company can get the Cleveland Browns running game going early, they can keep it close. But in the end, the Browns do not have the veteran talent necessary to win this game.

Final Prediction: Chicago Bears 27 – Cleveland Browns 13

Cleveland Browns Fans: Do You Still Want To See The Rookies?

Steve Tater — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:06:40 -0400

OK Browns fans, you wanted them…you got them. A good portion of the B/R Community was calling on head coach Eric Mangini to play the rookies.

The theory went, “this team isn’t going anywhere, so give the young guys a chance!”

I cannot tell you how many posts I have gotten since the beginning of the season arguing that we need to play Mohammed Massaquoi (Brian Robiskie, Kaluka Maiava, David Veikune, Coye Francies, James Davis, Phil Trautwein, Brett Ratliff).

Well Cleveland fans, with the exception of Trautwein (a marginal “professional” who was picked off the practice squad), James Davis (who was injured) and Ratliff (who couldn’t complete a preseason pass against players who are no longer in the NFL), here they are. Are you happy now?

I am not sure that everyone understands exactly how tough of a transition it is from the college level to the NFL.

It is one thing to plug in a rookie next to a bunch of veterans who can take the heat off him. But it is another thing to throw your entire draft out on the field and ask them to remain competitive. It just is not going to happen.

When starting middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson went down with injury last week, some opined that it was a “good thing” because players like Maiava and Veikune could learn on the job.

Maybe in the long run it is a good thing. But in the short run, this Browns team is going to get beat like a drum.

I tried to warn anyone who was listening that although getting rid of Braylon Edwards might have solved some clubhouse issues…you better be prepared for what is going to happen when he is gone.

Now that Edwards is gone the Browns have not one, but two rookie second round draft choices starting at wide receiver.

Let’s all just stop and think about what happens during the course of an average pass play.

The average NFL quarterback has about three seconds to make a read when he steps back to pass. It is currently taking almost two seconds for the rookie wide receiver class to even get off the line of scrimmage.

Those plays are dead before they even start!

On top of that, because the Browns are throwing the ball in a lot of second or third and long situations, teams are bringing the house at our quarterbacks. That is giving Browns quarterbacks even less time to deliver the ball.

Given the debacle that occurred last week against the Packers, there is a good chance that no one has this game TIVOed. But if you do, please watch the matchup of the Browns wideouts against the Packers cornerbacks.

There is just no way possible that anything the Browns call is going to work under those circumstances. There are times that Robiskie and Massaquoi cannot even get into the pattern they are running, let alone get separation.

Now I want you to watch a college game so you can see the difference between what an NFL receiver has to go through to get into a pattern versus a college wideout. You will rarely see college wide receivers have to fight off jams because college cornerbacks (outside of a few superior athletes) are afraid to get beat.

College wide receivers run their patterns without even getting touched at the line of scrimmage. That is why starting two second rounders at wide receiver is just asking for trouble.

Neither Massaquoi nor Robiskie is ready to accept that kind of responsibility. They are both physically and mentally over-matched.

The Browns currently have a rookie who should be a number two or three receiver as the number one option. They have another rookie who should be a number three or four receiver as the number two option. Lastly, they have a punt returner/former quarterback who is the number three option.

That is a recipe for disaster.

I even tried to find a photograph for this article of Brian Robiskie getting open; but sadly, no such picture exists.

If a team is forced to play multiple rookies (Alex Mack, Massaquoi, Robiskie, Veikune, Maiava, etc.) next to the average talent that is playing next to them, there are going to be days like the last three Sundays.

Why is a guy like the rookie WR Mike Wallace having such a good season in Pittsburgh? Wallace has two veteran receivers (Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes) on the field with him. Wallace is lucky enough to be drawing the other teams’ third corner or safety on every play.

For those of you who are now calling on Brett Ratliff to take the snaps, be careful what you wish for.

Ratliff made the team only because he understood the playbook. He had a difficult time completing passes when facing other teams’ third and fourth stringers who did not even make a professional roster.

For those of you who think I am trying to excuse Derek Anderson’s play…you are wrong. But to point the blame for all of both the offense and defense’s troubles at one man is remarkably short-sighted.

The point I am trying to make is that although both Anderson and Quinn have been terrible...this offense has NO CHANCE. And the defense might be even worse. They are completely out-manned.

I do not care if either of these quarterbacks is the second coming of Joe Montana (which they are not), this offense is not going to move the ball consistently this year; or at least until the Browns play a few teams who are going through the same rebuilding process that they are going through (See Detroit, Kansas City, Oakland).

I am sure all you Quinn fans out there will get a chance to see Brady once again this season, out of necessity or choice. There is a strong possibility that even if Anderson is Mangini’s “guy,” he eventually will have to be dragged off the field on a stretcher while he waits for his young receivers to get into their patterns.

It is likely that the organization is in fact keeping Quinn off the field until they can assure that his salary escalators do not kick in.

While Quinn fans may get irritated by that gesture, it is the right move. Because if Quinn does have any trade value left, it will most certainly be gone once he receives that salary increase.

If Quinn is eventually re-inserted into the lineup, outside of the three games mentioned above, he will have no better luck putting the ball into the endzone. And it will not be all his fault when that happens.

There may or may not be talent among the current rookies on the roster (and there most likely is). But this isn’t college football anymore for some of these players, and there will be a lot of growing pains.

So if you can stand the beatings that will continue to ensue while this team grows up…that’s great. But make no mistake, this team will be taking a lot of beatings as long as all these youngsters are on the field at one time.

Don’t act surprised while it is happening.

Ohio State Basketball Preview 2009-2010

Steve Tater — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:58:06 -0400

First the good news for the Ohio State University basketball team: It returns all five starters and over 85 percent of its scoring offense from a team that made it to the NCAA tournament last year.

Now the bad news: Starting center Dallas Lauderdale will miss the beginning of the season after breaking his hand in practice.

Among the games he could possibly miss will be match-ups against powerhouse North Carolina and either Syracuse or California at the Coaches for Cancer Tournament (Nov. 19-20).

At 6'8" Lauderdale might not have the optimum height you want in your center, but he is powerfully built with a tremendous wing span. What he lacks as a scoring threat he more than makes up for as a gifted shot-blocker and an improving rebounder.

His short absence will be greatly missed, as the only other front-court player on the Buckeyes' roster with experience is 6'9" Kyle Madsen. The former walk-on is big on hustle, but short on athleticism.

Madsen has a decent short-range shooting touch, but does not possess the hands necessary to be a reliable low-post threat.

Thad Matta is hoping that seven-foot transfer Zisis Sarikopoulos is ready to provide a lift while Lauderdale is healing. Sarikopoulos is a former 18-and-under Greece National Team star, leading them to the U18 European Gold Medal in 2008.

He's a shot-blocker and rebounder, but will need to improve his footwork near the basket to get more playing time.

6’9” Serbian Nicola Kecman will be a nice addition to the Ohio State team. As with many European big men, the junior college transfer doesn’t mix it up inside. But he possesses a nice outside jump shot, and his size will draw opposing low-post defenders out of the lane.

The Buckeyes boast one of the best, if not the best, wing combinations in college basketball in Evan Turner (6'7" Jr.), William Buford (6'5" So.), David Lighty (6'5" Jr.), and Jon Diebler (6'6" Jr.).

Evan Turner in particular does not get the respect he deserves as a top-flight small forward. Turner is equally adept at shooting it from long range as he is taking it to the hole. Because the team lacks a true playmaker at point guard, the offense generally runs through him.

Last season, Turner improved his three-point shooting to 44 percent and shot over 50 percent from the field. In addition to his 17.1 PPG, he averaged over seven rebounds to go along with 4.4 assists per game.

Look for continued improvement and consistency from Buford in his second NCAA season. The former McDonald’s All-American proved he can score off the dribble as a freshman, but he will be even more dangerous as he develops an outside shot.

Always a scoring threat (11.1 PPG), Buford’s minutes will be more consistent now that he is buying into Coach Thad Matta’s defensive system.

When David Lighty went down with an injury in 2009-2009, the Buckeyes lost their heart-and-soul (and captain). Lighty is back as Mr. Do-It-All for 2010 and it will pay dividends.

Lighty is clearly the team’s best on-the-ball defender and he can handle the ball in a pinch. He’s the gritty team leader that is great at nothing, but good at everything.

This should be the year when Buckeyes fans finally see some consistent outside scoring from Jon Diebler. Diebler had games last season when he was unstoppable from beyond the three-point arc, but he also had games when he could never find the range.

As a junior, Diebler should establish himself as one of the top long-distance threats in college basketball.

While the Buckeyes are set at the wing, things are not so rosy at the point guard position.

Jeremie Simmons will return as a starter after a rather nondescript 2008-2009. The former junior-college transfer never lived up to the expectations that followed him to Columbus, Ohio. In fact, Simmons' time on the floor decreased as the season wore on.

He is vowing to make amends this year, and it is quite possible that his play will determine whether the Buckeyes are a good team or a great team.

Senior P.J. Hill started to get the bulk of the playing time at the point because of his high energy. But he is better suited as a role player off the bench because of his inability to take care of the basketball.

Sophomore Walter Offutt may see some limited minutes at the point. However, the 6'3" Offut has a reputation as more of a scoring two-guard who will struggle if asked to defend smaller, quicker point guards.

This Buckeyes team is unique in that it boasts not a single freshman on the roster. They have plenty of experience, and a nice blend of scorers and tough defenders.

If Coach Matta can get even average play out of the point guard position, this team can challenge for a Big Ten title. Improvement from Jeremie Simmons will go a long way in deciding how far the Buckeyes can advance once they reach the NCAA Tournament.

The team will defend with its length and athleticism on the wings, and there will be nights when they will simply run lesser teams out of the gym. However, unless Simmons completely turns it around, the Buckeyes will not be considered an elite team.

Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers: Relative Score Fest

Steve Tater — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:18:14 -0400

The Cleveland Browns head into Week Seven in a state of disarray. They are 1-5, the offense can’t make a play, the defense can’t make a tackle, and now the flu bug has caused the team to send as many as twelve players home from practice.

Now, the Browns have lost their most consistent linebacker D'Qwell Jackson for the season. This one really hurts.

There really is no bright side as Aaron Rodgers and the potent Green Bay offense come to town. The Packers are coming off a 26-0 shutout of the Detroit Lions, which moved their record to 3-2.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is fast establishing himself as one of the league's best signal-callers. Rodgers is averaging close to 300 yards passing per game, has a passer rating of 104.1, and has eight touchdown passes versus only two interceptions.

Rodgers can throw it from the pocket and he can throw it on the run.

It helps to have one of the top receiving duos in the league in Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. These two go almost unnoticed around the league, but each allows his play to speak for itself.

Jennings has had some minor bumps and bruises, but he is on pace for his second straight 1,000-yard season and is averaging nearly 18 yards per catch. Driver is working on his seventh 1,000-yard season and averages almost 16 yards per catch, and is now the Packers' all-time leader in receptions.

Both are as good working the middle for the tough yards as they are getting free down the field. They are sure-handed and tough.

Third receiver Jordy Nelson is out indefinitely with a sprained knee, but James Jones is a more-than-capable backup. Jones scored on a 47-yard touchdown last week against the Lions.

The Packers' running game has been inconsistent behind running back Ryan Grant. Grant can get the tough yards, but he is by no means a dynamic back.

The team re-signed longtime Packer Ahman Green this week to serve as a backup for Grant. He is only 46 yards short of becoming the Packers' all-time rushing leader.

The sore spot of the Packers seems to be the offensive line. They are not providing much push in the run game and are among the NFL’s worst in sacks allowed.

To make matters worse, starting left tackle Chad Clifton is likely out after re-injuring his ankle against the Lions last week, and center Jason Spitz is suffering from back spasms.

Fourth-round pick rookie T.J. Lang will start at left tackle this week. Scott Wells will start at center if Spitz cannot go. Left guard Daryn Colledge and right tackle Allen Barbre are both average starters at best.

The offensive line is the one thing keeping the Packers from being an elite offensive team. Luckily for the Packers, their quarterback is adept at keeping plays alive with his feet.

The Packers can score, and can score in a hurry. And if the offense does happen to stall, they have one of the top kickers in the league in Mason Crosby.

But it’s the Packers' defense that must improve before they can go from pretender to contender. They currently rank 30thin the league in total defense, and dead last in passing defense.

However, the Packers do have the ability to stuff the run, largely due to an improving linebacking corps.

Ohio State product A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett man the middle along with Brandon Chillar, who has been splitting time with Hawk. Although none have shown big-play potential, they are solid at plugging the running lanes.

Aaron Kampman is one of the NFL’s best edge-rushing linebackers, and rookie Clay Matthews Jr. already has three sacks on the opposite side. Matthews has become a fan-favorite in Green Bay.

The Packers have been getting solid production out of defensive ends Johnny Jolly and Cullen Jenkings; And another former Buckeye, 340-pound Ryan Pickett, clogs the middle at nose tackle.

None of the aforementioned defensive lineman are playmakers, but each does his job in the 3-4 alignment of keeping offensive lineman off the ‘backers.

The Packers' defensive backfield is in shambles.

Cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson have both had fantastic careers and, for that reason, most are afraid to say what has become extremely obvious: After twelve years in the league, they are now shells of their former selves.

The safety play has been even worse. Nick Collins had a breakout year in 2008, but appears to be struggling this season. Atari Bigby got his second start and first interception of the season last week against Detroit.

Both starting safeties are extremely short for their position, and teams with big wideouts and pass-catching tight ends can really exploit the Packers’ safeties. The Packers do occasionally insert an extra linebacker in place of a safety in order to negate that weakness.

The bottom line for the Green Bay defense is they do not force turnovers or get to the quarterback (outside of Kampman and Matthews).

Despite all the Browns' troubles, this is not an un-winnable game.

Green Bay can score points in bunches and they do not make a lot of mistakes on the offensive side of the ball. On the other hand, their defense is vulnerable.

Unfortunately, the Browns do not currently have a pass-catching tight end on their roster, nor the consistency at wide receiver to cash in on the Packers’ weaknesses.

I do look for the Browns to finally score more than one touchdown this game, but it will not be enough to keep pace with the Packers' high-flying offense.

Final Prediction: Green Bay Packers 28, Cleveland Browns 17

Dear Browns: Don't Draft a Quarterback!

Steve Tater — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:34:07 -0400

Three games into the season, it became apparent to anyone who did not already know that the Cleveland Browns were not going to the playoffs. To even that casual observer who watched the disasters against the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, the Browns were completely overmatched.

With the trading of Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets, the team is now even more devoid of talent.

As a result, I have been paying even closer attention to the college football scene to see if there is anyone out there that could potentially help this organization in the near future.

To the frustration of my spouse, the television set has been on picture-to-picture from noon to past midnight the last three Saturdays. And my internet has been on overdrive as I scour the scouting reports for potential free agents, college seniors, and college juniors who may choose to leave their college experience behind.

Conventional wisdom says that the Cleveland organization should scrap the Derek Anderson and/or Brady Quinn experiments and look to use the top pick (which seems assured to be top seven) on a big name quarterback. I say “conventional wisdom” is wrong.

The Cleveland Browns section of B/R has been lighting up with calls for Jimmy Clausen, Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford or Tony Pike.

In the same breath, many are saying that Eric Mangini has “ruined” Brady Quinn or that DA “is not the future of this franchise.” All that may or may not be true, but there is one axiom that I have heard from a number of general managers who are considered to be the top of their craft:

“NEVER DRAFT FOR NEED!”

The fact is, not one of the aforementioned quarterback prospects is a sure thing. Each has his strengths, but all have question marks.

The truth is, if you look at the most successful franchises over the past ten years – aside from one (the Indianapolis Colts), they all built their teams with solid talent BEFORE settling on a quarterback.

The Pittsburg Steelers,New York Giants, New England Patriots,Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ravens, and St. Louis Rams (nine of the last 10 NFL Champions) all forged ahead by building superior defenses, accumulating numerous playmakers on offense, or both - before picking the quarterback that would lead them to the promised land.

The Steelers first Super Bowl with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm was largely won behind the strength of a power running game and a stingy defense.

The Patriots first Super Bowl with Tom Brady was the result of a playmaking, opportunistic defense. And on top of that, Brady was a sixth round pick.

Eli Manning had a terrific run down the stretch for the Giants, but it was the Giants ferocious defense and solid run game that kept them afloat for most of the season.

The Buccaneers and Ravens won Super Bowls with career journeyman; and the Rams won their Super Bowl with a guy who was working check-out lines at a grocery store before becoming famous.

For all those reasons, I implore the Browns franchise to build a strong defense and run game before deciding to switch gears at quarterback. And if Anderson or Quinn are not “the guy,” at least refrain from using a top pick on who you “think” will be the guy.

Let’s take a look at the two quarterbacks who were chosen early in the draft this year with the hope that they would turn around their respective franchise’s fortunes.

The Lions chose Matt Stafford with the first pick. In the limited time he hasn’t been injured, Stafford has played relatively well for a rookie. But the Lions, despite having one of the top two or three wide receivers in the game, are far from turning their team into a playoff contender.

The Jets drafted Mark Sanchez. Sanchez has a 5:10 interception to touchdown ratio and his team is no better off with him than without him. The Jets were a 9-7 team in 2008 and it appears that they may even fall short of that in 2009.

This is not a popular opinion in Browns circles because fans are so tired of losing they think that a top-rated college quarterback will be the miracle cure. But football is a 48-man sport, and this team is about 35 short (if not more).

The one thing that I am encouraged by is the fact that I think this Browns organization understands that. They are piling up draft choices like a squirrel hoards nuts to prepare for the winter.

Something that fans should also prepare themselves for is that the landscape is about to change in the NFL with a new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon.

NFL owners are getting ready to play hard ball on issues such as revenue sharing, rookie salaries, the salary cap, and restrictions on free agency.

As result, small and medium market clubs are less likely to rebuild their teams through free agency. In fact, there will most likely be very little player movement even among large market teams.

NFL GM’s are starting to follow the Patriots blue print of avoiding the top 10 of the draft like it’s the plague. The reason is that they want to avoid paying big contracts to roll-of-the-dice rookies.

If you do “miss” on a player you are devoting a great deal of your salary structure to, you can set your football team back three to five years. That is why I commend this organization for working so hard to accumulate draft choices in rounds two through five.

There is strength in numbers, and it is a lot easier to cut short-term contracts that are not working out, than to eat the salary of a player on a four-year, multi-million dollar contract. It is not only difficult to cut the player in the latter category, but that player also becomes untradeable because his signing bonus cannot be spread out over the term of his deal.

This scenario hits a team two ways: 1.) You have a player under-performing; and 2.) you cannot replace said player because there is not enough money left.

The fact is, there is not one single player in the up-coming draft that can completely turn this franchise around. There are needs at wide receiver, tight end, offensive guard, offensive tackle, running back, defensive end, outside linebacker, middle linebacker, corner back and safety (in addition to quarterback).

If the Browns do decide to turnover the quarterback position, I would recommend keeping Anderson or Quinn and drafting a QB in the second round or later…slowly groom him…and make sure the pieces are in place before throwing him to the wolves.

My final message to the team…

Dear Browns:

If you cannot trade out of the top pick in next April’s draft, draft the best available player. But please…please…please!…do not draft a quarterback unless he IS the best available player!

Pittsburgh-Cleveland: Hated Steelers 'Rivalry' in Week Six

Steve Tater — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:48:40 -0400

The Cleveland Browns face hated rival, and last season’s Super Bowl Champion, Pittsburgh Steelers this week at Pittsburgh.

The Steelers come into Week Six with back-to-back victories to sit at 3-2, but are still not playing championship-caliber football right now. Specifically, the Steelers are struggling to close out games and are suffering from a number of injuries to some key players.

Last week’s 28-21 victory over the Detroit Lions may have raised more questions than answers for the Steelers. Their defense allowed aging QB Daunte Culpepper, and the pedestrian Lions, to accumulate 335 yards and collect 11 fourth-quarter first downs.

Had the ferocious Steeler pass rush not sacked Culpepper seven times for 57 yards, there would have been a lot more focus placed on the poor play of their defensive backfield this week.

In a Week Four win, the Steelers allowed 21 fourth-quarter points to the San Diego Chargers. In a Week Three loss, they allowed the Bengals to score 14 fourth-quarter points. In a Week Two loss, they allowed the Bears to score 10 points in the last six minutes of the game.

Does anyone notice a pattern here?

The Pittsburgh defense may get a shot in the arm if All Pro safety Troy Polamalu can return this week against the Browns. Polamalu, who is largely regarded as the heart of Steelers' defense, has missed four games due to a torn knee ligament. He has been limited in practice so far.

But just as Polamalu is returning to health, they may be losing the services of DE Aaron Smith for an extended period of time with a shoulder ailment. Teammates call Smith the most underrated player on the defense.

Backup defensive ends Travis Kirschke, Nick Eason, and rookie Ziggy Hood are less than comparable replacements for Smith.

Nose tackle Casey Hampton is one of the best at his position. He clogs the middle in the run game and can collapse the pocket in the pass game.

Brett Keisel and Eason rotate at the right end spot. Neither is a playmaker, but both do their jobs keeping opposing offensive linemen off their exceptionally active linebackers.

LaMarr Woodley and Kent State product James Harrison are the best bookend outside linebackers in the game. They combined for an amazing 27.5 sacks in 2008. Harrison already has six sacks and four forced fumbles this year.

James Farrior and Lawrence Timmons start in the middle of the 3-4 defense. Farrior, now in his thirteenth season, is getting long in the tooth, but did have 133 tackles in ’08. Timmons is primed to break out entering his third year in the league.

While the front seven is one of the best, if not the best in football, the defensive backfield is less than stellar. Not having Polamalu cannot be used an excuse, since the big-hitting safety is more of a factor in the run game and pass rush than in coverage anyway.

Ike Taylor is the leader of the cornerback unit, but is not by any stretch of the imagination a shutdown corner. William Gay starts at the opposite side and has shown he can hit, but the third-year player still struggles as a pass defender.

Free safety Ryan Clark’s low interception count is startling, considering the amount of havoc the front seven creates.

If the Browns are going to have any success at all on offense this week, they are going to have to throw the ball down the field. The Steelers will not allow the Browns to just pound the ball between the tackles; so if Cleveland enters this game with last week’s game plan, there are going to be a lot of three-and-out series.

The problem for the Browns is that their lack of playmakers at wide receiver make opening it up a risky proposition. Look for the Browns to get the running backs more involved in the passing game. This also might be a good time to get Josh Cribbs the ball on some misdirection plays to take advantage of the Steelers propensity to over-pursue.

The Steelers’ offense has been inconsistent as well, although QB Ben Roethlisberger is playing at a really high level right now. With almost 1,500 yards in five games, he is on pace to shatter his previous high yardage figure of 3,513.

Big Ben still is susceptible to holding on to the ball too long and taking the sack. He has taken six sacks in the past two games and 13 for the season; But his ability to keep the play alive by moving around in the pocket more than makes up for those issues.

Starting running back Willie Parker will most likely miss his third straight game with turf toe. Backup Rashard Mendenhall does not possess the same electrifying abilities, but did rip off 165 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers two weeks ago.

Old vet Hines Ward is still plugging away in his 12th year. He only has one touchdown so far, but with 440 yards, he may very well set a career high in pass-receiving yards.

Many felt Santonio Holmes had become the Steelers primary receiving option, but he has been disappointing after starting the year with a nine-catch, 131-yard, one-touchdown game. He has not caught a touchdown pass since.

Wide receiver Limas Sweed was drafted last year to provide Roethlisberger with the “big” wideout he craved. When he has been healthy, he has been a major disappointment. He only has one catch in 2009 after grabbing only six in 2008.

Tight end Heath Miller is a huge weapon in the Steelers' passing game. He already has 29 catches and is a frequent target near the goal line.

Right or wrong, the Pittsburgh offensive line has been dubbed the weakness of the club. In fact, many so-called experts ranked this offensive line as the worst in football in 2008.

Roethlisberger has been on record as saying some of the lines issues should be placed on his shoulders. The team has improved its sack totals so far this season.

C Justin Hartwig, LG Chris Kemoeatu, RG Trai Essex, LT Max Starks, and RT Willie Colon are all big, run-blocking road-road graders. Colon in particular can be dominating. But this unit can be beaten by quick pass-rushers.

On paper, the Pittsburgh offense does not scare you. But they are a veteran group who always seem to do just enough to get the win.

Although the Steelers' MO over the years has been to be a grind-it-out style running team, this year’s squad seems to become more reliant on its quarterback to make plays. They are scrappy and tough, and even the receiving corps will knock your head off if you don’t keep it on a swivel.

The Browns must be disciplined and not overrun plays. If the Browns are to have any chance to win this game, they are going to have to keep Roethlisberger in the pocket. The Steelers are dangerous when Big Ben breaks containment and forces defensive backs to have to cover receivers all over the field.

Overall, the Steeler defense poses too many issues for this Browns offense (with or without Polamalu). Cleveland just does not have enough weapons on the outside to take advantage of a weak secondary.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is going to have to get really creative to solve the Steeler D, something he has not shown the propensity to do so far.

For a half, the Browns' defense can hold the Steelers from putting up too many points. But my fear is that they get worn down when the Browns best offensive play becomes “The Punt.”

Final Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers 24 – Cleveland Browns 6

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

Steve Tater — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:41:24 -0400

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

Play Brian Robiskie Because I Am Smarter Than The Browns Coaching Staff

Steve Tater — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:01:52 -0400

This started out as a response to a Comment made on my most recent article. But because my long-winded response just went too long, I decided to turn it into an article.

I do not generally write articles in first person, but given that the comment was directed at me, I am going to take a break from my normal format.

The Comment surrounded my refusal to give in to the Poster(s)’ obsession with the lack of playing time surrounding some of the younger players (most notably WR Brian Robiskie). I was called to task because according to one of my more passionate (and knowledgeable readers), “you seem to be on the side of quick wins over developing players.”

Now before I answer that charge, I am going to point out that I am a huge fan of the Cleveland Browns, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and Brian Robiskie.

I not only watched Robiskie suit it up for “my” Buckeyes, but I also had the good fortune of watching him as a high school athlete in Northeastern Ohio. In fact, he lived only a couple of miles from where I raised my own family.

Believe me, there would be a certain sense of undeserved pride to see some local kid succeed at the professional level. And even better than that, succeed in the NFL for my hometown Cleveland Browns! And I am willing to bet that there are a whole lot of Browns fans that have that exact same feeling.

I dearly WANT the kid to make it!

Now that I have that out of the way, let’s get down to the business of answering my critic(s).

I am all for developing young players. But developing young players does not include throwing them onto the field when they are not ready (or un-deserving). The players on the team know who belongs on the field on Sundays and if someone doesn’t belong…it will lead to complete anarchy in the locker room.

You want to talk about a coach losing the respect of his players?! If the coaching staff made a decision to promote one of their rookie draft choices over a veteran when he does not deserve it, said coach would lose the locker room so fast his head would spin.

No amount of open practices or sitting in an armchair watching the game on the boob tube can even remotely give fans the feel for how hard NFL players work at their job. The blood, sweat and tears (along with film study and position meetings) that go into preparation for a game or a season are unimaginable by even the most ardent fan.

This is their livelihood! For most NFL players, this is their one and only shot of making real money. And the risk of injury is so great that they are acutely aware that they are one day away from the end of their career.

Those veterans are working their butts off just like everyone else. In fact, until a rookie actually “gets it” and understands how hard you have to work as a professional athlete, most veterans are actually working harder at their craft.

There is much for a rookie to learn in the NFL. The game is much more difficult not only from a physical standpoint, but from a knowledge standpoint than the average fan can ever fathom.

Even if you were a high school athlete and you want to relive those “Glory Days,” there is absolutely no comparison to what a professional football player puts his mind and body through before, during and after games.

And because of that, a coach cannot play a guy because the “fans” (including me) want to see him in the game!

Now let’s look closer at the Brian Robiskie situation (much of this applies to whoever your favorite young player is).

Some question head coach Eric Mangini’s decision to deactivate or not play him on game day. Something that Mangini points to is that Robiskie is not taking his special teams duties seriously enough. I am sure that is not the only reason that he is not on the field, but rather, one of the many.

Fans, in turn, question why Mr. Robiskie has to take his special teams duties so seriously if players like Mohammed Massaquoi do not even play special teams.

But what those same fans do not take into consideration is that Robiskie currently sits fifth on the depth chart behind Edwards, Massaquoi, Cribbs and Furrey. Because the team is allowed to activate only 45 players on game day, the fifth receiver (or whoever is lower on the depth chart), has to contribute on special teams.

If that player does not, the team needs that spot for someone who can.

Why does Massaquoi not have to play special teams you ask? Well, the answer is that Massaquoi beat Robiskie out on the depth chart to play wide receiver. As evidenced by his monster game against the Bengals, I would say that the coaches were on to something there.

Robiskie is NOT, and I repeat, NOT a great athlete (as compared to guys like Edwards, Cribbs and Massaquoi). He is not faster, is not stronger, and does not have the vertical leap of any of them.

Every professional scout that I ever heard (or read) had the same read on him coming out of college: lacks speed to run by defenders, lacks strength to get off jam and shield off defenders, lacks technique and upper body strength as a blocker, inconsistent production in college, not a number one-type of wide receiver.

As good as he appeared at times in college, even the casual observer could see that he struggled against superior athletes. The defensive backs in the NFL are even bigger, stronger and faster than anything he saw in college. On top of that, they are smarter.

In order to work his way up the depth chart he is going to have to work harder than the superior athletes that are ahead of him. Because he is not the smooth athlete that a guy like Mohammed Massaquoi is, he is going to have to spend more time in the weight room, more time in film study, and more time watching receivers with less-than-superior athletic ability get themselves free (see Mike Furrey).

There is no harm in letting a young player learn by watching a veteran’s work habits, game day preparation, or on-the-field play…at least until he is ready.

A lot of people see a guy like former Brown Joe Jurevicius and say, “that guy wasn’t ridiculously fast and he was a productive wide receiver…so why can’t Robiskie play?

Well, the answer to that is two-fold. First, Jurevicius was a big (6’5”, 235 lbs.), strong guy with exceptionally long arms that he used to shield defenders. Secondly, Jurevicius barely saw the field (even though he was a second round pick) until his fourth season in the NFL.

Jurevicius worked hard to become the final product that he became. Based upon everything I have heard and read about Mr. Robiskie’s character, he most likely will do the same.

I am confident that Robiskie will some day learn the tricks of the trade necessary for him to be a productive number two or three receiver ONE DAY in this league. But that time apparently is not now according to the guys who make the decisions, which includes the wide receivers coach, the offensive coordinator, and the head coach.

When everyone outside of the organization is calling for a coach’s head (as is the case with Mangini and his staff), they cannot afford to be putting guys out on the field who are not ready to play. There is just too much pressure on this coaching staff to win, or to at least play competitively.

From the accounts I have heard, Robiskie is dropping passes during simple drills. The coaching staff is wondering what in the world is going to happen when some 220 pound safety with lightning speed is bearing down on him to separate his head from his body? That’s assuming he can even separate from the corner that is locked on him.

He has not yet learned to block during running plays, let alone in the return game. And he certainly is not going to beat out Joshua Cribbs to return kicks and punts.

Now, I must admit, those are third-person accounts. I am not going to pretend that I know that to be the case. But outsiders shouldn’t assume the opposite is true either.

So as of right now, he is stapled to the bench unless something unforeseen happens OR he improves enough to jump someone ahead of him.

Hey, for all we know, maybe Robiskie does something in practice this very week that gets the coaches attention. Maybe Braylon Edwards most recent brush with the law might have some effect on his playing time. Or maybe someone ahead of him on the depth chart pulls a hamstring.

Fans/Writers, no matter how intelligent of a football fan/writer, can only point out so much from what they see during a game or open practice.

Good fans know when a coach makes a mistake in clock management…or that running an off tackle play on third and 15 isn’t the right call. They can observe that the game plan became too predictable or conservative. They can even recognize that every time a player touches the ball, something good happens.

Even better fans know that running a sprint draw when a defense is blitzing from the edge is too slow of a developing play to work under those circumstances.

Fans (and I include myself in that category), sit around the house with their game-day jersey on, with a beer in one hand, and a foam finger in the other and scream at their television set about coaching decisions.

The media sits in the press box from 50 yards away and say, “I’ve been watching football forever and I’ve got a better handle on this team than coach X.” Guess what? They don’t!

Most couldn’t throw a football 40 yards if someone was holding a gun to their head. Most have never broken down 20 hours of film let alone thousands.

None have spent 18 hours a day in practice or game-day preparation. None have any face-to-face interaction with the player during practice or team meetings.

I remember what a very wise, elderly man who lived next door used to tell me, “You don’t even know what you don’t know.” It irritated me to no end…but that didn’t make him wrong.

Sometimes fans have some very valid complaints, like “how can you kick a field goal when you’re down by 27 points you idiot!” or “why in the world are you not running the clock down when you’re up by seven you #$&*!”

Some especially strong connoisseurs of the game recognize tendencies or weaknesses of opposing teams that should be attacked.

But one thing fans, even good fans, DO NOT KNOW is how far along and how ready one of the team’s players is to get on the field on Sundays. They may WANT their favorite young player to be on the field…but they DO NOT KNOW that said player deserves to play.

I consider myself a pretty intelligent football fan, but it would be obscenely arrogant of me to suggest that somehow I had more ability to make that call than an NFL coach.

Granted, a player can only learn by getting on the field. But to get on the field, you have to do what your coaches are telling you to do.

Only the coaches and fellow players have the insight as to whether that is the case with Robiskie (no matter how much you THINK you know, or THINK you saw while standing around the practice field during OTAs).

Coaching is a very delicate balancing act. Coaches want to develop their young players, but the coach cannot do that at the cost of alienating the rest of his team.

The one thing that I think ALL of us can agree on is this, “Once a coach loses the ears of his players…that coach will be on the firing line.”

Baby Steps For The Cleveland Browns Against The Bengals

Steve Tater — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:33:14 -0400

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.

BROWNIE POINTS: Benchings, Statistics, Robiskie and More

Steve Tater — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:55:01 -0400

Just a few thoughts as the Browns head in to Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals

Third Down Conversions

There is a whole lot of hooting and hollering from Browns fans about Eric Mangini’s decision to bench Quinn this week. There have been some ridiculous theories floating around like “Mangini’s attempting to tank the season,” or Mangini “intentionally set Brady up to fail.”

Let’s get a grip fans. Not all of the Browns ills can be blamed on one guy (Quinn), but Mangini has to try something to avoid a 0-16 season. Worse than the 0-3 start is the way that each game turned into a laugher.

Mangini and his staff will never get jobs again if this continues to happen, and ultimately, the most important thing to any coach is present (and future) job security.

Mangini has been alluding to the ineptitude of the offense on third down for weeks. In fact, before game two he mentioned that Quinn has to improve in that area.

Let’s take a look at the numbers during Quinn’s three games at the helm:

Game 1: 3-12 (1-1 in garbage time);

Game 2: 3-14

Game 3: 0-8 (THAT'S RIGHT, NONE!)

TOTAL: 6-34!!!!!!!!!!!!! 18.75 percent!

That is just not getting the job done.

In addition to not scoring points on the offensive side of the ball, those types of numbers are absolutely killing an already suspect defense

Anderson vs. The Bengals

Don’t think the Bengals do not remember getting torched by Derek Anderson over his career. During an interview with local sports talk show WKNR, Bengal defensive back Leon Hall stressed that he is still hurting from the 51 points Anderson laid on them in 2007.

In fact, Anderson has averaged 240 yards and thrown for 8 touchdowns against the Bengals in three career games. The Bengals defensive backs respect Anderson more than any Cleveland fan after being scorched the way that they have.

Anderson may be erratic, but he can light teams up when he is on.

Rolling the Coverage

Teams have learned that Braylon Edwards is the one guy who can beat you on the Browns offense. Defenses have been rolling two or three men into coverage to stop it.

Someone has to be open. It is about time Furrey, Cribbs or Massaquoi step up their games and make teams pay. That or whoever is taking the snaps is just not finding them.

Finding Private Brian

Fans and media alike are wondering what in the world has happened to WR Brian Robiskie.

Apparently, Mr. Robiskie hasn’t learned that rookies have to take their special teams duties seriously. Thus, he has not even been active the last two weeks.

Still, he’s a second round pick, and second round picks have to at least be in the rotation. Mangini might be sending him a message. But to the fans, he’s sending a message that, “I really blew a second round pick.”

If the team is not interested in paying Edwards what he wants this coming off-season, Mangini better find someone between Massaquoi and Robiskie (or both) that can play the position. Neither is going to do that while riding on the bench.

Make Palmer Uncomfortable

The Browns pass rush has been inconsistent, but Wimbley and Rogers have managed to put some pressure on quarterbacks in the first three games.

The Bengals offensive line is shaky at best. Injuries, inexperience, and shuffling of positions mean that starting quarterback Carson Palmer cannot feel too comfortable in the pocket.

Palmer is a calming presence for the Bengals, but he is coming off of a serious injury. This is a chance for the defensive line to shine, as the Bengals are 24^th in the league in sacks per pass attempt.

Injury Report

Guards Rex Hadnot (knee) and Floyd Womack (ankle) have still not practiced this week. Jamal Lewis (hamstring) is riding the stationary bike, but media members have not seen him on the field.

The Browns really need Lewis and one of the two guards to play because the Bengals front seven is very physical. Harrison filled in admirably with 88 total yards against the tough Ravens defense, but he is not the type of running back who is going to grind out tough yards.

Hadnot and Womack are much better run-blockers than their replacement Hank Fraley.

Mangini said this week that Lewis and PK Phil Dawson might play this week, but replacement kicker Billy Cundiff is still around the training facility.

The Bengals have some injury concerns of their own, specifically rookie LB Rey Maualuga (knee) and RB Cedric Benson (knee). Both are key Bengal players and should play, but their roles might be limited.

Improving Bengals Take on Cleveland Browns in Week Four

Steve Tater — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:44:28 -0400

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

Improving Bengals Take on Browns in Week Four

Steve Tater — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:44:28 -0400

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.

Andrew Whitworth moved from left guard to left tackle in the offseason. Whitworth’s size (6'7", 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.

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 linemen 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.

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.

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

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.

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

Brownie Points: Excuses, Fights, Injuries, and Advice

Steve Tater — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:15:54 -0400

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 in 2007 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.

Ravens vs. Browns Preview: Happy Learned How To Putt

Steve Tater — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:04:09 -0400

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.

Cleveland Browns Doomed By Dumervil, Missed Opportunities

Steve Tater — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:27:38 -0400

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.

Browns-Broncos: Cleveland Aims to Take Advantage of Denver Flaws

Steve Tater — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:34:37 -0400

Last week's game featured a big matchup problem for the Cleveland Browns when you considered that the Browns' weakness (stopping the run) was up against the Vikings strength (running the football).

This week’s game for the Denver Broncos poses a different issue: "What happens when a resistible force meets a moveable object?"

The Broncos won game one in miraculous fashion, 12-7, against the Cincinnati Bengals. Words cannot do justice to describe exactly how Denver managed to pull out that win. If you have not seen it, take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K56C-roYUOA.

But the win buried a pitiful performance by the Broncos' offense. Take away that one 87-yard play and the Denver offense netted only 215 yards total yards on the day. It was just three of 12 on third down conversions.

In the offseason, Broncos management decided to trade away its Pro Bowl quarterback, Jay Cutler, in exchange for pedestrian quarterback Kyle Orton. Last season, Cutler carved up the Browns' defense for 477 yards. Orton might have a difficult time putting up those kinds of numbers even if the Browns pulled their entire defense off the field.

Orton is not particularly mobile and was sacked three times against the Bengals. If he gets the ball out of his hands quickly and into his playmakers' hands, he can be effective, but he rarely throws the ball down the field and generally isn’t much of a threat to make a big play.

To make matters worse for Denver, it has had serious issues dealing with its talented, but moody, wide receiver, Brandon Marshall. If Cleveland fans think Braylon Edwards has an attitude problem, they haven’t caught Marshall’s act.

Denver used its first round pick on running back Knowshon Moreno from the University of Georgia. Moreno is talented, but is a bit banged up. Heading into last week’s game, he had a sprained knee. He played, but then suffered a blow to the head. He more than likely will play this week against the Browns, but he will not be 100 percent.

If Moreno is not on the field, former Eagle Correll Buckhalter will take over the rushing duties. He’s a capable backup when healthy (which has not been often), but he still has not topped his rookie season high of 586 yards in 2001.

Denver does have a solid to spectacular stable of receivers. Both tight ends, Daniel Graham (brought over from the Patriots) and Tony Scheffler (40 catches, 645 yards, three touchdowns in 2008), must be accounted for. Denver will also move Peyton Hillis around at TE, RB, FB, and WR.

Wide receivers Marshall, Brandon Stokley, Jabar Gaffney, and Eddie Royal can all make plays. Who can forget Eddie Royal chewing up and spitting out Browns cornerbacks for 164 yards last season?

The one staple of the Broncos offense during the Mike Shanahan era was great offensive line play. Shanahan and his scheme are gone now, and in its place is new coach Josh McDaniels' "Patriot offense." However, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and a stable of running backs and offensive lineman are not in Denver to run it.

Casey Wiegmann has had a good career, but after 14 years of taking the brutal punishment that comes with being a center in the NFL, is no longer the player he once was.

Ben Hamilton and Chris Kuper start at the guard spots and are still learning the new system after nine and four years, respectively, under Shanahan. Second-year left tackle Ryan Clady is already considered one of the best in the AFC, while third-year right tackle Ryan Harris is not far behind.

With a new system, new quarterback, and new running backs (their main back banged up), it is going to take some time before this offense is in sync. The Browns, like the Bengals the week before, can take advantage of that by disguising coverages and blitzing from different angles.

The Broncos are especially susceptible to pressure up the middle. I expect the Browns' defense to hold up a lot better than it did against the Vikings.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Broncos are attempting to re-tool what has been one of the worst defenses in the league. In fact, it was 30^th in the league in points allowed in 2008 and has sat near the bottom of the league in rush defense for several years.

Denver fans have sarcastically coined the name "Browncos" when referring to their defense. That name was not just given because of how poorly they have played, but also because they have had a lot of Browns retreads playing on it. The new regime wiped the Browns' connection clean except for new starting linebacker, Andra Davis.

Although Denver has a mostly new group in the front seven, it is not exactly star-studded. Current nosetackle Ronald Fields has one sack and just 77 tackles in his six-year career, DE Kenny Peterson (of Canton, Ohio) is a regular starter for the first time in his seven-year career, and opposite DE Ryan McBean (now in his third year) has amassed a grand total of one tackle.

The one imposing figure in the linebacker corps is OLB Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil was only 21 when he was drafted as a hybrid DE/LB coming out of Louisville four years ago. He is not much of a force in the run game, but has collected 26 sacks in his first three years in the league (including 12.5 in 2007).

At the other outside linebacker position is Mario Haggan, who has had a rather non-descript professional career. Both inside linebackers, D.J. Williams and Andra Davis, are capable run-stoppers, but neither have game-changing reputations.

This group can be had. If the Browns keep Dumervil off Brady Quinn’s back, he can put up some solid numbers. Both the run and short passing games—especially slants, curls, and passes to backs in the flats—will be there all day long if the Browns take advantage. That plays to Quinn’s strengths. In fact, Quinn had his best game as a pro against Denver in 2008 (23-35, 239 yards, two TDs, zero INT).

The Broncos' secondary is one of the few areas of strength on this team. Newly acquired Brian Dawkins can flat-out hit you in the mouth. Despite his age (36 in October), he is dangerous as a run-stopper and as a blitzer from the safety position.

Renaldo Hill, a journeyman who has spent eight seasons in and out of starting lineups with various teams, starts at strong safety.

Champ Bailey is a shut down corner who most teams try to avoid. He has been named to eight consecutive Pro Bowls. Andre’ Goodman comes over from the Dolphins to man the other cornerback position. He had five interceptions in 2008, but can be beaten by taller, physical wide receivers.

The guess is that Bailey is going to follow Edwards all over the field like he did with Chad Johnson against Cincinnati (I refuse to call him that other name). Someone—perhaps Joshua Cribbs, Mike Furrey, or Mohamed Massaquoi—is going to have to step up their game and take some pressure off Edwards.

If the run game is successful early (which it should be), they can take some shots down field once Dawkins starts cheating.

Eddie Royal is the Broncos' main return man on kicks and punts. He’s athletic, but has yet to break one for a touchdown.

Brett Kern is an average punter. He puts up better numbers at home, but almost lost his job this offseason. Matt Prater (from Mayfield Heights, Ohio) is one of the better field goal kickers in the league. He is six of seven from 50+ yards since taking over the duties near the end of 2007.

Joshua Cribbs is always a threat to take one to the house, but Prater’s leg and the Denver air will make that a little more difficult this week.

The Broncos have an unusual home field advantage. They have had the best home record in pro football over the past 32 years. A number of factors play into that, including selling out every game since 1970 and the Colorado altitude.

That being said, Denver is not a really good football team right now. Its offense is a train wreck and its defensive line is awful. If the Browns' offensive line can keep Dumervil from getting to Quinn, he should have an easier time sustaining drives.

Jamal Lewis should have some success running the ball as well. Whether the Browns can punch it in from the red zone is a different story.

Final Prediction: Cleveland 23, Denver 17.

Quinn Fans Vs. Anderson Fans: Heavyweight Championship of Cleveland

Steve Tater — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:12:05 -0400

In the gold corner...wearing rose-colored glass…perhaps wearing a “Brady Will You Marry Me” t-shirt underneath their replica No. 10 Cleveland Browns’ jersey...from northeast Ohio by way of South Bend, IN...“Braaaadyyy Quinn Fannnn!”

In the green with envy corner...wearing a 2007 Derek Anderson Pro Bowl jersey...currently reciting Derek Anderson statistics from two seasons ago...but conveniently leaving out games three, five, 13, 15, 16 and 17...and most of 2008…also from northeastern Ohio... “Derrrrek Anderson Fannnn!”

Today with me in the booth helping me commentate this fight is legendary pro boxer George Forman. George, what say you about this clash of the titans?

Well, Steve, I talked to Anderson Fan today and they’re really feeling good about what transpired yesterday afternoon. Since their guy didn’t get the starting nod, they are taking solace in the fact that Quinn tanked on opening day.

But, George, isn’t that a little counter-productive? I mean, aren’t these people supposed to be rooting for the Browns no matter who is playing quarterback?

Well, Steve, in theory you’re correct. But Anderson Fan is still smarting from last year, when Quinn Fan despicably cheered as Derek Anderson was being carted off the field after being injured.

George, what would you say to Quinn Fan and Brady Fan if you had a chance?

Steve, I would say that both of these groups should be ashamed to call themselves Cleveland Browns fans. I mean, it is just insane that they would rather see the other guy fail just to prove that they are right.

If they truly wanted to see the Browns progress they would just let the process take care of itself. You would think that if they want to see some wins, they would just hope that whoever is taking snaps plays well, right?

George, what about all this name-calling?

Wow, Steve, it is really getting out of hand and some of these guys are just distorting the facts.

Take yesterday, for example. Quinn plays a poor game, but up steps Quinn Fan and proclaims that Quinn played a great last five minutes. Quinn fan fails to mention that the opposing team had called off the dogs and let Quinn dink and dunk his way down the field.

This failure to be objective by any reasonable means just incites Anderson Fan into a frenzy. Anderson Fan is frothing at the mouth and in retaliation starts accusing Quinn Fan of performing some kind of gross sexual act.

Quinn Fan then really starts to hit below the belt with some condescending comment like, “you just don’t know what you’re talking about,” knowing full well he will get appreciation and a pat on the back from the much larger group of Quinn Fans. Even though Quinn Fan made some off-the-wall statement, he knows his corner men will back him up.

This incites Anderson Fan into a full barrage of meaningless and self-serving statistics in support of Anderson. He knows that Quinn Fan is going to have a tough time counter-punching those arguments because Quinn doesn’t really have any statistics to measure.

In the end, Quinn Fan and Anderson Fan hate each other so much that they forgot that they were rooting for the same team. They’ve both lost all sense of rationality.

George, what’s your take on the Quinn/Anderson situation as it has played out on the field of play?

Well...we already know what Derek Anderson brings to the table. He’s the same quarterback he was in college and throughout his year-and-a-half as a NFL starter.

He’s a rhythm passer who can really get hot at times. He can start in the NFL and win some games. He’s got a really big arm and shows a tremendous ability to get the ball downfield. He passes the eye test big time.

On the downside, there are times where he has folded when under pressure. We’ve seen him throw interceptions and near-picks on simple screen passes when he could have just thrown the ball away. He occasionally makes some very bad decisions and has a tendency to lock on receivers. He also tends to be a little moody when things aren’t going his way.

Although he can win some games, he has not shown enough consistency at any level to inspire confidence that he can be counted on to take your team to the promised land.

What about Quinn, George?

Well, we really don’t know what we have here. He has an excellent resume from college. He led a pretty bad college team to some big wins.

He was graded a first round pick coming out of college, so we know the NFL scouts saw something in the kid. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s going to be a success. We know plenty of first round quarterbacks who have failed miserably in this league.

He does show great leadership potential and is a really smart kid. In the few times we have seen him, he has done a very good job of hitting the second or third option, which is impressive for a kid with so little experience.

Unlike Anderson, Quinn will throw the ball away instead of forcing the issue. He’ll live to play another day, which is a good characteristic to have in a quarterback.

However, the jury is still out on whether he has the arm strength to make the tough throw. Sometimes he checks down too often and instead of making a big play (which an NFL quarterback has to do on occasion), he settles for a short gain.

I’m not sure whether he doesn’t have confidence in his arm or if he really thinks he is making the right play. Only time will tell.

Your final analysis, George?

Steve, I think the Browns are making the right choice in going with this Quinn kid. This is a new coaching staff that wants to build for the future. Coach Mangini needs to get a look at Quinn to determine whether or not he is in fact the future franchise quarterback.

If he never plays, the Browns organization will never know if Quinn is the real deal or not.

Again, he already knows what he has in Anderson, so if the Quinn experiment fails, he can always fall back on DA or start all over again.

Regardless, it is about time Quinn Fan and Anderson Fan put aside their petty jealousy and just root for the home team. The last time I checked, football was a team game.

Cleveland Browns Home Opener: Too Much Adrian Peterson

Steve Tater — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:42:51 -0400

The 34-20 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at least started well for the Cleveland Browns. Apparently, the Vikings coaching staff decided to give the Browns a gift right off the bat.

Inexplicably, Minnesota opened the game with an unsuccessful onside kick attempt.

However, just like the 2008 version, the 2009 version of the Browns can’t stand prosperity. They were only able to convert that excellent field position into a Phil Dawson field goal to start the game with a 3-0 lead.

The Browns actually made it look like it was going to be a real game in the first half, surrendering only a Ryan Longwell 21-yard field goal and a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Adrian Peterson.

Braylon Edwards made a spectacular reception midway through the second quarter, snagging a long pass from Brady Quinn in the end zone just before it touched the ground.

He was not credited with a catch (nor a touchdown) because he was forced out of bounds on a pass interference call. But the play did result in giving the Browns another touchdown chance when it was placed on the 3-yard line.

Unfortunately, a couple of questionable play-calls later, the Browns again could not capitalize. Instead, they settled for a 20-yard Phil Dawson field goal to close the Minnesota lead to 10-6 with 4:57 left in the second quarter.

After the field goal, the Browns defense forced the Vikings into a 3-and-out series that featured a sack from Brodney Pool on a safety blitz. Joshua Cribbs and the special teams gave Cleveland another lead at 13-10 when Cribbs returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown.

Those would be the highlights for the Browns on the day.

During the break, Adrian Peterson went into the locker room and made himself vomit because he was feeling light-headed. Peterson was given an IV that must have been laced with Popeyes’ spinach.

Whatever the Vikings training staff gave him worked, because he proceeded to dismantle the Cleveland Browns in the second half.

Peterson finished the game with a whopping 180 yards on 25 carries and 3 touchdowns, including an icing-on-the-cake 64-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter. That touchdown gave the Vikings a 34-13 lead and put the game out of reach.

There was not a lot to get excited about on the defensive side of the ball. Safety Abram Elam played well, finishing the game with 8 tackles, including a sack, and 1 assist.

Nose tackle Sean Rogers (1 sack, 4 tackles, 1 assist) was his usual disruptive self, giving young Viking center John Sullivan fits for most of the game.

Browns cornerbacks Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald also had solid games. Vikings quarterback Brett Favre garnered only 110 total yards passing, the longest being a 21-yard catch and run by rookie Percy Harvin.

Outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley showed flashes of his outstanding rookie season. He was credited with only three tackles (including a sack), but his numbers do not do justice to the amount of pressure he applied on Favre.

But all-in-all, the defense proved once again that it has not solved its rush defense issues. Although the defense played fairly well in the first half, they were manhandled by the Vikings offensive line; and run over, around, and through by Peterson in the second half.

Overall, the offense didn’t show much of anything. In fact, the defense’s failures should at least be partly shouldered by the offense and its inability put together any sustained drives. The defense was just on the field too long in this game.

Brady Quinn played like a quarterback who has not seen much of the field. His interception on the Browns opening drive in the second half started a complete unraveling of the entire team.

Both Quinn and Braylon Edwards honorably tried to accept blame for the interception when the game was over. But it is clear from the game tape that Quinn made a poor read and throw on the play.

Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin was overplaying Edward’s outside shoulder, which should have keyed Quinn to throw the ball to the inside of the field where Edwards was open.

Quinn’s fumble early in the fourth quarter will be a candidate for NFL Film's “Bloopers of the NFL." The play was reminiscent of Miami Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian’s lowlight in Super Bowl VII.

Quinn did manage to put together a meaningless touchdown drive at the end of the game. But judged in its entirety, Quinn’s grade could only be generously described as “Needs (a lot of ) Improvement.” He finished with 205 yards, but 105 of those yards were after the game was already out of hand.

One of the few bright spots was the surprising play of Jamal Lewis. He finished the game with 57 yards on only 11 carries. He ran with the punishing purpose Browns’ fans have not seen much of since 2007.

So it turns out that rumors of Jamal Lewis’ demise may be slightly premature (and rumors of James Davis being the second coming of Walter Payton may be slightly exaggerated).

But outside of Lewis, there was very little contribution from anyone on the offensive side of the ball when it mattered most. The Browns offense was given excellent field position for most of the first half, but managed just two field goals. The second half was an even bigger disaster.

In all, the Browns were just beaten down by a better football team. The Vikings are loaded at almost every position on the defensive side of the ball.

They also have the best running back on the planet running behind an excellent run-blocking offensive line. With the addition of Percy Harvin to their offense, this Vikings team will be a force for the rest of the NFL too.

It is only one game and there is a lot of season left, but the Browns are not realistically a playoff football team. But it will get better. There will be improvement as some of the new parts begin to jell together. And not every team on the schedule is as talented as the Vikings.

Vikings-Browns: Turnovers, Special Teams Key to Cleveland's Week One Chances

Steve Tater — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:47:12 -0400

Week One of the NFL season for the Cleveland Browns features a home game against the Minnesota Vikings, a team many feel will challenge for a divisional title in the rugged NFC North.

This is a bad matchup for the Browns to start the season with. The Vikings can run the football and stop the run, two areas of concern for the Browns heading into the season.

A lot has been made about the recent addition of twice-retired (or more, I lose count) quarterback Brett Favre, but Minnesota’s real magic starts with running back Adrian Peterson.

Peterson rushed for 1,760 yards on a 4.8 yards per carry average in 2008. The scary part is that the Vikings intend to put the ball in his hands more often, both as a runner and as a pass-catcher. He has a variety of ways he can kill you, whether it’s with power, speed, or jaw-dropping moves.

The offensive line starts two youngsters in center John Sullivan and massive right tackle Phil Loadholt. Left guard Steve Hutchinson is one of the best at his position, and Anthony Herrera is an underrated road-grader on the right side. 6'8", 335-pound Bryant McKinnie mans the left tackle spot.

Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers should take advantage of Sullivan, but the rest of the defensive line is going to have to do their part to keep the Vikings from constantly double- and triple-teaming Rogers.

McKinnie is solid in the run game, but quick ends can give him trouble in pass protection. The Browns linebackers are going to have to contain Peterson and force third and long situations so that they can take advantage of that weakness.

The Viking receivers are average at best, giving the option of leaving the cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage while blitzing linebackers and defensive backs. That will only work if the Browns can somehow manage to put the Vikings into must-pass situations.

With all that said, the Vikings added another playmaker in minuscule rookie Percy Harvin. Harvin is not necessarily a deep threat, but they will try to get him the ball in open field, where his elusiveness can be utilized. Expect the Vikings to move him around the field much like Cleveland does with Joshua Cribbs.

Solving the Vikings' defense may pose an even bigger problem for the Browns.

Kevin Williams and Pat Williams are as good a defensive tackle combo as there is in the league. They can stuff the run and collapse the pocket on pass plays. Browns rookie center Alex Mack will have a baptism under fire while attempting to control these two massive forces.

Developing end Ray Edwards (five sacks in limited time in 2008) and veteran pass-rusher Jared Allen (14.5 sacks in 2008) provide bookend pass rushers who can create havoc. Add outside linebacker Chad Greenway (5.5 sacks, 115 tackles) and finally-healthy middle linebacker E.J. Henderson to the mix, and you have a front seven equally adept at stopping the run and pressuring the passer.

Even the Vikings' defensive backs can pack a punch. At 6’0”, 203 pounds, Cedric Griffin is a hard-hitting cornerback who finished last season with 91 tackles. Antoine Winfield, who is only 5’9”, is still one of the better cover-two cornerbacks in the league. He had 95 tackles last year. Those are extremely high tackle numbers from cornerbacks for a team that shuts down the run as well as the Vikings.

Perhaps the only weakness the Vikings have is at safety, where they lost perennial All-Pro Darren Sharper. Madieu Williams can make plays but has difficulty staying healthy. Tyrell Johnson is in his first season as a starter at strong safety.

This is not a team whom the Browns will be able to line up and ram the running game down their throat. In order to be successful, they are going to have to use a steady diet of screens and draws. The Vikings' ends do have a tendency to over-pursue, so some misdirection may work as well.

As far as the passing game is concerned, the Vikings bring a lot of heat. Whoever is taking snaps for the Browns is going to have to make quick reads and find seams behind the linebackers and in front of the safeties. Those plays should be there against the Vikings’ cover-two defensive scheme.

The Vikings, like the Browns, have a reliable field goal kicker in Ryan Longwell. Longwell led the league in field goals over 50 yards, but he accomplished most of that in the confines of the Metrodome. He kicked most of his career in Green Bay, though, so he will not be fazed by kicking on the natural surface in Cleveland.

Field position is also going to be one of the keys to this game. It is imperative that the return game and coverage units show up big in this game. The aforementioned Harvin will likely get the nod to return kicks. He’s electric, so it’s somewhat fortunate that this game will be played on grass.

It would also help if the Browns could force some turnovers. As good as Peterson is, he has a tendency to put the ball on the ground (he led the NFL with nine fumbles last year). Getting pressure on Favre can also lead to some of those ill-advised throws he has been famous for over his career.

If the Browns win the special teams and turnover battles, they have a shot to keep it close and perhaps pull out a victory. If they do not, they will start the season 0-1.

Final prediction: Minnesota Vikings 24, Cleveland Browns 10.

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

Steve Tater — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:25:18 -0400

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.

Cleveland Browns Running Game Continues To Be a Concern

Steve Tater — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:28:16 -0400

There were plenty of good things to take out of last week’s pre-season win against the Tennessee Titans.

Defensively, while the first unit allowed Titan quarterback Kerry Collins to have his way with them in the first quarter, the Browns did manage to hold the Titan running game in check. That is no easy task against running backs Chris Johnson and Lendale White, who steam-rolled over most NFL squads last season.

For the second week in a row, Kamerion Wimbley played well by consistently putting pressure on the quarterback and having his hand in 3 tackles. Eric Barton, Kenyon Coleman, D’Qwell Jackson and C.J.Mosley all acquitted themselves quite well with the first string front seven.

Linebacker Alex Hall made a fantastic interception and return for a touchdown on a pass in the flats. It was encouraging to see the young, converted defensive end making a contribution in pass coverage. Titan backup quarterback Vince Young helped out with a boneheaded decision under pressure, but Hall was still in the right position to make the play.

Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald continue to make progress as second-year cornerbacks. While Mike Adams got in on five tackles in his battle with Brodney Pool for one of the starting safety spots.

Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson and Richard Bartel had the passing game humming, going a combined 21 of 29 for 245 yards. All the receivers and backs chipped in against one of the top defenses in the league. The Titans defense is strong and deep.

It was nice to see the new coaching staff incorporate the screen pass into the offense. Quinn, the offensive line, as well as Jamal Lewis and rookie James Davis ran the play as crisply and effectively as Browns fans have seen in quite some time.

The Special Teams were truly special. We are used to seeing Joshua Cribbs put the offense in good field position. But in addition to a blocked field goal by Robaire Smith, the special teams unit held the Titans to averages of 15-yards on five kickoff returns and 3-yards on one punt return.

But concerns remain in the running game. Jamal Lewis averaged just 2.3 yards per attempt, which is about his average for the entire preseason (2.6). Granted, rookie James Davis was more successful at 5 carries for 28-yards. But keep in mind that many of Davis’ runs have come out of passing formations on passing downs.

The bottom line is that the Browns have to do a better job of running the ball on first and second down or teams will start teeing off on whoever the quarterback is. The team added bulk across the offensive line to improve in this area. But to this point in the preseason, they have done little to instill much confidence.

There are a lot of people who are down on Jamal Lewis and are clamoring for James Davis to take his place. Lewis has looked indecisive and slow thus far, while Davis has looked spectacular. The preseason stats bear out the conclusion that Lewis should sit in favor of the rookie.

But a forewarning to anyone who is listening - it is still too early to put a rookie sixth-round pick into the role of workhorse back. Davis has much to learn that one training camp cannot cure.

Whether Lewis or the offensive line should take the brunt of the criticism is yet to be determined. However, if this problem does not straighten itself out soon, Sundays are not going to be much fun in Browns Town.

The Cleveland Browns Are Super Bowl Bound!

Steve Tater — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:42:43 -0400

THE CLEVELAND BROWNS ARE SUPER BOWL BOUND!

Wow! Did you see that game last Saturday? Those Lions did not know what hit them.

It looked as though I was watching a combination of the 2005 World Champion Patriots offense and the 1986 World Champion Bears defense!

Now that I have your attention—Gotcha!

For those of you who are drinking that big glass of Kool-Aide, please slow down. That was the 0-16 Detroit Lions, with a rookie quarterback no less.

For those of you who were ready to declare the season over after last week’s debacle against the Packers, you should take a chill pill too.

There were some good things to take out of the 27-10 thrashing of the hapless Lions. The Browns played with more poise and focus on Saturday night.

Jamal Lewis scored the first Browns offensive touchdown in seven games.

For the second week in a row, Eric Wright showed he is ready to take the next step as a playmaking corner. This time he intercepted rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford’s first pass attempt of the game. Brandon McDonald, Corey Ivey and Hank Poteat all made plays at the cornerback position as well.

Joshua Cribbs returned a punt 84-yards for a touchdown, caught a 20-yard pass, and would have had a 95-yard touchdown run on the opening kickoff had it not been called back for holding. Cribbs punt return came replete with several cut-backs, followed by a vicious stiff-arm, before making his way down the sideline.

Derek Anderson may have played his way back onto the radar with a brilliant opening quarter drive that resulted in a four-yard touchdown run by Jamal Lewis.

For the day, Anderson was nine of 13 for 130 yards, while showing that canon-for-an-arm that has mesmerized many scouts. The wide receiving corpse played especially well, including rookie wideouts Brian Robiskie (two receptions for 31 yards) and Mohamed Massaquoi (one reception for 24 yards).

Braylon Edwards caught the only catchable pass thrown his way, pulling down an exciting 34-yarder from Anderson. It looked like shades of 2007.

The offensive line blew open holes and kept the quarterbacks clean for the most part. Rookie Alex Mack is starting to play like he actually has a clue.

Rookie running back James Davis had an electrifying 81-yard touchdown run. For the day he finished with 116 yards on 12 carries.

The defense showed a tremendous amount of improvement from game one. They played more aggressively, knocked balls loose (four forced fumbles), and just played an overall smarter football game.

There was even a Kamerion Wimbley sighting, showing up with six solo tackles.

As well as the Browns played on Saturday, there were still mistakes that will cost them wins against most NFL teams.

Mental errors were made which can be the difference in close games, including Eric Wright’s 15-yard excessive celebration penalty and Abram Elam’s hold which wiped out an opening play touchdown.

Derek Anderson, despite putting up big numbers, was guilty of rocketing a skip-pass at Braylon Edward’s feet on a slant.

And once again, Anderson made a terrible decision and threw a tipped-pass interception right before the half.

When the clock is winding down at the half, your quarterback has to understand the concepts of "down, distance, and clock." His mistake resulted in a Lions’ field goal as the clock expired in the second quarter.

Quinn’s stint on the field was short and uninspiring. He finished just three of five for 29 yards.

And lest we forget, this was the dreadful Lions; and this was just an exhibition game.

This game was certainly a confidence booster for the squad and a step in the right direction. But I would advise against pre-ordering your playoff tickets yet.