Bleacher Report - Cleveland Browns

Eric Mangini FAIL List Part One: Events Leading to His Firing as Browns Coach

Daniel Wolf — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:54:43 -0500

This article is influenced by the Fail Blog , and this is part one of Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini's version, with all of the following "FAIL" events listed below leading up to his eventual demise as coach of the Browns.

Whatever Happened to Running Back Jerome Harrison?

When it was announced that Mangini was coming over to the Browns from the New York Jets, many experts, analysts, and fans assumed that he would be able to finally utilize Harrison's talents as a player in a similar fashion to how he used Leon Washington with the Jets.

Unfortunately, this has not been the case at all

After a great performance running for over 100 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals, Harrison has been a non-factor in the Browns' offense since.

What's the deal here, Mangini?

Obviously, you really do not know how to properly utilize talented players on your rosters, and despite the fact that everyone knows the Browns' roster has minimal talent, Harrison is one of the very few players that do have some talent.

Sad to say that Mangini not using Harrison's talents more is a "FAIL" toward himself getting fired.

Brian Daboll as Offensive Coordinator Instead of Brian Schottenheimer? REALLY!?

So Mangini gets to pick his offensive coordinator here in Cleveland, but instead of bringing his Jets coordinator in Schottenheimer, he brings the Jets' former quarterbacks coach in Daboll.

WHY!?!?

You have a proven and experienced guy in Schottenheimer, but you go with Daboll, who will give you a rookie offensive coordinator for one of the biggest professional sports team rebuilding projects of perhaps all time.

Bad call.

Bringing Schottenheimer over would have been a much better move, but again Mangini gets a "FAIL" based on his decision to bring Daboll instead.

Passing on USC Linebackers and Possible Franchise Quarterback in the 2009 NFL Draft

So let's give Alex Mack some credit here first, because he has been a great young addition to the offensive line and will be wearing a Browns uniform for many year to come.

Also, some credit has to go to Kaluka Maiava because the Browns did grab a USC linebacker, but they could have had two instead of just the one they have now.

But...Mangini could have drafted for positions where there was more need, like at quarterback and especially linebacker.

At this point in the Browns' season, Mark Sanchez would have been a welcome addition to the horrible play of both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.

Sanchez might not have had much success given the lack of playmakers on the roster, but he does show much more poise than Anderson or Quinn.

Also, the Browns could have had USC linebackers Clay Matthews III or Rey Maualuga, who have both shown immediate impact on their respective teams so far this season. With the Browns hurt at linebacker once more, they will have to look at 2010's crop of linebackers to fill needs.

Mangini gets a "FAIL" on this too based on the crop of linebackers that USC produced, and those guys (including Brian Cushing) will all be Pro Bowlers down the road.

The Handling of the Preseason Quarterback Competition

This is the one event that probably 98 percent of all Browns fans are most aware of.

Here is the quick summary: Quinn and Anderson are equally splitting reps, Mangini starts Quinn in preseason game one, then Anderson in game two, then splits the halves in game three for both, and sits both for the fourth game without naming the regular season starter until a few days before the game.

Mangini gets a "FAIL" for this approach because it would have been much more beneficial to name a starter after the second preseason game so the starter could have the third and maybe the final preseason games to develop chemistry with the rest of the offense before the season started.

Rookie Running Back James Davis Gets Injured During Practice

So the NFL ruled that there was no wrongdoing in Davis' injury, but let's all be honest here and ask why Davis wasn't wearing pads.

Davis had a tremendous preseason and was a very promising rookie going into the season, but for some reason Mangini let Davis not wear pads in what he calls "opportunity drills" after practice ends for rookies and squad players to get a chance to impress coaches.

Davis was hit by another player who had pads on.

This is ridiculous, and Mangini should have told Davis to put his pads on since the defender had his on.

Unacceptable, and Mangini gets a "FAIL" for letting one player practice against another with pads on because anything can happen with the game of football, including during practices.

Where are the safety measures, Mangini?

Trading Away a No. 5 Pick in the First Round and Two Pro Bowlers For Next to Nothing

Former Jet castoffs and mediocre draft picks are what Mangini got in exchange for the No. 5 overall pick, Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow Jr.

Pathetic, and it was too bad that former general manager George Kokinis didn't stand his ground and put his foot down to stop the acquiring of average players.

To give some credit, linebacker Jason Trusnik has been a pleasant surprise, but he is no Pro Bowl player at all.

Mangini gets a "FAIL" for not asking for more and higher value in these trades period.

Using Josh Cribbs in a Meaningless Attempt at an Impossible 16-Point Play

First of all, there is no such thing as a 16-point play in football, so the last second hook-and-ladder play on Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens was dumb.

Cribbs has said that Quinn called to keep the ball alive, which might be a play in keeping all the heat off of Mangini, but with seconds remaining in a 16-0 debacle, why even try to score with two seconds left?

Take a knee, let the fans boo, and get off the field to prevent any injury on a meaningless play.

Mangini, you get a "FAIL" for even trying to score in the final seconds of the game only to save your own butt by not getting shut out so fans would not hate you more.

Guess what...the fans hate you even more because you almost got the best offensive players on the roster knocked out for the season or worse.

This will be an ongoing series of articles, so look for more to come in the future as Mangini continues to achieve "FAIL" status in the many decisions and actions as the season progresses and ends with the eventual demise of him as coach of the Browns.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper)

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Six Points on the Cleveland Browns (Nov. 20)

Christopher Maher — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:45:22 -0500

It's Friday, and time for Six Points to scrub the mess off of the floor from the last week of the Cleveland Browns' season, get out the Lysol to disinfect the remaining residue of the Monday nighter against Baltimore, and look forward (?) to Sunday.

1. One Fine Day:

Ever have one of those days where you wish you had a magic reset button so you could go back to sleep and remake it?

You know, one of those days where your dog dies, you take it to the vet for burial and your boss fires you for being late?

Brayden Tyler Quinn had one of those days Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Except for being fired, but that may be coming.

Quinn was fined $10,000 by the NFL, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, for his block at the knees on Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs.

Granted, fining Brayden Tyler Quinn $10,000 would be like fining Six Point s $1,, but it’s not all about the fine.

ESPN and the rest of the national media showed the clip of the interception return, and it, along with the commentary, did not make Brayden Tyler Quinn look very good.

Brayden Tyler Quinn has already lost $10.9 million in escalator clauses in his contract, predicated upon his taking 70 percent of the snaps in 2009, thanks to head coach Eric Mangini’s benching him after 10 ineffective quarters at the beginning of the season.

Now, based on the negative publicity, he could stand to lose lucrative commercial endorsements, which include Ganley Chevrolet, Subway and GNC.

Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. More about that later.

2. 4077th M.A.S.H.:

In addition to both starting ILBs, D’Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton, along with rookie RB James Davis, two more starters have been declared out for the season.

Dave Zastudil, a punter who was a Pro Bowl candidate, is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The Browns’ special teams unit, among the best in the NFL, will sorely miss him.

Steve Heiden, a Brown since 2002 and a solid blocker and overall performer at tight end, is down for the count with an ankle injury. This is probably the last we’ll see of Mr. Heiden, as he will be 34 by the time the next season rolls around.

As Browns fans know, Davis, whose help we could have used this year, is out with a shoulder injury for the year. That's also on Brayden Tyler Quinn.

3. The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round

And the crunching sound you hear is that of people being thrown under its wheels, such as GM in title only George Kokinis, veteran WR and Cleveland native Joe Jurevicius, and veteran Mangini Girl Friday Erin O'Brien. Not to mention numerous relatively anonymous staffers in support roles when the Stalinesque blood purge of the Berea compound began.

But, in about the only gesture of respect given to Eric Mangini in North America, Six Points will say he has handled the dismissals with class.

Mangini also handled something else professionally, taking the hit for the play that knocked Josh Cribbs out of the game when it wasn't his doing. Say what you want about Mangini, that was pure accountability, knowing that the ultimate responsibility is his, even though the decision was made by his quarterback.

In the case of Kokinis, who the media reports Mangini handpicked to be his boss, Mangini mentioned his longtime friendship with him, and essentially said that sometimes things don’t work out.

Well, sometimes they don’t.

If they always did, divorce lawyers would be filing for unemployment along with half the rest of the country.

It may be Corpspeak, it may be a desire to avoid liability, but Six Points can honestly say Mangini has not publicly trashed anyone who is no longer with the Browns in his tenure here. Nor has he ever publicly trashed anyone on the squad who has been demoted.

If all former employers did that, the unemployment rate would be no lower, but the world might be a nicer place.

4. Reese’s Pieces:

It’s been all over the Internet and in the fishwraps this week that Randolph Lerner has been chatting up Mike Holmgren for his newly created Grand Poohbah of Football Operations gig.

Holmgren is more credible than anyone we have in the current structure, but Six Points wants someone else.

The man’s name is Floyd Reese.

Currently a “senior football adviser” to the New England Patriots, Reese was general manager of the Tennessee Titans from 1994 through 2006, when mercurial owner Bud Adams let him go.

Under Reese, the Titans were a perennial contender, notching 111 wins in those years.

By contrast, Browns v. 2.0 has fewer than half that number of wins in its decade of existence.

Randolph? Randy? Sir?

Open your wallet for this man. Of all the names out there, he could assemble the pieces of a solid team.

Put a GM under him, as Six Points is sure he can recognize upcoming talent after his longtime experience, and let that management team decide if they can live with Mangini.

What’s in it for you? You can spend more time across the pond watching Aston Villa, your futbol team.

5. Where’s the Beef?

The late Clara Peller, a senior citizen when she starred in the Wendy’s commercials, examined a fictitious fast-food competitor’s burger, and uttered that legendary line.

Those commercials aired in the early 1980s, and in 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale used the line to attack his primary campaign rival, Gary Hart.

Hart, a charismatic and photogenic governor of Colorado, was many years Mondale’s junior, and was an early leader in the Democratic primaries.

As history shows, Hart was sunk by a paparazzo from the Miami Herald who photographed him on a boat with a model, but “Where’s the Beef?” remains as part of American culture to this day.

Basically, the phrase refers to a complete lack of substance.

Such is the case with Brayden Tyler Quinn.

In the years depicted in AMC’s award-winning series Mad Men , set in a fictitious Madison Avenue advertising agency, a common truism in advertising was “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.”

If there is any steak here, it’s not USDA Prime.

Let’s go back to 2007. Charlie Frye, as Browns QB, was mediocre at best, and the organization did not know what it had in Derek Anderson.

Enter Brayden Tyler Quinn. A photogenic QB from Notre Dame, a university boasting many Cleveland-area alumni.

Quinn was an Ohio boy, and better yet, there were photos of him as a toddler in a Browns uniform.

The Notre Dame Hype Machine was ready to sell him as the Second Coming of Joe Montana, and former Browns GM Phil Savage bought the sizzle to the tune of a 2007 second-round draft pick and a 2008 first-round choice.

Thus, after being passed over 21 times in the 2007 draft, including by the Miami Dolphins for a kick returner when that franchise was in desperate need of a QB, Brayden Tyler Quinn became a Cleveland Brown.

On that fateful moment, Six Points almost trashed his Trinitron.

To be fair, if Paul Brown were resurrected to prowl the sideline once again and Peyton Manning took the snaps, this season’s record would not be much better with the talent level of the 2009 Cleveland Browns.

But, in the case of Brayden Tyler Quinn, as many red flags came with him as would have been found in a May Day parade in the former Soviet Union.

And, after he became a professional, the hits kept coming.

Brayden Tyler Quinn was drafted in the age of YouTube. Numerous videos of him exist booing service academies in his Notre Dame career.

Six Points considers that a completely classless act, as this column is not being written in German or Russian under an authoritarian government, but it gets worse.

YouTube videos abound of Brayden Tyler Quinn throwing hissy fits on the Notre Dame sidelines.

Videos also abound of his meltdown in the 2007 NFL Draft in the green room, as he looked to be on the verge of tears.

Going back to his Notre Dame career, Quinn played in four bowl games. He was 0-for-4, and the Fighting Irish lost by embarrassing margins.

Scouting reports, apparently glossed over by Savage, had serious concerns with his accuracy and ability to throw the deep ball. Those reports also, while praising his intelligence, questioned his ability to be long-term NFL material.

Let’s start again with Quinn’s multimillion-dollar professional career. After holding out in 2007, he could beat out neither Charlie Frye nor Derek Anderson.

In lieu of making headlines on the field, on December 31, 2007, Columbus police questioned him for an altercation with homosexuals outside of a bar in the gay-friendly Short North district of that city. No charges were filed.

According to AP reports, Brayden Tyler Quinn was harassing them.

As Shakespeare said, “Methinks thou might protesteth too much.”

Six Points was once young and cute, and had a few homosexuals try to pick him up. The response was “I like women,” or “I don’t swing that way,” and that was that.

And that was in a far less tolerant time.

But why in the world, on New Year’s Eve, would you be in a gay area of your city if you were neither swinging that way nor had more issues than National Geographic?

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Except for the issues.

Now, let’s advance to 2008.

Quinn, once again, failed to win the starter’s role in preseason. Only after the team unraveled did he get a start against a Denver defense that was missing almost its entire secondary.

In a loss, that was Quinn’s only respectable start of his career. Although he won the following week in Buffalo, his statistics were abysmal.

After he was disabled for the season with a broken finger, Quinn was decked by former Browns DL Shaun Smith in the locker room. As Mangini would say, it was an internal matter, but why in the world would a second-string defensive lineman risk his career by decking a multimillionaire QB without reason?

Smith now plays for Las Vegas of the UFL. Maybe the two can be reunited soon. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Let’s go to 2009, shall we?

In Quinn’s first 10 quarters at QB, before being replaced in the middle of his third game as starter, the Browns’ offense generated a total of 19 points.

Before being put on the injured reserve list for the season, promising RB James Davis was laid out by Quinn in the regular-season opener against Minnesota on a poorly thrown, high short pass. The Vikings' defender put him out for the game with a shoulder injury, which would be later blamed on a practice session.

Once again, Mangini covered for his players.

Some Internet buzz (unconfirmed) reported that Mangini was facing an “all-out mutiny” if Quinn would have been the starter the following game against Cincinnati.

After that, many middle fingers were raised in bars and living rooms in Greater Cleveland as he was shown pouting on the sideline.

Reinstalled as starting QB after Derek Anderson did no better with the Browns’ lack of talent, Quinn mustered exactly zero points against Baltimore’s suspect secondary and almost got his team’s only playmaker knocked out for the season after calling the ill-fated hook-and-ladder play that laid him out on a stretcher.

Nice exclamation point on a 23.5 QB rating with 74 net yards, no?

Phil Savage, we’d go root for Buffalo, but there’s no steak here, and the sizzle has long been gone. And we are damn hungry.

Now, the only sound we hear that accompanies fragrance is the Febreze we’re spraying to get rid of the smell of this draft pick.

6. Blackout Stout:

In this region, Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Christmas Ale has become a holiday tradition.

Some call it “Christmas Jail,” as people who normally partake of lesser brews exhibit substantially less intelligent behavior while consuming it.

Great Lakes also brews something else that can put one’s reputation and livelihood at risk, and it’s called Blackout Stout.

Named after the electricity failure that darkened most of the eastern United States and much of Canada in 2003, Blackout Stout comes in at around 9.1 percent alcohol.

While a nice memory blackout might be a wonderful thing to have for this Browns season, the title was in honor of the Detroit Lions having their home market blacked out for this clash of 1-8-0 titans.

After all, you have to be stout-hearted to even think about watching.

On Brayden Tyler Quinn’s One Fine Day, Six Points asked “Who do you think will win on Sunday?”

The answer was “Whoever doesn’t watch the game!”

Paul Brown and Bobby Layne are rolling in their graves.

Looking at the game, the resistible force is confronting the movable object. Namely, the NFL’s worst offense confronting the NFL’s worst defense.

But, at least the Lions can score.

Thus, Six Points predicts another valiant effort by a short-handed Browns defense wasted, with the final score Detroit 17, Cleveland 9.

Extra Point: The Game:

The Saturday before Thanksgiving is approaching, and that means it’s time for The Game, as it’s known from Columbus to Akron to Cleveland to Toledo to Detroit to Ann Arbor.

For over a century, Ohio State and Michigan have gone hammer-and-tong on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and throw the record books out when these two archrivals meet.

For Michigan and their embattled coach Rich Rodriguez, this is the Wolverines’ Super Bowl. Rodriguez’ job could be saved with an upset in the Big House.

HBO Films did an excellent documentary on this greatest of all traditional rivalries, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a look.

When young, you hate the other team and the other school.

Growing up, you still hate the other team, but dislike and respect the other school simultaneously.

As years go by, you respect the rivalry, having worked with alumni of your onetime enemy, and appreciate the greatness of that Saturday before Thanksgiving, win or lose.

And as maligned as the Big Ten may be in the national media, you hold the Saturday before Thanksgiving sacred, for it is the day when rivalries that may date to before your ancestors arrived in America are renewed.

Wisconsin plays rival Northwestern, and Purdue and Indiana battle for the Old Oaken Bucket. Iowa and Minnesota have at it, and all those rivalries go back to the days before the Ford Model T.

May there never be an official Big Ten Championship Game. Most years, it comes down to Ohio State and Michigan.

And may the Saturday before Thanksgiving always be sacred. Shabozz. Amen.

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Quit All Nonsensical Gossip: LeBron Curing Browns Is Preposterous

Jonathan Mathis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:02:05 -0500

I almost feel sorry for the city, continuously suffering with sporting heartaches. It's a town woefully perturbed of the well-being of sporting indignities, sadly crippling a dormat sports town amid a devestating recession.

In Cleveland, fans are curious to alleviate long-suffering failures of forging endless burdens in an urban community where rock and roll established a trademark. The masses might believe in rock and roll, but disbelieves in major sporting franchises winning a title in the near future.

For sports, Cleveland’s trademark specifically applies to The Shot, The Drive, The Fumble, and The Choke. Worst, a devastating crisis has lasted since 1964, to whereas fans witnesses an infamous drought and misfortunes.

Everyone is belittling the Cleveland Browns. A disgruntled population and critics in general weren’t afraid to create an unpleasant name. Sadly, the Browns converted to the Clowns as majorities neglected turf fiascoes, and turned their heads to the hardwood adoring LeBron James’ romantic spectacles.

But the story here is what the hell is wrong with the Browns, an awful franchise struggling to score a field goal. In reality, the disoriented Browns are hilarious to laugh at, when the Cleveland Cavaliers are exciting.

This age, fans are boycotting, emptying seats, and filling up seats inside the electric Quicken Loans Arena. Just recently, Eric Mangini, the so-called Man-Genuis publicly announced he’d welcome LeBron to run offensive routes for the Browns. Not an awful suggestion, when damn-near every school in the country tried recruiting LeBron to play football.

Instead of playing basketball, he could have selected to play football and stabilized a career in the NFL. Oh, well, too bad he opted to advance down the NBA path. So if he was to wear a Browns uniform, just how much would he offer to the powerless franchise?

Here’s a hint, LeBron hasn’t played football since high school. So, I guess naught.

But the population in Cleveland believes LeBron is a lethal sprinter with unmatchable leaping ability. As a basketball megastar, running routes effectively and putting points on the scoreboard is a special knack. By figuring he’ll translate the exact same intensity on turf is ridiculous. Who cares if LeBron seems as if he’s a godlike specimen, there’s no athlete on this planet making a transition to a dissimilar sport overnight.

If LeBron was to attempt a steeper task, he’ll need to learn the playbook, adjust to the physical abuse, adjust to Brady Quinn, the newest bust in the NFL, and will have to prove he’s powerful like finishing a forceful dunk at the rim.

Recently, King James feel his services are badly needed in a league where making a fool of yourself is likely. But as usual, a confident LeBron wants us to believe he’s as vigorous as he has been on the basketball level, informing the world of his plans to change jersey numbers in honor of Michael Jordan before insisting he’d pursue a position in the NFL at tight end.

Honestly, not to be mean: LeBron sounds like a fool. After acknowledging he had no intent in following the footsteps of Jordan, he reneged and confessed he’d participate in multiple sports. Hell, the Browns' are failing and he’s excelling as a member of the Cavs, finishing shy last year of making the second NBA finals appearance in his noteworthy career.

Although the Browns lost 16 of the last 18 games and suffered nine consecutive home loses, LeBron isn’t a cure or responsible for rectifying timeless woes. You believe LeBron’s athleticism is greatly versatile by watching the potent forward night in and night out. You also believe he’s the magical ingredient needed to reconstruct excitement on turf.

And it is amazing people are buying into this nonsensical theory because I’m personality not buying it. Problems are bounded to happen whenever an athlete tries converting and expands into two leagues at exactly the same time. Several athletes converted and tried a second sport, and fortunately it never ruined their reputations.

Jordan sustained glory by winning three titles, following a gambling addiction and lastly opted to play baseball, a sport he was awful in during a brief stint. LeBron needs to stick to basketball, a sport in which he has prefaced greatness and uplifted a dull league as the next big-star stepping in since Jordan departed.

The legacy of LeBron lives within the NBA, not the NFL or anywhere else. As for the Browns, Mangini’s job status remains uncertain in a gloomy era. Randy Lerner, the owner of the Browns should weigh options carefully, especially when Cleveland have a 1-8 record. Perhaps, riding the coaching carousel isn’t such a bad suggestion, as long as they leave LeBron out of the troubling mess.

LeBron isn’t the problem, the Browns are the problem.

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Browns 4th Timeout Of The Half Allows Josh Cribbs to Sustain Injuries

Kristen Carneval — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:38:36 -0500

The Browns were down 16-0 with 0:03 seconds left in the game, and they called a timeout. They did not have a chance, yet they ran an incredibly risky play, that puts both the quarterback, running back, and the entire team in jeopardy. As Josh Cribbs lay motionless on the field, people wondered what the Browns were thinking when they called the "hook and lateral" play.

I believe that Eric Mangini and Brady Quinn are at fault for calling the play; however, I would also have to blame the officials. With 1:55 seconds left in the game, the Browns called their third, and what should have been their final timeout. One minute and fifty-two seconds later, the Browns called another timeout.

The officials granted the time out, effectively giving the Browns their fourth timeout. If this timeout had not been granted, the Browns never would have been able to call their last play, the "hook and lateral", which left Josh Cribbs injured.

So why were the Browns given a fourth timeout? Apparently, the NFL officials forgot how to count. According to Mike Pereira, the head of officiating, "Well, I mean, it happened because we as a group, as a crew, failed to record. . . . Everybody on the field basically forgot to record the penalty—I mean the timeout."

The NFL has decided to implement a rule change due to this error, "When a team uses all their timeouts we now—the referee has to go over and tell the head coach."

While this seems like a logical solution, the officials did not even realize they gave the Browns an additional timeout until they were confronted a few days later. Even the official NFL Game Summary did not include the timeout called with 1:55 seconds left on the clock.

I can understand one official mistakenly forgetting to record the third timeout; but, I cannot understand an entire crew’s, nine officials, failure to realize the Browns had used all of their timeouts.

I do not believe that the officials are the only individuals that should be held responsible, as Eric Mangini called the play, and Brady Quinn executed it. However, if the officials could just count to three, Josh Cribbs never would have had a chance to run that play, and never would have faced sustaining a serious neck injury. Lucky for everyone involved, Josh seems to be okay, and has no serious injuries.

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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

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Could LeBron James Find Success in the NFL?

Mike Salvatore — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:45:17 -0500

While watching the Cleveland Browns organization continue to embarrass themselves on Monday Night Football, Mike Tirico posed a question to his fellow commentators: what kind of football player would LeBron James be?

Now for those that don’t know who he is, LeBron James is the star player on the local Cleveland BASKETBALL team, the Cavaliers.

Now this was simply television fodder, as Tirico was trying to keep the audience’s interest in an otherwise meaningless fourth quarter—or so we thought.

Tuesday night, LeBron James had this to say about playing in the NFL: "If I put all my time and commitment into it, if I dedicated myself to the game of football, I could be really good, no matter what team I was on."

At first the notion of the best basketball player in the world trading in his headband for a chinstrap is laughable.

However, a closer look reveals it might not be as farfetched as it appears.

James was an all-state receiver at Saint Vincent Saint Mary High School in Ohio, so he has achieved success in the sport in the past.

Pound for pound, LeBron James is one of the most physically gifted athletes in the world. The man is 6-8, weights roughly 260-270 pounds of muscle, and runs like a gazelle.

Imagine being a linebacker or defensive back and having to cover someone with that size and speed.

Even with the physical gifts, it would still be ludicrous to think that James would find success in the NFL after not seeing the field since high school, right?

Let’s not forget, there already is a precedent of NFL players who made the jump from basketball in college to football in the pros without actually playing a down in college.

The most recognizable name from that list would be Antonio Gates, who was a standout basketball player at Kent State before finding huge success in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers.

Now let’s not kid ourselves, there is no reason for LeBron James to walk away from all the guaranteed money in the NBA for the uncertainty of the NFL; especially if your coach is a certain Eric Mangini.

I just feel that the combination of LeBron James’ physical tools, his desire to be the best, as well as his desire to prove everyone wrong would make for a great transition.

If nothing else, it would give Browns fans something to cheer about.

Read more Cleveland Browns news on BleacherReport.com

QBER/Week 10: Quinn, Anderson or LeBron? Doesn't Matter in Browns Town

Paul Ladewski — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:29:20 -0500

(QBER is short for Quarterback Efficiency Rating, a more comprehensive, easily understood rating system that I devised to place the emphasis where it belongs—the ability of a quarterback to advance the ball, avoid negative plays, and score touchdowns in comparison to his peers. A rating of 100.0 is the league average.)

The Cleveland Browns rank 32nd and dead last in points and total yards in the league, and some longtime observers consider theirs to be the worst offense that the NFL has witnessed in decades. For that, quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn have shouldered a lot of the blame and rightfully so.

Nonetheless, the QBER of Quinn (29.7) and Anderson (29.5) are so similar and ridiculously below the league norm, there’s reason to believe that not even Otto Graham in prime could work miracles here. Or even LeBron James, for that matter. Rather, the problem appears to have as much to do with the scheme or the talent around them or both perhaps.

If the Browns sign-callers changed uniforms on the field, only they would know for sure. Quinn (3.8 yards per pass play) and Anderson (3.7) move the ball at almost identical rates, which is to say, nearly 40 percent below the league average.

Anderson finds the end zone more often – one touchdown per 82 attempts – while Quinn has yet to produce a touchdown, as his only TD pass was offset by an interception return for six points. At one turnover per 17.9 pass plays, Quinn protects the ball better than Anderson, who gives it up once ever 14.9 chances.

Quinn and Anderson lack the minimum number of pass plays (166) to qualify for the QBER list, and it’s just as well. They would rank next-to-last and last, respectively.

Pssst, LeBron, better keep your night job for awhile.

The QBER leaders through Week 10 of the regular season:

1. Brett Favre 141.6

2. Peyton Manning 140.9

3. Donovan McNabb 132.4

4. Tom Brady 129.4

5. Aaron Rodgers 129.1

6. Philip Rivers 128.0

7. Matt Schaub 124.3

8. Drew Brees 123.7

9. Kyle Orton 120.2

10. Joe Flacco 115.6

11. Tony Romo 115.4

12. Eli Manning 115.0

13. Carson Palmer 114.9

14. Kurt Warner 110.8

15. Matt Hasselbeck 108.1

16. Ben Roethlisberger 106.0

17. Shaun Hill 105.1

18. Matt Ryan 101.4

19. Matt Cassel 100.0

20. David Garrard 93.5

21. Jay Cutler 87.3

22. Marc Bulger 85.6

23. Jason Campbell 83.4

24. Chad Henne 81.6

25. Trent Edwards 80.2

26. Kerry Collins 79.6

27. Mark Sanchez 77.0

28. Matthew Stafford 67.9

29. Jake Delhomme 52.5

30. JaMarcus Russell 50.7

A few observations:

• Drew Brees is a healthy eighth on the QBER charts, but his recent 2-to-1 turnover-to-touchdown ratio may be cause for concern. In the last four weeks, the New Orleans Saints quarterback was the victim of six interceptions and four lost fumbles.

• Kyle Orton for Most Valuable Player? Probably not, but the Denver Broncos quarterback deserves more than token consideration. His QBER has ranked ninth or higher in all except Week Nine thus far. As for his supposed inability to throw the ball downfield, he ranks ahead of Jay Cutler, Brett Favre, Carson Palmer, and Ben Roethlisberger in net yards per pass attempt.

• Speaking of Roethlisberger, like his team, he can’t get over the hump, it seems. Where Big Ben ranked in QBER the last seven weeks: 15th, 15th, 14th, 15th, 13th, 15th, and 16th.

• Which quarterback gives up the ball at the lowest rate? Surprise, surprise, he’s Brett Favre, who has only four turnovers in 307 pass plays. Orton owns a share of the lead with identical numbers.

• The average NFL quarterback? He’s Matt Cassel, whose 100.0 rating is the league norm.

Read more Cleveland Browns news on BleacherReport.com

Why Brady Quinn Should Not Be Suspended

James Williamson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:24:10 -0500

Terrell Suggs is hurt and Brady Quinn is the man responsible, Quinn's low block to Suggs' legs is why Quinn has been fine by the NFL.

We all saw it on Monday Night Football with Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Ron Jaworski.

Fellow writer JW Nix wrote an excellent article about the block he felt was illegal and why the NFL should fine and suspend Brady Quinn for a blatant attack on a defenseless player who was blocking at the time.

But I'm going to play defense attorney, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

I will prove that my client, Brady Quinn, is a young man who made a horrible mistake, but without any intent of malice and therefore should not be suspended by the National Football League for the said mistake.

First, I present to you Exhibit A: A reenactment of the play in question .

At around 15 seconds into the clip, you will see both my client and the victim, Terrell Suggs.

Now, look at the perspective of my client. He has just thrown an interception, his second of the game, because of another tipped pass by a receiver. The first one was taken back for a touchdown by safety Dawan Landry and he certainly does not want a second interception to result in six points.

So, he goes out to try to stop the returner who in this case, is cornerback Chris Carr. Carr is going up his left (my client's right) side of the field to attempt a return. Terrell Suggs moves upward to possibly provide a block as my client has Carr in his vision.

My client was more focused on Chris Carr, so he didn't acknowledge the presence of Terrell Suggs until it was too late and he collided with Suggs and caused a "minor" tear of his MCL.

Next, I proceed to Exhibit B, a picture of a Browns helmet .

In the outrage of the block and injury, I think many people forgot that it is different when you are on that football field and I constantly try to remind myself of that.

I've worn a helmet like that and if I didn't need it for protection, I wouldn't wear it.

The opaque plastic of the helmets is impossible to see through and leads to a tremendous loss of vision by the players. You cannot see to the direct left of your body when wearing one.

The video shows that Terrell Suggs was in Brady Quinn's blind spot during the return. Quinn is running, which narrows the vision naturally, and Suggs is at a spot where my client would not see him coming towards him.

Brady Quinn collided with Terrell Suggs; he did not attack him. Suggs was a deer in the headlights. Think about it; we watch that clip on the television, but have we forgotten how fast plays can happen?

That hit came within a few seconds of the interception. How is Brady Quinn supposed to stop dead in his tracks once he sees Suggs a half-second before they come into contact. That is, if he even saw Terrell Suggs to start.

There was no malicious intent because there was no time to form the said intent. My client could not have planned to throw an interception and seek Terrell Suggs hoping to get him when he least expected it, like some might believe.

I am not going to deny that my client should be fined by the NFL for a low block, however, how often is a quarterback practicing blocking? I submit that Brady Quinn did not know that low blocks on returns are illegal now.

However, ignorance of the rules is no excuse, but to demand his suspension over something clearly accidental is overdoing it.

This is a first-time offender who made a mistake and apologized for it.

"I wasn't trying to go for him," he said. "I was trying to go for the ball carrier. Unfortunately, a thing like that can happen. I'm praying for him. Hopefully, he'll be all right."

"I can see why they'd be upset," he said. "But again, he wasn't even in my vision. I was trying to get to the ball. He cut across my face as I was already try to jump down for the tackle."

I believe that with all the evidence presented, as well as logical reasoning and considering Quinn's position, you will find my client not guilty of dirty football play and intentional harming of an opposing player.

The defense rests.

Quinn's quotations are from an Associated Press article by Tom Withers.

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From Chop to Flop: The Coaster Rolls On for Cleveland's Brady Quinn

Tom Delamater — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:42:33 -0500

Brady Quinn has caused quite a fuss this week.

On the one hand, his actions Monday night following his second interception throw, when he undercut Baltimore's Terrell Suggs with a chop block during the Ravens' return, drew cries of outrage on the Internet and, on Wednesday, a fine from the league.

On the other hand, his shockingly bad performance led others, at long last, to label Quinn as an out-and-out flop.

For the record, Quinn said after the game that he saw Suggs coming at the last second, was upset and sorry about what happened, and never intended to hurt him. Quinn spoke to Suggs on the field and later apologized to him and the Ravens.

Maybe he was sincere, maybe he was covering his behind. Regardless, the league exacted punishment.

But what about the "flop" tag? Does it really apply to Quinn? Is he truly overrated?

No one can deny that he's been awful this year. Monday night was no exception. Passes were woefully off-target, including two deep balls late in the game that sailed ridiculously far out of bounds. Too many others were deflected by oncoming pass rushers. You'd think Quinn would have adjusted and improved as the game progressed, but he didn’t. So he bears his share of responsibility.

But the Browns are an awful team. Offensively, they're one of the worst in league history. The demise of this once proud franchise has been shocking. And it's into that maelstrom of mediocrity that Quinn has been tossed.

Honestly, how good do you think even the best quarterbacks would look with the Browns? Would Manning, Brady, or Brees be able to single-handedly lift them to dizzying heights? Poor pass protection, no running game, inexperienced receivers—the things that are wrong with this team are too numerous for one individual to overcome.

That's why it's premature to label Quinn as overrated, or a flop—yet. Yes, former Brown Willie McGinest took to the airwaves Tuesday and said Quinn is not a starting NFL quarterback, and it makes sense to defer to the guys who have played the game. So we're not arguing greatness here. But it's not reasonable to saddle one player with the sins of an entire organization.

That's what happened to Tim Couch, if you'll recall. The 1999 season wasn't even one game old when Couch stepped into the starting QB role—and was subsequently beaten, battered, and tossed around like a rag doll for most of the next five years. He never truly won the hearts of Browns fans, but he never had much to work with, either.

Fans are fickle, quick to tear down athletes and delight in their shortcomings. The Browns' struggles in the early years of the expansion era weren't all Couch's fault—not even close—but he was the high-profile guy, the bonus baby, the can't-miss prospect on whose shoulders the team's hopes were squarely placed. Being the first overall pick of the draft (not to mention the first pick of the returning Browns) turned out to be Couch's misfortune, not his good fortune.

The what-ifs abound with Couch. What if the Browns had chosen Donovan McNabb or Daunte Culpepper, both available in the '99 draft? Would either have fared any better in Cleveland, or would we have written their football epitaphs six years ago, as we did Couch's? And what if Couch had fallen in the draft to the Eagles or the Vikings? With protection, a running game, and better receivers, would his NFL story have been a different one?

We'll never know. But even Couch's most ardent critics allow for the fact that his team was terrible. So is Quinn's. In fact, this year's version looks even worse—a painful thing to contemplate, 11 seasons after a rebirth that seemingly held such promise for the city of Cleveland.

Without question, Quinn's window of opportunity is closing fast. But it's worthwhile to consider the early struggles of such quarterbacks as Terry Bradshaw or Troy Aikman—Hall of Famers, both—when deciding Brady’s fate. Bradshaw and Aikman were pretty awful early on. But they were on teams that were being built into champions by seasoned coaches. The Browns show no such hope.

In truth, Quinn has barely had a chance in the NFL. He played in garbage time in one game his rookie year. Last year, he appeared in three games before getting hurt. And this year, after 10 quarters, he was yanked and not given another opportunity until Monday night.

Quinn has yet to distinguish himself. But he's not the real flop in Cleveland. The Browns are. The franchise is in total, embarrassing disarray.

What we've seen from Quinn has been disappointing. History may end up being unkind to him. It may even judge him to be a flop.

But eight games of action over three years? That’s simply not enough time to make an informed, long-term judgment.

Read more Cleveland Browns news on BleacherReport.com

As Browns' Offensive Woes Continue, Firing of Brian Daboll Should be Looming

Daniel Wolf — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:20:52 -0500

After a horrible performance against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, in which the Cleveland Browns had two weeks to prepare for, Browns fans across this nation are calling for owner Randy Lerner to step in and make a move by firing offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

Daboll is a rookie coordinator, but after watching another touchdown-less debacle against the Ravens (that makes six of nine games without a touchdown in 2009), his value is lower than it ever has been. Unless the Browns cannot score a touchdown against the Detroit Lions this upcoming Sunday.

When will the horrible play-calling stop?

What is Eric Mangini really doing in this matter?

Where was the help that Mangini said quarterbacks coach Brad Smith (who is a former offensive coordinator himself) was going to give to Daboll?

So many questions, so few answers, and even fewer results.

Lerner has been more proactive and hands-on with the Browns over the past month than he has been since taking over ownership from his late father Al.

Unfortunately, Lerner being proactive meant him finding a scapegoat in firing former general manager George Kokinis, when he should have fired Daboll instead.

Now he needs to put his extremely wealthy foot down again and fire Daboll now.

Usually, you have to give any rookie a chance to develop, and usually signs of development are noticed as the season progresses, but not in the case of the Browns' offense.

After two weeks of prep for the Ravens, one would think that Mangini, Daboll, and Smith would create a solid game plan, but that was not the case and the game plan looked the exact same as what was used during Brady Quinn's first 10 quarters of play as a starter to open the 2009 season.

Any Browns or NFL fan that watched the Monday Night game could tell you that ESPN analyst Jon Gruden's comments throughout the game were dead-on regarding the offensive scheme the Browns were using and the lack of long passes to back the defenses up.

Too bad Gruden didn't get fed up with Mangini, throw off his announcer headset, and go down to the sideline where he could have knocked out Mangini and took over the team for the rest of the game.

That was just wishful thinking, but at times it did seem like Gruden got really pissed off at the Browns.

Remember, Gruden grew up about 45 minutes outside of Cleveland in Sandusky, Ohio where he too was a Browns fans while growing up.

If Lerner cannot or will not fire Mangini, then the next best thing needs to happen and that's getting rid of a horrid play-caller in Daboll and put a new perspective into the offensive coordinator position to get this historically bad offense going somehow.

Browns fans want a better product on the field and with bad play-calling they now are calling for Daboll's head.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

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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!”

Read more Cleveland Browns news on BleacherReport.com

It Is Just Hard To Watch Brady Quinn Like This

Erin McLaughlin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:50:28 -0500

Prior to the game last night, I was debating whether or not I even wanted to watch it. People have their opinions on Brady Quinn and are not afraid to share it either way. For me, the thing I am most passionate about in sports is Notre Dame football.

When Quinn was leading the Irish, Notre Dame was closer to being Notre Dame than it had been since 1993. For that reason he will always be a hero to me no matter what he does with the Cleveland Browns or any other NFL team. But still, heroes aren't supposed to struggle.

I did watch the game against the Ravens, but I really felt going in that I was about to watch my heroes execution. The line is horrible. The best running back is about to retire. The best weapon is Joshua Cribbs, who really is more of a wildcat specialist. The other receivers are rookies. I was scared for him.

Then the game started and the offense showed some signs of life in the first half. There was a long completion to Mohamed Massaqoui. However whenever anything would get going, there was a dropped pass, holding penalty, and other drive killers. Even Quinn missed a couple easy passes.

However, I felt that at halftime some positives came and the offense would do something in the second half. Then my worst fears were confirmed. Quinn was running for his life in the second half. The interceptions both hit off receivers hands and looked to be the result of them not being totally in-sync.

I guess that happens when you constantly change quarterbacks and never develop rhythm. Quinn made his share of mistakes and no excuses will be given for them. However, the Browns problem is the offense period. Frequently changing signal callers won't change that. Nor will drafting a new quarterback.

As hard as the game was to watch, it was a little refreshing to hear Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski say the same things I have been saying for weeks. They feel that the offense lacks the playmakers it needs and Peyton Manning couldn't fix that.

They also attacked the conservative playcalling and made it clear that Brian Daboll needs to take the handcuffs off and let this young group go. They will make mistakes but at least they will learn. That is the only way the unit will ever get better.

Jaworski also made it a point that the organization has to believe in Quinn. The only way he will ever get better is by playing. The footage Jaworski showed of how Dick Vermeil believed in him when he was young and struggling should have hit home with Browns fans and coaches.

The other part of Quinn's night had nothing to do with his performance but rather the penalty he got on Terrell Suggs. I have mixed feelings about it.

On one hand, I am very disappointed in him. He not only represents the Browns but he also still represents Notre Dame and those of us who cheer for him. After all I have written for him and how I have fought for him, it was disappointing.

At the same time, I know he is not a dirty player. He got caught in a moment that I am sure he regrets. Quinn is also dealing with trying to gain his teammates respect. Quarterbacks do get respect when they make a block or tackle or any other tough play.

Quinn is also battling a reputation of being soft. That is a belief that people have. I believe his looks is what give that impression. What happens if Quinn doesn't go after him? He would have been called a "sissie." That really was a case of damned if he does or damned if he doesn't.

In the coming weeks I am hoping this staff takes Jaworski's advice and believes in Quinn and hopefully the whole unit shows some signs of progression.

This article is also posted on http://fightingirishgameday.com/

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Six Points on the Cleveland Browns (Nov. 18)

Christopher Maher — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:28:56 -0500

One of two nationally televised Cleveland Browns games is in the books, and a realistic Cleveland football observer could not have expected much better than what he or she saw Monday night, Nov. 16.

Never fear, Six Points is here to recap the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Of course, it was mostly bad and ugly.

1. Boycott? What boycott?

Despite the efforts of "Dawg Pound Mike," pictured at the upper right, the stands of Cleveland Browns Stadium were more full than usual at kickoff.

Posters on the Orange and Brown Report have alleged that Dawg Pound Mike was even greeted by a certain anatomical chant when he walked in late after hiding in the bowels of Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Mike, we get it. We don't like what we're seeing, either.

But, of your Warhol-esque 15 minutes of fame, we're glad you're at 14:58:52.

2. In defense of the Browns:

Against a Baltimore offense with weapons, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan had the game scoreless at halftime.

This is with a defense with marginal talent overall, and its two inside linebackers out for the season.

The Browns' only significant defensive lapse came on a 41-yard reception by Derrick Mason on Brandon McDonald, recipient of a Jason Voorhees Award from Six Points on Friday, Nov. 13.

McDonald, on what should have been an eight-yard completion, was out of position, and the play went an extra 33 yards. Ray Rice ran it in from 13 yards out on a "tackling is optional" play for the score.

Overall, the defense's play is improved over the 2008 season, and Ryan is not afraid to take risks with his undermanned unit.

Never mind the rankings.

With an impotent offense, even the legendary Steel Curtain of the 1970s would wear down.

3. The Body Bag Bowl:

Despite the ineptitude of Cleveland's offense, viewers were treated to a smashmouth game of AFC North football.

For Baltimore, it started early. S Haruki Nakamura went down with a broken ankle on the opening kickoff.

ILB Tavares Gooden went out with a concussion, and TE Todd Heap left with a chest injury on a "You catch, you pay!" hit reminiscent of the Dixon and Minnifield era.

On a Brandy Queen interception, LB Terrell Suggs suffered a knee injury after Queen dove straight for his legs after throwing the pick.

For Cleveland, TE Steve Heiden left with an ankle injury before WR/KR/PR Joshua Cribbs was carted off on a stretcher on the last play of the game.

Baltimore's Dwan Edwards leveled Cribbs with a vicious hit as the Browns tried a hook-and-ladder play with seconds left, trailing 16-0.

Question for the coaching staff: Is there some obscure rule that makes a run through the Stanford marching band worth 16 points?

Was the hit on Cribbs retaliation for Queen's cheap shot on Suggs?

Quite possibly.

National League baseball pitchers think twice before drilling an opponent, as payback is often due the next time they bat.

In the NBA, hard fouls beget hard fouls.

And, reminiscent of Butch Davis' inexplicable decision to play Kellen Winslow, Jr. on special teams on the artificial turf of Texas Stadium, thus losing him for the year, Cleveland's coaching staff risked the Browns' only playmaker on a meaningless play at the end of a lost game.

Fortunately, Cribbs has been released from the Cleveland Clinic, and tests for a concussion were negative.

4. Signs of the Times:

Cleveland Browns Stadium is usually a sterile, joyless and corporate place, but Browns fans provided entertainment that was often lacking on the field.

It's a far cry from Cleveland's old Municipal Stadium, where fans went as far as to hang then-coach Nick Skorich in effigy from the upper deck during a losing 1974 season.

But the old creativity of Browns fans was renewed on that Monday night, producing such televised gems as: "Cleveland Browns: Rebuilding Since 1964!"

The one that made Six Points almost expel beverage through nostrils was featured on the front page of the Nov. 17 Cleveland Plain Dealer .

It read, "Hey Baltimore: Can You Take This Team Too?"

Old Irish saying, "We laugh so we may not cry."

5. Primates Flinging Feces Redux:

To get a vibe for what's left of the fan base, Six Points watched the game at a local restaurant.

As mentioned Nov. 13, the fan base has been split regarding the QB controversy. In other news, the Hummer H1 is not exactly fuel efficient.

Now, in frustration, the venom spreads beyond the QBs to the rest of the team.

On one sack play, a patron even turned on All-Pro LT Joe Thomas, as he screamed "Way to go, All-Pro Joe!"

Of course, that was followed by "We should have taken Adrian Peterson."

If Six Points had $10 for every time he's heard or read that argument, he'd be debt-free, and well on his way to a comfortable retirement.

Brandy Queen's second interception was greeted by a derisive round of applause.

You know, like the one the kid who drops his lunch tray gets in a high school cafeteria.

The late Gib Shanley, erstwhile radio announcer for the Browns, once spoke of the "Cleveland Chorus in Boo Flat" when Browns fans expressed their disgust at the team's performance.

That note was sounded loudly in Browns Stadium after Queen's second pick.

6. What's in a Name?

In the first edition of Six Points, the precedent was set that a certain QB would be referred to as "Brandy Queen" until he completed a pass beyond 10 yards from the line of scrimmage to one of his own receivers.

Well, Queen was 0-for-7 on passes thrown 10 yards or more downfield, including a couple of spectacular wounded ducks in garbage time that landed at least five yards out of bounds.

The overall line? Four sacks, 13-of-31 for 99 yards passing (74 net yards), two interceptions, and 2.1 yards per attempt for a rating of 23.4.

With performances like that, not even the Steel Curtain, the Purple People Eaters of Viking lore, nor the Doomsday Defense of Dallas could carry a team.

Extra Point: A Change Is Gonna Come:

Sam Cooke wrote that tune in December of 1963, and it was released as a single posthumously in 1964.

It became one of the most influential civil rights songs of all time.

Yes, Six Points listens to NPR.

A loss to Detroit in four days could have Eric Mangini in the coaching equivalent of cement shoes.

The fans are restless, and Randolph Lerner does not like what he sees.

Don't be surprised if this happens. Dick Jauron, figuratively, is at the bottom of the other end of Lake Erie.

This may be the time for the Browns, before the new front office is installed, to see what they have in Rob Ryan.

Ryan's undermanned unit has played aggressively, and he has a sideline demeanor not seen in Cleveland since Marty Schottenheimer.

Ryan may or may not be head coaching material, but there's precedent for going forward under his leadership if the Browns lose in Detroit.

His name is Mike Singletary.

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Cleveland Browns Coaches Are Clueless

Kim Lakner — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:52:04 -0500

Maybe it is time to part ways with Eric Mangini at season’s end.

If the guy hasn’t figured it out after nearly four years as a head coach, there's a chance he never will.

The Browns played the Baltimore Ravens tough for a half last night, heading to the locker room at 0-0.

The Ravens' coaches made adjustments, the Browns' coaches didn’t.

Here’s the kicker: The Browns' coaches had two weeks to prepare for this game, the Ravens' coaches had one.

On the first possession of the second half, Brady Quinn had two passes knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

They punt.

The next possession, Quinn throws a slant pattern behind Mike Furrey and Baltimore's Chris Carr picks it off.

Later in the game, the Browns' defense was not lined up properly and instead of calling a timeout to get the correct personnel on the field, the Ravens snapped the ball and Ray Rice ended up in the endzone.

As soon as it became 7-0 Baltimore, the game was over. The Browns can’t score touchdowns.

Heck, they couldn't even get the ball past the Ravens’ 45-yard line.

Rob Ryan didn’t call a timeout and neither did Eric Mangini. Incompetent coaching staff.

The Ravens’ defensive coordinator decided to throw everything at Quinn, including the kitchen sink, and the Browns offense had no chance.

In the second half of games this year, the Browns have been outscored 117-29.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has no business calling plays.

If you’re Ryan, what in the world are you supposed to tell your defense, who shuts out the Ravens in the first half?

“Sorry, fellas. I guess you’re going to have to pitch a shutout because the offense is incapable of scoring touchdowns.”

Mangini was supposed to be an upgrade in this department over Romeo Crennel. Braylon Edwards even was quoted as saying that Mangini’s ability to make halftime adjustments was going to be a welcomed addition. Now it looks like the coach's abilities were overrated.

Randy Lerner needs to do the right thing for his franchise and fire Mangini at the end of the season.

The team has 11 draft picks next year. Can Lerner really afford to have Mangini screw up a draft that could potentially help turn this team around?

If Lerner brings in a credible voice to overlook the football decisions, is he really going to agree to work with Mangini, especially if he doesn't want Mangini there as the head coach?

Last night Mangini was on the sidelines with a disappointed look on his face.

He has no one to blame but himself.

He’s the one that traded Kellen Winslow for peanuts and wanted Robert Royal who couldn’t catch a cold if he was sitting in a freezer in his underwear for five days.

He’s the one who drafted a center with his first pick instead of taking either one of the USC linebackers or a quarterback he could groom for the future.

He’s the one who brought in two career backup linemen and decided to make them starters on the right side of the offensive line.

Mangini gets no sympathy from me and he shouldn’t get any from the fans either.

Read more Cleveland Browns news on BleacherReport.com

The Hit on Browns' Josh Cribbs an Inappropriate Act of Retaliation

Daniel Wolf — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:31:40 -0500

After reading a Bleacher Report article on how Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn should be suspended for a low blow on Baltimore Ravens defender Terrell Suggs, I had to make a stand for my Browns and write this article on how the hit on Josh Cribbs was uncalled for and Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards should be suspended and fined for this hit.

It was the last play of the game, and Quinn threw a pass to Cribbs, who then began to run and also look for another Browns player to lateral to.

He found tight end Robert Royal, who caught the ball, but then unbeknownst to Cribbs, he was targeted by Edwards. After I watched the replay, Edwards went for Cribbs' throat and smashed his arm right into Cribbs' head, causing him to lie motionless on the field once the game was over.

Was this a retaliation play by the Ravens' Edwards because Quinn was just trying to make a play earlier in the game and went a little too low and hit Suggs' knees because he was going for the defender who picked off his pass?

I would say it is very possible knowing that the Ravens like to play very aggressively and perhaps too aggressively at times.

In Quinn's defense, he is a quarterback who normally doesn't tackle big defensive players on a regular basis, so even after watching the replay of the play on Suggs, I would say that he was trying to make a play to the best of his ability without trying to hurt himself or another.

On the other hand, Edwards' hit on Cribbs looked to be a direct result of him going after Cribbs and attacking his head rather than his body.

Cribbs was eventually carted off the field and he was taken to a local Cleveland hospital immediately.

No word yet on the status of Cribbs' injury, but Browns coach Eric Mangini did tell the media that Cribbs did have feeling and movement in all of his extremities.

The Ravens were successful in beating the Browns 16-0 on Monday Night Football and they were also successful in possibly ending the season of one of the Browns' best and most talented players on their roster.

As a Browns fan, my prayers go out to Cribbs for good news and to have a speedy recovery and I strongly suggest to NFL officials to throw the hammer down on Edwards and suspend him for multiple games and give him a tremendous fine for his hit.

(Thank you Sam Ingro for the following photo!)

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

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Notes from Ravens-Browns Bodybag Game

Jarrett Carter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:36 -0500

Who would’ve thought a subpar performance against the league’s worst franchise would’ve turned into an injury report nightmare for the Ravens. From Aaron Wilson and the National Football Post :

- (Terrell) Suggs was wearing a full leg brace and had an electronic stem device attached to his leg. He’s scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam today. *Note: Suggs’ injury was sustained after Browns quarterback Brady Quinn dove at the linebacker’s knees on a block.

- Ravens reserve safety and special-teams contributor Haruki Nakamura gruesomely broke his right ankle during the opening kickoff.

Because of the nature and timing of the injury, it’s expected that Nakamura is out for the remainder of the season and will likely require surgery to repair the damage.

- Ravens inside linebacker Tavares Gooden suffered another concussion and didn’t play for the majority of the second half.

- Tight end Todd Heap left the game with a chest injury after taking a shot in the side late in the game, and is expected to undergo a test today.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens , Cleveland Browns , Haruki Nakamura , Tavares Gooden , Terrell Suggs , Todd Heap

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Ravens-Browns: Why the 16-0 Final Is Not Surprising

Brian DiTullio — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:02:12 -0500

What can be said about the 2009 edition of the Cleveland Browns that hasn’t already been said?

Head coach Eric Mangini is sticking with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. As a result, the Browns once again failed to score any points in a 16-0 defeat.

To give credit where credit is due, the Browns did throw some new formations out there and looked like they might be able to accomplish something, but the bottom line is this team is still calling bad plays that are over before the ball is snapped.

Daboll, despite having no playmakers on offense, continues to call for screen passes on third and long. This assumes there will be a Yards After Catch component to the play.

When you have five receivers, and none of them catch balls on a regular basis, this is what’s commonly called “flawed thinking.”

Brady Quinn’s final stat line was slightly better than Derek Anderson’s has been over the last few weeks, 13-31 for 99 yards and two interceptions, but that’s like saying the SUV with the smashed up front end isn’t quite as wrecked as the Smartcar, which has disintegrated into a million pieces all over the road.

Either way, the car is totaled and you have to get a new one. At least the people in the SUV were able to walk away from the crash. The guy in the Smartcar is looking for his arm amongst the wreckage.

Quinn didn’t do anything last night to get anyone excited, but when the offensive coordinator doesn’t call for a long pass until the final minute of the game, there are problems all over the place.

Mangini said after the game the pass rush eliminated some deep ball plays, but with the amount of dink and dunk pass plays being called, what did he expect?

A high school defensive coordinator could tear apart this Browns offense.

Even worse, the Browns best playmaker, Joshua Cribbs, got carted off the field after the final play and is rumored to have a concussion. While the merits of the final play can be argued, the game is called football and these things happen.

On that note, don’t shed a tear for Terrell Suggs limping off the field after a low blow from Quinn after an interception. Suggs has knocked plenty of people out of the game in his career; he needs to keep his mouth shut.

Then there was the ticky-tack low blow call on Joe Flacco, which only shows the league needs to re-evaluate what game they’re in charge of. These kinds of penalties are unnecessary and are ruining the game.

Just put the quarterbacks out there in a dress if that’s the way they want to play the game.

The defense once again looked much better than the stat line would indicate, but a great effort was again wasted.

Not much else to say, the 2009 Browns just aren’t very good. They don’t play well, they aren’t coached well, and as a result, they’re 1-8.

Read more Cleveland Browns news on BleacherReport.com

Brady Quinn and Browns Look Pathetic in 16-0 Loss To Ravens

Dawgfather — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:02:44 -0500

So much for the bye week giving Mangini time to right their sorry ship eh?

In maybe the most eventful week since Kosar was sacked by Belichick for his "diminishing skills," it appears that the Browns offense and the Mangini experiment may be soon be diminishing along with the rest of this dreadful season.

Just when you thought that the offensive offense of Dumb and Dumber, Mangini and Daboll, couldn't do any worse, they manage to redefine the very definition of "pathetic"

In tonight's 16-0 "exhibition" prime-time defeat at the hands of Baltimore, the Browns offense manged to look as anemic as a model at New York Fashion Week. If that is even humanly possible, then that aforementioned fashion model is now a contestant on "The Biggest Loser."

According to ESPN, the Brown's have scored FIVE offensive TD's in their last 15 games, the fewest since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The New Orleans Saint's ball-hawking defense has scored seven touchdowns by themselves.

Brady Quinn did not endear himself to being in Cleveland past 2010 with a horrid 13-for-31 performance for 99 yards along with two interceptions, one of which was returned 48 yards for a TD.

In Quinn's defense he didn't have a lot of time to set up in the pocket as he was constantly under duress from the aggressive Ravens defense that sacked him twice, as he barely had 2.5 seconds to throw the ball.

And even when he did have time to throw, he didn't look very accurate or confident in attacking downfield as he was 0-for-7 in passes of more than 10 yards.

I guess the urban legend of Quinn not being able to throw deep became a cold reality for the Browns and their offense tonight, and it would not surprise me if they draft a strong-armed QB like Colt McCoy from Texas or even Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen.

In watching tonight's game, it has become very obvious that NFL defenses have no respect for Quinn at all, and that he is nothing more than a glamorized by-product of Notre Dame hype and Weis' system.

And for the record, I grew up watching the great Notre Dame teams of Lou Holtz, so I don't want to hear that I'm bashing Notre Dame or Quinn. I'm just simply stating the fact that Quinn AND Anderson will both not be in Cleveland come 2010, because both of them quite frankly stink.

At 1-8, The Browns are at the point where they are now playing for their jobs and next big contracts elsewhere, and when Mangini loses to the Lions in Detroit he should do the honorable thing and resign and he can take Daboll with him.

I never figured that I would be saying this, but I miss Maurice Carthon, and that is saying something. The Browns lost more than a game tonight, by losing Joshua Cribbs, they lost their lone scoring threat.

The sign at tonight's game said it best, "Rebuilding Since 1964"

Dawgfather, http://roberts-rant.blogspot.com .

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Time To Stop Pandering To Quarterbacks and Suspend Brady Quinn

JW Nix — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:52:54 -0500

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn showed a lot of who he really is during the Browns 16-0 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens. The word flop is perhaps one word that may be too early to be used, but it certainly can be considered a logical assumption.

What Quinn really showed on national television is that he is a pathetically immature loser who lacks leadership and any form of respect. I'm not talking about his unpleasant showing of 13 completions on 31 attempts, which produced an impotent 99 yards. Most NFL fans have long speculated that Quinn is unwilling or unable to throw a pass more than three yards down the field.

What was mostly witnessed in this game was a petulant child who has been pandered to most of his life, nearly costing two players their health and playing careers. This move of frustration by Quinn went virtually unnoticed by the three member announcers team covering the game, because the media is jaded and programmed to dote most of their love and attention on the quarterbacks of the NFL.

If this move was perpetrated on Quinn, the television stations across America would have run the highlight on a continuous loop. Quinn has already been anointed a media favorite from his days of playing college football for the University of Notre Dame, a program rich with history and nostalgia in media lore.

This affiliation allowed for the cameras to be held inches from his face in the 2007 NFL Draft when his hype had him being called a top-10 draft pick. As he slipped to the 22nd pick of the draft, viewers were treated by the media's insipid insistence to keep the camera on him the whole time as they tried to predict his emotions as his dreams and wallet got lighter by the moment.

The Browns bailed him out of his misery by trading up with the Dallas Cowboys to gamble that Quinn would be the future of the franchise at the position. It helped that Quinn was photogenic and had grown up in Ohio as well. The Browns organization figured Quinn would help fill seats by his mere presence on the roster and attendance did increase initially.

While some call his rookie season a failure, due to Derek Anderson winning the starter's job and responding with a Pro Bowl season, most were pleased that Quinn could sit on the bench and develop as he learned the nuances of the game. It now seems neither event has happened.

Quinn was handed the starting job entering 2009, mainly from an edict of the ownership of the Browns. The team won just four games the year before and headed into the season with new coaches and not much prospects of immediate improvement.

After a dismal showing the first two games where Quinn failed to complete a pass over 26 yards, he was pulled from the lineup midway through the third game. Anderson replaced him, but did not fare much better, though he did lead the team to their only win of the season thus far.

With the teams record standing at an inept 1-7, Quinn was inserted back into the starting lineup. He responded poorly, which was not a surprise, but the one moment he had on the field should immediately be reprimanded by league commissioner Roger Goodell soon. If the Browns had any spine, they would beat Goodell to the punch and punish Quinn themselves.

Quinn had an interception returned for a touchdown by the Ravens Dawan Landry on the team's second series in the second half. The next time Cleveland got the ball, Quinn threw another interception. As the ball was being returned by Baltimore's Chris Carr, Quinn displayed his true character in front of America.

The Ravens' Terrell Suggs was engaged in blocking a Browns lineman for Carr during the return. It was away from the ball, but that did not stop Quinn. He barreled into Suggs knees at full speed, which befell Baltimore's star defensive end. Though Quinn was penalized 15 yards for an illegal chop block, Suggs limped off the field in pain and will not play football for at least a month.

He contributed just one tackle the entire game, but Brady Quinn almost cost Suggs a football career.

This was not lost on the Ravens defense. As the game was winding down to a close, Quinn tossed a short pass to Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs is Cleveland's best player and one of the most liked in the community. Many may know how he showed up unannounced recently at a high school homecoming football game to support the son of a deceased college football coach.

Cribbs quickly lateraled the ball to tight end Robert Royal, who was soon tackled himself, but the Browns wide receiver did not see Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards. Edwards happens to be Suggs's backup, as Cribbs turned, Edwards leveled him with a clean shot. The hit knocked Cribbs out and left him motionless.

He was taken off the field on a stretcher straight to the hospital. He was reported to have not lost any feeling nor movement in his body.

The question has to be asked if this moment would have happened for Cribbs if Quinn had not pulled off such a cheap shot earlier. Perhaps Edwards would not have hit Cribbs if his teammate and linemate hadn't almost had his career ended by Quinn.

The quarterback is already no longer a football player in the NFL; they cannot be hit too high, too low, nor too hard. Fines and penalties follow anyone who mistakes these golden boys as football players. Most quarterbacks are amongst the highest paid players in the league and many are by far the highest paid on their respective teams.

To allow them to pull off stunts like Quinn cannot go without penalties. It sets a bad precedent of double standards. The message would clearly state that players must go on protecting the quarterback, face reprimands if they do not, yet understand they are fair game at the quarterbacks discretion. This has already been brought into question last year, when Brett Favre pulled a similar stunt while playing for the New York Jets.

If Roger Goodell and the NFL Rules Committee are going to allow quarterbacks to vent their frustrations out circa cheap shots on other players, then they cannot logically ask the rest of the players to do the same.

Players who play a much more physically demanding positions where frustration is a factor on each play that transpires. The league also cannot allow a player who is obviously dissatisfied with his career cost other players their careers.

The right message would be to suspend Brady Quinn at least one game, as well as pile on a heavy fine that can go to a league sponsored charity. Let Derek Anderson pilot the team next week at Detroit in a battle now labeled as the "Last Chance For A Win In 2009 Bowl."

Read more Cleveland Browns news on BleacherReport.com

Browns Players, Coaches Have Much To Prove In Season's Second Half

Kim Lakner — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:16:11 -0500

Jerry Glanville was famous for once saying to a referee, “This is the NFL, which stands for Not For Long.”

This popular quote that has fit the league’s cut-throat business will be ringing loud and clear for the remaining eight games in Cleveland, Ohio.

Several coaches and players on the Cleveland Browns will be under heavy scrutiny for the remainder of the season. The first half of Eric Mangini’s inaugural year as head coach could not have gone any worse as the team has scored five offensive touchdowns and 78 total points.

The New Orleans Saints’ defense has accounted for six touchdowns and Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in the snow and sleet in one quarter against the Titans.

Not that Browns fans, coaches, or players had to be reminded of those two mind-numbing statistics.

As the team turns to the next page of the season, these coaches and players need to show owner Randy Lerner and the fans that they’re in this for the long haul:

Coaches: Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll

Mangini is quite possibly the most unpopular sports figure in the city of Cleveland and in the state of Ohio. He brought over four defensive starters from the New York Jets and the run defense is second to last in the NFL, surrendering 170.5 yards per game.

Eric Barton is out for the season with a neck injury and Abram Elam has been non-existent through eight games. Mangini needs to start winning some games or he could be on his way out at season’s end.

With the exception of the Cincinnati game, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s playcalling has been suspect at best. It will be interesting to see if the playcalling will continue to be conservative with Quinn back under center.

Not all the blame can be put on Daboll, with the team starting two rookie wide receivers and a 30-year old running back. The offensive line’s right side has been less than average as well.

With nothing to lose at 1-7, Daboll needs to show some creativity and more aggressiveness with his playcalling.

Players: Brady Quinn, Brian Robiskie, and David Veikune

Brady Quinn will have one more chance to prove to this coaching staff that he is a starting quarterback in this league. Mangini has been encouraged by Quinn’s work ethic and positive attitude since his benching, so maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Quinn needs to play the final eight games, no exceptions. Derek Anderson is nothing more than a backup quarterback, but Quinn remains an unknown. He has started five games in two and a half seasons. He’s completed 59 percent of his passes for 409 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions this season.

During his three-year career, he has played in eight games (half a season) and thrown for 972 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.

Tight end Steve Heiden’s health could be a key factor in how successful or unsuccessful Quinn is.

The Colts didn’t give up on Peyton Manning after his rookie-record 28 interceptions. Give the kid a better supporting cast and a full season before making an accurate assessment on him.

The rookie wide receiver from Ohio State has been possibly the most disappointing player so far this season. A sure-handed kid, whose father is a wide receivers coach with the Atlanta Falcons, has one catch for 23 yards. He needs show something positive offensively, or the “bust” label could begin to be associated with this once-promising prospect.

Clay Matthews Jr. has four sacks and a forced fumble and Rey Maualuga has 36 tackles and a sack with the first-place Cincinnati Bengals. David Veikune needs to start making plays and having a positive impact on the run defense.

Mangini didn’t think highly enough of either Matthews or Maualuga so he spent a second round pick on a defensive end from Hawaii. The USC linebacker that Mangini did select, Kaluka Maiava, has 20 tackles and a pass defended, but has lost his starting job to David Bowens.

At 1-7 and possibly a worst showing than the 1999 expansion team, this team has nowhere to go but up. The coaches and players will be playing for their jobs and the fans have lost patience.

Not a good combination. A far cry from the two AFC powerhouses that registered the game of the season last night in Indianapolis.

Read more Cleveland Browns news on BleacherReport.com

Browns-Ravens: Anything Can Happen When Cleveland Plays Baltimore Tonight

Brian DiTullio — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:54:15 -0500

Tonight’s game between the Browns and Ravens has the potential to be a very exciting game.

I say potential because both teams need a win, but I’m not sure both teams are going to show up.

Brady Quinn is back under center, but that’s not going to mean too much with Brian Daboll still calling the shots as offensive coordinator on the sidelines.

Under Daboll, the Browns are ranked 31st in total offense. Only the Oakland Raiders are worse.

The Browns offense is averaging only 9.8 points per game with 78 total points scored on the year. The offense has gained 972 total yards, which somehow is worse than the Raiders, with 1,067 yards.

The Browns have only one play that went longer than 40 yards.

One. Lousy. Play.

The problems have been well chronicled. Our wide receivers can’t catch balls thrown right at them. Our two best receivers from the last few years now play for other teams. Our featured running back, Jamal Lewis, retired sometime in June but hasn’t left the field yet.

Did I miss anything?

There is the right side of the offensive line, or what passes for the right side of the offensive line. Statistics don’t do that side of the line justice for just how bad it is.

Just watch the games and try to take it all in.

As for the quarterbacks, Derek Anderson proved, once again, since the coaches weren’t paying attention, that all his success in 2007 was very fluky. Now he’s riding the bench again, so Quinn gets one last shot to prove he’s the quarterback of the future.

Not necessarily the Browns' future, but somebody’s future.

On the Ravens' side, they come into the game ranked 14th in overall offense with an average of 25.8 points per game and 1,937 yards of total offense.

Quarterback Joe Flacco hasn’t been as spectacular as he was his rookie year, but he hasn’t shown anything that the team should be overly worried about. Flacco is ranked 13th in the league with a 90.2 passer rating.

That’s not as good as Peyton Manning’s 104.2 rating, but it’s much better than the single-digit QB ratings the Browns' signal-callers turn in.

Flacco also has 12 touchdowns.

The Browns offense has three. The team has five total.

On the defensive side, the Browns are ranked last, giving up an average of 26 points and 409 yards per game.

The Ravens are ranked 12th, giving up an average of 19 points and 320 yards per game.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has consistently fielded an interesting defense since coming to Cleveland. The players throw themselves out there and give teams some unusual looks from time to time, but usually fail to make tackles and cover receivers.

Ryan’s unit shows promise; it just doesn’t have much in the way of talent.

On the coaching level, there’s really nothing at stake for Baltimore. All they have to do is not turn the ball over and generally play decent football.

As for the Browns' coaching situation, I discussed that at length here.

While a miracle is always possible, the Browns have to prove they’ve made changes before anyone can start believing anything other than a blowout is going to happen.

Ravens 35, Browns 6

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Ravens-Browns: The Definitive Preview

Fred Richani — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:38:58 -0500

Baltimore at Cleveland

8:30 PM ET, November 16, 2009
Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH
ESPN

Ah, it's that time of the week again. The point of this preview is to get you all excited for Monday Night Football. I mean outside of WWE Raw, I don't think there's a greater tradition on Monday Nights. This Monday, we have the match-up of the Baltimore Ravens (4-4) vs. the Cleveland Browns (1-7).

Now I know what your initial reaction might be when you see this game on paper: R.I.P. Browns.

I get that. At 1-7, respect will not come the way of the Cleveland Browns, whose season is all but done with eight games left to play. And when I mean done, I mean no chance for AFC North contention, let alone a playoff berth.

That being said, there are some positives and key storylines that will make this game a heck of a lot more enjoyable for you, the viewers.

The Quarterbacks:

NFL.com

The Cleveland Browns have been horrible at quarterback for a while now. Derek Anderson had one great year in 2007 (29 TD, 19 INT) and then proceeded to fall so far off the NFL map statistically that it made Browns fans' heads explode.

Two years after his “flash in the pan” season, Anderson is enjoying the year 2009 with 681 passing yards, two touchdowns, nine interceptions, and an abysmal 36.2 quarterback rating. Where's Tim Couch when you need 'im?

On the other side of Cleveland's spectrum comes another quarterback, former Notre Dame standout Brady Quinn—a once-heralded savior of the Browns, now floundering.

Now don't be quick to throw Quinn under the bus just yet. Since 2007, he's only played in eight regular season games.

Yes, the stats are not that impressive: 972 passing yards, three touchdowns, five interceptions, and a career QB rating of 64.1. On the surface, it's easy to say “Brady sucks,” but think about this.

Brady Quinn got hurt last year when he finally started. This year, he was named the guy , only to be yanked by the world's most-controlling-coach-who-gets-nowhere, I mean, Eric Mangini, early in the season after a couple bad outings.

Really?

Well, needless to say, “Mangenius” looked like a dope for putting Anderson back in the helm and now has gone back to Quinn.

So why should we care?

Brady Quinn was a standout at Notre Dame. He's a great athlete and if you haven't noticed, he's probably the most muscular/shredded/oh-my-God-I-didn't-know-he-was-THAT-jacked quarterback in the entire league. That should say something about how he's committed to getting better each day—at least physically.

Monday night is his chance to shine and exploit a Baltimore defense that's not nearly as good as they used to be.

Now on to Baltimore's Joe Flacco. Many say he should have been Rookie of the Year last season, given the fact that he led his team to the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the actual winner of the award, Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan, was one and done in the postseason.

No matter the recipient of awards, Flacco proved his worth in 2008 and has improved by leaps and bounds in 2009.

Last season, my New Jersey friend from Audubon (where ever the hell that is) had the following stats: 2,971 passing yards, 14 TD, 12 INT, and a QB rating of 80.3.

Now enter 2009 in just eight games played: 2,044 passing yards, 12 TD, and 7 INT. He's on pace for over 3,000 passing yards and more than 14 TD.

Not bad for the 6'6” sophomore, who seems cooler than a cucumber at times.

Unfortunately for him, some in the general NFL audience may not care about Flacco or by golly, have even heard of him (Yes, I used golly. Shut up.)

This is Flacco's chance to show people that Matt Ryan, Chad Henne, and other young quarterbacks that he is one of the premiere players in the league.

Heck, it can be a coming out party for him in front of a national audience. Maybe when the game's over people will say “He's no Brady or Manning, but he can get there.”

Offense/Defense

Okay, the Browns are dead last in defense and second-to-last in offense (only ranking higher than the Oakland Raiders). The Ravens are 11th in offense and 12th in defense. But don't go crazy just yet.

If Quinn is indeed the spark the Browns need, then this could turn into a fun game, with two young quarterbacks looking to outshine each other.

Defensively, look for the Ravens to make an example out of Quinn and receiver/returner/runner/everything-else-man Josh Cribbs.

Jamal Lewis

If for no other reason, you should watch this game to see Browns running back Jamal Lewis play against his old team one last time. Lewis, who spent his first six seasons with Baltimore, announced last week that he would retire at the end of this season.

He is currently 21st all-time in rushing yards with 10,456—7,801 of them (including the second-highest single season rushing record of 2,066 yards in 2006) came wearing the Ravens' purple and black.

He was also the youngest player back in 2001, to win a Super Bowl title (via the Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV victory over the New York Giants).

Al Tielemans/SI

And even though Lewis has been dismal this season with only 349 rushing yards with no touchdowns, remember he has been hampered by injuries, bad coaching, and the Browns' offensive woes.

But you can forget that on Monday night. Even with an ankle injury, Lewis plans to play.

In every season of his career (excluding this one), he has rushed for over 900 yards. I think he still has something left in the tank—at least for this game, given the extra motivation it will provide.

The Bottom Line

See, this game won't be THAT bad, if not bad at all. It might make for a hard-hitting and unexpectedly spectacular clash between two AFC North rivals for all their marbles. For Baltimore, winning this game is imperative to stay alive in the crowded AFC Wild Card hunt.

For Cleveland, this is a great game to utilize as a measuring stick to see where they are at this season and more importantly—the future.

Enjoy your Monday night!

Fred "The F-Bomb" Richani is a columnist for The Sports Courier , 411Mania.com , and everythingyntk.com . Richani founded The Sports Courier in 2009. His work has been featured on CBS Sportsline , Pro Wrestling Torch , GOOGLE News , and USAToday.com .

He has also interviewed Platinum-selling bands Blue October and OneRepublic . Richani currently resides in Freehold, N.J., just an hour from New York City and Philadelphia.

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Getting to Know Your 2010 NFL Draft Sleepers

Sam Ingro — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:03:45 -0500

At just over halfway through the NFL season, I no longer feel bad already thinking ahead to next year. With a deep draft this year and so many college teams, I took the liberty of highlighting some of the sleeper picks this year.

Sleeper picks for those of you who don't know, are low risk-high return picks often trading the immediate impact player for lower round potential.

QB Todd Reesing, Kansas

Potentially a very poor man's Drew Brees. Reesing was in talks for the Heisman after a hot start this season, but has fallen practically off draft boards after a shaky 3 weeks of playing through a groin injury and terrible offensive line.

He has a strong arm, great mobility, and makes minimal mistakes.
Projected Round: 7-FA

RB Toby Gerhart, Stanford

Running back with great hands and a ton of power when breaking tackles. He would be a great power back or possibly even a tight end at the next level, think a faster Jason Witten. If he falls to the third round, he would be very hard to pass up.
Projected Round: 2-4

WR Chris McGaha, Arizona State

Doesn't have the size to be an elite receiver in the league but has flawless hands and runs sharp routes. Has the speed to gain separation and would be a solid possession receiver in the NFL.
Projected Round: 3-4

WR Taylor Price, Ohio

Great speed, consistent hands, and at 6'1, 212 pounds, a good build for an NFL receiver. Price has put up decent numbers so far, could be a surprise No. 2 receiver in the league. Coming from a smaller school, would make a great late round value.
Projected Round: 5-6

WR Stephen Williams, Toledo

Lacks explosive speed to succeed as a WR in the NFL, he runs great, clean routes and puts up big numbers, could be a better fit as a tight end with his 6'5 height.
Projected Round: 7-FA

TE Anthony McCoy, USC

McCoy's a great athlete, and with measurables of 6'5 and 255 lbs, he could shoot up the draft boards by the end of the season. Think Tony Gonzalez, he could be a young quarterback's best friend.
Projected Round: 4-5

KR Brandon James, Florida

With the contract talks still pending with Josh Cribbs, it wouldn't be a bad idea drafting a late round kick returner. James has lightning-quick speed and excels on punt returns. Could also be used much like Cribbs in Wildcat formations and slant passes.
Projected Round: 6-7

RT Kyle Collaway, Iowa

A very solid tackle, has good height and size. Durable and a great run blocker, aside from a DUI charge, very few downsides to think about when drafting him.
Projected Round: 3-4

OT Chris Scott, Tennessee

A massive tackle, Scott is versatile and could be alternated at any position on the line. Above average pass blocking, and solid on the run, could move up the boards depending on the Volunteers' success this year.
Projected Round: 3-4

DE/LB Carl Ihenacho, San Jose State

Ihenacho always seems to be in the backfield, making life rough for running backs, posting 18.5 tackles for a loss last season and getting to the quarterback seven times. Would move to OLB in a 3-4 scheme. Great value pick.
Projected Round: 7-FA

NT Boo Robinson, Wake Forest

Robinson is a monstrous nose tackle compiling six tackles for a loss last year and give sacks. A much more athletic run stopper than the likes of Shaun Rogers and Albert Haynesworth, and about 30 pounds lighter. If he drops to the third, you would be a fool to pass on him regardless of need.
Projected Round: 2-3

DT Jared Odrick, Penn State

Great size for a defensive tackle, put up solid numbers last season and qualified for the All Big Ten First Team.

At 6'5, 308 he would be a good fit in a 3-4 scheme, expect someone in the cold weather, hard nose AFC North to make a play for him.
Projected Round: 3-4

ILB Pat Angerer, Iowa

A member of the All Big Ten Second Team, Angerer put up impressive numbers last season and has had a solid year this year as well.

Angerer excels at stopping the run. With this years success of the Iowa football team, Angerer may be pushed up to the 3-4 rounds.
Projected Round: 4-5

CB Alterraun Verner, UCLA

Verner has an amazing nose for the ball, breaking up 18 passes last year and recording 73 tackles and 2 interceptions. Verner is my sleeper pick this year, he's about as shutdown a corner you'll find this draft aside from Joe Haden, great value pick.
Projected Round: 4-5

SS Bo McNally, Stanford

Lacks the speed to be an elite safety in the NFL, McNally still puts up impressive numbers and has a knack for keeping the play in front of him. McNally would be a steal if he falls to the sixth round.
Projected Round: 5-6

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Eric Mangini Faces the Biggest Coaching Test of His Career Monday Night

Brian DiTullio — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:05:13 -0500

For those who love statistics, the Browns Monday Night Football game will not be one for the ages.

Other than in an abstract sense, the stats will be meaningless, only the outcome will matter. This team is long past the point of moral victories. It needs a real win that doesn’t come off of a late game mistake.

Following the blowout loss to the Bears two weeks ago, head coach Eric Mangini promised to evaluate every position and every player during the bye week. On Monday, the collective football nation will see whether he was paying lip service to the fan base, or if he really backed up his words with action.

Like it or not, this game will act as a referendum on Mangini’s future in Cleveland. He can’t afford to get this game wrong for a myriad of reasons, the least being his job security.

There are those who take Mangini’s tutelage under Bill Belichik, note the similarities, and claim anyone who wants to get rid of him are crazy.

On the opposite side are the people who can’t understand what anyone sees in Mangini, and want him fired yesterday.

I’m taking the middle ground for now.

While I understand and accept the comparisons made between Belichik and Mangini, the reality is these are two completely different men in two completely different situations.

When it comes to on-field coaching and roster composition, Belichik was a first-time head coach who made a lot of mistakes and refused to correct them until after he was fired and had time to reflect on his actions.

That is, admittedly, simplifying the situation but the results speak for themselves.

Mangini had about five minutes to reflect on everything before owner Randy Lerner was giving him a multi-million dollar contract. That means Mangini doesn’t think he really did much of anything wrong.

Why would he?

Sure some things need to be tweaked, Mangini might be telling himself, but it’s also very evident he never really reflected on the exact reasons the Jets showed him the door after Brett Favre’s late season injury and collapse. The late season collapse of the Jets last year can't all be laid on Mangini's shoulders.

There has to be more to the story than that.

That's why anyone who says firing Mangini at this point would be tantamount to what happened in 1995 with Belichik is using flawed thinking, because it assumes the situation with Belichik in the early 1990s is the same as 2009.

They're not the same at all. Not even remotely.

If Mangini can’t turn this team around, and loses his job as a result, there will be no Eric Mangini in another town hoisting his third Super Bowl trophy, while Browns fans once again eat crow, because Mangini won’t get another head coaching job anytime in the near or not-so-near future.

Mangini has burned every bridge he ever built since taking his first head coaching job in New York. Belichik no longer speaks to him after Mangini tried filching some of Belichik’s coaching staff after a playoff game, and the subsequent Spygate incident.

While the specifics are unknown, many voices at the league level have given one negative quote after another about how incompetent Mangini supposedly is.

The fact the league fined Mangini for covering up Favre’s injury, while Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins got off scott free even after it was revealed they covered up Chad Pennington’s injury, speaks volumes about how Mangini is viewed in the upper echelons of the NFL.

Once Mangini was hired in Cleveland, all of Lerner's top GM candidates, namely Scott Pioli and Rich McKay, abruptly pulled out of consideration, citing Mangini as a deal-breaker.

So don’t speculate about Mangini’s future in the NFL if he’s fired from this job because he won’t have one. He’ll be lucky to get an NCAA job at this point. He’s made far too many enemies for no good reason that I can think of.

Mangini prides himself on following many of the teachings of Bill Parcells and Bill Belichik, and to his credit, his planning is sound. That being said, his execution of the plan has been nothing short of terrible.

Something got lost in translation.

The Browns were a bad team in January when Mangini took over. They’re even worse now.

While tearing apart to rebuild was expected, what wasn’t expected was just how much further the team has regressed. As a fan, it isn’t the losing that upsets and frustrates me this year, it’s how they’re losing.

The Browns aren’t just losing games by a play here or a play there. They are getting their collective butts handed to them, and then getting beaten down some more, while getting jumped from behind by the other team’s friends from the other side of town.

It’s U-G-L-Y.

That’s why the team is being accused of quitting, Mangini is in the hot seat, and some fans are organizing protests.

If Mangini fields a team on Monday night that is once again eviscerated, he’ll have no more excuses. His sacrificial lamb, George Kokinis, is now gone. It’s all on Mangini now.

But I don't want to see that. Not one bit. I want to see the Browns rise from the ashes and shock the world.

Not only am I hoping for a Browns win, I’m hoping to see Mangini make some good coaching moves, and get a nice Gatorade shower in the fourth quarter.

And while the stats may not lie, neither does a victory in the NFL, and a low QB rating won’t matter one bit if the Browns add one more to the “W” column on Monday.

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