Browns vs. Panthers: What Are Experts Saying About Cleveland?
The Cleveland Browns (7-7) have now lost three straight and will try to pick themselves up after the embarrassing 30-0 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday.
It was Cleveland's final home game of the year, the debut of celebrity rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel and an opportunity to keep pace in the AFC North title race.
The result was an uninspired abomination on both sides of the ball, and it shocked Browns fans worldwide.
On to Carolina.
Two road matchups finish up the Browns' 2014 campaign, beginning with the Carolina Panthers (5-8-1).
Cam Newton's status is still uncertain, and former Browns QB Derek Anderson played well in a win this past weekend. Even with their terrible record, the Panthers are still in contention to finish atop the NFC South, so they have plenty to play for.
As usual in late December, Cleveland is working to end on a positive note and for jobs next year. The most intriguing storyline revolves around whether Manziel can show the organization enough in these final contests to give it confidence to make him the starting quarterback in 2015.
Let's see what experts and analysts are saying about the Browns this week.
Marty Gitlin: Cleveland's Defensive Backs Still Banged Up
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Last Sunday's trampling at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals did more than just bruise egos.
Cornerbacks Joe Haden and Justin Gilbert both were knocked out of the game. Haden left with a shoulder issue, and Gilbert was being checked for a concussion. Gilbert will play this weekend, but the status of his Pro Bowl teammate remains uncertain.
Marty Gitlin of CBSSports.com reported on the health of three key contributors in the Browns secondary:
"The battered Browns secondary received no good news Thursday as cornerbacks Joe Haden (shoulder) and K'Waun Williams (hamstring) and safety Tashaun Gipson (knee) were all out of their second straight practices this week.
Their continued absences could mean they will all be sidelined when the team plays at Charlotte on Sunday.
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Gipson is making remarkable progress from a torn MCL suffered on Nov. 23. However, he is still a relative long shot to play again this year. It's a shame, because Gipson was having an incredible season with six interceptions. But with missing the playoffs almost a certainty, why risk further injury by rushing back?
Backup safety Jim Leonhard has filled in for Gipson, but he simply doesn't possess the same game-changing athleticism. He's been serviceable, except for last weekend when no one on defense showed up.
The Browns need Haden to be available—and at his best—to take on the freakishly talented 6'5" Carolina Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin. This first-year talent has 952 receiving yards, nine touchdowns and is averaging 14.2 yards per catch.
Haden is traditionally more dominant shutting down larger receivers. It would be devastating for Cleveland's defensive backfield to lose No. 23 when an elite-level cornerback is required to try to contain a monster like Benjamin.
Undrafted rookie K'Waun Williams has been a stunningly pleasant surprise for the Browns in 2014, and he's consistently improved as this campaign has progressed. His impressive efforts are continuing to be required with the snail-like growth of first-round pick Justin Gilbert.
Williams missed the Bengals game with the same hamstring issue that he's struggling with now. His importance increases greatly if Haden is unable to dress.
If both are out, then Buster Skrine and Gilbert are the club's top two cornerbacks. That would be a huge break for either of the Carolina quarterbacks in Cam Newton and Derek Anderson.
Mary Kay Cabot: Bernie Kosar Calls out Browns Front Office
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Cleveland's last great quarterback was Bernie Kosar. The franchise has been waiting for another one since he was cut in 1993.
Kosar is still passionate about the team he led to three AFC Championships and unfortunately has become estranged from the Browns since the decision was made to remove him as an analyst from preseason telecasts.
Kosar remains a fan favorite, and his knowledge on quarterbacks—as well as NFL offenses—is widely respected.
This past Monday on Cleveland radio station WTAM 1100, Kosar went off on the Browns organization following the club's horrendous 30-0 loss to the rival Cincinnati Bengals. Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer broke it down:
"Bernie Kosar ripped the Browns' top brass Monday, saying Johnny Manziel and any other quarterback is destined to fail here because of the lack of a winning culture.
He said the quarterbacks keep changing, but the results are the same because of the way the team is run. He never specifically mentions owner Jimmy Haslam or general manager Ray Farmer by name, blaming the problems on the front office in general.
"They've been talking so positively like 'this is the savior' and that's what bad organizations do,'' he said. "They set these quarterback controversies up and it kind of takes the heat off of them and it gives everybody a little glimmer of hope. ...The organization and the players and coaches actually thought he was going to do good.
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Are these the remarks of a bitter ex-player? Perhaps, but Kosar makes plenty of valid points on how this storied franchise continues to blunder the QB position no matter who is running things.
One of the main themes of this year from general manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine has been "play like a Brown." They are trying to set a culture of hard work, competition and accountability.
Saying and doing are two different things, but we must remember that this is only the first year of the Farmer-Pettine regime. Rookies at GM, coach and now quarterback all suggest that there will be growing pains. We are seeing those pains now.
I feel that Cleveland's management structure is much more streamlined and functional than it was under the feuding Joe Banner and Michael Lombardi tandem of a season ago.
Farmer and Pettine have made plenty of good decisions, and with two outings remaining, the team does have three more victories than it did in all of 2013. How much does it mean though if you still don't have a quarterback?
Is Manziel the future? No one knows; it is still far too early to tell. There's a fine line between panic/overreaction and patience.
Kosar is absolutely right in that one way or another this current front office must figure out an answer at the position if the team wants to be successful. This needs to be a football decision, not one influenced by hype and marketing.
Conor Orr: Former Browns Quarterback Tim Couch Agrees with Kosar
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The first No. 2 of the Browns' expansion era was five inches taller than the current jersey wearer, and he was the top overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft. Tim Couch knows all about trying to live up to lofty expectations.
He was the hope of a reborn franchise, and at five years, he ended up being the longest-serving QB since the club's return.
As you read in the previous slide, legendary Cleveland signal-caller Bernie Kosar criticized the organization's front offices since 1999 in the way they have chewed up and spit out quarterbacks.
Couch agreed with Kosar's comments, and Conor Orr of NFL.com elaborates here:
"Tim Couch, the poster child for Cleveland's modern quarterback woes, read Bernie Kosar's thorough rip job on the organization and nodded approvingly.
"I thought everything he said was right," Couch, the first overall draft pick in the revamped Browns franchise back in 1999, said Tuesday, via ESPN.com. "It's been a long 15 years of watching the same thing repeat itself over and over. The biggest thing that frustrates me is the lack of commitment and loyalty to let a coach see it out and a quarterback play it out."
While Couch said that Manziel was "awful" on Sunday, he again blamed the fact that Cleveland never builds a team around its quarterback, which creates the same vicious cycle that Couch has watched over the past 15 seasons.
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Kosar observed Cleveland's woes from the outside, but Couch lived it. He can speak to going through coaching changes, a QB controversy (with Kelly Holcomb) and not having a supporting cast.
However, as frustrated as fans, analysts and former players get, everyone must remember that past mistakes were not committed by this current administration or owner. The continuous bad luck of general managers, coaches and quarterbacks in this city is legendary.
That's why the egg laid by Manziel last Sunday was so painful. Through media hype and brand marketing, Johnny Football turned into the man who would be the immediate savior of the Browns.
Pressure to start a rookie or newly acquired QB is nothing new in Cleveland, and it highlights the unstable culture that Kosar and Couch describe.
Whether the fans were calling for Kelly Holcomb, Brady Quinn, Colt McCoy or now Manziel, the Browns haven't had a stable GM and coach combination to hold tight and stick with a quarterback to develop the continuity seen in the league's consistent winners.
Every new regime has looked for the quick fix to try to keep their jobs. It's been a blend of poor player personnel decisions and impatience from owners (both Randy Lerner and Jimmy Haslam).
Under first-time general manager Ray Farmer and rookie head coach Mike Pettine, Cleveland has seven wins to date—the only time since 2007 that the team will not finish with double-digit losses.
Despite this improvement, the Browns have three straight defeats and have seen both Brian Hoyer and Manziel implode to varying degrees at quarterback. Many positive steps have been taken in 2014, but the constant uncertainty under center remains.
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Dan Labbe: Still Uncertainty at Center
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It's Week 16 of the NFL season, and the Cleveland Browns still have uncertainty at center heading into Carolina this Sunday.
The loss of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack for the season back on Oct. 12 has been a traumatic one. The Browns have gone through three different snappers since, and none are anywhere close to the talent of Mack.
That's not surprising when you look at the options available to head coach Mike Pettine's staff.
Guard John Greco, Nick McDonald and Ryan Seymour. Both McDonald and Seymour are inexperienced at the position in the pros, but trying someone else was a necessary evil in order to move Greco back down to his starting spot on the offensive line.
Continuity is vital at center to get a comfort level with the quarterback. In offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme, it is especially important, as the line must move as a cohesive unit for his system to work.
This is why the flip-flop to Seymour from McDonald was so confusing.
Pettine originally made the switch during the game in Buffalo on Nov. 30 when McDonald had to leave because he was hurt. McDonald could've returned later, but the coach stuck with Seymour and then started him in the next two contests.
Now Seymour is rehabbing an injury. Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com reported on coach Pettine's press conference comments on the subject on Thursday:
"Yeah, (OL Ryan) Seymour was able to get through practice. He still split some of the reps, but if I had to say today that's where we're going to go. I wouldn't etch that in stone, though."
I understand the need to drive competition during practice for coaches to try to get the most out of their athletes. However, creating a near-constant state of flux at a pivotal area like center, and of course quarterback, seems counterproductive.
Would it not benefit the offense and Manziel to get as comfortable as possible with one center?
McDonald had his rough moments and also showed steady improvement. He was blown up by the ferocious Bills defensive front when the change was made. Seymour looks to be more athletic, but he was just gobbled up by the Bengals' nasty D-linemen.
Backups are not going to be perfect and likely not close to it. That's why they were not starters to begin with. The Browns' coaching staff needs to make its choice and stick with it. It's the only way to try to get a fair evaluation of this offense.
Brian Billick: Manziel Must Show Browns Potential for Development
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The hype and anticipation for the starting debut of Johnny Manziel this past Sunday was something not seen in the league in quite some time. The savior of Cleveland's quarterback woes had finally arrived.
Turns out the Cincinnati Bengals had other ideas. By now we all know what the damage was.
The Browns suffered a disgraceful 30-0 loss at home that all but mathematically knocked them out of the playoffs. Manziel was historically bad, even by Cleveland quarterback standards. No touchdowns, two interceptions and a QB rating of 27.3.
Johnny Football is one of the most polarizing NFL athletes ever, and his detractors were quick to pounce on the rookie party boy. Commentary on his late nights, rumors of poor work ethic and whether he could actually make it in the league all came flooding in.
So what is next for No. 2? Manziel has two games left in the season to give Cleveland's brain trust confidence that he can grow into a franchise signal-caller.
Former Baltimore Ravens head coach and current NFL Network analyst Brian Billick gave his take:
"What Pettine and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan need to do is structure an offense that will give them some clue as to whether Manziel has any hope of growing into an NFL signal-caller. While he's capable of doing some exciting things outside the design of the offense, the question remains: Can he develop those skills that actually give his team a chance of winning in this league?
Now, Pettine and his staff face an unenviable task: They have just two games to determine whether or not to put the offense -- and likely, their jobs -- in the hands of Manziel going forward in 2015. And if not, they'll have to tell Browns fans, once again, that their answer at the quarterback position -- and consequently, the key to organizational success -- lies elsewhere, perhaps in yet another first-round pick.
Personally, I am looking for just that one thing that will give me some hope.
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The quickest route to improvement for Johnny is to clean up his mechanics. Set your feet when throwing, release the ball faster and don't force passes are all potentially fixable techniques.
At the same time, Manziel needs to have offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan put him in better situations than last week. Jumbled pistol formations and college playbook strategies won't cut it.
The offensive line must also get it together. There were multiple times on Sunday when Cincinnati's defense was on top of Manziel as soon as the ball was snapped. No time to hand it off, throw it or use his speed to create havoc on foot.
This overreaction to write off Manziel after a single game is laughable. The negativity falls into the same category as Johnny Football supporters who expected him to immediately come in and "wreck this league."
Getting so completely dominated has to have humbled Manziel to some degree, and hopefully it brings out his ultracompetitive nature to succeed. Unlike college, Mr. Money Sign should use that drive to focus on preparation.
Attack studying film like you do promoting your brand, Johnny. This team and these fans have suffered long enough and need you to be the answer as the 21st starting QB since 1999.
I think Manziel can be a good pro quarterback for the Browns. The first step on that road comes in Carolina against a Panthers team fighting for a division title. Go get 'em, Johnny.
Final Score Prediction
The Browns come together and play a much more complete game. Manziel is far from perfect, but he shows flashes of brilliance and does enough to lead Cleveland to a 20-17 victory.
Andy McNamara is an international sports broadcaster and journalist.
Follow Andy on Twitter @AndyMc81
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