Cleveland Browns: Climbing Out of the Wreckage

Three weeks in and that ledge is looking pretty good right now.

It’s actually difficult to encapsulate just how bad this team looked on Sunday. From the coaching to the players, it was even uglier than most people anticipated. The 34-3 final score would make the casual observer think the game was closer than it actually was.

Let’s look at some stats.

The Ravens gained 479 total yards to the Browns 186; they outgained the Browns on first downs 28-11. The Browns were 3-of-12 on third downs, the Ravens 4-of-11. The Browns made no attempts to convert on fourth down.

Time of possession was once again lopsided, 28:42 for the Ravens, 21:18 for the Browns. Only Peyton Manning can overcome that kind of deficit, and we obviously don't have a Peyton Manning anywhere on this roster.

Speaking of quarterbacks, the teams tied on quarterback usage, with both teams using two quarterbacks. Of course, the Ravens waited until the game was well out of hand before putting in Troy Smith to run out the clock.

Head coach Eric Mangini, on the other hand, decided 2.5 games was enough for Brady Quinn and threw Derek Anderson on the field for the second half.

Anderson then promptly reminded everybody why he lost the quarterback competition to begin with by throwing an interception on his fifth play. This was followed by two more interceptions before the final gun sounded.

After the game, Mangini said he was looking for a “spark” to get the offense going.

So other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

When Browns owner Randy Lerner hired Mangini, the decision split the fan base into two camps, those who thought another branch on the Bill Belichick coaching tree was a great find, and those who didn’t.

I lean toward the latter camp because we’d just fired a coach from the Belichick coaching tree and I wasn’t eager to go that route again.

However, I wanted to give Mangini the benefit of the doubt, even if I refused to swallow the Kool-Aid.

After the first three games, I’m wondering if the Belichick tree is rotten to the core.

Mangini’s decision to bench Quinn smacks of desperation. It reeks of a coach who spends so much time second-guessing himself, he can’t commit to anything, thereby leaving the team floundering in the surf, looking for a life raft.

The preseason competition, in retrospect, looks like a fiasco of over-thinking the team into a giant hole they may not be able to get themselves out of. It shows Mangini never really had any confidence in Quinn.

Unlike last year, Quinn has played like a guy looking over his shoulder, waiting to be benched. So that’s exactly what happened. I don’t feel bad for him because of it, either. Quinn played like garbage, he got benched. End of story.

Given the current situation, it’s now obvious Quinn had every reason to be looking over his shoulder. When you are constantly being benched, it can’t help but affect your on-field play, not that I’m excusing Quinn.

However, when you look at the sidelines, you have an offensive coordinator calling for a quarterback sneak on first-and-ten after a 17-yard gain by the starting running back.

I could dignify that coaching decision with a snarky comment, but it’s just not worth it.

How is the public supposed to take this coaching staff, and their talent evaluation, seriously when they throw the ball backwards on third down, attempt Wildcat formations that go nowhere, and call for a QB sneak on first down?

No, you now have lost your credibility, and not just with the fans. There are a lot of guys in that locker room who are going to be spending the next 14 weeks playing not to get injured.

Mangini said after the game he would get rid of any players who showed any evidence of quitting, which prompted me to wonder aloud, “Okay, so do you cut the entire team for quitting in the fourth quarter last week?’

Mangini also said after the game the team has to “identify the things we do well” and concentrate on improving those thing.

I now will ask the question everyone else is thinking: What, exactly, is it this team does well?

Due to poor play and poor coaching, there is no passing game. Our running backs are either old or injured, so there is no running game. Our wide receivers can’t catch the ball, or are inactive. The defense can’t stop the run or cover receivers.

I would like Mangini to name just one thing this team does well except draw fines for violating team rules.

The Bengals appear to be rising from the grave, so we can’t count on reviving the season by playing an equally bad team next week.

What we can count on is Mangini not naming a starting quarterback until just before kickoff, because we all saw how well that worked for us the last time.

Mangini talks about accountability with his players. He needs to apply that theory to his coaching staff. I have seen all I need to see of Brian Daboll’s play calling. It’s time for him to go.

Three weeks into the season, this team looks worse than it did last year, and that’s with half the roster turned over. The New York Jets are 3-0, and look at this moment like a team headed to the Super Bowl.

Was it coaching that kept them out of the playoffs last year?

This question has to be asked. It may not be fair, but life isn’t fair.

All Browns fans know right now is Mangini’s favorite shell game is back in play as we wait to see who starts at quarterback versus the Bengals. I said a few weeks ago to not be surprised if Brett Ratliff is the starting quarterback by Thanksgiving.

I don’t look so crazy now, do I?