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Why Your Team Won't Win the Super Bowl: Cleveland Browns Edition
June 12, 2010
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The Cleveland Browns had a hard start to the 2009 season. They had a quarterback controversy to say the least. They had a head coach that was not sure how to run a franchise.
Add to that a GM that was afraid to say anything to the coach or owner, and an owner that seemed to want to save money over winning ball games, and you have the 2009 Cleveland Browns.
It was not until near the end of the season that the Browns showed signs of life, winning their last four games to close out the season with a record of 5-11.
During the offseason, the Browns brought in Mike Holmgren to be the president of the team, and hopefully to lead them out of the dark ages that the Browns have been in since returning to the NFL.
One of the first things Holmgren did was decide to keep Eric Mangini as the head coach. Some feel this is a good move, while others question it. What the move showed is that Holmgren has job security, and if Mangini does not improve this year, Holmgren will pull the plug on him at the end of the season—if that long.
Holmgren then decided to end one QB controversy, by eliminating both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. Browns fans seemed to be divided about who the man under center should be.
Kind of like parental fashion, Holmgren settled the dispute by getting rid of both, trading Quinn to the QB-heavy Denver Broncos and allowing Derek Anderson to walk out the door.
Now, as smart of a move as this was, he then signed both Jake Delhomme from the Carolina Panthers and Seneca Wallace from the Seattle Seahawks.
Delhomme was at one time a quality starter who has had a hard time in the last year and a half. Wallace has never really had the chance to prove he is starter material, having played his career behind Matt Hasselbeck.
To make matters worse, the Browns drafted the person they believe will be the QB of the future in Colt McCoy in the third-round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
That means that Holmgren is not all-in on either Delhomme or Wallace.
Delhomme is going to have a hard time against the AFC North defenses, while Wallace may not have the tools to be more than the quality backup he has always been.
The Browns also spent many picks in the draft, including their first two, on secondary help, and may start as many as three players in their secondary as rookies.
In a division where they will be going against Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, and Carson Palmer, this is shaping up to be a hard year for the Dog Pound.
My prediction: Browns win a few games, but still finish at the bottom of the AFC North with a 6-10 record.