Cleveland Browns Need To Win Early for Eric Mangini in 2010

Predicting what the Cleveland Browns will do in 2010 is about as easy as predicting who will win a stock car race.

There is one school of thought promoting the task of rebuilding the Browns still is at such an early point that a 2-14 season is something everyone should prepare for.

Another school of thought exists that between Team President Mike Holmgren's changes and the retention of head coach Eric Mangini, the Browns will become the dark horse of the NFL in 2010 and win as many as nine games.

This piece does not endorse either school of thought because too many personnel changes have been made in the last six months to get an accurate picture at this point in time as to how the Browns will perform in 2010.

The only consistencies fans can point to going into training camp is that Joshua Cribbs will continue dazzle at what he does and Mangini and his coaches are about the only other major holdovers from last year.

The roster hasn't been completely turned over, but all the major components have been switched out.

The Browns have three new quarterbacks, a bunch of new running backs, a completely revamped secondary, and a new right side of the offensive line taking shape in addition to upgrades at tight end.

The huge variable fans have to keep in mind is Mangini.

Looking back at 2009, Mangini was a different coach from Week One to Week 17.

While it wouldn't be completely inaccurate to say Mangini wasn't playing to win in the early part of the season, it definitely wouldn't be fair. However, it does in retrospect look like the urgency to win definitely was not present in the first few weeks.

Mangini's style altered once Holmgren walked on the scene, and owner Randy Lerner made it clear the need to win games hadn't diminished despite the 2009 season being a lost cause.

Do not interpret this as Mangini-bashing, it's not meant to be. Mangini knew going into 2009 it was going to be a rough year, and planned accordingly.

What Mangini didn't expect, probably, is how bad his squad would end up getting blown out early on, and the consequences of two bad decisions.

The unwillingness to commit to Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson cost him early, and his insistence on playing an aging, slow Jamal Lewis hamstrung an offense that wasn't very good to begin with.

By the end of the season, Mangini's bad decisions were rendered moot by injuries, and the unspoken need to win games to keep his job resulted in a myriad of defensive schemes that wrung every last bit of talent out of his last-place defense.

The question going into 2010, though, is how many games must Mangini win to keep his job in 2011?

It seems another 5-11 season would spell certain doom, barring extraordinary circumstances for such a record. Double digit losses are not in Holmgren's rebuilding plan for 2010.

But is an 8-8 or even a 9-7 record a realistic expectation?

That's what will be answered in training camp, and it will become clear by Week One whether Mangini is on the hook for at least seven wins, or if it's clear another 5-11 year will have to suffice.