Cleveland Browns 2010 Preseason: 10 Biggest Surprises
The 2010 NFL preseason is now officially in the books . After four exhibition games, the Cleveland Browns came away with two last-second victories, a couple of injuries, and a much better idea of what to expect from the team in 2010.
The coaching staff has had a chance to get a look at the players on the roster and the opportunity to experiment with the playbook in games that don't count toward the win total, but can mean everything in developing a competitive team.
By Saturday night, the 53-man roster will be finalized and the Browns will begin preparation for the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Sept. 12.
Hopefully, the right personnel and schemes will be in place and the Browns will be ready to compete in 2010. Fans have been ready for a long time.
The preseason have seen the Browns take on an entirely different look than the 2009 incarnation. New faces are everywhere and the team has a brand new identity.
The things the Cleveland Browns have learned about themselves this preseason are as varied as the players on the field and the fans in the stadium.
Some of those things have been good, some have been bad, and some have been downright unexpected. Let's take a look at some of the biggest surprises of the Cleveland Browns' 2010 preseason.
Jake Delhomme Silencing The Naysayers
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As has been the case almost every year since the franchise returned to the league in 1999, one of the biggest question marks surrounding the Cleveland Browns entering 2010 was at the quarterback position.
When the Browns signed quarterback Jake Delhomme to a two-year contract in March, fans were skeptical, to say the least.
Delhomme has put together several respectable seasons in the past but was coming off of a horrendous 2009 season in which he threw 18 interceptions to just 8 touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers.
Delhomme was benched in favor of backup Matt Moore and he was released at the end of the season.
To the surprise and delight of Browns fans, Delhomme has done nothing but impress during the preseason.
In the four quarters and one drive in which he appeared, Delhomme has gone 38 or 48 for 345 yards, two touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a QB rating of 110.5. Browns fans haven't been treated to those kinds of numbers in a long time.
It remains to be seen if Delhomme can continue to play at such a high level throughout the regular season, but for now he appears to be the right man for a job that has long needed to be filled.
Browns Receivers Really Aren't That Bad After All
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Another big question for the Browns was how good (or bad) would the receiving corps be in 2010?
Most members of the national media have predicted that the receiving unit in Cleveland would be one of the worst in the league.
With a passing attack that ranked dead last in 2009, it was a prediction that was hard to argue.
With the final preseason numbers in, the Browns have moved up 21 spots to boast the 11th-ranked passing attack with 227 yards per game.
While it is only preseason, that is a HUGE step forward for a unit that was expected to struggle early in 2010.
The passing game has gotten a lot of help from tight ends and running backs but wide receivers Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Joshua Cribbs, Bobby Engram, Chansi Stuckey and Carlton Mitchell combined for 381 receiving yards in limited playing time.
To put that into perspective, the Browns only managed 386 total receiving yards in the team's five wins of 2009.
The Cleveland Browns may not have an elite group of receivers in 2010, but things are looking up and much better than expected.
Peyton Hillis Is A Beast
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Sadly, the Browns lost promising rookie running back Montario Hardesty for the season with a torn ACL suffered in the final preseason game.
Fortunately, another bruising back has emerged from the preseason, ready to complement Jerome Harrison in 2010.
Hillis was almost an afterthought for Browns fans in the Brady Quinn trade, but it is starting to look like Cleveland got the better end of the deal.
Hillis is a traditional power back who absolutely dominates the line of scrimmage. He hits the hole with force and is virtually impossible to bring down with only one defender.
Hillis is a very versatile player who catches the ball well and also provides depth at fullback.
For the preseason, Hillis gained 80 rushing yards on 21 carries and had 9 receptions for 86 yards. Numbers don't tell the entire story as it is apparent that his hard-running style can quickly demoralize a defense.
Of course, none of this is much of a surprise to anyone who watched Hillis in Denver, where he had a career average of 4.9 yards per carry.
Sorry, Broncos fans, you can't have him back.
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Colt McCoy Can Kick Back and Watch
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Ever since Cleveland got its Browns back, the team has been drafting quarterbacks with the hopes of finding a future franchise player at the position.
These players are expected to immediately come in and save the team from the depths of mediocrity, and guess what? They keep failing.
New team president Mike Holmgren decided to take a crack at it and selected Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft.
McCoy is the winningest quarterback in NCAA football history, but unlike quarterbacks selected by Cleveland in the past, he won't be expected to win games for the Browns any time soon.
Both Jake Delhomme and backup Seneca Wallace have performed very well this preseason, erasing any need for McCoy to play in 2010.
Both Delhomme and Wallace have posted QB ratings over the 100 mark, and in three games, the two are a combined 51 of 74 for 575 yards, five touchdowns and only one interception.
The quarterback position appears to be in good hands and McCoy will be able to spend this year watching and learning from a couple of experienced veterans, a luxury not afforded to the other quarterback draftees of the expansion era.
Benjamin Watson Is Looking Like One Of The Best Free-Agent Catches Of 2010
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Benjamin Watson may not have been the biggest name on the free-agent market this past off-season, but he is looking like the perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns.
Watson is an instant upgrade at the tight end position and an athletic talent who provides a true vertical threat in the passing game.
He is a consistent player, both as a receiver and as a blocker, and is especially dangerous in the red zone.
Watson has quickly developed a good rapport with quarterback Jake Delhomme and has made several impressive catches throughout preseason.
In limited time, Watson had six receptions for 56 yards and two touchdowns.
The Browns appear to have made a smart move by signing the former first-round pick, who was given up on by the New England Patriots after six solid, if unspectacular seasons.
If the Cleveland offense is able to fire on all cylinders, Watson could be in for a career year in 2010, and the Browns could be in for an exciting one.
Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll Is Making Strides
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Before some basketball player bolted for the beach, Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was a lock for the Art Modell most-hated-man-in-Cleveland award.
Daboll was a rookie coordinator in 2009 and it showed. His basic schemes were predictable and his nonsensical play-calling even seemed to move the offense backwards at times.
The passing offense was especially ineffective and it wasn't until the team leaned on a pattern of run, run, Josh Cribbs, run that the team began to see offensive success in 2009.
Fast-forward to the 2010 preseason and things are entirely different. Gil Haskell is tutoring Daboll in the finer points of offensive play-calling, and Delhomme has been running the offense to near-perfection.
Through preseason, the Browns offense is ranked ninth in total yards per game after finishing the 2009 season 32nd in the same category.
Both the passing and rushing attacks have been effective and the Browns look to have a balanced and potent offense in 2010.
Again, it is only been preseason, but the ability of the offense to move the ball is refreshing, and Daboll may just prove that he can handle the job of offensive coordinator after all.
The Browns Are Getting Defensive
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As bad as the offense was in 2009, the defense of the Browns was equally inept. The Cleveland defense surrendered an average of 389 yards per game in 2009, which was second to worst in the entire NFL.
The defense lacked an identity, a trend that the team is hoping to change in 2010.
While Cleveland turnovers have allowed opposing teams to score, the Browns finished the preseason with the fifth-ranked defense in yards per game allowed. More importantly, the defense has given the Browns the opportunity to win every game.
Unfortunately, Cleveland turned the ball over eight times in losses to St. Louis and Detroit, but the Browns were really only a couple of turnovers away from finishing the preseason at a perfect 4-0.
The defense also appears much more physical than in 2009 and big hits and lost yards have been seen a lot more than at any point last year.
Several new players, such as Sheldon Brown, Chris Gocong and rookie T.J. Ward are helping to give the defense a nasty attitude.
When defensive coordinator Rob Ryan unleashes his crazy blitz schemes in the regular season, it could really create problems for opposing offenses.
While there are areas that still need improvement, the defense is looking to be much better in 2010.
Rookie Contributions
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The 2010 draft was an important one for Cleveland's new front office duo of president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert.
Therefore, it is a very good sign that there are several rookies who appear ready to provide a boost to the team.
First-round cornerback Joe Haden made some rookie mistakes early on, but is quickly growing into a quality defender. He should be solid this season as the nickel corner.
Offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao appears ready to start at right guard and receiver Carlton Mitchell is starting to catch on to things on the offense and could have a bright future ahead of him.
Perhaps the most impressive rookie is safety T.J. Ward. Many fans were confused when Cleveland selected him in the second round of the draft over the better-known safety Taylor Mays.
However, Ward is doing everything to look like the right pick and has been flying all over the field, disrupting plays and landing crowd-pleasing big hits.
Fellow safety Larry Asante is looking like a good special teams player and he is a quick learner who could eventually push for playing time on defense.
Running back Montario Hardesty has been placed on injured reserve and quarterback Colt McCoy shouldn't see the field this season.
It is a testament to the quality of the draft class that there are so many players ready to contribute in 2010, even with these two out of the picture.
*Update: On Saturday, the Browns cut Asante along with rookie defensive lineman Clifton Geathers.*
Surprise Players Of 2009 Continuing To Impress
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While Eric Mangini may have missed on some of his draft picks in 2009, (I'm looking at you, Veikune) he did an excellent job at finding players off the waiver-wire and on the practice squad to contribute mid-season.
Players like linebacker Marcus Benard and tight end Evan Moore were impressive additions in 2009, and have picked up this preseason where they left off.
Benard has been impressive through preseason and continues to make plays on defense, both against the run and the pass.
He seems to be doing everything well, from going after the quarterback to dropping into pass coverage, and he could earn a starting role for himself in 2010.
Benard has racked up 19 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble this preseason.
Tight end Evan Moore continues to develop as a receiving tight end and should pair up with Ben Watson to form a dangerous duo of receiving tight ends for the Browns this season.
Moore is a converted wide receiver with the size and strength of a tight end, making him difficult to handle for opposing defenses. He finished the preseason with 78 yards on 7 receptions.
It is encouraging to see players like Benard and Moore to be groomed in the Browns system and they could be staples in Cleveland for years to come.
The Browns Look To Be Competitive In 2010
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It was a surprise when Mike Holmgren decided to retain Eric Mangini and his coaching staff following the 2009 season, but that continuity may have been exactly what the Cleveland Browns needed.
The Browns finished 2009 with a four game winning streak and are looking to build on that momentum. With the same coaching staff and schemes in place for a second consecutive year, the team should be ready to do just that. A mix of newly added veterans and rookies have been added to a core of players who put together that four game winning streak, and the team appears to be coming together much more quickly than expected.
Once again, it must be stated that these numbers reflect preseason games, but it is still impressive that Cleveland has been able to rank in the top ten, both offensively and defensively in yardage.
The Browns have looked like an NFL caliber team this preseason, unlike most of last season, and there is good reason to believe that Cleveland will be able to compete in 2010 and beyond.
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