Cleveland Browns In A Must-Win Game Vs. Kansas City Chiefs

While it's too early in the season to view any game as a "must-win" in order to make the playoffs, the Cleveland Browns game versus the Kansas City Chiefs enters that territory for a very good reason.

This team needs a win like nobody's business.

After this week's game, the Browns schedule doesn't get anything but tougher, and if the Browns start sinking back into the morass of 2009, nothing good will come of it.

Should the Browns lose Sunday, and then go on to get beat by the Ravens, that's an 0-3 start, and that point ugly things may start to happen. Desperation may start setting in, and an 0-4, or an 0-5 start could mean bigger changes on the horizon.

Now, for the people who want to see coaching changes, that may be viewed as a good thing, but in the context of the 2010 season, and possibly the 2011 season, that's not the best course of action.

If major coaching changes are made during or after the 2010 season, Holmgren would, in effect, be "blowing it up" all over again.

A new coaching staff would put in their own offensive and defensive strategies and probably want to rotate in new personnel they feel can execute their game better. Now, there still are a bunch of guys on the Browns roster that would never be missed, but the team would again find itself in a position of filling holes instead of building depth.

To the matter at hand, Kansas City—the Browns major goal for this week has to be to play and coach all four quarters.

The players clearly began feeling the pressure to "not lose" the game last week, and it showed in the play on the field. Quarterback Jake Delhomme began making bad decisions, the offensive line began jumping, and everyone was pressing.

The defense is going to need more from the offense this week in the second half than just a bunch of three-and-outs, or they're just going to wear out by the beginning of the fourth quarter again.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll absolutely has to keep his head in the game and not shut things down at the first sign of trouble like he did last week. Not only will the Browns lose again if he does that, but it's hard to believe Holmgren will keep this guy employed if he continually shows he panics in game situations.

Head coach Eric Mangini will bear the brunt of the criticism if the Browns lose, but right now, the fans need to focus on the fact it's more than one guy out on that field. This isn't to absolve Mangini of responsibility should things go sour, but to encourage them to look at everything that happens during a game.

That being said, Mangini needs to recognize when his players are hurt and adjust accordingly, no matter what the trainers might say. Mangini said he kept Delhomme in the game because the trainers said he was good to go.

But anyone who was actually watching the game could see Delhomme was limping, couldn't get any zip on his passes, and was becoming increasingly desperate. Delhomme has not practiced this week and Seneca Wallace is the probable starter.

That can't happen again. Mangini has to be smarter than that.

Back to an earlier point: If Mangini's decision to keep Delhomme in the game is what forced Daboll to throw out 90 percent of the playbook, than that is a problem as well.

Moving forward, though, the Browns are facing a Kansas City team that came out of the gates strong on Monday night. Dexter McCluster impressed everybody, and the Chiefs defense looked good against Phillip Rivers.

One game does not make a season, though, and hopefully the Browns will prove that on Sunday.