Cleveland Browns: Peyton Hillis Just One Unanswered Question Among Many in Loss
The Cleveland Browns loss to the Atlanta Falcons has raised a lot of personnel questions, especially involving Peyton Hillis, Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme.
The Browns once again played a close game they weren't able to close out in the second half, instead wilting in the early autumn heat with mistakes and lack of execution.
As frustrating a loss as this is, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before fingers start being pointed and blame assigned.
Whether any of these questions will be answered in a satisfactory manner will be the hot topic of the week.
How Injured Was Peyton Hillis?
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Hillis battled a thigh injury this week, but looked like he came up lame on his touchdown catch.
He played the rest of the game, but wasn't used in any kind of "bruiser" role like he has been the last couple of weeks.
That took a significant component out of the Browns offense, one that could've made a difference at the end of the day. The Browns barely used Jerome Harrison and we didn't see James Davis.
Head Coach Eric Mangini has to balance his offensive attack better through Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll. If Hillis couldn't run up the middle, send someone else. The constant decision to "shut it down" rather than do the best with what is available is what's causing a lot of frustration among Browns fans.
How Injured Was Seneca Wallace?
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Seneca Wallace looked pretty good in the first half prior to his injury, but he spent the second half prowling the sidelines nursing an ankle injury.
Many fans reported after the game to WTAM's postgame show that Wallace was walking around with no limp and often put his helmet on, prompting the question as to why he wasn't put back in the game.
WTAM reported Wallace already is scheduled for an MRI, but there have been no further details released on his injury.
Delhomme clearly was hobbled by his injury, so the question of who should've been out there will hang in the air for now.
Should Colt McCoy Have Been Put In?
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Another popular topic on the postgame shows was Colt McCoy.
If both Wallace and Delhomme were hobbled, would it have made sense to put McCoy in?
That's a very difficult question to answer due to McCoy's inexperience and the fact the Browns offensive line already has allowed two quarterbacks to sustain ankle injuries.
You can argue about how effective the offensive line is at protecting the quarterback until you're blue in the face, but five weeks into the season, the fact is the Browns already have two quarterbacks injured.
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Is It Worth Getting Upset at the Secondary?
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Another topic we can argue until we're blue in the face is the talent level of the secondary.
There's Eric Wright, who rapidly is becoming the whipping boy of the secondary, there's Sheldon Brown, who seems to make as many plays as he misses, there's Abram Elam, and then there's a bunch of rookies.
What sticks out from this game is the number of times Matt Ryan was on the run, threw across his body, and found an open receiver in Lake Erie.
Great job by the defensive line, horrible job by the secondary. But the personnel is what it is, and there is no good coaching answer there other than: Play Better.
How Much Blame Should Fall On The Coaching Staff?
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Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll have come under a lot of heat since they set up shop in Cleveland last year, a lot of it justifiably.
Sticking to this game, the Browns got stuck with a hobbled quarterback and no running game.
What needs to be determined is if Mangini threw in the towel, or it was just a case of bad luck and bad play on the field.
Without the answers to the other questions, this one is impossible to answer from an analytical standpoint with any kind conviction.
The fact is the Browns passed the ball a lot more, and Delhomme's accuracy was terrible. There were a lot of passes forced into double coverage, and Delhomme had what seemed like 30 passes tipped into defenders arms.
That being said, if Mangini and Daboll just decided to play it safe due to Hillis being limited and Delhomme having to come in, that's just playing not to lose and that kind of mentality should not be tolerated.
How Improved are the Browns?
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The Browns are not getting blown out of games like they were at this time last year, so to say there hasn't been some improvement is ignoring facts.
The Browns have kept every game close and led at halftime in four of the five games they've played this year.
The second halves have featured offensive meltdowns and a gassed defense that just gets worn out by the fourth quarter because of the constant three-and-outs on the offense.
The Mangini haters have to balance their desire for a new head coach against what are very measurable gains on the field despite the lack of numbers in the win column.
The Mangini defenders have to balance their desire for continuity and a belief in Mangini's process against what is a lot of losing caused in part by some questionable coaching decisions in those very same games.
Can The Browns Pull It Together Again and Beat The Steelers This Week?
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The Browns could turn their entire season around by beating the Steelers next week. That's not over-stating anything.
The Steelers have turned into one of the best teams in the league, and now Ben Roethlisberger is back and itching to prove himself again.
As it stands now, the Browns have no set quarterback, no running game, and a secondary that's easily picked apart.
The defense can put pressure on the quarterback, but Roethlisberger is a master of pulling plays out of his behind while on the run and throwing off of one foot with his helmet on backwards while someone performs open heart surgery to repair one of his arteries.
To say the Browns have their work cut out for them this week would be the understatement of the year.
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