Browns Loss to Jaguars Has Fingers (and Paws) Pointing Everywhere

THE DAWGHOUSE November 22, 2010

Ouch! This one hurt...like a preseason nose tackle stepping on a dawg's tail...in cleats.

My Monday morning Browns loss blues are sinking in, numbing me, like the season's first enduring snowfall, yet the fan blame game for who's responsible is red-hot, with scolding fingers pointing in many directions.

When last checked, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's readers' poll lists offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's inability to solve the Jags' defense as the overwhelming reason for the loss with 64 percent of the votes.

The next highest vote getter in this ignominious poll was the wide receivers' inability to get separation, with 14 percent of the vote. Not even listed is the poor performance of the offensive line.

Because these three aspects of the game are so intertwined, let's take a closer look. 

It was evident as early as the first quarter that the Jags' defense could put pressure on Colt McCoy, was stacked and determined to stop Peyton Hillis and that the Browns' offensive line would not be able to withstand the onslaught through four quarters. Also, McCoy injured his ankle later in the game.

Given this situation, and with the Browns defense presenting the offense with many golden turnover opportunities, THE DAWGHOUSE was surprised to see Daboll's strategy that overly relied on running Hillis and dropping McCoy back into a collapsing pocket that he couldn't limp out of.

With Jacksonville's defense coming on strong, where were the screen passes, where were the quick slants over the middle, where were the precision-timed sideline routes? Force the defense to pay for its attack. Don't drop back an injured QB for long-developing pass patterns when the wall is caving in on him.

Quick hitters, fast strikes and the finesse trumping of the pass rush would be the strategic cards to play. However, I agree with the polling results: Daboll is not playing with a full deck.

This brings us to the receiving corps. There are many who insist our receivers cannot get open. I think the Browns must draft and trade and kidnap whatever receiving talent can be found in and near the NFL, but THE DAWGHOUSE wonders why our receivers got open and consistently caught the ball against the Saints, Patriots and Jets.

Yes, we do not have the best receivers in the world. But they do a professional job and help win big games when the right strategies are employed. Again, Daboll draws the short stick on this one.

But I understand the controversy, and I'd like to make a recommendation on which I hope readers will provide feedback. I'd like to see the networks use an overhead, coaches' view camera that follows every play from a bird's-eye view.

The networks could then appropriately and occasionally provide television viewers with replays that would show whether and how receivers got open or were covered, whether they were not seen by the QB and therefore not passed to, whether they slipped or were fouled or the defense was on to it all along or they prematurely went for a Gatorade break.

I live on the West Coast. I'm a proud member of the Bay Area Browns Backers (San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland area), and I watch just about all my games on television.

Television gives me shots of the cheerleaders, the Dawg Pound, the sidelines, the corridor to the locker room, the tobacco-engorged cheek of Mangini (Eric, nicotine diets kill), but what I want and think this nation of football fans deserve is the omniscient overhead shot that will help answer controversies such as whether our receivers can get open or if McCoy did not see them or if Daboll is running the wrong play. What do you think?

IN THE DAWGHOUSE for the Jaguars game

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will spend yet another week in the dark, dank decay of the doggie dungeon. We need to see better adjustments...to the defensive looks and at halftime. Pass the ball to Evan Moore more more more...maybe move him out to receiver. He's tall, smart and catches just about everything thrown to him. Bow-wow, baby.