Cleveland Browns Must Resist the Temptation to Fire Eric Mangini

Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini may become a victim of his team's success. Early season wins over New Orleans and New England in consecutive weeks, set the bar slightly higher than the talent on this team is capable of consistently grasping.

After the two improbable wins and an overtime loss to the Jets, people began to talk about the Browns sneaking into the playoffs.

I will never criticize Cleveland fans for being passionate. Having endured the most brutal decade of losing in franchise history, sometimes our hope leads to unrealistic expectations.

After consecutive losses to Buffalo and Cincinnati, the Browns are 5-9 with two games remaining. Following these two disappointing road losses, the collective voice of Browns nation has transitioned from rave to rage when it comes to the performance and prospect of head coach Eric Mangini returning in 2011.

The frustration is warranted, but the fact remains that the best course of action for 2011 is for the Cleveland Browns to stay the course.

The problem with Cleveland is a lack of talent and overall depth, not coaching. The preseason loss of D'Qwell Jackson and recent injury to linebacker Scott Fujita have left the defense thin and exposed over the past few weeks. 

Void of depth, the Browns simply don't have enough talent to overcome the injuries.

The Cleveland defense was manhandled all day by a superior Cincinnati offensive line. Bengals center Kyle Cook and guard Bobbie Williams blew Cleveland interior defenders off the ball three yards on virtually every down.

The physical dominance was enjoyed most by running back Cedric Benson who galloped through holes all afternoon that the Browns could not fill. Defensive end Brian Schaefering and tackle Ahtyba Rubin, were visibly over-matched the entire game.

Why are we all so surprised by this loss?

Would Schaefering, an undrafted free agent from Lindenwood College, even occupy a roster spot on any other team besides Cleveland? Would Rubin, a sixth-round pick from Iowa State, start on any other team in the league? The success of the 3-4 defense rests with its linebackers and Cleveland gets the majority of its production from a mid-season waiver wire pick up Matt Roth.

The lack of talent is no secret, but as injuries mount and the season grinds into it's final weeks it's become obvious. With limited talent comes limited victories, all the more reason using the loss Sunday as the decisive event to fire the coaching staff is irrational.

These aren't the David Shula era Bengals, or the teams led at quarterback by Akili Smith or David Klingler. How quickly we manage to forget that the Bengals are the defending AFC North Champions.

Is it really that unacceptable that Cleveland lost a game by two points on the road against a division rival to whom they have lost five of their past six games?

The Bengals have been terrible this season, losing 10 consecutive games prior to Sunday's contest against the Browns, but the problem in Cincinnati is a lack of motivation.Marvin Lewis may not always get the most of out of his players, but their roster is abundant with talent that is difficult to beat when firing on all cylinders.

Whatever the motivating force, Cincinnati decided to show up on Sunday and won.The victory ended the Bengals' losing streak, and unfortunately quite possibly the Mangini era in Cleveland.

This is no time to start over. The current system is working as the Browns remain on a steady path of improvement since Mangini was hired following the 2008 season. Team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert have successfully utilized a multitude of trades and draft picks to replenish the missing talent.

Cleveland has added an athletic cornerback Joe Haden, a physical safety T.J. Ward, a franchise quarterback Colt McCoy and impact players on both sides of the ball in Sheldon Brown, Chris Gocong and Peyton Hillis.

On the field, Mangini has molded the team into a disciplined group of players who have steadily improved all season. Despite a losing record, the team as a whole is fundamentally sound, smart and tough. Faced with the third toughest schedule in the league, the Browns have played solid football all season with occasional flashes of brilliance.

The formula in place is working. The transformation is taking place. The team has grown from consistently horrible to consistently competitive in less than two seasons but there's more work to be done.

Cleveland fans should be excited, not angry. The 2010 Cleveland Browns remind me very much of the 1985 team. 8-8 record, second year head coach and talented rookie quarterback. Multiple starting quarterbacks who shuffled much of the season. The strength of the team was on the ground, with the wide receivers mediocre at best. The passing game anchored by a sure handed tight end and a defense that was much improved.

Thankfully, we didn't fire Marty after that 8-8 season. If we had, the magical run of the 80s probably would have never happened.

The key to achieving the next level of success is through continuity. Will a different coach magically solve the lack of talent? Is a new philosophy, playbook, scheme or coaching staff the best course in the development of Colt McCoy or the other talented rookies on the team?

Some argue any defense of Mangini is nothing more than an acceptance of mediocrity. To the critics I ask, has your way worked? Has the never ending cycle of rebuilding or reshuffling worked anywhere? Personally, I'm tired of rebuilding. I'm sick of watching the roster dismantled. This time I refuse to be infected with the disease of the grass always being greener, and vote to stay the course.

It's been said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different outcome.

Here is a quick history lesson for those of us with short memories:

The Browns are the team that fired Marty Schottenheimer after winning three consecutive division titles and losing two AFC championship games. Followed by firing Bud Carson less than two years later after he won a division title and lost another conference championship game.

We are the team that organized rallies to fire Bill Belichick, who turned out to be one of the greatest head coaches of all time. 

Perhaps it's just who we are though. Dating back to 1963 when we fired Paul Brown at the pinnacle of our dynasty. Who fires their founding father, and name sake? We do.

What would have happened if we would have stuck with any one of these coaches for just a little longer?

More recently:

The Browns expansion team of Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark promised to reincarnate the 49ers in Cleveland. How did that turn out?  Was Butch Davis in all his Dallas Cowboys splendor and Miami Hurricane swagger our savior? No. Did Romeo Crennel and his Super Bowl rings deliver us from futility? Not even close.

We convinced ourselves each of these coaches would deliver, and ended up hating each one.

If we make the mistake of firing Mangini, chances are the next head coach will not deliver on promises either. The reason the Browns never seem to ascend the learning curve to winning is because coaches and players are let go before having the opportunity to grow and learn from mistakes.

Different regimes and similar mistakes result in identical outcomes of losing. Unrealistic expectations and stunning demands of perfection in a city that hasn't won a division title in over twenty years. Can we first become good before we demand greatness?

It's impossible to bridge the gap between futility and dynasty without hitting a few bumps. The past two games represent those bumps and the answer for once is not to turn around and start over.

To the fans who would like to see Holmgren hire himself as head coach for next year, be careful what you wish for. That is a very slippery slope if you ask me, that could fail and lead to an entire collapse of the franchise if it didn't work out. Do these same people realize that he went 4-12 his last season in Seattle with a roster that he personally built?

Would the same people who want Mangini to be fired, hold Holmgren equally accountable after a six or seven win season? If the goal is to win, how could you not?

Mike Holmgren wasn't hired to be the head coach. He was hired here to set the direction of the team as president. And I prefer he stay in that role. If he decides to anoint himself, it only proves his "itch" to coach is greater than his desire to do what is best for the organization in the long run.

Be patient, Browns fans, but more than patient, be realistic.