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Cleveland Browns Column
By:
Jim Cogar
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FINALLY, THE BROWNS HIRE GM
The Browns finally acknowledged earlier this
week one of their worst kept secrets-George
Kokinis is their general manager. The Baltimore
Ravens pro personnel director was named to the
position Sunday evening, almost a month after he
emerged as the front-runner. Eventual head coach
Eric Mangini had hand-picked Kokinis in his
first interview with Browns owner Randy Lerner
on December 30. The candidacy of Kokinis was
solidified when former Browns & Giants General
Manager Ernie Accorsi, working as a consultant
to Lerner in the GM search, game him a strong
endorsement two weeks later.
Kokinis returns to the place where both he and
head coach Eric Mangini began their pro football
careers some 18 years ago under former Browns
head coach Bill Belichik. In fact, the two were
roommates in a tiny Berean apartment in 1994
when both were low-level Browns employees.
Kokinis has spent the last 13 years with the
Baltimore Ravens, the last 6 as the director of
pro personnel. Before moving in-house as
assistant director of pro personnel in 2000, he
spent 4 years on the road as an area scout for
the Ravens, who are regarded among the NFL’s
best drafting teams.
In his time in Baltimore, Kokinis worked closely
with GM Ozzie Newsome in analyzing NFL rosters
and coordinating & evaluating the free agency
market. Kokinis also made personnel
recommendations and assisted in contract
negotiations. He assisted in the acquisition of
Pro Bowl alternate RB Willis McGahee from the
Buffalo Bills, in exchange for future draft
choices. The same year Kokinis worked that deal,
the club also re-signed linebacker Jarret
Johnson. In 2006, Kokinis negotiated the
contracts of draft picks Dawan Landry and Ryan
LaCasse. The team also acquired veteran QB Steve
McNair in exchange for a 2007 draft pick,
re-signed LB Bart Scott, and also signed up a
number of quality free agent players such as
defensive end Trevor Pryce, who led the team
with 13 sacks that season.
Also included in the group was running back Mike
Anderson, DT Justin Bannon, CB Corey Ivy, and LB
Gary Stills. Throughout his stay with the
Ravens, Kokinis exemplified hard work, an eye
for talented players, and the ability to
coordinate his efforts with those around him.
Finally, in 2003, Kokinis was rewarded for all
his hard work by being promoted to the position
of director of pro personnel. At his
introductory press conference earlier this week,
Kokinis explained what it takes to win.
“Believing in the same things-the same core
values of players, people, and all that it takes
to build a championship organization”, Kokinis
said. “I think (head coach Eric Mangini), and I
kind of thought about that earlier in our
careers, and I’ve never wavered, and I don’t
think he’s ever wavered.”
“(The coach-GM relationship) is critical,”
Mangini said. “There are going to be so many
different things that we agree on, that we’re
going to disagree on, and, at the end of the
day, we both understand that the goal is to make
the best decision for the Cleveland Browns”.
“What’s best for the Cleveland Browns-that’s
what’s important”, Kokinis said. “We will be on
the same page and do what’s best for the
Cleveland Browns”.
That is indeed what it is all about-what is best
for transforming the Cleveland Browns into a
consistent winner. This Sunday, there will be
one less NFL team that has never been to the
Super Bowl. The Browns are members of an
ever-dwindling group of teams that have never
even been to the “Show”, let alone hoisted the
Lombardi Trophy. Let’s just hope that the team
of Kokinis & Mangini is the answer to our
championship dreams. The alternative is too
depressing to think about.
This writer is an optimist, and I believe that a
time is coming very soon when the Cavaliers,
Indians, and the Browns will step up and make us
proud. Godspeed Mr. Kokinis & Mr. Mangini, and
GO BROWNS!!!!!!!!!
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1/15/09
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PIOLI TAKES GM POSITION WITH
KANSAS CITY
Well, Browns fans, Scott Pioli is officially
off the market as GM for the Cleveland
Browns. The so-called “extreme” demands
Pioli made of the Browns were happily given
to him by the Chiefs organization. Simply
put, “He will have complete charge of
football operations”, Ryan Petkoff, a
spokesman for Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt,
told the Associated Press. “He will report
only to Clark”. "We are very excited to
welcome Scott to the Chiefs," Hunt said in a
statement. "With his proven track record of
success, Scott is the finest player
personnel executive in the NFL, and we look
forward to his leadership in building a
championship organization."
Patriots owner Robert Kraft praised Pioli as
an "integral part of the many championships
the
New
England Patriots
have celebrated this decade." "Scott is a
great evaluator of talent," Kraft said. "He
is thorough in his evaluations, extremely
organized and has done a tremendous job
mining all possible resources to help coach
Belichick and his staff field the players
needed to win consistently. He has played an
important role in building a championship
tradition with players that I am proud to
call Patriots."
I certainly hope that the demands Pioli made
of Browns owner Randy Lerner when they met
to discuss the GM position in Cleveland were
much more “extreme“ than those he made with
the Chiefs. I wholeheartedly agree with the
Chiefs’ Clark Hunt that Pioli was THE prize
in the hunt for NFL football executives
around the league this off-season.
Pioli, 43, worked closely with former Browns
head coach Bill Belichik to bring in the
kind of players that Belichik needed to
build a championship team. Having almost
carte blanche power over football decisions,
the team of Pioli & Belichik built one of
the greatest teams in NFL history. Rarely,
if ever, has any team won as many games and
championships in an eight-year span than the
Patriots. From 2000-08, the Patriots were an
NFL-best 102-42 in the regular season and
rang up 14 playoff wins.
As a Browns fan, I was ecstatic at the
chance of getting Pioli as GM. After Lerner
met with Pioli, he and some of his staff
leaked out a story that Pioli’s demands were
“extreme”, and that Pioli would have to
compromise in order for talks to proceed. If
the “extreme” demands were the complete
control of football operations that Pioli
was given by the Chiefs, then, once more,
the Browns have made a major blunder in
their decision making. When you have a
chance to acquire someone of Piolis’
stature, you have to make concessions of
your own. I mean, if Pioli didn’t take
advantage of the power he and Belichik had
in New England, then what makes Lerner think
he would in Cleveland?
Once Lerner interviewed Eric Mangini, the
talks with Pioli were finished. Maybe they
were finished before they got started. Word
is that Lerner has been enamored with
Mangini for some time, and that as soon as
Lerner heard that Mangini had been fired by
the Jets, he was elated. He may have had a
one-track mind in getting Mangini at any
cost. Well, Mr. Lerner, your cost was losing
the best personnel man in the business. I
hope Eric Mangini can coach inferior talent
into winning against superior talent. In my
humble opinion, the most important person in
any NFL team is the one responsible for
evaluating talent. Without the talent, you
can’t win no matter who your head coach is.
Once it was obvious Mangini was would be the
Browns head coach, there was no way Pioli
would have worked with him. Maybe Pioli
figured it out before his initial meeting
with Lerner, and made extreme demands to
make sure an offer would not be made.
Mangini had worked with the Patriots for
years, and knew of Bill Belichik’s habit of
cheating by video taping the signs that
defensive coordinators sent into the
players. In his first game as Jets head
coach, Mangini noticed Belichik doing the
same thing against him. He then turned the
Patriots over to the league office, and so,
“Spygate” was created. Since then, there has
been very bad blood between Mangini and
Patriots’ officials.
Well, Mr. Lerner, I certainly hope Mr.
Mangini is as good as you think he is.
Because, he cost you much more than money.
He cost you the greatest personnel man in
the NFL. I certainly hope that there is
someone out there who is close to being as
good a talent evaluator as Scott Pioli. That
is the only way the signing of Mangini
BEFORE Pioli can be justified.
Until next time, fans, GO
BROWNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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1/10/09
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MANGINI IS THE MAN FOR LERNER
AND THE BROWNS
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The Cleveland Browns introduced Eric
Mangini Thursday morning as their
next head coach. He is coming back
to the organization he began his NFL
career with 14 years ago. Mangini
wowed owner Randy Lerner as the
first interviewee for the recently
vacated head coaching spot. The
Browns’ newest hire was elated to be
“coming home”, so to speak.
“When I was here the first time, I
made a lot of friends in Cleveland.
I really know what good, hard
working, caring people are in this
city”, Mangini said. “I want to
promise to them that we’re going to
have good, hard working, caring
people in this organization, and
we’re all going to be working
towards the same goal…and I promise
you that’s that we’ll be pushing
forward every single day, and that’s
what we’ll be working for every
single day”.
Although Lerner interviewed some of
the brightest assistant coaches in
the league, it was Mangini’s
vision for the team, and his prior
head coaching experience, that won
Lerner over. Manginis’
reputation as a disciplinarian who
works his players hard, and a
reported vow to Lerner that he can
win with quarterback Brady Quinn
were also instrumental in swinging
the decision in his favor.
Eric Mangini broke into the NFL in
1994 with the Browns, first as a
ball boy, then as an intern in the
club’s public relations department.
He was hired by then-head coach Bill
Belichick and joined the Browns
coaching staff as a coaching
assistant in 1995. He spent the next
11 years as an NFL assistant with
the Ravens, Jets, and Patriots
before becoming the Jets’ head coach
in 2006. Mangini compiled a 23-25
record in three seasons with the New
York Jets, including a 10-6 playoff
season in his first year in 2006.
After a 4-12 record in 2007, the
Jets began 2008 at 8-3, but stumbled
down the stretch, finishing at 9-7
as quarterback Brett Favre wore down
by the second half of the season.
This is probably the first time in
Cleveland history that one of the
major sports teams’ General Manager
has been related to another major
sports teams’ Head Coach. “I’m
excited for him”, said Indians GM
Mark Shapiro of Mangini, his
brother-in-law. “He’s an extremely
intelligent, creative, and driven
guy. He will increase the Browns’
chances of being a championship team
again. On a personal level, this is
the first time in 18 years in
Cleveland that I will have family
here and that would be a reason for
other family members to come here to
visit”. Having his wife’s family
close by will surely help the
Manginis settle into the area
easier. Hopefully, new head coach
Eric Mangini will help the Browns
finally settle down & play some
championship football.
I will have commentary on the hiring
of Eric Mangini in my next edition.
Until next time………..GO
BROWNS!!!!!!!!!
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12/31/08
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BROWNS ROCKED WHILE HEADS ROLL IN CLEVELAND
It was a fitting end to a
very disappointing season for the Cleveland
Browns. Their arch-nemesis, the Pittsburg
Steelers, laid it on them hard & heavy in a
30-0 steamrolling at Heinz Field. Over the
last two games, the Browns have gone out
with a whimper, also laying a goose egg
against the woeful Bengals at the Cleveland
Browns Stadiumsʼ season finale, 14-0. If
nothing else, our heroes have been
consistent--consistently awful.
The Brownsʼ offense now
owns the all-time record for futility. Never
has any team in NFL history gone 6 full
games without an offensive touchdown. Wow. I
know they were working on their 4th
QB of the season, and have been wracked with
injuries at other offensive positions, but
man, they donʼt even have enough of a
running game to get lucky with a few missed
tackles for a touchdown?
Although I must admit,
being a draft nut, I was cheering for the
Browns to lose these last two games. After
all, if they canʼt make the playoffs, at
least they can climb up to a better draft
spot. However, I was hoping for a much
better effort from many of the players,
especially the offense. When your defense
scores more TDs than your offense in a
6-game stretch, you really need to
re-evaluate your team. That is just what
owner Randy Lerner is doing.
As bad as things have
been this season, at least we can find
comfort in the fact that Jerry Jones doesnʼt
own the Browns. With the freak show he has
created in Big D, I canʼt see how their fans
have much to hope for in the future. After
all, you canʼt fire the owner. Randy Lerner,
however, is a solid owner who tries to hire
the best in the business and let them
run the team. We all knew the ax would fall
after Sundayʼs game. We just didnʼt know how
many heads would roll. Well, both head coach
Romeo Crennel and GM Phil Savage got the
boot Sunday, which was the right way to go.
While Savage is a good personnel evaluator,
he has shown he was over his head as the GM
of the Browns.
Lerner has already had to
move from plan A to plan B. Yes, even in the
off-season, the Browns have disheartening
losses. Bill Cowher is not coming to
Cleveland. Even though Cowher has been
adamant in denying his interest in the head
coaching position in Cleveland during the
season, Lerner met with him this past
Saturday night in New York. Cowher told
Lerner then that he was not interested in
returning to coaching in 2009, and for
Lerner to take him off of his list.
Undaunted, Lerner went to
Plan B. He asked for and was granted
permission by the New England Patriots to
meet with Scott Pioli. The VP of player
personnel for the Patriots, Pioli helped
Bill Belichick assemble three Super Bowl
winners as his right-hand man. The
42-year-old Pioli began his NFL career as a
pro personnel assistant in Cleveland under
Belichick in 1992. He has worked his way up,
and is now considered one of the NFLʼs
premier front-office executives.
I know what many of you
are thinking. Didnʼt Savage follow a similar
path in his career? That may be true, but
Lerner feels that Pioli has a more expanded
role in New England than Savage did while
with Baltimore. I couldnʼt agree more. While
I admit I thought Savage was the answer to
the Browns championship aspirations, you
never really know how someone will handle an
expanded role until they get there. I feel
strongly that Pioli has what it takes to put
the Browns back on the right track.
For one thing, Pioli
doesnʼt have the train wreck to deal with
that Savage found in 2005. Butch Davis had
left the team in shambles, with very little
talent to work with. Although the 2008 team
only won 4 games, they have much more talent
than Savage had to work with his first
season. Pioliʼs biggest advantage over
Savage is that he works very closely with
the head coach. That is one of the biggest
reasons he & Belichick were so successful.
Savage rarely turned to head coach Romeo
Crennel to find out what kind of players he
needed. You have to have that in order for
the team to work as one. Pioli will bring in
the very players the next head coach feels
are the best to run his system. That
aspect alone will make the Browns a better
team.
Starting with the next
column and up to and beyond the 2009 NFL
Draft, I will be featuring the Brownsʼ next
head coach, and the college players eligible
for the draft who will fit in best with his
philosophy. Until then,
GO BROWNS !!!!!!!!!!!!
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12/16/08
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WINDS OF CHANGE BLOWING IN BROWNS TOWN
It’s been quite a tumultuous month here in
Cleveland. The Browns are now 4-9, having
lost three out of the last four games. All
of the games were hard-fought. Three out of
the four were within ten points, including
the lone win over the Bills. This past
Sunday they were down to third string QB Ken
Dorsey, with both Ken Anderson (knee), and
Brady Quinn (finger), on injured reserve.
The Browns went up against the mighty
Tennessee Titans, and actually led 6-3 going
into the second quarter. Then the injury
riddled brown & orange finally gave in to
the relentless pressure on Dorsey, and the
defense.
Man, this has been one bad season, and I
don’t really mean the Browns have been
losers. They have fought hard, and have been
in almost every game until late in the forth
quarter. When you consider ALL of the
injuries this team has sustained over the
past three months, that really does say
something about the character of this team.
Over matched and out-gunned, they have given
as good as they got. This week, for
instance, they have listed as questionable:
Their entire starting defensive line, punt &
kickoff return man Josh Cribbs, starting TE
Kellen Winslow, starting RG Rex Hadnot, and
their only speed RB Jerome Harrison, among
others. On Injured Reserve are: Their #1 &
#2 quarterbacks, starting RT and reserve OG
Ryan Tucker and Lennie Friedman, CB Daven
Holly, & DL Robaire Smith. It really says
something about how the players feel about
head coach Romeo Crennel that this team has
played so tough missing many of these
players for the majority of the season.
Although I doubt it will save his job, the
players have not given up on their
beleaguered boss. They have bought into the
system & Crennel’s easy going style.
My money, however, is still on Crennel going
and GM Phil Savage staying, at least for one
more year. Four years is pretty much the
maximum time given to head coaches to show
they can get their teams to the playoffs.
Even though the Browns have had more than
their share of injuries, excuses are not
allowed for a team that went 10-6 the year
before. There has been a lot of speculation
on who Crennel’s replacement would end up
being. Most talk has been centered around
former Browns’ assistant coach & Steelers’
former head coach, Bill Cowher. A source
close to the former Cleveland special teams
coach said Cowher would be hard-pressed to
coach a team who plots to beat the Steelers
twice a week. Cowher has a very close
relationship with the Rooney family, owners
of the Steelers. A contract proposal with
the right amount of dollar signs would do
wonders in alleviating the sting of beating
up on his former employers‘ team, I’m sure.
The Browns were given 5 night games, plus
the nationally televised game against Dallas
in 2008 after going 10-6 last season. Owner
Randy Lerner has been embarrassed by the
play of his team, going into their 16th
game with a 4-9 record. He knows that the
networks will think twice before putting
Cleveland on Prime Time following a winning
season after laying an egg this year. The
one saving grace is that the Browns are 2
for 2 on Monday Night Football this season.
A win tonight against the Philadelphia
Eagles would give the Browns an undefeated
season on MNF, and snap a current three-game
losing streak.
The Eagles are 7-5-1, and are desperately
fighting to stay in the NFC Wildcard hunt.
With the Giants having already locked up the
NFC East Division title, and the Cowboys at
9-5, the Eagles know they will have to win
out to have a chance at making the playoffs.
That makes tonight a “must-win” game for the
birds. The Browns would like nothing better
than to go to Philly and spoil the Eagles’
playoff chances. Winning the next three
games, which also include contests against
the Bengals at home and the Steelers in
Pittsburg, would allow the Browns to end the
season on a winning note, and may help set
the tone for next season. Let’s hope so.
Until next time…..GO BROWNS!!!!!!!!!
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11/15/08
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SAME OLD STORY
FOR BROWNS, FANS
Hello again Browns’
fans. Well, I’ve waited a whole week to give
myself time to cool off after the Thursday night
game against Denver. It didn’t work. I’m still
going to print what I wrote a few days after the
game. Truth is truth, no matter how much it
hurts. So, here we go…
Wow, what a
difference a change in quarterbacks, well, er,
doesn’t make. The fans at Cleveland Browns
Stadium must have thought they were watching a
re-run of the Ravens game played there just 4
days earlier. In that game, in case you’ve
deleted it from your memory bank, the Browns
came out in the second half of a close game and
proceeded to take a two touchdown lead on
Baltimore. Then, in the fourth quarter, their
defense either wore down from playing over its
head, or got comfortable with the lead, and
decided that tackling was optional. As a
result, the Ravens scored 24 points and totally
shut down the heated up Browns attack. So, what
did the Browns do to confront the failure of the
entire team? They made a scapegoat of starting
QB Derek Anderson and benched him in favor of
backup QB Brady Quinn.
Fast forward to
Thursday night. The Browns had an injury
depleted Broncos defense on the run by halftime
and held a 13 point lead in the third quarter.
QB Brady Quinn, starting in place of Derek
Anderson, was having an excellent inaugural
game. He would finish with a QB rating of +101,
which is outstanding for any NFL quarterback.
TE Kellen Winslow and KR/WR Josh Cribbs were
having a great game-Cribbs his second in a row.
Unfortunately for
the Browns, they have to play 4 quarters. In
the second half, especially the dreaded FOUR
QUARTER, our favorite team imploded once again.
This time they did it in record fashion. Denver
QB Jay Cutler had his best passing day as a pro,
going 24/42 for 447 yards, 3 TDs & 1 int. Over
half of his 447 yards were gained in the fourth
quarter alone!! Talk about the defense laying
an egg! The offense also found ways to stumble
down the stretch.
This time, however,
they can’t blame it on the quarterback. Quinn
did his job like a seasoned veteran. Here is
just an example of what he had to deal with as
far as his supporting cast. On one drive in the
second half, Quinn hit Braylon Edwards on an out
pattern in stride for a nice gain and a first
down on third & long. The only problem was that
Winslow, who had had an excellent first half,
decided to run 15 yards downfield and plow head
on into Denver safety Marquand Manuel. The two
had been jawing at each other the entire game,
and Winslow thought that this would be a good
time to show Manuel how tough he was. It was a
selfish, bone-headed play that cost his team a
chance to continue to move on offense, and give
the ball back to the red-hot Cutler. If I’m
head coach, I don’t care that Winslow caught 11
passes for over 100 yards & two TDs. How he
played in the second half went a long way in
giving up the game, and he deserves a one game
suspension.
I won’t go on with
a play-by-play on the game. I’m sure most of
you have either watched or listened to the
debacle. I said it last week, and I will
reiterate it again. It doesn’t matter whether
Anderson or Quinn is the QB of this football
team. Admittedly, Quinn gets rid of the ball
quicker, and has the mobility to move around
just enough to create more time in the pocket.
However, neither player has had the support of
his teammates at a high enough level to win at
the end of the game.
I hate to say this,
because I have been a big Romeo Crennel
supporter from day one. However, it has become
clear to me that he is not cut out to be a head
coach. This team is still having trouble with
things that should have been cleared up long
before this, his fourth season at the helm.
Just some of the simple things include time
management, getting the right personnel
groupings on the field on time, and knowing when
to challenge a call or not. My biggest
complaint is that Crennel plays not to lose,
instead of playing to win.
When you get behind
the Steelers or Ravens by two touchdowns in the
second half, you’re in for a long game. They
turn their players loose like a pack of dogs.
They don’t play “prevent” defense. Unless
“prevent” means they prevent the opposing QB
from walking the next day. Browns fans are
among the most intelligent, savvy fans in the
country. They want the same kind of attitude
from their team. They want an attacking
team, not one that sits back after going ahead
and prays they don’t get beat. That is why they
have created a web site committed to the hiring
of former Steelers head coach and Browns
assistant coach, Bill Cower. They know that
Cowher will bring that tough, take no prisoners
attitude that permeates the Pittsburg team.
At 3-6, the Browns
are on the outside looking in. However, with
the Steelers losing Sunday night and going to
6-3, all the Browns would have had to do was
hold a 14 & 13 point lead the past two games
respectively, and they would be 5-4. That would
put them only a game behind Pittsburg and
Baltimore, who is also 6-3, and right in the
thick of the division race. Playing Crennel
ball, they are a 3-quarter team with a lot of
issues. Here’s hoping they play hard the rest
of the season to prove what character they
have. I never give up hope, but things are not
looking good. However, now & forever--Go
Browns!! |
11/7/08
BROWNS
CONTINUE ROLLER COASTER RIDE
Well, the Browns have had quite a ride these last 4
games. To their credit, they have been in it in each
game in the 4th quarter, and very easily could be 4-0.
Unfortunately, this team is still learning how to close
out games. We’ll go over some of them in detail, some
just take a glance at.
The first game was undoubtedly their finest game so far
this season. Playing the world champion NY Giants at
home on Monday night, the Browns were working on all
cylinders as they gave the G-Men the only blemish on
their 8-1 record. When all was said and done, the Browns
won going away, 35-14. The score was tight at half time,
17-14 Browns. In one of the best closing efforts of the
season, Cleveland dominated NY in the second half 15-0.
If only that were the case in some other games. In
another game against an NFC East opponent, the Browns
played the Redskins tough, but came away on the wrong
side of an 11-14 final score.
Continuing their schizophrenic ways, the Browns were
given little chance to beat the talented Jacksonville
Jaguars. The odds makers failed to take into account one
player though-Shaun Rogers. In his best overall game of
the season, Rogers was a man possessed. Consider just
some of his accomplishments in that game: First &
foremost, he did what good Nts do best-occupied 2-3
blockers so that his Lbs could stuff the run at the line
of scrimmage. He also repeatedly beat those blockers &
was in the Jags backfield almost as much as QB Kerry
Collins, who he constantly harassed, sacking him once to
lead the team with 4. Rogers also blocked a FG attempt,
and ran Collins down from behind after chasing him out
of the pocket-quite an amazing play for someone 6-4, 350
lbs. That was just Rogers. Of course, this was a team
effort. The offensive line finally gave QB Derek
Anderson protection in the pocket, giving him the time
he needed to pick the Jaguars’ defense to pieces.
Receivers were getting open & making plays. The only
black mark on the offense came when the Browns had the
ball on the Jags ˝ yd. line, 1st & goal late in the 4th
quarter. A TD would have put the game out of reach, but
the team ended up with only a FG. The OL has got to do a
better job when the game is on the line. It almost cost
the Browns a win, as Eric Wright & Nick Sorensen had to
bat a juggling pass away from WR Matt Jones in the end
zone to preserve the victory. The entire defense also
played exceptional football. Final score: 23-17 Browns.
Finally, we come to the most depressing loss of the
season. The Browns fought back from a dreadful first
half against the Baltimore Ravens to gain a two TD lead,
27-13. It looked like they had the Ravens on the ropes
in Browns’ stadium this past Sunday. Then, the defense,
offense, & special teams took turns blowing the game.
First, the defense, which had forced a few three & outs
from the hated birds at the beginning of the half, were
constantly gashed for huge gains after upping their
score to 27. Rookie RB Ray Rice, filling in for injured
Willis McGahee, ran several draw plays in a row. Neither
the Browns players or coaches seemed to be able to
adjust to this tactic. Normally, when you have a team
down by two Tds, you look for such things. Not the
Browns. They seemed to be stunned every time the Ravens
used this original technique. The Ravens just mowed the
defense over on their way to the first of many
touchdowns in the second half. It was one of the poorest
defensive efforts I’ve seen in a while. Not to be
outdone, the offense was determined to do their part in
helping the walls to come tumbling down. Suddenly, an
offense that came out steamin’ had lost its steam. The
Ravens stunted & blitz the offense silly. QB Derek
Anderson, under constant duress, was missing passes he
had made earlier. Hope came when he finally hit a free
Braylon Edwards in stride for a TD. The only thing is,
he forgot the football. Big detail there Braylon! No TD
& no win for the Browns. The final score took place when
DA, under tremendous pressure, tossed a screen pass to
RB Jason Wright. Jason apparently forgot to turn around
in time to catch the ball. That’s alright, though,
because Terrell Suggs caught it for him for the final
TD. Problem is, Suggs plays for the Ravens.
What are the Browns going to do to correct this constant
TEAM inconsistency? Kill the QB! Yeah! Apparently, Derek
Anderson lost the game all by himself. How lame. I would
be the first to say that Anderson has not been nearly as
consistent as last year, but neither has anyone else on
this team. Romeo Crennel did get it right when he said
that Josh Cribbs was the only player that gave a
championship effort Sunday. The rest of the team needs
to look at Josh & follow his lead.
As far as replacing Anderson with Brady Quinn, I think
it’s a bad idea. No offense against Brady. I think he’s
a good QB, but you don’t replace the quarterback on a
bad team. Anderson hasn’t dropped 14 of the passes he’s
thrown, like WR Braylon Edwards. He didn’t allow Ray
Rice to gouge the team for 154 yards. He hasn’t had
breakdowns in protection like the offensive line. This
team has a lot of work to do in a lot of areas. Good
luck Brady. You’ll need it. I hope things go well.
However, I feel this is just another case of this team
making decisions based on public opinion & not on sound
football. Unfortunately, though, Qbs get too much credit
when a team wins, and too much blame when it loses.
Quinn does move better in the pocket than DA. He’s going
to need that skill. I say these things not to be
negative, but honest. However, since we all live & die
with this team, I will support it no matter what. As
always……GO BROWNS!!!!!
10/10/08
Losses, injuries, poor play, and poor
clock management mounting. Coaching and player moves may
need to be made soon.
When the schedule makers put the 2008
Browns’ TV schedule together, they must have had VERY
high hopes for the team that was 10-6 in 2007. National
games against Super Bowl contenders, Sunday Nights,
Monday Night Football. Then again, how were they to know
the team would incur more injuries to more top players
than almost any team in the league? Many prognosticators
who predict the following years’ draft were much more
skeptical. Counting on the number of national games, a
brutal schedule, and the pressure these things bring,
most forecasted the Browns to finish no better than the
10-6 schedule they finished with last season.
I was far more optimistic, figuring a
record of 11-5 and a wild card bid at worst. Obviously,
no one could have predicted such rampant injuries to so
many starting or quality players. Not even the Colts or
Chargers are winning with big injuries, and theirs don’t
even come close to what Browns’ administrators have had
to deal with.
However, it’s not so much the losses, but
how they’ve come about, that cause me to see no other
recourse but change in major areas. When your starting
QB comes out & tells the media that he’s not sure if he
will be “The Man” much longer, what does that tell you
about his confidence?? Wow! What’s worse is that his
Head Coach doesn’t get the hint, and keeps him in the
starting lineup. Hello?! Of course, Romeo Crennel is
another story altogether.
The loss against the Steelers was one of
the most frustrating of the past 10 that Romeo Crennel
has given up against Pittsburg. I say given up because
that’s exactly what he did. To blow time outs once in an
NFL season is bad enough. To manage the clock like a Jr.
High team three times in the same game is down right
embarrassing. Not to mention simply unintelligent
decisions such as kicking a field goal with less than
4:00 left in the game, or attempting an on-side kick
right after the previously mentioned field goal. When
Phil Savage & Romeo Crennel were brought in to manage
the Browns, I had high hopes. My hopes are still very
high for Savage. He has managed to provide Crennel with
a playoff caliber team capable of withstanding the
plethora of injuries that have plagued the team early
this season.
Like the game they lost against the
Steelers. You have to tip your hat to an injury riddled
Browns defense that held the Pittsburg offense to 10
points. Unfortunately, they had to stand by and watch
their QB & WR, both of whom were elected to go to Hawaii
and play in their first Pro-Bowl last season, and their
coaching staff, bungle away two touchdowns that would
have sealed the Steelers’ fate.
It was like watching deja vu all over
again. Both plays happened at or near the Pittsburg 20
yard line at the end of each half. Cleveland finally got
its offense going and crossed midfield in the final two
minutes of the first half. However, with a chance to tie
the game, the Browns flubbed up their first scoring
opportunity of the day. Inside Pittsburgh's 20, they
fumbled a snap and were called for an illegal shift.
Referee Tony Corrente explained that the Browns had the
option of having 10 seconds run off the clock, or being
charged with their final timeout. Cleveland elected to
have the time taken off, leaving them with 44 seconds.
Anderson completed a 9-yard pass to the
12, and Cleveland's QB quickly sneaked for a first down
before the Browns called their final timeout with 8
seconds left. Rather than kicking a field goal, Crennel
sent Anderson and the offense back onto the field. Mind
you, all of this wasn’t going on as smoothly as one
might think. During this “drive”, after a 9-yard gain,
Anderson looked to the sideline for time out guidance.
Even though it was obvious he wasn’t getting an answer
anytime soon, the QB continued to wait instead of acting
like the leader of the team, and calling time out.
Finally, Anderson figured someone has to do something, &
quickly brought the team up to the line for the first
down sneak. Crennel then DID call the final time out. I
feel that all of the confusion created by a lack of
decisiveness on the part of the coaching staff added to,
if not led directly to, the next play.
Anderson, who needed to get the ball into
the end zone since there was only 8 seconds left & no
time outs, threw short and the pass was picked off by
diving safety Troy Polamalu at the 3rd yard
line to end the half.
The Browns’ second and last chance to
save the day came with 3:21 left in the game. The Browns
had the ball 4th & 7 at the Steelers’ 21 yard
line. The ball would have been very close to the first
down marker at the Steelers’ 14, had WR Braylon Edwards
ran his slant route much sharper to get inside CB Bryant
McFadden. His effort to fight for the ball was not what
you would see on a 3rd & long play. Edwards
also added two more drops to his NFL leading count for
this season, which, after the Ravens game, was up to 15.
If only Kellen Winslow’s heart could be duplicated and
transplanted into Edwards….never mind. Crennel then had
Phil Dawson kick a 38 yard field goal.
Not only did Crennel make the
miscalculation that his worn out defense could stop the
Steelers from running out the clock with around three
minutes remaining, but he tried an onside kick, which
gave the hated black & gold an even shorter field to
work with. For Crennel‘s final clock blunder of the
night, he waited for what seemed like forever to call a
time out, after Pittsburg had run the ball, and the
clock continued to run in their favor.
Against the Cowboys in their season &
home opener, Crennel was booed for kicking a field goal
in the fourth quarter with the Browns down by three TDs.
That’s 21 points for the mathematically challenged. So,
his track record hasn’t improved.
I won’t even get into the loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Same game, different day. The Browns started out strong,
got scared of their own success, and imploded.
Even at only three games into the season,
drastic measures need to be made. I would not have said
that had HC Crennel showed some leadership qualities and
named Brady Quinn as the starting QB against the
Cincinnati Bengals. Everyone and their mother knows that
Quinn would be starting for the Cleveland Browns for the
next decade. We just didn’t know when it would start.
Anderson’s statement was tailor-made for Crennel. Come
on, man, what else do you need, a freaking invitation??
Here’s my formula for getting the Browns
back on track-this year! It’s not that complicated. What
we have:
Shaun Rogers, Cory Williams, Shaun
Smith, etc. Shaun Rogers has been another in a long
line of excellent acquisitions made by GM Phil
Savage. Rogers is a beast! He is rejuvenated, and it
shows. Man, if we could get a couple more defenders
like Rogers, we would dominate.
Even with all of the injuries to the
secondary, those who are still standing are taking
it to the opposition. The way they played against
the Bengals was a thing of beautiful. CB Brandon
McDonald was all over the place. When he wasn’t
blitzing to stuff the run, he was frustrating Chad
“Ocho Cinco” Johnson. Safety Mike Adams has filled
in admirably for both FS Brodney Pool, and SS Sean
Jones. He’s a keeper, but it’s almost impossible to
keep any semblance of continuity in the secondary
when at least one of your starting safeties are out
with an injury.
Romeo Crennel should be on a short
leash. All of the time management issues have added
up over the years, and now they have to stop. He’s
been a HC too long to keep making these simplest of
mistakes. Obviously, Crennel has had to deal with
more injuries the past few seasons than most. This
season has been almost unbearable to watch starter
after starter go down. They say you should never use
injuries as excuses for losing, but there comes a
time when no team can win consistently with what the
Browns have had to deal with. However, Crennel has
not even taken care of some of the very basic of
football operations. Let’s just see how the rest of
the season goes.
As always, with players like Dante
Stallworth & Ryan Tucker coming back, I am
cautiously optimistic that the brown & orange can
settle in. However, it has really been discouraging
to have Sean Jones, Kellen Winslow, and Shaun Smith
out for the foreseeable future. The rest of the
schedule is even more brutal than the beginning,
with the Super Bowl Giants, Jags, Titans, Redskins,
Eagles,…..uuuuggggghhhhh. Well, if anything else, it
will give a lot of subs experience against some
great teams. As always…………….Go Browns!!!!!!!!!!
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9/9/08
The Dallas Cowboys
had one of the best records in the NFL last year at 13-3. The
Cleveland Browns weren't exactly chopped liver, going 10-6 in a
very tough AFC North.
The Browns were
handed an old fashioned Texas butt whipping Sunday, though, as
the Cowboys came to town. Actually, the score didn't indicate
just how one-sided the game really was. The Cowboys out-gained
the Browns 487-205 in yardage, and had the ball an amazing 15
minutes longer than their hosts.
Both teams went into
Sunday's game with injuries to starters. Cleveland just seemed
to be the team that let theirs bother them. Just before the
game, the Browns' players were greeted with the news that #2 WR
Donte Stallworth had injured his groin area during pre-game
warm-ups and was out for the game. This put a damper on the
team, since over the past week, OLB Antwan Peek had been put on
IR for the rest of the season, putting even more pressure on LB
Kam Wimbley to face more double coverage blocking while pass
rushing. To make matters worse, running back Jamal Lewis
(hamstring), wide receiver/returner Joshua Cribbs (ankle), Ryan
Tucker (hip), and safety Brodney Pool (concussion), were all
game day decisions. As it turned out, only Lewis played against
the Cowboys.
Itʼs too bad that
more of the Browns couldn't have played liked Jamal Lewis.
Dragging tacklers on almost every carry, he showed what it means
to play hurt, and with heart. Lewis played with more heart with
a bad hamstring than many Browns' did with healthy bodies. Time
& again Braylon Edwards dropped passes that would have moved the
chains, and even one that would have scored 7 points. CB Brandon
McDonald was called twice for hands to the face against All-Pro
WR Terrell Owens. When you do that early in the game against a
team as good as Dallas, you kill any kind of momentum you might
have been building.
Many players who have
been brought in the past couple of years had good games. DL
Shaun Rogers played like a Porterhouse steak was on the line.
Seriously, the giant defensive lineman was all over the field,
creating havoc. CB Eric Wright had an interception in the end
zone, and played a good game. Kellen Winslow caught the only TD,
but he was getting hit by OLB Greg Ellis on every play, then was
double-teamed everywhere he went. One problem was that too few
players were making too few plays.
The biggest problem,
though, was that the Dallas offensive line of LT Flozell Adams,
(injury replacement) LG Cory Proctor, OC Andre Gurode, RG
Leonard Davis, and RT Marco Columbo was just too big & too good.
When they weren't opening holes large enough to drive a semi
through, they were giving QB Tony Romo enough time to make his 4th
and 5th reads before he found his open receiver. If
this Dallas team doesn't make it to the Super Bowl this year,
Iʼll be surprised. It took Peyton Manning three playoff games
before he won his first, so this whole jinx thing about Romo is
hogwash. The guy is among a very small group of players who are
the best in the NFL. Just ask the Browns' Dbs.
Before you get too
depressed, Browns fans, just remember the Steeler's game last
year. Just like this one, it was a blowout the first of the year
at home. The team came back to win 10 of the next 15 games. So
take heart. A lot of dinged up players are going to be back for
the Steelers game, and we owe them big time for last year. So,
keep your heads up, and GO BROWNS!!!!
8/7/08
High
Expectations for the 2008 Cleveland Browns.
Expectations have not
been this high for the Cleveland Browns to make it to the
playoffs and beyond since the 1980's, during the "Dawg" days of
Bernie Kosar . These high expectation are not only coming from
the fans & media, but from the players and coaches themselves,
as well. Having gone 10-6 last season, and barely missing the
playoffs has made this one hungry team. There is a quiet
confidence about this team that has been missing since they came
back in 1999.
Never one to stand on
his laurels, Senior Vice President & General Manager Phil Savage
once again made bold moves during the off-season. Quickly
becoming known as one of the best personnel men in the NFL,
Savage decided that he had to make some serious changes to a
defense that was ranked 30th in the league-27th against the run
last year. In the AFC North, you stop the run or you perish.
In looking at
the defensive tackles that would be available when he drafted in
the second round of the 2008 draft, Savage figured he would be
better off using the pick in a trade. He really liked
franchised DE Corey Williams of the Packers, and was able to
pull off a deal with the 56th pick in the draft. Not liking his
chances with the 3rd pick either, Savage again pulled the trade
trigger to grab disgruntled DT Shaun Rogers of the Lions. The
Lions were more than willing to rid themselves of Rogers, but
the price also included CB Leigh Bodden.
Savage wasn't
finished tweaking the Browns' "D". He traded up with the
Cowboys in the 4th rd. to get the 5th spot for his first pick of
the draft. Following are the Browns' 2008 Draft picks:
Round
Pick Name
Position School
Ht. Wt.
40 Time
4th 5
Beau Bell LB UNLV
6-1 245 4.65
4th 12 Martin
Rucker TE Missouri 6-5
260 4.63
6th 24
Ahtyba Rubin DT Iowa
St. 6-3 320 5.27
6th 25
Paul Hubbard WR Wisconsin
6-3 220 4.56
7th 24
Alex Hall DE
St. Augustine 6-5 245 4.81
Head coach Romeo
Crennel hasn't been happy with the play of 6th yr. ILB Andra
Davis for the past two seasons, and Beau Bell was by far the
best inside 'backer left when the Browns made their selection.
In fact, Bell was rated #1 at that position by more than one
team, until he tweaked a knee on the first day of Senior Bowl
practices. The injury lingered and caused him to run in the
4.9-range during pre-draft workouts. Bell ran much faster the
previous spring, so his loss by dropping in the draft was the
Browns' gain. He is an intense, highly competitive player with
power. He explodes into his tackles, and can see & cover the
whole field.
Martin Rucker gives
the team another big pass catcher at TE, and insurance against
further complications with Kellen Winslow's knee. Like Winslow,
he can snatch the ball out of the air, and competes hard every
time he goes up to get one.
Getting NT Ahtyba
Rubin in the 6th rd. was a good value. He is massive & super
strong, (Bench-pressed 225 lbs. 34 times at the Combine). A run
clogger whose natural girth and strength is difficult to find,
Rubin may take a couple of years to develop, but is worth the
wait.
Paul Hubbard has good
size with long arms, and is a solid route runner. He has the
toughness to make catches over the middle, and knows how to work
back to the ball. Hubbard is too big & athletic for the Browns
not to think they can't fix his case of the dropsies.
Alex Hall was a super
productive pass rusher at the Div II level. He has the height &
body frame to put on 20 lbs. without losing a very quick first
step. Has looked good in OTAs so far.
That's it for now,
Browns fans. Just wanted to get you caught up on what's been
going on since last season. I'll be back in a week or so to get
you updated on who is looking good in training camp, and who is
on the bubble. This is going to be one of the most exciting
years ever for Browns Nation. "I gotta feeling, Browns are
going to the Super Bowl".....go Browns!
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