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17 Dec 2011

Browns vs. Cardinals – Week 15

The Browns head west to take on the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, just the third time the Browns have been to the desert to face the Cardinals.

The Opposition

Arizona’s record: 6-7 (tied for second in the NFC West)
Offensive rank: 22nd overall/20th passing/23rd rushing
Defensive rank: 21st overall/23rd passing/19th rushing
All-time record: Browns lead 33-12-3, with a 17-6-1 mark on the road (0-2 in Arizona, 8-3-1 in St. Louis, 9-1 in Chicago)
Last meeting: Arizona won, 27-21, in 2007
The line: Browns (+6.5)

What to Watch For

If the Browns offense looks any different or is more efficient under Seneca Wallace, who gets the start at quarterback in place of Colt McCoy.

Wallace spent seven years with Seattle learning the West Coast offense under Mike Holmgren and his knowledge of the offense is one of the values (the value?) he brings as a back-up quarterback.

“I’m anticipating that Seneca’s going to go out and execute efficiently and I think we saw Colt do that at times this year,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said on Friday. As a quarterback, you’re trying to go out and do everything right all the time. Every once in awhile you’ll make a bad throw or a poor decision and then you get right back on the horse and try to correct it. I would anticipate, based on what I saw in practice, he had a good practice, Seneca will do a good job.”

It would only be one game against a defense in the lower third of the NFL, but if Wallace can move the ball that would provide another valuable piece of the puzzle as the team decides what to do about the quarterback position in the off season.

“To see another quarterback execute and operate with the players on the field may help us learn something about everybody involved,” Shurmur said. “It’ll help us learn something about Seneca at his stage in his career. It’s part of what you put together and that’s why it’s so important to wait and evaluate everything at the end. We have three games to play, three games that we’re going to fight our tails off to win and there’s going to be, what I hope to be, a lot of very fine performances. Hopefully, one from Seneca this week.”

Even though the Cardinals are ranked just 21st in defense, they have been playing better as they’ve won three consecutive games and five-of-six. Arizona has only given up an average of 214.4 passing yards since Nov. 14 – which puts them at No. 10 over that span.

The Browns obviously will need to keep an eye on Larry Fitzgerald when the Cardinals have the ball.

According to Pro Football Focus:

Life after Kurt Warner wasn’t that good to Larry Fitzgerald (+14.7), but this year has been better. While his catch rate is similar to last year at 54.4, his yards per catch is at 17.6 which is significantly higher than last year’s 12.6, and better than the Cardinals’ Super Bowl season as well. He’s had nine players miss tackles on him and seven touchdowns–both better numbers than last year–and he hasn’t dropped a pass in the last five games.

On 78.3% of his pass routes, Fitzgerald lines up out wide, which would put him against Joe Haden (+7.2 coverage) or Sheldon Brown (-5.8 coverage). In most cases Haden stays on the left side of the field and Brown on the right, but on the rare occurrence, Haden will track one receiver; that could happen in this game. Haden has had a rough time in recent weeks, allowing 13 catches for 292 yards and a touchdown in the past four. Brown has allowed 14 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown over that same time. Both of these cornerbacks have shown they can play great football in the past, but they’ll need to bring that “A” game to limit the Cardinals’ big plays.

If the Browns can keep the Arizona passing game under control, the run defense may actually have a shot at having a decent game.

People want to get excited about Beanie Wells, but outside of the game three weeks ago against the Rams, Wells has been mediocre. Take out the 228 yard game against St. Louis, and Wells is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry and has just 94 yards on 35 carries his last two games (2.7 yards per carry).

The Prediction

In some ways this is a tough one.

We can see the Browns hanging around enough that the Cardinals don’t cover.

Plus the Browns have a way of pulling out wins at the end of the season that hurt their draft position for the following year. And with Baltimore and Pittsburgh the only games left on the schedule, this looks like it could be that game.

But the Cardinals are playing better than the Browns right now – not saying much, we know – so we’ll go with the Cardinals but not the cover.

Record picking the Browns (using the point spread) this year: 7-5-1.

(Photo by Life magazine archives)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Seneca Wallace | Leave a comment
16 Dec 2011

Wait, so Tony Pashos is actually … good?

Watching the Browns each week on offense it seems as if right tackle Tony Pashos is a false start or a holding penalty waiting to happen.

But what if we told you the Browns have two of the five best blocking tackles in the entire National Football League?

Turns out that, when it comes to pass blocking, Pashos is pretty good, at least according to Pro Football Focus, which looked at how many times a lineman set up in pass protection, figured in how many sacks, hits and hurries they’ve allowed, and came up with a Pass Blocking Efficiency Rating that puts Browns left tackle Joe Thomas at No. 1 in the league (no surprise) and Pashos at No. 4 (huge surprise).

According to the site’s rankings:

When a team picks a tackle in the first round they’re thinking that guy is going to keep his quarterback clean. We’ve mentioned countless times the impact pressure can have on a passer, so just imagine how much worse Colt McCoy could be if he didn’t have the most efficient tackle in the league blocking for him. I am, of course, referring to Joe Thomas, who in allowing just three sacks, a hit and 15 hurries on 527 pass blocking snaps, is flying high with a 97.2 PBE rating. He narrowly beats out Andrew Whitworth of the Bengals and David Stewart of the Titans (97.1 ratings), though it should be noted he has given up eight penalties.

Interestingly, Thomas isn’t the only Brown to do well in the tackle rankings. Tony Pashos has struggled to impose himself in the run game, but with just 17 total pressures given up on 398 pass blocking snaps, he ranks fourth out of all right tackles. With the rest of the Top 10, you kind of understand them being there, and it’s only really Pashos whose name sticks out. He finds him behind the aforementioned Stewart, Tyson Clabo and rookie sensation, Tyron Smith.

Looks like general manager Tom Heckert knows what he’s doing after all.

***

Uni Watch had a couple of Cleveland-related items today.

First, the Lake Erie Monsters will wear Cleveland Crusader jerseys for their game Friday night.

We actually remember going to a couple of Crusader games at the Coliseum when we were young, and always liked those uniforms.

Then there’s the story of how one of Jim Brown’s practice helmets ended up in the hands of an 11-year-old on his birthday in 1971.

***

Finally, Landon Donovan is returning to England to get some much-needed playing time against the top competition in the Premier League.

Donovan will return to Everton for eight weeks, most likely making his debut on Jan. 4 against Bolton and ending with the Merseyside derby with Liverpool in late February.

“The opportunity to return to Everton and play for such a well-respected club and a manager that I hold in such high regard was something that was simply too good to pass up,” Donovan said on the club’s website.

(Photo by Getty Images)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Crusaders, Everton, Landon Donovan | Leave a comment
15 Dec 2011
1 Comment

Holmgren speaks, but is anyone listening?

Cleveland Browns team president Mike Holmgren spoke to the media on Wednesday about the manufactured controversy surrounding Colt McCoy’s concussion and showed more piss and vinegar with the media than the Browns have shown on the field this year.

While the headlines will scream “Browns did not test McCoy for concussion” the reality is far different.

According to Holmgren, team doctors did not administer the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 2 test because McCoy “was talking, answering, knew how much time was left. So, following our normal protocol, (his responses) did not dictate they administer the test.”

Just as important, when McCoy started feeling strange after the game, he was seen by trainer Joe Sheehan who sent him to a doctor. That doctor administered a concussion test, which McCoy passed.

After returning home, McCoy’s conditioned worsened and he was diagnosed with a concussion on Friday.

Holmgren explained the team’s decision to not talk until Wednesday because they were meeting with NFL and NFLPA officials about the situation.

“There’s a lot of speculation, there’s a lot of things that have been written and said and the reason that we’ve waited as an organization to have this meeting is that we had to have those other meetings before so I wouldn’t say something and then I’d have to come back and change it,” Holmgren said. “Now, we’ve had those meetings so now here it is. I also want to comment that on the schedule and how we have these, it’s going to be our decision. It’s not going to be your decision.”

Holmgren’s going to get roasted by the local media for that last part, but he’s right. He doesn’t have to put on an act like a dancing monkey just because the media starts whining.

He also made a very important point that – the current regime simply can’t be held responsible for what went on before they arrived in Berea.

“The problem is and the tough thing for you guys and our fans is it seems it’s business as usual, which is very easy to write and say, but I’m telling you that it’s not,” Holmgren said. “You can choose to believe me or you can say, ‘I’ve heard it before.’ That’s your choice, but when it does happen, don’t come to me for extra tickets to a playoff game or something. Don’t do that. You’re either with us or you’re not. I’m telling you it’s different now.”

In hindsight the Browns obviously should not have let McCoy return to the game. And they certainly didn’t do a good job earlier in the week explaining the situation – they should have gotten out in front of the story by explaining the upcoming meeting with league and union officials.

And if you are one of the fans who is predisposed to thinking everything the Browns do is wrong, then it really doesn’t matter what Holmgren says because your mind is already made up.

But to think the team intentionally ignored an injured player and put him back in the game is preposterous and not supported with any kind of facts.

One final thought: Why are the Steelers getting a pass on all this? Why isn’t someone in the media demanding that Art Rooney II come forward and explain why they continue to let James Harrison act the way he does on the field? Somehow they get a pass because the Rooneys are an “old football family that does things the right way.”

Just another reason to hate the Steelers.

(Photo by The Plain Dealer)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, concussions, Mike Holmgren, NFL
14 Dec 2011
2 Comments

NFL hits Harrison where it hurts

The NFL got it right on Tuesday, suspending Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison one game for his blatant illegal hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.

According to the NFL press release announcing the suspension, this is Harrison’s fifth illegal hit against a quarterback in the past three seasons.

In addition to four fines for illegal hits against quarterbacks in 2009 and 2010, Harrison also was fined twice for unnecessary roughness during that period. Harrison totaled six fines in that two-year period.

According to the NFL’s 2011 League Policies for Players manual: “Players who were fined for violations in 2009 or 2010, and whose fines were either partially or fully upheld, will be considered second and/or repeat offenders under this policy.”

If that doesn’t describe Harrison, we don’t know what does.

Read more…

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, James Harrison, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers
13 Dec 2011
2 Comments

Shurmur needs to work on his PR skills

In light of the ongoing discussion about Colt McCoy’s concussion and whether or not he should have gone back into the game last week against Pittsburgh, we’ve discovered one more thing that team president Mike Holmgren needs to add to his off-season checklist to go over with coach Pat Shurmur.

Media relations.

Shurmur didn’t come off very well on Monday when addressing the media on the circumstances surrounding McCoy’s injury.

“Sideline procedures to determine whether the man can play. We followed them and I think that is what’s important,” Shurmur said in his Monday press conference. “Hopefully that clarifies it. Our medical staff works with the player and they determine whether he can play or not. That’s what they do. They work with them. There’s communication. They look at him. They talk to him and that’s what they do.”

Well as long as it’s clear what everyone does.

We still don’t think Shurmur is lying about what happened Thursday night, nor do we think that the Browns intentionally broke any rules or willingly put McCoy at risk.

Shurmur probably should have erred on the side of caution with McCoy, but if he kept him out and McCoy would have questioned the move afterward, it would have been more fuel for the anti-Shurmur crowd. Shurmur was focused on the game and relied on his medical staff; if he had ignored what was happening on the field and attended to McCoy instead, people would have criticized him for that as well.

But Shurmur needs to be able to explain the situation more clearly – especially if the Browns have nothing to hide. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that everyone involved made a mistake; just own it, there’s no shame in that.

Shurmur is still growing into the job as head coach, which includes dealing with the media. He doesn’t come across as someone who would outright lie about something this serious, but he has to do a better job when he’s questioned about things.

***

Peter King had some pretty strong thoughts on Colt McCoy in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column at SI.com.

King writes that:

The Browns should build around Colt McCoy, not draft a quarterback in 2012 to replace him. I’d seen snippets of McCoy flailing around this year, but hadn’t watched every throw of a game. And so I watched Thursday night to get some sense of the near- and long-term prospects of the former University of Texas quarterback. And I came away thinking the Browns should stick with him and use a rich 2012 draft to finally build the kind of offense around McCoy that any quarterback would need to succeed.

Mike Holmgren is a disciple of Bill Walsh. I remember when Walsh was shown a few plays of Charles Haley rushing the passer at James Madison; he told his scouts he really wanted him. “If we see him make a few plays like this, we can coach him to do it all the time,” Walsh said, and he was proved a prophet — Haley became a top NFL pass-rusher for San Francisco and Dallas.

Well, on Thursday night, I saw McCoy, with limited help from grade-D skill players, make enough plays to convince me he’s not the problem. Now, I realize he made two or three idiotic throws in the second half — and you’re not going to win doing that consistently. But one of the bad throws came after he was concussed and should never have been put back in the game. And those throws have to be addressed.

But he did enough good things that I came away thinking: Use the three picks in the top 40 next April (Cleveland has its own first- and-second-round picks, plus Atlanta’s first-rounder from the Julio Jones deal last April) to help McCoy, not replace him. Three plays showed a mature quarterback making good decisions:

1. On the first series of the game, using play-action, McCoy set up, looked over his options and found tight end Evan Moore down the left side on a crossing route with a step on linebacker Lawrence Timmons. The high-arcing pass settled into Moore’s arms. Gain of 33.

2. Also on the first series, Josh Cribbs found a gap downfield in the left seam and McCoy made a great touch pass over cornerback Ike Taylor. Gain of 25.

3. In the third quarter, on third-and-eight, down 7-3, McCoy faced a five-man rush and moved up in the pocket. Feeling pressure, he threw the ball about five feet to the right of tight end Alex Smith, because that was the only window open to make the throw — Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark and William Gay converged on Smith and seemed ready to pancake him. But the throw was zipped in perfectly, Smith made a diving catch, and the Browns had a first down. Good judgment, great throw.

Of course, we wouldn’t be talking about any of this if McCoy didn’t make some brain-fart throws. But I believe he can be coached out of those — it’s what Bill Walsh would believe, watching him — and I believe some of that stems from the fact that the Browns are a poor offensive team as a whole.

McCoy has holes. He also has a coach, Pat Shurmur, who can correct those, and is in an offense he’s so well-suited to run. He’s well-liked and respected in the locker room. If I’m Browns GM Tom Heckert, I’m looking for an offseason upgrade at wide receiver (the Browns need two), guard, running back and tight end … before I even think about replacing the quarterback.

***

Finally, Brian Daboll is the NFL’s Typhoid Mary, as his crappy play calling as an offensive coordinator got his head coach fired for the second year in a row.

(Photo by The Plain Dealer)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, Pat Shurmur, Peter King
12 Dec 2011
1 Comment

Source: Browns may have made regrettable mistake

As we pointed out yesterday, the Cleveland Browns now find themselves under the spotlight for their mishandling of Colt McCoy following James Harrison’s illegal hit during Thursday night’s game.

According to ESPN: the team’s handling of the situation is being labeled as a “blatant system failure” by a union source because the team’s medical staff did not conduct proper testing before sending McCoy back into the game.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association’s chief physicians — Dr. Elliott Pellman and Dr. Thom Mayer — have conducted the initial review, sources said, and both the league and the union will continue the process that one source says will “likely” be the catalyst for the placement of independent neurologists at each game site in time for the 2012 season.

It will be interesting to see what the NFL comes up with as they review the situation. If it leads to having an independent neurologist at each game, then something good will have come out of the situation.

Short-term, however, it raises questions about what the Browns are up to on the sidelines during the game. We still find it very hard to believe the team willingly put McCoy back into the game knowing that he had a concussion – there’s no benefit to McCoy or the team under that scenario.

And making a mistake is not the same thing as having malicious intent.

But if the NFL can determine the team intentionally ignored McCoy’s symptoms and put him back in the game knowing that he had a concussion, then the franchise needs to be fined heavily – starting with coach Pat Shurmur.

We understand that things can get hectic on the sidelines, especially at the end of a close game against a division rival, but the coach’s job is to know what is going on and act accordingly. The player is always going to want to go back into the game – it’s the coach’s job to make sure the player is not putting himself or the team at risk.

Lost in all this is the fact that Harrison’s hit was clearly illegal and now he may face a suspension.

According to ESPN, the NFL will look at the hit and, at the very least, fine Harrison. If he is suspended for a game or two, Harrison would be the first player suspended under the league’s crackdown on player safety violations.

“Our staff is going to be looking at that play along with every other play that happens this weekend, and they’ll make their decisions,” NFL Roger Goodell said.

Fines are obviously not working, so maybe a suspension that could cost the Steelers as they position for the playoffs, will finally do the trick.

***

What if we told you that, against the Steelers the Browns would:

  • Win the turnover battle.
  • Knock Ben Roethlisberger out of the game.
  • Win the third-down battle.
  • Commit fewer penalties.
  • Force Pittsburgh to be inefficient at scoring points.

The Browns should win, right? Well, that’s what they did Thursday night and it still wasn’t enough, as Cold Hard Football Facts points out:

Cleveland forced 3 turnovers while surrendering just 2 (4-2 if you count Pittsburgh’s meaningful turnover on downs). Cleveland forced Roethlisberger to the sidelines for a whole 6 minutes of game time (an eternity for Ben), leading Ben to limp and slide through the second half. Cleveland held Pittsburgh to its second worst 3rd Down conversion rate of the season (25%) while converting 43.75% of their own. Cleveland was the more disciplined team as Pittsburgh committed 6 extra penalties for 43 extra yards. And Cleveland forced Pittsburgh to travel 29.71 yards for each point they scored, the least efficient scoring output from Pittsburgh since Week 1 (and this a team that is known to be inefficient this season coming in at No. 23 in the league in Scoreability).

In many ways, Cleveland did exactly what they needed to do. Well, except score points. Pittsburgh’s defense stepped up in the game forcing Cleveland to travel more than the full length of the field for each point they scored (101.33 YPPS). Cleveland may have converted third downs just about at will on Pittsburgh’s side of the field, but the Pittsburgh defense clamped down past the 50. In fact, Cleveland converted 7 out of 8 third down opportunities on their own side of the field and converted a perfect 0 out of 8 third downs in Pittsburgh territory.

Just another fun day in paradise for the Browns.

***

Finally, several of the early season darlings of the NFL have crashed back to earth.

Buffalo is 1-7 after starting 4-1.

Oakland is 3-4 after starting 4-2.

Cincinnati is 1-4 after starting 6-2.

Tampa Bay is 0-7 after its 4-2 start.

Detroit is 3-5 (which should be 2-6 after the refs somehow missed a blatant face mask penalty at the end of Sunday’s game against Minnesota) after its 5-0 start.

Just wanted to point that out.

(Photo by Getty Images)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, controversy, NFL, Pat Shurmur
10 Dec 2011
3 Comments

Better effort, same result, more controversy

The Browns finally came through with what looked like a solid effort Thursday night against Pittsburgh, but of course it wasn’t enough, as they fell to the Steelers.

That’s nothing new for the franchise, as the Browns have now lost 15 times in the past 16 games and 21 times in the past 23 games against Pittsburgh.

No matter who is the coach, no matter what offense or defensive system the team runs, the Browns have come up short time and again against the Steelers.

But, this being the Browns, it can never just be about another loss.

Colt McCoy’s concussion – thanks to an illegal hit from James Harrison – and how the coaches and medical staff handled it during the game have put the franchise in a spotlight that is better left avoided.

After sitting only just two plays, McCoy came back in and threw an interception in the end zone. Whether or not McCoy should have been back in the game so quickly has now become an issue.

And the Browns find themselves facing questions of “what did they know and when did they know it?”

“We go through the strict protocol to evaluate whether there is concussion like symptoms,” coach Pat Shurmur said on Friday. “Seneca (Wallace) was in the game for two plays. I was told that Colt could go back in the game. He came up right next to me and said, ‘I’m ready to roll,’ so he went back in.”

McCoy’s dad had a different take on the matter.

“He never should’ve gone back in the game,” Brad McCoy told The Plain Dealer. “He was basically out (cold) after the hit. You could tell by the ridigity of his body as he was laying there. There were a lot of easy symptoms that should’ve told them he had a concussion. He was nauseated and he didn’t know who he was. From what I could see, they didn’t test him for a concussion on the sidelines. They looked at his (left) hand.”

Wait, what? McCoy’s dad is speaking up? Oh boy.

We get that McCoy is worried about his son, but does he really think talking to the media is going to help? Colt McCoy is not a 15-year-old sophomore in high school, he’s the starting quarterback (for now) on a (presumably) NFL team.

No matter how you feel, it’s not really your place to talk out about how the team is handling things. That’s what agents are for; or, if you are Kellen Winslow, you handle things yourself.

It seems unlikely that the Browns would put McCoy back in the game if they didn’t think he was alright. After all, at various times this year (including Thursday night) they have kept Ben Watson, Owen Marecic, Mohamed Massaquoi and Scott Fujita out of games after they suffered concussions.

“I felt like the management from the point that it happened through yesterday was just fantastic,” linebacker Scott Fujita, a member of the NFLPA Executive Committee, said in October after Fujita was diagnosed with a concussion. “So that makes me feel really, really good. I couldn’t be happier with the way (trainer) Joe Sheehan and our doctors handled everything.

“Obviously there’s so much heightened awareness [in the NFL about concussions] and I’m an older guy in my career and with a family and stuff, so certainly you think about those big-picture things,” he said. “But again, I feel confident in the doctors and stuff and trust me, I know a lot about this issue, I’m on every email list. I think I’m pretty up to date on some of the concerns, so, yeah, I feel good about where I’m at right now.”

If the team was so careful with the other players, why would they just rush McCoy out there without checking him out or if they thought he was injured?

“If he would’ve shown symptoms of a concussion, then, I wouldn’t have put him back in the game,” Shurmur said. “It would’ve been out of my hands anyway because I would’ve been told he can’t go back in the game. With the way it happens, that was a tough, physical game. Everybody got knocked around. If he had the symptoms, he would not have gone back in the game, absolutely not. He just said, ‘Hey, I’m ready to go.’ I was told he was ready to go too.”

According to The Plain Dealer, McCoy was coherent in answering questions after the game and accurately described the interception. By the time the team arrived in Berea — about 2 a.m. — McCoy was woozy enough that teammate Evan Moore had to drive him home. By Friday morning, he drove himself to the Berea facility for further exams and was diagnosed with a concussion.

The fact McCoy’s conditioned worsened in the hours after the game fits in with what Fujita said happened to him.

“It’s one of those things that kind of builds and builds,” Fujita said about his concussion. “I feel good that I have a couple teammates and a coach who kind of noticed that my demeanor was off and they alerted the people.”

So it seems possible that McCoy was coherent enough that the team doctors would clear him to go back in the game, even if it turns out after the fact that they really should not have. The Browns probably mishandled the situation, but it seems unlikely they did it with the intent of putting McCoy in danger.

If there is a silver lining in all this, it’s that the Browns have an extra three days off before their next game in Arizona, which gives McCoy extra time to rest. But at this point, the Browns should really hold him out of the Cardinal game to make sure he’s OK.

Having Seneca Wallace start one game isn’t going to hurt anything. Wallace is not a threat to take the starting job and, even if he misses one game, we’re confident that the Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert, Shurmur power trio will have seen enough of McCoy this year to be able to make an accurate determination on him at the end of the season.

Now if they could just keep Brad McCoy away from the microphones.

(Photo by The Associated Press)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Colt McCoy, concussion, Pat Shurmur
08 Dec 2011
1 Comment

Browns vs. Steelers – Week 14

The Browns head to Pittsburgh for a Thursday night game against the Steelers, the first of two meetings between the teams over the final quarter of the season.

Clearly the schedule makers in the NFL offices hate the Browns.

The Opposition

Pittsburgh’s record: 9-3 (tied for 1st in the AFC North)
Offensive rank: 11th overall/9th passing/18th rushing
Defensive rank: 1st overall/2nd passing/7th rushing
All-time record: Steelers lead 62-56, including postseason
Last meeting: Pittsburgh won 41-9 in Week 17 last season
The line: Browns (+14)

What to Watch For

There’s really not much to say – especially after Sunday’s performance against the Ravens.

The Steelers have won 14 out of the last 15 against Cleveland and seven in a row at home. The last three visits to Pittsburgh have seen the Browns lose by an average of almost 21 points a game.

Last year, the Browns were outscored by the Steelers 69-19, as Ben Roethlisberger passed for 537 yards and five touchdowns, and Rashard Mendenhall scored three touchdowns. The Browns threw five interceptions and gave up 10 sacks.

And that was during a season when the team was “competitive.”

The Browns stagger into Heinz Field with an offense ranked 30th in the NFL and a defense ranked 31st against the run – giving up an average of 151.2 yards per game.

“We need to try and get better in every facet in terms of how we coach, to how we do things day-to-day, we’re always looking to get better in everything that we do,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. “Pittsburgh, obviously, they’ve been very consistent and strong performers. They’ve won multiple Super Bowls and they’ve found a formula that works for them and I think what’s important is we keep building and try to find the one that works for us.

“I think we all understand what the AFC North rivalries are. I talk about it through the week in my team meetings and how important it is to win a division game. I think the most important thing is this is our next game and I think we need to keep that in mind as well.”

One area to watch is Joe Haden against Pittsburgh wide receiver Mike Wallace – a player the Browns passed on three times in the 2009 draft so they could select Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi.

Haden had a good week against Baltimore, according to Pro Football Focus:

During the broadcast it was commented that Joe Haden wasn’t yet a shut down corner because opposing quarterbacks aren’t scared to throw the ball at him. That much is true, he has been thrown at 69 times this season, but on Sunday Haden more than made up for his struggles a week earlier against AJ Green and the Cincinnati Bengals. Targeted four times by Joe Flacco, he didn’t give up a single catch while breaking up two. Both pass breakups came in the endzone to save touchdowns, including on 3rd-and-goal with 0:09 left in the first half. Haden covered Ravens wide receiver Lee Evans perfectly before getting getting his arm in front right as the ball arrived.

The only other thing is to see if Colt McCoy can make it through another game without getting broken in two.

It would help if the offensive line could hold a block for more than 0.3 seconds and the receivers would catch ball when it’s thrown to them, especially Greg Little. According to Pro Football Focus:

Each week I hear how Greg Little is poised for a breakout game and each week I come away disappointed. This week was no different with Little catching just three passes for 18 yards. It’s not that he isn’t getting the opportunity to make plays, seven passes were thrown his way, he just isn’t making the most of them. dropping two passes . On the year he has now dropped 14 passes, compare that to his team mate Jordan Norwood who hasn’t dropped a single one of the 24 passes thrown his way and Mohamed Massaquoi, who has just two drops, and you could understand if the Browns began to limit the opportunities Little is getting.

We suppose we should blame the coaches for not teaching McCoy that Little wants the ball placed on his right index finger, rather than his left ring finger, because hitting him in the hands clearly isn’t working.

The Prediction

As bad as the Browns have been within the division since returning in 1999, every once in a while they pull out a surprise against the Steelers.

In 1999, they won on a Phil Dawson field goal as time expired.

In 2000, Courtney Brown’s three sacks lead the way.

Who can forget how, in 2003, Tim Couch threw for two touchdowns and scored another one in a stunning 33-13 win in Pittsburgh?

Finally, there was the 2009 win in a frigid Cleveland Browns Stadium – aka the most over-rated win in franchise history.

And it is Christmas, a time for miracles. Does that mean the Browns have a holiday surprise up their sleeves for the fans?

What say you, coach?

“I think beating Pittsburgh is something that we want to be able to do and that we have to do to move forward as an organization. Any victory you have takes the sour taste out of your mouth for at least one week and then your next opponent comes into view so I think that’s what we need to keep in mind. Obviously division games, although we take them one at a time, when you look back on them in the offseason, they’re a little bit more special.”

Well, OK then.

Despite all that, we’ll take the Steelers and the points and hope the Browns can at least make a respectable showing on the NFL Network game of the week.

Record picking the Browns (using the point spread) this year: 7-4-1.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers
06 Dec 2011
4 Comments

Veruca Salt is clearly a Browns fan

I want you to get me an Oompa Loompa right away!

I wanted to be the first to find a Golden Ticket, Daddy!

I want it now! What’s the matter with those twerps down there?

***

We were surprised – even though we shouldn’t be – at the level of acidity in the comments being thrown at the Browns today in the wake of Sunday’s loss to the Ravens.

Which leads us to a simple question: have you been watching the Browns this year?

While we’re not happy with the record or the performance on Sunday, we were more upset with the loss to the Rams, as that is a team the Browns are better than (or at least equal to).

But against the AFC North? This team isn’t good enough to win in the division.

But that’s nothing new, or at least nothing new since 1999.

The Browns have been abysmal against division foes since returning, be it the AFC North or the old AFC Central. This year they are 0-3, losing by an average of 9 points per game.

That fits into what they’ve done every year since 1999:

  • 1999: 1-9 in the division, average loss by 17.2 points per game
  • 2000: 2-8, average loss by 23.2 points
  • 2001: 5-5, average loss by 11 points
  • 2002, 3-3, average loss 3.7 points
  • 2003, 2-4, average loss 17.3 points
  • 2004, 2-4, average loss 12.3 points
  • 2005, 1-5, average loss 16.8 points
  • 2006, 0-6, average loss 13.7 points
  • 2007, 3-3, average loss 11.7 points
  • 2008, 1-5, average loss 15.4 points
  • 2009, 1-5, average loss 14.4 points
  • 2010, 1-5, average loss 13.8 points

If anything, the current team is just carrying on a dubious tradition laid down by their predecessors. And those numbers from the past few years pokes a big hole in the myth that this team was “competitive.”

For every fluke win over New England, there is a corresponding beat down by the Steelers. For every surprise Monday night win over the Giants, we get a shutout loss to the Bengals.

That’s Browns football.

And just as its going to take a bit more time for general manager Tom Heckert to fix the mistakes of his predecessors – and there were a lot – it’s going to take this franchise time to learn how to win in the toughest division in the NFL.

“I think it’s just like everything you do,” coach Pat Shurmur said in his Monday news conference. “You just keep plugging ahead and this thing will turn when we least expect it. We just keep pushing. You just keep pushing. Again, I saw some eyes roll in here, so I can tell that maybe doesn’t sink in real well. But, I will say this all you do is keep pushing. I don’t have the memory of what’s happened before. I do know this though, I’ve been around teams that have won and have built winners. You just be patient.”

The Browns are not going to win until they can win consistently within the division. And they are not going to consistently win within the division until they get some better talent on the field.

Browns fans have been patient seemingly forever, what’s a few more years if it means the team finally gets in right?

***

First off, God doesn’t care who wins a football game. We’ve understood that for a long time, although there are still people who struggle with that concept.

Having said that, we admit to being puzzled by what is going on with Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos.

Tebow’s ongoing and seemingly unexplainable success led us to post a question on Twitter during the Browns game:

Why does Tebow’s God like him more than McCoy’s God likes the Browns quarterback?

***

Finally, we recently read a short article in Sports Illustrated about St. John’s football coach John Gagliardi, who has coached the team for 63 years.

The article talked about how Gagliardi has had success – an NCAA-record 484 wins and four national titles – by treating his players with respect.

Further proof that you don’t have to be a douche bag to be a good football coach.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, NFL
05 Dec 2011
2 Comments

Sleeping with the enemy

With the Cleveland Browns taking on a Baltimore Ravens team that is probably going to finish 13-3 with the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the AFC, the Browns need to play a perfect game to have a chance at winning on Sunday.

Now, while being perfect is probably unrealistic, you have to at least try.

Unfortunately the Browns were their own worst enemy on Sunday, falling to the Ravens for the seventh consecutive game.

This was a team loss in every way possible.

From the first play of the game – when Greg Little dropped another pass that hit him square in the hands, the receivers had a day to forget as Little had three catches for 18 yards, Jordon Norwood had three catches (and one weak penalty) and Mohamed Massaquoi had a lone catch.

Josh Cribbs earned the Brian Robiskie Memorial Blutarski Award this week for 0 receptions and 0 yards.

The tight ends did their part, with Ben Watson and Evan Moore both dropping passes that hit them square in the hands – Moore dropping a sure touchdown that would have cut the Ravens’ lead to 10-7.

Running game? How about 59 yards on 17 carries, with 24 of those yards coming on the opening drive.

Offensive line? Three sacks allowed and general lackluster play.

Quarterback Colt McCoy? For every play where his receivers betrayed him, he made just as many bad throws. A interception near the end of the first half set up a Baltimore field goal and McCoy finished with 192 yards on 17-of-35 passing.

McCoy may not throw many interceptions, but he knows how to make the ones he does throw count.

The defense got in on the act as well, giving up 204 yards rushing to Ray Rice and 290 on the ground overall.

After the Browns had to settle for a field goal because Moore dropped a sure touchdown in the third quarter, the defense gave up a 67-yard run to Rice on the first play, taking away what little momentum the Browns had.

The special teams clearly didn’t want to be left out of the fun as they gave up a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown to Lardarius Webb.

And so it goes for the Browns.

They haven’t beaten the Ravens since Phil Dawson’s field goal hit the support in Baltimore in 2007, they are most likely going to finish with 1 or fewer division wins for the fourth year in a row and, oh yeah, they’re heading to Pittsburgh on Thursday night to take on the Steelers.

And when we went to the team website after the game, we got the image you see at the top of this post. Is that what you really want to give someone for Christmas?

Bah Humbug, indeed.

(Photo by Cleveland Browns.com)

Posted in Cleveland Browns, disappointment, dispair, NFL

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