A simply dreadful week where we made solid picks but the players didn’t execute dropped us a half point off the lead in the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational over at Cleveland Frowns.
We jumped out early this week in an attempt to get our mojo back and scored by backing Oregon (-25.5) against UCLA.
The rest of the week goes like this:
Oklahoma (-3) vs. Missouri
LSU (+6) vs. Auburn
Money pick: Baltimore (-13) vs. Buffalo
After a few weeks without anyone taking the temperature of the office furniture in Berea, the nonsense has come back thanks to a line from ESPN broadcaster Jon Gruden.
Gruden was on Rich Eisen’s podcast show and Eisen asked Gruden if he would listen if someone wanted him to coach again next year.
“I think I might,” Gruden said.
That’s all. Not, “I’m coaching next year.” Or “I’m already moving my furniture into the coach’s office in Berea.” Just that he would think about it if someone came calling.
That didn’t stop the speculation from the “experts” who quickly drew the conclusion that Gruden will be on the sidelines for the Browns next year:
I guess we should be thankful that no one is trying to sell Gruden as an in-season replacement.
When Mike Holmgren decided to bring Eric Mangini back as coach it was clear he was going to give him the full year. It wouldn’t make any sense to bring Mangini back only to fire him after six or seven games – Holmgren needs a full season to evaluate Mangini and it’s only fair to give him that.
As to Gruden, what is it about him that makes anyone think we’d want him to coach the Browns? People like to point out that he is a “Super Bowl-winning coach*,” but that was in 2002 and with Tony Dungy’s players. Once Gruden started turning the roster over and bringing in his own players the team went downhill.
And Gruden’s inability to settle on a quarterback in Tampa makes the past few years in Cleveland quarterback issues look like a dream.
Finally, since every coach and every player is great, as Gruden tells us each week on Monday Night Football, can we really trust his ability to judge talent?
If some other team wants to take a shot on Gruden, if they fall in love with his bad haircut and goofy faces, good for them.
But there’s no place for him in Cleveland.
Not now and not next year.
*We really need a statute of limitations of about 10 years on the phrase “Super Bowl-winning.” It’s a bit ridiculous when people refer for Mike Shanahan as a “Super Bowl-winning coach” when his last Super Bowl was in 1998; same with Brett Favre who won a Super Bowl in 1996. That’s a long time ago.
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Oh, and all that talk about James Harrison retiring? Yeah, not so much.
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I often wish we had more aspects of European soccer crowds in American sports – check out this video from Anfield, how sweet would it be to see that at a Browns game? – then something like this happens and makes me think that maybe we can do with a little less passion.
While looking for something on YouTube I came across the incredibly ridiculous Masters of the Gridiron.
It’s probably been 20 years since I’ve seen but it all came back so quickly: the Baabarian, the Plains of Passrushin, Golican, the Hills of Linebacka (I could never figure out why Nicolai had a giant dildo on his helmet), the Michael Stanley Band, Tiny Tim and the rest.
And seeing the players come out of the dugout at the old stadium made me realize how much I miss the old dump and those teams from the mid-’80s.
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So James Harrison claims he going to retire because he doesn’t know how to play any other way than by delivering illegal head shots? Sure he is. I’m a bit embarrassed my alma mater turned out such a drama queen.
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Turns out some other players are not happy with the NFL new stance on head shots.
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More bad news on the injury front for the Browns as the team put Tony Pashos and Robaire Smith on IR today, further thinning the offensive and defensive lines. With right tackle John St. Clair still nursing an injury, it will be interesting to see how the right side of the offensive line shakes out Sunday in New Orleans.
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The NFL is already crushing baseball’s playoffs in the ratings when they go head-to-head; wait until we get a San Fran-Texas World Series. Game 4 will be up against Sunday Night Football Halloween night and may be viewed by only friends and family.
The NFL reacted Tuesday to James Harrison’s hit on Mohamed Massaquoi, fining Harrison $75,000 but shockingly not suspending him.
According to a story on NFL.com, Harrison is considered a repeat offender. He was previously fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness against Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young in a Sept. 19 game.
Harrison’s agent, Bill Parise, called the $75,000 fine “staggering” and said it would be appealed. Parise also said Harrison is confused about the proper way to play football.
Before the fine was announced, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin defended both of Harrison’s hits, saying they were permissible under league rules.
What’s staggering is that Harrison wasn’t suspended. If you are classified as a “repeat offender” by the league shouldn’t that result in a suspension?
Not that that does the Browns any good.
A day after the Browns fell to 1-5 on the season, all the talk is about the illegal – but unpenalized – hits James Harrison put on Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi.
Before the season, an article on NFL.com article stated that “the reworded rules prohibit a player from launching himself off the ground and using his helmet to strike a player in a defenseless posture in the head or neck. The old rule only applied to receivers getting hit, but now it will apply to everyone.”
But on Monday, an NFL spokesman said the hit on Cribbs was legal because he was a runner on the play.
Apparently Cribbs is not in the class of players who fall into the category of “everyone.”
Thankfully the league is at least “reviewing” the hit on Massaquoi.
“The one against Mohamed was illegal,” Browns tight end Ben Watson told The Plain Dealer. “I can’t judge his character, I can judge his conduct. It was an illegal hit. He led with his head, he hit Mo right in the head, he dove at his head. It was an illegal play. Whether he meant to hurt him or not, I can’t comment on that. It was illegal and the league should take care of him with the max, whatever it is. If it’s a suspension, if it’s a fine, then I hope the league does whatever they can do.”
I don’t know; it seems as if the NFL pretty much lets the Steelers get away with whatever they want because they play “tough football.” But if the league is serious about head injuries, it’s hard to believe they can turn a blind eye to this.
“There’s strong testimonial for looking readily at evaluating discipline, especially in the areas of egregious and elevated dangerous hits,” Ray Anderson, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, told the Associated Press. “Going forward there are certain hits that occurred that will be more susceptible to suspension. There are some that could bring suspensions for what are flagrant and egregious situations.”
The tide is certainly turning against hits like the ones Harrison delivered. Even Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, long an NFL apologist, thinks enough is enough. In his Monday Morning Quarterback column King wrote:
“So many thoughts. One: It’s time to start ejecting and suspending players for flagrant hits, which I thought the (Brandon) Meriweather one was, and perhaps also the shot of Harrison on Massaquoi. Two: the league had better train its officials better considering there was no penalty on the Harrison hit on Massaquoi. The league had as a point of emphasis to officials this year that launching into a defenseless receiver would be a penalty and subject to discipline. So emphasize it.”
If Roger Goodell has lost Peter King, that could be like Lyndon Johnson losing Walter Cronkite on the Vietnam War – we may see some real action against Harrison.
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Some other final thoughts:
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See what others are saying:
Play McCoy the Rest of the Way: Waiting for Next Year
Harrison’s Postgame Comments show ambivalence, ignorance: Waiting for Next Year
McCoy avoids meltdown: Cleveland Frowns
NFL has yet to prove any real sympathy: Bill Livingston, Plain Dealer
The Browns dropped their seventh straight game in Pittsburgh on Sunday, but began the process of gathering intel on rookie quarterback Colt McCoy.
McCoy was a respectable 23-of-33 for 281 yards and a quarterback rating of 80.5. He had a nice touchdown pass to Ben Watson and two interceptions, one that looked like it grazed the receiver’s hands and the other on a tipped ball.
More importantly, McCoy never looked overwhelmed on the field. There were no timeouts because he was confused, no delay of game penalties, no problems getting the team in the right formations. He was sacked five times and broke out of the pocket a little early on a few occasions, but there is plenty for Browns fans to by pleased with from his performance.
The only other high point the work of punter Reggie Hodges, who did his best to pin the Steelers down on the day by dropping four punts inside the 20.
On the not-so-good side was the defense, primarily the pass defense. Once again the Browns blitzed to no avail and the secondary was exploited. Eric Wright had another bad day, giving up a touchdown to Hines Ward where Wright made no attempt to tackle Ward after the catch. The secondary overall didn’t have a very good day, although Joe Haden had a nice interception and return in the first quarter.
Someone else said this a few weeks ago and I’d credit them if I remembered who, but it may be time for Rob Ryan to start playing with the defense he has, rather than the one he wants. The blitzing is not working because the secondary can’t match up when the sack doesn’t come through. It seems time for Ryan to realize this and come up with another game plan; being aggressive is great, being stubborn isn’t helping anyone.
The biggest storyline of the day, and one that should get plenty of coverage during the week, is the two illegal helmet-to-helmet hits that James Harrison delivered on Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi in the second quarter, knocking both players out of the game. Both were clearly illegal but the incompetency of the refs meant that Harrison was not penalized for either hit, although he probably should have been thrown out after the second one.
According to an article on NFL.com, in an effort to limit head injuries “the reworded rules prohibit a player from launching himself off the ground and using his helmet to strike a player in a defenseless posture in the head or neck. The old rule only applied to receivers getting hit, but now it will apply to everyone.”
How the refs decided what Harrison did was OK is beyond me. Of course, after the hit on Massaquoi the refs did throw a flag – on Browns center Alex Mack who was penalized for kicking the ball. That’s the kind of day it was for the Browns.
The loss of Cribbs put the Browns at a big disadvantage as it took the Wildcat out of the playbook and took Cribbs out of the return game, which proved costly in one of those “only in Pittsburgh” moments that happen to the Browns.
Trailing 14-3 the Browns forced a Steeler punt. On the kick the Steelers were penalized and had to rekick. Same thing on the second punt attempt. The Steelers were finally able to execute a basic punt play on their third try but Chansi Stuckey – returning punts because Cribbs was out – fumbled the kick, the Steelers recovered and a few plays later scored to make it 21-3 and seal the game.
Of course they did.
So the Browns come home after another hard-fought loss. They are now 1-5 on the season, 6-16 under Eric Mangini and the four-game winning streak to end last season is a distant, distant memory.
And now it’s on to New Orleans, who got healthy quickly against Tampa Bay on Sunday, for what should be the second and final start of McCoy’s rookie season.
The Browns return to the house of fun known as Heinz Field on Sunday to take on the Steelers. The Browns are looking for their first road win against Pittsburgh since 2003 with an injured Peyton Hillis and a rookie quarterback, Colt McCoy, making his first NFL start. Should be a hoot.
The Opposition
Pittsburgh’s record: 3-1
Offensive rank: 32nd overall/32nd passing/13th rushing
Defensive rank: 1st overall/8th passing/1st rushing
All-time record: Browns trail 58-56 (21-36 in Pittsburgh)
The line: Browns (+14)
What to Watch For
Colt McCoy makes his NFL debut … on the road … against Pittsburgh … in Ben Rothlisberger’s return from suspension. Hey, you have to start somewhere so why not go all in?
It may not be pretty at times, but it probably won’t be as bad as most are predicting. As long as McCoy remembers to bring his big-boy pants with him he should make it out of the stadium in one piece.
“He’s sharp, he works the field, he knows his progressions, he can throw on the move, he can throw in the pocket and I’m excited for him,” offensive coordinator Brian Daboll told The Plain Dealer. “It’s going to be a tough challenge, no question. He knows this, I know this, everybody knows it.”
And you couldn’t ask for a better learning experience for a young quarterback than to face a defense like Pittsburgh’s. Not only will this game accelerate McCoy’s NFL knowledge, it will give the Browns some valuable insight into McCoy as well.
Finally, there should be very little pressure on McCoy – the Browns are supposed to lose, remember? All the experts say so; McCoy just has to go out and take care of his own business.
The rest of the offense needs to step up and support McCoy, especially the running game. Since the Browns had success running on the Steelers last year out of the Wildcat, will we finally see more than just a token look from that offensive set?
“They just couldn’t stop it,” Josh Cribbs told The Plain Dealer about last year’s success on the ground vs. Pittsburgh. “Our guys were blocking up front pretty good, and we executed better than they did. When teams execute better, it shows. They’re going to be prepared to try to stop it and we’ll go at it until they will.”
Running back Peyton Hillis says he will be 100 percent for the game, and if he can put up 144 rushing yards on Baltimore he should be able do some damage against Pittsburgh.
“There’s no doubt they’re a good defense,” Hillis told The Plain Dealer. “But we’re not looking at (all the stats). They’re human just like we are. They put their pants on one leg at a time and we’ve just got to approach it like that.”
This would be a good week for the special teams to get going as well. Teams are finally not kicking off deep to Cribbs and the only way the Browns will get that to stop is if their up men start making some plays on the returns. If the Steelers kick to the 25-yard-line and the return guys can get the ball out to near midfield, teams will have to start kicking deep again. Maybe this is somewhere that Brian Robiskie can finally show the “talent” that people claim he has; he’s sure not using it in the passing game.
Defensively, the Browns need to do what they did last year against Pittsburgh and bring heat on Rothlisberger. The Steelers are last in the league in rushing, so if the Browns can get them into some third-and-long plays they may be able to force some mistakes.
And if T.J. Ward can deliver a big hit on Hines Ward, the final score may not matter at all.
The Best Browns vs. Pittsburgh road game I’ve Seen
For a series that was exceedingly one-sided for such a long time (the Browns lost in Pittsburgh from 1970 until 1986), there were some tight and memorable games. The Browns loss by four in 1977 and followed that up with consecutive overtime losses in ’78 & ’79. At we’ll never forget the ’89 season opener when the Browns won 51-0.
But the first will always be the best: the 1986 game where the Browns finally broke the Three Rivers jinx, highlighted by Gerald McNeil’s 100-yard kickoff return. You can read The Plain Dealer‘s game story here. We couldn’t find any film clips from that game, but here are clips of McNeil ripping up the Lions from that same season.
The Prediction
The Browns finally realized what they have to do to beat Pittsburgh near the end of the season last year. The Steelers are bullies and they don’t like to be hit. When the Browns finally hit back last year, the Steelers folded and the Browns won.
The Browns also won with Brady Quinn at quarterback and Chris Jennings running the ball. Even with McCoy making his first start, there’s no question the Browns are better at those positions this year. So if they did it last year, why not this time?
OK, it’s probably too much to expect McCoy to play well enough for the Browns to win this game. So much happens on the field and a quarterback has to process so much at game speed that it is impossible to replicate that in practice.
But McCoy can – and should – play well enough to keep the Browns in the game into the fourth quarter just like they’ve done all year long. And while the Browns probably won’t pull out the victory, they should keep the game close enough that it should be save to take the Browns plus the points.
Record on the year: 1-3-1
Another solid five-point week – our third week of five or more points this season – pushed us back to the top of the 2010 Cheddar Bay Invitational over at Cleveland Frowns.
None of this week’s college games really excited me, but here we go anyway:
Ohio State (-4) vs. Wisconsin
NY Giants (-10) vs. Detroit
Tennessee (-3) vs. Jacksonville
And the money pick: San Diego (-8.5) vs. St. Louis
Red Right 88 