Some questions we are pondering following this weekend’s NFL Wild Card playoff games (and how they relate to the Cleveland Browns).
Including the biggest question of the day:
How is it that the Browns seemed to be playing an entirely different game this year than the eight teams we watched this weekend?
For more, head over to The Cleveland Fan.
(Photo by The Associated Press)
Cleveland Browns team president Mike Holmgren and general manager held their season-ending press conference on Thursday and delivered a message that Browns fans should be embracing.
“We know what we have to fix. But we’re not going to blow it up and start over,” Holmgren said.
Hit up The Cleveland Fan for the rest of the story.
C’mon, you know you want to.
(Photo by The Plain Dealer)
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be short a player for tonight’s game in Toronto after Samardo Samuels was unable to make the trip because he lost his passport.
With Samuels unavailable, Ryan Hollins will fill the backup role at center. If he gets in the game, it will be the first action Hollins has seen since opening night.
Did anyone with the Cavs think to check Hollins’ locker for the missing passport?
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Cold Hard Football Facts threw a little cold water on Seneca Wallace’s quest to replace Colt McCoy as the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback in 2012.
With a chance to play in the final three games of the season, Seneca Wallace wanted to prove himself worthy of a starting quarterback position. However, he didn’t get the job done as the Browns lost those three games by a combined 13 points. Perhaps if Wallace played one level better than Colt McCoy, the Browns win a few games and Wallace gets a chance to further prove himself in 2012.
Wallace posted a weak 50.27 Real Quarterback Rating. This includes completing only two of 14 passes attempted to Greg Little or Mohamed Maasquoi.
Overall, Wallace finished with a 65.87 QBR, while Colt McCoy finished with a 75.16 QBR. Clearly, neither quarterback worked in this limited offense, and McCoy should be the leading candidate to return as the starter in 2012.
Not sure we like either option, but Wallace definitely didn’t do himself any favors over the last three games of the season.
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Everton’s Tim Howard became the fourth goalie – and second American – in Premier League history to score a goal in Tuesday’s game against Bolton.
But just like when Brad Friedel scored, Everton ended up losing.
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Finally, Jonah Keri at Grantland is not a believer in the Window in baseball – the short period of time in which small-revenue clubs supposedly have to compete.
Keri writes that: There is a nugget of truth behind this Window obsession. Smaller-revenue teams have a tougher time signing premium free agents, or retaining their own top players past their initial six years of team control. That puts extra pressure on these poorer teams to bring up a bunch of great prospects all at once, then hope they get good at the same time before they get expensive.
But far more often it’s a … excuse. It’s a vague, faraway goal that always seems several years out of reach. It’s a cover for cheap, greedy ownership, lousy scouting, drafting, and player development, and myopic trades. It’s a weak attempt to placate a fan base screwed over by years of management incompetence and indifference.
We think the Dolans would like to have a word with Keri.
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Finally, today is the 31th anniversary of the Browns playoff loss to Oakland in the Red Right 88 game.
That was the day we learned what it meant to be a Browns (and Cleveland) fan. We were obviously much younger then and that was the first Browns team we fell in love with.
If only Brian Sipe had thrown the ball to Dave Logan this site would exist under a different name and would possibly have a different tone to it. But that’s not the way it worked out.
If you’re in the mood, video of the final drive is here. If you want to relive that magical season, Jonathan Knight’s book, Kardiac Kids: The Story of the 1980 Cleveland Browns, is an excellent read.
In 1994, the NFL celebrated its 75th anniversary and, as part of the festivities, released a documentary on the history of the league.
One of the people interviewed was Sammy Baugh, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1963. Baugh played for the Redskins from 1937 to 1952, and help bring the forward pass to prominence in what was then a run-oriented league.
We still remember the look on Baugh’s face when he talked about the modern game and how much he would have loved playing in the modern era. “It’s a passing man’s game,” he said with obvious joy in his voice.
Fast forward 17 years and we can only imagine what Baugh would say about the passing game of today’s NFL.
They certainly didn’t go out with a bang, but the Cleveland Browns didn’t go out with a whimper, either, in their season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
A year after giving up 41 points (31 in the first half) and 418 yards of offense in the season finale, the Browns fought hard before falling, 13-9, to a Pittsburgh team that was fighting for playoff positioning.
“At this point, guys really don’t like to hear progress,” wide receiver Josh Cribbs said after the game. “It is almost like, enough of the moral victories, just get the win. We play hard; the fight in us is so strong. We say this week in and week out, we beat this team up today, but they came out with a victory.”
The Browns were undone, again, by their inability to get in the end zone. Seneca Wallace continued to make a strong case to not be the starting quarterback as he completed just 16-0f-41 passes and had his usual bad interception.
While we would never root for the Cleveland Browns to lose, we also have to realistic about the situation facing the team today against Pittsburgh.
Win and the Browns could drop as low as eighth in the 2012 NFL Draft. While the Browns can certainly find a very good player at that spot, the higher the pick the better the chance of getting the type of impact player the team so desperately needs.
So, if the Browns do happen to lose today, this is what else Browns fans need to see happen to maximize the team’s draft position:
If both the Jaguars and Vikings win, the Browns would select No. 3 behind Indianapolis and St. Louis.
If Minnesota loses and Jacksonville wins, the Vikings are in at No. 3 and the Browns pick No. 4.
If the Vikings win and the Jaguars lose, the Browns are still at No. 4 behind Jacksonville, but ahead of Minnesota.
Got all that?There is one other team to keep an eye on today: Oakland.
Oakland will win the AFC West if it beats San Diego at home and if Denver loses. The Raiders can also qualify for a wild-card if:
This is important for the Browns because, if the Raiders make the playoffs and win a game, their No. 1 draft pick in the 2012 draft goes to the Bengals as part of the Carson Palmer trade.The last thing the Browns need is to have a division rival pick up an extra draft pick.
For a comprehensive look at the draft scenarios, friend of the program Jim Kanicki put together this most excellent chart.
Sixteen weeks after the Cleveland Browns opened the 2011 NFL season on a warm, September afternoon, the season comes to a close on Sunday when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Opposition
Pittsburgh’s record: 11-4 (tied for first in the AFC North)
Offensive rank: 11th overall/9th passing/16th rushing
Defensive rank: 1st overall/1st passing/9th rushing
All-time record: Steelers lead, 63-56 (counting postseason). The Browns are 35-23 at home against the Steelers
Last meeting: Pittsburgh won, 14-3, in Week 14
The line: Browns (+7)
What to Watch For
With last week’s loss to the Ravens, the Browns earned their fourth consecutive 11 loss season. They are the only NFL team to pull off that dubious accomplishment.
So what better way to close out the season than to host a Pittsburgh team that is No. 1 in defense and playing for a No. 2 seed and first-round bye in the playoffs?
The fact that the Steelers have something to play for works in Cleveland’s favor, as the Browns still have an opportunity to maximize their draft position. And really, this time of year in Cleveland, what else is there to talk about?
While we will never root for the Browns to lose, a loss on Sunday will at least be more palatable knowing it will give the Browns the No. 4 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Plus, while a win on Sunday would be nice, there is always the fear that, by beating the Steelers, fans will lose sight of how much work still lies ahead for the team, much like what happened in 2009, when the Browns beat the Steelers late in the year in the most over-rated win in franchise history.
“I think you remember what happened most recently and I think anytime you can win your last game I think it makes you feel good as you move forward,” coach Pat Shurmur said in his Friday press conference. “Then regardless of what happens, there are ways that we have to improve so that’s not lost on me either. What’s at task now is playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and doing what we have to do to get a victory.”
Seneca Wallace will get the start again at quarterback, which, according to him, is all that matters. Apparently helping Colt McCoy learn the offense and, you know, making the team better isn’t a priority in Seneca’s world.
“That was Jake (Delhomme’s) deal,” Wallace told The Plain Dealer when asked if he mentored McCoy this season. “He did a lot of some stuff with him last year. But that’s not my thing. It’s just one thing I don’t do. I came in with the mind-set I wanted to compete, whatever case that was.”
Way to be a team player.
On the defensive side, it will be interesting to see how cornerbacks Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown match up with receivers Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.
According to Pro Football Focus, Haden and Brown did not allow a single reception last week against Baltimore. Brown has had two solid games in a row since giving up four catches and a touchdown against the Steelers, and Haden has allowed just two catches for 18 yards in the past two games.
The Prediction
The Browns are just too limited on offense to put up much of a fight against a Pittsburgh team with something to play for.
We’ll take the Steelers minus the points.
Record picking the Browns (using the point spread) this year: 8-6-1.
(Photo courtesy of Cleveland.com)
As we enter the last few days of 2011, it’s time to take a look at the past year in sports.
While it was another year without a title from any of Cleveland’s teams, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t interesting.
For the First Quarter, check here.
For the Second Quarter, check here.
For the Third Quarter, check here.
The Browns entered October at 2-1, but the wheels quickly fell off as the Orange and Brown looked like an expansion team in losing to Tennessee.
Things got worse the following week when word came out that Peyton Hillis’ agent advised Hillis to miss a game because of strep throat. Somehow a player missing a game because of injury/illness became a controversy, which in hindsight was a precursor to the hysteria surrounding Colt McCoy later in the season.
Coming out of the bye week the Browns got knocked around by the Raiders, squeaked out a win against the Seahawks and closed the month with a loss on the road to the 49ers.
Along the way the team lost linebacker Marcus Benard for the season to a motorcycle accident and the team continued looking for an answer to The Colt McCoy Question.
The month also had us questioning the level of competition the U.S. Men’s National Team faces.
In November, the Indians were movers on the first day of baseball’s off-season, declining the option on outfielder Grady Sizemore, picking up the option on pitcher Fausto Carmona and trading for starting pitcher Derek Lowe.
The Browns continued cutting away the dead wood left behind by “super coach” Eric Mangini, releasing wide receiver Brian Robiskie.
The fun continued on the field, as the Browns were rolled in Texas, lost on a blocked field goal – and poor snap by formerly reliable long snapper Ryan Pontbriand – against St. Louis, pulled out a win, thanks to a goal-line stand, against Jacksonville and lost on a late touchdown against the Bengals.
Fans struggled during the month to separate reality from perception and some even longed for a past that existed only in their imaginations.
December opened with the Browns losing at home to the Ravens.
Four days later it all hit the fan as the Browns lost to Pittsburgh on an NFL Network Thursday night game and Colt McCoy suffered a concussion at the hands of repeat offender James Harrison.
Harrison earned a much-deserved suspension, but thanks to a poor choice of words by Browns coach Pat Shurmur the local media, always desperate for a controversy surrounding the Browns, worked overtime to create one.
Team president Mike Holmgren tried to calm the waters, but we’re not sure everyone got the message.
The Browns took the Cardinals to overtime before falling in Week 15, and staged a rally that fell short in Baltimore in Week 16 to fall to 4-11 on the season.
Also during December, Clint Dempsey became the highest-scoring American in the Premier League.
The end of the month also saw us make our debut at The Cleveland Fan.
And that’s a wrap on the year in Cleveland sports. Thanks to everyone who read and commented during the year, if you like what you see be sure to come back and spread the word.
We’re looking forward to new opportunities in 2012 and, while we’re not sure what will happen in Cleveland sports, there is no doubt that it will be anything but boring.
Hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year’s.
(Photo courtesy of Cleveland Browns.com)
As we enter the last few days of 2011, it’s time to take a look at the past year in sports.
While it was another year without a title from any of Cleveland’s teams, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t interesting.
For the First Quarter, check here.
For the Second Quarter, check here.
July started on a high note for the Indians, as Austin Kearns’ three-run homer helped beat the Yankees on the Fourth of July. But injuries started to catch up with the team and a lack of offense dropped the team down the standings culminating in the inevitable – a no-hitter at the hands of Ervin Santana.
The front office shocked everyone though, trading for starting pitcher Ubaldo Jiminez at the end of the month. The Tribe gave up both Drew Pomeranz and Alex White – the top two pitching prospects in the organization – in the deal.
The NFL lockout ended in July, bringing the return of the Browns and the official start of the Pat Shurmur era as coach.
Just before the end of the month the U.S. Soccer team named Jürgen Klinsmann as head coach of the national team.
And we had an excellent time at Waiting for Next Year’s gathering at Canal Park.
In August, the Tribe made one last run at Detroit for the division lead as they took 2-of-3 from the Tigers. But a sweep at the hands of Detroit late in the month effectively ended the Tribe’s season.
After falling out of the pennant race, and needing something to draw fans to the games with the start of the NFL season on the horizon, the Indians brought Jim Thome home for a cameo.
Even though the Tribe faded in the second half of the season, it was fun while it lasted.
Browns camp opened with second-year defensive backs Joe Haden and T.J. Ward expressing their excitement for new defensive coordinator Dick Jauron’s 4-3 defense.
We were also left asking, not for the first time, what the Browns were doing at the wide receiver position.
This being the Browns they couldn’t get through training camp without losing a key player, as Eric Steinbach was lost for the year with a back injury.
And the release of the documentary Senna reminded us of the artistry of Formula One driver Aryton Senna.
September brought about the official end of the Indians season, but the team gave fans plenty to cheer about in 2011 and plenty to look forward to next year.
And the Browns were back for the 2011 NFL season with Colt McCoy in his first full season as starting quarterback.
Things got off to a rocky start in Week 1 as the Browns fell to the Bengals following a defensive breakdown. It was only one game but, this being Cleveland, plenty of fans were already on the ledge.
Week 2 saw the team give Pat Shurmur his first victory as an NFL head coach. It wasn’t surprising the team did well, as the game against the Colts was the last with a healthy Peyton Hillis for quite a while.
The Browns followed that win with a late victory over the Dolphins in Week 3 as the defense helped save the day.
General manager Tom Heckert also made the right decision to take it slow when it came to a contract extension with Hillis.
Coming Friday: Injuries help the Browns season take a turn for the worse, the team continues to prune the dead wood left from the Eric Mangini era, and Colt McCoy’s concussion turns into a manufactured controversy.
As we enter the last few days of 2011, it’s time to take a look at the past year in sports.
While it was another year without a title from any of Cleveland’s teams, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t interesting.
For the First Quarter, check here.
April brought the first full month of Tribe baseball, and the Indians got the season off on a nice start, especially the starting pitching. The month included a 9-2 stretch where the starters threw 74 innings and gave up just 15 earned runs – a 1.82 ERA.
The month also meant the best day for Browns fans each year – the NFL Draft.
Browns fans know, based on his previous work, that the team is in good hands with general manager Tom Heckert and fans were rewarded when Heckert selected three starters in the first two rounds – Phil Taylor, along with Jabaal Sheard and Greg Little.
We tried to warn people that the Madden Curse is real, but no one listened and Peyton Hillis was voted to the game’s cover.
And when it comes to Cleveland teams, we realized it is always good to have options.
May saw the Indians continue on their hot streak and turn into the team that Cleveland needed. The Tribe was led by its starting pitching, a bullpen that didn’t get any respect and a never-say-die attitude from the offense.
Unfortunately, by the end of the month cracks had started to show that would plague the team for the rest of the year.
The Cavs hit the jackpot in the NBA Draft lottery, taking home the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the upcoming draft.
And Jim Tressel paid for his years of lies by “resigning” as football coach at Ohio State.
June saw the Kent State men’s golf team on the verge of its second-consecutive Top 20 finish on the season and the baseball team just miss out on the first visit to the Super Regionals in school history.
The month was not kind to the Indians, who fell out of first on June 14. Leading the downfall was the continued decline of starting pitcher Fausto Carmona.
The rebuilding continued for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA draft, as the Cavs found coach Byron Scott his point guard in Duke’s Kyrie Irving at No. 1 and selected Texas power forward Tristan Thompson.
At the end of the month, the Cavs finally decided they had seen enough of the enigma that is J.J. Hickson, trading the third-year forward/center to Sacramento for small forward Omri Casspi.
And the U.S. Men’s National Team made it to the final of the Gold Cup, only to lose to Mexico 4-2 – after holding a 2-0 lead.
Coming Wednesday: The Tribe makes a major move, the U.S. Men’s National Team starts the Jurgen Klinsman era and the Browns open the 2011 NFL season in less than stellar fashion.
(Photo by Getty Images)
Red Right 88 