The Mangini question

The Brown Log has often been critical of Eric Mangini, who, at 39 years old, has too often made mistakes that a more mature coach would avoid. Today's clock mismanagement at the end of the first half was a prime example. Mangini often lacks what I refer to as "the intuition of experience.".

That said, Mangini's weaknesses are all flaws that will get better with time as he lives through this school of hard knocks. His weaknesses are in game management where he makes misjudgements under pressure. Decide not to call a timeout because maybe just maybe the other team will have too much time left and might score??? Oh yeah, the Browns need time to score too...

Leave an injured QB on the field?? We lost 2 games we should have won because of this misjudgement. Tampa Bay could see that Delhomme was useless due to his injury as did Jacksonville with McCoy. As a matter fact it was so obvious in those cases fans like myself watching on TV could see that the QB was hurt. So while Tampa and Jacksonville blitzed on passing downs and defended the run on running downs, the Browns went down the drain in games they should have won. Why couldn't Mangini decide to pull the QB? Fear and indecision, in other words inexperience.

Mangini's strengths on the other hand are that he has shown a genius for game strategy and he has demonstrated the ability to create formations and gameplans that are ahead of the rest of the NFL pack. Strengths, if you may, that one does not easily find in a coach. Ask the New Orleans Saints if Mangini can put a fantastic gameplan together. Ask Tom Brady if Mangini can confuse an all-pro quarterback with previously never seen defensive formations.

Mangini has shown himself to be well organised and on player personnel decisions where he has a few days to reflect, he shown shown himself able to stand on principle even in the face of pressure. He is an innovator. In 2010 the Browns often fielded defensive formations never before tried in the NFL such as a zero man defensive line. This permitted the Browns to field a dramatically improved Defense in 2010 and allowed the team to compete in every game. Credit Rob Ryan you say? Sure but the buck stops with the head coach and that gentlemen's name is Eric Mangini.

The offense stunk right? Yes but the Browns bet that Jake Delhomme was the mature presence needed to carry a weak offensive team. That bet failed and Mangini was left to manage the aftermath. The offense was bad but Hillis emerged as a force and our mediocre receiving crew was contributing at seasons end. That's a credit to coaching. Too conservative, maybe but if you don't have The firepower playing it safe is actually the right plan. Mangini has shown on D that if he has the talent, he has the moxie to innovate.

So should the Browns fire Mangini? I'm going to go out on a limb and state uneqivicably "no".

My estimation is that Mangini, who turns 40 next month, will start to trust his gut more in 2011 and avoid some of the bonehead decisions caused by outthinking himself under pressure. All that remains will be his strategic genius, a quality that is most often found in Super Bowl coaches.

In the end we've invested 2 years in building Mangini's experience. My vote is don't dump the guy right when he and the team are ready to repay that investment.

Merry Christmas from the NCAA

A Terrelle Pryor jersey on sale today for "only" $80.00!

"This is Cleveland"

Has any Browns player ever embodied the spirit of Ohio football more than Josh Cribbs?

Well if you have any doubts, read Tony Grossi's article from today's Plain Dealer.

On November 14th, Josh Cribbs sustained a serious foot injury against the Jets. Most players would have sat. Why does Cribbs keep playing? Read on:

The injury caused soft tissue damage to the plantar plate, or beneath the ball of the foot. He feels pain when putting pressure on that area. It limits his ability to cut and change direction. His kick returns are limited to running straight ahead.

The question is why doesn't Cribbs just sit and let the injury heal? The answer embodies the essence of Cribbs as a football player:

"I could easily sit down and be like, 'Coach, I'm gonna try to take care of myself for next year.' But I love football too much," Cribbs said. "Even one of my teammates said, 'If you're not good, sit down.' I can't sit down.

"This is football. This is what it's all about, pushing through injuries, going to work when you don't have to, and battling. This is Cleveland. What would I be, having a foot injury and not going to work? And make the money I'm supposed to make. People have to work with worse circumstances than me. So the least I can do is push through the injuries and try to do as much as I can for the team."

The Cleveland work ethic is part of what makes this town great. Countless working men and women in this town get up every day and have at it. Josh Cribbs is one of us and deserves this town's support, through good and bad.

BL Predicts: Game 15 vs Ravens

Injuries to numerous key players leave the Browns weakened and renders predicting results of games quite a bit easier.

BL Predicts

Browns 13
Ravens 27

The Brown Log are 6-8 year to date on the prediction front.

NCAA defends slavery system

Yesterday Terrelle Pryor and 4 other Ohio State football players were punished by the NCAA for selling their own personal property. Let's see if I have this right. If I own something and I sell it, last time I checked it is not a crime. Why instead does the NCAA treat its "players" like criminals when they profit? Because the NCAA does not appreciate when it's slaves take from the hand of their master, even if they do so by perfectly legal means. This article starts to explain, I include a portion:

So much money gets made off these players and they can't even resell their own bowl jersey and championship ring? Look, I wouldn't sell something that meaningful to my team's success. But let's stop being naive and look at what the players see.

Consider Newton's impact. Some of the hottest sellers on Auburn's official online store are Heisman Trophy shirts with Newton's No. 2 -- but not his name, of course, as forbidden by the NCAA.

I counted 20 long-sleeve and short-sleeve shirts with No. 2 prominently displayed; home and away No. 2 jerseys; a 2010 season DVD with Newton on the cover; and a wall decal with a superhero-looking Auburn player wearing No. 2.

"You don't want to push the envelope too much, but you certainly want to try and meet that demand of, hey, we want to buy a No. 2 jersey (Cam Newton) or a No. 17 jersey (Josh Bynes) or a No. 89 jersey (Darvin Adams)," Auburn Senior Associate Athletics Director Scott Carr said.

"It's that fine line of do you just stick to a jersey that says No. 1 or a jersey that represents the year you're playing in? Or do you do more that's more player-specific? A lot of it is the fans want to wear the jerseys of the popular players. It's a tight balance."

Under Armour, which provides $27.45 million over seven years in cash and product to Auburn, estimates Newton wears six to 10 of the company's logos during games.

"When you sign a school like Auburn, you hope to get this kind of exposure and catch lightning in a bottle with this type of special player," said Matt Mirchin, Under Armour senior vice president of sports marketing.

The NCAA and it's universities make well over a billion dollars a year in profits on the back of their players, most of whom will never play in the pros. A common sense solution should exist to share this wealth with players, many of whom come from poor families and struggle to get by even if the university pays room and board.

The hypocricy of the NCAA and it's treatment of athletes has one answer, just look to Major League Baseball. Pro baseball has a professional minor league system and regularly drafts 18 year olds who skip college to play professionally. If the NCAA insists on continuation of the indefensible policy of player slavery, perhaps the best solution is to let the market rule. The NFL or some independent entreprenuer should establish a football minor league. Players not ready for the NFL would have a home and a paying job, and the NCAA could return to it's real mission: supporting student athletes.

Coach Brian Sipe

Here is a great article about Brown's legend Brian Sipe. Sipe is now the Quarterbacks coach at San Diego State University. Today he will be on the field as his alumni play Navy in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

BL Predicts: Game 14 vs The Bengals

The end of the season is near and many important decisions will be taken by Mike Holmgren based on the performance of the Browns over these last 3 games. Will the Browns come together as a team and perform well or will they ride out the string.

The 2010 campaign has been one of many ups and downs and looking back, after the disaster of 2009, the fact is that the Browns competed all season long in every game. That stated, I think only Mike Holmgren can judge if Coach Mangini will merit another year. If Holmgren fires Mangini, the likely reason is that while the Browns have in fact competed in 2010, it is primarily due to the innovations introduced by Rob Ryan on defense. The Browns defense took Dick Lebeau's zone blitz schemes to the next level, often substituting linebackers for defensive linemen, a strategy that infinitely complicated the opposing quarterbacks reads. Instead of having to account for 4 linebackers, opposing QBs often found themselves having to evaluate the positioning of up to 6 or even 7 linebackers. On 3rd and long the Browns have dared opponents to run, and one only need recall Tom Brady's awful showing against the Browns to realize that Ryan's schemes confused even the best quarterback in the game.

So the question is "does Mangini deserve credit for Rob Ryan's innovation?" My inclination is to say that Mangini does in fact deserve credit for the Browns defensive success in 2010. Everything on a team starts and finishes with the head coach. However only those persons associated with the Browns day to day truly can evaluate Mangini's role in putting this innovative defense on the field every Sunday. This is important because it is very likely that Rob Ryan will be lured away by some NFL team next year to be their head coach so next year Mangini will not have Rob Ryan' support.

Mike Holmgren's decision on whether to retain Mangini will tell us the inside story.

On to the Bengals game. When the Bengals and Browns played in game four earlier this season, the Bengals were still viewed as a one of the better teams in the NFL. The Browns were 0-3 at the time of that game and badly needed a W. The Browns led by Seneca Wallace got the win that Sunday in Cleveland and the Bengals have since stumbled to only 2 wins.

One point I clearly recall from that match up earlier this year is that the Bengals were one of few teams this year to come into the game with a good plan to counter Rob Ryan's innovative defense. At one point in the game for example, Ryan threw his zero down lineman scheme at Carson Palmer, the Bengals immediately went into a no-huddle and drove the ball down near to the goal line over the next few plays. Palmer passed for nearly 400 yards that day.

Pundits are getting wrapped in the fact that the Bengals have only 2 wins this year but a closer look shows that the Bengals have competed in nearly every game this year. Add in the following factors and I think today's outcome becomes clear:

- Bengals are at home.
- Colt will play but he still is not 100%
- Browns morale is down after a demoralizing defeat

I think it all adds up to a clear and solid loss. For the first time this year, we may see a game in which our Browns are soundly defeated


BL Predicts

Browns 17
Bengals 33

The Brown Log are 5-8 is our predictions this season

BL Predicts: game 13 vs the Bills

As a long time Browns fan the 2010 season has been very difficult to predict. A lifetime of losing certainly has tempered our ability to recognize that our Browns have a world class D that gives them a shot at winning every Sunday. Our offense however assures that almost no game will be a blowout, unless of course the defense scores a few times.

On paper Buffalo should be an easy win but nothing comes easy to our Browns and this week will be no different. Look for Jake Delhomme to move the team and just when we seem to have the Bills by the neck he'll make a mistake to put them back in the game. Look for Rob Ryan's D to dominate and keep the Browns on top all afternoon in spite of the offense.

What will happen ? Close game but Cleveland should win.

BL Predicts

Browns 17
Bills 10

The Brown Log won loss now matches our Brownies. We are 5-7 on predictions year to date

BL Live Blog: defense wins the game

I'm glad yet again to be wrong on the game prediction. Huge pro bowl level performance by Joe Haden and the Browns D was huge. It's hard not to say "what if" right now. The Browns are 5-7 but could easily be 8-4.

BL Live Blog: tight game!

Standout first half for Joe Haden and the Browns D

BL Predicts: week twelve vs Dolphins

On the road vs a Dolphins team playing well. The Browns are banged up, and starting to show it. It all points to a loss.

BL Predicts

Browns 15
Dolphins 27

The Brown Log after practically nailing last weeks final score, are 5-6 year to date

BL Predicts: Week Eleven vs Carolina

On the upside.
The Browns are at home.
Browns face 1-9 Carolina that will be led by a rookie QB who is 0-4 as a starter while completing 48% of his passes.
Jake Delhomme played for Carolina last year and therefore should have some ideas about how to attack that offense.

On the downside:
The Browns are banged up with McCoy and Fujita out, and key players Josh Cribbs, Shaun Rogers, Ben Watson being doubtful. Furthermore the Browns are coming off a devastating loss last week vs Jacksonville and could be ripe for a major emotional letdown.

Even considering the injuries and a potential letdown, the Browns should pull this one out

BL Predicts

Browns 24
Carolina 21

The Brown Log is 4-6 year to date in predicting the winner.

A Thanksgiving tribute: Rocky Belk

Holidays are a great moment to put life into perspective. We Browns fans can get pretty wrapped up in wins and losses, our Ohio heritage demands it.

Yesterday however, after noticing a spike over these last months in "Rocky Belk" google searches landing on this blog, I decided to do a google search myself on Belk. Unfortunately what I discovered is that ex-Browns receiver Rocky Belk tragically passed away last July at the age of 50 years old. For fans who followed the Browns in the 80's, Belk was a sort of comet who flashed across Cleveland. In one year he got very little playing time, but many Clevelanders noticed him because he scored two big touchdowns including one long TD pass from Brian Sipe against the despised Pittsburgh Steelers. Belk's NFL career lasted only one year with a total 5 catches and 2 touchdowns.   By comparison to other pro football players, his career can reasonably be labeled as average.

Reading Belk's obituary however it's clear that Rocky Belk went on to achieve true hero status as a school teacher and social worker. Read what the citizens of Arlington, Virigina had to say about Belk after his untimely passing:

Can we summarize a man's legacy, his life's work, in a memorial plaque? It would be kind of cool for students that knew him to tell those coming in that ask who was this Rocky Belk and what did he do? Those that knew him could tell them that Rocky Belk from Gum Springs followed his dreams and made it all the way to the NFL working every step of the way and after he got there he never stopped giving back. What motivated him was simply his love for the children he taught.
In the end, for those that knew him, it really doesn't really matter whether a plaque with Rocky Belk's name inscribed on it is put out at the horseshoe kiss and drop where the Longbranch students start their morning; because in the end every child and parent that Rocky touched will remember him at that horseshoe full of hale and with a big,easy,giving smile.

Football players bring great joy to us fans by their magnificent feats of athleticism and courage, however let us not forget on this Thanksgiving day, that as great as it is to have witnessed Brian Sipe, Greg Pruitt, Bill Nelson, Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Doug Dieken or countless others fill our Sundays with memories, that the real heroes in our world are the people who go out without recognition day after day and help others.

So on this Thanksgiving Day, let's thank God that folks like Rocky Belk touch our world and remember, they are the heroes.

BL Live Blog: disgusting loss

+6 on turnovers and the Browns lose???????

The Brown Log has been generous in it's praise for Coach Mangini in the last few weeks. Today a game the Browns absolutely should have won was instead lost. And 100% of the blame must fall onto Coach Mangini. A simply disgusting display takes the Browns to 3-7

BL Live Blog: TJ Ward is limping

Gamesmanship or is he hurt

BL Live Blog: plenty of time

Can the Browns D come up big one more time. They have been incredible all day

BL Live Blog: uh coach, McCoy is hurt

Take him out

......................

BL Live Blog: Browns D is tired

The Browns D gave us 6 turnovers and the O did almost nothing with them. Is it any wonder the Defense is worn out? If Jacksonville scores and ties the game it appears the only way the browns can win is if our defense scores. But our defense is completely worn out.

BL Live Blog: ???????????

BL Live Blog: pathetic

Browns should be up by 20.
Colt needs to understand that if he's hurt as he appears to be, he does his team no favor by playing. We haven't moved the ball in the air the last three series.

BL Live Blog: another turnover

Browns O MUST capitalize!!!!!!!!!

BL Live Blog: Frustration

Colts ankle might be hurt.
We have no passing game.
The Browns D keeps giving the O the ball.
And we still cannot lock the game up.

BL Live Blog: score!!!!

Beautiful intercept by Haden
This time we need 7 dammit

BL Live Blog: 3 and out

Browns could have set a clear course towards a win by capitalising on Wards intercept. Instead we have to keep playing the clock and fight for field position. Looks a lot like early season losses to Tampa and Atlanta.

BL Live Blog: TJ Ward

First career interception.

BL Live Blog: stunning

Elam is our MVP today.
I wonder why Jacksonville choose not to review the play.

BL Live Blog: big

Big time sack by Marcus Benard

BL Live Blog: need a stop

Got to get a stop on D to start the 3rd quarter

BL Live Blog: tip of the hat

Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to your opponent. Nice drive by Jacksonville. The Browns played well on D.

Tight game, down at half.

BL Live Blog

Got to do better against the Jacksonville blitz.

BL Live Blog: Elam

Beautiful read and intercept on the trick play by Jacksonville. Elam gets better every week and that kind of play can be a game changer.

BL Live Blog: time and reps

Colt and Massaquoi made different reads on the 3rd and long. Chances are Massaquoi read it wrong and should have gone long. He had single coverage.

BL Live Blog: 8 in the box

Jacksonville put 8 in the box on 2nd and 10.

BL Live Blog: Shawn Rogers

Rogers is in. We need his fire and dominance badly today

BL Live Blog: shades of Bernie

Shades of Bernie Kosar on the touchdown pass to Hillis. Go Colt!!

BL Live Blog: Q1

Tough Q1 but the Browns are showing signs of life on Offense but look sluggish on D.

BL Live Blog: going backwards

BL Live Blog: lauvao

You gotta like #66 Shawn Lauvao's play today. He is really playing hard at RG. Watch him

BL Live Blog: Fujita

I didn't realize how huge Scott Fujita was to the complex scheme the Browns have run year to date on D. The Browns have set up in very conventional formations so far today. Strategy or do we miss Fujita, who in effect was the QB on defense.

BL Live Blog: bad start

Browns look listless. Jaguars look faster today

BL Live Blog: attendance

The stands are surprisingly empty in Jacksonville

BL Predicts: Week Ten vs Jacksonville

The Browns are banged up and on the road but after 4 games against the leagues best team, the Brown Log believes beating Jacksonville won't be easy, but the Browns are up to the task. Look for Ryan's D to confuse the mediocre Jacksonville offense and look for Colt to really explode in the first game he will play against an average D.

BL Predicts

Browns 30
Jacksonville 10

The BL has a 4-5 record year to date

It's only a game

I remember when Derek Anderson attacked Browns fans as a whole based on the insults he endured from a few Browns fans. That got me mad, you can't label a group based on the behavior of it's worst element. But it's hard not to feel ashamed when I read about the 8 year old Jets fan who was assaulted by a so called "Browns fan" after last Sunday's game. What an awful story (see attached link).

It is only a game folks........

Learning to live with fumbles

Knowing how much Coach Mangini hates turnovers on offense, it must be damn hard for him to digest that it is not possible to coach emerging star fullback Peyton Hillis out of his fumbling. I've read that each week Hillis does special drills designed to get him to hang onto the ball and no matter the effort, every week Hillis coughs up a ball. I've often compared Colt McCoy to Brian Sipe, in the case of Hillis there is another reference point in Browns history that is very similar. Mike Pruitt ran like a linebacker but he also had smallish hands and often fumbled. Forrest Gregg hated Pruitt's fumbling so much that he sat him for the better part of two years. When Sam Rutigliano arrived, he decided to put this force of nature into motion and Mike Pruitt was a key part of the Browns resurgence.

It's the same story with Hillis. 250 pound players with speed and agility are rare. Keep giving him the ball, his one fumble per game is more than offset by the damage to opponents that he does on the ground on all the other plays in which he doesn't fumble.

Injuries trip up Browns vs Jets

Great game played by the Browns today against the Jets but injuries to Fujita, Cribbs and Brown in the end cost us the game. It's that time of the season where depth is going to begin to play a factor. The Browns have a bit less talent than most NFL teams but the coaching has been great of late, and the team was coming together. That all starts to come apart when the inevitable injuries start to pile up. Here is hoping that Cribbs in particular won't be out long.

BL Live Blog: Vickers Block

Brilliant Block by vickers on the Hillis TD

BL Predicts: Week Nine vs the Jets

This blog has missed the last two upset wins, predicting the Browns to lose against the favored Saints and Patriots. This week the Browns are still underdogs but they are playing at home and they are on a hot streak. The wins against the Saints and Pats both had large elements of surprise, as the Browns coaches used winning and often surprise tactics to take it to their favored opponents. My gut says that this week it's back to reality. There won't be surprises and perhaps young Colt might finally start to make some rookie mistakes. Other factors are that the emotional state of the team might be a bit down after the scary lockerroom collapse of Marcus Benard, and he likely won't play which will hurt the Browns ability to put heat on Mark Sanchez. It will probably be close but look for the Browns luck to run out this week.

BL Predicts

Browns 15
Jets 27

The Brown Log is 3-5 year to date on predictions.

Fantastic win!

Colt McCoy is 2-1 as a starter, and more importantly he has demonstrated leadership and good sense.
Coach Mangini is maturing as a coach and the team is coming together. Two wins in a row against leading teams.

Great day for the Browns.

BL live blog: Colt

Colt reminds me of Brian Sipe. Guts and leadership. Browns 17-7

BL live blog: Browns wideouts contributing today

It looks like McCoy and Massaquoi in particular really put a lot of work in during the bye-week.

BL Live blog: End of Q1

Browns play their 5th straight brilliant quarter of football. 10-0 Cleveland.

BL live blog: Browns D Tom Brady off balance

Brady is 1-4 for 10 yards passing

BL live blog: Hillis fumbles

You have to take the good with the bad. Hillis is an imposing back who can wear out a D. But he also fumbles too much. Hopefully this fumble doesn't drain the early emotional advantage the Browns had gained.

BL live blog: going for it on 4th and short

Gutsy move by Mangini, gotta love it!

BL live blog : Browns get the ball back

If the Browns can score again it starts to look like a blowout.
Let's see if Colt and Hillis can keep it up.

BL live blog: holy turnover Batman!

New England is dumbfounded and so am I.
10-0 Browns!!

BL Predicts: Week Eight vs the Patriots

It is difficult to imagine the Browns coming up with a gameplan that will allow the team to overcome the talent gap they have vs the Patriots.

Putting pressure on Tom Brady is the key but that won't be easy. The Browns have also had an extra week to prepare, and that may give young Colt McCoy the edge he needs to put the ball in the endzone a few times.

Hard to imagine a W no matter in spite of the afterglow of the Saints win and a long bye week.

BL Predicts

Patroits 35
Browns 17

The Brown Log's record year to date is 3-4

Randy Moss to Cleveland?

Fat chance. The Browns have shown that they intend to build a team
around character even if it means diluting the talent pool. The Brown
Log has often disagreed with this Ted Stepien-like strategy of
character over playing ability, because it's damn near impossible to
find 53 choir boys even in relatively puritan professions, let alone
pro-football. For example, trading Kellen Winslow as part of the
Browns "character cleansing" program was clearly an error. All of
that said, Moss is clearly a very troubled young man, whose personal
problems could easily create a cancer inside what appears to be a
rapidly improving Browns team.

So, there is no way Cleveland will sign Randy Moss, and that is
exactly the right strategy.

The NFL Politburo

With the Browns in an off week, the BL will start a new feature we've been thinking about from some time: The NFL Politburo, a regular feature that will explore the labor issues pending in 2011 between owners and players.

NFL owners are men who in private industry made fortunes for themselves in the free market system. However when they arrive to the NFL they morph into communists, in favor of imposing central controls and limits on the free market.

Most fans feel more anger towards the players, whom are very well paid. The Brown Log with this regular feature will dig into this issue point by point, trying to help fans understand the real villians in the pending labor issue. The problem rests firmly with the owners of today's NFL teams who wish to more deeply impose communist principles onto NFL players. Apparently NFL owners simply do not trust themselves to operate in a free market. They need rookie salary limits, salary caps and exemption from free markets. Pro football can be a brutal game in which the average player's career lasts 3 years. So please don't blame the players for fighting for the free market.

The real solution to the NFL's labor issues would be to remove anti-trust protection from the NFL and let the free market rule.

This Yahoo article does a great job of summing it up.

Here is an exerpt:

Which side is better positioned to withstand a work stoppage?

The owners, based on simple economics. In theory, they could reduce their operating expenses by 50 percent (an estimated $4.4 billion) via the elimination of player salaries and benefits and the temporary layoffs or salary reductions of various other employees. Meanwhile, thanks to the terms of the extensions to the lucrative TV deals the league has with DirecTV and several broadcast networks, the owners would continue to receive payments during a lockout – though the money would eventually have to be repaid via credits for future games. Still, that’s a serious cash-flow advantage that would, again in theory, allow the owners to realize more than 50 percent of their revenues (nearly $4 billion) and, therefore, to cover their operating expenses for an entire season if necessary. Players, meanwhile, would theoretically be much more financially stressed in the short term, and the relatively short career span of NFL players would make the prospect of missing games even more unpalatable.

Bottom line: The owners are going flaunt the free market, take advantage of their monopoly position that they have thanks to their anti trust exemption and crush the players, period. In a nation built on free market principals, it's astonishing that there is not outrage over the socialist behavior of NFL owners.

Finally, here is some insight from Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, who shared his dismay after meeting NFL commish Roger Goodell. Goodell has been brilliant as the leader of the league but in the labor issue he is stuck in the unenviable position of having to cowtow to the communists he answers to, aka the NFL Politburo....

Browns QB dilemma???

While the press debate and the Brown's coaches agonize, the BL asks,
"What QB dilemma"

Colt has played better than Delhomme by a longshot and while Seneca
Wallace has played well, Colt has made fewer mistakes.
Based on what we've seen, Colt is the best QB on the Browns right now,
start him next week.

Case closed

BL Live Blog: David Bowens

Bowens second touchdown seals the win. Nice upset win and a brilliant job by Mangini and his staff. Seely's special teams were great and Rob Ryan's D kept superbowl QB Drew Brees off balance all day long.

Great win!!!!!

BL Live Blog: Shawn Rogers

The big man is working hard

BL Live Blog: hats off to Dawson

The Browns did their best to blow the field goal chance with a 6 yard loss on the run by Bell and the 5 yard penalty by Steinbach but Dawson took care of business.

Special teams have been huge. This game is almost won now.

BL Live Blog: No wide receivers?

No problem!

Throw to the quarterback. Big time trick play and gutsy call at an absolute critical moment. Nice pass by Hillis to McCoy.

This W belongs to Mangini.

BL Live Blog: nice run but...

... don't run out of bounds please!
Hillis is rumbling at the right time

BL Live Blog: Up 10

If the Browns O cannot get a scoring drive here there's still a very big risk we lose this game.

BL Live Blog: big change

Does Mangini regret throwing the review flag? He should, the Saints had their field goal team lined up and ready. The net result of Mangini's call was it gave time to Payton to realize that another review of the possession itself would give him 4th and 1 instead of 4th and 4.

BL Live Blog: onto the fourth quarter

Up at least 14. If the offense can generate at least a few first downs it really will take the pressure off the Browns defense. In any case it will probably come down to the Browns D to win this one.

BL Live Blog: he was down....

No fumble by New Orleans. Maybe we ice the kicker though.

BL Live Blog: watching the clock

I noticed Sean Payton taking a look at the clock. It's starting to be an issue for New Orleans. 18:30 left in the game down 17 is tough.

BL Live Blog: battle of field position

The Browns are sluggish on offense so far in the second half but New Orleans continue to hurt themselves with penalties and therefore the Browns are winning the field position battle and eating clock.

BL Live Blog: Ben Watson finally grabs one

BL Live Blog: chain gang member hurt

It's not often we think about it but more than the players put themselves at risk on Sunday in the NFL. Gain gang member Al Nastaci took a very nasty blow and was immobilized and taken to the hospital. No further word at this time

Thoughts and prayers.

BL Live Blog: 1st and 35

BL Live Blog: first half

Browns D gets 3 intercepts.
Special team make 2 huge plays.

A+

Can't wait for the second half to start. Browns will have the ball. We need to avoid turnovers and work the clock on offense and keep playing fantastic Defense. If the Browns can do those two things we should be able to walk out of New Orleans with an unexpected W

BL Live Blog: yes!!!!!!!!

David Bowens intercept and TD. That is so huge, now the Browns can come out in the second half where they will start with the ball, and work the clock with runs and ball control passes.

BL Live Blog: special teams

Browns D has been great and our special teams have come up big. It's a worry that our big plays on special teams have yielded 6 points instead of 14. Could those 8 lost points end up being critical?

BL Live Blog: special teams again!

Fantastic fake punt. Brad Seely's special teams come up big again. We need 7 here!!

BL Live Blog: Mangini

I really like Coach Mangini's sideline demeanor today. He looks relaxed and determined which is a contrast to his usual nervousness. Players notice this

BL Live Blog: Cribbs was down

Nice steal by Sorensen just in case

BL Live Blog: Vickers dropped pass

Vickers gains at least 20 yards if he doesn't drop that pass on second down.

BL Live Blog: Knock knock

Who's there?
Yamon Figurs
Yamon Figurs who?
Yamon Figurs to sit on the bench the rest of the game...

BL Live Blog: Fujita intercept

Huge !!

BL Live Blog: end of Q1 Browns up 10-0

Browns used a zero man defensive line on the last two plays vs the Saints albeit two linebackers in two point stances lined up where the ends normally line up in three point stances.

BL Live Blog: Matt Roth

Roth is playing his heart out on D

BL Live Blog: Carlton Mitchell

Rookie and Brown Log favourite Carlton Mitchell is in uniform today and has gotten a rep at WR on O. We are hoping Mitchell steps up and makes a big play. Browns really need someone to step up at wide receiver if we are going to have a successful season.

BL Live Blog: touchdown!!

Who says Colt McCoy cannot throw long? Nice long pass to Cribbs which draws a pass interference call sets up Hillis TD. Browns up 10-0.

Browns look more prepared than the Saints.

BL Live Blog: 1 man line

1 man defensive line used by Ryan on third down vs the Saints offense. It worked but Ryan better hope the Saints don't go no huddle the next time they face that formation.

BL Live Blog: 3 points....

3 points after a big 69 yard punt return on a wonderful trick play is a bit disappointing. Something is better than nothing but a TD would've given the Browns a huge emotional lift. That said I liked Colt's poise in not forcing plays in the red zone. The Saints tried to put him under pressure and force a mistake. Give Colt credit, he made good choices.

BL Live Blog: trick play

Browns coaches must have seen something in game films. Nice big play. Let's see if Colt can get the TD

BL Predicts: Week Seven vs. the Saints

Once again, an easy game to predict as the Browns more or less have every factor possible working against them this Sunday in New Orleans. Despite serious limitations at the wide receiver position, in the defensive backfield and a lack of depth on the defensive line, the team is playing together and the coaches, in particular Rob Ryan, continue to come up with tactics that opponents have trouble with. This week, the best we can hope for is another good showing that comes up just short of the W.


BL Predicts:

New Orleans Saints 23
Cleveland Browns 10

The Brown Log's season record now stands at 3-3

Miami of Ohio: The Cradle of Coaches

From an interview this week with New Orleans Coach Sean Payton talking about Miami University in Ohio. It should be a well known fact that Miami of Ohio not only produced the infamous Super Bowl QB Ben Roethlisberger, but also many excellent coaches including Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler.

Question: With Mike Shanahan coming back, Eastern Illinois now has three head coaches. Eric Mangini’s alma mater has only two. Has Eastern Illinois supplanted Wesleyan as the intellectual center of the football universe?

Payton: “We have a lot of Miami of Ohio coaches here who claim that’s still the cradle of coaching. I think more than anything else there’s some coincidence to it. If Mike Heimerdinger were to get going here he’d be the fourth head coach from Eastern. We pull for him at Tennessee. That was good learning grounds for all of us that went there and had a chance to play there and certainly advance our careers. I’m not too familiar with Wesleyan.”

Tackling: Old era vs new era

OLD NFL HIGHLIGHTS: The tackles in this film are all clean


MODERN ERA NFL HIGHLIGHTS: The tackles in this video are almost all of the "blow-up" variety, many are direct hits to the head. Beyond safety, head hits actually make a defenders job easier because when you take a head out, you effectively cut the legs out of a powerful opponent. A head hit often causes an offensive player to completely lose his bearing. That is not football, it's cheating.

Head hits are not just part of the game: Darryl Stingley

Tackling someone at head level is illegal for one reason that goes well beyond safety. It's not football. Football is about the confrontation of athletes, at the top of their abilities, and may the best men win. When you get hit in the head, all of your determination and concentration on advancing that ball and winning that play, are instantly sapped out of your body. In a flash, every ounze of your energy transforms from trying to win a football game to preserving the safety of your head and neck. I played two years of organized football when I was a teenager. I was small, not a great player, but I knew how to play the game. I can attest, it's a hell of a scary moment when somebody takes your head out. You can be the better of the two men on the field confronting each other but if your opponent tackles or hits your head, you are going down, period, end of conversation.

For a closer look at a famous head shot, watch this video of the most infamous and saddest head hit in NFL history. One hit to the head of Daryl Stingley deprived him for life of the use of his limbs and contributed to his premature death at age 55.

Vince Lombardi Teaches Football

Coach Mangini

This blog is one of many that has had a hard time accepting Coach Mangini. We've taken more than our share of shots at him. Paradoxically, yesterday left me feeling that perhaps Mangini will prove us wrong.

What is there to like from yesterday:

- His team never gave up.

- His staff had the courage to put the safety of key players like Cribbs and Massaquoi, above one game.

- Colt McCoy was prepared for a very tough game.

- The Browns have competed every game this season.

Don't get us wrong, we are likely going to slam Mangini again, but notwithstanding the loss yesterday, it appears that Mangini and his team are maturing.

comments from the NFL on helmet hits

Here is an article from Yahoo on yesterday's disgraceful helmet hits

an excerpt:

“I hadn’t heard that, but obviously suspensions would be a much bigger deal than fining guys,” said Colts center Jeff Saturday(notes), the team’s player representative. “I guess I don’t know what Goodell is going to say constitutes a suspension or not, but if guys are head-hunting out there to knock a guy out of the game, that’s the only way to take care of it.”

The Eagles’ DeSean Jackson(notes) and the Falcons’ Dunta Robinson(notes) were knocked out of their game Sunday after a frightening collision in which Robinson launched himself headfirst, while Steelers linebacker James Harrison(notes) sidelined two Browns players with head injuries after jarring hits.

Anderson wouldn’t speculate on how any players would be punished for hits from Sunday’s games.

“The fundamentally old way of wrapping up and tackling seems to have faded away,” he said. “A lot of the increase is from hits to blow guys up. That has become a more popular way of doing it. Yes, we are concerned they are getting away from the fundamentals of tackling, and maybe it has been coached that way. We’re going to have to look into talking to our coaches.”

Is the NFL going to protect players from head injuries or not?

Conrad Dobler, a guard for the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1970's was openly and proudly a dirty player. It's taken years for somebody to surpass him but yesterday the mantle was passed. Pittsburgh Steeler's linebacker James Harrison is the dirtiest player the NFL has seen in decades.

Harrison used his helmet as a battering ram against the Browns Sunday. His blows to the head of Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi resulted in head injuries to both players. Without any doubt Massaquoi was in a vulnerable position and a flag should have been thrown. While by definition, Cribbs as a runner was not a vulnerable player, the blow to Cribbs head was a much dirtier play. The Massaquoi hit took place at full speed and a reasonable person could believe the helmet to helmet blow was accidental. Cribbs on the other hand was practically stopped, and it appears Harrison simply teed him up and hit him with intent to maim. Why wasn't unnecessary roughness flagged??

In the end, Harrison was Pittsburgh's most valuable player yesterday and the NFL refs were his partners in crime. Harrison helped the Steelers immensely by knocking Cribbs out of the game.

Unbelievable. The Brown Log has been consistent on this issue, being critical of TJ Ward on a much lesser violation in which he used his shoulder in a hit on a vulnerable receiver. In Harrison's case, there are no excuses. The zebras didn't bother to throw the flag even once.

On the down side....

The Browns have absolutely no outside receivers capable of playing in the National Football League. It's now apparent that Browns opponents can concentrate their efforts on stopping the Browns running game and short passes and that places limits on what the Browns offense can achieve.

What is particularly discouraging about this is that the Browns, in spite of having made real improvements to the team this year, are very likely to finish with a worse record in 2010 than the disaster of a season they had in 2009. We will have to hope that the 2011 draft will yield a top flight playmaker at wide receiver and that he can hit the ground running otherwise it might be 2012 or 2013 before we have a competitive team.

.......all this of course, if the 2011 season is not destroyed by a work stoppage.

Another defeat but all is not lost

...but there were a few positives today:

- Colt McCoy looked good, throwing for 281 yards. One of his two intercepts could have been caught.

- The Browns defense almost managed to keep the Steelers and a rusty Ben Roethelisberger under control. But Big Ben got his bearings in the second half and managed to exploit openings in the Browns pass D.

- Inspite of the fact that gamer Josh Cribbs fought to continue playing, the Browns were smart enough to sit him after he suffered a nasty concussion. The team should be applauded for this.

- The Brown Log almost exactly nailed the final score, missing by 3 total points. Our prediction was Steelers 26, Browns 9 and the final was Steelers 28, Browns 10.


the Browns are now 1-5 on the season and our next loss will be on the road next Sunday against defending Super Bowl champions New Orleans.

BL Live Blog

Punter Reggie Hodges is the Browns MVP today. Down 14-3 good punts won't help any longer

BL LiveBlog

I thought Colt looked good in the first half. Calm and much improved since the preseason. We are still in this game

BL Live Blog: the NFL chess game

First time all year I've seen the Browns make a major first half adjustment. By putting a receiver in motion, faking an end around, the Browns opened holes for Hillis. They clearly noted a Steelers key and threw a wrench into it. Love it!

BL Live Blog: Cribbs

An illegal helmet to helmet hit on Cribbs

BL Live blog: 0 man defensive line

Twice on passing downs the Browns have used no down lineman.

BL Live Blog

Great play by Haden!
Playmakers win games and that was a great intercept and return

BL Live blog

Coly looked great on the 18 yard pass to Moore.
He looked like a rookie on the sack.
The intercept was actually a beautiful pass that the receiver didn't catch.
Good start.

BL Predicts: Week Six vs. the Steelers

There is no rational reason to choose anyone other than Pittsburgh to win this Sunday.
It's likely Colt's NFL debut, so the Browns go with a rookie QB going against Big Ben in his grand return.
We are on the road and have nowhere near the depth the Steelers.

Looks like a long day is in store.

BL Predicts

Steelers 26
Browns 9


BL is 2-3 so far this year, which is better than the Brownies at 1-4. We should get back to .500 this week

Think positive

Year to date, the Browns have faced the second toughest schedule in the NFL. Their opponents have a record of 16-7.

The Colt Era

Nobody imagined the Browns would be 1-4 after 5 games and that Colt McCoy would be a starter by game 6 vs the Steelers. In all likelihood Colt will answer the call this Sinday (Roethlisberger returns for the Steelers, hence 'Sin'day). Let's hope it's the beginning of the Colt era, and not yet another false start.

BL Predicts: Week Five vs. the Falcons

Sometimes it's useless to think too much. The fact is that the Browns have almost always kicked the Falcons asses (Browns are 10-2 lifetime vs the Falcons) and this years matchup will be played at home.

BL Predicts

Browns 27
Falcons 21

BL year to date prediction record 2-2

TJ Ward's hit on Shipley

There has already been plenty of discussion about the blow to the head of Bengal's wideout Jordan Shipley delivered by Cleveland's T J Ward this past Sunday. Some people say it was a good hit and some folks disagree. I've been following NFL football, and more specifically, Ohio football at all levels, for well over 30 years and I think that historical perspective is a must to form a correct conclusion on what constitutes a good tackle and more importantly, how to encourage a game that is both entertaining and not unnecessarily creating physical risk for it's players.

Once upon a time, the tackling skills practiced by players at all levels were the very sound techniques that Vince Lombardi surely taught. Get your body in position, arms ready, head up, put your shoulder into the ball carrier roughly at belt level, wrap him up and drive him down. When I think back to when this started to change, Ohio State's Jack Tatum comes to mind as the first defensive back who consciously tried to make more intimidating tackles, using body leverage and speed to deliver a shoulder level blow to a vulnerable receiver. The result is often spectacular and today this very "unfundamental" tackling method is commonplace in the NFL. This style of tacking is also extraordinarily dangerous. A tackler looking to deliver a showtime tackle at shoulder level to an offensive player running at full speed, instead often ends up delivering a blow to the vulnerable player's head. One only need recall the name Darryl Stingley to remember what can happen when this all goes wrong. I think it's clear that the NFL looked the other way on this issue for 30 years, frankly speaking, because this style of hitting puts fans in the seats.

However, over time, as more data have become available about the long term health impact of head injuries, the NFL has had to face this issue. Too many people are getting hurt because the game was not being played safely. The new rules that protect vulnerable players are absolutely necessary. Football is by it's nature a violent game that carries a certain amount of physical risk. It is however unacceptable to deliver violent high speed blows to the head of vulnerable players. Obviously the game is played a very high speed and these kinds of hits can never be completely eliminated. The new rules will however assure that football players use more fundamental tackling methods in the heat of battle, and that will surely reduce concussions and neck injuries.

I think the world of T J Ward as a safety, and an aggresive intimidator on a defense is a must for a winning team, but his hit on Jordan Shipley was wrong, and I expect that the NFL should and will fine him. The great game of football doesn't need it's players to risk being maimed to be great.

BL Live Blog: Browns save Mangini's job

Nice win! The BL is glad to be wrong this week.

Hillis was major as was Fujita's FG block.

Finally, Browns win!!

BL Live Blog: Bengals have momentum

Once again, running the ball to eat clock is almost always a mistake.
The Browns O now risks to be out of sync in a critical moment. They
need to move the ball on this drive and score if they are going to win
this game.

BL Live Blog: TJ Ward's blow to Shipley's head

This hit was not a penalty in the past however I fully agree with the
new rules that protect vulnerable players from blows to the head.

BL live Blog: eat clock in the 3rd quarter with a 10 point lead?

who wants to bet that the Browns are going to eat clock the rest of
the game??

BL Live Blog: The NFL Poker game

I thought the Bengals had a very interesting reaction to the Browns
going with their 2 man defensive line. The Bengals immediately went
to a no-huddle offense, forcing the Browns to use the 2 man line for
the next few plays, most of them situations in which the 2 man line
was not suitable and the Bengals did move the ball.

The gimmick didn't work on that drive. but still I love how Ryan works
to put the opposing team off balance.

BL Live Blog: Peyton Hillis has done some damage

I am re-reading Jerry Kramer's classic book Instant Replay. The
Green Bay Packers roster in 1967 is listed and most lineman weighed
250 or so pounds. Peyton Hillis weighs 250 pounds. Today's
defensive backs like to make very aggresive "highlight film" tackles
and it's been fun to watch them bounce off of Hillis today. You
cannot tackle a 250 man with this showtime crap, ask Roy Williams.

BL Live Blog: Just keep running it!!

BL Live Blog: Massaquoi CAUGHT A PASS!!!!!

BL Live Blog: 7 Browns blitz, one Bengal scores........

The Bengals connected deep with Owens on a play where the Browns had 7
men rushing the passer exposing Brown to one on one coverage and Owens
burned him

BL Live Blog: Bengals blitzing

Bengals D is blitzing more frequently and the Browns O cannot handle
it right now. Need to adjust, especially Hillis needs to stay aware,
he blew 2 blitz pick ups on that possession

BL Live Blog

Wright gets burned for a long one by Owens on this drive but salvages
something at the end by batting down a pass that could have been a
touchdown.

BL Live Blog: Beautiful throw on the TD by Wallace

BL Live Blog: Ben Watson blocking

on first and 5, on an off tackle run by Hillis, Ben Watson destroyed
his man, blocking him 5 yards off the play.
nicest block I've seen by a TE in ages.

BL Live Blog

Don't the Browns have access to TV? Watson dropped that ball, anybody
can see that. Why waste a challenge???

BL Live Blog

Corner blitz causes the Bensen fumble. Browns need a break and get one.

BL live blog: Zone blitz ineffective

Browns D is zone blitzing on every play and Carson Palmer is managing
it beautifully

Kosar on the Brown's wide receivers

Bernie Kosar sounds off in this linked article, about the Browns main problem, their wideouts.

Here is a key snippet from the article:

"Of all the guys, Josh [Cribbs] is probably doing the best job at receiver," said Kosar. "He is making a lot of progress. He's using his hands to get open. He doesn't get shoved off his routes."
What is happening to the offense in the second half?
"I don't think it's so much our lack of adjustments," said Kosar. "Eric [Mangini] and his staff are starting games with some really good schemes. The other teams adjust to us, and then it comes down to talent -- man-on-man. You can't out-scheme the other team for the entire game."

BL Predicts: Week Four vs the Bengals

Predicting NFL games is a mechanical exercise. Each week we consider and add up the following factors:

- the home team wins 57% of the games in the NFL, that's worth about 3 points

- compare the talent of the team's healthy players and their ability to play and execute the game as a team.

- Look for emotional factors that might give advantage to one team or the other.

Week 4 against Cincinnati stacks up as follows

- Browns are at home so they start with 3 points in the bag
- The Bengals are a balanced and talented team, capable of executing well at each position. The Browns have no talent at WR, a weak right side of the offensive line, a good TE, good QB's and average running backs. On D, the Browns appear highly motivated behind the creative leadership of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, albeit the Browns lack depth and talent on the defensive line. On talent let's give the Bengals a 7 point advantage on the Brownies.
- Emotionally, there is a bad sign for Cleveland. This week, Running back Jerome Harrison publicly expressed displeasure with Coach Mangini. A veteran player like Harrison won't normally openly rebel against the coach unless other players on the team share his opinion. Harrison's complaint may indeed be indicative of internal dissension in the Browns clubhouse. So far the Browns have played well in 2010 every game, right up until the moment that they have a gut check, and then they fall apart. Teams have a collective character, and the Browns offensive character is, well, offensive. Gauging this factor is very difficult and that's why not too many people get rich betting on NFL games. The best we can do is look at the clues and this week it looks gloomy. In football more than any sport, one man can lift an entire team out of the abyss with great effort, but the Browns only playmaker is Josh Cribbs and so far this season teams are doing everything they can to assure that Cribbs doesn't have the opportunity to lift the Browns spirits. Give the Bengals another 5 points for the emotional edge factor.

I hate to say it, but all signs point to an 0-4 start for the Browns. Once again I hope we are wrong.......

BL Predicts:
Bengals 21
Browns 12

Recap: Another Sunday, another loss

Coach Mangini had nobody to blame but himself for Sunday's loss vs the Ravens. The Browns did not turn over the ball the entire game, no interceptions, no fumbles.

We lost anyways.

BL predicts: Week Three vs Baltimore

The Brown Log have two predictions this week:

- First prediction is that if the Browns arrive to 0-4, Holmgren will fire Mangini and replace him with Rob Ryan

- Second prediction is relative to this Sunday's matchup at Baltimore. Ryan's defense is coming together as a group. TJ Ward gets better every week and Ryan always has a variation up his sleeve that forces opponents to make adjustments.

On the other side of the ball however, our offense will have to face the Ravens who have yet to give up a touchdown all season. Seneca Wallace will likely once again take the reigns but the Browns simply don't have any playmakers that can step up and help Wallace move the ball. Frustratingly, Mangini puts Josh Cribbs on the field with the offense about 5 plays per game while our regular wideouts simply are unable to get open. It's hard to imagine fumble prone Peyton Hillis doing much, while Jerome Harrison is fighting an injury.

I think both teams will struggle to score, but the Ravens in the end, should get past the Browns. The bad news with a loss would be a horrible 0-3 start, the good news would be that we would be one step closer to ending the Mangini era in Cleveland.

In any case, here's hoping Rob Ryan's crew dominate the Ravens and our Browns sneak out of Baltimore with a W.

BL Predicts

Ravens 19
Browns 13

2011 NFL Draft Preview

Since the 2010 season is already nearly over, as loyal Browns fans, it's time to put our concentration onto the 2011 season.
click on this link to review a list of the top draft prospects in the upcoming 2011 NFL draft. Though our Browns really need to shore up the receiver position, it might be very hard to resist taking Ohio State defensive end Cameron Heyward with that number 1 pick as Heyward is rated by most scouts as the best prospect in the draft.

BL Live Blog: 0-2

-Is it time for Mike Holmgren take a realistic look at Mangini before we
end up 0-16? Mangini's personnel and tactical decisions are wide
open for attack but I think the thing that disturbs me most is his
body language on the sidelines during the game. Players absolutely
take a cue from the head coach and Mangini's body language tells the
tale of the season for the Browns. When something bad happened to
Bill Cowher, he immediately started working on remotivating the
players. With Mangini, one look at him and you would think the world
had just ended. Football is an emotional game, a teams leader needs
to understand that.

BL Live Blog: 3:41 left, it's money time

Brilliant play by Marcus Bernard to tip that pass

Let's see if Wallace can lead us to a win

BL Live Blog

chiefs have a chance to eat clock.........

BL Live Blog: Here we go again?

16-14 Chiefs...................
Can the Browns O move the ball in the 11th hour?

BL Live Blog: 4th quarter = character

Will the Browns show character and hold their lead or will they fold
again in week 2?

The entire season may ride on the answer to that question. 87% of
teams that start the season 0-2 do not make the playoffs.

BL Live Blog: Second half blues?

The Browns played an awful second half last week, as the Bucs adjusted
at halftime. Will this week be a repeat?
On D, the opening drive, KC marched right down field. However one
thing I like about Ryan's D, is that in key moments, the defensive
players make good reads. On the 3rd and goal, the Browns D had 11
players running to the ball. It's clear that as the season
progresses this group will get better.

BL Live Blog: Great heads up play by NT Rubin

Nice tip by Roth leading to the intercept

BL Live Blog: Touchdown!

Two important things to note on the TD

- Unlike Delhomme last week, Seneca Wallace did not let the
interception drain his confidence.

- Eric Berry bit hard on the play action, leaving Cribbs in single
coverage.

BL Live Blog: First bad decision by Wallace

Seneca Wallace makes his first bad decision this game and like
Delhomme's bad decision last week, the Browns pay dearly.

BL Live Blog: Browns 98 yard TD drive

The run game comes alive and Seneca Wallace shows judgement all drive
long.

Well done!

BL Live Blog: TJ Ward

If you want to have some fun watching the Browns, something that is
not easy to do so far today, focus on number 43, TJ Ward, on defense

This guy clearly understands the game, makes fast reads and moves to
the ball without hestitation. It is also clear he is having fun out
there

BL Live Blog: Why do the Browns keep throwing deep?

The Browns keep throwing deep because the Chiefs are daring them to.
Single coverage.

So far, the Chiefs look smart

BL Live Blog: Ughh...

It's ugly so far, the Browns can't run or pass.
Chiefs are ignoring our outside receivers

BL predicts: Week Two vs Kansas City

The home team wins 57% of all games in the NFL and last week the Brown Log wrestled with whether or not to pick the Browns to win on the road. In the end, optimism won me over and I made a bad choice. Cold water in the face!

This week we are faced with a similar dilemma. With the luster of a wonderful but meaningless preseason having worn off in 30 ugly minutes of football in Tampa Bay, the Brown Log pendulum has swung from glorious optimism to total pessimism.

What was most scary in the Browns first game were the following:

-The deer in the headlights look on Jake Delhomme's face after his first interception. Delhomme looked like every ounze of self confidence just flushed out of his face.

-The inability of the Brown's outside receivers to do much of anything. As Rich Gannon pointed out on the broadcast Sunday, even the long TD pass to Mohamed Massaquoi was effectively a blown play by Tampa's Free Safety, who had read the play perfectly and took a bad angle to the ball. I really doubt with Eric Berry roaming the secondary for KC that the Browns will be able to bust anything deep on the Chiefs.

-Peyton Hillis has a very serious case of fumble-itis, and if he cannot hold onto the ball, he really has no value to the Browns (although I bet he is a fine human being)

-The Browns did well in the first half but they kept Tampa off balance mainly by confusing the Bucs with tricks. We threw a bunch of knuckleballs at Tampa. 2 man or 1 man defensive lines and zone blitzes from every angle, Wildcat offense a few times, Seneca Wallace and Josh Cribbs on the field at the same time for a play or two. But in the second half Tampa adjusted and the Browns were unable to do anything. By the end of the game the Browns D was back to a standard 3 man line most of the time and the Wildcat disppeared as Mangini hoped to drain the clock and hold onto his 4 point lead.

With Delhomme out this week, Seneca Wallace might give the Browns a charge, but do look for KC to really stack the line of scrimmage up with 8 men in the box. It could be a long day for our Brownies.

The only factors that cause me to think twice are the fact that KC played on Monday Night last week and so they have a day less rest than the Browns plus we are playing at home after all......

I hope I am wrong this week but I think it will be a very long day for Cleveland

BL Predicts

KC 24
Cleveland 12

Spalding!

During preseason, Josh Cribbs said he was eager to "shock the world" with the Cleveland Browns exciting new offense. In the words of Judge Smails, "Wellll. We're waiting". How did the Browns "O" look today. "Right in the lumberyard Danny".

One game into the season and the Browns are in crisis

Bottom line is that we would have won the game if Jake Delhomme doesn't make one incredibly stupid pass at the end of the first half. Delhomme didn't play like a veteran when the pressure was on.

That said, other hall of shame moments include

- Mangini's bad decision not to call time late in the 4th quarter on 4th and 3, which led to confusion and a penalty.
- Peyton Hillis fumbling in the red zone
- Mangini leaving an obviously injured Delhomme in the game in the 2nd half
- The right side of the Browns line couldn't handle Gerald McCoy

No reason to be 0-1, but 0-1 we are.......................

BL live blog: Peyton Hillis fumbles........

if the Browns lose this game it will because we gave it away on
turnovers...

there is a reason perhaps why Denver gave up on Peyton Hillis. 2
fumbles so far

BL live blog: so much for veteran experience

Big turnaround at the end of the half.

The first time all game Delhomme forces a play and the Browns pay
dearly. Bucs get the ball to start the second half.

BL live blog: 1 man defensive line

The Browns show the 1 man defensive line again on the play that the
Bucs completed for 23 years to Winslow.

In general the Bucs look unprepared for the Browns and the Browns look
quite prepared. The only time the Bucs move the ball is when Freeman
uses his extraordinary athletic ability. Also sooner or later Tampa might figure out that they should be able to run against a 1 or 2 man line

BL live blog: 2-5-4 formation

At various times in the current Bucs drive, the Browns have used a
2-5-4 formation on defense.
They put two linebackers over the offensive left tackle in a 2 point
stance, leaving the tackle to have to guess who will blitz and who
might drop back. All of the 5 Browns defenders in two point stances were in fact linebackers, not just defensive lineman in a 2 point stance.
The 2 down lineman approach hasn't seemed to cause major problems for
Tampa.

BL live blog: 1-6-4 Formation

I was joking the other day when I said the Browns would use a 1-6-4
formation on defense against Tampa. Well in Q1 on defense, the Browns
have lined up one time, on 3rd and long, with only Shaun Rogers in as
a defensive lineman and 5 linebackers behind him (1-5-5 formation)

Marcus Benard positioned himself where the defensive end might normally be, but in a 2 point stance

It worked too. Freeman had no idea what to do...

Bring on Tampa Bay!!

Why, you ask, is the Brown Log optimistic about the 2010 season? While we don't see the Browns getting into the playoffs this year, a team that competes every Sunday, and 7 or 8 wins are well within reach. Such a major step forward would be great compared to the humiliation we had to endure last year.

It is true that Coach Mangini is still learning and hopefully growing as a head coach, but the jury is still out as to whether or not Mangini can lead a team to a Super Bowl win, so, why all the optimism?? There is one major reason, Mike Holmgren. In contrast to last year, what our Browns do have now is steady leadership at the top. Holmgren's first major move was the signing of Jake Delhomme, and this move should be the key to our turnaround. The quarterback is the key to a team's offensive success in the NFL. A successful QB understands what the opponent's defense is trying to do, and is able to make the right decisions, play after play. By moving the ball, avoiding turnovers, grinding down the clock and scoring some points, the QB controls the pace and outcome. It was clear all preseason long that the Browns are in good hands with Jake Delhomme and that should make a huge difference this year, especially if "Coach" can stay out of the way.

"My own belief is this team needs an aging veteran," Mike Holmgren told reporters earlier this year with reference to Delhomme. "They need a guy who's going to grab everybody by the throat and say, 'Follow me through that door.' That's what we need."

Reinders saga comes to an end

Regulars to this blog know that that one of the Brown Log's pet peeves is how much importance NFL scouts place on size and speed and how little they seem to care about whether or not somebody knows how to play the game of football.

That stated, even the Brown Log got caught up in the football potential of Joel Reinders. At 6'8" and over 300 pounds, with wonderful athletic ability, it was easy to imagine Reinders dominating the gridiron for years to come.

There was only one small problem along the way that causes optimism and dreams to crash head on with reality. Reinders simply had very few football skills. I myself was surprised that in the end, the Browns decided that Reinders wasn't even worth one years investment on the taxi squad. That means his skills are so scarce, that the team felt Reinders would never come around. Too bad really, but it goes to show that a track meet and a football game are two radically different events.

Look for Reinders to try to catch on in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts, but honestly, don't look for him to play much. The CFL is major league football, no doubt, and Reinders will need years to develop the football skills needed to make it professionally.

BL Intel: week 1

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-10 against the spread in their last 11 home games. Right now they are "GIVING" 2.5 points to the Browns tomorrow! The Vegas spread is dropping, probably because so many folks are taking the Browns.

Revenge?

Watch for Kellen Winslow, one of the first "character cleansings" done by Coach Mangini, to be out to show Cleveland that they made a mistake by trading him to Tampa Bay. Furthermore, the Browns have had trouble covering tight ends all pre-season.

Breaking news: Mangini to reveal 1-6-4 defensive scheme vs Tampa

Eric Mangini, who protected 11, yes that's 11 Linebackers on his 45 man active roster, announced today that the Browns will line up in a 1-6-4 defensive formation to start the game against the Bucs this Sunday.

Coach Mangini was quoted as saying that a 270 pound linebacker is almost as big as a 310 pound defensive end and almost as little as a 220 pound defensive back. Therefore why bother to collect anything other than linebackers. Rumor is that if the 1-6-4 works out, Mangini eventually plans to unleash the 0-11-0 defensive scheme.

Go Browns!

BL Predicts: Week One vs Tampa Bay

Playing on the road in the NFL is NEVER easy, I don't care who you line up against. That stated, this Sunday's opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be struggling with inexperience and lack of depth.

The Browns defense must pressure young Tampa QB Josh Freeman, something they've struggled with all pre-season. My guess is we will see the Browns aggresively blitzing in the right moments and Tampa will be hard pressed to protect Freeman.

The Browns should be able to execute against Tampa's D which will likely pay less attention to the Browns inexperienced and unproven wideouts, loading the middle of the field to stop the run and short passing game of Delhomme. Our bet is Delhomme will be able to find spots in the short passing game and move the ball.

An early key to get an idea of how Tampa will fare can be had by keeping a close eye on Buccaneers new defensive linemen, first round pick Gerard McCoy and second round pick Brian Price (both are pictured below). If McCoy and Price are disruptive the Browns will have trouble running and passing upfield and that would spell big trouble and a long day for the Browns.

Game keys
- Pressuring the QB: Slight edge to Tampa Bay
- QB decision making: Strong edge to the Browns


BL Predicts: Browns 23 Tampa Bay 17

Did Brandon McDonald Tweet himself out of a job?

Well, the Browns cut down their roster over the weekend and indeed there were some surprises, the biggest of which was the cutting of Brandon McDonald, an experienced cornerback, who was immediately picked up by Arizona.

Was McDonald punished by Eric Mangini for his offensive tweet about Terrell Owens? At the time, Mangini made no secret of his disgust about the tweet, and since McDonald is more than talented enough to contribute to the Browns success... it would seem to be the case that Mangini continues his use of "cultural cleansing" as a key criteria in selecting players to fill out his roster.

The Brown Log remains unconvinced that Eric Mangini can achieve success where Ted Stepien didn't. A football team has to be made up of 53 of the best football players you can find. Watering down the secondary because a young man has fun on Twitter is pretty damn stupid if you ask me.

time will tell....

Browns wrap up preseason

Yesterdays final tuneup against the Bears generally went well and we have now arrived to the end of a preseason that gave us much to be optimistic about.
Roster cut down time is now upon us. Here is a good article from the Canton Repository's Josh Weir summing up the key roster decisions to be taken by the Browns within this Saturday. One interesting aside is Joel Reinders who has rarely played this pre-season and clearly is not ready for the NFL. The article mentions that Reinders will likely make the taxi squad so the Browns appear to be impressed enough with Reinders athletic skills to invest one year in seeing if his potential can be transformed into playing ability

Here are some roster decisions impacted by the final exhibition game:

Plus
- Colt McCoy was a perfect 13 for 13 passing. Colt has certainly made the active roster as 3rd string QB. Here is hoping that Brett Ratliff does not get cut. He too is an NFL caliber quarterback and it would be a shame to lose him. Perhaps the Browns put Ratliff on the taxi squad instead of cutting him.


- Carlton Mitchell showed enough skills that he might just make the active roster instead of the taxi squad or getting cut

Minus
- Montario Hardesty left the stadium on crutches. That will likely mean a season long trip to the disabled list for Hardesty which saves the roster spot of James Davis.

Ohio's Football culture: Go Bucks!

Well worth watching. In Ohio, football is a secular religion.

Browns history: Dolphins 1985 playoffs

In Browns folklore, this playoff loss does not rank with the most heartbreaking, however the game truly was a sign of things to come under Marty Schottenheimer. With a 21-3 lead and 11 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, Marty choose to try to run the clock out against Dan Marino. In effect, he played into Don Shula's hands who dared Marty to pass the rest of the game. With a young Bernie at the controls, a few first down passes might have locked this one up for the Browns but Marty had to play it by the book right up to the bitter end. There is no doubt that during the regular season, Marty's obsession with playing the percentages was in fact the smart approach. But come playoff time, you simply gotta roll the dice sometimes. It turned Schottenheimer's stomach to take risks, even in the playoffs, and the price paid was that during the prime of Kosar's career, the Browns never made it to the Super Bowl. If we had to label this game for it's infamy, the best title I can come up with is "foreshadowing the drive" because it was the same fear of winning the following year, that led Marty to play bend but not break when we had Elway pinned at the 3 yard line with 5 minutes left.

One more pre-season game and then its primetime

with one game to go in the preseason, it's clear that there is much to be pleased about with our Browns. Fundamentally, our first team offense has had no trouble all pre-season moving the ball. That is a strong contrast to last year's regular season in which the Browns offense was non-existent. Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are a major upgrade over Quinn and Anderson. So scoring doesn't look to be an issue.

Where we do have a major problem, as this article from the Lorain Journal aptly points out, is on the defensive line. A couple of stats that will scare anyone. So far this pre-season there have been 96 passes thrown against the Browns and we've managed to sack the QB one time. Worse, the starting QBs of Green Bay, St Louis and Detroit completed a whopping 83% of their passes thrown.

Houston we have a problem.

If Shaun Rogers ever returns that will help but for the moment, nobody has a clue as to when that will be. On the plus side on D, our defensive backs have been great. Ward and Haden are a major talent upgrade and will contribute this year in a big way.

Other observations from the Lions game. Colt McCoy certainly firmed up his status as the number 3 QB with a decent showing, though he still struggled to move the team when a score was needed and the pressure was on. In any case, he also showed some flashes of his potential. He made the team Saturday and like most young QB's he simply needs time to develop.

Epic Football Fail

One year ago and we might have thought that Eric Mangini drew this play up!