8AM meeting tomorrow for players

Jason Pinkston tweeted that there will be an 8AM meeting tomorrow for players.  Very likely this will be the first in a day long series of meetings that lead to the press conference announcing that Pat Shurmur and Tom Heckert have been dismissed.

BL Predicts: Week 16 vs Steelers

The Browns are on the road against a bitter rival, playing for a lame duck coach who is 100% certain to be fired next week.  Furthermore, our Browns have been hit by a rash of injuries at defensive back that mean we'll have to watch another afternoon of Buster Skrine getting lit up.   The injuries don't end there however.  Brandon Weeden is almost certainly out and Colt McCoy if he plays has already missed one day of reps with the first team because his shoulder is sore.   Finally, Trent Richardson's ankle injury looked very bad last Sunday.  Luckily it's a severe strain and Richardson wants 1000 yards badly so he may just suck it up and play but as a Browns fan, I'd hope that Richardson is ruled out.  We need him healthy in the off season so he can be ready to step it up a level in 2013.

The only interesting element is that Thad Lewis, our third string QB, may play and he has an interesting skill set including the ability to run the ball.  If Lewis plays he may indeed turn a few third downs that the Browns have failed on all year.   But it won't be enough.  The Steelers D will confuse and generally contain Lewis (or Colt for that matter) and the Browns will surely take it on the chin this Sunday.

BL Predicts:

Steelers       27
Browns       10


The Browns are 9-6 year to date in predicting the outcome of our Browns games.

The problem with Brandon Weeden: Field vision

Brandon Weeden has a cannon, no doubt about it.  His arm is so good that at the college level he could often simply wait until one of his NFL quality wideouts were wide open and that howitzer of his could rocket the ball into their awaiting arms.  In today's NFL a QB cannot survive on arm strength alone, even extraordinary arm strength.   It also takes vision, judgement and accuracy in traffic.  Watch Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers if you want to see an NFL quarterback who regularly threads the needle.

Statistical analysis bear this out.  Compare Weeden to Rodgers and other top QB's passing stats based on field position and it bears out that Weeden doesn't see the field well.   In particular in the red zone, defenses get tight and field vision becomes critical:

BRANDON WEEDEN PASSING BY FIELD POSITION:

AARON RODGERS PASSING BY FIELD POSITION:

RGIII PASSING BY FIELD POSITION:

RYAN TANNEHILL'S PASSING BY FIELD POSITION:

ANDREW LUCK PASSING BY FIELD POSITION:

RUSSELL WILSON PASSING BY FIELD POSITION:

KIRK COUSINS' PASSING BY FIELD POSITION (just for fun):

Brandon Weeden has completed only 41.3% of his passes in the red zone while Aaron Rodgers heads that group at 63.2%.  Ryan Tannehill and Andrew Luck are both under 50% but still significantly better than Weeden.  Furthermore, Luck has 14 TD passes in the red zone and Tannehill has 8 compared to 5 touchdown tosses in the red zone for Weeden.

In their recent game vs the Redskins, Weeden showed his lack of vision on several key plays, one of which the BL will dissect:  the interception thrown to Redskins LB London Fletcher.

Step 1 - Weeden in the photo below is visibly locked in on Greg Little (bottom left) and decides he will throw to Little.  Redskin's linebacker London Fletcher (#59 near the 30 yard line) is watching Weeden's eyes.  Weeden clearly does not have Fletcher in his field of vision in spite of Fletcher being in the area the ball will go to.

Step 2:  Weeden, still blind to the position of Fletcher, pulls the trigger and starts into his throwing motion.  Fletcher who continues to be 100% focused on Weeden's eyes, starts to react and reposition himself into the line of fire.

Step 3:  Weeden launches the pass and Fletcher, accelerates his adjustment to the ball which is now in the air.

Step 4:  Fletcher moves to the path of the ball and makes the interception.   This critical interception is the last nail in the coffin for the Browns as the Redskins and their backup rookie QB Kirk Cousins, march downfield for another score.

There is more to playing QB than simply having a rifle arm.  A quarterback also needs vision and a sense of the game.  Weeden, who has already failed in one sport as a professional, may have all the physical tools needed, but so far he has shown himself to be incapable of seeing the field in a way that allows him to exercise consistently sound judgement and execute with precision.  In particular in these last few games Weeden has been playing it safe, not making a throw unless a player is wide open.  He'll never be a Super Bowl or even a playoff QB in the NFL until he can make accurate passes in traffic like RGIII and Aaron Rodgers do so well.

I would compare Weeden to Jim Plunkett, a QB with a tremendous arm, who took many years to adjust to the speed of the NFL.   Before he found a team in Oakland whose offense demanded a rocket arm QB, Plunkett struggled for most of his first 8 years in the league, throwing more interceptions than TD's in 7 of his first 8 years.  In his 9th year in the league and second year with the Raiders, Plunkett emerged from his backup role 5 games into the season and went 13-2 as a starter to help Oakland win the Super Bowl.

Weeden may indeed improve his play with more time on the field and experience.  But in todays win now NFL, it's unlikely Weeden will get the 8 years that Jim Plunkett did to adjust to the league.  Even if he did, Weeden would be 38 years old not 33.  Furthermore, the NFL that Jim Plunkett played in was much more focused on the running game.  Plunkett thrived in the Raider offense because Mark Van Eegan and Kenny King carried a large burden for the offense.

Should the Browns bet the future on Brandon Weeden?  There are a ton of questions still to be answered before a reasonable person can decide.  Can Weeden improve and if so, the biggest riddle is how fast can he improve?  One thing is for sure, a QB with a 40% completion percentage in the red zone is not an NFL quality QB.    60% success in the red zone is probably the measure of a Super Bowl QB.  That means that Weeden must take a quantum leap from 40% to 60% to get to the level needed by the Browns.  Statistically speaking, it's unlikely Weeden can make that kind of jump in a short period of time and history also shows that a QB without the natural gift of field vision either never makes it in the NFL or takes an extremely long period of time to learn the game.   Courage and guts may be the one factor that separates QBs who learn to see the field better because the way to learn is to learn to focus 100% downfield and in the process take one helluva beating in the pocket.

Whether to bet on Weeden is the most important call that Joe Banner has to make.  I don't know what he'll decide but I do know this, based on the play of the QBs drafted in the 2012 draft, if the draft were to be done over today, both Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson would be selected before Brandon Weeden.

BL Predicts - Week 15 vs Denver

It's that time of year where anyone who predicts Browns games must shore up their won loss record.  The Browns have likely won their last game of the season. 


Today vs Denver promises to be a very long day for the following reasons:

- Winning in Denver is tough, even for great teams, because of the altitude and it's affect on visiting players who are not used to it.

- Denver and Peyton Manning are on a roll, having won 8 games in a row.

- The Browns organization is finally starting to break at the seams under the pressure of pending job losses for Pat Shurmur and Tom Heckert.   I was really uphappy in particular to read quotes from our 29 year old rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden that effectively hung out Shurmur to dry, stating, albeit indirectly by complimenting the play calling of Washington, that the Browns would be better off if they called plays suited to Weeden's skillset (I must admit that I wondered if Weeden meant that Shurmur should develop plays that are designed to be intercepted...).  I've been giving Weeden a mulligan all year because he's a rookie but when it comes to team unity, a leader must never use the press to drive a personal agenda.   It's one thing to state these issues behind closed doors but it's quite another to do so through the newspapers.  A 29 year old should know better even if he is a rookie. 

Here's hoping Shurmur feeds Weeden a nice goodbye present by using McCoy at the first sign of trouble Sunday.

BL Predicts:

Broncos   31
Browns    17

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

BL Predicts: Game 14 vs Redskins

The Browns exceeded our expectations last week, showing character after giving up a big play to start the game and continuing to fight.  The beat KC handily and kept their playoff hopes alive.  The Browns confidence is growing week to week.  This week they find themselves up against the Washington Redskins, who are also on a winning run.  However the 'Skins will be without their rookie superstar RGIII, whose knee injury will keep him out of the starting lineup.  Instead we'll face Kirk Cousins.

Look for the Browns to keep Cousins off balance and make just enough plays on offense to walk away with the W.

BL Predicts:

Browns      17
Redskins    13

The BL are 8-5 year to date in predicting Browns games.

BL Predicts: Game 13 vs KC Chiefs

Football is an emotional game and in game 13 vs the Kansas City Chiefs, the Browns have to be on the guard against a team that may have an emotional advantage.   On paper the Browns should win this game considering that they have the home field advantage and are playing what can only be labelled as one of the NFL's worst teams.

However KC have two coaches and two players in key roles who were rejected by the Browns.   Head Coach Romeo Crennel and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll were fired by the Browns.  Running back Peyton Hillis has been sparring in the newspapers all week with Browns tackle Joe Thomas over Hillis' letting down his Browns teammates during the 2011 season.   Finally, Chiefs QB Brady Quinn is a former 1st round pick who the Browns gave up on in 2010.   Quinn played well last week and it would be sweet vengeance for him to come in and beat Cleveland.

As a team, the Chiefs are dealing with an unprecedented situation.   The tragic murder suicide involving  Jovan Belcher, who was a popular player in the Chiefs.   The emotional scars from the horrible story are still fresh and the tragedy can either unite the Chiefs or drain them of energy.   The power of a united football team is undeniable and if the Chiefs are able to harness such power out of tragedy it can help them overcome many factors, including a lack of talent.

While the Chiefs are in the middle of factors that may unite them, the Browns were in the middle of rumors this week that might confuse or demotivate them.   Words is that Tom Heckert is out as Brown's GM and that he'll be placed by NFL Network announcer Mike Lombardi.    The fact that Joe Banner leaked this information shows a lack of judgement because he has created a major distraction, in particular with many players who Heckert picked to build the Browns.  In particular, Brandon Weeden and Josh Gibson were panned by Lombardi as being bad picks.

Lastly, weather promises to be a factor today.  It will be cold and quite probably rainy.   Brandon Weeden has been tested twice in "Cleveland weather" this year and both times, vs the Chargers and Ravens, he was mediocre.

My prediction is that the Chiefs will be ready to put it all on the line vs the Browns.  They have nothing to lose.  Meanwhile the Browns will show up with too much on their minds today and get off to a bad start that they'll not recover from.

BL Predicts:

Kansas City Chiefs       24
Cleveland Browns        20

The BL are 8-4 year to date in predicting the winner of Browns games.

BL Predicts: Week 12 on the road vs the Raiders

The Brown Log has always been inclined to favor the home team when making predictions because it is a fact that in the NFL the home team wins 58% of the time.   Home field advantage is real.   However this week against the Raiders, on paper, the home field advantage is the only factor Oakland would seem to have in their favor.  Carson Palmer is hurt and the Raiders are reeling.   Meanwhile our Browns are coming off a major victory against their biggest rival and, in spite of their record, our Browns have played well all season.

BL Predicts:  Big game for Weeden and the defense and a strong win against the Raiders.

Browns 31
Raiders  14


The BL are 7-4 year to date in predicting the outcome of Browns games.

Shocking story in KC

With regards to the murder suicide yesterday involving Jovan Belcher of the Kansas City Chiefs, there really are no words.   Time may give us more insight as to why this senseless act took place.  

Below is a photo taken from the Facebook page of Belcher's murdered girlfriend, and if you click on this link it'll take you to an article in the Kansas City Star that has more details than any other news source about what may have been going on in that home.

BL Predicts: Browns vs Steelers

This years Browns team has shown the importance of experience in the NFL.   Time and time again, our Browns have lost close games as veteran laden opponents seize key moments and our young Browns did not.  Against the Steelers this week, we face an opponent who is severely weakened by injury.   Our young team today has enough talent to beat the Steelers.  Motivation hasn't been a problem for the Browns this year but what has hurt the Browns is lack of production in key moments, especially on offense.    Having confidence in a few key plays that can produce yards in a critical moment.    Today against the Steelers is a test of character and this team has shown character all season long.



BL Predicts:   Our offense today will step up and execute in key moments and the Browns will finally win a game we deserve to win.   If the Steelers were at full strength it would be another story but today the Steelers are short handed.  It should be a day the Browns can build on.

Browns 24
Steelers 10

The BL are 6-4 year to date.

BL Predicts: Week 10 - Browns vs Cowboys

It's that time of season where the Brown Log looks to drive up it's won loss record in predicting the outcome of Browns games.  If we'd only predict the team to lose every week we'd be 7-2 right now, but as good Clevelanders, optimism must win out from time to time, hence our 5-4 record year to date.

In our last loss against the Ravens, Coach Pat Shurmur showed his inexperience by his slow decision making at key moments in the game, which resulted in several very bad play calls in key moments.   Shurmur is cutting his teeth in this his first head coaching assignment at any level and it shows.   Shurmur has also shown the ability in the past to grow from the school of hard knocks so I don't expect to see confusion on the field against the Cowboys when it comes to play calling.   However I wouldn't be surprised to see some other issue rear it's ugly head today.

Fact is that the Cowboys are at home, against a Browns team that will have an injured Joe Haden, perhaps on the field, but maybe not.

BL Predicts:

Cowboys 21
Browns 13

BL Predicts: Bye week

This week is a bye week so Browns backers across the nation can rejoice, because at the end of the day we will not have racked up yet another L

BL boldly Predicts:  The Browns will not lose today!

BL Predicts: Game 9 vs Baltimore

The Browns were forced to run the ball more than they passed the ball last week vs the Chargers due to the bad weather.  Lo and behold, we won the game!  This week Cleveland faces a motivated but banged up Ravens team.   I look for the Browns to keep on running their way to another home victory.

BL Predicts:
Browns 19
Ravens 13

The Brown Log are 5-3 year to date in predicting the winner of Browns games.

BL Predicts: Game 8 vs Chargers

There is optimism building amongst Brown's fans after the fantastic performance last week by Brandon Weeden against the Colts.  The Browns lost that game due to a dropped pass late in the game but Weeden was on fire all day long.   There is however a flaw in the belief that Weeden has "come of age".  The Colts were coming off an embarrassing loss to the NY Jets in which the Jets ground game ran up 252 yards rushing and were determined not to let this happen against the Browns.  Hence Indianapolis dared the Browns to pass by stacking up to stop the run.   The Colts mediocre defense did in fact stymie the Browns rushing game but this opened the door for the Browns to throw.

There is no doubt that Weeden is improving but in the school of hard knocks, let's not hand him a PhD just yet.   He still has some lessons to learn and this week he'll be facing a top ranked defense that is far superior to what he faced last week.   The Chargers defense has only surrendered 137 points this year, one of the best defenses in the AFC.

While the Browns are playing at home, that is counterbalanced by the fact that the Chargers are fresh, coming off a bye week.   

The Browns will likely struggle to run the ball the first 5-6 times they try, which will cause Pat Shurmur to completely drop the running game as he has all season long.   With the pressure on Weeden against a really good Chargers defense, look for Weeden to make a key mistake or two.   This will likely lead to loss number 7 on the year.  

BL Predicts 

Chargers   31

Browns     16

The Brown Log are 5-2 year to date in predicting the winner of Browns games.      

I wonder what Jimmy Haslam has on his mind?

Fister takes a line drive to the head and stays in the game.

And they say football is a dangerous game:

Working your way up the ranks

When speaking of coaches and their job security, fans can be unbelievably cruel. We are after all discussing a man's job and how he supports his family, it's serious stuff worthy of more than knee jerk reactions. Head coaches are well paid hence they're fodder for us fans, but I wonder how many of us could handle the pressure if our own jobs were micro focused on by hundreds of thousands of people. It would not be easy believe me if Terry Pluto were writing in depth analysis every Monday picking apart Bob Johnson's ability to sell widgets.

Pat Shurmur looks to be in very serious jeopardy of losing his job as head coach of the Browns and while that may well be the right decision it still hurts because Shurmur is clearly strong in character and intelligence. Those are rare attributes.

What surprises me though is that Shurmur was given the Brown's head coaching job in spite of his never actually having been a head coach at any level. Experience, or the school of hard knocks, that really builds your depth in any occupation. It's too bad Shurmur is cutting his teeth at the highest level, where every decision is under a microscope. Perhaps the true error was Mike Holmgren's for hiring Shurmur in the first place, and secondly for not paying a lot more attention to Shurmur to help him learn the ropes. Judging from afar, many of Shurmur's errors are the result of his not being decisive. That is a condition we all suffer from when we lack experience.

The end result is that Shurmur, in spite of his potential, is likely going to have to wait a very long time before he will ever have another head coaching opportunity in the NFL.

BL Live blog: Indy's 12th man

There is no way Indy was going to run a play on 4th and 1. But Billy Winn stepped up for Indy and jumped offsides. Unbelievable mistake, perhaps a game changer. Bad coaching? Yes

BL Live Blog: coin toss

On the road when you win the coin toss, take the ball. Bad decision, 7-0 Colts.

BL Predicts: Week 7 vs the Colts

It's interesting to point out that in spite of the fact that the Browns are 1-5, they actually find themselves only 2 games out of the wild card chase.   If the regular season ended today, a 3-3 team would be the wild card and we all know our Browns are 1-5 so we are "in the hunt".  Do we really believe this Browns team is playoff caliber?  Maybe not, but it's nice to dream a bit.                

Predicting a road game is difficult for a Browns fan because you have to recognize that the home team historically wins 58% of the time in the NFL.  Then you have to remove your emotion, we all hope our Browns are turning the corner after a miserable 0-5 start.   Last week against the Bengals there were new signs of life.  For starters, in pre game drills I noted that Brandon Weeden now goes through visual progressions even as he practices throws before a game.   On the 71 yard touchdown to Gordon, it appeared that the Cincinnati defender was several steps behind because Weeden looked him off.   Weeden is taking the steps needed to get better and that's reassuring.

I also noticed that Pat Shurmur had his team scrimmage before the game.  Like Woody Hayes of old,  Shurmur stood in the middle of this scrimmage looking for clues into how the strong wind affected the passing and kicking game and what he saw was that in spite of the wind, Weeden was able to throw accurately and Dawson was able to get the ball through the crossbars.  This extra bit of preparation gave Shurmur the confidence he needed during the game to make the right play calls and it shows he's open to change and more importantly he's getting better on game day decision making, an area he must improve to keep his job.

The Colts are coming off a 35-9 drubbing at the hands of the Jets and are motivated.   The Colts are also 2-1 at home this year while the Browns are 0-3 on the road.  Indianapolis play in a very noisy stadium that gives them an edge.

The Jets beat the Colts by running all over them.   New York ran 44 times while throwing only 19.  Jets running back Shonn Green had 32 carries for 161 yards.   In the current season, our Browns pass the football more than all but 4 NFL teams in spite of the fact that only Kansas City has a less efficient passing attack.  Game circumstances have often dictated that we pass but it's also clear that Pat Shurmur is the "anti-Schottenheimer".   Common sense should dictate that if your team is one of the least efficient passing teams in the NFL, that a high percentage of passes increases the odds you will lose but the Browns continue to put pressure on their passing game by choosing to pass nearly 70% of the time.   Hence our 1-5 record.   I like Pat Shurmur a lot but experience counts as a head coach and one of the mistakes Shurmur continues to make is to discount the running game.   Shurmur has shown signs of growth as he progresses through the "school of hard knocks" but fully embracing the running game in not one of them and until he does our tendency to lose games will likely continue.

To win on the road against the Colts, the Browns are going to have to run the ball.  The Colts know this, I think Pat Shurmur knows this too.   Expect the Colts to be ready to defend the run.  Considering that Trent Richardson has a rib injury and may not be his usual self,  the BL Predicts the Browns will not establish the running game and this will result in another close loss:

Colts      24
Browns  17

The Brown Log are 4-2 this year in choosing the winner of Browns games.

Braxton Miller Injury

It appears from the blow taken by Braxton Miller and from initial press reports that he suffered either a head or neck injury.    Watching the video he clearly took the brunt of the blow to his head.  Miller appears to have difficulty walking after the injury and let's hope that the injury is not serious.

BL Predicts: Week 6 vs Bengals

Last week the Brown Log stuck it's 4-0 record on the line and predicted victory against the Giants.   Were it not for a bad decision late in the 2nd quarter on 3rd down and less than 1 yard to go, with the Browns leading 17-10, our prediction may well have been realized.   Instead, the Browns effectively inform the Super Bowl Giants that they will pass, by using a formation WITHOUT a running back, the Giants intercept which led to a 17 point turnaround.    Game, set and match.

This week we take on the Bengals for the second time this season.   We are at home this week and facing what is, for Pat Shurmur, a must win game.   It's a must win for Shurmur because he'll likely be dismissed this season if the Browns do not show any improvement.   A 5 win season would be improvement and we must beat the Bengals to have a reasonable chance to get to 5 wins this season.

I like Pat Shurmur.   He's honest and a good leader but the job coaching the Browns was his first head coaching assignment and his lack of experience is really showing this year.   A head coach learns by making mistakes and Shurmur continues to accumulate experience while the losses add up.   My guess is that Haslam won't accept a continuation of the Browns "education" of Shurmur and unfortunately for Pat Shurmur this may mean he will never have an opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL again.   Shurmur is a quality person, that would be a pity but it's also a pity to watch this team continue to lose.

Against the Bengals it's anybodies guess what will happen.   Lot's of information to digest with the team facing a record 12th straight loss.  There is extra pressure on Weeden by Shurmur who's grown visibly frustrated with his rookie QB's mistakes, a bit of Mickey Mantle-esque behavior by TJ Ward whose late night partying Friday caused him to be late for practice Saturday and finally we've got injuries everywhere you look.   Last but not least the weather looks to be quite tough today with high winds and likely rain.

I'm guessing the Browns just don't have the motivation or the gas to hang with the Bengals today.   It's going to be a close game but I believe the Browns are going to lose.

Bengals 21
Browns 17

The Brown Log are 4-1 year to date in predicting the winner or loser of Browns games.

Hot off the wire:

Does not require much imagination to hypothesize about TJ Ward's Friday evening activities. A wild night perhaps??

BL Predicts: Week 5 vs the reigning Super Bowl champs

Nobody, and I do mean nobody, is predicting a Browns victory this Sunday against the reigning Super Bowl champion Giants.  








With the Brown Log proudly boasting a perfect 4-0 record this season in game predictions, perhaps we're feeling a bit cocky and ready to go with our guts on this one.   I can't put my finger on it but something tells me that the Browns are going to win.

Some random thoughts as to why I feel that way:

- The Giants are fairly dinged up with minor but nagging injuries.
- The Browns are more rested than New York, coming off a Thursday game on September 27th.

Perhaps the reason for my belief that the Browns can win this one comes from some pre game statements by Trent Richardson, who is looking to spark his teammates.  Football is an emotional game and young Mr. Richardson has upped the ante this week but stating that he believes he can be successful against the Giants D.

I look for the Browns to surprise New York with some plays that go against their tendencies season to date, jump to an early lead, then continue to hang on for a surprise victory.  

BL Predicts
Browns 23
Giants 17

The Brown Log are 4-0 this season in predicting the outcome of Browns games.

Finally, an honest athlete:

I imagine the NCAA will come down quite hard on young Cardale Jones. After all he's doing damage to the reputation of college athletics. This as we know is, in the eyes of the NCAA, a sin greater than any other.

We're number one!

All is not lost Browns fans, we do have the pole position in one statistical category: dropped passes.  

NFL Leader board:  dropped passes

Brandon Weeden (17)

Drew Brees (16)

Matt Stafford (16)

Aaron Rodgers (14)

Peyton Manning (14)

We're number 32!!

This weeks ranking by Sports Illustrated of the NFL's 32 teams has our Browns once again ranked in the basement:

Here's a quote from the New York press

"Cleveland is one of the worst teams in the league by just about any metric you want to use to judge a football team's performance"

That about sums it up...

BL Predicts: Week 4 Browns vs Ravens

Tonights game promises nothing less than a complete dismantling of our Browns by the Ravens. 

Browns   14

Ravens    34

The Brown Log are 3-0 year to date in predicting the winner of Browns games.

Unbelievably bad call

There is only one solution to the owner's lockout of NFL referees. Don't watch another game until owners get the real refs back.

BL Predicts: Week 3 vs Buffalo

This weeks match vs. Buffalo might be the hardest to predict all season, especially for a die hard Browns fan.   It is early in the season and still difficult to know if the Browns or Bills are truly competitive NFL teams.  This game will tell us a lot about what kind of season our Browns are going to have because the Bills on paper appear to be beatable, especially in our home stadium.   Are we going to have a shot at a competitive season with 7 or 8 wins or is this team yet another 3 to 5 win loser.

I hope I am wrong but the following factors lead me to conclude today will be another loss for our Cleveland Browns:

1.  Joe Haden's suspension has badly exposed the Browns secondary.   Ryan Fitzpatrick is not a top tier QB but he is capable enough to do damage against mediocre defenders.   Losing Haden really opens the Browns up to getting beat on a few key plays.

2.  Chan Gailey plays "Marty Schottenheimer football", in other words, he works the clock by running the ball and his teams are coached to not make mistakes.  The Bills will likely not have many turnovers and penalties.   In the regular season what that translates to is wins, especially against teams like the Browns who are loaded with young players and tend towards mistakes.

3.  Bills DE Mario Williams is a force in the pass rush and is bound to put more pressure on Brandon Weeden than the Bengals did.  Weeden had a good game against Cincinnati but his pass protection was quite good.  Nobody had a clean hard shot at Weeden last week, that might change this week leading to a turnover or lower completion rate.

4.  Browns rookies are going to face more pressure against Buffalo than they did against Cincinnati.  I believe the game will be decided on turnovers and penalities and having so many rookies will be a distinct disadvantage today for our Browns.

5.  Finally, I am convinced that our new owner, Jim Haslam is going to be a great owner but something most folks are not talking about is the fact that the entire management team has to be feeling like lame ducks.  Haslam himself is sending some signals that heads are going to roll and it would be naive to think that everyone in the Browns operation is not feeling this.  Folks are going to be distracted, and since they are human beings with families to feed, they are also going to be spending some of their time reaching into their networks to see what job opportunities might be out there.   Right now this might only dilute the teams concentration by a very small amount but football is a game of inches and every inch counts.   In a small way he is helping a self fulfilling prophecy in 2012 of losing football.

BL Predicts:

Buffalo Bills 20
Cleveland Browns 17

The Brown Log are 2-0 year to date on the prediction front.

What a relief!

Only a Brown's fan could take solace from a loss such as today's setback in Cincinnati. However it is an immense relief to see both Weeden and Richardson play well against the Bengals.

BL Predicts: Week 2 Cleveland vs Cincinnati

In what is shaping up to be an easy season to predict Brown's games, Sunday's matchup in Cincinnati looks clearly like a pending disaster for our Brownies. The book is out on Brandon Weeden, pressure him even a little bit and his skills vaporize. Trent Richardson needs a few more games before he can even think about carrying the team and oh yeah, we've lost Joe Haden for four weeks.

Week 2 holds little hope of a Brown's win. The Bengals will be ready and the Browns won't.

Bengals 27
Browns 14

 The Brown Log are 1-0 year to date on the prognostication front.

Hindsight is 20/20

Here's an interesting analysis of Brandon Weeden's college performance at Oklahoma State when his pass protection broke down. What is very noticeable so far about Weeden is that his performance drops dramatically when put under even minimal pressure. He has no feel for moving around in the pocket to buy time. The Brown's entire season, not to mention Pat Shurmur's future, hinges on whether or not the coaching staff can teach Weeden how to manage and react under pressure. Can Weeden unlearn "fear"?? Maybe but it is dubious to think that he can be reprogrammed in days or even weeks.

Brandon Weeden's passer rating is 5.1

Under the most generous of interpretations, Brandon Weeden had a rookie debut for the ages, the ice ages. 4 interceptions, a 34% completion percentage and two fumbles. Astonishingly, the Browns offensive line actually gave quite good protection to their rookie QB.

Even factoring in dropped passes doesn't help much because the Eagles blew chances to intercept two other Weeden throws. Weeden looked at times like he was blind, launching numerous passes that came nowhere near the intended target. Is Weeden simply out of sync with his West Coast receivers? I hope so because the alternative would be that he simply is inaccurate. If however Weeden and his receivers are in fact still making different reads in the west coast scheme, much blame falls on coach Shurmur for not giving Weeden more reps in the preseason.

No matter how you roll it up, this was a very bad day for Brandon Weeden and the Browns.

BL predicts: week 1 vs Eagles

Eagles 31
Browns 16

Joe Paterno lied

Joe Paterno has been held up for decades as the symbol of how big money "for profit" football can coexist with an institution of higher education. The fact that the "marketing" of Paterno as some kind of saint turned out to be BS shouldn't surprise anyone. What is surprising however is that Saint Paterno was willing to put money above saving children from the worst horrors imaginable. The entire system of college football needs to be dismantled.

Browns finish 2012 season at 4-13

The Redskins outbid the Browns in the battle for Robert Griffin. The more I see of this guy the more it's clear that he's the real deal. Chalk up another L for our Browns.

2012: Will the draft bring us RGIII?

Let's hope so.