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.