Monday, October 26, 2009

Four years of this????

Eric Mangini received a four year contract to turn around the flagging fortunes of the Cleveland Browns,but it has taken him less than a half season for the fans of the team to wonder if he is capable of doing so.
After another pathetic effort in a 31-3 bitch slapping at the hands of the Green Bay Packers yesterday,it certainly doesn't seem like the program is headed in the right direction.
I normally start the reviews with Ohio State,but the disgust that I feel towards the game yesterday made me want to write the Browns first.
For those of you that like the angry stuff,stay tuned as I plan on an all Mangini post,if time permits over the next few days.....

Brownie Bits

1) I should rename this to Brownie Chunks after this game and that could have two different connotations.
As bad of some of these games have been,this one was the worst.

2) Derek Anderson throws the ball too hard on short passes and then wonders why his receivers drop passes.
NFL quality receivers can catch a ball that isn't on the money,if the ball has a bit of touch.
Anderson shows little of any of that.

3) As we have written in the past,Brady Quinn isn't the answer,but by not playing him at this stage of the season,the Browns look like they are strictly playing the financial game.
Quinn gets all sorts of incentives if he takes 70 % of the snaps this season.
If Quinn sits against the Bears this week,that would be almost unreachable.
The Browns look cheap by doing this,but once that situation is settled,I would hope that the Browns return to Quinn.

4) Quick prediction-you will see Brett Ratliff under center before this season is over.

5) For all of Anderson's faults and there are many,some of the mess was not his fault.
Rookie receivers Mohammed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie were grabbed,pounded and wrestled into submission by two veteran corners in Green Bay's Al Harris and Charles Woodson.
They simply weren't open often and when they were,it wasn't for long...

6) More awful tackling from the Browns secondary.
The Donald Driver catch and run was bad to be charitable.
Brodney Pool made a half hearted attempt and then watched Driver run away and Eric Wright was pie-faced for what seemed to be the 100th time this season.
I do give Wright credit for trying which is more than I usually can say to Pool,Brandon McDonald and supposed sure tackler Abram Elam.

7) The Packers led the league in sacks allowed and that includes having already served their bye week.
Green Bay also was missing two starters on the offensive line going into the game.
Sacks for the Browns on this day? Zero
Nice to see those former Jet linemen Kenyon Coleman and C.J. Mosley have been worth dealing for and helping with the pass rush.
I did see Mosley get pancaked on a Packer TD run,which was the first time in a while that I actually saw anything from him.

8) Two called plays for Josh Cribbs from the Browns version of the "Wildcat" formation-both runs for next to nothing.
The Cleveland version should be called the Mildcat.

9) The Browns were lucky to get the three points they scored as Billy Cundiff smacked the goalpost with a large clang,but the ball deflected through the post instead of back to the field.
I feel so much better about those three points.

10) Another personal favorite was someone named Spencer Havner grabbing a 45 yard pass for a touchdown and seemingly crushing every Brown on the field and ending the run by tossing Abram Elam aside like a rag.
Even better was when Ryan said "You know,Havner was All Pac 10 at UCLA,but it was at linebacker!"
That made me feel even better-the opponents are catching TD passes with former defenders,while the Browns pay sizable money to Robert Royal (missed this game) to play the position and cannot catch the damn ball!

11) Want more,stay tuned later in the week when I go after Eric Mangini and the silent George Kokinis (where the hell is HE anyway?) for taking a toxic team and turning it into a Superfund candidate!

Photo Credits
Anderson:Amy Sancetta-AP Photo
Driver/Wright:Scott Heckel-AP Photo
Havner/Elam:Mark Duncan-AP Photo

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