Maybe it’s the holiday season, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Cleveland Cavaliers could be sitting with a three game losing streak this morning after a loss at Miami against the Heat last night.  After struggling on Christmas Day against the terrible Wizards, and having to overcome a ten point deficit to win Sunday night against Dwayne Wade’s crew. 

 

Last night, the Cavs couldn’t overtake Miami after trailing at halftime by 16.  A second half rally got the wine and gold within two before they finally succumbed, 104-95, ending a six game wining streak.  The Cavs now sit at 26-5 on the season, the second best record in the NBA.  Is it just holiday malaise, or are some weaknesses starting to creep up?

 

A little of both, actually.  As WTAM’s Jim Chones pointed out over the weekend, this is a tough time for NBA players, with a lot of distractions around the holidays.  Family members visiting, lack of practice time, and the general excitement of the season have players not at their best.  The usual hustle plays for the wine and gold have been missing these last three games.  Want proof?  The Cavaliers are normally one of the league’s best rebounding teams, but were hammered on the boards last night by a Miami team that doesn’t play anyone over 6"10" in their regular rotation.

 

However, Cleveland has also been plagued by turnovers and an over-reliance on the three point shot.  Since they have been red hot from outside all season long, it is easy to think these long range shots will continue to find the bottom of the net all year.  Last night, the wine and gold hoisted 30 shots from behind the arc.  Way, way too many. 

 

Other teams are starting to zone the Cavaliers to prevent LeBron James from dominating the game close to the basket.  Now, Mike Brown and "offensive coordinator" John Kuester have to find the seams in the zone instead of just jacking up long distance jumpers.  The Cavs need to continue to attack inside.  If they continue to maintain spacing and floor balance, there are most definitely open spaces at 15 to 18 feet where the ball can be entered, and the defense can be attacked.  This is especially true if they would put James at the high post. 

 

Since Zydrunas Ilgauskas has returned from his ankle sprain, the Cavs have gotten away from their normal practice of establishing the big man’s presence early in the contest and working the outside game off the inside game.  The Cavs need to go to Z right off the bat and make the opponents react to him.

 

It also appears that Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, and Wally Szczerbiak have forgotten to take the ball to the basket after setting up on the three point line.  All three players have the ability to drive to the basket, but are settling for the three.  West, in particular, can be very effective taking the ball to the hoop.  Gibson’s outside shot has been struggling all season long, so he needs to drive more often.  It will create more space on the outside shot if team respect him going into the paint.

 

These aren’t huge problems, and likely will be solved by a little more time on the practice floor.  Actually, it’s a testament to the toughness to this group that they pulled out wins against Washington and Miami despite not playing well in either game.  The Cavs will be fine, but it’s kind of a shock after their dominant start to see the wine and gold struggle even a little bit.

 

JK

 

It was a day of conclusions for the Cleveland Browns, and it will continue today.  The team ended its dismal season with another embarrassing 31-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday.  It also meant the end of GM Phil Savage, who was fired prior to kickoff on Sunday.  And Romeo Crennel has followed Savage out of the door today after he meeting with owner Randy Lerner.

 

One thing continued, however.  The streak of quarters without an offensive touchdown continued to 24 with another whitewashing, which sets an NFL record.  This streak will continue at least until the 2009 Browns take the field next September.

 

Still, the most painful statement about the Browns is this:  If they played the 0-16 Detroit Lions next weekend, they would likely lose the game.  The Browns offense is simply incapable of scoring right now.  That falls on the coaching staff.

 

The less said about the Steelers’ game the better.  Jamal Lewis had some success early and wound up reaching the 1000-yard mark for the season, and the primary focus of the offense in the second half was to make sure this happened.  The Pittsburgh defense figured Cleveland would be passing since they were trailing 17-0, so they relaxed the run defense and Lewis ran for 94 yards on the game.

 

Oh yes, despite saying there would be greater use of the “flash” formation, Josh Cribbs threw just two passes, completing one, for eight yards.  He also carried just twice for seven yards. 

 

The offense has gotten so predictable that I believe the Browns went to the “flash” package on their second offensive snap for the last three games.  When you use it at the same time every game, it’s not really a surprise.

 

Defensively, the missed tackle festival continued.  A hit by Willie McGinest and D’well Jackson did knock Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger out of the game with a concussion, but on the same drive the defenders whiffed on a sack of Byron Leftwich and he waltzed in from 8 yards out to put Pittsburgh up 14-0.

 

For all the talk from the players about how they like Romeo Crennel, their effort in the last few games spoke louder than their words.  They didn’t play like they wanted their coach to keep his job. 

 

So now, Browns’ fans have to have faith that owner Randy Lerner will get it right with the hiring of yet another coach and general manager.  The first thing to demand is that we see the owner.  His shyness around the television camera is getting annoying.  Everyone talks about how much Lerner cares about this football team, but the average fan needs to see the passion.  The owner has to be out front and talk to arguably the most loyal fans in the NFL.  They deserve at least that.

 

Savage had upgraded the talent in his four years as GM, but his lack of leadership qualities doomed him.  He should have been out front when all of the crises that befell this season occurred.  Instead, Crennel was left holding the bag.  Savage didn’t provide a clear direction for the franchise, perhaps because he and his head coach were not on the same page.

 

WEWS-TV had Reggie Rucker analyzing the situation last night, and Rucker hammered Savage and spoke in glowing terms about the head coach.  Rucker is half-right, because Crennel is hardly blameless in this mess.  Crennel is a good guy.  He’s a class act.  However, he’s a terrible head coach, and keeping him as a defensive coordinator would not be a good move either.  His passive approach doesn’t work in today’s NFL.  Speed and aggressiveness are the new mantras on defense.  Look at Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Tennessee, etc.

 

It appears Lerner has his eye on New England VP Scott Pioli, who is said to be tired of being in Bill Belichick’s shadow with the Patriots.  This would thrill Tribe GM Mark Shapiro and Cavs GM Danny Ferry who are friends of Pioli.  It also appears Lerner is going to act quickly since there are several teams in the market for coaches and general managers. 

 

Let’s hope this time the owner gets it right.  The fans of the once proud Cleveland Browns franchise deserve better than the mess they have witnessed the past 15 years.

 

JD

 

It was reported on Saturday by The Plain Dealer’s Brian Windhorst that LeBron James would consider signing an extension with the Cavaliers after this season.  The King said he was very happy with the direction the wine and gold was headed, and why shouldn’t he be.  He’s already on one of the best teams in the NBA, right now.

 

The Cavaliers continue to have the second best record in the Association at 23-4, and have done this despite playing more games on the road than at the friendly confines of The Quicken Loans Arena.  The only team with a better mark is the defending champion Celtics, who have played six more games at Boston than they have on the road.

 

Indeed, it would not be surprising if James did sign an extension with Cleveland, especially in the team gets to The Finals, or perhaps brings Cleveland its first title since 1964.  However, what #23 may do is re-up for less than the maximum years allowable.  He may sign a three-year pact, for example.  Why?  To keep the pressure on owner Dan Gilbert and GM Danny Ferry to keep the wine and gold at a high level. 

 

Obviously, nothing can or will happen until the season ends, but the fact LeBron let even a small cat out of the bag, shows he knows how good this team is, and how much he likes and trusts the guys he is playing with.  It also shows that he trusts Gilbert and Ferry.  He feels confident that the front office will do what they have to do to keep the Cavaliers among the NBA elite.

 

There really are very few situations in the league that would be comparable to Cleveland in terms of being close enough to win a title.  The Celtics are aging, and by 2010, Ray Allen may be retired, Kevin Garnett will be 34, and Paul Pierce will be 32.  In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant will be 32, and although he won’t say it, I doubt Bryant could play in a situation where he isn’t the lead dog anymore.

 

Probably the two places that would offer an immediate title shot without taking into account salary cap implications would be New Orleans, with LBJ’s friend Chris Paul, and Orlando, with Dwight Howard.  Other teams with young superstars. Adding LeBron James to either of those teams would have the league shaking.

 

Signing early would also help Ferry and Gilbert to attract other free agents in 2010 to come to Cleveland to play alongside James.  Remember, the wine and gold have the cap room to sign another max contract even after inking The King.  Imagine a Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade wearing a Cavalier uniform in the 2010-11 season…

 

Keep your eye on January 9^th.  The Celtics visit Cleveland that night, and play the Cavs for the first time since opening night.  We can measure the improvement the wine and gold have made since the first game of the season.

 

JK

 

If I were a Cleveland Browns season ticket holder, I would seriously think of asking Randy Lerner for a refund for yesterday’s 14-0 debacle against the Cincinnati Bengals.  The coaching staff didn’t appear to make an effort to win the game, even though they were playing a team that came into the contest at a robust 2-11-1 record. 

 

I understand the Browns are down to their third quarterback in Ken Dorsey.  But that doesn’t excuse a game plan from the Stone Age and a defense that refused to recognize the Bengals did not want to throw the ball by putting more men in the box.  As a result, Cedric Benson, cut by the Bears early this season, ran for over 170 yards against the Browns, easily the best day of his career.

 

The shutout brought the Cleveland streak of not scoring an offensive touchdown to an embarrassing five games.  Not even the 2000 Browns, quarterbacked by Doug Pederson can make that claim.  That’s why using Dorsey as an excuse is lame. 

 

Also, stop telling us about the “flash” package that features the best player on the team, Joshua Cribbs.  Every week, Crennel talks about using Cribbs to take snaps, but once the game starts, he is ignored.  Cribbs carried three times in the first quarter, but touched the ball just twice thereafter, and of course, did not throw out of the formation.  Cribbs commented after the Eagles’ game that the Browns have weapons, they just don’t use them, he is correct, at least where he is concerned.

 

Defensively, was Mel Tucker that afraid of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s arm that he didn’t want to put more defenders near the line of scrimmage?  CBS analyst Rich Gannon couldn’t fathom why the Browns allowed the Bengals to run the ball without making adjustments. 

 

By the way, for those who think the Browns’ defense is good because they don’t allow that many points, they rank 27^th in the NFL in defensive third down conversions.  How many times do they get the opponent in third and long, and then allow the first down?  They can’t get off the field.  Of course, that may be a good thing because it would put the putrid offense on the field. 

 

Yesterday in The Plain Dealer, Mary Kay Cabot wrote a story which was very pro-Crennel, and discussed the disconnect between the coach and the general manager.  This is exactly what happens when you don’t let the GM hire the coach. 

 

First, Cabot cited Beau Bell as an example of how Crennel and Savage are on different pages.  One of Savage’s jobs is to bring in talent.  If he thinks Bell is the most talented player on the board, then he should take him.  Is Bell not playing because the coach didn’t want him to be drafted in the first place?  When Savage was hired here, the cupboard was basically bare in terms of talent.  However, the fact that the coach and GM aren’t on the same page is a result of how the hiring of the two positions took place.

 

Second, the article talked about the make up of Crennel’s coaching staff, and how Savage hired most of the assistant coaches.  However, Crennel lost this power when he was so slow to change offensive coordinators when Maurice Carthon was calling plays.  Does anyone else think Carthon would still be the coordinator if it were up to Crennel?  The head coach was so stubborn, Savage had to step in and make the changes. 

 

Whatever happens after next week’s game against Pittsburgh, it should start with letting the general manager pick the new coach.  If that is Phil Savage, okay.  If Savage is going, then hire the new GM first, and allow him to pick the new coach.  These two leadership positions must be on the same page if the organization is to thrive and succeed.   Randy Lerner got it wrong last time, he can’t afford to repeat his mistake. 

 

JD

 

The Cleveland Indians bolstered their bullpen at baseball’s Winter Meetings by signing free agent closer Kerry Wood, and picking up situational right-hander Joe Smith from the Mets in a three team deal that sent OF Franklin Gutierrez to Seattle.  It appears the bullpen could be set for the regular season barring injuries or another trade.  Here’s how we see the make up—

 

Closer:  Wood

Righties:  Rafael Betancourt, Jensen Lewis, Smith, Masa Kobayashi

Lefties:  Rafael Perez, Rich Rundles

 

Notice there was no mention of guys like Adam Miller, Jeff Stevens, Tony Sipp, or Jon Meloan, which means there is some depth here which could lead to the inclusion of one of the right-handers in a deal.  You get the feeling that if Miller is healthy, he will head north with the big club out of Arizona.

 

What about the other holes that GM Mark Shapiro needs to fill?  To me, the most pressing need is finding a starting pitcher.  If the season started today, the #3-#5 spots in the starting rotation would be filled by Anthony Reyes, and a combination of Jeremy Sowers, Aaron Laffey, Zach Jackson, and rookie David Huff.  I don’t know about you, but that scares the heck out of me. 

 

The Tribe doesn’t need a top of the rotation starter, but they do need a solid #3 starter.  Jake Westbrook will hopefully be back around the All-Star Game, but what does Eric Wedge do until then?  Reyes has a lock on one spot if his elbow is sound, and I get the feeling Huff will get a good look in spring training for the #5 spot.  That leaves a trio of hurlers who have showed some effectiveness for short periods of time, but largely have not got the job done.

 

The Tribe front office keep talking about the importance of getting an infielder, but if they had to start the season with a combination of Josh Barfield and Jamey Carroll at 2B, no one would lose any sleep.  The biggest change in the infield, and the most important, is moving Jhonny Peralta to 3B and shifting Asdrubal Cabrera to short. 

 

As the free agent market continues to sag, unless you are a top-flight free agent, there are opportunities to sign a guy like Mark Grudzielanek or Ray Durham to a one-year deal.  The reason for a short deal is that everyone is high on the other player obtained in the Gutierrez transaction, Luis Valbuena.  He will start the year at Columbus, but could be wearing a Tribe jersey by the end of the season.

 

I still think the Indians need a bat for the outfield.  It seems to me the ballclub is putting all of their eggs in the Travis Hafner basket.  If Hafner doesn’t comeback to be close to the player who terrorized American League pitchers from 2004-06, the offense will have a gaping hole. 

 

Right now, leftfield is going to be manned by Ben Francisco and David Dellucci.  Yikes!  That’s why I would be looking at a professional hitter who can play LF.  Depending on the market, you could see players like Bobby Abreu or Adam Dunn looking for one-year deals.  Here’s a wild card for you:  Rocco Baldelli. 

 

Baldelli missed most of last season fighting what was diagnosed as a mitochondrial disorder, which left him fatigued.  Recently, it was found the outfielder has channelopathy, which is very treatable.  Where was the correct diagnosis made?  The Cleveland Clinic.  Perhaps, Baldelli would like to be closer to the doctors who found out what was really wrong with him

 

If not, again the depth in the bullpen and one of the four lefty candidates for the starting rotation (I also included Scott Lewis), could be moved to get a bat.  The organization doesn’t want to block Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, or Trevor Crowe, so a player on a one-year deal would be perfect.

 

Mark Shapiro still has a lot of work to do, and indications are he knows it.  There will be more changes to the Tribe roster in the two months before the team relocates to Arizona for 2009 Spring Training.  With the White Sox looking to shed some age, and the Tigers in rebuilding mode, the Indians and Twins shape up as the chief contenders in the AL Central.  That’s providing Shapiro makes the right moves. 

 

MW

 

Here are a few good things that happened in the Browns-Eagles game last night—

 

·          The Browns scored a touchdown, albeit a defensive score, an interception by Brandon McDonald.  It was their first TD since Jerome Harrison’s 72-yard run against the Bills four games ago.

 

·          Eagles’ QB Donovan McNabb had to be dismayed when he found out his alma mater, Syracuse, was defeated by Cleveland State 72-69 on Cedric Jackson’s three quarter court shot.  A great win for the Vikings.

 

·          After the game ended, it meant there were only two games remaining for the Browns in this remarkably disappointing season.

 

The stubbornness of the Romeo Crennel regime continued last night.  I understand the Browns are undermanned, they have lost their top two quarterbacks, and they know they are out of the playoff chase.  However, when Chris Palmer knew the end of his head coaching tenure was near, he pulled out all the stops in a game, ironically, against Philadelphia.  He went out fighting.

 

The defense has been given praise for recent performances, but it occurred to me that the Browns do not have a good defense; they have a good red zone defense.  You really can’t say you have a decent defense when the opponent moves up and down the field at will.  It is frustrating to watch the Browns put teams into 3^rd and long situations, and then allow the first down easily.

 

This happens because of Crennel and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker’s reluctance to send more than three or four people after the quarterback.  They are trying to help out the secondary by dropping seven or eight into coverage, but it’s not working.  A guy like Mc Nabb is going to find someone open eventually.  Sure, the Browns get a lot of interceptions, but if you allow points on six drives and get a couple of picks, you aren’t really ahead of the game. 

 

The Eagles sent the kitchen sink at Ken Dorsey, the same strategy they employ on a weekly basis.  They disrupt offensives by putting pressure on the QB.  I watched several plays were Eagle offensive linemen were looking for defenders to block.

 

Offensively, it was more of the same.  Apparently, Ron Jaworski was told the Browns were going to use the “Flash” package with Josh Cribbs “four or five times per quarter”.  So…what happened to that plan?  Instead, the coaching staff went back to the tired practice of running Jamal Lewis into the line twice and then putting Dorsey in a horrible 3^rd and 8 situation with the Eagles blitzing. 

 

In the first quarter after an initial first down, Cribbs ran on a sweep and picked up six yards.  On a 2^nd and 4, Dorsey hit Lawrence Vickers for 21 yards.  Why?  Because the possibility of the run or a pass existed, the Philly defense was off balance. 

 

Braylon Edwards showed up because it was a national TV game; catching five passes for over a hundred yards, and then started his own trade rumors after the game.  More bizarre behavior from #17. 

 

One definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.  This is the coaching we are seeing from Romeo Crennel and the coaching staff.  They keep using the same tired schemes, the same aging players, and keep getting the same result…defeat.  Crennel’s reluctance to adjust will cost him his job the day after the Pittsburgh game. 

 

His players may love him, but they don’t have to watch the games.

 

JD

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers had their 11 game winning streak end Saturday night in a 97-92 loss at Atlanta.  The defeat dropped the wine and gold’s record to 20-4 on the season with three more road games to follow (Minnesota, Denver, and Oklahoma City) before returning home to Quicken Loans Arena.  As their excellent beat reporter Brian Windhorst pointed it out in The Plain Dealer, the only blemish on Cavs’ record is their mark on the road against winning teams.

 

The truth is because of the success of the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Lakers, there aren’t many very good teams in the NBA this season.  There are several good teams, and others who have reputations for being very good, but they have struggled this year for many reasons.  For example, the Cavs only road victory against a winning team thus far was against Dallas, and they are just 13-9 on the campaign, disappointing for them.

 

The wine and gold’s main competition in the Eastern Conference is the defending champion Celtics, who currently sit atop the conference standings with a 22-2 record.  Boston has played four more home games than road contests compared to the Cavaliers two game advantage at home, which will be evened up on this trip.  It’s safe to say Boston has had a very favorable slate thus far.

 

So even though the Cavs have just one road win against a quality opponent, Boston has just two, beating Houston and Detroit.  Of course, they have played ten games away from the Garden in 2008.  The other beast of the NBA, the Lakers, has four quality road victories, beating Denver, Dallas, New Orleans, and Phoenix. 

 

Another thing that stands out on the Celts is the minutes played by two of their big three.  Both Paul Pierce (37.1) and Ray Allen (35.6) are getting more minutes per contest than LeBron James (35.5).  Of course, James will turn 24 years old in a couple of weeks, while Pierce is now 31 and Allen is 33 years old.  It will be interesting to see if this heavy workload will have an effect on the older guys as the season goes on.  Allen, in particular, wore down as the season went on last season.

 

While there is reason for a little concern regarding the Cavaliers performance against good teams on the road, the same thing can be said about the Boston Celtics.  The biggest difference is that the green cashed in a title in 2007-08, while Cleveland is still looking for a championship.  The Cavs have to hope their fresher legs will pay dividends as the 82 game regular season goes on.

 

JK

 

The Cleveland Indians jumped into the free agent market by signing right-handed relief pitcher Kerry Wood to a two-year contract worth $20 million with an option for a third year.  Although we have not advocated the Tribe signing a closer, I really cannot argue to vehemently about this signing. 

 

In fact, when I saw a few weeks ago that the Cubs did not offer Wood arbitration, I thought he might be a good fit for the Indians because they would not have to give up a draft pick to sign him.  The only negative on Wood is his injury history, but in his first full year as a reliever, his only ailment was a blister problem on his finger.

 

The real reason I like the signing is for the first time since Mike Jackson closed for the Tribe in 19989, the Indians will have a power arm coming out of the bullpen to pitch the ninth inning.  And not even Jackson had the strikeout prowess that Kerry Wood has.  No more fooling hitters with change ups, curve balls, and guile.  Kerry Wood throws 95 miles per hour and has a devastating breaking ball.

 

Guys like Bob Wickman and Joe Borowski did good jobs in some years.  Heck, Borowski led the American League in saves in 2007.  But, those guys are always pitching on the edge; always have guys on base, always one bad pitch location away from a real disaster.  Finally, we have a big guy who says here it is, go ahead and try to hit it.

 

The 6-5, 211 pound Texan pitched 66-1/3 innings last season and struck out 84 hitters.  He allowed just 54 hits and just three home runs for the season.  He will turn 32 years old next June.  He is a legitimate power pitcher, and can be a guy that makes other teams think it’s an eight inning game when they play the Indians.  Heck, Wood even averages 10.38 whiffs per nine innings for his career!

 

The other good thing about the deal is it is only a two year commitment with, of course as all Shapiro contracts are, a club option for a third year.  This means that even if Wood gets hurt or is ineffective, Cleveland is only on the hook for two years.  Compare that to the Sabathia deal with the Yankees or the Zito deal with the Giants, those deals being for seven years.

 

The Tribe also added another reliever in right-hander Joe Smith in a three-team deal with the Mets and Mariners, which saw the Indians part ways with OF Franklin Gutierrez.  Smith, who will be 25 in March, has spent the last two years with the Mets, and is a submariner, which makes him effective against right-handed hitters.  He held those hitters to a .192 average last season.  He gives Eric Wedge another option out of the bullpen.

 

Shapiro also received 23 year old 2B Luis Valbuena in the deal.  He was a late season call up for the Mariners, appearing in 18 games last season, batting .245 with an RBI.  He hit .304 with an 864 OPS in 70 games last year in Class AA.  However, it was his second year at that level, as he hit .239 with an OPS under 700 the year before.  He was selected by Baseball America as having the best strike zone judgment in the Mariners organization. 

 

Gutierrez’ main value is as a platoon outfielder of as a defensive specialist in CF, presumably where he will play with the Mariners.  He struggles against right-handed pitchers, but is still young enough to improve in that area.  He falls victim to the emergence of Shin-Soo Choo, and the three young outfielders in the farm system:  Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, and Trevor Crowe. 

 

However, unless the Tribe gets another outfielder they face starting the season with a LF platoon of Ben Francisco and David Dellucci.  That’s not going to be good enough to contend. 

 

They also still need a starting pitcher.  I can’t picture starting the season with Anthony Reyes as the third starter. 

 

KM

 

It seems kind of cruel that Romeo Crennel is still coaching the Browns, yet the main topic of conversation about the team is who will be the next coach.  It’s a foregone conclusion that Crennel will not be back after this disappointing season, however, outside of Bill Cowher, we haven’t seen or heard of any candidates for the position.

 

The first thing that has to be decided is who will be in charge.  Will Phil Savage remain as General Manager?  If he isn’t, then that position has to be filled first, and then the new GM should have the opportunity to pick his own coach, something Savage wasn’t afforded a chance to do.  At this point, that’s a bigger question because I don’t think Savage would want Marty Schottenheimer as the next head coach.

 

Who should be the next Browns’ coach?  A better question would be what characteristics should the next Browns’ coach have?

 

First, the days of the easy-going coach should be over.  It’s time for a disciplinarian, someone who will crack the whip.  Since the Browns have returned to the NFL, they really have never gone that route.  Butch Davis looked the part, but he didn’t bring the same discipline that a guy like Bill Parcells or Jimmy Johnson brought.  Chris Palmer and Romeo Crennel might be good tactical coaches, but they allowed the inmates to run the asylum.

 

Second, it should be a coach who emphasizes the fundamentals, like running the ball and stopping the run, and he conveys that idea to the GM, who then gets the players who fit that criteria.  The Browns have been searching for an identity since 1999.  The next coach needs to have an idea of what will work in Cleveland in November and December, and the strength to stick with the program. 

 

The new coach needs to be a defensive presence with the confidence to have an offensive coordinator who will be aggressive.  The Browns have never had a dominant defense in all my years following the team, which dates back to the mid-1960’s.  It’s time to build one.  Let’s get after the passer and put pressure on the other team’s offense for a change.  And if that involves blitzing, then so be it. 

 

Crennel’s successor should also be young, so he can be in charge for more than a couple of years.  The last two points eliminate Schottenheimer, who at 65 would probably only be interested in the gig for a couple of years.  Look at Baltimore and Pittsburgh, who hired young vibrant guys to head their teams.  There is nothing wrong with playing follow the leader. 

 

At this point, management should be looking at what has worked around the league and then adapt it to Cleveland.  They say offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.  Why haven’t the Browns won since 1964?  They haven’t developed a championship defense.

 

It’s time to use this opportunity to finally set a direction for this franchise.  If Phil Savage is going to be here, he needs to hire a coach that shares his vision of what a winning football team will be.  Everybody makes fun of Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge, but they have the same vision.  Mike Brown and Danny Ferry have a similar relationship with the Cavaliers.  I don’t think that is the case right now with the Browns. 

 

If they want to return this team to the glory days of the 50’s and 60’s, they need that type of leadership.

 

MW

 

The Cleveland Browns did not play like a team that had nothing to lose yesterday.  They played like a team trying not to lose.  The Browns dropped to 4-9 with a 28-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon, their third straight game without scoring a touchdown.  The offensive was very vanilla, which made me wonder how much time was spent on the game plan.

 

The game was lost in the first quarter.  After a promising opening drive that resulted in a field goal, D’Qwell Jackson picked off a Kerry Collins pass on the Titan 25 yard line.  Unfortunately, the Browns didn’t try to pounce, running three conservative plays and settling for another Dawson three pointer.  Romeo Crennel and offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski could have went for six points, but decided to play close to the vest. 

 

To turn a phrase, the Browns brought field goals to a touchdown fight.  The Titans had four scores to the Browns three, but the final score was lopsided because Cleveland never got close to sniffing the end zone.

 

The offensive game plan left me shaking my head.  Josh Cribbs finally threw a pass, however.  However, it came with the brown and orange trailing 28-9!  Why wasn’t the play used after the Jackson interception?  Why didn’t Crennel go for a first down on 4^th and 1 in the fourth quarter when his team was losing 21-9?  If you play not to lose, that is precisely what will happen most of the time.

 

Cribbs played his heart out, carrying the ball, returning kicks, making tackles on kick coverage.  He was by far the most effective runner, as he had 24 yards on six carries, the only Brown to average more than a yard per carry.  He had a 30-yard run called back because of a holding penalty on Darnell Dinkins in the second half. 

 

By the way, this just in, Jamal Lewis’ career has hit the wall.  His last effective season was 2007.

 

On defense, despite D’Qwell Jackson’s great day (he had two interceptions and 15 tackles), it was another case of not being able to stop the run.  The Titans rushed for 235 yards, an average of 5.5 per carry, and came within one yard by LenDale White of having two runners gain 100 yards in the contest. 

 

Quite frankly, I couldn’t understand why Collins was throwing at all early in the game.  He was doing the Browns a favor by not running the ball.  In the tenth year since the team returned to the NFL, they still cannot stop the run. 

 

Look at the Titans.  They are 12-1 with a simple formula:  They run the ball and stop the other team from doing the same.  It’s a little easier to win when you can do those things.  That should be the goal of the organization in the off-season.  Make strides to run the ball and stop the run.

 

If the players enjoy playing for Crennel, they have a funny way of showing it.  If Crennel believes he needs to win to save his job, he’s going about it the wrong way.  Trying to keep the score close doesn’t get it done, and playing this brand of football is not going to get the fans on your side.  The Crennel regime has three games left; this season can’t end soon enough.

 

JD