Many people are speculating that Eric Mangini may have saved his job with last Thursday night’s 13-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let’s not forget that the defending Super Bowl champs had lost four straight going into the game.
The Browns didn’t do anything that at least two other mediocre teams have done this season in beating Pittsburgh. No one is confusing the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs with the NFL elite teams, yet both of those squads knocked off the Steelers.
It’s nothing to get that excited about.
This is where Randy Lerner needs to keep listening to guys like Bernie Kosar, and not get all hyped up about this win. He needs to stick to the plan he supposedly put in place after the debacles against Chicago and Green Bay.
The owner needs to do what he should have done after letting Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel go last season.
He needs to hire a head of football operations, let that person hire a general manager, and together they should hire the coach. That’s the way to put together an organization. Not hire the first person you are impressed with.
Lerner also cannot hire someone as his football czar who will accept Mangini as the coach. He must find the best man for the job, and let him take care of all of the football business. If that means Mangini needs to be replaced, then so be it.
Mangini seems unwilling or unable to deal with talented players. He also bases his roster decisions too much on the ability to play special teams, rather than making a difference on every down. His handling of the quarterback situation was an out and out disaster, and his offensive game plan has been horrific from week to week.
After thinking that last season’s 4-12 record was rock bottom, the new coach came in and gutted the roster, which was needed because of the losing that had occurred. However, for the most part, they were not replaced with an upgrade in ability.
Last year’s draft was a failure, save the first round pick in Alex Mack, who looks like he will be a solid player and wide receiver Mohammad Massaquoi, who starts. His other two second round picks can’t get on the field.
The new football executive has to be allowed to make the decisions, all of the decisions. Beating Pittsburgh is nice, but other bad teams did that too. Let’s not get carried away.
If the Browns lose to KC this Sunday, the people thinking Mangini is the right guy for the job will be singing a different tune come a week from today.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 