At the end of this season, Browns’ president Mike Holmgren will have a decision to make regarding Eric Mangini. Is he the head coach who can lead this organization into the playoffs, and once there, can he get them to advance?
Mangini has some things going for him. He has made the Browns a physical football team. He has also taken a squad that was getting blown out on a weekly basis early last season, and has them in every game a year later.
As proof, the brown and orange has had the lead in the fourth quarter in eight of the ten games played thus far. So, it is safe to assume that the Browns have had a chance to win any of those contests.
However, they’ve won just three.
How are they able to compete each week? Either they do not have a great deal of talent and the coaching staff does a tremendous job of putting together schemes each week or they have some players and they just aren’t being utilized correctly.
If Holmgren’s answer is the latter, then Eric Mangini will not be the coach here in 2011.
There is talent on this football team. On the offensive side of the ball, LT Joe Thomas is a three time Pro Bowler, and C Alex Mack is rated as one of the best at his position in the NFL. And certainly, Peyton Hillis will garner his share of votes to go to the Pro Bowl.
The wide receiver position is way below average, but the coaching staff under utilizes TE Evan Moore, perhaps the best receiver on the team.
They also need another running back because when Hillis leaves the game, the other running backs have a problem gaining even a yard.
On the defensive side, the youngsters in the secondary have been as good as advertised with rookies Joe Haden and T. J. Ward making major contributions. Also, LB Scott Fujita, Marcus Benard, and Matt Roth are also capable of starting for other NFL teams, as well as NT Ahtyba Rubin.
And don’t forget Shaun Rogers, who is uber talented, although not in the best of shape.
So spare us the lack of talent argument.
For the Mangini supporters, there clearly is enough talent to be in almost every game they have played this season. That cannot be debated. And if you are in the game, and in many cases, leading in the fourth quarter, why can’t this team finish the deal?
Because when you play not to lose, more than likely, you lose. This is a problem for many defensive oriented coaches who ascend to the title of head coach. Browns fans went through the same thing back in the ‘80’s when Marty Schottenheimer was the coach.
These guys are more comfortable with defensive game plans, so they like to play a very basic game on offense and put the game in the hands of the defense. But that strategy doesn’t put games away.
Unfortunately for Mangini, this philosophy is directly opposite from that of his boss, Mike Holmgren.
Sunday’s loss illustrated that even though the coach opened up the playbook in the wins over the Saints and Patriots, he went back to a conservative game plan in a contest where his team was expected to win. That has to irk the Big Show.
It’s a tale of two coaches. One has an offensive background, the other a defensive background. The guy who likes to score points runs the show. Where does that leave the other coach?
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 