When you lose three games in a row in the NFL, there are no such things as ugly victories.  So, we will not call the Browns 14-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars that. 

However, Cleveland appeared to play a good game today, and still barely survived against a Jacksonville team that no one will mistaken for a playoff team. 

Still, the Jags own victories over the Ravens and Titans, so you cannot take any win for granted.

The game was supposed to pit Maurice Jones-Drew against the porous run defense of the Browns, but Jones-Drew was held in check and the Jaguars had just 108 yards rushing as a team,compared to 148 for Cleveland. 

Should we repeat that even in today’s pass happy NFL, if you can run the ball and stop your opponent from doing so, you have a good chance to pick up a victory?

Give kudos to Dick Jauron’s defense against the ground game, which made adjustments at halftime after MJD ran very effectively in the first half. 

However, this game changed with 3:37 left in the third quarter with the score tied at 7.  At this point, the Browns put together a, dare we say masterful, drive that culminated in a rare touchdown to give Cleveland a lead it would never relinquish.

And the drive came after a terrible interception in the red zone by QB Colt McCoy, in which he obviously did not see the Jacksonville defender.

Mixing the run and the pass, it took McCoy 12 plays to navigate 85 yards.  He finished off the drive with a rollout 3-yard TD pass to Josh Cribbs, who got both feet down in the corner of the end zone.  McCoy completed some short pass, ran for 15 yards himself, and got support in the running game from RB Chris Ogbonnaya, who had a career day with 115 yards in 21 carries.

More to the point, it looked like McCoy, who completed 17 of 24 for 199 yards,  stopped playing like a robot, and started doing things instinctual.  Perhaps that’s the best news of the day.  Of course, it looked like Pat Shurmur allowed him to run things from the shotgun, where he is clearly more comfortable.

The Cleveland offense was effective enough today that Brad Maynard was forced to punt just three times, none in the second half. 

And even though they used just one “gimmick” play, an end around to Cribbs, the play called was a little more imaginative.  A downfield throw to WR Greg Little in the seam of a zone defense netted 19 yards, and a short throw to FB Owen Marecic in the red zone picked up 11 yards. 

There needs to be more of that.

Even after the offense produced points, and missed three more on a questionable missed field goal by Phil Dawson, it still came down to the defense having to make  plays when the Jags got the ball back on their own 29 with less than three minutes to go.

CB Sheldon Brown had a chance to put the game away, but he dropped an interception.  Jacksonville had a fourth and one from the CLE 36, but DT Phil Taylor jumped offsides.

The Browns forced a 3rd and 10 from their own 29, but Joe Haden was called for pass interference to give the Jaguars a first down on the Browns’ 14. 

In the end, the Jags had four plays inside the Cleveland 5 to try to steal a win, and after giving Jones-Drew the ball the first two times to get the ball to the 1 yard line, Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio decided not to get the ball to his team’s best player.

Instead, QB  Blaine Gabbert threw two passes, the last one with LB D’Qwell Jackson draped all over WR Mike Thomas and the Browns had themselves a win.

Now comes the difficult part of the schedule with three straight division games, starting next week in Cincinnati.  The offense needs to put more points on the board, not just move the football. 

JD

After viewing the NBA labor negotiations (or lack of them) recently, it is a reminder that for the moment, baseball has labor peace. 

In fact, the two sides have been getting together to extend the current agreement very quietly, and reports have it that the new contract will be ratified during the winter meetings next month.

The rumors have it that has part of the new deal, the Houston Astros will move to the American League, giving the sport two 15 team leagues.

This will mean interleague baseball will be a part of your daily schedule starting in 2013, and that each club will play around 30 games against the other league.

In addition, the sport will add an extra wild card team, allowing for 10 participants in the post-season (1/3 of the teams), instead of the current eight.

The question here is…why?  Is any baseball fan clamoring for these changes?

The answer is no.  The national pastime is still drawing fans, and the real fans of the sport do not want more interleague games or more teams in the playoffs.

First, on moving the Astros to the AL.  The 30 interleague games dilute the pennant races since the additional 12 contests vs. the other league will come at the expense of other teams in your league. 

That means it is more likely than ever that a division title could be decided based on how you do against ball clubs in the other league.  That’s absurd.

As far as adding an extra team to the playoffs, the reason being given is it will allow smaller market teams a shot at getting to the playoffs. 

Is that worth diluting the championship? 

The thing about baseball is the best four teams in each league are proven through a 162 regular season schedule.  At any point in time, the worst team in the majors can win two of three against the best team.

Adding an extra team to the mix means that possibly the fifth best team in a league could emerge as World Champions. 

Critics would say the Cardinals won in 2006 with a record just slightly better than .500 (83-78), but they won their division.  And really, how many times have the World Series champs won less than 90 games recently?

Since 1960, the answer is two:  The Yankees in 2000 (87-74) and the Twins in 1987 (85-77). 

Adding another team to the mix adds to the possibility of that happening. 

If the powers that be really want to give smaller markets a better chance to make the playoffs, then fix the salary disparity between the larger markets and the smaller ones.

The Yankees, Red Sox, and now the Phillies have a tremendous advantage to advance every year because of how much they spend.  Does it guarantee success?  No, look at teams like the Mets.

However, it does give them a good leg up on the competition.  The Bronx Bombers have missed the playoffs just once since 1995, and the Red Sox have won at least 86 games every season over the last ten years.

Name any other teams that can make those claims. 

Baseball is trying to level the playing field.  It’s well-known that Indians have lost their share of great players to free agency:  Thome, Ramirez, Sabathia, Lee.

However, isn’t it a shame that the Brewers probably can’t afford to keep 1B Prince Fielder?  It’s difficult for the mid market clubs to keep their great players.

That’s what baseball needs to address, not interleague play and more playoff teams.

That’s like putting make up on a scar.

KM

The Cleveland Browns have gone 47 years since winning a championship.  The fans are tired of seeing the same thing year after year after year.

What’s even worse is the constant attitude of virtually coaching staff the organization has had of playing not to lose. 

That leads to conservative play calling on both offense and defense.  It’s maddening.

After watching a team still rebuilding mode play this way on Sunday, it’s even more ridiculous than ever.

No one expected the Browns to make the playoffs this season.  Most people felt a 6-10 or 7-9 record would be making progress for a team that is currently one of the youngest in the league.

So why not gamble when you have a chance to win?

Why not let Colt McCoy throw at least one pass into the end zone after getting a first and goal at the Rams’ 8 yard line?

If he threw an interception, which given his history would be doubtful (he’s thrown just six on the year), the Browns would have lost.

Guess what?  They lost anyway!

Can’t the Browns hire a coach who isn’t afraid to win for once?

This goes back to Marty Schottenheimer, who approached most games as if he were afraid to lose it.  It wasn’t until Bernie Kosar and offensive coordinator Lindy Infante were here did the Browns have an aggressive offensive philosophy.

And Kosar had told stories of how he argued with his head coach on that subject.

For the sake of clarity, most professional football coaches are made the same way.  They don’t want to take a chance, have it blow up in their face, and have to explain it to the media. 

And there is a fine line between a calculated risk and being conservative. 

Sam Rutigliano had to learn this.  When he first took over the Browns in 1978, he had a reputation as “Riverboat Sam”, a gambler who took chances, sometimes with negative results.

When his team was better, he didn’t gamble as much.  And that’s just another reason to be irritated with Pat Shurmur’s conservative nature.  No one is expecting the Browns to make the playoffs!

Right now, the Browns have nothing to lose.  Why not take a shot into the end zone.  After all, when the field goal attempt blew up in a comedy of errors, there were still over two minutes left on the clock.

It wasn’t like the Browns were running down the clock to try to win the game on the last play.  They would have had a two point lead and St. Louis would have had plenty of time to get into position for a game winning kick.

That’s much too conservative thinking.

And that’s what makes Browns fans shake their collective heads. 

They want a coach who is aggressive, who plays to win, one who says “We are the Cleveland Browns, and we aren’t taking any crap from anyone!”

They see one in Pittsburgh, they see one in Baltimore.  And it’s tough to watch, particularly when the Browns play those teams twice a year.

When will the Browns have a coach who will be aggressive, especially when they have nothing to lose?  Football fans would love that approach to the game.

Right now, the playing not to lose style isn’t working in the standings, and it doesn’t play well with the fans either.

MW

If it is possible for a head coach to be too aggressive on one play and then too conservative on the next, Cleveland Browns’ head coach Pat Shurmur achieved it today.

After having a good game plan that finally opened up the offense, and mixed in some trick plays with a sound, ball-control attack, the Browns fell short once again, 13-12 to the St. Louis Rams, on a play that would be unbelievable except that we all saw it.

The Browns had a first and goal at the Rams’ 8 with 4:36 remaining, poised to go ahead and claim their fourth victory of the year. 

Then Pat Shurmur seemingly went schizophrenic.

A very conservative call on first down resulted in a one yard loss by RB Chris Ogbonnaya.  On the next play, the coach called for a handoff to TE Alex Smith, who was lined up in the backfield.  Smith didn’t handle the play cleanly, but fortunately, Josh Cribbs fell on the ball so Cleveland kept possession.

On third down, Ogbonnaya got the ball again, and carried it to the STL 3. 

So, with three plays inside the 10 yard line, Shurmur did not allow QB Colt McCoy, who had a good game, hitting 20 of 27 throws for 218 yards, to take a shot at the end zone. 

A curious decision to be sure.

Still, the ball was put in position for what appeared to be an easy Phil Dawson field goal. 

But Ryan Pontbriand’s snap hit Alex Mack’s foot and rolled back to holder Brad Maynard.  The timing of the play was destroyed and Dawson had to stop during his approach to the ball.  He missed the short field goal, and the Browns lost a game it appeared to have in hand. 

The team looked stunned as it left the field, now 3-6 for the season, and losers of three straight.

The bad snap was the second bad special teams play of the day, after Cribbs’ fumble of a punt return set up the winning points for the Rams.  It’s hard to find fault with the standout on kicking plays, but the bobble gave St. Louis life after they had trouble moving the ball much of the second half.

The defeat was a shame for several reasons.  One, of course, is because it came at home to a team with just one other victory on the year.  Another is because Shurmur’s offense showed life.

He used Cribbs in the wildcat formation a few times, he threw a pass to back up QB Seneca Wallace off a double reverse.  They ran end around handoffs to both Cribbs and WR Greg Little, and threw a 52-yard pass to Little to set up a field goal before the half.

Here’s hoping we see more of that during the rest of the season.  There is no reason not to use these plays.

However, the play calling became very stale in the red zone.  McCoy threw just one catchable ball into the end zone all day, to Evan Moore, who appeared to be interfered with.  Moore was guilty of a face mask on the play, so it would have just made it off-setting penalties had it been called.

The defense played well too.  Stephen Jackson gained 128 yards in 27 carries, but was held pretty much in check.  LB Scott Fujita had an interception, and LB Chris Gocong was all over the field, forcing a Jackson fumble, and recovering it himself.

Rookie DT Phil Taylor played well also.  With people saying he had hit a rookie wall, Taylor had several big hits and recording Cleveland’s only sack of the day.  The secondary did a good job, as St. Louis’s longest pass play was a 24-yard sensational catch by WR Brandon Lloyd.

There is no question this was a tough defeat for the Browns.  It will be a test to see what kind of leader Shurmur is with next week’s contest against Jacksonville being very winnable.  Cleveland’s only road win was in week two against the Colts, and this team needs a victory in the worst sort of way.

JD

The other day in an interview on 92.3 The Fan, Sports Illustrated’s great pro football writer, Peter King, said he felt Browns’ coach Pat Shurmur wasn’t creative because he didn’t have the tools to do so.

That’s a bit of a curious statement because it seems to be just the opposite of how it should go.  If you don’t have the talent to compete, then you need to trick your opponent.

That’s why it was curious to see the Browns run on first down on 11 of the first 12 situations of this type during last Sunday’s game at Houston. 

Trying to establish the run first by using your 4th and 5th string running backs doesn’t seem to be smart football.

Plus, you put your offense in poor down and distance situations due to the inability this team has right now in running the football. 

If your offensive line is struggling a bit, putting them in certain passing situations on 2nd and 3rd down doesn’t really help them out.

That’s why it’s a head-scratcher to see Shurmur use such a vanilla attack against an obviously superior opponent.  You have to mix it up and try some different things when you have the ball.

Look, it is understandable that you can’t run trick play after trick play.  They carry that term for a reason, they are high risk, high reward plays.

That doesn’t mean you can’t mix one in on a game to game basis.  What would be the harm?  Your opponents may not like it, but who cares if you win the game, or make it a competitive contest.

Using a gadget play also loosens up the defense, and may just make it easier to run your basic plays.  Certainly, the positives in doing something like that outweigh the negatives.

Plus, it makes the game fun for your players.  And after the last three games with a lack of offense, Browns’ players on that side of the ball may need that.

It appears that the coach may be gun-shy from his first two attempts to do something different, the 4th and 1 pitch out to rookie RB Armond Smith and the wide receiver reverse to Josh Cribbs that went awry. 

We’ve seen nothing but basic plays since.

However, those plays took place when Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty were healthy.  If you have a 4th and 1 and Hillis is available, why not give it to him.

Shurmur would argue that he was trying to hit a home run, but it wasn’t the right time in the game.

It is also understandable that the coach is installing a new offense, but he has an obligation to win games as well.  Work on the new scheme in practice, but in games, mix in some stuff (shotgun formation, no huddle plays) to help you win.

Without a healthy, proven runner, there is even more pressure on the coaching staff to get the ball to playmakers.  Therefore, be creative and get the ball to Cribbs, Evan Moore, Greg Little, and Ben Watson.

The strength of the team is at tight end, so why not use a lot of two tight end sets, featuring Watson and Moore?  It works for the New England Patriots, though understand Tom Brady doesn’t quarterback the Browns.

Shurmur seemed a little tense and terse during his usual Monday press conference.  The pressure is mounting on him.

Right now, he needs to make football fun again, both for his players to play, and for the fans to watch.

Running some imaginative plays wouldn’t hurt.

JD

With the Cleveland Browns struggling along with a 3-5 record, and seemingly unable to score in the first and third quarters of games, fans are already calling for the firing of coach Pat Shurmur.

Some of these people have actually suggested Mike Holmgren made a mistake in firing Eric Mangini after last season, because, you know, the Browns were oh so successful in Mangini’s two years at the helm with a 10-22 record. 

In fact, do you know what the Browns’ record was after eight games last season?  That’s right, the same 3-5 record they have currently.

Part of Shurmur’s problem is how he arrived at the 3-5 record.  The ’11 squad has lost two in a row to achieve the record, while the 2010 version of the team won two straight, beating New Orleans and New England to reach the mark.

Those two wins and the subsequent overtime loss to the Jets were the high point of Mangini’s tenure in Cleveland. 

Sitting at 3-6 and facing a schedule with upcoming winnable games at Jacksonville, vs. Carolina and road tilts in Miami, Buffalo, and Cincinnati,  it wasn’t a stretch to think Cleveland could have been 8-6 going into the last two games against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

However, after being aggressive and bold in play calling and general style of play in wins and overtime loss, Mangini, for reasons only known to the coach, decided to go back to his conservative football nature and his team lost three of those five games against poor opponents. 

And they were lucky to defeat Carolina at home, a team that won just once all season.

The Jacksonville game was particularly galling because the Jaguars turned the ball over six times in the contest, and Cleveland did not attack after each one.  A 17-10 lead after three quarters turned into a 24-20 defeat. 

Colt McCoy was injured in the game and could not play the next few games, so Mangini went with Jake Delhomme over Seneca Wallace, and Delhomme didn’t play well and some games that could have been won slipped by the wayside.

Also, remember the odd personnel decisions made by the previous regime.  Jayme Mitchell has shown to be at least a decent player as a starter this year at defensive end.

Mitchell was acquired by GM Tom Heckert, probably not at the behest of the coach.  Therefore, Mitchell was rendered inactive for the entire season.  Why?  Because the coach didn’t want him.

Rookie CB Joe Haden didn’t start until the middle of the season even though starter Eric Wright was struggling.  Haden has shown Pro Bowl ability this year.

Also remember that the 2010 Browns were a veteran laden team, full of decent players who had been with the Jets when Mangini was the coach there.  They knew how the coach did things, and it did pay off in terms of fewer penalties and mental errors.  However, these players were not getting better, so the future wasn’t very bright.

Granted, Shurmur hasn’t knocked anyone’s socks off as a head coach, and perhaps he never will.  But this year’s Browns are younger, and the roster is dotted with players on the upswing like Haden, and rookies Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard.  Those players and others will get better with experience. 

Certainly things could be better with the Browns, the last few games have been pure torture to watch, but let’s not remember the last two years as some sort of “golden era”.  When his football team appeared to be in a position to make some noise in the standings, Eric Mangini chose not to sustain the bold style of play that earned victories against the Saints and Patriots.

That’s what we should remember about the 2010 season.

MW

A recurring theme for the Cleveland Browns for the past ten seasons is the inability to run the football, and not being able to stop the ground game of the opponents.

Today, that was evidenced to the extreme in a 30-12 embarrassing loss to the Houston Texans.

The Texans rushed for a club record 261 yards, while the Browns mustered just 44.  So dominant was the Houston ground game, that QB Matt Schaub threw 119 yards on the day.  He didn’t need to do anything else.

It doesn’t matter what year any team is in a rebuilding process, there should be no excuse for the kind of physical defeat the Browns suffered today.  It appeared that most of the team quit, and that includes the coaching staff.

After RB Chris Ogbannaya fumbled on Cleveland’s first offensive play of the game, the guys wearing white jerseys could have just went back to their locker rooms, and it is doubtful anyone would have noticed.

The first anger felt here was when the Browns had the ball with a 4th and 2 on the Texans’  33 yard line in the 2nd quarter, trailing 14-0, and Pat Shurmur had Phil Dawson kick yet another 50 yard field goal. 

With the Browns being a huge underdog on the road, and down by two touchdowns, why not go for it and try to get back within seven points?

Dawson made the kick, but it was the first sign that the Browns weren’t going to try to win today.  And for team president Mike Holmgren, it should have had him thinking about the previous coach, who spent many a Sunday afternoon trying not to lose.

The offensive play calling was ridiculous as well.  Sometime in the middle of the third quarter, the network showed a graphic saying the Browns had run 11 out of a possible 13 times on first down.  Keep in mind, Cleveland was missing its top two running backs in Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty. 

Why not loosen up the defense by throwing on first down a few times.

Put in poor down and distance situations by the staff, QB Colt McCoy took a beating, getting sacked four times and getting hit numerous others. 

Still, the poor offensive game plan had nothing to do with a defense that gave up 6.5 yards per rushing attempt.  Even when the Texans were in poor down and distance situations, they simply handed the ball to Arian Foster and Ben Tate and have them run for the eight or nine yards they needed.

Houston was 9 for 14 in converting third downs, so the orange helmets couldn’t get off the field.

Even more disturbing than the lack of offense and defense, was the attitude shown by the team.  They appeared to be moping when things went wrong rather that fighting.

For sure, not all Browns can be faulted here.  LB D’Qwell Jackson played hard, and followed up a pass up field defended by Mike Adams and got a hustle interception.  Joe Haden is always around the ball, and Ahtyba Rubin is too.  Josh Cribbs is one of the best players on the team and still manages to get tackles on special teams.

However, for the most part, the Browns looked like a defeated football team early in the first half, and that’s on the coaching staff.  They have to try some different things because what they are doing right now isn’t working.

They haven’t scored a first half touchdown since the Oakland game.  The team is too reliant on Phil Dawson kicking 50 yard field goals to score points. 

There is no progress being made.  The staff can point to putting in a new system all they want, but the offense looked better in the first two contests. 

So what, if you don’t have your two best running backs.  You do the best you can with what you have. 

This football team cannot have another game like this the rest of the season.  This must be the low point for Shurmur and his coaches.  No more excuses.

JD

When the Cleveland Browns hired Pat Shurmur as head coach last winter, fans questioned his qualifications for the gig. 

Yes, he was the offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, guiding rookie first round pick Sam Bradford.  He seemed perfect to help develop Colt McCoy into a good NFL quarterback.

He still may be able to do that, but the natives, as usual for Browns’ fans, are getting restless.

Since Shurmur’s career as an assistant was largely unheralded, meaning he wasn’t a coordinator for a team who made a deep run in the playoffs, it was thought that maybe he was a dynamic personality, along the same lines as Mike Tomlin and Mike Smith.

A leader of men, if you will.

He may be that, but that personality hasn’t been shown to the press or the public.  He doesn’t seem to be a fiery guy, who can get his team to follow him.

That’s one of the problems he has, people’s perceptions of him. 

It’s not fair, but that’s reality.

However, how Shurmur behaves with the press is only an issue because his football team has got off to a 3-4 start in a city that is starved for a winning team.

The latter isn’t his problem, but he has to live with it.

People see the job that Jim Harbaugh is doing in San Francisco and wonder why that can’t happen here?  Of course, many of the key pieces there (Frank Gore, Patrick Willis, Mike Iupati) have been in place for a while.

Fans see the Kansas City Chiefs, a team completely annihilated in their first two games this season, win four games in a row to get to 4-3.  Of course, the Chiefs made the playoffs last season.

Much like the Indians who have suffered because of poor drafting through much of the last decade, the Browns really started their building process in 2009.

And really in that draft, the only players of consequence are C Alex Mack and WR Mohammed Massaquoi.  Two other second round picks, WR Brian Robiskie and LB David Veikune, are no longer in the NFL.

So, Cleveland is in its second year of the “program”, while the 49ers have been gathering talent for four years. 

Because the Browns haven’t taken a giant leap record wise this year, the coach’s personality is called into question.

One thing that is disturbing is the lack of progress being shown, particularly offensively, since the beginning of the season.  As a matter of fact, the offense looked better the first two weeks of the season.

Understand that Shurmur is putting his system into place, but winning is also important to a fan base that has gone far too long without it.

It also seems that more changes are needed.  The coach moved rookie WR Greg Little into the starting lineup after the bye week, but why not take a look at the right side of the offensive line where T Tony Pashos and G Shawn Lauvao have struggled. 

The line seemed to play better early in the year when Artis Hicks and O’Neal Cousins were playing tackle.

Sometimes a young coach is impatient and makes moves like this too early, and sometimes they wait too long.

Shurmur seems to be the latter right now.

The point is this:  Shurmur is far from being a perfect coach, but you have to give him time to grow into the job.  However, it is not too early to start making changes.

No one wants to stop the rebuilding process, but you can make some subtle changes in personnel and also play calling in order to win games. 

Winning changes the losing atmosphere that the Cleveland Browns have become.

Until they do, every small detail of their head coach will be analyzed.  That’s unfair.

JD

Yesterday, the Cleveland Indians picked up a former 20 game winner to add to their starting rotation. 

Unfortunately, Derek Lowe joined that club way back in 2002, ten seasons ago. 

Still, in trading for Lowe, who will be 39 on June 1st next season, GM Chris Antonetti made a low risk move, particularly since Lowe’s former employers, the Atlanta Braves, will pick up all but $5 million of his contract.

The Tribe reportedly gave up LHP Chris Jones, who has spent the last three seasons at Class A Kinston.

Last season, one of the problems the Indians’ starters had been the inability to soak up innings.  Justin Masterson and Fausto Carmona were reliable in doing this, but with various degrees of effectiveness.

But Josh Tomlin usually can give you six innings at best and the rest of the rotation was about the same.  This created an overload for a very good bullpen.

Lowe will be a remedy for this if he can pitch well.  Since becoming a starter in 2002, the right-hander has thrown at least 182 innings every year, topping out at 219 in ’02. 

He had a poor season last year, going 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA, and he had a terrible September, with an ERA of almost 9.00.  Prior to that month, his figure was 4.54, not great, but respectable.

But the previous two years, he was 16-12 with a 4.00 ERA in 2010, and 15-10, 4.67 in 2009. 

At this point in his career, he’s a back of the rotation guy, and he should project as the Indians’ fifth starter behind Masterson, Jimenez, Tomlin, and Fausto Carmona, whose option was picked up for 2012.

Lowe is another sinkerballer, just like Masterson and Carmona.  In fact, he ranked 2nd in the big leagues in keeping the ball on the ground. 

The veteran is making a little less money than Carmona, and could be a suitable replacement if Antonetti decides to deal the inconsistent righty.

It would free up another $2 million to use in a deal for either a right-handed stick or another reliable starting pitcher.

The commitment to Lowe would be the same as the one to Carmona, who has another club option for the 2013 campaign.  Lowe is a free agent after next season.

You also have to like the move because it was made immediately after the off-season started.  The last few years, the Indians have waited and waited and wound up with the dregs of the market, guys like Chad Durbin and Austin Kearns.

Antonetti saw a team looked to dump a contract, pay the bulk of it, and also saw a veteran who is durable and can help a staff soak up innings.  It’s a bold, decisive move.

It appears the front office is going into attack mode this hot stove season, and they are going to do what they have to in order to make the Indians a contender in 2012.

As for the other moves made on Monday, it was nothing unexpected.  Carmona is still a viable, though inconsistent arm who can provide innings.

The organization passed on Grady Sizemore’s option and that was the correct move, based on his injury problems over the last three seasons.

Sizemore played hard here, and here’s hoping he can get healthy and go back to being a productive player.  There should be no regrets if he does.  Paying him $9 million next season is simply not something the Indians can afford to do.

Today the American League Gold Gloves are announced.  There’s a good chance that Asdrubal Cabrera will win at shortstop.

KM

The Cleveland Browns traveled to the west coast for the second time in three weeks today, and it appears they left their alarm clocks at home.

Actually, they’ve left them home all season long, because the team treats the first quarter of games like it’s nap time.  And once again, it cost them today in a 20-10 loss to San Francisco.

The 49ers dominated the first half, and the opening quarter in particular.  It’s a disturbing trend that needs to be addressed.

So does the offensive game plan.  It is understandable that there are growing pains with a new head coach and a new west coast style of offense, but after six games, do you think some of the kinks should be worked out?

On the second play of the game, the Niners’ Ahmad Brooks blew past T Tony Pashos for a sack/fumble by Colt McCoy, which led to an early 7-0 SF lead. 

It was the first of an amazing four fumbles by the second year quarterback, who finished 22 of 34 for 241 yards with a touchdown pass of 45 yards to Josh Cribbs and a horrible interception into double coverage. 

The defense had no answer in the first half as the 49ers ran the ball with ease, and QB Alex Smith hit easy short throws that had the Browns on their heels. 

Only Jim Harbaugh’s ego, going for it on fourth and goal with Cleveland having nothing positive going for themselves, kept the game close, with the score being 17-3 at halftime.  It could have easily have been 20-0.

At halftime, defensive coordinator Dick Jauron made some adjustments and held San Francisco to just a field goal after the intermission.  And without LB D’Qwell Jackson’s facemask penalty, they may have pitched a shutout.

RB Montario Hardesty’s thigh injury didn’t help the attack, but the offense settled for too many short throws, and the offensive line had McCoy running for his life most of the time.

Check out the stats of the wide receivers besides Cribbs:  Jordan Norwood had 5 grabs for 32 yards, Greg Little 4 for 28, and TE/WR Evan Moore 2 for 17.  That’s 11 throws to guys who are supposed to make plays for a paltry 77 yards.  Even the mathematically challenged can figure that comes to seven yards per reception.

Then, Pat Shurmur decided to attack downfield and McCoy hit Cribbs for a touchdown and suddenly the Browns were in the game. 

Whether it is the quarterback not being willing to throw downfield, or the coach limiting his ability to do so, the lack of deep throws in hampering the Cleveland offense. 

If you were playing defense against the Browns, is there any reason to worry about any player who goes 20 yards past the line of scrimmage?

Also, there is has been no creativity as of late in terms of gimmick plays.  Meanwhile, SF coach Jim Harbaugh threw passes on a tackle eligible and to a defensive lineman lined up at fullback.

In both games in the Bay Area, Cleveland was being horribly outclassed, yet had a chance late in the fourth quarter.  How?  No idea, except to say that the players do not give up.

With Hardesty out, RB Chris Ogbonnaya did an acceptable job, carrying 11 times for 37 yards and catching five passes as well. 

Jackson had 10 tackles, but Cleveland was outgained on the ground, 174 yards to 66.  Can’t run the ball, can’t stop the run has been the theme since 1999. 

This team needs Peyton Hills to make a quick recovery, and perhaps some changes on the offensive line should be looked at as well.  It couldn’t hurt.

Again, no one figured the Browns to be a playoff team in 2011, but some improvement would be good to see. 

On the other hand, the Niners were the best team Cleveland has played thus far, and they had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter.

JD