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

Tonight, the last game of the baseball season may be played. 

If Texas beats St. Louis this evening, they will be the World Champions for 2011, the first in franchise history. 

For those confused and saying the Washington Senators won in the 1920’s, that franchise is now the Minnesota Twins.  The Rangers were born in 1961 as an expansion franchise given to Washington to replace the original Senators.

What this means for Cleveland is that three days after the Series ends, the Indians will have to make decisions on two players who have club options:  Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona.

We have already stated that what GM Chris Antonetti should do is decline Sizemore’s option for $9 million and exercise Carmona’s for $7 million.

This is not to endorse keeping Carmona in the starting rotation.  However, starting pitching, particularly guys who can eat innings, is valuable, and the right-hander could be interesting to teams looking for durable starters.

As for Sizemore, he hasn’t been healthy since 2008, and when he has been in the lineup, has shown little to remind us of the player he was from 2005-08. 

Let’s put it another way, if Sizemore was with another team now, and the Indians offered him $9 million for one year, critics would be saying that Antonetti was insane.

These two moves will hopefully kickoff what should be a busy off-season for the Tribe. 

At least it should be active if the front office wants the team to jump over the Tigers and win the American League Central Division.

Once again, the Indians need a right-handed hitter, who preferably plays LF or CF or first base, and another starting pitcher. 

They also need to have that right-handed bat be a guy who does not strikeout excessively.

It’s also time for our annual pitch for the Indians to see if they can find a taker for DH Travis Hafner. 

Understand that this will not be easy, and it definitely will involve paying a portion of Hafner’s 2012 salary of approximately $13 million. 

Yes, we know that the deal would have to be to an American League team, because the big DH can no longer play in the field.

Such a deal would give Antonetti an extra $6.5 million to try to improve the team, and it would allow the Tribe to bring Jim Thome back as DH.

We know Thome will be 41 during the 2012 season, but he was a more productive hitter than Hafner, both with the Indians and in total (838 OPS vs. 811 for Hafner).

When Hafner was in his prime, he regular had slugging percentages in the .550 to .600 range.  The last few years, that figure has dipped to under .450, which is lower than Asdrubal Cabrera, Shelley Duncan, and Jason Kipnis, at least last season.

In a year where he said his shoulder was healthy, he hit just 13 home runs in 325 at bats.  By contrast, Thome hit 15 in 277 at bats. 

Not much of a difference, but keep in mind that Big Jim was making about $10 million less than Hafner.

Tinkering with last year’s roster is not going to put the Indians in position to contend.  They do have some pieces to build on, however.  Cabrera, a healthy Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Santana, and Jason Kipnis is a good young core of players.

Also, a middle market team can’t have its three highest paid players not contributing on a daily basis.  Keeping Sizemore, Carmona, and Hafner puts them in that position.

Something to keep in mind as the hot stove league heats up.

MW

It is no secret that the Cleveland Browns are putting in yet a new offensive system this season, as coach Pat Shurmur wants to run his version of the west coast offense.

To date, it doesn’t seem to be working, and the latest evidence was getting just two field goals in the 6-3 win over Seattle. 

Critics would say that it doesn’t appear the Browns are running any offensive system at all.

However, whose fault is it for the struggles?

The easy answer is to blame QB Colt McCoy or Shurmur’s play calling.  However, it’s not that simple.

It is most definitely a combination of those two factors, plus some problems on the offensive line, the familiarity of the receivers in the offensive system, and the injury to Peyton Hillis.

The attack has to stretch the field, both vertically and horizontally.  The failure to do this results in the defense packing in its coverage, and it makes it more difficult to complete the short passes McCoy seems content to take.

In the past few games, the Browns have thrown deep once per game, but they need to do it a few more times per contest.  Even if the throw isn’t complete, it makes the defense aware and they can’t creep up to the line of scrimmage.

The problem with doing this is the play of the offensive line, particularly the right side, G Shawn Lauvao and T Tony Pashos.  They simply aren’t providing the protection needed to throw the ball downfield.

Yes, sometimes McCoy holds the ball too long, but how many times have you seen the quarterback take a three-step drop and the defense is in his face. 

They’ve also had problems picking up blitzes as well.  The offensive line woes have forced Shurmur to keep extra people in to block, which limits the passing attack.

It’s why Alex Smith is getting more time at TE than Evan Moore, who’s a better receiver.

The receivers are a problem as well.  Greg Little looks like he has the talent to be very good wide out someday, but the rest of the pass catching corps is pedestrian at best. 

How many times have we seen two receivers in the same area?  It happened at least twice last Sunday.  You have to assume that one of the players is in the wrong spot.  Is that the quarterbacks’ fault?

We can blame having no off-season program and a shortened training camp, but every other NFL team is in the same boat. 

Still, we should see improvement as the season goes on because all of the players should be more used to the offense. 

Receivers should learn where they need to go on hot reads.  The offensive linemen will know where potential blitzes are coming from.  The quarterback will know where the receivers should be so he can get rid of the ball quickly.

If you look back in history, many offensive head coaches have started slowly in their first year, and improved as their system took shape.

Bill Walsh, considered the father of the modern west coast offense, went 2-14 in his first year.  Even Mike Holmgren said last week that the Packers started 2-5 in his first year.

The problem in Cleveland is we, as fans, are starved for a winner, and patience is thin.

This is a young team, with a defense that is starting to show some teeth. 

Be patient.  Not for five more years, but at least until the end of the season.  If Colt McCoy isn’t showing he can handle the offense by then, maybe he isn’t the future for the Browns.

JD

Two years ago, the Browns picked up their first win of the season, and their only win in that season’s first 12 games, by beating the Buffalo Bills, 6-3.

It was doubtful you would ever see that ugly of a win again.

However, we did today, as Cleveland beat Seattle by the identical score, in a game that left viewers shaking their collective heads in disbelief. 

Unlike that victory in 2009, this win raised the Browns record to 3-3 on the season.

You have to give a tip of the cap to the Browns’ defense, which held the Seahawks to just 137 yards of total offense, the lowest by a Cleveland opponent since they held New Orleans to 127 yards in 1993. 

Sure, Seattle was missing starting QB Tavaris Jackson and RB Marshawn Lynch, but still, holding a team to that few of yards in a tremendous feat.  Check out the stats on NFL games, it isn’t done very often.

The most telling statistic of the game was third down conversion, with Pete Carroll’s team getting just 2 of 12 opportunities.  The Seahawks possessed the ball just 17 minutes for the game.

Seattle had just 65 yards rushing and a paltry 72 through the air, and Dick Jauron’s defense had two key turnovers:  a sack/fumble of QB Charlie Whitehurst by S T.J. Ward, and an interception by CB Sheldon Brown after an 85-yard punt return by Leon Washington was called back by an iffy illegal block in the back call.

The Browns stopped the run and pressured the passer.  Seattle couldn’t put anything together all day long, and the one time it did get a first and goal inside the CLE 10 after a 38-yard catch by Sidney Rice, the defense held them to a field goal.

As horrible as the offense looked most of the contest, they actually did an acceptable job except in putting points on the board.  They converted 12 of 24 third downs, and held the ball for 43 minutes.  Even Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers would have a tough time scoring touchdowns without the football.

Still, there have to be concerns regarding the offense.  Seattle blitzed early and often today, and opponents will continue to do this until the Browns can handle it better.  Right now, Colt McCoy isn’t handling it well.

The coaching staff can talk all they want about Shawn Lauvao, Jason Pinkston, and Tony Pashos doing okay, but there are plenty of times that McCoy drops back and the pass rushers are in his face.  They have to do a better job.

McCoy wound up hitting 20 of 35 throws for 178 yards, but threw a terrible interception into double coverage on a promising drive.  Montario Hardesty gained 95 yards, but needed 33 carries to do so.

One promising player was newcomer RB Chris Ogbonnaya, who caught four passes for 35 yards and ran three more times for 15 yards.  He made key third round receptions and converted them into first downs twice.

Another disturbing trend is the poor play out of the special teams.  Josh Cribbs did return to coverage teams and made  a tackle and was near the ball on another, but having two field goals blocked and getting a punt run back for a TD, only to be called back, shows immediate improvement must be made. 

Remember, the 49ers are next and they have a guy named Ted Ginn Jr. returning kicks.

However, kudos to Phil Dawson, whose two kicks made of over 50 yards put the only points for Cleveland on the board.  It would be nice if the offense put him in better position for kicks, and his protection didn’t allow big penetration at the point of attack.

All in all, it’s another win, and the Browns are at the .500 mark after six games, something no one has been able to say in recent years. 

However, more improvement is needed.  Thankfully, this is not a veteran group (like in past years), so the players will benefit from experience.

JD

There is no doubt Peyton Hillis is a popular player in Cleveland, Ohio.

Hillis is a big, physical runner and a good-looking guy and his style fits perfectly with the blue-collar mentality that Cleveland has.

The fans have his back in his ongoing contract talks with the Browns.  Sports talk is filled with people wanting Mike Holmgren to give Hillis whatever he wants.

Of course, it isn’t their money.

The truth is Hillis has had one good season.  Not great, but good. 

In today’s NFL, the great backs get around 1300 yards in a season, an average of 80 yards per game. 

Hillis gained 1177 yards last season, a figure that didn’t even rank in the top ten in the league.  To be fair, his 1654 yards from scrimmage did rank 6th in the league because he is a good receiver.

He definitely deserves more money than he is currently making, but he shouldn’t get what Adrian Peterson got from the Vikings. 

That’s because he’s only done it for one year. 

Fans also think coach Pat Shurmur would solve all of the Browns’ problems by giving the ball to Hillis 30 times per game.  That totally ignores the fact that in four of his last five games in 2010, he gained less than 60 yards.

In three of those games, he averaged less than 3.2 yards per carry.

In truth, the Browns need to be able to throw the football to be successful.

The Plain Dealer’s Tony Grossi pointed out the other day that if you look at any period the Browns were successful, they had a great passing game.

In the 1950’s it was Otto Graham throwing to Dante Lavelli.  In the 60’s it was Frank Ryan and Bill Nelsen throwing to Paul Warfield and Gary Collins. 

The Kardiac Kids had Brian Sipe, and the teams of the late 80’s were led by Bernie Kosar firing passes to Webster Slaughter and Ozzie Newsome.

Running the football is great when you have the lead and you want to choke out your opponents.  However, you get that lead by passing, and the Browns haven’t been able to do that effectively since Derek Anderson’s great 2007 season.

Peyton Hillis is probably frustrated that he hasn’t played well, but he has handled the situation wrong, no matter what his fans think.

He has hired agents with the frequency of Lindsay Lohan appearing before a judge.  His latest agent gave him some bad advice by telling him not to play with strep throat.

Hillis made it worse by saying his agent told him to do that.

And he keeps bringing it up.  He’s the one who won’t let the issue die.  Every week it’s something new.

His teammates have to be irritated that they have to keep answering questions about the big running back.

The problem seems to be that Hillis and his agent have overestimated his worth within the league.  Although he may be very popular here in Cleveland, he’s not an elite running back.

Therefore, he shouldn’t be paid like one. 

He needs to get back out on the field and produce like he did in 2010, and establish himself as one of the NFL’s upper echelon runners.

Getting on the cover of Madden really doesn’t give him an automatic 100 yards rushing per game.

JD