LeBron is Right, Cavs’ Fans Need to Relax

When LeBron James announced he was coming back to northeast Ohio to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, we were all giddy. For the first time since James left, a team from Cleveland was considered a favorite to win a championship.

Thoughts of 70 wins danced in our collective heads. After all, how can any team beat the wine and gold, with their “Big Three” of James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving.

Well, we found that out three times in the first week and a half of the NBA season.

Look at the teams that are off to fast starts this year. Golden State is 5-0, and although they have a new coach in Steve Kerr, their personnel is largely unchanged. Memphis is 6-1 with for the most part, the same cast and characters.

Houston lost Chandler Parsons to free agency, but they still have James Harden and Dwight Howard, and picked up Trevor Ariza to replace Parsons. The best team in the Eastern Conference so far? Toronto is 5-1, and they are largely the same team they ended the year with.

The Cavs have five, repeat five players who were wearing Cleveland uniform last season (Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao, and Matthew Dellavedova). That’s a lot of new players to get to play together.

We remember the year after the “Miracle of Richfield” season of 1975-76 when the NBA and ABA merged and the ABA players on teams not absorbed into the NBA were dispersed around the league. The Cavs were successful enough the year before and therefore went in to the 1976-77 season with the same roster that ended the previous season.

The wine and gold started out 16-4 that season, but as the new players were assimilated into their new teams, the Cavs faded and finished 43-39 for the season.

It takes time for new players to get used to playing together.

We have seen that in the first five games. How many passes have gone out-of-bounds because a teammate broke a different way from what the passer thought?

And certainly the lack of knowing each other takes its toll of the defensive end. Good defense is a product of helping each other. For example, big men cover up if a guard allows his man to get by, trusting that the guard then picks up the man he vacated.

Yes, practice helps, but you really only develop that trust by playing in games together. That will come as the schedule gets played out.

Since the Cavs turned over two-thirds of its roster, things like this are going to take time, even if the old players were replaced for the most part by either all-stars (James, Love) or veterans of many NBA seasons (Mike Miller, Shawn Marion).

It also didn’t help that the schedule maker had Cleveland play four of their first five games away from the friendly confines of The Quicken Loans Arena. Going 2-2 on the first trip of the season isn’t really that bad.

So, James is correct in telling fans and the media to relax. He and his new teammates are still learning to get a comfort level on the floor with each other. The new coach, David Blatt, is still learning what combinations work offensively and defensively.

Fans want the success to be instantaneous, but it rarely is.

If these same problems are still occurring when the calendar turns to 2015, then people can begin to worry.

We understand people in Cleveland aren’t patient, but they need to be just that.

Browns Performance Workmanlike, Dominant

Anybody else doubt that things are different for the Cleveland Browns under Mike Pettine?

The Browns broke their losing streak against divisional foes on the road with a dominating performance at Paul Brown Stadium, winning 24-3 over the Bengals to move into a first place tie with the Steelers at 6-3.

It’s the most wins for Cleveland since 2007 when they went 10-6.

Pettine likes to use the expression “play like a Brown”, and tonight his entire team did just that. They played tough defense, ran the ball effectively, and avoided mistakes.

First, the running game returned for Kyle Shanahan’s offense as the three-headed monster of Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell, and Ben Tate combined for 170 yards on the ground with each scoring a touchdown. West was the feature back, getting 94 yards on 26 carries. And Crowell reemerged to give the offense a boost in the second quarter.

Brian Hoyer was incredibly efficient, completing 15 of his 23 throws for 198 yards, with Miles Austin being the primary target. Austin caught five throws for 48 yards.

On a windy night, Shanahan obviously wanted to keep the ball on the ground, and his offensive line and backs didn’t let him down.

The offense played efficiently. The defense was dominant.

In fact, it was the kind of defense fans thought they were going to see from the opening game, as they held Cincinnati to just a measly 165 yards in total offense, and QB Andy Dalton was particularly dreadful, completing only 10 of 33 passes for just 86 yards. He compounded that by throwing three interceptions, including one on the Bengals’ first drive, which was picked off by Craig Robertson.

Joe Haden was criticized early in the season when he struggled a little bit, but tonight, he took All Pro wide receiver A.J. Green completely out of the game, as Green caught only three passes for 23 yards.

Another player who gets called out when beaten on big plays, Buster Skrine, picked off two passes. Truth be told, Skrine is a solid NFL cornerback and is excellent in the slot.

Besides the interceptions, Dalton was also sacked twice on successive plays by DE Desmond Bryant in the third quarter.

And the Cincinnati running game wasn’t a factor either, getting just 86 yards on 22 carries, an average of less than four yards per carry. It was by far the Browns best performance against the running game all season.

Cleveland dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for 36 minutes, partially because of the success of the running game, but also because Jim O’Neil’s defense held Cincy to just three of 17 on third down conversions.

In short, the Browns has an answer for everything that Cincinnati threw at them.

Punter Kevin Huber was perhaps the busiest Bengal, having to kick the ball away to Cleveland eight times.

The win ensures that Cleveland will be playing meaningful football in November and should be in the mix for an extended period. That, of course, should end any thought of playing Johnny Manziel unless Hoyer is injured.

The Browns have won two divisional games in dominating fashion and the two games they lost were on field goals on the last play of the game. In order to be a playoff team, you have to be competitive within the AFC North.

Right now, the Cleveland Browns have shown the rest of the teams in the division they can no longer be taken lightly. And they showed the nation they are no longer the doormats of the NFL.

Will Tito Staying Lead to Bigger Emphasis on Winning?

During this past baseball season, we speculated that we wouldn’t be surprised if Tribe skipper Terry Francona decided to resign this off-season because of the inactivity of the front office at the trading deadline.

Yes, we knew that Tito took the gig because of his relationship with team president Mark Shapiro and GM Chris Antonetti, but we felt experiencing what we perceived as a lack of interest in going for it would show Francona that this wasn’t the job for him.

How wrong were we?

This morning, it was revealed that Francona signed a two-year contract extension to remain the manager of the Indians, meaning he is signed through the 2018 season.

Perhaps the only bad thing this means is the ownership will not be making any changes to the front office group through that same time period.

Antonetti’s comments today trumpeted the “stability” mantra, claiming it is a positive thing. And it would be if this was one of the most successful organizations in the sport over the last 15 years. However, it isn’t.

If keeping Francona means more of the last two seasons, both of which finished with an above .500 record and in 2013 ended with a spot hosting the wild card game, then we are all for that. There is no question that although people have had questions with the manager’s in-game strategy (including us), he gets the most out of the talent on the roster.

And maybe Shapiro and Antonetti understand their best chance at remaining the contender the Indians have been the last two seasons is to have Francona at the helm. Because before Tito arrived, this was a franchise that couldn’t put two consecutive good seasons together.

After two World Series titles with Boston, it is doubtful that Francona wants to wallow in mediocrity here over the next four to six seasons. So, does this contract extension mean the front office is going to make another push to bring in more talent this off-season?

Remember that before his first season as manager, the Indians brought in Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn as free agents and also traded for Trevor Bauer. Now, the club has a solid, younger nucleus in Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis, and Yan Gomes among the position players, and a young starting rotation led by Cy Young Award candidate Corey Kluber that will be in place for the next few seasons.

So, it is incumbent on the general manager to add some pieces, some productive veteran pieces, to this young core to push them over the top. Did Francona get assurances that this would happen going forward?

Probably not, but his friends have to know how he feels.

We have maintained that this roster doesn’t need an overhaul, it just has to add one or two pieces, and those will likely come via the trade route. Both MLB Trade Rumors and Baseball Prospectus listed the top 50 free agents this winter and neither site had the Tribe signing anyone on the list.

The good news is the best manager the Indians have had in a long time is going to be here for at least the next four years. The bad news is the tie in with Shapiro and Antonetti, and Tito’s link to them probably insures they will be here for that period as well, which is fine if the Indians are regular participants in the playoffs.

If they aren’t, it will be almost 20 years since Shapiro took control of the organization without the success of his predecessor, John Hart. How long will fans accept it if Francona can’t continue to work the magic of the last two seasons.

It Isn’t Easy to Dominate NFL Teams, Even the Bad Ones.

Cleveland Browns’ fans overestimated this team after they routed the Pittsburgh Steelers in week six. With Jacksonville, Oakland, and Tampa Bay coming up on the slate, most supporters figured three blowout wins would follow and the Browns would go to Cincinnati with a 6-2 mark.

However, that’s not how the NFL works.

Instead the Browns lost to the Jaguars, and then won two home games, both in workmanlike fashion, and head to the Queen City at 5-3, still very much in the playoff race as the calendar turned to November.

The truth is that the Browns are not an elite NFL team, they aren’t even a very good team. They are in the middle of the pack, and that is good enough to play meaningful football at this point in the season.

After years of hopelessness regarding this football team, we should all be excited about that.

Cleveland’s offense couldn’t get into the end zone in the first half, getting only three Billy Cundiff field goals (49, 29, and 43 yards) and trailed going into the locker room 10-9.

After a touchdown a little less than six minutes into the second half, Mike Pettine’s team took a 16-10 lead.

The lead was short-lived, as the Bucs’ went deep to Johnny Manziel’s former teammate at Texas A & M, Mike Evans, caught a 24-yard throw from Mike Glennon to give Tampa a one point lead.

But Brian Hoyer led the Browns back, hitting rookie WR Taylor Gabriel (with the aid of a crushing block by Terrance West) to give the home team a lead it would never surrender.

As we said before, it isn’t easy in the NFL.

Look at today’s results. Cincinnati didn’t blow up Jacksonville either, although they did beat them, and San Diego, thought to be one of the AFC’s best teams, were dominated by Miami, losing 37-0.

Earlier this year, this same Tampa Bay team went into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers.

Style points do not matter, but wins do, and right now the Browns have collected five of them, one more than they had all of last season. In fact, the last time Cleveland won more than five games in a season was 2007, when they went 10-6.

That’s not to say the Browns are a team without problems.

The running game continues to sputter without Alex Mack, averaging less than two yards per carry again (50 yards in 28 attempts), and Mack’s replacement, Nick McDonald was dominated by Tampa Bay DT Gerald McCoy, who sacked Hoyer twice.

Another problem is the run defense, which to be fair, did improve in the second half, but still allowed 113 yards in total. Former Brown, Bobby Rainey, deemed unusable by Joe Banner and Mike Lombardi, picked up 87 yards on 19 carries.

Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil did make an adjustment in the second half, as Rainey gained just 17 yards on his last nine carries.

The special teams were also a huge factor in today’s win. Billy Winn blocked a field goal in the first quarter, and Craig Robertson blocked a punt that set up the winning touchdown. It was the second blocked punt of the season, and both were major factors in victories. We can’t remember the last time a Cleveland special teams unit blocked two punts in a season.

Donte Whitner had his best game as a Brown too, getting an interception off a pass batted away by Joe Haden, and he forced a fumble on a play that was called back because of a penalty. The former Glenville product is starting to make his presence felt.

And we have to mention Hoyer, who threw for 300 yards despite two interceptions, one a horrible throw, and the other off a deflection. He evened up the two picks by throwing two touchdown passes.

It’s a short week for both the Browns and Bengals as they play Thursday night. Because the AFC North is so good and so bunched up in the standings, any divisional game is huge.

Cleveland is 5-3, but they need to start playing better if they want to stay in the race for a playoff spot.

Cavs Road to Title Starts Tonight

Tonight is the night!

When LeBron James announced he was returning to the Cavaliers in early July, every fan of the wine and gold wondered what it would be like when he played his first regular season game back at Quicken Loans Arena.

Tomorrow, we will not have to wonder any more.

And hopefully, sometime next June we won’t have to imagine what it would be like if and when a professional sports team in Cleveland won a world championship any more. The then 51 year drought (assuming the Browns won’t win the Super Bowl this season) will be over.

We understand that there are many experts, mostly from the national media, who say it will take time for a team that has so many new parts to gel in time to win a title this year. However, it was just a few years ago that the Boston Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to go along with Paul Pierce in the off-season and then won the Larry O’Brien Trophy in their first year together.

Keep in mind, they are playing basketball, something they have done their entire lives, not doing nuclear physics.

Also, the playoffs don’t start until April, giving all of the players five and a half months to become acclimated to each other and their new coach, David Blatt. There is plenty of time to become a well oiled machine.

Besides having two of the league’s top ten players in James and Kevin Love, they have a two-time all-star in Kyrie Irving and also start a solid rebounder and improving offensive player in Anderson Varejao, this team is also very deep.

In fact, their second unit is a such that it looks like a pretty decent NBA team with Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, Tristan Thompson, Brendan Haywood and Matthew Dellavedova. And that doesn’t even mention Lou Amundson and James Jones, two veterans of the league as the possible 11th and 12th men.

And we haven’t mentioned the fourth overall pick in the 2012 draft in Dion Waiters.

This shouldn’t be a team that will have to depend on giving its best players big minutes on a night-to-night basis, meaning they should enter the playoffs as fresh as they can be after an 82 game schedule.

And with the salary cap increasing over the next few years, there is no question that GM David Griffin and James can continue to keep putting together a deep squad in wine and gold.

Will there be challenges? Of course, if Derrick Rose stays healthy, the Chicago Bulls will pose a threat in the Eastern Conference now that they added Pau Gasol. They play solid defense and are also a veteran laden team.

And whoever comes out of the West, assuming the Cavs can get to The Finals, will also be a tough team to beat.

James said in his essay announcing his return that winning a championship isn’t and won’t be easy. The organization doesn’t want to make promises because they understand the same thing, and they are correct in doing so.

The whole process starts tonight and the focus of the basketball world is on Northeast Ohio.

The start of what we have dreamed about for 50 years could be tonight.

Playing Manziel Would Likely Mean Mistakes to Follow

It seems that even when the Cleveland Browns are playing good football, we still have a quarterback controversy.

For the first time in several seasons, the Browns are sitting at 4-3 and most definitely in the race for a playoff spot in a division where every team is currently over .500, the AFC North.

Yet, fans are still debating who should play quarterback, the incumbent, Brian Hoyer or the rookie, Johnny Manziel.

Whether there would be any debate at all stems from Hoyer’s and the entire team’s poor performance against a winless Jacksonville team on October 19th, because had Cleveland won that game, even in a squeaker, they would be sitting at 5-2 and there wouldn’t be a reason for a change.

And, of course, if the back up wasn’t Manziel, the people’s choice and former Heisman Trophy winner, there wouldn’t be a discussion either.

But Hoyer completed less than 40% of his throws that day and the offense couldn’t get into the end zone, and followed that up by not scoring a touchdown for the first three quarters of Sunday’s game against another opponent without a victory, the Oakland Raiders.

Therefore, the entire offensive unit is under scrutiny, including the guy taking the snaps.

There are Hoyer people who staunchly support the local kid and there are Manziel folks who believe he will have the same success he had in college immediately after taking the field in the NFL.

Our opinion is that Hoyer shouldn’t be in jeopardy of losing his job because he is performing decently and the team in winning.

Think about it, if another 4-3 team’s coach announced he was changing his starting quarterback in favor of playing a rookie, you would think he was crazy. But some people want Mike Pettine to do just that and the sooner the better.

Look, Brian Hoyer isn’t Tom Brady, he isn’t Peyton Manning, and he isn’t even Ben Roethlisburger. Those guys are all Super Bowl winners and most likely will be enshrined in Canton someday. Hoyer will never be in the upper echelon of passers in the NFL.

However, right now, he gives the Cleveland Browns the best chance to win games. Why? He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He’s thrown two interceptions on the season and fumbled once. He takes care of the football, and that’s what Pettine wants. He doesn’t want to put his defense in a jackpot and have to defend a short field.

And mistakes are what you get with a rookie quarterback. Last week, we documented that the three players drafted in May who are currently starting signal callers preside over among the worst offenses in the NFL in terms of both yardage and scoring. And while Oakland’s David Carr has been relatively interception free, his team doesn’t score a lot of points.

Now Hoyer has had a problem getting the Browns into the end zone the past two weeks, and he hasn’t exactly been a precision passer lately, but he doesn’t turn the ball over either. Yes, at times he’s the dreaded “game manager”. And right now, he’s in control of a team that, with a win at home against Tampa, could be 5-3 at the halfway point of the season.

The coaches see Manziel at practice everyday. If they deemed him a better fit right now for this football team, they would play him. To be sure, they have to be weary for the mistakes that come with being a rookie.

Fans only see the upside with playing Manziel, which is excitement and spectacular plays. Pettine and his staff see the warts and they don’t want to deal with them at this time.

No one, particularly us, is writing off Johnny Manziel. We believe he has a bright future. But it’s not his time right now.

Browns Formula For Winning Today Is What We Expected

The Cleveland Browns didn’t lose to another winless team this evening, defeating the Oakland Raiders, 23-13 to run their record to 4-3 on the season. This means they have already won as many games as they did all last year and they still have nine games remaining.

They also demonstrated that Alex Mack may just be the MVP of the AFC this morning, because since he went out, Cleveland has had all kinds of problems running the football. They gained just 39 yards on the ground in 25 attempts, a paltry 1.6 yards per carry.

If the Browns can’t correct this, they will have a huge problem on offense the rest of the season.

In reality, the last two games for the Cleveland Browns were what everyone thought they would be in the off-season, a strong defense and an offense that would put just enough points on the board for victory.

The Browns’ defense had three sacks and three turnovers and two of those turnovers set up the offense for scores on a day where the running games was once again non-existent.

Mike Pettine’s crew had a 9-0 lead as they couldn’t get in the end zone again, and with the Raiders getting two field goals late in the second quarter it looked shaky for the home team.

Three straight three and outs for the offense didn’t exactly inspire confidence, and following a punt, the Raiders started a drive on their own nine, and started moving down the field until the play of the game.

On a 2nd and 6 from the Browns’ 29, Darren McFadden was stripped by Donte Whitner and when the ball popped in the air, it landed in the arms of Joe Haden, who returned it to the CLE 47.

Four plays later, QB Brian Hoyer hit Andrew Hawkins with a 4 yard TD pass and that extended the advantage to 16-6. From then on, the Browns were in control of the game.

Raiders’ QB Derek Carr played up to his norm so far this season, that is to say, he put together a good statistical game, but didn’t put points on the scoreboard. Oakland came into the game one of the worst scoring teams in the NFL.

The Browns defense looked shaky against the run on the game’s first drive, allowing 23 yards on the first two Oakland runs, but after that, the Raiders gained just 48 yards on the next 20 attempts, so the opponents’ running game was not a factor.

Paul Kruger had three sacks and a forced fumble and Tashaun Gipson had another interception, his fifth of the year as he continues to make a case for a Pro Bowl berth.

And Haden was in on nine tackles and broke up several passes in his best game of the year, and first round pick Justin Gilbert also played the best contest of his young career.

Hoyer hit on 19 of 28 throws for 275 yards and the TD toss to Hawkins, but still made a couple of throws that should have been picked off by Oakland defenders, something his critics will no doubt bring up tomorrow.

Hawkins was his main target, grabbing seven catches for 88 yards, and TE Jordan Cameron was a factor early as well (3 receptions, 40 yards) before leaving with a concussion just before halftime.

However, whatever is ailing the running game has to be addressed before next Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Although Mack is an all pro, he cannot be that much of a difference in this area. There has to be other adjustments that have to be made to get the running game going once again.

Defenses are stacking men in the box to try to make Hoyer beat them, so it may have to start with short throws on first down to get the opponents on their heels just a bit.

And once again, something has to be done with the punt return unit. Travis Benjamin went back there after a few weeks off, but fumbled his second return.

With another home game next week, the Browns are 4-3 and just a half game out of first in the balanced AFC North. After several years in a losing abyss, that’s a nice thing to say as the schedule moves into November.

Looking Forward to Hot Stove Season, Hopefully So is Tribe Front Office.

The hot stove season in baseball will start in about a week, as soon as the World Series between the Giants and Royals concludes.

As we have mentioned previously, the Indians’ front office should be inspired by Kansas City’s success because in reality the difference between the Tribe and the new American League champions isn’t that great, although the Royals’ payroll is higher than Cleveland’s.

Right now, the Indians are stuck in the middle in both offense and defense, ranking 7th in the league in runs scored and 6th in the AL in ERA. If you parley that with a defense that ranks among the worst in baseball, and it is clear that standing pat in not an option for GM Chris Antonetti.

The good thing is outside of catching the baseball, the Tribe doesn’t need a massive improvement in any one area, but it is clear they have to do something.

The defense was better toward the end of the year when Jose Ramirez came up to play shortstop, but the field is littered with subpar defenders. In the infield, both Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis are below average defenders and the Tribe could use an upgrade in rightfield too.

Keep in mind, the team’s best prospect, Francisco Lindor is considered an excellent defender and at third base, another prospect who likely will move into the organization’s top ten, 3B Giovanny Urshela, is considered a good glove too.

Due to the Indians’ normal way of thinking, neither is expected to open the season in Cleveland, so help will have to come from other areas.

There have been some interesting ideas of what the Tribe could do this off-season, but our favorite was mentioned last Sunday in the The Plain Dealer by Paul Hoynes, who said it would not be impossible for Antonetti to deal CF Michael Bourn, if the Indians were willing to pay some of his large contract for 2015, something we have advocated for awhile.

That would open up CF for Ramirez and that move would allow Lindor to take over at SS. Ramirez is still very young (22), and has played a little outfield in the minor leagues, and putting him in the middle of the diamond, where he is used to being, should help any transition go rather smoothly. And because of his age, he should be getting better offensively as opposed to Bourn, who seems to be in a decline phase at the plate, and on the base paths.

It would also be helpful to add a productive right-handed hitter to go with Yan Gomes. The current roster is very susceptible to left-handed pitching and they can’t count on Ryan Raburn hitting like he did in 2013. Looking at his numbers from the last three years, that season looks out-of-place.

On the mound, Antonetti can’t count on the same starting pitching he received in August and September to occur the entire season, because there aren’t a lot of extended track records among Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer, and T.J. House. They simply have to go out and get another arm for the rotation.

How do they accomplish this? They either have to be willing to deal some minor league prospects (not Lindor) and also spend a little money, or at least re-allocate the funds they are currently spending. However, they can’t just add a David Murphy type over the winter and call it a day.

Hopefully, it should be a fun winter for Tribe fans, but based on the history of this front office, they will stick to their usual plan of wishing and hoping.

The Reason To Let Manziel Sit is Inexperience, Not Hoyer

Cleveland football fans are a fickle lot to be sure.

One week ago, people were talking about how well Brian Hoyer has played this season, this week, they are calling for Johnny Manziel to start.

We have said before that the difference in Mike Pettine and his staff vs. the past few coaching regimes is the emphasis on winning. These Browns are playing to win and right now, they are very much in a race for a playoff spot.

Just looked at how they’ve handled first round draft choice Justin Gilbert. He wasn’t playing well, so the staff went with K’Waun Williams, an undrafted free agent. They aren’t giving out playing time based on draft position.

That’s the biggest reason why the coaching staff will be very hesitant to play Manziel with the team still in play for a spot in the post-season, which would be the Browns first since 2002.

Take a look around the NFL. Right now, there are three teams starting rookie quarterbacks: Oakland (Derek Carr), Jacksonville (Blake Bortles), and Minnesota (Teddy Bridgewater). Those teams combined records? Try 3-17

The Raiders currently rank 31st in the NFL in scoring and 32nd in the league in total offense. Carr has played fairly well, completing 60.5% of his passes with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

Jacksonville is just the opposite and by that we mean they are 32nd in the NFL in scoring and 31st in yardage. Bortles has completed 65.5% of his throws, but turnovers have been a big problem in the five games he has played (four starts), as he has tossed 10 interceptions, including three in the win over the Browns.

The Vikings also have one of the league’s worst offense, ranking 30th in scoring and 29th in yardage. Bridgewater has made three starts and appeared in four games in total, completing 61.1% of his passes, with only one touchdown and five picks.

By contrast, the Browns, with a veteran quarterback in Hoyer at the controls, rank 14th in points scored and 10th in yardage through the first six games of the season.

Look, Brian Hoyer isn’t an All Pro quarterback, and he certainly isn’t one of the top ten players at his position in the sport. He’s better than a lot of back ups, but probably not good enough to be a starter long term in this league. That’s why the Browns drafted Manziel, he likely will be the guy who the front office expects will be the long-term starter.

We get that, and we believe Johnny Manziel will be that guy in the future. However, that future isn’t now.

What you will get right now if Manziel plays is something like the other rookie starters are giving their teams, and that is not many points, and a lot of turnovers. That flies directly against Pettine’s vision for the team. He wants to run the football, play defense, and avoid mistakes.

It is doubtful a rookie quarterback, unless he is Andrew Luck, can provide that.

That’s what Manziel’s true competition is, the experience factor.

If and when the Browns are out of playoff contention, and/or the offense’s production with Hoyer at the controls starts to be among the worst in the NFL, then we will see Johnny Manziel, because the Browns need to find out what they have in him.

However, right now, to give his team their best chance to win, it makes sense for Pettine to stay with Hoyer, who has been more good than bad so far in 2014.

Jags Stuff the Run, Offense Couldn’t Handle It.

Cleveland Browns’ fans have a history of over reacting and it showed up again today.

After the Browns’ huge win over the Steelers last week, supporters of the team starting talking about how the team had turned the corner.

The Jacksonville Jaguars reminded everyone today that although the Browns have indeed improved, there is a long way to go, defeating the Browns 24-6.

We have sung the praises of Brian Hoyer after the first four games, but Jags’ coach Gus Bradley decided to see just how good Hoyer is, and put the game on his arm by playing nine men in the box on a regular basis, and stuffing the best things about the Cleveland offense after five games, the running attack.

Kyle Shanahan’s offense gained just 69 yards on 30 carries, an average of just over two yards a crack, and that put the entire onus on moving the ball on Hoyer’s right arm. And he had a bad day.

Meanwhile, the weakness on the Cleveland defense also killed them, the inability to stop the run. The Jaguars had one of the worst running games in the NFL coming into the game, but they ran for 174 yards today.

Once again, we will reiterate. If you can’t run the ball, and you can’t stop the run, it is difficult to win in the National Football League.

And add in three turnovers, two by Hoyer (fumble being hit while throwing, and an interception), and a horrible decision to try to catch a punt inside the five yard line by Jordan Poyer, and it became a recipe for defeat.

Also, to be sure, other teams will copy this formula to stop the Cleveland running game, and it is up to Shanahan to devise a counter for what Jacksonville did to his offense.

It certainly didn’t help that Hoyer was inaccurate either. He completed just 16 of 41 throws for 215 yards, and for the first time this year, he couldn’t guide the team into the end zone.

The best way to combat the Jags’ philosophy is to throw on first down with so many players near the line of scrimmage, but Hoyer couldn’t hit on some short throws early, and add in some drops by receivers as well, and they seemed to be in second and third and long all day, in direct contrast with the season’s first five contests.

Many will point to Mike Pettine’s gamble late in the first half with Cleveland leading 6-0, to go for it on fourth down from the Jacksonville 24-yard line with two minutes to go. They failed and the momentum switched. The Jaguars suddenly had hope.

The defense tried its best to keep the Browns in the game with three interceptions of rookie QB Blake Bortles, two by Tashaun Gipson and another by Buster Skrine in the red zone.

Bortles threw for just 159 yards on the day, but once again the defense couldn’t contain the ground game and that made it is easier for Bortles, who hurt the Browns in the second half with some read option plays.

Keep in mind, even with all of the problems Cleveland had today, this was very much a game until Poyer dropped the punt with a little over six minutes to go. It was a 10-6 game at that point.

Pettine and GM Ray Farmer simply have to shore up the punt returner spot, as it has been a problem all year.

With the next two games against losing teams and at home, here’s hoping today’s defeat was a wake up call that the Browns aren’t as good as they thought they were.

The coaching staff should be held accountable too, they seemed to coach like the Jaguars had no chance to win, and it came back to bite them.

Playoff teams would have found a way to win this game, it just shows the Browns aren’t there quite yet.