Over the summer, there were several reports that the Cleveland Browns were interested in QB Kevin Kolb, then of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Those rumors came from people who don’t think Colt McCoy was or is capable of being a good starting quarterback in the NFL.  Those opinions were obviously preconceived because we pointed out that Kolb’s stats were really no different from what the former Longhorn accomplished with the Browns last season.

Now that McCoy has made 19 NFL starts, more than a full season worth, what do we know about the third round draft pick from the 2010 draft?

His yards per attempt is down from 7.1 last year to 5.93 this season.  Obviously, this is due to the number of short passes featured by the team early in the season.

Those shorter throws make McCoy’s completion percentage a bit troubling.  It has dropped from 60.8% in ’10 to 58.5% in 2011.  You would think the shorter throws would result in more completions.

Of course, the fact that Browns’ receivers lead the NFL in dropped passes doesn’t help this statistic.

However, a closer look at the numbers show the yards per attempt has been on the way up.  In four of his last five games, that figure has been over 6.64 yards per throw. 

So, there has been improvement from the quarterback as he becomes more comfortable with Pat Shurmur’s system.  That’s really all you can expect at this point.

One statistic that has shown improvement from his rookie year is his touchdown to interception ratio.  In 2010, McCoy threw six TD’s and nine completions to the opponents.

This year, that stat has improved to 13 scoring tosses compared to just eight picks.

Since the Browns just finished playing Cincinnati, many people compare McCoy with another young passer from Texas, the Bengals’ Andy Dalton.

Dalton has hit 60.1% of his passes and has an average of 6.91 yards per attempt.  He’s fired 16 TD passes while throwing 12 interceptions.

Outside of the yards per pass, and remember that McCoy’s figure last year was better than Dalton’s, the stats aren’t much different from the rookie from TCU.

And you have to consider that Dalton throws to a pair of first round draft picks in WR A.J. Green and TE Jermaine Gresham.

Dalton converted three huge pass plays last Sunday, and all three were throws where both of those players went up and made great catches. 

Right now, McCoy doesn’t have anyone like that to throw to.

As for the leadership quality, you constantly hear the Browns’ veteran praising the young QB’s toughness and leadership on a week to week basis.

After the victory over Jacksonville, a number of players said McCoy’s mantra all week was “just get it done”.

So, where does this leave us in the process of evaluating Colt McCoy?

Unfortunately, pretty much the same as at the end of last season.  We just don’t know.

What can be said is that McCoy hasn’t shown that he can’t be a winning quarterback in the NFL. 

Over the past five weeks, he has looked more like the player he was as a rookie.  He has seemed less robotic, less mechanical, and he is going out there and just playing football.

The running game has been better over that period of time with both Chris Ogbonnaya and Peyton Hillis giving defenses something else to think about.

It also probably means GM Tom Heckert will not be looking for another passer in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Right now, we don’t know much more than we knew going into the season about Colt McCoy.

JD

 

At halftime, things looked pretty good for the Cleveland Browns.  They were leading 17-7  on the road, and they were moving the football on offense pretty easily.

Unfortunately for Pat Shurmur, there were still 15 minutes to play and the Cincinnati Bengals made adjustments defensively and made enough plays on offense to defeat the Browns 23-20. 

The biggest play of the game came with a little over tw0 minutes remaining when Bengal QB Andy Dalton hit rookie WR A.J. Green for 51 yards to the Cleveland 3.  Green made a tremendous leaping catch over CB Joe Haden as Dalton threw it just before getting leveled by DT Ahtyba Rubin. 

The Browns were that close to getting the ball back with a chance to win or at the very least, force overtime.

Meanwhile, Cleveland rookie wideout Greg Little, scored a touchdown, but dropped several passes including ones on the last two drives for the Browns.

RB Peyton Hillis made a surprise return and paced a ground attack that netted 4.5 yards per carry.  However, it seemed as though Shurmur was too quick to go away from the run in the second half.  Cleveland had several 2nd and short situations after first down carries by Hillis, but went to the passing game rather than batter the Cincinnati defense with the run.

Sensing the Browns’ willingness to put the ball in the air, the Bengals were able to pressure McCoy with just four defensive linemen, forcing the Cleveland QB into hurried, inaccurate throws.

McCoy would up under 50% for the game, hitting just 16 of 34 throws for 151 yards with 2 touchdowns and a bad interception which cost Cleveland three points. 102 of the yards came in the first half.

This is not to stick up for the young quarterback or right him off as nothing more than a journeyman, but he needs an offense clicking on all cylinders to be effective at this time.

The stat that stands out the most in this contest was the number of passing yards and the number of yards per passing play.  The Bengals threw for 257 yards, an average of 7.8 per pass.  The Browns gained 140 yards through the air, getting just half of Cincy’s total, 3.9 yards per play.

And the biggest gains by the Bengals were passes thrown up in the air by Dalton with receivers making plays. 

The second touchdown drive by Cincinnati featured two such plays, a 35-yard throw to Green and the 22-yard pass to TE Jermaine Gresham which resulted in the score.  Neither play was any complex pattern, it was a matter of throwing the ball in the air and having receivers who can go get it.

The same was true on the biggest play of the game, which set up the winning field goal.

Right now, the Browns don’t have anyone like that on their roster.  And today, the contrast between Green and Little was astounding.  This isn’t to say Little won’t be a very good NFL receiver.  He just isn’t a play maker at this point.

And what Browns game would be complete without a special teams gaffe. 

Long snapper Ryan Pontbriand rolled another snap back to Brad Maynard on Phil Dawson’s attempt for a 55-yard kick which would have given Cleveland the lead with under two minutes to go.

Whether the attempt was ill-advised or not, Shurmur might have been better off punting into the wind and making the Bengals drive a long field to win the game, the poor snapping has been a recurring thing all season.  A former Pro Bowl snapper, Pontbriand is not having a good year.

The Browns don’t have enough talent to overcome what is becoming a weekly special teams problem.  And they aren’t getting any big plays from this unit either. 

Still, progress was shown today.  But a loss is still a loss, and the Browns are now sitting at 4-7 with the Ravens and Steelers on the slate the next two games.  Real progress is shown in the win column.

JD

A little over a week from now, baseball’s winter meeting will start.  December 5th to be exact.  That setting is usually the place where a lot of trade discussion occurs and many free agents agree to deals.

So far, the Cleveland Indians have added to their starting rotation by getting Derek Lowe from the Braves, and they resigned Grady Sizemore to a one year deal.

The $5 million guaranteed to Sizemore is too much money, by the way, based on the outfielders” performance over the past three years.  Giving him a little less would give GM Chris Antonetti more cash to fill other needs.

In interviews, Antonetti indicated that Sizemore will play CF most of the games.  Of course, the number of games played should depend on his production, because if he’s hitting like he did after May of last season, Manny Acta cannot continue to write his name in the lineup.

As for the position he has and will continue to play, why wouldn’t the Indians move him to LF to take some stress off his ailing knees.  There is no question that Sizemore’s defense in the middle of the outfield was not up to past performances.

It seems like although he has struggled with both injuries and production the last three seasons, Cleveland is overlooking that and is returning him to favored status within the organization.

Let’s say right now, that is a big mistake.  Anything Grady Sizemore gives the Indians in 2012 should be looked at as a bonus.  They should continue to construct their team for next year as if he will not be healthy once again.

There is no question the Tribe needed help in the rotation, so getting Lowe addresses one area that needed upgrading.  However, the Indians still need a right-handed bat, preferably a 1B/DH type, so keeping Sizemore did nothing for that spot.

Since the free agent budget is probably limited (the Tribe isn’t signing Albert Pujols),  many are figuring the team will be looking for a platoon like player, such as Andruw Jones or Derrick Lee, older players with limited skills.  We’ve seen this before, trying to fix a problem with two players, and it hasn’t worked.  Remember the LF combination of David Dellucci and Jason Michaels?

To get a quality right-handed stick, it is more likely that Antonetti will have to make a trade.  The Tribe’s farm system has been stripped bare at the top levels. but it still has some depth in the bullpen, where Nick Hagadone, Zach Putman, and C.C. Lee are ready to compete for spots on the big league roster.

We have said before that the biggest trade chip the Indians have may be closer Chris Perez.  Now, it may seem like heresy to deal a closer with more than 30 saves in 2011, but you have to be concerned with Perez’ declining strikeout rate, which dropped from one per inning in 2010 to about 2/3 per frame in ’11.

Besides, it looks like Vinnie Pestano can assume the closer duties.  He whiffed 84 batters in just 62 innings, and has been a closer in the minors.  And if he doesn’t take to the new role, remember what former Tribe GM John Hart said about closers.  It was something to the effect that they fall out of trees.

Other bullpen candidates to be dealt are southpaws Tony Sipp or Rafael Perez with Hagadone ready for a steady big league job, and sidearmer Joe Smith, who had by far his best year in 2011. 

Sipp has the better strikeout rate, but gives up many more home runs (10) than does R. Perez (2).  Smith went from being a guy with an ERA around 3.50 to a 2.01 mark last season.  It’s always good to trade somebody off a career year.

The front office knows it can’t stop right now and expect to contend in the AL Central next season.  In the next month or so, we should have a good idea if the Cleveland Indians have addressed the things they need to in order to get back to the post-season.

MW

Any day now, the Cleveland Indians are expected to sign free agent Grady Sizemore to a one year deal, based heavily on incentives.

It appears to be a feel good story, as Sizemore returns to the Tribe for at least one more year.

There are a variety of reasons as to why the centerfielder is returning.  Perhaps he isn’t healthy yet to show what he still can do to other teams. 

Maybe he feels bad that he couldn’t perform to the level he established over the last three seasons, and felt compelled to make it up to an organization who has treated him well over the years.

On the surface, it’s a good low-risk move by GM Chris Antonetti.  He’s taking a chance that Sizemore will return to an all-star type player, and not spending a lot of money if it doesn’t work out.

However, there are other things to consider about this move.

First of all, the Indians cannot approach this off-season counting on Sizemore, or Travis Hafner for that matter.  These two players have to be treated as a bonus if they provide any production.

The front office must continue to approach the rest of the off-season as if Sizemore is not on the roster, and that they need someone to fill in at DH for at least part of the season.

Secondly, the ballclub cannot give Sizemore the preferential treatment he received as the team’s best player from 2005-09.  That is to say, the leadoff spot is no longer his. 

He should bat further down in the order, taking advantage of the one thing he did at times last season, and that is get extra base hits.  Even with his .224 batting average last season, he still slugged at .422.

His on base percentage hasn’t been over the .350 mark, decent for a leadoff hitter, since ’08.  The rest of the order shouldn’t depend on Grady Sizemore at the top of the order.

The Tribe also could have a potential problem if Sizemore doesn’t return to his halcyon days.  How long does Manny Acta stay with the former all-star if the middle of May arrives, and he’s hitting .230 and striking out a lot?

The Indians may not be in a position to let him continue to play if he’s not producing.  The front office has signaled, with the trades for Ubaldo Jimenez and Derek Lowe, that they are in it to win it in 2012. 

They can’t have that attitude weighed down if one of their regulars isn’t hitting.

The team must see a change in Sizemore’s approach at the plate too.  Perhaps it is because of the injuries to his legs, but he has become a pull hitter who strikes out way too much.

Sizemore is too talented a player, when healthy, to settle for this type of approach.  He should be looking to take outside pitches the opposite way to get base hits. 

The terms of the agreement haven’t been announced as of yet, but it will be interesting to see if a club option is involved for 2013.

If Sizemore does show flashes of his previous form, shouldn’t the Indians get the first shot at keeping him?

Would the Tribe have been better served cutting their ties with the centerfielder?  Only time will tell, but it’s not as simple as getting back the Grady Sizemore who played here before 2009.

MW

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