Browns Should Have Accountability For Coach and GM

When the Haslam family bought the Cleveland Browns in 2012, initially there was a lot of change. Rob Chudzinski was hired as a coach for the 2013 season, promptly went 4-12 and was fired.

Mike Pettine held the job for two years. Hue Jackson for 2-1/2 seasons, including 1-15 and 0-16, so we can see the ownership was trying to be more patient. But Gregg Williams finished the 2018 season, was let go, and Freddie Kitchens had the gig for a year.

The same was true in the front office. Michael Lombardi was the GM in ’13, followed by Ray Farmer for two years, Sashi Brown for a couple, and John Dorsey for three seasons.

And rightly so, the Haslams were criticized for the turnover, not establishing any continuity within the organization.

The question we have is have they flipped the script now and perhaps are giving the people who run the football team a little too much rope?

The GM/head coach combination of Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski has been in place for five seasons, and some of the people who cover the Browns think they will be safe for this season as well.

We like Stefanski, who guided the Browns to two playoff appearances in the five seasons, and has gone through a slew of quarterbacks, compiling a 40-44 record to date. He’s been named coach of the year twice, once because he guided the Browns to their first post-season appearance since 2002 in 2020.

The second came when Cleveland went to the playoffs despite using four different starting quarterbacks, including Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker in 2023.

As for Berry, you can make the argument he has completely mangled the most important position in sports, the quarterback. Dissatisfied with former first overall pick Baker Mayfield, he engineered (maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, but he’s the exec on record) perhaps the worst trade in NFL history, dealing three first round picks and guaranteeing the contract of Deshaun Watson.

We absolutely agree Stefanski and Berry should get a pass for the incredibly bad 2024 season, because it seems to us that year was about justifying the horrible deal for Watson, and not really about winning.

When you change several coaches, including the offensive coordinator, and change the offensive line blocking scheme, after a playoff season you have to think that was something decided by the entire organization (i.e. ownership) and that’s why the pair weren’t fired after the 3-14 debacle.

However, if the Browns don’t play better this year, meaning be competitive on the field, a spotlight should be shone upon the coach and GM.

The coaching staff fiasco seems to be repaired, and although they don’t seem to have a “franchise” QB, the veteran that got them to the post-season in ’23 is back in Joe Flacco, and they seem to have reinstituted an emphasis on the running game.

As for the GM, in his tenure, he has selected one Pro Bowl player. Part of that is not having three first round picks, but he seems to have chosen a lot of solid players, but no impact guys.

And in this past draft, despite needs on the offensive line, safety, and wide receiver, he took two running backs (we like both of them, by the way) and two quarterbacks.

We don’t want the ownership to return to their ways of firing people every two years, but we have no issue with having some accountability for Stefanski and Berry after this season.

Creating a mess and using it as a reason to keep your job shouldn’t be how it works.

A Big Night For Browns And The Thought Partners

The biggest question following tonight’s NFL Draft should be what will sports talk radio and all of the podcasts which discuss the Cleveland Browns talk about after this weekend?

Yes, we are sure if the Browns don’t move up tonight using the 33rd overall selection, there will be ad nauseum discussion tomorrow and who they should take or who should they trade for with that pick, but we are really talking about Monday. What do they fill airtime with?

This could be and probably should be a pivotal moment for both the franchise and the front office. This regime started with a bang, going 11-5 in Kevin Stefanski’s first year and with what looked like a solution to their quarterback issues in second year pro Baker Mayfield.

That was followed by an 8-9 season in which Mayfield play hurt and the organization either soured on him or got distracted by a shiny object in Deshaun Watson.

Owner Jimmy Haslam called what happened in the off-season following that year “a big swing and miss”. They traded the future of the franchise, one that was showing signs of finally having “good bones” for Watson. The price was three first-round draft picks, among other things.

That limited how the front office could continue to add talent and patch up holes to a pretty talented roster for three years.

Somehow, the Browns made the playoffs in Watson’s second season, although it was without help from the player who they ruined their future for. That team made the post-season with an incredible defense and a late season offensive surge led by free agent signee Joe Flacco.

The Browns let him go after he played very well for them. Can you say, “self-sabotage”?

It wasn’t the only weird move by the front office after a pretty good season. They fired several offensive coaches, including coordinator Scott Van Pelt. It seemed the goal of the front office was no longer winning; it was making the Watson decision look like a good one.

That should never be the goal.

So, this front office needs a good weekend. We don’t want to go back to change general managers and/or head coaches every year days. We felt at times during those days that maybe things could have clicked if change wasn’t a constant.

Perhaps Mike Pettine could have done better without front office interference or Eric Mangini could have been a better coach if he were not also a terrible GM.

But now, it doesn’t seem like anyone is accountable. And they should be. The Browns’ front office mangled a five-year period if which they had solid talent. They came out of it with two playoff appearances and one post-season win.

This group has a chance to restock the cupboards and put the team back on a winning track. And that needs to start next season. Haslam, Paul DePodesta, Andrew Berry, and Kevin Stefanski made this bed.

They need to have success in 2025, and by that we mean, be in contention for a playoff spot after they’ve played ten games. It’s not a huge ask, right?

That path starts tonight. Don’t overthink it, don’t look at three to four years from now.

As Al Davis used to say, “Just win, baby”!

Browns’ Upheaval Not Off To Promising Start.

The Cleveland Browns’ 28-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was the least news making event of the day for the beleaguered franchise.

The rumors started over the weekend that GM Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine would both lose their jobs following today’s game, regardless of the result.

It turns out that Farmer was informed he was out prior to the game, while Pettine wasn’t officially told until his club finished the season with a 3-13 record and 18 losses in the last 21 games.

Farmer’s mistakes were well documented by the media, but as we have said many times, we believe there is some talent on the roster. The former GM’s weakness was not getting a playmaker on offense outside of RB Duke Johnson.

Pettine’s issue was stubbornness, an unwillingness to not change schemes and personnel that were obviously not working. The run defense has been poor since the day he was hired, and several stories have come out, including one quoting former Bills and Colts’ GM Bill Polian said the Browns’ defensive concepts were too complicated.

And while offensive coordinator John DiFilippo and quarterback coach Kevin O’Connell were given credit over the course of the season, they too seemed to abandon the run too often, including today where they threw twice as much as they ran even though they were getting close to four yards a pop on the ground.

The Johnny Manziel issue reared its ugly head last night when it was reported he was in Las Vegas, and then didn’t show at Berea this morning for a mandated examination as part of the concussion protocol.

We have supported giving Manziel a full shot at the starting quarterback spot going into next year, but no more. The young man obviously doesn’t take being a starting quarterback in the NFL seriously and we would dissolve ties with him as soon as possible.

His cloud can no longer linger over this franchise.

However, it is very concerning how the new hierarchy in Berea will play out.

Owner Jimmy Haslam once again has decided against putting a football man in charge and letting that man make the football decisions.

Haslam instead announced Sashi Brown, a lawyer and salary negotiator for the Browns as the vice president of football operations.

Brown will play a part in hiring the coach, along with the owner, his wife Dee, and a high powered recruiter who has helped NFL teams in the past.

Then Brown and the new coach will hire the general manager.

If that sounds different, it’s because it is.

As for a new coach, we will reiterate that the Browns do not need another first time head coach.

They need someone who will instill discipline and accountability throughout the entire organization and the forty man roster.

They must rid themselves of the excuse makers that permeate the roster. They need to find players who aren’t tolerant of losing, even if some of those players are headed Pro Bowl players.

The thing that disturbs us is that the Browns are in the football business, yet Haslam seems to be giving more power to lawyers and accountants, who are studying game films to learn about the game.

Why not hire people who already know about the sport? Wouldn’t they know what is needed to move this franchise in the right direction?

Haslam made the correct move in ejecting Pettine and Farmer from positions they weren’t capable of handling.

However, we don’t like the first step in solving the problem. If Haslam owned a law firm, or an investment group, Sashi Brown might be a great choice.

He owns a football team though, so we will keep a jaundiced eye on who they will hire to guide this team back into the winning column.

Some Browns Myth Busting

It has been well documented the train wreck the 2015 football has become for the Cleveland Browns. After a 7-4 start to Mike Pettine’s head coaching career, the brown and orange have lost 15 of their last 17 games.

They are 2-10 this season, and over the last six contests have been blown out (losing by 14 or more points) in five of those games.

However, there have been some myths that have developed about the total collapse that has occurred over the past 12 months.

The Brian Hoyer saga. Contrary to what some people think, the Browns were not 7-4 when Pettine decided to bench Hoyer and play Johnny Manziel.

The reality is Cleveland was 7-6 when Manziel made his first start, after two horrible performances by Hoyer.

In a 26-10 road loss to Buffalo, Hoyer was 18 of 30 for 192 yards and two interceptions. He was NOT on the field for Cleveland’s only touchdown, which came on a drive orchestrated by Manziel in a backup role.

The following week was a 25-24 loss to the Colts in which the Browns outplayed Indianapolis except on the scoreboard. Hoyer was 13 for 30 for 136 yards and two more picks.

And the Browns’ defense was responsible for two touchdowns, a fumble recovery by Craig Robertson in the end zone, and a pick six by (ready for it!) Justin Gilbert.

So, the offense scored just 10 points.

Had the Browns won that game, they would have been 8-5 and very much in the playoff hunt.

Drafting. Ray Farmer gets a lot of criticism for his drafts, and in some cases, it is merited.

But, it is not as though he has been reaching for players and made horrible mistakes.

First, he did not draft Barkevious Mingo, who we think might be able to play if he was put in the spot he was drafted for.

According to Walterfootball.com (site picked at random), Gilbert was projected to be the 15^th pick in the draft. Cleveland traded down from #4, getting a 2015 first round pick in return, and took Gilbert at 8^th. Not exactly a reach.

On the same site, Manziel was projected as the 7^th overall pick, and dropped to #22. Several draft pundits had him as the best QB in that year’s selection process.

In 2015, they had the Browns taking Danny Shelton with the 12^th overall pick, which, of course, they did, and had Cameron Erving going 18^th overall to Kansas City, one pick ahead of Cleveland.

Most mock drafts had all four players with first round grades.

So, what happened?

Pettine is blameless. Many fans think the head coach has been dealt a bad hand because of Farmer’s ineptness, but is that true?

Name one position group that has improved since last season? Right, not a one.

He came here as a defensive coach and that unit, not the quarterback play, is the reason for being 2-10.

If the Browns had allowed 20 points a game in every game this season, there record would be 5-5-2. Assuming they split the overtime games, they would be 6-6 right now and in the thick of the playoff hunt.

And really, outside of Joe Haden, what solid player has missed a lot of time this season?

No, the head coach should get a lot of the blame, and probably will after the last game of the season, when he is given the pink slip.

Just think, only four more games until this nightmare is over.

Pettine’s Decision on Manziel Looks Worse by the Day

The Cleveland Browns are 2-9 for a reason, and that reason is they can’t do anything right.

Just like the New England Patriots, who seem to make all the right moves as they have a chance to win a Super Bowl every year, the Browns are the bizarro Patriots, making horrible decision after horrible decision.

The latest is Poppa Mike Pettine’s decision to go with Austin Davis as the starting quarterback this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

We have had issues with Pettine’s moves over the last six weeks or so, and now more and more people in the media are seeing the same things we did.

Both local and national media feel the same way, despite second year QB Johnny Manziel’s issues off the field, the right football decision is to let name the former Heisman Trophy winner the starter for the remainder of the season.

We understand that if Manziel were a middle round pick, he likely would have a shorter leash, and may even be released (although we wouldn’t cut let’s say Pierre Desir because he showed up on a video partying), but he wasn’t.

He was chosen in the first round, and therefore, he must be given every opportunity to succeed.

Is that fair? No, but that’s reality, like it or not.

And the fans and media who don’t understand that are living in a fantasy world.

You simply cannot release a first round draft choice after two years because you don’t like the way he acts off the field. Besides, it’s not like it was a secret that Manziel had a wild streak when he was in college.

That’s even more incredible, he is being “punished” for being himself.

There are reports that several NFL teams are interested in getting Manziel if indeed there is no future for him in Cleveland. That should be reason enough not to cut him.

And even with Manziel’s serial nightlife escapades, put him out on the field.

If he can’t play or isn’t prepared to play, then you have a very good idea that you need to draft a passer early in next spring’s draft.

As several people pointed out during and after Monday’s loss to Baltimore, ultimately the organization is being punished most by sitting Manziel down. The player himself probably knows he will get another shot elsewhere.

We are sure that Johnny Football knows the head coach would prefer not to play him, which probably doesn’t help the player respect his boss.

Davis did a nice job coming in for Josh McCown against Baltimore, but he is under contract for next year, and will be a fine back up signal caller, so why the rush to get him more playing time.

Besides, in the playing time Davis had with the Rams last year, he played more than Manziel, meaning there is more tape on Davis for the coaches to peruse in judging what he can do.

Without a doubt, the best thing for the Cleveland Browns is to play Johnny Manziel on Sunday and for the rest of the season.

Either Pettine knows he’s getting fired and figures he is going to do what he wants regardless, but if he thinks he has a shot at returning, why wouldn’t he play the guy the owner wanted as part of the organization on draft day in 2014.

Pettine’s stubbornness, not a good trait for a losing coach, is getting in the way of making the right decision.

Two Weeks Off, But Not Many Adjustments For Browns

Seriously, you cannot make this stuff up.

The Cleveland Browns lined up for a 51 yard field goal by Travis Coons to win last night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens on the last play of the competition.

Instead, the kick was blocked and the Ravens’ Will Hill scooped up the loose ball and ran it into the end zone to give Baltimore a 33-27 victory and drop the Browns’ record to 2-9 for the year.

And that makes it 14 losses in the last 16 games for Mike Pettine and his team.

It was special teams that cost the Browns tonight as they allowed a punt return and a blocked field goal for touchdowns. You can’t give up 13 points on special teams.

Those numbers, and that Karlos Dansby returned an interception for a score, will masquerade another poor performance by the defense, who allowed four and a half yards per carry on the ground, and made former Cleveland running back, Terrence West, dealt for a seventh round pick, look good.

West had 37 yards in seven attempts.

Cleveland did have another interception, as Tramon Williams picked off Matt Schaub late to set up the possible game winning field goal, but the Browns’ defense did not record a sack during the game.

So, with all of the time off the players and the coaching staff have had recently, what adjustments did the team make?

It’s hard to tell.

Offensively, it seemed like there was a more concerted effort to get the football to the team’s playmakers as Travis Benjamin caught six passes for 90 yards and a TD, and ran the ball on a reverse once.

Duke Johnson touched the ball 12 times, and actually saw action in the second half.

And TE Gary Barnidge continued his fine season, grabbing seven throws for 91 yards.

The entire time off was filled with discussion on Johnny Manziel’s off-field activities, so Josh McCown got the start, but was injured again during the game, forcing Austin Davis into the contest.

Davis acquitted himself well, hitting 7 of 10 for 77 yards and the TD throw to Benjamin.

So, get ready for more quarterback talk this week.

That discussion will overshadow the terrible time management Pettine used at the end of the game.

After Williams’ pick, the Browns had the ball on the Ravens’ 48 with 55 seconds remaining in the game, with two timeouts in their possession. Remarkably, they ran three plays in that amount of time.

Davis failed to get out-of-bounds on a run that ended at the 30 yard line on the second last offensive play for Cleveland. With Coons’ longest field goal of the year being 44 yards, it did not occur to the head coach to try to get the ball closer for his kicker, who hadn’t missed a field goal all season.

Instead, he tried a running play that lost yardage, pushing Coons back even further.

And while the joke around town is the guy who blocked the kick wedged his way between the two 2015 first round draft picks, Cam Erving and Danny Shelton, the truth is the longer kick made Coons kick the ball lower. Had the Browns gained five more yards after Davis’ run and it would be a 42 yard kick, it likely wouldn’t have been blocked.

Pettine has something to learn about using timeouts. Apparently, he thinks they can be turned in at the end of the season for coupons.

This was the seventh game out of 11 that the Browns have allowed 30+ points in a game. Although the defense was only on the field for 20 of those, it is very difficult for this team to win when the offense has to score more than 30 to win.

All the quarterback talk, both on and off the field, deflect criticism from this unit, which is the real problem with this team.

And it’s not going to be easier with the Bengals visiting on Sunday.

It’s doubtful they will lose on another blocked field goal, but we can’t say it is impossible.

Browns Need To Learn Toughness

Over the past few weeks, we have accused Browns’ coach Mike Pettine of being a fake tough guy.

He certainly looks tough, the bald head, the goatee, and the scowl, but in reality, he’s a player’s coach just like Rob Chudzinski and Pat Shurmur before him.

That might work if the Browns were a veteran team, but the players they are supposedly building around are young guys, and they need someone demanding.

This is why we scoff at the whole situation with Johnny Manziel.

It’s the first time Pettine has been a tough guy, and quite frankly, it’s the toughness that would be displayed by a high school coach.

Regardless of what problems Manziel has with alcohol, and we don’t know for absolute certainty that he has one, his obligation to this football team is to be prepared for the next game.

No matter what happened over the bye week, if the former Heisman winner was prepared in practice and had the game plan down for Monday night’s game against the Ravens, he shouldn’t have lost his job.

That he didn’t know what the coaches asked, and then lied about it is secondary. It’s professional football, who cares.

It’s laughable that Pettine talked about accountability, because the Cleveland Browns haven’t held anyone accountable for a long time.

Look at our rivals to the east in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers have had injuries to several key players, including QB Ben Roethlisberger, and they sit at 6-4 and very much in the playoff race.

Why? Because they demand success and winning from the ownership on down to the front office and down to coach Mike Tomlin.

The Browns make excuses regarding their injuries, and keep telling their fans (more likely themselves) that they are close and they have a lot of talent on the roster.

This is where the Browns need to change the “culture”.

It will start with hiring a real tough guy as head coach when Pettine undoubtedly will lose his job at the end of this season.

Longtime radio personality floated the name of Mike Singletary recently, and quite frankly that would be a solid choice.

From what we have heard about former Patriots LB Mike Vrabel, now a Texans’ assistant, he would be a solid option too.

Those guys would demand performance and accountability for each and every player and each and every coach in this organization.

And until the Browns operate on this basis, nothing will change.

It doesn’t have to be one of those guys, it just has to be someone who will not accept mediocrity and excuses.

Instead of Pettine treating Manziel like his son, he should be demanding excellence ON THE FIELD from him.

He should not accept the poor performance of the defense from his friend, Jim O’Neil, and should tell his secondary coach to get Justin Gilbert ready to play on Sunday, and not be worried about techniques.

That why the accountability comment was a joke. He hasn’t demanded it all year from the players, his staff, or himself.

That’s why he hasn’t changed anything about the running game or the defense despite both being a problem from the FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON!

You would think a good football coach would have identified the problem and corrected it.

Real toughness is what is needed for the Cleveland Browns. They aren’t going to get it from “Papa” Mike Pettine.

We Have Some Questions For You, Coach Pettine.

Only the Cleveland Browns could have a situation where they knock the opposing quarterback out of a game, and have him replaced by a future Hall of Famer, who throws for 379 yards and three touchdowns.

In many ways, the key play of today’s 30-9 thumping by the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Browns was the one where Desmond Bryant forced the offensive tackle to step on Landry Jones’ foot early in the first quarter, because that brought Ben Roethlisberger into the contest.

Big Ben threw three touchdown passes and drew several pass interference penalties by the Browns’ secondary, as the Cleveland defense allowed 30 or more points for the sixth time in 10 games this season.

But, we are sure we will be again talking about who should start at quarterback two weeks from tomorrow when the Ravens visit First Energy Stadium.

Mike Pettine gave the media the “I have to review the film” spiel after the game, and bristled when someone (we think it was Tom Reed) asked if it looked bad that the defensive backfield was terrible and last year’s first round pick Justin Gilbert was inactive for the game.

The coach didn’t really answer the inquiry.

Here are some other questions we would like Pettine to answer.

…Who on the coaching staff thought it would be a good idea to have special teams standout Johnson Bademosi matched up with Steelers’ all pro wide receiver Antonio Brown?

Brown caught 10 pass for 139 yards and two touchdown and drew two interference calls.

Bademosi wasn’t on Brown all the time, but too often, it was either he or raw rookie (first NFL game) Charles Gaines. That’s a ridiculously bad match up.

…Why wasn’t Gilbert active?

He leads the Browns in kickoff return average, and made some nice special teams plays in punt coverage over the last few weeks. And he didn’t seem to be excessively targeted in the Thursday night loss to the Bengals when he did play cornerback.

He is in the same spot as Johnny Manziel. The organization needs to see if Gilbert can be a decent NFL corner.

…Why can’t this team run the football?

Cleveland had 15 rushing and the leader was Manziel, who gained 17 on three scrambles. The Browns have two Pro Bowl players on the line in Joe Thomas and Alex Mack, and John Greco and Mitchell Schwartz are solid. Joel Bitonio was out today, but last year was on the all-rookie team.

The Browns had a couple of decent runs early going straight ahead with Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell. They spent the rest of the game trying to run wide and losing yardage.

Why not stick with what was working, at least a little?

…What is the coaching staff doing about the penalties?

Cleveland had 12 flags thrown against them for a whopping 188 yards.

Late in the third quarter, the Browns had the ball with a first down inside the one. They had consecutive penalties (holding on Cameron Erving, illegal formation) to take them out of a scoring opportunity.

That kind of sloppy play points to the coaching staff.

Manziel played well (33 of 45 for 372 yards with a TD toss and a pick). After fumbling on the first play, he showed that he can play and deserves to start the rest of the season, especially with the Browns sitting at 2-8.

He certainly isn’t looking like the bust everyone says he is. And really, there isn’t much evidence that Gilbert is either because he doesn’t play.

Maybe, just maybe, there is some talent on this football team, but it isn’t used properly.

Hopefully, however is coaching next year, and we are confident someone else will be, can put those players in a position where they can contribute.

After all, that is kind of the definition of coaching, isn’t it?

Manziel Overshadows Real Problems With Browns

The big question among fans of the Cleveland Browns this week is who will start at quarterback against Pittsburgh this Sunday at Heinz Field.

Coach Mike Pettine continues to favor veteran Josh McCown, saying he gives the Browns the rest chance to win on Sunday, even though his record as a starter since the beginning of the 2014 season is 2-16.

That appears to say volumes about how the coaching staff (or maybe just the head coach) feels about Johnny Manziel, who has started two games this season and went 1-1.

And even the harshest critic of the former Heisman Trophy winner has to admit at halftime, you had to feel pretty good about how Johnny Football performed.

Unless that harshest critic is the head coach, who felt the need to tell a national television audience that the Browns needed to “calm down” the second year player.

Still, all of this talk about the quarterback is masking the real problems with this football team, so in a way, Pettine should be thankful for Johnny Manziel.

Last Thursday night, the Cleveland defense allowed 30 points for the fifth time this season. Keep in mind, the Browns have only played nine games, so in half of the contests, opponents have put 30 points on the board.

No matter who your quarterback is, it is tough to win football games when you are giving up that many points.

Another problem that has pretty much been swept under the rug has been the blueprint for winning games that Pettine’s team was supposed to use going into the year.

The Browns were to be a running team, pounding the ball behind an offensive line which featured All Pros, and a rock solid defensive unit, led by one of the league’s best secondaries.

With Joe Thomas and Alex Mack anchoring the line, and two other Pro Bowlers, Joe Haden and Donte Whitner in the secondary, it was easy to see why the coaches and fans alike would be excited about these units.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t gone according to plan either.

The Browns simply can’t run the football, ranking 31st (second to last) in rushing, and they continue to search for answers, trying to use such stalwarts as Shawn Draughn and Robert Turbin, instead of seeing what Isaiah Crowell can do with 15-20 carries per game.

Cleveland QB’s have also been sacked 30 times, against second to last in the NFL.

The offensive line has been terrible this season, a year after they were among the best in the league prior to Mack’s broken leg.

As for the defensive backfield, sure there have been injuries, but this group in slightly below the middle of the pack in terms of allowing passing yards. This is compounded by having just 15 sacks, a figure that ranks 23rd in the league.

Keep in mind that seven of those sacks came in one game, a week two victory over Tennessee.

So, to summarize, the defense can’t stop the run, can’t put pressure on the passer, and really doesn’t defend the pass when it is thrown.

Those are the real problems with this football team, not who plays quarterback.

But the head coach doesn’t acknowledge those issues, continuing to say his team is “close” to winning. Let us remind everyone that Pettine’s team is 2-12 in their last 14 games.

That doesn’t seem close.

But let’s talk about the quarterback.

Pettine’s Grasp On Job Loosened Last Night

Pat Shurmur’s tenure as the coach of the Cleveland Browns is characterized by some of his ridiculous quotes at press conference.

Mike Pettine may be characterized by his halftime interview during Thursday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-10 in the Queen City.

After Johnny Manziel directed the Browns on a 92 yard drive to get Cleveland within 14-10 at the half against the undefeated Bengals, Pettine told the sideline reporter that they needed to get the quarterback “calmed down” at halftime.

We now all know that Pettine doesn’t like Manziel, doesn’t want to play him, and will never give him a full shot at the position.

What the coach should be concentrating on is his defensive unit and coordinator Jim O’Neil, who continues to put a sieve on the field weekly.

With one game in the next 25 days, there is plenty of time to make the changes necessary, and we would start by canning O’Neil who has directed a unit that has allowed 30 or more points in five of the nine games played this year.

And what is becoming a weekly occurance, the Bengals ran for 152 yards, an average of 4.1 yards per carry. They also didn’t create a turnover.

Among the culprits defensively were a couple of the veterans Pettine seems to love, DE Randy Starks and CB Tramon Williams.

With this team sitting at 2-7 and going nowhere, it is counter productive to continue to play these guys.

Williams gave up a touchdown on a double move by the tight end!

The funny thing to us was that Justin Gilbert was on the field defensively tonight, and the Bengals didn’t score eight touchdowns by going right at him.

Seriously, this guy can’t play over special teams standout Johnson Bademosi?

On offense, the Browns called exactly one running play in the second half. It was the first play and Isaiah Crowell, who had 41 yards on 9 carries in the first half, was thrown for a three yard loss.

That was it.

Crowell, and Duke Johnson, who caught the 12-yard TD toss from Manziel at the end of the first half, did not touch the ball after that first play.

What in the heck is going on?

It was kind of fitting that the touchdown the Bengals used to salt the game away, was a 25-yard wide receiver reverse on which Mohamed Sanu was untouched by the Cleveland defense. A trick play.

This is something that offensive coordinator John Difilipo hasn’t used all year. And the total lack of even trying to run the ball in the second half leaves us shaking our heads.

Manziel played solid. He wasn’t great, but he was better than his stat line indicated.

After the Crowell loss of yardage on the first play of the second half, Manziel fired a downfield pass which should have been caught by WR Taylor Gabriel, who had a bad night, dropping three passes on the evening.

He certainly showed enough to start again, but our guess is Pettine will go back to Josh McCown for the Pittsburgh game, which is ludicrous.

Again, what is there to gain continuing with the status quo with a 2-7 record. There will be no playoffs. And perhaps Pettine can salvage his job if the young players show some promise over the last seven games.

Our guess is the coach’s quote will be played and mocked all around the city and probably the country.

That’s what happens when someone’s personal feelings get in the way of a talent evaluation.

At the very least, Manziel should finish the season at QB. He showed enough tonight that he doesn’t look like the total bust people were saying he was.