False Hope

The Browns beat the Bengals, 20-12, yesterday, and yet I still feel as though we lost.

Say what you will about me being a Brady Quinn fan, but the fact is the Browns barely beat the Bengals yesterday — the Bengals! — and they're celebrating like it was the Super Bowl. What's sad is, by sticking with DA throughout the entire game, even after a typical DA first half, Romeo believes he was justified in his non-decision about the future of the Browns.

No changes were made yesterday, but the Browns were able to squeak out a win. Big deal. It was the 0-4 Bengals, after all. A Bengals team without Carson Palmer! I would hope we could beat them. That we didn't totally dominate that game tells me we're in for another rude-awakening when we return for Monday Night Football against the Giants.

DA didn't show me anything at all yesterday to convince me he's starting QB material. And, apparently his leash was a lot longer than everyone made it out to seem leading into the game. If Romeo had any intention whatsoever of going to Quinn if Anderson struggled, we'd have seen Brady start in the second half.

This just proves that Romeo had no intention of ever going to Quinn, he only said what the media and the fans wanted to hear. He's a stubborn, stubborn man.

What's sad is, now the Browns will go into the Giants game in two weeks with the false sense of hope that we've turned this season around. Unfortunately, they haven't. I for one am not looking forward to seeing the Giants come in to Cleveland Browns Stadium to give us a reality check. I've already seen the Cowboys do that this year.

My Week 4 grades will be forthcoming either this evening or tomorrow. But don't expect high marks just because they won. After all, it was the Bengals.

Good News -- No Palmer

Watching Tailgate 19 just now, they reported that Carson Palmer will not start today for the Bengals. What does this mean for the Browns? Good news. Our offense can't score, so we may have a chance to win since now their offense won't be able to score.

Battle of O H I 0-4

When the Browns and the Bengals get together, you can throw the records out the window. And this year, both teams would love nothing more than to forget about their 0-3 starts.

It's the Battle of Ohio and we're used to this game being one in which the loser stays in the basement of the AFC North.

This year, it's also the battle to see who can get their first win and not start the season 0-4.

Last year, the series with the Bengals was bittersweet.

The first game was a high-flying shootout at Cleveland Browns Stadium -- Derek Anderson's first game as a starter -- in which the two teams combined for 12 touchdowns and the Browns won, 51-45. It was, we thought, the beginning of the turnaround in Cleveland.

The second meeting, however, was a different story. At Paul Browns Stadium -- the sight of today's game -- Derek Anderson three four interceptions and the Browns lost, 19-14, and were essentially eliminated from the playoffs.

Three Things I'm Looking Forward to in Today's Game:

1. Changes -- After the loss to Baltimore, we were promised changes. Every position was up for evaluation, or so Romeo said. Sure, DA is still the starter, but Romeo says Brady will be ready. Yes, I believe it is a mistake to put that pressure on DA. Either name Brady the starter, or show some confidence in DA. In any case, I'm anxious to see what, if any, changes there are today.
2. Jerome Harrison -- Last week's lone Browns TD was scored on a 19-yard pass to Harrison. Then, we never saw him again in the game. Why? As thin as we are at receiver, I think we'll see more of Harrison coming out of the backfield to catch passes.
3. Jamal Lewis -- The Bengals run defense isn't the greatest. If the Browns offense is going to get back on track, they'll need to hand the ball off more to Lewis than they have so far this season. If Lewis is going to get back on track, perhaps a porous Bengals defense is just what he needs.
   

Three Things I'm NOT Looking Forward to in Today's Game:

1. Resurgent Bengals -- They may be 0-3, but they looked pretty good against the defending Super Bowl champion Giants last week losing by a field goal in overtime. I hope that wasn't the beginning of the Bengals resurgence.
2. Bengals in Hi-Def -- With perhaps the ugliest uniforms in all of professional sports, the Bengals could possibly ruin my new HDTV with their bright, construction worker-orange jerseys.
3. Praise of DA -- If Anderson plays just decently, or if the Browns play just a little bit better, I'm sure the announcers will go over-board with DA compliments. He needs to be held to the same scrutiny as he has all season. Even if the Browns win with a mediocre DA, the media needs to keep off the DA blinders.
   

Today, the season is on the line -- for both teams. I'm hoping, of course, that the Browns can turn it around and use a win against Cincinnati as catalyst to turn this abysmal season around.
Pete's Prediction: Browns, 28-17.

Stubborn Crennel

Romeo Crennel today, in his infinite wisdom, has announced that Derek Anderson — not Brady Quinn — will be the starting quarterback Sunday against the Bengals.

"Anderson is the starter and Quinn will be ready," Romeo said. "I'm not going to go into the what-ifs, the whens, the where, the how long or anything like that. The decision was made and that's what it's going to be. We're going to go forward."

Mind you, this is only two days after Romeo said, "I think we'll definitely try to get the other guy (Quinn) ready to go and we'll see how it progresses from there. We'll probably give him a few more reps in practice right now."

I'm sorry, but I find it extremely difficult to believe that after only one day of practice — one day of "a few more reps" — Romeo is ready make a decision on the starting quarterback. ONE DAY!?!? Are you telling me Brady stunk it up in his "few more reps" yesterday so badly that Romeo is comfortable with Anderson still as his starter?

More likely, Romeo had no intention whatsoever of starting Brady (hell, Romeo can't even bring himself to call Brady by name most of the time). His whole spiel about every position being evaluated, about "the other guy" getting ready to go was all said simply to delay the inevitable furry from the fans of this great football team.

Let's face it. Romeo has not been a fan of Brady's from the start. He seems to resent the fact that Savage drafted him, the message being, "this is your quarterback." Romeo doesn't like being told what to do.

Romeo handled the whole QB situation last preseason wrong when he declared it an open competition between Frye and Anderson (remember the coin flip to decide who would start?), and he NEVER gave Brady a chance to compete for the job.

We all saw what happened to Romeo's first choice at QB last season. Frye laid a big egg against the Steelers and was subsequently traded.

Anderson came in — similar to Kelly Holcomb — and put up some big numbers because defenses never saw him before. Romeo's job was safe because Anderson was able to get some wins.

As the season went on, Anderson's number got worse. Defenses started to figure him out ... just like they did with Holcomb.

Anderson and Holcomb are fine backup NFL quarterbacks. They're not starters.

So far this season, Anderson has shown who he is — a backup quarterback thrust into a starting role.

If you take the last 10 games (three games so far this season and the last seven games of 2007), Anderson has thrown 15 TDs and 11 INTs. The last five games, Anderson has 5 TDs and 11 INTs. He is getting progressively worse. I know it. You know it. Everybody but Romeo seems to know this. Continuing to go with DA is a sure sign of pure and simple stubbornness on Romeo's part.

Brady may very well not be the answer at quarterback either. But, how will we know unless he's given a chance? Anderson has had his chance and he's clearly NOT the answer.

Your job is on the line, Romeo. DA may have bailed you out last year, but he's been exposed now and so are you.

You were quick to yank Frye against the Steelers last season in favor of Anderson. If (when) Anderson struggles this week against the Bengals, you'd better be just as quick to yank him in favor of Quinn.

Blogging with the Enemy: Bengals

Not that I need to remind anyone, but the Browns are 0-3. Who could possibly relate to our suffering as Browns fans? Perhaps the fans of this week's opponent, our rivals down-state in Cincinnati. The Bengals are also 0-3.

This week, I traded questions with Bengals blogger Adam Kiefaber from BengalStripes.com. The questions, and his answers, are below. Enjoy.

1). What is the worst thing about being 0-3?

The constant shame! As a life-long Bengals fan, I remember the days where the team wouldn't win its first game until November. Recently, it has hard for fans to accept that the team has just been mediocre. Now, 0-3 stings a little harder than the 0-10 start in 1993 after having Super Bowl aspirations in 2005.

So, to quote Bob Uecker, "let me hear you Cleveland!" The battle of Ohio, the battle for the smallest bit of respectably.

2). At what moment did you begin to lose hope?

For most Cincinnati fans, we all lost complete hope in the preseason. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it couldn't be more true. In Ohio, we take our preseason seriously. The majority of fans liked the team's chances this season even after all the Chad Ocho Cinco drama. However, after Jon "Baby Hands" Kitna lit the Bengals up in the team's second preseason game, all hope was gone. No one expected much, but we all expected to beat Baltimore the opening week.

3). At what moment did you regain hope just to have to crushed moments later?

Opening week, I started to buy all the talk about how the Bengals were not going to have any trouble with a rookie quarterback from Delaware. I threw out the fact that Carson Palmer hadn't thrown a single pass to T.J. or Chad in the preseason. I also forgot the fact that the defense couldn't stop (preseason) Delaware's current offense if their lives' depended on it. It was opening day, I had hope, but then Joe Flacco stumbled 38 yards for a touchdown to give the Ravens a 17-3 lead with 15 seconds left in the third quarter. Hope was lost. Then in a windstorm at Paul Brown Stadium, the Bengals were tied 7-7 and calling timeouts in order to get the ball back before halftime. In order to beat the halftime bathroom rush and to catch the Bengals with the ball to end the half, I went to the restroom at PBS. I come back to find out that Titans running back Chris Johnson took a draw play 55 yards on a obvious rushing play. Game over. Hope lost again. After the OT loss to the Giants, there is some hope left.

4). Who has been your most disappointing player?

Levi Jones has been the worst left tackle in the league. Honestly I don't know if I could make that claim since I haven't watched every team play in every game, but it is hard to imagine anyone playing worse. If I don't hear, "false start, number 76," at least five times a game, I am shocked. Also, I have to add that he can't block anyone. Carson Palmer struggled the first two weeks, but was back on track against New York despite being sacked six times. Chad Ocho Cinco has struggled, but he isn't bitching. Personally, I don't think he is 100 percent. For once in his career, he is acting like professional, too bad he is playing his worst football of his career.

5). How many wins do you think the Bengals can achieve? (Please include best- and worst-case scenarios)

The best the Bengals can do is obviously 13-3, but realistically the best this team can do is probably 7-9. The worst is 3-13.

Even if Cincinnati can beat the Brownies at home, their confidence will likely be crushed the following week when they travel to Dallas.

I do like the Bengals chances at Houston (Oct. 26), vs. Baltimore (Nov. 30) and vs. Kansas City (Dec. 28).

6). If the Bengals were to make the playoffs this season, how would you celebrate?

I remember once in college I had to jump into a frozen pond after I lost a bet to some Cleveland Browns fans. If the Bengals make the playoffs, I will travel to wherever that game is, use an early vacation day and party like a rockstar. Honestly, it might be better if the team doesn't make it that far because I might not be able to afford that journey.

7). What is your prediction for Sunday? What do Browns fans need to look out for that they might not already know about the Bengals?

Watch out for Antonio Chatman, last week no one expected a thing out of the UC product, but he had a great game against the Giants. I also believe that the Bengals will try to utilize running back DeDe Dorsey more often. Linebacker Rashad Jeanty is the most under rated player on this team.

Enough about that, I will take the Bengals in a shootout 42-38. Only reason being that Cincinnati is at home, but this one can go either way.

Hmm, another shootout ... not going to happen with the way our offense has been playing. Then again, maybe playing the Bengals is just what the Browns need — it worked last season.

To read my answers to these questions, visit BengalStripes.com.

Week 3 Grades

The breakout season for the Browns so far has been a bust. We're 0-3 and even an upcoming match-up with the 0-3 Bengals doesn't breed much confidence right now.

This season has been a disaster. First the Cowboys. Then the Steelers. Now the Ravens. All three opponents have made the Browns look foolish.

It's time, yet again, to get out the old grade book and put down just how I thought the Browns performed against the Ravens.

(Note: I did not give out grades in Week 2 partly because I never actually got to see the game and partly because I was disgusted we lost to the Steelers again).

Here are my grades for Week 3:

Offense

• Offensive Line - They're playing somewhat better than they did in Week 1. But, Anderson was still sacked five times (not to say that's all their fault, but still).
  Grade: C
• Tight Ends - Winslow is still the best player on the field. But he can't do it all ... two catches for 14 yards just isn't enough.
  Grade: C
• Wide Receivers - Not much you can do when your QB consistently throws the ball behind you, over your head or to the defense. Doesn't help that nearly half the completions were to running backs.
  Grade: D
• Running Backs - Jamal only had 56 yards. Then again, that's what happens when you get in a hole and the coaches abandon the running game. Harrison caught a pass out of the backfield for a TD. Why not play him more?
  Grade: B
• Quarterbacks - Let's see here, he completed six passes to his wide receivers, two passes to his tight end, four passes to his running backs and three to the defense. He made Joe Flacco, who was 13-for-19 for 129 and two interceptions, look good. Can we please officially put an end to the Kelly Holcomb Project, err, I mean the Derek Anderson Project?
  Grade: F
• Summary - Pathetic. That's all I can say. There's still some talent there, unfortunately it starts with the coaches and the QB and the talent isn't getting much help from either.
  Overall Grade: D+
  

Defense

• Defensive Line - The Ravens didn't exactly run wild on on like they did in the Jamal Lewis days, but they did rush for 151 yards and three TDs.
  Grade: D
• Linebackers - D'Qwell Jackson led the team again with 14 tackles. Not only that, he also had an interception (perhaps we should put him on offense).
  Grade: C-
• Safeties & Corners - They've showed some pretty good improvement since the Dallas game. Not bad, really, for the amount of experience they really have.
  Grade: C
• Summary - Just like Week 1, they gave up 28 points, and they're lucky it wasn't more than that. Then again, they really do need some help from the offense.
  Overall Grade: C-

Special Teams and Coaches

• Special Teams - We sure could have used a big-time TD return yesterday. The special teams didn't play great, but they didn't play horrible either. As a big fan of Phil Dawson, I can't give the special teams a less than average grade.
  Grade: C
• Coaches - What can I say? Something has to be done, obviously. It doesn't bother me as much as it does some people that Romeo shows no emotion on the sidelines (he probably learned that from Belichick). But seriously, I wonder sometimes if he really does know what he's doing. For a great breakdown of the coaches, read this entry on Ace Davis' Browns Blog.
  Grade: D

So, here we go into Cincinnati with an 0-3 record. The good news is, the Bengals are also 0-3. Looks like a good old fashioned Battle of Ohio where the only thing on the line is the state's first win.

ESPN's Michael Smith is a Moron

Want proof? Watch this video ... Smith has no clue what he's talking about. You be the judge.

Is Derek Anderson's job in jeopardy?



Description: Michael Smith talks about the possibility Derek Anderson could lose his starting QB job

Brady, Brady ...

OK, let's be honest here. The Browns just lost to the Ravens, 28-10. Something has to change. That we're now 0-3 is unacceptable.

Now, I'm not saying Brady Quinn is the be all, end all to the myriad problems the Browns have, but playing him is one step closer to fixing this season.

Honestly, DA sucks. He's not the elite NFL quarterback the media tries to make him out to be. The Browns are 0-3. This was supposed to be our season. Let's make some changes. The first change is, of course, at quarterback.

Everybody now, "BRADY, BRADY, BRADY ...!"

Another Must-Win Game

Last week, prior to the Steelers game, Savage said it was a "must-win game." The result was a Browns loss. There has been much talk this week about what went wrong.

My question is, what happens when you lose a "must-win" game? No one is talking about that.

Today, the Browns take their inept offense on the road to Baltimore. Another division game. And, if you ask me, another "must-win" game. An 0-3 start would be an almost insurmountable obstacle if the Browns are going to make something of this season.

Since the last "must-win" game we lost, there have been no changes (unless you count more injuries as changes). So, if the Browns drop this one today, will there continue to be no changes? How many "must-win" games do the Browns have to lose before they make some some changes?

Ravens Blogger Speaks Out

As I mentioned yesterday, I posed five questions to Ravens blogger Tony Lombardi from football24x7.com. Here are those questions, and his responses. Enjoy.

1). Given what the Cowboys and Steelers defenses did to the Browns, are you licking your chops?

Not necessarily. The Browns beat the Ravens twice in ’07 and they’ve struggled to contain Braylon Edwards. If the Ravens don’t put pressure on a shaky Derek Anderson, Edwards and Kellen Winslow could be problematic for the Ravens secondary – a secondary that has struggled to stay healthy.

The Browns defense is another story and they will see a different style of offense from the Ravens than they are accustomed to seeing from Baltimore. Cam Cameron, a mentor of sorts to Rob Chudzinski will attack the Browns secondary after establishing the run through play action passing, something that rookie QB Joe Flacco handles like a veteran. The Browns can also look for some no huddle attacks from the Ravens in part to limit substitutions and wear down the DT’s like Shaun Rogers who looked gassed towards the end of the Browns contest against the Steelers.

2) How satisfied are you with your QB situation in Baltimore? Who's your pick to start?

Flacco gets the start but personally I had hoped that either Troy Smith or Kyle Boller would win the job to enable Flacco to learn a bit from the sidelines. That won’t happen because Smith contracted a bacterial infection coupled with tonsillitis just when it seemed the job would be his. Boller has a torn labrum and is on injured reserve.

The rookie looked very solid in his pro debut but if Flacco goes down, John Harbaugh will call on the great Todd Bouman.

I know what you are thinking…hoping…

3) With the changes the Ravens made during the offseason, what were your expectations coming into this season?

I thought the Ravens were a 7 win team entering the season. I just thought there were too many question marks at quarterback, offensive line and in the secondary. After one game it looks like the Ravens have done a better job addressing those positions than I thought, particularly with the development of Flacco, the meshing of the offensive line plus the added depth with former Pro Bowler Willie Anderson and the return of Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle and Ed Reed to the starting secondary.

That said, it is only one game but it is a start.

If the Ravens can play consistently and stay healthy, they will compete. Let’s face it the AFC North isn’t exactly a strong division and the Ravens could win as many as nine games. But staying healthy is hardly a given for a team that starts 6 players on defense who are 30+.

4) What's your scouting report on the Browns telling you about Sunday's game?

I think the Ravens need to be physical with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow. I expect short drops from Derek Anderson as he looks to get the ball off quickly. Jamming his favorite targets will force Anderson to read through his progressions and those short drops might ultimately lead to a few unwelcomed meetings with Ravens’ tackle Haloti Ngata who is emerging as a force in the NFL. The Browns will have to beat the Ravens by air and more than likely they’ll need a couple of big plays. The Ravens aren’t worried about former teammate Jamal Lewis.

On offense the Ravens will try and pick up where they left off last week – running the football and leaving Joe Flacco with manageable third down conversions. They will test the Browns’ shaky secondary and you may even see Todd Heap flanked outside the numbers to create mismatches. Look out for rookie Ray Rice.

When all is said and done and the clock reads 0:00, the Ravens will walk away with a 20-17 victory.

5) Are you as sick as we are of hearing people say, "It's the old Browns versus the new Browns?" I mean, it's been long enough, can't people get over it already? These are two different teams.

Actually we seldom hear that phrase in Baltimore but if it makes Cleveland Browns fans feel better, have at it. The Super Bowl XXXV win probably has something to do with our relative indifference towards the statement. That said, be happy with your new stadium and old colors. Baltimore would love to have a stadium that didn’t require permanent seat licenses to help finance its construction and there is no question about the town’s affinity for the horseshoes of the Baltimore Colts.

There you have it. While praise was given to the Browns, Tony still believes the Ravens will win Sunday. We'll see, Tony. We'll see.

If you'd like to see my responses to the five questions Tony asked me, visit his blog.

Blogging with the Enemy

Sitting here in my hotel room in Ravens country (OK, really more like Redskins country, but who's counting) I was inspired to hear what Ravens fans think.

I posed five questions to Ravens blogger Tony Lombardi at profootball24x7.com. Tomorrow I'll post his thoughts. Likewise, he asked me five questions, and you can read my responses on his blog.

And yes, I know I'm cavorting with the enemy. But what better way to get inside the head of a Ravens fan?

Go Browns!

Enemy Territory

Our beloved Browns play the hated Ravens this week, and today I write this from enemy territory ... sort of. I'm actually in Fairfax, VA this week for my real job, but I'm flying in and out of Baltimore.

I'll be back in good old Northeast Ohio Thursday night, so I won't be here for the game on Sunday. And, I doubt I'll be able to infiltrate the Ravens practice facility while I'm here (although, if I could, it seems the Browns need all the help they can get).

Injuries continue to pile up on the Browns, Robaire Smith being the latest victim. People all over the Cleveland area are calling for some changes after two disappointing games this season. If they drop another one - a division game at that - we'll be screaming even louder.

I certainly don't need to put my two-cents in, but then again that's why I have a blog. So, here it goes ... The time for Quinn is now. And, if not now, then certainly if they lose to the Ravens.

There, I said it. Everybody now, "Brady, Brady, Brady ..."

Football Gods Are Cruel

It's clear to me that I pissed off the football gods. I'm not just talking about last night's loss to the Steelers. No, I'm talking about another kind of cruel punishment that was handed down.

Like much of Northeast Ohio last night, I was unable to watch the game due to the inclement weather. Many people in the viewing area were without power. Thankfully, I at least had that.

Minutes before kickoff, however, my cable went out. I was forced to listen to the game on the radio. As bad as this was, this is only part of the cruel punishment handed down upon me by the football gods.

You see, just when I thought all hope was lost on me being able to actually watch the game, the cable came back on. Good, right? Wrong. It came on just in time for me to witness the Hines Ward touchdown. Then, it was gone. It didn't come back on the rest of the game, and it was still out this morning when I left for work.

I can only imagine this — along with the loss — was my punishment for admitting in yesterday's Blawg post that I didn't like Hines Ward and he's the only player upon which I wish injury.

Lesson learned. Never piss off the football gods.

Rivalry Time

Here we go. It's almost game time. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous about this game. The Browns have had their troubles with Pittsburgh - is anyone else tired of hearing about the Browns losing the last 14-of-15 against the Steelers?

As nervous as I am, though, I'm still confident we might pull this one out. I think we'll rebound nicely from last week (just as we did after Week 1 last season), and what better time than now, against the Steelers, in Prime Time!

According to the poll, it's almost split even between the Browns winning a close one and the Steelers winning a blow-out. I'll lean toward the Browns winning a close one and predict a score of 28-24.


Three Things I'm Looking Forward to in Tonight's Game:

1. The Lights - This is Prime Time. We're under the lights against our hated rivals. If I'm not mistaken, the last time the Browns beat the Steelers was also a Sunday night game in 2003 (Tim Couch played a great game). I'm hoping the pageantry of Sunday Night Football will pump up the Browns tonight.
2. Jamal Lewis - This is his night. He knows how to beat the Steelers (he did it nine times when he was with the Ravens). And, with high winds from Ike making an appearance in Cleveland, as well as rain, I expect a lot of running.
3. Brady Quinn - OK, I know it may be wishful thinking but what if there's a surprise from the Browns and Brady gets the start? Tonight could be his coming out party, anointing him as the Browns savior and a Pittsburgh-killer! You never know ;-) Seriously though, if Anderson plays great and wins, I'll be happy.
   

Three Things I'm NOT Looking Forward to in Tonight's Game:

1. Constant Reminders - OK, I'm sick of hearing over and over again that the Browns have lost the last 15-of-16 against the Steelers. I'm sick of hearing about all the blowout losses to the Steelers. If the Browns can use that as motivation, great. But I'm sick of hearing about it. Unfortunately, I'm sure Madden and Michaels (and Andrea Kramer) will be quick to bring it up multiple times tonight.
2. Willie Parker - For the same reason I'm looking forward to seeing Jamal Lewis, I'm not looking forward to seeing Parker. He's a fast running back who will also get a lot of carries tonight. He can kill us if we don't contain him ... and with our defense, I'm hoping we can.
3. Hines Ward - Perhaps the only player in the entire NFL upon which I wish injury. I simply don't like this guy. I really don't. It would be nice if someone on our defense could knock that stupid grin off his face.
   

This is a must-win game, according to Savage. I couldn't agree more. Go Browns!

Anticipation Builds, Bengals Lose

Browns! Steelers! Prime time! Sunday Night Football! Less than four hours away! Finally!

Call me a traditionalist, but I like it when the Browns play at 1 p.m. - I miss it, actually. Sure, it's nice for Cleveland to get some national media attention (provided they don't embarrass us). All I'm saying is, I don't know what to do with myself on Sundays when the Browns don't play at 1 p.m.

Of course I'm watching the other games, that goes without saying. But, the anticipation of the Browns game builds up so much between when I wake up and when the game actually comes on, and watching the other games only makes it worse. That's why I like it when the Browns play at 1 p.m.

Oh well, at least I'm able to watch the other football games on this afternoon. I just finished watching the Bengals-Titans game. Two things I liked about that game: 1) The Bengals lost and 2) Dan Fouts.

Yes, I love seeing the other AFC North teams lose. I couldn't resist texting my buddy Zeeds, a rabid Bengals fan, to ask him what was wrong with the Bengals this year. Believe it or not, I didn't get a response.

Now, as for Dan Fouts ... I mentioned before that him and Keith Jackson are two of my favorite announcers. It's nice to see Dan back in the pro broadcast booth. I hope he gets some Browns games this year (I even don't mind his broadcast partner, Don Crique, all that much).

Since the Browns lost last week, I'm re-evaluating my Sunday routine. So, I haven't read the paper yet. Gonna do that now while I watch the Patriots-Jets game, then I'll post my Browns-Steelers preview.

Browns are on the Phone

With national television coverage comes national media attention ... and a few neat perks. The Browns host the Steelers on Sunday Night Football, and that means not only a national audience on NBC, but also the ability to watch the game live on your mobile phone.

Yes, the Browns game live on your phone. How cool is that? I'm not talking about clips either — I'm talking the whole game. Live. On your phone ... well, that is if you have a Windows Mobile or Nokia S60 smartphone.

Fans with a WindowsMobile or Symbian smartphone can now use Skyfire to reach the full PC-web, and access the complete content of sites like sundaynightisfootballnight.com, including live streaming of the Sunday night games.

Which means, of course, you can watch the Browns take on the Steelers this Sunday, live from Cleveland, or wherever you happen to be.

You can get the Skyfire browser by going here and entering the beta code NFL08. If you're interested, below is video from Giants-Redskins game.

Enjoy.

It Happens in Prime Time

For those of you living in a hole, you might not know the Browns-Steelers game is the prime time, Sunday Night Football game this week on NBC.

In fact, if you're really living in a hole, it's probably news to you that the Browns have five prime time games this year — a fact that is puzzling to some people after last week's poor performance against Dallas.

Anyway, as I mentioned last week, my buddy Palms and I usually discuss the announcers assigned to the Browns game right about this time of the week leading into the game. Of course, since it's the Sunday Night Football game, the announcers will be none other than John Madden and Al Michaels.

Now, I used to be a big fan of Madden in the booth but lately, not so much. I've heard people say that he's become a caricature of himself, and I think I agree. Al Michaels, on the other hand, I still like. He calls a good game, without too much B.S., except for what he has to put up with from Madden.

I'll tell you, though, one thing I do like about Madden in the booth — and this was pointed out to me by my former college roommate (and Steeler fan extraordinaire) — Madden dislikes the Steelers. He's still bitter about the Immaculate Reception, and it shows in his bias against them whenever he announces a Steeler game.

I'll be honest. I haven't really watched all that much Sunday Night Football since NBC took it over, so I couldn't really give a good pregame evaluation of the coverage.

Besides, at this point, I'm more worried about how the Browns will respond to the Dallas loss and all the injuries than I am about what stupid things the announcers say.

Hits Keep Coming

Another week, another devastating injury for the Browns. This is becoming a trend I don't much care for.

The latest injury is safety Sean Jones, who will have arthroscopic knee surgery today that will keep him out of commission for the next few games.

With an already depleted and inexperience secondary, how will this latest blow affect the Browns?

It's Browns-Steelers Week, for crying out loud. How am I supposed to get excited for the game if the injuries for the Browns keep piling up like this? It's demoralizing, for sure, to fans who are already unhappy with the way the defense played against Dallas.

We can only hope Romeo's plan to mix up the pass rush works Sunday night. Roethlisberger cannot be allowed to have all the time in the world to throw the ball, such as Romo did last week.

Browns-Steelers Week!

OK, time to move past the Dallas Debacle ... we've got more important things to worry about. It's Browns-Steelers Week, baby!

My friend Danny G sent me a picture which is the perfect inspiration to get this week started. I thought I'd share it here. Enjoy!

Go Browns!

Week 1 Grades

Obviously, the Browns didn't do very well yesterday. To say they were disappointing is a bit of an understatement. Browns fans everywhere were expecting more from them this season.

Now that I've had some time to really reflect on yesterday's disaster, I'm ready to get out the old grade book and put down just how I thought the Browns performed yesterday.

Here are my grades for Week 1:

Offense

• Offensive Line - Hard to believe this is the same line from last season. Just like the preseason, Anderson seemed to always have pressure coming at him. These guys had better improve in a hurry with the dominate Steelers defense coming town. Grade: C-
• Tight Ends - Winslow caught the lone Browns touchdown of the game, finishing with 47 yards on 4 receptions. Heiden also had one catch for 9 yards. Grade: B-
• Wide Receivers - With Stallworth, Jurevicius and Cribbs riding the injury bench, the door was wide open for Braylon to take control. Instead, he had two catches for 14 yards as well as some HUGE drops. Grade: D
• Running Backs - Jamal played decent, considering the line wasn't blocking very well and he was a game-time decision thanks to an injury suffered in preseason. If he can get 62 yards under those circumstances, I'm confident he'll only get better as the season goes on. Grade: B+
• Quarterbacks - It's no secret I'm a Brady Quinn fan. But, I root for the Browns first and was hoping D.A. would prove me wrong. He hasn't yet. He did suffer some from dropped passes that were right on the money, but he was also way off the mark on others. His numbers, 11-of-24 for 114 yards and a TD just doesn't cut the mustard. Grade: D
• Summary - They had one good, 16-play drive that resulted in a TD. Other than that, they did nothing. They looked nothing like the "high-powered" offense from last season; instead they looked a lot like the lackluster offense that finished the season last December. Overall Grade: C-

Defense

• Defensive Line - We paid some big money during the offseason to improve this area of the defense. Yesterday, it didn't show. I'm not ready to give up on them yet, but like the O-Line, they'd better improve in a hurry. Grade: D
• Linebackers - D'Qwell Jackson led the team with 11 tackles, and McGinest did have a big hit on Romo (too little, too late if you ask me), but overall the LBs just weren't the playmakers we need them to be. Grade: D+
• Safeties & Corners - With the exception of Eric Wright's interception in the end zone, I couldn't even tell if there were any safeties or corners playing yesterday. Romo had a field day, throwing for 320 yards. What do you think Roesthlisberger is going to do to them? Grade: D
• Summary - What can I say. When all positions are averaging a D, what other grade can you give the defense as a whole? They gave up 28 points, and they're lucky it wasn't more. Overall Grade: D

Special Teams and Coaches

• Special Teams - Phil Dawson made an easy-for-him field goal in the fourth quarter ... too bad he was booed by the touchdown-hungry fans for being out on the field. As for the kickoff returns, well Steptoe is no Josh Cribbs. Grade: C
• Coaches - Chud's play-calling was boring, Tucker's defense was like Swiss cheese and Romeo did nothing in terms of making adjustments. These three had better come together this week and decide on a different game plan for Pittsburgh, and the rest of the season. Grade: D

We can't linger on the loss for too long. I've said it before, tomorrow we need to start focusing on Pittsburgh.

What do you think? Am I being to hard on the Browns? After all, Dallas is a good team. Am I not being hard enough on the Browns? After all, this is our season, right?

Wrangled by Cowboys

Boy, talk about a letdown. Yesterday's 28-10 loss to the Cowboys was disappointing, to say the least. OK, so maybe I didn't think the Browns would go out there yesterday and smack the Cowboys up and down the field, but I did at least expect them to show they belonged.

The offense couldn't really get into a rhythm, the special teams needed Josh Cribbs and the defense ... well the defense can be summed up best by something announcer Troy Aikman said at one point, "It's as if there is no one out there defending them."

Yep, the Browns really got it handed to them yesterday. The name on the door may be "Cleveland" but Dallas didn't even bother knocking as they burst right through it.

There's a lot of talk today already about who is to blame for yesterday's loss. I'll tell you what, I don't know that there's any one person to blame. This was a total team loss.

Of course, as a Brady Quinn fan, I'd be the first to point the finger at Anderson. And, as bad as he performed yesterday, even I'll admit that the loss wasn't totally his fault. Sure, many of his passes were off the mark, but even the ones that were perfectly thrown weren't being caught (Braylon, I'm looking at you). But that's neither here nor there.

The loss of Stallworth just an hour before the game was devastating, for sure. He was sorely missed (pardon the pun). But let's be honest, the elite teams in this league are able to get past injuries. Obviously, the Browns aren't quite there yet.

Let's face it; the Cowboys were the better team yesterday. They came into Cleveland Browns Stadium and showed us all exactly why they're a Super Bowl contender.

They didn't run up the score on us, but they played well enough to beat us good. They put us in our place.

Plain and simple — the Browns lost. They've got some re-evaluating to do. Today, we can reflect on yesterday's loss. But, tomorrow we had better get past it and start thinking about the Steelers.

Three Things I Liked About Yesterday's Game:

1. The Atmosphere — It was electric yesterday at the stadium. The seats were full right from the get-go, which is unusual for Browns fans that are typically slow to shuffle into the stadium from the tailgating. Since I was at the game, I'm not sure how it must have looked on FOX. I can only hope it looked like Browns fans gave a good showing.
2. Jamal Lewis — It took him a while to get going, but for someone who missed the last two preseason games and was a game-time decision, he looked pretty good. He finished with 62 yards on 13 carries. I'm really looking forward to seeing more from him the rest of the season.
3. Eric Wright — About the only bright spot for the entire defense yesterday was Wright's interception in the end zone at the end of the third quarter. Dallas marched down field with ease, and they would have made the score even more lopsided if not for Wright. Of course, if he had stayed in the end zone, they would have brought it out to the 20, instead of the 13 where he was tackled. Regardless, at least he hadn't given up when all seemed lost.

Three Things I DIDN'T Like About Yesterday's Game (other than the result, that's too obvious):

1. Browns Fans — Now, I'm not talking about all the fans. But here are two complaints about Browns fans yesterday: The booing of the field goal, and the early exit. I agree that going for the field goal was, shall we say, an interesting choice. But, there is no reason for the fans to boo the way they did. Uncalled for. Now, and this is what really pisses me off about Browns fans, after the field goal there was a mass exodus out of the stadium. There was still more than 10 minutes left in the game. That's a long time in an NFL football game. Where is everyone going? Way to have faith in your team. Geesh!
2. Ohio State Saturation — This one really irks me. This is a Browns game, not an Ohio State game. The two are totally unrelated. Why, oh why, does the stadium insist on playing that stupid "Hang on Sloopy" song so all the stupid OSU fans can do their "O-H-I-O" dance ala "Y-M-C-A"? And, why did the OSU band have to be there yesterday? That only added to it. I'll say it again: This is a Browns game, NOT an Ohio State game. Get a life, people.
3. Cowboys Fans — Again, I ask, who lets these people get tickets? As many Browns fans as there were in the stadium yesterday, there were still more than enough Cowboy fans. Not only that, but the Cowboys fans are so obnoxious (especially after the game, walking out of the stadium).

Any way, that's my wrap up ... for now. Like I said, we can talk all we want today about yesterday's loss to Dallas. Starting tomorrow, we focus on the Steelers. Go Browns!

Bring on The 'Boys

Here we go, Browns fans. This afternoon at 4:15, the Browns and the Cowboys kickoff their 2008 season – both teams looking for redemption from disappointing finishes last season.

Unlike the Browns, though, the Cowboys are an established playoff team and the popular pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this year. It should be a great test for the Browns, one which will show us almost immediately how we’ll measure up against the league’s elite teams.

I’ll tell you what though, despite the 0-4 preseason and all the injuries, I’m very optimistic. I honestly believe the Browns will come out this afternoon and show everyone they’re contenders.

I saw my uncle the other day – a huge Browns fan from way back – and I asked him what his confidence level was. He told me, realistically, he thinks the Browns will finish 9-7 or 7-9. If he finish 9-7, he says, it’ll be enough to win the AFC North (as long as we can beat the Steelers).

I agree with him … to win the AFC North, we’re going to have to go 4-2, at least.

I think a lot of Browns fans have confidence in the team this season. In fact, Hall of Famer, and Browns legend, Jim Brown is optimistic about the season too. “I feel very good about the team,” he says. “The injuries bother me, but I think we have a chance against anybody. Our offense, when it clicks, is very difficult with Kellen and Braylon and Jamal and the quarterbacks we have. I’m very optimistic.”

But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Today, it’s all about the Cowboys. Today we’ll find out a lot about our team. I don’t think it’ll be like last season, when we lost so horribly to Pittsburgh in the season opener that no one on Monday morning imagined we’d go 10-6. No, I think the Browns are a more mature team than they were a year ago.

Three Things I’m Looking Forward to in Today’s Game:

1. The First Offensive Play – Typically, the first offensive play of the season hasn’t amounted to much for the Browns. Last season against the Steelers, it was a 2-yard run by Jamal Lewis. The year before last it was a 76-yard TD pass from Frye to Edwards, but was called back on a holding penalty. Those two plays right there sums it up … it’s either a short run, or a spectacular pass that’s called back on a penalty. But, as I said, this year’s different. That’s why I’m looking forward to the first offensive play of the game for the Browns.
2. Composure – The Browns have three Monday night games, one Sunday night game and one Thursday night game this season. Today’s game is Fox’s national game too. Right from the get-go, the Browns are in the national media spotlight. How will they fair? Can they show that the city of Cleveland is ready for the national attention? They didn’t do so well in their Monday night preseason game against the Giants. But that was the preseason. This is when it counts.
3. Defensive Line – The Cowboys have a high-powered offense with Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten and Marion barber. Today, they’ll show us if our defense has really improved like we think it has, or not. Not just today, but all season, I’m looking forward to seeing Shaun Rogers clog the middle of that line and freeing up Wimbley to get after the quarterback. Will we be able to stop the run? Will we be able to put pressure on Romo? We’ll find out this afternoon.

Three Things I’m NOT Looking Forward to in Today’s Game:

1. Terrell Owens – Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m actually a fan of T.O. Why, you might ask? I’ll tell you: because this is a guy who just wants to play football and have fun. He showboats sometimes, sure. But he backs it up with the way he plays. And, here’s what made me a fan of his: a few years ago, he called out Ray Lewis in an interview, questioning why he was made a villain in the NFL when he’s never had any off-field problems, but a guy like Ray Lewis, who was implicated in a double-murder, is made out to be a hero. There you have it, my thoughts exactly and the reason why I’m a fan of T.O. But, here’s why I’m not looking forward to seeing him today: He’s good and our corners are shaky. I hope I’m wrong, and our corners can shut him down. But T.O. is one of the top, if not the top, receiver in this league and he can be scary to teams with untested corners.
2. Injuries – The Browns have already suffered their share of injuries this preseason. I’m not looking forward to seeing just how much of an impact that’s going to have on the team. I hope we’re prepared enough to make up for those losses. And, I hope the Browns can get through the game without suffering any more injuries. We really cannot afford any more.
3. Cowboy Fans at Stadium – Browns fans are looking forward to this season more than any other season in quite some time. It’s the season opener and expectations are high. But I guarantee there will be some Cowboy fans at Cleveland Browns Stadium today. How do we let these people get tickets? My only hope is, with the excitement surrounding the Browns this year, that Cowboys fans are at a minimum (and next week, there had better be even less Steeler fans in the stands). What’s worse than seeing that guys wearing a Cowboys jersey at the stadium today? It’s that guy wearing the Green Bay jersey – I mean, who is that guy and does he know where he is? You know what I’m talking about … there’s always a guy at the game who is wearing a team jersey for a team that isn’t even playing (Almost as bad as those people who come to a Browns game all decked out in Ohio State gear). What’s that all about?

Today is the day. The Browns face the Cowboys in just a few hours.

According to the poll I’ve had up all week, the majority of you think the Browns will win 21-14. I hope that’s the case.

It’s almost time to put on my Brady Quinn jersey and head downtown to tailgate before the game. I’ll be sure to take some pictures at the stadium for the Blawg. GO BROWNS!!!

It's Game Day!

Yeah! Can you feel the excitement? It's finally game day! The Browns! The Cowboys! Today!

OK, so maybe I'm going a little overboard with the exclamation points, but that just shows you how excited I am for this season.

Today is the day we've all been waiting for ever since the Titans defeated the Colts last year, knocking the Browns out of the playoffs.

Today is the day when we get to see just how our Browns measure up against an elite team.

Today is the day we get to see if that 0-4 preseason was really a fluke, or cause for concern.

Today is the day the Cowboys come to the Dawg Pound for the season opener!

Today is the beginning of football season. It's time to resurrect (or start anew) those game day rituals. Players have them, and so do fans. We all have those little things we do on game day because it'll be "lucky."

For me, step one of my game day ritual is to read the Sports page. And, seeing as how it's the season opener, there's lots of Browns previews to read. Go Browns!

The Next Step

It's a pretty long article, but I urge you to take the time to read Peter King's piece on the Browns in this week's Sports Illustrated. If you don't get the magazine, you can read it online here.

Trust me, even if you're already pumped for the season, as I am, this feature will get you more pumped and give you chills.

Go Browns!

Injuries Come to a Peek

The 0-4 preseason is forgotten. It didn’t matter, because the games didn’t count for anything. No, what disturbs me most coming into the start of this season is the number of injuries the Browns have suffered.

The latest happened in practice on Wednesday, when Antwan Peek tore his right patellar tendon, thus ending his season. This will move Alex Hall, the rookie from St. Augustine College, into the starting role.

This isn’t the end of the world … let’s face it, Peek was plagued with injuries throughout last season and the Browns still have McGinest, Davis and Shantee Orr. But, the loss of Peek is a bit more devastating when you combine it with some of our other losses.

For starters, Brodney Pool missed practice yesterday and he’s likely not to start against the Cowboys Sunday. Sean Jones, who missed the last two preseason games, has been practicing and is supposedly ready to go. But, how effective will he be and how much will his knee injury bother him?

For all intense and purposes, the Browns secondary seems to be their weakness this year. Injuries certainly don’t help. Especially with Terrell Owens coming to town.

On the offensive side of the ball, Jamal Lewis did practice yesterday, but Romeo has said it’ll be a game-time decision on whether he’ll play. Jamal doesn't seem concerned though ... I hope he's right and tears up the Dallas defense.

Guard Rex Hadnot, tight end Martin Rucker, and linebacker Kris Griffin did not practice, and Ryan Tucker is still recovering from hip surgery.

Normally, at this point in the season, I’m still optimistic. I still am — don’t get me wrong — but all these injuries have really got me worried about the Cowboys.

The A-Team

This isn't exactly news, since just about everyone knew Sunday's Browns game was going to be the national game on Fox, but my buddy Palms informs me that Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are set to announce the game (Palms is always on top of these things).

Although I loathe most announcers in just about every sport — there are very few good ones — I personally don't mind Buck and Aikman as an announce team. Sure, I lost much respect for Joe Buck when he super overreacted to the "Randy Moss mock-mooning the Green Bay crowd" incident in 2004, but overall they're not a bad pair in the booth.

Palms on the other hand disagrees. He says, "I used to like Buck, but not so much anymore ... should stick with baseball. Aikman never thinks it's the QB's fault when a mistake is made ... so, I'm not thrilled with the line-up."

Of course, Palms seems to think the announcers on CBS overall are better than the FOX announcers. Regardless, we can all be thankful that Chris Collinsworth isn't in the booth with Buck and Aikman anymore.

Personally, even though he was a college announcer, I'd like it if Keith Jackson announced every football game.

Prognosticator Poll

For the past few years the Browns have been putting the pieces in place for a winning team. Last season, it all came together and they went a surprising 10-6. They just missed the playoffs, and still got swept by the Steelers.

Expectations for this season are higher than ever. Will the Browns deliver? Or, will the pull a Tribe and falter when hopes are high?

Since the beginning of this Blawg, I’ve had a poll asking you to vote on what you think the Browns record will be this season. The results are in:

• 56% of you voted that the Browns would dominate the AFC North and finish 10-6, the same as last season.
• 28% of you believed Romeo would stick with Anderson instead of Brady, and the Browns would finish 4-12 (No, this is not what I voted for).
• 16% of you thought the Browns would finish on top of the AFC and improve to 12-4.
• 0% voted for the Browns to finish an undefeated 16-0 (although, at one point someone had voted for that, but must have changed their vote).

Missed your chance to vote? No worries. There’s a new poll up there now. Vote and let me know what you think.

Betting on the Browns

I received a comment on my last post, Sitting Seven, from Jim H., who brings up two good points about betting on our beloved Browns.

Jim says:

A non-Browns fan offered the following wager: he wanted 2-1 odds that the Browns would start the regular season 0-2. He'd put up $20, but I'd owe him $40 if that happened. That's not going to happen, is it? Two home games? They've got to win one, right?

I didn't take the bet. I learned long ago not to bet with my heart.

First off, thanks for the comment, Jim. I have to agree that you shouldn't bet with your heart. Betting on the Browns is a hard thing to do. If you bet on them to win, and they lose, it's easy to blame yourself for being over-confident.

Even in the Chris Palmer-era Browns, when it was a given that they'd lose, it was hard to bet against them because it's hard to root for them to lose simply so you can win some money.

But, here's the really intriguing question Jim poses: Will the Browns start the season 0-2? Certainly, opening the season with Dallas and Pittsburgh is going to be tough.

Every indication is that Dallas is the team to beat in the NFC. As for the Steelers, as much as we'd like to think they're on a downward spiral, just like Romeo says, they're the front-runners in the AFC North until we can actually beat them.

These are both home games though. I mean, the Browns were 7-1 at home last year. That has to account for something, right? Well, not necessarily. Consider first that the one loss at home last year was to the Steelers. And, consider that prior to last season, the Browns barely won any games at home.

Taking into account these two factors, you have to wonder if the Browns are at a point yet where winning at home is a given.

As much as I'd like to think so, I don't think they are. The Browns had a good season last year, I'm not denying that. And, despite the 0-4 preseason, the Browns look like they're going to have another good year. But as a Browns fan, I'm not taking anything for granted.

To answer Jim's question, no I don't believe the Browns will open the season 0-2. They will win at least one of those games (hopefully both).

As much confidence as I have in the Browns to win at least one of those games, I wouldn't take that bet either.