Favorites?

Imagine my surprise this morning when I glanced at the lines for this weekend's games and saw that the Browns are 1 1/2-point favorites over the Ravens. The Browns are favored to win?

Obviously, Las Vegas bookies know something I don't. Then again, since they're the home team, it's more like they're 1 1/2-point underdogs -- since the base line for home teams is three points.

Still, with the way Baltimore has been playing so far this season -- and looking at what they did to the Browns earlier this season -- it's hard to believe the Browns are favored at all. Sure, taking into consideration the Giants game and the Jaguars game, the Browns look like they're back on track. But, there's still that Redskins game in there when they looked horrible.

Maybe they are back on track. But, they're going to have to look stellar on Sunday and beat Baltimore in order to prove it.

Browns Hold On ... Barely

So, the Browns held on to a close one and beat the Jaguars, 23-17.

I tell you, I'm just not sure how I feel about this team. Yes, they won and that's great. But, I'm still not convinced. They look like a different team every week.

Derek Anderson played, compared to last week, great. But, overall, if you really look at it, he really didn't play that great. He's inconsistent and it's a direct reflection on the team as a whole. It's like he's knows how to play just well enough to keep his job each week and that's it. And, believe me, he only still has his job because Romeo has given him so much leeway.

Ridiculous. Why can't I be happy the Browns have won three out of the last four games? They're 2-1 since the BYE Week, and yet I'm still not rejoicing. Until they can sustain a winning streak and win games they're suppose to win, they haven't done anything yet.

Week 7 Grades

I'm going out of town for work tomorrow and I'm not sure how much time I'll have to hang out in the Blawg Pound this week. But, I at least wanted to post my Week 7 grades while I was still in town.

Sadly, the Browns (Romeo, Anderson, Braylon, et all ...) returned to form yesterday and played the way they've played all of 2008, with the exception of last week.

As great as my grades were for them last week, they're pretty bad this week. Sure, these are weekly grades, but I factor in how they've played all season when grading each week.

Last week, after the Giants game, I said it was obvious the Browns were capable of winning. Yesterday, they certainly had a shot. Bad coaching and no offense, though, does not win games.

So, here it goes. My Week 7 grades:

Offense

• Offensive Line - Let's see, this one is tough. They didn't play great, but they didn't play horribly either. They played well enough, but the QB couldn't get the job done.
  Grade: C+
• Tight Ends - Winslow was back and only caught two passes for 17 yards. Heiden had one catch for 10 yards ... seems when Winslow plays, DA forgets he has tight ends.
  Grade: B-
• Wide Receivers - Well, all the weapons were in place -- Braylon, Stallworth, Cribbs -- but they were ineffective for most of the game. Thanks in large part to bad reads from the QB and stone hands on Braylon (4 drops).
  Grade: D+
• Running Backs - Jamal continues to be a workhorse -- 19 carries for 80 yards -- but he can't do it all. Actually, wish we would have given him the ball more, as he was the only productive one on the offense yesterday.
  Grade: B+
• Quarterbacks - I overheard a great comment at the barbershop today. One guy said, "Why don't they play the second-string quarterback already?" and the other guy said, "They've been playing the second-string QB all season." Yep, that about sums up my thoughts. DA was terrible. He always was terrible. He will always be terrible. He is NOT the answer.
  Grade: F
• Summary - In effective. Sad, considering how great they played last week. Unfortunately, you have to be productive ALL SEASON.
  Overall Grade: D+
  

Defense

• Defensive Line - Still can't stop the run, but it's difficult to contain Clinton Portis all day when your offense keeps putting you on the field.
  Grade: C
• Linebackers - D'Qwell Jackson continues to be the best of the bunch. These guys had to be tired for as long as they spent on the field.
  Grade: C-
• Safeties & Corners - I said it last week, and I'll say it again: young, but talented.
  Grade: B
• Summary - Stat-wise, the Redskins dominated. But, thanks to the defense, the scoreboard didn't show it. You can only do so much when the offense doesn't do their part to score points.
  Overall Grade: B

Special Teams and Coaches

• Special Teams - Eight punts, no big returns. Dawson misses a long-shot field goal he never should have had to attempt.
  Grade: C+
• Coaches - Terrible. Just plain terrible. Romeo cannot manage a game, or put together a consistent game plan from week to week, nor can he adjust his game plan when it's obvious it isn't working.
  Grade: F

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. In other words, continuing to play DA and expecting him to be a good quarterback every week is insane.

RIP Gene Hickerson

Browns Hall of Fame guard Gene Hickerson has passed away.

Hickerson was a great lineman for the Browns from 1958-1973 (he missed the 1961 season with a broken leg). Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly would not have had the careers they had without the blocking from such great linemen as Hickerson.

His Hall of Fame induction last year was long-overdue. Thankfully, he was still alive to when he was finally inducted.

Rest in Peace, Gene. You'll be remembered as a legend by Cleveland Browns fans.

Sadly, They're Back

That's right, the pathetic Browns from the first four games of the season are back. The terrible coaching of Romeo from the first four games of the season is back. The inconsistent, poor play of Derek Anderson is back. The Browns who whipped the Giants on Monday night; they're gone.

Unfortunately, all is back to normal in Cleveland. I really hate being right when I said the win over the Giants was a fluke and that we'd see the real Browns against the Redskins.

Yesterday's game was similar with to the game against Cincy — for a little more than three quarters, the Browns played like a badly-coached high school team. Then, all of a sudden the offense woke up enough for DA to, unfortunately, keep his job. What's worse is, they lost this game (insult to injury).

There are absolutely no excuses for the way DA played for most of the game yesterday — Edwards, Winslow and Stallworth were all playing and Lewis was solid, so DA fans can't say he didn't have weapons. I'm not going to turn this into a big DA-bashing post, but let's face it already — he sucks! Sure, he plays well at times and has a big arm, but overall he's inconsistent and he sucks.

The defense, while they still struggle to stop the run, still played well enough for the Browns to win. It's that classic case of the offense not helping out the defense.

Dawson may have missed a 54-yard field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime, but that's not the story here. The story is, the offense — in particular, DA's inconsistency and Braylon's butter-fingers — showed it's true colors and the Browns never should have been in the position of needing a 54-yard field goal to tie.

Terrible, just plain terrible. How can a team go from playing so great on Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl champions, to playing so terribly the next week?

Best of the Worst

My buddy Palms informs me that the announcing team of Solomon Wilcots and Ian Eagle have been assigned to this week's Browns-Redskins game.

Oh joy!

It's a matter of public record that I cannot stand most announcers. They're all pretty much annoying. There was a time when these two clowns were among the worst on TV — and I know this because they were so bad the pair always used to get assigned Browns games.

Now, however, they're among the best of the worst. They've improved, but that's really not saying much. As Palms says, "Yes, they're much better."

What Do You Think?

That's the question everyone is asking this week, right? I mean, the Browns have been pathetic up until this past Monday night and all hope was just about lost. Then, they come out and smack the defending Super Bowl Champions upside the head and hand them their first loss of the season — and they made it look easy.

So, after the initial excitement wears off, us Browns fans scratch our heads and wonder what it all means. Then, we turn to each other and ask, "What do you think?"

Truth is, we don't know what to really think; that's why we ask everyone we talk to — why else would you be reading this blog if you didn't want to know what I thought?

You know what I think, but what about other Browns bloggers? Here's what Browns fans from around the blogosphere are saying about the win over the Giants, as well as this Sunday's game against the Redskins:

• It certainly was nice to win a big one — on national television, nonetheless.
• But, are Browns fans ready to forgive all sins after one big win?
• Well, not all of them. We can feel satisfaction, not vindication.
• The Browns may have won, but why isn't anyone talking about the penalties?
• Winslow is back at practice, but what was wrong with him?
• Romeo seems pretty happy to have Sean Jones back this week too.
• What can we expect from our Browns against Washington?
• Because getting past the Redskins isn't going to be easy.

Browns fans are opinionated, that's for sure. As a friend of mine once told me, "That's the great thing about sports ... who really understands the problems with the economy, or what's going on with Iraq or North Korea? No one. But, we can all tell you exactly what's wrong with the Browns immediately after each game."

Positively Rock and Roll

Walking to the Browns game the other night from tailgating in the Muni Lot, I was reminded of something. Even though I see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just about every day on my way to work, I'm always reminded of this cool thing here in our city whenever I walk right by it on my way to and from Browns games.

The truth is, though, I've never been to it -- the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that is. In fact, I know a lot of Clevelanders who've never been. Ironically, whenever I'm traveling and tell people I'm from Cleveland, they tell me, "Oh yeah, I've been there. We went to the the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

These people are shocked when they here I've never been. I guess my point is, there's lots to do in and around Cleveland every day, including Browns games and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Coincidentally, you can win tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame complete with a private guided tour with the museum's curator. All you have to do is enter the Rock and Roll In the Know Sweepstakes ... by noon on Friday.

If you don't get to enter in time for this contest, no need to worry. Positively Cleveland runs contests frequently, including one earlier this season for tickets to the Browns-Ravens game.

Week 6 Grades

It's pretty safe to say after Monday night's shocking win over the defending Super Bowl champions, the Browns showed giant improvement (OK, I'm sure you're all sick of seeing headlines playing off that ... I'll stop).

But, let us not forget the any improvement is a giant improvement over how the Browns played the first four games this season. Let's face it, the Browns sucked and I for one am not convinced after just one good game that they're legit.

Yes, the honeymoon of the giant win (seriously, I'll stop) is over. I was just as excited and happy as everyone else in Browns Nation, but it's time to face reality. Romeo, DA and Braylon, among others, are not off the hot seat after just one good game. Let's see if they can keep it up against the Redskins this week -- obviously, they're capable of winning.

Until then, it's time for my Week 6 grades:

Offense

• Offensive Line - Now that's how you work together to open holes and protect the quarterback. Great job, guys. Keep it up.
  Grade: B+
• Tight Ends - Winslow was out with an (ahem) unspecified illness, but it was OK. Remember Steve Heiden? Anderson finally did and he pulled in five receptions for 59 yards.
  Grade: B
• Wide Receivers - Finally, Anderson threw it to more receivers than just Braylon -- and Braylon actually caught the ball. Eight different players caught DA's passes -- and they were all Browns! Braylon led the team with five catches for 154 yards and a TD (it still doesn't give you a free pass to act like a jackass, so knock off the antics, Braylon).
  Grade: B+
• Running Backs - Our best rushing day all season -- 144 yards (88 from Jamal) -- and Harrison had a whopping 41 yards on just two carries to go along with his 26 yards receiving on two catches.
  Grade: B+
• Quarterbacks - It's difficult sometimes to really judge how someone plays when you're at the stadium. I know DA's numbers were solid -- 310 yards, 2 TDs -- but I really couldn't tell how he was playing. Says my buddy Palms, "Honestly, he looked confident and commanding." Well, all I can say is, keep it up DA. You're not Brett Favre or Peyton Manning, which means you don't have the luxury of laying an egg next week ... you'd better keep this up and convince us this is the real you, and not the DA we all saw the last 10 games.
  Grade: B
• Summary - Balanced. Aggressive. Explosive. And yet, also a bit sloppy.
  Overall Grade: B+
  

Defense

• Defensive Line - Still prone to giving up big runs -- Ward, 10 carries, 110 yards -- but still improved from last season.
  Grade: C+
• Linebackers - D'Qwell Jackson still leading the team in tackles each week, but the other LBs are no where around. This is a serious area in need of off season improvement.
  Grade: C-
• Safeties & Corners - Let's see, they picked off Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning three times, and returned one for a TD -- the nail in the coffin. They're young, but talented.
  Grade: A
• Summary - Big, big, big improvement over last season. Since the Dallas game in Week 1, this unit has continued to improve.
  Overall Grade: B+

Special Teams and Coaches

• Special Teams - Cribbs bobbles the opening kickoff, but recovers. Dawson misses a 51-yard field goal. No huge screw-ups, but nothing great either.
  Grade: C-
• Coaches - It's safe to say our coaches do a good job of game-planning when they have TWO WEEKS in which to do it. Umm, this is the NFL, guys, we need it every week. The game plan was solid, but there were still 10 stupid penalties for 55 yards. Still unacceptable. And, just like DA, Romeo is NOT off my hot seat yet. Show me you can keep it up. I'm not fooled.
  Grade: C

That's it. Let me have it ... tell me what you think. Sure, you're happy the Browns lit it up on Monday Night, but are you really happy this season?

Who Was That Team?

Browns 35, Giants 14. Yes, that's correct ... Browns 35, Giants 14. Unbelievable. Last night was probably one of the most exciting games I've ever attended at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

No, it was the most exciting game I've ever attended at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The crowd was awesome, but more important than that, the Cleveland Browns played great.

I haven't read any of the articles, blog entries or game recaps yet, so these are just my random thoughts about last night's game before I have a chance to really analyze it and watch it on the DVR:

• Eli was due for an interception-riddled performance this year.
• So was Derek Anderson, but instead he played well (no huge mistakes, great numbers).
• Anderson spread the ball around more than he has all season.
• Braylon Edwards was finally able to catch the ball last night (but he's still a show-boater).
• Great to see Steve Heiden get some catches.
• Defense played pretty good ... would have liked to see more blitz packages on Eli.
• Great group of fans in Section 111 ... I had a great time.
• Still too many Giants fans in the stadium (seriously, Browns fans, stop letting these people get tickets!).
• Traffic downtown after the game was terrible -- I've never had that much trouble leaving downtown after a game. Perhaps it's because the stadium wasn't nearly empty at the start of the fourth quarter.

I'll break down the game further later today. For now, I'm going to simply enjoy this win. Go Browns!

All Your Rowdy Friends ...

... are here on Monday Night! Yea! It's Monday Night Football in Cleveland. Browns. Giants. Get ready!

I know I've been pretty quiet on here since the disappointing win against the down-trodden Bengals. And, I can't say I'm still as excited about this season as I once was — two Browns game-free Sundays will do that to you — but, I am excited about tonight!

Why, you might ask. Seeing as how the Giants are on fire and every bit capable of defending their Super Bowl title (especially after the Cowboys fell to the Cardinals in OT yesterday). And, the last time the Browns played the Giants on Monday Night Football (this preaseason) it was a disaster. And, although that game was a disaster and despite the hideous brown pants, one good thing did come from that game — Brady Quinn got to play quite a bit.

Well, the reason I'm excited about tonight's game is ... I'm going! Yes, I'm going to Monday Night Football.

Now, why, you might ask, does that excite me? Because I know how electric the stadium can be for a Monday Night Football game in Cleveland. The last time the Browns played at home on Monday Night Football was in 2003 against the St. Louis Rams.

Yes, I know the Browns lost that game. But they had a very good shot of winning, if it wasn't for Kelly Holcomb (Hmm, sounds familiar). The fact is, that was one exciting football game to attend. Here's hoping I bring them better luck tonight.

Winslow Sick

Just ready this article on the Sports Illustrated Web site that says Kellen Winslow has missed another practice with an unspecified illness.

If Winslow doesn't play Monday against the Giants, it could be really bad news for the Browns.

According to the article, Romeo says Winslow has been sick for two days. Two days! That's it? Romeo has made me sick all season.

McCain-Quinn ... Now That's a Ticket!

I received this comment from Joel this morning (beating me to the punch with this post):

Joel said...Your boy Quinn is my new favorite player: a Republican!!

Hmm, yes it seems Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas attended a campaign rally in Strongsville yesterday for presidential candidate John McCain.

Two Browns first-round draft picks are backing the Republican.

At the rally, Brady told the crowd, "Tonight we have a great hero among us. Sen. McCain embodies the American spirit. He never quit, and he kept fighting for freedom."

I'm not going to get into the whole politics of professional athletes endorsing politicians and why it's good or bad. No, instead I'm going to point out the obvious: Isn't it great to see Joe Thomas traveling around with Brady to protect him off the field? Seems pretty obvious who Joe would rather protect on the field too ;-)

Bye, Bye Bye-Week

The Browns are back at practice, and that means I'm back in the Blawg Pound. It's been a crazy week ... first the disappointment of winning, then the frustration of not getting to watch a Browns game on Sunday.

But, we're back. Time to focus on the World Champs. Hopefully, the Browns will fair better than they did last time.