Kelly To Browns & Why I’m Concerned
There were reports throughout the evening that Chip Kelly was going to be the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Bills fans here in Western New York were disappointed as they were hoping that their team would get him. Then late last night, Chris Mortensen reported that Kelly was going to meet with the Bills and then on Saturday meet with the Eagles. This after meeting seven hours with the Browns, including dinner.
While Philadelphia and Buffalo were continuing to interview other candidates, the Browns still seem to be the favorites to get the offensive guru from Oregon. I have been trying to get excited about this move. I was thinking about how there would be an improvement in the red zone as the Browns wouldn't be settling for field goals anymore. I wanted to be excited because everyone else was telling me I should be excited but for some reason I couldn't.
Kelly has never coached in the NFL. There are restrictions on the number of players you can have on the roster. You can't go out and recruit players for a specific system or position, you need to be able to draft them. You need to be able to manage a salary cap. You have to deal with teams week in and week out who have as many talented players as you do. But what really makes me nervous is whether or not the current roster will fit Chip Kelly's offense. And the key to running an offense is at quarterback and I'm not sure if the Browns have the right one for the Quack Attack.
There are those that say that Kelly is smart enough to know that he is not going to carbon copy his Oregon offense in Cleveland. They point to the adaptation of the Oregon offense in New England with Bill Belichik. Brandon Weeden did operate out of a shotgun style spread offense at Oklahoma State. Could that be the direction Kelly takes?? None of us know. But my concern is that if there is the need for another quarterback we are at square one again and that's something I'm not sure any Browns fan can deal with. We've been dealing with it since 1999.
So, unless the Eagles or Bills can rock Chip Kelly's world, it looks like he's headed to Cleveland and I'll be holding my breathe. I've been excited before only to be let down and for some reason I just have a bad feeling about this hire. Here's hoping I'm wrong.
Who Will Be The Next Browns’ Head Coach?
It has been reported that Head Coach Pat Shurmur and GM Tom Heckert will no longer be with the Cleveland Browns after the game in Pittsburgh today. While I believe that Heckert has done a good job in bringing young talent in, I have never been sold on Pat Shurmur. His reputation as an offensive-minded coach was never exhibited in my mind. Even with the hiring of Brad Childress this year, the Browns offense was anemic especially in the red zone.
The key question is now what?? In looking at the available coaching candidates, I think that the Browns need to look for a head coach who has a reputation for developing quarterbacks. If they don't have that pedigree then he needs to be able to bring someone onto their staff who does. My ideal candidate would be Jon Gruden. It's time that the Browns have a proven winning NFL head coach to lead them. If Gruden is not available, then maybe they should look at his brother, Jay. Just look at the development of Andy Dalton.
Since 1999, the Browns have had 6 head coaches. The next one will make it seven. In the same period of time the Steelers have had two head coaches, the Ravens have had 2 head coaches and the Bengals have had three head coaches. This might explain why the Browns consistently are at the bottom of the AFC North.
When Mike Holmgren was hired as President of the Browns, it was hoped that having a football man in charge would turn things around. While the Holmgren regime brought in some good young players (Haden, Richardson, Ward, Sheard, Taylor, Gordon, etc.), it failed on its selection of Pat Shurmur as head coach and the jury is still out on the drafting of Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden. The Haslam/Banner regime needs to get both spots right if this storied franchise is going to become relevant again. If the new regime wants to improve the fan experience they need to develop a team that will be competitive and win in the AFC North. New uniforms and stadium improvements won't cut it. Just Win Baby!!
It’s Been 48 Years Since A Browns Championship
December 27, 1964 the Cleveland Browns hosted the favored Baltimore Colts at Municipal Stadium for the NFL Championship. I was 7 years old and remember watching the game as the Browns shut out the Colts 27-0. This was the Johnny Unitas-led Colts, the highest scoring team in the NFL in 1964 being held off the scoreboard. My team were champions of the NFL. Little did I realize that it would be the last time I could say that.
Oh they certainly came close. The following year, the Browns were once again the Eastern Division Champions and faced the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for the NFL title. This game had more significance as the winner would represent the NFL in the first Super Bowl game. On a muddy field, the Browns fell to the Packers in what was Jim Brown's last game.
In 1968, the Browns once again would face the Colts in the NFL Championship game but this time they lost badly at home 34-0. The following year, they traveled to Minneapolis to take on the Joe Kapp-led Vikings. Once again they came up short.
They wouldn't make it to a championship game again until the 1986 season when they were minutes away from heading to the Super Bowl only to have John Elway steal the game away. I actually think the 1987 team was much better and once again they found themselves facing the Broncos only this time in Denver. Karl Mecklenberg, the Bronco All-Pro linebacker, said that in the second half of that game the Broncos knew that they couldn't stop the Browns and he was right. I actually took that loss worse than the one the year before as the Browns were an Earnest Byner fumble away from going to the Super Bowl. I'm convinced they would have defeated the Redskins in the Super Bowl.
The Browns would make it to the AFC Championship Game one last time in the 1989 season, where they would once again lose to the Broncos. I haven't mentioned non-championship playoff game heart breakers like: the 1972 Miami game (could have spoiled Dolphins undefeated season), the 1980 Oakland game (Red Right 88), the 1988 Houston game (pass interference call not made), and the 2002 Pittsburgh game (where the Browns blew a 3rd Qtr. 24-7 lead).
All of those losses were tough to take. But I would love to experience those tough losses again because at least there was a chance to win it all. Ah the good old days. What a sad state of affairs.
Storm Clouds Brewing In Believeland??
After last Sunday's disappointing loss to the Washington Redskins, the Cleveland Browns will play out the schedule as they head into an off season that once again will be filled with changes. There is no question that Jimmy Haslam's purchase of the team from Randy Lerner certainly was viewed as a positive as we were finally going to have an owner who cared about football. But my enthusiasm for Haslam has been tempered by the hiring of Joe Banner as President & CEO.
Banner has structured the organization in a way that the General Manager will report directly to him as opposed to Haslam. It is clear that Tom Heckert is out as GM and numerous sources are reporting that Mike Lombardi will be named the new GM. Lombardi's track record is horrible and would appear to be the perfect yes man for Bean Counter Banner. With Lombardi as GM, one has to wonder who will be the next head coach. I don't have a problem with Pat Shurmur being let go. Shurmur is not ready to be a head coach and Brad Childress has been a failure as Offensive Coordinator. But questions still remain: who will be the next head coach, will we still have a 4-3 defense, will the West Coast offense be tossed out and will Phil Dawson & Josh Cribbs be back? And probably most importantly, who will be the team's starting quarterback??
Since 1999, this franchise has seen numerous organizational structures, head coaches, general managers and starting quarterbacks. The one constant has been terrible football. Haslam and Company keep on talking about improving the fan experience at the Stadium. Instead of looking at changing the team's iconic uniform, the best way to improve the fan experience is to play winning football. For some reason I have a bad feeling. Storm clouds are on the horizon and how much more can we take in Believeland??
Browns On The Right Track
Had the opportunity to be at Cleveland Browns Stadium yesterday to watch the Browns roll over the Kansas City Chiefs 30-7 and what I couldn't help notice was the optimism that Browns fans had for this 5-8 team. This is a fan base that has suffered from The Drive to The Fumble to Art Modell's hijacking the team to Baltimore and leaving this proud city without an NFL team from 1996 to 1999. But for the first time in a number of years, these fans sense that their young team may finally be moving in the right direction.
A team in the AFC North needs to have 2 constants: a solid defense and the ability to put the game away with a running game. But for the brief time when Jamal Lewis still had some legs, the Browns have never had a strong running game since they have been back in the league until now. Trent Richardson is the real deal. This kid is tough as nails and has a nose for the end zone. Montario Hardesty is the perfect change of pace back and is finally showing why Tom Heckert made a move to draft the young back from Tennessee a couple of years ago.
Since the team has been back, the Browns defense has been putrid at best. How many times would they be destroyed by an opposing team's running back. There was never a solid pass rush and it seems they were never able to come up with a big turnover or stop to change a game. This has all changed as this year's defensive unit has been solid. The front seven has really improved, applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks and holding running backs in check. Joe Haden and TJ Ward lead a secondary that can only get better.
The beauty here is the fact that this team is one of the youngest in the league. They seem to be gaining confidence week in and week out. After giving up an 80 yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, the Browns put the clamps down on Kansas City and took charge of a game that they should win. All of this optimism makes it hard for me to understand all of the rumors about Mike Lombardi becoming the team's General Manager. To me, this would be a huge mistake.
Tom Heckert has done a tremendous job in acquiring young talent. What an unbelievable move in picking up Josh Gordon in the supplemental draft. Gordon has become a game breaker for the Browns. You can tell that this kid is the real deal. It should also be pointed out that Mike Lombardi ripped the Browns for giving up a second round pick in 2013 to select Gordon. I guess you were wrong Mike.
In my mind, Heckert deserves to remain as GM. Unfortunately, his remaining with the team will be dependent on what his relationship was in Philly with Joe Banner. I'm getting a bad feeling about Banner. The only hope is that new owner Jimmy Haslam will see what's going on with his newly acquired team and make sure that Banner does the right thing. In my mind, the right thing would be to retain Heckert as GM.
Since 1999, the Browns management team has been in constant flux, changing GM's and head coaches like I change socks. While the jury may still be out on Coach Pat Shurmur, there should be no doubt that Tom Heckert has put this team on the right track. Replacing him will be a huge mistake. It all seems to rest in Joe Banner's hands and I have to say that scares me.
Hope In Believeland
Heading into the fourth quarter I was beginning to get that sick feeling again. The Oakland Raiders had scored and were now trailing the Cleveland Browns 13-10. The Browns had pretty much dominated the game but had to settle for field goals as opposed to touchdowns and had a field goal blocked. The Raiders were poised to score the go ahead touchdown as Carson Palmer was moving his team in for a score when he attempted a pass in the direction of Sheldon Brown. The veteran positioned himself perfectly and made the interception at the Browns 6 yard line. Could the Browns finish this one out??
A 94 yard drive, highlighted by a fourth and one conversion and capped off by a Trent Richardson touchdown, put the Browns ahead 20-10 and secured a rare road victory over the Raiders 20-17. The win snapped a 12 game road losing streak and gave the Browns a two game winning streak. More than the win, what has me excited is that for the first time in a long time there is reason for hope that this team is moving in the right direction. Youth does that (Are you listening Boy Wonder Brian Cashman).
The Browns are the youngest team in the NFL. Their defense is rounding into a very formidable unit as for the third week in a row they have held their opponent to under 100 yards on the ground. Their strength is in their front seven and with Joe Haden and TJ Ward in the defensive backfield, they have some good building blocks.
The offense appears to be coming around. While it is true that Brandon Weeden made some bad throws yesterday, he also made plays when he had to particularly in that last 94 yard scoring drive. That is what you are looking for from your quarterback. The running game is in capable hands with Trent Richardson. The rookie from Alabama is the real deal. He is a tough, punishing runner and a threat every time he has his hands on the ball. The other pleasant surprise is Montario Hardesty who has become an excellent change of pace back and has excelled when he has been given carries.
The O-line has been solid, much better than last season as rookie Mitchell Schwartz has fit in well at right guard. But the group that has really improved over last year is the receiving corp. Josh Gordon appears to be the receiving threat that the Browns have lacked for years. The kid has great speed and the ability to make big plays. Greg Little has improved over last year, limiting the number of drops and made a great block yesterday that sprung Mohammad Massquoi for a long gain. Benjamin Watson provides veteran leadership at tight end and Jordan Cameron looks like a keeper at that position behind Watson.
It is unclear whether Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur will remain with the club after this season. In my opinion, the jury is still out on Shurmur. I still have some doubts about his play-calling. But Heckert is a different story. He has overturned this roster with some talented young players who seem to be progressing in the right direction. As I have stated many times on this blog, all I'm looking for is some reason to believe that my team is getting better. Hope that there are better days ahead. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. But at least there is hope and for that Heckert should be kept within the organization.
The Browns have 4 games left: 2 at home against KC and Washington and 2 on the road against Denver and Pittsburgh. The road games will be tough and this will be another step along the learning curve for this young team. As a Browns fan there is reason for optimism and its been a long time that we have had that in Believeland.
Another Rotten Browns Loss
What has become a familiar pattern since they have come back in 1999, the Cleveland Browns did enough to keep their long suffering fans on the edge of their seats only to lose to the Dallas Cowboys 23-20 in overtime at the Palace That Jerry Jones Built. How many times have we seen this before?? I have been so conditioned to expect the worst that even at half time with the Browns ahead 13-0 I had a bad feeling. You see, the Browns had opportunities to score more than one touchdown in the first half but instead had to settle for field goals. I just knew that would come back to haunt them and in the end it did.
The Browns defensive front 7 played one helluva a game. They had Tony Romo on edge all day. The problem is that the secondary had issues, particularly the unbelievable number of defensive holding calls on Buster Skrinne. But the most damaging call was for unnecessary roughness on T.J. Ward with 63 seconds left in the game and the Browns ahead 20-17. Officials ruled that it was a helmet to helmet hit. Not sure what they were watching. Ward's helmet never hit Kevin Ogletree's helmet. It was Buster Skrinne's helmet that collided with that of Ogeltree's. The call was critical and allowed the Cowboys to be in a position to tie the game.
I'm not sure what to make of Brandon Weeden. There is no doubt he has a strong arm but he has a tendency to overthrow receivers at critical times, like on fourth and one when he overthrew a wide open Jordan Cameron. While I understand he is a rookie, one has to wonder how Colt McCoy would fair with a receiving corp that appears to have improved over the one that McCoy had to throw to last year. It seems forever that Browns fans have to wonder whether the guy behind center is "the guy". With 6 games remaining in the season, I want to believe that Weeden is the guy but I'm not so sure.
The only thing I am sure of is that Trent Richardson is the real deal. The rookie out of Alabama has been a standout and certainly warranted being the fourth pick in last year's draft. Richardson made some key runs and receptions that kept the Browns rolling. Montario Hardesty also looked good when he came in to give Richardson a chance to catch his breath. And it appears that Greg Little and Josh Gordon may be the two receivers that Browns fans have been waiting for.
Being a Browns fan is pure hell. While there seems to be some glimmer of hope on defense and with the young RBs and WRs, it's hard to get overly excited since we have seen this story since 1999. At some point you have to win games like the one on Sunday to build confidence. With Big Ben out for the Steelers who come to town next week, you would think that it would be a great opportunity for a big win in front of the hometown fans. I want to believe that it is possible but deep in the recesses of my brown and orange mind I know that something bad will happen. Such is life as a Browns fan.
Browns Take Richardson & Weeden
The Cleveland Browns had an interesting first round of the NFL Draft by moving up from number 4 to number 3 and selecting Alabama running back, Trent Richardson and then using their second number 1 pick to select Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden. In the second round, the Browns picked right tackle Mitchell Schwartz from California and in the third round selected defensive tackle John Hughes from Cincinnati.
The selection of Richardson made sense to me. In January, I was not in favor of drafting Richardson because I thought that the Browns should re-sign Peyton Hillis and then draft Justin Blackmon. Once Hillis went to Kansas City, I then changed my mind and felt that the Browns could get Richardson and then select a wide receiver with their second pick in the first round. This leads to Brandon Weeden.
It is evident that the Browns were not comfortable going into the 2012 season with Colt McCoy as the quarterback. Mike Holmgren and Company tried to acquire the second pick of the draft so that they could draft Robert Griffin III. When Washington out bid them, the Browns obviously started to look at Plan B. Apparently, Plan B was Brandon Weeden.
Weeden is 28 years old and has had a successful college career. He stood toe-to-toe against RGIII and Andrew Luck this past season with Weeden's Oklahoma State team defeating Baylor and Stanford. Weeden is bigger than Colt McCoy and has a stronger arm than McCoy. I have given McCoy the benefit of the doubt. By that I mean that I believed that he suffered from a lack of receivers, a lack of a consistent running game and a struggling offensive game plan. However, physically McCoy may not have the ability to compete as a starting quarterback in the NFL or at the very least as a starting quarterback on a team with many needs.
There is an opinion on the part of some that a franchise quarterback brings up the level of play of those around him. I think it's safe to say that McCoy does not have the ability to do that. The big question now is whether or not Brandon Weeden has that ability. Weeden will come in with a rookie running back as the number one guy in Trent Richardson and the selection of Schwartz would seem to mean that he will be starting at right tackle. The wide receiving corp remains the same. Weeden will not have a Justin Blackmon to throw to and instead will have Greg Little as his go-to-guy.
Whether Weeden knows it or not, the direction of this franchise will weigh heavily on his shoulders. His success or failure could also impact the future of Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur. Holmgren's reputation is that of an offensive guru who knows quarterbacks. The selection of McCoy was in the third round and he basically took a chance on him. But the selection of Weeden is different. He picked Weeden in the first round. He's 28 years old so he will be expected to start right away. There will be no apprenticeship.
My patience with Holmgren & Company is wearing thin. I think they have made plenty of mistakes and I did not appreciate the comments made by Holmgren when he said that we as fans just need to get over what happened in the past. Sorry Mike, as a fan the past does matter particularly when last season we saw no hope. Instead what we saw was an offense that was worse than the Brian Daboll-led one in 2010. I can take losing if I see some progress. If I see some young players who give you the belief that things will get better. The Browns have some of those type of players on defense. But in today's NFL, it's all about being able to score. That's why there will be plenty riding on Brandon Weeden. If Weeden does not succeed, this franchise will go backwards for another 5 years and Holmgren, Heckert & Shurmur won't be long for Cleveland, Ohio.
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