Four downs from the second quarter vs. Pittsburgh
Posted September 9th, 2007 by Pat McManamon
Pittsburgh 17, Cleveland 0
First — First chant of "Brady, Brady" — 9:51 left in the second quarter.
Second — Guess the change from Bill Cowher to Mike Tomlin mattered, eh? Halfway through the second quarter Charlie Frye had been sacked five times. Frye is pulled for Derek Anderson with 6:34 left.
Third — As bad as the first half has been, and it's been very, very, very bad, if the Browns get a touchdown prior to halftime it's a 10-point game. It's not like Pittsburgh has sustained many drives.
Fourth — So much for that notion. A Steelers blitz on third down leads to a fumble and turnover to the Steelers.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Please, please don't pander tto us. We are not idiots. We can see what is happening. The Cleveland Browns are not a professional football team. They are no better now than they were three years ago. There has been no progress. There is no indication that anyone in this franchise is remotely competent. There is no reason for hope or optimism. Please write the truth; this is debacle of historic proportions. It now exceeds the Buccaneers of the 70's, the AZ Cardinals, the Steelers of the 50's, and any other futile team era as the worst performance by an NFL franchise ever.
PLEASE, PLEASE FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD AND DECENT BE HONEST FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!
September 9th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Well said, Dan. The smoke being sent up from Berea and Browns Stadium is actually the stench of more college-level (at best) football action.
Browns were unwatchable for the last two years (and, let's be honest, really since '99). Any change today? Nope.
Savage, you want to preserve a fan base? You'd better give us Brady Quinn rather quickly. Suffering thru Charlie and Derek is mind-numbingly painful.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Dan, it could be a lot worse, Pluto could be here with his faith-based nonsense writing there's light at the end of the tunnel. At least this guy writes the word "schmuck." When's the last time you saw Pluto write the word "schmuck?" No, when's the first time you saw Pluto write the word "schmuck?"
But I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't know how a recent Browns employee can avoid some bias in his writing. But I'll take his bias over local sportswriter fanboy bias any day of the year.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
You know what is the worst part of the whole situation to me? It is the fact that anyone in authority with the team, or that reports on this team, or that watches this team on a daily basis could have believed that they were ready to compete. That they believed it to be so goes beyond the bizarre to the incomprehensible. Last Thursday I turned 54 and if there is one thing I can be secure in knowing it is that I will not see a pro football team in Cleveland in my lifetime.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Oh yeah, I thought eberyone would be interested if they haven't reaqd already. Tom Withers of AP wrote…”in their first game in 15 years without iconic coach Bill Cowher stalking the sideline, the Steelers looked the same while smashing and slapping around the Cleveland Browns — again.”
Slapping? Can there be any more demeaning expression when talking about pro football? The alleged franchise of Otto Graham, Paul Brown, Dante Lavelli, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Jim Brown, Paul Warfield, Bernie Kosar, Ozzie Newsome and Clay Matthews was SLAPPED AROUND???? What, are there restrictions on using the term “bitch slapped” in an AP story, because that is what he meant.
At least he has the guts to tell it like it is. I would rather the franchise shut down and forfeit the rest of the season then have to see the proud history of the Cleveland Browns I grew up with be destroyed by Lerner, Savage, Crennel and the rest of these pretenders. Why can’t someone tell them the truth?
September 9th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Dan, you and I were alive in 1964, so I believe you're wrong. There was a pro football team in Cleveland during your lifetime.
September 9th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I miss the era from 1996-1998. It was a lot more enjoyable. This franchise top to bottom is an utter disgrace.
September 9th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Alan,
Your'e correct, I did enjoy some great teams in my lifetime. Gary Collins and the post pattern against the Colts. Bill Nelsen and Leroy Kelly. Sipe and the the Kids. Kosar, Minniefield and Dixon. Hell, even Davis has his teams ready to compete most Sundays, even if they lost at the end and in bizarre ways (KC comes to mind). That is why this is so hard. I guess I meant, for the rest of my life. And while extreme, that really appears to be the case. Until these losers are forced to face the hard realities of what it takes to compete in the NFL, we are doomed.
September 9th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
An open letter to Phil Savage…
Phil,
I know you are a good and religious man, and you want to do what is right. I know that deep in your heart you know that the right thing to do is to resign and admit that you are incapable of running a football team. That became clear when you allowed Crennel to remain after last season when everyone who had any cognitive ability could see that he was completely incapable of handling the job. Please, do the right thing…fire Crennel and then resign. We can't fire the owner but you can at least remove yourself form the equation and stop contributing to the misery. Jesus will thank you, trust me.
September 10th, 2007 at 7:32 am
Its sad, but I am starting to agree, the Browns moved to Baltimore, and play under a different name. This team that came back here in '99 has the colors and name, but in no way is this my Cleveland Browns. Not being sarcastic, but I haven't seen such poor play at any level above 8 y/o pee wee's in my lifetime. Sad, just truly sad.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:44 am
I have been a fan since birth, being the last of 4 sons. But yesterdays game was shameful. I was at the local bar watching the game and had to leave by the back door. It is getting more embarrassing each year, we go backwards. I can only hope that Brady Quinn gets in before it is too late to salvage the year! Hate to say if it doesn't get better soon, I will have to hang up all my Brown's jerseys, only so much a fan should have to take.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
WHY WHY WHY does it have to be fire the coach so we can salvage the year, or bring Brady in to salvage the year??? Don't you get it, it's not about one player, it's about a team…and we don't have one.
September 10th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Charlies the same guy we've seen for 3 years.Hes never been able to get rid of the ball fast enough.anderson has'nt had enough play time to get in the grove and Romeo is afraid to play a rookie and give him the experience that we can use later.Its the same old stuff.No balls and it showed with Pittsburgh.