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And … one final visit by The Boss …

For the naysayers … I've been going to Springsteen concerts longer than you've been insulting me on this mog, or since before Born to Run came out. If you think he's coming to town and I'm not going to pump it up … well you don't understand the point of this log.

The dogs on Main Street howl …

{ 4 comments }

Saturday entertainment continued …

by Pat McManamon on November 7, 2009

in McManamon, Musical entertainment

And … still because it's Bruce … yet one more …

{ 3 comments }

And … because it's Bruce … another entertaining moment …

{ 0 comments }

We interrupt today's entertainment …

by Pat McManamon on November 7, 2009

in Browns, Eric Mangini, McManamon

We interrupt today's entertainment for a special link (thanks to proffootballtalk.com for highlighting it). It's about a journeyman cornerback named Rod Hood, but it has some interesting observations on his experience in Cleveland this training camp. Folks, I'm not making stuff up … people do not like playing for this coach. Among Hood's comments: “I’ve never experienced football [like that]. I came from two good organizations in Philly and Arizona, and I’d never seen football handled the way it was when I was there.”

{ 26 comments }

For your Saturday entertainment …

by Pat McManamon on November 7, 2009

in McManamon, Musical entertainment

There's a certain concert in town Tuesday night, and I will be there …

{ 16 comments }

LeBron is in New York tonight

by Pat McManamon on November 6, 2009

in Cavs, LeBron, McManamon

Which calls for at least one "where is LeBron going to play" next season link.

{ 10 comments }

SI.com tries to shed some light on the departure of George Kokinis.

Don Banks writes that Kokinis felt marginalized within the Browns front office, lacked anything close to the personnel decision-making authority his contract called for, and was ultimately scape-goated by Mangini when the repeated failures by the Browns (1-7) this season intensified the heat on the new coach." Banks says that Kokinis thought he would be working "with" Mangini, only to learn he was working "for" him.

This would technically be a violation of Kokinis' contract, since Kokinis had final authority over player personnel.

The story is filled with disturbing details about the role Mangini played in luring his friend to Cleveland, then ensuring he had no say in things. It's not pretty. Nor does the Browns case to claim Kokinis' dismissal was "for cause" seem too strong.

Peter King writes, though, that he was told "that the Browns will contend that Kokinis never tried to assert that authority, despite repeated attempts from the organization higher-ups urging him to take a stronger role in team affairs. If that's the case, then the team likely has documented his perceived failings."

What an inexplicable mess.

And yes, Randy Lerner spoke with King, but not the local media.

{ 63 comments }

One quick tip

by Pat McManamon on November 5, 2009

in Browns, McManamon

I'm off to appear on Bruce Drennan's TV show at 4 p.m., but before I leave I'd thought I'd pass this on:

Tom the furnace guy just walked in and on his way down the steps he said:

"I saw the Browns are getting 16 points against the bye this week.

"Take the bye and give the points."

{ 12 comments }

The more I think about Eric Mangini saying he would be included in the hiring of the new General Manager of the Browns, the more puzzling it seems.

head-scratcherPuzzling isn't the right word, actually. Preposterous is the right word. Preposterous. That's it.

Preposterous because somebody is delusional here.

Mangini might be delusional to think even a teeny, tiny bit that he'll be included given what just happened with his hand-picked GM.

Or the Browns are delusional to think that Mangini deserves to be included considering what happened with Kokinis and (more important) considering what is happening on the field.

Or maybe I'm the one who's delusional. Because I keep expecting to hear some semblance of logic from the Browns.

I'm gonna go watch some Bugs Bunny cartoons.

{ 20 comments }

Rest easy Cavs fans

by Pat McManamon on November 5, 2009

in Cavs, LeBron, McManamon

LeBron James evidently will not attend the New York Yankees parade.

{ 4 comments }

The situation in Berea

by Pat McManamon on November 5, 2009

in Browns, McManamon, Randy Lerner

It's hard to argue many of Jim Ingraham's points in this column. The situation in Berea is a mess that seems to get worse by the day.

{ 9 comments }

I double-dog dare you

by Pat McManamon on November 5, 2009

in McManamon, What the heck?

Try this and see if isn't a little bit addictive.

{ 0 comments }

The media and Delonte West

by Pat McManamon on November 4, 2009

in Uncategorized

Cleveland Scene's fine sports blog (by Vince Grzegorek) does a fine job here discussing how the media covers Delonte West's situation. And no, it's not fine because I'm quoted. It's merely fine.

{ 9 comments }

A chill went down my spine

by Pat McManamon on November 4, 2009

in Uncategorized

Eric Mangini said today that he'd be involved — perhaps included is a better word — in the hiring of the Browns new GM.

{ 15 comments }

Can the Celtics go undefeated?!?

by Pat McManamon on November 4, 2009

in Celtics, McManamon, NBA

The Celtics' fast start has one person who follows them thinking history.

{ 4 comments }

A new take on LeBron's future

by Pat McManamon on November 4, 2009

in Cavs, LeBron, McManamon

Sam Smith offers a new location for LeBron after this season: The Lakers with Kobe Bryant. He writes: "I believe James has no idea yet what he wants to do next summer. But I also believe the Lakers’ scenario makes the most sense for him if he wants a chance to be considered among the greatest winners of all-time. I believe that’s what he’s about now, and he accomplishes that only with the Lakers." No need to panic. It's one man's opinion, and we all know what opinions are like.

{ 5 comments }

Jerome Bettis feels Jamal's pain

by Pat McManamon on November 4, 2009

in Browns, Jamal Lewis, McManamon

Jerome Bettis seems to understand Jamal Lewis' feelings. Bettis writes on SI.com: " He's starting to ask, Why play anymore? Where's the upside? You play this game with hope that something good could come of it, and he knows the Browns are not getting better any time soon."

{ 0 comments }

Such uplifting news

by Pat McManamon on November 4, 2009

in McManamon, What the heck?

Here's a sampling of headlines from AOL Tuesday night:

"Tim Floyd plays peacemaker in catfight"

"West faces six weapons charges" (yes, that would be our own Delonte)

"Arkansas basketball players face new inquiry into rape allegations"

But … no murders, assaults or forged checks.

{ 0 comments }

Shaq arrives as Cavs beat Wizards

by Pat McManamon on November 4, 2009

in Cavs, Shaq

The best thing about the Cavs win over Washington Tuesday night was that Shaquille O'Neal played so well. The second-best thing was that LeBron James did not have to be spectacular in the win.

This game might have shown the strength of the combination of two superstars better than any since the season started a brief time ago.

James was excellent, but the Cavs took control of the game when they pounded the ball inside to Shaq, who made 7-of-9 shots, scored 21 points and had eight rebounds.

The Cavs basically took Shaq off that silly high pick-and-roll spot he had been in and permanently settled him on the low block, where he can be most effective. If teams single-cover him, he can score. If they double, he can pass.

It worked very well.

And as Mike Brown pointed out, O'Neal gets the other team into foul trouble, which gets the Cavs into the bonus quicker. Brendan Haywood fouled out of the game, and Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee both had four fouls.

"We had 12 fouls from the bigs alone (in the first half)," Haywood said. "You read in between the lines what you want to. It's not hard. The game is played a certain way until a certain point."

There were questionable calls, but no more than usual.

Too, does Haywood expect to get calls in the Q against O'Neal and James? What he did say that was accurate was the fouls took away the Wizards' aggressiveness. The Wizards had an 18-point lead in the first half that disappeared pretty quickly.

"What happened was that we had bigs setting good screens and doing things," Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. "And when the bigs got into foul trouble, it was tough to get some of those and they (the Cavs) put a little more emphasis and we didn't have as much of an inside presence at that point."

The key point: The Cavs had an option with O'Neal they've lacked in the past. If another team has foul trouble like Washington had, the Cavs can go to Shaq on the block.

Things pretty much worked the way they were supposed to work for the first time this season.

And it was nice to see.

{ 8 comments }

Watching the replay of Eric Mangini's news conference Tuesday, the one when he pretty much refused to discuss the "firing" of GM George Kokinis, one word came to mind.

Arrogance.

The arrogance of this coach and this team to set up this system where the coach is the voice of the team during the season, then to have that voice dismiss legitimate questions during a news conference set up to answer questions.

I counted 11 times when a question was asked and Mangini said he would not answer, with respect of course.

I know I've been critical of Mangini, but this might be more of an organizational issue rather than his alone. That being said, he's the one who set up the organization.

Would I expect every question to be answered?
No.

Would I hope they'd make an effort to answer most queries?

Yes.

Was Mangini the wrong guy to put at the podium?

Maybe. But if he wasn't the right guy then the right guy should have been there.

Some explanation could be given even if settlement negotiations are ongoing. It's almost as if the Browns don't think the fans or the media deserve an explanation.

The GM of the team was removed from his job. The coach handpicked the GM. Stand up and answer questions about it. Be accountable, like he would expect his players to be. Don't duck or hide or use coy phrases. Just answer the questions — and if you can't say so and explain why.

Randy Lerner spent two hours meeting with a couple upset season ticket holders on Tuesday. That's fine. But he or somebody else could have made 15 minutes for the media, and by extension the fans, either Monday night or sometime Tuesday. Not doing so actually might have put Mangini in a more difficult spot than he deserved.

I mean, a man dubbed smart and energetic enough to be the team's GM last January was ushered out of the building on Monday.

Is an explanation too much to ask?

{ 10 comments }

1)      I awoke to NPR this morning stating that the Browns released an "awkwardly worded statement" that General Manager George Kokinis was gone. Calling the statement awkward — it said Kokinis "is no longer actively with the organization" — would be like calling winter in Nome chilly. You read that statement and you wonder what it means.

2)      Then coach Eric Mangini stands up in his news conference and says he won't talk about what happened with Kokinis other than to say "it didn't work out." So the one voice that the team has isn't taking questions about it. Next thing you know the Browns will wonder why there's so much speculation and rumor about what happened. Not addressing the situation smacks of cowardice. Leadership means standing up when things are tough (see Mark Shapiro discussing and addressing the firing of Eric Wedge). In this case, Mangini and the Browns sat down. The really frightening thing: Mangini kept saying "we" when talking about the organization and the team's future, as if to imply he would be part of it long-term. Guess we now know the subject of the next paranormal activity movie.

3)      I don't know what happened that caused this to happen with Kokinis so suddenly. Randy Lerner obviously felt strong enough about something to act. I have heard that Kokinis worked in Cleveland the same way he did in Baltimore. He kept coaches hours, which means arrive early and stay late and sometimes sleep in the office. He had his scouts doing the same thing, and that didn't sit real well with all of them. He also worked quietly, behind the scenes. Kokinis was not a real public guy, though he's always been a good guy in my private dealings with him.

4)      The way this went down, though, clearly makes it seem like Kokinis is taking the fall for a bad start. Mangini somehow continues in his job, yet the GM is fired? After the majority of players brought in were ex-Jets? After the quarterback situation was completely mishandled on the field? After all the garbage we've seen on the playing field? True or not, this clearly makes it look like Mangini sacrificed his friend to save his job. And the Browns statement and Mangini's nonexplanation do nothing to rectify that impression. As for Mangini calling Kokinis a friend … I can hardly wait to see what gifts they exchange this Christmas.

5)      The flip side is that if Kokinis was simply not up to the job and the pressures of the job and losing got to him — a possibility — then Mangini was wrong to suggest him as GM and the Browns made a mistake picking him. Either way, Mangini does not come out of this well. Nor should he. He's overseeing a season of disastrous proportions.

6)      Let's not forget, too, Mangini's history in New England. He wanted a head coaching job, and Bill Belichick asked him not to take one job — with the Jets. Belichick's thinking: The rivalry and feelings between the two teams were too intense for the friendship to continue. Any other team … Belichick said, he'd do anything he could to help him. Mangini took the Jets job anyway, and he knew he was getting it as the Patriots flew back from a playoff loss in Denver. So on the team plane, Mangini was recruiting coaches from Belichick's staff to join him in New York. When Belichick heard this, he was irate, and the next day locked Mangini out of the building. Once Mangini got to New York, Spygate followed. Now we have Kokinis recommended by Mangini, hired, and fired. Err … no longer actively involved.

7)      One thing can't be debated: Kokinis waited to take the job with the Browns last January because he wanted it in his contract that he had final say over personnel. He got that. It seems quite obvious that once he got in the building, Mangini had final say over everything — including how Kokinis should act (he was not the same person he was in Baltimore), who parks where and the fact that the first floor should have plaster board covering up the cinder block. Not to mention moving the mural of the hall of famers that has never been placed in the lobby like the team said it would (though there are nice plaques with the names of the hall of famers).

8)      Walking out of Solider Field on Sunday, I heard another writer from the Chicago area describe the game this way while talking on his cell phone: "Wasn't much of a game. The Bears played really bad, and the Browns are just horrible." Sums it up, doesn't it? The Bears had a day they'd like to forget, a day when they openly admitted they played down to the Browns level — and they won BY 24 POINTS.

9)      What did Jamal Lewis mean when he said he "stuck his neck out" for the Browns? Two things: First is he is playing on a very painful ankle, one that required an offseason procedure and would sideline a lot of others players. Second is he stood up for the new regime, and did what he could to get everyone on the team to "buy in." Now he sees what's happening, and he's rightly disgusted.

10)   There's no sense hiding from another reality: The majority of the players cannot stand playing for Mangini. Yes, there is a small group that believes in him, and most are the guys he brought in from New York. But others simply don't like him. Because he belittles them in meetings, beats them down mentally and has no clear plan to win a game. Anyone who believes that this team believes in this coach is not looking at the reality on the field. Too, the players look at how he says everyone should be treated the same and they see that Mangini treats employees in the building shabbily and they think "hypocrite." As one league insider very knowledgeable in the workings of this and any team said: "That situation there will get 100 times worse before it even starts to get better."

Three and Out

There were so many letters the past eight days, so many from which to choose. I'm sticking with four as a representative sample.

Dear Pat,

Webster's defines death as "a state of being." That's a pretty good definition of the Cleveland Browns. Eric Mangini claims it's a process and he is right; it has been a slow death over the last 39 years.

Ineptitude can creep in and destroy a beloved franchise. Greedy owners, mismanagement, a revolving door of incompetent general managers, coaches, support staff  and quarterbacks can over time lead to the fall of a once storied championship team.

This has all created a dysfunctional organization that is an embarrassment to itself, its loyal fans and the city it represents. To paraphrase Einstein: "The problems that face us today as the Cleveland Browns cannot be solved by the level of thinking that has created it."

Be respectful of the "dead." Don't try and leave it on life support with a parade of old legends like Jim Brown or Bernie Kosar. It's too late simply cremate it and spread the ashes over Los Angeles, and like Braylon Edwards give it a new start.

We the Baby Boomers are tired of grieving year in and year out over this ailing parent. Let it go! It's over already

Craig Bassett

Ft Mill SC

Dear Craig,

I think many share your pain.

Dear Pat,

Is Randy Lerner clueless.  He fires a guy who did nothing. I have not seen a quote or anything else from George Kokinis since he was hired. That's like blaming the cook for the Titanic sinking.

Have a great day!

Ed Miller

New Waterford, OH

Dear Ed,

Every day is a great day when you're involved with the Cleveland Browns.

Dear Pat,

Thanks for starting the firing process of Eric Mangini. Please add Brian Daboll, the clown who is our offensive coordinator, to the list of people to be fired immediately.

I hope you can convince Randy Lerner why Mangini has to go. The players have lost all confidence in him. He is simply going to make it even worse by hanging around.

Thanks for all your help.

Best Regards

Tom Joseph

Season Ticket holder since 1979

Dear Tom,

I take no pride in "starting" a process that leads to someone losing his job. I simply have the opinion that you are right: This is going to get worse before it gets better, and I don't see it getting better with Mangini guiding the ship.

Dear Pat,

I’ve been a Browns fan all my life.  I was eight when they won it all in 1964.  I’ve seen a lot, heard a lot, etc.  I’ve lived in four different states, currently in the Chicago area.  I’m around plenty of Bears fans all the time.

Today, the day after the Bears-Browns game, I’m getting pity.  Even the most ardent Bears fans realize Sunday’s game was poorly played from the Bears standpoint, yet they had no trouble winning.

Here is the most common thing I’ve heard today – I feel sorry for the city of Cleveland that the Browns are so bad.  They say the Browns are the worst team they’ve played in they can’t remember when.  This is coming from fans whose team plays the Lions twice a year!  How sad that is.

I didn’t see the game live.  I taped it but I won’t watch it.  I was traveling back from Ohio to Chicago yesterday afternoon so I listened to the game on the Bears radio network.  More than once the Bears announcers (Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer) asked the question – what has Brady Quinn done that he can’t even get on the field?  This was before the one series mop up at the end of the game.

To me the Browns are at the lowest point in their history.  There is no reason to be optimistic about the future.  What building blocks do they even have in place?  What free agent player other than one that no other team wants would play for this team or this coaching staff?  There are holes everywhere.  We are watching the destruction of a franchise that will take years to rebuild if it can be rebuilt.

Delusional Browns fans can quit dreaming about Bill Cowher or any other big name coach coming in to save them.  Not going to happen.

I’m still a fan but I’m becoming a very apathetic one.

Tom Shenberger

Crystal Lake,  Illinois

Dear Tom,

You sound much more than apathetic. But you also sound correct. Very, very correct.

(Want to be recognized in “Three and Out”? It’s a rare treat. Comment here or send an e-mail to pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com, and put “First and 10” in the subject line.)

{ 52 comments }

Well … you drive back from Chicago and walk into a firestorm of phone calls about the status of Browns GM George Kokinis. Then you spend the next several hours on the phone …

The Browns released a statement at 10:45 p.m. stating that Kokinis "is no longer actively involved" with the team. Here is where I say: What does THAT mean?

Let's just say that Kokinis' tenure with the Browns is over. And it didn't last long.

Why it happened Monday is not known, though the Browns denied Kokinis was escorted from the building, as many reports stated. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that the Browns want Kokinis to say he resigned so the sides can work out a settlement. Kokinis, Mortensen reported, is not obliging.

Perhaps they can just say he "was resigned."

Meanwhile, the situation seems fluid in Berea. Ernie Accorsi's name should be kept in mind as a possible addition ("Ernie Accorsi is the current General Manager of the Cleveland Browns" was the way Accorsi's entry in Wikipedia began Monday at 10:37 p.m.– and no, that's not the source of my information!)

To speculate on what might or might not happen seems silly. Nor will I guess the deep and dark reasons why Kokinis is no longer with the Browns and why it happened so suddenly. Guessing with some of the rumors flying around is not fair to anyone, least of all the 100,000 loyal readers of this blog.

The developments also seem to really muddle the situation with coach Eric Mangini. Is his job more secure? Less secure? Or does his fate rest on the rest of the season? Clearly, if it rested on the first half he would not have a job.

If he survives, it'll be the greatest Houdini act in NFL coaching history.

{ 36 comments }

A question … and a statement

by Pat McManamon on November 2, 2009

in Uncategorized

Someone e-mailed this morning to say that all CBS announcers — Bill Cowher, Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe and Boomer Esiason — called for Eric Mangini to be fired. The e-mail said they said he's not right for the job. I've been saying this for some time now, but I was curious if this is accurate. Did anyone see CBS yesterday, and did these three say these things?

As for the statement, it's time to hit the road from Chicago … and ponder the Browns on the way back. I ask: Is this fair? And is it fair to have a work day that consists of driving for five hours and then writing for five more? Alas, we push on.

Might be wise to blast the Bruce CDs … to prepare for his show, which is a mere eight days away! Not that anyone is counting.

{ 45 comments }

More from Sunday against the Bears

by Pat McManamon on November 2, 2009

in Uncategorized

Here is some more of what Randy Lerner, Jamal Lewis and Brady Quinn had to say after the Browns loss in Chicago.

{ 2 comments }

What's left to blog on the Browns?

Let's do some quick hits, then I'm going to post an entire Jamal Lewis postgame interview. I have great admiration for Lewis as a professional. As a result, I give great weight to what he says. First, though:

–Randy Lerner spoke to three of us after the game and he seemed as disappointed, angry and perplexed as anyone. One point he made was when I asked him directly: Will you consider changing the coach during the bye week? His answer: No.

–Said Lerner: "I can't fault anybody for their criticism. I absolutely can't. I feel like St. Anthony."

–Another question that comes from this game: What in the world did Brady Quinn do to be buried deeper on the bench than Gerard Lawson? Derek Anderson's first-half rating was 0.0. He had two completions fumbled over to the Bears in the second half, but his play is wild and erratic. Anderson's footwork doesn't resemble that of the guy the guy who dropped back two years ago and threw 29 touchdowns, and his arm motion is wildly inconsistent.

–Yet Quinn remains buried.

–I asked Quinn if he had a confrontation with Mangini, if he challenged him in any way. Quinn said no and added: "You don't need to fabricate things."

–Anderson's rating for the game was 10.5. Ben Roethlisberger probably had more yards per attempt in the Steelers' win over the Browns.

–Good thing they acquired Chansi Stuckey.

–Combined scores the past two weeks: Green Bay and Chicago 61, Browns 9.

–The Browns blamed turnovers for the loss, which is kind of like saying a loose shingle caused the house to fall in a hurricane. That being said, they had some bad ones. Problem is they always seem to have bad ones … week after week after week.

–When it happens week after week after week the problem is more than one game. It's systemic.

–Said Anderson: "It's ridiculous. If it's not one guy it's another guy. If it's not one thing it's another thing. Obviously we control it, and have to control it. But it's stupid."

–Can't really argue that point.

–The Browns are off next Sunday, then play Baltimore on Monday night. ESPN has to be wondering what it did to earn a Cleveland appearance on national TV.

–Folks can say what they want, but it's hard to believe the team "buys into" what Mangini is doing.

As for the Lewis interview … here it is:

Q. This has to be torture for you.

A. Most definitely. (Lewis then said the turnovers killed the Browns, and said he never really got the ball on his fumbled exchange with Anderson).

Q. Nobody really could have expected a 1-7 start, right?

A. Not the way we work. The way we work in practice, the way we work in training camp I wouldn’t have expected it either. You just have to put the pieces of the puzzle together and find out what are we really trying to do. I'm sure that is win, but it's how we're trying to win. How are we trying to win? What are we trying to do? I think that's what everybody is trying to figure out.

Q. When you say that, is it specifically the offense you mean?

A. As a team. Period. We all got to move in one direction. We all want to win. We all want to come out with a W at the end of the day. That's as a whole. I'm just not talking about the Xs and Os. I'm talking about where are we trying to go and what are we trying to accomplish? Once we figure that out then hopefully we can put it all together.

Q. Do you have an understanding where you're trying to go?

A. No. I don't have an understanding. I just know we're trying to win. I know we want to win, but at the same time a lot comes with winning. A lot comes with the formula, with your chemistry. What are you trying to do, as far as offensively, defensively? How are you trying to make this work? How is the offense trying to complement the offense? How is the defense trying to complement the offense? What are we trying to put together? We figure that out, we'll be all right.

Q. How is it possible in the eighth week of the season that you don't even know …?

A. Just look. It's 1-and-7. That's how it's possible.

Q. This must be hard for you?

A. It is. Very. Very hard. I think this is my last year. I think this is it. The way this looks .. you know … I had a good run.

Q. This year?

A. It might be.

Q. This would be a tough way to go out, no?

A. It would be, but at the same time I stuck my neck out, you know what I mean? I wanted to come in and help and do what I could do. Even though I knew the consequence. I knew what we had and what we were going to be dealing with. Being we did have a new person, you do have new people coming in, new coaches and a new staff. There's a lot that goes with that. I just wanted to come in here and help. Do what I could do. But like I said. I don't know what's going on. In the past, where I've been … that's never happened. It's just a different style of play. I don't know. I don't know what to say.

Q. You mean last year, with the Browns or period?

A. Period. Period, point blank. Like I said, I've done what I've needed to do. Just really trying to help. Just do my job. Do what I do. That's run the football. Try to put something together. Try to help win.

Q. Did you ever have a sense at any point that you had a grasp of what you guys as a team were trying to get done?

A. At the beginning of the season… not the beginning of the season but the beginning of training camp and everything … going out and working as hard as we did in training camp. Laying it on the line. Buying in to everything that's going on. Buying in to the system. That's what needed to happen. I think that everybody bought in. Everybody bought in. That's when you did have a real clue of where we were going, and what we were trying to do. But then once things start going, week after week after week after week, it just seemed like a blur. Like I said, we just have to go back to the drawing board, take this bye week and try to find out what we really want to do. Find out what where we really want to go. Even though you're 1-and-7, there's still a lot that can go on. There's still a lot you can accomplish. That's getting that chemistry down and trying to figure out what you really want to do as a team. Like I said, we got a bye week where we can go in and try to correct those mistakes and figure this thing out. We come out against Baltimore and try to put it all together. That's it. That's all that we can do.

Q. It sounds like you're touching on the coach. Are you?

A. I'm touching on nobody. I'm not touching on the coach. He's not the one who's responsible for … we're all responsible too. We're all men. We're all men. We're all men. That's something that we have to figure out. We have to know where we're trying to go. It’s not about the coach. It's about us as whole, period.

Q. Is this frustration speaking?

A. When I talk, I mean what I say. And I think you all know that from me. You can answer that.

{ 37 comments }

 

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