First and 10: The Giants started 0-2 last season

First and 10

1)      Got an e-mail from a friend who said the best thing that happened Sunday night was that his power went out. He said that enabled him to a) get a good night's sleep and b) not be forced to watch the Browns lose to Pittsburgh. Again.

2)      It's gotten to the point that Pittsburgh cackles over how it beats the Browns. Hines Ward "marks his spot" (his spot) to the Dawg Pound. Willie Parker talks after the game about how much they love to beat the Browns. This is bad. Real bad.

3)      I'm not sure why he did it, but when Phil Savage told WTAM that the Steelers game was the biggest game of his and Romeo Crennel's tenure it kind of added a little bit of a new dimension to the game. Savage is a pretty honest guy, and he may have just been being honest, but I'm not sure the coaching staff viewed it that way. As one NFL type opined: "That just puts the heat on the coaches more than anything."

4)      Deep breaths. The Giants started the 2007 season 0-2.

5)      Reality. Record of Browns head coaches against Pittsburgh since 1999 – Chris Palmer: 2-2. Butch Davis: 1-8. Romeo Crennel: 0-7.

6)      More troublesome than anything about the Browns start is the play of the offense. Jamal Lewis has 100 yards in two games, Derek Anderson has one touchdown, the offense has one touchdown and Braylon Edwards has as many drops (5) as he does catches. We can whine and lament and second-guess all the coaching decisions in the world, but when the team is producing that way – albeit against good teams – the team is not going to win.

7)      For some reason the offensive edge that was present last year has disappeared these two games. Anyone who watched Dallas and Philadelphia Monday night saw confident teams playing with abandon. The Browns aren't playing that way offensively. They are not playing with abandon. They are not playing with focus. With the exception of Kellen Winslow and Jamal Lewis. There is absolutely no reason a receiver as talented as Edwards should drop so many passes. No receiver who wants to be in the elite of the league can catch half the balls thrown his way. It's easy to pick on Edwards, in part because he makes himself so pick-on-able, but the Browns need him to come through if they are to win. This offense needs to wake up. And trying to do it in Baltimore might not be the easiest challenge, against that defense.

8)      Robaire Smith evidently is done for the year with a torn Achilles tendon. This is a significant loss, because Smith is a hard-nosed, dependable guy who played hard every down. Note that there was never a moment when the Browns considered replacing Smith, even though they had acquired Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. Smith is a very underrated, solid player, the kind of guy who helps a team win. Now he'll do it next year – assuming he can come back from the Achilles.

9)      It's pretty evident that what people say about Rogers is true: He can be a wrecking ball in the middle of the line.

10)   I really don't feel like I'm in the position to fire a coach. It's too easy a solution when a team struggles, and if a team continues to struggle the coach basically will fire himself. Or the owner and/or GM will. Unless you're Ned Yost in the middle of a pennant race; in that case knee-jerk owners and GMs who have surrendered your future for one pennant run will fire you. That being said, Romeo Crennel has not helped himself at all these first two games. And if the season keeps going south, he's going to be in a very tenuous position at the end of the year. But … and this is important … it's not all the field goal decisions or non-decisions. It's the way the players have played as well. The players have done very, very little to help their coach and coaches with their play on the field.

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

I hope your article in Tuesday's Beacon Journal was written tongue-in-cheek. I agree with everything you have said about the post '99 Browns. In regards to adopting the Steelers, let me give you a bit of insight. Half or more than half of Northeast Ohio already has! I made a comment to Terry Pluto the other day that we may be getting close to the point that the dwindling fan base in Northeast Ohio can no longer support an NFL franchise in Cleveland. If that is what you are suggesting, perhaps you should be writing about the NFL at the Post Gazette.

In regards to embracing the Steelers, you need a little insight into the Western PA mindset. I worked in Pittsburgh for 15 years and I can tell you that sports fans in Pittsburgh think everything about Cleveland stinks and, for that matter, everything in Ohio in general. Unlike Ohio, where you can purchase Steelers paraphernalia almost everywhere, you won't find an Indians or Cavs jersey for sale anywhere near Pittsburgh. Wearing said jersey would certainly draw ridicule and "mistake on the lake" comments.

I have no particular issue with people supporting an out of state team as is their right however, when respect only goes one way, it is a larger issue.

The Browns are bad because they lack a winning culture, not talent. I believe the right coaching staff can turn this team around and would see this mess fixed before we throw in the towel and start sending all of our money to Pittsburgh and drive the Browns out of town

Ed Eaken

Columbiana

Dear Ed,

Very thoughtful letter.

Of course the notion of embracing the Steelers was written tongue-in-cheek. And I would never advocate the Browns leaving again.

I just think you fans deserve better, and I think stating what I said was a good way to get that point across.

I will say this though: It's impossible not to respect the way the Steelers build and run a team, and the way they play football.

But if the Rooneys lose control of the team in this financial struggle, a lot can change about the way things go in a very short time.

Dear Pat,

I've been a fan of yours for a long time.  I look forward to reading your articles and blogs.  But… it seems like lately you've swallowed the ‘cup half-empty' pill.  The other day your article included a derogatory dig for Sarah Palin.  I'm sick of the political digs from both sides.  Please keep your digs to yourself… we don't need another Keith Olberman.

As far as this article about adopting the Steelers, this totally disgusts me.  As a Browns season ticket holder I was there to hear the abuse from those Steeler fans.  It was bad enough to lose to them again on Sunday, but now this article is yet another victory for them as they continue to mock all Browns fans.  I'm sure the local Steeler fans will absolutely love reading this article.

Pat, you're an excellent writer.  Your funny and you do a great job of communicating your point.  Please get back to being the Pat that we love to read.  I hope you take this as constructive criticism.

Thanks!

David Freund

Account Executive

Chas E Slusser Agency, Inc

Dear David,

I appreciate the note … and I appreciate the fact you were constructive about it.

As for Sarah Palin, it was just a joke. I crack on myself, so I figure I can crack on myself too.

As for the "adopt the Steelers" remark – again it was tongue-in-cheek prompted by the frustration over the team.

As a beat writer, I pretty much had to keep opinion out and stick to analysis. As a columnist, I'm expected to have a strong voice and strong opinion. I know it seems half-full at times, but I really think what I write reflects the team.

Believe me, had the Browns competed the first two games and played smart, I'd have written it was disappointing to start 0-2 but there was still hope for the season. The way they played doesn't provide a lot of hope … not yet at least. I mean, how can you expect to see hope when they can't figure out how to line up for a kickoff after six weeks of training camp and all that off-season stuff???

When they start playing better, the glass will re-fill. And when they actually BEAT the Steelers, the approach will really change.

Dear Mr. McManamon,

I'm a transplant from Akron living in Portland (Pacific-side).  Always have enjoyed your columns.

I'm writing in order to inquire as to what the general mood in Cleveland is with regard to our utterly hapless coach.  You mentioned some coaching errors in your recent article, yet I believe this understates the egregiousness of his incompetence at this level (at least in the central role, as opposed to a coordinator position).

Even in the way Romeo walks across the football field, or paces the sidelines and tries to manage the various speaking devices he has with upstairs and the sidelines (true — you couldn't get more subjective than studying another's strolling mannerisms, but bear with me), he appears to me to be very uncomfortable … to, indeed, be in way over his head, and has for each of these four years.  When is the hammer going to come down?
This, in my opinion, should be it.

The complete lack of any semblance of clock management at the end of the game (a game against a divisional rival, at home) is cause enough to realize that our team needs better (or, actually, any) direction.  Tim Couch would be a better head coach (this is probably untrue, but I have severe feelings about this).  Even Mike Tomlin, in his first year last year, seemed to have a vastly greater understanding of how to manage his players (albeit they are better players, but still).

I understand the desire for "continuity," but the only continuity we currently have with Crennel is of losses to the Steelers.

Thanks for your time.

Cheers,
Parker Staley

Dear Parker,

Well, I'd say your feelings are shared by many in this area. Many.

Let's just say that folks are not very happy.

Dear Pat,

Note: Written before the Steelers game.

I'm pretty sick of this.  Here are a few related questions for you and your readers:

Let's consider the season openers -

1) Which team is better? The Bears or the Cowboys?
2) Did we notice the Browns and Colts both hobbled into their season openers, after a preseason derailed by injuries with prime talent still in recovery mode?

3) Is it just me, or did the Bears do to the Colts what the Cowboys did to the Browns? (Bears win 29-13, Cowboys win 28-10)?

4) Is anyone saying the Colts are a bad team, or that they are doomed?

Take a second and piece the whole connection together.

"Fans" in this area, and you yourself – some of your columns are the biggest, most pessimistic downers of all – don't take much motivating to drag this team out to the curb on trash day, do you?

The Browns have far more talent than what they were able to pull together against the NFL's most complete team. Conversely, the Steelers are healthy and had the luxury of starting against a weak team. Get a grip on yourselves, people. There are 15 games left. Fifteen of 16.

Stop firing people. Stop trading players. Stop whining. Try enjoying football for once. Try backing your team. The rest of us are tired of hearing you gripe.

Dave Curfman
Actual Browns Fan
Akron, Ohio

Dear Dave,

I again point out to all that your note was written prior to the Steelers game.

But I do appreciate your positive sense.

I would repeat again: The Giants started 0-2 last season.

And after one game last year, everyone (me included) was ready to, as Dave says, take the Browns out on trash day.

They rebounded.

There is still time to rebound this year.

Finally … a personal note … the Beacon-Journal has again decided to lay off employees. This time, five reporters are on the list, me being one of them. The outrage is that this calls into question the long-term future of this brog. Layoffs take effect in 60 days. While I certainly hope things change in that time, I can only promise this clog will be around until Nov. 15. Questions may be directed toward your local Sta-Puf Marshmallow Man.

(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)