First and 10: Those friendly and helpful Bengals!

First and 10

1)      Perspective is an amazing thing. Driving North on I-71 Sunday night, the Cincinnati talk shows were abuzz about the Bengals falling to 0-4. The feeling: How in the world could they lose to the Browns? One announcer said, "I know we had the backup quarterback playing, but we should have beat that team." Said another: "Of the four losses this is the worst. The Browns are awful." Terrible, awful, you name it. From Cincinnati's perspective that was a brutally embarrassing loss. But watching the Browns as they left the field, there was nothing but relief. Smiles and relief. In Cleveland, a win mattered. In Cincinnati, it was a traumatic loss that led to sour chili.

2)      A few years back the Browns had one of those terrible losses and I was talking to a head coach in the league who marveled how bad the Browns had been beat. Who's next, he asked? Cincinnati, I said. Ah, those Bengals, he said. They always seem to come at the right time. Apparently the rule still applies.

3)      If Derek Anderson was not pulled from that game after that first half and that start to the third quarter, it's safe to say that it might take an act of the World Court to get Brady Quinn into a game in a non-injury, non-blowout situation. In truth, Romeo Crennel never really said last week that he was leaning toward replacing Anderson. He said Anderson would start and the team would get Quinn ready. Well getting Quinn ready meant Quinn got two extra snaps in the week of practice, according to Fox's Jay Glazer. This pretty much seems to be Anderson's team – at least as long as the Browns have any lingering playoff hopes.

4)      Eric Steinbach had a shoulder separation/sprain/bruise/weakness and was not expected to play. He did. Kevin Shaffer played with a cast on his hand. So did Shaun Smith. Which made me wonder about Donte Stallworth missing his fourth game with a quad pull. Crennel explained that his recovery was on time, that team doctors said Stallworth would need 2 ½-to-4 weeks to recover. It's kind of a shame this timetable wasn't released when Stallworth was hurt. It might have ended a lot of speculation.

5)      Braylon Edwards really is turning a lot of people off this season. As much as they were behind him a year ago, they are starting to turn on him this season. Edwards' $1 million donation to Cleveland school kids remains one of the more selfless acts of the past couple years. But his air-guitar routine after his touchdown catch was just a bit much to most people. I really don't blame anyone. It was Edwards' first touchdown. The Browns were struggling like mad to get by a winless team using its backup quarterback. Edwards is paid to catch touchdown catches. Yet Stevie Ray Braylon did his air guitar. Talk about lame.

6)      And … how did he avoid a penalty when Terrell Owens was penalized in the opener for taking a sprinter's stance. The official said Owens went to the ground. Well, so did Braylon Bon Jovi.

7)      Edwards also was quite vocal as he pranced off the field after the game, arms aloft and whooping almost the entire way. He yelled some drivel about something or other, and bounded into the locker room as if he had caught 18 passes for 327 yards and three TDs. I guess a guy can be excited after a game … but … you wonder if some of his teammates wanted to stick his shoes in his ears as he yelled and screamed his way into the locker room.

8)      Then again, it's not just him. Alex Hall celebrated his late sack and forced fumble with a fervor rarely seen in the Queen City. And on Monday night football every tackle is treated as if it just solved the economic crisis. How about just acting professionally? Once? Can a play just end without some sort of histrionics?

9)      I used to think that no waterfront could rival Cleveland's for wasted space. The lakefront downtown may be the biggest wasteland this side of Mad Max. Then there's Cincinnati. Two stadiums right on the river. Land that could be used for a great public park goes to stadiums. The rest is a concrete mess. Good to know Ohio has bookend wasted areas at the Northern and Southern extremes of the state. Oh … that drive on I-71 from Cleveland to Cincinnati? Now THAT's a thrill-a-minute route. Yeah, yeah, yeah … I'm too dadgum negative.

10)   With the score 3-3 Sunday, the Bengals PA system blared out "Here for the Party" by Gretchen Wilson. What a party that game was. After, Edwards danced off the field and said he'd do the exact same ridiculous play he was penalized for next time around. And Derek Anderson told Peter King of SI.com that the Browns "got their swagger back." If that game returns a swagger then it's time to start following beach volleyball more closely. There's a lot to be said for getting a win, and that should not be minimized. But there's also a lot to be said for being real, and the Browns, as their coach said, have a long way to go.

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

In your blog, you wrote: "At times I really wonder what ever happened to the quality of NFL football. The play that qualifies as professional really is lacking. I know. The Browns won."

That game was so ripe, I had to download load it on a DVD, double wrap it and put it out to the curb. One raccoon got into it, but vomited and immediately expired.

Ed

Columbiana

Dear Ed,

Great letter!

I tried the same thing as you, just to see what happened. Took a DVD of the game and put it on the curb. All night long folks walking dogs had to stop so they could raise their legs to relieve themselves on it (the dogs were raising their legs, by the way, not the humans, though that is a funny mental image). Eventually, raccoons, cats, possums, skunks, badgers, buffalo and the occasional giraffe and stork were lined up to let loose.

Dear Pat,

Howdy.

Anyone who was really watching this team last year, who they played and the way they won should have had doubts. Until some team proves me wrong, you ultimately win with defense. Fans fell in love with a supposed high octane offense and forgot we have a mediocre defense. Adding tonnage to the defensive line does not change that.

Pressure on the quarterback is the name of the game. Just look at what has happened to us, and we have no one putting any pressure on the opposing offense. This is supposedly Romeo's specialty; he has had four years to get it right, tell Savage what kind of players he needs, and it hasn't happened.

Remember I told you Savage had little confidence in Romeo when he took the job. I see nothing that says he has the right guy. Until they change it, everything else is hard to evaluate.

Kyle St. Peter

St. Louis

Dear Kyle,

Howdy-doo.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Romeo Crennel is a realist who knows he has to win to keep his job. But today Phil Savage pretty much made it clear he's not in favor of a major in-season overhaul.

Seems best if fans would accept the fact that Crennel is the coach and Derek Anderson the quarterback, and just see what happens.

I mean, it's not like they're going to struggle to beat a winless team playing a backup quarterback, is it?

Dear Pat,

How would you rate the job Phil Savage has done? A team playing this bad can't simply be the head coach calling bad timeouts or not being emotional enough. This team lacks talent on defense and its highly rated offensive line looks suspect. How many of Phil Savage's draft picks are in the NFL? His picks from the third round on have been shaky.  It takes more than drafting first-round picks right to build a team. Oops … looks like they haven't done that right either, (Kamerion Wimbley).

You can fire the head coach, and should fire the head coach, but this ORGANIZATION looks weak to me.

Eric

Dear Eric,

There's plenty of responsibility to be shared here. But – -WARNING: Here comes the ridiculous pollyana optimism at all costs statement – San Diego started 1-3 last season and made the playoffs.

As for Phil Savage's drafts, let's take a look:

2008 – The Browns will say this draft "produced" Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. Whatever.

2007 – Joe Thomas, Brady Quinn, Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald. Not bad.

2006 – Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson, Leon Williams and Lawrence Vickers are left. You know, Vickers alone makes this group a good one. This guy is developing into a fierce fullback, a guy who destroys people when blocking and can run and catch as well. He's a very underrated and unnoticed sixth-round pick.

2005 – Kamerion Wimbley and a bunch of flotsam.

I shall let you judge.

(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)