No excuses for the Browns this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. That was a dismal collapse in a game that Cleveland had in hand. A truly good team, a real team, wins that game going away after going up 27-13 in the third quarter. A team that lacks character or heart or something intangible lets it get away. The Browns let it get away.
I think we now know where this team stands, though they'll probably tease us again Thursday night by beating Denver.
Much blame will be given to Derek Anderson, but blaming him is like blaming a vice president for the collapse of a bank. He shares a significant part of the responsibility, but he's not the only one. The defense gave up way too many points to a Ravens offense that should not score that much. Braylon Edwards dropped a vital pass. The offensive line didn't block well. Except for Joshua Cribbs, everyone shares in the responsibility – including the coaching staff.
At this point I give up talking playoffs. I honestly thought the Browns would beat the Ravens and Broncos, then be 5-4 heading to a Monday night game against Buffalo. They're now 3-5 and need to go 7-1 to win 10 games and have a sniff at the playoffs. It's just not going to happen.
The Ravens gave Ray Lewis a lot of credit for getting in people's faces on the sidelines when Cleveland led by 14 and telling them the Ravens would win. It may have helped, but we've seen Lewis give a lot of those speeches during Ravens losses as well. I'd say the Browns poor play had more to do with it than Lewis' speech.
Ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Some quotes:
"We were up 27-13 and I think we got lax and let it get away from us." – Kellen Winslow.
"I wish I would've handled that a little better, but I'm trying to win games." – Derek Anderson on his errant screen pass Baltimore returned for a touchdown.
"Once we went up 27-13, we thought there was no way we would give up any more touchdowns. I don't think we really relaxed. They hit a big third down and 16 and that was huge for them." – linebacker Andra Davis.
"We've been battling uphill all year. It's still an uphill battle for us. Only time will tell how that impacts us the rest of this year. If we can muster up some energy, we might get lucky going down the stretch." – Romeo Crennel.
"As a football team, we want to dedicate this football game to Mr. Art Modell. He deserves this more than anybody." – Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
WHEN WILL CRENNEL DO THE HONORABLE THING AND RESIGN!!!!
It has become increasingly clear that Derek Anderson will become nothing more than a journeyman quarterback and, as long as nothing is at stake, he will play well. This season brought lots of expectations and pressure and it is obvious he is not a guy who can handle pressure. He is collecting literally millions of dollars from Browns fans (who, after all, are th ones who buy the tickets, shirts, etc and actually pay everyone's salaries), and giving them nothing but heartbreak in return. Romeo Crennel, too, either needs fire in his belly or he, too, should return his salary as well. As fo Phil Savage, maybe, just maybe, he is the only one doing ok (his PR problems notwithstanding). He gave Crennell the tools, but neither the coach nor the players care much about winning. To them " the name on the door is Cleveland" is an advertising gimmick. To Browns fans' everywhere, it is something much more special than any of them can comprehend. Their collective greed and lack of dedication are going to kill a region's longtime love affair with their team.
Is it wrong for me to ask: Now that we've watched Anderson's inconsistent play over a full 24 games (1-1/2 seasons), is it remotely possible that we might now get a glimpse at what our heralded 1st-Round pick can do over the final 8 games? Savage has already admitted that the two QBs can't co-exist here past this season, so pray tell me, what is Anderson's "hold" on that starting job? Why can't Brady sniff the playing field? Am I missing something? Are we really going to make a judgement on the QBs at the end of the year, after having seen only ONE of them play for 32 straight inconsistent games?
Is that fair to Brady…or the fans who desperately want to see him play here?
Everyone always wants to blame the QB. No, Anderson did not have a great game. Did DA drop passes? Did DA pick the plays for the ultra conservative second half? Did DA give up 37 points?
Do I think DA is the answer? NO! But what does BQ have that DA doesn't? Can BQ teach Braylon to catch the ball? Can BQ teach Braylon not to celebrate every single catch? (Act like you've done it before!) Can BQ stop the defense from giving up 37 points? Is it time to switch QBs? YES!
The team's problems go beyond the QB. The mental toughness of the team as a whole stinks. Is it the coach? Could be. Management? Could be. Owner? Probably. Management and ownership will be happy with the results as long as 72,000 idiots (myself included-10 yr season ticket holder) keep selling out the stadium to watch this.
I don't care how it's done, just win me some freaking games!
What a shame to have an owner who cares more about "football", err, soccer, than american football and his Browns. Can we trade Lerner, Crennel, and Braylon ?
This franchise is a joke, run by an absent owner, an absent-minded head coach, and now a quarterback who can't control the huddle at all, and can't throw a screen pass. How hard is it to throw a friggin screen pass DA ? Seriously, time for change.
DA might not be the whole problem. BQ might not do any better…but he might. DA is due a huge roster bonus in March 2009. Based on what we've seen from him and not seen from BQ the Browns are faced with a very tough decision. Give DA the big bonus, then he's your guy and BQ is probably gone. Don't pay the bonus, then BQ is your guy. We need to at least see what we have in BQ.
I'm officially on the 'Fire Romeo Crennel' bandwagon after watching a game that the Browns should have won. I can't even begin to believe this quote,
"If we can muster up some energy, we might get lucky going down the stretch." Anyone who talks about luck in this fashion should not only be fired but taken out to pasture and shot. I'm also officially done with watching the Browns this season (and possibly for good). I also now think the only way to bring about the change needed is for the fans and people who are throwing down their hard earned money to watch this classless circus of crap, to completely boycott them. This team is one big joke with the punch line derived at the dire cost of the fan.
Again, no one is saying D.A. is the entire problem. But seriously, folks, the last 16 games he's played in should tell you all you need to know.
Why is HE, a backup/scrub/castoff from little Oregon and Ravens trash, being handed the starting role–with less credentials than 6'5" Brady Quinn, a top draft pick?? What is the freakin FIXATION of this staff with D.A.?? Why is Quinn not being given a chance to show what HE can do, just like D.A. was…when he stepped in for the QB deemed better than him, Chaz Frye??
Decisions like this are why the Browns are a league-wide laughingstock.
If there was ever a Charlie Brown of the NFL, it is the Cleveland Browns. What did any of us do to deserve this? Instead of a bag of treats yesterday, all we got was a bag of rocks, dropped passes and poor play calling. Eric Wright is a smart guy. That game was lost on that long 3rd down play for Baltimore with about 6 minutes left in the third quarter. We only rushed 3 guys up front on defense. What happened? Flacco had all day to throw the ball, they got the first down and the momentum was all Baltimore's after that. Instead of playing to win, we played not to lose and we blew it. This loss is squarely on the shoulders of Crennel. And enough of Derek Anderson. HE IS NOT THE GUY. LET ME REPEAT. HE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT IS NOT WORKING WITH HIM. WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THIS ROMEO? ENOUGH. Romeo, do something bold for once (or logical) and see if Brady Quinn can right this sinking ship. And don't ever play not to lose. It is cowardice and shameful. We Browns fans DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER. WHAT A DISGRACE!
Disgraceful collection of millionaires with no heart.
It's barely November and the rest of the season is inconsequential.
Lerner has got to be happy we are stupid fans though… We pay full price for two meaningless preseason games, and the PSL's make sure we still sell-out for the cold-weather, year-after year ultra-meaningless games.
After all that we still buy into it, and still hold out hope…man are we stupid.
If Edwards would have caught that pass, the Browns very well would have won, and nobody here would be here yapping about Anderson or whoever or whatever. Until after the Denver game this Thursday.
Rich Gannon made a good point about Joe Thomas. You know, the third pick in the draft, the big offensive line star that guys like Terry Pluto were all giddy about. You know, the Wisconsin fisherman, the very reason the Browns don't have Adrian Peterson. Gannon pointed out that Thomas protected Anderson in the pocket when there was a back helping Thomas out. But when a back isn't around to help him out, Thomas crumbles like the World Trade Center.
if…..if…..if brian sipe doesn't throw the int, if byner doesn't fumble, if elway doesn't score……is that what cleveland browns football is reduced to? if?
to hell with if. i prefer is and are.
is romeo crennel the guy? hell no!
is derek anderson the guy? no way!
is phil savage the guy? apparently not.
is randy lerner going to wake up from his soccer coma and do something? doesn't look like it
are browns fans going to continue to pay for this crap? probably
is terje a browns prophet? no, but it looks that way doesn't it
found an old e-mail i sent to gene winters on the knr postgame show in nov '06.
"Enough with people saying that the Browns need "more
time". It's time for change, that is what it's time
for. Crennel has no control over the players. They
have no viable back-up QB so we are left to watch
floudering Frye week after week. McGinest and
Washington have been ineffective. The organization
needs to be accountable for it's failure. Romeo and
crew need to go. Coach Jeff Fisher anyone?"
except for the frye bit, fat ted and my use of capital letters NOTHING has changed. same crap! coach fisher is undefeated and crennel still has the inmates running the asylum. pfffffff. this organization sucks rocky mountain oysters.
Enough with the man crush on Brady Quinn… I think you better realize that he is garbage. Maybe you didn't watch any of the preseason games, or even the 4 years he played at ND, the guy doesn't win… unless of course the Browns plan on playing Air Force 16 times a year. He dropped in the draft for a reason and he's sitting on the bench for a reason, the guy has accuracy issues and he's just overated. He's another Charle Frye. And Crennel needs to go as well… he is a product of the Bill Belichick system, which we see has come to an end… reference Charlie Weiss, another fat slob who is a disgrace to Head Coaching. If Savage/Crennel/Lerner had any brains they would have traded DA & BQ during the off season when both of their stocks were way over inflated & a handful of teams needed QB's, but that's neither here nor there… just hope Bill Cowher want's to return to coaching.
Different Browns franchise, but still the same tired thing. Drunk clowns around me screamed for Bill Nelson when Frank Ryan was screwing up. Then they screamed for Mike Phipps when Bill Nelson was screwing up. Then they screamed for Brian Sipe when Mike Phipps was screwing up. Then they screamed for Paul McDonald when Brian Sipe was screwing up. And on and on it goes. Eventually they'll be screaming for someone when Brady Quinn starts screwing up.
true alan, but many browns fans will claw each other's eyes for the chance to smooch kosar's backside. even when bernie obviously had "diminished skills" some fans would have rather seen bernie go in the game limbless than see testaverde play. so the fans will cheer for a guy who wins in cleveland.
fortunately the peedee just reported that quinn gets the start. i have no idea if he is the next otto graham or the next eric zeier but it is time to find out why the browns were so giddy to trade the cowboys some nice picks for the flaming irish qb.
If Quinn tries this against Denver's defensive line, there may be hell to pay.
http://withleather.uproxx.com/?p=2774
The game ball to Art Modell? Now that is inflamatory!