Talk about a thud. That loss to Houston was about as bad as any I can remember, and I've been covering the Browns since 1999. It leaves the team in disarray, the front office embarrassed by an e-mail during the week and a team heading to who knows where?
In the lexicon of embarrassing losses, the 16-6 loss to Houston Sunday ranks right up there.
Some thoughts:
–I've criticized Braylon Edwards for not speaking after bad games. This Sunday I must say he spoke and addressed his mistakes. And he sugarcoated nothing, saying his fourth quarter drop was bad and he should have caught that pass in the corner of the end zone in the fourth quarter as well. Good for him for standing up.
–But Edwards was so out of it in the fourth quarter he was absolutely no factor when he was needed most. I said in preseason if Edwards did not show up the Browns had problems, and many laughed. Well guess what … he's not shown up. And the Browns have problems.
–The quarterback situation sure has taken a turn. Derek Anderson starts, then Brady Quinn starts, then Anderson replaces him for the final quarter. Guess what, it didn't matter who played quarterback. Not with the immaturity surrounding the quarterback. Quinn will get the start next week.
–When the game ended Willie McGinest took off his helmet and walked slowly to the tunnel to leave the field. One can only imagine the disgust this guy feels with the approach of some of his less mature, less professional teammates.
–After the win over Buffalo, a former player said the Browns would lose to Houston because they had "too many immature players" on the roster who couldn't handle winning. Next week he's offering lottery number predictions.
–Romeo Crennel's future in Cleveland does not look good. Ultimately the head coach pays the price, and Crennel understands that reality. It's been almost four years, and the product is not good.
–I cannot imagine owner Randy Lerner is at all pleased with the Phil Savage e-mail fiasco (and it was a fiasco). The Lerner I know would never, ever want the man he appointed to lead, direct and represent his franchise sending a note like that. If Crennel goes, I don't see how Savage stays. And I'm not sure Savage stays anyway, especially in light of this e-mail.
I asked McGinest about the blame being directed toward Crennel, and he responded this way (and I will let the entire quote run):
"That's kind of so old, blame it on the coach, coach, coach. That's kind of old. Everybody needs to be accountable for how they played and their actions on the field. I don't see any coaches out there dropping passes, any coaching missing tackles, any coaches giving up deep balls, giving up touchdowns.
"We're grown men here. This is the NFL. That's a cop out to me. If people want to run with that, then they can go ahead but I'm not buying that. I've been around situations where the players take it upon themselves to do everything they can to play better ball. During the week, they study hard. They're in the film room, they're in the weight room, and it makes a difference on Sunday. We've never had a situation where I've said, ‘Hey it's the coach.'
"I'm a football player. If I miss a tackle, that's me. If I miss a sack, that's me. If I blow a coverage or miss a guy, that's me. That's me not putting enough into what I do for a living.
"If people want to cop out and point the finger at that, great, let them. As a football player I'm going to say if I don't what I do well, then that's me. And I think everybody across the board needs to take that same approach and we'll play better football.
"Interceptions, penalties, things like that. That's all mental. Things that happened that we do on the field, that's all us. That's mental. That's preparation. That's knowing the situation. That's not being focused, whatever the case may be.
"I'm not one to point the finger at one person or the coach or this or that. I'm a football player. I've been doing this since I was seven years old. I understand what it takes to play well, if you don't play well what it takes to get back on track. First thing I'm going to do is look in the mirror, see what I can do better and go from there."
That being said, McGinest and Crennel also know that the coach's record is his resume, and Crennel's record is not good.
That's it? That's all the Beacon can get up on the site four hours after the game is over? No game story, and just this small bit by Pat? The PD has four writers blogging and filing stories actually during the game, and our local paper can't get up even a lousy game wrap up within four hours?
This is as embarrassing as the Browns' performance. The size of the paper is more like a pamphlet now and the coverage on the internet is inert. After dumping my subscribtion a few months ago, coming here and seeing this weak coverage makes me realize I'm not missing anything.
By the way, you're right on the money, Pat. This team, from the GM on down, is coming apart at the seams. The more you see the Ravens, the Falcons, and the Dolphins winning after cleaning house, the more I think continuity is overrated. Who would want to continue what we've seen the past four seasons?
And while Braylon Edwards may be too talented to let go, or even to trade, trying to rehabilitate a guy who isn't trying at this point means sitting his butt down. It doesn't matter who you have behind him once the season is history. You have to sit his butt down because you aren't going to win with him anyway, so what is the point? Playing him now only enables his weak effort, and every good coach I've ever seen would have done that by now.
Of course Romeo's players love him. He doesn't hold them accountable. Who wouldn't want that in a boss?
Considering that McGinest's agent took Lerner and Savage for a three-year, $12 million dollar ride, good for McGinest that he takes responsibility. A true professional. The man doesn't blame any one coach, he simply blames what he sees in his bathroom mirror. Basically, a human body with professional football skills which eroded sometime around the Truman Administration.
It's fairly easy for a 37-year-old or so guy to get on his high horse when he has that handsome paycheck coming twice a month, plus that upcoming much fatter final paycheck which includes the last of his incentive bonuses, including his playing time bonus. He "earns" more money by simply getting the coach to put him on the field during a game. Give him Syndric Steptoe money for three years, and I sense he'd be singing a different, somewhat less "mature" locker room tune. I really don't read anything noble in what he has to say.
well, jim and mike have most everything i have to say covered.
to add to the mcginest quote…… what willie doesn't say is that young men need a role model, a leader. willie has been around a long time and he is mature enough to know that his play is his responsibility alone. younger guys need discipline. i was a maniacal idiot in my 20's and judging by the police blotter in the nfl most of these players make me look like a choir boy.
romeo has failed to set an example for this team. braylon edwards has absolutely no business playing right now. he flat out QUIT on several plays today. i would play the water boy at receiver before i play edwards scissorhands another down. conversely, brady quinn gets the quickest hook in romeo's career as a coach. after browns fans were subjected to weeks of poor play by anderson he yanks quinn in the middle of his 3rd start. wtf????? well, as we saw, brady at least got a few points on the board while anderson got a qb rating closer to his shoe size.
i think it is safe to say….goodbye romeo, goodbye phil…..thanks for nothing and don't let the door hit you on the a$$ on your way out. if randy lerner had any respect for the fans he would s–tcan those jokers as i type this and let ken dorsey or big dawg run the team.
enough randy lerner! either show the fans that you care or sell the team to someone who does. yes, i know that browns fans are suckers and will continually fill your coffers for fear of having their precious team taken away again. i don't care! leave again if this is how it's going to be! your organization sucks!!!
oh well, i guess i had a little more to say than i thought i did.
The biggest concern of the majority of players is collecting as much money as possible. If this means avoiding contact or refusing to play hurt in order to extend their playing career, so be it.
Winning has become secondary.
Romeo needs to bench a few of these prima donnas and find some players with some heart.
I'd say the McGinest comments should've been on the front page of the sports page, if not today, then tomorrow. These are the real story of the Cleveland Browns, as is the comment by the former player who predicted the Houston loss.
This Crennel/Savage era has been all about a process, a building, a re-construction (though that implies there once had been construction, which there has not, at least since 1999). A huge part of that process, which most of us foresaw no later than when the schedule was announced, was going to be the players dealing with what happened last year. There was "success" (10-6), but not even a playoff slot. Achievement, but without true significance of any kind.
How would team react to its "success"? Its much more challenging schedule? Its national profile? The almost predictable adversity, balancing what had been so fortuitous an '07 season: Health, bustout performances, seven Pro Bowlers, record-setting stats, etc.?
Willie, who knows from his New England experiences what it takes to win and how championship squads conduct themselves, tells attentive Browns' fans (via Pat's blog) what the players surrounding him lack as professionals, explaining for us why losing and disorder reign. The former player chimes in with hints as to what undermines the best efforts of many players and coaches and administrators: There are some kids who just don't get it, who won't grow up, who are pissing away a tremendous situation and opportunity.
Buried here on this blog page is the real story.
So, while voices call for firings and rampant changes among the non-uniformed personnel, here are men who know the sport telling us it is the athletes themselves responsible. They are why there is such losing and underachievement. Prices aren't being paid. Lacking is commitment, want-to, professionalism, conscientiousness, attention to detail.
Ego and complacency apparently rule. At least among those who Willie and the other player have in mind.
Other voices are calling for more youth to be served, for the kids to play even more, in place of what few vet leaders exist. What kind of sense does that make? (Doesn't the receiving corp miss Jurevicius as much for his leadership and steadying influence as for his clutch, possession catches?)
With these remarks, perhaps Willie is trying to exert his veteran influence/leadership, allowing "dirty laundry" to air in public view, a final (?) attempt to get through to his knuckleheaded, childish mates who spoil the best efforts of the well-intended, the presumption being it is a minority of individuals guilty of his insinuations.
I'm grateful for having found these remarks and thank Patrick for sharing them. I simply maintain they deserve much more profound play. Here is hoping this helps them get that exposure.
salinian, don't you think that if romeo was a leader then willie wouldn't have to say this kind of stuff? we've been hearing it for weeks from the players….jamal, cribbs, now mcginest. what about romeo? what we hear from him is that he doesn't know what is wrong. are you telling me that romeo is not responsible for making his players accountable for their actions? phil savage is not responsible for not getting the talent necessary on the field (see: linebackers and secondary). sure, the players are responsible for their actions on the field. but the coaches and g.m. are responsible for creating an environment for the players to succeed within. and that is not happening. so yes, changes need to be made aside from the roster.
i agree with jim ingraham's article.
http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2008/11/23/sports/nh146379.txt
if lerner wants to be hands off while the jokers working for him run the team into the ground then he should find an buyer for the team who cares enough to win. remember, al davis and jerry jones may be jerks. but at least they have rings.
And if Crennel bolted McGinest to the bench because he's a 1992 Bernie Kosar on defense, thereby preventing him from reaching his playing time bonus (his base salary was quietly cut during the off-season, instead to be made up with playing time bonuses and other bonuses), would this guy be giving his all-worldly speeches as to how others should conduct themselves? Not likely. Stop treating this guy like he's some kind of hero.
This has nothing to do with any of this Moses McGinest silliness, but what's the deal with Peter King's hair? He's got a Bride of Frankenstein thing going on.
Doesn't Quinn's contract provide him a bonus if he takes 55% of the snaps in a season? Maybe the front office had calculated that Quinn could reach that 55% level in 8 games, so they instructed RAC to bench him to save a few bucks. Far-fetched? Sure. But this team is in such disarray, and all the other explanations I've seen, including the explanation from RAC, are even more far-fetched that I wouldn't put anything past this so-called organization.
Perhaps if Pat will take a few moments away from this misguided McGinest worship, he can start making arrangements with his editor to sneak in through the theater's rear fire exit, and then write about it. This looks like it could be pretty cool:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122749333275552323.html
that does look cool. someday i hope to see the browns choke away a game in 3-d. it would be even cooler if they could make me feel like i was the guy fumbling the ball or throwing the crucial pick.