First and 10 — It's become a season that never ends

First and 10

1)      Anyone who honestly thought prior to the game that the Browns had a chance to win last night may now step into the cab that will take them to Never Never Land. There, they may join with Tinkerbell in flying to a distant galaxy far far away.

2)      The Browns with no defense and Ken Dorsey at quarterback were going to beat a team with one of the best defenses in the league that is going for a playoff spot? Please.

3)      Here's an e-mail I received Tuesday morning from an NFL personnel type: "This is the time of year when you can truly evaluate your personnel. And I didn't see many players that the Browns can continue to build around. They have no pass rush, lack a number one corner, an outside linebacker, an inside linebacker, maybe a free safety. Offensively, who's the quarterback of the future? They need a running back, a number two and number three receiver. A center, a right guard and a right tackle." That's about it.

4)      That's what Romeo Crennel meant when he said after the game the Browns did not have enough ammunition. He's right. Doesn't mean he coached a good game or he should have called a timeout with 1:54 left and his team getting drilled – strange one, that timeout, just like the previous week's timeout late in the game was strange. It just means the Browns as constituted cannot compete with a team like Philadelphia. Cincinnati in the home finale, maybe. Philadelphia and Tennessee, nope.

5)      Every game Jim Zorn loses in Washington makes it seem like he will be a one-year-and-out coach. Which makes the Bill Cowher competition that much tougher. For some reason, I still think he's going to wind up coaching the Redskins.

6)      Naturally many will want me to fire Romeo Crennel today. Well I'm not. So there. BUT … this does not mean I'm making a staunch defense of him either. Clearly every blowout loss like that makes it tough to defend anything about this team. I will say this: If Crennel goes, I think Phil Savage should go too. This has been a team collective effort this season that started with the players the team depended on not coming through. When this season ends, I either keep both Crennel and Savage and accept what that means in terms of fan reaction, or I get rid of both, and accept what that means in terms of starting over. All or none, one for all or none for all. They came in as a team, advertised themselves as a team, and they both shared in the contract extension euphoria after last year. They both should share in the negatives from this season.

7)      I think we know what the decision will be regarding Crennel. I mean, Crennel's forte is defense, and the Browns played like their defense was not even on the field Monday night. Too, it's hard to argue when the numbers are presented: an overall 24-38 record, 5-17 in the AFC North and 0-7 against Pittsburgh. Those are not winning numbers, and they come in the fourth year. But I don't understand how those same numbers don't apply to Savage.

8)      This is the question everyone (including me) must ask: Would a fully healthy Browns team, with players playing like they should, have been able to compete Monday night against the Eagles? The secondary was healthy, after all. So were the linebackers. And the defensive line. Donovan McNabb simply ate up the Browns defense. Changing the coach may bring a fresh start, and given the negativity surrounding this coach from outside the team, it might be a necessity. But changing the coach isn't going to make that personnel any better. They are what they are.

9)      Braylon Edwards actually had a good game, with more than 100 yards receiving. He played the way he was expected to play all season. As he said: "I've got a job to do. My job is to catch the football." He's right. But he didn't stop there. He continued: "I've learned being here that I'm very unappreciated. Not in the organization, just in the eyes of the fans, the city. Since Day One I've been a marked man coming from Michigan. It's just gone that way. Even when things are good, there's heckles." Unappreciated. Marked Man. Heckles. OK then … just … OK then.

10)  Can we possibly forfeit the last two games and end this miserable season today?

And since it's been a long season, a bonus two:

11)  Two plays that might have helped – not changed things, mind you, but helped – were Darnell Dinkins' drop on the Browns' first possession and Brandon McDonald's first interception. Dinkins drop was a major brain cramp. McDonald should have scored. Or at least tried to. McDonald slowed up and let Brian Westbrook catch him. Maybe he doesn't score if he goes all-out the entire way, but slowing down pretty much ensured he didn't score. Heck of an interception, though. Have to say that.

12)  It's not the end of the world, but McDonald's somersault into the end zone surely didn't go over in Philadelphia. No doubt some of the Eagles had something to say to him about him somersaulting while his team was getting drilled. And no, on the scale this one does not rank very high among the problems.

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

I have been a Browns fan for 50 years. I do not claim to have any expertise in the coaching of an NFL team.  However, I do have some management expertise.

When players underachieve and also state that they really are happy with their coach,  that leads me to believe that they are not held accountable.  Crennel's response to their errors is always the same – we will talk to them about it.

As Mark Twain stated – If telling were teaching we would all be so smart we couldn't stand ourselves.

Do you really believe Bill Cowher or Bill Parcells would tolerate these constant mistakes.

Most effective NFL coaches put an adequate amount of fear in their players.

Players don't like it, but they respect it.  Crennel seems to lack the "it" when it comes to accountability.

Jim Jones

Las Vegas

Dear Jim,

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The one thing that's surprised me about Crennel is that he's not brought great discipline to the Browns and instead has been more grandfatherly. This didn't bother people last year because the Browns won 10 games, mind you, but it has been surprising.

Dear Pat,

I'm not a big Crennel fan. They won last year with some luck and a really easy schedule. Winning snowballed just like losing but they did come back to earth at the end of last season.

This year, there are no excuses, especially starting the way they did in preseason and getting hammered at New York, which set the tone. This team has no consistency, strategy, fire, etc.

However, I'd be willing to listen except for one thing – the defense. Crennel is a supposed defensive specialist. That's why he got the job. I have to believe Savage has listened to what he needs for the most part. I see big, slow, fat defensive lineman, slow linebackers, slow defensive backs taking an extremely soft "bend but don't break approach," especially since the Denver game.

They have never figured out a pass rush from anyone not on the d-line, they have never stopped the run, which the big, fat, slow defensive lineman are supposed to do. There is just no excuse here. It is a bad defense, has been since Crennel arrived. Look at some of the better defenses in the league, they are moving away from huge, slow guys to tall, lean, quick guys, even on the d-line.

Do you really think, if we ever got good, that you would have confidence that a Crennel defense could stop a good team in the last two minutes? I don't, ever.

He is a play-not-to-lose guy, keep it close. We've seen it over and over.

Comparing Crennel to Jeff Fisher and others is not fair, Fisher has a winning track record and went to a Super Bowl as a head coach. He instills confidence and Crennel does not.

I just don't see Crennel gets us to where we want to go, even with more talent.

Kyle St. Peter

St. Louis

Dear Kyle,

You raise valid points. If Randy Lerner agrees, then a change is needed.

The defense is just bad.

Period.

Dear Pat,

Your observations are generally correct.  However, having watched NFL football closely and studied the game at this level for 50 years, I must remind you that the most important element to be considered after this season is the status of the defense.  Is the secondary weak?  I'm not so sure.  The Browns probably do need a tall "shut down" corner so that Brandon MacDonald can return to the role in which he enjoyed success last year: covering the slot receiver.

The most glaring problem with the defense is that the players Phil Savage has
added are not up to the scheme.  Does that mean the defense needs to be "blown up" and rebuild from scratch (as Crennel did when he came here in '05)?  Not at all.

Even a cursory analysis of the defensive personnel on the all-important front seven reveals that the Browns have some very good talent there.  But it is 4-3 talent, not 3-4 talent.

It is at linebacker where the weakness of the Browns' 3-4 is most glaring.  And, again, it's primarily due to a lack of fit with the scheme, rather than a lack of talent.

I spent four years on active duty in the Army and was a very good marksman.  That doesn't qualify me to serve as a Navy seal!  What the Browns most lack is a bona fide "thumper" in the middle.  Were they to return to a 4-3, given the draft order in '09, it is quite possible that Ray Maualuga (MLB, USC) might be on the board when the Browns first round pick comes up.  At 6-3, 260, this guy is a beast and a virtual tackling machine.  He could quickly adapt to the pro game and this would free up D'Qwell Jackson to play either the Will or the Sam OLB in a 4-3.  That leaves either Antwaan Peek (if his rehab is successful) and/or Leon Williams to compete for the other slot at OLB and Beau Bell to back up in the middle.  One additional free agent linebacker and this crew would be "good to go."

The offense is more complicated for several reasons, but suffice it to say that Brady Quinn is likely to be a very serviceable QB — a leader who can manage the offense and play ball control, "eat the clock" offense which is clearly preferable to the "long bomb" style of DA.

This cannot, however, happen without a defense which can:  (1) stop the run;  (2) put pressure on the QB; and (3) get off the field on 3rd down — NONE  of which Mr. Crennel's 3-4 has been able to do since he arrived in '05.
The old golf adage (you drive for show and you putt for dough) can be reworked for the NFL: "You play offense for show; you play defense for dough." High octane offenses thrill the fans, but defense wins championships.

Just ask the offensive units on the losing end of the last several Super Bowls.  They'll confirm that for you.

Old Chuck

Mayfield Heights (Browns fan since 1962)

Dear Old Chuck,

Interesting analysis. I'm not a big fan of the three-four, but Bill Belichick and Bill Cowher both have been successful with it so the scheme can't be horrid. That being said, perhaps a front four of Robaire Smith, Shaun Rogers, Shaun Smith and Corey Williams might be a step forward. It sure can't be worse.

(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)

Tagged as: Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns, Phil Savage, Romeo Crennel