If there's anything to savor when this long-lost Browns season ends, it will be this reality: Riding a seven-game losing streak, the Browns effectively ended the playoff hopes of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And they did it by playing hard-nosed, physical football against a team known for hard-nosed, physical football.
Pittsburgh seems to have lost its heart, its iron will that allowed them to win these kinds of games.
This season the Steelers have lost to Kansas City, Oakland and the Browns.
Those three teams have won a combined total of nine games (and lost 28). Three of those wins are over the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers.
Amazing.
What is equally amazing is that the Browns defense has lost its three interior starters, and it's playing better than it has all season. Rob Ryan's group sacked Ben Roethlisberger eight times, and many of them were caused by Roethlisberger looking confused and unsure where to throw the ball.
The Browns defense also stopped the run, limiting the Steelers to 75 yards rushing on 22 carries.
These are numbers never worthy of the Steelers, especially when it comes to facing the Browns.
The Browns offense produced a rushing touchdown and had the incomparable Josh Cribbs doing just about everything possible to get his team a win.
Cribbs averaged 10.9 yards per carry running from the Wildcat, and he brought back a punt 32 yards to set up a field goal.
Brady Quinn wasn't sharp, but the wind was howling and he's now beaten the Steelers, something a lot of other Browns quarterbacks cannot say.
Pittsburgh left town in a way it has not in years. It left with its head down, with talk of being embarrassed at its five-game losing streak and at losing to the Browns.
The Browns left the stadium proud.
Every player, coach, and employee can and should enjoy every moment of the win.
Including Eric Mangini, who has been beleaguered all season long. Finally, something went right for him. He should enjoy the night as well.
I still don't think it's going to affect his future with the team one way or the other. Not because the win wasn't meaningful, but because the new director of football will make the decision based on what he wants and not on whether Mangini beat or lost to the Steelers on a winter night in Cleveland Browns Stadium worthy of igloos.
That being said, any win over the Steelers is a good win.
Given the losing streak to Pittsburgh, the weather, the nature of the season … this one was especially good.
The Browns proved something.
They didn't play close.
They didn't compete.
They went out and they won. Over Pittsburgh.
And that's an achievement.
It's kind of nice, actually, that they all have a few extra days to appreciate it.
Pat, I commend you for not doing your normal "slam Mangini" piece. I sure hope you're wrong about Mangini not being retained next year. To me, the only person that's out there that I would give complete power to fire the coach after this season if he wants is Parcells. There's no other "football czar" candidate out there in my opinion that is worthy of totally blowing this team up again after just one season with the current coaching staff. This includes Holmgren – great coach, but was only so-so as a GM doing double duty. If I were Lerner, if Parcells isn't available, I would try to get one of the other proven football executives but tell them the only condition is that the current coaching staff gets one more year to work with this team, after that, they can do what they see fit with the coaches.
If the credible candidates take other openings (which they probably will), then I think Lerner should ride out Mangini running things for another season or two to see how things play out. You know, sometimes you have to stick with you're decisions, even when times are tough. Lerner hired Mangini and was so impressed with him that he basically gave him full control by giving him his hand-picked GM, so he should have some balls and stick with it. If he likes Kozar, make him a GM-in-training and make him the player-personnel-type GM like New England has, and ride out Mangini having final say on the roser. I still think Mangini's 1st draft is going to be considered a good one 3 years from now, plus the guys we picked up for nothing such as Roth and Evan Moore look like steals. Fans in Cleveland need to have patience and give this staff one more draft, offseason, camp and regular season to become comptetitive before we blow it up and start over AGAIN. If we're 2-11 by this time next year, I'll have no problem with us going in another direction in 2011. I have a sinking feeling that we'll be much better than 2-11 though – more like around .500.
Time to eat some crow and bow before Manweenie, terje!
it was the only good game of the year. but this one had nothing to do with mangini's coaching. did you look at mangini's face on the sidelines? it looked like a dude standing on the altar to get hitched trying to suppress montezuma's revenge.
mangini is a beaten man.
the look told me he is gone. the team bailed on his, ryan bailed on him and now word is the front office has bailed on him. he's not happy at all about it.
the defense you saw today? it looked pretty familiar to me. that was a ryan defense. the defense was not going down like suckers. it sure would have been nice to see the son of a browns legend in a browns uniform in a game like this. thanks for sucking hard on that one eric.
the offense? looks like a drunk falling down the stairs. why not just run josh cribbs on every play? it's like the lions of the 90's. give the ball to barry and watch. i'm not saying cribbs is a sanders but he's one of the few dudes on this team with high athletic skill.
truly the first satisfying win for me since the giants. falling face first into wins is nothing to savor.
hahahahahahaha
check this out
here's pluto's spin:
"Gotta love the way Mangini allowed defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to follow his heart and let his guys play to win. "
yeah, that's what happened.
OK Gang! Did anyone notice that after this HUGE WIN the only guy I could see HUG the Missgenie was Rob ( let me follow my heart)Ryan. I was looking for player reaction ,are they playing for pride as a group of football players ,or were they playing for their LOVE of the Game, OR was it for the Coach ? I might be off base but the camera shots showed no player love for the Coach after such a big boost( i think the steelers are playing worse than the browns the last 3 games) am I reaching here? Would you not high 5 and hug the man who leads you? Just saw more highlights again cant find a single player running to him just another assistant coach,Kudos to the players they looked inspired D played like Mad Dogs In A Meat Market, Offense play calling had me going HUH! again, 2 first and goals 6 points even a sad Pitt D knew what was coming AGAIN! Thanks Players for a very entertaining game …. GO CAVS!!!!!!!!!!! GO BUCKS!!!!!!!!
You know what gang? The hate for Pittsburgh just came storming back into me. All it took was for the Browns to beat them. I really missed that hate.
I have been a fervent critic of the Browns all year, but I commend them on a fun victory last night. And if I EVER read that Devin Hester is better than Josh Cribbs, I shall seek that writer out and give him a good ole' fashioned tapper.
And yes, I will even give a tapper to a female writer.
Someone tell me these Browns players have no fight or pride. These young guys are playing above themselves. Or dare I think that the old guys on defense kept the Browns from playing this type of game before some of the big men were put on IR? Getting Ryan was a HUGE positive.
terje I don't know if you are right and I would like to believe that you are not regarding the head coach actually holding the team back and preventing the Browns from winning by not doing whatever possible. I can't imagine a head coach preferring to lose over allowing players to make the plays they are capable of and coaches being allowed to do exactly what they are hired to do…coach. But your opinion at least gives me something to think about. If that IS his attitude…yikes!
Judging a coaches future off of one game makes about as much sense as saying that a season is a sucess because you beat the Steelers. I don't think it is possible to hate the Stillers and their towel-waving fans more than I do, but just because the Stillers have suffered a total collapse doesn't mean the Brownies have turned a corner. I will revel in the fact that the Browns were the team to squash the Stiller's playoff hopes and just maybe brought a spark back to what was once the greatest rivalry in the NFL. Congrats to Josh Cribbs, he has established himself as the leader of this team, both on and off the field. My hope is the Browns can find a credible czar to right the ship, but for 9 days, I will be content that the Browns were the team to play Grinch and ruin Pittsburgh fan's Christmas.
Kudos to the players of the Cleveland Browns. I did not see that defensive performance coming. Nice to have a reason to actually watch these final three games now. First sign of progress all fricking season, and now let's see more. Three very winnable games coming up, so just go win them.
Only downer was that Brady Quinn was absolutely awful, and it had zero to do with the wind. In fact, it really seemed as if neither team was affected much by the wind or cold.
Did the Browns find something last night? Well, I will go out on a limb and say that if we get eight sacks every week, then we are going to win a lot of games. So let's keep that in the game plan, eh?
I have to disagree somewhat with those who say Quinn had a bad game. I thought he managed the game well, made no turnovers, and seemed to adjust at the line to what the Steelers were trying to do on defense. He still has receivers dropping passes and running wrong routes. I would give him a passing grade on last night, nothing great but considering conditions and opponet, ok.
The Browns have been a worse than bad team since game 10 last year … but the last few games they've simply been a bad team. Maybe that sounds like a weak distinction — but bad teams have a chance on any given Sunday (like they have the ability to get a first down and even to sometimes score). That SOUNDS silly to say like that, but (be honest) how many times this season have you felt the Browns might be able to pull out a win after, oh, say, the first one minute of the game? And, the Browns scored 13 against the Steelers (in the freezing cold, etc.) — but that is the third fewest points the Steelers have allowed all season (10 times the Steelers have given up more points).
So … yeah, they have a long way to go, but the last few games have been more fun to watch than any since the first ten of last year.
however u want to spin it,the browns got the gorilla off there back..it seems that we are picking up players off the scrap heap,that can play..lots of rookies and young players need time to grow into the job..i like the direction we are going..dont blame the coach,for all the poor drafts before he got here..i hope next yrs draft , out of the 4picks in the first three rounds,we go defense on 3 of them…the young kids on offense who touch the ball,will pan out..its fun to dream,and randy if u need me im always ready to help..
john, the 3rd down do-over in the 3rd quarter was a perfect example of what i was talking about. imagine you're a defensive player and you've just given pittsburgh 4th and 8. then, your idiot head coach inexplicably accepts a penalty and you narrowly avoid a bullet when mendenhall drops the pass. this is the kind of stuff mangini does on gameday that eats at players. you put players in position to win not to fail.
also, did anyone happen to notice at the end of the game that mangini didn't get the gatorade treatment. as a matter of fact the players largely ignored him. lerner might be fool enough to keep him around but he has lost every ounce of respect with the rest of the team.
Am I also supposed to applaud the Chiefs and Raiders for beating the Steelers in the last month? That's in three out of the last four weeks. The Browns beat a broken team, and now at the end of the season, Mangini will use this game to sell himself to Al's spawn to come back for more.
Year after year, Cleveland football and basketball fans have the worst memories in history. The selling of hope, a Cleveland sports tradition since 1920. What, the Browns lost to Detroit and they're 2-11? But they won yesterday. Give Mangini and Ryan an extension!!!! And give Evan Moore a lifetime contract!!!!
Evan Moore?
I mean, never mind about Mangini's lack of GM judgment. Let's just look at his basic coaching decisions, shall we? Not the game plans, but the simple stuff. Here's one: The Steelers were way out of field goal range. Third and 8. They blow the third down. Now it's 4th and 8. But there was a five-yard penalty on the play on the Steelers. Common sense would now seem to dictate that you decline the penalty and make the Steelers either punt or go for it. But instead, Mangini accepted the penalty. Why??? It thereby gives Pittsburgh two shots for the first-down instead of just one. And then Mangini was totally bailed out when the Pittsburgh guys did their best dropsy impression of Cleveland's receivers, otherwise Pittsburgh would have been gift-wrapped that first-down, the drive would have continued, and Browns fans would be hanging Mangini in effigy in the stadium parking lot.
But now suddenly Mangini is a fat superhero wearing a cape, and Rob Ryan is the second coming of Fabio. But just four days before, these exact same bloodthirsty fans wanted to haul them both to a veterinarian and have them neutered without sedation. Unreal.
The most impressive thing that occured in last night's game was watching J. Cribbs. He needs to be paid his worth to the club. His interview on the NFL channel was fantastic.
The last few minutes of the game were excruciating, longest six minutes in history. I sat there quietly in shock, couldn't believe the final score. 6 – 13 and the Browns won, against the Steelers, wow! Reminds me of when Bud Carson crushed the Steelers 51 -3 and then lost 9 straight games.
CB MacDonald had the game of his life.
Way to go Alan
Always the life of the party
playing the role of "Jiminey Cricket"
It hasn't been 24 hrs and your peeing on the parade. Can you hold off at least 12 more hours before you spew your hate and vile. we all know the current situation in Brownsland. You won't stop reminding everybody of it.
The point, Solomon, is that "we all know the current situation in Brownsland" is a lie. Why is there a "parade?" It's comparable to the injury-destroyed New Jersey Nets celebrating because instead of 0-19, they were 1-18. The Nets, though, had a very legitimate injury excuse. But the Browns? The problem is, Solomon, is these types of fan "parades" are the kind that last just long enough for Mangini to return next season. By celebrating a victory, you're celebrating a loss. It would be helpful if folks, including the newspaper columnists like the aforementioned terje's Pluto, would get back on track.
Celebrate for five minutes. Now back to reality.
Ryan's defense huh?
Mangini is 2 and 1 vs Tomlin including a 6 sack effort in 2007 with the Jets..thats 14 sacks in 2 wins over the Steelers by a Mangini coached team.
who's defense ?
pretty funny when the d got torched by Det..its mangini's, but vs Steelers it's Ryan's..hahaha
pluto get back on track? maybe after he finishes writing his next cliche ridden article about "following your heart" and "playing to win". how a writer could wake up every morning knowing that they laid down blathering, 7th grade level dreck for the world to read i'll never know.
i'm getting a kick out of the "i told you so" mangini lovers on the peedee. they obviously had an 18 pack of natty ice and a pint of old crow in them before the game started. i didn't see mangini break out of the intestinal trauma stance once. not even when they won. good win coach ryan. you don't suck quite as bad as the guy who hired you.
Can't say I've ever heard of "natty ice."
uh, peterbell. are you new to football? maybe you're too young to remember buddy ryan. that defense on the field last night? trademark ryan.
where was that defense the rest of the year? under mangini's thumb, that's where. mangini is a lame duck and the only thing that can save him is the ineptitude of randy lerner.
First thing you should do is breath, take a long breath and evaluate what you are writing.
The Cleveland Browns, the worst team in the NFL has just beaten the current reigning Super Bowl champs. They manhandled the Steelers in every facet of the game.
Yes, this year is a bitter harvest, but for one day, just this one day, the Browns were the "King of the hill" and there is nothing you can do about it. So let them and their fans live in the sunshine before you shove them back under the bus.
I want to taunt a few Steeler fans today and smile when I mention that I'm a Browns fan.
solomon, it was a great win. no doubt. but how much taunting can really be done to a steelers fan? it boils down to 6 rings to none.
Alan, take a pill. I, too, think Mangini is turning Cleveland into the Devil's Playground, but that doesn't change the fact that they won a game that no one in the world thought they had much of a chance to win. Spin it anyway you like, but this is not the Buffalo game, nor the losses again Cin and SanD. This was an honest to god win, gained through some inspired play by the defense and the special teams, and thanks to one of the greatest players in Cleveland history: Josh Cribbs.
Inspired play–who'd have believed we would ever have seen any of that around here this last month? Not me; that is for certain.
Yeah, Quinn blew, and Mangini blew, and the Steelers blew, and blah-blah-blah, rap-a-ta-ta. And if my aunt had balls she'd . . .
No credit to Mangini–fine. But all credit to the Cleveland Browns players, who stepped up when no one would have thought it possible. If you think people should not enjoy that fact, then you are a sad little guy. And if it actually takes a inveterate Browns-basher like myself (42 years and counting) to point that out to you, that is pretty pathetic.
Lerner is going to do what Lerner is going to do, because Lerner is a fricking wacko. The results of last night's game are not helpful for those of us who want to see Mangini gone, but likely it never really mattered what happened last night. Lerner is crazy, and Lerner is going to do what he is going to do–facts and reality be damned. I've never believed he was going to fire Mangini, anyway, and I never will until it actually happens.
Oh, but anyone who thinks we "manhandled" the Steelers is sharing Randy Lerner's brain.
Solomon, it would be one thing if Pittsburgh was the "current reigning Super Bowl champs," and they came into town with Indianapolis' record. Then a 10-minute celebration would be warranted as opposed to five. If I recall correctly, the Browns did a similar thing with the Giants a few years ago during a night game.
But these Steelers aren't what they were last season. Not even close. Who knows why, but losing to Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland in the span of four weeks? That's not a good team. Steelers fans shouldn't be taunted for losing to Cleveland, but for losing to all three in succession. That's pretty bad. And I'd argue that it's debatable if the Browns are any worse than Kansas City or Oakland.
If there is anything Lerner & Son have proven, it's that they're suckers in the professional football business. Everybody should stop celebrating ASAP, then hope the Browns lose to both Kansas City and Oakland. Badly. It's for the best.
i'm not sure why some people thought this game was not winnable. apparently, most browns fans haven't watched the steelers recently. they are having a huge meltdown on and off the field. tomlin's coaching like crap, hines ward is accusing a guy with a concussion of being weak, they are injured….right now the browns level of bad is slightly less bad than the steelers. but at least the steelers were able to keep it together for half a year while the browns continue to march on like a guy who's holding a bottle of thunderbird while wearing urine soaked pants.
Then what is the point of watching such a horrible club.
Miguel…yes I would define it as manhandled. Call me crazy, but I believe the defense stepped up, stopped the rush and sacked the QB 8 times.
Tonight I will watch my University of Akron Zips play and hopefully move on to the NCAA Championship game.
We certainly do not need the top pick in the draft. Top 7 or 8 will be good enough to pick up a solid long term pro bowl type performer for the Browns. I hope the Browns win the last 3 and make it difficult to fire Mangini because it shouldn't be a pack your crap and get out type of decision any way.
The positives should be weighed against the negatives and then a decision that the new GM makes should be the final one. I trust that any new GM will be aware of the pitfalls of keeping Mangini. And if I was the new GM I know what I would do. Just as some "superstars" were effectively excised like team cancers, I am afraid that Mangini would eventually prove to be the same. We already blew it up in 09 so how much worse could it get? 2-14 or 0-16 not much difference.
As I said in a previous post I think the chances of Mangini staying are 20%. 19 of 20% will be the new GM pressuring him so bad that he resigns. The other 1% is the Tuna coming to town.
Even oddsmakers didn't think the Steelers were all that much better than Cleveland. I won $20 taking Cleveland at +9 1/2. What "reigning Super Bowl champs" are ever favored by only 9 1/2 against the NFL's version of the Washington Generals? That's how little I thought about the Steelers, it's the first time I bet on Cleveland all season. Plus, I thought the forecast of high winds would affect the Steelers' passing game in a major way, and it did. It evened out Quinn, who continues to throw pinpoint passes to the photographers on the sidelines.
Terje, I'm not too young to remember Buddy Ryan. But if you thought a 3-4 defense that was using a cover 2 zone is 'trademark Ryan", you clearly don't remember him.
Buddy Ryan never used a 3-4 defense in his life. He hated them. Still does. He also disliked zones, although he used some of the coverages.
There were some points last evening, where the Browns were in man coverage, and there were some points where there were three guys and a combo rusher. But "trademark Ryan"? Nope.
that's true geoff. the structure of the defense is not the 46 zone. however, the scheme of the 3-4 that was played yesterday was ryan defense. saw a lot of jets games with mangini. never saw that kind of attack once. saw a lot more man to man than cover defense too. there were some interesting switch ups making it look like a zone hybrid but generally the browns played straight up man.
The Akron Zips are playing in a championship game?
The soccer team, Alan.
Terje, I'll agree that the general defensive philosophy ("Let's all meet at the quarterback's broken and twisted body") was what Buddy Ryan used to do. And there were a lot of different looks being shown– I think we could find traces of every set ever used (except the 7-Diamond) if we'd looked hard enough.
(Actually, the 7-Diamond might have been the solution Pittsburgh needed to the Wildcat– which is the single wing gussied up a bit.)
But the Browns only dressed five defensive linemen last night, so they couldn't have played too many of his sets. The only team that really uses the 46 is Tennessee, who is coached by Ryan's protege, Jeff Fisher
Actually, I don't know why the Browns don't try some 4-3 sets. With Rogers and Williams, they actually have the tackles. And one of the things I keep waiting for a Belichick disciple to do is to throw a lot of defensive looks at someone. But they pretty much all play the really boring 3-4s. About all they do to remind you of their mentor is mumble.
geoff, i can go with that. i think we can also both agree that mangini had virtually nothing to do with that defensive scheme. it was the first time this year we didn't see that passive, puke defense favored by gutless d-bags like mangini.
Of course I would like to see the current coaching staff retained for at least one more season, but if Mangini does happen to get fired, I think keeping Ryan as DC is a MUST to try to retain at least some continuity. I'd like to see Weis come in as OC since he's a good OC and Quinn knows his system. How about making the special teams coach Sealy the HC? He's been around a long time and is well respected in the league, plus he'd have experienced coordinators for each side of the ball.
Tim, "retain some continuity?" How will there be any "continuity?" There will be a roster full of defensive players who aren't on the team now.
The win was the worst possible thing that could have happened. The worst. As will any subsequent win. Why are folks giddy? It's a Pyrrhic victory. The goals here should be (a) get rid of Mangini and (b) obtain the first selection in the entire draft. But by virtue of a totally meaningless win against a team that's now lost five straight, they may have lost big-time on both counts. Because it gives Mangini a strong sales pitch at the end of the season, and they possibly lost an invaluable asset to either use themselves, or to trade. And with somebody else making personnel decisions, there would be little concern that they'd choose to trade that very first pick in a draft in exchange for eight centers and 14 sixth-rounders.
nobody wants the first pick this year. there's no standout, sure thing, top dollar guy coming out. pick 3 or 4 will be fine if they don't blow it.
terje, maybe somebody does want it. There sure are a lot more options, particularly in a trade, with the first pick than the third or fourth.
On tonight's Point After, one thing said was that Mangini will likely be fired if he only wins 2 of the last 3. Maybe I heard this wrong, but they are expecting the Browns to win out?? and if not, it's Mangini's fault?
I want Mangini gone because I don't think he'll draft any player who has an ego (meaning anyone who has star potential). I don't fault him for his practices, or his fines, or for, at least, preferring good character guys (meaning when all things are equal). If someone comes in who is going to run the draft and ride a coach's rear when game plans don't make sense or when 2nd round picks aren't allowed to play until they grovel before the coach, I, only as a fan which doesn't count for anything, could live with Mangini being retained. If, though, they bring someone in on the condition Mangini stays, I'll keep on with everyone else writing and commenting on how he should be fired!
But, irregardless of how it will confuse things and change the draft position, I hope the Browns do win out. 5 wins …. That would actually be an improvement over last year — which I would find shocking!
Why do you want them to win, Keith? For example, this dude Ndamukong Suh. He had 4 1/2 sacks against Texas. In one freakin' game, 4 1/2 sacks. Everybody in the league would want this guy. If they have the first pick in the draft, they could take him or trade the pick. For a lot, particularly if next season is uncapped. It will be horrible if they win and St. Louis or Detroit or Oakland or some other crap team gets that first pick. It serves no good purpose to win, just like it served no good purpose to beat Pittsburgh. Except, apparently, for Cribbs, who is using this golden opportunity to selfishly publicly lobby on Mangini's behalf. You've gotta assume if Jamal Lewis thought he could now get a raise, all of a sudden Lewis would call a press conference to announce that Mangini is the greatest white man in history, and compared to Mangini, Vince Lombardi was Al Davis' 130-year-old mother.
Hahaha….Akron won! Its in the NCAA Championship game!
Oh I forgot this place is for somber complaining.
Yes, the Browns won so its now a bad thing. They finally won a game, just their second win of the season. No need to panic, Mangini's dice has been tossed and its looking like snake-eyes. I forgot, who has to approve Cribbs new contract? Is it the Browns front office or you? So who's ass should the man kiss? Get real and look at who's signature is on the check before you stab him and throw him under the bus.
If Mangini's dice have been tossed and it's snake-eyes, then why is his and his agent's "Mangini For Coach" PR campaign in full force? Check it out, it's all over the place. It didn't get there by accident.
And, I don't like public ass-kissing, especially when it's so obviously freakin' disingenuous. Sorry, but that's just me. If Cribbs wants a raise, then shut the heck up and tell your agent to make a call after the season ends. Don't make like the guy who Jamal Lewis pretty much compared to the head dude at Auschwitz is now the greatest thing to happen since Harry Reese discovered that chocolate tastes good when it's combined with peanut butter.
Oh, and as far as Akron being in the NCAA soccer championship game … no disrespect, but who cares? And if you really, really cared about it yourself, then you would know they're not in the championship soccer "game." The entire football world outside of the US of A refers to it as a "match."
hahaha…I understand, but tone it down a bit.
Maybe you forgot that Crennel/Savage promised Cribbs a raise at the end of the season last year. Sorry, they got canned before they got a chance to sign the check.
mangini is like that German POW in "Saving Private Ryan", begging for his life while digging his own grave. See the irony, if he stays he just put a bullet in the franchise, if he's goes the franchise is unstable and owned by a loon. Of course he's begging for his job, where's he going to go? Back to Australia?
Cribbs just wants paid, just like I want to be paid my value. Before you say anything about my value, just want to let you know that I'm the best at what I do. There's no litter on my part of the highway.
Cribbs is looking out for #1, as everybody does. It's fascinating that the only guys quoted as being pro-Mangini are the guys who either rant about their lack of pay or stiffs that are simply worried if they're going to have a job in the NFL next year. And then the sportswriters run with Cribbs' nonsense and publish it, without even an inkling of cynicism. And then a dope like Lerner hears about it, and starts to believe it. And voila! Although somebody is going to be given more personnel power than Mangini, and Bernie the Mole and Jim Brown the Spy notwithstanding, Mangini is going to be back for more fun and games next season.
Alan, I think the best way to keep continuity is to retain Mangini and his staff for at least one more season to see how the team progresses. Since it looks like there's at least a 50-50 chance that he's gone, I was just saying that it would be nice to keep some continuity on the team and not do a complete blow-up, but maybe just a "half-blow-up".
Vegas has him fired in the tunnel after the last game, 20 -1 odds, in the locker room by a phone call from England 2 – 1. Now if he was to hire me as an adviser, he can stay. The first piece of advice, and this is free, BURN THOSE BROWN PANTS. I'll hire Cribbs agent, he's the best.