It's really impossible to fathom losing nine of 10 season openers at home. That's an indication that a team is either a) really not very good or b) really not prepared or c) a really not very good and not very prepared or d) really, really unlucky. This Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys were far and away the better team. But the Browns didn't play like a well-prepared team.

Too many mistakes, silly penalties (illegal formation trying to block an extra point, apparently for lining up right over the center, a no-no this year) and too much of one offensive guy having to tell another offensive guy where to line up. The defense was overmatched, and though Shaun Rogers had some pressure now and then, the pass rush was nonexistent. Browns players said it's a "pick your poison" thing with Dallas' offense. If you rush a bunch, you're vulnerable in the secondary. If you drop back, you get no rush. Bottom line: That shows the Browns knew they were not good enough to stop the Cowboys.

Dallas made it look easy.

The offense seemed to collapse when it learned that receiver Donte Stallworth had injured himself in pregame warm-ups. That's right. Pregame warm-ups. Think about that next time you see an NBA guy go down shooting layups in pregame. Never heard of it? That's because it never happens. Well, hardly ever, apparently.

"That was like, ‘Wow! How does this happen?'" running back Jamal Lewis said of Stallworth's injury. "To me as a running back, that's my meal ticket." Lewis went on to say that the absence of Stallworth left the Browns with basically the same team they had last year. Minus Joe Jurevicius of course. Which again highlights how big it was to lose Jurevicius. His absence took away a third-down receiver and wiped out the receiver depth. Dallas doubled Braylon Edwards and dared Syndric Steptoe to step in and beat them. He didn't, the vaunted Browns offense scored just 10 points and players seemed to spend a lot of time telling teammates where they should be lining up.

No, I do no understand Romeo Crennel's decision to take a field goal down 28-7 with 10 minutes left in the game. He said he wanted points to have some kind of momentum, and said had he gone for it on fourth down and failed he'd have been asked why he didn't kick a field goal. Hate to disagree, but I disagree. I don't think anyone would have asked why he didn't try a field goal. That's because going for the touchdown was the logical choice - if there was any real hope to win the game. It was simply a strategy decision I did not agree with.

Some other observations:

—No, I've never heard of a guy pulling a muscle - groin, quad, hamstring - in pregame warm-ups. Not sure how often it's happened either.

—Shaun Rogers was very active in the middle of the Browns line. He was the only guy who got occasional pressure on Tony Romo, and showed the qualities that have people saying he's unblockable when he wants to play.

—By game's end, Rogers and the rest of the big guys on the defensive line were pretty worn out, though. That's a negative to the big guys. They will wear down if the defense can't stop folks.

—Right now it seems like the defense can't stop folks, but they did face a huge, physical line and they did face one of the better offenses in the league. That's the going line at least.

—Dallas had 30 first downs, Cleveland 11.

—Dallas had 11 rushing first downs, Cleveland had 2.

—Expect NBC and ESPN to petition the league today to move the "flex schedule" start date up a couple months.

—Yes, the Browns offense should be expected to score more than 10 points. And they did have one nice drive. But the 10 points was what they deserved. We can say all we want that they should score more than 10, but if they fall apart to the extent that they did because one receiver is out, well that's just not good.

—Sunday's game against Pittsburgh has large implications. Win and the Browns are 1-1 and feeling pretty good. Lose and …, well … you know. Personally, I cannot and will not pick the Browns to beat Pittsburgh until they actually do. But if they want to erase a downer of an opener, a win over Pittsburgh on night-time national TV would be a very good step. Me, I just can't see it happening. Not the way this defense played, and not the way Pittsburgh's offense played. Geesh. An 0-and-2 start after all this offseason hype?

It’s kind of confusing what’s happening in Green Bay with Brett Favre. Not his teenage I won’t-I will stances toward football, mind you. But the Packers attitude toward Favre. A few months ago Favre had led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game and he was the greatest thing to happen to upper Wisconsin since the invention of the heater. Now he decides to unretire and the Packers tell him he’ll be a backup if he plays. Huh? How does that work? A guy is a Hall of Famer and has his best year in a long, long time and because he didn’t take part in offseason workouts he’s a backup? Apparently Favre made the Packers mad by changing his mind, so they’re going to show him and make him take second-string snaps in training camp behind Aaron Rodgers. Because he missed offseason workouts. You just can’t make this stuff up. I swear, the more you hear about the NFL way of thinking, the more it seems that sometimes their minds are affected by the fact they are so insulated from thinking about nothing but their sport 74 hours a day. Think about this: Brett Favre decides to unretire and he’s a backup to a guy who’s never played. Rocky and Bullwinkle made more sense.

The other day a story broke about the dwindling population in cities of Northern Ohio. Cleveland has taken a real hit; more people have left the city than any other city in the country except New Orleans – and that exodus was caused by a rather large natural disaster called Katrina. What did our governor, Ted Strickland, have to say? This: “Perhaps in the not too distant future, people are going to be leaving arid areas of this country, the New Mexicos and the Arizonas. They'll come running back to Ohio, because we have water, and they're going to be thirsty." Thirsty. There’s a slogan: “Want a drink? Come to Ohio.” And we wonder why our economy is in trouble?

Complaining about the Indians financial situation is kind of like complaining about gas prices. What good is it going to do? The Indians will never be a team that spends $150 million on salaries. It’s just not going to happen. Best to accept that reality and enjoy our lovely water. It’s not going to change. I took a look at the team’s finances in our Sunday paper; you can read that here if you like. But one thing that struck me was that during the halcyon glory days of the 1990s, the Indians were in fact among the highest in payroll. But they were at or about $60 million while the highest spending teams were at or about $70-$75 million. Now the highest spending team, the Yankees, is at $209 million, while they Indians are projected to be at $85 million. If that disparity does not illustrate what a big-market team can do and a mid-to-small market team cannot, then nothing will. Everybody wishes the Indians could just write blank checks to players. They can’t. Someday the folks in the dry, arid southwest will realize this.

Sheldon Ocker, our outstanding baseball writer, got in touch with his feminine side in this story about the CC Sabathia trade. And don’t tell him I said feminine side and Ocker in the same sentence, either.

I’m not so sure I’d trade Casey Blake. Yes, he’s in his 30s, but he’s hitting .282 with nine home runs and 52 RBI and has played third and first base. The guy has a lot of value for a non-superstar player with oodles of drinking water flowing from his spigot.

ESPN.com says the Cavs are out of the James Posey hunt. No word on the accuracy of that statement, or when or where Posey will sign. Or where he will find water if he’s not with the Cavs.

This is what new Browns receiver Donte Stallworth said in the Boston Globe: “I've been kind of joking with Randy [Moss] and some of the guys that the road to the Super Bowl goes through Cleveland."

Finally … back to Yellowstone …

Anyone out there know what kind of birds these are. They nested in the crook of a .. well … a bathroom in the Lamar Valley, one of the vast valleys where animals love to roam in this great national park. These birds flitted in and out like crazy, and seemed to enjoy peeking out to pose for the camera. Any wise birders out there know what kind they are?