First and 10

1)      A reporter is supposed to be objective in this job. You know, be fair and balanced, not root … that kind of thing. But there are times when you can't help but be happy for certain individuals. So it is for Phil Dawson, who deserves every bit of praise and respect sent his way. The entire Browns team loves Dawson. He is a pro, a good person, a good father and he and his wife Shannon have been as much a part of this team as any player I can remember. They are top-notch people and Dawson has been a top-notch professional for this team from the day he walked in the door in 1999. Dawson has kicked 49-yarder through blizzards and continued to kick and cover after breaking his arm during a game. He's missed game-winners and stood at his locker after and answered every question. He never hides from responsibility, never ducks a question and never makes excuses when he misses a kick. When he makes one, he's humble and maintains perspective. To see his coach call on him Monday night, to see that kick go through for him … well that was a moment worth waiting for.

2)      It's at this point that you may reach for the tissue to wipe away the tear.

3)      On another serious note, this might be the worst Browns defense to take the field since 1999. If Shaun Rogers does not make a tackle, it's likely not going to be made. Marshawn Lynch ran for 119 yards and caught 10 passes for 58 more. I'd wager one-third of those yards came after the first attempted tackle, and at least one-half came after the first hit. Shameful.

4)      Those negatives were glaring, but Dawson's kick that gave the Browns a win makes those negatives a tiny bit more palatable. But just a tiny bit, though. There's no erasing how the Browns defense played Monday night.

5)      Monday's game is an example of a coach's decision looking smart or not smart based on whether his players pick him up. Earlier this season, Crennel made some fourth-down decisions I did not agree with, but pointed out the decisions were made worse when his players did not help the coach out. Monday night, I thought a 56-yard field goal was too long to try and I would have gone for a first down on fourth-and-10. Crennel decided to kick, and looked good for the choice when Dawson backed him up.

6)      The Bills got to the Browns 32-yard-line on their final possession, then ran the ball three times. Easily second-guessable, except for the fact that Buffalo had run on the Browns the entire game and they clearly had no confidence in Trent Edwards following his interceptions. Had they thrown and Edwards been picked again, Dick Jauron would have been questioned. Jauron chose to do what worked and was questioned. Bottom line: Dawson helped out his coach, Rian Lindell didn't.

7)      I fear I'm being a little too bubbly about this win, because really the Browns and Bills both tried to give the game away. The Browns blew three leads, played terrible defense and had fewer tackles than a guy going fishing. This loss also highlights how damaging those two losses to Baltimore and Denver were. Had the Browns finished those games the way they should have, had they played like pros the way Jamal Lewis wanted them to play, they'd be 6-4 and right in the playoff hunt. And had elephants died their skin pink we could say they were a lot prettier as well.

8)      Let's also not get ga-ga over Brady Quinn. His game Monday night produced mediocre numbers (14-for-36). Had someone named Anderson played that way people would have been screaming "off with his head." Quinn completed far fewer than 50 percent of his throws, and in two games he's now 52.1 percent (which is better than Anderson did in eight games). Quinn faced a heavy blitz – and several times guys came clean up the middle. He missed receivers three times in a row on the final drive – and narrowly missed throwing an interception on that drive. He was calm, cool and collected, but he was not overly effective. Does this matter? Probably not. Because the more Quinn plays the more he grows. Right now the Browns belong to Quinn and the Browns should be planning what veteran to sign as a backup in the offseason. My only point is that Quinn's game shouldn't be lionized to be more than what it was – mediocre numbers in a win.

9)      Sean Jones' complaints' last week? Should have read this way: Geez oh man, I'm in a contract year and they're talking about me sharing time? … As for Eric Wright, I know the guy idolizes Deion Sanders, but is there any reason to think he should try to tackle like Deion did not try to tackle? Deion was the worst, and Wright is looking just like him. He plays with a total lack of aggression. It's embarrassing – especially when you think back to the way Daylon McCutcheon played and tackled. … Why the poor tackling? Well maybe the Browns defenders are too slow. Poor tackling like that usually means players are out of position. Or it means lack of athletic ability, as in a guy is in position and isn't athletic enough to recover or react. Or it means the guys aren't very good. Could be possible in the Browns case that, with the exception of Shaun Rogers, all the above are true.

10)  Earlier this season, the Browns beat the Giants and Emmitt Smith said that if the Browns had character they'd follow by beating Washington. They didn't. Well the Browns beat Buffalo, and if they have gained any mental toughness they'll follow by beating Houston at home. We shall see.

Three and Out

From the online comments:

I've been a Browns fan for all 32-years of my life. Do I hate the Squeelers? Absolutely. HOWEVER, I would much rather have "The Chin" (Bill Cowher) as the team's next head coach.

Do you realize why the rivalry was so strong when he was the coach over there?

Because he bled brown and orange and Art Modell stabbed him in the back and brought in Billy (Belichick).

Cowher has played for this team and coached for this team. He understands Cleveland football. We need a coach and management team that understands there is a difference between Cleveland football and what happens in the rest of the league.

Unfortunately, we as Browns fans, have not seen any life out of Cleveland football in almost 20 years.

Tim

Dear Tim,

A few thoughts:

1 – Cleveland football? How about simple, hard-nosed, hard-working, professional football that wins?

2 – That kind of football might qualify in Dubuque, too. But wouldn't we all take that here?

3 – I hear Cowher might not coach again until 2010. Can't say that for sure, but that's what I heard.

4 – Why does everyone assume Cowher would want to return to coaching and leave the gravy train that is television?

5 – Why does every one assume Cowher would beg to come here? Is that not some arrogance on our part when there are 31 other teams in the league?

6 – I've said it before and I'll say it again: If Cowher is hired, it's only because both Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage are gone. I just can't see Cowher working under Savage. Cowher will be able to pick and choose, and no matter where he winds up he'll be paid well. So he'll want the place he feels is the best fit for him.

Those are just my opinions.

Dear Pat,

While I suppose congratulations are in order for a win they didn't really deserve, will anyone in the Browns organization sit down with Crennel and ask why this team seems so ill-prepared to face a challenge?  Why they can't tackle?  Why they struggle to look competent?  Why, after almost five full seasons there is no progress of note in any area, and there is no personality to hold onto?

Not offensively, not defensively, not spiritually, not attitude wise, nothing.  Why this team is still without a persona, with no defining characteristic or strength, possessing nothing that anyone can point to and say, "Gee, after five seasons they are
really getting good at … "?

Furthermore, does anyone in the entire organization understand how embarrassing it is for fans to hear Tony Kornheiser and Ron Jaworski discuss, on national TV, whether or not Trent Edwards is playing poorly because he has too much time to throw.

I mean come on, are you kidding me?
The only possible things the Browns can cling to are field goals.  To his credit, and something fans can be proud of, Dawson has been the most consistently excellent, longest lasting positive for the franchise since the re-birth.  But is that our
mantra, ‘The Browns Will Kick You Into Submission?'

What kind of organization have we been saddled with that this is what they will accept?

Dan H

Dear Dan,

Lemme guess. You didn't think the Browns played too well Monday night.

I received quite a few e-mails like yours. And I offered some thoughts on this organization in Sunday's Beacon Journal.

Sometimes when I'm at a game the team seems to play better than the way it comes across on television.

I'm thinking that Monday night, the Browns came across a lot worse than it looked live.

And I say that knowing the game was a complete exercise in frustration.

Hi Pat,

How is it that a team of professional football players cannot tackle?

These guys should consider themselves lucky they are not out in California playing for Mike Singletary.  Say what you will about his tactics, but Singletary is forcing the players to be acountable.

The Bills did everything they could to give this game to the Browns.  Romeo's team nearly succeeded in giving it back.

John Brodie

Galt, CA

Dear John,

I love Mike Singletary's tactics.

And I can't explain the tackling, except to say that the Browns just are not that good.

(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)

Way back on Aug. 26, I wrote that when a guy has swelling in his knee it usually means a tear of some sort – and typically it’s cartilage. Yes, this is shameless self-promotion, but it took no great genius to say that was Sean Jones’ problem back in preseason. He had swelling on his knee. Now, a few weeks later, he’s having surgery to fix cartilage problems and will miss at least a month. I would guess that Jones wanted to try to play through the problem and discovered he couldn’t. That’s about the only explanation for Jones and the Browns not taking care of this situation in preseason. This has been painted as a huge loss, and it hurts, but Jones was hardly playing at full-speed in the opener. It’s just another problem to put on the pile, a pile that is starting more and more to look like this may be one of those years.

Donte Stallworth has a strain, not a tear of a muscle. This remains one of the strangest injuries I’ve come across in 82 years of covering the NFL, a guy pulling up lame in pregame workouts. Suffice it to say that Stallworth’s teammates were not thrilled when they discovered he was not on the field last Sunday. It would have been nice if Stallworth had shown up in the open locker room session with the media on Monday or Wednesday to discuss the matter, but he didn’t.

There was a serious discussion going on between some of the team’s equipment guys at the entrance to the team’s locker room on Sunday about the battery in the receiver of Derek Anderson’s helmet. Apparently that malfunction caused much angst. Understandably. Does this stuff happen to other teams?

I know there’s no sense in tearing up a roster after one game, but there is sense in adding viable players. Me, I’m not sure about Ty Law, but I hear he can still play. New England claimed Deltha O’Neal off waivers and he was a big contributor in week one. One guy I’d sign yesterday would be wide receiver Joe Horn. He’s a veteran who knows the game and (gasp) catches the ball. Who looks better in the slot? A guy like Horn, or the Steve Sanders/Syndric Steptoe combination the Browns used in the opening game. Enough said.

Lots of rumors flying that the coaching staff is pushing hard to add a couple veterans to areas of need – guys like Horn and Law. The front office is sticking with the roster as it’s built. I’m not sure if those rumors are true, but Marla Ridenour tells me Horn’s agent says he has not heard from the Browns at all. This one I don’t get. Take away Joe Jurevicius and (now) Stallworth and things are not pretty at receiver. The Browns have an opportunity to do something this season. To bypass a chance to try to get better does not seem to help the cause.