1)      I'm thinking that right now the Lions ought to be favored by nine.

2)      Imagine that. The Browns a more-than-deserving near-double digit underdog to a team that has one win since the start of the 2009 season. Say this for the Browns: They've earned it.

3)      For the second game in a row, the Browns opponent played down to the Browns level, yet won fairly easily. Baltimore played about as well as Chicago played against the Browns, which is to say pretty poorly. One mistake by a cornerback, one mistake by a quarterback — game over. With never a threat that the Browns would come back on their own to win. Expectations have been driven so subterranean that it's worthy of celebrating when the Browns hold a team to a scoreless half.

4)      Nothing Eric Mangini tries is working. Nothing. His quarterback competition. Working players harder. Bringing in his players. Forcing Cribbs into the wide receiver spot. Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator. George Kokinis. Calling timeout against Cincinnati, which only served to set up the Bengals touchdown that sent the game into overtime. Not calling timeout against Baltimore as his guys were trotting on the field when the Ravens lined up at the 13. Going no-huddle against Baltimore. None of it has worked. None of it. And were it not for a botched punt return by Buffalo, we surely would be looking at an oh-and-nine team right now. This is not bad luck, though. It's bad coaching. Bad coaching, bad decisions, bad everything.

5)      Calling that hook-and-lateral with three seconds left and the Browns down 16 was inane. What was the point? The game was over. O-v-e-r. Running that play only served to injure one of the Browns best players. Yes, injuries are sometimes bad luck. But in this case the Browns made their own bad luck with an ill-advised play call at a point of the game when that call was not necessary.

6)      It was almost as ludicrous as having Brady Quinn throw two bombs the previous two plays. Were those going to somehow tie the game? Even if they were .. . well … actually thrown inbounds.

7)      When we assess the Browns offense Monday night, let's not forget the Browns were coming off a bye. Which means they had two weeks to prepare for Baltimore. Two weeks and they come up with that performance. The NFL is a passing league, and most teams move the ball by opening up the field and running receivers in different patterns all over the field. Except … the … Browns. It seems obvious now that the Browns have two different game plans for Derek Anderson and Quinn, and that the coaching staff does not trust Quinn to throw down the field, except in the rarest of instances or when they are down 16 and less than 20 seconds are left.

8)      Eric Mangini said after the game that the Browns are trying to throw the ball downfield with Quinn. "We're not avoiding that part of the field," he said. Well it sure looks like they are. Just about every play Quinn ran was a quick rollout and quick throw. Usually for four-to-six yards. It looked like a JV offense for the high school team.

9)      People say that we now know about Brady Quinn, that he's not an NFL quarterback. I'm not buying that. I don't think we know anything more about either quarterback because it's next to impossible to judge them based on the offense being run and the plays being called. I would not shrink from bringing in a new quarterback next season, but I also would not give up on Quinn because of this season.

10)  I don't understand why Mangini didn't call for a timeout when he didn't have the players on the field with Baltimore at the 13-yard-line. The last Brown was trotting on the field as the ball was snapped. Mangini called that timeout earlier in the season against Cincinnati in a similar circumstance and he didn't need to. This time he needed to and he didn’t call timeout. Nothing is working. Too, how can it be that at this point of the season the Browns can't even get the right guys on the field for a critical play. Ten men with the other team lining up at the 13? This is the attention to detail that is stressed so much by this regime? What a joke.

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

 I don't always agree with you, but I certainly do with your latest article. It's blown my mind that this is the third season that Brady Quinn has been a member of the team and we still don't know if he's an NFL quarterback. One of the best ways to help Quinn's confidence is to run the football and limit how many times he has to throw it.  This is what Marty Schottenheimer did when they were breaking Bernie Kosar in 24 years ago.

It would be nice to see some close, competitive games in the second half of the season, huh?

Steve Bohnenkamp

Geneva IL

Dear Steve,

The Browns ran fairly well Monday night, but they had their backs run 24 times (including one WR reverse) and had Quinn throw 31 passes. This seems like forcing the pass to maintain balance, especially considering the passes the Browns threw.

As for competitive games … we've reached the point where we hope to compete against Detroit … Kansas City … Oakland.

Uncle.

Dear Pat,

Eric Mangini was such a terrible hire from the very start. My most pressing concern as a Browns fan is to see him gone. At the same time, I have this sinking feeling that the search for a new Chief Football Officer is going to be similarly botched—too rushed, too shortsighted, too fixated on a name. 

 Now, I don’t know if the Mike Holmgren rumor is for real or just one of those half-baked ESPN reports. But look at his resume in Seattle: In 10 seasons as coach he was 12 games over .500 (in a consistently pathetic division), he posted a 4-6 playoff record, and after four years on the job he was stripped of his GM duties (with a 31-33 record)—duties which he was denied in Green Bay.

 So is Mike Holmgren any good at having final approval on players or constructing and leading an organization? Isn’t that the job? I’m not saying he wouldn’t be an upgrade over the current regime. I mean, the bar’s been set right at about ankle level. But even a future Hall of Famer can be unqualified, and at this point I’ve seen enough unqualified people come through town.

Michael Stevens

Boca Raton, FL

Dear Michael,

Valid points on Holmgren. Let me address some of them:

1)      The Browns want him to be a candidate. Whether he becomes one is up to him.

2)      Holmgren had the record you mentioned in Seattle, but he also took two different teams to the Super Bowl. That says something too.

3)      He lost the GM job, but that's because he was doing two jobs. I think he's smart enough and knows football well enough that he could be a strong and positive guiding hand while doing one job.

4)      Would Holmgren look more attractive if he brought Jon Gruden with him as coach?

5)      Which of these names has the most rings: Holmgren, Bill Cowher, Brian Billick, Jon Gruden. Answer: All the above. They all have one.

6)      I think you'll see a different type search this time than the one Randy Lerner conducted in January. I think he'll involve more people, ask more opinions and get more feedback. This is good.

If the Browns can hire Mike Holmgren, I'm all for it.

Dear Pat,

I know a lot of fans were hoping the Ravens would embarrass the Browns to hasten the departure of Mangini and to secure the overall No. 1 pick.  And I kind of felt that way following the Bears game, amidst the intrigue of the Kokinis firing/resignation.  But by the middle of last week I was actually looking forward to Monday night, dreaming that the bye would be a reset, the staff would finally get it together, and that in his return Brady would become the Mighty Quinn and begin a Browns career that would place him up there with other Browns championship QBs, like Otto Graham, and Frank Ryan, and……umm….well, you get my drift.  And yea, the first half was OK because it was a draw and anything was still possible.  Then came the third quarter.

 And while it may be simplistic and unfair to distill this disastrous season down to one play, for me it all came down to one critical moment in this coaching regime's tenure.  Score 0-0, just gave up a big play to the Ravens, but an opportunity remains to take back the momentum with a stop, where even a Ravens' field goal would be a positive for the Browns.  And in the ninth game of the season, after two weeks to prepare, THEY CAN'T EVEN GET 11 MEN ON THE FIELD.  Honestly, how is that possible?  That, of course, led to Ray Rice's TD and that opened the door to yet another national embarrassment.

So while there is a lack of talent on the Browns, and competing with such a deficit is extremely difficult, it is now clear to me that this is really a secondary problem.  The first problem, and one that will ensure failure regardless of the talent level, are the people coaching and preparing the team.  Lerner must jettison Mangini now because he has no future with the team.  Keeping him for the remainder of the season will only serve to scare off talented candidates for GM who don't want to worry about being stuck with an awful coach or don't want the hassle of having to fire him.  Really, this is the only option that remains.

Dan Hough

Dear Dan,

I really can't disagree with much of what you say … but comparing Brady Quinn to Otto Graham? Wow.

That’s even worse than this colossal failure of a season.

(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.)

Here are 10 suggestions for the Cleveland Browns as they head to the second half of the season:

1)      Run the ball. The one thing the offense did kind of, sort of well the first half was run the ball. Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis each had 100-yard games. There have been some good runs. This could be one element the offense could build from, assuming they don't try to force the issue by mixing in too many passes. We all saw how THAT worked.

2)      Run two or three or four basic defenses and run them well. The Browns lack too much talent on defense to run a free-wheeling, blitzing style. If it means going to Cover Two and playing that every play, so be it. It can't be worse than what happened the first eight games.

3)      Remove the play-calling responsibilities from Brian Daboll and give them to Carl Smith. Daboll has looked overmatched. Yes, Bernie Kosar keeps saying on his many radio shows that Browns receivers are running wide open and simply not catching the ball, so the problem isn't merely the plays. OK, let's give Kosar that one. The problem is the knee-jerk reaction, the amateurish thought process. It's the focus on one thing that doesn't last — like opening with the quick passes against Baltimore, then giving up on it once Brady Quinn threw an interception, or opening with the Wildcat in Pittsburgh, then giving up on it once Josh Cribbs threw a pick. Formulate a plan on Tuesday, stress it during the week and stick with it on Sunday. Smith is a veteran coach who has been around. He knows what he's doing. Let him call plays and see what happens. It can't be worse.

4)      Play Quinn. Find out what the Browns have in him. It seems that we know about Derek Anderson. Or at least what we know from the previous few games is decidedly not pretty.

5)      Call some plays down the field for Quinn. He has to be able to throw the ball 15 yards. That being said, one concern expressed to me about Quinn is that he has developed the very bad habit of focusing on the rush as soon as he sees it. This takes his eyes from his receivers and puts them on the rusher, which is a key reason he throws so many dumpoffs. This is a hard habit to break, and why it happens is kind of inexplainable. It's comparable to a golfer getting the yips. So … who knows … perhaps we may see more of Anderson.

6)      Quit micromanaging. Coach the team, forget the insanity like making every non-playing and non-coaching member of the travel group get on the bus to the airport 45 minutes early so they don't cross paths with the players. Let everyone board the bus together. Forget the nitpicking like water bottles and that kind of thing. Coach the team, concentrate on winning the game. Just. Go. Win. The. Game.

7)      Make whoever decided that these receivers could play in the NFL coach these receivers personally. Because to me they look overmatched by average NFL corners. They don't get off the line, don't get open and when they do they don't catch the ball or fumble it away. (Other than that … ) No NFL team should have receivers who play the way these do. Then enact a corollary to this rule and enforce it: Announce a starting quarterback and quit playing games with the announcement.

8)      Eliminate the stinking players valet parking lot. It's a perk that this team bestowed on players well before it was earned. Now it's an offensive reminder of the way these guys are treated. Park in a lot where they can shake hands with fans and greet people and maybe sign an autograph or two after the game. Walk 20 feet in the rain, or wind, or snow, if need be. Fans do it. Players can do it.

9)      Abandon the blitz, drop deep and make teams use 15 plays to score. If they score, they score. But there have been too many big plays. Play the ultimate umbrella defense. Make the other team earn it. If they score, then so be it — but chances increase that on one of those 15 plays the other team might make a mistake.

10)   Start devoting many resources to next year's draft. At this point, that's the most important thing in the world to this team. However many people are studying college guys, add another one or two to the list.

And … because it's the Browns … a bonus 11 …

11)  Here's a unique idea: Pretend the Browns are an actual NFL team with actual professionals on the roster. Treat them that way, and maybe, just maybe, they will play that way.

This will be no quick turnaround; in fact there might not be any turnaround. But some fundamental notions could make the second half of the season a tiny bit more palatable than the first. And isn't that what everyone wants?

Three and Out will take a break this week due to the flu's invading my being. Besides, we all know the nature of the letters.

1)      I awoke to NPR this morning stating that the Browns released an "awkwardly worded statement" that General Manager George Kokinis was gone. Calling the statement awkward — it said Kokinis "is no longer actively with the organization" — would be like calling winter in Nome chilly. You read that statement and you wonder what it means.

2)      Then coach Eric Mangini stands up in his news conference and says he won't talk about what happened with Kokinis other than to say "it didn't work out." So the one voice that the team has isn't taking questions about it. Next thing you know the Browns will wonder why there's so much speculation and rumor about what happened. Not addressing the situation smacks of cowardice. Leadership means standing up when things are tough (see Mark Shapiro discussing and addressing the firing of Eric Wedge). In this case, Mangini and the Browns sat down. The really frightening thing: Mangini kept saying "we" when talking about the organization and the team's future, as if to imply he would be part of it long-term. Guess we now know the subject of the next paranormal activity movie.

3)      I don't know what happened that caused this to happen with Kokinis so suddenly. Randy Lerner obviously felt strong enough about something to act. I have heard that Kokinis worked in Cleveland the same way he did in Baltimore. He kept coaches hours, which means arrive early and stay late and sometimes sleep in the office. He had his scouts doing the same thing, and that didn't sit real well with all of them. He also worked quietly, behind the scenes. Kokinis was not a real public guy, though he's always been a good guy in my private dealings with him.

4)      The way this went down, though, clearly makes it seem like Kokinis is taking the fall for a bad start. Mangini somehow continues in his job, yet the GM is fired? After the majority of players brought in were ex-Jets? After the quarterback situation was completely mishandled on the field? After all the garbage we've seen on the playing field? True or not, this clearly makes it look like Mangini sacrificed his friend to save his job. And the Browns statement and Mangini's nonexplanation do nothing to rectify that impression. As for Mangini calling Kokinis a friend … I can hardly wait to see what gifts they exchange this Christmas.

5)      The flip side is that if Kokinis was simply not up to the job and the pressures of the job and losing got to him — a possibility — then Mangini was wrong to suggest him as GM and the Browns made a mistake picking him. Either way, Mangini does not come out of this well. Nor should he. He's overseeing a season of disastrous proportions.

6)      Let's not forget, too, Mangini's history in New England. He wanted a head coaching job, and Bill Belichick asked him not to take one job — with the Jets. Belichick's thinking: The rivalry and feelings between the two teams were too intense for the friendship to continue. Any other team … Belichick said, he'd do anything he could to help him. Mangini took the Jets job anyway, and he knew he was getting it as the Patriots flew back from a playoff loss in Denver. So on the team plane, Mangini was recruiting coaches from Belichick's staff to join him in New York. When Belichick heard this, he was irate, and the next day locked Mangini out of the building. Once Mangini got to New York, Spygate followed. Now we have Kokinis recommended by Mangini, hired, and fired. Err … no longer actively involved.

7)      One thing can't be debated: Kokinis waited to take the job with the Browns last January because he wanted it in his contract that he had final say over personnel. He got that. It seems quite obvious that once he got in the building, Mangini had final say over everything — including how Kokinis should act (he was not the same person he was in Baltimore), who parks where and the fact that the first floor should have plaster board covering up the cinder block. Not to mention moving the mural of the hall of famers that has never been placed in the lobby like the team said it would (though there are nice plaques with the names of the hall of famers).

8)      Walking out of Solider Field on Sunday, I heard another writer from the Chicago area describe the game this way while talking on his cell phone: "Wasn't much of a game. The Bears played really bad, and the Browns are just horrible." Sums it up, doesn't it? The Bears had a day they'd like to forget, a day when they openly admitted they played down to the Browns level — and they won BY 24 POINTS.

9)      What did Jamal Lewis mean when he said he "stuck his neck out" for the Browns? Two things: First is he is playing on a very painful ankle, one that required an offseason procedure and would sideline a lot of others players. Second is he stood up for the new regime, and did what he could to get everyone on the team to "buy in." Now he sees what's happening, and he's rightly disgusted.

10)   There's no sense hiding from another reality: The majority of the players cannot stand playing for Mangini. Yes, there is a small group that believes in him, and most are the guys he brought in from New York. But others simply don't like him. Because he belittles them in meetings, beats them down mentally and has no clear plan to win a game. Anyone who believes that this team believes in this coach is not looking at the reality on the field. Too, the players look at how he says everyone should be treated the same and they see that Mangini treats employees in the building shabbily and they think "hypocrite." As one league insider very knowledgeable in the workings of this and any team said: "That situation there will get 100 times worse before it even starts to get better."

Three and Out

There were so many letters the past eight days, so many from which to choose. I'm sticking with four as a representative sample.

Dear Pat,

Webster's defines death as "a state of being." That's a pretty good definition of the Cleveland Browns. Eric Mangini claims it's a process and he is right; it has been a slow death over the last 39 years.

Ineptitude can creep in and destroy a beloved franchise. Greedy owners, mismanagement, a revolving door of incompetent general managers, coaches, support staff  and quarterbacks can over time lead to the fall of a once storied championship team.

This has all created a dysfunctional organization that is an embarrassment to itself, its loyal fans and the city it represents. To paraphrase Einstein: "The problems that face us today as the Cleveland Browns cannot be solved by the level of thinking that has created it."

Be respectful of the "dead." Don't try and leave it on life support with a parade of old legends like Jim Brown or Bernie Kosar. It's too late simply cremate it and spread the ashes over Los Angeles, and like Braylon Edwards give it a new start.

We the Baby Boomers are tired of grieving year in and year out over this ailing parent. Let it go! It's over already

Craig Bassett

Ft Mill SC

Dear Craig,

I think many share your pain.

Dear Pat,

Is Randy Lerner clueless.  He fires a guy who did nothing. I have not seen a quote or anything else from George Kokinis since he was hired. That's like blaming the cook for the Titanic sinking.

Have a great day!

Ed Miller

New Waterford, OH

Dear Ed,

Every day is a great day when you're involved with the Cleveland Browns.

Dear Pat,

Thanks for starting the firing process of Eric Mangini. Please add Brian Daboll, the clown who is our offensive coordinator, to the list of people to be fired immediately.

I hope you can convince Randy Lerner why Mangini has to go. The players have lost all confidence in him. He is simply going to make it even worse by hanging around.

Thanks for all your help.

Best Regards

Tom Joseph

Season Ticket holder since 1979

Dear Tom,

I take no pride in "starting" a process that leads to someone losing his job. I simply have the opinion that you are right: This is going to get worse before it gets better, and I don't see it getting better with Mangini guiding the ship.

Dear Pat,

I’ve been a Browns fan all my life.  I was eight when they won it all in 1964.  I’ve seen a lot, heard a lot, etc.  I’ve lived in four different states, currently in the Chicago area.  I’m around plenty of Bears fans all the time.

Today, the day after the Bears-Browns game, I’m getting pity.  Even the most ardent Bears fans realize Sunday’s game was poorly played from the Bears standpoint, yet they had no trouble winning.

Here is the most common thing I’ve heard today – I feel sorry for the city of Cleveland that the Browns are so bad.  They say the Browns are the worst team they’ve played in they can’t remember when.  This is coming from fans whose team plays the Lions twice a year!  How sad that is.

I didn’t see the game live.  I taped it but I won’t watch it.  I was traveling back from Ohio to Chicago yesterday afternoon so I listened to the game on the Bears radio network.  More than once the Bears announcers (Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer) asked the question – what has Brady Quinn done that he can’t even get on the field?  This was before the one series mop up at the end of the game.

To me the Browns are at the lowest point in their history.  There is no reason to be optimistic about the future.  What building blocks do they even have in place?  What free agent player other than one that no other team wants would play for this team or this coaching staff?  There are holes everywhere.  We are watching the destruction of a franchise that will take years to rebuild if it can be rebuilt.

Delusional Browns fans can quit dreaming about Bill Cowher or any other big name coach coming in to save them.  Not going to happen.

I’m still a fan but I’m becoming a very apathetic one.

Tom Shenberger

Crystal Lake,  Illinois

Dear Tom,

You sound much more than apathetic. But you also sound correct. Very, very correct.

(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.)

I'll be at the Cavs opener tonight, so this week's First and 10 arrives a little early.

1)      There were many reactions to my idea that it's time for the Browns to admit they made a mistake with Eric Mangini, that it's best to move on. Almost 90 percent of the e-mails and calls were positive. Folks said they agreed a change is needed. Some said thanks, others said well spoken, others criticized the owner for hiring Mangini, and some said my brains have less consistency than Jello. All is fine. As Mike Brown once said, I agree with what I said. But … just because I said … errr … wrote it doesn't mean Randy Lerner will do it. In fact, he's probably not going to do it. Which is fine. It is his team after all.

2)      That being said, the Browns have to be aware of the damage being done to their following. I've never seen a Browns crowd so apathetic as it was against Green Bay. The opposing quarterback said it was eerily quiet in the Browns stadium. People are acting like they've been hit too many times. Friends I know who have tickets can't give them away. The people I hear from are angry, which on one level makes sense because you usually hear from the angry people. But the fan base is sickened by what they see. The team's revenues could nosedive this offseason if the fans think 2010 will be more of the same. Yes, there are 11 draft picks. But if the Browns are hanging their hats on those draft picks they are fooling themselves. This regime traded three top six picks (Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, the fifth overall choice) and the only first-round pick they got in return was center Alex Mack. So they got a center, second- and third-round choices, a bunch of mid-round picks and a bunch of ex-Jets. 

3)      Some criticized me for criticizing the Browns for lack of continuity, then asking for another change. Fair enough. I just think keeping on with a mistake makes the mistake worse. If you paint your living room and realize one-third of the way through that the color is ugly, do you keep painting? Didn’t think so. The Indians made quick moves with coaches in the past when it was obvious their hiring wasn't working (Eddie Murray, a pitching coach whose name I forget). It's time to bite the bullet and accept reality. It's not working. Chart a new course in 2010, and hope that the next hire (or hires) has (have) more success. Too… if a change is made, I'd advocate hiring a football guy to run football. Then said football guy can hire the coach.

4)      It's been opined that the Browns have no talent. I don't disagree. There is a serious lack of talent. But I said that last year, and many yelled at me and cried for Romeo Crennel to be fired. Much of the same talent is back, and Mangini supplemented it with 23 players he chose (as of opening day). Ten of them are ex-Jets he wanted and went and got — either via trade or free agency. So if Mangini was right on the new guys, the team should be better. Because he brought in players he wanted to a team that got screwed up last season by the coach. Doesn't seem like you can have it both ways — cry about the coach last season, then lament the talent this season.

5)      The Browns rank dead last in the league in defense, and they are giving up 170 yards rushing per game. Why, then, did I opine that Rob Ryan would be the choice for interim coach? Basically because he's the best option. The only thing that I think will get the Browns going this season is a different voice, a guy who approaches things far differently from Mangini. That would be Ryan, a coordinator with personality who's not afraid to take people on. I'd make the move, tell Ryan to try to make a name for himself and see what happens. Like I said, it can't be worse.

6)      Seems to me that the Browns keep forcing the issue with Josh Cribbs on offense. They've tried him at receiver, they've tried him at quarterback. Thus far, he's had a critical fumble against Minnesota, a big dropped pass against Buffalo, an interception against Pittsburgh and another fumble against Green Bay. Is it possible that forcing the issue with Cribbs is actually hurting the offense? Or that perhaps he's spread too thin? What would I do? Let him run from the Wildcat formation, but run different plays — not just the sweep and the fake-one-way-and-run-the­-other play they always run. Use some misdirection, something different. Last season's coaches did not believe Cribbs could handle a larger load on offense. At this point they appear to be right. You have to love Cribbs as a player, but more and more it's looking like as a receiver he makes a great kick returner.

7)      The Browns ran a quarterback sneak on second-and-1 against Green Bay, and some people defended it because it got them a first down. These are the levels to which we have sunk.

8)      My buddy who used to call Pete Franklin and identify himself as "Joe Fan" — he'd always take the side of the fans — called Sunday and offered this solution: Have the Dolans and Lerners trade teams. Give the Indians to the Lerners, who could operate with their financial resources in a system without a salary cap. Then let the Dolans run the Browns, because they could operate in a capped system and let the revenues dictate their spending. "Joe Fan" often suggests things like this.

9)      Someone smarter than me — and that's a lengthy list — will have to figure what happened to the two quarterbacks. Brady Quinn led the Browns to 59 points in two games last season. Derek Anderson threw 29 touchdowns two seasons ago. Neither look close to what they did. To say they've regressed is putting it mildly. Maybe the team needs a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium this weekend to help clear the mind.

10)  Here's another thing that bothered me about the Browns offense against Green Bay. Their way to "take some shots" down the field was to throw the go. Receiver lines out wide, and takes off straight down the field. Against Green Bay, it came against man coverage with two very good corners doing the covering. Maybe run a go once, but four times? Why keep trying such a simple route that is pretty easy to defend, especially when receivers are not that fast. This is a low percentage pass. Might it not help to go with a more high percentage passing game? What's that? Can't do it because Derek Anderson doesn't throw the short pass well? Well what about Brady … umm .. never mind. See what a mess this team is? I mean … they trade Kellen Winslow and then run an offense tailor made for Kellen Winslow. It's not a matter of effort or caring. Obviously everyone is trying. It's. Just. Not. Working. Oh … get ready to hear how the late-season games are a boost if the Browns somehow find a way to beat an Oakland or a Jacksonville or a Kansas City in December. Right here is where you roll your eyes.

A sampling of letters, mainly dealing with Eric Mangini …

Dear Pat,

When Eric Mangini took over as head coach I was "drinking the Kool-Aid" about players trying to get better every day on one thing and that we'd see steady improvement.  Well, that has proven to be just one more false hope for us diehard Browns fans, who have now been putting up with these emotional swings for 11 seasons.

 I sat at yesterday's game in Cleveland against Green Bay and I had pretty much made up my mind it would be my last game there as a season ticket holder.  The final nail in the coffin was watching that debacle.  The Browns are no better than the original expansion team in 1999.  I am no longer willing to throw my complete loyalty and money towards supporting the Cleveland Browns, so I won't be renewing my season tickets.  I'll have to eat my PSLs, but when you look at the cost of me traveling to games from St. Louis, Dallas or Chicago, walking from the PSLs is nothing.

Why would I continue to go to games when I don't have fun? 

All the time I put into supporting the team for 47 years and all the money spent just isn't worth it anymore.  I hope Randy Lerner does well.  He and his father brought a team back to Cleveland for which all of us should be grateful.  It's the so-called "football people" that have let him and the great fans of the Browns down.

Steve Bohnenkamp

Geneva, Ill.

Dear Steve,

To those who say making a move now is not fair to the coach, it might not be. But what is fair to the good and loyal fans of the Browns?

Dear Pat,

I can only think that if Brady Quinn was given these last four games to play he could have developed and the team would be in a better place now because of it. But egos stand in the way of the Browns finding out if we have one quarterback that might be worth a damn. I have never rooted against the Browns in all my years. At this juncture I find myself pulling for them to lose. And to lose badly. This coach does not deserve his position and I would rather rebuild with a true GM and coach instead of someone that obviously is an egomaniac and control freak.

Sincerely,

Gerald Keefer

 Dear Gerald,

The only thing the Browns have learned about their quarterbacks this season is how not to handle them.

Dear Pat,

I cannot argue any of the points in your recent article.  However, as an educated reporter, what do you think will really happen to the new Browns coach?  Personally, I think Randy Lerner will never fire a coach in his first season, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.  This might actually surpass the Spergon Wynn days as the worst football in Browns history, and it makes me wonder if Lerner realizes the damage that's being done to the fan base.  Not only with the loyal customers, who have been kicked in the teeth for years, but also the next generation of kids who have never seen winning football in Cleveland.

Tom Crookston Stow

 Dear Tom,

Imagine this … 11 years of losing … three years with no football … the Belichick years. That's an entire generation of football kids, lost.

Dear Pat,

I am a Jets fan and have been all my life. My best friend is a dedicated Browns fan and I love to root for the underdog.  Believe me when I tell you, we (Jets fans) almost had a ticker tape parade when Mangini was fired. It was in my opinion at least two years too late.  For the Browns to have picked him up so soon was a mistake and it needs to be rectified now.  He saps morale, and he can't coach, as you can plainly see.  He needs to go. I hope for the fans sake that something happens soon.

Allison Norman

Dear Allison,

It's not about fines or laps or anything else. It's about what's happening on the field. And it's not working. 

Dear Pat,

If there are others like me, here, you can have a good laugh … I'm having second thoughts about Romeo Crennel.

Keith Vlasak Sandusky, Ohio

Dear Keith,

I never thought Crennel was as bad as people made him out to be, but I also didn't think he helped himself a lot. That being said, imagine the situation we are in now where Crennel has been vindicated.

Dear Pat,

Eric Mangini is embarrassing an already embarrassed city and franchise. This team is every bit as bad as the 1999 team and getting worse. Heck, we beat Pittsburgh in '99 I think.

Ray Lehotsky North Royalton, Ohio

Dear Ray,

You're right. Chris Palmer's expansion team beat Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh.

Dear Pat,

Here we go … Mr. Know It Al is at it again. You are as crazy as they come. The best thing that can happen is the Browns shut the media OUT. Leave Mangini alone. He cleared out a large percentage of players from Davis and Crennel that you sportswriters said needed to go anyhow. Give the guy a chance to get what is needed. It's not going to happen overnight with things as bad as they were. Yu writers make me puke.

Rusty Kristen Sara

Dear Rusty,

Glad we got that straight. Hope you feel better tomorrow. 

Dear Pat,

It is amazing how pathetic a team can play. Name just one part of the Browns that may even be classified as average. The quarterback situation has been talked about even before the season started and yet that hardly can be the total problem. It just boggles my mind.

Ron Ferko

Dear Ron,

You're right. Nothing is even average on this team.

(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.)

1)      Another game, another loss to Pittsburgh. It would be nice to think after one of these games that the Browns are getting closer to Pittsburgh. But they're not. They're … just … not.

2)      Spent some time talking to Bruce Arians after the game Sunday. He's the Steelers' offensive coordinator, but he's also a former Browns offensive coordinator. He's a good example of the Browns struggles. He is a very good coach who deserves some consideration to be a team's head coach, but he was fired in Cleveland. He knows football, knows people, knows how to act. He did a very good job with the Browns. His role in leading them to almost win a playoff game in Pittsburgh can't be underestimated. But he was dumped, unceremoniously, by Butch Davis a year later. Arians went on to coach the Steelers receivers before becoming offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh. Last season, he got a ring when the Steelers won the Super Bowl. A guy who couldn't coach in Cleveland has had much to do with Ben Roethlisberger growing into an elite quarterback. So I asked Arians the secret was to the Steelers getting so many receivers running open on Sunday. He did not diminish the skills of the Browns secondary. In fact, he said they're good players and that corners Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald are "solid." But he and the rest of the Steelers noticed on film that the Browns like to blitz a safety on first and second down. So they figured if they protected Roethlisberger they'd have a chance for some big plays because the Browns were vacating an area of the defense on early downs. Lo and behold, the Steelers completed nine passes for longer than 20 yards, two for 19 yards. Nine of the 11 big gains came on — you guessed it — first and second down. When the Browns didn't blitz and rushed three or four, Roethlisberger had more time than any quarterback deserves. This is called good coaching — find something that can work, tell the players to make it work and then call it.

3)      Arians reflected back on that Browns playoff loss in Pittsburgh about 37 years ago and thought about his situation with Roethlisberger and the Browns with Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn going back and forth in the position the past two years. That shuffle-the-quarterback theme has been constant since he left. "It's a shame because they've had some quality quarterbacks," he said. "Go with one and he's your guy and live with it and build a football team around him. Quit pretty much playing roulette with that position." Want to bet Brett Ratliff gets some starts before the season ends? And that there's a new quarterback next season? And another new one when the next coach is hired?

4)      Arians was asked about the constant change and upheaval with the Browns. A pretty lengthy list of changes since he left was mentioned to him. "There's a word missing there," he said. "It's called patience." The difference between the Steelers and Browns? He used one word: "Continuity." Continuity means two coaches in 17 years. It means the same offensive coordinator for three years. It means a quarterback starting for six years. And a receiver starting for eight years. And a running back who has been there for five years. It means finding a way to do things, finding players to fit that approach and making it work. It means riding out ups and downs, but not settling for less or making excuses for lack of success. It means signing a guy like Brett Keisel because he's a very good three-four end, and keeping him. Brett Keisel might not play for a lot of teams because he doesn't fit the NFL profile. But he fits the Steelers, and he's very effective there. It's why the Steelers are so far different from the Browns right now.

5)      I'm just thinking that Josh Cribbs might be earning his contract extension.

6)      So Brady Quinn's house is for sale. Let's see. Expensive house. Guy doesn't think he has a long-term future in Cleveland. So a guy figures he'll get a jump on a slow market and put the house up for sale now and hopefully, he figures, when he's traded after the season he'll have the house sold or close to sold. Quinn could get traded today. It's more likely he just put the house up now to save himself some trouble later. The misuse and near waste of this young quarterback's talent will forever hang over the Browns.

7)      Interesting how Chansi Stuckey arrives and suddenly displaces Mike Furrey. Furrey has barely seen the field since the trade, while Stuckey has even though he had no practice time at all with his new team — and even though he's not catching passes. Is it because Stuckey played for the Jets? Take a step back here and realize we're talking about Mike Furrey and Chansi Stuckey. It's not like either is Brandon Stokley.

8)      In the second quarter Eric Mangini challenged a call on a Willie Parker non-fumble even though there was no good replay that immediately showed it should be challenged. Even with that, Mangini threw the flag — and it made sense. Because if he had won the challenge, he could have changed the momentum of the game. This is the point of replay — to fix the error that is obviously wrong, and to give coaches the chance to choose what plays to challenge. Coaches then decide the risk vs. the reward. Mangini didn't win the challenge, but it was worth the risk — because the reward could have been great.

9)      I will never understand the NFL reception rule. Hines Ward catches a pass, falls, rolls over and has the ball. He rolls over again and is out of bounds, and the ball comes out. The official rules it incomplete because he did not get up with the ball even though he had the ball in the end zone. The official ruled it right because that's the way the stupid rule is written. I say stupid because this rule is stupid. And it's stupid for this reason: A running back can run to the goal line, trip, fall and have the ball knocked out of his hands when he falls. Doesn't matter. It's a touchdown. Because he "broke the plane." (Who comes up with these terms anyway?) A receiver, though, can catch a pass, break the plane, get two feet down, fall, roll over and then lose the ball. It's incomplete. This is not even close to being consistent.

10)  The Browns actually improved their 12-game, touchdown-to-possession percentage in the game. This is a new stat made up by me. Heading into the game, the Browns had scored on three of their last 128 possessions. That's 2.3 percent. By scoring on one of 12, they are now 4-for-140. That's 2.9 percent. Which means that on Sunday the Browns followed the coach's new dictum of "getting better every day."

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

How about we start to change things by going back to the old uniforms, all white with the orange helmet. Dark tops for away games. Not much else one can do short of gutting the organization and starting over.

Ken Price

Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Dear Ken,

Gutting the organization is not appealing to you? 

Dear Pat,

I went to the game Sunday. The Steelers had a man wide open on every play. How? Was it coaching and scheme? Or really bad players?

Tim Abraham

Dear Tim, 

Yes.

Dear Pat,

The more I watch Josh Cribbs play the more I am convinced the Browns have to re-do his deal. I am usually not a guy who thinks you re-do a deal but this is the exception to that rule.

Furthermore I think by not re-working a deal that has been so vastly underrated you hurt yourself in the eyes of other potential free agents. NFL contracts are not guaranteed and if he underperformed by the same degree he would be cut tomorrow.

Ed Miller
New Waterford, Ohio

Dear Ed,

Josh Cribbs might be the MVP not just of the Browns but of the league. Take him away and what does this team have?

And, because I like the letters, a bonus two …

Dear Pat,

Braylon Edwards might face formal charges for punching a guy out in Cleveland.

If he truly stands before a jury of his peers, they will probably "drop" the charges …

Eddie Vidmar

Dear Eddie,

Yes, I know … you're here all week.

Let's just drop the subject, OK?

Dear Pat,

Last week's First and 10 was headlined: A true statement could be made this week (against Pittsburgh).

Just the headline alone is cause for laughter. "A statement?"

Here's a statement: We stink.

Marc, from an online comment

Dear Marc,

I agree with you. That is a statement.

(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.)

First and 10

1)      There are times when it seems like I'm existing in some netherworld that does not match the rest of humanity. Actually, those who know me say it's pretty much a daily occurrence. Alas, I digress. Sunday night, while driving back from Buffalo I was able to tune in to WTAM. Most of the calls I heard were about Derek Anderson and how horrible he was against the Bills. This led me to say something so very intelligent, like: "Huh?' A guy hits at least eight receivers in the hands and the ball winds up on the ground and that means the quarterback had a bad game? Neither world or no, this makes no sense. If folks want to pin a pretty awful game on Anderson, have at it. But he was among the least of the Browns problems in Buffalo.

2)      The other thing you lose sight of when you write about a team from the outside is the intensity of the feelings inside. The emotions and relief following the win over Buffalo were pretty overwhelming — even after a really bad game. I guess it's logical. I mean, guys don't practice to lose. Too, several folks had mentioned that the Browns had quit against Baltimore two weeks earlier. And maybe they did — in that one game. Players sometimes throw it in in a bad situation when the game is hopelessly out of reach. But they rarely do it for a season. As much as they are playing for a coach or a team they also are playing for themselves and their teammates. So you almost always get good effort — even when things go south. The Browns have given excellent effort the past two weeks. They haven't played exceptionally well, but they have given great effort. This is to their credit. I think that's why there was such a sense of elation from the players and the coach after Buffalo, because at last the effort and work had paid off.

3)      As bad as the Bills game was, there were things to like. Anderson was reasonably accurate on a blustery day. Jamal Lewis ran very well as the Browns went back-to-back with 100-yard rushers, something that hasn't happened since the Great Depression. The defense did well, though much of that had to do with the Bills inept play. And Dave Zastudil was outstanding.

4)      The entire special teams effort was outstanding, really. Coverage, punting, everything (no way to know about the kickoff team since there were only two kickoffs). If you think about it at all, this should not be surprising. Eric Mangini has loaded the Browns with special teams players. Blake Costanzo, Jason Trusnick, Kaluka Maiava, Ray Ventrone. They're all very good special teamers. Mangini does not have many "stars' on the roster on offense or defense, but he's got very good special teamers. So it figures they Browns special teams would play well. Too, the Bills are depleted due to injury. When injuries hit, special teamers become starters and practice squad guys or guys off the street become special teams guys. The Browns have been through that scenario many times the past few years. Combine a roster with some good special teamers and a roster that's depleted and one team should have the special teams edge.

5)      Trusnick, by the by, did some very good things, both on special teams and on defense when given the chance to play. Perhaps he could be a player.

6)      It's confusing why Dick Jauron did not try some unique strategy late in the game. The Browns got a first down at the 5 and Buffalo used its last timeout just before the two-minute warning. At that point, the Browns were going to run down the clock and try a game-winning field goal at the last possible second. Allowing the Browns to run down the clock meant the game would essentially be over. Which it was. So why not let the Browns score on first down? It goes against the grain, but had they done that, the Bills would have gotten the ball back with 1:50-something left, enough time for a legitimate offense to move down the field and have a chance to tie and send the game to overtime. Yes, it's a stretch to call the Bills offense "legitimate," but that approach really was the only chance the Bills had.

7)      The Steak 'N Shake in Erie — one can never spend enough time in Erie — advertises discount milkshakes from 2-4 p.m. and calls it "happy hour." With all respect, would this technically not be happy hours?

8)      I'm told that Brady Quinn would welcome a trade from Cleveland. There's no way of knowing if he'll get the deal, but he would welcome starting anew with another team. That dream of playing in Cleveland turned out well eh? If the Browns trade him, it would be good for Quinn but would be another black mark for the Browns. A team celebrates, gushes, is positively giddy it was able to trade up and get a guy in the draft, then it trades him after he plays 4 1/2 quarters as the starting quarterback. This brings two questions to mind: If it's not fair to judge Eric Manini after just a few games, why is it fair to judge Quinn? Isn't the idea of coaching to bring guys along, help them improve? The Browns go through quarterbacks like a shredder goes through paper. Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow must get on their knees every night and pray that the Browns draft another center.

9)      One element of the Browns that did not improve Sunday was the run defense. And please don't tell me it did. The Bills ran for 145 yards. The Browns have yet to limit any team to less than 100 yards. That's just poor run defense. Period. Yes, some of the yards came on quarterback scrambles, but those yards count, too. The only reason the Bills did not sustain any drives had far less to do with the Browns defense than it did the Bills' nine false start penalties that kept short-circuiting drives. One hundred and forty-five yards allowed rushing is simply not good run defense.

10)   A win is a win, yes, and the Browns had gone a long time without one. But calling the last two games stirring or inspiring or signs of a potential turnaround just does not seem to be looking at reality. Nor am I buying the latest excuse … err … theory that the Browns have lost to teams that are 5-0, 5-0, 3-2 and 4-1. How's this? It's OK to be embarrassed when the other team is good? Maybe I'm on too big a limb here, but the idea is to beat those teams and win the game, no? Before the season, folks celebrated an "easy" schedule. Now it looks tougher so it's suddenly an excuse for losing four of five. You play the teams you're scheduled to play. The Browns have relied on more excuses the past 11 years than a kid missing school. If you celebrate a bad win, you can't cry over losing to a good team. Though I did not find it inspiring, the game against the Bills was a win. However … if the Browns want to really prove something. If they want to show they have grown, they have come together, they have started to "get it" … well they have a chance on Sunday in their personal house of horrors: In Pittsburgh. If the Browns want to prove something, they can go win there. The Browns haven't beaten Pittsburgh since the Spanish-American War was fought. Beating the Steelers would make a loud and positive statement.

And … because they're the Browns and these kind of things keep happening, a bonus 11 …

11)   The James Davis situation is potentially very bad for Mangini and the Browns. Davis hurt his shoulder in the opener, then was suddenly and mysteriously put on injured reserve a couple weeks later. ESPN.com reported Sunday that Davis tore the labrum on his shoulder when he was hit in a post-practice drill when he was not wearing pads. The player who hit him was wearing pads. Adam Schefter, one of the better reporters in the business, wrote the story. He had several witnesses — all unnamed, who for obvious reasons can't have their names printed (ever hear of the word "reprisal"?) — describe the story. If true, this is very disturbing — even if Mangini was not present when it happened. Allowing guys to work in that kind of environment is inviting serious injury. It puts players in serious danger. The NFLPA spends hours and hours trying to make sure players are protected, and the image from this injury — emphasis on image — is that there is a team that is willing to skirt rules and put players at risk under the guise of improvement. Now … it's also hard for me to believe any of the team's assistant coahes would allow this to happen. The story will come out; it always does. When it does it will be interesting to see what if anything happened. In normal circumstances, it might cost a coach his job — or a hefty fine. These are not necessarily normal circumstances, though, what with an owner giving this coach the keys to the team. It might be tough to prove the story is true, but if it is it should be very troubling and disturbing to owner Randy Lerner.

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

I hear the Braylon Edwards trade fell through.

He didn't catch the plane.

Eddie Vidmar

Dear Eddie,

Yes, I know … you're here all week.

I hear the Jets actually made sure to give Edwards an e-ticket. That way he wouldn't drop the paper one.

Ba-dum-bum.

Edwards didn't look too bad Monday night, did he?

I grant he's no Chansi Stuckey … but how many teams can have their own Chansi Stuckey?

Dear Pat,

Before we go into another "rebuilding" mode, shouldn't we have had success first?  A structure must have been built to rebuild, no?

Kenny Williams Akron

Dear Kenny,

Your build/rebuild logic is priceless and irrefutable.

Rome went up faster than the Browns have built a winning team.

Greetings Pat,

I am going to go out on a limb and take what you said one step further: There has never been an uglier game in the history of NFL football than Sundays' 6-3 Browns win in Buffalo.

I will also say that not all hope is lost. The combined record of the first four teams Cleveland faced (Minnesota, Denver, Baltimore, and Cincinnati) is 17-3, with one of those losses being Denver over Cincinnati, another being Cincinnati over Baltimore, and the third being Baltimore’s close loss to the New England Belichicks.

Those teams may be some of the best the NFL has to offer in 2009.

That being said, I see at least…two more wins this year. 

James Hogan

Indianapolis 

Dear James,

A three-win season! Hoo hoo!!

Regarding the schedule … I just don't see it, as I stated above. I see your points, but I just don't agree.

Regarding the Buffalo game … every time I think that I was too harsh about it, I think back to the fact that I was compelled, required, obligated to sit and watch every play of that stinking game.

Next year when the Browns play in Buffalo — yes we get to go back! … someone remind me to buzz through Erie between 2 and 4 p.m. — I think I'll put some re-runs of My Mother the Car on the iPod.

One needs some entertainment, right? 

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.

First and 10 27 with the Browns

 1)      Well things are just peachy now, eh? It’s hard to believe the Browns could be more of a mess, and a revived Cincinnati team arrives Sunday. It’s also hard to know where to start with this team. There are only 10 items (though the name did change this week) and the Browns show no signs of heading in a positive direction. There is talk of the team quitting, of Eric Mangini’s ways being too oppressive and of a negative feeling in the locker room toward the head coach that might be impossible to stem. The Browns may face another tough decision before the season ends – if things don’t change. Losing always brings out the negatives, and in the Browns case much of it is directed toward Mangini. It’s a mess. A m-e-s-s.

2)      There has been national speculation that perhaps Mangini will not make it through the season. I speculated that very thing in Monday’s Beacon Journal. And I think it’s justified – if things do not change. This team is in disarray. There is not a single position on the team that is better than it was a year ago. It took the fifth pick in the draft – a potential spot for an impact player of some sort – and traded down three times for a center. That’s center. C-e-n-t-e-r. A bunch of guys have been brought in who have not helped. The team’s mood is horrible. There does not seem to be a drop of belief in the coach. The quit word has come up over and over again. The best thing the Browns have going for them is Rob Ryan, and right now his defense can’t defend a flea. If the problems and the losing persist, continuing on the same road for the sake of doing so is just compounding a mistake.

3)      In past years I did not cry for coaches to be fired, even when they had bad records. Romeo Crenel had some really bad games, but he never lost his team. The players always played for him. And if they had a stinker of a game, they usually followed with a good effort. Chris Palmer’s teams competed. The 1999 expansion team lost by seven in Baltimore and actually laid a hand on guys when they scored. They beat Pittsburgh. As bad as those teams were, they beat Pittsburgh. They also did not avoid the head coach on the sideline like he had Bubonic plague. One might recall that at the end of the 2007 season the players presented Crenel with a game ball and a thank you, leaving him pretty emotional.  I’m not thinking that Mangini is on many players’ Christmas lists at this point. It’s probably not even fair to say Mangini lost this team – because there never seemed to be a point where he had it.

4)      The schedule is not pretty, not with two road games in Buffalo and Pittsburgh following Sunday’s game against Cincinnati. Pittsburgh is (sorry) a loss. Buffalo is not all that great, but going there 0-4 would not be like charging in with the Light Brigade. After those two games come a home game against Green Bay and a trip to Chicago. The hope in all these games isn’t based on the Browns suddenly finding themselves; it’s on the opponent. As in, maybe Cincinnati will go back to playing like Cincinnati and maybe Buffalo will be torn up by Terrell Owens by that point (though one would guess that if any cornerbacks can revive TO be season, it’d be the Browns). It’s never good when you look at a team that’s playing poorly and say: Well that other team might be worse.

5)      At this point Mangini has to rally the team. Maybe he can. He best hope he can. But the clear feeling I get from league insiders is that Mangini will not try to be upbeat this week, but instead will hammer the team mentally for losing, and that this week will be tougher than tough. Maybe that’s what’s needed. We’ll see. But the general feeling from those I speak with is that that kind of negativity is what has the Browns where they are now. Players are beat down, beat up, playing like they’re tired and playing completely uninspired (hey, is that iambic pentameter rhyming, a la Shakespeare?). Manginieth does noteth seemeth like the coacheth who can get that doneeth.

6)      The negativity toward Mangini is growing around the league as well. There’s a lot of chuckling in Seattle because of the signing of Floyd Womack. His nickname – Pork Chop – makes him sound like a gnarly offensive lineman. In reality, he’s been a walking injury report. In the past five seasons, he’s had elbow, triceps, quadriceps, knee, groin, hamstring and foot injuries. Nobody in Seattle is surprised he’s now been out with an ankle, but they were surprised any team signed him as a free agent. Since 2005, he’s started 26 of 67 games (14 of them last season) and missed 19 due to injury. Yet the Browns signed him and touted him as a hard-nosed guy. That’s our Browns.

7)      Then again, Womack was playing because Rex Hadnot was hurt. Who’d have thought Rex Hadnot would be this team’s lynchpin?

8)      The great mystery of this early season is what happened to Brady Quinn.  A year ago, he threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns against Denver, then threw for 185 yards in a win over Buffalo. In that game he guided the Browns on a 96-yard touchdown drive, and led the team to the game-winning field goal. This season he’s looked lost. The difference? Clearly he has no confidence. Insiders say he’s been so programmed to avoid the mistake he was playing scared, which is impossible. It’s the only reason Derek Anderson might change things, because if he’ll do anything he’ll take chances. The Browns would have to live with his interceptions, but he’d also get the ball down the field. Quinn was so tied in knots by this coaching staff that he could not do a thing. I’m not at all sure, though, that Mangini is the kind of coach who will live with interceptions. Me, I’d start Anderson and hope for a miracle against the Bengals like Phil Savage got two years ago. There’s an inherent risk because Anderson pretty well figures this is his last season in Cleveland so he’s just going to go out and wing it. But … nothing ventured, nothing gained. And at this point, the Browns have to venture somewhere and try something.

9)      At some point, too, some questions have to be asked about Brian Daboll, who kind of makes you pine for Maurice Carthon, but really makes you lust for Terry Robiskie or Bruce Arians. Daboll opened Sunday’s game in Baltimore with some quick-hit passes, but after an interception four plays in he went right back to the same old stuff. Daboll’s inexperience seems glaring, and a team with a young quarterback has a defensive head coach and an inexperienced coordinator trying to guide him. Is it any wonder Quinn looks confused?

10)  Brian Robiskie has been spending his Sundays with Amelia Aerheart. One of the reasons given is that he’s not able to contribute on special teams. Anyone tell me how many receivers contribute on special teams? The answer: One. Josh Cribbs. Mike Furrey, Mohammed Massaquoi and Braylon Edwards do not play special teams. Why then is Robiskie required to do so? And if he is, didn’t he do fairly well on special teams in the final preseason game (yes, it was the final preseason game)? Is the guy considered the most polished and most NFL ready receiver in the draft that far behind? Or is there another unspoken reason he’s not playing? I don’t know. I just wonder.

OK .. I just can’t stop at 10 …

11)  The San Francisco 49ers, who are 2-1, sent out this news release about injured players: “The results of a MRI on 49ers RB Frank Gore show a right ankle strain and a right hind foot sprain that will sideline him for approximately three weeks The results of a MRI on T Joe Staley show a right quad contusion and he is listed as day-to-day. The results of a MRI on S Reggie Smith show a right groin strain and he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.” Not only did the walls not collapse in the 49ers facility, the team is actually winning. Any explanations on how the 49ers can actually reveal this information and … umm … accomplish something on the field are welcome.

12)  Randy Lerner is taking a lot of public heat for the state of the team. This comes with the territory. He did in fact hire Mangini. And my guess is he will recognize this reality. Calling for him to sell the team, though, is pretty silly. Unless you want to go door to door in the neighborhood, I’m not guessing there are many people in the area with $1 billion sitting around to spend on a football team. How Lerner handles this situation if it doesn’t improve will be telling, though. Because (I repeat) … continuing with a mistake just for the sake of doing so only makes the mistake worse.

13)  The Browns have a very tenuous situation on their hands, and without a win it will not change anytime soon. In fact, it will get worse. They need some hope. So if there is any extra hope sitting around the house, it might be wise to pack it up and send it to Berea. Because right now the hope isn’t coming from within the team. It might on Sunday, but that will be tough. Please … folks … pack up any hope in an envelope, a mayonnaise jar, a small box … and send it to Berea. They really need some.

Three and Out

Several good letters were sent the past week. Because of that, in honor of you, the dear reader, a longer version of Three and Out will appear on the blog in a few hours.

(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)

First and 10

1)     To avoid being negative … I guess we can look at the bright side, at the glass as half-full. At 0-2 the Browns are not mathematically out of the playoff race. So with 14 games left and (presumably) at least two playoff teams in the division, the Browns only have to win 10-of-14 to reach the postseason. Yes, four of those games are with Baltimore and Pittsburgh. So, that means technically the Browns really are 0-6. Which means they only have to win all of the other 10 to make the playoffs. Win over Buffalo, Cincinnati (twice), Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit, San Diego, Kansas City, Oakland and Jacksonville and they're in. See how easy it is?

2)     Imagine. At this point in the season Detroit is looking at the Browns and thinking: Well that could be the one that breaks the streak.

3)     It's pretty tough to think how bad things have gone the first two games. The offense has gone eight games — that's half a season — without a meaningful touchdown. The Browns have 28 first downs, the opponent 44. The Browns are 6-for-26 on third down. They are averaging 3.5 yards per rush, the opponent 5.6. The team's two opponents have rushed for 205.5 yards per game. They're getting shellacked in the second half. Each game the other team broke a big run in the fourth quarter to break the game open. There is no life anywhere. The coach stands on the sidelines with nobody near him, as if there's a 10-yard bubble around him. When it starts losing things snowball. Fast. I've talked to folks who say one win could change things, but that does not seem likely with this team even if by some miracle it finds a way to win in Baltimore. In fact, to pretend this situation will change quickly is pretty delusional. This could be a long, long, long, long season.

4)     What is up with Brady Quinn? Some would say nothing, that he's going through what young quarterbacks go through, and he needs time. This is valid. Peyton Manning struggled in his first year. But if you want examples of quarterbacks who didn't need time look at Matt Ryan in Atlanta, Joe Flacco in Baltimore, Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay (once he took over) and Matt Cassell when he started for New England. Not every quarterback needs time. Not every quarterback needs a better supporting cast. Not every quarterback struggles with the system. It just seems that way because we follow the Browns.

5)     It is starting to look like Quinn is overthinking too many things, which is causing him to get tied up in knots. This could be nerves. It could be Quinn (word that he only throws short or intermediate routes grows stronger by the day) or it may be a result of overcoaching, as if he's being told so much he's not just going out and reacting and playing. When he does, he looks OK. When he doesn't … Then again, Quinn is not getting a lot of help. He does not have a second receiver. Tight end Robert Royal makes you miss Kellen Winslow. I'd also have to say that the rebuilding of the right side of the line has not worked well these first two games.

6)     Quinn is not helping the cause a lot, either. Not when he ducks a rush for no reason, or when he sidearms consecutive passes into the line at a crucial time that are knocked down, or when he continually goes to the checkdown at warp speed. His per-attempt average is 5.5 yards, 29th in the league. He has three completions longer than 20 yards. He's been sacked nine times, second highest in the league. And his passer rating of 66.9 is fifth lowest in the league. He's a good guy with talent, but the Browns now find themselves in a precarious position with him. He needs and deserves time, and the team needs to commit to a quarterback. But it also desperately needs a win. Does it go to Derek Anderson? And if it does, what happens next?

7)     Why does it seem like the Browns are the only team in the league to chew up young quarterbacks like they're a piece of yesterday's gum?

8)     Mangini's start does not bring Usain Bolt to mind. He was hired as a football czar of sorts, with no experienced football voice above him to ask questions or guide the overall football decision-making. It appears — after two games — he's not equipped to fill said role. Mangini brought in 22 new players, not a single one an impact player. With glaring needs at skill positions and at linebacker and cornerback, he traded down three times — to draft a center. Forty-one percent of the roster is new, three second-round draft picks sit and no new player has made any significant impact. There's no experienced football presence in the organization to ask a serious question of the coach, who looks as baffled as any coach has ever looked since the Browns returned. There are 14 games to make something of this season, but there's little evidence to build a foundation that things will change.

9)     What the team needs now is someone to rally the troops, but Mangini does not have that kind of personality. He's more a thinker, a studier. He's not going to do a Bill Cowher. That's a bit of an overrated approach, but there are times when it's needed. Listening to Mangini, it's hard to see him doing a Cowher and getting the players riled up. It's just not his personality.

10) Then there are the fines. Mangini is being widely criticized for fining a player $1,701 for taking a $3 bottle of water from a hotel room. He said he will not back down from expecting players to follow the rules. No problem with that. Guys who get paid what players make should pay for the stinking water just like I do (Incidentally … that water is way overpriced and comes much less expensive in the lobby … or out of the spigot). Rules are fine, and demanding responsiblity and accountability is a good thing. But … there is a way to handle them, and taking $1,701 from a guy for that offense smacks of overkill — at least to the players. If this is happening as often as folks report it's happening, it's creating resentment. Most would say it's much better to be forced to pay up and warned the next time it happens there will be a significant fine. There's many other stories. In the offseason, Mangini "asked" the rookies to take a 10-hour bus ride to work his football camp in Hartford while he flew to Connecticut. When word broke, he rode the bus back — few believe he had planned to ride the bus until word got out he was flying. Yahoo's Mike Silver reported Mangini had a curfew during some offseason workouts, including Memorial Day, which if true could be a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Others gripe — and yes, there are a lot of gripes when a team loses — that Mangini is not positive, that he harps on the negative and nitpicks everything. There are fines for all manner of things, including not reporting to the hotel on time the day before home games. Video criticism of successful plays is more intense than unsuccessful ones. This can work, but just as easy over time players can be beat down because they hear nothing positive. They start not to "buy in." They need to respect the man with the plan, not resent him. Too, Mangini was fined $25,000 by the league for falsifying injury reports last season. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday that Mangini even told the league during the '08 season that Favre was not hurt when in fact he was. It comes across like he'll follow some rules, as long as he likes them, but then he expects players to follow every one of his rules — to the letter. This does not seem to be the best way to earn the respect of anyone, much less the people you need the most. Talk to people who know Mangini, and they describe a likeable, intelligent, organized person. One much different from the persona he presents through the media. That's fine. But that intelligence and organization has to translate to wins. It has to get through to the players. In a situation like this … with little positive reinforcement and much negative …  if things do not go well on the field, the problems become magnified and the team checks out on the coach. In a hurry. Yes, it's negative … but the Browns right now are a precarious team perched on the brink of a very long season. 

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

How about writing a column about how awful the Browns looked in those pants.

Yuck!

Tommy Blackwood.

Dear Tommy,

You mean it was the pants that made them look so awful?

I'm not a fan of the brown pants either, Tommy, but sadly I believe they are here to stay. Much like a lot of other things related to the Browns. 

Dear Pat,

I promise not to bother you again this season but yesterday's game was frustrating beyond belief.

First, the Browns refused to throw the ball downfield.  Denver was unsuccessful throwing downfield early — Kyle Orton was even booed — but Denver insisted on a vertical game and eventually succeeded.

Why don't we insist on throwing downfield?.

 A commentator in New York said that on the last Patriots fourth-quarter drive against the Jets, Rex Ryan rushed six guys on every play.  The commentator said "If that was Mangini, he would have rushed two and dropped nine guys into coverage."

Think back to the Denver game.

In the red zone in the second quarter that is exactly what we did.  We rushed two, dropped nine and Denver got the first down.

Does Mangini have the capacity to learn that if the plan isn't working you go to something else?

Finally Denver just installed a three-four manned by a bunch of new defensive linemen.  And Elvis Dumervil tied a team record for sacks.  How come we can't do that after five years of the three-four?

We never, ever learn.

Yours truly in 40 years of lousy football,

Bill Hennessy

Wading River, New York

Dear Bill,

Once again, the written eloquence of your words is symphonic.

Dear Pat,

The Browns make winning look almost by accident. I continue to shell out money year after year for season tickets for a team that can't even compete for a win.

Ed Miller New Waterford, OH

Dear Ed,

What's the rush? It's only the 11th year of the return.

(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)

First and 10

1)     A few folks who e-mailed thought I was a tad negative in Monday's Beacon Journal. That the Browns led at halftime and that they pretty much did what was expected — lose to Minnesota. This means, of course, that folks e-mailed negative thoughts about me being negative. And my first thought is to wonder if it's negative if it's merely the truth. That being said, there is a danger to "pile on," and I try to be aware of it and sensitive to it. Perhaps I was a tad … shall we say … less than positive. But what I saw was a team that lost 34-20 and scored one touchdown on a punt return and another in the most meaningless of circumstances. If folks want to hang their feel-good hat on that kind of game, have at it. It just didn’t work for me.

2)     This could be a case of the proverbial half-full or half-empty glass. The half-full view says that the Browns were expected to lose, were not expected to defend the run well and were facing a tough defense. Because of that, going into the locker room at halftime with a lead means they did fairly well. The half empty view says that all the same is true of the pregame expectations, which means that the Browns had a golden opportunity at halftime. But in the second half they let the opportunity drop and splat like it was a dozen eggs. Either view is valid.

3)     The first half belonged to the Browns because their defense did a nice job confusing the Vikings. Credit Rob Ryan for this, because his different looks and ability to pressure Brett Favre were causing problems. Too, the Vikings were not running the ball consistently well. In the second half, the Vikings decided to ride the best player on the field, and Adrian Peterson ran them to a win.

4)     This is where the concern comes in. Of course the season is not over because of one loss, and a win in Denver balances the record, which is what it's about. But the first real game gave the Browns their first chance to show they had solved some of the concerns, specifically the run defense. The Vikings shredded the run defense. Folks can say all they want that Peterson should shred a run defense, but when a team runs for 225 yards on the defense it's cause for concern.

5)     I like Brady Quinn. He once held a door for me at Panera. Nice guy, good guy. But his play did not do much for me. Yes … it was only one game, against a good defense. There's no reason to give up on him, just that in that one game (against a very good defense) he did not seem real effective.

6)     As for the last touchdown drive that led to a score with 30 seconds left … we are not talking about an expansion team here. In 1999, those things mattered because the Browns were learning to put their shoes on. This is 2009, 11 years into a ""re-birth." Quinn is in his third season, albeit with a different system than a year ago. Braylon Edwards went to a Pro Bowl two years ago. It’s a new coach, new system, but the standards for judging them shouldn't make it as if they're grade schoolers learning to play. If that last drive means a lot, then we're all in for a longer year than we thought. Had Derek Anderson (who had a pretty fair first start, as I recall) played the same game Quinn played, folks would be taking him to the guillotine. Heck …. Mark Sanchez in his first start in New York threw for 272 yards and went 12-for-16 on third down. Joe Flacco is in his second season and he threw for (307) in the first game. How do these things happen everywhere in the NFL but with the Browns?

7)     To say that Quinn did not throw down the field before the game was settled is not exactly accurate. He did take a couple shots. But the kinds of throws he made down the field were of the same blasé variety — receiver runs deep down the sideline and the quarterback lofts him a deep one. This almost worked in the first half, as Braylon Edwards made a nice catch after being interfered with. But other than those sideline throws, most of the passes were underneath. The reality is that of Quinn's 21 completions, 13 went to backs or tight ends. I remember very few posts, skinny or otherwise, very few crossing routes, very few 20-yard turn-ins.

8)     I don't know if Quinn is that kind of quarterback or if he's being coached to do that kind of thing. You know the line — don't force the ball … take what's there … buy low, sell high … all that stuff. At times it makes sense. But when a quarterback does that over and over again, the defense starts to squeeze the field, which makes running the ball pretty difficult. Again, I don't know where it's coming from, and I don't know if it's an issue given the strength of the Vikings defense. As the season progresses, we'll discover if it's an issue. But I do know that Quinn is gaining a reputation as an underneath guy, one who will not take chances. Whether that's fair after just four NFL starts is a legitimate question.

9)     Put it this way: The best player on the Browns offense Sunday was probably Joe Thomas, who more than held his own against Jared Allen. But the best skill player was Jamal Lewis, who ran and caught for 104 yards. Lewis looked pretty effective, making those who wondered about his future look kinda dumb. Like me. But Quinn and Edwards are first-round picks. There are two other second-round picks at receiver whom we hardly saw. Robert Royal is wildly inconsistent in terms of catching the ball. Josh Cribbs is as good as they get in the return game, but as a receiver the judge and jury are out. Tough defense, yes, but the response to the tough defense was pretty meek.

10) I'm starting to wonder if Edwards has checked out. To the Northern peninsula in Michigan. He had six passes thrown his way Sunday (including the pass interference). There was one catch (would have been two without the interference, which was caused by an underthrow from Quinn), one pass interference. His one catch totaled 12 yards. Oh … he also had two penalties that cost the Browns 15 yards.

And a bonus 11th since it was opening day …

11) As for being negative, I'd say that of course the season isn't over. The Browns have 15 games to make something of things. They need to win this weekend in Denver because winning in Baltimore looks tough, and the last thing they need is to return home at oh-and-three. Denver isn't much offensively, but the Broncos did show they can play defense in their opener. The season is absolutely not over. But the problem is this: The Browns did not show much of anything in their opener to make anyone believe the problems that existed last year and heading into this year have been solved. If anything, the opening game loss only confirmed that the worries were valid. Until the Browns show they've solved some things — like the run defense — the concerns and criticism will be present. Eric Mangini is right — it's pretty much up to them.

Three and Out

Where you, the dear readers, take the floor — and generally tell me what an idiot I am, have been and will be.

Dear Pat,

A word to the wise.

I follow the Browns, as I have since I was 14. I am now 59. The world is a difficult place. I have laid off 75 people in my company, and read sports as an escape. Telling me how bad the Cleveland Browns are is not what I want to read. Do not take yourself too seriously or people may stop reading your work and you might have to find another line of work.

Remember this is the toy department, not the real world.

Lighten UP,

Frank Lemmo

Dear Frank,

The Browns should be grateful for loyal fans like you. It's people like you who continually fill the stadium despite 10 years of struggles.

As for me … if you know me at all you'll know I really don't take myself too seriously. I know we're not curing cancer here. Too, the folks who read this flog regularly know I don't take much seriously at all. Except for Frito's corn chips, which always must be taken seriously.

I might offer, though, that I might lose what little credibility I have if I start to write that things were good when I thought they were bad. That might really turn us into the toy department.

I also might offer that the problem isn't with the person reporting what happened, or offering his opinion on it. We all know what opinions are like; you can agree or disagree. The problem is that since 1999 the Browns have not put a representative product on the field, and the opener did little to indicate 2009 will be different.

Yes, there's a lot of time left. But the opener was what it was.

Dear Pat,

I like your work but couldn't read more then half of the article in Monday's Beacon-Journal. Couldn't you be any more negative then that?

I've been a diehard browns fan for 40 years.  I thought they played well in the first half.  The wheels got blown off in the second half by a superior team. I feared the whole game was going to be like the second half but it wasn't.  I saw some good things early and I haven't seen anything good since the Giants game last year.  I think the Browns can learn and build off what they did in both halves.  After last season and this Indians season, the team I saw in the first half was a welcome sight.

Russ Clark

Las Vegas

Dear Russ,

Are you related to the gentleman I met in Ireland. He's a Harrington, like my grandmother, and he always referred to himself as "Dan R." Take care, Dan, I said when I left. "Dan R," he said.

Dan R might agree with you, by the way.

Unfortunately, I do not.

I think we've seen so much bad football that when we see a glimmer of hope the tendency is to make too much of it. The first half was OK, but last I checked games are two halves.

It'd be nice to think this team will turn things around in a hurry. I just didn't see it in the opener.

Dear Pat,

Woody Hayes once wrote a book, "You Win With People". After watching this year's edition of the step-browns I think Mangini can write a book called  "You Lose with Nobodies". Other than Brady Quinn there is no one on this team that anyone has ever heard of.

Keep this e-mail. If they win the 6 games that you predicted I'll have a case of your favorite beer delivered to your office. You don't have to risk anything.

Frank Webb

Akron

Dear Frank,

You're on.

But the bet includes plane tickets to Ireland, because the favorite beer is Guinness, on tap, seated at Connaughton's pub on Achill Island.

Hey … you offered.

(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)

First and 10

1)     Seems like the Scott Pioli train could move quickly. Pioli seems very interested in the Browns, and the Browns are clearly very interested in him. If the parties can agree on the details, this could be over in a hurry. I don't know when or where Pioli will interview, but it was not Tuesday in Cleveland.

2)      If the two candidates to run the front office are indeed Pioli and Atlanta president Rich McKay, the Browns have two excellent options. The two have different public styles, but the two can run a team. McKay has done it, though his tenure in Atlanta has not been as successful as the time in Tampa Bay. Pioli seems ready. You never know how things will go until it happens, but the options seem more than sound.

3)      The styles are very different. McKay would be more public, more visible. Pioli, based on the way things have been in New England, would be more private and let the coach be front and center. Both approaches can work. Both are good, smart leaders. Pioli seems to be the first choice, but if McKay is first alternate the Browns would be well served.

4)      If Pioli is hired Eric Mangini becomes the leader in the clubhouse to be the team's coach. Word is that Pioli would favor Mangini, let go by the Jets on Monday. Which might make Romeo Crennel his defensive coordinator. And might mean Rob Chudzinski stays to run the offense. Which makes the 2009 Browns on-field leadership a lot like the 2008 on-field leadership. Then again, this is all guesswork and anything can happen.

5)      Here's why this may happen quickly: Bill Belichick would never grant permission for someone to interview with another team without knowing exactly how he plans to replace said person. Pioli was given the chance to interview in Seattle a few years ago, but turned it down. He preferred where he was. Pioli evidently has decided he will interview in Cleveland, and Belichick's thinking seems to be that if you want to interview you best be prepared to accept it. It is absolutely not guaranteed that Pioli takes the Cleveland job, but the stars seem aligned that it can happen.

6)      Just a thought, but Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan deserves some more mention as a possible coaching candidate. The guy's reviews are very positive, and the on-field results are more than impressive. If the team wants to maintain continuity with Chudzinski on the offensive side, it could easily hire Ryan, who would run the defense, and keep Chudzinski.

7)      It was pretty shocking to hear Randy Lerner admit he gave Phil Savage the final say over the coaching staff for Romeo Crennel. I have honestly never heard of that happening in the NFL where a GM picks a coach's staff. Kind of odd that a guy who said he should double his salary and put on a headset if he had to coach would want the duties normally given to a coach, and kind of odd the owner would make that call.

8)      The Browns brought Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn to the media room to discuss happenings, and the two addressed the season and the changes and the future in very mature, intelligent ways. On the one hand, it was interesting that it was two second-year guys doing the talking (one might think a team would have a veteran voice or leader) but on the other if you sat and listened and heard what they said you'd feel pretty good about the future of the team if these are the two future cornerstones.

9)      I'm compelled to point out that Phil Savage did draft both those guys.

10)   By the by, there is a football team at play here, with actual players. And the quarterback position remains muddled. Derek Anderson is due a $5 million roster bonus in March or he becomes a free agent. What would I do? Pay it. People were talking about Philip Rivers' great season this year, and he had 34 touchdowns. Well Anderson had 29 two years ago. Not that Anderson is the be-all and end-all. Heck, he might not even start. But if it's me I keep him and Quinn and see what happens. As we learned this year, one can never have enough quarterbacks.

And … a bonus 11 …

11)  I'm fascinated to see how many season ticket holders in playoff cities do not buy tickets. I have this theory that the economic troubles in the nation are going to whump pro sports in the head with a loud thump, but that it won't hit until the next round of tickets or suites of club seats have to be bought. The playoffs will be the first indicator that the economy's ripple effects will spread.

Three and Out

Dear Pat,

A few things I hope you'll consider:

1)      Do NOT get too enamored with the recent success (and…….it's only ONE year of success) for some of the rookie coordinators at places such as Baltimore and Miami. They BOTH have experienced infrastructure in place to support such inexperience, while the Browns DON'T.

2)      Almost all rookie coaches who succeed have EXPERIENCED coordinators in place. Recent examples include Mike Tomlin (Dick LeBeau) and John Harbaugh (Cam Cameron/Rex Ryan).

3)      How many Head Coaches has Scott Pioli hired? What final decision making TRACK RECORD does Scott Pioli have? Is Scott Pioli his own proven man or another dropping from the Belichck tree that cannot function at that level given his own standing? Is this just yet another rookie hire potential for Randy Lerner? If so, what confidence level should we have in Pioli's ability to select the right coach, and ENSURE we AGAIN don't have a rookie GM and a rookie coach?

4)      Is it smart to again look at the New England and/or Baltimore trees for the Browns? Can't we look elsewhere after all the past issues we've had with that?

5)      Given Randy Lerner's track record shouldn't he bring in a consultant for a few months with appropriate experience to HELP him though this process? Why should we entrust or trust that Randy Lerner will make the right decisions

Please do what you can to stress the need for specific PROVEN WINNING EXPERIENCE in each of the available roles. I'm not confident based on past results.

Best regards,

Randy Tolen

Lyndhurst, Ohio

Dear Randy,

Excellent questions and points. I do not have the answer to all of them, but I do think at some point a person (like Randy Lerner) has to trust his best judgment. If a guy is never given a chance to prove he can do a job, he'll never be given the job. At some point if a guy proves he's worthy of a chance, he deserves the chance.

That being said, I hope Lerner does give serious consideration to a guy like Rich McKay as well as Pioli.

P.S. WHY all THE CaPs?

Dear Pat,

I had an excellent suggestion for the Browns. Take the following steps:

1)      GET RID OF THE WHOLE TEAM

2)      GET ALL NEW PLAYERS

3)      GET ALL NEW COACHES

4)      BUILD A NEW STADIUM

5)      GET A NEW GENERAL MANAGER

But then I realized they had already tried this and it did not work either.

The old owner and the team left town, went to Baltimore and the very next year these same players and owner won the Super Bowl Am I the only one to see that there are some very strange and serious problems in Cleveland?

It was amazing to hear one more time on the news last night " This is what the fans wanted".

I am quite sure that somewhere today there is a guy working as a janitor or garbage pickup guy who knows exactly what President Bush should be doing, and what the Browns need to do and willing to advise.

Isn't it about time the fans sat back, calmed down, take a couple valiums and let the football people do what is necessary. We cannot let the inmates run the asylum.

I remember clearly the "Belichick incident " with Bernie Kosar and the coach was driven out of town on a rail.

Superman could not have flown if his car had "Cleveland" printed on it.

Seems to me the rebuilding started long, long, long ago and continues!

As far as how long it will take, no one will live long enough on this ride to see the destination.

Jim Starkey,

Stow

Dear Jim,

Yet more CAPS.

I do agree the hysteria in these parts reaches excessive levels, and the hysteria about who will be hired has started.

I'm not sure why this happens, but it does.

Dear Pat,

Just some thoughts.

In a normal season, one would expect the Browns to play eight games against the better defenses in the league and eight games against the lesser. It would be bad luck to have to play, for example, the #1, #3, and #5 defenses in the same season. Using yards per game as the measuring stick, the Browns luck was even worse.

The Browns played the "Top 5" defenses in 7 of their 16 games as they had to play the # 1 defense (Steelers) and the # 2 defense (Ravens) twice. In addition to the top five, they had to play the # 7, # 8, # 11, and # 12 defenses. That is a total of 11 games against the best 12 defenses in the league and only 5 against the 20 worst defenses.

What kind of nightmare scenario is that? Have the Browns EVER had to play that many games in a season against that many good defenses? Could Bill Cowher or any other head coach have fared better against this schedule than Romeo Crennel did?
We played one fourth of our games with a third or fourth string quarterback. Our best right tackle, Ryan Tucker, started only one game. Our Pro Bowl tight end missed more than half of our games as did one of our starting wide receivers. Our third receiver (Joe Jurevicius) missed the entire season. Our starting left guard (Eric Steinbach) played nearly the entire season at less than 100%.

How would any offense fare when faced with that many setbacks? How many games would any team win when playing the league's top 12 defenses in seven games out of every 10?
Those who were talking playoffs at the beginning of the season failed to look at the quality of the opposition this season. We were to face one difficult defense after another and seven games against teams that appeared in the playoffs last season. Some fans pointed out that the Browns would only be favored in four of our 16 games. And, how many did we win? Four.

Is Romeo Crennel a great coach? Maybe not, but he deserves to be given a pass for this season due to circumstances way out of his control. He's gotten several Super Bowl rings that prove his ability as a coach and there is no doubt that he is a decent, honorable, and well-respected man. Where will we find a better one?

Mark Schott

Canal Fulton, Ohio

Dear Mark,

This is an excellent letter, one that shows an understanding of football and the circumstances teams must confront. Clearly, though, Randy Lerner did not disagree. And his vote counts more than mine and yours.

NOTE: First and 10 will appear at irregular intervals in the offseason, but as long as the Browns make news it will appear. If you want to be included in "Three and Out" — a rare treat — comment here or send an e-mail to pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com, and put "First and 10" in the subject line.