Cleveland Browns Stadium: Lifeless
Posted November 26th, 2006 by George Thomas
You've read that I generally prefer college football to the variety played on Sundays. It's days like today that remind me why.
I sit here in the pressbox at Cleveland Browns Stadium a mere 40 minutes before kickoff and this place lacks any form of energy. Zip. Nada. Nothing. There's only a smattering of fans throughout the place and the biggest cheers when the teams hit the field for warm-ups were for the Cinicinnati Bengals.
Contrast that to last week: 40 minutes before gametime before OSU vs. Michigan and fans packed and rocked The Horseshoe. It makes me ask: have pro football fans become robotic or are the Cleveland Browns just so mediocre that they don't generate the passion they once did? Could it be a bit of both?
November 26th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
After last season, I wrote Terry Pluto that Reuben Droughns was not an elite running back, and had failed to show up in countless '05 games. He racked up a few big-yardage games, which got everyone all excited about breaking the 1,000 barrier…but the season is 16 games long now. There's no excuse for a featured runner NOT to have well over 1,000 yds. The simple fact was, when the Browns absolutely HAD TO HAVE a yard (either on 3rd or 4th down), Reuben could not deliver then…or now.
Why can a casual fan spot this, without the benefit of reviewing film & seeing him everyday…and the talent-evaluators deemed him worthy of a huge contract? His performance this season does not surprise me at all. He runs right into the middle of a crowd time after time for no gain, or one-yard. Cleveland will NEVER win with a running back like this.
I also told Pluto (last year) that the Browns needed to utilize their fastest, most-versatile player, Josh Cribbs. A former QB, how many passes has he been called on to throw, from a scatback position, as opposed to, say, the fullback Vickers? There is no creativity in this offense, which needs to be wide open—as in the days of Sipe, Kosar & all of their great receivers. You wonder why the fans are silent? No offense = no atmosphere.
November 30th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
Eric:
However, with the exception of very few special running backs, I've always been of the opinion that a back is only as good as his offensive line. That's why Droughns did well in Denver. That's why backs have traditionally done well in Mike Shanahan's offense - plowdriving offensive lines.
Keep in mind that I'm George Thomas and not Terry Pluto.
As for his huge contract, keep in mind that essentially the bonus is only guaranteed. Should the Browns cut him, they're only out that cash. As for Cribbs, his skills might be useful in a SLASH type situation, but one thing I've noticed when the Browns attempt to play him at wideout is a tendency to drop the ball. They can't force him into that role. He's proved to be a good kick returner, but the rest of his game could use some work.