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O those Cleveland Browns and their WR Draft Delusions

mhblatt — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:31:41 +0000

The Browns never can draft a franchise player, can they?

MITCH BLATT

The Cleveland Browns once again selected a seemingly random assortment of players on Draft Day which I can’t seem to comprehend. I can give you a quick analysis, though, because of the fact that they are the Browns: They had a terrible draft.

The two picks that stick out are receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi of Ohio State and Georgia respectively. Having drafted two second round receivers is particularly frustrating to me as a Browns fan because we had Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Donte Stallworth last year.

Winslow and Edwards, drafted in 2004 and 2005 respectively, were looking like good young franchise players at one point, but, like all Cleveland draft picks, that ended quickly. Winslow, after having issues with the front office, was traded for just draft picks (i.e. future disappointments) and Edwards has issues with the front office, too, but the Browns must have not found a suitor.

Now we know that Stallworth, who only had 17 catches last year, may spend time in jail due to for killing a man while drunk driving.

So here the Browns are back with one disgruntled received who drops passes, one who got traded, and one who will be in jail, after three of the Browns biggest draft picks and off season movements of the past few years. And two more receivers’ careers to ruin.

Robiskie seems like he was picked too early. Most analysts think he would have been available with the Browns second second round pick.

Robiskie attended high school near me in Ohio at Chagrin Falls, and I saw him play football and run track. He set the CVC records for catches and yards. In track, he placed second in Ohio in the 400 m dash. He doesn’t have the kind of blazing sprinting speed that would be optimal for receivers.

Being the son of NFL coach Terry Robiskie, he probably knows the game well and is dedicated, so I think he’d be able to have a solid career in the NFL, but I don’t think he’ll be spectacular. Once he gets off the Browns, anyway…

Browned out on Monday Night

sjacobs — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:01:04 +0000

Cleveland explodes for 18 second half points to break open tight game, handing the defending champion Giants their first loss of the season

SCOTT JACOBS

And then there was one.

The Cleveland Browns beat the New York Giants at their own game on Monday night stunning a nation now soul searching for an elite NFL team, and bringing new life to a season that had thus far been a major disappointment.

Browns 35 Giants 14. This one was not close. The Browns took a ton of penalties, hovering around double digits in yellow flags, yet they controlled the game, controlled the clock, and handed the so called far superior G-Men loss number one. And with it, the Titans, the Tennessee Titans, are the NFL’s lone unbeaten (Just go buy a lotto ticket now if you had that one on your betting scorecard).

The Giants drove to Cleveland’s six yard line with eight minutes and seven seconds left in the game, and appeared to be on the verge of closing the gap, when Eric Wright stepped in front of Eli Manning’s pass and took it to the house for six, securing a win no one saw coming. It was the third of three picks for Manning, who had just one pick going into the game. But not tonight!

With the Browns clinging to a 20-14 lead, it looked as if everything was ready to unravel. Penalty after penalty stalled the possession, and it just seemed like a matter of time before Cleveland made a back breaking mistake. But it never happened. Not tonight! Fourteen plays later, Braylon Edwards was slam dunking the ball over the goalpost and the Browns were up 27-14.

A 17-14 game at half, the Browns finally brought their A game. The game that people have expected of them all year and had yet to get. Until tonight! Derek Anderson exploded for 310 yards and two touchdowns, and Edwards finally had his breakout game– five receptions, 158 yards, 1 touchdown and the Cleveland Browns (the Cleveland Browns) beat the G-Men.

A stunning win. Not only because the Giants were perfect on the road, and hadn’t lost a road game since week one of last year, but also because people were ready to crown them as the top team in the league. So much for that. It’s a good thing the NFL doesn’t hold weekly polls that decide who goes to the Super Bowl, because like college football, their polls would be blown to pieces. And the unbelievable NFC East, all of a sudden looks very beatable. With the Giants, Redskins, and Cowboys all losing, this weekend, last place Philadelphia was the only one to secure a win this weekend. And with the play of the NFC South– you may see where I’m going with this– dare we ask if the NFC South is the best division in football? The Bucs and Panthers and Falcons are all 4-2. And the Saints are 3-3, and unlike the Cowboys who are falling apart right now (losing Tony Romo for four weeks and Felix Jones too), the South is healthy and rocking.

But that discussion is for later down the road.

Because if sports teaches us anything on a weekly basis, its that nothing is impossible. Improbable yes. Impossible, no.

And so Tennessee is the last unbeaten in the NFL.

Kerry Collins’ Titans. This is why we love sports. This is reason number one! C’mon, Kerry Collins? We couldn’t make this stuff up if we tried.

Why Isn’t Dallas vs. Cleveland in Prime Time?

mhblatt — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:42:34 +0000

The Dallas Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. The Cleveland Browns are the rising stars that everyone picked as the surprise Super Bowl pick this year. It should have been a prime time match-up based on what the media thinks about both teams.

Here are the prime time match-ups: Sunday Night: Chicago at Indianapolis, Monday Night: Minnesota at Green Bay, Denver at Oakland.

Minnesota at Green Bay is a terrible match-up because the Packers don’t have Brett Favre anymore. Now most of the country doesn’t care about that rivalry. Rodgers isn’t as good as Favre, the fans will hate him for no reason, end of story.

Oakland sucks as well, so Denver at Oakland isn’t a very good match-up.

Cleveland isn’t as good as some people expect them to be, either. The Browns went 10-6 last year but only beat one winning team and had a 20-point win margin. Only one other double digit win team had less than a 100-point win margin. The Browns played close games against bad teams like Oakland and Arizona, and most of the other match-ups.

That said, Cleveland is going to be about 8-8 this year, and Browns-Cowboys is a much better match-up than either of the Monday Night match-ups. Everyone wants to see how good the Browns really are, so it would have been one of the best three match-ups to feature prime time.

MLB’s Instant Replay Crisis

mhblatt — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 01:22:00 +0000

Mitchell Blatt

Why Not Just Disallow Instant Replay, But Review Plays Anyway?

After years of discussing instant replay, baseball’s collective general managers have now voted to institute a limited form of instant replay starting next year. There are no guidelines on how instant replay will be administered, so Bud Selig is going to draft guidelines with the help of other leading baseball officials. I’ve got a better idea. Baseball doesn’t need to go through all these procedures to administer instant replay. They just need to disallow instant replay but have their umpires review anything they want, anyway. Worked fine for the Browns-Ravens game yesterday.

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Down 27-30, the Browns drove into field goal territory after a long kick return by Josh Cribbs, the NFL’s #2 kick return man (Complete Kick Return Stats), Phil Dawson was attempting a 51-yard field goal. It bounced off the sidebar and fell through the uprights, onto the bar holding up the uprights and poles, then out onto the field. The refs did not immediately signal anything, but they eventually ruled it no good.

So, that was the game. Ray Lewis did a little dance, made a little love, got down tonight. He and his Ravens celebrated their win served on a platter by the refs and went to the locker room. After more discussion, the refs decided to go against everything Roger Goodell had told them and (according to Ravens fans anyway) review a missed field goal!!!!!

(The ref himself said he was just communicating to the replay officials, but Ravens fans know better.)

The review brought to light a chilling fact: The field goal really was good!!! The refs called it good and brought the Ravens back to play.

From the locker room, where he was untapping his ankles, Ray Lewis was distressed. When confronted with the fact that he would have to play, he said in denial, “It’s over. We won.” Little did Ray Lewis know that the Browns would in fact win the coin toss and drive down the field for the game-winning field goal.

With a team havng won, that did indeed deserve to win, because of an illegal instant replay review, Roger Goodell must be fuming. How could officials display such reckless abandon for the rules? No NFL rule is actually supposed “make sense” in the classical definition of the phrase. Mr. Goodell has specific purposes for each rule, and by undermining him, the refs are messing with the integrity of the game.

However, dispite the NFL’s integrity being undermined, I actually think it is a good thing when the team that deserves to win does get credited with the win. It’s a concept the MLB would be smart to adopt.

More on Roger Goodell
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Browns Shared Blame in Loss… With Refs

mhblatt — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:54:00 +0000

Mitchell Blatt

McGinest: “My Fault,” Cribbs: “No, Mine,” Dinkins: “It Was the Refs…”

After the Browns let the Steelers come back from down 15, there were lots of people to blame: Jamal Lewis for gaining 35 yards on 16 carries… Derek Anderson for going 6-out-of-19 for the second half… the defense for allowing 401 total yards.

So, after the game, Browns players put the blame squarely on themselves. Willie McGinest started it by telling the team it was his fault for missing a tackle on Big Ben that resulted in a key first down. Josh Cribbs (who compiled 204 kick return yards on 4 returns) even apologized for not returning another kickoff for a touchdown. Darnell Dinkins blamed the refs.

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That’s the Plain Dealer report on the game. As you can see, they played the Browns taking the blame prominently.

After two items, elaborating on that–first, one on McGinest taking the blame, the next about how others joined in, there was an item titled “Dinkins Steamed.”

It goes on to say how the Browns–and Dinkins especially–had no part in the loss. Nevermind that Dinkins was called for holding on the final drive that resulted in the Browns Phil Dawson missing the tying field goal by so little. The kick was a 52-yarder. Had it been five yards closer, it would have made it. Of course, it was the ref’s fault that the Browns missed.

From the PD:

Tight end Darnell Dinkins called the holding penatly against him “a horrible call.” …
“I came off the ball, threw the guy off the ball, and they called holding on me. The ref said he was the guy on the ground. It cost us the game. There’s too much on the line for a call to be made like that.”

Honestly, a first round playoff dismissal isn’t a whole lot to be on the line.

Dinkins is right that he isn’t to blame, but I’d also put a few other people ahead of the refs on the blame list:

Jamal Lewis
35 yards on 16 carries. With those kind of numbers, Derek Anderson has at least a little bit of excuse for his second half stumbles. Even worse, Lewis went 5 carries-for-5 yards in the second half. He also played terribly against Seattle the week before with 37 yards.

Derek Anderson
Good first half, no second half. He was 6-out-of-19 in the second half with 43 yards, 32 coming on the final drive. He has a good arm, but no accuracy. Going into the game, he ranked 1st in yards per completion and 27th in completion percentage.

Defense
I rank them 3rd in terms of blame because they aren’t supposed to be good; they never are. In fact, they played better most of the game than they usually do. Yes, they allowed 401 yards, but 31 points against the Steelers is just what should be expected for the Browns. They also sacked Big Ben 4 times. But, those other times… Big Ben ran for 49 yards on 5 carries, many for big first downs.

Most importantly, on the Steelers last drive of the game when they were down by 4, Roethlisberger ran from inside the 20 to dive for a first down on third. He got to the two and threw the winning touchdown on the next play.

Staying within 3 against the Steelers was impressive for the Browns. For the Browns. Just the fact that fans are celebrating 5 wins says all you need to know about the Browns. But, if they never get good, it isn’t their fault…

My Original Browns-Steelers Preview

Hey Stoopid!: Browns-Steelers Edition

mhblatt — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:25:00 +0000

Mitchell Blatt

Terry Bradshaw is Stoopid!

With the Browns (5-3) playing the Steelers (6-2) for a share of the AFC North lead, Clevelanders are acting understandably stoopid. They seem to have forgotten that the Browns have lost the last eight (and missed the spread on the last eight) and that we are playing the Steelers on the road after losing week one to the Steelers 34-7. Now, I know things are different now (and so does the Plain Dealer, judging by their sports section), but the Steelers still appear to be a vastly more talented team.

The cover of the Plain Dealer begs to differ. It shows the Browns stats week one against Pittsburgh compared to the Browns stats the next seven games. Surprisingly, the Browns have been much better in the past seven games:

Week 1-Next 7
First downs: 13-21.1
Yds/Carry: 2.9-4.4
Times Sacked: 6-1

Obviously, this means that the Browns are much better than they were week one, and they are able to take down the Steelers. Or it could just mean that the Steelers are much better than the rest of the Browns opponents. Yeah, I’m going with that.

Cincinnati, Oakland, Baltimore, New England, Miami, St Louis, and Seattle have combined for a 21-36 record. Among them, only three have winning records (including Seattle and Baltimore, both 4-4). Two of them (Miami and St Louis) still have 0 wins, and the Browns actually played them back-to-back. After losing to the 2-6 Raiders, of course.

They were losing to Oakland most of the game but they came back to miss the game-winning field goal. Thus illustrating another problem. The Browns often have to comeback to win. Against Seattle, they were down 21-9 at halftime. The Rams game also featured a comeback for a 7 point victory.

If the Browns do this against the Steelers… Well, the Steelers allow 12 points a game (1st in the NFL), so the Browns won’t be able to comeback. Just remember what the Steelers did to the Ravens last week in Monday Nigh Football. They piled it on 38-7. Let’s leave it at that.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH CHEATING IN THE NFL

mhblatt — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 23:45:00 +0000

Mitchell Blatt

Broncos and Raiders Last Second Shenanigans Should Be Outlawed

If you’re going for a game-winning field goal, you’re going to have to make it twice. That was the case in week two for Raiders kicked Sebastian Janikowski and in week three for Browns kicker Phil Dawson. Both kickers missed the second try after making the first.

What happened was the opposing coach called a timeout after the play had started, thus nullifying the kick. According to the referee’s ruling, the timeouts must have been called before the play started, but it sure didn’t look that way. The timeouts might have been called right in the nick of time, but if you call a timeout such that the ref doesn’t have enough time to whistle it before the play starts, it shouldn’t count.

What you have here is a kicker who esentially has to make the same kick twice in order to win. Now, I know it can be argued, what if he misses the first kick? The coach is taking just as much of a risk by calling the timeout as he would by not calling it.

Wrong. Coaches wouldn’t call it in the first place if the second kick had the same success chances as the first kick? Trying a game-winning kick in and of itself brings enough pressure to the kicker. Trying it again is that much harder. After making the kick and thinking they’ve won, having all the testosterone go through you, the feelings of ecstacy, the surprise, then the pressure again. No wonder both kickers missed their second attempt.

Calling a timeout before a kick to ice the kicker is one thing–pressure is a part of the game–but calling it just as the ball is snapped is wrong. It doesn’t help define the winner. It doesn’t contribute to the game. Winning the game twice just to win it once isn’t part of the game. After two straight weeks of this, I hope the NFL realizes they need to fix it.

What do you think? Post your opinion in the comment section.

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CHARLIE FRYE TRADED AFTER BEING NAMED STARTER

mhblatt — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:12:00 +0000

Mitchell Blatt

Bring in Brady!

One week after Charlie Frye was named the Cleveland Brown’s week one starter and Ken Dorsey was released, Ken Dorsey is back with the Browns, and Charlie Frye has been traded to Seattle. All the moves leading up to this trade call for head-scratching. Obviously, no one is going to tell the media who the starter is or who they are trading before it happens, but it was questionable why the Browns had not gotten a deal done before the season started or why they had Frye starting when they knew they were going to trade him?

Maybe they wanted to make Frye look good before they traded him? If so, you would have to question why the Browns benched him early in the game and only gave him a total of 10 passing attempts. Furthermore, the Browns had no means of deception when trading with Seattle. The two teams have already swapped backups in the past, going back to Seattle giving Cleveland Trent Dilfer. They are common trade partners, so you would expect that if a deal was done, it must have been done before Sunday.

Perhaps that explains why the Browns benched Frye so early. Since he was already going to be traded, they didn’t care about getting him extra snaps. The trade might have still been in the works when he was announced as the starter. The Browns ended up getting a sixth-rounder out of the trade.

This move will likely mean that Brady Quinn is coming in earlier than expected. I called for week five based on the fact that Ross Tucker’s return will have the line in better shape by then, but with Anderson and Dorsey now as the other quarterbacks, Quinn will likely see at least a few drives before then.

What do you think? Post your opinion in the comment section.

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HEY STOOPID!

mhblatt — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 16:43:00 +0000

Mitchell Blatt

Scott Isn’t Confident With 40 Saves and Nor Should You Be

Hey Hoynsie: Can you honestly say that you’ll feel good about closer Joe Borowski (40 saves) trotting out to protect a one run lead in the deciding game of a playoff series with the Yankees or Red Sox? Mark my words, this guy is going to crush the Indians’ dreams.-Scott, Boise, Idaho

Uh, Scott? Do you watch baseball? Did you know that Joe Borowski has 40 saves? Did you know that he is 12-for-17 in one-run games? That’s enough to make me confident. He allows runs, sure, but he’s a freakin closer. As long as he allows less runs than the other team needs to win, it’s a good performance. He usually has a good performance. By the way, I’m pretty happy about Boise State losing their winning streak.

Hey Grossi: Maybe I’m too simple (Yes, you are.). But, in my opinion, the QB situation is simple. Keep Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson. Make Ken Dorsey a coach. … -Scott, North Carolina

Not to take a shot at my cowriter, but Scotts seem pretty stoopid today. Dorsey has played three seasons! And played terrible at that! Why is he suddenly a veteran leader? And why would he want to be a coach when he still has a long career as a backup ahead of him?

What do you think? Post your opinion in the comment section.

Hey Stoopid Archives
Sept. 2 The Cavs Are Done?
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Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low Interview All Time Low singer and frontman Alex Gaskarth discusses how his addiction to pop music comes off on CDs, for example, a certain song on the new one, So Wrong, It’s Right, that sounds like Jennifer Lopez.

WHEN WILL QUINN START? SOON ENOUGH.

mhblatt — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:45:00 +0000

Mitchell Blatt

Expect Week Five

Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel announced today that Charlie Frye will start week one against the Steelers. No surprise there. He will probably start weeks 2-4, too. Crennel has tried to be secretive about his thoughts on the quarterback position this preseason, while at the same time dismissing Quinn for holding out. It hasn’t been working. Everyone in Cleveland knew that Quinn wasn’t going to start. I’m just letting you know why he probably won’t start until week five.

First of all, he’s a rookie, and blah blah blah blah. He does happen to be one of the more NFL-ready rookies to play quarterback in the past few years, and he would probably be starting even earlier than week five if it weren’t for one thing: the offensive line. Ryan Tucker is suspended four games for steroids use, and LeCharles Bentley is still (we are told) working on a comeback. Bentley’s “comeback” attempt has been hiden from the media, so I’m not too confident about that, but Tucker being back by week five is a sure thing. Adding to that, is the fact that a number of minor injuries have kept other linemen out for some of the preseason games, and the new unit hasn’t been able to play togethor. The Browns wouldn’t want to start Quinn’s career behind that shoddy line. The always present risk of injury is there, but moreso, how much benefit would he get learning behind such a line? Whether he plays 16 games or 11 games his rookie year, won’t make a huge difference, and playing 5 of his first games while having to run around all day won’t help him learn the game.

Finally, the Browns are clinging to that one small hope that they might actually compete this year. Charlie Frye, with his experience and ability to run around, makes him a better bet to win behind a subpar line and against the three division opponents the Browns open the season with.

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What do you think? Post your opinion in the comment section.

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