Thursday, October 23, 2008

Day 4

Alright this is getting re-Goddamn-diculous.

The Cleveland Browns have become a laughing stock...they fit in (but not really) with the Lions and the Bengals right now near the bottom of the NFL and it is making my stomach hurt just thinking about watching them play what they call "football."

The Kellen Winslow ordeal just adds another delectable layer to this already crumbly cake (mmmm cake).

So after a week or so of speculation about Winslow's injury, it turns out he had a staph infection...again.

I'm not sure what he was more upset about:
1) the fact he had staph infection...again
2) phil savage decided not to give him a phone call to say "buck up big guy, we miss you"
3) he wasn't on the field during the drubbing of the Giants
or 4) rumors were running rampant that his testicles were swollen/there was a lump down there and that it was an infection/STD

I think I'd go with 4, but I'm not a betting man.

Winslow isn't either, because he took a chance by speaking out about Savage and the entire Browns management team...which led to his one game suspension.

Now I'm with Winlow 100% of the way here. He talked about wanting to ask for a trade and yadda yadda I know, but that was out of frustration for how he is being treated, "like a piece of meat." How on Earth do the Browns first let rumors of Winslows condition get so out of control, mak him keep the story a secret, make sure everyone BUT Phil Savage give Winslow a call, and finally actually let another staph infection set back another injury to this team?

Staph infections are bad, real bad, they can kill you. LeCharles Bentley's career is over likely to one...Joe Jurivicious might be next. Reports say that there have been at least 6, if not 7, cases of staph running through the Brown's IR in the past 4 or so years...that ridiculous. I havent heard of any other team having this many problems with staph in the NFL...ever. They talk about how they had a team meeting at the beginning of the year and let everyone know how they are making usre the scalpals are clean and all that jazz...but me letting everyone know that those forks in the sink are clean dont worry...and then having crusted fish sticks (mmm fish sticks) on them is not even close to understandable. I can see why he's upset.

I read a couple things in the Plain Dealer about how this is about his contract and people are getting all ticked off at Winslow for speaking out...cmon. He told reporters at the end of the interview he wanted to be a Brown and that he loved the fans and the city. He probably plays the hardest out of anyone on that team and does so with two bum knees (even though they are his fault) and a bad shoulder. He doesnt complain about not getting the ball or give excuses about his injuries. He shuts up, catches everything thrown in his vicinity, and goes to the Pro Bowl. Yea he can be an ass, he can be a "solider!!", but he's the best receiver on this team, and I think (before Shaun Rogers got here) he is the best/co-best player on the team. Why would you bash a guy for speaking out? Because he wants a new contract? Give me a break. Why don't you all go contract staph...twice...then see how much complaining you'd want to do to the Cleveland Clinic. You'll feel like they did your surgeries in a back alley with a garden hose and some loose metal shavings.

Cut Winslow a break. Yea he wants a new contract...and he may not be deserving of one, yet. He has the argument against him that the wear and tear on his body, caused by his own actions, is running him down and he will be hurt more than he plays over the next few years...an investment on him might be a bit risky. But think about this. He plays injured now. Why wouldnt he play injured in 2 years? I read in the paper that Dallas Clark, the Colts tight end, signed a new contract this year for 6 years at $36 million with a $5 million also available through incentives. Well according to those numbers, thats a little over a cool $6 mil a year...Winslow? He makes about $4-4.5 through the next 3 years. The NFL is a business, no contract is guarenteed and this is how the system works: You do work son, you get paid. Winslow was an ACTUAL Pro Bowl player last year (not a fill in like DA) and he did so playing on 2 bad knees (still his fault) and bum shoulder all year. If the guy says he wants to be a Brown, he wants to be a Brown..i think its put up or shut up time for Phil Savage. Maybe if you had made a 2 minute phone call to see how your recently infcted, Pro Bowl. team superstar, tight end was doing, this may have never happened. He deserves his money...he messed up in the past, messed up real bad...but he's been playing like that "soldier" from Miami ever since.

Because you know how it goes in Cleveland...you let this guy go in a trade and he will come back and kill us.

Out

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Lives to See Another D.A.y

Well, in case you missed it...the Browns won this past Monday against the undefeated, and reigning NFL Champs, the New York Giants.

And after all that talk about losing DA and giving up on him for Quinn, it seems like everyone has forgotten tha whole concept.

Well DA, and everyone else, finally stepped to the plate and played well...played like they should be playing, and showed off on a national stage.

It was good to see the Browns win, not only because I have a $5 bet that they will make the playoffs, but just because I am a Browns fan...and I'm tired of losing, especially after the great showing the Tribe had this year...don't get me started.

Butit was great to see everything clicking for the offense for once. The defense has been playing tough and tired all year because of the offenses inability to produce touchdowns or first downs...but the offense decided to do a complete 180 and get first down after first down, never punt, and not turn the ball over.

Giving the defense an actual rest between drives showed. 3 picks, one for a TD, a lot of pressure, and just an overall good game. Brandon Jacobs were running rampant on us...but that will happen with a guy his size, you aren't going to stop every running back every night, just ask Mike Adams. Did anyone peel him off the goal line yet? He got owned...and it sucks because it gave up a TD, but its Mike Adams...and he's not that great...but man, you gotta get lower than that when trying to tackle a guy who weighs 100+ pounds more than you.

Shaun Rogers is a beast. There was speculation that he would be lazy and not play to his potential. But he is taking on 2 offensive lineman each play and still is second on our team with sacks...plus he literally flattened Eli with a couple of hard rushes and then laying his 350+ pound frame onto his (Eli's) side. He helped him up afterwards...but that was the least he could do after that.

But back to DA...it was good to see him have some consistency and find guys who actually caught the ball. Braylon had a career high in yards, up over 150 i believe...and Steve Heiden and Darnell Dinkins (who?) made up for Kellen Winslow's abscene by catching everything thrown their way and scoring. After DA threw his one pass in the first quarter well behind, and over the head of newly activated Dante Stallworth, i thought we were in for another beat/let down...but DA calmy found his grove by throwing short passes, then caught fire with a couple of deep balls to Edwards, and then one to Dinkins across the middle. It was nice to see them spreading the field...especially on such a good team.

Now we just have to keep the mometum...we're at a good place at 2-3 after the extremely slow start, but the road doesnt get easy. The Redskins next week are going to be a challenge and they just lost to the unwinnable Rams...which is both good and bad news as they will be looking to make someone pay because of that slip-up.

The real controversy will be next year it seems, in what to do with Quinn if Anderson plays well through the rest of this year. If DA can play just as well as last year, or even improve, there might be a decent draft pick in it for us to trade BQ. But I ay if Quinn has no problems with the backup role for another year, then theres no reason to let him loose. I woud hate to have him come back and kill us...but i would also hate to miss the opportunity to find some personnel in the draft. We will see how Sunday, and the following weeks go...but if DA can perform at the same level and lead the Browns to an above .500 year and a possible playoff berth...he'll be the QB of the future...not BQ.

Lets go Browns.

Eli Manning, tell me how my 350+ pound ass tastes
Sincerely, Big Ole Shaun Rogers

Out

Thursday, October 2, 2008

DA > BQ??

If you have been paying attention to the Browns this year...you can tell that they really haven't lived up to the hype the media threw at them.

But they deserved it. Going 10-6 last year and suprising everyone, probably even themselves a little bit...they should have high hopes for the next season. See: Cleveland Indians.

But after a "slow" start at 1-3...there seems to be a lot missing from last year. Actually, just the offense.

The defense was not that great last year and has actually improved a bit as the weeks have gone on. Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald are not starting corners however...and not having Brodney Pool and Sean Jones healthy in the same game doesn't help matters at all. But adding Sean Rodgers in the middle has helped with the run stopping. The LB's still aren't great, but they are young...so maybe they'll keep improving as well. Alex Hall showed flashes the last 2 games taking over the starting OLB job. So we'll see how the defense keeps up, especially if they are on the field for long periods of time...since the offense has numerous 3-and-outs.

So the offense...Braylon Edwards will not get to his 16 or 17 touchdown mark that he told Michael Phelps he would get...does he even have 16 catches this year? He doesn't (thanks yahoo sports). So with those 11 catches, he almost has as many drops as receptions....if you didn't know, that's not good.

The offensive line has been bad as well, a near 180 degree turnaround from last year. Injuries have been a big part and not having Eric Steinbach out there ruins some chemistry...Ryan Tucker has also been absent. But that doesn't excuse Joe Thomas for missing his assignments...they need to get it together.

Kellen Winslow has been the only good thing on offense so far. Jamal Lewis has run decent, but he needs the ball more and needs bigger holes up front. But Winslow has quietly caught pass after pass across the middle and gets laid out time after time. Who knows how long he'll last if the team keeps losing however...and him getting drilled everytime the ball comes his way won't help his torn up motorcycle knees either. If the Browns start to slide...and slide and slide...look for Winslow and Edwards to not be happy and to start talking out. They'll want out of town if we don't change things around.

So that leaves us with possibly the most important position on the offense and possibly the entire team...the QB. QB DA has been poor to say the least...and that's the least we can say about him. He has more picks than TD's and has a terrible completion percentage. I think I saw somewhere that his average yards per pass is also way down, from a little over 7 to just a hair over 4. He's looked awful under pressure and has under and over thrown a ton of receivers this year already. He's still young and it could still be growing pains...but if you make it to the Pro Bowl, even if its because of injuries to other people, you dont have growing pains the next year.

With all that being said, the BQ debate has already sprung and people were looking to have DA replaced against the Bengals last week...coach Crennel eluded to the fact it might happen, but Phil Savage said that there was no discussion about ever using Quinn.

The Browns did win last week. They beat the Bengals, and their backup Harvard graduate quaterback who obviously was not facing the likes of Brown and Dartmouth University. If Carson Palmer had started, you cant say that the Bengals would have won...but I will. There is no way he throws 2 picks or fumbles the ball like Fitzgerald did...our defense played well, but there were a lot of mistakes on the other side.

DA was average at best...he was playing against an injury riddled Bengals secondary, and he threw 2 picks...yet one was taken away because of penalty. But he didnt throw for over 200 yards and still looked undecisive and not the quarterback we need to win.

The Browns are headed into a bye week and maybe they are thinking the time off, especially after a win, even a sub par one, will have the team on a high and maybe get some much needed momentum. If the Browns were going to make a QB change and didn't want to make one last game, now would be a time to do so. With an extra week of practice BQ could easily make the transition. We do face the defending Super Bowl champs in the Giants...so the transition may not come as easy. But if DA can average less than 5 yards a pass...theres no reason why BQ couldnt.

Quinn knows the offense, he sat and read the playbook all of last year and should be watching and learning what not to do out there. He also gives the position a little mobility...which our starter has none. So even if the O-line continues to break down...Quinn could outrun a blitz or broken assignment and buy some time.

Now I'm not for just switching the two from backup to starter and vise versa...but I would be all for trading DA to someone who might need a QB. The Patriots are not going to be happy having Matt Cassel lead their team, especially if they lose again this week...they could be potentially looking for someone to get the ball downfield to Randy Moss...and Anderson has that kind of arm. The Cheifs also need a QB...but they might not be willing to part with as much because they are pretty poor themselves. But if New England comes to you with a 3rd round draft choice...I think I'd jump on it.

There are a limited number of backup QBs available...but enough. Once you put in Quinn however, there is no going back...just having Dorsey there would almost suffice. The Browns did well in their draft this year and adding another draft pick by way of trade would be a great thing, as well as getting rid of the huge contract that you just gave to Anderson.

Now will the Browns do this? Extremely slim I am sure. Now if they fade again after their bye week, look for Quinn to be put in and to be the QB of the future. But by that time, that brand new contract you just gave to Anderson was for not. It really doesn't bother me who is receiving the snaps, as long as they can win, but its looking less and less likely that Anderson is the QB of the future.

Lets just hope DA finds some kind of rythm, Edwards starts catching everything thrown his way, and hopefully get Stallworth off the bench.

If not, it's going to be another long dissapointing season for Cleveland sports fans.

Out