Lost in the poor quarterback play and the question of who should start this Sunday for the Cleveland Browns, is how ineffective the defense has been since the first half of the season opener against Minnesota.  Rob Ryan’s defense is allowing over 150 yards per game on the ground and has just one sack in the last two games.

 

Yes, the offense scored only three points against the Ravens, bringing the heat down on the quarterback and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.  However, the defense allowed 34 points.  It isn’t as though Cleveland lost 10-3 to Baltimore.  The Ravens did anything they wanted offensively.

 

After the Browns first possession that ended in a Quinn interception, the Ravens went 31 yards in six plays, the last 18 yards on the ground, in taking a 7-0 lead. 

 

The Browns got the ball back, gained one first down before punting the pigskin away.  Baltimore took over on their own 14-yard line and marched 68 yards in 11 plays before settling for a field goal.  There were only two third down plays on the entire drive, a 17-yard completion to Kerry Washington on a 3^rd and 8 from the Raven 42-yard line.  The other was the last play of the drive that resulted in Cleveland’s only sack on 3^rd and 7 from the Browns 9.

 

Down 10-0, Quinn directed a drive, which started on their own 24 and stalled out after moving into Baltimore territory at the Ravens’ 44-yard line.  The possession took almost six minutes off the clock.  Baltimore took over on their own 3, and promptly moved 82 yards in 15 plays for another field goal to make the score 13-0.  The defense forced only three third downs on this drive, none of less than five yards to go.

 

The defense had a decent rest and still couldn’t stop the Raven attack. 

 

After a three and out offensive possession by the Browns, Baltimore took over on their own 20 and moved 80 yards in eight plays, all passes accept the 15-yard run for a touchdown by Willis McGahee that made the score 20-0 at the half.

 

Notice that one word was missing in describing the Ravens first half plays:  Punt. 

 

In fact, the Ravens’ punter Sam Koch did not appear until two minutes into the second half. 

 

The defense could not stop drives of 11 and 15 plays in the first half, thus causing the game to get out of hand.  To repeat, the first half!  It wasn’t a case of the unit being worn down by a lopsided time of possession statistic.  The defense couldn’t get a stop and couldn’t get off the field. 

 

That has to change just as much the offense has to improve.  Even if the Browns can score more points, they will not be a prolific offense this season.  That means the defense has to keep the team in games.  They did not against the Vikings and Broncos, but last Sunday, they failed miserably.

 

Can’t run the ball, can’t stop the run.  Being deficient in these two areas mean a football team cannot control a game.  Until the Browns improve in these two areas, it will be difficult to win consistently.  The lack of decisiveness at quarterback is one problem, but not being able to stop teams defensively will lead to blowouts and embarrassing defeats.

 

JD

 

 

Yesterday, the Detroit Lions defeated the Washington Redskins, ending their 19 game losing streak.  Why is this significant to Browns’ fans? 

 

Because the Cleveland Browns are now the worst team in the NFL following yesterday’s 34-3 beatdown at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. 

 

The Browns have been outscored 95-29 in their three games, meaning the average result of their games is a 32-10 defeat.  They were out gained on the ground once again, allowing 142 rushing yards and gaining just 73 years.  This team is a flat out mess.

 

If I’m Randy Lerner today, Eric Mangini is in my office this morning and is being asked, “What the heck is this?”  (NOTE:  Really, if I’m Lerner I’d sell the team or I would have had a more open interview process)

 

The only thing that has improved on this football from last year’s debacle is the pressure being put on the quarterback by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.  The Browns now have five sacks on the season, just eleven shy of their 2008 total, and they still have 13 games remaining.  However, four of those sacks came in the first game of the season.

 

How depressing is that…13 games remaining.

 

The only other positive thing you can say about the Browns is that the three teams they have played are a combined 9-0 (Minnesota, Denver, and Baltimore).

 

No one is saying the coach should be let go after just three games, but hopefully someday the Browns will hire a head coach who has a clue on the offensive side of the ball.  They need to get a guy who doesn’t treat the quarterback position like it’s the left guard. 

 

Three games into the season, and this team has a quarterback controversy.  That’s a huge problem. 

 

Of course, it started with the head coach’s idiotic decision to play games up until the first snap of the season.  The old saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none has never rung more true than in the Browns’ case.  A starter should have been named after the second pre-season game, and he should have had at least half the decision to play the position, whether the choice was Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson.

 

Quinn appears to be playing scared, and his fears appear to be founded as he was pulled at halftime after putting up zero points against one of the league’s best defense.  Yes, Quinn’s interception was a poor throw, but he has had just six starts in the NFL, and completed just four of them. 

 

Since Quinn has been drafted, rookies Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco have led their teams to the playoffs.  Another rookie this year, the Jets’ Mark Sanchez has his team off to a 3-0 start and the Lions’ rookie Matthew Stafford has put a win up on the board. 

 

And if you are a supporter of Anderson, remember that his Pro Bowl season in 2007 came with a running back that gained 1300 yards in Jamal Lewis.  These Browns can’t run the ball, and they couldn’t last year.  Without a good running game, Anderson doesn’t seem to have a clue either.

 

The Browns have no clue offensively, and the coaching of the quarterback position, perhaps the most important position in team sports, has been awful.  That’s on the head coach and ultimately the man who hired Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel, and Mangini.

 

Former coach Chris Palmer put up 24 points in a game in 2000 where he was lining up WR Kevin Johnson at quarterback, and the starter at the position was Doug Pederson.  It just shows you can put points on the board if you use a little imagination.

 

No matter whom Mangini decides to start this Sunday against Cincinnati, he has to commit to that guy for at least the rest of the season, barring injury.  The coach then has to remember who his playmakers are.  Stop messing around featuring Mike Furrey and Robert Royal, and get the ball as many times as you can to Braylon Edwards, Jerome Harrison, and Josh Cribbs. 

 

As for Cribbs, it’s clear he is not a wide receiver, but where was the wildcat formation yesterday?  Line him up at QB, let him run and THROW the ball once in a while.  Use some imagination!

 

This is a team that needed a talent infusion, yet three of the four players selected in the first two rounds of the draft cannot get on the field.  Only first round pick, Alex Mack, is a starter.  The three second rounders are either on special teams or on the inactive list.  Meanwhile, other players picked after this trio are starting for other teams, including Ray Maualuga, who will be here Sunday with the Bengals. 

 

Mangini will take his usual close-lipped stance today at his press conference.  However, the fans want answers.  There is no improvement for this football team.  They have become a laughing stock and there need to be changes.  Whether or not they are made is up to the coach.  My guess is he is too stubborn to do anything.

 

JD 

 

Ten games to go!

 

That’s all that’s left of this tortuous season for the Cleveland Indians.  It’s likely it’s also all that’s left of Eric Wedge’s tenure as manager of the ballclub.  The skipper’s job was tenuous for next year after the disappointing start to this season, but a 3-19 September probably seals the fate of Wedge, who has managed the Tribe for the past seven seasons.

 

Wedge and his coaching staff are among the people not likely to be back with the organization in 2010, as we probably have seen the last of Jamey Carroll, Andy Marte, and Kelly Shoppach as well.  Carroll is a free agent, Marte will be released, and Shoppach will probably be non-tendered so as to avoid going to arbitration in the off-season. 

 

It would not be surprising to see Kerry Wood be traded away in the winter, either.  Wood will not finish enough games to trigger the third year option in his contract, which oddly enough will make him more marketable.  The big Texan is now basically working on a one-year contract with the second year based on incentives.  It should make him easier to deal.

 

Hopefully, if the Indians can swing a deal for Wood, the ownership will see fit to put that money into starting pitching.  Right now, there is no need for a closer because the team is trailing pretty much every game 5-0 going into the sixth inning.  The 2010 Tribe needs some pitchers who give them quality starts.  They can’t put their eggs into the Jake Westbrook’s coming back and Fausto Carmona will get straightened out basket.

 

They have to improve the starting pitching greatly, and they have to get guys who can throw strikes.

 

The Indians’ pitching staff is second in the league in allowing walks and are second last in the AL in striking out hitters.  That’s a bad combination.  In essence, it says the pitchers don’t miss bats very often, and they compound that problem by falling behind in the count.

 

Just look at some of the walk to strikeout ratios for some of the Tribe starters:  Jeremy Sowers (46 walks/47 strikeouts), Aaron Laffey (52/50), Fausto Carmona (67/68), Anthony Reyes (remember him? 23/22), and Carlos Carrasco (10/10).  That, my friends, is simply unacceptable.

 

The bullpen collapse was an early factor in the pitching problems, but since the all-star break, the problem has shifted to the rotation.  And in September, the Tribe is out of most games early because of the inability of the starters to give them quality outings. 

 

You simply cannot count on any of the existing pitchers to step up at the beginning of next season.  GM Mark Shapiro has to find some reliable starting pitchers, whether by trade or by free agent signings.  They obviously are not going to get a guy like John Lackey, but there should be some hurlers available who can be counted on to keep a team in a game.  Who knows, maybe Carl Pavano could be back with the ’10 Indians.

 

People should be cautioned about the September performances of rookies.  Everyone is getting carried away with Michael Brantley, and some are even penciling him in as next year’s leadoff hitter.  Be careful!  Brantley does get on base, but at this point in his career, he has very little power.  Not home run power, but the ability to get extra base hits, and have outfielder respect his talent to do that.

 

If that pop doesn’t develop, opposing teams will start to play shallow in the outfield, stopping Brantley’s fly ball and line drives from falling in.  Also, pitchers will start pounding the strike zone against him with the knowledge that Brantley can’t hurt them.  He needs to develop an ability to drive the ball, not over the fence, but into the gaps.

 

The Indians still need two wins to avoid 100 losses for the season.  Here’s hoping they can at least avoid that embarrassment.

 

KM

 

The Cleveland Browns are jumping from the frying pan into the fire this weekend as they take on the Baltimore Ravens this week in the Charm City.  The Ravens are known as an excellent defensive team while the Browns have shown almost no offense this season so to speak.  The question is will the Browns even cross the 50-yard line, let alone the end zone.

 

One thing is for certain; the offensive philosophy has to change.  Running the ball into the line on first and second down and putting the quarterback, whether it be Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson, in terrible situations on third down, isn’t getting it done. 

 

What can offensive coordinator Brian Daboll do?

 

First of all, you can run a ball control offense by passing the ball as well as running it.  The Browns can run some short passes on first down to get themselves into 2^nd and 4 or 5 situations.  If the offense can stay out of long yardage situations that will quell the Ravens’ pressure somewhat.  It’s not rocket science folks, pass when they think you’re going to run, and vice-versa is a good strategy on offense.

 

Granted, you still have to execute, but it does keep the defense off balance.

 

This doesn’t mean ignoring the running game, either.  Once you show that you are willing to throw the ball on first down, the defense is on its heels.  It will be easier to run at that point.  Right now, opponents know Daboll is going to try to establish the ground game early and they are stacking the line to make it more difficult.

 

The other thing that can be done is to use the few weapons that the Browns have better.  Josh Cribbs is not a #2 wide receiver.  Play second round draft picks, Muhammad Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie, at the spot and use Cribbs in different ways.  How about a bubble screen?  How about the wildcat formation with Cribbs throwing a pass every once in the while?  The former Kent State quarterback still has thrown less than five passes as a Brown.

 

Other teams have figured out how to get the ball to their playmakers as many times as they can.  The Browns don’t have many, but Braylon Edwards and Cribbs, and perhaps Jerome Harrison can make plays.  Get them the ball in space and let them make plays. 

 

The other thing Daboll can do with the blessing of his head coach is playing the younger players.  This team is not going to the playoffs, and if veterans aren’t doing the job (John St. Clair), then why continue to play them.  Play Massaquoi and Robiskie.  They were second round picks after all.  If they aren’t ready to play in the NFL, then a mistake was made in picking them.

 

This is not to exonerate Quinn in the poor play of the offense.  He has looked extremely uncomfortable in the pocket, either not letting the play develop long enough, or holding the ball too long and taking a sack.  He doesn’t look anything at all like the guy who made three starts last season and was putting points on the board. 

 

However, no matter who is the quarterback, they are being put in terrible positions by the play calling.  It’s time to unbutton the offense and start trying to score instead of “managing the game”.  Otherwise, what figures to be a losing season could turn into an ugly one for Browns’ fans.

 

JD

 

We have stated many times the Cleveland Browns’ biggest problems since 1999 have been running the ball and stopping the run defensively.  Two games into the Eric Mangini era, the weaknesses are still there as the Browns were hammered by Denver 27-6 in the Mile High City yesterday. 

 

A corollary of this problem is the third down conversion rate, which once again was poor both offensively and defensively.  The brown and orange converted just 3 of 14 third down so the offense couldn’t stay on the field, that led to a defense that tired in the fourth quarter, when the Broncos scored more than half their points. 

 

On defense, Cleveland allowed Denver to pick up first downs and keep the ball on 8 of 15 opportunities, so the Browns had chances to get off the field, but couldn’t do it.

 

Brian Daboll is a first year offensive coordinator and right now the offense looks like a junior high school attack.  The conservative attack seems to prevent the team from putting points on the board, as the Browns have scored just one offensive touchdown in two games, and that was in garbage time against the Vikings.

 

QB Brady Quinn looks lost and the attack has no identity.  They tried just 21 rushes yesterday in a game where Cleveland was within a touchdown of the lead until the fourth quarter.  In fact, the Browns are averaging less than 70 yards per game on the ground, not a good statistic for a coach who wants to control the game by running the ball.  Yesterday, Daboll and Mangini gave up on the run too early.

 

Quinn did find WR Braylon Edwards yesterday, as Edwards caught six balls for 92 yards in the defeat.  The only other receiver who averaged more than 10 yards per catch was TE Robert Royal, who caught one ball for 13 yards. 

 

Quinn was sacked four times, all by Elvis Dumervil who made John St. Clair look like a human turnstile.  However, at times the quarterback held on to the ball too long, making his offensive line look bad.  Whether or not his receivers are not getting open, or he’s not going through his progressions quickly enough, he has to get rid of the football faster, especially if he’s supposed to be a guy who “manages the game”.

 

If you are having problems scoring points, and you recover a fumble on the opening kickoff, you have to try to score a TOUCHDOWN!  On first and goal at the Denver 7, two short runs by Jamal Lewis and a pass that falls short of the end zone.  In a condensed area like inside the red zone, you have to try the unexpected, especially if you cannot dominate your opponents physically.

 

The defense didn’t record any sacks, but they did put pressure on Kyle Orton.  Unfortunately, since he didn’t get him, it exposed the secondary particular CB Brandon McDonald and nickel back Hank Poteat, who should be replaced by Mike Adams or Coye Francies following yesterday. 

 

However, you have to be able to stop the run and Rob Ryan’s defense has allowed over 175 yards per game on the ground thus far.  Yes, the total was inflated in week one by Adrian Peterson’s long run, but the goal should be to hold opponents to under 100 yards per contest.  Even without Cornell Buckhalter’s 45-yard run in the fourth quarter, where CB Eric Wright rode him for ten yards instead of tackling him, the Broncos averaged almost four yards per attempt. 

 

That doesn’t get it done.

 

It doesn’t get any easier next week as the Browns travel to Baltimore to take on the 2-0 Ravens.  Right now, Mangini and his staff have some serious work to do.  The coaching staff knew the weaknesses of this team when they took over.  So far, nothing has been done to correct them.

 

Meanwhile, no Cleveland professional sports team has won a game in over a week.  When does the Cavaliers’ season start?

 

JD

 

 

Today, it’s a Cleveland Sports Potpourri…

 

·          When a team is an underdog, why don’t they take more of a gambling attitude?  Why not take more risks?  That’s why Ohio State should have gone for a touchdown in the second quarter instead of settling for a field goal.  It’s also why the Browns should have thrown the ball in the second quarter instead of giving it to Josh Cribbs in the wildcat formation twice.

 

·          It appears Tribe manager Eric Wedge seems resigned to his fate.  Last night, a pick off play at second resulted in Oakland baserunner Adam Kennedy stepping on the glove of SS Luis Valbuena, which was on the bag.  The runner was clearly out.  Wedge never came out to argue the call.  You have to wonder what Valbuena and the other players think about that.

 

·          Major league baseball has a problem again with the umpires.  The men in blue are back to being more antagonistic in dealing with players and managers, and the strike zone is getting smaller and smaller.  The Angels complained about the zone against the Red Sox after Wednesday’s game, and in Minnesota earlier this week, Tribe lefty Tony Sipp couldn’t get a strike call against Joe Mauer despite throwing a couple of pitches right over the plate. 

 

·          Still can’t believe that Shaquille O’Neal will be wearing a Cavalier jersey this season.

 

·          Defenders of Eric Wedge say that his team never quits.  They haven’t been watching the Indians performance since Grady Sizemore was shut down for the year. 

 

·          Did you see Ryan Garko has just two at-bats for the Giants in the past two weeks?  San Francisco is playing Juan Uribe at 3B, moving Pablo Sandoval to first.  Garko is the odd man out.  Don’t the Giants know he can play the outfield?

 

KM

 

It’s interesting to note the Indians PR department is no longer charting the standings from some arbitrary date.  This is probably because the Tribe has lost 12 of their last 15 games since August 30th, confirming the fact that they are, indeed, a bad baseball team. 

 

The Indians are now 21 games below the .500 mark and a 90-loss season is becoming more of a reality everyday.  They also received bad news on the power arm said to be the key to the Cliff Lee trade, as young right-hander Jason Knapp will need arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder to clean out some “loose bodies”.

 

Knapp may wind up being what the Tribe thought when they acquired him, but it’s another blow to a management team that quite frankly hasn’t had a good year the past couple of seasons.

 

Especially when you figure in that the front office has been very smug lately, dismissing critics with an attitude of “you don’t have a clue what you are talking about”.  This is the same front office, which has given fans dog seasons three of the last four years.

 

Another example of this is the non-recall of Jordan Brown.  The Indians have said they are not a “rewarding organization” in their defense of not bringing up the Columbus first baseman.  Actually, they are correct about that.  They haven’t rewarded their fans with a consistent winner since 2001. 

 

Brown may not ever turn into an everyday major league player, but he deserved to get some playing time based on hitting .335 at the AAA level.  However, it’s another example of the Tribe brass thinking they are the only people who know baseball.

 

The Colorado Rockies, who turned their season around with a managerial change, have been the focus of many media stories because of this turn around.  When quizzed about the revival, Jim Tracy said he told his club to be more aggressive, and he decided to go with a set lineup.  A set lineup?  What a revelation!  This is the opposite approach to the Indians, who seemingly have a different lineup everyday. 

 

Look at how many first basemen this team has used this season as starters:  Victor Martinez, Ryan Garko, Mark DeRosa, Matt LaPorta, Chris Gimenez, Andy Marte, and Niumann Romero.  Keep in mind that Eric Wedge also mentioned Jhonny Peralta playing there as well. 

 

At one point this season, it appeared the manager threw the names into a hat and pulled out a position and a name to make out the lineup.  As recently as a week and a half ago, the skipper was still moving Shin-Soo Choo around from right field to left field depending on the ballpark they were playing in.

 

On another note, there was much ado about Derek Jeter breaking Lou Gehrig’s hit record for the fabled New York Yankee franchise.  Would there be as much hubbub if it were the Tribe team record falling?  The Indians current franchise hit leader is Napoleon Lajoie, who had 2026 hits while wearing a Cleveland uniform.  This record wouldn’t get as much coverage.

 

It does point out how teams like the Indians can’t hold on to its star players.  Surely, Lajoie’s record, as well as most of the team’s batting marks for a career would have been surpassed had guys like Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez played the balance of their baseball in an Indians’ uniform. 

 

Lajoie was a great player, but these kinds of moments are just another thing fans of mid-market franchises are denied.  It’s the sad side of the game.

 

MW

 

In the first half of yesterday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Browns looked like the team that Eric Mangini envisioned.  They played solid defense and although the offense left some points on the table, they were reasonable efficient.

 

In fact, the Vikings’ points were set up by uncharacteristic poor special teams play.  A bad punt by Dave Zastudil gave Minnesota the ball in Cleveland territory, and a very good punt return set the Vikes up inside the Cleveland 30 yard line.  Minnesota converted these two mistakes into their ten first half points.

 

However, the second half reverted back to the 2008 season.

 

The defense couldn’t get off the field as Adrian Peterson gashed them for large chunks of yardage, and once the offense took to the playing surface, it couldn’t convert first downs.  The most telling stat of the game was the Vikings third down conversion rate was 6 of 14, while the Browns managed just 4 out of 12.  Getting the defense off the field and keeping them off could have made for a different result.

 

The first drive of the third quarter was started at the Minnesota 45 after a 41-yard return by Percy Harvin, another poor special teams play.  The Vikings then marched 55 yards using just one pass play, a 13-yard pass from Brett Favre to Vinsathe Shiancoe, and they picked up another 16 yards on a pass interference penalty on Brandon McDonald as Minnesota took a 17-13 lead.

 

The offense could only stay on the field for three plays since Brady Quinn threw an interception after Jamal Lewis, who played well, gained 22 yards on his first two carries of the second half.

 

The Vikings then marched 82 yards to make it 24-13 mostly due to the running attack of Peterson and Chester Taylor.  Since stopping the run was a major concern coming into the season, allowing 225 yards on the ground in their opener is not an encouraging sign. 

 

It was a good sign to see the Browns get four sacks, two on safety blitzes.  Coordinator Rob Ryan moved guys around in his schemes, which was a welcome sight after last season’s mostly vanilla sets.  Ryan gets a first game benefit of the doubt since he was going up against the league’s premier running back in Peterson.  However, improvement needs to be made against the run.

 

Quinn wound up the game 21 for 35 for 205 yards with a late meaningless touchdown to Robert Royal.  However, he threw the interception and had another turnover when he fumbled trying to throw a pass in the fourth quarter.  Since he was supposed to be a guy who controlled the ball, this was not how he or Mangini wanted to start the season. 

 

In Quinn’s defense, the play calling seemed a little odd as well.  Remember that this is Brian Daboll’s first experience as a coordinator, so hopefully he will improve too.  Using three running plays, two using the “wildcat” formation on first and goal at the Viking 6 in the second quarter was hardly imaginative play choices. 

 

On the other hand, Minnesota has a very good defense, leading the NFL against the run the past few seasons.  They are a Super Bowl contender, and will be one of the better team the Browns face all season.  If he plays the same way against Denver next week, then there will be cause for concern.

 

The special teams were supposed to be a strength, The Sporting News ranked the Cleveland unit as the second best in the NFL, but they didn’t play like it yesterday.  There are plenty of new faces on these units, so that could be a reason for the slippage Sunday. 

 

One could question the head coach’s non-decision at quarterback as a reason for the inconsistency during the first game of the season.  Mangini has a lot to emphasize this week at practice.  Hopefully, the same improvement made from the first pre-season game to the second will apply to the regular season. 

 

JD

 

The Cleveland Browns start their season this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings with what seems like their 12^th makeover since rejoining the NFL in 1999.  They have a new coach in Eric Mangini, only the second coach in team history with previous NFL head coaching experience, and a new general manager in George Kokinis, who hasn’t been seen or heard from in weeks.

 

They have a new starting quarterback, we think, in Brady Quinn, picked in the first round in 2007, and over twenty players who were not with last year’s edition of the Browns, which won just four games.

 

Even with all these changes, it would be a good season if the team shows improvement to six or seven wins, which is where we think the Browns’ record will fall in 2009.  The biggest reason the record will not be better is the power of the AFC North.  If Mangini’s crew can win two division games this season, it will be better than we have seen in the past. 

 

Defensively, this team needs to stop the ground game and they have to put more pressure on the quarterback.  The Romeo Crennel defensive style of bend, but don’t break, doesn’t win in the NFL.  The Browns didn’t allow an excessive amount of points last year, but watching the games no one could say this was a good defense.

 

Bringing in former Jets like Eric Barton and Kenyon Coleman will help the rush defense.  They are major upgrades from the people who manned those spots last year.  However, time will tell if they are good enough to stop the running games of the Steelers, Ravens, and this Sunday’s opponent, Adrian Peterson.

 

Last year, the Browns averaged about one sack per game, which is a disgraceful total.  Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has a low bar to leap over in this regard in his first year.  Kamerion Wimbley and Alex Hall have to put pressure from the outside, and Shaun Rogers will put pressure up the middle.  The emergence of Ahtyba Rubin will keep Rogers fresher, which will mean he will be even more of a beast when he is in the game.

 

Here are some more predictions for the ’09 Cleveland Browns:

 

·          The team will win one game against either the Steelers or Ravens this year.

·          Quinn will play well and prove himself as a solid starter in the NFL.

·          Jamal Lewis’ decline will continue and by the end of the year, rookie James Davis will be getting at least half of the team’s carries per game.

·          Braylon Edwards will have a solid season, but the offense’s shift to a ball control passing attack will leave him short of ten touchdowns.

·          Josh Cribbs will emerge as a good wide receiver, one who gets lots of yardage after the catch.

·          When the Browns lose two in a row for the first time this season, Edwards will express displeasure with the play calling.

·          The Browns will get at least 30 sacks in 2009.

·          The defense will not be great against the run, but it will be an improved unit.

·          CB Eric Wright will emerge as a very good cornerback, one that if the team had a better record would go to the Pro Bowl

 

Then again, I could be totally wrong.  The NFL is a league of attrition, and the improvement predicted for the Browns is based on staying relatively healthy this season.  If Richard Bartel is back and starting at QB late in the season, all bets are off.

 

JD

 

Thank goodness the Cleveland Indians don’t have to see the Texas Rangers anytime soon.  Texas opened the season by battering the Tribe pitching staff, and they did it again in a doubleheader on Tuesday night, scoring 21 runs in the two games.  Then, they tacked on another 10 today for good measure.

 

Only Aaron Laffey beat the Rangers this season, and Texas repaid him by getting 12 hits and scoring seven runs off him in Game 2.  This might be one of those times the Indians throw away the scouting report on the Rangers’ hitters, because it is obviously not the correct information on how to get them out.

 

One thing that raised my eyebrow over the weekend was WKNR’s Mark “Munch” Bishop bringing out his Travis Hafner bashing stick about Hafner being a singles hitter, and advocating signing potential free agent Jim Thome to replace him. 

 

First, no one, I repeat, no one is going to take Hafner’s bloated contract off of the Indians’ hands.  Not at over $10 million per year for two more years.  Second, it doesn’t make any sense to do this for the Tribe.

 

Hafner has a slugging percentage of .498, which is the best on the team.  This disputes Bishop’s assertion that Hafner has turned into a slappy.  What is Thome’s slugging percentage?  It’s roughly the same at .493. 

 

Of course, Thome spent his season playing in one of the American League’s best hitter’s park in US Cellular Field while Pronk plays at Progressive Field which is the AL’s best pitcher’s park, at least it is in 2009. 

 

Hafner is a victim of his past.  He will probably never reach the power numbers he had in 2004-06, but he has 15 dingers in 273 at bats.  What the Indians need is for the big man to get 450-500 at bats next season.  At the pace he is currently at, he would hit 26 homers in 2010.  It’s not the Pronk of the past, but it’s still a solid season.

 

On another note, the team made its final September recall by bringing up Niumann Romero from Columbus.  Congratulations to Romero on making his major league debut despite hitting just a combined .240 with 1 HR and 35 RBI at both Akron and Columbus this season.  Romero started yesterday’s game at…1B, of course, making him the 34^th person to play the position for the Indians this year.

 

However, they ignored 1B Jordan Brown, who hit .336 with 15 HR and 67 RBI with the Clippers.  Why?  Skipper Eric Wedge said they couldn’t find at bats for Brown.  However, I found some.  He could have taken the four at bats given to Romero today!  Are the Indians so filled with great offensive players that they can’t find chances for a guy who hit .336 in AAA? 

 

The ownership wants to know why the fans have lost confidence in the organization.  I suggest they ask Jordan Brown.

 

KM

 

When it was all said and done, the Cleveland Browns did the NFL one better, cutting its roster to 52 players, one below the league mandate for opening day.  However, it would not be surprising if some of the survivors from yesterday's cuts didn't suit up for game one against the Vikings next Sunday.

 

There were few shocks in the final transactions.  Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison both survived, the latter was more of an eyebrow raiser than the former.  Lewis used the pre-season to get ready for the 16 game grind of the regular season, not to make the team, although it will be interesting to see how much he still has in the tank in 2009.  James Davis was impressive and deserves to get some time once the games start for real.

 

The most surprising names to make the roster were DB Bret Lockett and OL Corey Hilliard, who were both kept over more experienced players, Corey Ivy and Isaac Sowells, respectively.  I was not stunned to hear that WR David Patten didn't make the team.  Patten missed most of training camp with injuries, and wasn't a big contributor on special teams. 

 

It appears that when it came down to the final spots on the roster, Eric Mangini went with youth over experience.  For a rebuilding team, this is a good move.  Why not take a shot that a young guy can become a player over a veteran who likely will not improve.  The only surprise in this regard was the cut of last year's fourth round pick, ILB Beau Bell.

 

Third string quarterback Brett Ratliff got the benefit of the doubt from being with Mangini for a full season, as he was outplayed in the games by Richard Bartel, who was among those released.  Bartel will probably be signed on to the practice squad if he's not picked up by another team.

 

Of course, some of those waived will be resigned along with Bartel.  Players like WR Paul Hubbard, WR Jordan Norwood, DB Brandon Anderson, and OL Brandon Braxton could wind up back with the Browns in this area.

 

There is no doubt that Mangini and GM George Kokinis will be scouring the waiver wire for players let go by other teams that could help the brown and orange.  My guess is they are looking for a veteran offensive lineman and another defensive back, perhaps a safety because of Brodney Pool's injury history.

 

It will be a busy next couple of days for the front office as the final roster is prepared.  If a player survived yesterday's cut down, he still has some nervous days ahead before becoming an official member of the Cleveland Browns.

 

JD

 

The rosters have expanded and the baseball season has entered its final month, at least it is for the Cleveland Indians, who exited the pennant race in June.  With the ninth month just a few days old, we have already seen one more piece of the C.C. Sabathia trade in Michael Brantley, and the first piece of the Cliff Lee transaction in Carlos Carrasco.

 

However, there are still things to question about how the Tribe is handling September.  The focus should be on getting ready for next season, but it appears there are other agendas.  Here are more questions…

 

·          Why isn’t Andy Marte getting any time at 3B, his natural position?  Again, I’m not saying I’m sold on Marte as a starter for next season.  He parlayed some everyday playing time into a hot streak that included four home runs on the road trip that was concluded yesterday.  Please don’t tell me that Jhonny Peralta is that entrenched in the Tribe’s 2010 plans.

 

·          Why is Peralta entrenched at 3B for next season?  Yes, we have been critical of Peralta the past few months, but it seems like the front office is in love with him.  Why?  He’s an okay player, certainly nothing special.  He isn’t a big power guy. He doesn’t hit for a high average.  He doesn’t walk a lot.  He has no speed.  He’s not a very good defender.  Shouldn’t the team want something better from third base?

 

·          Why bench Matt LaPorta, Marte, or Brantley?  Playing Marte at the hot corner would allow Eric Wedge to play LaPorta at 1B with Brantley in LF.  Also, stop moving LaPorta all over the place; play him in left or at first.  Brantley should play left or center.  There is no need to move players around because of the configuration of the ballpark. 

 

·          Why do we continue to see Kelly Shoppach behind the plate?  Wyatt Torregas isn’t a great prospect, but right now I’d rather see him than Shoppach’s constant whiffing.  The perfect scenario would be to see Lou Marson and Carlos Santana starting at catcher, but the Tribe has said the latter will not get called up.  Why not take a look at what Marson offers?

 

·          Why does everyone want Grady Sizemore to shut it down early?  From what I have heard, it’s a rather minor procedure on his elbow with a short rehab time.  He is swinging the bat better, having raised his average 20 points over the last couple of months.  If he wants to play, and he isn’t doing more damage to the joint, what’s the harm in putting him in the lineup?

 

·          Has Eric Wedge already been told his fate?  He alluded to his future prior to yesterday’s game.  It is clear to me that GM Mark Shapiro needs to go outside the organization to find his next field manager.  Since the Angels seem to be a well-run franchise, and Mike Scioscia is arguably the best skipper in the game, I would suggest looking at Ron Roenicke.  The last guy hired out of that organization has done well, Tampa’s Joe Maddon.

 

Hopefully, the Indians show a better effort than they did in Detroit.  Yes, the Tigers are the division leaders, but the Tribe played bad baseball in the series.  If Eric Wedge has any hope of keeping his job, he better get his team back in gear during this homestand.  Making five errors in a game here could get the few folks attending the games, a little bit angry.

 

MW

 

The Cleveland Browns surprised a few people by releasing two veterans in the past week in CB Rod Hood and offensive lineman George Foster.  Yesterday, the team put Ryan Tucker on injured reserve.  It was a good gamble to bring these guys into camp, particularly Tucker and Foster, because you never know when you will need depth on the offensive line.

 

Tucker is not a surprise as he has developed into a guy you cannot count on over the past few years, something coaches loathe.  He missed time in ’07, played just one game in 2008, and now will be out this year.  People have said he is arguably the Browns’ best offensive lineman when he plays, however, that’s the rub…he can’t get on the field.

 

Look for the Browns to pick up an experienced offensive lineman when the rosters are cut down to 53 next week.  Some quality depth will be out there, and Eric Mangini will definitely be interested in adding to the depth of his roster.  Currently, the only experienced reserves are Hank Fraley (assuming Alex Mack starts at center), and Floyd Womack (assuming Rex Hadnot starts), because Fred Weary was also placed on the injured reserve list yesterday. 

 

Corey Ivy and impressive looking rookie Coye Francies beat out Hood for a spot on the roster.  Francies has stood out with his physicality among the defensive backs. 

 

Many times coaches make moves with veterans like Foster and Hood so they can hook on with other teams quicker.

 

The Browns also dealt DL Louis Leonard to Carolina for an undisclosed draft pick.  Having Robaire Smith healthy, and the strong play of Ahtyba Rubin made Leonard expendable.  Also, the latter’s argument with defensive line coach Brian Cox a few weeks ago didn’t help his cause.  Once again, this is a case of Mangini showing who’s the boss.  And there is nothing wrong with that.

 

It appears that Mangini is fair on the makeup of his roster as well.  He has been willing to let go of some of the players he and GM George Kokinis brought in over the off-season, and that is a refreshing trait compared to some of the past management regimes (see Davis, Butch).  The current management seems to want the best 53 players on the roster, with no hidden agendas.

 

Following Thursday's game against Chicago, there will be a bevy of activity in Berea.  Twenty two players have to be let go to get to the 53 man roster for the regular season, but the guess here is more than that many will not be wearing a Browns' jersey come September 13th.  There will be three or four players cut by other organizations, who will be standing on the sidelines against Minnesota. 

 

The Browns want to keep upgrading their talent level.

 

JD