"Big Baby", More Like Big Time

With a nickname like "Big Baby", it doesn't exactly cast a positive light, but Shaun Rogers has officially worn out his nickname and is need of a new one. How about "Big Time" instead? I don't think anyone can argue with the fact that Shaun Rogers is a hulk of a man, standing 6'4" and 360lbs. He is an absolute freak. I believe he finished yesterday's game with 9 tackles, a sack and a blocked field goal. He even managed to recover the ball after he blocked the field goal. He has been playing at a Pro-Bowl level all season on one of the worst defenses in the league. If there is a bright spot on the defense, I guarantee that Shaun Rogers is it. His play has elevated that of his teammates. Make no mistake about it, without Shaun Rogers, we'd probably be 0-7. He makes everyone around him play that much better. If only there was someway to get Quinn on the field, then we'd have a dynamic leadership duo. One on each side of the ball. The reason I say Quinn is because Cleveland is trying to run Kellen Winslow, the undisputed leader of the offense, out of town because the organization has sensitive feelings.
Kellen Winslow's recent dispute with the organization is uncalled for. The organization basically admitted that it screwed up when it rescinded its suspension of Winslow. Now, I do have to give Cleveland props because before I lambasted the organization for not owning up to its mistakes. So at least they are making progress in the right direction, however, scuffles like this shouldn't ever take place in the first place. Winslow spoke his mind. There is nothing wrong with that. He realizes that if he doesn't vocalize his discontent, nothing is going to be done to evoke change to fix what is wrong. He knows how to push the buttons of the coach and management which can be a bad thing if you push too many buttons, but he has used this ability to try and address some in house issues. Now, hopefully, Savage and Winslow will realize that the team is better with him on the field, not off it. The team has won two out of its last three games and it should have been three out of its last three but the Browns decided not to show up against the Redskins. With Winslow back and all of the off-the-field issues supposedly resolved, I pray that Cleveland will go on a little run and make a push to the playoffs because after Pittsburgh's loss, they sit just two games back with plenty of football left this season. I am by no means predicting a playoff birth for the Browns nor am I saying that they are playing well right now because their record stands at 3-4. I am saying that they have an opportunity and it is up to them to make the most of it. The remaining games will be very telling as to the future of the franchise. I am very anxious to see how it plays out because in my opinion, everyone on the team is playing for a job for next season. They are in essence "trying out" for a chance to continue to be a part of this once proud organization.

Whatever Happened To The Good Ole Days?

I'm gonna go in a different direction in this entry and get a little off topic. Instead of talking about how Cleveland is going to get dismantled this weekend by Jacksonville, I'd rather talk about the NFL's current crackdown on hitting during games.
Everyone has known, since the dawn of time, that quarterbacks (and kickers) wear skirts. They are not allowed to get hit all week in practice and when you hit them in a game, it's a penalty. So if it wasn't blatantly obvious before, consider this a crash course in wussification. Now onto my gripe with Roger Goodell and his recent policies regarding "safety" in the NFL. These policies have now placed skirts on every player who steps on the field. The bone-crushing, jaw-jarring, gut-busting hits that have been the trademark of football are being removed from the game. Take Adrian Wilson's hit on Trent Edwards a few weeks back (scroll forward to about the 20 second mark). This hit was clean demonstrated by there no flag being thrown by the referees. However; he was fined tens of thousands by the league and warned that if he hit anyone like that every again more severe action would be taken i.e. a suspension. This is ludicrous. Whatever happened to tackling? I mean this was a textbook play by a Pro-Bowl caliber safety. What was Wilson supposed to do!? Was he just supposed to stop and just try and push Edwards over with his pinky finger? NO! He put his helmet in his chest and buried him to the turf. Any TRUE coach and player would appreciate this type of play; not reprimand it.
Eric Smith's hit on Anquan Boldin was also a perfect play (scroll forward to about the 17 second mark). This helmet to helmet stuff is bullcrap. A hit's a hit. Smith made a play. I mean if I'm this guys coach, I'm jumping for joy because he prevented a touchdown. It's unfortunate that Boldin got hurt. I don't deny that, but injuries are part of the game. Every player understands the risks of strappin on the pads on Sunday's. They understand the consequences that may occur as a result of playing one of the most violent games in the world today. There is no way around it. Injuries are a part of the game. Players are gonna get hurt no matter how hard they get hit. A player can tear his ACL and end his career just by making a cut or falling awkwardly to the turf. Coaches often preach that going any less than 110% in between those sidelines will get you seriously injured. So why are people encouraging them to tone it down? It doesn't make sense. It really doesn't.
Roger Goodell and anyone who agrees with his "safety" policies, (this even includes the parents of little Joey in Pee-Wee football. Yes you too!) I have a message for you. GET OUT OF FOOTBALL and let real men run the sport. I admire men like Mike Ditka across the USA for one simple reason. THEY WANT TO PRESERVE THE GAME THEY LOVE SO MUCH. For those of you who didn't hear Ditka's sarcastic comments on the state of the league, he said that if the commish really wanted to prevent hitting other players, he should take the facemasks off of their helmets. If I'm the only one who finds what is happening to football (and to America in general, but that's a whole different topic for another day) to be repulsive than I feel sorry for the future of the game. I don't think football will survive if the violence of the game is taken away. Then again flag football is pretty popular, right?

I Thought The Expression Was Spring Cleaning?

Are you freakin kidding me!? This is the final straw. Today was a pretty humdrum day until i checked nfl.com earlier and saw that the Cleveland Browns tried trading Kellen Winslow. SERIOUSLY!!?? I mean what is Phil Savage thinking? It seems like Cleveland is about to destroy another relationship with one of its best players. This has LeCharles Bentley written all over it. Savage seems to be really pissed off at Winslow for a few reasons. One being his demand for a new contract. Winslow's phenomenal play over the past two season cannot be ignored. Cleveland stood by Winslow's side when he couldn't stay healthy and couldn't behave himself. That was honorable of them; however, Winslow has set numerous records over the past two seasons at the TE position surpassing a Cleveland legend Ozzie Newsome. Those efforts should definitely be rewarded. Apparently, giving Winslow a new contract isn't on Savage's list of things to do for whatever reason.
Another thing that has Savage's panties in a bunch is Winslow's recent comments about his bout with staph. Winslow made some outlandish comments that seem to stem from the frustration of an underachieving team that was pegged as pre-season favorites to win the division and make the playoffs. Nonetheless, Winslow accused Savage of not caring about him when he was in the hospital being treated for staph last week because Savage did not come and visit him and check up on him and make sure that he was okay. This seems a little childish, but staph can kill you. It is no laughing matter and Winslow obviously wasn't doing well.
Winslow has every right to feel slighted. He is being pushed out of Cleveland. The fans adore him and the front office loathes him. He is one of the best tight ends in the league when healthy. I mean he is a Pro-Bowler at only 25 years of age. It's truly sad that Savage has absolutely no people skills. Forcing someone out because he isn't afraid to speak his mind and ask for what he deserves is terrible policy. Oh and by the way, in an attempt to smooth over their relationship, Cleveland has suspended Kellen Winslow for exhibiting conduct detrimental to the team. Way to go Cleveland you really know how to make a man feel wanted.
This whole ordeal is surreal. If Winslow is traded, I will be calling for the termination of both Crennel's and Savage's contracts because neither is fit to run a team and organization. I already am praying that they fire Crennel and hire Bill Cowher, the former, legendary Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. Now I am hoping that Savage is shown the door same as Crennel. I'd have to do a little bit more homework to find a suitable replacement for Savage, but that shouldn't be too hard. At this point, Randy Lerner should cut his losses and move on. On the off chance that somehow Crennel and Savage are the one's to turn around Cleveland's misfortunes, they have lost all of my respect. Not that one fan's opinion matters, but I cannot respect a man or men who have no respect for their fellow man. Winslow, hang in their buddy; I know what it feels like to be surrounded by incompetency... see Mike Fox, defensive coordinator of St. John Fisher College

You Can't Teach an Old Dawg New Tricks

Go figure. Cleveland reverted back to its old form dropping an easily winnable game to the Washington Redskins. The offense struggled as it has been all year, with the exception of one game. The defense didn't play terrible. I mean they did only give up 14 points. That's a good job no matter who you play. When you only give up 14 points, you have to be confident that your offense will out-score the other team especially when you are loaded with so many offensive weapons. Anderson and Edwards were not on the same page. It seemed like Cleveland never moved on from their dominating performance last week. They were just mesmerized by their Monday night win.
I can now say, with confidence, that the Browns will have a Top-10 draft pick this off-season. If they're smart, they'll go defense. More specifically, their defensive front seven. If the opportunity presents itself, I wouldn't fault them for going after a running back such as Beanie Wells because Jamal Lewis is getting old and I don't think Jerome Harrison or Jason Wright is the long-term answer at RB. James Laurinaitis would be a phenomenal selection because our interior linebackers are not very talented and seem to struggle in every game. A pass rusher who can also play the run would be ideal because Willie McGinest is just too damn frickin old to be starting for us. He is not the player he used to be and is very ineffective as a player. At his current age, he would be more effective as a coach. George Selvie is a possible draft candidate, but most likely in the later rounds because he is strictly a pass rusher. Brian Orakpo should definitely be on the Browns radar in the 1st-round. Not only is he a phenomenal pass rusher, but he has the size and ability to play the run as well. Both Selvie and Orakpo would have to make the transition from collegiate defensive end which as we've seen with Kamerion Wimbley, is not an easy task. If you want to go defensive line and they should go defensive line, Terrence Cody is the most ideal pick. He is 6'5" and listed at 365lbs although he probably weighs closer to 375 or 380. He is the second coming of Shaun Rogers. His combination of freakish size and strength make him a dominant run stuffer, which Cleveland desperately needs. He can rush the passer when asked even though it's not his strong suit. I pray that Savage won't be able to pass on Cody assuming he makes himself eligibile for the draft and is available when Cleveland picks because He has Pro-Bowl 3-4 Nose Guard written all over him.
Whomever the Browns go after next April, I hope that they make a smart choice. I will never bash them for making an intelligent choice over a brash one. Cleveland needs to get their shit together, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. So in the meantime, I will speculate on the off-season because that's about all I have to look forward to.

They're Baaaaaack

Okay, I'd be lying if I said this is the first time I've been wrong and not just wrong but way out in left field with my prediction of the Monday Night Football game. I'd also be lying if I said that yesterday's game has completely changed my outlook for the rest of the season. I am not 100% convinced that yesterday's Cleveland Browns are the team we'll see for the next 11 games. I pray to God that it is, but they haven't sold me quite yet because one game does not make a season.
On a more positive note, I am ecstatic that the Browns finally decided to show up this season. We are now sitting at 2-3 and are tied for 2nd in the division. If we can keep it up, the division crown is not out of the question. Everyone got to see what the Browns can do when they get in a rhythm and are relatively healthy. The most impressive thing about our win last night wasn't that we dominated the Giants for 4 quarters, or that Braylon Edwards dominated the secondary, or that our youthful secondary intercepted the "great" Eli Manning three times. It was that we did all of this without our best player, KELLEN WINSLOW. That's right the most consistent performer on our team didn't suit up due to an undisclosed illness. It didn't seem to phase a Cleveland offense that was firing on all cylinders yesterday.
The player who stood out to me the most during the game was Shaun Rogers. He is an absolute freak. He dominated arguably the best offensive line in football last night. He was constantly harassing Eli Manning in the passing game and plugging Brandon Jacob's running lanes. In my opinion, this was the best acquisition of the offseason. Even Corey Williams had a solid game. He had a sack and a forced fumble taken away because of defensive holding penalty, but overall he had a real solid game.
The sky is the limit for the Browns if they can carry this momentum through the rest of the season. Getting players back such as Sean Jones, Shaun Smith, Kellen Winslow, Kevin Shaffer, etc. is only going to make this team better. I was very pleased to see Donte Stallworth on the field last night and he did a good job considering it was his first game this season. My interest and excitement has been renewed after last night's game. I can only hope that they don't make fools of themselves in the coming weeks because they have a tendency to revert back to their usual, mistake ridden selves after statement games such as last night. GO DAWGS!

I (Don't) Stand Alone

This entry for Inside the Helmet can be located at Podbean under the title "Inside the Helmet: I (Don't) Stand Alone". Listen to it and give me some feedback on it.

Also, If you find anything I have said to be untrue, misleading or downright blasphemous. Rich Passan, of the OBR, did a good job summing everything up for me. It's nice to know that I am not the only lunatic who thinks these things. There is comfort in numbers. Anyway check out his article. It's a good read.

Cruel Intentions

Okay, it's Sunday afternoon and I've been watching football all day. The best thing about it is I am actually enjoying the games for a change because Cleveland isn't playing. I don't have to worry about my team embarrassing themselves yet again. I don't have to listen to all of my buddies busting my balls for loving the NFL team that looks like they might get beat by some of the elite college teams this season. Instead, it's nice and quiet while I make fun of everyone else's teams who lost. For instance, I no longer feel like Cleveland has the worst luck in league after watching the Texans lose a 17 point lead to the Colts with 4 minutes to go in the game.
The one thing that still upsets me about the Browns right now is they feel like nothing has gone wrong. Phil Savage said and I quote, ""We've spent three-plus years trying to put this team together and get our best players onto the field... I know for a fact 1,000 percent -- I've talked to people around the league, people who have been in this business a long time, coaches, front office types -- you don't go blowing things up after a couple games. We've had a dry spell for the first couple weeks, but you're not going to do it and be successful in this league." Well Phil no one is talking about "blowing things up." All we want as fans is a tuneup: grease the hinges, tighten the screws and start Brady Quinn. We aren't asking for much because apparently when we ask for competence from anyone in the organization that is too much to ask for and you go on one of your little tirades because someone hurt your feelings. The bottom line is Savage and Crennel are screwing up. Their inability to admit that they are screwing up is what the problem is. I mean everyone knows Cleveland on its way to rock bottom, but it's the people who are willing to admit their past mistakes that will turn this team around. Savage and Crennel are stubbornly beating a dead horse because they do not want to own up to their mistakes and say that everything they have worked for the past 3 years isn't working out the way they had originally planned.
Unless Savage and Crennel suddenly decide to mix things up a bit, I wouldn't expect much of change in Cleveland.

First or Last

Go ahead... ask me. Ask me if I'm impressed and/or happy that Cleveland finally got its first win this season. The answer is hell no! We beat one of the only two teams that is truly worse than we are. The one thing that makes this win even less impressive is that Bengals quarterback, Carson Palmer, one of the top-3 quarterbacks in the league, didn't even play because he was injured. Ryan Fitzpatrick was under center. Who the hell is Ryan Fitzpatrick!!?? With the odds clearly in Cleveland's favor to win, they nearly blew it. If it wasn't for a semi-dominant fourth quarter by the team, they'd be 0-4 and I'd be much happier. I know it seems odd that I'd be happier if they were 0-4 instead of their current 1-3 record. The reason, however, is quite simple. Had Cleveland lost, Brady Quinn would be the new starting quarterback in Cleveland and Derek Anderson would be relegated to the bench where he belongs. So for now, Anderson keeps his job and Quinn continues to grow discontent on the bench as Cleveland ruins their relationship with him much the way they did with LeCharles Bentley.
I'm glad Cleveland has a bye this week too. This will be the first Sunday since the season kicked-off that I won't be sick to my stomach. I'm praying that they use this week to heal up and get the endless list of players that are on the injury report back on the field, where they belong. Donte Stallworth, for one, hasn't played in a game yet this season. The Browns dished out a $35 million dollar contract for his services and so far he is cashing his checks without doing any work. There are too many people on the team that are not "earning" their paychecks be it not playing at all (Donte Stallworth) or playing extreme poorly (Derek Anderson).
The one thing that I am looking forward to is getting rid of Derek Anderson because unless he somehow takes Cleveland to the Super Bowl this season, which won't happen, he is off to make someone else's team look incapable of scoring a touchdown. Brady Quinn will take over the starting quarterback position at some point this season no matter what Phil Savage says because he is not the coach and has no authority over who sees the field. I can't wait to see Brady Quinn as the quarterback instead of the incumbent.