Quitters Never Win

Running back, Jamal Lewis, has made claims that some players "quit" during the Broncos game as reported by James Walker on ESPN.com. Well it seems as though Lewis isn't the only one who thinks that the Browns quit as Joshua Cribbs and Andra Davis have agreed with Lewis's statement about the team. This is absolutely unbelievable. If you don't wanna play than get the hell off the field. Players quitting on a season is a direct reflection on the Head Coach i.e. Romeo Crennel. Crennel should follow Mike Singeltary's example if he wishes to attain a coaching job ever again in the NFL. Singeltary benched first-round draft pick and starting TE Vernon Davis a few weeks back after he took over as head coach for Mike Nolan. Singeltary caught Davis pouting on the sideline after he was removed from the field for committing an unnecessary personal foul. Singeltary went over to talk to him and shortly thereafter told him that if he wanted to help the team, he could go take a shower and get off his sideline. Singeltary's hard-line approach to coaching is a needed change to the NFL ranks. Crennel is soft and does not have the respect and will never have the respect that a man like Singeltary demands. Players should be disciplined for not giving all that they've got because there are plenty of other players who salivate at the chance to play professional football.
This is further evidence to how poor of a job Crennel is doing at managing his team. Crennel does not deserve to be a head coach because he has no clue how to be a head coach. His personality is what is holding him back. It takes a tough man with a strong backbone to do the job and he simply does not possess enough drill sergeant in his blood to run a team. Discipline on the team is lacking severely and this is due to Crennel's inability to control his players. When players lose respect for their coach, winning becomes impossible; just ask Don Holl, head coach at Cathedral Prep. When respect is lost, the last thing anyone wants to do is give 110%, or claw for that extra inch or hit that much harder or block for another second. Giving all you've got for that person becomes impossible because they no longer give you all they've got. It has to be mutual.
The players who no longer wish to be there need to be let go and the coaches who no longer wish to be there need to be let go as well. The common expression is trimming the fat. Cleveland needs to trim the fat and believe me, there is a lot of fat and not a lot of meat. Good luck Randy Lerner. Other than Barack Obama, you have the least enviable job in America.

History Repeats Itself

As I watched the Browns/Broncos game last night, visions of John Elway danced through my head as the dreaded game dubbed simply "The Drive" was being reenacted on the field by a Jay Cutler led Broncos offense. This past week was historic as the American people elected its first black president. At a lesser level of importance, but still historic, Cleveland made the switch from Derek Anderson to Brady Quinn after a season and a half. Quinn's performance last night was nothing short of spectacular. He looked like a seasoned vet in the pocket and brought an element to the offense that Anderson did not. Quinn avoided the rush. Where Anderson would have taken a sack, Quinn evaded defenders and kept plays alive with his legs. He threw for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions and 0 fumbles. Mistakes you would expect a rookie quarterback make such as miscommunications, poor hand-offs, wasting timeouts, poor accuracy, holding on to the ball too long in the pocket, none of that was there last night. Quinn was not sacked once which is as much a credit to his scrambling ability as it is to his offensive line. He didn't force anything and did not turn the ball over. He played very solid and found his favorite target, Kellen Winslow, in the endzone twice. Last nights loss cannot be placed on Quinn's shoulders. He put 30 points on the board. The loss falls squarely on the defense and Romeo Crennel.
The only defender we have that is any good is Shaun Rogers, who is definitely getting my vote for the Pro Bowl. Our secondary is porous and soft. There is no physicality at all in any one of our corners or safeties. Our secondary is manhandled by bigger receivers and burnt deep by smaller ones. DeAngelo Hall is available, but wooing him will be impossible because he is going to want to go somewhere where a Super Bowl is a realistic goal this season. Our linebackers flat out suck. There is nothing else to say really. McGinest is too flippin old and cannot get the job done. Wimbley just isn't suited for the 3-4. Alex Hall is a pass rush specialist and cant play the run. Anyone else that is on our roster as a LB is dead weight. Our defensive line would be the worst we've ever had since '99 without Shaun Rogers, period!
The flaws that I see are a direct result of coaching. Romeo does not know how to coach and cannot get the job done. He never could. The people he has hired have been suspect as well. A common saying is, the mark of a good coach isn't his ability but whether he surrounds himself with other good coaches. Crennel has not done that. I mean Mel Tucker is a terrible defensive coordinator. I'd rather have Todd Grantham back. At least he knew what he was trying to accomplish; his fault was that he didn't have the wherewithal to get it done. Tucker has no clue what he is doing: None! Rushing 3 and 4 men all night does not generate enough pressure on the QB, if any, and playing a soft, and i mean an extremely soft, zone behind a nonexistent pass rush just won't win ya very many games. The prevent defense is too much a part of his philosophy (and Crennel's). The only thing the prevent does is prevent you from winning as we've seen in the past.
Randy, just give Cowher whatever the hell he wants and get someone in here who who has some competency because so far I haven't seen any from anyone.

QUINNNNNNNNNN!!!

Finally, after 8 games of torture, Cleveland's coaching staff has named Brady Quinn the starting quarterback! With such a short week, playing Denver on Thursday night, I am not expecting anything magical out of Quinn because he has only 2 practices to prepare for his first NFL start, but I am expecting consistency; something Derek Anderson has failed to show. After playing a major role in the Browns self-destruction during the 4th quarter of the Ravens game this passed Sunday, Crennel said that Anderson would remain the starter which leads me to believe that this was not his decision, but is a direct result of pressure from within the organization. I can just see Randy Lerner issuing the ultimatum: start Quinn or lose your job. Hopefully, Crennel loses his job anyway at the end of the season, but one step at a time. Quinn is the starter and there is no doubt in my mind that he will take command of his troops; something that Anderson has failed to do. Quinn will not stand for Edwards case of the droppsies that has lasted 8 games now (yes that means the entire season thus far). His leadership qualities alone make him a superior quarterback than Anderson because you simply cannot win with as laid-back a demeanor that Anderson possesses. There are certain times when getting a little fired up make all the difference in the player. It seems as though Anderson has tucked his tail between his legs and lost all confidence in his game. I cannot wait to get a glimpse of the face of our franchise on Thursday night in the national spotlight.
On a more disappointing note, Joe Jurevicius has announced he will miss the entire season. The only positive that comes from this is that he also said that he no longer plans to retire after the season and will return in 2009. To be honest, how could you retire after missing the entire season while watching your team, who had Super Bowl ambitions and expectations in the offseason, fall off the map. Anyone with half a brain knew that Jurevicius could not end his career on such a dismal note. I, as many Browns fans, look forward to his return next year because he is such an integral part of this Browns organization.
Ryan Tucker has also been placed on injured reserve, effectively ending his season after playing just one game. His return next season will also be welcome because of his importance to the cohesiveness of the offensive line.
As I mentioned before, unless Cleveland runs the gauntlet and finishes the season at 11-5 (they are currently 3-5), they will not make the playoffs. Next season is all a Browns fan ever has to look forward to so, Browns fans, here's to a great draft, healthy offseason, smooth transition to a new head coach, free agent signings and of course talking about our team like they actually have a chance to beat the Steelers.