I Would Guess That the Brandon Weeden Era Is Over

For sixty shining minutes on Sunday the Cleveland Browns owned the Cincinnati Bengals.  This wasn't some sloppy, messy win like we had over the Vikings, this was a real, honest, clean victory. A type of victory that hasn't been seen here in years, and never seems to come against quality opponents.  The Browns have had one major difference in both of those wins... Brian Hoyer.

The fact is that Hoyer has been able to do things that Brandon Weeden cannot.  First he has the ability to throw short touch throws.  Suddenly on short routes we are able to get the 5-6 yards that the play was designed to get.  Secondly Hoyer gets the ball out very quickly.  Instead of double clutches and indecision, Hoyer has thrown every pass with conviction and has been finding holes in defenses.  Although Chud is yet to admit it, Brian Hoyer is the Cleveland Browns quarterback going forward this season.

It also doesn't hurt that the defense is awesome, lets look at those guys tomorrow

Welcome Back To First Place: Browns 17 - Bengals 6

Under Brandon Weeden the Browns had scored one touchdown in 8 quarters.  In the 8 quarters since his injury, the Browns have changed their fortunes.  Brian Hoyer has found the endzone five times turning guys like Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron into legitimate NFL receiving options.

During yet another stunning victory by a team that looked ready to completely implode into insignificance, the Browns managed to really clean up the play and decisively outplay a team that many pick as the best in the division.  Even with some missed opportunities, the Browns managed to cruise to victory on the back of a defense that is getting better and better with each performance.

The icing on the cake is the fact that the Browns defeated the Bengals dropping them to 0-2.  The Ravens lost a stunner of their own to the Bills dropping them to 0-2.  And finally the Steelers lost their fourth straight game to open the season.  A 0-4 start is the kiss of death to a season, and it appears that instead of the Browns being dead and buried already, the Steelers will now hold that honor.

Short week to celebrate, the team is right back on the field on Thursday against those very same Bills that just knocked off the Ravens.  It will be interesting to hear how the coaches are going to handle our QB situation this week.  It has appeared that they intended to put Brandon Weeden back into the starting lineup once healthy, but I can't see what scenario this week that makes that possible now.  

I Hope the Steelers Stay In London

The NFL desperately wants to go international.  Why they would send the Steelers as ambassadors of the sport is beyond me.  The fact is that the London game this year couldn't be much worse.  First you have the Vikings, coming off a loss to the Browns in a game that looked like it could be a season saver for them.  Then you have the last place Steelers, who can't seem to do anything right at the moment.

On second thought maybe that is why they sent these teams there this year.  Most Europeans are used to their brand of football, which mostly involves kicking a ball around and faking injuries.  These two teams are so bumbling this season that the ball might just be kicked all around Wembley Stadium come Sunday.

It's Time To Give This Defense Some Credit

Up until last week this season was looking ugly.  And even at 1-2 there isn't a whole lot of buzz surrounding the Cleveland Browns.  But in the midst of all of the drama surrounding the team, this defense has been almost championship caliber.  Ranking out as the 7th overall defense in the NFL coming into week four, the defense is coming off a six sack effort versus Christian Ponder and the Minnesota Vikings.  These are incredible numbers considering that the Browns are by far the worst team in the NFL converting third downs, which mean that 75% of the time that the offense faces third down the defense is quickly back on the field.

While Joe Haden, Paul Kruger, Phil Taylor, Desmond Bryant, and Barkevious Mingo have all showed up in big ways at every opportunity, Buster Skrine appeared to be a liability.  Until last week. Skrine was an important player in the win, completing several stand out defensive plays, that were paramount in keeping points off of the board.  If Skrine could continue his good play, it would a great thing for the Browns who are still trying to develop guys like Leon McFadden into a NFL caliber talent.  And if at 24 years old, Skrine could be in the future of the Browns secondary it would eliminate the need of pursuing talent at that position for the foreseeable future.

Trash The Opponent Thursday: The Bungles

Yes I know they are now highly regarded as a talented team in the NFL, but I miss my Bungles.  I miss when the Bungles were still a collection of half wit criminals and idiots.  I really am hoping the Brian Hoyer era doesn't fizzle out with this next game like I fear it might.  However our defense is proving itself to be an excellent unit, and sometimes average offenses can still win games when given that support.  In fighting they call that the "punchers chance."  However for that to even be a possibility the offense has to at least be average.  Let's go Browns, surprise some people this weekend.

Travis Benjamin Mooning the Critics

I'm not going to rehash what transpired last week before the Vikings game.  The fact is that total meltdown appears to be averted for now.  There is some talent lurking around this team, it just needs help.  So here's to you Browns fan that wants to see us blow up the roster and start over  This team can win, probably won't win alot but have a lot to build upon.

Brian Hoyer Probably Just Won Himself a Few More Shots

Yes this is true.   After the Browns 31-27 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Brian Hoyer became the only of the 19 guys to start a game for the Browns to actually have a winning record.  Although that feat may only last a week, what a great week to get that win.  This was a tough week as a fan, seeing the way that the beginnings of "Blow For Bridgewater" were shaping up I never expected a win.

Instead guys like Josh Gordon, Jordan Cameron stepped in and changed this offense's fortune.  And as of now Chud has not committed to Hoyer for anymore games, but he would be a fool to sit him now.

And while this win has probably dampened the chances of having a #1 overall pick next year, I think it is also important to note that the Vikings team that we just beat had three first round selections in last years draft, and it doesn't seem to be working out too well for them right now.

Defensively I think the team was solid, the offense sputtered heavily in the 2nd half and left the unit on the field far too much.  And they kept the team in the ballgame, allowing for Hoyer to lead a 4th quarter game winning drive (something Brandon Weeden has yet to do).

Joining Hoyer, Gordon, and Cameron was Buster Skrine and John Hughes putting up the best games of their young careers.  Great job Browns, way to get yourselves out of the winless column.  

Apparently the Players Don't Like Playing For Draft Position Either: Browns 31 - Vikings 27

Well it wasn't pretty, but it was a win.  A win that the front office didn't want to happen.  A win that the Browns were in no position to complete.  A win that is a major boost for players and fans alike.

I've made no bones about the fact that this hasty fire sale that was impending, was a horrible idea.  And the rumors this week of every player on the offense short of Joe Thomas and Alex Mack being for sale didn't help.  I thought this team would get humiliated, but it didn't happen.  In fact it was one of the most entertaining football games this team has played in a very long time.

The defense once again played extremely well, but it was the offense who looked really solid at least for one half.  Which is one half more than they have looked good in the previous two games.  This bodes well for Brian Hoyer, who becomes the only one of 19 Cleveland Browns starting QB since 1999 to actually have a winning record.  But the true star of the game was Josh Gordon.  A guy rumored to be on the trading block, Gordon certainly put a dose of uncertainty into that impending decision.

Regardless the Browns showed that no matter what the decision makers want, the players will not mail in this season.  So guess what Joe Banner, Mike Lombardi they are going to play to win, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about that.

Lets Get This One Over With

Well I've already expressed my disapproval of the direction that the front office is taking, but mailing in a season in the NFL is a little bit different than other sports.  While it was well documented that the Cavs did a very similar thing years back to increase their odds of getting the rights to sign Lebron James, football is a much more violent, and dangerous sport to try to suck at.

Poor Brian Hoyer is being thrown into a lion's den tomorrow.  I would think any serviceable guy on the free agent wire could hopefully help protect something better than what our offensive line could do right now.  But these moves aren't being made.  And an offense that leaves the field after three plays put what appears to be an above average defense on the field again and again.  Hoyer is now joined by Willis McGahee and Josh Gordon as the three skill position starters who haven't even taken a snap this season.

I've never looked less forward to a game, knowing that if they win it's just screwing up the plan.  Screw it, I hope Hoyer throws for 500 yards tomorrow and the Browns blow the Vikings out, just to stick it to Banner and Lombardi.  But I think that's a dream.

The Cleveland Browns: Now We Are Waiting For Next Year a Year Early

Playing for the future.  Weren't we playing for the future 15 years ago?  Weren't we playing for the future 10 years ago?  How about 5 years ago?  Yes the future has come and come again for the Browns yet we haven't seen the draft bring us consistent enough return to ever improve our status.

Then comes last Wednesday, the day the hope died for the current season.  The third string QB is named the starter, the star running back traded for a draft pick, and any indication that the current regime is even trying thrown out the window.  At least in the past we actually tried to put something watchable on the field.  Have we been successful yet?  Absolutely not, but it was more encouraging than lets just load up the team with a bunch of rookies, lose and load up the team with a bunch more rookies next year.

So here we are hoping that all of these draft picks we have spent all of our talent on getting for 2014 pan out.  But pardon me for being a bit leary of this plan.  Does anyone remember how this team drafts?  They have drafted horribly, but many still want to try to hang on to this same sickening "Believeland" mantra that has kept people playing into this team's crap.  So let me take a moment to address the justifications i've heard of this.

These aren't the same decision makers that had all of those bad drafts.  That is true, but the truth is they might be worse.  Our GM Mike Lombardi's previous experience drafting was with the Raiders from 1998-2007.  His first pick that he had his hands on was Charles Woodson, but soon after that the quality of the Raiders draft went straight into the toilet.  Some of the classics included Robert Gallery, and the head-scratching pick of kicker Sebastian Janikowski in the first round.  And what was the only decision even worse than the Brady Quinn in 2007?  Probably Lombardi and Al Davis' choice of Jamarcus Russell.  So what was Lombardi's last year there again?  And this is the man who is looking for our next quarterback.

Trent Richardson sucks anyway.  I'm not a Trent fanboy, but good lord the guy played through injury and a terrible offensive line and looked better than any other back we've had recently.  Wait until you see Willis McGahee try to hit the holes tomorrow and you are going to wish that there was still a guy at back that could squeeze three yards out of the holes that were given to him.

At least now we can start with our franchise quarterback.  I remember last year at this time it was Matt Barkley and Geno Smith projected to be the only first round quarterbacks for last season.  That didn't happen for either of them.  I also don't remember Brandon Weeden being a first round prospect until after Oklahoma State's pro day.  Wasn't Russell Wilson too small to be considered in the first round?  Is RGIII really playing solid football right now?  The fact is the draft is a crapshoot, and banking on having any success, even with a number one pick is foolish for any team.

It's a good chance to look at Brian Hoyer.  It would be amazing if we found our answer at QB on accident out of Hoyer.  But lets face it, this fan base loves a homer.  Remember Brady Quinn and Charlie Frye?  Enough said

So goody, I get to wait until April now to see any progress made on the offense.  It's getting old and tiresome and tough to keep up the passion required to be a solid fan of the team.  So lets trudge ahead and see how humiliating this weekend can be for us.    

How Is Your "Improved Fan Experience" So Far? (This Is Not A Nice Post)

I'm not going to sit here and try to fool you all into thinking that the Browns traded away the ultimate franchise running back.  In fact I will even admit that it is a minor miracle that those bumbles Banner and Lombardi actually managed to get a first round draft pick for Trent Richardson.  However there are deeper issues with this deal that have us at Cleveland Browns Memes pretty pissed off.

First off, this is a clear message from the idiots in charge of this team that 2013 is effectively over for Browns.  Yes over, our front office has mailed it in.  And yes you can argue that after the performance of the first two weeks this season was over anyway.  You can argue that the worst we play this year, the higher we draft next year.  However if that is your argument, you probably haven't purchased season tickets.

The fact is that the NFL is an entertainment industry, what they do isn't life or death.  But an entertainment that isn't exactly cheap to enjoy.  So every sucker that shelled out the hundreds of dollars for a seat at that stadium now gets to enjoy 7 of the 8 games they payed for without the team's biggest offensive star.  This is bullshit.  And even today I heard the radio spot urging fans to get out there and buy tickets for the remaining games.  Why the hell would I even spend another dime on a purposely dumbed down product?

But an even better question is, who exactly are we sucking for.  When the 2011 Colts mailed it in for their "Suck for Luck" campaign, they knew good and well they were lining themselves up to draft a quarterback who had been widely regarded as the best pro quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning for nearly three years.  And although their fans were as pissed off as I am now, in one year they were right back in the playoff hunt, coming off of the 2-14 season which earned them that #1 pick.

So back to my question, where is the QB lock in this coming years draft?  Are they really that sold on Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater they are willing to sacrifice an entire season?  Is it Tajh Boyd of Clemson, Brett Hundley of UCLA, god I hope not.  And I will tell you right now that if that punk ass Johnny Manziel ends up a Cleveland Brown, this website will cease to exist and I will never watch this team again.

What I do know is that it is a trashy way to run an organization, and I have lost nearly all respect for the current regime in charge of my once beloved Cleveland Browns.  And no I will not buying any ticket this year to watch your crap.  And no I will not be buying any of your merchandise to support your idiocy.  At the end I am drawing a line in the sand, after 28 years of being a diehard fan of this team, I am at my end.  If this is the trash way you intend on "improving the fan experience" you have one year.  Every piece of Browns merchandise I own is currently stored in a box labeled "Burn if 0-3 in 2014, or if Johnny Manziel is drafted" and I will be done.  I will waste my Sundays doing something else.  You suck Jimmy Haslam, you suck Joe Banner, and you suck Mike Lombardi, way to ruin my fucking year again you worthless blowhard douchebags.

Tomorrow I will discuss why I think loading up draft picks with Mike Lombardi in the building might just be as stupid as pissing into the wind.      

   

We No Longer Have the Room to Trash Opponents on Thursdays

Normally on Thursday's I like to put up a meme at the Browns opponents expense.  Unfortunately recent events have turned the Browns into the NFL's biggest joke.  While the Minnesota Vikings might be 0-2 compared to the new look Browns they look like the '85 Bears.  I can't write anything other than I hope the game gets cancelled.  

What the Hell Is Going On In Berea?

Well I am as confused as I have ever been by the direction of a Cleveland Browns front office.  In case you didn't know the Browns have traded Trent Richardson in a deal that has the entire football world completely baffled.  I don't know what the current plan exactly is.  Is it called "Blow For Bridgewater" "Muck it up for Manziel" or is it just a bunch of egos failing to coexist when things aren't going right?  Either way it really sucks, they have officially established themselves as the laughing stock of the entire league.

The only logical explanation is that Joe Banner and Mike Lombardi are placing all of their eggs into the basket of next year's draft, and completely have mailed in any hope of even attempting to compete in 2013.  This is infuriating to a group of fans that have been constantly tortured for the past two decades.  And personally I feel that tanking a season two games in is trashy and desperate.

All I can say is that in 30 years of Browns football I personally have never been more embarrased to be a fan of the team.  With that being said I am making a stand, if the Indianapolis Colts and their "Suck For Luck" campaign got them to the playoffs one years later, I now expect the same of the Cleveland Browns.  Anything short of that is now unacceptable to me.  If at this time next year I am staring at another 0-2 football team with little hope I will shut my site down, and burn every piece of Browns gear I own until Joe Banner, Mike Lombardi are thrown out of Berea straight onto their asses.

Why Can't I Go One Week Without Having To Include a Greg Little Meme

Well Greg Little got in trouble in his car again.  This time he drove through a stop sign without a license, which didn't please a local traffic cop.  I'm not going to go on a tirade about Little, or call him any bad names.  Instead I am going to just give him an idea about how maybe he can lay low for a little while.

Josh Gordon had the brilliant idea of giving his Porsche a camo paint job.  This way when he is flying at 120 miles per hour he can just fly by a cop without ever being seen.

Weeden Haters May Get Their Wish

I really haven't dumped on Brandon Weeden as badly as many of you have.  I genuinely don't think he's been the primary issue with the Browns offensive woes.  If even half the balls that have hit his receivers in the hands and bounced off, actually got caught we would see him in a whole different light right now.

The wide receivers have been atrocious.  The offensive line even worse.  He's locked into plays, despite the defense thanks to Norv Turner.  And the play calling has been suspect.  We tip off our plays with the player packages.  There are moments where nobody on the field seems to know where to line up.  And after two games it doesn't look good.

Here are some numbers.  They are last in the league in the following categories: Points Per Game - 8; 3rd Down % - 5-29 17%; Sacks Allowed -11; QB hits - 27

Do you see what I'm getting at people?  The 27 hits our offensive line has allowed is by far the most in the NFL.  Only the Jets at 18 even come close to the abysmal job our line has done.  And I'm not just dumping on Oniel Cousins anymore but Mitchell Schwartz hasn't been much better.  I'm actually starting to miss John St.Clair.

So all of you Weeden haters might just get your wish.  Next week we may see the Browns train wreck of an offense go with Jason Campbell at the helm.  Weeden has said that his thumb hit a helmet in the final drive, and he can't grip a football comfortably.  Time will tell.  But I will say that if the offense actually looks good under Campbell, he has won the job.

I Think Chud and Norv Have Some Explaining To Do: Ravens (1-1) 14 Browns (0-2) 6

Does anyone else remember the promise of the exciting opened up Browns offense led by mastermind offensive guru Norv Turner?  Has anyone seen any difference between this offense and the same frustratingly poorly coached offense of 2013 and that of any year since 2008?

Dropped passes, poor 3rd down playcalling, disappearing pass protections, poor run blocking.  I could go on and on about what I saw on the offensive side of the ball, but what stuck out at me was the delay of game penalties.  In an era of uptempo offenses, this team looks pathetic.  There were three delay of game penalties making our third downs.  And I can't understand it because Brandon Weeden doesn't even have the ability to audible.

Well the defense played extremely well, but they can't overcome everything.  We are 0-2 and it's on this offense.  Sorry Norv, not that impressed yet.

It's Gameday, Why Isn't Anyone As Excited as Last Week?

Remember after week two in the preseason when fans were screaming about playoffs and how awesome we were going to look once this season starts?  Now every fan I've spoken to are convinced we are barreling towards 0-2.

Unfortunately after 15 years of dismal football in Cleveland, expectations don't last too long.  And this team hasn't given anyone any reason to be hopeful at all.  Today's game at Baltimore could be another heartbreaker, but if we pull off a win what happens then?

I think that we will have a better feel for what kind of team we have after this game.  Stay tuned for the post game meme this evening.

The Browns are 0-10 versus Joe Flacco

Well here we come again to another meeting with those nasty ratbirds.  I hope tomorrow afternoon's entry to this blog can be a little happier than last week's.  The trouble is that last week's loss knocks us down to 1-14 in season openers since 1999.  But this week has an equally troubling stat leading up to it.  The Browns are currently 0-10 when facing Joe Flacco.

It really doesn't give me much hope for tomorrow, but what's new?  Hopefully having Paul Kruger on this team will give us an edge in knowing everything the Ravens would be doing.  The fact is that both teams started very poorly, so who knows the Browns might actually put a good win together.  I just wouldn't bet on it.  

Good Riddance Ray Lewis, It Sucks I Am Still Going To Have To See Your Ugly Mug on ESPN

After the news broke about Aaron Hernandez and his alleged involvement in attempting to be a real life Tony Montana, it made me think of Ray Lewis.  While the jury is still out (pardon the pun) on Aaron Hernandez's fate, Ray Lewis found himself in a very similar situation.  Ray and friends have issues with person at a bar, person ends up dead, his blood ends up in Ray's limo.  Ray then walks away a free man, and goes on to have a hall of fame career.  Is it that much of a stretch to say maybe someone got away with murder?

So there you have it I think that Ray Lewis is a scumbag low life, and I'm not alone.  While I fully realize that comparing taking a person's life and saying that maybe what most guys call pass interference, was referred to as "smothering defense" when Ray did it may be in bad taste for a joke.  But no worse of a joke than the justice system in this case so I don't feel that bad.

But dammit Ray Lewis got away with everything on a football field.  He could hit guys early in pass defense, hold onto receivers, pretty much whatever he wanted.  Yet at the end of a tough day, Ray would be the first to complain that the referees were unfair.  And even that is a fineable offense for most guys, but Ray made a career out of it.  Hell, he is even saying the power outage at the Super Bowl was a ploy by the NFL to slow them down.

Anyways this Sunday will be the first game since Ray retired, and good riddance.  I will not miss you at all, or your dirty Ratbird buddy Ed Reed.    

Trash the Opponent Thursday: You Think We Looked Bad? The Baltimore Ravens

Did you see the World Champs last Thursday?  Or at least what is left of the World Champs after Joe Flacco's agent got ahold of the Raven's payroll.  It really was hilarious.  By now it is old news that Peyton Manning went all NFL history on the Ratbirds.  Most people now feel they are very fortunate to get the Browns at home this week, so that they can get their season back on track, but I hope this is really what to hope for out of the Ravens this season.  But three things about this game really cracked me up.

1. The Orioles kicked them out of their own stadium - It is customary for the defending champs to host the kickoff game, but instead the Orioles refused to move their game with the White Sox to accommodate the football game.  Since the two stadiums share parking, the nightmare situation couldn't be resolved.  So the Ratbirds were forced to play the game they earned on the road in Denver.

2.  They were spotted 14 points - Aside from the idiotic play of the year above, one of the Ravens touchdowns was provided by a Wes Welker muffed punt inside Denver 5 yard line.  This immediately gave the Ravens a Ray Rice touchdown.  This game should have ended 56-20, instead of 49-27.

3.  Flacco should have had to pay to watch the QB clinic put on for him by Peyton Manning -  Whenever a player highjacks his own team for the top dollar deal, others on the team suffer.  The Ravens were very much dismantled by Joe Flacco's new contract.  While there is no "I" in team there certainly is a "ME"

So guess what you dirty ratbirds, we are still in first place.  And if we look like we did last week, and you look like you did last week this will be a game worthy of a lot of drinks.

Tomorrow I'm saying a proper goodbye to Ray Lewis  

Brandon Weeden Wasn't Great, But There Are 11 Guys

I think this picture sums up opening day for the Cleveland Browns.  Of course Brandon Weeden didn't ever look comfortable in the pocket... there was no pocket to be comfortable in.  How is a quarterback supposed to perform at all in the conditions that our offensive line gave him?  But I hear people pinning everything onto Weeden.  Now I'm no Weeden fanboy, but I can tell when a guy isn't getting any support on the field.  Against the Dolphins, Weeden took dozens of hits, but when he got a ball to someone they couldn't seem to catch it.

This has been an alarming trend since the return of the Browns.  We draft wide receivers who can't catch.  And I noticed that Brandon Weeden just simply stopped looking to Greg Little, yet he remained in the game.  And Miami picked up on the fact that Little wasn't being targeted, and simply moved their coverage to Devone Bess.  It was a simple formula to beat an offense that was barely executing, cover the only guy they have in that can play.  It also doesn't hurt when Oneil Cousins ruined every other drive where we were actually moving the ball.

But this final picture will summarize what happens to any quarterback that has zero support from his teammates.

 

What Went Wrong Yesterday? Just About Everything

I waited a long time for yesterday.  The promise of something new, more exciting, and fun.  But the 2013 Cleveland Browns came out looking even worse than the 2012 Cleveland Browns.  Bumbles, stumbles, and garbage yards were the name of the game.  And even though the defense showed signs of being a pretty good unit, they couldn't stay off the field.  And the increasingly frustrating phenomenon that is the Cleveland Browns offense stayed true to the form of the past decade and a half.

But this team was supposed to be anchored by its offensive line.  It was the true strength most people thought this team had, until yesterday.  Our blockers were terrible, even Joe Thomas looked pretty poor at times on Sunday, but oh my god then there was Oniel Cousins.  The position of right guard has been a scourge for the Browns, but not even John St Clair can claim to have held down the position as terribly as Cousins did.  He had four penalties and a day of getting blown off the ball consistently.  I am already not sure he deserves a chance to come back next week. Our tight ends didn't know who to block, Trent Richardson consistently missed his blocks.  It was a train wreck, Brandon Weeden was sacked six times and was hit a couple dozen more.  By the fourth quarter nearly every one of Weeden's throws came out wrong due to his arm being hit due to heavy pressure.

Then comes our receivers, particularly Josh Gordon, Greg Little, and Travis Benjamin.  First I will address Mr. Gordon.  Josh Gordon had no catches yesterday, because he got himself suspended.  So he immediately had a negative impact on the season, well done sir.

Unfortunately that meant that we needed to depend on Greg Little.  And let me tell you when I went to create the meme above, I had to pause and actually scroll through my COLLECTION OF GREG LITTLE DROPPING A BALL PHOTOS.  Need I say more?  Well yes I will because Little's little butterfinger episode also cost us yet another turnover yesterday, as he essentially volleyball set a couple balls to be intercepted.  Thankfully only one of his was because it was contagious as Jordan Cameron provided the other.

Which brings me to Travis Benjamin, who seems to have caught some form of Greg Little disease as he dropped a couple passes, and also let a defender intercept a pass nearly uncontested.  I was so excited to see this young man in the offense, and now I wish I wouldn't have.  

What baffles me is that both Josh Cooper and Tori Gurley seem to have some skills, yet we can't seem to grasp that the guys we are playing aren't very good, and perhaps it is time to start looking at new faces to play there.

Well I will continue this rant tomorrow as I set my eyes on Brandon Weeden.

So Much For Expectations: Miami Dolphins 27 - Cleveland Browns 10

And so it goes again, we suck.  And suck bad.  I'm not going to comment on the game, I'm too pissed.  I just watched Randall Cobb look like a pro receiver and score a touchdown for Green Bay.  We passed on Cobb because Greg Little was so much better than Cobb.  What a joke.

Greg Little you suck, but you aren't alone.  Brandon Weeden, Oniel Cousins, John Greco, Mitchell Schwartz, Joe Thomas, Chris Owens, Buster Skrine, Travis Benjamin, Trent Richardson, Tashawn Gipson, and Alex Mack, you all sucked as well.  Thanks for ruining yet another Sunday afternoon for me you worthless pieces of crap.

Ratbird week is coming up, and I wasn't going to be incredibly nice to then this week, but guess what Browns, I'm not aiming to be that much nicer to you.

Son of a bitch!

It's Finally Here!

Well it has been a long offseason.  It seems like a long time since Pat Shurmur was handed his walking papers after yet another disappointing Browns season.  And a lot has changed since then.  We were all expecting Chip Kelly to come in and run the Browns, yet that didn't happen.

Rob Chudzinski took over the reigns and with him came an army of hope in the form of Norv Turner and Ray Horton.  Then things got ugly as owner Jimmy Haslam's personal business became national news.  Then things got even worse when Mike Lombardi was hired as the GM, despite his rocky relationship with the Browns fans.  Then things looked up as the Browns pursued a couple actual veterans in Paul Kruger and Desmond Bryant.

In a nutshell no one knows what to expect.  The starter's play in the preseason was either awful or exceptional.  But there are question marks nearly every where.  Was Brandon Weeden's lackluster season last season a product of a poorly organized offensive scheme, or is he just not that good?  After Joe Haden who on this team is capable of covering an NFL receiver?  What happens if something happens to Trent Richardson?  Will our pass rush actually work?  Can we run block?  Will Josh Gordon and Greg Little pull their heads out of their rears and become true professionals?

To me it sounds like too many questions that need answered positively to have any hope for post season this year.  So let me post what I believe to be the most important question that needs answered this season.  Are we heading in the right direction?  If that answer is yes, I will be fine with it.  

Yes it is sad but true, there has only been one year that the Browns haven't started 0-1 since they have come back.  And the only opener that the Browns have managed that 1-0 start they beat the Baltimore Ravens in Jeff Garcia's debut in 2004.  And even that season went straight down the tubes.

But the Browns have lost some games in the worst way.  I will never for the Dwayne Ruud helmet throwing game in 2002.  Ruud removed his helmet before the final play of the game was finished and drew a penalty allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to kick a field goal on the extra play securing a 40-39 win.  Highlights of that game are below:

And who could forget the 2007 opener where Charlie Frye played so terribly that he was pulled out of the game in the first quarter and traded the following week.

Anyway the wait is almost over to see if the trend of losing football is about to end in Cleveland, or suffer forward to another long year.  So Browns fans, you know the drill this Sunday.  Hope for the best, expect the worst.      

Peyton Manning Had a Bit of a Message For the Ratbirds Last Night

Thanks to Peyton Manning, Ratbird week is going to start early.  While next week leading up to the game this blog will be particularly cruel to those nasty Ratbirds, the Denver Broncos were particularly cruel to them last night.

Peyton Manning threw for seven touchdowns, showing the greedy Joe Flacco what happens when you steal all of your team's payroll.  Seven touchdowns is enough to tie the single game NFL record.  And a beautiful way to start the Ratbirds new era of defense without Ed Reed and that scumbag Ray Lewis.

Well Baltimore, I will see you next week.  Until then the Browns now have to look to take care of business.  

Trash the Opponent Thursday: Miami Dolphins

Sunday is the day that we finally get to see the Rob Chudzinski led Cleveland Browns in regular season action.  The opening day opponent is the Miami Dolphins.  This is an intriguing matchup between two teams that have had some recent parallels.

Both teams are still in a rebuilding phase from allowing old coaches run their front offices.  Obviously the Browns are in their first full year without Mike Holmgren in charge of football operations.  While it has been well documented that Holmgren was a complete and utter failure as the leader of the Browns, many have also forgotten the time that Bill Parcells ran the Miami Dolphins.  Parcells was also quite a disappointment in his role trying to get Miami back to it's former glory.

But most significant in this game will be the matchup between Browns QB Brandon Weeden and the Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill.  Both will be entering their second season of pro football after being "the other guys" in the first round of last year's NFL draf that also featured Andrew Luck and Robert Griffith III.  The jury is still out on both quarterbacks, and this game will provide a great opportunity for one to outshine the other.

Miami's biggest fear is that they have sacrificed too much of their offensive line to acquire deep threats for Tannehill.  The most significant move was letting OT Jake Long leave for the Rams freeing up cap space to sign free agents at other positions.  Former Pittsburgh Steeler WR Mike Williams was among those pickups.  But experts warn that Tannehill can't really utilize Williams' skills without time to throw the ball.

Either way, game on this Sunday, they start to count for real.

Brady Quinn is Going to New York?

I'm sure when Brady Quinn stepped into Radio City Music Hall in 2007 as a top quarterback prospect, he never pictured his career would have turned out the way it has.  The mistakes he made in Cleveland were monumental, from not signing until training camp was almost over, to his numerous on field blunders once he did finally get a shot to run the offense.

Quinn's career since has seen it's fair share of indignities as well.  From backing up Tim Tebow in Denver to his pitiful play in Kansas City, Quinn hasn't made much of an impact for a guy who was holding out for a top five draft pick money, despite dropping well out of the top of that 2007 draft.  But this post is about a couple other bad decisions Quinn has made since then.  

The sign he was holding in the above picture originally said "Brady Quinn does not have Myspace," making this his "proof picture."  After a bit of research I discovered that a "proof picture" is something a person does whenever someone on social media posts pictures of them without their prior consent.  This is done to prove their identity to people online.  This is extremely typical behavior of a hipster teenage girl, not grown men who are employed by a NFL franchise.

But ironically Quinn has put his name into the hat for a job that could very easily be won by a teenage girl at this point.  Starting quarterback for the New York Jets.  So far Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Greg McElroy, and Graham Harrell have all tried and failed to get the nod as the man in the Big Apple.  Hopefully for Brady's sake Rex Ryan has a soft spot for boyish good looks, and social media legitimacy.

The College Season Kicked Off Last Weekend

This is always a long week for me.  The final preseason game against the Bears seems like months ago, and the six days until the season opener seem deep into the distant future.  The only happy diversion is the beginning to the college football season.

However the one player that no one will shut up about is Heisman Trophy winner, and apparent douchebag Johnny Manziel.  Manziel is a monster created by media hype.  His cocky, disrespectful attitude towards nearly everyone and everything is already showing that he may not be able to handle the rigors of the next level of football.  Personally I hope to see the kid humbled real soon.  He needs a reality check and eventually he is probably going to get one in the form of an NFL linebacker.

Only in Cleveland: The 53 Man Roster is in and We Don't Have a Kicker

Yesterday saw the end of several players runs at becoming Cleveland Browns.  Among the more notable departures were WR David Nelson. He didn't seem to have recovered from the knee injury that ended his season in the first game of last year.  Additionally LB James Michael Johnson was once thought of possibly starting in the middle of the defense, and that is obviously no longer the case.

But more curious is the fact that there is no kicker remaining on this team.  Brandon Bogotay was released with the final cutdown. Then Shayne Graham's contract was terminated.  This means that we will have to kick extra points and field goals with either our punter, or a jugs machine...  Only in Cleveland.