CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-2)		GAME #2		NEW YORK GIANTS (1-1)
		VS.
34				37

The score doesn't really show it, but every single person who watched the game knows it: this is a game that you'll want to forget about...forever. I always say that what counts in preseason games is what the starters do, so I'm not going to be hypocritical and praise the team for only losing by three.

We lost this game 30-3. By Twenty-seven points. In just a quarter and a half of game clock. We wanted prime time, and we got it. If we want to hang with the big boys, it's going to take a whole hell of a lot more than our effort Monday Night to succeed. There is one saving grace though: a lot of what went wrong was a result of inexcusable penalties.

That's not an excuse, but rather a starting point of the first thing that needs to be addressed. Since so much went wrong, and we want to forget about this game forever, let me put a unique spin on this game review and just throw all of the bad stuff at you at once: just to get it out of the way.

WHAT WENT WRONG - THE BAD

1. Travis Wilson: I was really disappointed by Wilson's effort in a starting role, as he failed to even record a catch. On one particular play, an all-out blitz came toward Anderson on a 3rd-and-long. Anderson got rid of the ball at the last second, and the ball landed about two yards past the first down marker on an intended comeback route. Instead, Wilson seemed to over-run the route by several yards. The timing factor on a blitz is probably a little less important for an inside receiver, which is where I want Wilson during the regular season. If I'm not mistaken, Wilson also had a dropped pass (on a not-so-great pass) a little later.
2. Eric Wright: I was not too pleased with the coverage by Wright on Domenik Hixon. I mean, it's basically like their sixth receiver (think Paul Hubbard on our team, depth-wise) just dominating our starting cornerback. Sure, praise Hixon for making some nice catches. But fault Wright for balking on the first touchdown, and then tripping on the second (I think that was Wright on the second TD; couldn't get a look at the jersey number).
3. Dumb Penalties: Another dig on Wright -- an early 54-yard pass interference called on him. It's the preseason: I want to see how our defensive line and linebackers do; you can't do that when the Giants pick up chunks like this. Also, what in the world was with Mike Adams' interference on a punt, especially when the ball wasn't even close to coming down yet? He would've warranted his own subtitle had he not had some nice blitzes later on in the game. There were too many other holding penalties as well.
   
4. When You Practice, PRACTICE: Even though I didn't say it, when Crennel kept keeping everyone out of pads for a week after the first preseason game, I kept thinking: "isn't that a little too long?" Usually, I've heard of a day or two off from pads, but not a whole week.

   "Unbelievable," Crennel said. "Evidently we didn't do enough work. I told the team it's my fault for trying to save them in practice by not hitting. We're not very good right now."

   
   I'll say. The Browns were physically manhandled on the offensive and defensive lines while the starters were in. A lot of that has to do with the Giants' superiority, but I think a lot of it also has to do with Crennel giving his players a little too much respect during camp.
5. Jamal Lewis: After two nice runs to start off the game, Lewis was victimized by the offensive line getting pushed into the backfield. However, failing to lock in a handoff down at the goal line is something he should have down pat right now -- what have the past three-four weeks of training camp been for?
6. Kamerion Wimbley: We see the Giants with so many effective pass rushers against our tremendous offensive line. So then, why is it that Wimbley can't even record a footnote of a memorable play on gameday? It's instances like this where you start to wonder if Wimbley will inevitably be nothing more than average in this league, due to being one-dimensional.
DB A.J. Davis is beaten on a kick return touchdown by the Giants' Domenik Hixon.
7. Special Teams Coverage: I'm still very confident in the kick coverage ability of our starting unit. I'm not at all impressed by some of the youngsters in the second unit though, and that includes CB A.J. Davis. On Hixon's safety return for a touchdown, Davis was in prime position to stop him. Instead, Hixon blew by him with ease. Davis had a couple of nice hits later in the game, but that's not enough to hand him a roster spot. LB David McMillan was also in decent enough of position on the play.
   
8. Never Again: Appearance-wise, the brown pants only looked "ok" in my opinion. Then why use them? They already have bad voodoo on them after this loss, and I've already heard fans and media from across the country question why in the world we would choose such an ugly uniform color. Let's not add fashion to the list of areas our rivals can mock us with.
9. You Let Droughns Do It: I didn't want Reuben Droughns making some sort of impact against us (it's that former Browns rivalry thing), but he did. Travis Thomas was manhandled by a running back, and he blocked Dave Zastudil's punt in the end zone. Speaking of which, didn't Zastudil appear to take a little too much time before booting that one? Backed up, it has to be catch and hit; not catch, set, and hit.
10. No Screen Team: We finally started trying screen plays when Ken Dorsey came in, and our execution was even worst than last week on three attempts. Pitifully run.

For the positives, now, I'm going to start off by handing out a few game balls. Game balls always cheer people up, right?

WHAT WENT RIGHT - THE GOOD

1. Game Ball - Syndric Steptoe: I am literally in awe at how quickly Steptoe has improved from a year ago. He was the heart and soul of the final score looking respectable. Or, if you want to put it another way, he was our Domenik Hixon of the second-unit. He pulled in two touchdown grabs -- one of which had him saving Brady Quinn by not giving up on the football and not only wrestling it out of the defender's hands, but tipping it to himself and heading in for a touchdown.
   
   He was also outstanding on kickoff returns again, including one that went 90 yards. I'm convinced that Steptoe needs to be on our final roster now, because someone else will pick him up otherwise. We may need him right away if Joshua Cribbs' MRI comes back with bad news.
2. Game Ball - Charles Ali: I think I read somewhere on the OBR that Ali is by far the best second-string fullback in all of football, and I'd have to agree with that. Getting reps again with Lawrence Vickers out, Ali opened some nice holes for Lewis and Jerome Harrison. He also caught several passes in the flat and took them upfield for nice little gains.
3. Game Ball - Phil Dawson: Dawson's leg strength reached new highs against the Giants. His opening kickoff was deep enough to warrant a touchback, and on our first offensive drive, he connected on what would've been a career-high 56-yard field goal, had it been the regular season. He not only hit the kick straight down the middle, but he had several yards to spare. Those kicks will be critical against tough opponents like Dallas come Week 1.
4. Defensive Shoutouts: Nice job by Andra Davis on the first series, reading Eli Manning perfectly and batting his pass down at the line. If Shaun Rogers was available to get a greater push, Davis could do that type of thing more often. Also, D'Qwell Jackson had a beautiful helmet hit to jar the football loose from Brandon Jacobs. Unfortunately, the Giants recovered the fumble.
5. Corner Blitzes: Not sure why we waited for the second stringers to come in to start them, but our corner blitzes looked sharp when Anthony Wright and David Carr came in. In particular, Eric Wright and Mike Adams did a fine job. Adams' first blitz allowed Wright to return a pick for a touchdown. Wright later had the team's only sack of the game on a blitz.
6. Brady Quinn: Literally, Quinn had several seconds longer to throw than Anderson did when he got in. Still, it was good to see Quinn run the offense effectively in the off-chance that Anderson will be out Week 1. We even got to see Quinn fire a deep ball downfield to Steptoe for a touchdown. I won't praise Quinn's throw because it should've been picked -- but surely it's something he will hopefully start working on more during practice.
7. Darnell Dinkins: I still don't want him catching footballs often, but credit to him for making several nifty catches late in the game. He finished with 3 grabs for 50 yards.

QB Ken Dorsey was sharp with the third unit, making impressive throws down the field.

8. Ken Dorsey: Who woke him up? This was the best I've ever seen Dorsey play at the NFL level, as he was rocketing balls down the field to open receivers. He single-handedly made Paul Hubbard, Lance Leggett, Steve Sanders, and Efrem Hill look good late in the game (not taking credit away from the wideouts, but Dorsey threw some perfect balls).
9. Harrison's Toughness: More than the speed, I liked the toughness and moves I saw from Harrison on his 23-yard gain. We need to get Harrison about 3-4 touches per game on gameday, in the right situations.
10. Key and Hall: Late in the game, Giants RB Danny Ware broke free from an Alex Hall tackle attempt. Shortly thereafter though, when Ware tried to break free again, Travis Key charged at him and gave a nice hit. I didn't see much more of him besides that, but it's better than seeing Steve Cargile get burned in his only play against the Jets.

GENERAL THOUGHTS

1. Players Out: I missed two leaders: WR Braylon Edwards on offense and DT Shaun Rogers on defense. I know this probably sounds crazy, but if Edwards was healthy, maybe the Browns get him the football on our first drive, and we eventually go in for a touchdown rather than a field goal. Maybe Anderson knows to get him the football right away on the play he gets the concussion, therefore avoiding the hit altogether. Crazy talk, maybe. Reality, possibly.
2. I'm Not Depressed: Now, if this were a regular season game, I'd be depressed. We still have several weeks to collect our thoughts and correct the issues we had though.
3. I'm Upset: I'm upset at all of the injuries we suffered after staying relatively healthy in camp. We can't afford to lose those guys if we want to make a run at the division.
4. Bring Back Bernie: I hate prime time games during the preseason. When the second and third units are in, I care about what the hell is going on still. I don't want to hear announcers speculating "surely if you're Cleveland fans, you're thinking 'this, that, and this'". Can't wait to hear Donovan and Kosar next game again.

The game was one to forget...and now, the book on it is closed. Still feel free to post comments here though, of course.

Much like the team's quarterback situation, the Cleveland Browns see their running back situation remain unchanged heading into the 2008-2009 season. The Browns broke a 20-year drought of 1,000 yard rushers in 2005 when Reuben Droughns ran for 1,232 yards. However, it was Jamal Lewis' impressive 1,304 yards that gave the Browns the running game they've been searching for since returning to the league.

With pretty much the same offensive line returning, the chemistry can only get brighter in Lewis' second year with the Browns. Unlike the quarterback position though, there are some questions regarding our depth. Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison have their bright spots, but would somebody else -- like the recently discussed Kevin Jones -- help better diversify our backfield?

1. JAMAL LEWIS - STARTING RUNNING BACK

Jamal Lewis (#31)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 245
College: Tennessee
Experience: 7 years
Stats: 1304 yds, 11 TD

There are no "ifs", "ands", or "buts" about it: Jamal Lewis is by far the starting running back for the Browns. It's not a bad thing that we don't have competition for Lewis -- after all, aren't teams that have backs that they're confident in, like LaDainian Tomlinson, Joseph Addai, or Brian Westbrook, better off? Lewis was fifth in the NFL in rushing yards last year, and third in the AFC. Unlike Droughns' season in which he only ran for two sorry touchdowns, Lewis was able to pound it in nine times, even with Derek Anderson tossing 29 scores.

Worst Attribute: Facing the Steelers - I don't care what he did when he was with the Baltimore Ravens. As great at Lewis was last season for the Browns, he failed to deliver against the Steelers. Take a look at his stats against Pittsburgh last year:

Game 1: 11 carries, 35 yards (1 lost fumble)
Game 2: 16 carries, 35 yards (1 lost fumble)

Lewis only lost two fumbles all season, and at least in the second game, it was costly. Whether we like it or not, just like every other season, if we can't beat Pittsburgh, we're not going anywhere. Lewis had two of his worst games against Pittsburgh, and with the type of pressure they bring, we need the veteran back to carry us if necessary. However, the low carries also highlight another issue about Lewis: one that Plain Dealer writer Terry Pluto also pointed out a few weeks ago.

Lewis had less than 20 carries on five occasions last year. Each time, he averaged less than four yards per carry. In 7 of the 9 games that he did average 20 or more carries, he often averaged well over 4.0 yards per carry. Yes, that means the long-heard rumor of Lewis "getting stronger as the game goes on" is true. However, it also means that if Anderson and the passing game run into some road blocks early on, more times than not Lewis is not going to bring us out of a funk in the first half of a game.

Best Attribute: Closer's Role - The Cleveland Indians know all too much about how devastating it is not to have a real closer (thanks a lot, Joe Borowski). In football, the closer's role is very similar to the one in baseball: finish off your opponent at the end of the game when you have the lead. There wasn't a better example of Lewis embracing that role last year than this beautiful highlight against the New York Jets in Week 14:

When playoff season was just around the corner, Lewis only embraced his closer's role even better, including the Snow Bowl against the Buffalo Bills, when he racked up 163 yards on 33 carries. As far as what to look for in training camp this year, there's not much he can improve on at this point his career besides getting more acclimated to the offensive playbook.

Various Concerns / Comments - A popular topic regarding Lewis is what will we do if he suffers another injury. As injury-plagued as he has seemed throughout his career though, he has still participated in 106 out of the 112 games he's been eligible to play in. The big issue when he came to the Browns last season was the downhill spiral he had been on: in his last two years with the Ravens, he only averaged 3.5 yards per carry. He seemed to reach his prime again with the Browns, but there are still people who are weary on whether or not he can deliver two years in a row.

My opinion? I think he's healthy, and I think our offensive line is much better than the Ravens' was in those two down years.

Job Security: A+
Player Quality: A-
Final Roster Odds: 100%

2. JASON WRIGHT - BACKUP RUNNING BACK

Jason Wright (#29)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 214
College: Northwestern
Experience: 4 years
Stats: 510 total yards

The fourth-year back out of Northwestern has drawn different opinions amongst Browns fans in terms of what he's capable of. Some believe he's extremely underrated and could start, while some believe he can't handle the load if Lewis goes down. I wouldn't go as far as saying he could start: it's impossible to make that type of judgment on someone unless they are a Michael Turner. After some solid spot situations last season though, has Wright proven himself to the point where we don't need to sign another veteran back?

Worst Attribute: Middle of the Road - Wright isn't going to drive a pile forward like Lewis will. And, he won't outrun a defense to the sideline like Jerome Harrison can.

Best Attribute: Good Fundamentals - The "worst" section was short for a reason: it quickly leads to Wright's best attribute. Whenever Wright enters a game, he may not have the skills to take over a game, but he understands the role he is playing. Most impressive last season was Wright's ability to have a substantial gain, despite the fact that he received minimal carries:

I've been calling for the Browns to utilize the burst that Jerome Harrison appears capable of providing. When you look at the facts though, isn't Wright already fulfilling that role? He's not too bad of a receiver either: 24 catches for 233 yards last season.

Various Concerns / Comments - Despite Wright's success, will Harrison finally be able to usurp the backup running back role from him? In reality, if Lewis goes down this season and we don't bring in a veteran, you may see Harrison start so that Wright can maintain his effectiveness as a backup / spell back.

Job Security: C+
Player Quality: C+
Final Roster Odds: 99%

3. JEROME HARRISON - BACKUP RUNNING BACK

Jerome Harrison (#35)
Height: 5-9
Weight: 210
College: Washington St.
Experience: 2 years
Stats: 23 carries, 6.2 ypc

Remember my self-addressed question above, when displaying Wright's long-carry statistics, on whether or not that was good enough to hold the backup role to Lewis? In limited action last year, my supposed "man-crush" did everything a guy could do to warrant more playing time. With every time he shined though, it seemed like he would be on the inactive list the very next week. Now, here's the question for Harrison: is his potential, which actually netted a few more yards on average than Wright, worth more playing time?

Worst Attribute: Blocking Skills - Slightly smaller than Wright, the biggest knock by far on Harrison, and probably the sole reason he was inactive so often last season, was the fact that he wasn't a great blocker. Forget "great" blocker -- he wasn't even deemed as a "good" blocker. Various sources have already reported that blocking is something Harrison has worked on in the offseason. It's hard to believe he's significantly better at blocking now though -- of course everyone works on something, but few people see results worthy of an applause.

Now comes my big argument countering Harrison's weakness: why does he need to be a great blocker? The concern is probably this: "if Harrison is in the game and we go for a playaction pass, Jerome will get bowled over and Anderson won't have time to get the ball downfield." My response: if Harrison's in the game, give him the ball. It may seem predictable after awhile, but then again, I watched Cribbs touch the ball probably 95% of the offensive snaps he took while in the backfield or in motion last season, and every time it resulted in a positive gain.

I think the Browns are out-thinking themselves when it comes to Harrison. Utilize his strengths, and when you need a blocker, just assign the appropriate personnel.

Best Attribute: The Burst - I have visions of Harrison racing down the sideline, especially after a defense is gassed. Most of all, in training camp, I hope the Browns focus on working in screen plays to Harrison. Again, I don't doubt teams will know it's coming. However, I do doubt their ability to stop the play from being successful.

Various Concerns / Comments - Harrison has had some ball security issues in the past, which is why I wouldn't give him too many reps in a game. He will get so fired up after a play or two that he'll search for even more on the third play, causing him to lose focus of the players trying to strip the ball away from him. Last year, we heard Harrison would get more opportunities. Nothing truly materialized. We're hearing the same talk this year. Will there be a difference?

Job Security: C
Player Quality: C+
Final Roster Odds: 95%

4. AUSTIN SCOTT - UDFA RUNNING BACK

Austin Scott (#36)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 225
College: Penn State
Experience: Rookie
Note: To challenge JH

There isn't a lot of competition at the running back position beyond the top three guys, but at this point Scott has the best chance to make an impression.

Reportedly, the team sees him as a developmental running back. He's a very tough player and can run through tackles. Unfortunately, too many of his other skills are yet to be polished. One thing to keep a close eye on is whether he takes to the challenge of outshining Harrison, who is usually outstanding in training camp.

The bottom line? He's the only back with a chance to take away Harrison's spot, but the chances of that happening are very, very slim. If he shows enough potential and can contribute on special teams, he could be on the practice squad. Over at our Penn State corresponding SB Nation website, they recently had the following to say regarding Scott:

Of the PSU players who went undrafted but were picked up by NFL teams, which one has the best chance of actually seeing playing time in The League?

"...but I would say Austin Scott probably has the best chance. With his troubles seemingly behind him he can focus on football again. And in a town like Cleveland he won't be as exposed to the temptations of the big city lights and glamor like New York or California. Jamal Lewis is the feature back there, but you have to wonder how many years he has left."

Link (Black Shoe Diaries)

Final Roster Odds: 2%
Practice Squad Odds: 40%

5. TRAVIS THOMAS - UDFA RUNNING BACK

Travis Thomas (#34)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 217
College: Notre Dame
Experience: Rookie
Note: Just a body

Thomas' expectations aren't too high heading into camp. Like Scott and Harrison, he'll have to make his mark on special teams, a role he contributed towards at Notre Dame.

As a running back, Thomas is reportedly a short-yardage back at best who isn't cut to make it at the big league level. Even if he did have the potential to break out, his reps will be limited in camp.

Our Notre Dame SB Nation correspondent over at Rakes of Mellow didn't seem to be too high on Thomas' stay at Notre Dame. Here's an example:

November 3rd, 2007 vs. Navy: The Streak Ends

..."the final score was 46-44 in three overtimes, with the final play a microcosm of the entire season: Travis Thomas sucking really badly as the offensive line got no push, leading to a bevy of text messages from friends that included various levels of capital letters and exclamation points asking "Travis Thomas?!?  REALLY?!  TRAVIS THOMAS?!"."

Link (Rakes of Mellow)

Final Roster Odds: 0%
Practice Squad Odds: 2%

RB Position Quality (Overall): B

The Browns' grade is elevated at running back due to an impressive effort from Lewis last season. However, we probably don't have our running back of the future behind him, thus the grade of a 'B'. I can't get too excited about how well Harrison produces in camp, because he did well the past two years only to see minimal playing time. What will be more important in camp are the situations he is placed in: is he always going to be with Quinn or Dorsey (second- and third-string), or will he get special packages in the first team with Anderson?

Another viable option at running back is Joshua Cribbs. Unlike quarterback, I think Cribbs can be used effectively on certain downs in the backfield. Officially, he had 9 carries for 61 yards last season. Although I'd like to see Harrison receive more reps in the backfield, the same goes for Cribbs too -- putting him back there at least once or twice a game creates opportunities.

I don't think we'll bring in a veteran like Kevin Jones to camp. The staff seems to have indicated that while the concern behind Lewis is there, they are satisfied enough with what they have. If you have any thoughts you'd like to add to the Cleveland Browns running back situation heading into training camp, please feel free to express yourself as much as you'd like!

NEXT UP (SATURDAY): Fullback (that's right; all two of them!)

P.S. Hope everybody had a Happy 4th of July!