Cool, an Excel graph. What does it mean?

Some people are better visual learners, so here goes: the important parts to look at are the linear lines for Ken Dorsey and Kyle Orton. These lines represent the amount of passes that each quarterback threw for during their first nine starts (I chose nine since those were total starts in which Dorsey played a full game).

The middle of the line represents the sample mean. On average, the number of passes per player were as follows:

Ken Dorsey: 32.33 passes
Kyle Orton: 26.67 passes

Maybe my assessment of these two quarterbacks is wrong. I envision Dorsey as a short-game passer who needs all the support he can get from his running backs. Ideally, the number of passes he throws should be minimized. In Orton's rookie year, the Chicago Bears ran the same philosophy and were able to keep Orton's attempts to a little over 5 attempts less than Dorsey's attempts per game.

Dorsey was just 2-7 during his stretch of games, while Orton was 6-3. Two things always drive up the pass attempts for a quarterback -- you play for the Arizona Cardinals, or you need to compensate for all of the points your defense is giving up.

Defensively, the points given up by each quarterback's team during their nine starts are as follows:

Ken Dorsey (49ers): 26.66 points
Kyle Orton (Bears): 11.88 points

If the range between those two doesn't convince you why Dorsey never had a fair shot at winning in the NFL, then I don't know what will. Finally, here is the point: in the past nine games, the Cleveland Browns defense has given up an average of 19.77 points -- and that number is inflated due to our fourth-quarter collapses to teams like the Broncos and Ravens.

The Tennessee Titans are the No. 2 team in the NFL in my mind. We defeated the No. 1 team in the league -- the New York Giants -- with 29 pass attempts and 14 points allowed. Dorsey has not started a football game in three years, and the last time he did, it came against the Titans in Tennessee. A lot has changed since then. While Dorsey has shared his wealth of knowledge with Brady Quinn, I'm sure Dorsey has become a better student of the game himself.

We saw signs in the preseason that Dorsey could provide a decent spark, and that was with third-string players. It might be tempting to say "abandoned the run" against one of the league's best run defenses and have Dorsey throw a lot. However, that is not his game -- he showed that by not being able to overcome all of the points the 49ers gave up when he played with them.

Our best chance at beating the Titans is to do exactly what we did against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday -- minus Derek Anderson's erratic play. We need to give the ball to Jamal Lewis INSIDE. Then, utilize Jerome Harrison not on running plays, but on screen passes -- something Dorsey can handle in a short-pass offense. Braylon Edwards doesn't need the ball, but it's time to show why we signed Donte Stallworth: short crossing routes that he can then turn up the field for yards after the catch. Martin Rucker can provide the same element, hypothetically. If the field position game needs to be played, so be it. I could just say that our defense needs to win this game, but that is not all there is to it. The defense gave up three points to the Colts, and we lost.

Not even a flash package with Joshua Cribbs can be afforded -- the Titans' defense will not be fooled when he is inserted into the game, and doing it too often would only increase our chances of turning the ball over.

Expecting us to execute on the road as well as I outlined above is taking a huge leap of faith, but it is our only winning formula this Sunday.

I am fully aware of the millions of other factors that can make a case at disproving these causal relationships in the graphs and explanations -- but I was bored and threw up graphs that probably weren't even necessary.

Doesn't it always seem like that when a once-potent team is out of contention, some of the critical position players suffer injuries (i.e. when it rains, it pours)? If you weren't interested in watching Derek Anderson quarterback the Browns the rest of the season, then I doubt you're suddenly going to turn on the tube with Ken Dorsey playing.

Heading into the season, we considered our quarterback situation a luxury. Ultimately, it turned out to be a disaster.

Like it or not, Dorsey is going to start the rest of the season, barring an injury. Anderson's MRI today revealed a tear in his left MCL that will not require surgery. However, it will take him 4-6 weeks to recover, meaning he will be placed on the injured reserve soon. We might sign a low-key free agent quarterback with some backup experience this week, but bringing a high-caliber name just wouldn't make any sense at this point.

Tight end Kellen Winslow had his MRI too, and reports indicate that he has a "high ankle sprain". Uh-oh. I do not want Winslow to become the next Leigh Bodden when it comes to ankle injuries. What does that mean? Shut him down -- at least for the next three weeks. If that is considered plenty of time to have recovered, it might be worthwhile to get him back on the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Nonetheless, Winslow is guaranteed to be out for this week's contest against the Titans. Steve Heiden will get the start, but with a short-game passer in Dorsey under center, I expect Martin Rucker to finally start seeing significant action (although history says that he'll still sit, as most of us have had fits with Crennel's and Chudzinski's decisions all year). He had his first catch of the season this past Sunday against the Colts in the fourth quarter.

Both players -- Rucker and Dorsey -- have waited a long time for an opportunity like this. Dorsey has not started an NFL game since November 27, 2005. His opponent that day? The Tennessee Titans. On the road.

Ironic, eh?

Box Score - 10.19.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	0	0	3	8	11
	0	0	7	7	14

After Sunday's loss to the Washington Redskins, clearly there is only one man to blame: Phil Dawson. Only kidding, of course, as it was clearly the underachieving offense that cost us yet another football game.

Just think about that -- the Browns, potential-wise, are supposed to have one of the best offenses in football.

We held one of the AFC's best teams, Pittsburgh, to just 10 points. Result? Loss.

We held one of the NFC's best teams, Washington, to just 14 points. Result? Loss.

This week, it wasn't the playcalling that was the problem. The adjustments that Rob Chudzinski has made over the past several weeks were still on display. However, if you can't even execute a screen pass to a receiver at the line of scrimmage, you can't move the chains to set up the remainder of your gameplan as a coordinator. The goats of the game this week are back again, and although a major case can be made for two of our players on offense getting the award, I'm going to substitute one of them for a defensive player.

Goats of the Game (The Reason We're Not .500)

"We're only tugging onto each other because we couldn't hear the play call from the sideline!"

1. Derek Anderson: For as many steps forward as he appeared to take against the New York Giants, he took a lot of those steps back against the Redskins. I wasn't too surprised due to all of his road woes last season, but I was certainly discouraged. I don't think he's lost the right to his job yet. Right now we're 2-4 and still far from the season being over.
   
2. Terry Cousin: I was flabbergasted when I read that Mike Adams would be inactive for the game. Although the defense played well, Cousin was Ralph Brown-esque. I believe I remember most of Jason Campbell's success coming on crossing routes over the middle. Each time, including Santana Moss' touchdown, Cousin was in on the coverage.

Awarding Game Balls (Fewer Than Last Week)

1. Eric Wright: He has really made amends for fumbling an interception against the Bengals several weeks ago. After intercepting an Eli Manning pass for a touchdown last week, he came up with a huge strip on Clinton Portis when it looked as if we were dead and buried. Credit Wright for hustling on the play when Portis was already a step ahead of him.
   
2. Jamal Lewis: He may still be averaging under 100 yards in most of these games, but he is fulfilling his duties by running for over four yards a pop. His effortless hurdle in full stride for a 22 yard gain was a sight to see. Not being able to punch it in down at the goal line with several cracks was discouraging, but that's where you also need the threat of a capable quarterback.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

  "1/8 from the one-yard line is a high percentage in my book. So much, that I won't throw the red challenge flag."

1. IN for the TOUCHDOWN?: Forgive me if I have missed confirmation that shows otherwise, but a major factor in this game came with about a little over 8 minutes to play. Derek Anderson dumped a screen pass off to Jamal Lewis, and Lewis followed lead blocker Rex Hadnot down the field. Lewis was ruled down at the one-yard line...but why? On replay, it looks like Lewis merely stumbled while trying to use Hadnot as a shield, and tripped himself down at the one-yard line. Still untouched though, his momentum carried his body and the ball into the end zone, where a defender then touched him.
   
2. No Red Flag: Remember when we used to complain so much about Romeo Crennel wasting challenges? Well, apparently he's gone into a shell now, because through six games, I don't even recall him throwing it once. Had he thrown it in this instance and if the play had been ruled a touchdown, we would've had a lot of time left to come back and win. Granted, failing to get the ball in with four attempts is no excuse, but neither is missing this call.
3. Running Wild: The Redskins might just have the best running back in the league. Clinton Portis dazzled once again, rushing for 175 yards on 27 carries against the Browns. The high yardage count is still attributable to some of our defensive shortcomings, but overall he just deserves props on being one of the best, and perhaps most underrated, players in the game.
   

"Damn."

4. Still Missed It: I joked in the opening line that Dawson was to blame for this loss. In all fairness, he does deserve a share of the blame. He showed tremendous leg strength in the preseason, connecting on a couple of 50+ yarders. Last week's miss from beyond 50 yards didn't have as much relevance because we ended up winning big. But, in Dawson's first pressure kick opportunity of the season, he failed to come through. Remember, we won at least two more games last season because of late kicks by Dawson (Seattle and Baltimore).
5. Eight Punts: From no punts to eight punts. At least Dave Zastudil didn't show much rust, as he booted the ball well throughout the game.
   
6. Late Defensive Stop: One of the most surprising things this season came on the Redskins' final "true" drive of the game, when they had a chance to run out the clock. After running all over the Browns all game and only needing a first down, I thought our depleted defensive line would be toast by the second carry. To my surprise, the unit reached down deep and played their hearts out until the final whistle, fighting through fatigue and the misery of watching a crappy [Browns] offensive effort.
   
7. Kellen Winslow: The friction between Winslow and the team is not good for overall team morale. Staph infections remain a huge problem, and it's getting laughable to try to accept that all of the infections with Cleveland players specifically are merely a coincidence. Whether his suspension is lifted or not for next game though, right now, we are a better football team when Steve Heiden starts for several reasons -- blocking, chemistry with Anderson, and having more respect from the coaching staff.
8. By the Way: Did we draft Martin Rucker and Beau Bell just to sit them all season? Just wondering, because right now our starting tight end is at odds with the team and Andra Davis remains invisible.
9. Sean Jones & Ryan Tucker: With the positive news of Sean Jones returning, there was the negative news of Ryan Tucker being listed as inactive for the game, and possibly for the near future as well. Jones played "ok" and led the team with ten tackles, but he seemed to be a beat off. After having a game's worth of live action under his belt again, I expect the rust to have worn off by the Jacksonville contest.
   
10. Offensive Line: Anderson was hit a lot more against Washington than he was against the Giants, but that isn't an excuse. On many of his throws, including the failed one to Braylon Edwards right before our field goal attempt, he had plenty of time to make the appropriate throw. 
11. Harrison's Involvement: Several users complained about the team not using Jerome Harrison earlier in the game, but would that have really made a difference? Lewis was running the ball fine, and the real problem were things like Anderson overthrowing Donte Stallworth on a screen pass, or Edwards completing missing the hot slant route on a Redskins blitz. I think fans were automatically thinking "Harrison = Spark". In truth, the plays were called all had "Spark" written all over them, with a little asterisk * mentioning the failed execution. Bottom line: I felt Harrison was intended to be used correctly for the third game in a row -- it just didn't come off that way.
12. Cribbs' Hit: Cribbs showed a lot of toughness by returning to the game after taking a huge blow earlier in the contest. Credit goes to Gerard Lawson though, who had arguably our best kick return of the season in place of Cribbs -- a tough, bounce-off-defender return for 43 yards.
13. Slight Steps Forward for Wimbley: I saw a few things I liked from Kamerion Wimbley, particularly once when he almost had an interception dropping back in coverage. Wimbley needs to drop back more often to mix up the play calls and leave the opposing team's left tackle wondering whether or not he's actually going to come.
    
14. Brownies: While only having two catches for the second week in a row, I thought Donte Stallworth opened up the offense again...Steve Heiden was heavily underutilized in this game...although Edwards had several drops again, most of them would've netted minimal yardage...can the team clone Shaun Rogers?
    

Believe it or not, the Redskins game was losable. It kills me that we didn't seize the advantage and get back to .500, but we still showed that we can compete with a very good football team, even on the road, until the final seconds.

The bigger game comes this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Why were we left out of the postseason last year? Because we had a horrible conference record in comparison to Tennessee.

Right now, we're only one game back of a tie for the wildcard. One game! That is no reason to give up hope. The Jaguars will be competing for one of those wildcard spots though, so if we can take them out this weekend, that will be a huge step forward in getting our season back on track.

Box Score - 10.13.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	0	14	0	0	14
	3	14	3	15	35

On September 28th, 2008, the Browns picked up their first victory over the season. That came against arguably the worst team in football, the 0-6 Cincinnati Bengals.

On October 13th, 2008, after a long bye week, the Browns picked up their second victory of the season. This time, it came against the undefeated and defending  Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

I was extremely fortunate to have witnessed the game in person. Although the stadium was jam-packed, I can't help by chuckle at the fans who, before the game, stated that they would not be attending (in fear of seeing the Browns getting blown out). Who could've blamed them though? Since returning to the league in 1999, the Browns have rarely beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we have never defeated "the team to beat" during the regular season. We finally accomplished that.

This week, I'm going to do things a little different in reviewing the game. Because there were so many positives, I'm giving out more game balls than usual, and I'm cutting out the goats of the game altogether. Any negatives will be addressed in my general comments section.

Awarding Game Balls (Everyone Could've Gotten One)

DB Eric Wright's interception for a touchdown sealed the game.

1. Derek Anderson: It took five games, but Anderson is finally getting his first game ball of the season here on Dawgs By Nature. Despite beating the Bengals, he had to be under a lot of pressure. He hasn't played a solid football game dating back to part of last season and was going up against the line that knocked him out with a concussion back in the preseason. Anderson still had a few shaky throws, but that's Anderson -- he's not a 70% completion passer. What counted is that he was about to hit his throws down the seams, check off to several reads, and get rid of the ball before the Giants could even touch him.
2. Steve Heiden: I am so happy the Browns didn't place him on the injured reserve in the preseason. With a surplus of tight ends (and Martin Rucker healthy at the time), it could've been an "easy" way out to keeping an extra guy like Darnell Dinkins (who we kept anyway). Heiden proved exactly why we don't even really need Rucker to catch the ball -- he can do so just as well, and he can block very well too. The help he gave in taking on defensive end Justin Tuck was incredible.
3. Eric Wright: What was the stress point all of training camp and the preseason? "Our secondary is so thin." Well, it still is. If we need to start Terry Cousin or Travis Daniels, we're probably in trouble. With the starters we have now, even minus one starting safety, we are making things happen. Wright baited Eli Manning into a quick throw late in the game, when the Giants were marching to try and cut the lead to six. Wright picked off Manning's throw, and then just barely got by him for a clear path 94-yard touchdown return. Ballgame. Being at the game, this was by far the loudest the crowd had gotten all night -- first when Manning was picked off, and then quickly taken over by Wright passing up Manning on his way back.

  WR Braylon Edwards can celebrate now: he finally looked like the Pro Bowl receiver he was last season.

4. Rob Chudzinski: Here's one for the coach (offensive coordinator). The personnel packages he inserted reminded me of last season, begging the question -- why wasn't he calling these things for the first several weeks? I'm talking about using guys like Joshua Cribbs under center, Jerome Harrison having plays designed for him, and Syndric Steptoe in the slot. (see continuation of this discussion, as I answer my own question in the general notes section below)
5. Ryan Tucker: First game back? Domination. Before the game, I still favored having Kevin Shaffer at right tackle and Ryan Tucker at guard. Now, I want Tucker to stay at right tackle the rest of the year. What do we do with Shaffer then? He can spell Tucker and help in goal line situations, where we can use three tackles (instead of always shifting Joe Thomas to the right).
6. Braylon Edwards: 5 catches, 154 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 two-point conversion. The first thing I thought? Fantasy points! Seriously, it was the breakout game Edwards needed to get him back in the right direction. I think it was more critical that he had this type of a performance in front of a home crowd too.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. The Underrated Stallworth: I asked earlier why Rob Chudzinski's playbook suddenly expanded, and I truly believe that it all points to having Donte Stallworth in the lineup for the first time this season. Without him in there, everybody else was "out of place". Steptoe was starting, when he's a barely a slot receiver. Kellen Winslow was kept in the game more often to try and make up for Stallworth's absence, taking away the thought of having the "hidden" elements of Steve Heiden or Darnell Dinkins in the game. Stallworth only had two catches, but he was targeted a lot more, and from the stands, you could definitely tell that the defense was giving him respect on any given down. When the defense treats the No. 2 receiver seriously, everything else just...opens up.
   
2. Just Wait...: ...until we get Joe Jurevicius back now.
3. Running Tough: He didn't have over 100 yards rushing, but that's not what defines success for Jamal Lewis. Anyone who watched the game against the Giants saw that he was just as significant of a contributor as everyone else was. Even at first contact, he was fighting for that extra inch every single time. He also had a sick cutback move on his second-quarter touchdown.
   

  RB Jamal Lewis knows how to make defenders miss, as he runs through DB Kenny Phillips.

4. Take a Seat: Brandon Jacobs is a beast -- the power he showed when plowing into Mike Adams for a 7-yard touchdown was impressive. There is a very ironic statistic though: remember how Corey Williams discussed how to stop Jacobs? Jacobs ran for 67 yards against the Packers last postseason. He ran for 67 yards against the Browns' defense Monday.
5. No Punts: I was bummed that I didn't get to see Dave Zastudil punt the ball in-person. Who am I kidding -- that was a tremendous feat for the offense, showing how well we controlled the clock and executed our gameplan.
   
6. Dawson Misses: Dawson missed a field goal attempt just over 51 yards. In pregame, from that side of the stadium, Dawson was having some problems. If the kick had been on the other side though, he would've had a crack at a 60-yarder. You could probably infer that on television by the fact that his kickoffs were going way out of the end zone on that side too.
7. The Bad: Besides the atrocious announcing by the Monday Night Football guys (we have to hear them two more times this year, ugh), the penalties were again a problem for the Browns. Sure, we ended up somehow going 117 yards for a touchdown on a second-half drive, but that type of execution following mistakes is a rarity. When we made mistakes on our first drive of the game, we were held to a field goal. Rex Hadnot deserves some of the blame, as I heard his number called a few times.
8. Annoying Lady: I just have to get this one off my chest -- some lady in a bright red leather jacket kept was sitting in the middle of our row of seats (I was on the end). I'm not joking here -- she got up and went by us literally 15-18 times during the game, with several of the occurrences happening as the Browns were running a play. Most of the time, she was on her cellular phone. Why the hell would you keep coming back to the middle of a row if you're just going to get up and leave again two minutes later? Had to vent a little there.
9. Bad Eli: I was very surprised by the performance of Eli Manning. Sure, he's human, but his interceptions, while great plays by our secondary, involved questionable decisions that I just didn't expect to see from him. After the two deep throws, I thought..."Really? That's happening to another team and not us? Sweet!" The Giants, towards the end of the game, would've been better off sticking with the draw plays down by the goal line, instead of having Manning throw a pass that Wright could jump.
   

QB Derek Anderson has silenced critics for another week.


10. Heiden Open: I'm not sure if it was seen on television or not, but in the second half, Anderson threw a route towards the sideline to Darnell Dinkins, but the pass was incomplete as Dinkins went to the ground to try to get it. On the play though, fans groaned a little as Anderson missed seeing a wide open Heiden down the field on a post route. Heiden's man was fooled, and he probably would've walked in for a long touchdown.
11. Love the Double Reverse I loved the double reverse to Jerome Harrison. The defense completely soled out on the first handoff and never saw the second one coming. I'm fairly convinced that Harrison got the maximum possible yardage on the play, but on replay, I do wonder if there was a chance he could've taken it the distance if he had just continued running straight as opposed to trying to fake out an oncoming defender.
12. Why Review the Play?: I'm still unclear as to why the referees were reviewing the play before the end of the first half where Eli Manning fumbled. Because illegal contact was called on the Browns and the Giants accepted the penalty, what was under review? Does anybody know? I know everyone in the stands around me sounded confused too.
    
13. Brownies: Again, major props to Brodney Pool and Brandon McDonald. Amani Toomer was held without a catch, and the "feared" Domenik Hixon only caught one pass...Phil Dawson's first kickoff attempt was perfectly executed -- we almost got there in time to recover the kick ourselves... chalk up another sack for Alex Hall -- and that was hilarious seeing Manning in the middle of that huge takedown pile...dating back to last season, we're 2-0 in impressive fashion when wearing our "throwback uniforms" at home...we need some more production out of LB Andra Davis.
    

Against the Bengals, I closed the recap by saying the following:

"A win is a win. The next step is looking good in victory. You can't expect that to happen against the New York Giants, but you can certainly prepare for it to happen. With several players slated to return from injury, if this Browns football team is in sync in all aspects of the game, there is no reason we can't be in the game until the final whistle."

We didn't expect it to happen, but based on what everyone across the country saw, we certainly prepared for it. It paid off.

The Browns aren't out of things just yet. We're only two games out of the division lead with 12 more games to play. That's a lot of time to make up a lot of ground, but the only way we're going to have a chance to pull things together is if the team is healthy. Last season, much of our success depended on all of our top players being available when we needed them most.

This season, we've already had wounds to Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, Jamal Lewis, Eric Steinbach, Sean Jones, Brodney Pool, Willie McGinest, Martin Rucker, Beau Bell, Joe Jurevicius, Robaire Smith, Shaun Smith, and more. Imagine a football team trying to compete with the best of the best without those guys being 100%.

Some of them will be close to 100% when we face the Giants in 11 days. Others won't be near that percentage, but at least they'll make their return to the field. Here is a report on how things are going for players who have been out:

A healthy Donte Stallworth will be a huge asset to the offense

• WR Donte Stallworth: This guy has received a ton of heat for the quadriceps injury that has kept him out a month already. However, all of the heat stems from frustration more than personal animosity towards the guy. Stallworth's presence will be a potentially huge upgrade over Syndric Steptoe. Break a leg out there, Stallworth. Err...probably the wrong choice of words there.
• OT Ryan Tucker: He is expected to return from a fractured hip suffered way back on May 14. Surprisingly, the OBR and other sources have indicated that his return may actually be at right tackle, replacing the "struggling" and wounded Kevin Shaffer. Tucker is probably this team's third best offensive lineman.
• LB Willie McGinest: After missing the past two games due to a hamstring injury, he has started practicing again and should be ready for the Giants. That will take some playing time away from Alex Hall, but overall, Hall has probably earned himself more of a cut into McGinest's playing time.
• TE Martin Rucker: There haven't been indications as to whether or not he'll actually be active, but for the first time since having arthroscopic knee surgery, he practiced on Wednesday.
• FB Lawrence Vickers: He was struck in the eye with a bottle thrown from the crowd in the Bengals game. Besides a cut, he'll be fine, thankfully.
• DL Shaun Smith: He had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand. For the past two weeks, he has played with a cast over it. He is expected to be ready for the Giants, so really the bye week couldn't have come at a better time for him.
• S Sean Jones: Jones was one of the few players not to return to practice. As of this time, he is not expected to be ready against the Giants.
• WR Joe Jurevicius: The same thing goes for Jurevicius -- it doesn't look as if he'll be even close to ready for the Giants game. If he is to start practicing again, it may not be until the actual halfway point of the season.
• OT Kevin Shaffer: After suffering a concussion on Sunday, an update has not been given as to whether or not he'll be able to play against the Giants. However, considering the reports of Tucker taking over for him, maybe he won't be ready.

Altogether, the news is positive on the injury front.

I saw a quote from head coach Romeo Crennel over on the OBR that made me laugh. Maybe I'm just confused as to what he's trying to refer to:

Crennel said Anderson might need to go back to taking what the defense gives him, like he did in 2007.

"He might be trying to go down field a little more than he did last year," Crennel said. "He seemed to take more what the defense gave him last year."

Link

I could've sworn that up until the fourth quarter of the Bengals game, I never even saw Anderson throw the ball down the field. All I kept seeing were comeback routes that defensive backs were sitting on. Our success came when Anderson threw the ball down the field -- like the pass to Winslow amidst two-three defenders down near the goal line.

Finally, remember the apparent Anderson/Edwards/Lewis love-fest on the sidelines during the Bengals' game? According to Anderson, the confrontation wasn't a negative one, reports the Chronicle-Telegram:

Despite television evidence to the contrary, Anderson disputed that any incident occurred.

"There was no argument whatsoever," he said Wednesday. "I just mentioned to him about being smart, getting the personal foul.

"He and I were talking. He wasn’t yelling at me, nothing was going on. Jamal happened to come over and we were in the process of getting the whole offense together. It looked like we were arguing and he grabbed a hold of us, which wasn’t the case."

Link

They probably could've exchanged punches on television and would've stuck with the same story.

Box Score - 9.7.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	7	14	7	0	28
	0	7	0	3	10

For the second year in a row, the Cleveland Browns did not fair off too well in their season opener (which also happens to be at home). All offseason, we wanted the schedule makers to give us the same respect that other contenders in the league were being given. For the first game, we laid a big egg. Not that it provides a significant amount of comfort, but all things considered, we may have lost to the best team in the National Football League.

The Patriots are without Tom Brady the rest of the year. The other AFC favorites -- Indianapolis and San Diego -- each suffered home losses to teams expected to finish no better than .500. Disregarding Pittsburgh's dominant performance over the Houston Texans, the Cowboys looked great on all sides of the ball -- they were in near midseason form.

The bottom line? Getting beat was ok. Getting beat with dropped passes, no pass rush, and awkward coaching decisions was not ok. As I've done in the past, to go along with a loss, it's time to look at the goats of the game...

Goats of the Game (Better Redeem Next Week)

WR Braylon Edwards did not have a good game by any means, as he watches one of an eventual four passes go through his hands.
1. Braylon Edwards: I was wrong in assuming that several weeks off due to a cut on his foot would not deter him from having a big game. His quickness and route-running looked fine, but the simple fundamentals of catching the ball in traffic posed a significant problem, as many people credited him with having four drops. The games we won last year, Edwards made spectacular catches on good throws from Derek Anderson. Had Edwards caught those passes early on, maybe our offense would've stayed in a groove and participated in the shootout we thought we would've seen.
2. Kamerion Wimbley: I know that D'Qwell Jackson had a horrible game too, but I think it's more appropriate to mention Wimbley here. He demonstrated more than ever that he only has one move. His strategy seems to be "let me see how large of a circle I can make around the left tackle as Tony Romo steps up in the pocket. If Wimbley had an inside move, he would've used it. He didn't develop it over the offseason, and now we're going to have to deal with it all season long. You almost feel like starting Alex Hall over there in front of him.

Awarding Game Balls (Tough in Defeat)

DT Shaun Rogers was stopping the run all game until the fourth quarter, when the fatigue set in.
1. Shaun Rogers: The big man delivered with what we expected him to bring to the table. All things considered, after the first game, I'm extremely pleased that we got this guy for just a third-round pick and Leigh Bodden. He did wear down at the end of the game though, and that can be attributed to fantastic execution by the Cowboys' offense, keeping their unit on the field 15 minutes longer than the Browns. Rogers is solid, but he's not as good as Albert Haynesworth where he can go strong four quarters without a break.
2. Kellen Winsow: Why we didn't go his direction more in the second half is beyond me, but Winslow caught the ball well, being our only receiver to go over 2 catches and 20 yards receiving. I'm still a little puzzled by the lack of emotion he has appeared to show throughout the preseason and in Week 1. Maybe it's just me, but he seems a little too subdued (except for the bow he took on his touchdown reception).

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

1. We Miss Cribbs: Besides Edwards' drops, the absence of Joshua Cribbs was the biggest key of the game (even more so than the defensive shortcomings). When you see Syndric Steptoe and Gerard Lawson getting tackled around the 25-yard line for less-than-stellar returns, you can literally imagine on the field Cribbs taking it an extra 20-25 yards each time. The Cowboys did not have tremendous kick return coverage -- Steptoe and Lawson were just not very elite. Better field position again would've contributed to the offense, and the defense for when we did punt.
2. The Field Goal: Sweet, three extra fantasy points for Phil Dawson, right? Wrong. I never care how later it is in a game -- the opportunity to rally still exists. With 10:43 left in the fourth quarter, down by three possessions, you only kick a field goal if it'll make it a two-possession game. Instead, Crennel went for the field goal, which in that scenario was virtually the same thing as turning the ball over on downs or punting it away. Bad decision by Crennel, and the fans let him hear it by booing louder than I've heard fans boo on the television set in a long time.
3. Anderson Wasn't Bad: Statistically, completing only 45% of his passes did not look good. In terms of being prepared and how he played, I don't understand why so many people (on the OBR and from public speaking) are considering him such a major goat. The velocity on his balls was great, needling throws when appropriate. He had four drops from his top receiver, three of which should've definitely been caught. On top of that, he was basically working with two practice squad receivers with Donte Stallworth injured. The Cowboys' defense only had to blanket two receivers, because the Syndric Steptoe and Steve Sanders just weren't getting too open. When the coverage was too tight, Anderson did the right thing by running and picking up some yards with his feet.
4. Equivalence: Please don't tell me that Donte Stallworth is going to end up being nothing more than the offense-equivalent of Antwan Peek (injury-wise). Not having Stallworth did put our receiving position even thinner than our defensive backs position.
5. Third-Down Conversions: A lot of our offensive shortcomings came down to a lackluster 33% third-down conversion rate. When Dallas converts 72% of their third downs in comparison, you're doomed.
6. Third Downs, Part II: Digging deeper into the lack of offensive conversions on third downs, you see that several of the situations were short-yardage plays. On the first drive, there was a bad quarterback-center exchange between Anderson and Hank Fraley. Right after the second half started, we had two nice runs by Jamal Lewis to set up a 3rd-and-2. The pressure came quick, Anderson heaved one too deep to the outside, and we had to punt.
7. Third Downs, Part III: Finally, it's time to rip our defense for the lack of a pass rush generated on third downs. On Dallas' eight conversions, six of them were through the air, mostly because Romo had all day to throw. It didn't matter who we blitzed: it was picked up with ease.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo had all day to throw against our secondary, though CB Eric Wright did record an interception.
8. Defensive Backs Coverage: We didn't stop Terrell Owens. We didn't stop Patrick Crayton. And hell, we didn't even cover Jason Witten (though the linebackers were responsible for him at times). You can't fault the cornerbacks for giving up yardage when there is literally no pressure up front, but on the same note you still need better play. We needed to jam Owens better, but Brandon McDonald's idea of that was the "hands to the face" call. When McDonald jumped a route to Crayton (and just missed) and when Eric Wright recorded the Browns' only turnover of the game, I saw glimpses of what our defensive backs' will be relied upon once the pressure improves.
9. Turnover Ratio: Speaking of which, we were actually -1 in the turnover category.
10. Running Well: I was pleased with how Jamal Lewis ran the ball. Like last year though, it's unfortunate that when we get down in the game so quickly, we have no other choice but to abandoned the run. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any lingering effects from his hamstring injury.
11. Heiden All Out: When Steve Heiden laid all out to try and make a catch, I couldn't believe me eyes. Just seeing him try that was unusual (but encouraging) to see. You wonder how much a guy like Martin Rucker would've helped in a game like this -- suddenly that draft choice looks a lot better than it originally seemed.
12. Penalty Dinkins: I recall a special teams penalty on Darnell Dinkins. Want to know why it doesn't make sense to always say "he had a great camp and earned a roster spot"? Because he never plays in the offensive sets, and on special teams, he has too many penalties called against him.
13. Get Well Cribbs: Please be ready for Pittsburgh next week. Oh, did I already have a bullet point about Cribbs? Did I mention how important he is? I did? Good.
14. Presence: Did you feel the defensive presence by Corey Williams? Me neither. There is hope for next game, though, just like the offensive line didn't look great in last year's opener.
15. Need to Blitz: I'd rather be beat by sending all the blitzers we can send at Tony Romo than have him sit there for an infinity only to find the open receiver with ease. Just because the first few blitzes don't work doesn't mean you go to an even worse strategy.
16. Dawson 1-of-1: Seeing your kicker get their first one through the uprights is a good sign, no matter what the score is. At least he did get a kick in before next week's night cap against the Steelers.
17. Special Teams Coverage: Though poor on the return game, our kick coverage was very good. I noticed Shantee Orr recording a tackle or two. We survived the coverage units without specialist Kris Griffin available too.
18. I'll Stop: I kept bragging that we were 6-0 at home under Derek Anderson last season. If that annoyed you, fear not: I can no longer say it with relevance to this season.

It was not a very fun opener to watch, but there's no way I'm going to get discouraged heading into this Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A win against the Cowboys would've been great, but this is the critical portion of our schedule: three consecutive division games. If we don't go at least 2-1 during that stretch, we're down and out. With a clean sweep, no one's going to be talking about the Cowboys loss.

Go BROWNS.

The Cleveland Browns are entering the 2008-2009 with high expectations. With a successful offense returning, a much-improved defensive line, and the fans more excited than ever about the team, anything short of a playoff berth will be a disappointment.

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Without anything too eventful happening in camp today, I didn't include a subtitle to go along with the title of this post (which, if you've been paying attention to the titles, has been something I've regularly done). Another roster move was made though, so that'll top today's report...

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 23 (8/14/08)

1. Bye Bye Cliff: A day after he had a scuffle with LB Willie McGinest, OL Cliff Louis was cut by the Browns. Don't piss off one of Crennel's boys, or you'll be out the door.
2. Replacement: Taking his place is second-year OL Jonathan Palmer out of Auburn. At Auburn, Palmer had experience at tackle, guard and center. He's already spent time with the Eagles, Steelers, Raiders, and most recently the Giants. If he shows something early on, he could be practice squad material (though I believe that spot will still go to OL James Lee).
3. Rucker Update: Rookie TE Martin Rucker had successful arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday morning at the Cleveland Clinic.
4. Starting WR: When asked about who would start opposite WR Donte Stallworth this Monday, Crennel said "we're not sure yet ... maybe we'll know tomorrow." I wouldn't be surprised if we don't find out until an hour before the game.
5. Getting Serious: For the first time since last week Thursday (against the Jets), the troops practiced in pads. Reportedly, the players were amped up and enjoyed the feeling of having full gear on again.
6. More Fists Flying: WTAM's Andre Knott reported that Crennel broke up a camp fight for the first time in four years (when he was with New England). The fight was between LB Alex Hall and TE Brad Cieslak. When asked why he broke up this fight as opposed to others in recent memory, he stated it was because he felt Hall, being a rookie, wouldn't have the nerve to throw a punch at him.
7. Quinn Goes DEEP: Knott also reported a shocker in today's camp: Brady Quinn attempted three deep passes! The passes had the arm strength, but all three of them were incompletions -- and two of them were broken up by Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald, respectively.
8. Steptoe Mention: The OBR pointed out a nice play when Derek Anderson hit WR Syndric Steptoe on a nice slant pass during team drills. Although he hasn't received as many reps, Steptoe is in the mix to start against the Giants.
9. Steelers Lose: The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills 24-21 Thursday night. Not really relevant and I'm fully aware of the preseason circumstances, but you can check out the box score to analyze the details.

Here is your link collection for much of the information above:

Maturing Wilson credits Jurevicius (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Day 23 practice notes (WTAM, Knott)

Browns don't lack motivation (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)

Browns begin prep for Giants (Official Site, Jackson)

Who saw Thursday night's game between the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles? After sitting through a lighting delay that was just as long as the Browns' last week, I couldn't hold back from laughing when the Eagles tried a fake field goal shuffle pass. The holder took the snap and intended to flip it to one of his crossing teammates -- instead a Panthers defender came from the other side and intercepted the pass, taking it back for a touchdown.

From the original camera angle, it was one of those cool "in-the-moment" football feelings, similar to when Edwards had a one-handed two-yard touchdown catch last week.

The days remaining for public camp sessions are dwindling down, but Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow isn't letting up his intensity level. After learning earlier today that rookie tight end Martin Rucker will be out for six weeks after having surgery, knowing we have a healthy Winslow in our back pocket allows fans to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 22 (8/13/08)

1. Intensity High: The talk of the day involved two people on two consecutive plays: Winslow and recently signed DB Travis Key. On the first play, Winslow caught a pass over the middle and then collided with Key (though Winslow seemed to get the better of Key). On the next play, Winslow caught a pass on the sidelines and basically stiff-armed Key away, according to WTAM's Andre Knott.
2. Credit to Key?: Since being signed, it seems like Travis Key's name is coming up quite a bit -- more than Steve Cargile's did, and more than Brandon Mitchell's is. We'll see where he fits into the rotation this Monday.
3. Edwards in Berea: After being stitched up a few days ago, Braylon Edwards was in Berea for a check-up. There didn't seem to be any setbacks, so he was sent home to continue staying off of his foot. I'll never question Edwards' competitive nature, but just from a hypothetical thought, does him being out help the Browns in a way? His chemistry with Derek Anderson seemed too good to be lost in two weeks, he's not risking any weird injury for a portion of camp, and other guys are getting a chance to step up.
4. Wilson Starting?: Ohio.com reported that it was Travis Wilson's turn to get some reps as a starting receiver today. Wilson reportedly stepped up to the challenge yet again, though there's no word on who will start opposite Donte Stallworth versus the Giants.
5. Dinkins to be Safe: The best thing that Darnell Dinkins has going for him in camp? He's the highest tight end on the depth chart to have not suffered an injury during camp. After practice, Romeo Crennel praised Dinkins, saying he didn't know where the team would be without him.
6. Break it Up: A little scuffle broke out between veteran LB Willie McGinest and OT Cliff Louis. McGinest can still get fired up, eh? Sounds like a good thing.
7. Not Pleased: Crennel was not happy with how the offensive units ended the day in situational drills, so he called the first and second units back onto the field for extra reps.
8. Yawner for Quinn: Ohio.com reports that QB Brady Quinn had a "lackluster day", as he had two passes batted down at the line of scrimmage as well as a fumbled snap.

Here is your link collection for much of the information above:

Rubin, Hall have avoided injuries (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)

Day 22 practice notes (WTAM, Knott)

For Winslow, one speed is enough (Official Site, King)

More of mighty Quinn (Ohio.com, Thomas)

I will be exchanging questions with our New York Giants affiliate, Big Blue View, very soon in a "Getting to Know the Enemy" segment. I encourage you to check out their site in the mean time to get more familiar with how things have been going for the defending Super Bowl Champions.

Hopefully rookie TE Martin Rucker will be back on the field as early as Wednesday afternoon.

The Browns had their final public two-a-day session on Tuesday, but some concerning news came in the morning session when one of our tight ends wasn't on the field. It wasn't Kellen Winslow. Or Steve Heiden. It was Martin Rucker. The rookie fourth-round draft choice had an MRI done on his knee after he twisted it recently.

While Romeo Crennel stated in an interview that the MRI was merely precautionary, we all know what happened to rookie LB Beau Bell when he suddenly missed a day or two of action. To simplify things today, I'm going to put both the morning and evening practice notes under the same subheading:

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 21 [MORNING / EVENING] (8/12/08)

1. Hall Rises: I thought this was a very important note to start off with, as reported by the Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi: for the first time since Antwan Peek's injury, rookie LB Alex Hall took reps at his position instead of being exclusive to Kamerion Wimbley's side. Whether that's keeping all options open or a telltale sign, it'll be something to watch for this Monday against the Giants.
2. Sanders Opening Eyes: After being given the opportunity to run with the starting unit yesterday, WR Steve Sanders continued to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by catching nearly everything thrown his way again. Without being at camp everyday, this sudden rise for Sanders seems unprecedented; nonetheless, I am really pulling for him.
3. Key to Victory: Ohio.com is reporting that recently-signed safety Travis Key is at least making some noise in practice. He broke up a pass intended for Steve Heiden from Derek Anderson in the morning, and then recovered a fumble in the nightcap. Sounds like a decent second day, eh?
4. Similar Sounding: When you think about it, saying "Andra Davis" and "A.J. Davis" quickly makes them sound like the same name. That's not the point though; the point is that A.J. Davis had a good nightcap according to Mary Kay Cabot -- he broke up a deep pass to Joshua Cribbs from Ken Dorsey, and then intercepted a Brady Quinn pass intended for Lance Leggett. Davis needed to step up after seeing the recently-beat-for-a-touchdown Steve Cargile get cut after last Thursday's game.
5. Rogers Sits: Big nose tackle Shaun Rogers had the morning practice off with a sore knee, but was a full go come the nightcap. Kevin Kasper continues to miss practices though, and is not showing any signs of returning in the immediate future.
6. Trick Play: I'll just quote Grossi on this one; no sense in paraphrasing a play that he saw:
   

   "New play of the day -- a reverse off an end-around, featuring an Anderson handoff to Josh Cribbs, who hands to Donte Stallworth coming from the other side. Nice. The possibilities with Cribbs are endless."

7. Daily Wilson: Being the final two-a-day of the year, it's time to bring back the "Daily Wilson" one more time. Ohio.com reports that he made a nice diving catch in practice on a pass from Ken Dorsey, with Brandon McDonald having solid coverage on the play. There has been no word of Wilson letting up since Sanders was promoted, so I still fail to believe that there is a hidden agenda to give up on him.
8. Something to Consider: Besides the Hall note I mentioned to kick things off, I found this nugget interesting from Grossi: LB Kris Griffin has been having a tremendous camp at ILB, and is looking to challenge Leon Williams for playing time. His roster spot seems secure (Griffin's).
9. Dawson Clutch: To end the morning practice, Crennel asked the team if they'd put their faith in kicker Phil Dawson. If Dawson could nail a 54-yarder, their afternoon team meeting would be canceled, and the players would have spare time to do whatever they wanted. If he missed, they'd have to run laps. The team accepted the challenge, and Dawson drilled it. More than anything, that serves as a great pressure situation for Dawson -- not that he needs it.
10. No Pads: The team hasn't been in pads since Thursday's game against the Jets so that everyone can heal up. I'm sure the pads will be on some time soon -- possibly Wednesday -- to start prepping for the Monday Nighter.

Here is your link collection for much of the information above:

Rogers, Rucker dealing with knee issues (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)

A.J. Davis steps up (Ohio.com, Ridenour)

Training camp log: Day 21 (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Day 21 of camp practice (WTAM, Knott)

As always, check out the playoff-contending Cleveland Indians over at Let's Go Tribe (ok, maybe I'm getting my hopes up too much after a mere five-game winning streak). The Browns' next preseason game is still a ways away, but it's getting here. Remember, if you're a Clevelander without cable, Monday's game can be caught on FOX 8.