Remember when Jimmy Haslam came riding into town from Tennessee in the summer of 2012? Fans were excited that this truck-stop magnate billionaire with a passion for sports, that was endorsed by the likes of the Rooney family, Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones, would give the Cleveland Browns someone who would be more accountable, reputable and visible as an owner than Randy Lerner ever was.
Sure, Haslam has been way more visible than Lerner, albeit for less flattering things like ripping off his trucker customers on their rebates and getting hauled into federal court. But, it appears that the one thing Haslam has in common as Lerner and his father, Al, and even going back to Art "Judas" Modell, is the propensity for running a dysfunctional NFL franchise.
As the Browns prepared to kick off this past Sunday at Heinz Field for their season finale against the hated Steelers, rumors perpetuated the Twitter-verse that Haslam and his top deputies, CEO Joe Banner and the general manager-in-hiding Mike Lombardi, were prepared to fire head coach Rob Chudzinski after just one season coaching the team he grew up rooting for in nearby Toledo. Browns fans were aghast, especially when there were no signs that "Chud" was even in danger.
But, after a disappointing 20-7 loss to the Steelers, and just a few hours after arriving back at Berea, the Browns announced that they were, in fact, firing their first hand-picked head coach less than one year after hiring him.
Browns players, interviewed following the loss in the locker room, were incredulous that the questions about Chud's survival were even brought up. D'Qwell Jackson and Joe Thomas, in particular, were very vocal in their defense of their embattled head coach, even though the team slumped to a 4-12 season after seven consecutive losses and 10 losses in their final 11 games. By the time they arrived in Berea to clean out their lockers for the offseason, they had to be shocked.
Haslam, Banner and Lombardi, in firing Chudzinski, did something that neither of the Lerners, Modell or any other Browns owner in this franchise's storied history had ever done -- fire a coach after just one season. Sure, if Chudzinski's Browns would have gone 0-16 or 1-15 or even 2-14, perhaps you can justify the move. But 4-12?
And after he had to juggle three different starting quarterbacks at various times this season, due to injuries or overall inadequacy? And knowing that he had to give Brandon Weeden not two, but THREE different chances as the starting quarterback after backups Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell got injured while looking and performing considerably better than the opening day starter?
And after the starting running back and the 2012 No. 3 overall pick in Trent Richardson -- the team's only viable running threat -- was traded for a 2014 first-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts after just two games? And not finding an adequate replacement for Richardson (who struggled considerably in Indy, making the trade look genius) until there were three games left in the season, when an unknown Edwin Baker scored as many rushing TDs as the aging Willis McGahee did all season long?
And having a rotating field at the guard position due to injuries and inadequacy, as John Greco, Oniel Cousins, Shaun Lavauo, Jason Pinkston and Garrett Gilkey all got starts on the interior of the offensive line? And that line couldn't open up holes for a running game all season long and gave up a ton of sacks -- and that's even with two Pro Bowlers (Thomas and center Alex Mack) starting on that line?
And realizing that the rookies Lombardi handed you were underwhelming, to say the least? Barkevious Mingo looked like a playmaker at times, finishing with five sacks on the year, but had a quiet end to his season. Leon McFadden, other than his phantom pass interference penalty at the end of the New England debacle, couldn't get off the bench and then didn't play well when he was finally pressed into service. Gilkey only started the season finale and was taken to school by aging veteran Brett Keisel. Armonty Bryant, the one draft pick that everyone was against due to his checkered past, actually played the best out of all of them, and even he was a situational player.
And opening the year with the NFL's eventual leader in receiving yards, Josh Gordon, suspended for two games and allowing trade rumors to swirl about him until the deadline came and went? And also signing a possession receiver in Davone Bess who suddenly forgot how to catch a football and then was excused from the team for the final two games due to some off-the-field issues? And having to start Greg Little all season long?
Haslam was disgusted by Pat Shurmur for being too conservative and too predictable in his playcalling, and deservedly so. Chud was the antithesis of Shurmur -- he went for it on fourth down a lot (three times in the Steeler game inside of scoring position). He called for fake punts and fake field goals. He allowed his quarterbacks to throw deep (at least when they weren't getting killed or throwing horrible interceptions). But, in the end, in two seasons of Haslam's stewardship, the Browns have fired two head coaches, a team president and a GM.
According to longtime Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi, the decision was made to fire Chud prior to the Steeler game, and not even a win over the team's biggest rival would have saved him. This, despite Banner speaking as late as November in effusive praise of his young head coach.
Part of the problem may have been the disastrous seven-game losing streak. The Browns were 3-2 and 4-5 at various points this season. Coming off their bye week, believe it or not, the team controlled its own playoff destiny and seemed to have the inside track at the AFC North crown. But a 30-point second-quarter monsoon due to special teams breakdowns in Cincinnati led to a 41-20 loss to the eventual division champs (and lone playoff team from the North), and it spiraled from there.
The Browns had a propensity to break down either late in the first half, or in the fourth quarter, or even both. The Browns made two hapless offensive teams in Jacksonville and the New York Jets look almost unstoppable at times in two late-season losses. There was the debacle in New England, in which referee's questionable penalties and decisions allowed Tom Brady to score 13 unanswered points in the final two minutes to pull off an improbable 27-26 win. And there was another fourth quarter meltdown in the home season finale against Chicago that allowed the Bears to come away with a 38-31 victory. Oh, and let's not forget another season sweep by the Steelers after it appeared Pittsburgh was a team on the decline after an 0-4 start.
Another part of the problem may have been the NFL awarding the Browns five Pro Bowl players -- the most out of any other team in the AFC North -- and the opportunity for a sixth in safety T.J. Ward. It's never a good sign when a team has more Pro Bowlers than wins. It shows that there is talent in the building, but coaching isn't getting the most out of said talent.
Grossi goes even further by saying there was a dischord between Chud and Lombardi. Remember that Lombardi wasn't officially hired until AFTER Chud was named head coach, even though most insiders proclaimed that Lombardi was heavily involved with the process. The two butted heads over players receiving playing time all season long.
One of the biggest problems was with the quarterback position. Chudzinski and offensive coordinator Norv Turner seemingly ignored Hoyer during training camp until Hoyer was pressed into service in the preseason finale against Chicago and played very well. Turner, at one point, said that the player of Hoyer "surprised" him and the coaching staff. As Weeden and Campbell combined to win only one game the rest of the season and underwhelm at times, you had to believe that Lombardi was throwing Hoyer's emergence and Turner's "surprised" comment around liberally to Haslam and Banner.
At one point, Banner urged Chud to "shake things up" and release disappointing players such as Little and Lavauo. Chud argued against such moves and stood up for his players. In Banner's eyes, it seemed that Chud wasn't holding the Browns players accountable for their mistakes, which led to the regression in the second half of the season.
The fact that every other new coaching hire had a better record than Chud's Browns -- while the Jaguars under Gus Bradley also finished 4-12, they improved in the second half of the season and also came to Cleveland and won 32-28 -- did not sit well with Haslam, Banner and Lombardi.
Also, keep in mind that Carolina (where Chudzinski was offensive coordinator), San Diego (where Turner was head coach) and Arizona (where Ray Horton was defensive coordinator) all improved in 2013 after those men left to coach the Browns. It may not be a coincidence.
So, while Haslam had many reasons to make the decision that he made, it opened things up for the Browns organization to look like a giant joke on the national sake.
It's another cycle of wash-rinse-repeat -- new coach, new system, new quarterback. This after Chud's predecessors Eric Mangini and Shurmur were only given two seasons before they were sent packing, partly due to the team's incompetence but also due to impending regime changes (Mike Holmgren with Mangini; Haslam and Banner with Shurmur). The Browns have now gone through Chris Palmer (1999-2000), Butch Davis (2001-04), Romeo Crennel (2005-08), Mangini (2009-10), Shurmur (2011-12) and now Chudzinski (2012) -- that's six full-time head coaches and one interim coach in Terry Robiskie (2004) -- that have coached the Browns since the franchise returned in 1999. Meanwhile, the Steelers have only had three different head coaches since 1969 and the Patriots have had just one -- Belichick, who was run out of Cleveland after the move to Baltimore -- since 2000.
Keep in mind that from 1946-70, the Browns only had two full-time head coaches in the legendary Paul Brown (46-62) and Blanton Collier (63-70). Not coincidentally, the Browns won eight world championships during that span and were a legitimate contender throughout. That's what continuity will get you, and this Browns organization has none. However, from 1971-95, Modell ran through six different head coaches. He ran two of them out -- Forrest Gregg and Bud Carson -- fairly quickly, with Carson only lasting a season-and-a-half.
Before the Browns moved away, the franchise had eight full-time head coaches -- Brown, Collier, Nick Skorich, Gregg, Sam Rutigliano, Marty Schottenheimer, Carson and Belichick. The "new" Browns are already dangerously close to eclipsing that number in far less time. Other than Schottenheimer and Belichick, none of the head coaches hired within the last 25 years have gone on to any type of success anywhere else in the NFL as head coaches. And Belichick is the only one who has won a Super Bowl after leaving -- not even Paul Brown won a championship after he was unceremoniously fired by Modell following the 1962 season.
What was also concerning about Monday's press conference was the lack of the third member of the Browns' triumverate -- Lombardi. Since his introductory press conference (and the disaster that it was), Lombardi has been kept under wraps by Banner and Haslam. Other than briefly during the 2013 draft, Lombardi has been the "ghost of Berea." You know he's there, but you don't see him or don't hear from him. Fans were already uncomfortable with Lombardi's return due to his handling of the Bernie Kosar situation and his status as one of Modell's chief lieutenants leading up to The Move. While he deserves credit for pushing for Brian Hoyer's arrival (although only nine quarters isn't that large of an example), most of his other moves have not panned out. His silence on the subject has only fanned the fires among a very frustrated fanbase.
A local TV reporter became a folk-hero of sorts when he, reading off fans comments from his station's Facebook page, gave Haslam and Banner an earful during Monday's press conference. At one point, he asked Haslam what would he say to calm down fans who believe that "The Three Stooges" were running this organization. Suddenly, hashtags mentioning The Three Stooges and YouTube videos of the comic trio were being linked to on-line accounts everywhere. Whether Haslam and Banner like it or not (and it appears they don't, judging by their facial expressions and responses during the presser), that moniker is here to stay.
The only way it changes is if the Browns hit a home run with their coaching hire (they need a Terry Francona-esque hire, seriously), spend their $30 million of salary cap space wisely to improve the team with more talent, use those 10 draft picks and two first-rounders on players that will make not only an immediate impact, but an impact for seasons to come, and -- bottom line -- WIN. Browns fans are sick and tired of the 5-11/4-12 dance that has permeated this franchise every year since 2008. Browns fans are sick of only one playoff berth since they've returned (2002) and only two winning seasons during that span. Browns fans are tired of coaching carousels, quarterback carousels, running back carousels, etc.
A fancy, schmancy scoreboard and restructured seating are nice, but the best way to improve the "game-day experience" is by putting a winning product on the field. You can gloss over those things at Quicken Loans Arena or Progressive Field with fire-breathing scoreboards and fun fan activities during the downtime. But Browns fans are a different animal. They'll even put up with a drumline over a cheerleading squad if it means the team will go 10-6, 11-5, 12-4 or even (gasp) better next season and in the seasons that follow. Browns fans are fiercely loyal to their team, but the constant losing is starting to test that loyalty. The botching of last season's head coaching search and the need for another new one is another loyalty test.
Already, Canton native Josh McDaniels, a former head coach of the Denver Broncos and long-time Bill Belichick disciple, is being mentioned as the leading candidate for the job. This is the same McDaniels who squandered a 6-0 start to his career by never making the playoffs and drafting Tim Tebow in the first round. He also ran off Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Peyton Hillis in one fell sweep (although Hillis wound up proving McDaniels right in the end), depleting his offense. McDaniels tries too hard to be another Belichick. And, like most Belichick disciples (such as Mangini, Crennel, Jim Schwartz, Scott Pioli and Charlie Weis, among others), people have come to realize that there is only one Bill Belichick and the rest should give it up.
Like Belichick, who struggled in his first coaching stop in Cleveland before succeeding in New England, Browns fans can only hope history will repeat itself with McDaniels. It didn't with Mangini, as we remember, so the bar is set pretty low.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn is suddenly on the radar, after Chip Kelly (who turned down the Browns) recovered from a slow start to go 10-6 with the Philadelphia Eagles and reach the playoffs -- another offensive genius/guru from college and no NFL experience. Can lighting strike twice, especially after another college coach (Greg Schiano) gets run out of the NFL after two seasons?
Joe Cleveland will likely give up his Browns season tickets this season, but he'll still remain a Browns fan. A very frustrated and angry Browns fan, but a Browns fan nonetheless.
Here's wishing all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year. Hopefully 2014 is much better than 2013 was, not just in sports, but in overall life.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Showing posts with label Eric Mangini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eric Mangini. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
The forgotten man
Not many people would respond to this job opening:
"NFL team with new ownership group of a formerly storied franchise seeking new general manager/personnel director that will be hired after the head coach and will report directly to the CEO. If you've had a disasterous tenure with this franchise before, so be it. You will likely be blamed when/if things fail and just be considered 'part of the process' when/if things succeed. Please contact Jimmy Haslam III and Joe Banner with your interest at 76 Lou Groza Blvd., Berea, OH."
In fact, only two known candidates did emerge. One wound up being hired to be the assistant general manager -- Ray Farmer. The other got the job -- Mike Lombardi.
Lombardi must have been desperate for any NFL job after five years of exile, being relegated to a talking head on television, serving as an "NFL insider" of sorts.
He must have been desperate to know that that job opening was in Cleveland, where he worked in the early 1990s with Bill Belichick and managed to anger media members and fans so bad, that 17 years after the franchise moved to Baltimore and he was told to not come along for the ride, they still held anger and resentment whenever his name came up or he appeared on the radio or television.
He must have been desperate to go to a team that he did nothing but trash from his perch on TV, questioning the moves to acquire several players that are still on the team and that he'll have to look in the eye at team headquarters -- if he ever appears.
He must have been desperate to know that he'll never get credit for anything that goes right with the Browns, but if things go wrong, Banner would not hesitate to hold his carcass in front of him so it can be riddled with bullets from the media, season ticket holders, fans and his own boss, Haslam.
Lombardi is in such a no-win situation that, even when it gets announced that his job title changes from Vice President of Player Personnel to General Manager, he doesn't get to answer questions about it and only a hastily called conference call by Banner would address it.
Lombardi had to feel good to beat out Farmer for the job, but then had to recoil when Farmer was added to the front office and given the title of his assistant. Looks like the Browns have already lined up his replacement, and he's only been on the job for a few months.
Since his disasterous introductary press conference, where the press came out firing with 17 years of pent up ammunition at him, Banner and Haslam, Lombardi has not made a public appearance with his new team.
When the Browns went to the NFL Combine, the only personnel made available to the media were Banner and new head coach Rob Chudzinski. No Lombardi.
When the Browns made their first free agent signings this week -- Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger, Raiders defensive lineman Desmond Bryant and Cardinals linebacker Quinton Groves -- Banner and Chudzinski sat in front of the press with the players and discussed the signings. The general manager? Nowhere to be found.
This week, the Browns sent out their forms to season ticket holders seeking their renewal. On the first page of the pamphlet was a photo of Haslam and Banner together. Below it were photos of Chudzinski, offensive coordinator Norv Turner and defensive coordinator Ray Horton.
Guess who's photo wasn't included? Guess who's name wasn't even mentioned?
Yep, Lombardi.
Perhaps Haslam and Banner didn't realize the deep resentment attached to Lombardi in this region until they actually hired him. But it seems pretty certain that Haslam and Banner have gone out of their way to deemphsize his role within the organization, even with an upgraded title to GM.
The hiring of Farmer didn't come until AFTER Lombardi's grilling by the press. The only way they could hire him was to give him a "promotion," so they had to give him the title of assistant GM. However, there was no official GM, so Lombardi was given the title. So, it seems they begrudgingly gave Lombardi a title only so Farmer could join their front office.
How's that for a ringing vote of confidence?
Lombardi appears to be on a very short leash. The media is just waiting, like dogs salivating over a piece of steak, for Lombardi to screw up so they can tear him apart.
Perhaps Lombardi was brought on as nothing more than a glorified fall guy for Banner and Chudzinski. Think about it.
Banner's dour personality (some say he resembles the Dr. No character from the James Bond movies) did not sit well with Eagles fans, and it was starting to rub some Browns fans the wrong way. Perhaps Banner needed someone who was reviled even worse to make him look better, the Ugly Duckling Theory, if you will.
Browns fans have also been notoriously unkind to head coaches, especially those who came in without any head coaching experience. The last two head coaches -- Eric Mangini and Pat Shurmur -- each barely last two seasons in Cleveland, with the buzzards circling their carcasses even before that second year began.
The only coach to take the Browns to the playoffs during the expansion era -- Butch Davis -- didn't even last four full seasons, resigning with five games left in 2004 due to "panic attacks." Terry Robiskie only won his final game as the interim head coach that year and was so lightly regarded around the NFL, he took a demotion to wide receivers coach when Romeo Crennel was hired.
Crennel lasted four full seasons, but always seemed to be dodging bullets. Only an out-of-nowhere 10-6 2007 season bought him an extension, but when his team slumped to 4-12 the following year and the general manager who hired him, Phil Savage, became an embarassment, he was shown the door.
Some Browns fans were ready to jump on Chudzinski when he was hired, especially when Haslam and Banner talked a lot about seeking a "dynamic leader" to be the head coach. This, despite Chudzinski being a native Ohioan who not only grew up a diehard Browns fan, but was moderately successful in his two previous stints as a Browns assistant coach.
With a figure so reviled like Lombardi in the building, suddenly fan sentiment has softened on Chud. Sure, his hiring of proven commodoties like Turner and Horton to run his offense and defense didn't hurt one bit. But, with the human shield in the building, Chud may not take as many bullets. If his team doesn't get off to a great start, unlike Mangini, Shurmur and every other head coach that preceeded them, Chud won't have to be the fall guy or the target.
I have a feeling that, win or lose, Lombardi won't last very long with the Browns organization. As someone with a large ego, I'm sure it has to bother him to be used as somewhat of a foil in this organization. Even if the Browns do very well this season, Lombardi could leave with his reputation somewhat intact and say that he was only here "to help this regime get off the ground" and go back to the comforts of TV or to another team that will let him be the dominant voice of the organization.
Sure, even though most fans and media know that Banner is the lead voice in the football organization, you don't think they'll pass up the opportunity to rip Lombardi a new one if any of the free agent signings fail to pan out or they have a bad draft? There are some members of the media (one rhymes with Bony Schmossi) who would take personal delight in running Lombardi out of town for the second time, even knowingly overlooking the Banner factor.
This is the hell that is Lombardi's second tenure as the Browns' general manager/director of personnel. He asked for it, and he's going to get it. And, Joe Cleveland certainly doesn't feel sorry for him.
This is what you get when you compile a video list of lowlights and embarassing plays on company time just so you can run a beloved quarterback and ambassador to the town out of it. Joe Cleveland ddn't forget, and neither did a lot of Browns fans and media, apparently.
Happy hunting!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
"NFL team with new ownership group of a formerly storied franchise seeking new general manager/personnel director that will be hired after the head coach and will report directly to the CEO. If you've had a disasterous tenure with this franchise before, so be it. You will likely be blamed when/if things fail and just be considered 'part of the process' when/if things succeed. Please contact Jimmy Haslam III and Joe Banner with your interest at 76 Lou Groza Blvd., Berea, OH."
In fact, only two known candidates did emerge. One wound up being hired to be the assistant general manager -- Ray Farmer. The other got the job -- Mike Lombardi.
Lombardi must have been desperate for any NFL job after five years of exile, being relegated to a talking head on television, serving as an "NFL insider" of sorts.
He must have been desperate to know that that job opening was in Cleveland, where he worked in the early 1990s with Bill Belichick and managed to anger media members and fans so bad, that 17 years after the franchise moved to Baltimore and he was told to not come along for the ride, they still held anger and resentment whenever his name came up or he appeared on the radio or television.
He must have been desperate to go to a team that he did nothing but trash from his perch on TV, questioning the moves to acquire several players that are still on the team and that he'll have to look in the eye at team headquarters -- if he ever appears.
He must have been desperate to know that he'll never get credit for anything that goes right with the Browns, but if things go wrong, Banner would not hesitate to hold his carcass in front of him so it can be riddled with bullets from the media, season ticket holders, fans and his own boss, Haslam.
Lombardi is in such a no-win situation that, even when it gets announced that his job title changes from Vice President of Player Personnel to General Manager, he doesn't get to answer questions about it and only a hastily called conference call by Banner would address it.
Lombardi had to feel good to beat out Farmer for the job, but then had to recoil when Farmer was added to the front office and given the title of his assistant. Looks like the Browns have already lined up his replacement, and he's only been on the job for a few months.
Since his disasterous introductary press conference, where the press came out firing with 17 years of pent up ammunition at him, Banner and Haslam, Lombardi has not made a public appearance with his new team.
When the Browns went to the NFL Combine, the only personnel made available to the media were Banner and new head coach Rob Chudzinski. No Lombardi.
When the Browns made their first free agent signings this week -- Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger, Raiders defensive lineman Desmond Bryant and Cardinals linebacker Quinton Groves -- Banner and Chudzinski sat in front of the press with the players and discussed the signings. The general manager? Nowhere to be found.
This week, the Browns sent out their forms to season ticket holders seeking their renewal. On the first page of the pamphlet was a photo of Haslam and Banner together. Below it were photos of Chudzinski, offensive coordinator Norv Turner and defensive coordinator Ray Horton.
Guess who's photo wasn't included? Guess who's name wasn't even mentioned?
Yep, Lombardi.
Perhaps Haslam and Banner didn't realize the deep resentment attached to Lombardi in this region until they actually hired him. But it seems pretty certain that Haslam and Banner have gone out of their way to deemphsize his role within the organization, even with an upgraded title to GM.
The hiring of Farmer didn't come until AFTER Lombardi's grilling by the press. The only way they could hire him was to give him a "promotion," so they had to give him the title of assistant GM. However, there was no official GM, so Lombardi was given the title. So, it seems they begrudgingly gave Lombardi a title only so Farmer could join their front office.
How's that for a ringing vote of confidence?
Lombardi appears to be on a very short leash. The media is just waiting, like dogs salivating over a piece of steak, for Lombardi to screw up so they can tear him apart.
Perhaps Lombardi was brought on as nothing more than a glorified fall guy for Banner and Chudzinski. Think about it.
Banner's dour personality (some say he resembles the Dr. No character from the James Bond movies) did not sit well with Eagles fans, and it was starting to rub some Browns fans the wrong way. Perhaps Banner needed someone who was reviled even worse to make him look better, the Ugly Duckling Theory, if you will.
Browns fans have also been notoriously unkind to head coaches, especially those who came in without any head coaching experience. The last two head coaches -- Eric Mangini and Pat Shurmur -- each barely last two seasons in Cleveland, with the buzzards circling their carcasses even before that second year began.
The only coach to take the Browns to the playoffs during the expansion era -- Butch Davis -- didn't even last four full seasons, resigning with five games left in 2004 due to "panic attacks." Terry Robiskie only won his final game as the interim head coach that year and was so lightly regarded around the NFL, he took a demotion to wide receivers coach when Romeo Crennel was hired.
Crennel lasted four full seasons, but always seemed to be dodging bullets. Only an out-of-nowhere 10-6 2007 season bought him an extension, but when his team slumped to 4-12 the following year and the general manager who hired him, Phil Savage, became an embarassment, he was shown the door.
Some Browns fans were ready to jump on Chudzinski when he was hired, especially when Haslam and Banner talked a lot about seeking a "dynamic leader" to be the head coach. This, despite Chudzinski being a native Ohioan who not only grew up a diehard Browns fan, but was moderately successful in his two previous stints as a Browns assistant coach.
With a figure so reviled like Lombardi in the building, suddenly fan sentiment has softened on Chud. Sure, his hiring of proven commodoties like Turner and Horton to run his offense and defense didn't hurt one bit. But, with the human shield in the building, Chud may not take as many bullets. If his team doesn't get off to a great start, unlike Mangini, Shurmur and every other head coach that preceeded them, Chud won't have to be the fall guy or the target.
I have a feeling that, win or lose, Lombardi won't last very long with the Browns organization. As someone with a large ego, I'm sure it has to bother him to be used as somewhat of a foil in this organization. Even if the Browns do very well this season, Lombardi could leave with his reputation somewhat intact and say that he was only here "to help this regime get off the ground" and go back to the comforts of TV or to another team that will let him be the dominant voice of the organization.
Sure, even though most fans and media know that Banner is the lead voice in the football organization, you don't think they'll pass up the opportunity to rip Lombardi a new one if any of the free agent signings fail to pan out or they have a bad draft? There are some members of the media (one rhymes with Bony Schmossi) who would take personal delight in running Lombardi out of town for the second time, even knowingly overlooking the Banner factor.
This is the hell that is Lombardi's second tenure as the Browns' general manager/director of personnel. He asked for it, and he's going to get it. And, Joe Cleveland certainly doesn't feel sorry for him.
This is what you get when you compile a video list of lowlights and embarassing plays on company time just so you can run a beloved quarterback and ambassador to the town out of it. Joe Cleveland ddn't forget, and neither did a lot of Browns fans and media, apparently.
Happy hunting!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A Banner New Year?
First of all, here's wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year. Hopefully 2013 is a better year for you than 2012 was.
Joe Cleveland wants to thank all of you for taking the time to visit this blog whenever I update it. I got a lot more readers in 2012 than in 2011, so hopefully, things can keep taking off for Joe Cleveland in 2013.
The new year is only a few hours old, but I felt it was worth doing my first update of the year about what transpired just 24 hours ago and what could transpire during this week for the Cleveland Browns.
Shortly after a 24-10 loss to the hated Steelers at Heinz Field, in a game that was started by practice squad quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and where the leading rusher was a guy who was only active in one other game during his two-year stint with the Browns -- Brandon Jackson -- and where the longest run from scrimmage was by a backup safety. Despite all of that, the Browns were competitive until the bitter end and didn't back down when the Steelers tried to intimidate them with some extracurricular activities as plays ended.
It was fitting that the final offensive play of the Pat Shurmur era came when a quarterback named Josh Johnson -- who had been on his couch the entire season before the Browns placed a desperate call to him last Monday -- was leveled on a blitz by Lawrence Timmons past a rookie guard, Ryan Miller, who had never even played a single snap before that possession started, and Johnson fumbled. So ended the tumultuious two-year tenure of Pat Shurmur as the head coach of your Cleveland Browns.
The ax came swiftly and decisively on New Year's Eve morning. New owner Jimmy Haslam III and Joe Banner, as expected, fired both Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert. Both were hired by departed president Mike Holmgren under the guise of absantee owner Randy Lerner -- Heckert a year earlier than Shurmur.
Joe Cleveland believes that both firings were the right choice. However, I've got to give Shurmur (begrudgingly) a bit of credit.
Shurmur's two seasons were held under difficult circumstances. Shurmur was a surprising choice by Holmgren in 2011 to replace Eric Mangini, and just a month after his hiring, the NFL locked out its players. That deprived Shurmur of an offseason, in which he was going to impliment a new offensive scheme (the West Coast offense). Believe it or not, the Browns had records of 2-1 and 3-3 under Shurmur before the bottom fell out in a disappointing 4-12 2011 season.
On the eve of training camp, news broke that Lerner had sold the team to Haslam. Suddenly, the "5-year plan" net and the security of having the Big Show in the building was going to be gone, with the impetus on winning if people wanted to retain their jobs. Despite that, Shurmur and Heckert trotted out a roster that was heavy on rookies and 1st-year players that were competitive in most games, but wound up a disappointing 5-11. The season ended on a 3-game losing streak, in which the Browns were outscored 96-43.
I still blame Holmgren for these last three years of 5-11, 4-12 and 5-11 ball. Holmgren was given a Brinks truck worth of money by an exasperated Lerner after the Browns stumbled to a 1-11 start under Mangini. It was expected that Holmgren would fire Mangini after the season and name himself as the head coach. However, Holmgren held on to Mangini for one more 5-11 season, despite a clash of overall philosophies, then "discorvered" the unknown Shurmur to be his hand-picked head coach one season later.
Halfway through the season, Holmgren was gone. By that point, Heckert and Shurmur were fresh out of friends, and only a miraculous finish to the regular season could save them.
It almost happened. A three-game win streak put the Browns at 5-8 and on the outer cusp of playoff contention. However, a dismal 38-21 loss to the Washington Redskins, led by fourth-round rookie backup QB Kirk Cousins, virtually sealed Shurmur's fate.
There was a mild push to retain Heckert because of some of the draft picks he had made in his three seasons. However, 14 wins in three seasons is difficult to ignore. When the teams in last year's NFL draft that picked first (Colts), second (Redskins) and fourth (Vikings) are all in the postseason while you, who picked third, are not, it's pretty indiciaitive of the job Heckert and Shurmur had done.
The trade of Julio Jones to the Falcons, the non-trade to obtain Robert Griffin III and the drafting of 28-year-old Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick are the most heavily scrutinized moves, and Joe Cleveland actually supported all three of those maneuvers.
Essentially, Haslam and Banner had to do this to remake this once-proud franchise in their image. They want a "strong personality" at head coach, which is why they are hiring the coach first and the GM/personnel director second. You can say the Browns did that twice before and it failed both times when they hired Butch Davis and Mangini. However, the common denomonator in both of those hiring were the hand's-off, no-accountability Lerner family ownership.
Haslam is about as hand's on an owner as you want without him becoming meddling. Banner is a proven football executive that oversaw the rebirth of a Philadelphia Eagles organization that had fallen on hard times. I think they know what they're doing.
College coaches like Alabama's Nick Saban, Oregon's Chip Kelly, Penn State's Bill O'Brien and Syracuses's Doug Marrone are on the radar, as are NFL coordinators such as the 49ers' Greg Roman, the Falcons' Dirk Koetter, the Bengals' Jay Gruden and the Colts' Bruce Arians (who was once the Browns' offensive coordinator and may wind up winning the NFL Coach of the Year Award for the job he did helping Indy reach the playoffs in the stead of regular head coach Chuck Pagano). Ex-Bears head coach Lovie Smith is rumored to have been contacted by the Browns, and they may be interested in Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett if Jerry Jones fires him tomorrow or the next day.
All of the current assistants are under contract and can be retained by the new coach. They will be granted permission to interview for other jobs. There still is a chance that defensive coordinator Dick Jauron is retained by the new head coach.
Both the new coach and the new GM/personnel director will report directly to Banner, who will report directly to Haslam. Haslam and Banner want a coach who will command respect by the players, the media and the fanbase that will help mold this team into a winner. They will give the new coach equal say in the final roster, and he will be expected to work in concert with the new GM. Since Banner is the de-facto poobah and he and Haslam are conducting the searches, both decided it was imperitive to hire a head coach first.
If you think about, NONE of the models have worked for the Browns. Carmen Policy hired Dwight Clark as his GM, who then hired Chris Palmer as the team's first expansion head coach. Five wins and two seasons later, Palmer was out and Clark's authority was ursupped by the incoming Butch Davis.
Davis brought along his former University of Miami cronie Pete Garcia to be his Director of Player Personnel. Three-and-half seasons later, despite a 9-7 playoff season in 2002, Davis resigned and Garcia followed him out the door.
Next, Lerner hired Phil Savage to be his new GM, and Savage tapped Romeo Crennel, the Patriots' DC during their three Super Bowl wins in a four-year span, to be his new head coach. Savage barely lasted the first season due to a power struggle with then-team President John Collins. Four seasons later, Savage and Crennel were fired in one-fell swoop by Lerner.
Lerner was heavily rumored to hire former Patriots GM Scott Pioli as his GM. However, his love affair with fired Jets' coach Eric Mangini changed all that. Lerner quickly hired Mangini without hiring a GM, and most of the experienced GM candidates that were available (such as Pioli and Tom Dimitroff) passed on the job. Mangini reccommended George Kokinis to be his new GM, and one failed draft later, Kokins was fired and Lerner was willing to give ANYONE a boatload of cash to help save him from the mess his franchise was becoming.
I believe that if Nick Saban wants to leave Alabama, the job is his. I don't think he'd leave Alabama, but there are some sources that say that Saban could leave if his Crimson Tide win the national championship later this week. The only job on his radar is the Browns job, where he once served as the defensive coordinator with great success.
Chip Kelly has become the darling coach prospect. However, he runs a gimmicky offense with Oregon that I don't think can succeed in the NFL. Let the Eagles and Chargers fall over themselves to try to hire him. I'd rather have Bill O'Brien if you're going the college-coach route.
Josh McDaniels, the former Patriots offensive coordinator, already took himself out of the equation for any head coach openings (not many Browns fans were unhappy to hear that), and it looks like Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher aren't in any hurry to resume their coaching careers. If either them got hired by the Browns, I'd be surprised.
I'm anxious to see what happens these next few days. I'm willing to show Haslam and Banner my confidence as a Browns fan on what they can do. I really have no other choice.
Until next time, Happy New Year to you all, and remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Joe Cleveland wants to thank all of you for taking the time to visit this blog whenever I update it. I got a lot more readers in 2012 than in 2011, so hopefully, things can keep taking off for Joe Cleveland in 2013.
The new year is only a few hours old, but I felt it was worth doing my first update of the year about what transpired just 24 hours ago and what could transpire during this week for the Cleveland Browns.
Shortly after a 24-10 loss to the hated Steelers at Heinz Field, in a game that was started by practice squad quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and where the leading rusher was a guy who was only active in one other game during his two-year stint with the Browns -- Brandon Jackson -- and where the longest run from scrimmage was by a backup safety. Despite all of that, the Browns were competitive until the bitter end and didn't back down when the Steelers tried to intimidate them with some extracurricular activities as plays ended.
It was fitting that the final offensive play of the Pat Shurmur era came when a quarterback named Josh Johnson -- who had been on his couch the entire season before the Browns placed a desperate call to him last Monday -- was leveled on a blitz by Lawrence Timmons past a rookie guard, Ryan Miller, who had never even played a single snap before that possession started, and Johnson fumbled. So ended the tumultuious two-year tenure of Pat Shurmur as the head coach of your Cleveland Browns.
The ax came swiftly and decisively on New Year's Eve morning. New owner Jimmy Haslam III and Joe Banner, as expected, fired both Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert. Both were hired by departed president Mike Holmgren under the guise of absantee owner Randy Lerner -- Heckert a year earlier than Shurmur.
Joe Cleveland believes that both firings were the right choice. However, I've got to give Shurmur (begrudgingly) a bit of credit.
Shurmur's two seasons were held under difficult circumstances. Shurmur was a surprising choice by Holmgren in 2011 to replace Eric Mangini, and just a month after his hiring, the NFL locked out its players. That deprived Shurmur of an offseason, in which he was going to impliment a new offensive scheme (the West Coast offense). Believe it or not, the Browns had records of 2-1 and 3-3 under Shurmur before the bottom fell out in a disappointing 4-12 2011 season.
On the eve of training camp, news broke that Lerner had sold the team to Haslam. Suddenly, the "5-year plan" net and the security of having the Big Show in the building was going to be gone, with the impetus on winning if people wanted to retain their jobs. Despite that, Shurmur and Heckert trotted out a roster that was heavy on rookies and 1st-year players that were competitive in most games, but wound up a disappointing 5-11. The season ended on a 3-game losing streak, in which the Browns were outscored 96-43.
I still blame Holmgren for these last three years of 5-11, 4-12 and 5-11 ball. Holmgren was given a Brinks truck worth of money by an exasperated Lerner after the Browns stumbled to a 1-11 start under Mangini. It was expected that Holmgren would fire Mangini after the season and name himself as the head coach. However, Holmgren held on to Mangini for one more 5-11 season, despite a clash of overall philosophies, then "discorvered" the unknown Shurmur to be his hand-picked head coach one season later.
Halfway through the season, Holmgren was gone. By that point, Heckert and Shurmur were fresh out of friends, and only a miraculous finish to the regular season could save them.
It almost happened. A three-game win streak put the Browns at 5-8 and on the outer cusp of playoff contention. However, a dismal 38-21 loss to the Washington Redskins, led by fourth-round rookie backup QB Kirk Cousins, virtually sealed Shurmur's fate.
There was a mild push to retain Heckert because of some of the draft picks he had made in his three seasons. However, 14 wins in three seasons is difficult to ignore. When the teams in last year's NFL draft that picked first (Colts), second (Redskins) and fourth (Vikings) are all in the postseason while you, who picked third, are not, it's pretty indiciaitive of the job Heckert and Shurmur had done.
The trade of Julio Jones to the Falcons, the non-trade to obtain Robert Griffin III and the drafting of 28-year-old Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick are the most heavily scrutinized moves, and Joe Cleveland actually supported all three of those maneuvers.
Essentially, Haslam and Banner had to do this to remake this once-proud franchise in their image. They want a "strong personality" at head coach, which is why they are hiring the coach first and the GM/personnel director second. You can say the Browns did that twice before and it failed both times when they hired Butch Davis and Mangini. However, the common denomonator in both of those hiring were the hand's-off, no-accountability Lerner family ownership.
Haslam is about as hand's on an owner as you want without him becoming meddling. Banner is a proven football executive that oversaw the rebirth of a Philadelphia Eagles organization that had fallen on hard times. I think they know what they're doing.
College coaches like Alabama's Nick Saban, Oregon's Chip Kelly, Penn State's Bill O'Brien and Syracuses's Doug Marrone are on the radar, as are NFL coordinators such as the 49ers' Greg Roman, the Falcons' Dirk Koetter, the Bengals' Jay Gruden and the Colts' Bruce Arians (who was once the Browns' offensive coordinator and may wind up winning the NFL Coach of the Year Award for the job he did helping Indy reach the playoffs in the stead of regular head coach Chuck Pagano). Ex-Bears head coach Lovie Smith is rumored to have been contacted by the Browns, and they may be interested in Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett if Jerry Jones fires him tomorrow or the next day.
All of the current assistants are under contract and can be retained by the new coach. They will be granted permission to interview for other jobs. There still is a chance that defensive coordinator Dick Jauron is retained by the new head coach.
Both the new coach and the new GM/personnel director will report directly to Banner, who will report directly to Haslam. Haslam and Banner want a coach who will command respect by the players, the media and the fanbase that will help mold this team into a winner. They will give the new coach equal say in the final roster, and he will be expected to work in concert with the new GM. Since Banner is the de-facto poobah and he and Haslam are conducting the searches, both decided it was imperitive to hire a head coach first.
If you think about, NONE of the models have worked for the Browns. Carmen Policy hired Dwight Clark as his GM, who then hired Chris Palmer as the team's first expansion head coach. Five wins and two seasons later, Palmer was out and Clark's authority was ursupped by the incoming Butch Davis.
Davis brought along his former University of Miami cronie Pete Garcia to be his Director of Player Personnel. Three-and-half seasons later, despite a 9-7 playoff season in 2002, Davis resigned and Garcia followed him out the door.
Next, Lerner hired Phil Savage to be his new GM, and Savage tapped Romeo Crennel, the Patriots' DC during their three Super Bowl wins in a four-year span, to be his new head coach. Savage barely lasted the first season due to a power struggle with then-team President John Collins. Four seasons later, Savage and Crennel were fired in one-fell swoop by Lerner.
Lerner was heavily rumored to hire former Patriots GM Scott Pioli as his GM. However, his love affair with fired Jets' coach Eric Mangini changed all that. Lerner quickly hired Mangini without hiring a GM, and most of the experienced GM candidates that were available (such as Pioli and Tom Dimitroff) passed on the job. Mangini reccommended George Kokinis to be his new GM, and one failed draft later, Kokins was fired and Lerner was willing to give ANYONE a boatload of cash to help save him from the mess his franchise was becoming.
I believe that if Nick Saban wants to leave Alabama, the job is his. I don't think he'd leave Alabama, but there are some sources that say that Saban could leave if his Crimson Tide win the national championship later this week. The only job on his radar is the Browns job, where he once served as the defensive coordinator with great success.
Chip Kelly has become the darling coach prospect. However, he runs a gimmicky offense with Oregon that I don't think can succeed in the NFL. Let the Eagles and Chargers fall over themselves to try to hire him. I'd rather have Bill O'Brien if you're going the college-coach route.
Josh McDaniels, the former Patriots offensive coordinator, already took himself out of the equation for any head coach openings (not many Browns fans were unhappy to hear that), and it looks like Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher aren't in any hurry to resume their coaching careers. If either them got hired by the Browns, I'd be surprised.
I'm anxious to see what happens these next few days. I'm willing to show Haslam and Banner my confidence as a Browns fan on what they can do. I really have no other choice.
Until next time, Happy New Year to you all, and remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
How sweet it is!
The week hasn't officially started yet, and Joe Cleveland is already chalking it up to being the greatest week ever.
This is what happens when Ohio State can take out Michigan and the Cleveland Browns can do the same to the Pittsburgh Steelers in back-to-back home games on back-to-back afternoons.
Joe Cleveland was fortunate enough to witness the latter in person. I was also at the 2009 Thursday night game in which the Browns sacked Ben Roethlisberger eight times and stunned the Squeelers, 13-6. This one might have been a bit better.
Sure, Consentlessberger wasn't in uniform for this one. He sat on the sidelines nursing broken ribs. Also, Troy Polamalu wasn't in uniform, but then again, he hasn't been in uniform very much this season and yet the Steelers defense came into Sunday's game ranked No. 1.
It doesn't matter.
As Pat Shurmur told the team after their 20-14 victory that was more dominating than the score actually indicated, "You rookies are now 1-0 against the Steelers."
Jimmy Haslam, who was in the other owners box for several Browns-Steelers games that went the way of the Yinzer, is now 1-0 as the Browns' owner against the team he was once affiliated with.
Shurmur is now one of just three Browns coaches since the team returned in 1999 to beat the Steelers. The other two -- Eric Mangini (2009) and Chris Palmer (1999 and 2000). Coincidentally, both Mangini and Palmer were fired after just two years on the job, and -- a win Sunday regardless -- Shurmur is still expected to be fired after this season, his second year on the job.
Brandon Weeden becomes the third Browns starting quarterback to win a game against the Steelers. Tim Couch was the starter for the wins in 1999, 2000 and 2003, while Brady Quinn started the 2009 game. Weeden also becomes just the second rookie quarterback to beat a Dick LeBeau defense while LeBeau headed up the Steeler D.
The eight turnovers forced by the Browns were the most a Steeler team committed since 1989. It was also the most the Browns forced since 1989. Coincidentally, the last time it happened for either team, they played each other in a very memorable 51-0 season-opening victory at Three Rivers Stadium (Bud Carson's finest hour).
Sure, the starting quarterback may have a 37-year-old third-stringer and one of the wideouts may have been a 35-year-old guy who was sitting on his couch this season and had missed most of the last four seasons after shooting himself in the leg at a nighclub. And, it may have only been a six-point win.
But, in the end, it was a Browns victory ... OVER THE STEELERS!!!
Hallalujah!
Last season, you could sense the Browns were right there, as far as being physical with the ever-intimidating Steelers. The Steelers won both games, 14-3 and 13-9, but the Browns made the Steelers work for both games.
The Browns injured Roethlisberger in that first game, and forced him to play the entire game in the season finale when they had hoped to jump out to a commanding lead in that season finale to prepare for the playoffs. They also took out Polamalu and running back Rashard Mendenhall during that season finale, and without them, Pittsburgh lost a Tim Tebow-led Broncos team in the first round of the playoffs.
This year, it was the Browns that were the physical team. It was the guys in brown jerseys who were intimidating. It was the Browns that delivered solid hits that forced six fumbles -- five recovered by the Browns.
Don't look now, folks, but the the balance of power in the AFC North is shifting. The Steelers are getting older and more beat up, while the Browns are younger and hungrier.
The Ravens continue to win, but they, too, are also getting older and beat up. Meanwhile, the younger Bengals made the playoffs last season and are sneaking back into the hunt after being written off by many following a 34-24 loss to Browns a few weeks ago.
Could the road to the AFC North championship be going through Cleveland and Cincinnati the next few seasons? What does this Sunday tell you?
The Browns dominated the Steelers. The Bengals dominated the Raiders. The Ravens had to rally to beat the rudderless Chargers in overtime -- a team that lost to the Browns a few weeks ago.
Haslam wisely stepped in and pulled the plug on the disasterous "white flag" promotion. They should have put those palates outside the Steelers locker room so they could take them as they left. Or, handed them out after the game to anyone wearing black and yellow and crying in their little yellow towels.
Probably the only thing better than watching the Browns beat the Steelers was watching all of those stunned Steeler fans, who so gleefully twirled their towels and tried to make Cleveland Browns Stadium Heinz Field West just a few hours earlier, walk out into the chilly Cleveland afternoon zombie-faced, like the famine just hit their village or something.
It was a beautiful thing.
Now, the Browns improve to 5-23 against those Stillers since 1999. Not a fantastic stat, but keep this one in mind.
In the years Cleveland beat Pittsburgh (1999, 2000, 2003 and 2009), the Steelers were denied a playoff berth. Sitting at 6-5 with another game with the Ravens on tap next week and not getting any healthier, 2012 could be another notch in that chain.
This week, Browns fans don't have to hear it from those front-running losers at their workplaces or in their circle of friends. Now, WE can be the ones who let them have it.
Like I said before, we haven't seen the Buckeyes and Browns score wins over their archrivals in the same weekend since 1962, so this one was a long time coming. Just imagine if the Cavs could have held on against LeQuitter's Heat Saturday night?
Speaking of the Buckeyes, you've got to congratulate them on a 12-0 season -- a season that nobody expected. Sure, some true Buckeye homers probably thought Urban Meyer would have Ohio State in the national title game in his first year, but most would have been happy with a winning record and another win over That Team Up North.
Who would have thunk it that, if not for a bowl ban, Meyer could have very well had the Buckeyes playing for a national championship in January, and against Notre Dame, even? Take that, ESPN and SEC!
Last season, this team finished a dismal 6-7 under Luke Fickell. With Meyer, that got transformed to 12-0. This is not a coincidence.
Meyer's spread offense fits Braxton Miller like a glove. Unlike Rich Rodriguez, who came to Michigan as an unpopular choice and then proceeded to force his spread down his school's throat despite not having the proper personnel (and was fired after just three seasons), Meyer knew that the Buckeyes had the pieces in place to make the transtion to the spread pretty seemless.
He was able to convince the seniors, whom he didn't recruit, to stay, even though they had the right to transfer penalty-free to another university when the NCAA sanctions were handed down.
They didn't blow the doors off their opponents, which some critics have brought up. However, the fact remains that they played in 12 games and won them all.
If Ohio State is not the preseason No. 1 next season, then something is definitely wrong.
Meyer got the rivalry back to Ohio State's side after Jim Tressel owned Michigan during his 10-year career (9-1) and the hiccup last season under Fickell. It looks like it will be there to stay for the time being.
Ohio State beating Michigan and the Browns beating the Steelers. Yes, Thanksgiving DOES mean something, after all!
***
Don't look now, but this Browns team could use the Steeler win to springboard themselves to a fanstastic finish.
The 2009 team responded from that 13-6 Steeler win to rip off four consecutive victories to end the season. The winning streak saved Mangini's job for a season under incoming team president Mike Holmgren, who was rumored to have been hired just before that Steeler game.
This season, the Browns follow up with games against Oakland on the road (3-7), Kansas City (1-10) and Washington (5-6) at home, and Denver (7-3) and the Steelers (6-5) on the road. Only the Bronco game appears to be totally unwinnable, and that could be interesting if they clinch prior to that and rest Peyton Manning and some of the starters.
The Redskins under Robert Griffin III are playing well lately, but it should be cold on Dec. 16. RG3's idea of cold growing up in Texas was 55 degrees.
The Browns could very well be 8-8 (if all the planets and stars align properly) or, at least, 6-10 when this season is all said and done.
6-10 isn't great, but it is progress from 4-12 and 5-11 over the last four seasons. If two of those six wins are against Pittsburgh, you can make a case for Shurmur to stick around for another season.
Some idiots are complaining about draft position ... ENOUGH ALREADY!! If we perennially play for the damn draft, we'll always rebuild. You need to win games, that's the bottom line. And, is there any lock-down player that you need to get in the top three or four this year? Matt Barkley, Geno Smith and Collin Klein aren't looking likc locks to be future QB studs in the NFL, and most of the high prospects appear to be on the defensive side.
So, quit bellyaching about how the Browns won or why they won. The bottom line is, THEY BEAT THE DAMN STEELERS!!! Be a true damn Browns fan and ENJOY IT for once!!!
I will say, though, that anything less than that 6-10 projection, and Shurmur is gone ... even if they can beat the Steelers again at Heinz Field in the season finale.
The Browns aren't a great team, but anyone with any knowledge of the NFL can see that this team has some interesting and intriguing pieces in place. This team has talent, and that talent was on display. That talent will only get better with more experience and with better coaching.
Football fortunes are on the rise in Ohio. Just you wait and see.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
And, PITTSBURGH SUCKS!
This is what happens when Ohio State can take out Michigan and the Cleveland Browns can do the same to the Pittsburgh Steelers in back-to-back home games on back-to-back afternoons.
Joe Cleveland was fortunate enough to witness the latter in person. I was also at the 2009 Thursday night game in which the Browns sacked Ben Roethlisberger eight times and stunned the Squeelers, 13-6. This one might have been a bit better.
Sure, Consentlessberger wasn't in uniform for this one. He sat on the sidelines nursing broken ribs. Also, Troy Polamalu wasn't in uniform, but then again, he hasn't been in uniform very much this season and yet the Steelers defense came into Sunday's game ranked No. 1.
It doesn't matter.
As Pat Shurmur told the team after their 20-14 victory that was more dominating than the score actually indicated, "You rookies are now 1-0 against the Steelers."
Jimmy Haslam, who was in the other owners box for several Browns-Steelers games that went the way of the Yinzer, is now 1-0 as the Browns' owner against the team he was once affiliated with.
Shurmur is now one of just three Browns coaches since the team returned in 1999 to beat the Steelers. The other two -- Eric Mangini (2009) and Chris Palmer (1999 and 2000). Coincidentally, both Mangini and Palmer were fired after just two years on the job, and -- a win Sunday regardless -- Shurmur is still expected to be fired after this season, his second year on the job.
Brandon Weeden becomes the third Browns starting quarterback to win a game against the Steelers. Tim Couch was the starter for the wins in 1999, 2000 and 2003, while Brady Quinn started the 2009 game. Weeden also becomes just the second rookie quarterback to beat a Dick LeBeau defense while LeBeau headed up the Steeler D.
The eight turnovers forced by the Browns were the most a Steeler team committed since 1989. It was also the most the Browns forced since 1989. Coincidentally, the last time it happened for either team, they played each other in a very memorable 51-0 season-opening victory at Three Rivers Stadium (Bud Carson's finest hour).
Sure, the starting quarterback may have a 37-year-old third-stringer and one of the wideouts may have been a 35-year-old guy who was sitting on his couch this season and had missed most of the last four seasons after shooting himself in the leg at a nighclub. And, it may have only been a six-point win.
But, in the end, it was a Browns victory ... OVER THE STEELERS!!!
Hallalujah!
Last season, you could sense the Browns were right there, as far as being physical with the ever-intimidating Steelers. The Steelers won both games, 14-3 and 13-9, but the Browns made the Steelers work for both games.
The Browns injured Roethlisberger in that first game, and forced him to play the entire game in the season finale when they had hoped to jump out to a commanding lead in that season finale to prepare for the playoffs. They also took out Polamalu and running back Rashard Mendenhall during that season finale, and without them, Pittsburgh lost a Tim Tebow-led Broncos team in the first round of the playoffs.
This year, it was the Browns that were the physical team. It was the guys in brown jerseys who were intimidating. It was the Browns that delivered solid hits that forced six fumbles -- five recovered by the Browns.
Don't look now, folks, but the the balance of power in the AFC North is shifting. The Steelers are getting older and more beat up, while the Browns are younger and hungrier.
The Ravens continue to win, but they, too, are also getting older and beat up. Meanwhile, the younger Bengals made the playoffs last season and are sneaking back into the hunt after being written off by many following a 34-24 loss to Browns a few weeks ago.
Could the road to the AFC North championship be going through Cleveland and Cincinnati the next few seasons? What does this Sunday tell you?
The Browns dominated the Steelers. The Bengals dominated the Raiders. The Ravens had to rally to beat the rudderless Chargers in overtime -- a team that lost to the Browns a few weeks ago.
Haslam wisely stepped in and pulled the plug on the disasterous "white flag" promotion. They should have put those palates outside the Steelers locker room so they could take them as they left. Or, handed them out after the game to anyone wearing black and yellow and crying in their little yellow towels.
Probably the only thing better than watching the Browns beat the Steelers was watching all of those stunned Steeler fans, who so gleefully twirled their towels and tried to make Cleveland Browns Stadium Heinz Field West just a few hours earlier, walk out into the chilly Cleveland afternoon zombie-faced, like the famine just hit their village or something.
It was a beautiful thing.
Now, the Browns improve to 5-23 against those Stillers since 1999. Not a fantastic stat, but keep this one in mind.
In the years Cleveland beat Pittsburgh (1999, 2000, 2003 and 2009), the Steelers were denied a playoff berth. Sitting at 6-5 with another game with the Ravens on tap next week and not getting any healthier, 2012 could be another notch in that chain.
This week, Browns fans don't have to hear it from those front-running losers at their workplaces or in their circle of friends. Now, WE can be the ones who let them have it.
Like I said before, we haven't seen the Buckeyes and Browns score wins over their archrivals in the same weekend since 1962, so this one was a long time coming. Just imagine if the Cavs could have held on against LeQuitter's Heat Saturday night?
Speaking of the Buckeyes, you've got to congratulate them on a 12-0 season -- a season that nobody expected. Sure, some true Buckeye homers probably thought Urban Meyer would have Ohio State in the national title game in his first year, but most would have been happy with a winning record and another win over That Team Up North.
Who would have thunk it that, if not for a bowl ban, Meyer could have very well had the Buckeyes playing for a national championship in January, and against Notre Dame, even? Take that, ESPN and SEC!
Last season, this team finished a dismal 6-7 under Luke Fickell. With Meyer, that got transformed to 12-0. This is not a coincidence.
Meyer's spread offense fits Braxton Miller like a glove. Unlike Rich Rodriguez, who came to Michigan as an unpopular choice and then proceeded to force his spread down his school's throat despite not having the proper personnel (and was fired after just three seasons), Meyer knew that the Buckeyes had the pieces in place to make the transtion to the spread pretty seemless.
He was able to convince the seniors, whom he didn't recruit, to stay, even though they had the right to transfer penalty-free to another university when the NCAA sanctions were handed down.
They didn't blow the doors off their opponents, which some critics have brought up. However, the fact remains that they played in 12 games and won them all.
If Ohio State is not the preseason No. 1 next season, then something is definitely wrong.
Meyer got the rivalry back to Ohio State's side after Jim Tressel owned Michigan during his 10-year career (9-1) and the hiccup last season under Fickell. It looks like it will be there to stay for the time being.
Ohio State beating Michigan and the Browns beating the Steelers. Yes, Thanksgiving DOES mean something, after all!
***
Don't look now, but this Browns team could use the Steeler win to springboard themselves to a fanstastic finish.
The 2009 team responded from that 13-6 Steeler win to rip off four consecutive victories to end the season. The winning streak saved Mangini's job for a season under incoming team president Mike Holmgren, who was rumored to have been hired just before that Steeler game.
This season, the Browns follow up with games against Oakland on the road (3-7), Kansas City (1-10) and Washington (5-6) at home, and Denver (7-3) and the Steelers (6-5) on the road. Only the Bronco game appears to be totally unwinnable, and that could be interesting if they clinch prior to that and rest Peyton Manning and some of the starters.
The Redskins under Robert Griffin III are playing well lately, but it should be cold on Dec. 16. RG3's idea of cold growing up in Texas was 55 degrees.
The Browns could very well be 8-8 (if all the planets and stars align properly) or, at least, 6-10 when this season is all said and done.
6-10 isn't great, but it is progress from 4-12 and 5-11 over the last four seasons. If two of those six wins are against Pittsburgh, you can make a case for Shurmur to stick around for another season.
Some idiots are complaining about draft position ... ENOUGH ALREADY!! If we perennially play for the damn draft, we'll always rebuild. You need to win games, that's the bottom line. And, is there any lock-down player that you need to get in the top three or four this year? Matt Barkley, Geno Smith and Collin Klein aren't looking likc locks to be future QB studs in the NFL, and most of the high prospects appear to be on the defensive side.
So, quit bellyaching about how the Browns won or why they won. The bottom line is, THEY BEAT THE DAMN STEELERS!!! Be a true damn Browns fan and ENJOY IT for once!!!
I will say, though, that anything less than that 6-10 projection, and Shurmur is gone ... even if they can beat the Steelers again at Heinz Field in the season finale.
The Browns aren't a great team, but anyone with any knowledge of the NFL can see that this team has some interesting and intriguing pieces in place. This team has talent, and that talent was on display. That talent will only get better with more experience and with better coaching.
Football fortunes are on the rise in Ohio. Just you wait and see.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
And, PITTSBURGH SUCKS!
Friday, January 14, 2011
The murmur for Shurmur
So, Mike Holmgren has hired his new head coach for the Cleveland Browns, and it's the offensive coordinator from the St. Louis Rams, Pat Shurmur.
Most Browns fans aren't happy. They wanted a big name like Jon Gruden to become the head coach. Heck, there's even some who believe the job should have went to Marty Morninwheg or Mike Mularkey instead.
Really? Both Morninwheg and Mularkey weren't exactly success stories in their first (and only) head coaching gigs prior to returning to more success as assistant coaches. Morninwheg only won 5 games in Detroit (and made an infamous coin toss choice in an overtime game), while Mularkey's best year in Buffalo was 9-7 before his teams slumped down to reality.
Maybe it's Joe Cleveland's belief that anything can be better than what we've witnessed ever since 2003 (with the exception of 2007, although that season ended without the playoffs), but I'm willing to give Holmgren and Shurmur the benefit of the doubt.
For starters, it seems the recent trend is to hire an unknown guy and let him go. Falcons fans weren't exactly lining up at the ticket counters when Mike Smith was hired to replace Bobby Petrino. Steelers fans preferred Ken Wisenhunt or Russ Grimm over the "outsider" Mike Tomlin when Dan Rooney hired him to replace Cowher. Ravens fans had no idea who John Harbaugh was before he was tapped to be their head coaching replacement for Brian Billick. And, there's others where that came from, but you catch my point.
Today, all those teams are in the playoffs and are one of 8 teams still alive with a berth in the Super Bowl. Tomlin's already won one Super Bowl title, Harbaugh's teams have reached the playoffs every single year, and won at least one playoff game in each, and Smith's team is the No. 1 seed in the NFC and, if they win a tough game with Green Bay, should be the favorite to reach the Super Bowl this year.
Don't you think the Browns would love to trade places with one of those teams? Joe Cleveland certainly would have.
Probably the best factor in all of this is that, for once, there is in single, solitary unified vision for the Cleveland Browns from the top on down. Shurmur comes highly recommended from Andy Reid, who has been probably the best Holmgren disciple as a head coach. And, Tom Heckert was the GM in Philly prior to coming to Cleveland with Holmgren.
Shurmer's uncle, Fritz Shurmur, was a highly successful defensive coordinator under Holmgren at Green Bay. Holmgren trusted Fritz Shurmur completely to run his defense, which allowed Holmgren to focus on the offensive side. So, there's a connection there.
Pat Shurmur has been indocrinated into the West Coast offensive system that Holmgren prefers. Shurmur has helped develop Donovon McNabb to become an elite QB, and helped develop rookie Sam Bradford into a consistant QB last year with the Rams. I'm sure Holmgren is expecting Shurmur to do the same with his own youngster, Colt McCoy.
A West Coast system favors McCoy, because it relies on shorter passes and quicker plays. McCoy doesn't have the "howitzer" arm that other QBs have, but McCoy's got smarts and a great attitude. He's got born leadership abilities, which is something most Cleveland QBs have lacked since they returned to the NFL in 1999. I can't think of a Browns QB who was renouned for his leadership abilities. In fact, it always appeared the team was divided between which QB they preferred (Couch-Holcomb, Garcia-Anyone else, Dilfer-Frye, Frye-Anderson, Anderson-Quinn).
Shurmur probably comes cheap, which is good since the Browns are still on the hook for Mangini's salary (and probably Crennel's salary). Shurmur doesn't have a big ego, which means he'll be eager to learn and use Holmgren's valuable resources to make himself better.
Perhaps he becomes a "puppet-hire" for Holmgren. Holmgren doesn't have to coach the team himself, but he has a guy he can mold and turn into a sucessful coach by essentially calling all the shots. Holmgren can surround his new protoge with veteran assistants (Dave Wannstedt is already rumored to become the defensive coordinator) to to help his transtion. And, Holmgren and Heckert can continue to draft and sign players they believe fits into their unified vision and know they have a coaching staff that can execute their vision (unlike Mangini).
Now, because of Shurmer's connection with McNabb, ESPN is already pegging Cleveland as a rumored destination for the veteran QB to allow McCoy to soak up more of the offense while not being forced to immediately play. That would be interesting.
It will be interesting to see how Shurmur (or Holmgren) fills out his coaching staff and to see how this offseason progresses. Shurmur is expected by the fan base (and Holmgren) to hit the ground running and show some immediate improvement next season. And, the onus falls on Holmgren because of how quickly he settled on Shurmur. He doesn't have Mangini to scapegoat now, the bulls-eye is squarely on him.
I have a feeling that's exactly how Holmgren wants it.
Joe Cleveland is willing to not jump to conclusions with the Shurmur hire is allowing himself to step back and observe how things go. The Browns have never had such a unified front office/coaching staff, probably since Paul Brown was running things back in the 1950s before Art "the Meddler" Modell came in and made a mess of things. We all know how great those Paul Brown teams were.
Perhaps Pat Shurmur is the next version of a Tomlin, Harbaugh, Smith or even Sean Payton or Mike McCarthy. Give him some talent, and let's go!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Most Browns fans aren't happy. They wanted a big name like Jon Gruden to become the head coach. Heck, there's even some who believe the job should have went to Marty Morninwheg or Mike Mularkey instead.
Really? Both Morninwheg and Mularkey weren't exactly success stories in their first (and only) head coaching gigs prior to returning to more success as assistant coaches. Morninwheg only won 5 games in Detroit (and made an infamous coin toss choice in an overtime game), while Mularkey's best year in Buffalo was 9-7 before his teams slumped down to reality.
Maybe it's Joe Cleveland's belief that anything can be better than what we've witnessed ever since 2003 (with the exception of 2007, although that season ended without the playoffs), but I'm willing to give Holmgren and Shurmur the benefit of the doubt.
For starters, it seems the recent trend is to hire an unknown guy and let him go. Falcons fans weren't exactly lining up at the ticket counters when Mike Smith was hired to replace Bobby Petrino. Steelers fans preferred Ken Wisenhunt or Russ Grimm over the "outsider" Mike Tomlin when Dan Rooney hired him to replace Cowher. Ravens fans had no idea who John Harbaugh was before he was tapped to be their head coaching replacement for Brian Billick. And, there's others where that came from, but you catch my point.
Today, all those teams are in the playoffs and are one of 8 teams still alive with a berth in the Super Bowl. Tomlin's already won one Super Bowl title, Harbaugh's teams have reached the playoffs every single year, and won at least one playoff game in each, and Smith's team is the No. 1 seed in the NFC and, if they win a tough game with Green Bay, should be the favorite to reach the Super Bowl this year.
Don't you think the Browns would love to trade places with one of those teams? Joe Cleveland certainly would have.
Probably the best factor in all of this is that, for once, there is in single, solitary unified vision for the Cleveland Browns from the top on down. Shurmur comes highly recommended from Andy Reid, who has been probably the best Holmgren disciple as a head coach. And, Tom Heckert was the GM in Philly prior to coming to Cleveland with Holmgren.
Shurmer's uncle, Fritz Shurmur, was a highly successful defensive coordinator under Holmgren at Green Bay. Holmgren trusted Fritz Shurmur completely to run his defense, which allowed Holmgren to focus on the offensive side. So, there's a connection there.
Pat Shurmur has been indocrinated into the West Coast offensive system that Holmgren prefers. Shurmur has helped develop Donovon McNabb to become an elite QB, and helped develop rookie Sam Bradford into a consistant QB last year with the Rams. I'm sure Holmgren is expecting Shurmur to do the same with his own youngster, Colt McCoy.
A West Coast system favors McCoy, because it relies on shorter passes and quicker plays. McCoy doesn't have the "howitzer" arm that other QBs have, but McCoy's got smarts and a great attitude. He's got born leadership abilities, which is something most Cleveland QBs have lacked since they returned to the NFL in 1999. I can't think of a Browns QB who was renouned for his leadership abilities. In fact, it always appeared the team was divided between which QB they preferred (Couch-Holcomb, Garcia-Anyone else, Dilfer-Frye, Frye-Anderson, Anderson-Quinn).
Shurmur probably comes cheap, which is good since the Browns are still on the hook for Mangini's salary (and probably Crennel's salary). Shurmur doesn't have a big ego, which means he'll be eager to learn and use Holmgren's valuable resources to make himself better.
Perhaps he becomes a "puppet-hire" for Holmgren. Holmgren doesn't have to coach the team himself, but he has a guy he can mold and turn into a sucessful coach by essentially calling all the shots. Holmgren can surround his new protoge with veteran assistants (Dave Wannstedt is already rumored to become the defensive coordinator) to to help his transtion. And, Holmgren and Heckert can continue to draft and sign players they believe fits into their unified vision and know they have a coaching staff that can execute their vision (unlike Mangini).
Now, because of Shurmer's connection with McNabb, ESPN is already pegging Cleveland as a rumored destination for the veteran QB to allow McCoy to soak up more of the offense while not being forced to immediately play. That would be interesting.
It will be interesting to see how Shurmur (or Holmgren) fills out his coaching staff and to see how this offseason progresses. Shurmur is expected by the fan base (and Holmgren) to hit the ground running and show some immediate improvement next season. And, the onus falls on Holmgren because of how quickly he settled on Shurmur. He doesn't have Mangini to scapegoat now, the bulls-eye is squarely on him.
I have a feeling that's exactly how Holmgren wants it.
Joe Cleveland is willing to not jump to conclusions with the Shurmur hire is allowing himself to step back and observe how things go. The Browns have never had such a unified front office/coaching staff, probably since Paul Brown was running things back in the 1950s before Art "the Meddler" Modell came in and made a mess of things. We all know how great those Paul Brown teams were.
Perhaps Pat Shurmur is the next version of a Tomlin, Harbaugh, Smith or even Sean Payton or Mike McCarthy. Give him some talent, and let's go!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Bye-Bye, Mangini!
Joe Cleveland wasn't surprised to see Eric Mangini get canned as the Cleveland Browns head coach this morning (in fact, I turned on my cell phone to see at least five people texted me that Mangini was toast early this morning).
I was a little surprised, however, that Mangini actually finished the season.
The writing was on the wall when the Browns fell to the lowly Buffalo Bills in a lackluster effort, and it was pretty loud and clear when they duplicated that same effort the following week against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. At that point, it was obvious to anyone with half a brain that Mangini had to win both of his remaining games if he expected to come back for a third season as Browns coach.
That didn't happen.
From my seat in Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday, after the hated Steelers had just gone up by two touchdowns with less than half of the first quarter gone, I wondered aloud if Mike Holmgren himself would descend from his luxury box down to the sideline, Haskell in tow, tap Mangini and Brian Daboll on their respective shoulders, tell them to get lost, grab their headsets and coach the rest of the game. Most of people in my section thought that would have been the greatest thing ever. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.
However, Holmgren waited until Mangini walked into his regular meeting with him this morning and basically told him the exact same thing.
For the time being, though, it appears Holmgren isn't interested in coaching himself. I wonder if that's part of the "due dillegence" he has to do to placate the NFL in the search. He has to interview at least one minority candidate (thanks, Dan Rooney), although, I think that rule doesn't help minority candidates at all. Most of them wind up taking token interviews even though the team has already decided on the candidate they want. The fact is, the best man usually gets the job, and I think the color of a man's skin has little to do with it anymore (college football, on the other hand ...)
If, after two weeks of interviewing candidates, Holmgren decides that the best candidate is himself, so be it. I think the Browns could do a lot worse than a guy who has 3 Super Bowls under his belt. One loss was to John Elway, who simply wanted it to much. The other loss was one of most controvercial Super Bowls in history, thanks to a litany of questionable officials non-calls and penalties.
If Holmgren is comfortable in his role as the president, here's a few names to keep an eye on:
Jon Gruden: Gruden has a history with Holmgren in both San Francisco and Green Bay. They share the same offensive vision and they share the same agent. Gruden also grew up in Ohio as a Browns fan and would relish the chance to coach the team back to prominance. Gruden also personally reccommended Colt McCoy to Holmgren, and it was Holmgren who lobbied his GM, Tom Heckert, to draft him. It depends on if Gruden is ready to return to coaching this year or not, but I'd have to say he's the No. 1 candidate.
Marty Mohrningweg: I don't know if this is how you spell his name, but many NFL experts are saying Marty is the favorite. Mohrningweg does have head coaching experience, however it came with the Detroit Lions under Matt Millen. Mohrningweg's teams went 5-27 while he was there, and included a curious decision to kickoff to start an overtime that wound up biting his team in the ass. Mohrningweg has made a name for himself as an offensive coordinator, especially lately with the Philadelphia Eagles. Mohrningweg has said that he learned a lot of lessons from his first coaching stint, and Holmgren and Heckert should be a bit more competant at running a team than Millen was. Mohrningweg shares the same offensive philosophies (and agent) as Holmgren, and it appears he's one of the coaches Holmgren has already asked permission to interview.
John Fox: Fox's name started coming up in conversation as soon as his Carolina Panthers began to take a turn for the worse. Fox has never coached in the Holmgren tree, but they both share the same agent and have similar philosophies and a mutual respect and admiration for each other. Fox is more of a defensive coach, but he took the Panthers to their only Super Bowl and coaxed some great seasons out of Jake Delhomme, who is currently a backup QB for the Browns. Its obvious that the Panthers needed to make a change, but Fox's reputation is that he's a solid coach who gets the most out of his players.
Perry Fewell: At first, I thought Fewell was just going to be interviewed to placate the Rooney Rule. However, Fewell did do fairly decent as Buffalo's interim head coach two seasons ago and made a seemless transition to become the Giants' defensive coordinator. I think he's a darkhorse candidate at best, because I think Holmgren wants an offensive-minded coach. However, if his contract is up, I could see him coming in as the defensive boss here.
Jim Harbaugh: I don't agree with Harbaugh as a candidate, because I don't think coaches can make the transition from college to the NFL. Even though Harbaugh ran a pro-style system at Stanford, and he spent many years as an NFL quarterback and his brother has been successful as the Baltimore Ravens coach, I would rather some other team take the flier on Harbaugh. As long as Michigan doesn't get him (speaking as a Buckeye fan), I'll be happy. That being said, I couldn't see Harbaugh coaching in the same division as his brother anyway.
Brian Billick: One prominant radio guy has been saying Billick should be a front-runner for this job. Billick did coach a West Coast offense at Minnesota under Denny Green, who was on the same coaching staff as Holmgren in San Francisco, so there is a connection there. Billick can be abrasive, but he did coach Baltimore to their only championship since they left Cleveland (and only Super Bowl). He knows the North Division inside and out. And, he was ready to come here to coach the Browns before Policy overstepped his bounds and tried to wave a "take it or leave it" offer at him just hours after his Vikings were upset in the NFC championship game in 1998. He's been out of coaching since Baltimore fired him three years ago, so it will be interesting to see if he leaves his TV job. I can't see him as a legitimate candidate.
Steve Mariucci: Mariucci coached with Holmgren in both Green Bay and San Francisco before taking over for George Seifert in San Francisco for a few years. Supposedly, Mariucci was ready to take the Browns job in 1999 if he was to be fired as 49ers coach (as had been rumored) before Terrell Owens made that terrific touchdown catch in the playoffs to eliminate Green Bay (and Holmgren) and save his job. Mariucci has enjoyed his cushy gig on the NFL Network, but you have to assume he might be on Holmgren's list of confidants.
Gil Haskell: Holmgren brought Haskell in as an advisor to both him and to Mangini's coaching staff. Haskell was Holmgren's long-time offensive coorindator in Seattle. Holmgren always wondered why Haskell was never given an opportunity to become a head coach, and there are some who think that this may be that opportunity. Haskell is also up there in age and I can't see him becoming the head coach. Offensive coordinator, yes. Head coach, not so much.
Josh McDaniels: His name popped up because he's from Canton and played at John Carroll and because he shares the same agent as Holmgren. If Mangini would have been retainined, I could have definitely seen McDaniels becoming the offensive coordinator next year. However, McDaniels does not share Holmgren's offensive vision. And, do we really need another Bill Belichick disciple coaching the Browns, especially since the last two worked out so well (sarcasm)? Assistant coach, yes. Head coach, no.
Karl Dorrall: The former UCLA coach's name popped up in Plain Dealer reports as a candidate. He was a fine assistant coach at Carolina and many feel that he's on fast track to becoming an NFL head coach. Unless Holmgren is trying to bring in an unknown that he can puppet-string around (Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy would be another one), I can't see Dorrall as a viable candidate at this point.
Rob Ryan: I put him on the list because he's currently under contract with the Browns and he's being linked to other head coaching openings. Supposedly, Holmgren liked Ryan a lot. I don't know if the guy his head coaching material, considering his defenses were usually inconsistant. He'd be entertaining as a head coach, to say the least, and I think it was fairly significant that the defense ran out as a group with Ryan leading the way. The players love him. That being said, he is a bit of a loose cannon whose words could come back to bite him. It will be interesting to see what happens with him -- I wouldn't be surprised if he was retained by Holmgren as DC if he didn't find a head coaching gig.
Do you have any candidates you believe should be kept an eye on? Any opinions on the coaching search? Feel free to comment on them below.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
I was a little surprised, however, that Mangini actually finished the season.
The writing was on the wall when the Browns fell to the lowly Buffalo Bills in a lackluster effort, and it was pretty loud and clear when they duplicated that same effort the following week against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. At that point, it was obvious to anyone with half a brain that Mangini had to win both of his remaining games if he expected to come back for a third season as Browns coach.
That didn't happen.
From my seat in Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday, after the hated Steelers had just gone up by two touchdowns with less than half of the first quarter gone, I wondered aloud if Mike Holmgren himself would descend from his luxury box down to the sideline, Haskell in tow, tap Mangini and Brian Daboll on their respective shoulders, tell them to get lost, grab their headsets and coach the rest of the game. Most of people in my section thought that would have been the greatest thing ever. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.
However, Holmgren waited until Mangini walked into his regular meeting with him this morning and basically told him the exact same thing.
For the time being, though, it appears Holmgren isn't interested in coaching himself. I wonder if that's part of the "due dillegence" he has to do to placate the NFL in the search. He has to interview at least one minority candidate (thanks, Dan Rooney), although, I think that rule doesn't help minority candidates at all. Most of them wind up taking token interviews even though the team has already decided on the candidate they want. The fact is, the best man usually gets the job, and I think the color of a man's skin has little to do with it anymore (college football, on the other hand ...)
If, after two weeks of interviewing candidates, Holmgren decides that the best candidate is himself, so be it. I think the Browns could do a lot worse than a guy who has 3 Super Bowls under his belt. One loss was to John Elway, who simply wanted it to much. The other loss was one of most controvercial Super Bowls in history, thanks to a litany of questionable officials non-calls and penalties.
If Holmgren is comfortable in his role as the president, here's a few names to keep an eye on:
Jon Gruden: Gruden has a history with Holmgren in both San Francisco and Green Bay. They share the same offensive vision and they share the same agent. Gruden also grew up in Ohio as a Browns fan and would relish the chance to coach the team back to prominance. Gruden also personally reccommended Colt McCoy to Holmgren, and it was Holmgren who lobbied his GM, Tom Heckert, to draft him. It depends on if Gruden is ready to return to coaching this year or not, but I'd have to say he's the No. 1 candidate.
Marty Mohrningweg: I don't know if this is how you spell his name, but many NFL experts are saying Marty is the favorite. Mohrningweg does have head coaching experience, however it came with the Detroit Lions under Matt Millen. Mohrningweg's teams went 5-27 while he was there, and included a curious decision to kickoff to start an overtime that wound up biting his team in the ass. Mohrningweg has made a name for himself as an offensive coordinator, especially lately with the Philadelphia Eagles. Mohrningweg has said that he learned a lot of lessons from his first coaching stint, and Holmgren and Heckert should be a bit more competant at running a team than Millen was. Mohrningweg shares the same offensive philosophies (and agent) as Holmgren, and it appears he's one of the coaches Holmgren has already asked permission to interview.
John Fox: Fox's name started coming up in conversation as soon as his Carolina Panthers began to take a turn for the worse. Fox has never coached in the Holmgren tree, but they both share the same agent and have similar philosophies and a mutual respect and admiration for each other. Fox is more of a defensive coach, but he took the Panthers to their only Super Bowl and coaxed some great seasons out of Jake Delhomme, who is currently a backup QB for the Browns. Its obvious that the Panthers needed to make a change, but Fox's reputation is that he's a solid coach who gets the most out of his players.
Perry Fewell: At first, I thought Fewell was just going to be interviewed to placate the Rooney Rule. However, Fewell did do fairly decent as Buffalo's interim head coach two seasons ago and made a seemless transition to become the Giants' defensive coordinator. I think he's a darkhorse candidate at best, because I think Holmgren wants an offensive-minded coach. However, if his contract is up, I could see him coming in as the defensive boss here.
Jim Harbaugh: I don't agree with Harbaugh as a candidate, because I don't think coaches can make the transition from college to the NFL. Even though Harbaugh ran a pro-style system at Stanford, and he spent many years as an NFL quarterback and his brother has been successful as the Baltimore Ravens coach, I would rather some other team take the flier on Harbaugh. As long as Michigan doesn't get him (speaking as a Buckeye fan), I'll be happy. That being said, I couldn't see Harbaugh coaching in the same division as his brother anyway.
Brian Billick: One prominant radio guy has been saying Billick should be a front-runner for this job. Billick did coach a West Coast offense at Minnesota under Denny Green, who was on the same coaching staff as Holmgren in San Francisco, so there is a connection there. Billick can be abrasive, but he did coach Baltimore to their only championship since they left Cleveland (and only Super Bowl). He knows the North Division inside and out. And, he was ready to come here to coach the Browns before Policy overstepped his bounds and tried to wave a "take it or leave it" offer at him just hours after his Vikings were upset in the NFC championship game in 1998. He's been out of coaching since Baltimore fired him three years ago, so it will be interesting to see if he leaves his TV job. I can't see him as a legitimate candidate.
Steve Mariucci: Mariucci coached with Holmgren in both Green Bay and San Francisco before taking over for George Seifert in San Francisco for a few years. Supposedly, Mariucci was ready to take the Browns job in 1999 if he was to be fired as 49ers coach (as had been rumored) before Terrell Owens made that terrific touchdown catch in the playoffs to eliminate Green Bay (and Holmgren) and save his job. Mariucci has enjoyed his cushy gig on the NFL Network, but you have to assume he might be on Holmgren's list of confidants.
Gil Haskell: Holmgren brought Haskell in as an advisor to both him and to Mangini's coaching staff. Haskell was Holmgren's long-time offensive coorindator in Seattle. Holmgren always wondered why Haskell was never given an opportunity to become a head coach, and there are some who think that this may be that opportunity. Haskell is also up there in age and I can't see him becoming the head coach. Offensive coordinator, yes. Head coach, not so much.
Josh McDaniels: His name popped up because he's from Canton and played at John Carroll and because he shares the same agent as Holmgren. If Mangini would have been retainined, I could have definitely seen McDaniels becoming the offensive coordinator next year. However, McDaniels does not share Holmgren's offensive vision. And, do we really need another Bill Belichick disciple coaching the Browns, especially since the last two worked out so well (sarcasm)? Assistant coach, yes. Head coach, no.
Karl Dorrall: The former UCLA coach's name popped up in Plain Dealer reports as a candidate. He was a fine assistant coach at Carolina and many feel that he's on fast track to becoming an NFL head coach. Unless Holmgren is trying to bring in an unknown that he can puppet-string around (Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy would be another one), I can't see Dorrall as a viable candidate at this point.
Rob Ryan: I put him on the list because he's currently under contract with the Browns and he's being linked to other head coaching openings. Supposedly, Holmgren liked Ryan a lot. I don't know if the guy his head coaching material, considering his defenses were usually inconsistant. He'd be entertaining as a head coach, to say the least, and I think it was fairly significant that the defense ran out as a group with Ryan leading the way. The players love him. That being said, he is a bit of a loose cannon whose words could come back to bite him. It will be interesting to see what happens with him -- I wouldn't be surprised if he was retained by Holmgren as DC if he didn't find a head coaching gig.
Do you have any candidates you believe should be kept an eye on? Any opinions on the coaching search? Feel free to comment on them below.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
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