Bye the bye

As a diehard Cleveland Browns fan, Joe Cleveland has seen his share of frustrating losses.

But last Sunday's home 23-21 loss to the hated Baltimore Ravens, the team I've referred to as the Thieving Bastards and I've now referred to as the Lying Bastards due to the Ray Rice incident, may have been one of the most frustrated I've been.

The Week 1 30-27 loss at Pittsburgh sucked, but the fact that the Browns rallied from a 27-3 halftime deficit to tie the game, only to lose on a last-play field goal, left me feeling conflicted. I hated losing to the Steelers, but I found myself feeling good that this Browns team didn't tuck its tail between its legs like so many other Browns teams have done in Pittsburgh. They sucked it up and played their asses off and had the Steelers and their front-running fans on the ropes.

Then was Week 2 and the 26-24 win over a rollicking FirstEnergy Stadium that had some of us harkening back to the "Pandemonium Palace" days of the 1980s and 90s at the original Cleveland Stadium. The crowd was energized in the newly-refurbished stadium from beginning to end and the drive Brian Hoyer and the offense put together to win the game (without Jordan Cameron, Ben Tate and Josh Gordon, by the way) had most cynical Browns fans believing that this wasn't the "Same Old Browns."

With the Ravens organization rocked following allegations that they colluded with the NFL on a backdoor deal to reduce Ray Rice's suspension and hid the results of the damning elevator video that showed the running back clocking his future wife and knocking her out cold, and with Browns riding a wave of positive momentum, fans showed up Sunday believing that their team not only could win, but also that they would win.

And, for all but the final seconds of the game, the Browns were in position to win and improve to 2-1 going into their bye week. They scored on their opening possession of the game, got two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown from Hoyer to Miles Austin and saw Hoyer only throw six incomplete passes the entire game. The Browns got a big interception from Tashaun Gipson, a huge fourth-down stop in their own territory, a 70-yard completion to rookie Taylor Gabriel and an apparent TD pass to Austin that was called back because Hoyer had crossed the line of scrimmage.

And, the Browns wound up with no points as a result of those huge fourth quarter plays thanks to two missed field goals by Billy Cundiff, who's biggest sin in the eyes of Browns fans is that he is not Phil Dawson. Seriously.

The first three Browns games have all been decided in the final seconds and both losses came from last-second field goals. Their win, coincidentally, came on a last-second field goal as well. So this team could just as easily be 3-0, 0-3 or 2-1, but are 1-2.

Joe Cleveland believes that there are parties to blame for the Ravens loss, but he thinks the blame is being misdirected at certain people. Namely, Cundiff and, for some inexplicable reason, Hoyer.

For the latter, I think it's because there are still a few Johnny Manziel honks out there who want to see their boy at quarterback and looking to find something, ANYTHING, to discredit the guy who beat him out. For those people, I highly suggest going to W. 6th with all the other douchebags and get off the Manziel hype. Hoyer has clearly played well enough to be the Browns' starter for the remainder of the season, so give it up.

And, the Browns have played the overhyped rookie all of five plays in three games. He's handed off three times (for losses on each), threw a pass that was dropped by a rookie fullback (that even Manziel admitted wasn't the best pass he ever threw) and caught a 39-yard pass on a trick play that was called back due to an illegal shift penalty on rookie Terrance West.

MANZIEL'S BEST PLAY AS AN NFL PLAYER CAME AS A RECEIVER! Keep that in mind! And, it didn't even count!

If it wasn't for Hoyer, the Browns don't rally in the second half of the Steeler game, they certainly don't win the Saints game and they aren't in position to win the Ravens game. Those are facts, and it's time to swallow that bitter pill, Johnny fans.

Now, on to Cundiff.

To be honest, the blame should go to long snapper Christian Yount, who is starting to go through a Ryan Pontbriand-esque 2011 slump. He's made bad snaps in each of the last two games, and all have directly cost the Browns points.

He delivered a high snap on an extra point snap that Spencer Lanning couldn't get down for Cundiff, and Lanning tried to run it in for two points and was stopped. The Browns were down by one point instead of tied when Hoyer took over possession at his own 4 with just over two minutes to go. The field goal team redeemed itself at the end of that drive, but that winning field goal came within an eyelash of being blocked.

On a 50-yard field goal attempt (into the wind, by the way) following Gipson's interception, Yount delivered a low snap to Lanning that may have messed with the timing. Cundiff's kick hooked at the last possible second and clanged off the left upright. But, it was a 50-yard attempt. Once upon a time, those kicks weren't deemed automatic in the NFL, and, to be honest, they still aren't. And, while Cundiff has a huge leg, he's never been the most accurate kicker from 50 yards and beyond.

After the 4th down stop by the defense, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan dialed up a deep ball, and Hoyer found Gabriel wide open. Gabriel fell down making the catch, but had the presence of mind to get up and race down inside the 20. Had Gabriel not fell down, it would have been a touchdown. But, clearly, the Browns were within chipshot field goal range.

Hoyer's biggest mistake came on a third-down play. Being pressured and with nobody open, Hoyer began to scramble. But, he noticed the defender peel off Austin in the back of the end zone, leaving him wide open. Hoyer lofted a pass to Austin, but he didn't realize that he was well beyond the line of scrimmage. As a veteran lauded for his football intelligence, it was a rare boner by Hoyer. The result of the play was a loss of 10 yards and down, making the field goal a 36-yard attempt.

Once again, Yount's snap was a bit off, and Cundiff's kick was blocked by the Ravens. You can blame the line for that one. And, if you recall how close Cundiff's game-winner came to being blocked one week ago, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the kick was blocked.

To be honest, the special teams unit a whole needs to be addressed, because they have been a letdown all season long. The Browns have had a problem allowing long returns on kickoffs and punts and Travis Benjamin has clearly lost his X-factor abilities as a punt returner. His decision to not catch a punt he signaled a fair catch for and letting it bounce and roll inside the 10 was a swing of almost 25 yards of field position and may have been the difference in the Ravens getting great field position for their game-winning drive.

Chris Tabor has survived two coaching regime changes, but if his unit keeps this up, he won't survive into next year. This unit has clearly regressed and it cost the Browns the Ravens game, plain and simple.

While some fans are calling for a new kicker, perhaps the Browns should look at long snappers and new punt and kickoff returners. Jim Leonard isn't a big-play threat returning punts, but he's experienced enough that he'll make the smart decision. He'll catch the punt and not muff it, and he'll fair catch it if it's needed. Benjamin even muffed a punt earlier in the Ravens game.

Fortunately, Justin Tucker boomed most of his kickoffs out of the end zone, because the Browns have made a bad habit out of returning kicks out from deep in the end zone and getting stuff before they reach the 20. Take a knee and start at the 20. It's the smart football decision, and the Browns need to get smart football players back there to make those decisions. Nobody the Browns have returning kicks have the track record to take the ball out of the back of the end zone. You didn't doubt Josh Cribbs doing it because Cribbs had returned so many kickoffs for touchdowns in his career. But Marlon Moore and Taylor Gabriel don't have that track record, and Benjamin clearly isn't the same since he tore his ACL last year.

Joe Haden has been hearing his lion's share of criticism and some of it's deserved. I don't blame him for Week 2 because Jimmy Graham is such a matchup nightmare for any cornerback because of his height and athleticism. Haden gave up almost a foot in that matchup, and all Drew Brees had to do was loft it high and Graham was going to go up and get it. Haden did what he could, which was keep Graham in front of him and prevent him from turning catches into big ones.

However, Antonio Brown torched him in Week 1 and he gave up a huge catch to the aging Steve Smith at the end of last Sunday's loss to Baltimore. The 30-plus yard catch put the Ravens in chip-shot range for Tucker, and the Browns weren't able to get a push to block the kick.

With Haden just signing a big contract extension that pays him in the ballpark as shutdown corners like Richard Sherman, Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson, it's fair for Browns to expect stellar play from Haden. Perhaps Haden suddenly has a case of "big-contract-itis" that seems to plague many of Cleveland's athletes.

Haden says and does all the right things off the field. He's endeared himself to the fanbase by really falling in love with Cleveland. When Cleveland was taking a beating nationally following LeBron James' departure, Haden embraced the city and the city was only too happy to embrace him back. He's easy to root for, and he's shown the ability to play a good cornerback in the NFL. But, on a team where everyone has to do their 1/11th to the best of their ability if this team's going to win, Haden's struggles are amplified. The Browns want to pressure the quarterback with their front-seven, and in order to do that, the cornerbacks are often left out on an island. Mike Pettine's defense did that with Revis and the Jets, and Revis embraced that concept.

Also, first-round rookie Justin Gilbert -- expected to be the Frank Minnifield to Haden's Hanford Dixon -- has had a rough baptism to life in the NFL. He struggled in the preseason and those struggles carried over to the games against the Steelers and the Ravens. For the Browns to be successful, Buster Skrine cannot be the No. 2 cornerback. Skrine is better served as the nickelback, and that means Gilbert has to grow up and play. I still believe Gilbert can be the Minnifield in this defense, but when you were taken 8th overall (and your bosses passed on the chance to take Sammy Watkins in order to take you), the target is upon you, fair or not.

With that being said, it's not totally on the secondary, either. For whatever reason, the Browns have historically struggled stopping the run, and through 3 games this year, those struggles have returned. You can say that Week 2 was part of the gameplan -- to focus on stopping Brees and the dangerous passing game by sacrificing the run defense. But what's the excuse for last Sunday? Some rookie named Lorenzo Taliaferro and a journeyman named Justin Forsett made the Ravens forget all about Rice by running roughshod all over the Browns. Taliaferro was the best rookie running back on the field Sunday, which isn't good when the Browns were relying on two rookies in West and Isiah Crowell.

Speaking of West, he's channeling his inner Trent Richardson by dancing too much before hitting the hole. He clearly took a step backward on Sunday. Crowell, to me, has outplayed West thus far. And, with Ben Tate slated to return following the bye, West could be in danger of falling to third on the depth chart. Any talk of there not being a role for Tate because of West is quiet now.

The Browns lost to the Ravens on Sunday in "Same Old Browns" fashion, which is a shame. I can't tell you how many games the Browns have invented new ways to lose since 1999, and Sunday was the latest in a long line of those struggles.

Mike Pettine blamed himself and his coaching staff for the loss, and the players blamed themselves and not the coach. Pettine has shrugged off the talk of "moral victories" that so many coaches (Butch Davis, for one) relied on in the past and has made this team accountable for wins and losses. It's refreshing, and that's sad because that was lacking from this team for so long.

I believe the players have bought into what Pettine is selling. I believe that they have bought into Hoyer as the starting quarterback and have rallied around their veteran leaders such as Karlos Dansby, Dante Whitner, Hoyer and Joe Thomas. It's encouraging to see the Browns actually resemble an NFL TEAM out there on Sundays instead of a hodge-podge of individuals setting football back to the stone ages with their play.

However, Sunday showed that Rome wasn't built in a day and this Browns team still has a ways to go before they are a legitimate playoff contender. A win over the Ravens could have put the Browns in a great position coming off the bye and facing several winnable opponents over the next five weeks like the Titans, the Steelers (at home), the Jaguars, the Raiders and the Buccaneers (in back-to-back home games). The Browns being 7-1 going into a nationally-televised game at Cincinnati would have been amazing, and there's a chance they could be 6-2 going into that game. However, chances are more likely they will be 4-4, 5-3, or even 3-5.

How the Browns respond to last Sunday's disappointment through the bye week will go a long way. There were a lot of lessons to be learned by everyone, including Hoyer, Haden, Cundiff, Whitner, West, Gilbert, even Manziel and especially Pettine, Shanahan, Jim O'Neil and Tabor. Here's hoping they learned those lessons of what not do to and not let them happen again.

The "Same Old Browns" wouldn't learn from their mistakes. If Pettine is truly going to change the culture and make "Play Like a Brown" a positive mantra, they can't make the same mistakes twice.

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Johnny-Mania

So, did you miss me?

It's been several months since I donned my "Joe Cleveland" hat and took to this blog to vent about Cleveland sports. And, it's not because I haven't have a lack of material to vent about.

My favorite whipping boy, Mike Lombardi, was fired along with Joe Banner. The new streamlined braintrust, led by promoted GM Ray Farmer (who has already made three-times the public appearances in just a few months than his predecessor did in a full year), had what looks to be a successful draft, led by cornerback Justin Gilbert and embattled quarterback Johnny Manziel (more on him in a bit).

The Cavs ran Chris Grant out of town midway through the season and then gave Mike Brown the ax after his Cavs won just 33 games this past year. David Griffin was promoted to GM, who hired David Blatt, the "Phil Jackson of Europe," as the new Cavaliers' head coach. And, the ping-pong balls bounced in the Cavs' favor and landed them the No. 1 pick, which they used on Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins.

The Indians, well ... they're the Indians. Just when you write them off, they reel off 6 or 7 straight wins. And just when you're ready to jump back on the bandwagon, they lose 7 or 8 straight games. They're a very frustrating team to follow.

But, Joe Cleveland has been biding his time and waiting to pick his spot to talk about the newest Browns quarterback, the guy who many fans believe is the "savior" and who many other fans feel is a bust waiting to happen. The guy who made dynamic plays in college, but is under 6-feet tall and has a game built around his legs. The guy who can come off as quiet and says the right things in press conferences, but shows up all over social media making a giant jackass of himself.

Let's face it, either you're with Johnny Manziel or you're against him. There's no middle ground here. He's arguably the most divisive sports personality Cleveland has ever seen.

You could make a case for Albert Belle, who made his share of foul-ups while he was playing for the Indians. But fans, by and large, seemed to turn a blind eye to it as long as he hit home runs and his team won. But, as soon as he bolted in free agency to Chicago, the gloves came off. Only recently has Belle, the Indians and the fan base come to some sort of uneasy alliance.

You could make a case for John Rocker, who alienated a lot of people with some comments that some people took as racist as the closer for the Braves. But he wasn't in Cleveland for very long, didn't play very well while he was here, and was quickly shipped out. Most fans probably don't even remember he was an Indian.

You could bring up LeBron James, but most of the vitriol was directed at James after he made his infamous "Decision." (By the way, don't get me started on Decision II. I will say this -- there's no chance he signs back with the Cavs, so I'm not getting emotionally vested in it. If he does, so be it.) Cleveland fans loved James, even though they feared he was going to leave. And, when he left, fans weren't shy about their allegations that he "quit" on his team, his city and his fanbase in back-to-back playoff series'. A lot of fans still would rather him not come back due to his actions in 2010, but quite a few are ready to forgive.

I honestly can't think of a guy on a Cleveland team who has split the fanbase more than the so-called "Johnny Football." And, there are many factors to this.

First, there were quite a few NFL folks who were concerned that his game wouldn't translate to the pros. He doesn't have the size that prototypical NFL quarterbacks have. He doesn't have the game (aka pocket presence) that the NFL seems to prefer. He likes to freelance, which the NFL doesn't really seem to like. His scrambling opens himself up to injury (see Robert Griffin III), and he's coming into the league with a reputation that may only make him more of a target.

Second, there were the off-the-field concerns that have reared it's ugly head in only two months as a Brown. Manziel was a social media target as a quarterback at Texas A&M. Manziel loved to party. Manziel loved to drink. Manziel loved to be around celebrities and hot women. Manziel loved to make a money sign with his fingers on the field, especially after he was investigated by the NCAA for allegedly selling his autograph for money following his Heisman Trophy-winning season.

He created the "Johnny Football" persona, and it reflected all that was wrong with Manziel. Some NFL execs were convinced he has maturity issues and that it would derail his career. Some NFL teams didn't want to deal with the "circus atmosphere" that comes with Manziel, who has been under the ESPN microscope since he dazzled Alabama as a redshirt freshman and upset them.

It was a big reason why Manziel, who had been slotted to go as high as No. 1 overall (Houston passed and took defensive lineman Jadaveon Clowney), plummeted down the first round to the 22nd pick. It was the Browns, who seemed to be rumored destination at No. 4, who finally stopped the slide, traded up from No. 26 and snagged him. Immediately, season ticket sales spiked and orders for his No. 2 jersey came from all over the country.

Manziel's jersey is the top-selling jersey in the NFL, and he hasn't even taken a snap yet. Suddenly, the Browns are national news. ESPN remembered that there was an NFL team in Cleveland with uniforms and everything, as did the NFL Network and other outlets. And, it seems that Manziel is the hot topic of discussion.

Sure, sometimes it's because new coach Mike Pettine won't hand Manziel the starting quarterback job and has entrenched Brian Hoyer as the starter. But, mostly, it's because of some picture or video of a drunken Manziel popping up on social media.

Manziel spent a weekend in Las Vegas, and the pictures of him drinking with bikini-clad women at a pool party were all over the place. It seems that he loves champagne, because every other picture or video of Manziel has him holding a bottle, either swigging out of it or spraying it at people or, simply, being passed out on an inflatable swan.

Someone filed a hoax lawsuit in Florida about Manziel, alleging some type of sexual harassment of a TV personality. That lawsuit was quickly dismissed, but not before it became national news.

Then there was the video that popped up on Instagram of a drunken Manziel in a hot tub holding a stack of cash to his ear like a phone and slurring, "I can't hear you because I've got so much fucking cash in my hand." A day later, it was announced that Manziel had signed his rookie contract with the Browns.

The Manziel critics had a field day with all of these. The Manziel fans used the "he's only 21" defense until they were blue in the face and claimed, "the season hasn't started yet. He's allowed to have fun."

Joe Cleveland will admit that he's NEVER been a Manziel fan. I didn't like him in college. I thought he was an ass, a douchebag. I didn't care for his game very much, either. I felt he'd be another Heisman bust in the NFL. I felt he was too small for the NFL. I felt that his partying would only get worse in the NFL after getting millions of dollars from his contract and from his endorsements. And, I felt that he could be a distraction for a team that's so desperately trying to rediscover its winning ways.

I did not want him in Cleveland, but now he's here. Yay!

From what I've heard, when Manziel is sober and is around football, he's very quiet and unassuming. But get him to the club with his boys and women and a bottle of champagne, and Johnny Football comes out. And I'm starting to realize that I'm not a fan of this Johnny Football fellow.

As a Browns fan, I think Manziel's drunken antics are embarrassing. And, for those who want to blame the media, umm, the media's not the one holding up their cell phones taking pictures and video of the guy. It's the media's job to report on this and, unfortunately, Manziel has made himself a target for this because of his antics at Texas A&M. And, it's only going to get worse.

Manziel, the other day at the NFL Rookie Symposium, told reporters that he wants to be "left alone." Sorry, dude, but you brought this all on yourself by being a drunken douche and letting your boys and female fans take pictures and videos and not objecting to them being Instagrammed and Twittered and Facebooked for the world to see. You created the Johnny Football monster. You looked up at the sky and rubbed your index fingers and thumbs together as a sign for getting paid. It's too late, son!

You made your bed, now you've got to lie in it.

The only way Manziel quiets the noise is to become a choir boy off the field. Stop going to the clubs. Stop buying expensive bottles of Cristal. Stop going to the strip clubs. Stop going out in public with celebrities and acting a fool.

He's already been brought to the principal's office, so to speak, and been given a talking to from Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who felt his recent social media antics were embarrassing for himself and the franchise. Joe Haden has already given him some advice, saying he needs a phone valet to stop people from posting embarrassing videos of him. His teammates are tired of answering questions about him, both fellow rookies and the veterans.

You don't think an opposing veteran will want to put this spoiled rookie in his place during a game this year by giving him a nice little love tap or two? You don't think teams will look to knock the kid out?

Obviously, Manziel quiets the noise by winning. He will win over the local skeptics by playing great on the field, making the Browns exciting and leading this team to wins, the playoffs and (hopefully) a Super Bowl championship. His fans believe that this WILL happen, and that's why they defend him. As a Browns fan, I hope it DOES happen, because I'm tired of losing.

Of course, winning could only exacerbate the Johnny Football persona. More celebrities will come out of the woodwork if he wins. More women will come out of the woodwork. More vices may pop up. Alcohol will be more available than it already is. Drugs (cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy) may become available at the drop of the hat. The cellphone cameras will be directed at him every time he goes out in public. If he takes a shit at a public restroom, it will be big news.

But that's the price you pay for fame and when you've never shied away from the spotlight. Manziel used the spotlight as an act of defiance toward the NCAA and Texas A&M, and the legend of Johnny Football grew and grew. It didn't hurt that his Aggies were entertaining and won more than they lost (although they never won a national championship or even an SEC championship). It's up to Manziel to surround himself with the right people and check the Johnny Football persona at the door.

Manziel talks about his "brand" (which is such an annoying term that modern athletes use) and wanting to advance it. Well, the best way to enhance your "brand," besides becoming a winner on the field, staying healthy and throwing more touchdowns than interceptions, is keeping your nose clean. Sponsors will shy away from the kid who is a drunk all the time, but will flock to the man who is polished on and off the field.

The days of Joe Namath and Bobby Layne, swashbuckling quarterbacks who never saw a drink, or a woman, they didn't like but were praised for it, are over. Namath's career was ruined by knee injuries before it ever really took off, and perhaps his lifestyle contributed to that. Layne won championships for the Lions but wound up drinking himself out of the league as a Steeler. Both QBs are in the Hall of Fame and have championships. But this isn't the 1950s, 60s and 70s anymore.

Peyton Manning had his moments in college, but he cleaned up his act in the NFL and is now, even at 38, one of the biggest pitchmen in the NFL. Tom Brady, a tabloid target due to his high-profile relationships and subsequent marriage, has, by and large, kept a polished image off the field.

But, on the other side of the spectrum, there was Ryan Leaf, who didn't play well, popped off the media one too many times and wound up in trouble for drugs. There was Matt Leinart, who was a celebrity while playing for USC and leading the team to multiple national championships, partying with A-list celebrities and dating actresses. But, that lifestyle caught up with him in the NFL and his spotlight faded as quickly as his on-field career did. Now, the guy can't even keep a backup job in the NFL.

Hall of Famers such as Joe Montana and Emmitt Smith have offered their unsolicited advice to Manziel about his antics. It's become a distraction.

It's up to Manziel which path he chooses. He could be another Manning, or another Leaf. He could be another Brady, or another Leinart. Manziel should benefit from playing with a guy like Hoyer, who spent his formative years as Brady's understudy and saw what it takes to become a solid NFL quarterback. But, no one can hold Manziel's hand and make him listen to Hoyer, veteran Tyler Thigpen, QB coach Dowell Loggains and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Manziel's got to own it himself.

Joe Cleveland always roots for the name on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back. Johnny Manziel is a Cleveland Brown for the foreseeable future, whether we like it or not. And, I will root for him to excel on the field because it's best for the Browns and for the City of Cleveland. If he delivers an NFL championship to Cleveland, I will gladly take back every critical statement I've made about the guy, and I hope I have the chance to do so.

But if he fails, he'll hear it worse than guys like Brandon Weeden, Derek Anderson, Tim Couch, Jeff Garcia, Brady Quinn, Colt McCoy and Charlie Frye, among others, ever did. It comes with the territory, and he better buckle up and get ready for it.

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!