Browns Exhibition Opener Notes

The Browns dropped their exhibition season opener, 24-20, to the New York Jets on Thursday night. If you are an out-of-towner like me, then you were treated to the full Jets broadcast for the replay of the game on the NFL Network. Why they didn’t split it half and half like they normally do is beyond my comprehension but thank the good lord I got to hear about that Brett Favre character all game since we haven’t heard about him in a while.

Anyway on to what to take away from the game if you are a Browns fan…

Due to the stormy weather delaying the game for a significant amount of time the Browns first teamers only got one series but they did look crisp for their time, albeit brief, on the field. It was night and day for Derek Anderson who was god awful in exhibition play in 2007.

Thursday he looked cool, calm and collected in the game. A good sign considering he was a habitual slow starter in the first quarter in 2007. He was 4-5 for 20 yards a touchdown, mostly on shorter routes that he looked crisp on. The touchdown was an amazing, one-handed catch by Braylon Edwards. They hooked up for 16 TDs in 2007 and you know what they say, “the more the merrier.” Hopefully, that is the case in 2008.

It’s hard for anyone to stand out in only one series, but damn does Jamal Lewis run hard. We often forget he’s only 29 and he still looks to be hungry after a 1,304 yard campaign in 2008. He only had 11 yard on three carries but added a catch for 4 yards in the red zone. Lewis gets stronger as the game goes on so exhibition season is a tough time to judge him but he didn’t pussyfoot at all.

The offensive line was solid with Rex Hadnot stepping in for Ryan Tucker at right guard. You didn’t even notice the offensive line and that’s how it should be. No defender on the Jets got close to Derek Anderson (or Brady Quinn for the most part) and the first team offense drove effortlessly down the field before the lightning delay.

Speaking of Brady Quinn, he also looked good in over two quarters of action, going 13-17 for 133 years and an interception. The interception bounce of WR Syndric Steptoe’s hand and into the waiting arms of Eric Barton but Quinn flat out led him a little too far. It was noticeable how the Browns offense becomes more of a finesse offense rather than a vertical offense with Quinn under center instead of Anderson. Regardless, they both looked good Thursday.

The back-up wide receivers and tight ends also shone on Thursday night. Steptoe didn’t catch a pass but looked awfully impressive on kickoff and punt returns in case Josh Cribbs ever went down. I also have to give credit where credit is due as my personal, perennial whipping boy Travis Wilson had a very nice game. Three grabs for 58 yards and all three were not of the easy variety. Braylon Edwards grew up last year, maybe it’s your turn, Travis.

Marvin Rucker pulled in five passes for 70 yards and looked like a Kellen Winslow clone. The big rookie TE from Missouri is big, fast and athletic with soft hands and had some nice runs after the catch. Fellow rookie Paul Hubbard and second year man Steve Sanders also had a couple of nice grabs, particularly Hubbard on a beautiful over the shoulder grab along the sideline from third string QB Ken Dorsey.

Speaking of Ken Dorsey, he was 8-26 with two bad, bad interceptions. I think he had something like 14 consecutive incompletions at one point. It was rough to say the least. I saw him play in the 2006 game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

He only played two plays but it may have been the worst two plays I have ever seen. This includes watching Doug Pederson, Spurgeon Wynn and Ty Detmer over the years. Anyone who wonders why Browns GM Phil Savage kept both Anderson and Quinn saw the answer to their question on Thursday.

On the defensive side of the ball, it was also one series for the Browns first team defense. Too few snaps to make a final judgment but enough to be a bit encouraged. I noticed a definite push from the defensive line, something we haven’t seen in Cleveland since the first President Bush was in office and solid tackling. No broken tackles or whiffs which is what this defense sorely needs. The Browns defense just wanted it a little bit more on Kellen Clemens’ 4th and 1 QB keeper and stuffed him for their final play of the night.

Unfortunately, the Browns defensive reserves did not distinguish themselves positives as their offensive counterparts did. Veteran nickel cornerback Terry Cousin struggled all night. He gave up three or four sizable games as he seemed to be giving way to large of a cushion all game. He is supposed to be the veteran influence in the secondary and the Browns’ young defensive backs did follow his lead as they struggled mightily.

Second year man A. J. Davis was burnt deep on a 71 yard touchdown from Brett Ratliff to Derek Clowney in the first half. Mil’von James followed suit in the second half as he gave up a 70 yard bomb to the same Jets’ duo in the fourth quarter. Throw in the fact that a lot of the young guys were playing special teams on Dwight Lowery’s game winning punt return touchdown and to say it was a rough night for the young DBs is an understatement.

No one else on the Browns’ back-up defense really stood out positively which is a disappointment. Neither David McMillan nor Alex Hall showed anything spectacular at OLB and the Browns need someone to fill Antwaan Peek’s edge pass rushing role. Louis Leonard looked OK at nose tackle but got blown off the ball a few times. Nothing good of note really stood out defensively.

So now it’s a long, ten day wait for the Browns before meeting the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants on Monday Night Football on August 25. They need to stay focused and healthy as the regular season approaches. Getting Kellen Winslow, Steve Heiden, Kevin Kasper, Beau Bell and everyone else healthy before then is paramount for the Browns. Hopefully we will get to see a little more out of the first team units next Monday as the defending champs are a better measuring stick than the Jets. So it’s back to two-a-days.

Go Browns. Believeland. Believe in Now.

Browns Training Camp Week 2 - The DA and Braylon Show

Week Two of Training Camp in Berea, Ohio is in the books for the Cleveland Browns as they prep for their exhibition opener Thursday night against the New York Jets. The story of the week was the show that Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards put on Saturday night during Family Night at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Anderson and Edwards hooked up on two big plays on Saturday night, a 50 yard bomb on which Edwards laid out to grab and a 13 yard TD in the two minute drill portion of the night. Anderson even tossed another TD to much maligned, third year WR Travis Wilson, who has stepped up with a number of players sitting out the night’s activities.

Speaking of those injuries, the injury du jour is the pulled hamstring. WRs Donte Stallworth and Kevin Kasper both missed time early on in camp but have returned after some rest. TE Kellen Winslow and WR/KR Josh Cribbs missed Family night due to the same ailment.

Even FB Lawrence Vickers has tweaked his hammy in camp. None of these hamstring injuries have been deemed too serious, but hamstring injuries are notorious for lingering, so it will be interesting to see how they play out for all five of these guys.

In other news on the offensive front, Brady Quinn continues to struggle in practice and did on Family Night Saturday. I am not completely surprised as he is just a second year player, has only ten snaps of live NFL action under his belt and played all last pre-season against the third and fourth stringers.

He has been seeing action versus the Browns’ first team defense as he is the second team QB. Let’s see how he does against the Jets on Thursday. A good thinking point from The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Tony Grossi, the Browns offense does look a lot different under the strong-armed Anderson than it does under the calculating Quinn. Just food for thought for those still obsessed with a Browns QB controversy.

Speaking of the defense, the first teamers did cause Brady Quinn and the Browns’ second team offense fits but until they see live action I will reserve judgment. OLB Antwaan Peek in injured, again, and will miss all of exhibition season after getting arthroscopic knee surgery on his right knee to remove cartilage damage..

This is a potentially big blow to the Browns defense as they were hoping that Peek could be the piece to balance attention with Kamerion Wimbley on the outside. It’s do or die time for fourth year pro David McMillan who is in the last year of his contract s he will get the first chance to replace Peek. But don’t count out training camp darling Alex Hall as he continues to impress the Browns coaching staff.

The Browns will finally play a game, their only one in 20 days, Thursday night and it can’t come soon enough for the Cleveland faithful. Other than praying for no major injuries and seeing crisp execution from both first teams there are a few nice storylines to watch.

- Can Travis Wilson capitalize on his strong training camp and finally perform in a game situation or will Kevin Kasper and Paul Hubbard outshine him?
- Who will come out ahead in the battle for the third TE, Marvin Rucker or Darnell Dinkins?
- How will Quinn look against a legitimate NFL defense and not the scrubs and how will the Browns offense differ with him at the helm?
- How will the Browns’ revamped defensive line perform and what kind of rotation will they use?
- Can Peek or Hall show the coaching staff they can fill Antwaan Peek’s shoes?
- Will Jereme Perry, AJ Davis or Mil’von James step up in the battle for the fourth CB?

I’m sure you can think of plenty more as the Browns start to game plan for the New York Jets and the fans get ready to tailgate, but for now…

Go Browns. Believeland. Believe in Now.

Browns Training Camp – Week 1: No News Is Good News

The Browns capped off the first week, well half week, of Training Camp 2008 in Berea, Ohio today. No major news to report which is a good thing. This is normally the time of year that season threatening or season ending injuries occur, just ask the Washington Redskins.

But the Browns survived Week 1 with no major incidences. WR Donte Stallworth tweaked his ever-sensitive hamstring last week but was back in action today. TE Steve Heiden is still working his way back from off-season back surgery and into game shape. Some other nicks and dings here and there but nothing really worth reporting.

Head Coach Romeo Crennel intermittently rested some of his veteran players during some of the two-a-day sessions to keep them fresh as the first pre-season game approaches in 11 days. Status quo for the most part.

It’s hard to discern anything of real value until the exhibition games actually start. However The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the Browns’ revamped defensive line has been strutting its stuff at the expense of young Brady Quinn. The offense looks to be firing on all cylinders this year after struggling to pick up Offensive Coordinator Rob Chudzinski’s offense last season.

Jamal Lewis showed up at camp almost 20 pounds lighter than last season in hopes of showing that last season’s 1,304 rushing yard campaign was no fluke. Kellen Winslow continues to seem robotic as he has shown little, if any, affect from another off season knee surgery.

As far as the new guys go, the rookie making the most noise is the last one the Browns drafted, LB Alex Hall out of Division II St. Augustine. A DE in college, the Browns hope to make an edge pass rusher out of Hall, who has caught the eye of the coaches and media so far. Once again, it means nothing until the games start, but with fellow draft choices Beau Bell, Martin Rucker and Paul Hubbard struggling, Hall could be a nice surprise if he can contribute in 2008.

Hopefully, Week 2 of Training Camp goes as smoothly as Week 1 as the Browns prep for their exhibition opener August 7 versus the New York Jets. Who knows, maybe that Brett Favre guy will make a cameo, but until then…

Go Browns. Believeland. Believe in Now.

Browns Open Training Camp, Questions Abound

Yes, it’s finally here. The Cleveland Browns open their 2008 Training Camp in Berea, Ohio on Wednesday, July 23. This is arguably the most anticipated season since 1994 or even 1990 as the Browns look to follow up on an unexpected 10-6 record in 2007. While anticipation and expectations are high, the Browns face just as many questions as any other franchise at the outset of 2008.

Can they avoid the injury bug?
Offensive tackle Ryan Tucker has already been out for most of the summer following hip surgery. Cornerback Daven Holly was lost for the year following knee surgery. Receiver Joe Jurevicius will miss the start of the regular season after battling a staph infection. That’s already three key injuries before camp opens. It will be crucial to avoid any more.

Will lack of depth at these positions hurt them?
The offensive line is stout but the same can not be said of cornerback and receiver. Can two second year players, Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald, handle a slew of elite NFL receivers or will Easy-E and B-Mac be in over their heads? Can Travis Wilson step up? Will the Browns use more two tight end sets? Throw in the lack of depth at running back behind Jamal Lewis and these are three positions that the Browns can ill afford any losses.

How will the new defensive line sort itself out?
Shaun Rogers, Corey Williams, Robaire Smith and “The Hamburglar” Shaun Smith will all rotate in the 3-4 but who will play where and when? Who else will step up and join the rotation? Phil Savage made some bold, out-of-the-box moves to try and fix one of the Browns’ biggest problem areas. How it plays out is anybody’s guess.

Do the Browns have any real linebackers?
Kamerion Wimbley had a down sophomore year where he faced a lot of double teams and attention. The revamped defensive line should help him but he needs to develop a larger pass-rushing repertoire. Andra Davis has a great mind but has been a step slow. He claims he is healthy and he needs to be to lead this unit. Is D’Qwell Jackson the real deal or is he just a little too small for an ILB? How much Willie McGinest can contribute, Antwaan Peek’s ability to stay healthy and how to effectively utilize Leon Williams will all be things to watch in pre-season.

How will new Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker run things?
The abrasive, and sometimes psychotic, Todd Grantham is out and former defensive backs coach Mel Tucker is in. What kind of scheme will he run out of the 3-4? How will he offset the lack of experience in the secondary? Tucker has done wonders with the Browns young defensive backs over the years now all he has to do is turn around one of the most putrid defenses in the NFL.

How will Josh Cribbs be utilized on offense?
It won’t be a full fledged assignment with all of his special teams duties but the weekly “Josh Cribbs Wrinkle” to Rob Chudzinski’s game plan is always highly anticipated. Whether out of the backfield, as a decoy or under center it is always must see TV to see what Chud has in store.

Will the offense be able to duplicate 2007’s success?
The NFL is a league of adjustments and the rest of the teams now have a full year’s worth of tape on the Browns. How will the counter-punch opposing defenses in 2008? Can they put up points at an amazing rate for the second consecutive year? With a tough schedule it will be interesting to see how they stack up against the crème de la crème.

Speaking of that schedule…
Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer and Eli Manning to start. Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Palmer and Roethlisberger to finish. The middle of the schedule is no cakewalk either. Yes, it’s tough but bring it on. Let’s see if the Cleveland Browns are on the rise or still have strides to make. We should want this as Browns fans.

…It only comes down to one thing… Beat Pittsburgh.
The Browns haven’t been able to do it in five years. They’ve come close but faltered at the end time and time again. To climb the mountain you have to knock whoever is standing there off. Until the Browns can defeat the hated Pittsburgh Steelers they will be reserved to second class status in the AFC North. Beat the Appalachian Inbred and they just may have a shot at this thing. They get their first shot in Week 2 at home on Sunday Night Football. Their only home loss last year was the opening week debacle to the Steelers. This year it is their chance to set the tone for 2008 in front of the nation.

So let’s start on the pads, grab the face paint and buy up the Milkbones at the local supermarket, Browns fans. It’s Cleveland Browns training camp 2008. Before you know it, it will be time to dress up in orange, hit the Muni Lot and bark your ass off. There’s only one thing left to say…

Go Browns. Believeland. Believe in Now.

Jurevicius to Miss 6 Weeks, Who Will Fill In?

First, it was offensive lineman Ryan Tucker and his broken hip that will keep him out part of training camp. Next, cornerback Daven Holly went down for the season in OTAs after blowing out his knee. As it does in life, things often happen in threes and it did for the Cleveland Browns on the injury front.

Browns General Manager Phil Savage said he expects wide receiver Joe Jurevicius to start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, making him ineligible for the first six weeks of the season. Jurevicius contracted a staph infection seven months ago after a routine knee surgery and has had at least three surgeries since that time to attempt to remove the infection.

This is also the third Browns play to be hit with multiple surgeries after a staph infection after a previous surgery. The LeCharles Bentley story is well chronicled as is Kellen Winslow’s. I don’t know what’s going on up there at the Cleveland Clinic but it is disconcerting. Because of that, my fear is that Jurevicius may not be available at all this season, but only time will tell.

Jurevicius has been one of the more under-rated possession receivers in the NFL throughout his career. He ranked third in the entire NFL with 29 catches on third down in 2007. Twenty-two of those third-down passes were converted to first downs, fifth in the NFL. More importantly he is Derek Anderson’s safety valve, something Browns fans would love to see DA use more in 2008 than he did at the end of 2007.

So the question is who can pick up the slack for Jurevicius in his absence? The logical candidates are special teams whiz Josh Cribbs, the disappointing Travis Wilson or crafty veteran free agent Kevin Kasper.

But don’t sleep on late round draft choice Paul Hubbard or a couple of Browns’ practice squaders from 2007, Steve Sanders and Syndric Steptoe. All three have an opportunity for more reps in camp now which means more chances to impress.

The other option is a large amount of two tight end sets. Kellen Winslow lines up in the slot a lot to begin with because of past injuries. Despite begin utilized more as a blocker in 2007, Steve Heiden has shown he is capable of being a pass catcher when Winslow missed most of 2004 and all of 2005. Draft choice Paul Rucker may also be an option as he played in the slot a lot in college at Missouri and has the size and height that the coaching staff loves.

Regardless of who steps up, I do hope Jurevicius is able to come back after Week 6. His veteran leadership and intangibles are sorely needed on this young team looking to make a giant leap in 2008. In the mean time, someone needs to step it up. The only question is who will be the man to do it?

The As-Man Return-ith?!?

The Cleveland Indians demoted IF Jorge Velandia to AAA Buffalo today. Velandia was promoted when 2B Josh Barfield went on the DL after finger surgery. Velandia played sparingly in a utility role as Jamey Carroll took change of second base in Barfield's absence.

Reports have 2B/SS Asdrubal Cabrera returning to C-Town from Buffalo. Other than my being able to use the "As-Man" moniker I saddled him with last season it does present an interesting serious of questions for the Tribe.

Cabrera was sent down for his woes at the dish. The sub-.200 average and poor plate approach were obvious to everyone. He has responded by hitting well over .300 at Buffalo and it will be interesting to see how he responds to his re-exposure to major league caliber pitching.

The bigger question takes place in the field. No one has questioned Cabrera's glove. It has been phenomenal. Turning the DP smoothly, making all the throws and even an unassisted triple play are all on The As-man's resume.

However, while being the starting 2B at the start of the year, Cabrera has been primarily playing SS at Buffalo. What does this mean for his return?

Jhonny Peralta is entrenched at SS and swinging a hot bat since being moved into the clean-up spot of the line-up. Move him to 3B you say? Well, Andy Marte has recently been granted some playing time there and has shown signs of life after sitting on the bench for weeks at a time. The Indians desperately need to get a read on Marte to see if he is a part of their future.

Even if he does go back to 2B what happens to Barfield when he comes off the DL? An up-the-middle combo of Cabrera and Barfield is a pitcher's dream defensively but can they generate enough offense for a team that in no where near an offensive juggernaut.

No matter how you slice it, it will be interesting to see how Eric Wedge handles the situation. With Peralta is a comfort zone right now and Cabrera, Barfield and Marte needing playing time to be properly evaluated there seems to be one too few spots.

This is where Uncle Eric will earn his keep during this lost 2008 campaign. He needs to effectively utilize all four players to give the Indians the best chance to compete and contend in 2009.

It will be something to watch in an otherwise disappointing season, but for now..

THE AS-MAN RETURN-ITH! THE AS-MAN RETURN-ITH! THE AS-MAN RETURN-ITH!