Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Browns should know it's no time to cheer Team shouldn't cheer until the game is won
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist

Published on Tuesday, Nov 04, 2008
BEREA: Maturity shows in a lot of ways, some direct, some subtle.
In the third quarter of the game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns were ahead by 14 points.
A sack of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco on second down led to a celebration worthy of a Super Bowl.
Players danced, hugged and ran around the field like a playoff spot had been clinched.

You were waiting for the confetti to fall, for the spotlights to swirl around the field and for the NFL to stop the game to present game balls to weepy Browns who would then thank their moms and cousins and Paul Pierce for contributing to their success.
This is the trend in the NFL these days. The slightest little thing is cause celebre.


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[osugrad21]

CPD

November surprise: Browns shift course, choose Quinn as QB as Broncos loom

by Mary Kay Cabot Monday November 03, 2008, 9:10 PM


In a move that sent shockwaves through the Browns Monday evening, the team benched quarterback Derek Anderson and will start fan favorite Brady Quinn at home Thursday night against Denver. "Maybe they feel like [Quinn] will bring a spark," center Hank Fraley said on his weekly radio show on WTAM. "It's tough because Derek is a great guy, a team leader and a captain. It's a shock to everybody on this team. It's their decision and we're going to have to live with it."
The move was made hours after coach Romeo Crennel said in an 11:45 a.m. press conference that he hadn't really thought about making a change.
"I haven't had a chance to talk to coaches or anything," said Crennel. "With the short week, I told them to go ahead and get started on Denver."
Asked at that time if Anderson was still his starter, Crennel said, "yes, as of right now."
He also said the short week wouldn't factor into his decision if he felt a change was necessary
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns Insider: No easy answers for Edwards' drops

by Tony Grossi Monday November 03, 2008, 11:27 PM


BEREA --- Receiver Braylon Edwards' drop of quarterback Derek Anderson's 50-yard pass in the fourth quarter on Sunday against Baltimore unofficially was his 12th of the year. (He has 26 catches.) Earlier in the third quarter, Edwards wrested the ball from Ravens cornerback Frank Walker in the end zone for his third touchdown catch of the year.
Coach Romeo Crennel said Edwards and coaches have worked on reducing the drops.
"We keep him at practice, done concentration drills, we've talked to him, get him on the JUGS [machine], he stays after as well. We'll keep working on it," Crennel said.
As for benching Edwards, Crennel said: "On any team, if you have good competition that allows you maybe to sit somebody down, I think that can have an impact. But you've got to look at your situation and determine what you think is best."
Translation: They've got nobody to play in Edwards' place.

Edwards declined to speak to reporters Monday.

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[osugrad21]

CPD

It's about time: Quinn's promotion was inevitable, if needlessly delayed, says Bill Livingston

by Bill Livingston Monday November 03, 2008, 10:40 PM



No one knows what the Browns will get from Brady Quinn, the quarterback of tomorrow. Which, in his case, comes Thursday.
But it was clear no one knew what the Browns would get from Derek Anderson, either. He could be streaky hot and chillingly cold, game to game, series to series, down to down. There were other culprits, but the offense was primarily inconsistent because the quarterback was.
It was time to try something new, if only because Quinn is the new guy, who cost the Browns their first-round and second-round draft choices to move up to select him in the 2007 draft. A backup quarterback is always popular because he has not had the chance to make bad plays. Throwing a screen pass to a Baltimore guy -- who was, after all, open -- and then getting knocked on one's butt to conclude Sunday's apocollapse comes to mind.
Anderson had 23 games as starter to show he belonged in the elite class. His mistakes will stick to coach Romeo Crennel like a stubborn patch of mud that clings to the wall at which it is thrown. Were the ball to have stuck to Braylon Edwards' hands as securely, of course, things might have been different.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

Out for '08 due to continuing staph issues, Jurevicius planning return to Browns for '09

by Mary Kay Cabot Monday November 03, 2008, 7:00 PM

Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerJoe Jurevicius watched Sunday's loss to the Ravens from the Browns bench. He's confident he'll be back on the field for the team in 2009.
The hardest part for Joe Jurevicius over the past 10 months, even harder than the five extra surgeries on his staph-ravaged knee, has been driving by the Muni Lot on gameday and seeing all the Browns fans -- the ones that he came home to win a championship for. "I take the long way to go the Stadium every game because my memories growing up are of the Muni Parking Lot," Jurevicius said Monday in an emotion-packed press conference. "When you see No. 84s out there, when you see the smoke from the barbecues, or people fighting, that's what I miss. To be honest with you, I don't want to give up. It drives me insane every game that I've driven to this year. It tears me up inside."
Jurevicius, a native of Timberlake, Ohio and product of Lake Catholic, announced Monday he'll miss the entire 2008 season because he's "not close at all" to playing football. But he vowed to "come back and play football for my beloved Browns and my beloved city" in 2009.

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[osugrad21]

CPD

Tony Grossi's analysis: Browns couldn't wait any longer to make Brady Quinn the starter

by Tony Grossi Monday November 03, 2008, 6:42 PM

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerThe Browns waited as long as they could before coming to the realization that Brady Quinn had to be moved into the starting position behind center, says Tony Grossi.
The Browns went to the wall for Derek Anderson, but simply could not defend keeping Brady Quinn on the bench any longer. Not after seeing a side-by-side comparison of Anderson and Joe Flacco on Sunday.

Flacco, a rookie from Delaware, thoroughly outplayed Anderson in the fourth quarter of the Browns' 37-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Flacco made up a 14-point deficit by running a no-huddle with poise and accuracy over three scoring drives.
He did it on the road in a hostile environment. And he didn't have Pro Bowl offensive weapons named Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow on his side.
Anderson had three possessions late in the game to pull out a win for the Browns. Each began at favorable field position. They ended in a punt, interception returned for touchdown and fourth-down incompletion.

Flacco and Anderson are virtually the same size with the same arm strength. Yet Flacco is much more accurate, more poised and better able to recover from bad plays. Flacco has the better passer rating, 75.7 to Anderson's 68.9.

Why is it that the Browns can't operate a no-huddle offense and Baltimore, in its first year of the same offensive system, can?
Anderson's performance this year in two-minute situations has been problematic. The series at the end of the first half against Pittsburgh sent red flares that the Browns ignored.
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[NOTREDAMECHIEF]

I think this is a move they need to make. Anderson hasn't played bad and still has value. They need to know what Quinn can do so they can make a decision this offseason. If Quinn comes out and plays better they trade Anderson. If he's a bust they bring Anderson back and either get rid of Quinn or leave him as the backup.

So.... you want to give Brady 7 games or so to determine if he is a bust ???

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Anderson is completing only 49% of his throws, worst in the NFL.......some of that can be contributed to Edwards but Anderson has struggled with accuracy and making good decisions........

Edwards needs to see an eye doctor or something.....damn.

Crennel needs some energy on the sidelines....he looks asleep......the team reflects the coach.......

I have been a Browns fan for 30 years and I am tired of seeing inconsistent play..............they are not moving forward.

 

[ysubuck]

Anderson is completing only 49% of his throws, worst in the NFL.......some of that can be contributed to Edwards but Anderson has struggled with accuracy and making good decisions........

Edwards needs to see an eye doctor or something.....damn.

Crennel needs some energy on the sidelines....he looks asleep......the team reflects the coach.......

I have been a Browns fan for 30 years and I am tired of seeing inconsistent play..............they are not moving forward.

There was another Cleveland sports icon who had eye trouble and when they got that taken care of he took off!!!!!

 

[ysubuck]

By the way...this fucking team is a joke.

Crennel says he has no plans for a change and then hours later Quinn is announced as the starter????

I have no problem with the change, but at least give the illusion that you are somewhat in control of this fucking team as the head coach.

I'm just glad that Crennel bought himself another year with that "blind squirrel finding a nut" season last year.

Can his ass after this season and do whatever it takes to make Bill Cowher the head coach of this football team.

 

[LitlBuck]

Browns lose out.

Crennel fired.

Cowher in!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that's a pretty picture.

The problem with this scenario is that Cowher would want some control over the personnel on his team and Savage, as I have mentioned before, determines who gets drafted and who makes the 53 man roster. Cowher would not come on board if that's the way the organization would still run. The only way Cowher work come on board is if Savage would relinquish some of his personnel decisions, which I highly doubt, so Savage would have to leave it in order to get Cowher.

 

[LitlBuck]

II think Savage is safe, and the rumors on his future are from outside of the organization. Keep in mind Savage thinks VERY HIGHLY of the talent he has assembled in Cleveland. Last year, he made a comment that the Browns have as muchtalent as anyone in the NFL....to which Colin Cowherd dedicated half of a show making fun of Savage.
.

If we have as "much talent" in the NFL as any other team why are we losing games? I wouldn't expect Savage to say anything else since he makes all of the personnel decisions. It would not surprise me in the least if he made the call to start Quinn this Thursday.

So.... you want to give Brady 7 games or so to determine if he is a bust ???

NotreDameChief, there are 8 games and Brady should be able to prove something in a couple of those games. Some type of decision must be made at the end of the season as to who goes so Brady has eight games to share what he has.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Savage should be under some heat also.....he continues to support the coach.....

Crennel says he has no plans for a change and then hours later Quinn is announced as the starter????

My guess is that Savage told him it was time to pull Anderson.......

If we have as "much talent" in the NFL as any other team why are we losing games?

We have comparable talent to a ton of teams, but we continue to drop passes, miss tackles, fumble, throw pick 6's, bad clock management, questionable play calls in the redzone.....it is a ton of reasons why the Browns are 3-5.......it starts with the management and coach.........

 

[ysubuck]

If it takes Savage giving up some control in order to get a coach like Bill Cowher then that's what needs to happen. That's on ownership. If the Browns have to sacrifice Phil Savage to get Bill Cowher then that's an easy one, imo.

 

[LitlBuck]

If it takes Savage giving up some control in order to get a coach like Bill Cowher then that's what needs to happen. That's on ownership. If the Browns have to sacrifice Phil Savage to get Bill Cowher then that's an easy one, imo.

I totally agree with you and most good coaches are not going to want select all of their personnel for them. Savage really hasn't drafted that well in my opinion and so it would not bother me to lose him.