Worst Weekend: Ohio Sports or The Financial Market?
September 15, 2008Bye-Bye Billy, Lance
September 15, 200810 in a row. 15 out of 16. 0 TD, 2 FG; a 10-6 loss. 208 yards total offense. 44.5 QB rating. -2 turnover margin.
Those were some of the numbers. The most important numbers: 0-2, 2 games back in the division. Already.
I will be the first to admit that, up until this game started, if you’d told me the Browns would be in it the entire night with a chance to tie with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, I’d have laughed in your face. So, in that respect, that Browns did far better than I ever expected, especially in holding Pittsburgh to 10 points. Whether that was in spite of–or because of–the weather conditions, I will leave that to all of you to discuss. I can only break down what I watched last night from section 345, row 35. Here’s what I saw:
The Good
*Shaun Rogers. Pure and simple, when he’s really working, he is flat-out unstoppable. He primarily lined up between the center and the left-guard, and neither of them could even slow him down. He was double-teamed on almost every snap, and with the exception of once or twice, he was three or four yards into the backfield on every snap. For a man his size, his athleticism is simply mind-boggling. I also can appreciate that he stepped up in post-game interviews (with Andre Knott) for jumping offsides on third down right before Pittsburgh scored the only TD of the game. Though he assigned the blame for the loss to himself because of that, I don’t think you can reasonably blame him for the loss what-so-ever. He is a BEAST. I only hope that, if the offense (and team) continues to struggle, he doesn’t check out like he was known to do in Detroit.
*What more can be said about Kellen Winslow that hasn’t already been said? With the exception of his one drop, he was unreal… highlighted/topped off by a pass that hit him in the shoulder pad which he then out-lept Polamalu to haul in and get a needed first down. The irony is that the one pass he dropped was the only one to actually hit him in the hands. I’ll leave you to surmise the problem there.
*Brodney Pool looked good, all things considered. For some reason, it seems that Jones plays better with him in there, which makes the fact the they won’t be on the field together until AT LEAST the Monday nighter against the NYG (if not longer) that much more frustrating. Also, I’m frankly surprised that Pool didn’t concuss himself when he laid Parker out on the 2 yard line in the first quarter.
*You can’t put a dollar value on Dave Zastudil. As bad as the Browns offense was for most of the game, Zastudil bailed them out time and time again with field position. 5 punts for 265 yards (53 yard average) with a long of 59… in that wind?? That’s impressive. He had two kicks that were almost muffed because of the fact that they drove through the wind and surprised the Pittsburgh return man. Watching Mitch Burger warm up for Pittsburgh before the game, I was shocked to then see Zastudil come out and just DRILL every punt.
*Regardless of when the coach decides to send him in, I can’t hate on Phil Dawson. Watching his warm ups at halftime kicking into the Dawg Pound end zone, he was literally starting each kick a good 7 yards to the right of the uprights, and the wind was pushing them all the way to the left bar. Crazy. Watching from my seat, I thought the first FG he kicked actually missed left at first.
The Bad
*Our linebackers just aren’t that good. When Pittsburgh’s defense lines up, EVERY linebacker flashes up to the line of scrimmage, and then some drop off at the snap (classic zone blitz). They stunt. They switch sides. They’re constantly in motion. And, without fail, they ALL fly to the ball, especially on running plays. It seemed like each time the Browns tried a stretch run play where Lewis would run laterally and look for a hole to cut into, there just weren’t any holes (which shows up in JLew’s 19 carries for 38 yards) because their linebackers were plugging them. In addition, they push into the backfield, whereas our linebackers always seem to be waiting for the play to come to them. When the Browns’ offense would get a run “stuffed,” it was for negative-two yards. When the Browns’ defense would “stuff” a run, it was still a two- or three-yard gain. And this was in spite of the Browns d-line playing fairly well.
*My buddy pointed out to me that the Browns just don’t get “the breaks” and the Steelers do. Generally, I believe that you make your own breaks in sports; teams with better players tend to get “the breaks” because they’re better teams. But man, oh man, can the Browns get a break? That almost-muffed punt that TWO Steelers managed NOT to touch? That muffed kickoff that AT LEAST two Browns had their hands on and couldn’t wrap up? A huge sack by Shaun Smith in which he got a little too much facemask? Ugh.
*Cribbs just didn’t look like himself. He looked a bit tentative to me, and while I’m probably glad I didn’t get to see replays of it, I was sure they were going to have to take him out on a stretcher after that hit in the fourth quarter. A chunk of turf about the size of a welcome mat came flying up when Cribbs went down. I won’t be surprised if he’s out until after the bye week.
*For not playing very well right now, both Braylon Edwards and Brandon McDonald do A LOT of talking after every play. Perhaps McDonald was thinking too much about what he was going to say to Holmes after that 40 yard bomb was over that he forgot to actually catch the ball. Inexcusable. Holmes runs his mouth a lot, too, but when your team keeps winning, why not?
The Ugly
*Our offense looks like the 2006 version of itself. Stupid penalties. No one knows where to line up. The clock management is horrendous. There is no reason that they should have let 20 seconds run off before calling a time out on that last drive of the second quarter. They should have had at least 20-25 seconds instead of 8 seconds for that last chance, which might have allowed Anderson to not have to force one.
*I don’t know what’s wrong with Edwards. Was last year just a fluke? He doesn’t look like he could catch a cold in northern Alaska right now. He’s droppin’ it like it’s hot right now.
*Anderson is struggling mightily. I don’t know if it’s the missed time, or if the rest of league has finally caught up with him. His locking-on to receivers was positively Frye-esque last night, including the pick in the end zone at the end of the first half. When they were moving what looked to be “into the wind” in the first and third quarters, he looked like he was afraid to really throw the ball… everything fell short. Last night was a rough night to have to throw, but Roethlisberger still managed to be accurate.
*Romeo. Let’s hear it, guys. The clock-management. The penalties. The disjointed offensive execution. The stinking lack of intestinal fortitude (another meaningless late FG). At some point, we have to start looking at this from the standpoint of attitude. When you aren’t willing to go for it on fourth down deep in opposing territory when a field goal basically does nothing for you (you still need a TD regardless of whether you get stopped on fourth down or make the field goal), what does that say to your players? I know what it says to the fans, as the mass-exodus after the field goal was almost Biblical. Personally, I think the Browns’ attitude starts to border on “why us?” when things go wrong during games like this, and that becomes almost self-fulfilling. And, when those are the messages your coach sends, the name on the door really is “losers”. Come on Romeo… what do you have to lose?
So, where are we? 0-2 is hardly dead, especially with two pretty bad teams up next followed by a bye week to possibly (hopefully?) get a bit healthier as a team. To win the division, though, the Browns are essentially going to HAVE to win IN PITTSBURGH the last week of the season, now. What needs to happen?
*Can, and will, the offense get better? Baltimore’s defense is still decent enough to cause them problems if they continue to play this way. Anderson is at a crossroads, and while I’m generally not a “PUT QUINN IN NOW!!” kind of guy, at some point a change is going to be necessary if Anderson doesn’t improve.
*Is last night indicative of the defense turning a corner, or was their success last night more a product of a wretched environment for offensive football?
*How long of a leash does Romeo have? If Lerner was livid about the field goal at the end of the Dallas game, how did he feel about the field goal last night? How much patience does he have? And, frankly, what is Savage’s mindset at this point? When he was hired, one of his first statements was that we needed to change the losing culture of the Browns… so, when your coach seems to be stuck in that rut, is it time for him to go?
I don’t know if it’s worse to lose a close game like last night, or a blowout like Saturday night for the Buckeye fans (I was pulling for OSU, despite the fact that I’m not a Buckeye Fan), but I know that last night’s ride back from the stadium was the most depressed I’d been coming back from Cleveland Browns Stadium in a long, long time.
43 Comments
As good as Zastudil was, it speaks volumes when Doug Dieken and Jim Donovan give him the MVP for the game…
Great recap, D
I think it’s time for both a quarterback change and a coaching change. DA was a fluke last year, but the media doesn’t seem to want to recognize it. He looks like either a deer in the headlights, or Todd Boeckman when the pressure comes at him. Not a good thing for a pro quarterback. Romeo, as much as I like the guys persona, I can’t handle the way this team is undisciplined. It’s time to bring Brady off the bench, only about 10 months late if you ask me. And it’s time to get The Chin off his couch in North Carolina and come run this football team the way it’s supposed to be run. The fans deserve better, I was there last night. The crowd was awesome, yet they were let down again.
Randy Lerner MUST SELL the Team!
Jeremy, you’re right-on about the crowd. Considering the wind and rain, the crowd was loud and stayed through the game until the late FG drained what will they had left. I’ve been to every Browns/Steelers game at CBS since 2002, and this one had the FEWEST Steeler fans in attendance that I can recollect.
And we were let down again, yes. You said that perfectly.
Great title for the post!
I’m to the point where I kinda hope the season goes in the tank so they have to get rid of Romeo. He just seems to be in over his head as a head coach. There’s a reason he didn’t get a head coaching job until he was almost 60 and it’s not because of his skin color…
I think the RAC watch is on – if they lose one of the next two, I think the table is set for him no longer coaching this team next year. If they lose them both, I think he very well could be fired before the team’s week 6 game against the Giants.
Win them both, and he’s safe. (Not that he deserves it – this team will win in spite of him, not because of him.)
I have the same gripe with Romeo that I do with Wedge – regardless of what they bring to the table in inspiring their teams or creating a good lockeroom environment, neither seems to have the basic competence to coach/manage at the highest level. The problem is especially acute for Romeo, who really needs a guy on the field next to him telling him when to call timeout.
Hey Phil and Randy – I’m available for the job and I’ll do it for free, as long as you fly me to and from all the games!
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: if this team is not 2-2 at the bye, the season is over as far as playoffs are concerned. And if that happens, Romeo needs to be shown the door during the bye and, though I am not a fan of his, it will be time to see what Quinn can do. I’d also suggest that, given this “lost season” scenario, it’s time to install some 4-3 looks into the defense–the 3-4 just doesn’t seem like it will work for the Browns.
The coach to pursue is Bill Cowher, no question. I’m fine with Savage staying on as GM, unless (as rumored) Cowher demands GM control as well. While that dual role isn’t often successful, I say give it to him if it gets him here. It’s his kind of fire that this team sorely lacks.
I also think the team should seriously consider shopping Braylon. Yes, he can be a game-changer–when his head/hands are in it. But that isn’t often enough for the money, and it will only get worse if the team continues to falter. A first-round pick is certainly a reasonable expectation. Or why not talk to Philly about Lito Sheppard plus a mid- or late-round pick for BE? You think McNabb and company wouldn’t jump at that deal?
The progress of the D-line last night was impressive. However, until they can do it in “normal” conditions, I’m not willing to say it’s turned any corners. After all, they did still give up over 100 to FWP. The offense can get better. Will it? We will find out soon enough.
And the Browns’ loss was FAR worse than the Buckeyes’, no question. You can’t look at a blowout and say, “If only this had happened, then maybe….” like you can in a close game. And watching the Steelers players celebrate on our home field YET AGAIN, and listening to their fans laugh at us YET AGAIN is far worse than the dissing of the Buckeyes.
Nice review. Same way I saw it on the tube.
Last night clarified some things for me. I’ve been very objective about Romeo, and whether he is up for this gig. Kind of hard to judge him when the players were so sub-par. Now the personnel is average, overall. But the last couple of games have shown his befuddlement under the pressure of big games. He has seems to have a sort of stubbornness as well (e.g., the field goal thing, the Maurice Carthon thing) that is not justified by his profesional record.
He probably was a very good defensive coach. Head coaching, however, requires a different skill set: setting a tone for the whole team, getting all the guys to play hard, delegating/overseeing the assistant coaches, managing the game in progress, etc. Some good assistant coaches have or develop these skills (Marty, Cowher, Belichik), and some never do (Bud Carson).
We still are physically inferior to Pittsburgh, and that’s the GM’s area unless there are guys on the bench who should be inserted as starters, which I doubt. But Romeo either reached his level of competence as a defensive coordinator, or is too old to learn the necessary new tricks. And I don’t buy the player pleading we can soon expect about “we respect him, it’s not his fault.” I want to win. I would rather the players fear the coach and play with a sense of urgency that if they can’t perform, follow directions, or absorb coaching they are out. The Browns record last year was a bit of a mirage; easy schedule, Cribbs alone changing some games, low expectations. Expected a setback this year, but Romeo is not the guy for the next steps. They will win a few games soon which will give everyone a little hope again, but he’s not the guy.
If Romeo goes, regardless of whether or not they go for Cowher, they need to bring in a coach with some head-coaching experience. I’m done with the “up and comers”. At this point, the Browns can’t afford any more on-the-job training for their coaches.
DP I’m in section 345 row 10 come stop by during the Monday Nighter
4th and 7 on your opponent’s 20. Go for it?
The numbers say no. Its a low conversion-rate play, especially with our inability to throw the ball and catch it on the same play last night. My real problem is with the 3rd and 7 on your opponent’s 20 play. You know you only have 3:20 left in the game, probably not enough time with 0 timeouts. So what does Romeo call on 3rd and 7? an 8-yard pass to Droplon Edwards.
i’m not a coach, but how about a 4 or 5 yard dump-out to the checkdown receiver after everybody else is in the endzone? keeps the DBs 10 yards or more downfield, and all you have to do is have K2 or Jamal roll out of their block for 5 yards – setting up a very managable 4th and 1 or 2.
awful play-calling, horrendous clock management, and no cohones. Yea, let’s keep Romeo around for another year or two. Otherwise you guys would have to change the name of the site.
We are all near each other.
Im section 344 – Row 13.
Not sure how many more Browns games I will attend this year…
If Romeo can’t manage during games simple things (time mgmt, knowing NOT to try stupid FG’s) – why would I think he’s capable of manaing the team Mon-Sat. Romeo as a man is fair and genuine, BUT HE IS INEPT AS A HEAD COACH AND PROVEN UNABLE TO EVOLVE. Chud saved his job last year. The goal is to win the Super Bowl – RAC has proven himself way overmatched. FIRE ROMEO.
Tony Grossi’s latest podcast is a good one on cleveland.com
Great article DP. Some points I would like to add
– Am the only one who saw rodgers reacting to movement from one the lineman on that big penalty? Seems to me like the officials missed that one
– Edwards had a bad game (or two) — that happens — what I don’t like is the fact he can shoot his mouth off endlessly about getting at leasat 17 tds(i.e. how many times are we going to hear that overplayed Phelps story??UGHH!), but decline to comment on his bad night. This is in total contrast to Rodgers who had a monster game and still only focused on his offsides penalty post game. The maturity issues that plagued Edwards two years ago is resurfacing big time.
– I have not seen any mention of a lack of offensive creativity. We had lots of success passing late, yet continued to had it off to Lewis, who was clearly not himself (going down easily on any first contact most plays). One sweep handoff to Cribbs was the only creative play that I saw from Chud. Also, HArrison gives you a great change of pace, yet we did not use him last night. did we even take a shot at a long ball all night (I know the interception to Edwards, but that seemed like a last resort from Anderson — there were no desinged play calls to go deep.
– I think we need to give Anderson a break. If his receivers catch the terrible drops — you are looking at better numbers and finally getting some rythm for Anderson (which we saw last year is what he needs to get going). Also, with Dante out, everyone knows its wither Winslow or Edwards — Steptoe is not going to scare you.
– Crennel — how do you spell retard?
I said it after last weeks loss – bring back Marty Schottenheimer. He will keep Chud, the only coordinator worth anything on this team, because he worked with him in San Diego. He will also bring a winning mentality that will bring immediate success. I will say though that I thought going for the FG late in the 4th was the right move. You have to have faith in your defense that they will be able to get a stop when they have too. There were 3 minutes left, we had every timeout plus the 2 minute warning, so in theory you should be able to get the 3 and out and have a timeout left to go for the win. Now if the playcalling in the redzone weren’t piss poor, then maybe we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
Our LBs are terrible. The D-Line is doing their job for the most part, but the LBs can’t stop the run and can’t get to the QB. Not one of them can do either one of those things.
Trading Braylon would be stupid. It has only been two games, he will get his act together. His presence alone opens things up for everyone else on offense, and trading him after just two games would quite possibly be the dumbest thing this team could do
We shouldn’t put in Brady until this season is lost. I think he is better than Anderson, but he has almost no regular season experience. He might have the tools but it took Carson Palmer an entire season of playing before he became a really good QB, and to think that Brady would come in and take this team to the postseason is silly. Wait until we have no chance of making the playoffs, either mathematically or realistically
Bobby O-
Looked like there was a lot of ruckus going on down there… people throwing stuff back and forth. I saw the security folks at least once.
kiddicus-
Agreed on the play-calling late. That screen to Harrison was very nice, and they ran at least one other one to Lewis and a couple to Vickers (though one wasn’t a screen so much as a check-down, I think) that all did reasonably well. I’d love to see some kind of bubble screen type thing to Winslow at some point.
Perhaps Chud knows some things about the capabilities of his personnel that we do not.
Anon Imus-
If you would, please refrain from the r-word in reference to Romeo. My wife works with special needs children, and they are truly wonderful kids. I understand the frustration, but I don’t think there’s need for that.
I have been without internet all day. Thank goodness for my local neighborhood Arabica and my mom’s house.
Anyway Romeo needs to be fired. I have had the bandwagon open since before last season. You guys don’t know because it was on my personal site before I joined here. Sure the numbers of people on the bandwagon dwindled last season when the Browns won some games, but I have been holding the seats open.
So now, who’s with me in wanting Romeo fired? All I can say positive for Romeo so far this year is that he hasn’t screwed up a coach’s challenge miserably yet.
Clueless is a better word.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.
For all but an eight game stretch last year, Derek Anderson has sucked.
You cannot argue this, because it is undeniably true. Just think about it. In over half the games he has started, DA has been TERRIBLE.
kiddicus @ #11: 4th and 7 at the 20 is a place where even Romer recommends the kick — in a generic, ignore-the-clock situation.
With under four minutes left in the game and 3 points making the difference between “needing a touchdown” and “needing a touchdown” — even ignoring the heightened sensitivity to the call based on last week’s fiasco — I think it’s going to be extremely difficult to justify putting Dawson out there.
The rest of your points I completely agree with.
Add Robiare Smith to the list of Brown Injuries
This weekend makes me want to throw up in addition to the Brick the Buckeyes laid Saturday night
My last word today to help get rid of my bile:
Re the field goal decision, what am I missing? The 3 points there didn’t bring you closer to a win or tie. You are deep in their territory, and will need a TD whether you get 3 points there or not. It’s 4th and 7. If you don’t make the first down, it’s Pittsburgh ball, deep in their own territory. You still need to stop them and you still need a touchdown, exactly the situation they found themselves in after they made a field goal! Why not go for it? How is that not your best shot to win? Making the kick put them in virtually the same field position, with their defense trying for a stop, and needing a TD, with the same time left, as going for the first down and not making it.
John Madden says, “Well, you kick a field goal because if you don’t make the first down after that drive you’re team is deflated.” Oh. The joy caused by the field goal paid lots of dividends, really helped them defensively.
Tony Grossi makes the same good point today that he did last year: how does firing your head coach in mid-season help the team? Who takes over, and to what effect? Romeo Death Watch, Part II, starts December 27th at a theatre near you.
Harv 21 @ #23: “how does firing your head coach in mid-season help the team?”
I’d turn that question around — how does keeping Crennel around, given that he arguably cost the team two games (out of two) so far this year, help the team?
It’s a question of the least worst choice, at this point.
My other thought about the FG in the context of last night is this:
The weather was HORRIBLE. A 37-yard field goal in those conditions is hardly a “gimmee” by any stretch. So, if you go for three and miss, what does THAT do to your team, John Madden?
Crennel didn’t cost the Browns the game against the Cowboys. The Cowboys did.
What is Romeo doing on a weekly basis to help this team win? NOTHING. Isn’t Chud running the offense and Tucker the D? Not like Romeo’s expertise is helping the defense that much… In good weather, Rothlesburger would have SHREDDED that secondary.
Here’s a poll they should list here ….
What is Romeo’s best ability:
A. Ordering useless field goals
B. Losing challenges and ultimately – timeouts.
C. Standing on sideline, looking confused, adjusting headset mouthpiece & occasionally nodding to a player.
D. Playing a defense that hasn’t worked in 4 years and reduces our ability to find applicable talent
E. All of the above
If they fire Romeo, it will be because there is no more season to turn around. It won’t happen this week, if it happens during the season it will be because we are well out of contention for a playoff spot
What a wasted season.
I don’t know if now is the right time to fire him, but it has to be this year. Who could we get in the middle of the season? I agree about getting someone in with head coaching experience, no more people getting their first chance in the big time.
What is it with our Cleveland coaches anyway? You could say that last year both the Tribe and the Browns won despite their coaches, and the Cavs keep winning because of LBJ and not because of Brown at all.
I am throwing in the towel on the season, despite only being week 2. Maybe the best thing would be to have a terrible season, get a new coach, a high draft pick, a switch to the 4-3, and most importantly, a last place schedule for next year.
I have only one rule when someone demands a coach be fired:
You MUST name his replacement. Everyone wants someone fired, but
nobody has a backup plan.
I didnt get to see the game since the power here went out at 5 and still hasnt come back on (thank goodness for the public library).
The biggest problems we have on offense is Braylon was clearly missing a beat in the Dallas game and on paper it looks like he still was yesterday. Plus our #2 and #3 recievers are out. The main person to double team is Winslow and the only other focus is stopping the run.
Crennel didnt lose the past two games. The FG against Dallas showed he knew we werent in the game anymore; it took away what little chance we had left but we honestly had already lost the game. Last night I heard the boos (on the radio) when Dawson came trotting out. We were essentially in the same position as if we didnt convert the 4th down with an extra 3 points in our pocket. We still needed a defensive stop and a score to win either way.
I am still not ready to call for Romeo head or consider this season done. The only position on the field we havent had an injury is the center. This post would be twice as long if I were to list them all. I doubt any team could handle that many injuries.
I demand that Romeo be fired when and if this season is lost, and/or at the end of the year. I demand that the Browns bring in an established guy like Marty Schottenheimer or Bill Cowher. Here’s an idea. Let’s go offer Pete Carroll his second shot at an NFL gig. Sure, he screwed up the first time when he was coaching the Pats, but he certainly would bring a confidence and swagger this time around.
Last but not least, I know we haven’t necessarily wanted to give a guy his first shot at head coaching, but how about firing Romeo and promoting Chud? Let Phil go out and find the defensive coordinator. Let Chud hire the offensive coordinator to keep his system going. Give Chud some training on situation and game management or hire him a clock/challenge coach.
The Name on the Door is Exit…Romeo
If DA is as bad as his last 6 games then Savage screwed the pooch by not trading him when his value was at its highest.
Donte Stallworth is stealing money. He hasn’t played, and his foot sent Braylon Edwards back to his rookie season. (P.S. I don’t care who you train with #17, you do not invite a Ravens fan to the game and give him luxury seats while WFNY commentors sit in the 340s.)
Anon – I saw that movement too. I think the center picked his head up completely before the snap. Is that legal? I honestly wondered.
What everyone is forgetting is the stupidity as well after the late FG on the Kickoff. Not only did they not try the onside that they lined up for, they didn’t kick it deep enough and the stoolers end up with the ball in better position than if we wouldn’t have converted the 4th and 7. On top of that, they didn’t line up correctly and gave away another 5 yards!! I’m not so disgusted with the FG. As mentioned before what were they doing on 3rd down? On 4th and 7, I can see the FG and putting some faith in the D. On 4th and 4 or less, then absolutely you go for it. But either way, it was an all around laughable coaching performance.
No no no to Pete Carroll. Not that he isn’t a great college coach, but thats exactly what he is – a college coach. They rarely make the transition to the pros successfully, its a totally different game. Teams that hire college coaches almost always regret it. Petrino, Saban, Davis, Spurrier, all extremely successful college coaches that failed miserably in the NFL. I don’t even really like the idea of Chud becoming a head coach unless it is in the interim. He only has 1 year of experience as an o-coordinator, so he has a lot of work to do before he is qualified to become a head coach. Bambino, I have been calling for Marty Schottenheimer to be hired for 2 years now, he is a very good coach who would give this team the tough, physical mentality it lacks right now.
I like Marty, but he’s just as bad at clock management.
1) Braylon – SHUT UP AND CATCH THE BALL (oh, and learn how to drive, too)
2) Romeo – that big thing in the end zone has a clock on it – LOOK AT IT ONCE IN A WHILE!
3) Stupid penalties led to the Steeler’s lone TD and in fact lost the game for the Browns. When the heck are these guys going to figure it out?
4) Shaun Rogers is a monster and the defense should follow his cue
5) Unfortunately – “Romeo Watch 2008” is officially on
The name on the door is… Field Goal
Rewatch the very last play. DA got the snap off in time and NO ONE bothered to block.
Those are the signs of a dispirited, broken team. That is the effect of Crennel’s meaningless FG.
Joe:
The reason I don’t agree firing Romeo now is the “least worst choice” is administrative in nature. If Savage is already considering a new coach, he knows a good (experienced) coach will look at how the Browns treated the old coach in deciding whether he should sign up. Plus, will the Browns be better this year if they move to Chud to head coach and put someone else at Offensive Coordinator in mid-season? I hear your point. Just think it looks like “the ship, she be sinking” no matter what this year and how they handle it will matter to a real coaching candidate in the off-season.