15
Mar
2010
Jets land Tomlinson; Browns ship Quinn to Denver
It was a busy Sunday in the NFL, with the New York Jets signing RB LaDanian Tomlinson, and the Cleveland Browns sending QB Brady Quinn to the Broncos for FB Peyton Hillis, 2 picks and a $5 footlong.
Tomlinson – the eighth leading rusher in NFL history – chose New York and Rex Ryan over joining Brett Favre in Minnesota, and believes that the Jets will give him a chance to contribute and win a championship. LDT (sorry, there’s only one LT in New York sports lore) will replace the recently-released Thomas Jones, and will back-up Shonne Green on the Jets depth chart.
Meanwhile, Mike Holmgren continues to clean house in Cleveland, trading former 1st round pick Quinn to Denver for a fullback and two late round picks. Ouch. In addition, the Browns traded another former 1st round pick – LB Kamerion Wembley – to the Raiders. Apparently Holmgren wants to start fresh, and thinks the duo of Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are an improvement over the tag team of Quinn & Derek Anderson … we shall see. In the mean time, it’s back to the drawing board once again for Browns fans.
5
Jan
2010
Browns: What is Worth Having Must be Earned
Coach Eric Mangini
Browns fans have been through the fire during the expansion era and during this season. It seems they are finally on the other side– except they aren’t. The men and women of the Flats, wait upon Mike Holmgren’s decision to retain or let go of Eric Mangini. What at once looked like a season of ruin for Mangini now looks like one of the better rebuilding jobs done in recent memory. Not some magical overnight blessing from the football gods that sends the team into the playoffs only to be brought down to earth the next year. No, it was a methodical, brick-by-brick construction job that can only be appreciated by stepping back after the season was finished to see the straight lines, quality workmanship, and effort.
Mangini, like no other coach I can remember, put his head down and stuck to his plan, even while the reporters (Clayton, the Plain Dealer hacks) sharpened their knives, gleefully stabbing Mangini at every turn, their contempt barely contained in their writing. Browns fans understandably impatient, watching at times a football team looking like one of the worst ever and reacting to incorrect reporting and poor analysis, called for his head. Veteran players used to the soft, mincy ways of Romeo Crennell dug their heels in the sand, complained loudly to their agents, who complained loudly to the media, creating a firestorm of bad energy. Randy Lerner, the entirely incompetent owner, without courage, without patience, wanting to prove how much he cares for the Browns fans (although strangely absent from the last two home games) goes out to hire a “credible football leader” in Mike Holmgren, who has the tedious nickname of “Big Show” to be the “CZAR” of football operations. The national and local media celebrate this move.
The Czar (AP Photo)
The hiring of Holmgren may have been a smart move (although there is something wildly mediocre about Holmgren that I can’t put my finger on) in the beginning of the season, or even at the end when the dust had settled and the lockers cleared. It was not a good move, however, done in the midst of a seemingly disastrous season– it was a panic move. It has now created a stomach-turning decision for Holmgren and for the Cleveland faithful, a decision that deep in the fog of a 1-11 season seemed easy. Keep Mangini or let him go. Times have changed.
21
Dec
2009
VIDEO: Joshua Cribbs returns kicks better than anyone else … ever
If there has been one shining bright spot in Cleveland this season, it has been the play of WR/KR/PR/QB/RB Joshua Cribbs. Yesterday, Cribbs proved once again that he can create offense single-handedly, helping the Browns to a 41-34 win over the KC Chiefs.
One of the most dangerous men in the league with the ball in his hands, Cribbs returned not one but TWO kickoffs for 100+-yard TDs to set a new NFL record for KO returns for TD in a career:
Ummm … note to Eric Mangini and the Browns staff: you might just want to give the ball to Cribbs on every play.
11
Dec
2009
Josh Cribbs induces Steeler fan MELTDOWN.
Present to me a more selfless, team-oriented player in the National Football League than Joshua Cribbs. You can’t do it. This guy has been through hell with this team, and continues to play with heart. Because of players like him, the Browns/Steelers rivalry emerged out of the abyss last night, with the 1-11 Browns THUMPING the defending Super Bowl champions on national TV. Here’s Cribbs:
Steelers fans, unfamiliar with tough times, are spinning.
Here’s a Steelers fan in a slow-mo, Counting Crows-induced, slapped-in-the-face, season melt.
Gotta’ love this guy. Steeler fans, like Browns fans–despite seemingly very different fates–are both passionate, and fiery. It’s better for everyone if this rivalry comes back to life.
Cleveland put a huge hurt on Big Jen and the Stillers last night–8 sacks, pressuring Jen all night, taking super-annoying Hines Ward out of the picture and simply WANTING IT MORE than Pittsburgh did.
The Steelers lack identity right now.
27
Nov
2009
Matt Stafford is even more impressive on “mic’d up”
We realize that the Matt Stafford coverage this week is bordering on man-crush territory. And the fact that he threw 4 INTs yesterday against the Packers cannot be ignored.
But you just can’t fight a great story. And Stafford’s gutsy comeback performance (and particularly the final play) last weekend against the Browns was a great story. This “mic’d up” segment gives even more insight into the way this kid plays the game of football, including how he fought off the trainers to re-enter the game with a shoulder injury. If you don’t want to follow Stafford into battle after watching this, I don’t know what to tell you.
Stafford has obviously got a long way to go. But it’s clear from this video that he has the intangibles you just can’t teach, and should make him a great QB in this league for a long time.
25
Nov
2009
Brady Quinn’s girlfriend could knock you out
Alicia Sacramone would automatically become the Browns 2nd best Linebacker (Original Photoshop/hack job: ArtieFufkin)
The video below is from 2007, but it suddenly became relevant again with the news that Browns QB Brady Quinn is dating Olympic Gymnast Alicia Sacramone.
You may remember Sacramone as the sassy, thickly built, silver-medal-winning gymnast who stole your heart Beijing 2008. I remember her from my dreams, and thanks to this video, from my nightmares:
TheDarkHorse has already said that Sacramone would automatically become the Browns 2nd best Linebacker. And if her sweet lovin’ had anything to do with Quinn’s 300-yd, 4-TD performance last week, Mangini had better get this girl a locker. They can use all the help they can get.
23
Nov
2009
Game of the Week Highlights: Lions vs Browns – Stafford shoulders the win
Matt Stafford breaks away from a member of the Lions training staff to re-enter the game against the Browns (Photo: JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)
Heading into week 11 of the NFL season, one game stood out as the match-up that nobody wanted to see – the 1-8 Detroit Lions vs the 1-8 Cleveland Browns. The worst teams from both conferences squaring off in a game that was barely even broadcast on TV in their home markets. Feel the power. But by Sunday evening, this clash of the basement-dwellers stood out from the pack as the most competitive, action-packed game of the week. And the ending was certainly the most memorable!
The Browns jumped out to a lead on the arm of Brady Quinn, who threw for three 1st quarter TDs, and had Cleveland feeling good early. But rookie #1 pick Matt Stafford led the Lions on a gutsy comeback with 4 TDs of his own, giving them one last shot to win the game as time expired.
If you don’t know what happened by now, you can watch the complete game highlights below … or fast forward to around 5:10 to see the big finish (game recap here):
Peter King describes exactly what happened on those final two plays , including what went down after Stafford seemingly threw a pick to end the game as time ran out. But a pass interference penalty – along with an unnecessary timeout by Eric Mangini – allowed Stafford to re-enter the game after injuring his shoulder to throw the go-ahead score. Against the wishes of Lions team doctors.
UPDATE: Stafford suffered an AC joint separation in his non-throwing (left) shoulder. He is likely to miss Thursday’s Lions game against the Packers, but it doesn’t look like a long-term injury.
And while it’s yet another brutal loss for Cleveland and their fans (and TheDarkHorse may kill me for this post), the win marks the coming out party for Matt Stafford as a QB who now has earned the respect of his teammates, along with the city of Detroit. Head Coach Jim Schwartz summed it up best after the game:
“His best play wasn’t the last play, or the second-to-last,” Schwartz told me. “His best play was eluding four of our medical guys to get back onto the field.”
By playing through the pain and carrying the team on his shoulders (literally), Stafford has given hope to a franchise that hasn’t felt that emotion since Barry Sanders left town. And that’s a pretty big accomplishment in and of itself.
19
Nov
2009
Jeremy Shockey scoffs at LeBron James’ football-playing abilities
(Image: Twitter.com)
There has been a lot of chatter recently about the notion that LeBron James could somehow help the Cleveland Browns on the football field this season. In fact, earlier this week, James said that he could be “really good” if he put his time & energy into it, and the Browns (seemingly jokingly) even entertained the idea of bringing him on board. And who could blame them, right?
Well, don’t try to feed any of that jive to Jeremy Shockey! The Saints TE made his feelings on the subject clear via his Twitter account earlier today. saying that James couldn’t “even make a practice squad”, and calling out his 40 time as proof. Now, we’re not sure why Shockey feels so threatened by King James, but it makes for good blog fodder on a slow work day, and that’s good enough for us!
UPDATE: Giants’ WR Steve Smith has weighed in on his Facebook page, saying that he wouldn’t want to have to defend James. Of course, Smith plays offense. So he somehow managed to make this even more of a moot point. Way to go, Steve.
(Image: Facebook.com)
As we previously noted, James was an All-State WR in high school, and Randy Moss even suggested that he could be a better pro than Antonio Gates. Continue reading after the jump for the latest ESPN segment that got Shockey so fired up.
17
Nov
2009
It gets worse for Cleveland: Josh Cribbs injured on final play
(Photo: Tony Dejak/AP via Cleveland.com)
Since most of the nation had turned their attention elsewhere before the end of the Ravens/Browns MNF game (and who could blame them), you probably missed this one.
On the final play of the game, WR Josh Cribbs – perhaps the sole bright spot for Cleveland this year – was leveled by DE Dwan Edwards after pitching the ball on a hook-and-ladder play, and was taken to the hospital to be evaluated for a possible concussion. Cribbs was imnobilized on the field and carted off on a stretcher as a precautionary measure, but had all feeling in his extremities.
Here’s video of the play:
After the game, Ravens DE Trevor Pryce said the Browns shouldn’t have been running the play in the first place, with the game so far out of reach:
“Running a play like that when you’re down 16 — what are you trying to prove?” Pryce said. “I don’t understand it. I don’t want to say something like that, but heck, it’s the truth.
“Bad things happen when you do something like that. When people are running around like crazy, somebody’s going to get hurt. Dwan hit him because he had the ball. He didn’t try to hurt him. We prayed for Josh. I hope he’s OK. He’s a great player.”
Ummm … I’m pretty sure Cribbs didn’t have the ball anymore. In fact, he took 3 steps without it before getting crushed by Edwards. Some have even suggested that the hit may have been payback for an earlier play where Browns QB Brady Quinn went low at the knees of LB Terrell Suggs following an interception. Suggs did not return to the game, and the severity of his injury is not yet known. When asked if there was any retribution intended, Edwards said, “Absolutely not.”.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for Cleveland, it turns out that the final play where Cribbs was hurt was set up by their fourth time out of the game. So the play should never have even happened. Yikes.
16
Nov
2009
LIVE GAME BLOG! MONDAY NIGHT SHOWD…. OH WAIT, NOBODY CARES.
I was about to post my writeup on the Browns-Ravens game… but I was overcome with a sense of futility. Back to staring at the wall.
