Archive for August, 2010

There are times when I want to contact someone within the Arizona Cardinals organization and say, “Don’t fall into the trap! This is Derek Anderson we’re talking about here!” But that’s just because I like the Cardinals. Other times – which is most of the time – I’m perfectly willing to sit back and get ready for the implosion that will ensue. Anderson was the starter in the Cardinals’ preseason game against the Chicago Bears last Saturday, which was a 14-9 win for the Cards. The former Browns quarterback completed 7 of 12 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, [...]

Well, I guess it would be wise to bet the over the next time our Cleveland Browns meet up with the Detroit Lions, but that’s neither here nor there after last night’s 35-27 loss in the third and most important preseason game of the year. Disregard the loss for that matter, too, because as I’ve said time and again this preseason, the final score of exhibition football is irrelevant and besides the point. So what did I come away feeling good about following the Browns third preseason game against the Lions? Well, at least in regards to our offense, several things. [...]

Here are some thoughts on the Browns’ 24-14 halftime lead against the Detroit Lions: – It was great to see the entire Browns team and some some players on the Lions, especially Dre’ Bly, come onto the field and show such support for Nick Sorensen when he was injured late in the second quarter. You can just tell that the attitude is completely different this season, especially when it comes to the chemistry among these teammates. – How about those rookies? Shawn Lauvao got the start at right guard, going against the Lions’ Ndamukong Suh and held his own. Both [...]

Ok, so by now we have already heard about the possibility that rookie QB Colt McCoy is on the “bubble,” and unless he performs well in this weekend’s game and the following one,  could be cut from the final 53-man roster. It’s crazy if you ask me, but more on that in a moment. No, the shocking/head-scratching news today comes from head coach Eric Mangini, who in typical Mangini fashion, offers us nothing but yet so much: That’s something that we will talk about as the cuts get closer…I’ve kept four as a head coach and have been on teams [...]

On October 13, 2008, Derek Anderson played the best football game of his professional career. He dominated the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants to the tune of 310 yards passing and 2 TDs, in front of a national TV audience. The Browns won 35-14 in the surprising blowout on Monday Night. Anderson then went on to have an awful season. He lost the starting QB job a month later and finished the season on injured reserve. The Browns finished with a 4-12 record. So October 13 should serve as a whispering reminder for fans: Everyone at the NFL level [...]

It seems odd to even suggest it, but the question is now out there: is rookie quarterback Colt McCoy at risk of not making the Browns’ final roster? After complete 5 of 12 passes for 25 yards and two interceptions in the first two preseason games, Tony Grossi of the Plain Dealer has suggested that McCoy needs to play well in the final two games in order to make the final roster. With Brett Ratliff as his competition for the third quarterback spot, it never seemed likely that McCoy would miss out on making the team. Even though he has [...]

As I alluded to last week in my recap of the Browns 27-24 victory against the much more talented Green Bay Packers, there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in the NFL preseason. What you see during exhibition football is not always what you get when it really counts and game plans are more complex and specific. That’s why you can’t get too down on the Browns for coming up short against rookie quarterback Sam Bradford and the lowly St. Louis Rams Saturday night in a soggy Cleveland Browns Stadium. Now I’m not condoning a loss because we want W’s in Cleveland, but the final score of the second preseason game  (which [...]

In the sloppy mess that was much of the Browns preseason loss against the St. Louis Rams, running back Peyton Hillis, acquired from the Denver Broncos in the trade for Brady Quinn, was able to show off his impressive bulldozing skills. The big, bruising back repeatedly bounced off multiple defenders to rumble for 51 yards on 12 carries. Hillis looked impressive each time he touched the ball, making strong runs but also a particularly impressive catch on a third-down play. He has received less attention this off-season than running backs Jerome Harrison and Montario Hardesty, but with Hardesty’s injury and [...]

1.     Question: OMG! When did the Browns get so good? Answer: Well they’ve finally had time to get used to their new coach. They got rid of some drama queen players who were dragging them down, and they have new quarterbacks which improves everything. But the reason they look so much better at this particular moment is because they are playing the St. Louis Rams. They are one of just three teams whose record is worse than the Browns over the past two years (Rams, Lions, and Chiefs). They had the worst record in the league last year (1-15), and [...]

There’ s a lot going on in Browns training camp, so here’s some of the latest news and notes coming out of there: – Linebacker Marcus Benard, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009, is looking at a potential starting role with the Browns defense this season. D’Qwell Jackson’s injury opens up some room, but Benard’s work ethic and impressive play late last season (he sacked Ben Roethlisberger twice in the Browns’ win over the Steelers on December 10th) and during training camp is making the starting role potentially his to lose. – After throwing two interceptions in Saturday’s [...]