Archive for December, 2010

As 2010 comes to a close, Browns fans look back on a year full of excitement, frustration, confusion, and (with any luck) hope for a better 2011. We saw Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert make an instant impact with an expertly executed draft and free agency trades that brought us a drastically improved secondary in Joe Haden and TJ Ward; until injury showed its ugly head, the leadership of Scott Fujita that elevated the Browns linebackers to some of their best play in years (Benard’s two pick-sixes against the Saints comes to mind); and let’s not forget the complete overhaul [...]

I would like to apologize to you Colt McCoy. In my last post here I compared you to Charlie Frye, and doubted you’re the future quarterback Cleveland is so desperate for. For the record, I love your game. I can’t wait to see what you do next year. But I still have my doubts. And I hate having doubts. I want to know who the Browns’ quarterback of the future is, not feel OK about it. I want a blue-chip sure fire franchise horse, with a gun. I don’t want to start over every 2-4 years. I want to know [...]

He hasn’t missed a snap since joining the Browns in 2007, and he hasn’t missed a Pro Bowl either. For the fourth time in his four years in the league, left tackle Joe Thomas has been named to the Pro Bowl. He was named as a starter and, much to the dismay of Browns fans, is the only the Browns player who will be starting in the game. Running back Peyton Hillis was well on his way to locking up a spot on the Pro Bowl roster, but he hasn’t scored a touchdown in four weeks and his rushing yards [...]

With the way the media has been reporting it, you would think that head coach Eric Mangini has already been fired. Most of us have noticed that the writers of The Plain Dealer simply can’t wait to see Mangini gone, with the most recent evidence looking like this: But is he truly to blame for all of the Browns’ recent troubles, particularly on Sunday? There has been a heaping pile of criticism placed on his conservative playcalling, especially at the end of the first half on Sunday, when he failed to utilize two timeouts and go for a touchdown. Then, [...]

Check here for in-game thoughts and reactions during today’s Ravens Browns game. I’ll be watching with my buddy, codename “Clodhopper.” He used to be a punter at the University of Toledo, and he loves Reggie Hodges. Enjoy the game and go Browns!

The Browns and Baltimore Ravens are familiar foes, but that hasn’t stopped the Ravens from beating the Browns senseless on a number of occasions. In their first meeting this season, however, the Browns nearly rode Peyton Hillis to victory. How will things be different this week? I spoke with Matt Sadler of The Ebony Bird to get a better perspective on today’s match-up (you can also read a Q+A I did on The Purple Chaos, in which I unfortunately pick the Ravens to win…): 1. Maybe he snuck up on the Ravens in their first meeting, but Peyton Hillis had [...]

In addition to the work that I do here at Dawg Pound Daily, I have the opportunity to write a weekly column with the Blog Blitz section over at NFL.com. I’ll post an excerpt of my article, and you can follow the link to read the rest. Here is this week’s excerpt: Your guess is as good as mine, though if the rest of this season is any indicator (as it probably should be), the Browns might actually be competitive in these last two games. Despite the fact that head coach Eric Mangini’s fate might already be sealed, the Cleveland [...]

At least it’s finally out there. Bill Cowher has confirmed what everyone has known for a few years now – he’d like to return to the sidelines. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll take just any job in the NFL. He’s got a short wish list of teams that he will consider, which includes the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, and New York Giants. One team noticeably absent from that list is the Cleveland Browns. Despite playing for and coaching the Browns at different points in his career, the Browns do not appear to be in the running for Cowher’s next head [...]

It’s that time of year, again – the Browns are missing out on the playoffs. ZING! But really, it’s the holidays and we’ve spent the last month or so telling our family and friends what we might want as a gift. So, I ask you, what is the best gift the Cleveland Browns could give you this year?

Well, I hate to say it, but I would be very surprised to see Eric Mangini back as the Browns head coach next season. Losing back-to-back games to two of the worst teams in the league will be more than enough to seal his fate despite any successes he has had in his two seasons in Cleveland. That being said, the Browns didn’t do much to help Mangini’s cause on Sunday. The most glaring example of this came from the offensive and defensive lines. They were manhandled all day, and the most punishing stat to look at is running back [...]