The Browns are 1-7 and by all accounts are worse right now than they were eight games in their expansion season back in 1999.
Sunday’s loss at Chicago was a little better than last week’s home shellacking by the Packers, but not by much…and only because Chicago played a little more unevenly than the Packers did.
You may have noticed that I’ve been posting about the Browns less and less as this season has motored along. And there is a good reason for that: I don’t totally hate myself.
Obviously I hate myself enough to keep showing up at Browns Backers meetups on Sunday to watch the weekly dreck that is Browns football in 2009…but I try not to dwell on it as much throughout the week anymore.
Here are the thoughts and feelings of those Browns fans who are more committed than I am, if you can possibly stomach reading any more about this team:
Could Mangini really go? — (Waiting for Next Year)
I am not making a prediction. I am also not proclaiming that firing Mangini is what I am rooting for. Firing any coach after one year is a devastating move for an organization. That isn’t to say it is always the wrong move, but it is certainly not what you want to be forced to do. Ideally continuity is a good thing in NFL organizations. Then again, continuity of failure is not. Make no mistake though, I am not pulling one way or another in this post. I am just trying to dissect this current situation in as objective a manner as possible. I am going to discuss some different points and try to figure out what it might mean to Mangini and his job security. I thought Patrick McManamon was insane last week with his call for Mangini to be fired, because I thought above all it was unrealistic. Today, it all feels a little bit different.
Randy Lerner says Mangini’s job is safe for now — (Plain-Dealer)
He indicated that he wasn’t ready to give up on Mangini despite being obviously distraught about the state of the team. But he did strongly indicate that it’s time for him to bring in a football authority who can help straighten out this mess.
Browns vs Bears reaction — (Cleveland Frowns)
We’re still of the opinion that Anderson isn’t nearly as bad as he’s looked, and that the Browns’ offensive line is better than average. But, as we noted yesterday morning, playing in the NFL without receivers of a certain standard is like trying to boil water in a pot that has a hole at its bottom. It doesn’t matter what kind of shape the rest of the pot is in. With a hole at the bottom, the whole pot fails.
And then there is this, which was probably the highlight of the day from an entertainment standpoint: Rob Ryan yelling at Jay Cutler. Is there anyone that Jay Cutler doesn’t piss off?
I just don’t know what to say about the Browns anymore. It’s Week 8 and I’m already plotting who we might get in the draft. That’s sickening.
One thing that Cleveland Frowns said is correct: it is very hard to compete with you do not have adequate wide receivers. The Browns right now have two young guys with some potential in Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie, but neither is even close to being ready for serious NFL action.
With inaccurate QBs, inadequate WRs, and only decent RBs, it is hard to mount a consistent offensive attack. And when that attack appears to lack any sense of direction or ingenuity, it makes it even more difficult.
And thus, we sit at 1-7.
Hey, at least we have awesome stadium mustard, right?
About Jerod Morris
