yet. Yes they had some tremendous overall first round pick busts, yes they fumbled out the gate and have been crap for a long time now, but until the QB controversy truly happens I wouldn’t go throwing out the “gloom and doom” towards the Browns yet.

It is irresponsible, or at the very least vain, to bring that into the equation so soon. So many people salivating over this QB controversy, that as soon as a simple concussion is had in the second week of the preseason that we are ready to annoint Quinn the starter forever.

Anderson is being built to either be one of the best in the league or extremely nice trade bait. A QB controversy does not help that. The roles are defined ATM. Savage and Crennel have shown that they aren’t as screwed up as the previous administration that drafted Tim Couch and Courtney Brown. Have a little more faith.

As a die hard Steelers fan, and supreme Browns hater what I salivate over mostly is a return to competetiveness for Cleveland. It makes enjoying those wins over them even better. In the last eight years it’s been like picking on the kid with the pocket protector and glasses with the tape on em, fun but not challenging, and afterwords you feel a little (just a little) guilty inside because your mom wouldn’t be very proud of you for picking on a weakling in such a way.

Your analysis on the Bengals is spot on though.

I see where you’re coming from Blitz. I’m not sure what the tipping point will be for the Browns but they just seem like a house of cards to me. They’re pretty right now and everyone likes to look at them but anything more than a slight breeze could completely destroy them. I say that not as an indictment of the franchise but more of a statement on the young and unproven nature of the team as a whole.

As a die hard steelers fan who lives in Cleveland I have a unique view of these brownies. I agree with everyone that they are a “house of cards”, but i believe they have already shown that they have no depth and their fan base is already getting discourage. As my good friend and long time browns backer said just this morning “same shit different year”. The fans are ALREADY becoming restless and talking about Quinn.

Not much more to add about the Browns. They were absolutely embarrassed in the first quarter of the MNF game.

The Bengals are still a mess and will be for the foreseeable future. Bad luck for Palmer, because he appears to be a QB that could have a HOF career with the right franchise. But, if the Bengals are bringing back Chris Henry already, that just shows how unbelievably screwed up the FO is.

The Monday night performance worried me for sure. It’s entirely plausible to see that performance as an augury of bad things to come this season, given all the possible reasons they could fail (schedule, expectations, not being “ready”, QB controversey, overall depth, etc).

However, to draw organizational conclusions based on one preseason game against the Super Bowl champs is, sorry Blitz, comedic at best. Remember, exactly 12 months ago this team wasn’t higher than 30 in any preseason rankings. It had also turned over about 45 players from the 53 man roster in 04. The fact is, Savage and company are no more committed to “win now” than they are to winning in 4 years. That’s why they haven’t shelled out a 2nd round pick for another corner, or traded one of their two starter-caliber quarterbacks to bolster the present roster. If this was a “win now” movement, one (and probably both) of those things would have happened a long time ago.

Consistency and stability by definition can’t be created in a season or two, and you’re in a unique position being a fan of the most “stable” organization in football (3 coaches in a thousand years or whatever). However, make no mistake, no matter what happens this year Savage is going to be a thorn in your side for the next decade+ at least… continuing to find pro bowlers like Thomas, Edwards, Rogers, Cribbs, etc. He was forced to spend the first two years overhauling the entire roster, getting rid of the Gerrard Warrens and Courtney Browns. Now we’re in year 4, and regardless of one little preseason game, a legitimate contender for the AFC North. I can’t wait to see where he has this team after having 5, 6, 7 years to install his program.

Maybe it was the coincidence of the Henry signing and the MNF game, but I was thinking about making a similar post.

Obviously winning the division is our key to the post season. Everyone is watching the Browns, and they could still give us a run for the title. I’ve been wary of the Ravens and Bengals, though, since everyone is dismissing them and both teams have some talent. I keep uneasily waiting for one of them to show signs that they could be a surprise condender, but the more I watch, the less I see it.

IMO, the Bengals have the talent they need to make the playoffs. They have a bunch of young CB’s who will continue to get better, they have a very capable DE in Geathers, they drafted 2 possible impact players on defense (LB Rivers and DT Sims), in addition to a potent offense. If CJ and Housh played and were healthy, on of their young WR’s stepped up, they found a combo in the running game that worked, and they got some vocal leadership from somwhere, they could be that team. A few months ago, that list seemed feasible, so I was a little slow to dismiss them. Since then, CJ has caused problems and gotten injured, Housh is holding out, Palmer and the OL have looked bad, Rivers has held out, and they signed Chris Henry, which reaks of poor leadership and desperation. Terrible, just terrible. I am officially counting them out at this juncture.

The Ravens, on the other hand, had a bad year in 2007, caused to some extent by injuries to the CB’s. If they could get healthy on defense, find a QB that could get it done, and get some good leadership from their new coach and OC, they could be a surprise contender as well. A couple weeks into training camp, none of the QB’s have stood out. Smith just isn’t talented enough, Flacco isn’t ready, and Boller is… well we all know what Boller brings to the table. On top of all this, Ogden retired (Jared Allen had 2 sacks early against his replacement) and the team has had a rash of injuries in training camp. Unlike the Bengals, all this won’t get me to dismiss them, but it’s not looking good so far.

Enough has been said about the Browns. They have significant talent in places on the their roster, but if Winslow, Edwards or Lewis (or maybe even Anderson) went down their offense would be in trouble. On defense, their line could be pretty good, but their starting secondary has questions and their backups are an even bigger question. They have one impact LB in Wimbley, but a competetion of mediocre talent for the rest of the group. I’m worried, but not too worried. They could beat us this year, but I doubt they could take the division.

Those are my thoughts. I think it’s starting to look like the division is our to lose, and even if we lose it, we might not lose it.

Henry’s signing is really discouraging — not because they brought back Henry, but because we have six receivers that are vying for four spots and not a single one of them is trusted enough to receive consistent playing time.

Some of you are dead on. The Bengals problem isn’t the talent around them — we have plenty of talent (yes, even on defense). A lot of it has to do with coaching and a piss-poor mentality — and that’s the most discouraging part in all this.

There is one element that happened with the Henry signing and that’s the public embarrassment that it’s known Marvin Lewis was trumped by Mike Brown.

I probably didnt choose the best words when I said the Browns were ‘structurally flawed’ organization. I was referring to the fact that Crennel admitted he hadnt been very hard on them during training camp, and how they were scrambling with some starters still in there late in the game to try to come back. I find that funny, and emblematic of a team that doesn’t quite know how to go about its business. That doesnt mean the team’s structurally flawed though necessarily, like I’d say with the Bengals.

Thanks for clarifying the Bengals WR situation too, Kirk.

Is being setup to fail. He can’t win when the owner is making these types of calls. Little wonder Chad was squawking the offseason, even if Marvin is saying we will move on without you, the owner probably would intervened and not let Chad sit.

As for the Qb controversy. It can eat a team up, but not always. The Chargers dumped a very good and popular QB who took them to the playoffs, and went with the high round draft pick. They have remained a playoff level team even if it is too early to decide if Rivers should have the job over Brees.

And with media madness, in my view, whenever mainstream media takes a stance, it often is terribly shortsighted and far too kneejerk.

And from the looks of the box score Mr. Brady Quinn played just fine. To the tune of 7-12, 100+ yards, 1 TD, 0 INT fine.

Unfortunately for us Browns fans, you’re looking at the boxscore with beergoggles on. I can’t comment on how Quinn looked overall as I watched only a few of his snaps. What I can tell you is that 44 of those 100+ yards came on a bomb that he underthrew, was in the arms of the defender, and Steptoe wrestled it out of his hands. Calling the play a 44-yard TD pass is pretty generous, but alas, that’s how it appears in the boxscore.

I’ve been a proponent of Quinn last year and into the offseason, but they’re going with DA. There’s no QB controversy, and trying to gauge what the Browns will do based on the local Browns fans (specifically., the talk radio group) is a fruitless endeavor.

on how they start the season I think. If they’re 1-1 (not giving them the 2nd game no way) then I think they can work through, find their rythm, and be the serious threat that everyone says they were going to be…

However, at 0-2 I think someone gets chucked under the bus. I don’t think the team would be like the Bengals lately and get mad about their expectations of winning…seeming to tear their team apart. I just think that coaching decisions might get a bit random if they get off to a slow start.

BTW, just happened to look at the Browns website and who’s there on the news bulletins but Mr. Quinn “anxious” for more chances to play. I think this will be an issue for the Browns this year. I see a change at the helm sometime during the year.

I’m ONLY worried about Houston. If we take care of our business none of these AFC North teams matter.

Less than one year ago today, that team was wiped unmercifully from its own home field, one play inducing four different penalty flags, in which it shipped its starting quarterback to Seattle. After that they went 10-5. I don’t know if Anderson or Quinn is the answer, but I do know they have both to choose from. Even if the media does get involved, it couldn’t possibly have more to say than after the dispatch of the starting quarterback after one game.

I hate to be the political establishment here, but it really is foolish to attempt to predict the NFL. Yes, it is safe to say that teams led by Brady and Peyton will succeed, and yes there are a handful of teams of which it is safe to predict failure, but the Cleveland Browns are not one of those. What Phil Savage has done is quite remarkable. Not long ago they had a guy named John Collins running the show, under an owner more interested in European soccer, and the franchise was in shambles. I was saddened the day savage won the power struggle over Collins. Ever since the Browns have been moving in the right direction.

I can see thinking that the Ravens and Bengals might struggle, but the Browns and Phil Savage have my total respect.