Thoughts for a Glorious Monday

[Earl34]

1. Yes, fans, pinch yourselves...it happened. The Browns went into yet another tough place to play and were very competitive. They played their best and they came out winners. While idiots like Tom Waddle may claim it was what the Saints didn't do that lost them the game rather than what the Browns did....that just shows they didn't watch the game (or took too many illegal hits to the head). The Browns outhustled and outmuscled the Saints on the field and the coaching staff led by (everyone's favorite goat), Eric Mangini, outcoached everyone's (read ESPN's) darling Sean Payton and then some. There is no better way to enter a bye week.

 

2. Thank God I am not a fan of the Denver Broncos or the Minnesota Vikings. Whereas the Browns were not expected to do much this year, these are teams with no excuses for being where they are. I think Mike McCarthy knew what he was doing when he got rid of Brett Favre. He knew that #4 had some good plays left but he also knew that he had a lot of BAD plays left. Now, at 2-4, the Vikings don't look like they're going to make the playoffs barring an incredible run. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Brett Favre = Coach Killer.

 

3. I don't think we (or the coaches) have seen enough of Colt McCoy to determine whether he is the answer at QB. I surely like what I've seen so far but we need to see him improve and honestly, we need to see what he does after failure. We have seen him make 49 regular season throws. I don't think that's enough. The QB controversy that will emerge once the other two QBs are up and healthy isn't going to please anyone but for my money, I suppose you keep trotting Colt out there on Sundays and if Seneca or Jake are healthy....you keep him on a short leash.

 

4. Despite the lack of "BIG HITS" in yesterday's NFL, the games were no less compelling.

 

5. It's obvious and clear that David Bowens should remain in the lineup until the season ends or he gets Social Security benefits. There are plenty of unsung guys though. Matt Roth continues to be a thorn in offenses' sides. Rubin is anchoring the middle in a big way and even Big Baby was playing well yesterday.

 

6. Up next, the Pats. Consider this: Eric Mangini teams have ALWAYS come out tough and with a good game plan against the Patriots. The last time they met in 2008 it was prime time. The Mangini-led Jets came out and put a pasting on the Pats in the first half. Mangini did to Belichick what he did to Payton yesterday. Brady and Moss tried to bring them back and the Jets held. I think Bill is scared of Eric. Don't be surprised to see the same energy and ingenuity on November 7th at a loud home field.

 

Those are them folks. Add your own.

[ATENEARS]

Can we survive through the rest of the season or a season to come running the re-vamped UFO Defense? (does this scrambled Defense have a name?)

 

Is all this linebacker movement just to cover for Eric Wright who can't cover?

 

Do one or all of our O-Linemen hate Mike Bell? Each time he gets a handoff he has a defender in his face before he gets handed the rock!

 

If the average NFL life is 3 years, why is Robiskie still here in year #2?

[DawgTracker]

There were a lot of crazy plays this week although having a 270 pound linebacker score two touchdowns probably trumped them all

 

Colt has proven that he can manage games and pressure situations. I want to see him play in bad winter weather at least once

 

I think Robo will do his best work against zones or in the slot, he has good hands. The problem for him is that stuckey is similar and might be a little better than robo

 

No helmet to helmet hits this week. And some people thought nothing could stop them... But, Fujita pointed out that a lot of guys were tackling really low and there might be more ankle and knee injuries.

 

 

[Gips]

My thoughts are as much questions as they are thoughts:

After a fantastic effort yesterday will mangini slither back into his uncreative predictable skin after the bye week evaluation and all jobs are safe?

Can we expect to see this kind of coaching effort every week for the rest of this season? Regardless of if the players execute it as well as they did yesterday?

Is someone else actually making the decisions and or playcalling? Because the creativity and confusion created was well beyond mangini's known ability..

 

Im sick of being called a hater im not a hater more a vocal disliker of poor coaching regardless of the coach, I understand as well as anyone here what mangini has in mind over the longhaul but i avidly object to trying to build sparta with toothpicks when you need stone, fans pay to see a professional team, a team that evaluates what it has or dont have and tries to win and or entertain by any means necessary and this needs to be a priority now and always not just for tomorrows vision, hold onto and teach the bird you have in one hand while grabbing at one of the two in the bush with the other...

 

The effort and creative genius this staff put into yesterdays game win or lose is what they needed to be doing all along with the players we have, until the pieces come together, its fine to work on the parts you have but you still have to win games or at least try more than ramming it with one guy down the opponents throat, i liked the fact they actually rotated hillis out with bell and vickers thats more how it should be...we need some screen passes added as well..

 

This team can win just not the way mangini wants it to, at least not quite yet...

Anyone who wants to see their team lose just to get a better draft pick or just to see a coach fired is not a real fan IMHO..