National Media on The Browns

[WPB Dawg Fan]

So, I have been reading a lot of national media articles and can't help but chuckle. They sit at their desks and read other peoples stuff...and then put their own spin on it. Basically regurgitating the same sad story over and over again, without ever taking a little time to go out and do THEIR OWN RESEARCH. So, here are a few examples of what the NATIONAL MEDIA say, and why they have it all wrong, and the Browns will actually be very competitive this year.

 

1. The Browns Offense didn't score a TD in 6 games: While true on the surface...the REALITY is that the Houston game was the last game we had even a 2nd string QB behind center. Add into that the fact that we played four teams in the top 7 scoring defenses during that stretch. I am not sure there are many teams that can score much with their 3rd and 4th string QB's in the game, much less against those defenses...so this stat is a bit goofy to be pointing at as proof of anything.

 

2. The Browns gave up 151 yds rushing per game in 2007. Yup, again, on the surface this is great info....but: As I said all last year, the Browns had ZERO defensive lineman that were prototypical DE's. We basically had 3 NT's in the game, which then forced our OLB's to face the more mobile and bigger OT's as well as cover the TE's coming out of the backfield. This year, we have R. Smith back (by the way, he was and IS our best DE vs the rush) and Kenyon Coleman is also a very quick, but strong prototypical DE (295lbs). These mobile guys on the edge will require the OT's to pinch down on them to prevent a rush up the middle, allowing our OLB's to pinch in and/or stunt to clog the middle. But more importantly, it will allow our OLB's to play in space without the OT's eating them up. Watch for the outside rush defense to be MUCH stouter this year.

 

3. The Browns don't know who their starter is. REALLY? The real problem is, YOU don't know who the starter is. The Browns have known since the beginning of this week...and probably longer. They just aren't telling YOU...and it pisses you off. So, your emotions have decided that this is a problem. Believe me, the Browns QB's got plenty of reps. Besides, the number of reps with the 'starters' is a lot less important when you are still determining the starters at OTHER positions (like WR, C, RT). So, quit whining and using this as an excuse.

 

4. Mangini is an asshole. The media has jumped all over this. The problem is, Mangini is no worse with the media or his players than the great BB in NE. He just doesn't have the SB wins to keep you whining little press pissers at bay yet (see #3 on that). The lack of information coming out of Cleveland is driving you all nuts...so you jump all over the 'Mangini is xxxx' crap coming out of NY after Favre imploded that team.

 

5. Cleveland hasn't won anything since rejoining the league. Wow, I hadn't noticed. But seriously, what does that have to do with THIS YEAR? The Browns have over 50% new players. This is NOT last years team...and it definitely is NOT the team that has lost all those games over the past 10 years. Besides which, this isn't the same coaching staff or the same type of preseason or the same TYPE of players we have historically had. So, what does the past 10 years have to do with this year???

 

6. The Browns were 4-12 last year. Again with the obvious. But let's disect that shall we... The Browns faced the #1 most difficult schedule in the league last year. The Browns played 5 games without EITHER their starting QB or their backup (the were 4-6 before the QB's started going down). The Browns STARTED the season with MAJOR injuries (starting WR, TE, S, DE, QB). This year the Browns have one of the easiest schedules, they are completely healthy, and they have both their starting and backup QB's not only healthy, but with plenty of reps in case the starter goes down. No comparison.

 

I could probably go on with the moronic comments coming out of the national media, but the truth is...THIS IS NOT LAST YEAR'S TEAM!

 

The Browns have a pretty easy schedule...and even the tough teams outside of our division have to come HERE

Minnesota

Green Bay

San Diego

 

Only Chicago and the AFC North had winning records that we will have to play on the road. All others were no better than us...or have actually taken a step backwards this year.

 

Get ready folks. The more I look at this...the more I think a winning season may be in our immediate future.

GO BROWNS!!!

[Nails]

Fun read - Thank you.....Man, I hope you're right....

[LCDawgFan13]

I agree. The national media simply looks at last years record and decides a team's future from that. Based on last year, the Browns suck this year. They are like Lums...they don't care about the facts!

[DumAssWhiteGuy]

WPB, I agree 100%.

 

All the supposed experts who are picking us to go 2-14 are smoking crack! They forget this team was 4-6 went it had to start playing 2 QB's who don't belong in the NFL for the last 6 games and not to mention the team quit on Cupcake Crennel.

 

I strongly believe this is a better coached team with an easier schedule and hopefully will get some consistent QB play this year will suprise many teams. I see us realistically 8-8.

[BrownIndian]

One thing the national media is predicting and I hope is true is for Braylon Edwards to have a big year.

[OconRecon]

Excellent, excellent, excellent.

 

Of course we won't know until the season unfolds, but you're not bending things around to give hope. These are true differences. Points a Terry Pluto would make.

 

Our schedule strength is ranked 25th this year.

 

GO BROWNS!!

[Gips]

Great read and 100% dead on the national sports press are a rather lazy bunch that dont do their own research and yes the browns are going to be far better than most think but the national press wont catch on until mid season...

 

Whats been more disappointing to me is the cleveland press namely the PD and how whiney and anti-mangini they are and every one of the bottom feeders picked the browns to finish last in the afcn...man thats some faith in and knowledge of this teams capabilities isnt it..

 

And then theres the jaded emo fans that still have their heads lodged up in RACs fat ass and cant seem to understand that there is a new era of browns football on the horizon and mangini aint RAC and BQ is not our one dimensional backup DA...this team is poised to move forward but we have a lot of fans that are still looking back and its the browns themselves that have to step up to the plate to win these fans confidence back...and i believe the browns are ready and willing to do that!

 

Sunday cant come soon enough!

 

GO BROWNS!

[calfoxwc]

Yes, excellent read !

 

I never respected Bellicheck as a person when he was here. He was glib, annoying,

 

impersonal and closed.

 

Night 'fore last I saw Mangini on the STO One-on-One show, and he was great. Warm, sincere,

 

a lot of expanded answers, and this guy cares very, very deeply.

 

Last night, Tenn. went soft on coverage and wouldn't play aggressive on defense or offense.

 

At one critical point, the offense was deep in their own end zone, and they simply handed the ball off

 

three times and punted.

 

The squeelers do NOT play football like that. And on defense, Tenn. continually wouldn't blitz much,

 

thinking that if they let Rothlicksbooger sit back there as long as he wants, that no wr can get open.

 

With HINES "IHATEHIMHE'STHATGOOD" WARD? And Santonio Holmes? You have to be kidding.

 

Mangini has the Browns EXCITED to play AGRESSIVELY, unpredictably.

 

FINALLY. Watching Tenn last night was like watching the Browns play read and react, which they have

 

done for how freakin long?

 

No more. Give Mangini big, HUGE credit. That attack mentality of the Browns is the one major

 

philosophical difference that had to take place.

 

So much of the sports media around the Browns has been sarcastic and negative so long, it's generally

 

accepted that it still happens...

 

Not anymore. This team plays football like it is supposed to be played, aggressively and smart.

 

We'll see how long it takes for the anti-media to realize it.

[ITHIKA]

Something else to be said is how important the first 4 games are. Last year we had the Cowboys, Steelers, Baltimore and Cincinnati. 3 of the 4 were very tough opponents. Compared to this year Minnesota, Denver, Baltimore and Cincinnati. I think a good start or even 500 start will really help this team..

[The Gipper]

These prognosticators are also ALWAYS basing what is going to happen this year on what happened last year, as if it is gospel that the strength of teams never change. Well, let's see, if you go by that, then last year the Browns would have been a 10-6 team based on the year before, and the Ravens would have been a 3-13 team. What happened? the Browns tanked and the Ratbirds made the AFC title game.

Also, recall my post where it was shown that at least this century there is an average turnover in playoff teams of 50%. I.e. on average every year six teams that made the playoffs the year before don't make it again, and 6 that didn't make it end up going. Is there any reason to believe this trend will not continue?

[OconRecon]

I sent a link to this thread to Terry Pluto this morning (because I thought it made same damn good points). I don't think there's dis-etiquette in pasting it here. Nothing earth shattering, but fun.

 

My email:

 

Terry,

 

These are points from a post on BrownsBoard.com about how the national media is/may be wrong. Thought they were great. I’m drinking the Browns Kool-Aid brother!

 

(Loved Our Tribe by the way. Great read for us life long Cleveland fans).

 

No need to reply, I’m sure you’ve plenty of these emails. Go Browns!!

 

Chris

 

=====

 

 

His response:

 

Thanks,

 

I have not been hung up on the starting QB biz because I have believed (and have wrote and said) for months it was Quinn. Just fits Mangini's approach, and I believe they have been getting him ready.

 

take care,

 

terry

 

 

www.terrypluto.com

 

For all terry pluto faith stories, click: www.cleveland.com/pluto/faith

 

 

 

 

 

[hiwaygal]

The national media printing/spouting crap??? Say it ain't so!!!

[PlaygroundLegend]

The ESPN and yahoo sports people suck too, they dont read any local media articles, and they dont know what the coaches even say in the pressers, they just take wild shots in the dark based on last season.

 

The ESPN fellas were saying that Quinn is only safe for the first game, when Eric Mangini said no matter what he is sticking with his starter

[Dawgstucknpa]

Agree completely.

 

The media doesn't have the time to delve in to the nitty-gritty of each team. They give a lame, cursory report, based mostly last years' success or failure, and extrapolate it out folloishly. Look, its so easy to pile on the Browns...so easy for LAZY so-called reporters.

[DeadWombat]

Good read, WPD... Good read.

 

I hate it when the media always brings up that "No offensive touchdown in 6 games" Shit. We were starting a 4TH STRING QB WHO WAS ONLY THERE FOR LIKE 2 WEEKS during those final games. But they never mention that. God forbid someone rationalize why the browns did bad last year.

[ITHIKA]

Another thing to look at is also the last 4 games of the season and having the bye week at week nine right before a huge game at home on Monday night vs the Ravens. If the Browns can stay close going into the last three games they could easily win out those facing Kansas City, Oakland and Jacksonville. The more I look at this schedule the more excited I get that this could be a surprise season.

 

So my theory is If we can start strong and end strong this team could realistically win 10 games and make the playoffs. Wishful thinking maybe, but stranger things have happened!

[RestinPeace]

It is what it is. Unless Quinn is a good QB, the Browns will struggle. We lack talent pretty much across the board.

 

Good QB play, however, can hide things.

[Guest AdaM]

I've realized the following when idiots try to tell me how bad the browns are/going to be this season.

 

 

 

They don't know dick about the current state of the franchise and they're just regurgitating what they hear on TV/Radio.

 

 

I proceed to tell them they're a xxxxing dumbass and don't know shit about football and upper cut them in the jaw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At least thats what I want to do

[daddybull1]

I've given up on the national media a long time ago, they simply repeat the same stories time and again and have no idea whats going on in Cleveland.......

 

Fact of life guys & gals, Cleveland wont get any respect until we win... After our 10 & 6 season suddenly we were given a few prime time games..

 

The national media could give a rats patoot about Cleveland but put together a run and they'll be at our doorstep with candy and flowers....

 

Peace

 

T.Dawg

[RestinPeace]

We may lack stars (like those early Pats teams), but I don't think we lack talent.

 

Rogers (1st round pick, Pro Bowler), DQJ (early 2nd round, led NFL in tackles), Wimbley (first round pick), Coleman (led 3-4 lineman in tackles) and Wright (early second round pick) are serious talents. I see no suckage around them, either.

 

I feel the same way about Thomas (first LT of his draft, Pro Bowler), Steinbach, Mack (first center of his draft), Edwards (first WR of his draft, Pro Bowler), Cribbs (Pro Bowler), Quinn (2nd QB of his draft, Maxwell Trophy Winner), and Davis. Yeah, I said Davis.

 

LOL. Alot of those guys aren't much in terms of being 'players'. Alot of those guys need to be shipped out at some point(especially Wimbley).

[RestinPeace]

I for one havent given up on Wimbley,I think he and DQ will be monsters for the defense this year.

 

Might as well give up on you.

[OconRecon]

This is also the same national media who pumped up the Browns after '07, when us Browns fans knew we had just went through a wimpy schedule, our QB was fading fast, and our coach didn't seem to get it.

 

When we had the same amount of prime time games as the Pats on the '08 schedule, I thought "oh shit".

 

Definite improvements. New staff, new scheme, new year.

 

Go Browns!!

 

[Guest AdaM]

Might as well give up on you.

 

 

 

 

Hey moron, lets see what dq and wimb can do without a total bafoon of a headcoach before you say they need shipped out.

[RestinPeace]

Hey moron, lets see what dq and wimb can do without a total bafoon of a headcoach before you say they need shipped out.

 

LOL. It ain't the coaching. You people still don't get it. Kam's a turd. He doesn't have much skill. So he needs that extra kick of athletic ability.....he doesn't have that either.

 

DQ is undersized but useable. But I want a upgrade at RILB in the next couple of years. Somebody that can attack the LOS.

 

It is what it is. You don't except that. Instead we listen to Mangini and Ryan lie to us like all new coaches do. Basically they telling us we will suck at OLB and hence, drag down the LB core because they had so many needs. But they want to "work" with them.

 

Gosh, so smart.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

Might as well give up on you.

 

Why are you here?

[WPB Dawg Fan]

LOL. It ain't the coaching. You people still don't get it. Kam's a turd. He doesn't have much skill. So he needs that extra kick of athletic ability.....he doesn't have that either.

 

DQ is undersized but useable. But I want a upgrade at RILB in the next couple of years. Somebody that can attack the LOS.

 

It is what it is. You don't except that. Instead we listen to Mangini and Ryan lie to us like all new coaches do. Basically they telling us we will suck at OLB and hence, drag down the LB core because they had so many needs. But they want to "work" with them.

 

Gosh, so smart.

good job of proving you have absolutely NO IDEA about how defense is run.

 

first off, let me address the DQ comment. He was recently tabbed by Football Outsiders as the guy to watch this year on defense for the player of the year. They mentioned he is a little bit small for the position, but pointed out that his DVOA rating was head and shoulders above any other RILB in the league...and that his leading tackles was incredible considering the DL he had in front of him.

 

Now, as for Wimbley. Last year we played with 3 NT's on the DL. Rogers, S.Smith, and Williams. All 3 are NT size. The CORRECT size for a DE is between 285 and 310 for a reason. That is so they are nimble enough to get outside of the OT's. Because we lacked that type of DE, our OLB's faced OT's all season....and also had to deal with TE's and the occasional chip block by the RB. All because our DE's couldn't move worth spit.

 

Now, this year we have R. Smith back...he is a very solid run stopper, and K.Coleman, with a lot of speed and experience. These 2, combined with Mosely and Williams, will be able to contain the edge. That will then free up our OLB's to put on a pass rush and/or drop back in space to cover the TE's. This changes the entire dynamic of the defense.

 

So, basically, the last 2 years, Wimbley has been getting shat on because he was too busy taking on the DE's duties instead of being able to concentrate on HIS duties.

 

This will be a break out season for him. I expect 10+ sacks as he is used not only straight up, but on stunts up the middle. He will EXCEED his rookie year.

[Orange Dog Democrat]

1. The Browns Offense didn't score a TD in 6 games: While true on the surface...the REALITY is that the Houston game was the last game we had even a 2nd string QB behind center. Add into that the fact that we played four teams in the top 7 scoring defenses during that stretch. I am not sure there are many teams that can score much with their 3rd and 4th string QB's in the game, much less against those defenses...so this stat is a bit goofy to be pointing at as proof of anything.

 

Boy, I'm glad someone said this. Great point. I know people have issues with Tony, Mary Kay, Marla, etc., but at least they've watched these guys day in and day out. Half of these national writers, they either (a) helicoptered in for one day -- ONE DAY! -- of camp or ( didn't actually see the team at all -- they're reading the same stories and transcripts we are. Add that to the ongoing pro-Steelers, pro-Ravens bias and the ongoing anti-Browns bias and there you go.

[WPB Dawg Fan]

We may lack stars (like those early Pats teams), but I don't think we lack talent.

 

Rogers (1st round pick, Pro Bowler), DQJ (early 2nd round, led NFL in tackles), Wimbley (first round pick), Coleman (led 3-4 lineman in tackles) and Wright (early second round pick) are serious talents. I see no suckage around them, either.

 

I feel the same way about Thomas (first LT of his draft, Pro Bowler), Steinbach, Mack (first center of his draft), Edwards (first WR of his draft, Pro Bowler), Cribbs (Pro Bowler), Quinn (2nd QB of his draft, Maxwell Trophy Winner), and Davis. Yeah, I said Davis.

Yeah, I find it funny that they key on 'stars' as examples of talent. I seem to remember a defense called the "No Name Defense" that did kinda well.

 

Five offensive players from Miami's 1972 perfect team have made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (fullback Larry Csonka, guard Larry Little, quarterback Bob Griese, wide receiver Paul Warfield and center Jim Langer), but not one member of the defense has been enshrined.

 

So, it seams to me that it isn't about a 'name' as much as it is about getting the job done.