Brownie Bits: Week 3

Written by Jonathan Knight

Useless nuggets of information from Sunday’s Browns game that you can certainly live without…

THE SKID CONTINUES: The Browns have now lost nine straight games and 12 of their last 13. The losing streak is their longest since dropping 10 in a row in 2008/2009.

AWFUL O-LINE: The Browns’ primary weakness on offense on Sunday was its offensive line, which permitted four sacks and only allowed Cleveland to tally 33 rushing yards, 2.5 yards per carry. Tack on three holding penalties by the line (one of which was declined) and it goes down as one of its worst performances in recent memory.

AGAIN WITH THE HOME WHITES: This was the 10th straight home game in which the Browns wore their white jerseys. This is their longest home/white string since going with the whites for 36 straight home games between 1985 and 1989.

DISPARITY: The Browns’ defense is permitting an average of 392 total yards per game. Meanwhile, the offense is averaging nearly 100 less yards per contest at 296.

OUTSCORED BY THE TRIBE: Sunday marked the first time the Indians outscored the Browns in the same day since Sept. 27, 2009, when the Tribe trounced Orioles 9-0 while the Browns were throttled by the Ravens, 34-3. 

NO DAWSON: This was only the third game in Pat Shurmur’s tenure as Browns’ head coach in which the Browns did not kick a field goal.

OH-AND-THREE REDUX: This marks the fifth time in the last seven years the Browns have started 0-3, the eighth time overall. The best record they’ve finished with after starting 0-3 is 5-11 (1984, 2009, 2010), and - since this topic is obviously on fans’ minds - their head coach was replaced either during or immediately after three of those eight seasons.

POINTS AT A PREMIUM: The Browns have been held to 17 points or less in seven of their last eight games. They’ve also failed to score more than 17 points in their last 12 home games.

WELL-PLACED: Reggie Hodges and the Browns’ punting team only averaged 35.8 net yards on eight punts, but placed three of them inside the Buffalo 20.

WINNING TRIP ALONG THE LAKE: The Bills hadn’t won in Cleveland since 1995, though this was only the second time they’ve played here since the Browns’ return. The previous three meetings had all been in Buffalo (2008, 2009, and 2010).

OFFENSIVE MISTAKES: The Browns’ offense was penalized for false starts twice on Sunday, making it four times in their last two games. They were also flagged for holding twice against the Bills (a third was declined) - pushing their total to five in the last two weeks.

WEEDEN WATCH: After his infamous 5.1 in Week 1, Brandon Weeden has pushed his season passer rating up to 60.7.

TOOTHLESS: The Browns' defense managed only one sack, one tackle for a loss, and one quarterback hit. Both the tackle for loss and quarterback hit were delivered by Jabaal Sheard.

ANOTHER OMINOUS STREAK CONTINUES: This was the 25th straight home game in which the Browns failed to draw 70,000 fans. It's their longest string since going 29 straight home games from 1953 to 1958.

CASHING IN: The Browns’ initial touchdown on Sunday marked the first time this season they’d scored a touchdown after penetrating their opponents’ 20-yard-line. They’d crossed the 20 three times in their first two games without reaching the end zone. 

SEPTEMBER SLUMP: Over the past five years, the Browns have lost 13 of their 16 September games.

NOWHERE FAST: The Browns' offense sputtered to four three-and-outs on Sunday, bringing their season total to 11. Combined with their seven turnovers, more than a third of their possessions have ended either in a turnover or a three-and-out.

TRENT’S TOUCHES: Trent Richardson had 18 touches in Sunday’s game, down from his 20 and 23 in the first two games, respectively. His 2.2 yards per carry average was essentially identical to his clip in the opener against the Eagles.

BUFFALO BLOCKADE, PART 1: Before Trent Richardson’s touchdown scamper just before the half, the Browns hadn’t scored a touchdown in their previous nine quarters against the Bills. In their last eight meetings with Buffalo, the Browns have scored only six touchdowns while kicking 15 field goals.

IMPROVEMENT: After his miserable debut in which he threw an interception every nine attempts, Brandon Weeden tossed 70 consecutive passes without an interception until throwing two in the final five minutes of Sunday’s game. (A Buffalo pick in the second quarter was wiped out on a penalty.)

SEPTEMBER SURPRISE: This marked the first time in their 40-year rivalry that the Browns and Bills had ever played in the month of September.

BALL CONTROL WHEN IT COUNTS: The Browns' opponents have held the football for more than 31 minutes in the fourth quarter of their three games. The Browns have controlled the ball for not quite 14 minutes in the fourth quarter.

PAR FOR THE COURSE AT THE FACTORY OF SADNESS: The Browns have now lost nine of their last 12 home games.

BUFFALO BLOCKADE, PART 2: The Browns had been held under 10 points in four of their previous five games with the Bills. And the Cleveland offense had failed to score a touchdown in five of the previous seven meetings.

ALL-TIME: The Browns still lead all-time series with the Bills, 11-7.

DON’T SEE IT THIS YEAR, EITHER: The Browns have never posted a winning record in a season in which they lost to the Bills. Conversely, in all three of the previous seasons in which the Bills won a game in Cleveland, they made the playoffs.

http://www.theclevelandfan.com/cleveland-browns/1-browns-archive/10206-brownie-bits-week-3

Browns Recycle Tired Script, Lose to Bills

Written by Thomas Moore

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before.

The Cleveland Browns fall into an early hole, the defense regroups while the offense does just enough to make the game close, the defense can’t get the one stop they absolutely must have, and the offense can’t sustain any kind of success.

Add it all up and you get the Browns ninth consecutive loss, this time by the score of 24-14 to a Bills team that really isn’t that good.

The loss drops the Browns to 0-3 for the third time in the past four seasons and, with road trips to Baltimore (to take on the Ravens) and New Jersey (to face the Giants), the prospect of an 0-5 start lingers in the room like a stale fart.

“You can’t spot a good team 14 points early the game, which we did,” coach Pat Shurmur said. “We talk frequently about a fast start and a strong finish and we didn’t have the fast start. We just didn’t get it done.

“There are no magical answers. We just didn’t get it done.”

The Browns had three offensive possessions in the first quarter and went three-and-out on each, gaining a total of 13 yards. Meanwhile, the Bills went 58 yards on their first possession for a touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick pass, and 49 yards on their second, scoring a touchdown on a 32-yard reception by C.J. Spiller where Spiller may not have been touched by anyone in an orange helmet.

Ten minutes into the game the Browns were down by two touchdowns. Game over? Not so fast my friends.

Once the defense settled down, it started making the Bills look like a team that hadn’t won a road game since Week 1 of the 2011 season. After falling behind 14-0, in the next seven drives the Browns forced four punts, recovered a fumble and held the Bills to just three points.

The loss of Spiller to a shoulder injury in the first quarter contributed to the Bills offensive struggles, certainly, but the Browns defense played a role, too.

While that was going on, the offense struggled to find itself. The Browns did not convert a third down until there were five minutes left in the third quarter, but went into halftime trailing just 14-7 after a Trent Richardson six-yard run with 2:12 left in the first half.

The Browns had a chance to get the ball back before the half, but after stopping Graham for six yards on a third-and-10 play, D’Qwell Jackson was called for a dubious roughing penalty that let the Bills keep the ball (questionable calls by the referees would be a theme in the second half).

The defense would eventually force the Bills to punt and, because the Browns used their timeouts wisely, had a chance to get into field goal position before the end of the half.

But with no timeouts left, the Browns oddly called a draw play on first down that chewed up valuable time. Then, on third down, quarterback Brandon Weeden hit Greg Little in the worst possible spot – his hands – on a crossing pattern where Little had enough room and set up Phil Dawson for a field goal attempt.

Need we say Little dropped the ball? If the answer is yes, then you must be new around here.

The Bills opened the scoring in the second half with a field goal to pus their lead to 17-7 and the Browns looked like they would answer back after Richardson ripped off a 13-yard run on first down. But a completely bogus holding call on Joe Thomas – didn’t anyone tell the replacement refs that All Pros don’t hold? – brought the run back and the Browns ended up punting after a six-play, three-yard “drive”.

The Browns would force the Bills to go three-and-out and Weeden would put together a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, hitting Travis Benjamin with a pretty 22-yard touchdown pass. Suddenly, the Browns were back in the game, trailing 17-14.

After trading punts with the Bills, the Browns needed the defense to come up with one more stop to give the offense a chance to pull the game out. But Fitzpatrick took the Bills 68 yards for a touchdown, hitting a wide open Stevie Johnson with a nine-yard pass to but the Bills back up by 10.

With nine minutes to play the Browns tried to make a game of it, but a 17-yard pass to Little on third and 11 was wiped out by another horrible holding call by the refs on Alex Mack (again, Pro Bowlers don’t hold). The Browns were eventually punt with six minutes remaining, effectively ending any hope of a comeback.

Richardson had a bad day, rushing 12 times for just 27 yards. On the day, the Browns only rushed 13 times against a Buffalo defense that came into the game giving up an average of 4.5 yards per carry.

“We’re pros and we should be able to build drives and build success each week,” Richardson said. “We have to make sure we prepare right and come out blazing. It gets you upset at times but you have to get back up and go on to the next play.

“We have to look at it that we can’t do anything about these past three games. But we can do something about Baltimore and we can do something about the Giants.”

Weeden took the punishment for the odd play calling decisions, throwing two interceptions and being sacked four times while finishing 27-of-43 for 237 yards.

“Our offensive line gave me time to throw, but I think overall the offensive line did great,” Weeden said. “We started too slow and after the week we had last week it was disappointing. You can’t be 0-for-5 or 0-for-6 on third downs and win many games.

“I felt like it was a solid day. I felt comfortable in the pocket and that I threw the ball accurate. The most important thing is we didn’t win this game so I didn’t do enough.”

We’re not really sure where the Browns go from here. The Bills are an average team with an average quarterback, at best, and a head coach who is over-matched on most Sundays. If the Browns can’t beat – or even really stay competitive – with a team like that, what will happen when they play, you know, real teams?

The defense plays well enough to keep the team on the fringe of the game but eventually wears down at the end of the game. The offense can’t consistently put together drives or find any kind of rhythm.

“The next one is the game we have to win,” Shurmur said. “They are all must wins (because) who goes into a game thinking they are going to lose?”

We don’t know coach, you tell us.

http://www.theclevelandfan.com/cleveland-browns/1-browns-archive/10208-browns-recycle-tired-script-lose-to-bills

Browns RB Trent Richardson to Have Non-Awkward Meeting with Jim Brown This Weekend

While the situation was blown out of proportion (when doesn’t that happen?), Browns legend Jim Brown did say that new Browns running back Trent Richardson was “ordinary” when the team drafted him back in April.

Richardson essentially let it go (though he no doubt used the slight as motivation), and now that Brown has decided to return to Cleveland to honor his former teammate Ernie Green, the two will finally meet. Don’t expect that rocky start to have any impact on their meeting, though.

“Just to meet [Brown] is an honor,” said Richardson. “He’s always been an icon. He’s always been somebody that you want to have a season like, a career like. To meet him and be on the same field means a lot.” (Source: Cleveland.com)

And with Jim Brown watching, Trent Richardson has every opportunity on Sunday to make the Hall of Famer describe him as even more than “impressive.”

http://dawgpounddaily.com/2012/09/20/browns-rb-trent-richardson-to-have-non-awkward-meeting-with-jim-brown-this-weekend/

Cleveland Browns desperate to avoid 0-3 start to season

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- Pat Shurmur dreaded his statistics class as a business major at Michigan State, trudged clear across the blustery campus to get there, and didn't really get it.

But there's at least one statistic the Browns head coach can wrap his head around this week -- if the Browns lose to the Bills (1-1) on Sunday and fall to 0-3, they can pretty much kiss their playoff chances goodbye.

Since 1990, only three teams have started 0-3 and made the playoffs. The most recent team to achieve the feat was the Bills (1998).

"We've got to win this game," Shurmur said.

As it is, the Browns are already facing long odds. Since 1990, only 12 percent of teams starting 0-2 (22-of-184) -- have made the postseason.

"We need to do what we can to win this football game against a team that's coming off a big victory [35-17 over Kansas City]," he said. "I've got a lot of respect for Buffalo, because in my opinion they've done a lot of things to upgrade their roster in the last couple of years."

The Browns were encouraged by the performances of Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson during Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Bengals, but the harsh reality is that they're 0-2 and hitting a rough patch in their schedule.

Over the next three games -- all played without suspended cornerback Joe Haden -- they'll host the Bills and then visit the Ravens and defending Super Bowl champion Giants. If they lose Sunday, the season could slip away in a hurry.

"Right now, it's easy to just lay down your hat and be like, 'You know what? The season's over with. We don't have it,'" said linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who has two interceptions and three sacks through the first two games. "But we have a long season to go and if you can stay upbeat, things may turn around. Things may not turn around, but that's something that's out of my control."

As the defensive captain, Jackson knows its incumbent on him to help keep the young guys focused.

"I have to be the same guy every day, so young guys know -- it's tough to win in this league, and it's easy to lose in this league if you allow it," said Jackson. "My message is, 'Keep fighting, keep pushing forward, because things could change in one week.'"

Despite the dire outlook, Jackson remains hopeful.

"It's not over. We have a ton of football to play," he said. "Two games, we were in it. The next time we get in those situations we have to be able to close out."

In his six seasons with the team, the Browns have failed to make the playoffs. The Browns have made the playoffs once since 1999, losing in a wild-card game in 2002.

"To play this game, you've got to be mentally tough," he said. "Whether we win or lose, you have to be critical of yourself."

The Browns are finding life without Haden can mean big plays and wide-eyed defensive backs coming up short. The Browns on Sunday were also without starting cornerback Sheldon Brown, who sat out all but one play with a neck stinger. Shurmur inserted Brown just to keep his 162-game streak intact.

In their absence, Buster Skrine and Dimitri Patterson started, and rookie Trevin Wade played nickel back. But with Skrine surrendering passes, missing tackles and drawing a 31-yard pass interference penalty, Shurmur might tinker with the lineup.

"With Joe out, we're going to look at all options to make sure we play the right combination of guys," Shurmur said.

He attributed some of Skrine's struggles not to his size (5-9, 185), but to bad footing a few times. "I don't care how big you are you can't slip," Shurmur said. "But he's quick and he challenges."

Jackson said the loss of Brown, an 11-year pro, is underrated. Fortunately for the Browns, he should be back this week.

"There's not too many receivers that can fool him," Jackson said. "He's seen it all. He encourages younger guys on what to expect. His knowledge of the game is what we're missing the most."

Being back home to avoid the dreaded 0-3 kiss of death is key, Jackson said.

"We've just got to get over that hump," said Jackson. "And once we [do], it's like a snowball effect. We'll continue to string some wins together."

Now that would be a stat Shurmur could embrace.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/cleveland_browns_desperate_to.html

To rekindle NFL rivalries, Cleveland Browns need to become relevant

By Tom Reed, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jimmy Haslam has sat in the Dawg Pound with Browns fans, stood on the field with coaches and met with team executives in their offices to gain a better understanding of the organization and what ails it.

But before setting foot in a Browns facility, he had first-hand knowledge of the team's sorry history against its chief rivals. He helped contribute to it as a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So when Haslam was asked recently if he knew how badly the Browns had been dominated by his former club, the truck stop magnate leaned across a boardroom table and quoted a statistic from his memory bank.

"Twenty-two [wins] out of the last 24 games," he said.

A captain of industry who does his own homework, Haslam is aware of the Browns' epic struggles within the AFC North Division. Cleveland has the worst record (22-68) of any NFL team since 1999 in intra-division play, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Browns ride a 10-game losing streak against AFC North opponents as they travel to Cincinnati on Sunday to face the Bengals. They are 3-21 in the division since 2008.

The reasons for futility are many and include poor drafting, organizational instability, the failure to adapt to the playing styles of the top teams, and the misfortune of rejoining the division just as Pittsburgh and Baltimore were rising to the status of conference elite.

How tough has it been for the Browns and Bengals? According to a Columbus Dispatch report two years ago, Cleveland and Cincinnati each had won a game on the same day just 13 times since 1999.

Two years later, that stat remains unchanged.

Haslam doesn't need to talk to fans and media personalities in Pittsburgh and Baltimore to appreciate the state of the rivalries with the Browns. As a minority owner of the Steelers, he said that franchise's focus was the Ravens and the New England Patriots.

Among the divisional lowlights since the Browns' 1999 return:

• The offensively-challenged Browns scored 48 points in a 2004 game against the Bengals and lost by 10;

• Former Browns quarterback Tim Couch fought back tears as he spoke of hearing cheers from Cleveland fans as he was replaced by Kelly Holcomb after sustaining a concussion at the hands of the Ravens in a 2002 game; and

• The Browns were hammered so badly by the Steelers in a 2005 game on Christmas Eve -- one that featured James Harrison body-slamming a drunk Cleveland fan -- it prompted the Akron Beacon Journal to run the headline: "Season's Beatings."

While several players in the Browns' locker room say they don't put much stock into division rivalries, it's clear the new owner does. Haslam understands how playing well against the teams they meet twice a season translates. In the past 13 years, the teams with the top five intra-division records -- Indianapolis, Green Bay, New England, Pittsburgh and Baltimore -- have combined to win eight Super Bowls and 12 conference titles.

"If we can compete in our division we can win the Super Bowl," Haslam said. "That's the way we felt in Pittsburgh. If we can win the division, which means beating the Ravens and Steelers, then we are probably as good as any team in the AFC or NFC."

Lofty goals for a franchise that's never had a winning record within the AFC North.

Browns defensive end Frostee Rucker, who played his previous five seasons in Cincinnati, marveled at the change he witnessed in the Ravens during their 44-13 win over his former team Monday night.

The sight of quarterback Joe Flacco running a no-huddle offense surprised him. It was David Letterman doing the Late Show without a Top-10 List; the cast of Jersey Shore appearing in public bereft of spray-on tans.

"It's the first time I can remember them changing something up a bit," Rucker said. "We need to get something, run with it and perfect it. Both the Ravens and the Steelers have been doing it for years."

Since Flacco took the first snap of the 2008 season, the Browns have had five opening-day starting quarterbacks. If it always seems like the Browns are slow to react to what the Ravens and Steelers have been doing for a decade, it's because the organization is forever turning over rosters and coaching staffs.

Offensive tackle Joe Thomas stood in the locker room Thursday and recalled the 2009 arrival of coach Eric Mangini, who added about a half-dozen former New York Jets to the roster. They're all gone, including Mangini.

While the Browns unearth foundations and tear down walls, the Steelers and Ravens simply replace loose mortar. Running back Jamaal Lewis leaves Baltimore after the 2006 season and Ray Rice emerges two seasons later. Pittsburgh waves goodbye to outside linebacker Joey Porter in 2007 and plugs in Harrison.

"With new coaches and front office come new ideas and new players, which is fine," Thomas said. "But if you do that every couple years pretty soon you don't have any guys left that you really want."

Ravens safety Bernard Pollard is more succinct: "Cleveland hasn't been able to develop an identity." The Browns enter Sunday's game with the youngest roster in the AFC (25.55 years).

The Bengals' approach is somewhere between the Browns and the divisional powers. Marvin Lewis became the first coach in NFL history to enter his 10th season with the same franchise despite having a losing record (69-74-1). And yet, the Bengals have won two division titles and last year qualified as a wild card, giving the division three playoff teams.

In a league where patience has gone the way of the straight-ahead kicker, the Browns have been unable to fuse coach with talent and success. Perhaps the Browns are onto something defensively with professorial coordinator Dick Jauron and a unit that is young, aggressive and quicker than in seasons past.

But if Haslam makes substantial changes in the off-season, will Jauron be around to build on his progress?

"Continuity helps, but you have to be on an upward track and be steady with it," linebacker Scott Fujita said. "When you start to get players and coaching staffs on an upward trajectory that's when you start to get your continuity."

View from afar

Longtime Pittsburgh sportscaster Stan Savran grew up in Cleveland and was introduced to alcohol at old Muncipal Stadium in the form of two inebriated Steelers fans wobbling in the seats next to him.

Savran remembers when Browns-Steelers was among the NFL's fiercest rivals. He still sees Joe "Turkey" Jones planting Terry Bradshaw in the turf like a lawn dart. He recalls Jack Lambert saying "quarterbacks should wear dresses" after hitting Brian Sipe out of bounds.

As the Browns returned in 1999, fans on both sides assumed the rivalry would come back with them. Instead, the Steelers whipped the Browns, 43-0, in the opener and have been beating Cleveland lopsided ever since.

"It's like when Art Modell took the Browns to Baltimore the rivalry went with him," Pittsburgh sports radio personality Mark Madden said. "The Ravens got good and that became the team Steelers fans anticipated playing."

Savran said an entire generation of Steelers fans know the Browns as nothing but a rebuilding franchise. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisbeger is 14-1 against Cleveland.

"It's a walk-over win in their eyes," Savran said. "They don't see the Browns as a threat."

The view from the shores of the Chesapeake Bay is similar. Cleveland got to keep the colors but not Ozzie Newsome, the former Browns tight end who, as Ravens general manager, turned them into a perennial contender.

"Ravens-Browns had all the makings of a great rivalry, but you have to be competitive," Baltimore sports talk host Vinny Cerrato said. "When the schedule comes out Ravens fans want to know, 'When do we play the Steelers?' They just don't care about Cleveland."

Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson knows there's only one way to change opinion.

"We haven't earned that respect," Jackson said. "In order to get that respect we have to go out and play great football against these teams."

Kicker Phil Dawson, an original member of the expansion Browns, correctly observes that the losing hasn't been limited to the AFC North. But their winning percentage outside the division (.361) is 117 points higher.

Seven times, the Browns have won only one or zero divisional games in a season since their return.

"The passion isn't the same," Madden said. "I can't remember the last time I went to Heinz Field and heard a Steelers fan yell: 'Browns suck.'"

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/to_rekindle_nfl_rivalries_clev.html#incart_river_default

Art Modell was offered a stadium for the Cleveland Browns and passed

By Mark Naymik, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What you think you know about Art Modell's decision to take the Browns out of Cleveland for a shiny new stadium in Baltimore is legend.

Today, the consciences of a couple of old-guard Cleveland politicians give us a long-hidden fact about Modell's departure. Specifically, when Modell claimed he would have stayed if city leaders had offered to build him a stadium, he was lying.

He was offered a new stadium.

At the Gateway sports complex.

He rejected the offer, years before leaving.

Since the former Browns and Ravens team owner died last week, we have rehashed the famous narrative that Modell left town out of frustration with political leaders who stuck him with the dumpy, history-rich Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which lacked the revenue-generating luxury suites and other amenities of newer stadiums.

Modell was particularly upset that leaders here bent over backward for Dick Jacobs and Gordon Gund, the former owners of the Indians and the Cavaliers, respectively, who were getting new homes -- courtesy of the taxpayers, at the Gateway sports complex completed in 1994 just north of the Inner Belt downtown.

The story of the stadium snub for years has left us asking: Why didn't city leaders just offer to build Modell a new stadium along with the others?

After leaving town in 1996, Modell reinforced the snub story in interviews with news outlets, though he was not speaking at the time to The Plain Dealer, which he saw as part of the conspiracy against him.

"My major regret is that I should not have acceded to their request to stay on the side on Gateway," Modell told Cleveland Magazine in August 1996. He told the magazine he should have forced a football stadium into the Gateway conversation.

"I should have made my demands known at that time. Then we wouldn't be here now. . . . Had they even mumbled the word 'new stadium' I would have said, 'Let's talk.' "

It turns out that officials at the time tried to talk with him. Modell wouldn't listen.

George Forbes, who was Cleveland's council president during the late 1980s and a key player in negotiations with team owners during planning for Gateway, said he and others asked Modell to be a part of the project.

Forbes said leaders proposed building a third Gateway sports facility for the Browns, just south of the Inner Belt a couple of blocks from what is now Progressive Field.

Forbes' memory for detail is hazy. But he said then-Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan, Jacobs and lawyers familiar with the financing options were present with Modell at a meeting when the offer was made.

"Tim and I were saying, 'While we are doing this, we might as well clear up the whole damn thing and build all three stadiums,' " Forbes told me. "This way we don't have to go back, and future councilmen and commissioners won't have to deal with the issue. Let's clear it up once and for all, was our thinking."

Jacobs died in 2009.

Forbes said he remained quiet for decades out of respect for Modell, whom he considered a friend.

"Art was my friend and a good man, and I didn't want to get into it," Forbes said. "I didn't want to pour hot water on a scalding dog."

But Forbes said he's long been bothered by the narrative that government failed Modell.

"I have thought about this meeting every time it was written or televised that no one made an offer to build a stadium," he said. "My words are to set the record straight about the governmental institutions and our involvement."

I called Hagan, who championed the Gateway complex and suffered great criticism about its costs to taxpayers. He confirmed Forbes' account. He described the offer as informal but honest.

"There is no question we made an effort," Hagan said.

Exactly why Modell didn't pursue the discussion remains a mystery.

Forbes recalled that Modell said he just wanted to stay in Municipal Stadium. Hagan couldn't add much more detail, nor would he speculate on why Modell didn't look harder at Gateway.

The timing of the Forbes and Hagan offer is critical to sorting out the legend. When Gateway planning was just starting, Modell was told to stay away. City leaders were concerned about appeasing Jacobs, who did not want to share a stadium with the football team and was threatening to move the Indians to a new city.

David Hopcraft, a longtime spokesman for Modell, said leaders planning Gateway were adamant that the Browns owner wait.

"They told him they would take care of him later," Hopcraft told me. Hopcraft also noted that Modell was one of the biggest contributors to the public campaign to persuade taxpayers to support the tax on alcohol and tobacco that paid for Gateway.

But Forbes said that after Jacobs was satisfied with plans for the new baseball stadium, the time was ripe to bring Modell into Gateway. So Forbes and Hagan made their offer.

Years later, politicians had cooled to the idea to asking taxpayers for more money for a football stadium. Modell no doubt became frustrated by his failure to win political backing for refurbishing Municipal Stadium.

Hagan famously quipped in 1995 about a proposed tax for Municipal Stadium: "We all wish Mother Teresa owned the Browns. It'd be an easier sell."

But timing is everything. And there was a time, long before Modell abandoned Cleveland, when he was offered a new stadium.

Whether or not a Gateway deal could have been struck with Modell -- and ultimately sold to voters -- is immaterial. That leaders offered Modell his own stadium at Gateway changes the storyline that has been central to his excuse for leaving. This fundamentally changes our view of one of the biggest moments in the history of this town.

Maybe Forbes and Hagan were wise to keep the Gateway offer quiet all these years. Modell already was viewed by many as the worst villain Cleveland ever saw. And knowing that Modell was offered a stadium deal and still left would have only further damaged our psyche at the very time the city's football fans needed to move on.

I know the latest revelation may revive some fans' anger toward Modell, but I'm glad the record is clear, so we can move on.

We need to focus on the team's history on the field, not off.

Hopefully, this history won't be as painful.

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2012/09/art_modell_gateway_stadium.html

Brandon Weeden on his struggling debut: 'I know I played bad'

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- Brandon Weeden hasn't glanced at Twitter, even with one eye shut, read the papers, listened to sports talk radio or watched SportsCenter highlights since his four-interception NFL debut.

"I know I played bad, so I'm not going to sit here and listen to anybody," said Weeden. "These guys in this locker room, they've got my back and that's really all I care about. I don't need the nation to tell me how bad I played."

Just to be certain that it was as bad as he thought, Weeden came in early Monday morning and watched the film of the 17-16 loss to the Eagles three times. "Two times too many," he said.

But after the non-charming third viewing, he deep-sixed the tape.

"I'll never watch that film again," he said. "It's over and done with. If you dwell on it, it will affect you the rest of the week and you can't do that. I learned from it, and I've got to play better."

The one silver lining is that he can only go up from here. Weeden and his 5.1 rating are dead-last in the NFL, one notch below fellow rookie Ryan Tannehill (39.0) and a few spots behind No. 1 pick Andrew Luck, who's 28th with a 52.9.

"It can't be any worse than it was the first week," Weeden said of his restored confidence heading into Cincinnati this week. "I mean that jokingly. We're all going to have rough stretches. Obviously, mine was the first week. I look at the mistakes I made, and you guys saw 'em. Guys were wide open and I missed 'em. That's not my character, not the way I usually throw the football."

Weeden, who said he never played that poorly for an entire game before, sought refuge in the company of family and friends.

"I didn't go home and watch football, I can promise you that," he said. "I had a bunch of people in town. My parents are supportive. They were like, 'Brandon, it's going to get better.' It's nice having those people around -- even though I am a little bit older (28) and I should be able to handle it."

Weeden arose early Monday, ready to face the music. When he got to the team facility, coach Pat Shurmur assured him he was still his guy, and General Manager Tom Heckert echoed it.

"It's one bad game," Weeden said. "If I continue to do bad things, that's on me. I think they have a lot of confidence in me and my abilities and they wouldn't have named me the starter if they didn't.

"I've just got to prove to them that I'm the guy. When it's all said and done and you drop the helmet, you've got to play better."

Weeden also spent a large chunk of Monday apologizing to his defense, which supplied him with five takeaways – 25 percent of last year's total.

"I've told the defense over and over until I'm blue in the face -- they should've won us that football game," he said. "That made me feel worse than anything. They played so well, I've got to help them out, make a play here and there to give us a win. Everybody's talking about [the Eagles] going to the Super Bowl and we were a couple of plays away and that was all our defense."

Weeden still can't believe he was so erratic, missing Mohamed Massaquoi and Alex Smith by a mile in the end zone and Massaquoi down the sideline.

"That [first] one was just adrenaline," he said. "A couple of them were my feet. I got pressure, I had to slide up on one and got hit, kinda high-lowed, kinda saw the guy dive at my feet, so it just caused me to throw it. The other one, [I just wasn't] sound in my footwork. Just not getting my feet underneath me and being able to step into throws and throw them accurately.

"It's not something I'm happy about. Hopefully we can fix it moving forward."

He acknowledged his chemistry with Greg Little is a work in progress. Weeden hit Little in the hands near the goal-line and it glanced off for an eventual interception.

"We're not where we need to be yet," said Weeden. "Fortunately there's a lot of football left to fix those mistakes."

Little and rookie Travis Benjamin, who had two passes for him intercepted by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, acknowledged they have to help more.

"I should've caught that pass," said Little.

Said Benjamin, "I learned I have to help Brandon out. I've got to fight for the ball and knock it down."

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis cautioned his defense that Weeden is better than his stats indicate.

"I didn't think he played nearly as bad as I guess the criticism he's getting," said Lewis. "Sometimes the ball just goes the other way."

But the gunslinger isn't about to let the debacle deter him.

"Oh yeah, I'm taking shots," he said. "Don't worry about that."

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/brandon_weeden_on_his_struggli.html

What The Browns Have Now Is A Real Q.B. Controversy & A Moron For A Head Coach

Posted by LG on September 11, 2012 at 10:15 pm.

The Cleveland Browns the team that has the best fans in the world are now faced with a good old fashion quarterback controversy and the head coach has no idea how to handle it. The fans that attended the Browns home opener were already booing the Browns 28-year-old rookie Brandon Weeden and they wanted to see Colt McCoy and get the Browns an opening day win, something that hasn’t been done in the past 7 years. Can you blame the fans for being a little irate? Why not, the Browns were close, they were in a game that many picked for them to be out of by halftime.

The Cleveland Browns defense all but gift wrapped the game for head coach Pat Shurmur, by now the people who know football in the town have already pegged Shurmur as a moron that has no business coaching football in the NFL and  Shumur himself placed the exclamation point on his moron-ness by not going for the 2 point conversion when the Browns defense scored their only touchdown. Amazingly the Browns would end up losing the game by the one point Shurmur denied the Browns from putting on the scoreboard.  What did that tell us Browns fans? Pat Shurmur doesn’t even have enough faith in his rookie Q.B. Weeden to let him go for 2 points.

Here’s a thought for you Shurmur, Josh Cribbs could have tossed a touchdown pass for a 2 point conversion if you didn’t want to put Colt McCoy in the game. Yes that is right Shurmur, Cribbs can throw the football, you pulled off a trick play with Benjamin, why not pull one off with the guy the Browns had listed as their 3rd string Q.B. before your sorry butt got to Cleveland?

No that we have that out-of-the-way let’s get down to the real problem the Browns fans are facing. Sure the Browns have a new Q.B., sure this guy is a rookie and sure we can’t hurt the guy who is making millions of dollars to go out and win football games feelings, or he might want to run back to Oklahoma just like he did we he couldn’t cut the mustard in major league baseball. Yes folks Brandon Weeden comes from a failed baseball career and he is now working on a failed football career.

Needless to say it has been a rough couple of months for us here at CS-360. We happen to tell it like it is and we use facts to back up our articles.  One fact I would like to point out to you is, Brandon Weeden playing for 4 quarters in a football game and finishing the day with a 5.1 Q.B. rating is terrible. It down right sucks. For those of you who think this can improve, let me point out the obvious.  If Weeden goes to Cincinnati to play the Bengals and comes out with a 10.2 rating he would be twice as good as he was lest week. If he comes out with a 15.3 he would be three times better than he was last week, but guess what people, you aren’t going to win in the NFL with that kind of rating, trust me.

Now by this time a lot of you fans are thinking this guy really hates Brandon Weeden. Believe me when I tell you this, I don’t hate anyone especially Brandon Weeden. The reason I am writing this article is because this is the kind of quarterback the Cleveland Browns hierarchy picked to stick us Browns fans with. Then Mike Holmgren, not Tom Heckert talked his hand  picked moron Pat Shurmur into keeping his mouth shut and naming Weeden the Browns starter before they ever saw the Weeden panic,yes panic that forces him to  drop the football. Yes sir, even though the Cleveland Browns front office had privilege to the same information on Brandon Weeden as everyone else in the free world, they made the choice to ignore it and just go with a self-made failure as their starting quarterback.

There are people who make a living scouting guys in College who play football, these are professional scouts, they know who can get the job done and who won’t be able to perform in the NFL. It is hysterical how most of these scouts said Brandon Weeden can’t take the pressure of a pass rush.  It is even more hysterical how these same scouts said if Weeden faces any pressure, he is prone to make mistakes that will lead to turn overs. It is even more hysterical how the guys running the Browns with the exception of Tom Heckert chose to ignore everything the professional football scouts had to say about Brandon Weeden.  For those of you who are thinking I’m nuts, just google everything you can find on Brandon Weeden. You’ll find the information these scouts reported, I did. Go ahead have a look.

Now that we are smack in the middle of it, the good people running the team Cleveland Loves the most, aren’t going to say they made a mistake. They are stuck with Brandon Weeden as the Browns starting quarterback. The question is for how long do the fans who buy the tickets and support this team have to put up with this garbage Shumur is putting on the field? When you are 28 going on 29 you are pretty much set in your ways. You have heard the saying a million times “you can’t teach an old dog a new trick”. That is what we the fans of the Cleveland Browns have here folks. We have an old dog that can’t learn new tricks.

To make maters worse, we have a new head coach that has no business being in this position, he doesn’t possess the experience to know how to correct the situation. When you put these 2 problems together, you end up with a losing football team. When you have a guy playing Q.B. for your team that is afraid to take a hit in your backfield you have a problem. You either are born with the courage to get the job done or you are going to be squeamish and make a ton of mistakes. I believe we have the later with Brandon Weeden.

People were down on CS-360 in the preseason when I pointed out the obvious, now that others are seeing it in the regular season they don’t think I was to far off.  Yet you have the fans who think there is some kind of magic pill they have in the locker room and by this Sunday Brandon Weeden is going to come out transformed into the next Joe Montana. It isn’t going to happen people. Brandon Weeden is not going to turn the Browns into a winner. The head coach who has refused to admit he was wrong is going to subject us to more of the same. Shumur is the same guy who told us before the Browns final preseason game how ready Brandon Weeden was, he is the same guy that told us before the Eagles game how ready Weeden was, he is the same guy who has no answers as to how correct the situation. Shurmur said Weeden needs to throw the ball better.

If Shurmur was telling the truth when he told the fans how ready Weeden was, then the Browns have a coach running the team that doesn’t know what ready is. Now that’s a problem…. A lot of people tell me I am not a football coach and I wouldn’t know what to do in this situation. I can tell you this, I have a lot of common sense something the people who are presently running the Browns lack.  I would have waited to see how Brandon Weeden performed in a couple of preseason games before naming him the starting Q.B.  Especially after ready the scouting reports on Brandon Weeden. Better yet I would not have drafted Brandon Weeden in the first place, I would have taken players who would have improved the Browns as a team….

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/what-the-browns-have-now-is-a-real-q-b-controversy-a-moron-for-a-head-coach/

Cleveland running back Trent Richardson runs fluidly in practice: Browns insider

By Tom Reed, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- After showing enough progress to satisfy Browns medical staff and coaches, running back Trent Richardson trotted onto the practices fields Monday and passed the eye test administered by curious teammates.

The rookie participated in team drills, earned reps with the first-team offense and ran fluidly, exhibiting no sign of a limp, in practicing for the first time since undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee Aug. 9.

"Trent looked like he did when he first got here," linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said.

Added defensive end Jabaal Sheard: "He looks right where he was when he left off. . . . I can't wait to see him in pads."

If Richardson can make it through the week without any setbacks -- the team will be hitting in pads Thursday -- he's likely to play in the season opener against Philadelphia on Sunday.

It's hard to imagine a player who didn't appear in one exhibition game would be at full strength even as he engaged in light contact work behind the scenes. His conditioning level figures to be a factor, especially in a game in which he'd be making his NFL debut.

But coach Pat Shurmur said if Richardson is fit to play, he will start against the Eagles. The No. 3 overall draft pick, wearing a protective rubber sleeve over the knee, split first-team reps Monday with Montario Hardesty and Brandon Jackson.

"I knew he'd be out here today, and he did a good job," Shurmur said. "It was his first day back in practice, so we did what we could do. Trent looked healthy running around."

Richardson did not speak to reporters. He's expected to address the media Wednesday.

Shurmur said Richardson's progression will be monitored daily. The running back had a small "flap" of loose cartilage removed from the knee by Dr. James Andrews in Alabama. He had the same knee scoped Feb. 3 to repair a torn meniscus suffered in Alabama's national championship win over LSU.

Team President Mike Holmgren acknowledged Monday the Browns were unaware at the draft Richardson would require a second procedure.

"The first we knew about it was in camp," Holmgren said. "He's a hard-working guy. He started saying, 'It hurts. There's a little ache there.' It was swelling up a little bit. It's a good thing we caught it. It was obviously the right decision. Everything is on track."

Holmgren doesn't expect the Browns to overload the running back in the season's first few weeks.

On a humid holiday morning, Richardson bypassed the stationary bikes on which he rode Saturday and rejoined his teammates on the practice field. Running backs coach Gary Brown went over blocking assignments with him and, at one point, Shurmur conferred with the 22-year-old individually.

A healthy Richardson could take tremendous pressure off quarterback and fellow rookie Brandon Weeden. Browns cornerback Joe Haden recalls from his college days what it's like to confront the 5-9, 230-pound back in the open field.

"Oh, man. I'm not a fan of trying to tackle him," Haden said. "I played against him with Florida, and he gave me a stiff-arm one time, and I was good after that.

". . . He can be as good as he wants to be. He definitely can be an All-Pro. He has everything you want in a running back."

Haden watch: Haden said he still has "no idea" whether he will play in the opener because of a possible suspension for reportedly failing a drug test. The third-year pro said he couldn't discuss the matter.

Shurmur and Holmgren said they still have not heard a word about a potential four-game ban. It's unclear why the NFL has yet to rule on his eligibility. It's possible officials are weighing an appeal.

Holmgren believes it would be unfair for the league to wait until Friday to announce a suspension. Haden doesn't believe the issue has become a locker-room distraction.

"Everyone is cool," he said. "That's what I like about my teammates. It's like nothing's going on. Just keep practicing. We're like family basically."

Getting healty: Cornerback Dimitri Patterson (knee, ankle) and tight end Ben Watson (leg) said they expect to play Sunday. Watson missed the entire preseason, and Patterson was injured in the first game against Detroit as safety Ray Ventrone rolled onto his leg.

Quotebook: Watson, on a 53-man roster that features 15 rookies: "In this locker room, my 3-year-old is old."

Numerology: Four players changed their numbers. Receiver Josh Gordon switched to 13 from 86. It's the closest he could get to No. 12, Gordon said, which he wore in high school and college. Other changes are defensive end Billy Winn (90) and linebackers Craig Robertson (53) and L.J. Fort (58).

Brownies: Ventrone (hamstring) returned to practice. . . . Starting safety Eric Hagg was excused from practice due to illness. . . . Defensive end Brian Sanford rejoined the Browns after being signed to the eight-man practice squad. . . . The team cut linebacker Solomon Elimimian, who was waived by Minnesota.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/cleveland_running_back_trent_r.html

Browns GM still doesn’t plan on trading Colt McCoy

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Browns general manager Tom Heckert said that he’s not thinking about trading back up quarterback Colt McCoy.

#Browns Heckert said he’s pretty set with McCoy as backup quarterback, not thinking of trading him at some point.

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 1, 2012

McCoy is still a good quarterback that I believe he never got a fair shot with the Browns, since he was never surrounded with the talent needed to succeed.  If anything he’ll be a good NFL back up for years to come.

3 Million And One Reasons The Cleveland Browns Need To Cut Seneca Wallace

Posted by LG on August 30, 2012 at 9:14 am.

Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Seneca Wallace continues to promote his Colt McCoy hate campaign publicly. Wallace took to the airways to once again say he won’t be Colt McCoy’s mentor. The Cleveland Fans should be happy about that fact. McCoy at least won some games last season that is more than we can say about Seneca Wallace.

When the Browns picked Weeden in the draft this year, Wallace was the first in line to say he would be more than happy to bring Weeden along, yet in the Browns first preseason game and Weeden was struggling, it was Colt McCoy on the sidelines going over the photos with a coach and Brandon Weeden, Wallace was nowhere to be seen.  The Browns don’t need a player like Seneca Wallace who won’t help the team. Wallace’s dislike for McCoy has been clear since McCoy took the starting role away from Wallace.

Seneca Wallace has been in the NFL long enough to know that on any given Sunday a quarterback can go down to injury, if memory serves me that is how McCoy took the starting role in the first place. It Was Wallace who had to be replaced due to injury. For Wallace to continue to blast his team-mate by saying he refuses to help, it demonstrates that Seneca Wallace is not a team layer. This is the first reason the Browns need to cut their ties with him.

The other 3 million reasons Wallace should go is his 3 million dollar salary. There is no way on GOD’s green earth Seneca Wallace is worth 3 million dollars a year. It is Seneca Wallace who could use the mentor, he should have learned this preseason how to deal with adversity, he should have studied how Colt McCoy has dealt with the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation with dignity and class. McCoy just want the Browns to win. That is more than we can say about Seneca Wallace…..

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/3-million-and-one-reason-the-cleveland-browns-need-to-cut-seneca-wallace/

Colt McCoy to start for Browns on Thursday

Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur has announced that rookie Brandon Weeden will sit on Thursday, giving the nod for the final preseason game to Colt McCoy. The Browns announced weeks ago that Weeden was the starter, and typically starting quarterbacks sit out the final preseason game. But Weeden isn’t your typical starter. He’s struggled the past two preseason games and many fans were hoping to see Weeden get a few more reps under his belt before the season opener.

Browns notebook: Owner-to-be Jimmy Haslam visits Dawg Pound

By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports columnist

CLEVELAND: Soon-to-be Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III made good on another promise Friday night.

As the Browns hosted the Philadelphia Eagles, Haslam found a prime spot in the center of the Dawg Pound at Cleveland Browns Stadium, entrenching himself eight rows up for part of the first half.

At his introductory news conference Aug. 3, Haslam vowed to mingle with the masses at Browns family night during training camp and to sit in the stands for a preseason game.

Besieged by fans, Haslam didn’t see much of the action, posing for photos and signing autographs. Haslam wore a brown polo shirt with the team logo and slacks.

President and CEO of Pilot Flying J truck stops, Haslam is awaiting league approval of his purchase of the Browns from Randy Lerner. Interviewed by Jim Donovan of WKYC (Channel 3) during the third quarter, Haslam said he had been told the vote will come during the scheduled owners’ meeting in mid-October.

Haslam is paying about $1 billion. Lerner has already moved back to New York.

Asked his impressions on the state of the roster, Haslam said on WKYC, “If you look, we have a chance to start six rookies day one, I think that says a lot about the type of talent we’re accumulating. There’s been a huge turnover in the roster. I think we went from the second-oldest team in the league two or three years ago to now the second youngest.

“It’s going to take a little time. We’re in this for the long run. We’re not going to knee-jerk, we’re going to hang with it, we’re going to build through the draft. Hopefully in two or three years we’ll have the kind of talent, the kind of team the Philadelphia Eagles do.”

During pregame warm-ups, Haslam spent a lengthy time on the field talking to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. Haslam also planned to accept an invitation to pick the brain of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Haslam and Browns President Mike Holmgren also spoke to Eagles coach Andy Reid, a close friend of Holmgren’s.

http://www.ohio.com/sports/ridenour/browns-notebook-owner-to-be-jimmy-haslam-visits-dawg-pound-1.329378

CB Joe Haden booted from Browns practice

BEREA, Ohio — Joe Haden's odd training camp of discontent continued Wednesday.

On the last day of camp, Haden was tossed off the practice field by coach Pat Shurmur for being too rough.

Haden's ejection included an in-your-face discussion with Shurmur that had the coach using expletives.

"I'm not gonna talk about it," Shurmur said when practice ended.

He pointed out he respected Haden, then added: "If you want details, you're going to have to find it on Twitter."

He then apologized that fans were subjected to profanity.

When a follow-up question was asked, Shurmur barked: "Don't ask."

"That's between me and the player," he said. "Joe's a great competitor and I appreciate what he does and who he is. I'm not talking about it anymore. You'll have to go somewhere else to find out."

At about the same time, team president Mike Holmgren told Sports Time Ohio that Haden had been tossed for over aggressiveness in practice and that Haden had been warned to tone it down.

Haden's sin: He dragged rookie Travis Benjamin to the ground after a touchdown catch when the players were not practicing in pads.

While it might sound silly that a coach got upset about a player being physical, it's the new rage in the NFL not to hit or knock guys to the ground in practice. Coaches want to avoid injury, and they see limiting hitting as a way to help.

"I think it's important that we practice smart," Shurmur said. "You have to be able to practice at game speed (without tackling). I want all of our guys to make it to the horse race. Everything I do, all my thoughts, revolve around our players and our team. I told the guys that."

Haden's teammates shrugged it off.

"Boys will be boys," wide receiver/return specialist Josh Cribbs said. "It's football. That's the nature of football, and we love it. They hug and they make up and it's no problem. Boys will be boys, and coaches will be coaches. (Shurmur) had to defuse the situation. We have to give Coach our all, and Joe does that, as well."

Such incidents come and go with many teams, as training camp sometimes leads to scuffles. After the team's late afternoon walk-through, Shurmur approached reporters and said he had talked to Haden and called the incident a "dead issue."

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor and wide receiver Antonio Brown got a lecture from general manager Kevin Colbert after they came to blows in practice last week. The two then went out and scored touchdowns in the next preseason game.

It's rare, though, that a head coach gets involved, as Shurmur did.

Haden is reportedly facing a four-game suspension from the league for testing positive in the offseason for Adderall, a stimulant on the league's banned list.

The Browns have not heard anything about a suspension for Haden, and they are not allowed to comment on it.

Haden has not denied the report, saying only it was a "league matter." He has continued camp activities and performed well.

Presumably Wednesday's "discussion" was not an Adderall-addled event, but when a player faces a possible suspension, anything he does draws a little more attention. Especially since Haden has made himself into a self-styled celebrity in win-starved Cleveland.

When camp ended Wednesday, many of the Browns went immediately to the fans to sign autographs, which they did for an extended time. But Haden, one of the team's more popular players, did not participate.
Thus did the Browns training camp come to a conclusion.

http://www.foxsportsohio.com/08/22/12/CB-Joe-Haden-booted-from-Browns-practice/landing_browns.html?blockID=779239&feedID=3725

Browns Quarterback Colt McCoy Plays Better Than Weeden Remember Concussion Gate?

Posted by LG on August 18, 2012 at 8:14 am.

Have you ever seen a case where a quarterback like Colt McCoy gets blamed for an entire failed season the way Pat Shurmur, Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert are doing to Colt? Have you seen the Browns this season in the two preseason games? Have you seen how good Colt McCoy looks, the way he handles the pressure and the way he is able to scramble to get the team down field? McCoy still has the longest rush this year in the preseason. Something you’ll never see Brandon Weeden do is scramble out of trouble, with the Browns offensive line Cleveland is going to need a quarterback that can run away from trouble. Yet the Cleveland Browns coaching staff and front office are willing to throw away a perfectly good quarterback like Colt McCoy. Why? Because of the way the Browns were embarrassed during the Colt McCoy concussion.

You can’t ignore the numbers McCoy is putting up this preseason and you can’t ignore how good McCoy looks at moving the Browns down field. Now is where all you Cleveland fans who have drunk the Kool Aid come in and say,”McCoy is Facing 2′s and 3′s” Save it. Brandon Weeden didn’t face all 1′s the other night in G.B. either, don’t let this scripted act to get you to swallow Weeden as the better quarterback blind you from the truth.

McCoy’s family pissed off the Browns front office by going to the media and doing interviews about the way Pat Shurmur put Colt McCoy back into the Pittsburgh game with a concussion and Colts dad was not satisfied with the way Shurmur handled McCoys concussion, when he talked the Browns organization as a whole got a black eye. Lets face it fans, Shurmur couldn’t handle managing the clock last season let alone a guy who had his bell rung.  You could tell Pat Shurmur is still thinking about that, look at how he is handling the Mohamed Massaquoi situation. Shurmur gets on the defensive right away when asked about the MoMAss injury.

Because the Browns were put through the wringers last season by the NFL and the entire top brass had to be questioned form top to bottom about the procedures they used when James Harrison hit McCoy and gave him a concussion, they have a very bad taste in their mouth for Colt McCoy. Now the team is trying to say they have a great rookie quarterback, they seem to think the fans don’t know numbers and the team can just rid themselves of McCoy and the fans are too stupid to know any different.

Look at the numbers people, football is a game of stats. The Numbers don’t lie. Colt McCoy is a better quarterback than Brandon Weeden. The Browns coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball stink and because of Shurmur’s embarrassment last season he is throwing the better of the two quarterbacks under the bus. Sure McCoy played against some 2′ and 3′s this season. He also had 2′s and 3′s out on the field with him. Put Colt out there with the first team and he would do well.

The Browns entire offense stunk last season, it wasn’t all Colt McCoy. The Browns had no running game, no receivers that could catch the ball, and no imagination in play calling what so ever. Be honest, you can’t possibly blame all this on Colt McCoy. Be Honest on your assessment about who the better Q.B. is too, the numbers say it is Colt McCoy, because Pat Shurmur took a instant disliking to Colt the moment the NFL Proctologist showed up at Shurmur’s door to examine the way he handled the Concussion McCoy had. Shurmur needs to forget that crap and put the best players on the field to give Cleveland a chance to win games. Now many of you equate my want to win to Weeden hating. Nothing could be further than the truth. I don’t hate anyone, I just see who the better Q.B. is by the numbers and know Shurmur’s dis-like for McCoy is going to cost the Browns wins. Can Weeden play in the NFL? Sure one day maybe, but for now he isn’t ready….Don’t let this strong arm stuff fool ya folks, when was the last time you saw the Browns throw a 70 yard pass down the field? Shurmur call 5 to 10 yard pass plays 99%of the time.

After one quarter of football in Green Bay Weeden was 3 for 8…..After the 2nd the Browns play calling of 2,3 5 yard pass plays helped to pad his numbers. That is what made him look better than week one. After the first quarter against the 1′s Weeden was no better than week one. Check the numbers yourself…..

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/browns-quarterback-colt-mccoy-plays-better-than-weeden-remember-concussion-gate/

Improved Brandon Weeden leads Cleveland Browns to 35-10 preseason victory over Green Bay

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden proved in his dress rehearsal game here at Lambeau Field that he's more ready now to take center stage once the regular season begins.

He wanted to show progress over his rocky debut in Detroit last week, and he did just that.

In eight first-half possessions, he completed 12 of 20 attempts for 118 yards, with no touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks for a 76.7 rating. He produced three field goal drives -- thanks to Phil Dawson's booming leg  -- and one touchdown drive that ended on a 1-yard run by Montario Hardesty. He led the team to the locker room with a 16-7 advantage over the Packers.

By the end, the Browns had won, 35-10, on a night when both the Browns and Packers had 15 or more players on the sidelines in streetclothes.

"It was definitely an upgrade for me over last week,'' said Weeden. "I just wanted to go out and get better, and I think I did that. There are things that I'll learn as we get going. You know, you watch (Packers quarterback) Aaron Rodgers. He's the best at it. He'll stretch the field, but he's smart and he puts the ball down, he knows where to go withe ball.''

Once again, the Browns' rookie quarterback faced some adversity, but this time, the mistakes weren't his own.

Hardesty, starting in place of the injured Trent Richardson, fumbled the ball away on the very first play of the game after a 4-yard gain. It wasn't the best first impression to make on Browns new owner Jimmy Haslam, who attended his first game since agreeing to purchase the team last month.

  "I was mad about it,'' said Hardesty, who started in place of the injured Trent Richardson. "I wanted to redeem myself because I haven't fumbled since high school. I wanted to put the play behind me and forward onto the next play.''

Hardesty did exactly that, rushing for 26 yards on his next drive and rebounding with 41 yards on his next 11 carries after the fumble. The Browns also scored on their next three possessions after the inauspicious start.

"We bounced back,'' said Weeden. "I think that's what good teams do. When you do make a mistake, you find a way to bounce back and redeem yourself and put together a few good drives. (We did that) led in large part by Montario. Even though he did put the ball on the ground, he continued to plug it and run the ball really well.''

Hardesty's fumble marked the second straight game that the Browns' opening play ended in disaster. Last week, starting receiver Mohamed Massaquoi suffered a concussion on the opening play of the game and was lost for the night.

Massaquoi sat out last night's game as well, as well as six defensive starters and a handful of key offensive players. Also missing were wide receiver Travis Benjamin, and tight ends Ben Watson and Jordan Cameron.

Weeden wasn't blitzed as much he could've been, but was pressured into several incompletions and had two passes dropped, one by Gordon an easy hitch at the Green Bay 25 and one by Greg Little midfield. He also had a short pass over the middle knocked down by A.J. Hawk.

"For the most part, Brandon played well,'' said coach Pat Shurmur. "Today, he saw some different things. He played against a lot of pressure. He moved the team and he found a way to drive the ball. He completed a couple of third downs that were important.

"What comes to mind are a couple of third-downs are plays we're just getting a feel for. He'll do better at those the next time. He's like any of the other young one out there working. He's going to look at the film and say, 'Darn it, I need to do better at that next time.''

Weeden felt he handled the pressure better than he did last week in Detroit, where he failed to sense the rush behind him and was strip-sacked.

Said Weeden: "They brought a lot of pressure and that's what they do defensively. For me, it was good to see and react to. Our offensive line did a great job of picking things up.''

Weeden was the beneficiary of favorable first-half field position -- with three of his drives starting in Green Bay territory. He parlayed those three chances, including one that came courtesy of an Emmanuel Stephens fumble recovery, into two field goals and the touchdown.

He showed some decent chemistry with Greg Little, hitting him with a 12-yarder and a 24-yarder to the 1 to set up Hardesty's TD. Little finished the night with four catches for 45 yards, with the drop his only mistake. He was wide open at the time and just lost his concentration.

Rookie receiver Josh Gordon, who started opposite Little, had an up-and-down night, with two catches for 38 yards, a 19-yarder from Weeden and 19-yarder from McCoy. But he dropped the little hitch and ran an errant route that nearly resulted in a Weeden interception.

"He caught two balls, but dropped that little hitch that was a gimme,'' said Shurmur. "Although there was some improvement, he'd be the first to tell you he's got a lot of work to do.''

If the Packers are looking for a new backup quarterback, which some have speculated, they might've been intrigued by Colt McCoy's second very strong performance of the preseason. Their current backup quarterback, Graham Harrell, completed 12 of 24 attempts for 100 yards and two interceptions for a dismal 26.4 rating.

Playing only one drive in the third quarter, McCoy completed 4-of-6 attempts for 58 yards and a 97.6 rating. His smart 14-play drive, which ended in Brandon Jackson's one-yard TD run off left tackle, included the 19-yard pass to Gordon and a 21-yarder over the middle to tight end Dan Gronkowski. He also completed a 9-yarder to tight end  Brad Smelley on 4th and 1 and a 9-yarder to Rod Windsor to convert a third down.

"We'll take a close look at (Harrell's performance),'' said Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

Weeden gave the Browns a little scare in the second quarter when he was drilled in the midsection by a blitzing cornerback and got up slowly.

"It didn't feel good, but it just knocked the breath out of me. It was one of those ones, it was a perfect shot. You've just gotta kind of gather yourself. But I got in the huddle. I could barely get the play out. Fortunately it was a short one. The offensive line was laughing at me after that.''

What did feel good was completing some passes and scoring some points, even if some came against a mix of first- and second-teamers.

"For the most part, I think I threw the ball where it needed to be thrown and threw it on time,'' he said. "My guys made plays for me, which is good. So, yeah, I think it was progress. I think I felt really comfortable. I saw things coming. I saw where they were blitzing from. I knew [the blitzes] were picked up. That's a start.''

The Browns started two rookie defensive tackles in John Hughes and Billy Winn, and Shurmur was pleased.

"They rattled around in there and did some good things,'' said Shurmur. "It was a night where we got a chance to look at a lot of the younger guys, and it was a pretty good night.''

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/08/efficient_brandon_weeden_leads.html

Jim Brown headed back to Cleveland Browns Stadium

Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer that he plans on attending Alumni weekend on September 22-23.  Both former defensive back Clarence Scott and running back Ernie Green will be inducted into the Cleveland Browns legends.

“I’ll be there to support Ernie,” said Brown on Saturday night per the Plain-Dealer.

The induction ceremony will include a halftime ceremony during the Browns’ September 23rd game against the Buffalo Bills.

Brown hasn’t been to Cleveland Browns Stadium in two years, since his split with President Mike Holmgren.

http://profootballzone.com/nfl/jim-brown-headed-back-to-cleveland-browns-stadium/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ProFootballZone+%28Pro+Football+Zone%29#&panel1-1

Cleveland Browns' error-prone exhibition opener not worth fretting about (too much)

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

DETROIT -- OK, Browns fans, take a deep breath. Now repeat after me: "It's just the first game."

Another deep breath.

"It's just the first preseason game."

One more.

"It's just the first quarter of the first preseason game for a first-year quarterback."

That's why I'm not going to obsess over every Brandon Weeden throw, fumble and interception. In the Browns' preseason opener in Detroit, Weeden looked exactly like what he happens to be -- a rookie quarterback with a good arm and a lot to learn.

The 28-year-old Weeden opened with a sharp 12-yard completion to Mohamed Massaquoi. I was anxious to see more of Massaquoi, who received raves from Pat Shurmur in training camp. Only Massaquoi left the game with a "head injury." Not a good sign for a guy who has had three concussions in the last two years.

Weeden also connected on a perfect 34-yard pass down the sidelines to rookie Travis Benjamin. Young Mr. Benjamin from Miami looked more like a four-year NFL veteran than a fourth-round draft pick. He showed good hands on passes. He returned punts and kicks. Most of all, he looked fast ... and quick.

Fast running a straight line downfield. Quick making some moves to get open. And on this night, the Browns didn't have many guys who looked fast or quick on the artificial turf of Ford Field.

Jordan Cameron is another who seemed very comfortable on this surface that accents athleticism. He caught a 16-yard pass from Weeden, a 42-yarder from Colt McCoy. Cameron has impressed the coaches almost from Day One of the minicamps, and the former USC basketball player really makes you believe the Browns have found a big-play tight end.

But wouldn't you know it? Cameron came down hard on his back catching that pass from McCoy, and left the game.

Who'd have guessed that the two guys catching the ball making the best first impressions would be Benjamin and Cameron. But both also had strong training camps.

Jordon Norwood also had some nice moments with a couple of catches and returns. He caught the eye of the coaches at the end of last season, and could surprise by taking snaps away from one of the other more highly regarded slot receivers.

If you're a Browns fan, there are reasons to worry -- well beyond Weeden's 3-of-9 passing for 62 yards and two turnovers in his three series. Rookie Mitchell Schwartz and the right side of the offensive line was pushed around. They never could get much of a running game in gear.

Most of the defensive backs appeared a step slow and a little timid. Second string Lions quarterback Shaun Hill had a 114.2 rating. But the Browns also allowed 115 yards on 18 carries in the first half.

The defense has been savaged by injuries: Chris Gocong (Achilles), Phil Taylor (pectoral muscle) are out long-term. The Browns didn't use five of their usual defensive starters, so that may have explained part of the troubles.

But it doesn't excuse the Browns having eight -- that's right -- penalties in the first half. A couple of the flags were iffy from replacement refs. Nonetheless, this would be a good night for the Browns to borrow a chapter from Eric Mangini's old coaching book and have some of these guys run home from Michigan. They had three false starts, an illegal formation, and just looked too sloppy.

As sometimes happens in the preseason, the backup quarterbacks seem superior to the starters. McCoy was 6-of-8 passing for 88 yards, and had a 20-yard run. Seneca Wallace scrambled and found rookie Brad Smelley for a touchdown in the third quarter, the first time the Browns reached the end zone in the preseason.

It's so hard to draw grand conclusions from these early games because the key players are on the field so little. Other starters simply don't play. But playing in a dome does reveal a team's speed, and the Browns still need more of it.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2012/08/cleveland_browns_error-prone_e.html

Cleveland Browns' family evening at the stadium overshadowed by Trent Richardson, Joe Haden developments

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On a night that was supposed to be all about fun, family and fireworks for the Cleveland Browns, the team was rocked by two bombshells regarding key players Trent Richardson and Joe Haden.

Richardson, the Browns' top pick in the April draft, will likely undergo surgery Thursday in Pensacola, Fla., by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews to remove a small piece of cartilage from his sore left knee.

But the team is optimistic that Richardson, who had a torn meniscus repaired by Andrews in February, will be back in time for the opener Sept. 9 against the Eagles -- exactly a month away. Early word is that he'll be out two to three weeks.

"We're hopeful that he can be [back for the opener], but we'll see," coach Pat Shurmur said after the Family Fun Night practice at the stadium, which was attended by new owner Jimmy Haslam. "We'll all know more tomorrow."

Shortly after news broke of Richardson's procedure, espncleveland.com reported that Haden faces a possible four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. One source told the site that Haden was found with Adderall in his system, a stimulant used to treat attention deficit disorder and similar conditions.

Teams are not permitted to comment on the players who violate the policy, and are subject to a $500,000 fine if they do.

"If I knew something, I couldn't talk about it -- and I don't know anything," said Shurmur. "I'm assuming that if that's the case we'll receive notice from the league, but as I mentioned that hasn't been the case."

After practice, Haden also declined comment. "It's really a league matter," said Haden. "I can't comment on that right now."

Haden did say, however, that he's still Mr. Cleveland -- the clean-cut, happy-go-lucky guy that fans have come to know and love.

"Everybody knows who I am," he said. "Honestly, my friends and my family, they know exactly who I am. All the Haden Nation supporters. They know who I am and you can't put up a front. So I'm just going to just keep balling, keep looking forward to the next game and keep doing my thing."

Cornerback Dimitri Patterson talked like a man who knows he'll probably be starting the first four games.

"This is a natural transition for me," he said. "I'll never be pressed [into service]. I've always been ready to start. The door opened and that's all it really is -- one person don't make a secondary."

Safety T.J. Ward, Haden's best friend on the team, said "I was surprised as anyone" to hear the news. He said the report shouldn't change people's perceptions of Haden.

"People should love him for who he is," Ward said. "He's a great person."

Asked how Haden is handling it, Ward said, "I don't know. Joe's always in high spirits. He'll bounce back from this.

"We all have to step it up a notch," he continued, also giving support to Patterson. "We have a great secondary. ... [Patterson's] as good as any corner in the game right now."

Haden's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who attended practice on Tuesday, declined to comment. His business manager, Sean Cabble said, "This is the first I've heard of it."

Shurmur, speaking in generic terms, said players know the rules.

"Our players are well aware of what they can and can't put in their bodies," he said. "That's one of the indoctrinations to this league and the players all know that they're responsible for what goes in their bodies and I'm not speaking about any specific situation and I'm not alluding to anything that I don't know about. I'm just saying they're all aware of what they can't put in their bodies."

In the week since Haslam had his introductory press conference, he's watched linebacker Chris Gocong's season end with a torn Achilles and now the Richardson surgery and possible Haden suspension. It didn't stop him from shaking hands and posing for pictures with fans last night.

"Football's a tough game and injuries are part of the game," said Haslam. "And it probably hurts a team like us that's a little younger, maybe a little less depth. But like I said, we're building a good team, we're doing it as we said on Friday for the long run, we're going to do it the right way. We're not going to panic and not do the right things to bring a winner to Cleveland over the long period of time."

As for Haden's possible suspension, he said, "You know, I don't know enough to comment on that. Obviously Joe's a great player and we certainly hope he's available, but I don't know anything more than that."

He also said he'd been in business meetings here all day and didn't know much more about Richardson other than that he had "a little knee issue."

Espncleveland reported that Haden has been notified that he tested positive for a banned substance. If the original sample tests positive again, he'd suspended for the first four games. Haden could appeal, and most likely would. The suspension would cost him four game checks, more than $1.35 million.

According to the policy, Haden would also be ineligible for the Pro Bowl or other league or NFLPA honors.

As for Richardson, he experienced swelling in the knee, had an MRI Tuesday and flew to Pensacola, Fla. where Andrews has a clinic. Andrews has been Richardson's surgeon since high school, when he repaired ligaments in both ankles.

The procedure is a precautionary measure, a source said.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/08/cleveland_browns_trent_richard_4.html