Could Johnny Football become Johnny Cleveland?

As the NFL Draft on Thursday nears, I thought it was a good time to assess the Brown’s options. Once again, Cleveland is coming off of a disappointing year and will draft fourth overall.  Luckily the Browns have seven picks in the first four rounds to help improve the team. Cleveland filled some of their team needs by signing Ben Tate (RB), Karlos Dansby (LB), and Donte Whitner (CB) during the offseason, but still have a glaring hole at QB. While Brian Hoyer showed some flashes last season, the Browns could draft a QB for the long term future.

Drafting in the first round has not been Cleveland’s strong suit recently since their return in 1999. If you take a quick glance at the players below, you can see why the Browns might be best served by trading down in the first round while still getting a QB later in the draft.

Given this putrid history, there is no guarantee a non-QB will be successful anyways, so why not go for the polarizing QB Johnny “Football” Manziel? While WR Sammy Watkins is another rumored pick, who is going to throw the ball to him and All-Pro Josh Gordon? Drafting the former Heisman winner will certainly boost interest and sales for a franchise that has averaged 24th in attendance the past five years and has not had a player in the top 25 in jersey sales in three years. There are certainly plenty of positives to his game, including making/extending plays with his feet, while still throwing 63 TDs/22 Ints with 69% completion % in the SEC. His detractors point out his 6’1” height and the increased abilities of NFL defenders to track him down and cause turnovers. Will he be the next Russell Wilson or the next Tim Tebow? Only time will tell. He certainly will join an exclusive club:

Browns and Redskins Fighting for the Playoffs?

This week, my two favorite NFL teams square off for the first time in four years at a crucial time in the season. Being in separate conferences, the Redskins and Browns rarely face each other. The last time they played each other was back in October 2008 as Washington hosted Cleveland in a 14-11 win while I sat in the nosebleeds. This Sunday, they meet both still in playoff contention this late for the first time in several seasons.

The main story line this week will be the health of rookie of the year/MVP candidate RG3, but the Redskins and Browns also sport several other key rookies. Washington’s Alfred Morris has 1,228 rushing yards, kicker Kai Forbath is 14 of 14 on FGs so far, while backup QB Kirk Cousins won the game for Washington last week. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s rookie trio of Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson and Josh Morgan are the first rookie QB, RB, and WR combo to start for a team since 1970. Weeden has the most wins for a rookie in team history, Richardson has the most touchdowns for a rookie, even surpassing Jim Brown, while Gordon leads NFL rookies in yardage.

Here are some other quick facts for the match-up: 

• The Redskins have won four straight for the first time since 2008, including three in a row against NFC East rivals
• The Browns have won three straight for the first time in three seasons
• Washington is #5 and #7 in offensive yardage and points in the NFL
• Cleveland unfortunately lost three games by four points or less, but is #9 in defensive scoring
• The Browns and Redskins are +8 and +12 in turnover margin, both top ten in the league
• Washington’s six 30+ point games so far is their most in a season in 16 years
• Cleveland’s 23 point victory last week was their largest margin in nine seasons

Neither team has been in the playoffs in the past four seasons, but they both are still mathematically alive, and the winner of this game will be one step closer. 

What are the Browns' Draft Options?

The Browns have the fourth overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft and since the first three picks are practically already signed, all eyes are on Cleveland. This is the fourth draft in a row the Browns are picking in the top seven, and tenth time this high in the 14 drafts since their return.  What have they done with all these high picks? Only one All-Pro and 13 busts. Outside of Joe Thomas, only three drafted Browns have made one Pro Bowl and just once each. That is three combined pro bowl seasons from 106 of 107 draft selections.

With this history of futility, who are the Browns going to erroneously pick this year? This website compiles all the mock drafts performed across the internet and of the 212 most recent ones, 76% choose Trent Richardson, 10% Justin Blackmon, and 8% for Ryan Tannehill. Here are the breakdowns for each choice:

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama:

Pros: The Crimson Tide runner is a bruising back that has pass catching and protection skills as well. He is considered the most complete back since Adrian Peterson five years ago. Richardson will energize an offense that faces three AFC North teams which each made the playoffs with top 7 defenses specializing on stopping the run.

Cons:  Running backs have a very short shelf life and with the increasing use of committee backfields, #4 overall is high for a back. You can easily get a good running back later in the draft, since the difference between the fifth best back and 25^th best is not as great as other positions drafted this high.

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State:

Pros: The two-time Biletnikoff Award winner would be a much needed explosive target for Colt McCoy. The Browns lead the league in drops last year and pairing him with Greg Little would open up the offense.

Cons: Considering all the holes on the Browns roster, drafting a player who only touches the ball a half dozen times a game at fourth overall will not be a great value.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M:

Pros: The Aggie quarterback shot up the draft board after his pro day and could be the franchise passer the Browns need to compete with Flacco, Dalton, and Big Ben.

Cons: The pick would be a desperate move for a franchise grasping for a QB after Luck and Griffin are taken. Tannehill has only played 19 games at quarterback after playing WR for the Aggies.

Trade down:

Pros: The Browns need players, not a player. They lost their top running back and right tackle to free agency and lack a franchise QB and #1 caliber WR on the 29^th ranked offense. Their OLB will be suspended for bounty hunting and need improvement at DE, FS, and #2 CB. They can pass on Blackmon and get WR Floyd at #15, avoid Richardson and get RB Martin at #37, or ignore project Tannehill and get QB Weeden at #44.  They could even trade down to bolster the right side of the line with G David DeCastro.

Cons: Cleveland already has 13 picks this year and what is the point of drafting multiple later busts instead of one at #4. They will not be able to fix everything this year, and can pair Blackmon or Richardson with QB Matt Barkley in next year’s draft.

I believe that the Browns should trade down since they need all the help they can get and only RG3 and Luck are difference makers in this draft.

Three Defensive Plays Determine the Outcome for Browns, Redskins, and Cavs Games This Week

During the first week of the NFL season, and first week of D1 play for UVA, three remarkable defensive plays changed the outcome of my favorite teams’ games.

After redeeming themselves last week by defeating William and Mary in the season opener, Virginia travelled to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers. After going up 23-3 in the third quarter, the Cavaliers gave up 28 unanswered points to a program that has only been to one bowl game in 18 seasons. The Hoos answered with a 15 play drive to tie the game at 31-31 with under two minutes left. After a couple of ineffective plays, IU lined up for a third down and five on their own 23 with only a half a minute until overtime: (skip to the :36 mark):

Senior defensive end Cam Johnson comes around the end and not only sacks the QB, but strips the football and recovers the fumble with one hand…all before hitting the ground! A couple plays later, Robert Randolph hits a 23 yard FG with seconds left. Victory!

"In the past, we probably would have given up or tucked and said, 'Oh, what the heck.' But these guys just kept on playing,” Coach Mike London said. “And in the end we just made more plays than they made, and the play that Cam Johnson made was unbelievable."

Meanwhile on Sunday, the Browns opened their season at home against a similarly underdog opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals. Up 17-13 in the fourth quarter, Cleveland had already knocked out the Bengals starting QB and were a couple stops or turnover away from sealing the victory. With under five minutes left, Cincinnati put together a drive to move into Browns’ territory but were facing a third down and eleven (right click on picture to open play in new window):

Backup QB Bruce Gradkowski quick snaps the ball and finds rookie WR AJ Green wide open for his first NFL reception for a 41 yard score. Not only was the defense caught off guard, but they had 12 men on the field as well! Stunned by the sudden deficit, the Cleveland offense responded with 25 yards, seven incompletions and an interception on their final three drives combined as the Bengals offense later sealed the win with a 39 yard touchdown run.

“They caught the whole organization asleep on that one,” linebacker Scott Fujita said Monday. “We were all responsible,” coach Pat Shurmur said. “Which includes me.”

Later in the afternoon, the Redskins faced bitter rival New York Giants, which had won the previous six meetings. In a back and forth matchup, the teams came out of the locker room at half time tied 14-14 and the Giants started with the ball. New York quickly faced a third down and ten from the shadow of their own goal line minutes into the second half:

Rookie defensive end Ryan Kerrigan avoids the chop block by the right tackle and picks off Eli Manning’s quick screen attempt and rumbles into the end zone breaking the tie. While there was still almost a full half remaining in the game, the defensive touchdown set the tone for the rest of the game. Washington’s defense caused four sacks and three 3-and-outs, while only allowing four New York first downs and 93 yards for the rest of the half, clinching a 28-14 victory.

“He has great awareness for a big guy,” linebacker Brian Orakpo said of Kerrigan. “He made a great play, got to score a touchdown, and that’s all she wrote.”

Three separate third down defensive plays determined the outcome of my three favorite teams this weekend. While I hope Cam Johnson and Ryan Kerrigan’s performances are a glimpse of more things to come this season, first year Browns head coach Pat Shurmur better learn fast before the schedule gets tougher later in the season.

Quotes and Further Reading:

Cam Johnson Saves the Day for Virginia

Browns Regroup After Snap Blunder

Washington Rookie Ryan Kerrigan Breaks the Game Open

The Unsung Brown Joe Thomas Gets His Due

Finally, the Browns were able to do something right. This morning, Cleveland extended Left Tackle Joe Thomas’s contract for seven years, $84 million. Why is spending $44 million guaranteed on a lineman a great move? Only because Thomas has made the Pro Bowl in each of his four seasons, and first team All-Pro twice already. He was voted the top left tackle in the league, and has never missed a start. The Browns now have the anchor of their line and protector of their quarterback locked down for another seven seasons.

While the Browns first round draft futility has been discussed before on this blog, Thomas’s success so far shines a new light on it. He has made four Pro Bowls already while the previous 14 players Cleveland drafted his year or earlier have a combined two. Even the last 23 only have a combined four All-Pro selections, compared to Thomas’s three (two first team, one second team). You have to go all the way back to the 1978 draft class of Clay Matthews Jr and Ozzie Newsome to find a comparably solid first round draft selection, and Clay Matthews III is now in the league!

Hopefully Peyton Hillis can 'Cover' the Browns' Failures?

Finally some good news for the Browns! Cleveland’s star running back Peyton Hillis is now on the cover of this season’s Madden videogame. With 66% of the vote, he beat out comeback story Michael Vick, after upsetting Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers last week en route to victory. It is kind of fitting that the Dawg Pound voted Hillis in over the dog killer.

While there is a curse to the Madden cover (see the infamous list here), there is also a Cleveland curse which has been much ballyhooed in this blog. Maybe these two curses will cancel each other out and the Browns and Hillis will return to the playoffs and glory? Or, more likely, Hillis’ fun but dangerous bruising style of running through and jumping over defenders will lead to injuries and fumbles this season, adding to the Madden curse’s lore.

Either way, I am still getting the game for the first time in five years.

Week 13 Recap

Browns 13, Dolphins 10

In one of the most boring football games I have ever seen, Cleveland pulled out a late victory over Miami to improve to 5-7. Hillis had an off game, while Delhomme did not throw a pick six, despite hitting the cornerback in his hands. Joe Haden continued his hot streak with his fourth pick in a row and earned defensive rookie of the month. With the Bills and Bengals coming up, the Browns have a chance to get to .500. Sweet.

Redskins 7, Giants 31

Well this season is done. Jacobs and the GMen ran all over the depleted and heartless Skins in a game that was over before halftime. I was only two weeks off from my July prediction of when Haynesworth would be want to be traded/cut. With four tough games coming up, it is time to see who will be worth keeping around next year.

Colts 35, Cowboys 38

It’s getting pretty scary for Indy now. After their third straight loss, the Colts are now on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Once again, Peyton struggled with four picks against only 17 carries for 40 rushing yards. With no running game and reliable receivers, the defending AFC champs have only one more win than the Skins and Browns, and will be asking the age old question.

RedHawks 26, Huskies 21

In one of the most thrilling college football games I’ve ever seen, my only cousin and the rest of the Miami of Ohio squad defeated ranked Northern Illinois in the last minute. The RedHawks won the MAC title with a 9-4 record, completing their worst to first turnaround. After converting a 4^th and 20, their redshirt freshman qb threw the game winning td on all out blitz. Miami will face Middle Tennessee State in the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile on January 6^th.

Cavaliers 57, Hokies 54

During the middle of a NFL Sunday, the ACC men’s basketball season tipped off with a UVA upset of a VT team hungover from their football title victory the night before. The Wahoos finished their six game road trip with two huge wins against #13 Minnesota and a Hokie team that was projected to finish near the top of the ACC standings. Tony Bennett’s freshmen laden team will surprise a bunch of people this season.

Jayson Werth $126 million, Adam Dunn $56 million

Also lost among football season was the hot stove of the MLB off-season, until the Nationals made a big splash on Sunday. After not offering Adam Dunn enough years or money last week, Washington signed former Phillies Rightfielder Jayson Werth to a 7 year, $126 million deal. A seven year deal for a 31 year old! While his numbers stack up w/ Dunn’s, he’ll be making $18 million a year seven seasons from now at 38. In the past three seasons with a stacked Philly lineup, Werth went .273/24/67, .268/36/99, and .296/27/85 while on the Natinals, Dunn batted .236/40/100, .267/38/105, and .260/38/103. While Werth is a better defender, Washington offered him more per year for more years than fan favorite Dunn. If this is some sort of grand scheme to make the Nats competitive and abandon the youth movement, then why not resign Soriano and Capps? It just looks like a kneejerk reaction to not re-signing Dunn for a team without a winning record in their history, without their biggest draw for all of next season, and without crowds. Eventhough it’s a Dunn deal, I do not think it is Werth it (I had too).

Week 12 Football Recap

Browns 24, Panthers 23

Whew. That was way too close. I know Cleveland has nothing to play for anymore, but blowing a game like that, against a 1-9 team, still would have hurt. The Browns need to learn to tackle for 60 minutes, since this is the third game in a row the D gave up a big play late due to poor tackling. Colt McCoy better be back soon because Delhomme has a 1/6 td/int ratio with a pick 6 in EACH* of his three starts. (*In week 1 the defender returned it 64 yards to the 3 and they scored a TD on the next play, so I’m counting it.) Can the MVP come from a 4-7 team? My new favorite Peyton ran for 131 yards and three first half touchdowns and is 39% of the offense for the season and first in receptions as well. Before I get his jersey, he needs to at least make a pro bowl, so please vote for my coolness sake.

Cavaliers 7, Hokies 37

Well that was a giant thud to end the season. The outcome is about what you would expect from a team with only two D1 wins against one that had won nine straight. I would have liked to have seen some more heart to make the second half watchable. I know it’s a new coach and our offense went from 118^th to 41^st in the country, etc, but outside of the Miami win and USC loss, there wasn’t much to cheer for this year and many games were unbearable blow outs. Not sure if I’ll get season tickets again. Is it spring yet?

Redskins 13, Vikings 17

Any chance Washington had at a wild card berth disappeared after this game. The injuries and lack of a running game caught up to the Skins. At least they keep most games close and entertaining in true .500 team fashion. But to lose on old man Favre’s scramble, on a broken ankle with no Peterson at home to a team that just fired their coach, is pretty disappointing.

Colts 14, Chargers 36

I know Indy matches up poorly with San Diego and struggled recently against them, but I was not expecting four ints and Manning’s worst loss at home. Obviously the injuries are mounting in the O Line and receiving corps, and Reggie Wayne is not having his best year. Once again, they ran the ball under 20 times compared to 49 passing attempts, continuing the losing trend. Luckily though, the Jags lost to the Giants, so the Colts can still get healthy and win the division.

On a more personal note, my only cousin’s Miami of Ohio team is headed to the MAC Championship game on Friday night. Luckily, the Redhawks played nationally televised games on ESPN the last couple weeks so I was able to watch him play. First it was the fog bowl winning field goal against Bowling Green, then a victory over Akron, with a red shirt freshman quarterback making his first start. Finally Miami manhandled Temple last week and benefited from Ohio blowing their chance against Kent State to make the title game in Detroit against Northern Illinois. After going 1-11 last year, the Redhawks are 8-4 (7-1 in the MAC), the largest turnaround in the country. Maybe their second year coach Mike Haywood will join the Cradle of Coaches one day.

Week 11 Football Recap

Browns 20, Jags 24

You have to win the game when you get six turnovers. You just have to. Ugh. Cleveland forced four picks and two fumbles, but only managed ten points off of them, and seven of those were from the defense. The offensive line play was atrocious, allowing six sacks and only opening up holes for 2.4 yards a Hillis carry. Peyton has to stop hurdling defenders as like a ballerina so he does not hurt himself. For the second week in a row, the Browns D gave up a horrible game clinching play due to poor tackling. Avert your eyes. At least these losses mean we have a better chance at drafting a top wide receiver in the draft next year, like A.J. Green.

Cavaliers 17, Eagles 13

Considering Boston College was playing for bowl eligibility and UVa is just playing for pride without Dowling and Payne, a four point loss on the road is not too bad. Unfortunately allowing two separate runningbacks to go over 100 yards is brutal. The only highlight of the game was that for the first time in Virginia history, two receivers had 700 yards or more in a season. Hopefully VT rests its starters next week in the Commonwealth Cup game since they already clinched an ACC title berth so the Wahoos can win in November for the first time in 13 tries.

Redskins 19, Titans 16

How is McNabb’s cardiovascular endurance now? Donovan led Washington on a couple two minute drives in a surprising win over Tennessee. Despite losing eight players to injury, including another one in warm-ups, DC kept its playoff hopes alive in another close game. McNabb had to throw 50 passes in the game but converting 8-16 3^rd downs goes a long way towards winning. It helps to get three penalties for 35 yards on the game winning drive though. Portis returned to action for the first time since week four and of course promptly injured himself again. At 5-5 the Skins will need to go on a big run in order to make the playoffs which will be tough with seven NFC teams ahead in the standings and upcoming games against the Buccaneers and Giants twice.

Colts 28, Pats 31

In one of their least anticipated matchups, Brady outdueled Manning in a game that will have later playoff seeding ramifications. It was definitely not Peyton’s day with three picks. However, considering the Colts are without Addai, Clark, Sanders, and others, Manning’s late comeback on the road against an 8-2 team was still impressive despite the failed outcome. Once again, Indy will not win many games with Peyton throwing 52 times compared to 20 rushes. In fact, this balance is key to the outcome of their games since in all four losses the Colts carried the ball 20 times or less while passing for 46 times or more, while they maintained a balance in all of their wins.

On a side note, I had my best FFL week this year, going 3-0 with wins by 19, 33, and 48 point margins, including 101 points in the SRO league, the highest in my team’s 18 seasons, and one point away from the league record.

Week 10 Football Recap

This week of football had three separate collapses.

Browns 20, Jets 26

In the battle of the Ryans, and Mangini’s revenge game, Hillis pounded the rock for 84 yards and a td against one the best defenses, while Colt McCoy displayed his poise again tying the game on a two minute drive. Both teams had opportunities to win the game but missed field goals and fumbles extended the overtime period. With 16 seconds left before a tie, Sanchez threw a quick out to Santonio Holmes and the defense, which had held the Jets to 20 points after nearly five quarters, collapsed with three missed tackles causing the game winning play. There are no morale victories in football. While losing in overtime with 16 seconds left to a 7-2 team would have been impressive two months ago, the Browns squandered a golden opportunity. If Cleveland had prevailed, at 4-5 they were facing five straight winnable games and a possible playoff push. Now at 3-6 with Cribbs dislocating four toes and Fujita injured, the Browns will be playing spoiler and for momentum for next season, which is a lot less fun to follow.

Cavaliers 23, Terrapins 42

On senior day, UVa took a 23-21 lead in the third quarter including another trick play on special teams. Unfortunately after the picturesque sunset, the Wahoos collapsed in the fourth quarter. Two picks, 16 penalties, and 21 points later the Cavs fell to 4-6. With two road games left, and Ras I Dowling injured for the rest of the year, there’s not much to root for until next season. Hopefully VT loses to Miami next week, so our game will mean something since we could be able to prevent them from going to the championship game.

Redskins 28, Eagles 59

Wow, that was embarrassing. With a national audience watching, coming off a bye week, the Skins laid a huge egg against a division rival. The only fireworks from the Skins were during the player intros as the Eagles jumped to an historic 35-0 lead. After the first play which Vick flicked his wrist for a 70 yard bomb, Washington’s collapse was almost comical. It was like watching a game of Madden on rookie. Including the last quarter of the UVa game, and the first quarter and first play of the 2nd quarter of the Skins game, I witnessed my teams get outscored 56-0. Combined with the pouring rain, here was the FedEx crowd to begin the second half. Of course the big news was Donovan McNabb’s absurd contract extension, which he proved its worth with three picks against his former team and understudy. The other bloated contract showed his pass rushing prowess by laying on the ground like a beached whale allowing Vick to stand in the pocket for seven seconds and find an open receiver in the end zone. It doesn’t get any easier going to Tennessee and scrambling QB Vince Young next week.

Colts 23, Bengals 17

The only team to win this week was my 1%, just great. I barely saw any of the game since I was watching and following the Browns. Manning had one of his worst statistical games and TO’s TD streak ended. Blah.