SB Nation - Joe Jurevicius

The Rise and Fall of Tim Ruskell: 2005

John Morgan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:49:56 -0000

Joe Jurevicius was cut by the Tampa Bay Bucs March 1, 2005. Tim Ruskell signed him to a one-year contract later that month. He was Seattle's most valuable target in 2005, catching ten touchdowns and leading Seahawks wide receivers in DVOA. Darrell Jackson missed ten games that season.

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Tim Ruskell was announced as Seattle's new general manager of football operations February 23, 2005. He inherited a good team, a team that had made the playoffs in each of the prior two seasons, and a team with a winning record in four of Mike Holmgren's six seasons as head coach. He inherited a franchise quarterback turning 30, Matt Hasselbeck, two hall of fame talents on the offensive line, Steven Hutchinson and Walter Jones, a great running back in his prime, a good young cornerback, a three-tech, an oft-injured one-tech, a pair of system correct wide receivers and two controversial young safeties. A year later, the team Ruskell inherited represented the National Football Conference in Super Bowl XL.

Rumors notwithstanding, Ruskell's contract is up after the season. Seattle was 4-12 in 2008 and is 4-7 so far in 2009. His job is in the balance.

Seattle ranked 16^th in DVOA in 2004. It ranked 9^th in 2003 and 18^th in 2002. It had a below average defense in all three seasons. Ruskell was brought in to fix Seattle's defense. He built his reputation under Rich McKay and the Bucaneers dominant Tampa 2 defense was his living resume. The 2004 team finished 21^st in total defensive DVOA, 17^th in passing DVOA and 30^th in rushing DVOA. Pro Football Reference provides the starting defense in 2004 and the starting defense in 2005.

Seattle finished 15^th in defensive DVOA in 2005. It was worse against the pass, fading to 24^th, but better against the run, 5^th overall. The team did not make a sudden leap as is often described. It did improve significantly and through a significantly remade roster. The front seven was gutted. Rookies Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, and free agent acquisitions Chuck Darby, Bryce Fisher and Jamie Sharper all started eight or more games.

All but Sharper started for Seattle in its two playoffs wins preceding the Super Bowl. Seattle allowed under 300 yards to the 10^th ranked, Washington, and 14^th ranked, Carolina, team offenses. It smothered the Redskins. Shaun Alexander missed most of the game, and Seattle lacked the rushing attack that defined it. The Seahawks dropped five fumbles and lost three, forced no interceptions and lost the turnover battle three to one. But it held the ninth ranked Redskins rushing attack to 59 yards on 25 attempts. The Redskins had only three rushing first downs, and were 0-2 in red zone efficiency.

Seattle hired Tim Ruskell to remake the defense and he did. The Seahawks won their first playoff game in 20 years because of that defense. It then blew out the Carolina Panthers, powered by three interceptions, a forced fumble, its trademark rushing attack and sound execution in every phase, by every unit.

Seattle lost Super Bowl XL, but was not outplayed. Ruskell was the toast of the NFL. He was hired to remake the defense and did, and his remade defense was critical for the greatest run in Seahawks history. Ruskell also scored on offense. He signed Joe Jurevicius and Jurevicius was Seattle's most valuable target, keeping the pass game afloat after Darrell Jackson missed ten games.

Ruskell was unimpeachable. He was the pulse of the organization and the face of its future. The Seahawks success lifted all boats. Mike Holmgren was venerated after a controversial start to his career. John Marshall stepped in for Ray Rhodes, who had suffered a stroke in September of 2005, and his defense looked young and promising. Fringe players like Jordan Babineaux had earned a following among a resurgent fanbase. Matt Hasselbeck was in the discussion of best quarterbacks in football. Shaun Alexander was the league's MVP. Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson formed the best left side in football. The spectre that haunted Seattle, the Seahawks could not win in the playoffs, was exorcised. It had won and decisively.

It finished the season Super Bowl losers. It was a team in decline.

The Offensive Line Part 3: The Healthy Year

John Morgan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:51:01 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Players like Matt Hasselbeck make but also create hard decisions. He has been undoubtedly Seattle's greatest quarterback ever, but when is too soon to prepare for the future? And how can you win when you know the player you acquire is not likely better than Hasselbeck's past?

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Steve Hutchinson is an amazing talent. Seattle wasn't building a line of amazing talents. Chris Gray was sagging, Walter Jones in decline, Sean Locklear as serviceable as ever and Chris Spencer and Rob Sims still getting their feet wet. But it had a healthy line. Jones missed one game, the only game missed by Seattle's starting five, and he missed that game as a precaution. It's not well remembered today, but Seattle's 2007 offense was good, even with Shaun Alexander. It was a twelth ranked offense and a 9^th ranked passing offense. The run game was solid outside of Alexander. Maurice Morris had his best season as a pro.

Seattle was healthy in 2007 and other than right guard, it did not seem to have pressing needs at offensive line. Jones was writing the book on modern dominance at left tackle and his historic peers at the position commonly played into their mid- to late-thirties. Sims and Spencer were the subject of Mike Holmgen's scorn, but neither player played that bad, and both were still very young at a position that historically peaks late.

The big flub happened in 2006 and hurt Seattle in the 2007 draft. Tim Ruskell traded the Seahawks first round pick for Deion Branch and then signed him to a six-year, $39 million. He desperately wanted out from Darrell Jacksons's contract, could not retain Joe Jurevicius after Vicious signed for less to play for his hometown Browns, had no interest in keeping Jeremy Stevens, was about to lose Bobby Engram to Graves Disease, and had signed Nate Burleson as a inexpensive project wide receiver and return man. Burleson has fulfilled both roles well. He has cost Seattle $2, $3.5 and $4 million against the cap his first three seasons.

Ruskell saw the Seahawks a contender and didn't see a better opportunity to add a wide receiver. He may have reached a bit, but the enormity of his decision is overblown. Late first round picks are seldom superstars and often outright busts. Had Seattle switched Branch for a generic, late-first round receiver, that receiver would have underperformed the disappointing Branch. It could have used that pick elsewhere however. It could have drafted Ben Grubbs, Arron Sears or Justin Blalock. All three have been solid, though Sears career may be over after a frightening concussion.

This marks the point where we can first say Ruskell was deemphasizing the offensive line. He didn't add significant talent in a significantly talented class, opting instead to draft project player, Mansfield Wrotto, in the fourth. The team made a run at Kris Dielman, but when Dielman frowned at Seattle's weather and went home to San Diego to sign for less, the Seahawks didn't have a plan ‘B'. Its good health at offensive line may have hidden a rotting foundation. Chris Gray started 16 but arguably shouldn't have started one. Excepting Jones, it wasn't very talented, and the youth movement Ruskell started with Spencer, Willis and Sims, was not added to or challenged. Tom Ashworth and Floyd Womack were still primary depth and the most promising successor to Jones was Locklear.

The year that Ruskell's plan was its most effective was also the year Ruskell's plan looked most ominous. Seattle didn't land one of that free agent class's big name guards and didn't acquire talent that could start in a pinch. Had the same injuries occurred that year as have this, Seattle was thinner and weaker and more likely to collapse with Tom Ashworth, Mansfield Wrotto and Steve Vallos thrust into action than even Kyle Williams, modern Wrotto and modern Vallos.

But it didn't and line depth didn't seem like such an awful big deal in 2007. What line could look good blocking Shaun Alexander? It had young parts, an ageless veteran and a defense that was starting to look like the future of the team.

Odds For A New Bears Receiver

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:16:04 -0000

500,000 to 1 ~ Brandon Marshall - I would have pegged him as a million-to-one shot to come to the Bears, but after Jerry Angelo pulled off a little QB trade in the off-season, getting another million-to-one shot seems more likely. But not that likely. If the Broncos reunite Marshall with Jay Cutler, their fan base will revolt. I'm not sure if the Bears have the ammo to pursue this deal with Denver already holding Chicago's #1 pick next year, but Marshall seems intent on getting traded, getting a raise, and moving on with his life. I just don't expect it to be as a Bear.

1,000 to 1 ~ Matt Jones - Since Jones is a free agent, acquiring him would be easier than pulling off a trade, but is he really the kind of character risk Chicago would target? I doubt it. If you're gonna take a chance on a player with red flags, shouldn't that player at least be worth the risk? Jones isn't a #1 receiver.

50 to 1 ~ Anquan Boldin - As soon as Larry Fitzgerald signed his huge deal, Boldin wanted a raise. I understand Boldin's reasons in requesting his trade, I'm just not sure if the Cardinals want to move him. Reports were the Bears made an offer (reportedly the best offer) on draft day that was declined. As it stands now, the Cardinals can't afford to offer him much of a bump in salary even if they wanted to. They have only about 2 million in cap space, and any extension Boldin signs would require a restructure or two from current Cardinals. This may come down to a hold out, and Arizona calling his bluff risking him sitting out the year.

25 to 1 ~ Plaxico Burress - I can't see the Bears, or any other team, moving on Plax until the league decides his fate. Once punishment is handed down (and he will be suspended for some length of time) the Bears may try and low ball him with a 1 year contract, but I think he'll get a better offer elsewhere. Personally I'd rather the Bears not sign him. Besides the usual prima-donna wide receiver attitude, he's habitually late to team meetings (he's even been late to his court hearings), there's been a couple domestic disturbances the last year, and there's this shooting himself in his leg with an unlicensed gun in a New York night club thing... that's just plain dumb.

10 to 1 ~ Signing A Remaining Veteran FA - There are few name players out there still looking for work (Amani Toomer, Joe Jurevicius, Marvin Harrison) and a few lesser known guys the Bears could sign on the cheap. Depending on how the voluntary mini-camps and OTA's progress (someone getting a case of the dropsies, someone pulling a hammy...) I could see a scenario where a guy is brought in to compete for a spot.

5 to 1 ~ A Cap Casualty Veteran - Once all the teams get their draft picks signed, camps get under way, and pre-season kicks off, there will no doubt be a cap casualty or two sure to catch Angelo's eye... a young guy who failed to live up to his promise or a older vet getting cut to make room for the younger, cheaper replacement. If the Bears passing game sputters even the slightest bit in the exhibition games, I could see them looking for a quick fix.

2 to 1 ~ No Moves Made - To me the odds say nothing will be done. Jerry Angelo has been very adamant in proclaiming the quarterback makes the receivers and not the other way around. Early reports from the Bears paint a nice picture of the current receiving corps. Earl Bennett has been getting raves about his camp from many Bears insiders, rookie Johnny Knox has had stand out performances, fellow rookie Juaquin Iglesias has been coming on of late, Greg Olsen has been a go to target for Cutler, and Devin Hester has been working exclusively with Jay.

What do you think, Bears fans?

GeauxBears has a fan poll up and running on this very subject.

Minicamp Notes: Quinn's Playing Time, Harrison's Role, Steinbach Situation, and More

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:24:18 -0000

Members of the local media are now having the privilege of viewing the minicamp sessions, and they've been busy. Here is a cliff notes version on reports from the Plain Dealer, Canton Repository, Akron Beacon Journal, and the OBR:

QB Competition: Although we have proclaimed Brady Quinn as the player favored to start this season, Mangini is still being fair to Derek Anderson and holding a "competition". There was no winner in that competition Thursday, as both quarterbacks were pretty awful, according to Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Rep.

Quinn had a flat pass picked off and taken the distance by CB Don Carey. CB Coye Francies also had a pick six on a lock return. Anderson had several passes that were easily tipped by defenders, or would have been interceptions had the offensive player not broken the play up. Doerschuk didn't know who was on the receiving end of it, but at one point, Anderson yelled, “He doesn’t know what he’s (expletive) doing.”
Edwards With Catch of the Day: It shouldn't be a surprise that Braylon Edwards is excelling in camp; he had a tremendous training camp last season before bombing in the regular season. Doerschuk reports that he had the catch of the day, catching a deep jump ball over Brandon McDonald and Hamza Abdullah for a touchdown.
Rucker Lazy: Doerschuk notes that with respect to penalty laps, when TE Martin Rucker received one earlier in the week, he barely ran. When Brady Quinn was assessed a penalty lap, he ran it out.
Patten a Coach: Veteran WR David Patten is acting as the vocal leader/encourager, giving props to the young players for good plays, as well as guiding them through the details of the play.
Using Cribbs Correctly: The plays designed for Cribbs? Quick slant routes where he can catch the ball and then take off for the races.
Harrison Used More Often: Coach Eric Mangini gave the impression that Jerome Harrison will be used more often on first and second downs than he was in the past this season.

"You can work the running back rotation a lot of different ways," Mangini said. "I've done it different styles in New York, where Leon (Washington) was able to take some first and second down reps off the starter. How that's going to play out we'll just have to see and try to get the best mix."
Newcomers Role: Cornerback Roderick Hood has jumped right into the No. 1 nickel role in practice. That isn't to say he'll stay there; it still seems likely that he'll compete for a starting role.
New Offensive Line: Mangini continues to emphasize that he is using a rep chart rather than a depth chart. So, having an offensive line of Joe Thomas, Floyd Womack, Alex Mack, Rex Hadnot and Ryan Tucker shouldn't cause us to jump to conclusions. Below, you'll find a link regarding guard Eric Steinbach and his weight. He has reportedly gained 12 pounds already, due to Mangini's wishes that he "bulk up".
Possession Receiver: Steve King of the OBR thinks that Mike Furrey looks and is playing the part of a possession receiver already; a Joe Jurevicius replacement.

NEWS SOURCES

Browns Notebook: Edwards works on going deep (Doerschuk, Canton Rep)
King's Camp Notes: Rockin' (King, Orange and Brown Report)
Competition at guard could become a weighty issue for Eric Steinbach (Grossi, Plain Dealer)
Friendly competition between Browns QBs (Doerschuk, Canton Rep)
Quinn, Anderson toss interceptions (Ridenour, Akron Beacon Journal)
Cleveland Browns second minicamp winds down (Grossi, Plain Dealer)

Organized team activities (OTAs) begin next week. The media will have access to that, so there should be plenty of more tidbits to report on!

Could Joe Jurevicius be the Bears answer at WR?

Adam T — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:32:18 -0000

Now that the Bears have combed the 100s of free agents available and found the two crown jewels that they needed and nobody else wanted, it is time to continue our useless obsession with wondering what might have been. I've spent plenty of ink on guys we know we are too cheap, dumb or oblivious to go after. Why don't we now look at more likely targets.

The Browns release Joe Jurevicius and he is looking for a new team. Jurevicius isn't goint to make our QB a pro bowler, but he may still have some value as a prosession receiver. A #3 or 4, I'd guess.

What is your take on Jurevicius?

Leadership Will be Missed With Release of WR Joe Jurevicius

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:47:42 -0000

In a move that's both a surprise and not a surprise at the same time, the Cleveland Browns released veteran WR Joe Jurevicius earlier today. The Browns had this to say about the matter:

"These types of decisions are always difficult ones, especially with someone like Joe, who has meant a great deal to the Cleveland Browns organization and to the fans of Cleveland," said Browns General Manager George Kokinis.

"Eric (Mangini) and I have had extensive conversations with Joe and his representatives. In the end we were unable to reach an agreement that was in the best interests of both parties. We want to thank Joe for his contributions to the Browns and wish him the best of luck in the future."

Jurevicius had two solid seasons with the Browns. Although he missed all of last season, I think we'll all still miss his ability to bring leadership to the offense, as well as the security blanket he provided our quarterbacks on third downs.

After so many knee surgeries and roughly a $2.9 million contract due this year according to RotoWorld, the move isn't a complete surprise. However, I thought he would be given the chance to show the new staff he was ready to return. As of a few weeks ago, I believe there was a report released stating that Jurevicius was aiming to take part in a few team offseason exercises in the coming weeks. Apparently, this was not the case.

LeCharles Bentley. Gary Baxter. Joe Jurevicius. Why is it that when each player seems so close to a heart-warming comeback, they are released?

Does wide receiver become a higher priority in the draft now? I mean, it looks like we're going to keep Donte Stallworth, but we all know the story with him already after this past season.

Forgotten Man: Jurevicius as Browns' Second Receiver

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:05:38 -0000

The other day, the options for the Browns to consider at the receiver position after Braylon Edwards were addressed. With 265 votes tallied at the time of this posting, the results are as follows:

(1st -TIE) Big-Name Free Agent, Like Houshmandzadeh (29%)
(1st - TIE) Lower Level Free Agent (29%)
(3rd) Late in the Draft (26%)
(4th) We're Fine With What We've Got (10%)
(5th) Early in the Draft (4%)

The dispersal of the votes among fans is alarming in the sense that no matter what Eric Mangini and George Kokinis decide to do, it's going to be difficult to please the majority. Here's a new question though: would the 4th place finishing statement have been ranked higher if Joe Jurevicius' name was considered a little bit more?

It's easy to forget about the man who missed all of last season, thanks to Cleveland's curse of the staph infection. Many people questioned whether or not Jurevicius would return to football; he may only want to play one more year, and what would be his chances of winning a Super Bowl with the Browns?

If Jurevicius planned on calling it a career, I think he would've done so already. When healthy, nobody can doubt the stability he brings to an offense. Just look at how stable the Seahawks and Browns were at the position with Jurevicius compared to how they were without him.

In Tony Grossi's notes Saturday, Mangini stated that Jurevicius [along with offensive tackle Ryan Tucker] should be ready to return in some capacity to the team's offseason conditioning programs on March 16.

"I like both those guys. . . . I like their toughness and competitiveness."

In a year where the Browns will need to save money after some of the lucrative contracts Phil Savage worked out over the past several years, crossing the receiver position off the "list of needs" could be beneficial, depending on the actual amount of faith the team has in Jurevicius. Although they were very much different circumstances, we all saw what happened to Gary Baxter and LeCharles Bentley under the old regime.

Poll

Let's say Joe Jurevicius is healthy and projected to be productive this year. Does your decision change [what should we do to address the WR position]?

Big-Name free agent like Houshmandzadeh

101 votes

Lower level free agent

129 votes

Early in the draft

45 votes

Late in the draft

156 votes

We're fine with what we've got

233 votes

664 votes | Poll has closed

Quinn's Last Start a Forgetful One in 16-6 Loss

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:44:46 -0000

Box Score - 11.23.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	7	6	3	0	16
	0	6	0	0	6

Maybe Brady Quinn shouldn't have played after all against the Houston Texans. After the game, it was revealed that due to playing and practicing with a fractured finger, his injury had worsened to the point where he will miss the remainder of the season.

Even with Quinn's injury, it wasn't a legitimate excuse for the egg the Browns laid against the Texans. For the first time this season, I didn't feel depressed after the game -- I just felt empty. That's a telling sign when you know the season is over.

Let's get started with the goats of the game for Week 12, and there was one player who was especially deserving of one...

Goats of the Game (Hang Your Head)

WR Braylon Edwards cannot hang on to a pass in the end zone from QB Derek Anderson. The catch would've made it a 16-13 game with enough time left to play.

Braylon Edwards: This was perhaps the worst of them all. He has been dropping passes in every game this season, but the problem was really dangled in front of our eyes Sunday when Rob Chudzinski called for every pass play to go his way. I believe the official statistic stated that he was targeted 17 or 18 times, with about 3 or 4 drops. It was worse than just those drops though -- a poor effort on Brady Quinn's second interception, and a possible momentum-changing jump ball touchdown dropped, just to name a few.
Jamal Lewis: With Quinn having an injury to his finger, I blame Chudzinski for not giving Lewis more touches. However, Lewis lost two fumbles against the Texans (Anderson was credited with the second one, officially). It has been a long time since Lewis has put the ball on the ground, but his turnovers certainly didn't swing the momentum our direction.

Awarding Game Balls (Solid in Defeat)

Shaun Rogers: Consistently neglected in the game ball section this year, it's time for Rogers to receive another one. He has been the most consistent player on the 53-man roster, with another high-impact game against the Texans. He blocked his second field goal of the season, and although he didn't record a tackle, his presence was felt regularly.
Brodney Pool: The defense didn't look "great", but they kept fighting. Pool intercepted Sage Rosenfels early in the third quarter to set the Browns up with great field position. It was negated two plays later though, when Quinn threw his first interception.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

Thomas' Lowlights: In round two, Mario Williams had the edge on Joe Thomas. It wasn't the typical shutdown game for Thomas, who allowed Williams to knock down our quarterback several times.

If you were frustrated by the Browns' effort this season, here is some good news: you'll get to watch Derek Anderson for the rest of the season!

Quinn the Starter? We'll See: Exactly why was Brady Quinn named the team's starting quarterback or 2009 already? Don't get me wrong -- I have no problem with the "decision". However, after Romeo Crennel benched Quinn in an attempt to get a "spark" from someone else, how can he justifiably act like this was "all part of the plan"?
Poor Performance: There are some things I liked about Quinn's game, but it really kills me that he didn't get more opportunities to prove himself this season. In the end, Quinn didn't do enough to show that he can immediately take charge of the offense next season. Sure, the fans might be behind him, but the same may not be true for whoever our head coach is.
Anderson Slinging: Prior to the game, I said we shouldn't be surprised if we saw Derek Anderson (not on the sidelines, but in the game). His entrance came under unexpected circumstances, but he played nonetheless. I thought he actually did provide a spark with several nice throws to Braylon Edwards.
J. Wright is Bad Luck: If I'm Anderson, I never want to throw the ball to Jason Wright again. The last two times that Anderson has attempted a pass to Wright, it has been intercepted. Not that it is necessarily his fault, but I'm just tired of Wright being involved in the offense -- I wouldn't mind dumping him in the offseason.
Dawson's Shank: All kickers have them every now and then, as Phil Dawson shanked a chip shot field goal in the fourth quarter that would've drawn the Browns to within one possession.
Tackling Pays Off: We played back a little more. We were a little tentative in taking risks. The reason? We were focused on tackling. This was without question the best game this season our defense had from a tackling sense, as everybody, including Terry Cousin, made fundamentally sound tackles. Maybe next season, we can be like every other defense in the league and not look like we're learning how to play the game of football on the fly.
Secondary Affected: Our cornerbacks were affected the most by the tackling aspect, as Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter pretty much shredded Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright. Credit Sage Rosenfels on the first and only touchdown of the game though, as he threw a perfect pass to Walter in the corner of the end zone.

The Browns should have run the ball more with Jamal Lewis, if for nothing more than to take pressure off of Quinn.

Harrison Involved More: This may sound greedy, but even though Jerome Harrison had a season-high eight touches, I wanted more. Not just from Harrison, but from Jamal Lewis too. As I explained earlier in the goats section, it made little sense to throw it 32 times and run it 20 times when we were never even behind by more than ten points.
Welcome Back, Vickers: One player who had a quiet, but nice, game in return was fullback Lawrence Vickers. I thought he really opened up the holes well for the few times Lewis did carry the ball early in the game.
Winslow's Pass Interference: This has got to change too. We've already missed Joe Jurevicius' presence on third downs this season, so when we do execute them, it's a relief...that is, until you see a yellow flag down with the officials calling offensive pass interference on Kellen Winslow.
Really Got Under My Skin: This one really made me irate, so here goes a rant: in the fourth quarter, Joshua Cribbs received the ball and rolled out to the right. He suddenly pulled up ready to throw the ball, but quickly saw that nothing was there and tucked it for a short gain on the ground. Are you kidding me? We have been waiting for Cribbs to throw the football for about two years, but the play has never been called. Cribbs throwing the ball should be the "dagger" type of play when we are up by ten points, or the "shock" type of play in the second or third quarter when we are down by three. Why would you run the play late in the fourth quarter when we are down by two possessions? That is the best time Chudzinski could think of to call a Cribbs pass? Not against the Steelers? or Ravens? Sickening.
Wimbley's Pursuit: Although he was "let free" on the play, I'd credit Kamerion Wimbley's sack on Rosenfels as his best one of the season. The Browns need to do a lot more of what happened on that play -- spread Wimbley out further so that someone else occupies the left tackle.
Brownies: It was a frustrating game defensively if you were watching on television, but you couldn't tell based on the box score...we held Steve Slaton to 3.5 yards a run, intercepted Rosenfels twice, and held the Texans to just 16 points, their third-lowest total of the season.

The game was a dud, plain and simple. I tried to avoid talking too much about Romeo Crennel's decisions in this game, because it's obvious that what he did was just as bad as what Andy Reid did with Donovan McNabb against the Baltimore Ravens.

Against Indianapolis, we'll be facing one of the hottest teams in the AFC. We've only won one game at home this year, but it's not time to throw the towel in. We defeated Peyton Manning's brother, Eli Manning, and the New York Giants earlier this year, proving that wonders can happen on any given Sunday (unless you're the Detroit Lions). Also, I haven't forgotten about last season. And neither should you have. What needs to be in store this Sunday for the Browns?

Revenge.

Broncos Hand Browns Another Depressing Loss, 34-30

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:29:42 -0000

Box Score - 11.6.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	7	3	3	21	34
	7	13	3	7	30

Show hope. Insert dagger. Twist.

There hasn't been a more painful stretch in a span of five days since the Browns returned to the NFL. After having a two-possession lead in two home games late in the game, we came away with two losses. Our record should be 5-4, right in the thick of the wildcard and divison playoff race. Instead, we're 3-6, with our only playoff hopes coming down to going undefeated the rest of the way. That isn't going to happen.

The offense played very well in the debut of Brady Quinn as the team's starting quarterback. Considering the fact that we played a conservative gameplan and scored 30 points, that definitely adds to the excitement he'll provide this team in the future. Right now, the concerns shift back to the defensive side of the ball. They are at the forefront of this week's goats...

Goats of the Game (Unbelievably Bad)

Brandon McDonald: It's beginning to become a little more evident as to why McDonald was a fifth round draft pick last season. That may be a little too harsh of a statement after he played "well" over the first stretch of the season. Over the past two weeks though, he has not faired well against Mark Clayton, Eddie Royal, Brandon Marshall, or anybody else that he has covered. When the potential "makeup" plays came his way, McDonald dropped an interception. Our defense as a whole deserves just as much blame, but McDonald was attacked the most and therefore shoulders the blame.
Kamerion Wimbley: I planned on listing Kellen Winslow here, but because he deserved a game ball and a goat award at the same time, I am cancelling them out (and will discuss him in the general notes section). Wimbley had a sack on Jay Cutler, but never mind that. The play that stands out to me came when he was basically carried several yards by Broncos fullback Peyton Hillis to the sidelines on a running play. That, coupled with the fact that we consistently saw rookie linebacker Wesley Woodyard make sure-tackles against us, just drove me nuts.

Awarding Game Balls (Gold Stars to Put on Their Locker Door)

Joshua Cribbs: After returning to form last week against the Ravens, Cribbs kept his antics up for he second game in a row. He averaged 27 yards per kick return, but you could just tell on each of them that he was a shoe string tackle away from taking the kick another 20-30 yards. Then, on offense, the Browns utilized him more than any other time in history. It was only three times, but it paid off as he carried the ball 3 times for 48 yards.

Quinn has an impressive debut but came away with a loss.
Brady Quinn: His worst drive was probably his last drive. Overall, it was a great game for Quinn. I could sit here and nitpick on a few other throws, but that would really be unfair. This was Quinn's first career start in the NFL, and he played very well. His first touchdown throw to Winslow was threaded perfectly. And, although it was called back due to offensive pass interference, his rollout throw in the fourth quarter to Braylon Edwards shows the extra dimension he adds to the offense. Next time, we'll see if the team allows him to sprinkle in some deep bals.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

Jamal Fails to Reach 100: For most of the game, I agreed with the play calls of offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, an upgrade over the past few weeks. Jamal Lewis was on pace early on to go over the 100-yard mark for the first time this season with ease. Instead, he didn't even get close. He totaled 60 yards on 19 carries, as he was mostly stuffed at the line of scrimmage after the first quarter. With how porous Denver's defense is, that should not have happened as often as it did.
Not Working, Use Harrison: This was the problem I had offensively against Denver. Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis each got some carries early, and both were very effective. Then, Lewis couldn't find room to run, and it appeared to be because he wasn't quick enough to make a move to the open area. Why not insert Harrison back into the game, make him stretch the defense to the outside again for positive yardage, and then attack inside with Lewis again? Instead, we tried to go inside and outside with Lewis (on pitch plays). It failed.
The Touch: A returning Donte Stallworth had an effective game. In particular, I enjoyed watching his first reception, in which Quinn threw a perfect touch pass over his shoulder, allowing him to pick up yards after the catch. Derek Anderson might have completed that pass too, but it would've been a rocket at his hip. That would've stopped Stallworth's momentum, allowing the defense to come up and stop him just shy of a first down. Those differences can go a long way.
What's the Deal?: Although McDonald was a goat, there was no excuse for constantly allowing him to be in single coverage. The only reason Denver didn't score more early on is because Marshall dropped a few passes in which he was wide open. In the fourth quarter, full-well knowing that Cutler was going to heave the ball over and over again, we left McDonald out on an island on a 93-yard touchdown pass. On the inevitable game-winning touchdown, Marshall easily beat McDonald on the play, with no safety help. On the previous play, Denver ran the same exact play and we had the same exact defense. We were lucky they didn't score the first time, and yet we let them try it again one play later.
Good Winslow: The good Kellen Winslow caught 10 passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns, all season highs. I said it earlier this season -- Winslow would not start performing this season until Quinn was under center, because the frustration between him and Anderson just seemed to be too high.

Late in the game, Winslow had three critical miscues.
Bad Winslow: The bad Kellen Winslow showed up three times in the fourth quarter. Each time contributed to the loss, because twice it put our struggling defense back on the field, and the third time it prevented us from moving the chains on our final drive.
Kind of Embarrassing: I think the approach that Jay Cutler took against our defense was smart -- throw it up and let my guy muscle it our of the air. When he was able to use that philosophy not once, not twice, not three times, not four times...heck, I could keep on counting. When he was able to use that philosophy so many times, it tells you two things:
Reason 1 - Linebacker Coverage: Our linebackers are horrible in pass coverage. How do you allow a hobbled tight end, Tony Scheffler, to find the comfort zone between four defenders? There's such a thing as being aware of where the quarterback is planning on throwing the ball before he throws it. Our linebackers are just standing somewhere for the sake of standing there.
Reason 2 - Not Physical: We weren't physical enough. When Mike Adams had a shot for an interception down at the goal line, he quickly went down because of offensive pass interference. He needs to take charge and make that play happen. With so many jump balls, Denver's receivers should have been telling Cutler, "hey, I don't like all these jump balls...you're hanging me out to dry against an oncoming defense". Instead, not only were the Denver players not getting hit, they were coming away with the football. We had one good hit -- from Willie McGinest -- and that broke a play up.
Missed Opportunities: What happened to the defense that was able to feed off of the home crowd against the Giants? For every opportunity late in the game against Denver that the defense had, we blew it. I already mentioned McDonald's drop. On a tipped pass by Corey Williams, D'Qwell Jackson also failed to come away with an interception. When the Broncos ran it with their fullback on fourth-and-one, he was driven back by our defensive line getting a push up front. Instead of our linebackers coming from the side to make a clutch tackle, Hillis just shifted to the side and dove forward for a first down.\
Get Back Soon: This message goes to fullback Lawrence Vickers. All of these flat passes to fullback Charles Ali are too reminscient of when Maurice Carthon would get the ball to Terrelle Smith in the flat. The results are always the same -- no gain with the risk of a fullback getting stripped.
Brownies: Again, Seth McKinney wasn't great, but he did okay filling in for Eric Steinbach...I do wish we would've taken a more serious crack down field to Braylon Edwards...Steve Heiden came away with a few more Jurevicius-like catches...Phil Dawson is again money from beyond 50 yards, and opposing teams still cannot field his kickoffs.

The Brady Quinn era should not have started with a loss. In post-game press conferences, he played the leader role by taking the blame, but everyone knows that the defense was atrocious. We've got the Buffalo Bills up next after what ends up being a "second bye week", and we'd like to make some changes on the defensive depth chart. But...what can you really change?

Terry Cousin over Brandon McDonald?

Nice depth. Oh, yeah...and real playoff contenders -- the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets -- just signed DeAngelo Hall and Ty Law, respectively.

Champs for a Night: Browns Stun Giants 35-14

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:00:04 -0000

Box Score - 10.13.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	0	14	0	0	14
	3	14	3	15	35

On September 28th, 2008, the Browns picked up their first victory over the season. That came against arguably the worst team in football, the 0-6 Cincinnati Bengals.

On October 13th, 2008, after a long bye week, the Browns picked up their second victory of the season. This time, it came against the undefeated and defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

I was extremely fortunate to have witnessed the game in person. Although the stadium was jam-packed, I can't help by chuckle at the fans who, before the game, stated that they would not be attending (in fear of seeing the Browns getting blown out). Who could've blamed them though? Since returning to the league in 1999, the Browns have rarely beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we have never defeated "the team to beat" during the regular season. We finally accomplished that.

This week, I'm going to do things a little different in reviewing the game. Because there were so many positives, I'm giving out more game balls than usual, and I'm cutting out the goats of the game altogether. Any negatives will be addressed in my general comments section.

Awarding Game Balls (Everyone Could've Gotten One)

DB Eric Wright's interception for a touchdown sealed the game.

Derek Anderson: It took five games, but Anderson is finally getting his first game ball of the season here on Dawgs By Nature. Despite beating the Bengals, he had to be under a lot of pressure. He hasn't played a solid football game dating back to part of last season and was going up against the line that knocked him out with a concussion back in the preseason. Anderson still had a few shaky throws, but that's Anderson -- he's not a 70% completion passer. What counted is that he was about to hit his throws down the seams, check off to several reads, and get rid of the ball before the Giants could even touch him.
Steve Heiden: I am so happy the Browns didn't place him on the injured reserve in the preseason. With a surplus of tight ends (and Martin Rucker healthy at the time), it could've been an "easy" way out to keeping an extra guy like Darnell Dinkins (who we kept anyway). Heiden proved exactly why we don't even really need Rucker to catch the ball -- he can do so just as well, and he can block very well too. The help he gave in taking on defensive end Justin Tuck was incredible.
Eric Wright: What was the stress point all of training camp and the preseason? "Our secondary is so thin." Well, it still is. If we need to start Terry Cousin or Travis Daniels, we're probably in trouble. With the starters we have now, even minus one starting safety, we are making things happen. Wright baited Eli Manning into a quick throw late in the game, when the Giants were marching to try and cut the lead to six. Wright picked off Manning's throw, and then just barely got by him for a clear path 94-yard touchdown return. Ballgame. Being at the game, this was by far the loudest the crowd had gotten all night -- first when Manning was picked off, and then quickly taken over by Wright passing up Manning on his way back.

WR Braylon Edwards can celebrate now: he finally looked like the Pro Bowl receiver he was last season.

Rob Chudzinski: Here's one for the coach (offensive coordinator). The personnel packages he inserted reminded me of last season, begging the question -- why wasn't he calling these things for the first several weeks? I'm talking about using guys like Joshua Cribbs under center, Jerome Harrison having plays designed for him, and Syndric Steptoe in the slot. (see continuation of this discussion, as I answer my own question in the general notes section below)
Ryan Tucker: First game back? Domination. Before the game, I still favored having Kevin Shaffer at right tackle and Ryan Tucker at guard. Now, I want Tucker to stay at right tackle the rest of the year. What do we do with Shaffer then? He can spell Tucker and help in goal line situations, where we can use three tackles (instead of always shifting Joe Thomas to the right).
Braylon Edwards: 5 catches, 154 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 two-point conversion. The first thing I thought? Fantasy points! Seriously, it was the breakout game Edwards needed to get him back in the right direction. I think it was more critical that he had this type of a performance in front of a home crowd too.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

The Underrated Stallworth: I asked earlier why Rob Chudzinski's playbook suddenly expanded, and I truly believe that it all points to having Donte Stallworth in the lineup for the first time this season. Without him in there, everybody else was "out of place". Steptoe was starting, when he's a barely a slot receiver. Kellen Winslow was kept in the game more often to try and make up for Stallworth's absence, taking away the thought of having the "hidden" elements of Steve Heiden or Darnell Dinkins in the game. Stallworth only had two catches, but he was targeted a lot more, and from the stands, you could definitely tell that the defense was giving him respect on any given down. When the defense treats the No. 2 receiver seriously, everything else just...opens up.
Just Wait...: ...until we get Joe Jurevicius back now.
Running Tough: He didn't have over 100 yards rushing, but that's not what defines success for Jamal Lewis. Anyone who watched the game against the Giants saw that he was just as significant of a contributor as everyone else was. Even at first contact, he was fighting for that extra inch every single time. He also had a sick cutback move on his second-quarter touchdown.

RB Jamal Lewis knows how to make defenders miss, as he runs through DB Kenny Phillips.

Take a Seat: Brandon Jacobs is a beast -- the power he showed when plowing into Mike Adams for a 7-yard touchdown was impressive. There is a very ironic statistic though: remember how Corey Williams discussed how to stop Jacobs? Jacobs ran for 67 yards against the Packers last postseason. He ran for 67 yards against the Browns' defense Monday.
No Punts: I was bummed that I didn't get to see Dave Zastudil punt the ball in-person. Who am I kidding -- that was a tremendous feat for the offense, showing how well we controlled the clock and executed our gameplan.
Dawson Misses: Dawson missed a field goal attempt just over 51 yards. In pregame, from that side of the stadium, Dawson was having some problems. If the kick had been on the other side though, he would've had a crack at a 60-yarder. You could probably infer that on television by the fact that his kickoffs were going way out of the end zone on that side too.
The Bad: Besides the atrocious announcing by the Monday Night Football guys (we have to hear them two more times this year, ugh), the penalties were again a problem for the Browns. Sure, we ended up somehow going 117 yards for a touchdown on a second-half drive, but that type of execution following mistakes is a rarity. When we made mistakes on our first drive of the game, we were held to a field goal. Rex Hadnot deserves some of the blame, as I heard his number called a few times.
Annoying Lady: I just have to get this one off my chest -- some lady in a bright red leather jacket kept was sitting in the middle of our row of seats (I was on the end). I'm not joking here -- she got up and went by us literally 15-18 times during the game, with several of the occurrences happening as the Browns were running a play. Most of the time, she was on her cellular phone. Why the hell would you keep coming back to the middle of a row if you're just going to get up and leave again two minutes later? Had to vent a little there.
Bad Eli: I was very surprised by the performance of Eli Manning. Sure, he's human, but his interceptions, while great plays by our secondary, involved questionable decisions that I just didn't expect to see from him. After the two deep throws, I thought..."Really? That's happening to another team and not us? Sweet!" The Giants, towards the end of the game, would've been better off sticking with the draw plays down by the goal line, instead of having Manning throw a pass that Wright could jump.

QB Derek Anderson has silenced critics for another week.

Heiden Open: I'm not sure if it was seen on television or not, but in the second half, Anderson threw a route towards the sideline to Darnell Dinkins, but the pass was incomplete as Dinkins went to the ground to try to get it. On the play though, fans groaned a little as Anderson missed seeing a wide open Heiden down the field on a post route. Heiden's man was fooled, and he probably would've walked in for a long touchdown.
Love the Double Reverse I loved the double reverse to Jerome Harrison. The defense completely soled out on the first handoff and never saw the second one coming. I'm fairly convinced that Harrison got the maximum possible yardage on the play, but on replay, I do wonder if there was a chance he could've taken it the distance if he had just continued running straight as opposed to trying to fake out an oncoming defender.
Why Review the Play?: I'm still unclear as to why the referees were reviewing the play before the end of the first half where Eli Manning fumbled. Because illegal contact was called on the Browns and the Giants accepted the penalty, what was under review? Does anybody know? I know everyone in the stands around me sounded confused too.
Brownies: Again, major props to Brodney Pool and Brandon McDonald. Amani Toomer was held without a catch, and the "feared" Domenik Hixon only caught one pass...Phil Dawson's first kickoff attempt was perfectly executed -- we almost got there in time to recover the kick ourselves... chalk up another sack for Alex Hall -- and that was hilarious seeing Manning in the middle of that huge takedown pile...dating back to last season, we're 2-0 in impressive fashion when wearing our "throwback uniforms" at home...we need some more production out of LB Andra Davis.

Against the Bengals, I closed the recap by saying the following:

"A win is a win. The next step is looking good in victory. You can't expect that to happen against the New York Giants, but you can certainly prepare for it to happen. With several players slated to return from injury, if this Browns football team is in sync in all aspects of the game, there is no reason we can't be in the game until the final whistle."

We didn't expect it to happen, but based on what everyone across the country saw, we certainly prepared for it. It paid off.