You have to give Weeden credit he looked pretty good.   He made some nice throws.  Part of being a good QB is getting the ball to your playmakers, i.e. Richardson, in open space so they can make things happen.   Yes the Bengals defense isn't on the same level as the Eagles, but the offense made plays.  Rookie QBs are going to have bad games.  Yesterday he had a good one.

Richardson showed how good he's going to be.  He's the real deal.  He can run and he can catch.   That was a very impressive game by him.   He's going to take a lot of pressure off Weeden if he can play like that.  The bottom line is the Defense let the team down.  You're not going to win a lot of games when you give up 27 pts on D. 

Having starters,  Brown, Haden, Taylor and whoever else out is no excuse.  All teams have injuries.   Other guys have to step up.  Part of the reason the Browns aren't that good right now is the depth level.   When a guy like Haden is out, there is a huge drop off in talent by his replacement.   Haden is a good cornerback but he's not an elite one.    It's tough to replace any starter but Haden was probably our best defensive player.   So whoever takes his spot is filling a huge set of shoes, especially on the Browns where the surrounding talent isn't exactly a group of Pro Bowlers.  

The team keeps showing flashes of improvement but they can't seem to quite pull it together.   The Defense is going to need to step up in order for the Browns to win at Buffalo.   If i were the OC for Buffalo, Spiller would be getting a ton of carries at least till the Browns D proves it can stop the run. 

Top 10 defense last year?  Its a new season lol....they are giving up bout 35 pts/game so far and bout 6 ypr while allowing 60% comp and over 310 yds.  I will say it again offense put up numbers but it was cause of terrible defense......did u c how a safety plays a square in route and comes underneath the WR instead of over the top.....watch Atl/Denver game.   U can bet Reed and Polamalu would have been going the other way w that 1.  Theres another 1 for Atl....lol.  So u admit Philly has a top defense and T-Rich does nothing, but after a week vs a poor defense he is all world....I dont understand.

....I dont understand.

Stopper that i do understand


should be a good battle on the Lake front this Sunday . even though we lost it had to have given the whole team a jolt of much needed confiendence .

i have a soft spot for all the teams in the great lakes region . MR Wilson the Bills owner bussed us Browns fans all on his dime after we were moved up & back to a Bills game once per season .. a very nice jesture . and he voted NO against the move . i will not forget that .


With that said i hope he goes home very unhappy after Sundays game .. we need a win bad . after this one we travel to BMore for a Thursday night games against the Rats who are IMHO the best team in the league

Ken i agree keep  Spiller in check this Sunday . he is very quick & shifty . do not over prusue against him . if they dont contain it could be a long day for the defense .

Congrats to Irish ..Beach ..Blue for making the playoffs in FBB ..Blue you may get me this week . its not the week to be losing but i had to really scramble to find some two start pitchers ..hate it when your regulars arent scheduled .

winner faces either Irish or Beach

Good luck all

we will play again next season .it turned out pretty good . i hope you all had some fun with it .

BEREA, Ohio -- [Cleveland Browns] tight end [Alex Smith] was briefly hospitalized with a concussion following Sunday's loss in Cincinnati.

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Smith was injured in the fourth quarter after he caught a short pass over the middle and was struck in the head by the knee of a Bengals tackler. The 30-year-old Smith walked off the field under his own power, but was taken by ambulance to a Cincinnati hospital. His agent, [Kevin Robinson], said Smith was checked and released and driven back to Cleveland by car.

The Browns (0-2) said Smith is listed as day to day.

Smith had four catches for 30 yards in Cleveland's 34-27 loss. He is in his third season with the Browns.

Rookie defensive tackle [Billy Winn] also suffered a concussion, and defensive tackle [Juqua Parker] sprained his foot.

BEREA: When Browns coach Pat Shurmur was a student at Michigan State University, he detested one particular subject.

“I was a business major, but statistics was my least favorite class,” Shurmur said Monday during a news conference. “It was all the way across campus. I took it in the winter. I had to walk there, and I didn’t understand it.”

Still, it’s not difficult to comprehend the importance of avoiding a record of 0-3 to start the season. The Browns fell to 0-2 Sunday with a 34-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Buffalo Bills (1-1) visit Northeast Ohio in Week 3 looking to maintain the momentum from their dominant 35-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

“We need to do what we can to win this football game against a team that’s coming off a big victory,” Shurmur said. “And 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 also believe they have upgraded their talent in recent seasons. Nevertheless, they’re 0-2 for the seventh time since their rebirth in 1999. After starting 0-2, they have finished 2-14 (1999); 5-11 (2003); 4-12 (2006); 4-12 (2008); 5-11 (2009); and 5-11 (2010).

Since the playoffs expanded to 12 participants in 1990, 22-of-184 teams (12 percent) have qualified for the postseason after going 0-2, according to ESPN. In the past three seasons, 0-of-24 have made it.

Only three teams have gone 0-3 and earned a playoff berth since 1990. The Bills, coincidentally, were the most recent in 1998.

Coming off a 4-12 record last season, the Browns weren’t considered a playoff-caliber team heading into 2012. But the point is early losses foreshadow agony more often than turnarounds.

“We’ve got to find a way to win, and I think we will,” defensive end Frostee Rucker said. “We’ve just gotta keep chopping wood, and I think everyone in this locker room understands.”

The defense had five takeaways and the offense provided virtually no support in the Browns’ 17-16 season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Against the Bengals, the offense bounced back with an encouraging outing, but the defense and special teams didn’t do their parts.

“Both games have been close, so we’re right there,” middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson said. “We’ve just got to get over that hump, and once we figure out how to get over that hump. It’s like a snowball effect. It’s still early in the season, a lot of football to play, so we’re still upbeat about it.”

Sound familiar? Jackson acknowledged the company line has become repetitive, but he believes the Browns must remain optimistic if they hope to find a spark.

“My message is keep fighting, keep pushing forward because things could change in one week,” he said.

Injury report

Tight end Alex Smith was taken to a Cincinnati area hospital Sunday after the game, released in the evening and driven back to Cleveland, his agent, Kevin Robinson, told the Beacon Journal. A Browns spokesman said Smith has a concussion and his status is day-to-day.

Smith left the game after catching a 3-yard pass from rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden with 9:57 left in the fourth quarter. He walked into the locker room with members of the team’s medical staff a few minutes later.

Rookie defensive tackle Billy Winn also suffered a concussion, and defensive end Juqua Parker sprained a foot, Shurmur said.

Cornerback Sheldon Brown did not start like he normally does because he is still dealing with the effects of the neck stinger he suffered while making a tackle in Week 1, Shurmur said. Brown entered the game for one of the defense’s 69 plays, extending his streak of consecutive regular-season games played to 162.

“He was limited throughout the week,” Shurmur said of Brown. “I’ve been with Sheldon a long time, and I’m a big Sheldon Brown fan. And I’m his coach and so I think his role will change as it goes along, and there’s a good chance you’ll see him in there more this week. But he was banged up through the week last week, and I don’t think that’s going to be an issue as we move forward.”

Buster Skrine started in Brown’s place. Dimitri Patterson started for Joe Haden, who sat out the first of four games because of his suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Rookie Trevin Wade served as the nickel corner.

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

Jim Brown to return

Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown is set to attend the upcoming Alumni Weekend, a team spokesman said. Brown is expected to be present at an alumni golf outing Friday, a dinner Saturday night and the game Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Former defensive back Clarence Scott and former running back Ernie Green will be inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends and honored during a halftime ceremony.

Extra points

Strongside linebacker Scott Fujita is expected to discuss the New Orleans Saints’ bounty case with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today. An appeals panel lifted Fujita’s three-game suspension for his alleged role in the scandal on Sept. 7, and he made his 2012 regular-season debut Sunday. … With starter Trent Richardson and backups Chris Ogbonnaya, Brandon Jackson and Montario Hardesty healthy, the Browns have a crowded stable of running backs. But Shurmur said he thinks they can keep all four on the roster. … Shurmur said the team tracks missed tackles, but he wouldn’t disclose the number tallied Sunday. “That’s a teaching aide for us,” Shurmur said. … Trailing by 10 points with 24 seconds left on fourth-and-6 from the Bengals’ 7-yard line, Shurmur elected to try a field goal. Shurmur said he won’t be convinced he should have gone for a touchdown instead. “Somebody would have had to grab me by the neck and tackle me,” he said

Trailing by 10 points with 24 seconds left on fourth-and-6 from the Bengals’ 7-yard line, Shurmur elected to try a field goal. Shurmur said he won’t be convinced he should have gone for a touchdown instead. “Somebody would have had to grab me by the neck and tackle me,” he said

IMHO Kicking the FG at that time was the right thing to do . we needed 10 points anyway you slice it . you go for it down there on fourth down and dont get it you leave yourself with no shot . i dont understand why some people are calling him out on that one . he has made his share of mistakes but that wasnt one of them .


it all comes together this Sunday ..well just enough to squeeze out a W anyway . 


Browns - 27

Bills - 24

we get OT this week & i get to see it as 10TV in Cowlumbus will televise it .

WOOF WOOF WOOF !

Bluez:

Those that are critical of Shurmur's decision should then also never complain if he decides to go for two points at the end of a game when an extra point would sent it to overtime. The right call, IMO, was to extend the game. 
 

....I dont understand.

And here I thought I used small enough words....damn!!!  Go and get your dictionary (it's the big book with words and their definitions) and come back and read what I posted... maybe that will help!   If that doesn't do it, go find someone who can read AND comprehend.... if that doesn't work, just go away..... on second thought.... JUST GO AWAY!!!

CMark ..i agree on kicking the XP against the Eagles . it was simple math . simple enough that even i understood it ..

ELDORA TITLE CHASE DATES CONFIRMED

September 17, 2012 By [EldoraPR]

Intense Battles Highlight Modified, Late Model and Stock Car Point Battles

ROSSBURG, OH (Sept. 17) – Eldora Speedway officials have confirmed the concluding dates for the Eldora Stock Car, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and UMP DIRTcar Late Model division cumulative point chases on the historic .500-mile clay oval.

For the Modifieds and Late Models, the UMP National Championship weekend (October 5 & 6) will serve as their final point opportunity, while the Stock Cars will see their title chase end October 13, as part of the annual  UNOH (University of Northwestern Ohio) Sprintacular event.

Going into the final stretch of the season, the pursuit towards the coveted Eldora championship is as intense as ever; particularly amongst the Modified contenders.  With this weekend’s Friday night date (September 21) within the Four Crown Nationals joining the UMP Nationals; two opportunities remain to shape the divisional rundown.   Only five points separate the top four drivers.

Joey Kramer goes into Friday’s UMP DIRTcar Modified competition with a two point margin over Rob Williams; who in turn has a two point edge over third-place Matt Westfall.  Only one point behind Westfall is Ryan Sutter.  Interestingly enough, none of the four have an Eldora championship title on their resume.

In the Late Model battle, former champions Matt Miller (2008, 2010) and Jeep VanWormer (2007) hold down the top two spots, while upstart Canadian driver Andrew Reaume has quietly moved into third position, only 14 markers out of the lead.   While his focus is on the championship, Reaume is also keenly aware of Jeff Babcock and Jon Henry, who are only four and seven points behind him, respectively.

One week after those two point races are concluded, the Stock Cars enter the scene with their equally concentrated campaign.  The 30-point spread among the top five drivers includes three former champions in the mix.   Three-time title holder Barney Craig (1992, 1993, 1999) holds a slim six-point margin over the 2006 champion Shawn Phillippi.  Earnie Woodard, in search of his first-ever crown, lays 11-points behind Phillippi, while Rob Trent (1998, 2011) trails Woodard by another 12-points.   Only one point behind Trent, in fifth, is Dean Pitts, as he seeks his first-ever Eldora honor.

Complete information for this weekend’s Four Crown Nationals, the UMP Nationals and the UNOH Sprintacular may be found on the track’s newly redesigned website [www.EldoraSpeedway.com], where tickets may be purchased 24 hours a day.   The speedway office may be reached at (937) 338-3815 during normal business hours.

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Ooops wrong thread for the Big E Post ..but hey if your in the area it doesent get any better

Bluez:

Those that are critical of Shurmur's decision should then also never complain if he decides to go for two points at the end of a game when an extra point would sent it to overtime. The right call, IMO, was to extend the game.

When that day comes I think I may have a heart attack.  I don't think a coach since their return has had the Sacagawea to make a decision like that to win a game.  I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. 

Steve Sabol, the longtime NFL Films president who along with his father Ed Sabol helped define the way the American public saw professional football, has died at the age of 69.

Sabol confirmed last year, shortly before he introduced his dad at his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony, that he was suffering from brain cancer.

Few people are able to turn their passions into a great professional legacy like the Sabols, who loved football, filmmaking and family and managed to combine them all into one when Ed and Steve started NFL Films together. Ed was just a guy with a movie camera and a vision when he convinced the NFL to let him and his 20-year-old son be the official videographers of the 1962 NFL Championship Game, but before long the two-man video crew had become a part of the NFL. And over the next half century NFL Films became a major part of how America viewed both sports and television.

If you’ve enjoyed seeing super slow-motion replays, or hearing the sounds of players wearing microphones during games, or laughing at the blooper reels that began with “Football Follies,” you can thank NFL Films.

“Steve Sabol was the creative genius behind the remarkable work of NFL Films,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Steve’s passion for football was matched by his incredible talent and energy. Steve’s legacy will be part of the NFL forever. He was a major contributor to the success of the NFL, a man who changed the way we look at football and sports, and a great friend.”

He was never a player, coach, commissioner or team owner, but for his contributions to the game from behind the camera and in the editing room, Steve Sabol will be remembered as one of the NFL’s great visionaries.


RIP MR Sabol

...woof

RIP MR Sabol

x 2, All NFL fans have lost a truley great man today, i am taking the rest of the day off now so i can go home and make a toast to him. RIP Mr. Sabol. 

First . . . RIP Steve Sabol. 

Can't imagine what it was like growing up in that family and following in you father's footsteps in a job like that.


Second . . . 

I am happy to announce that starting after the week 3 game against Buffalo, I will be launching a series of weekly threads patterned after the "Good, Bad and Ugly" threads on the Steelers' board.  I always enjoyed reading those threads and (because I don't want to appear to be a thief) asked permission from the OP the Steelers GBU threads if I could copy them over here.

If it bombs (and I will know quickly), then so be it.

Lyman i saw those myself ..great idea .i hope  it gets positive reviews . i think this fan base is just beat down . so i am not sure how much " good " will be disscussed .

if people would view it with a open mind . myself included have been critical .its hard not to after what we have been through since 95 . bashing the Browns has become fashionable . i remember a time like most of us long time fans do that it was unheard of to bash them . now there every move is questioned .

its a very young team which hopefuly bodes well for the future . the present will still at times be painful to watch .

winning cures everything ..just win a few games to brighten the mood in Browns town

Time will tell, but perhaps missing out on trade was best for the Cleveland Browns long-term development.

[2 Comments]

Two games is a small sample size.

We’ve seen the worst of [Brandon Weeden] and [Trent Richardson] in the opener at home followed by the best last Sunday in Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, [Robert Griffin] III has put together two solid games for the [Washington Redskins]. As a Browns fan, it is hard not to let the mind wander and think, “What if?”

What if the Browns and Rams were able to agree on trade stipulations last March and Griffin III would be in orange and brown? What if Griffin’s 39-for-55 passing for 529 yards, three touchdowns and 20 rushes for 124 yards and two touchdowns came against the [Philadelphia Eagles] and [Cincinnati Bengals]?

Someday we’ll know the answer, but it won’t happen for a handful of years. For now, the more Griffin III does for the Redskins offense and longer the question lingers.

Historically, well, since 1999, the draft day passes by the Browns are almost as numerous and devastating as the first-round busts. The list reads like an all-2000s team you can play on Madden: [Ben Roethlisberger], [Haloti Ngata], [Clay Matthews], [LeSean McCoy], [Adrian Peterson], Clinton Portis, [Ed Reed], [Aaron Rodgers], [Richard Seymour] and [LaDainian Tomlinson]. It is understandable for Browns fans to covet thy neighbor’s draft pick.

Yes, the Browns weren’t in position to draft Griffin III, but they certainly were in the running to nab the Rams’ No. 2 pick. As it turned out, the price was astronomical. St. Louis received Washington’s first-round pick in 2013 and 2014, which brings us back to the Browns’ two first-round picks in 2012. Instead of landing one first-round pick in a three-year span, the Browns will have four.

First, the hope is Weeden and Richardson continue to progress. The improvement from week one to week two was simply incredible. Weeden went from 12-for-35 passing for 118 yards and four interceptions to 26-for-37 passing for 322 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Richardson’s was just as eye-popping. Against the Eagles, he rushed for 39 yards on 19 carries in the opener to 109 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. He added four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown in the encore.

Richardson showed his ability to make plays from a simple hand off or check down reception in the flats. Playmakers run this league and the Browns have been sorely lacking in that department. It appears Richardson will ease that pain.

The same goes for a competent starting quarterback. For a variety of reasons, it has just not worked in Cleveland since 1999. If Weeden and Richardson continue to progress in the coming 14 games, the Browns have a running back and quarterback for the foreseeable future. More importantly, the Browns will have their first round picks the next two Aprils.

Second, the Browns have been better with their first-round selections in recent years. From 1999-2006, the list of draft busts is long. Since 2007, the Browns have had seven first-round picks. All but quarterback [Brady Quinn] (2007) are still with the team including [Joe Thomas], [Alex Mack], [Joe Haden], [Phil Taylor], Richardson and Weeden.

Third, if this trend continues, the Browns will add two more young and contributing pieces in 2013 and 2014.

Finally, come 2015, 2016 and beyond, we can then look back to March 2012.

Did the Browns catch a break? As good as Griffin III appears to be, the option to continue to build the Browns back to their winning ways with young, first-round talent is too promising and beneficial to dismiss.

from "The Royal Scam" (1976) written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker

Have you heard about the boom on Mizar Five? People got to shout to stay alive
They don't even have policeman one, Doesn't matter where you been or what you've done
Do you have a dark spot on your past? Leave it to my man he'll fix it fast
Pepe has a scar from ear to ear, He will make your mug shots disappear

You zombie Be born again my friend Won't you sign in stranger?
Do you like to take a yo-yo for a ride? Zombie I can see you're qualified 
Walk around collecting Turkish union dues They will call you sir and shine your shoes 
Or maybe you would like to see the show? You'll enjoy the Cafe D'Escargot 
Folks are in a line around the block Just to see her do the can-can-Jacques

Love or leave her, yellow fever, Sure, it's all in the game 
And who are you? Just another scurvy brother

Cheers to Steve Sabol and what he brought to the lives of the NFL football fan. RIP good sir!!

I am happy to announce that starting after the week 3 game against Buffalo, I will be launching a series of weekly threads patterned after the "Good, Bad and Ugly" threads on the Steelers' board.  I always enjoyed reading those threads and (because I don't want to appear to be a thief) asked permission from the OP the Steelers GBU threads if I could copy them over here.

cheers to you Lym, I may just have to bust out of my posting conundrum...Couldn't figure out how to keep positive, when I am so frustrated with the losses.

Couldn't figure out how to keep positive

Ah . . . but that's only the third of it.   You may to force yourself to say something bad. 

...Couldn't figure out how to keep positive, when I am so frustrated with the losses.

well we had some offense last week sooooo TRich & Weeden werent wasted picks

then ...the defense got abused like a red headed step child

special teams arent so special anymore


we didnt get gashed on the ground thats a positive to me . but when Dalton threw it all over the place maybe not


to many mental errors penalties & missed tackles which do get under my skin ..i hate undiscipilined football . hell i hate anything thats undisciplined for that matter .

bad tackling bothers the hell out of me as well ..its almost a lost art form .


we need a safety & a veteran corner ..dump Hardesty .. sign or trade for one

5 teams in FBB Playoffs this week .non of them looking very good at this point

Haven't beat bluez yet this season but ya never know if the Monsoons rain on your parade.

Haven't beat bluez yet this season but ya never know if the Monsoons rain on your parade

I knew i was in trouble in two leagues before the first pitch . i took a look at the two start pitchers and saw non of my regular players other than Kyle Loshe . Blue i am pretty sure you got me . between you , Irish or Beach ...best record means NOTHING come playoff time .i had another twenty win team that is losing to my buddy KB in the LNU league . KB just missed the playoffs in our league .

 

i won three FBB championships last season . two with teams i had counted out in August . they just caught fire at the right time . that and i got lucky picking up two start pitchers that came through .i have two teams that will adavance still ..one in Cpt league & one in Cleveland Rocks league .



congrats ..like i said all season long ..keep digging ya just never know .

Well bluez, it isn't over yet and I must say you are a good fantasy player.  I looked up at your team all season.  I have enjoyed playing in the league, win or lose.

Blue ..to me having fun with it is whats most important . yes winning does help with that .

 

i hope all enjoyed themselves in that league . i will start it up again next March

 

we will need a couple new players as i am booting the Recliner & Bux for not keeping up

Injury report for Sept. 19

Browns – Did not participate in practice: LB James-Michael Johnson (ribs/oblique) and TE Alex Smith (concussion). Limited participation in practice: OL Oniel Cousins (ankle), WR Josh Cribbs (knee), DE Juqua Parker (foot), S Ray Ventrone (hand) and DT Billy Winn (concussion). Full participation in practice: LB Scott Fujita (knee), WR Greg Little (back) and RB Trent Richardson (knee).

Bills – Did not participate in practice: FS Jairus Byrd (ankle), DT Marcell Dareus (not injury related), RB Fred Jackson (knee) and WR Ruvell Martin (ankle).