Dawg Pound Lounge ,

No one has even thought about hinting about getting rid of Trent Richardson.

Well why not?  He clearly hasn't performed to a 3rd overal pick level.  Better get rid of him, he's a stiff. 

No one has even thought about hinting about getting rid of Trent Richardson.

Well why not?  He clearly hasn't performed to a 3rd overal pick level.  Better get rid of him, he's a stiff. 

---

Alrighty... 

Alrighty... 

Well I'm only applying the same reasoning as the Weeden haters.  

Alrighty... 

What?  I'm just applying the same logic as the Weeden haters. 

By [Dave Kolonich] OBR Senior Browns Reporter
Posted Dec 18, 2012

DK gives his 10 thoughts following Sunday's dose of reality, which arrived to the shores of Lake Erie in the form of a 38-21 loss to the Washington Redskins.

[2 Comments]

What a difference a week makes in Cleveland. In the span of little more than three hours, the buzz around Browns’ Nation quickly dissipated from playoff aspirations to draft talk and suddenly everyone remembered that the first 26 games of Pat Shurmur’s Browns’ tenure revealed more than the last three.

Some thoughts from Sunday.

1. There is no better quote to sum up the huge canyon that exists between a Super Bowl-winning Head Coach like the Redskins’ [Mike Shanahan] and an embattled one like the Browns’ Pat Shurmur.

While [Brandon Weeden] was describing [Kirk Cousins]’ breakout performance on Sunday, he also could have been subtly characterizing the limits of Shurmur’s [West Coast] offense.

“Coach Shanahan put him (Cousins) in a great spot. (The Redskins) tailor-made what he does well. He played well. You have to tip your hat to him.”

Unfortunately, Weeden took only 20 words to summarize what I have droning on about for a year and a half. Simply put, Shanahan – both father and son – have put their young quarterbacks in positions to succeed, while Shurmur has taken a rigid, overly complicated, archaic offense and demanded that Weeden adjust accordingly.

While certainly the ill fit of the West Coast system doesn’t entirely excuse Weeden from simply making bad throws, it’s obvious that Weeden needs a system more reflective of contemporary football to succeed.

2. On Sunday, Weeden floated, overthrew, underthrew, threw behind and basically resembled an ugly conglomeration of the Ghosts of Browns’ Expansion Quarterback Past. On the surface, it’s clear that Weeden has “regressed”, which seems to be the latest buzzword to describe his performance. Of course, to see such a performance this late into Weeden’s rookie year is a cause for concern. But again, I have to wonder how much of Weeden’s sloppy play is a result of being completely uncomfortable playing in a stilted offensive system.

Mechanics wise, Weeden has looked awkward for probably over a month now. Even during the Browns’ three-game winning streak, Weeden would still make throws with an off-center balance and would even occasionally lift up on his back foot while releasing his throws – something a shorter quarterback might do. The reasons for these disjointed mechanics could be varied – injury, nervousness – but overall are a clear symptom of a quarterback who is not comfortable.

3. In the lead up to this week’s game, I again threw out the revisionist history example of how RG3 would have fit into Shurmur’s West Coast offense. Would RG3 be taking seven-step drops and throwing 6-yard curls?

Or even – would he be experiencing the same kind of late season struggles/regression that Weeden is experiencing?

Of course these are hypothetical questions, but they are worth asking in light of how natural Cousins looked playing in Shanahan’s system. In terms of being quarterback friendly, the Shanahan’s have crafted a system that allows their quarterback to make plays – but uniquely doesn’t demand much from them.

Since the Redskins’ offense moves so fluidly in the run game, Cousins – a mobile quarterback in his own right – was able to use play action to give him huge stretches of field to settle and make downfield throws. It’s likely that the Shanahan’s saw how aggressive the Browns’ defensive front has been in recent weeks and dialed up a series of play action calls to exploit this. For the majority of the game, the Redskins’ play calling kept the Browns’ defense continually unsettled.

4. Speaking of play calling, while Shanahan played to both the Redskins’ strengths and the Browns’ weaknesses, Shurmur resorted to his earlier season tendency of ignoring the running game. While Shurmur clearly improved as an offensive playcaller over the past three weeks, his “regression” was shown during the second half – even when the Browns were still only a score away from making the game close.

Shurmur’s default as an offensive playcaller is to continue to pass, even when the realities of the game require more of a balance. It is this tendency that has continually put the Browns’ offense into unmanageable situations. As I have addressed repeatedly since last year’s St. Louis game, Shurmur has not really evolved much an offensive play caller. Since the writing is basically on the wall regarding his Head Coaching future, this is probably an area that Shurmur needs to concentrate on moving forward in his NFL career.

4a. An entire 10,000 word post could probably be devoted to Shurmur rekindling his bungled second half adjustments. While more talented coaches figure out changes, Shurmur continues to stick with whatever rigid game plan he entered with.

5. As for the Browns’ more successful coordinator, Dick Jauron’s defense struggled against a more fluid offense. As [SOBO suggested last week], the Browns’ defensive front struggled against the Redskins’ stretch block runs. On many occasions, the Browns’ defensive front couldn’t resist the momentum of the stretch blocking and far too many times were tricked by continued play action.

This last note is a symptom of the Browns’ relative youth defensively. After playing such aggressive defense against lesser teams in Pittsburgh, Oakland and Kansas City, the Browns’ exuberance was used against them on Sunday. Much of the play action resulted in either [T.J. Ward] or [Tashuan Gipson] creeping into the defensive front seven, which left the hapless [Usama Young] exposed down field.

6. Clearly, the Redskins are a team that is peaking at the perfect time. Despite being a team with limited depth as the result of injuries, the Redskins are rolling into a likely playoff berth. The tenants of the Redskins’ five-game winning streak are obvious: superb young talent, a physical defense and solid coaching and schemes.

The above dramatically contrasts with the Browns’ last several opponents – which have been a mixture of injury-riddled veteran teams in the Chargers and Steelers and poorly coached, talent-deprived squads represented by the Raiders and Chiefs. Naturally, the Redskins posed a legitimate challenge and the outcome of Sunday’s game perhaps better displays a proper gauge of the Browns’ current talent level – both on and off the field.

7. As such, it was telling that the Redskins likely identified two offensive targets to focus on in [Josh Gordon] and [Trent Richardson]. Both Browns’ rookies were easily contained – although Shurmur’s play calling helped to negate Richardson’s impact. While Gordon has been at times revelatory, it’s obvious that the Browns need to find a secondary receiving target in the offseason.

Or, if what I have been suggesting all season holds any truth, [Greg Little] could emerge as such a target in a more contemporary 2013 offensive system. Too often during Sunday’s game, the Redskins rolled coverage towards Gordon. With the limits of Shurmur’s WCO receiver routes, Weeden wasn’t left with many solid secondary options.

8. It seems like I say this every week, but regardless of Richardson’s stat line, it is beyond impressive what he has done for the Browns this season. It’s yet again worth mentioning that Richardson is playing with torn rib cartilage, yet still possesses the desire to carry a pile of Redskin defenders into the end zone for his 10th rushing touchdown of the season.

9. Speaking of more positive moments – from a rookie – I think I’m onto something with my repeated mentions of the Saddest Man on the Planet, [Travis Benjamin]. After I suggested that [he was the Charlie Brown of the Browns], Benjamin has returned a punt for a touchdown against the Chiefs and provided a long touchdown reception on Sunday.

So in the spirit of Browns’ fans everywhere and future Benjamin touchdowns, let us all state that [Phil Taylor] stole Benjamin’s post-game meal.

10. And so we’re right back to where we started about a month ago. Suddenly, all it took was a reality check that Shurmur is not an NFL-quality Head Coach, Jauron’s defense is technically proficient, but not a great defense from a specific game schematic viewpoint and the Browns as a whole have some talented players, but certainly need a boost in terms of another solid draft and in finding better coaching.

And for a team that is being built in the mold of the Eagles, it’s encouraging to think that Browns will not have to play the NFC East for another four years.

By [Chuck Murr] The Associated Press
Posted Dec 18, 2012

Browns coach Pat Shurmur addresses the postgame comments by Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden. Both players were critical of the game plan and play calls following the 38-21 loss to Washington on Sunday..

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BEREA, Ohio -- [Cleveland Browns] coach Pat Shurmur still loves rookies [Trent Richardson] and [Brandon Weeden] -- even in defeat.

Shurmur would prefer Richardson, his starting running back, to focus on regrouping rather than being critical, however. And the embattled coach also would like Weeden to be more consistent at quarterback.

All told, though, he will gladly take both of them as the Browns move past a disappointing 38-21 loss to Washington on Sunday, an effort that snapped a three-game winning streak.

"I'm not saying you never go to the backup quarterback," Shurmur said. "But I didn't consider it (Sunday)."

Shurmur has directed a young team through a rollercoaster season that included a change in ownership. With a chance to finish strong, the Browns' flop Sunday ended their slim playoff hopes, raised more questions about Weeden and had Richardson contemplating his coach's decisions.

Richardson had two touchdown runs, but gained only 28 yards on 11 carries and said after that he thought Shurmur abandoned the game plan. Shurmur wasn't pleased by the comments, but said Monday, he is not angry.

"I'm not upset with him," Shurmur said. "I did talk to him. I asked what he meant by what he said. I explained to him that when we're all in a state of disappointment because we lost, it is important to keep our focus and, No. 1, regroup and get ready to play the next game."

Shurmur has two more chances to make a positive imprint, as new owner Jimmy Haslam III ponders offseason moves. Haslam bought the team over the summer, and together with new CEO Joe Banner, will evaluate all aspects of the organization after another largely disappointing season.

Cleveland began the season 0-5, and even though Shurmur's Browns have persevered through the troubles, they are still just 5-9 with two difficult games approaching -- Denver (11-3) and Pittsburgh (7-7).

Shurmur expects better play from Weeden regardless of the opponent, saying the 29-year-old is not too old to develop.

"I've never thought about his age," Shurmur said. "I think of him as a rookie and he'll be better his second year. I'm looking forward to him having a much better game this week against Denver."

Weeden was 21 for 35 for 244 yards, one touchdown, and two costly interceptions against the Redskins.

"We had two turnovers turned into 14 points and you can't do that," Shurmur said. "On the second (pick), he tried to put it over the linebacker and the ball didn't go where he wanted."

Shurmur said he evaluates every throw by Weeden, but would not reveal his grading scale. Weeden, a first-round pick, was clearly outplayed by fourth-round choice [Kirk Cousins] on Sunday. Cousins, making his first start in place of injured [Robert Griffin] III, threw for 329 yards and two scores.

The Redskins picked up big chunks of yardage when Cousins rolled out and found open receivers. It appeared that the Browns simply did not adjust. Shurmur said that was not the case at all.

"We were prepared for their style of offense, but they did a very good job," Shurmur said. "It was not the same play every time."

Shurmur believes the Browns will benefit by Richardson refining his game, too. Picked No. 3 overall last spring, the former [Alabama] star leads the team with 897 yards on the ground. And with 11 rushing touchdowns, he has already surpassed Hall of Fame standout Jim Brown's 55-year-old team rookie record.

"He's getting the ball in the end zone," Shurmur said. "His yards per rush could be better."

Richardson is averaging 3.5 yards a carry, but Shurmur noted that has been accomplished while playing injured. Richardson has played with injured ribs since mid-October and missed the preseason after having minor surgery on his left knee.

"I don't think his style has been defined yet," Shurmur said. "He's still learning to play in the NFL."

NOTES: The Browns waived DB [Dimitri Patterson], who joined the club as an unrestricted free agent in 2011. Patterson appeared in seven contests this season with four starts. He finished with 28 tackles. ... Shurmur did not have injury updates on DB [T.J. Ward] (knee) and DL [Frostee Rucker] (groin). ... Cleveland finished 0-4 vs. the NFC East.

Let it go rubu. It's not worth it....I mean, there's people in New York that are calling for Eli to be replaced.  We live in a world of over-reaction and instant gratification...


Just off the top of my head....Terry Bradshaw, Eli Manning, Jim Plunkett, Troy Aikman and John Elway...What things do these guys all have in common?  They all won multiple Super Bowls, and they all stunk up the place during their rookie season.  I know Browns fans don't want to hear the word "patience"....But the reality is, in the overwhelming majority of cases involving NFL QB developement, patience is required.


With just a couple breaks, this team could be in the hunt right now. To a man, they know they SHOULD be in this playoff hunt...  They didn't finish though, and would-be victories turned into devastating losses. This is what happens with young football teams....Blowing everything up now and panicking would be stupid.  Talent is on the roster... IMO This team could definately take the AFCN next year if the right head coach is hired.  The systems need to fit the personel.  Good coaches realize this and adapt.....We have been stuck with Pat Shurmur....What more needs to be said?


           

Let it go rubu. It's not worth it....I mean, there's people in New York that are calling for Eli to be replaced.  We live in a world of over-reaction and instant gratification...

Ok, I'll try ;)

Just off the top of my head....Terry Bradshaw, Eli Manning, Jim Plunkett, Troy Aikman and John Elway...What things do these guys all have in common?  They all won multiple Super Bowls, and they all stunk up the place during their rookie season.  I know Browns fans don't want to hear the word "patience"....But the reality is, in the overwhelming majority of cases involving NFL QB developement, patience is required.

True (but they clearly had the "it factor")....ok ok ok, my bad..I said I'd let go.   

Rubu according to you the Browns shouldnt change anything ? not the outdated dinasour version of the WCO  that Shurmur runs or bring in a veteran QB to push Weeds .

i am just about out of paitience here . i see the Colts have the worst record in the NFL last year and contend for a playoff spot this year . in this day & age of quick turn arounds the Browns cant seen to find there asses with both hands . i am not a young man anymore and my health hasnt been the best here so yeah i want  to see  a winner   sooner rather than later .


i have been waiting since 67 .



Shurmur isnt the answer . he is a MORON

It might get ugly in Denver this Sunday .


how much does this team have left after last weekend mess against the Skins ? all of them pretty much threw Shurmur under the bus and rightfuly so . he has the imagination of a rock .


two more games with this clueless coaching staff

Rubu according to you the Browns shouldnt change anything ? not the outdated dinasour version of the WCO  that Shurmur runs or bring in a veteran QB to push Weeds .

Never said that.  I said I think maybe this staff should get a chance to see this through.  I think the team is on the right track.  That said, I don't think it's terribly unfair that thay get canned and probably will.  

 i am just about out of paitience here . i see the Colts have the worst record in the NFL last year and contend for a playoff spot this year 

They have a playoff team, did last year too.  If you recall, that Manning guy didn't play and the team wasn't prepared for life without him.  They were terrible at the QB position.  

Not the best comparison. 

I understand how you feel, I'm just saying it's unreasonable to blow it up every 2-3 years.  Takes longer than that to build a winning program.  

Unlike previous rebuilding efforts, this one seems to be working out much better IMO. 


Shurmur isnt the answer . he is a MORON 


Wow, I wonder how he ever got coaching jobs?  (ridiculous).   

Here, this may lighten the mood ;)


So I'm really excited (concerned?) about the very real possibility of the team getting new unis.  

I've been thinking of ways to "modernize" the uniform without going all "Minn Vikings/AZ Cards" etc.  

How about just brining back the orange pants and putting the Elf on the side of the pants or sleeves?  Also, how about being the first team in the NFL to go with a matte helmet?  I think they'd look sweet (without screwing with tradition)! 

Haha, sorry Rubu, I shoulda kept reading before posting...

Haha, sorry Rubu, I shoulda kept reading before posting...

Why I oughta....

 

Shurmur isnt the answer . he is a MORON 


Wow, I wonder how he ever got coaching jobs?  (ridiculous).   

Been wondering the same thing now for two years  .

he had no qualifications

Michael Lombardi, who could be calling some important shots in terms of who the Browns keep and who they draft, made his regular weekly stop on 92.3-The Fan in the 10 o’clock hour.
It remains clear that Lombardi, in the guise of a guy representing NFL Network, is watching the Browns like a hawk.
A few of his points today:
• On Kirk Cousins inflicting misery Sunday:
“That was a really good offense for a young quarterback to run because there weren’t a  lot of reads.”
• On what Brandon Weeden might bee seeing from the pocket:
“There haven’t been a lot of windows to throw the ball, so he holds the ball and holds the ball and looks for checkdowns.”
• On judging whether Weeden is the answer at quarterback:
“When you’re done and you have 16 game tapes of Weeden you’ll be able to determine whether he can carry the future of the franchise ... whoever makes that decision.”
Not much of an answer, although Lombardi explained somewhat by saying a precise call is “hard for somebody who’s not there watching the practices.”
• Lombardi didn’t throw Pat Shurmur under the bus, saying, “I don’t think the Redskins surprised the Browns.”
• On the value of the Denver game:
“You evaluate how your team plays on the road and how it plays against great quarterbacks. You’re gonna see how good your defense is.
“To win in the playoffs and to achieve greatness, you’ve got to beat great quarterbacks. This is a great barometer.
“It will be really important to see how Brandon Weeden handles the experience in Denver.
“A win in Denver really can vault you to a better season. I think it’s really important.”
• • •
Some of the Lombardi-Josh McDaniels material is being recycled today.
Lombardi pretty much established two weeks ago that he loves McDaniels and sees a parallel between Belichick using Cleveland as a valuable learning ground and McDaniels’ rocky rider in Denver.
McDaniels coordinates the New England offense that ranks first in the league with 432.4 yards a game. The next four teams are at 406.5, 397.9, 389.8 and 387.2.
In other words, there’s the offense McDaniels is with, and everybody else’s.
The Browns are at 319.6.
As far as scoring, McDaniels’ team leads the league in points, too.
• • •
Blame it on Dimitri Patterson?
The 29-year-old cornerback was fingered as one of the culprits in the Washington debacle.
He played 35 of the 75 defensive snaps and was such a part of the defensive game plan that young Buster Skrine was written out of it.
Skrine’s snaps were way down the last two weeks since Patterson returned from his marathon absence related to a sprained ankle.
A look at what happened:
• In the game at Oakland, Patterson’s seventh miss in a row because of the injury, Skrine played 48 defensive snaps.
• A week later against the Chiefs, Patterson was back, playing 25 snaps. Skrine’s workload plunged to 12 snaps.
• On Sunday against Washington, Patterson’s defensive snaps bumped up to 35. Skrine’s plunged to one.
Cornerback is coming into focus as one of the likely targets for the first-round pick.

I officially moved out of my #3 locker at the gym today, pronouncing Brandon Weeden a bust.

When Heckert is fired it will be because of the failure to bring a QB to Cleveland, ie RGIII...  Weeden completely outplayed by a 4th round first time starter (on the road)...  

Complete lack of offensive game plan, no coherence, no rhyme or reason to play calling, no imagination, nothing.

The defense can't hold up forever.  The turnovers killed us with a lead to start the 2nd half.  I could see the 2nd interception coming from section 338, row 11...  

How can you screw up play calling when you have a Trent Richardson?  Running the WC pass to set up the run would be one way.  

Seriously considering giving up my tickets for next year, I don't care who Napoleon Banner brings in...

It would be fitting to recycle losers like Lombardi and McDaniels, scrap the 4-3, don't bring back Cribbs or Dawson, go to futuristic uniforms, build a new dome off of gateway, bring in useless cheeleaders, rename the team, hell move them to LA... (or Knoxville)

Thanks for letting me share.. 

That loss Sunday left me feeling lower than London Fletcher's relatives.. (and I saw the one wheeled out on a cart)...

PS the Redskins fans were really obnoxious, singing their hail to old DC over and over (only when they scored) and continuously after the game, posing for group pictures with the scoreboard in the backround, much lower behaviour than even Steeler fans.. (lower than a snake's belly)....  I have lost all respect for the DC fans... 

By [Fred Greetham] OBR Senior Browns Reporter
Posted Dec 19, 2012

Another season, another new quarterback for the Browns in 2012. What does that mean for 2013?

[1 Comment]

BEREA — There is no question that the future of who will be the Browns starting quarterback moving forward is being evaluated. There are many decisions expected to be made within the next [couple] of weeks regarding the direction of the Browns front office. However, none might be as big as who the quarterback will be as the team looks to 2013.

“I can’t worry about that,” [Brandon Weeden] said. “I need to play well for myself and the guys in the locker room.”

With two [games to play], Weeden hasn’t shown the progress many expected him to make by now. Amidst speculation of a possible new coach/general manager combination, all bets might be off, even though Weeden was selected with the 22^nd overall pick in April.

“I can’t say I’m completely happy with my season,” Weeden said. “There are times I played well and times that I didn’t play well.

“I’m not going to blame that on being a rookie because that is long gone,” he said. “I have to be more consistent and that is on me.”

New CEO Joe Banner recently said that all aspects of the team were being evaluated, including the quarterback.

Pat Shurmur was asked what he expects to see out of Weeden in the final two games.

“I want him to play consistent winning football,” Shurmur said.

When pressed further, Shurmur explained a little bit more in detail.

“You need to get completions and you need to execute well,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure we do everything in the run game right. We’ve got to get the team in the end zone. You want to be efficient, explosive and play good quarterback.”

Currently, Weeden is ahead of just [Mark Sanchez] (67.9), [Matt Cassel] (66.7) and [John Skelton] (55.4) with a rating of 72.4. The other three quarterbacks have all been benched.

However, Shurmur said he didn’t think about replacing Weeden against the Redskins.

“I’ve been at places where it has happened,” Shurmur said. “I did not think about it (against the Redskins).”

[Colt McCoy], who has yet to throw a pass in 2012 had better statistics in 2011 than Weeden has thus far in 2012. Even though it wasn’t by much, in 2011,McCoy was 265-of-463 for 2,733 yards (57.2 pct.) with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His rating was 74.6. In 13 games, McCoy was 4-9 as the starter. For his [career], he has a 6-15 record and is 400-of-685 (58.4 pct.) for 4,309 yards with 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Overall, his rating is 74.5. He also has rushed 91 times for 346 yards.

Through 14 games, Weeden is 285-of-498 for (57.2 pct.) for 3,281 yards with 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for a rating of 72.4.

Another big area of struggle for Weeden is the fact that he throws a lot of interceptions. [Drew Brees] and rookie [Andrew Luck] lead the NFL with 18 interceptions each and Weeden is right behind, as he’s tied with Mark Sanchez with 17 interceptions. Brees and Luck have thrown 76 and 66 passes more, respectively, than Weeden has.

“You have to be smart,” Weeden said. “If you get too cautious, you make mistakes. At this point (of the season) I have to let it fly.

“If you look at my track record and you look at guys that are aggressive, they are m ore susceptible to interceptions.”

Another dubious category that Weeden leads the NFL is in batted down passes. Despite being 6-3, he has had 21 passes batted down.

“What’s important is we just keep looking to throw the ball in lanes,” Shurmur said. “It’s very hard to throw over guys. It happens at times, but we just try to keep working on it and try to eliminate them.”

Weeden seemed to be turning the corner after the bye week when he posted four- straight games with a passing rating above 78 with three interceptions and three wins.

“I want to go back and play like I did the previous weeks before (the Redskins game),” Weeden said. “Not turn the ball over and going out and playing well. I need to get better and finish strong.”

Shurmur said he grades Weeden constantly, but wouldn’t divulge his findings.

“I evaluate him based on every throw,” Shurmur said. “I’ve said it all along, when he has the opportunity to throw the football, it comes down to decision-making, timing, accuracy and all those things. You grade him plus or minus in all that. Just like my conversations with the player remain private, my grades of the player remain private. I think what’s important is we all try to do what we can to play winning football and we didn’t. I think the same can be said for a lot of the team.”

Shurmur was asked if he thought Weeden was still the answer at quarterback for the Browns.

“I’m looking forward to him having a better game (each) week,” he said. “I think that’s where the focus needs to be.

“I think of him as a rookie. I think he’ll be much better in his second year.”

There was a report out of Denver Wednesday that the Broncos were interested in possibly drafting Weeden in April. Shurmur said that didn’t influence the Browns to draft Weeden in the first round.

“We were aware of the fact that the Broncos liked Weeden and had a decent idea on who liked him,” Shurmur said. “We had a draft strategy and that’s how it worked out.”

Weeden confirmed the Broncos showed interest in him.

“There was interest, but it is what it is,” he said. “I’m a Cleveland Brown and that’s where I want to be.”

There’s no question in today’s NFL that teams have to have the quarterback situation right and it Cleveland, it’s no different.

Notebook

Two Down: The Browns placed DB [T.J. Ward] and LB [James-Michael Johnson] on injured reserve with knee injuries. Neither player is expected to need surgery according to the Browns.

Ward finished the season with 68 tackles, one sack, one interception, four passes broken up and three forced fumbles. It is the second-straight season Ward finished the season on injured reserve. He missed the final eight games of the 2011 season with a sprained foot. Most likely, Ward will be replaced by rookie Tashaun Gipson.

“T.J.’s done a nice job and it is unfortunate he has to go on IR,” Shurmur said. “Fortunatley, he didn’t require surgery. It’s just going to take a little bit of time. He was doing a nice job. He had an interception in the last game. We’ll move on and play other guys.”

Shurmur said that DB [Usama Young] will move to strong safety and Gipson will play free safety.

“(Gipson’s) going to get his chance,” Shurmur said. “We feel good about it. He’s a good athlete. He’s been very productive. He’s one of a large number of rookies that’s gone in and played. His role each week has been a little bit different, some weeks larger than others. He’s going to get a real good look this week of course.”

Johnson finished his rookie season with 32 tackles in eight starts. He missed the first four games with a rib/oblique injury. LB L.J. Fort and LB Craig Robetson are expected to replace Johnson.

“We’ll play a lot of nickel and move the guys around,” Shurmur said.

Shurmur Mum on Patterson: Shurmur refused to answer why the Browns released DB [Dimitri Patterson]. All he would say is that he was happy that he caught on with the Dolphins. By Patterson signing with the Dolphins it saved the Browns $3 million that was guaranteed to Patterson next year as Miami will take over that payment.

“No, I’m not going to talk about the whys or what-fors there,” Shurmur said. “I will say this though, I’m happy for him that he’s going to be able to finish out the year in Miami. That will be great for him.”

DB [Buster Skrine] is expected to replace Patterson as the nickel cornerback.

The only comment made by the Browns was in a three sentence press release on Dec. 17.

“The [Cleveland Browns] (today) waived defensive back Dimitri Patterson. Patterson, who joined the club as an unrestricted free agent in 2011, appeared in seven contests this season with four starts. He totaled 28 tackles and broke up five passes.”

My Captain: LB Kaluka Maiava is the fourth captain for this week’s game. Maiava is known mostly as a special team player, but has been forced into a starter’s role with the season-ending injuries to LB [Chris Gocong] and LB [Scott Fujita].

Maiava has started 12 games with 48 tackles, three passes broken up, two sacks and two forced fumbles. He also has five special team tackles.

No Frostee or Cameron: DE [Frostee Rucker] (groin) was not at practice after getting injured against the Redskins. Also, TE [Jordan Cameron] (undisclosed) was also not at practice. All other players were accounted for. WR [Jordan Norwood], who was placed on injured reserve early in the season with an ankle injury was practicing. Norwood was designated as a player that could return.

New Guys: The new players added to the roster are LB Adrian Moten, DB Prince Miller and DL [Hall Davis] to the active roster. Davis was on the Browns practice squad.

The three players take the roster spots of T.J. Ward, Dimitri Patterson and James-Michael Johnson.

The Browns added TE [George Bryan] to the practice squad to replace Davis. Bryan was an undrafted free agent signed by the Cowboys after playing at North Carolina State.

No Sitting TRich: Shurmur was asked since it’s common knowledge that RB [Trent Richardson] is less than 100 percent with a rib injury if he thought about sitting him down for the final two games.

“No, no thoughts (of shutting down Richardson),” Shurmur said. “He’ll play. None of us are 100 percent right now. When you get to the point where you can’t play like T.J. or JMJ, then you shut them down, but if you’re nicked, you play.”

No Quit: Being eliminated officially from the playoffs, Shurmur said he is confident that the players won’t give up in the final two games.

“I reminded the players this is what we do,” Shurmur said. “At some point, somebody is going to tell you can’t play anymore and you’re going to miss it.”

Shurmur still refused to talk about anything more than this week’s game.

“My focus is on winning in Denver,” he said. “We owe it to ourselves to play well.”

New Prez: The Browns introduced Alec Scheiner as the team’s new president on Tuesday and Shurmur was asked what he knew of the former Cowboys’ executive.

“I know little about him,” he said. “It’s more of a business move and I’m focused on the football side. We’re excited to have him.

We said way back when at the start of this season that the Browns would score more points and play a more exciting brand of football than they did in 2011, but that the number of wins might not increase appreciably. So far, so good. Sometimes, you just get lucky. More often than not with these predictions, though, we're not that lucky, if you know what we mean. After starting 0-5 and then 2-8, the Browns are 5-9 heading into their next-to-last game of the season, Sunday at Denver. They have scored 280 points, a total which is already 62 more than they had all of last year. We also said that the 2012 season would look like 1984 in a lot of ways. The Browns, with a lot of young, talented players, have dropped five games by seven points or less, including a one-pointer, 17-16. They also suffered a three-point setback in their only overtime game of the year. Their defense was pretty good in those defeats, but their offense simply couldn't score enough points. Only in two losses – 41-27 to the New York Giants and 38-21 to the Washington Redskins last Sunday – have the Browns been blown out. Quarterback play has been a problem, as rookie Brandon Weeden, who played collegiately at a big school (Oklahoma State) that was successful in a big conference (Big 12), has just a 72.4 passing rating. He has hit on 57.2 percent of his attempts (285-of-498) for 3,281 yards and 14 touchdowns with 17 interceptions.
In 1984, the Browns, with a lot of young, talented players, started 0-3 and then 1-8 before finishing 5-11. They were blown out just twice all year – 33-0 to the Seattle Seahawks and 41-7 to the San Francisco 49ers. They had one OT game, a three-point loss. They also had a one-point defeat, 17-16. Overall, the Browns lost eight games by four points or less. Their defense was pretty good in most of their defeats, but their offense simply couldn't score enough points, as evidenced by the fact they scored only 250 points all year. Quarterback play was a problem, as Paul McDonald, in his first full season as a starter but in his fifth year overall with the Browns, had just a 67.3 passing rating. He hit on 55.0 percent of his attempts (271-of-493) for 3,472 yards and 14 TDs with 23 interceptions. McDonald had played collegiately at a big school (USC) that was successful in a big conference (Pac-10 then and now Pac-12).

Sound familiar? The similarities between 2012 and 1984 are almost eerie. The Browns went on in 1985 to finish 8-8 – a three-win improvement over '84 – and capture the AFC Central title. It began a string of five straight postseason appearances, including four division crowns and three trips to the AFC Championship Game. So what did the Browns do to get so much better in 1985? For one thing, all of their young, talented players were a year older, wiser and more experienced. Thus, they played better. But more than that, two big things happened – that is, there were two major personnel changes. First, Sam Rutigliano was fired as head coach midway through the 1984 season and replaced with Marty Schottenheimer, who was promoted from defensive coordinator. He went 4-4 in the last half of 1984 before beginning his first full season as coach the following year. The move sparked the franchise, as the Browns responded positively to Schottenheimer almost immediately. The other major move the Browns made from 1984 to '85 was replacing McDonald. Although he would remain with the team as a backup – a third-stringer, no less – for one more season in 1985, the Browns, with a new general manager in Ernie Accorsi, made the determination that McDonald was not the team's franchise quarterback. Accorsi, incidentally, basically took over the duties of Bill Davis, who was with the Browns from 1981-86 in personnel. Davis' son, Bill Davis, is in his second year as linebackers coach with the Browns. But back to Accorsi: He pulled a lot of strings and, in the first round of the 1985 NFL Supplemental Draft, was able to land Bernie Kosar, who turned out to be that franchise quarterback – and then some – as he led the Browns to that aforementioned five-year run in the playoffs.

As for the current Browns, they will also make a head coaching move . Though it won't be announced until the Browns finish the year, it's a foregone conclusion that Pat Shurmur will be fired. It also appears that General Manager Tom Heckert, whose father, Tom Heckert, spent five years (1982-86) as a Browns scout, will be fired at that time. But what about the quarterback? It's obvious the Browns can't go forward with Weeden if he continues to put up numbers almost identical to those McDonald had in 1984. Those kinds of statistics weren't good enough 28 years ago, and they aren't good enough now. The Browns will not come back in 2013 with the Weeden of 2012 as the starter. You can count on that. Indeed, if he is to be the starter again next season, then he will have to get a lot better. That improvement would come with some offseason maturity, more experience and, the Browns hope, better coaching from the new staff. Along with this, though, Browns fans will begin wondering if there's another Kosar-like star whom the club can pull out of the college ranks to take over as quarterback and help get things turned around right away, as did Kosar. If there is such a player and he can pull off Kosar-quality feats, especially righte out of the gate, then he, too, will be the toast of the town.

By the way, the 1984 Browns, like this year's club, played their final two games on the road. One was at Pittsburgh. The current team closes out the season at Pittsburgh in 12 days. Again, another similarity. If only the good things that took place for the Browns in the offseason following 1984 and then into '85, can take place again in the upcoming offseason and then into 2013. Hey, it happened once, so why can't it happen again? Keep your fingers crosse

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Only in Cleveland ...

In discussing Cleveland as a sports town, we hold these truths to be self-evident:

People here weren't created paranoid. They've just found perfectly good reason to expect the worst over the years.

With Joe Banner announcing Alec Scheiner as team president in charge of business matters, the immediate worry -- because that's what we do best -- is that Banner wants to direct all his attention to meddling in and lording over the football operation.

The concern is that we had it all wrong. Jimmy Haslam doesn't want to be Jerry Jones. Joe Banner wants to be Jerry Jones.

Is it justified? Not really. Is there evidence to support it? Not much.

Not yet anyway.

Banner says he will act quickly in shaping the organization at season's end. Good. That's a positive.

"What we're trying to do is look down the road a couple of years from now and the qualities that will be required to make the right decisions, have the right philosophy of [building the] team ..." Banner said Tuesday.

That also makes sense.

Pat Shurmur finishing the season [strong], which he was doing before Sunday's derailment, should never have been a consideration for keeping him in 2013. Is he the coach to lead the Browns to the playoffs and to a Super Bowl? That was always the far better question than asking whether it's right to replace a coach on a hot streak. The same goes for Tom Heckert.

In introducing Scheiner, Banner raised the qualifications for what comes next by calling it an example of getting the "best of the best." Banner said that would be the organization's goal in all the important hires ahead.

The "best of the best" on the football side is a fine idea. It would seem to be a high standard to meet, however, if Banner is going to insist on absolute veto power. Wouldn't that scare some candidates away?

  If his first name isn't Vince, Browns fans don't seem to have much use for a Lombardi in the front office. NFL Network <!-- FIXME - temporary fix with nbsp; for MT-1365 -->  

Few people here seem to have a problem with Banner deciding he can find a better coach than Shurmur. It's when the conversation turns to Heckert, and former Browns executive Mike Lombardi as his possible successor, that the concern skyrockets.

Let's not get caught up in whether Lombardi greased the skids for Bernie Kosar's departure here in the '90s by allegedly putting together a tape of all his bad plays to show Art Modell. If he did that, he did so as a Bill Belichick lieutenant. It's also 20 years ago.

Concentrating on Lombardi's [resume] is fair game. Asking what he's done to be considered "best of" material is legitimate. Belichick ran things here. Lombardi was a consultant in Philly. Al Davis ran things in Oakland. Lombardi has worked for NFL Network since Oakland.

You could argue that unless you're thinking in musical terms and have in mind "The Best of Milli Vanilli," he wouldn't meet Banner's standard. We'll see. Only in Cleveland, though, is it possible for glowing opinions on a new owner and CEO -- remember the excitement? -- to change for the worse over a decision they haven't announced.

Haslam comes from a football family. It's hard to believe he spent $1 billion and stepped down as CEO of Pilot Flying J to watch Banner hire a coach and GM purely to consolidate his own power base.

Let's wait until something goes wrong.

Around here, after all, it usually doesn't take long.

<big> SPINOFFS</big>

• A [Jets fan issued death threats] against quarterback Mark Sanchez after an ugly 14-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday night. One of his Twitter messages read, "Don't come to practice Wed. I promise you bullets everywhere."

His Twitter handle: BraveGrancru. Because nothing says brave quite like anonymous threats.

• Math problem of the day: If two balls heading in opposite directions leave the hands of Tristan Thompson and Brandon Weeden, respectively, at the same time, which one gets batted away first?

• Idiot Part II: In a direct message exchange with USA Today, "BraveGrancru" eventually said he meant no harm. But before regaining his composure, he suggested he was so upset with the shoddy play of the Jets and Sanchez that he couldn't engage in intimate relations with his girlfriend.

USA Today did not ask the obvious follow-up question. Who's the lucky lady?

• When Banner says the Browns haven't made up their minds yet about the futures of Shurmur and Heckert, he must mean whether to fire them on the Monday or Tuesday after the season.

• Scheiner, the Browns' new team president, supervised the new stadium and game-day experience in Dallas while serving as Jones' right-hand man on all business-related matters.

If the Cowboys are the model and a scoreboard on the same scale as theirs is in the works here, look for it to have all the bells and whistles -- scores, fantasy info, the HD experience fans enjoy at home and -- since it will be big enough to also serve as a bridge to Canada -- its own Customs agents

“A Banner-Lombardi-McDaniels trio, McDaniels being a born-and-bred Ohioan, and a chance to rebuild where the Bill Belichick tree was first planted, would be factors that would likely get a blessing from Belichick,” writes Bedard. “One more log to throw on the fire: those two initial sources said that if Lombardi and McDaniels indeed team up in Cleveland, the chances are good that they will attempt to trade for Patriots backup quarterback Ryan Mallett and install him as the franchise quarterback. [Brandon Weeden] would be out, or in a backup role.”

The 6-foot-6-inch Mallett has not been provided the opportunity to play much since being acquired two seasons ago. The strong-armed quarterback outplayed former Patriots back-up Brian Hoyer in the four exhibition games in 2012, completing a higher percentage of passes, for more yards, more touchdowns, and a better rating.

I'll take Mallett in a heartbeat.  I loved what he did at Arkansas.  I think he would have the right amount of seasoning haing learned from the Patriots coaches.  He would still be moldable but has a solid foundation on which to build.  That would be the perfect competition to bring in if you are ever going to see Weeden take bigger steps forward.  Now I don't know if I like the whole package deal with Lombardi and McDaniels, matter of fact I kind of hate it.  But if we could trade for Mallett and leave those two guys where they are, I'd be all in favor.   But I guess that would have to be the call made from the top as the next coach would want his quarterback.  But if Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner could pull off a trade before a coach was named, then he'd be in position to be the franchise quarterback regardless of who comes to town.

BEREA, Ohio -- Alabama coach Nick Saban, who's reportedly on the Browns short list of head coaching candidates, means it when he says he's not leaving Alabama and has not been interviewing assistants to join him in Cleveland, sources said.

A report on yahoo.com said Saban has already been interviewing candidates for his staff with the Browns, but the sources explained that Saban has been interviewing for his defensive backs coach vacancy at Alabama.

His secondary coach, Jeremy Pruitt, accepted the defensive coordinator post this week at Florida State.

On Tuesday, Saban, who has the Crimson Tide playing for its third national title in four seasons, told reporters in Alabama that he's happy and has no plans to leave.

"We're really, really pleased and happy to be here," he said. "We've been able to accomplish a lot. But like I've talked about before, this is a work in progress all the time. You've got to stay focused on the process to try to continue to make the next game the most important game, the next season the most important season, developing the team every year. We certainly look forward to those challenges.

"I'm not sure, regardless of what I say, that anybody believes what I say, because I say it all the time. This is what we're happy doing. This is what we like to do. But nobody really believes that. So, you know, maybe it doesn't matter. I don't know what I have to say or do, but it's kind of funny to me. Plus y'all asked the wrong person. Miss Terry (his wife) makes all the decisions about all this stuff anyway."

Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe first reported that Saban is on the Browns' radar and that he might come in a package deal with Mike Lombardi as general manager. And even though the Browns might be interested in Saban, it's not going to happen, insiders say.

Three Browns ruled out: Three key Browns will miss the Broncos game with injuries: receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (knee), tight end Jordan Cameron (concussion) and safety Tashaun Gipson (foot).

"They won't even make the trip with us so I'll save you the searching on that," said coach Pat Shurmur.

In addition, tight end Alex Smith sat out Friday's practice with an illness and knee injury and is listed as questionable, meaning the Browns could be thin at the position.

With Cameron out, Smith was expected to move back to tight end after playing primarily at fullback for the past seven games. Rookie Brad Smelley, the Browns' seventh-round pick out of Alabama, is set to be active and play fullback for the first time this season. He was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster last week.

"I'm ready to go and do what I need to do to play well," said Smelley. "I love blocking for Trent. I'm familiar with how he runs and I work hard for him."

The feeling is mutual.

"When you know how a guy plays, you feel comfortable with him," said Richardson. "I've been pushing for him to get on the field the whole time. I played with him going on four years. I know how good he is. It'll feel like we're just back at home again."

Gipson's absence is a blow because he was set to start at safety against the Broncos and Peyton Manning with T.J. Ward on injured reserve with a bone bruise in his knee. A rookie free agent out of Wyoming, Gipson suffered the foot injury midway through practice on Thursday and didn't return. With the two safeties out, Eric Hagg will start at free safety, opposite Usama Young on the strong side. It will mark Hagg's first start since being benched after starting the first two games of the season. Slated all off-season for the starting job, he was inactive in weeks three and four, and played sparingly or not at all the next 10 games.

Hagg, the Browns' seventh-round pick in 2011 out of Nebraska, admitted the demotion's been tough.

"It's been a battle mentally, but at the same time, this is the business that we're in," he said. "This is my job. I'm always going to be in meetings, paying attention, on the practice field getting my mental reps, getting on the practice field whenever I can. And like I said before, it's another opportunity for me to prove myself to the coaches and to everyone else too."

Hagg said the coaches didn't really tell him much about his benching.

"No, they just wanted to put the best people on the field, the best people that could work together," he said. "Off of that, they found two other people, three other people to rotate, and all I could do was just keep working hard and do what I could do."

Shurmur believes Hagg will be better for the time off.

"Anytime you play for a while and then you don't play, it gives you a little better view of it while you're watching it," he said. "I'm sure he's learned something as he's prepared."

Massaquoi done? With Massaquoi out with a knee injury, he may have played his last game for the Browns. If he sits out next week's finale in Pittsburgh, the loss to the Redskins might've been his last. Massaquoi, who sat out five games earlier this season with a pulled hamstring, is set to become a free agent after the season. The Browns had high hopes for Massaquoi this season, but injuries derailed those plans. A second-round pick in 2009, he's caught only 17 passes for 254 yards and no touchdowns this season.

With Massaquoi out, rookie Josh Cooper will be active for the first time in five weeks. He hopes to provide a safety valve for quarterback Brandon Weeden.

"I think [our chemistry] showed a little bit in the Colts game and others," said Cooper. "He knows where and when I'm going to stop on read routes and that'll always be there. We haven't worked together much lately because I've been running [scout team] reps but it'll always be there and he knows where I'm going to be and hopefully we can make it show on Sunday."

Patterson mum: Cornerback Dimitri Patterson, who was waived by the Browns and picked up by Miami, told Dolphins reporters he has no idea why the Browns let him go. He signed a three-year, $16 million contract in the off-season, including a $6 million signing bonus.

"You've got to ask [Browns coach] Pat Shurmur," Patterson said. "I don't think [anyone] is happy when something like that happens, unless it's a real, real bad situation. It's just something that happened."

"When you know how a guy plays, you feel comfortable with him," said Richardson. "I've been pushing for him to get on the field the whole time. I played with him going on four years. I know how good he is. It'll feel like we're just back at home again."

"When you know how a guy plays, you feel comfortable with him," said Richardson. "I've been pushing for him to get on the field the whole time. I played with him going on four years. I know how good he is. It'll feel like we're just back at home again."

Cited from an article posted by Bluez.  Can someone please tell me why we drafted thus guy who is so familiar with Trent Richardson to just bench him the majority of the season?  *Scratches head* Whoever is coach next year better wake up and smell the coffee.  Trent Richardson with a quality blocking fullback can do damage.  Why not his favorite player opening up holes for him?

Hagg, the Browns' seventh-round pick in 2011 out of Nebraska, admitted the demotion's been tough.

"It's been a battle mentally, but at the same time, this is the business that we're in," he said. "This is my job. I'm always going to be in meetings, paying attention, on the practice field getting my mental reps, getting on the practice field whenever I can. And like I said before, it's another opportunity for me to prove myself to the coaches and to everyone else too."

Shurmur believes Hagg will be better for the time off.

"Anytime you play for a while and then you don't play, it gives you a little better view of it while you're watching it," he said. "I'm sure he's learned something as he's prepared."

Yeah nothing like getting better at your position by watching other guys on your team and film of opponents. 

Can Hagg possibly be that bad to not see the field with the terrible cornerback and safety play we have seen this year in certain games.  Teams have been passing all over us all years.

With Massaquoi out, rookie [Josh Cooper] will be active for the first time in five weeks. He hopes to provide a safety valve for quarterback [Brandon Weeden].

"I think [our chemistry] showed a little bit in the [Colts] game and others," said Cooper. "He knows where and when I'm going to stop on read routes and that'll always be there. We haven't worked together much lately because I've been running [scout team] reps but it'll always be there and he knows where I'm going to be and hopefully we can make it show on Sunday."

I know we have much better receiving this year with Gordon and Little finally coming on, but this Cooper kid too has a special report with Brandon Weeden.  There is no reason he keeps getting yanked from the line-up for playing well.  There have to be some plays devised to utilize him more next year.

Patterson mum: Cornerback Dimitri Patterson, who was waived by the Browns and picked up by Miami, told [Dolphins] reporters he has no idea why the Browns let him go. He signed a three-year, $16 million contract in the off-season, including a $6 million signing bonus.

Does anyone have an answer to this?  Patterson while not great and overpaid really didn't get a fair evaluation IMO.  Granted he was hurt for a while, but he made plays and seemed to be getting better.

Anyone who believes that men are the equal of women has never seen a man trying to wrap a Christmas present!

1) Angels
Bert, aged 25.  'My wife's an angel'.
Don, aged 57.  'Your lucky, mine is still alive'.[]

2) Christmas Kiss
Romeo: What would it take to make you kiss me under the mistletoe?
Juliette: An anaesthetic.

A multi-national company held a reception to celebrate Christmas.  The waiter gave each guest a glass of champagne, but on inspection, each guest noticed that their glass contained a fly.

• The Swede asked for new champagne in the same glass.
• The Englishman demanded to have new champagne in a new glass.
• The Finn picked out the fly out and drank the champagne.
• The Russian drank the champagne, fly and all.
• The Chinese ate the fly but left the champagne.
• The Israeli caught the fly and sold it to the Chinese.
• The Italian drank two thirds of the champagne and then demanded to have a new glass.
• The Norwegian took the fly and went off to fish.
• The Irishman ground the fly and mixed it in the champagne, which he then donated to the Englishman
• The American sued the restaurant and claimed for a $50 million compensation.
• The Scotsman grabbed the fly by the throat and shouted, 'Now spit out all that you swallowed.'

Been wondering the same thing now for two years  . 

he had no qualifications


Guess he's sleeping with the right people.  Silly.

On Mike & Mike this morning, some small talk of Josh McDaniels and then, (wait for it)Tim Tebow.  NOT.  I really don't care for McDaniels either, with the Rams going 2-14 but that is a bit screwed up because the Rams did not have the receivers to go down the field to make his offense work.  Not sure at this point the Browns do either.  I don't dislike Tim Tebow but unless he wants to change positions to an H-Back or something, I just don't see him being able to run a offense like RGIII, Cam Newton or Russell Wilson. I want Shurmur to go away from the Browns and I think he will but the new HC must be a guy that 8 years from now, is still in Cleveland and at the top of the division.That is a question with Saban, will he stay through the hard times to get to the good times, I have my doubts.

Please...pretty please........no timmy tebow