Week 9 (Midseason) Grades

We're at the mid-way point of the season. Eight games played, eight more to go. So far, the Browns are 3-5 — needless to say, NOT where we wanted to be at this point when the season started.

Through the first half of the season, the Browns have been erratic. Ups and downs. Highlights and low lights. Wins and losses (and more losses). Flashes of brilliance as well as incompetence. In a word, the Browns have been inconsistent. Well, they have been consistently inconsistent, so that have that going for them.

Today, not only am I going to present you with my Week 9 Grades from that horrible loss to the Ravens yesterday, in parentheses I'll present my grade for the first half of the season.

Offense

• Offensive Line - The protection wasn't horrible yesterday and the Ravens do have the number one run defense ... add to that the fact that Tucker was missing and it's not surprising we couldn't really move the ball on the ground. Yesterday, they played decently enough.
  Grade: C+ (C)
  
• Tight Ends - Winslow and Heiden had a combined seven receptions for 89 yards. They are two of the best tight ends in the league and compliment each other well ... when used correctly. Winslow did have a pass interference penalty, but it was forgivable seeing as how if he hadn't committed it, it would have most-likely been an interception.
  Grade: A- (B+)
  
• Wide Receivers - Stallworthless was out again yesterday ... sure glad we gave him a bunch of money to join the team this year. Edwards, while he was able to haul in four catches for 84 yards and a TD, also dropped two huge ones. That's a league-leading 12 dropped passed for "the LeBron James of football" this year. Sadly, Jurevicius remains on the IR and will not be able to play at all this season.
  Grade: D (D+)
  
• Running Backs - Jamal had 19 carries for only 49 yards. What's the word he used to describe his only getting the ball 12 times the last time we lost to the Ravens? Oh yeah, it was "pathetic." Well, I don't think 19 carries is much better, but I do think our running game was again "pathetic." Harrison and Wright didn't see much action for some reason.
  Grade: D+ (C)
• Quarterbacks - In a league where a majority of the QBs are completing 60% of their passes, DA continues to hover just below 50%. Yesterday, he played OK at times, throwing two TDs. The biggest stat, though, is his one INT. Yesterday, DA played as well as he has all season and it all comes down to this: Can he win games consistently? The answer is a resounding no.
  Grade: D (F)
• Summary - Pathetic. With so many "playmakers" on this offense, why is it the Browns aren't putting up 30+ points every game? Perhaps it's poor coaching, inflated egos and no desire to win.
  Overall Grade: C (D+)
  

Defense

• Defensive Line - Can we clone Shaun Rogers and make whole defense out of his clones? Because he's the only one on this defense who's actually making a difference. Poor guy probably regrets coming here now (then again, we're still better than Detroit).
  Grade: C (B+)
  
• Linebackers - If it weren't for D'Qwell Jackson, I wouldn't even know we had linebackers. This needs to be a serious area of focus this offseason.
  Grade: D+ (D+)
  
• Safeties & Corners - This group gave up some huge plays yesterday and made me regret praising them these past few weeks. This looked like the unit from the Dallas game, not the one that rebounded and has been playing decently the rest of the season.
  Grade: D+ (C)
  
• Summary - When your team scores 27 points on the Ravens, you should win. Right? Then again, a defense depends on it's offense to do more than attain just two first downs in the last 20 minutes of the game.
  Overall Grade: D+ (C+)
  

Special Teams and Coaches

• Special Teams - Cribbs has seven kick returns for 237 yards, including a 92-yard TD return, plus three punt returns for 41 yards. Dawson nailed both his field goal attempts, including a career-long 54-yarder. All in all, the special teams accounted for nearly half the team's points yesterday.
  Grade: A (B+)
  
• Coaches - Romeo himself summed it up in his post-game press conference when he said he didn't know how to get the best out of his players. Well, unfortunately for him, that what he is supposed to do.
  Grade: F (F)
  

Good teams aren't inconsistent. Good teams win close games. Good team win the games they're suppose to win. Good teams play with fire and energy against division rivals. Good team finish games. The Browns have displayed none of these qualities. But, we still love 'em. Why?