Grading the Preseason: Titans

Two wins in a row? From the Browns? If only these games counted. On the bright side, the Browns did continue to show improvement and ... the Titans are definitely not the Lions.

The Browns showed a lot of good things Saturday night. And, some bad things. Time to pass out some grades.

Offense
Offensive Line - Looked good again, but run-blocking still needs to be better. Much, much better. Overall, though, I think they're improving.
Grade: B-

Tight Ends - Pretty much a non-factor Saturday night. If only the Browns had a stud, Pro-Bowl caliber tight end ... Oh, wait, they did.
Grade: C-

Wide Receivers - Braylon continued to rebound from last season and the Green Bay "game." He had three catches for 51 yards, including a TD catch from Brady Quinn, which he decided to hold on to this time.
Grade: B

Running Backs - Lewis gained 23 yards, just as he did last week against the Lions. This time, though, he did it in 10 carries instead of seven. James Davis (five carries, 28 yards) continues to make a case for himself as Lewis' backup.
Grade: C+

Quarterbacks - Both QBs looked "not bad." Quinn was 11-of-15 for 128 yards and a TD. Anderson was 7-of-11 for 77 yards. Could the QB Derby finally be over? Well, in some people's eyes, it is. But, the only person that matters is Mangini and he's not telling us anything.
Grade: B+

Summary - Any time you can get four scores out of your offense (three Dawson field goals and a Quinn to Edwards TD) is a decent outing. Ideally, those FGs should be TDs, but I'm not complaining.
Overall Grade: B

Defense
Defensive Line - Kerry Collins looked to be in mid-season form and the run defense still looked like Swiss cheese at times. But, the D-line does look better than it did just a few weeks ago.
Grade: B

Linebackers - As with the D-line, this unit showed signs of improvement too. Not a bad game at all.
Grade: B

Safeties & Corners - I sound like a broken record, but this unit continues to improve as well.
Grade: B

Summary - Solid overall defensive performance. Forced - and recovered - fumbles, goal line stands and an interception return for a TD makes for a good night on defense. Still, had this been a real game, I fear what Collins would have done to the defense.
Grade: B

Coaching\Special Teams
Special Teams - Outstanding performance from this unit. Dawson was Mr. Reliable on a windy night and the tackling on kickoffs was terrific.
Grade: A-

Coaching - Still too many penalties. Where was the Get Back Coach when Anderson was "tripping" the ref? Gonna be some running going on in practice this week.
Grade: B-

Intangibles - Is it just me, or does Kosar sound a lot more coherent than in past preseasons? He has actually provided valuable and interesting commentary for the entire game.
Grade: B

The Titans are definitely not the Lions. The Browns continue to get better each week. Braylon continues to hold on to the ball. Brady continues to play well when given an opportunity. Mangini continues to be tight-lipped about his plans.

The preseason is to be continued and concluded on Thursday night in Chicago. Until then, go Browns!

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Penultimate Preseason Game

This is it, the second-to-last preseason game -- the Penultimate preseason game (don't you just love that there's a word that means second-to-last?).

Tonight, the Browns will host the Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns Stadium and we'll get a longer glimpse of the first strings.

Of course, don't expect to see either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson taking all the snaps with the first unit for two-plus quarters tonight. No, Mangini plans to make sure both QB's time is "broken up equally, as much as we can."

Sure, one of them will actually start the "game," but Mangini has warned everyone not to read anything into it. He's tight-lipped 'til the end, this guy. Different than Romeo, who never really said anything because he didn't have anything to say. Mangini definitely has something to say, he simply chooses not to say anything because he doesn't have to.

I mean, really, it's not anyone's business outside the Browns organization to know who the starting QB is going to be. As long as Mangini knows -- and I'm willing to bet he does -- then I'm OK with it.

This, of course, is also an obvious difference from Romeo, who either didn't really know who to start (Frye, Anderson or Quinn) or clearly choose to start the wrong guy (Anderson) without even looking at the other guy (Quinn).

It's almost refreshing to have a head coach so focused on his team, and not what the media thinks. Mangini is so team-oriented, he's reconfigured the locker room so that the players are almost forced to get to know one another.

Mangini's Browns are all about the team, and what's best for the team. I like it.

I'm not going to sit here and lie and tell you I was a Mangini fan from Day 1. No, I was pretty upset when they seemed to hire him willy-nilly. But, Mangini has definitely won me over ... for now. He won't have completely won me over until the games start to count.

The games don't officially start counting until September 13, when Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings (weird to type that) come to town. Until then, consider tonight's "game" a dress rehearsal for two-plus quarters.

Go Browns!

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Friday Link Blitz

Some interesting, Browns-related links for your Friday reading pleasure. Enjoy:

• Don Banks: Preseason Week 2 Winners/Losers


• Dawg Pound Daily: Mangini Wants to Get Rid of Stupid Penalties ... Good Luck


• Dawgs By Nature: Closer Look at Ben Roethlisberger


• Waiting for Next Year: QB Questions Just Staus Quo for Browns


• The American Sports Blog: Oh, to be a Cleveland Browns Fan ... Who's Laughing? Shame on You


• Brady Quinn Fan: Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson Comic


• Cleveland Leader: Curse of the Cleveland Browns' Move


• Point-Spreads: Cleveland Browns Super Bowl Odds

Go Browns!

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Submit Your Photos

New this year in the Blawg Pound, readers can submit their game day photos.

Whether it’s from inside Cleveland Browns Stadium, outside in the parking lot tailgating or even at home during a Browns party, I want you to be able to share your Browns photos and memories with each other.

Simply e-mail them to blawgpound@gmail.com and include your name and any descriptions you'd like to to be considered for inclusion.

Fan photos will be posted under the Fan Photos tab at the top of the page.

Go Browns!

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We Need You, Shaun Rogers

The Browns run defense has been terrible. No question about it. They cannot stop the run to save their life. This preseason, nothing has improved. And, in fact, it's only going to get worse in the absence of Shaun Rogers, who hasn't practiced in two weeks.

Rogers was brought in last year specifically to lend some run-stopping support. He played great. Trouble was, he had little support around him. Can't expect the guy to do it all himself.

This season, the Browns defense needs his experience, explosiveness, size and leadership on the field. Having missed the two preseason games with an undisclosed injury — and with no timetable for his return coming from Mangini — Roger's absence is not a good sign for the Browns.

There is some hope, however, as he has slowly started to make his way back. Yesterday, at practice, he worked one-on-one with strength coach Tom Myslinski and also did some drills on the blocking sled. This is a great sign for the Browns defense.

Please continue to make progress, Shaun Rogers. We need you, and we need you healthy.

Go Browns!

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'Very Close' ... Yeah, Right

Yesterday, Mangini said the competition between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson is "very close." Oooh, that Mangini proves yet again to be a master media manipulator.

"Very close" doesn't really tell us anything. We already knew the competition was "close" because if it wasn't, there wouldn't be any competition at all (and some don't think there should be). By qualifying "close" with the word "very," Mangini is basically saying the competition will go on.

Very is a useless word. If something is close, then it's close. If it's very close, then guess what: It's still close!

In my opinion, nothing has changed in the QB competition between Brady and Derek. I still contend — hope — that Brady holds the edge and that Derek will have to blow him out of the water in order to win this. If Derek's performance really closed the gap on Brady, then the competition would be more than "very close."

The fact of the matter is, if Derek did in fact close the gap and make a case for himself as starter, Mangini isn't going to tell the media. He isn't going to tell the fans. In fact, he may not even tell Derek or Brady. All he'll say is, it's "very close."

Mangini said this before practice yesterday:

I’m trying to make the best decision based on all the information, giving each guy equal opportunity in the same situation and let it play out the way it plays out.

Hmm ... sound familiar? It's the same spiel he's been saying all preseason. See? Nothing about the competition has changed.

To all the Derek fans out there who thinks this "very close" statement is a good sign, gimme a break. There is no new information on this QB competition, at least none that Mangini is willing to report.

Two more weeks of preseason. Then maybe, just maybe, Mangini will be ready to reveal his master plan and name his starting quarterback. Until then, it's all speculation on everyone's part — especially the media, who doesn't have anything else to report (thanks to the tight-lipped Mangini).

Go Browns!

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Grading the Preseason: Lions

The Browns played much better this week than they did against the Packers. There's no doubt about it, Lions or not, the Brownies showed some improvement. But, again, it's the preseason and the game didn't really count. That doesn't mean my grades won't though.

Offense
Offensive Line - The O-line looked solid, for the most part. And, it was nice to see first-round pick Alex Mack playing center with the first team. Protection was decent and run-blocking was just OK.
Grade: C+

Tight Ends - Steve "The Swede" Heiden had one catch for 20 yards, and that's all she wrote.
Grade: C-

Wide Receivers - Braylon was the leading receiver with, wait for it, one whole catch for 34 yards. The ball was spread around quite a bit, though, with nine different players catching passes.
Grade: B-

Running Backs - A quick look at the box score reveals that the Browns rushed for 194 yards. Not bad at all. Then again, the leading rusher James Davis accounted for 81 of those yards on one run alone. Starter Jamal Lewis gained only 23 yards on seven carries.
Grade: C+

Quarterbacks - The QB derby continues. This time, Derek Anderson got the start and perform well, actually. he was 8-of-10 passing and lead the team down the field for its first TD since last November. But, when he was re-inserted into the game to run the two-minute drill just before the half, the result was an INT. Brady saw limited action and was only 3-of-5 for 29 yards.
Grade: C

Summary - Not a bad showing, but not a great showing either. I'll say it again: I think they'll continue to show improvement and, as soon as Quinn (I hope) is finally named the starter, they'll be able to adjust to his leadership and work together and continue to improve.
Overall Grade: C+

Defense
Defensive Line - Kept enough pressure on Lions QB Matthew Stafford to make him look like the rookie that he is. Also, forced many three-and-outs for Detroit.
Grade: B

Linebackers - Wimbley stepped up this week and led the team with six tackles. I think, finally, he's starting to come into his own. I see great things for him this year (I hope).
Grade: C+

Safeties & Corners - No huge breakdowns this week. Nothing that can't be improved upon and fixed, that is.
Grade: C-

Summary - Like I said, they looked pretty good this week and forced Detroit to many three-and-out situations. Of course, a rookie quarterback on a formerly winless team is a far cry from the offense they faced the week before.
Overall Grade: C-

Special Teams, Coaches and Intangibles
Special Teams - Cribbs returned the opening kickoff for a TD, only to have it called back. Then, he returned a punt 84 yards for a TD later on, which counted. Great job by the special teams all around.
Grade: B+

Coaches - I tell you, I really like the way Mangini is handling everything thus far. There were too many penalties though, but I'm sure the players will be paying for those in practice this week. It'll be interesting to see how he handles the QB competition leading up to the penultimate preseason game this week.
Grade: B-

Intangibles - Many empty seats in the stadium, which was quite noticeable. Nice, however, to notch a win and take back the Great Lakes Classic trophy.
Grade: B

The team did do much better this week, but I can't express enough how important it is to remember: It's the Lions. Don't get me wrong, the Browns were so bad toward the end of last season that, had they faced Detroit in December, I believe the Lions would not have been winless. Still, enjoy this win but don't put too much stock into it.

How the Browns perform this week against the Titans should be a better preview for what the season has in store.

Go Browns!

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But, It Was Detroit ...

The Browns notched their first preseason win last night, bouncing back from that horrible performance against Green Bay last week to defeat the Lions, 27-10, at home.

The Browns were hitting on all cylinders last night. The offense looked good. The defense looked good. The special teams looked good. But, as the future Mrs. Blawg Pound reminded me last night during my excitement, "It's Detroit."

Ah yes, the voice of reason. It's Detroit. The first team since 1976 to finish a season winless came into Cleveland Browns Stadium last night with a rookie quarterback and the Browns had their way with them.

It's a good news, bad news situation. The good news is, the Browns looked much better last night than they did a week ago and showed much improvement. The bad news, it was against Detroit ... a team they better have beaten. So, basically, the good news is: the Browns aren't the worst team.

I know I'm trying to stay optimistic this preseason, but I do have to keep my excitement over winning last night in check. After all, it was Detroit.

Probably the biggest news is that Derek Anderson, who got the start at QB last night, posted some good numbers and seemed to have bounced back from his do-nothing performance against the Packers. Brady Quinn, in limited action, posted OK numbers. Nothing special.

Unfortunately, the story during the next few days will probably be how Derek has pulled even with Brady and the competition is in overdrive. Those Notre Dame-haters, er, I mean Derek Anderson Fans will be making all kinds of noise now.

I just hope no one forgets, it was Detroit ...

Go Browns!

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Tonight's Starter Still a Secret

Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson? Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn? Who's going to start tonight against the Lions in the Great Lakes Classic? Well, Mangini knows, but he's not sharing that information with anyone outside the Browns organization.

Chances are, he'll release that information just prior to "game" time, as he did last week in Green Bay. The super-secret head coach did meet with both quarterbacks yesterday, so at least we can rest assured that they know which one of them got the nod.

Many are speculating that, since Brady started against the Packers last week, then Derek will start tonight against the Lions. Of course, when asked if that was the case earlier this week, Mangini said that wasn't written in stone.

Mangini has done a good job of making sure each quarterback gets an equal amount of snaps during training camp. That said, whether he wants to give the starting job to Brady or not, he ought to start Derek tonight so that everyone will say DA got his fair shot and lost the job out-right.

Then again, Mangini, I'm sure, couldn't care less what people say. When he makes a decision, that's it. End of story. Until that day, there's nothing we, as fans, can do but sit back and hope his decision turns out to be what's best for the team.

No matter who starts tonight, it would be nice to score a touchdown. We're all aware it's been a long time since they've seen the end zone, but my buddy Palms put it an interesting way the other day. He said, "The Browns haven't scored a touchdown since the Bush administration."

(Hmm ... I guess that's what Brady gets for campaigning for McCain).

Not only had the Browns better score some touchdowns, but it would be nice to win this "game" too. Detroit has pretty much owned the Great Lakes Classic, and I want that trophy! And yes, I know the Great Lakes Classic is simply a gimmick created to get people to actually care about a preseason game. Guess what, it's working on me.

Go Browns!

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Friday Link Blitz

Some interesting, Browns-related links for your Friday reading pleasure. Enjoy:

• Peter King: Brady Quinn 1, Derek Anderson 0.

• Browns Gab: Where Have All the Dawgs Gone?

• SI Truth & Rumors: Jets Glad Mangini’s Gone

• Dawg Pound Daily: Need A Laugh?

• Cleveland Browns: Plenty of Great Lakes History

• Dawgs By Nature: Training Camp Report, Day 20

• Brady Quinn Fan: QB Competition in Overdrive

• Don Banks: Second String QB Rankings

Go Browns!

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A Welcome Change

Remember growing up, playing football at that high school and younger level? Remember when you'd make a mistake -- jump offsides, run the wrong route, fumble the snap -- and the coach would make you run a lap or do calisthenics? Remember that?

If you didn't want to run laps, or do push-ups, then you were going to try your best not to make those mistakes. And it worked, didn't it? Seemed like a pretty effective learning tool.

By the time you get to be a pro football player, however, this type of treatment is almost non-existent. Well, not in Mangini's training camp.

Mangini seems to know exactly what he got into by taking over the Browns: a soft team that's at least three steps behind the rest of the league. Romeo Crennel coddled the team at training camp and practiced. No such luck for the team with Mangini at the helm.

A player fumbles, he runs. A player jumps offsides, he runs. A player makes a boneheaded mistake (typical of the Browns), he runs. It's about time someone started holding these players accountable for their actions on the field.

If the Browns are going to play like a bunch of undisciplined high school kids, then they should have to practice like high school kids and run when they screw up. Mangini's training camp thus far is a welcome change of page from Romeo's camps.

Yesterday's morning practice was so bad, Mangini went off about it during the break to reporters. The players looked sluggish and Mangini ripped them to reporters for wasting the morning session:

In any game you're going to feel tired. During the course of the season, you're going to feel tired. You have to push through that and accomplish the things that need to be accomplished.

Any time you think you have it hard, look over at some of the visitors we have from the different community groups who are struggling to get some of the basics, like school supplies. That's difficult.

What we do to get ready for football games in relative terms is not hard at all.

When the players came back out for the afternoon session, it seemed they'd heard the message loud and clear. They practiced harder and performed better than they did in the morning ... that is until the two minute drill at the end of practice.

Both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson failed to lead the team down for a score and mistakes were made all around. Mangini wasn't afraid to call it like it was:

That's bad football. That's bad football and it's under our control if you look at the scoreboard and understand what we have to do.

We have to put the plays in the context of the game; know the situation, be able to react, understand the human being you're playing against, what his traits are and adjust. Anything short of that, you're just running plays. You can't waste plays. You can't waste practices.

I'm telling you, I'm really beginning to like this guy. A big complaint against Romeo was that he was emotionless and the players liked him too much because he was easy on them. We all see how well that worked out. Mangini is almost the complete opposite. Like I said, he's a welcome change at training camp.

Blackout Averted

WKYC television and the Browns reached an agreement to buy the remaining tickets to ensure Channel 3 can televise the preseason game Saturday night against the Lions. Phew!

Go Browns!

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Stop the Blackout

I saw the other day that there's a possibility of Saturday's preseason game against the Lions being blacked out! WTF? I know the Browns are terrible and it's just a preseason game, but really? It's the Browns! Come on, people!

Through last Friday, the Browns had less than 5,000 tickets left for the Detroit "game." If they're not sold by tomorrow's 72-hour blackout deadline, the game will not be shown live.

Of course, I read about this on Ohio Media Watch's blog on Sunday, so those 5,000 tickets could have been sold by now. According to Ohio Media Watch, the team is selling all tickets for 50% off, and has launched a heavily promoted $99 "Family Four Pack" promotion, aiming to fill those empty seats — including game tickets, food and the like.

I remember the old days, when games were blacked out and we'd have to point the antenna in the direction of Toledo so we could watch the Browns. We can't let that happen again. As bad as the Browns have been since their return, all home games have been sold out.

It's the Browns! It's the Great Lakes Classic! Go buy tickets so I can watch the game on TV ;-)

Go Browns!

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Not Necessarily DA's Turn

As the Browns prepare for their second preseason game this week, it's interesting to note that it isn’t necessarily going to be Derek Anderson starting at QB against the Lions.

Brady Quinn got the super-secret nod just prior to the Green Bay "game," and rotated the first four series with Anderson. Mangini had implied earlier last week that whomever didn’t get the start against Green Bay would indeed start against the Lions.

Now, he’s seemed to have changed his tune. As he said yesterday:

I'm going to go through the complete process and let it play out.

I was encouraged by a lot of things we did offensively, but until we take care of the other problems, I temper when I say encouraged. There were some positive things, but we need to score points and protect the ball first and foremost.

I'm looking at it as a body of work and not a horse race, where you're listing it at each point in the race.

This change in attitude certainly makes those fans in the Quinn camp a little happy, but I wouldn’t get too over-confident. Mangini is a bit of a master at speaking to the media without really saying anything at all.

All along, he’s said this was going to be an open and fair competition. Nothing has changed. Mangini is trying his best to let both Brady and Derek compete for the job (at least, in the eyes of the “all-knowing” media). If he favors Brady — or even Derek — he certainly isn’t going to let on.

To those fans in the Quinn camp, Brady clearly pulled ahead of Derek in the Green Bay “game.” But really, I don’t know that you can declare a winner after those performances. Sure, Brady led the team down the field twice in drives that should have resulted in points — but no points were scored. Yes, Derek was 0-2 with an INT, but his playing time vs. Brady’s in one preseason game is hardly enough to declare a winner.

It’s no secret that I’m definitely pro-Brady Quinn. I know — know — he’s the better quarterback and the one who should be leading this team. I’ve seen enough of Derek Anderson over the past two seasons to know he isn’t the answer. But, I’m trying to be objective here and let Mangini make his own judgments.

For all I know, Mangini has settled on Quinn and is only playing out this QB competition in hopes that some other team will want to give us something for him (I can hope that's the case, can't I?). Because, really, what value does Derek have if he’s simply the No. 2 QB, as opposed to a QB who might be the No. 1?

Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to see how it plays out. One thing is for sure, the team as a whole needs to improve — A LOT. Especially that defense.

Go Browns!

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Grading the Preseason: Packers

The Browns played pretty bad on Saturday night, there's no doubt about that. But hey, it's the preseason. The games don't count, right? Of course not. But that doesn't mean the team doesn't deserve to be graded by the fans.

Offense

Offensive Line - The O-line didn't play great, but they weren't horrible either. There were a few holes on pass protection, but for the most part the QBs were protected. Run-blocking, though, was a different story.

Grade: C-

Tight Ends - Aaron Walker led the team in receiving, with three catches for 48 yards. Decent numbers for a tight end, terrible numbers for a team's leading receiver.

Grade: C

Wide Receivers - Braylon had, let me see here ... oh yes, ZERO catches and one HUGE DROPPED PASS ... in the end zone. Way to bounce back from last season.

Grade: C

Running Backs - The Browns gained 59 whole yards on the ground, and 29 of those didn't even come from a running back. Nope, that 29 yards came from utility man Josh Cribbs on just one carry. Jamal Lewis had 17 yards on seven carries. Running game needs A LOT of improvement.

Grade: D

Quarterbacks - In the quarterback derby, Brady Quinn got the start and rotated series with Derek Anderson. Neither was outstanding, but the edge goes to Quinn as Anderson was pretty much a non-factor. Quinn was at least able to sustain two drives into the red zone, although both resulted in no points (thanks Braylon). He was 7-of-11, while Anderson was 0-2. Both QBs threw one INT each. Ratliff, who played the rest of the game in relief, went 7-of-13 for 84 yards and threw 2 INTs.

Grade: C-

Summary - Not a great showing, not great at all. I think they'll show improvement next week and, as soon as the starting QB is settled (ahem ... Quinn), they'll be able to adjust to his leadership and work together as a cohesive, dynamic unit (I can only hope).

Overall Grade: C-

Defense

Defensive Line - Showed decent penetration on the first handful of plays, but then it broke down. The Packers were able to rack up 230 yards of rushing. Lots of improvement is needed.

Grade: C-

Linebackers - D'Qwell Jackson led the team with seven tackles (sounds similar to last season) and Wimbley looked to be always chasing down runners who got through the Swiss cheese D-line. Overall though, this unit still needs to work harder.

Grade: C

Safeties & Corners - It could have been worse. Much worse, as we know from watching games last season. Donald Driver's 53-yard touchdown catch reminded Browns fans everywhere of some horrible secondary breakdowns from last season.

Grade: D

Summary - Hey, at least the defense didn't cause us to lose by blowing a big lead, as we'd seen them do repeatedly last year. Still, though, they need to figure out how to stop the run AND the deep ball. I'm not asking too much, am I?

Overall Grade: C-

Special Teams, Coaches and Intangibles

Special Teams - Dawson made his first field goal attempt, but missed the retry after a penalty negated it. Cribbs was a non-factor in returning, which can be accredited to the new wedge rules that Kosar and Donovan kept talking about.

Grade: C

Coaches - Hard to put a grade here just yet. No big communications breakdowns to speak of, and it being the first preseason game and all, it's simply too hard to evaluate Mangini and hist staff just yet.

Grade: Incomplete

Intangibles - The uniforms were horrible, putrid and inexcusable. There is no reason, whatsoever, why the Browns should ever wear those brown pants. Terrible

Grade: F

Yes, the Browns lost again, failed to score any points and at times looked about 10 steps behind the Packers. But, save for those retched pants, I didn't give out any Fs. After all, it's the first preseason game (I have to keep telling myself that, or I'll be a wreck by the time the season starts).

Go Browns!

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New Season, Same Results

Yes, I know it was only a meaningless preseason game. And yes, I know Green Bay is a pretty good team. But, what Browns fan isn't a little distraught after last night's performance from out beloved Browns?

Then again, it was only a meaningless preseason game. So, we simply need to brush ourselves off and hope the team shows some sign of improvement next week against the Lions.

Maybe it isn't as bad as it seems. I'm finding it difficult to get upset about a preseason loss. Sure, the offense still cannot put a touchdown on the board (let alone, any points). Sure, the defense still cannot stop the run (or the deep ball). And, sure, Braylon still cannot catch the ball (even when it's thrown perfectly to his hand while in the end zone).

One thing is for sure, no matter how good or bad the Browns play, they'll always look terrible in those putrid brown pants. They wore them last year in the preseason too, and we all know how well that worked out for them.

Oh well, it's just one (meaningless) game. Let's see how they bounce back against Detroit next week. In the mean time, I'll give out my grades tomorrow.

Go Browns!

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It's 'Game' Day

It's finally here: Game day. OK, so it's not a real game and the outcome is meaningless, but it's still a game nonetheless.

Tonight at 8, the Browns will face off against the Green Bay Packers in their first preseason game -- probably the only preseason game worth getting really excited about. The first preseason game is our first chance to get a glimpse of what's in store for us this season. It's when we finally, after months of speculation, get some small inkling of what this year's team is all about.

Sure, there's still a lot up in the air about this year's Browns squad: The quarterback situation hasn't been settled; there's roster spots up for grabs; the offensive line is yet to be determined; and this is Mangini and company's first game on the sidelines for the brown and orange.

Three Things I'm Looking Forward to in Tonight's "Game":

1. That first time the Browns take the field - For me, this is it. This is the start of football season. Say what you will about the NFL preseason, but the Browns will be taking the field and football season will have started.
2. Who starts at quarterback? Mangini has not announced whether it will be Quinn or Anderson. Both are listed as co-starters on the roster and Mangini said he would tell them who was starting yesterday. He also said, whoever doesn't start tonight will probably start against the Lions next week. Whoever it is, let's hope they can lead the Browns to their first offensive touchdown since Nov. 17, 2008.
3. The no-huddle offense. The Browns have practiced it, but will they use it? I'm sure they will at some point during the season, but is tonight the night they take it out for a spin? And, if Anderson gets the start, will he be able to run the no-huddle? Should be interesting to watch.

Preseason football ... gotta love it.

Go Browns!

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Vick Flies Like an Eagle

OK, so normally I try to strictly keep it all Browns, all the time in the Blawg Pound, but I cannot let this Michael Vick thing pass.

ESPN reports that the Philadelphia Eagles have signed Michael Vick.

This is news, because, finally a team has stepped forward and said, “Hey, we don’t care if the whole world turns against us. We’ve completely forgotten that Michael Vick is an average, at best, quarterback who can’t stay in the pocket and play quarterback. We’ll sign him! It’ll be a great challenge for our public relations department.”

So, maybe they didn’t say that. My point is: Michael Vick was NOT a great quarterback before he went to prison. He talent was blown out of proportion by the media (especially you, Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire) — the same media who turned against him when it was discovered he was a psychopath who enjoys torturing and killing dogs.

He was NOT a great quarterback. He never won anything. He was nothing special — just another cocky kid who thinks because he can run fast, he should play quarterback. A quarterback needs to be able to do more things than just run fast, and torturing and killing dogs isn’t one of them.

I know many people are outraged that Michael Vick is back in the NFL. Personally, dog-killing aside, I don’t see why it’s such a big deal that a mediocre quarterback who hasn’t played in a couple of years was such a high-profile signing.

Hey, Michael Vick, you suck! Go Browns!

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Still Stallworthless

Since Donte Stallworth hit and killed 59-year-old Mario Reyes earlier this year, I haven’t been one of the disillusioned fans who thought maybe he could still play this season.

Sure, he paid Reyes’ family an undisclosed sum, served 24 whole days in jail and can no longer drive a car, but I just didn’t see the NFL allowing him to play this season.

And, now it’s official. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Stallworth for the 2009 season without pay.

Mangini, ever the media darling, stayed on message when he spoke of the decision:

I respect the commissioner very much. I respect the process and I respect the decision. My focus and the team's is the task at hand. I'm getting ready for the season.

In terms of what the future holds, there's no timetable. Our focus is on the players that are here. That's where we're headed.

I’m really starting to like that guy.

BTW, Stallworth's blood alcohol content at the time of the accident was .126. The legal limit in Florida is .08.

Go Browns!

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Lots to Talk About

Let’s see … Clevelanders are beginning to recover from the Cavaliers’ heart-breaking loss in the Eastern Conference finals and the Indians, who’s chances this year were slim to none, have traded away slim. Must be time for football season, no?

Browns training camp has been underway for close to a week and a half now and I couldn’t be more relieved (well, I could be, if the QB competition was settled already and we had some wide receivers, but I digress).

With the first preseason game, against the Green Bay Packers, just days away, I’m thrilled to be back in the Blawg Pound. I’ve been away too long and there’s much to talk about. So, Browns fans (and you non-Browns fans who can’t help yourselves), let’s get started.

Peter King
Following last Sunday’s Brown vs. White Scrimmage at Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Browns got some national attention from Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King.

If you remember, King ranked the Browns 32 out of 32 teams in the NFL in his preseason rankings just months ago. So, what could King possibly have to say this time?

The Browns, however, were the first team I've been around this summer that I just didn't get a good vibe from. The players are still feeling out Eric Mangini, and more than a few think he's working them too hard.

Well, the Browns were 4-12 last year, fired the coach and GM, and need a new sheriff. That's what Mangini is trying to be.

Normally, I can’t stand it when King rips on the Browns. But, you know what? This seems spot on.

Media Gets Carried Away
Moving along, another story out of Sunday’s scrimmage made national news. Or, perhaps I should say “news,” since I’m not one to consider rumors, speculation and sham stories as news.

Seems that, during the scrimmage, Derek Anderson’s helmet radio malfunctioned and he was forced to use hand signals, which resulted in miscommunication with rookie receiver Mohamed Massaquoi.

"Today we got mixed up on the goal line," Anderson joked. "We had to change our hand signals because Brady (Quinn) told the (White defense) all the hand signals, so we got mixed up on that. Whatever."

In a society where everyone thinks they’re on the verge of being a Pulitzer-prize winning investigative journalist, this is the kind of humorous comment that can be conveyed as a serious “news” item in an attempt to sensationalize an otherwise boring story. And that’s exactly what happened.

A reporter for ESPN and other Internet stories turned this into a scandal — taking this off-hand joke as proof that Brady was resorting to trickery in an attempt to win the starting job. Whatever.

DA and Brady both say the remark has been blown out of proportion.

And, really, as if Brady would need to resort to cheating and trickery to beat out DA. Gimme a break.

Underused
With a new head coach — and another new offensive coordinator — at the helm, let’s hope they can figure out a way to use Jerome Harrison more than he has been in the past.

Maurice Carthon, Jeff Davidson and Rob Chudzinski all failed at using Harrison in an expanded capacity. When he did make an appearance on the field, he made an impact.

Yesterday, it seems he put on a show at camp. It certainly would be nice to have a young, electrifying, multi-faceted running back this year.

Wolverine in Berea
Also yesterday, former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr visited practice.

Now, it’s no secret I’m not an Ohio State fan, but I hate Michigan as much as the next guy. Then again, I also know how to separate college from pro. Braylon Edwards may have been a Wolverine, but once he put on that brown jersey, he became a member of the Cleveland Browns and, therefore, someone I root for.

I do mean that too, no matter how many balls he drops, I root for Braylon because he is a member of the Cleveland Browns — but, that doesn’t mean I can’t get upset when he continues to drop passes or fails to show up for camp with a mysterious, undisclosed injury.

I do have to laugh, though, at one of Carr’s quotes about Braylon:

Braylon is one of the greatest players at Michigan, ever.

Umm … yeah, you’re not coaching there anymore, are you? Ha!

Go Browns!

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