New Podcast Up. DAWGS BREATH 3/20/16

https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/episodes/364678-dawgs-breath-3-20-16


Listen! We're talking "The Big Blow Up" "The QB Carousel" and "What They're Saying--The Best of Twitter"

We'll also do part 1 of our Roster Preview: QB, RB, WR, TE. 

NEW!!! Dawgs Breath Podcast. 3/13/16

Talking about Free Agency, the QB Situation, Regime Change and all the other dire shit.

Dawgs Breath Podcast 3/13/16

Browns WIn Over Indy: Podcast

Check out the Podcast: Browns Beat Indy!!! http://dawgsbreath.podbean.com/

Lots of work to do...but a nice victory none the less

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2011 Browns Roster Preview

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Take a listen to the new podcast version of The Dawg's Breath.

http://dawgsbreath.podbean.com/ (Click To Listen)

Take a listen to the new Podcast version of The Dawg's Breath! Here we'll preview the complete roster of the 2011-2012 Cleveland Browns...the good, the bad and the ugly.

Uhh...Now What?

The Walrus came in with a plan. Someone should have told him this is northeast Ohio and nothing goes according to plan. Jake Delhome looks broken and now suffers a high and low ankle sprain. Seneca Wallace suffers from a high ankle sprain. Rookie Colt McCoy was supposed to sit for a year. Now he needs to start against the most feared defense in the league...coming off a buy week. Welcome to Cleveland, Mike Holmgren.



1. How could this happen?: Finally, we had leadership from above with a clear direction. We had issues coming out of preseason, but a QB controversy was not one of them. Jake Delhome was the clear starter and we had a veteran backup in Seneca Wallace. Well, it only took 1/2 of a game for Delhome to get banged up...no worries though, we like what we have in Wallace, right?



2. What happened to Joe?: Joe Thomas has not had his typical type of pro-bowl season and he had a really bad game against The Falcons. He let some rushers come through, which ultimately injured our quarterbacks. The Browns were feeling pretty good about their chances with Wallace in the lineup. He had a few mistakes, but overall was playing good. He managed the game decently and controlled the ball. But, when Joe T. had an off day, the curtain came down on Seneca.



3. Was the passing game all that important anyway?: Sure, it was pretty bad. The receivers were awful and the deep passes just weren't there. However, having a QB like Seneca at least gave us a bit of a balance. He hit the short routes with accuracy and showed progress in every game he started. He worried defenses with his legs, even though I think he should have scrambled more.



4. Can we blame this on the coaches?: Yes...for no good reason. We're simply sick of losing. However, keep in mind it was Heckert and Holmy that brought in Delhome. He's simply looked bad. I'm not sure he's gotten a fair chance, but this is the NFL and injuries happen. I don't think he should have played the 2nd half of the season opener, but I can't blame the coaches for putting him in there last week. He was listed as the backup QB and that's what his job was.



5. Can Josh Cribbs play QB?: Yes! Seriously. We should have been using the Wildcat much more this season anyway. In fact, when Seneca went down last week and we put in an injured Delhome as his backup, we should have been running the Wildcat with Cribbs. Now, we'll need to rely on it. The former Kent State quarterback will need to catch a glimpse of his old self for the Browns to have any chance at winning.



6. Can't we just run the ball like we did at the end of last year?: No. Hillis looks banged up. It's been widely reported that Hillis will not be able to be the bruiser for an entire season. I'm very concerned about his thigh. He looks hurt and he needs to go full-force to wear out the defense. He doesn't have the speed or moves to break off many big runs. He sets up big plays with lots of tough 4-yard runs. If Hillis goes down for any significant time, the running game is in trouble.



7. What about Harrison? He hasn't looked even a fraction of his old self. Was last year a fluke? Have defenses honed in on him? Has he not gotten enough carries to get in rhythm? There are many questions surrounding Jerome Harrison's game. One thing's for sure--whether or not Hillis is healthy, Harrison needs to pick it up.



8. Can our defense and special teams keep us in games?: The defense has surely improved since last season, but they're not a knock-out defense by any means. The run stoppage has been surprisingly wonderful, but there's lots of gaps in the passing game. Our big boys will surely get tired quickly if our offense keeps slipping. Special teams used to be the only positive for the Browns and they're still good, but they're not going to win us any games. Teams have learned to kick away from Cribbs, who may be our only real play maker.



9. Can Colt come in and play?: Well...he has to. This is exactly what the coaches did not want to see: Colt McCoy, rookie quarterback, coming in to start his first NFL game against a rested Steelers defense. We'll have to see how tough he is. He's undersized and looked very young during his work in the preseason, but maybe with a week of action with the first team, he'll be ready to play...probably wishful thinking.



10. Can they beat the Steelers? Injured. Unorganized at several positions. Tired on defense. No offensive play makers. A weak secondary. Big Ben's big return. Steelers coming off a bye. Steelers bitter about last year's loss. Hell Yeah! Go Browns.

Let's See About Some Offense

This isn't quite breaking news...but the Browns are pretty weak on offense. Have you looked at their schedule? The Browns play in arguably the toughest division in football and they weren't handed any luck with the way the rest of their schedule panned out. Along with the two match ups versus each division rival, including this week's trial in Baltimore, the Browns play the likes of New Orleans, Atlanta, New Jersey, New England and Miami. They will be staggering into those games as hapless underdogs. They will need to produce some offense if they have any hopes of beating these teams.



Let's Break Down the Offense:

QB: Most anticipated and talked about position on this side of the ball. Holmgren came in and wiped the slate--cutting loose Anderson and making a nice trade with Quinn. They brought in Delhome and Seneca Wallace and drafted Colt McCoy. After the preseason, hopes were high. The veterans looked like they could play decent and at least manage the game. Their was a clear hierarchy, with Delhome being at the top of the totem pole. Now he has a bum ankle, we're not sure what Seneca can do, and the last thing we need to do is put the rookie in there. The QB merry-go-round is still swinging in Cleveland.



RB: Again, an area of strength...we thought. We had last year's hero, Jerome Harrison, coming back. We drafted an injury-prone, yet potential breakout star in Montario Hardesty and we traded for Peyton Hillis, a bruiser with motivation to prove himself. We also had depth, with Davis and Jennings battling for a roster spot--we're set at running back right? I know it's only been two games, but the running game has looked pretty weak...or maybe it's the play calling. Either way, we've got Hardesty on IR and both Harrison and Hillis are fumbling the ball. Now, I will say that of all the positions, this seems like something that could be fixed this season...and it will have to if the receivers don't wake up.



WR: Check out this recieving corps: Massaquoi, Robiske, Cribbs, Stuckey! Sadly, Cribbs has looked the best out of this group and he's a QB turned returner who got a shot because of his dynamic play-making ability. I advocated for Cribbs to get more time at wideout, but a big part in that was so we could bait the defenses and use him more in the Wild Cat. I've seen a little progress from Mo Mass, but he's a number two guy and it's unfair to treat him like a number one threat. Robiske has supposedly matured by leaps and bounds since last year, but it hasn't shown on the football field. And Stuckey should be used as a situational receiver at best. I'd have better things to say...but I just haven't seen it in the last two games--and we were playing Kansas City and Tampa Bay! There are no excused for multiple drops in the NFL. These receivers need to show that they can catch. Possibly more importantly is their route running. Robiske has shown that he struggles to get anywhere near to open. Stuckey has shown some promise getting open for short yards, but no one will consider him a threat down field and he won't break any tackles. Massaquoi and Cribbs have both caught deep balls for TD's, but I don't think they're scaring defenses too much. They will need to upgrade in the off season.



TE: Probably the best, or at least the deepest and most flexible group on offense. Ben Watson, Evan Moore and Robert Royal make up the core of this group. Moore showed some promise last year as a receiver and could be asked to help out more in that area. Again, he'll need to hang onto the ball, which seemed like a small problem when he dropped a pass last week. He also suffered a small concussion, so they'll be careful with him, but I like his potential. They can swing him out wide in two tight end sets and it gives our struggling quarterbacks a big body to look for. Watson showed some real promise in the preseason, but hasn't gotten open as much during the real games. He also dropped a pass and takes part of the blame for Delhome's first interception. He's a solid veteran though, and as long as he can block and haul in some throws, we'll be OK. He can be especially dangerous near the goal line. Finally, Royal comes in as a blocking TE, which is exactly what he should be. They tried to use him too much in the passing game last year and it displayed his poor hands. This group can do some neat things with multiple TE sets. Throw Alex Smith in there for depth and you have a decent squad at tight end.

OL: There's good (Joe Thomas) and there's bad (John St. Clair). There's a force to be reckoned with (entire left side) and there's training dummies (entire right side). The Browns thought they were well on their way to having one of the most dominating offensive lines in the NFL, then they forgot to secure the right side of the line. The pieces are there: Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, and Alex Mack are good. In fact, Thomas is a perennial pro-bowler, Steinbach is a solid veteran and Mack is good and only getting better. This is a special group, but even they showed some weaknesses during the first two games. There were some free rushers coming from their side of the line and with our QB situation (see Delhome's ankle), we really need them to secure the blind side. Again, this is not a glaring weakness...that shines from the other side of the field. The right side consists of: John St. Clair, Pork Chop Womack, Tony Pashos, and Shaun Lauvao. This group presents a big problem. A good line is a consistent line and these travelers aren't getting it done. Only Lauvao shows real upside. He's a third-round rookie who looked pretty good in preseason, but was hurt for the first two games. Hopefully he heals up and can earn a starting spot alongside Pork Chop. The rest are not awful for backups, but asking them to go in and contribute play after play is ridiculous. The Browns will be kicking themselves for pulling the trigger on a 2nd Round Right Guard during the last few drafts. We've missed on several 2nd rounders and guards would have been a safer pick.

FB: Okay...save the best for last: Lawerence Vickers. He's one of the top 5 full backs in the league. He's an amazing blocker and though not known for great hands, can pull in a pass or two on a swing out. It will be interesting to see how they use him with Hillis.

Play-calling--Sometimes more than talent, the play-calling is vital to a team's success. Can you imagine Brian Daboll running an offense in New Orleans or...really any other NFL city? I've talked about this in past blogs and will give a full update after week 3, but no matter who is at quarterback and no matter who starts at running back, he's got to change up his schemes and make half-time adjustments. Granted, the team hasn't helped his cause too much, but he'll have to get them ready before and during game time if he wants to have a shot at remaining an OC in the NFL.

Why the losses hurt so much

I wrote last week about the return of Romeo Crennel. I listed several of the things that the former head coach would bring to Cleveland. I never once mentioned that he would leave with a win and a new record of 2-0.

Why does this loss hurt so much? Why is Cleveland's despair flowing like Miller High Life into the lips of drunks? Why do Browns fans feel so desolate, battered, and lost?

1. Because if Patience is a virtue, then we've surely paid our dues: Frankly, Browns fans are used to this shit. We've been very patient since our team was stolen from us in the 90's. We've given this team a decade of patience and we're growing tired. I could give you the stats about losing seasons, offensive and defensive rankings since 1999, poor draft picks...yada, yada, yada. We've heard it all before. We want to win. Period.

2. Because our team was stolen from us and we're still bitter: When that rat, Art Modell, packed his bags...and the bags of every Browns' player, a city was crushed. Have you been to Northeast Ohio? It's a mess! But it has some of the most dedicated and enthusiastic fans in the world. We are a proud bunch. We may whine and moan, we may throw bottles onto the field, but goddamn it, it's only because we care. We've felt slighted since that greedy bastard--Modell took off for Baltimore. And now we have to watch as The Ravens win Superbowls, draft great players, and play tough every week.

3. Because that was all supposed to change this year: We brought in Mike Holmgren as the new face and belly of our franchise. We didn't expect an undefeated season, but we thought the dynamic would change in Cleveland. We had hope...again. He brought in Heckert to be his GM. He filled the front office with great football minds. He's arguably one of the best offensive minds to ever coach in the NFL. We thought maybe he'd bring in some new ideas.

4. Because the offense is awful...and has been for some time. Since returning to the league in 1999 we've had 100 starting quarterbacks playing under 312 offensive coordinators. This is an exaggeration of course, but the point is valid. Besides a few flukes (See Anderson to Edwards in 2007), the Browns have been awful on offense. We're Cleveland fans, so we don't mind run and grind-it-out power football in the wind and snow off the coast of Lake Erie. But we don't even get that! We've had a few stars on that side of the ball, that either fall off motorcycles or seem to lose their touch (Again--see Anderson to Edwards in 2007). We don't mind a grind-it-out game, but it has to work! We want some dynamic play-calling. Give us something to cheer for.

5. Because we're sick of the coaches' excuses: We were willing to wait through the Chris Palmer and Butch Davis regimes. We were a new (old) franchise. We were a start-up company and we gave them a break. Ironically, Butch Davis was the only coach to bring a playoff birth to Cleveland since returning to the league. Once Romeo and now Mangini came to town, we expected wins and not excuses. Here were some real NFL coaches--with pedigrees and resumes stacked with winning records. They came from our old friend, Bill Belichick's coaching tree. They must be good, right? Both coaches have rebuilt our team and brought in their own people. And that's a whole other story...the coordinators on both sides of the ball. Daboll and Ryan are in town and running the offense and defense respetively. What experience do they really bring to the table? Now in year two of the Mangini experiment, we're back to square one. And we're not sure when we'll make it to square two.

7. Because we're actually scared of firing these guys: Mangini, Ryan, and especially Daboll have been the scapegoats for these losses. We weren't too found of them last year, and we're getting pretty sick of them already this year. That being said, we're actually scared of canning them...especially Mangini. Who else would we get? Is Gruden going to scrap his gig with ESPN and come rebuild a new team? Is Cowher going to come out of retirement and try to out coach the strong AFC North opponents? Or will we just get some no-name journeyman coach with something to prove? All that means is that we'll be rebuilding again. And the famous "process" that Mangini keeps chirping about will start all over again too. That means we'll be sitting back, watching this mess continue with a belly full of Miller High Life. It's the Champagne of Beer.