Monday, October 20, 2008
An Unpleasant Fact
AS FIRST SEEN ON NFLDRAFTBIBLE.COM
When Romeo Crennel was named Head Coach of the Browns in February 2005, Browns fans were generally pleased by the hire. After the disastrous Butch Davis era (a college coach in over his head), Crennel had the NFL coaching experience and Super Bowl pedigree many observers thought was needed to turn around the moribund franchise. Personally, I thought he would instill the values necessary to consistently win in the NFL: mental toughness and team discipline. But three plus years into his tenure, he has failed to implant those characteristics on his Cleveland team. And in his fourth year as head coach with a roster many pundits thought was talented enough to make the playoffs, the Browns are woefully short both on mental acuity and discipline. Yes, the time has come in Cleveland for a change at the head coaching position.
After a scintillating performance on Monday Night Football last week, the Browns and in particular, Derek Anderson were pathetic against Washington Sunday. The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Browns beat writer Tony Grossi described watching the team as comparable to "jamming a stick into your eye." Despite having time to throw, Anderson was tentative with his passes and out-of-sync with his receivers. His 14-37, 136 yard performance was atrocious and belied a player that lacks the mental strength to overcome adversity and perform with the game on the line. After keeping the ball and rushing for a first down at the Washington 36, Anderson ran to the sideline to get a play from the sideline because his helmet radio wasn't working. With the final minute ticking away, Anderson wasted 24 seconds by going to the sideline to get a play called instead of spiking the ball. Why weren't two plays called in the huddle before the sneak? Why didn't he think to spike the ball to stop the clock? His failure to pick up even a few yards in the final minute forced a 54-yard field goal try by Phil Dawson instead of a more managable distance. Anderson's lack of confidence leads to inconsistent play and at this point, it's enough to warrant a change at quarterback.
Anderson's inconsistency is a microcosm of the entire team's inability to consistently perform to their potential. And that falls squarely on the shoulders of the head coach. Braylon Edwards repeated mental breakdowns has led to him leading the league in drops. The team constantly commits mistakes that illustrate a lack of attention to detail. Last Monday night, it was the numerous illegal motion and false start penalties on offense. This week, the team looked confused about where to line up on several occasions and the receivers and the quarterback were often on the wrong page about passing routes. There is no excuse for a performance like Sunday's game against Washington.
Worse, Sunday's performance defines the Romeo Crennel era in Cleveland. The Browns failed to take control of a winnable game, fought hard and rallied, but ultimately lost when the team was neither able to execute nor manage the clock in the final moments of the game.
When Romeo Crennel was named Head Coach of the Browns in February 2005, Browns fans were generally pleased by the hire. After the disastrous Butch Davis era (a college coach in over his head), Crennel had the NFL coaching experience and Super Bowl pedigree many observers thought was needed to turn around the moribund franchise. Personally, I thought he would instill the values necessary to consistently win in the NFL: mental toughness and team discipline. But three plus years into his tenure, he has failed to implant those characteristics on his Cleveland team. And in his fourth year as head coach with a roster many pundits thought was talented enough to make the playoffs, the Browns are woefully short both on mental acuity and discipline. Yes, the time has come in Cleveland for a change at the head coaching position.
After a scintillating performance on Monday Night Football last week, the Browns and in particular, Derek Anderson were pathetic against Washington Sunday. The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Browns beat writer Tony Grossi described watching the team as comparable to "jamming a stick into your eye." Despite having time to throw, Anderson was tentative with his passes and out-of-sync with his receivers. His 14-37, 136 yard performance was atrocious and belied a player that lacks the mental strength to overcome adversity and perform with the game on the line. After keeping the ball and rushing for a first down at the Washington 36, Anderson ran to the sideline to get a play from the sideline because his helmet radio wasn't working. With the final minute ticking away, Anderson wasted 24 seconds by going to the sideline to get a play called instead of spiking the ball. Why weren't two plays called in the huddle before the sneak? Why didn't he think to spike the ball to stop the clock? His failure to pick up even a few yards in the final minute forced a 54-yard field goal try by Phil Dawson instead of a more managable distance. Anderson's lack of confidence leads to inconsistent play and at this point, it's enough to warrant a change at quarterback.
Anderson's inconsistency is a microcosm of the entire team's inability to consistently perform to their potential. And that falls squarely on the shoulders of the head coach. Braylon Edwards repeated mental breakdowns has led to him leading the league in drops. The team constantly commits mistakes that illustrate a lack of attention to detail. Last Monday night, it was the numerous illegal motion and false start penalties on offense. This week, the team looked confused about where to line up on several occasions and the receivers and the quarterback were often on the wrong page about passing routes. There is no excuse for a performance like Sunday's game against Washington.
Worse, Sunday's performance defines the Romeo Crennel era in Cleveland. The Browns failed to take control of a winnable game, fought hard and rallied, but ultimately lost when the team was neither able to execute nor manage the clock in the final moments of the game.
# posted by Nate @ 3:05 PM 
