"Quinn to Micheal Gaines for the WIN!"

What should have been.......

The Spirit of a Warrior

Again, congrats on the biggest day of your career today Brady. For just a while, it was like the old days. It was fun again.

And Brady said "He felt like he was back with Charlie Weis"

Mangini: "Quinn was supposed to take a sack"

I get the premise of all of this--but--you don't ever expect any QB to follow through on those orders. It doesn't happen! Now if the play was a drag play with a roll-out and either throw if open or run, at least BQ running puts him in a position to defend himself. Telling him to take a knee or whatever crap was ordered puts him in a position of potential injury..see Cribbs last week. You take a knee, relax and BAM! This is the Fkin NFL you don't take a knee unless it's the end of the half or you are in win position. Another bonehead call from a bonehead staff, don't care if you guys like it, but Brady(and all QB's in the NFL) should and would always try to make the throw, none would risk injury.

The answer? Trust your defense against Stafford or get out of the NFL. You ARE NOT Bill Belichick you can not survive doing what he did last week. Get Bill out of your wet dreams and start calling games that can give YOUR team a chance to win.

Only in Cleveland

[Game book]

[NFL.com] [ESPN]

Brady Quinn made every type of throw he was expected to make. He played more then well enough to win. Mo Massaqoui and Chris Jennings had drops that were well thrown balls; balls that not only would have given Brady 5 and 6 touchdowns on the day but a sure victory. But I'd simply seen this same type of game play out too many times. I've been a fan of the Cleveland Browns long enough to know that we'd find a way to lose it in heartache fashion. Once again I'm left on a Sunday wondering what could have been and in this case what should have been.

Quinn got off to a fast start. The throws he made to Massaqoui and Chauncey Stuckey (59, 40 yards) and other throws he made to Greg Estandia and Josh Cribbs were breath-taking. Quinn's score late in the game to Micheal Gaines to give the Browns what should have been their final lead at 37-31 was a good decision and very good athletic play. It will be interesting to see if the powers that be that watch this game film in the future see Quinn as a guy who is talented. It will also be interesting to see if this game quiets any of the Brady Quinn critics. I'm guessing it won't, because some hold a certain bitterness against the Golden Boy from Notre Dame just because he is who he is.

In a lot of ways this game reminded me of a road contest in late 2001 that the 7-9 Browns and Tim Couch put together against the Titans, only they won that game 41-38. As I saw a lifeless offense take life, and with every pass I saw Quinn fire to a receiver who wouldn't be on the field for most other teams in the NFL; it reminded me of the day that Couch turned OJ Santiago and a bunch of other 'guys' into one of the most cohesive units in the league if only just for a day.

But this one wouldn't end happily for the Browns. I sent a text when the Lions scored quickly to make it 24-10 to a friend. It said "remember I said this _______, the Browns are going to still lose this game". I just knew it. In the past I'd break things over a loss like this. Now I sit there in a half shock/daze for a few minutes. I didn't sulk for the rest of the day. I went and worked out. I cleaned my bathroom. I did laundry. I did dishes.

And I sat in heartbreak as I thought about what just unfolded once again in my lifetime. You talk about snake-bitten. Maybe it's just not meant to work out for anyone in this group in the town of Cleveland. Maybe it's not meant to ever work out. Who knows. But my mind kept saying that something funny is definitely going on here. How can the players not feel that way? There is a losing culture in that locker room. No one may be strong enough to survive it's wrath. Eric Mangini is not powerful enough to lift that culture. That dark cloud over our franchise.

I find it funny that legends are written at the hands of our franchise. Of course they are though. And it's not just one year we have a year where we're bad and someone gets the best of us for some kind of record performance. It's year after year. Every week. Every year. Just like Brady Quinn's first career start and what would have been a 4th quarter comeback got snuffed out by a 440 yard output by Jay Cutler and the Broncos last season. Same kind of thing happened again today. Matt Stafford's legend started to be built at Ford Field today at the hands of us. It of course snuffed out another fourth quarter comeback by Brady Quinn and another win.

Of course Stafford took a shot from CJ Moseley that probably broke his collarbone or clavicle only to run back onto the field and throw his 5th touchdown of the day with no time left on the clock in heroic fashion. Just like John Elway built his legend on 'The Drive' against us. The present parallels the past with this team.

I've seen it all play out a million times following them through the years.

I'm always thinking about that one more play that could have been made. Always that one more crucial inch that could have changed our whole week and maybe have been the spark that begins a turnaround. It's all false hope rooting for the Browns to do just that. They'll break your heart every time.

At least this will forever be the day that Brady Quinn proved he belonged at this level.

Speechless

I cannot mentally even say it all yet. Not what I want to say anyways. But today's version of 'Cleveland Browns Heartbreak Theatre' was a whole new kind of nightmare.

On the day that Brady Quinn grew up as a pro (and God Bless him for his perserverance and guts to go out and do it) the Browns collapse and overshadow.

The Browns are left standing out in the cold with no way in once again. I knew it was going to happen.

Full recap eventually. I'm turning my cell phone off. I need to be with myself.

Browns add a safety score

We're sitting at 31-29 and the Browns have the ball on 2nd 8. Cleveland sacked Matt Stafford in the end zone, earning an intentional grounding call and getting two points for the safety.

On the ensuing safety punt, the Lions covered the kick really well and the Browns have the ball in their own territory just past the 30 yard line. It's setting up to be another heartbreak finish. The offense has went reall vanilla and stale since the first quarter. No surprise that the output couldn't be continued.

The Detroit Lions have the lead 31-27

Everytime the Browns get a good performance out of Brady Quinn, the defense doesn't hold up. The Lions just went right down the field and got another touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to go up 31-27 with 2:47 remaining in the 4th Quarter.

I'm sorry, but Eric Mangini has to go. Like, after we lose this game. To blow a lead like this against the Detroit Lions is unacceptable. It's beyond unacceptable.

So now we'll see if Brady can orchestrate the 2nd fourth quarter comeback victory of his career. Of which the Browns defense will probably blow unless the clock has no time left on it.

I tell you guys that read this little site, I know my Browns. They will break your heart every time. Every, single, week.

Just as I said, 24-24 in Detroit

Randy Cross made a good point just now, when you're 1-8 (as both of these porous teams are) is a lead really ever safe?

And my gut feeling was correct. The Lions have tied the game at 24 with three touchdowns unanswered after a long touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson in a blown coverage.

This was not only aided by poor defense, but poor offensive playcalling by Brian Daboll. Daboll is setting the Browns up to fail by calling two short run plays on 1st and 2nd down followed by a pass and blitzing situation on 3rd and long.

We Might Never See This Again

(Click to enlarge)

Quarter of the Decade....But

The Browns are up 24-10 in Detroit, but mark my words; they'll blow this game. I've watched this happen my entire life. Detroit will close in and win 38-34 or 37-34.

Brady Quinn threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter alone, two on deep balls to Stuckey and Massaquoi.

But the Browns don't have this game won. Not by a long shot. I've seen it my whole life.

It's Sunday

I grew up watching this guy right here. Barry Sanders was a bad man. This could be the last ride for Eric Mangini (although it's probably not). I've picked out a song for Mangini. Girlfriend is back in Jersey where her Giants take on the Falcons at the Land of the Sopranos. Full wrap to come.

The End of the Line

[NFL.com]

You reach a point when you have so much passion about something, you want it so bad, you'd do anything to see it turn out the way you want. And you can be disappointed and hurt when you realize that it's never going to turn out like you anticipated. Like it should have perhaps. And you just have to let it go. You can't even be upset. You have to laugh to avoid being hysterical.

The Browns are that miserable. It's a combination of things that make it a predictable act week after week. Sure I'll watch these guys. I'll read about them while I'm supposed to be making business calls. But you reach a point where you can't even be upset about it anymore.

This entire experiment has bombed. Mangini, and everything that has followed. It was on display for the entire country to see and it was on a night where the defense played their hearts out for D-Coordinator Rob Ryan in the scoreless first half.

The offense is miserable. They never should have traded Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. They should have drafted a playmaker on the other side of Edwards or a running back that had some burst. They didn't do those things and now you get what you see every week.

I'm disappointed in Brady Quinn's decision making, but I'm not sure any QB could succeed with these guys. Onto next week and the Lions.

Who I'd Bet on to play for a trip to Miami

I was talking with a friend last night about this, if we were into football betting, there are four teams right now that we see with a realistic possibility of making the Super Bowl:

1. Indianapolis
2. New Orleans
3. Cincinnati
4. Minnesota

Everyone else after that is secondary. I'd almost be willing to bet you anything that those four teams will be playing on championship weekend for the whole ball of wax. The Bengals won't let down as the #2 seed this year. They're good and they're going to go far.

Nosebleeds MNF Score Prediction

At the end of the day, we're going to predict a score of 35-10. Ravens.

Thing is we actually see the Browns playing tough early, then getting worn down and beaten to a pulp by the end of the 4th quarter. By the final 00:00, we'll see something similar to when the Ravens beat the Browns 35-7 in Tim Couch's final game at Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2003.

We are glad to see Brian Robiskie starting tonight. But it's not nearly enough.

Disagree with Steve Young

I have to say I disagree with something Steve Young just said. And I consider Young to be a guy I like very much. Loved him as a player when I was growing up.

But Young basically said the Cleveland Browns are unstable and Randy Lerner is becoming like Daniel Snyder with all of the firings and the turnover. That no one can have stability. The way that I look at it; is that Mangini has not earned the right to stability here.

You don't continue further down the wrong path for the sake of continuing. That's one of the biggest mistakes a person can make. Maybe at the Quarterback position they need this theory. But not at the head coach. They haven't had the right guy since about 2004 when Butch Davis panicked his way out of a job.

The Official Pizza of the Nosebleeds

If you are in Columbus or the Greater Cleveland area, we strongly suggest you check out Pizza Pan.

A great buy for Monday Night Football or any occasion. $17.99 for three large pizzas if you pick up. You simply cannot beat that.

ESPN: 4 Keys for Ravens/Browns

ESPN's James Walker comes with four keys to tonight's game:

1. Where is Cleveland's energy level?

On paper, the Ravens have enough talent to make this game a laugher. But much of that will depend on Cleveland’s energy level at home. The Browns are the well-rested team. They are coming off a bye and haven’t played a game in two weeks. But it will be interesting to see if Cleveland has enough zeal to play hard in this game. Considering their record, the Browns have nothing to play for other than pride and perhaps ruining another rival’s season in the Ravens. Will that be enough for the Browns to show up?

2. It's Brady Quinn's time to shine

As we mentioned in our weekend feature, if Quinn wants to be the long-term quarterback of the Browns, this is the time to show it. It may be his final opportunity as poor play earlier this season and trade rumors are already getting warmed up in preparation for the offseason. Quinn was born in Columbus, Ohio, and realized one of his dreams by being drafted by the Browns, a team he rooted for growing up. But the past three years have been mostly a nightmare of riding the pine, injuries and poor play. He can work to erase all of that with a great performance Monday and the rest of the regular season.

3. Can Baltimore improve the pass defense?

Two weeks ago against the Denver Broncos, the Ravens finally showed glimpses of how good they can be defending the pass and rushing the passer. But Baltimore reverted back to its prior struggles in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, making many wonder once again if this is a problem that’s able to be corrected this year. Every team has weaknesses. But Baltimore’s inability to defend the pass has stuck out so much that nearly every opponent is testing the Ravens in that area before doing anything else. The Browns may not have the personnel to attack Baltimore through the air, but rest assured, Cleveland will take some shots with nothing to lose.

4. Must-win for Baltimore

This is very much a must-win for the Ravens, so they too must play the part of a desperate team. Baltimore cannot afford to fall to 4-5 with seven games left with such a crowded field in the AFC. The Ravens didn’t seem very urgent in last week’s loss to the Bengals. Look for Baltimore to play with much more energy and try to make a statement early against the Browns, who have lost a lot of games this year by wide margins.

Who are you kidding James Walker? There's no chance that the Brownies can make this a ballgame. We know you're only writing this stuff because you're assigned these teams but if you're honest with yourself and honest with us there is no way that anything in this mis-match could be anything but absolute carnage.

Morning Links

Couple more articles here on the morning of Monday Night Football:

-Plain Dealer game preview with the PD staff making their brutal picks. [Plain Dealer]

-Baltimore vs. Cleveland game preview. [Cleveland Reboot]

-Another nice preview. Lists a couple good memories from the past (like beating the Ravens in 2006) [Swerb's Blurbs]

-Cross Jon Gruden off your wish lists Cleveland fans. He just signed a multi-year deal with ESPN. [National Football Post]

Browns making 29th appearance on MNF

The Plain Dealer gets things started early with a couple of articles of relevancy on the PD page.

The Browns were there for the start of “Monday Night Football,” a 31-21 win over the New York Jets and Joe Namath in Municipal Stadium on Sept. 21, 1970.

Playing on Monday nights was a big deal back in 1970 and still is today as players know the rest of the league will be watching.Here is a look at how the Browns have performed on Monday nights going into their 29th MNF appearance tonight: [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Flying outside my condo as we speak

It's been quite some time since I've flown this flag outside my house. But damnit you only get 16 weeks to cheer for your team and as my friend Mike said, "I'm going down with these sons of bitches".

Who knows. Maybe for once in my life or for once since what seems like about 2002/2003 the Browns come out and pleasantly surprise me. They're due.

(photo from my Blackberry Curve. Not too bad right?)

Longing for the Good Old Days

Tonight the Cleveland Browns will host Monday Night Football so the entire nation (even if no one decides to tune in) can see the embarrasment that has become my former favorite pro sports franchise. They'll do "battle" in what was meant to be the replacement for Old Cleveland Municipal Staidum.

When the team is as bad as they've been to this point (and although since 1999 we've been very bad overall but not this bad), I really find myself thinking about the Browns I grew up watching in the old, real Dawg Pound. The bones, the batteries, the painted grass on the mud field. Modell's Browns were respected. The Browns I grew up on might have been a motley crew but every Sunday they showed up and were going to beat the shit out of you. They weren't the laughingstock of the entire league and they were a force through the mid to late 80's and beyond respectable in the 90's until we moved to Baltimore.

I've heard rumors that the Browns are going to rebuild the hill in the Dawg Pound at Cleveland Browns Stadium, and replace the wall with a chain length fence. It might not ever be the same, in fact we know it never will be; but this would at least bring a glimpse of our past back into the light. Right now, we have nothing but an almost daily story of the nightmare that has become our franchise. Things have gotten so bad in Cleveland that you're almost not surprised by anything as a fan anymore. Helpess as an addict, we drudge on and suffer through more losses and embarrasment each week, debating which QB should start and which coach should be hired or fired on Sunday nights into Monday morning, repeating this process over and over weekly.

So I admit--I'm exicted to sit down and watch the Browns tonight. It probably will last until the first drive of the game when the Ravens either get a turnover to take the wind out of our sails or drive the length of the field with several huge plays in space to take a 7-0 lead. But I'm excited for some odd reason nonetheless. But I'm still longing for something, anything; that reminds me of the Browns I grew up loving. When I realize this, I realize why I still even care about this group of losers to begin with. I'm hanging on by a thread to those ghosts of the past that got me when I was just a youngster.

Chucky Gruden on Cleveland

"Somebody told me they scored five touchdowns in [the last] 14 games," Gruden said. "Someone also told me Jim Brown had five in one game. I just saw Tom Brady throw five touchdowns in one quarter a couple weeks ago.

"It's unbelievable. I don't get it. I just don't. I know they've made multiple trades, traded down to accumulate some picks. I just don't see anybody really exploding on the scene yet."

Gruden is glad that Mangini made the move to start Brady Quinn against the Ravens. As Tampa Bay coach in 2007, Gruden personally scouted Quinn and JaMarcus Russell prior to the draft. The Bucs selected fourth and chose defensive end Gaines Adams after the Browns took Joe Thomas at No. 3. The Browns traded future picks to select Quinn at No. 22. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Happy for Vince Young

Vince Young is pictured above with Tyler Mcnair, the son of the late Steve Mcnair. Vince guided the Titans to a 41-17 victory today over the Buffalo Bills. He's 3-0 as a starter and the Titans have seemed to not only regain confidence in their Quarterback but a little bit of swagger overall as well.

I've never thought Vince was a bad guy. I'd love to see him carve out a long career in Tennesee and end up coming full circle back to the stardom he had as a rookie.

Green Bay/Dallas Tilt is old fashioned

Right now Green Bay is up on Dallas 3-0 with 4 minutes plus left on the clock in Green Bay. This has been a game that yards have been hard to come by.

Aaron Rodgers just hit Greg Jennings for 14 yards on 3rd and 11. It was a tight window throw. Rodgers has managed the game well, but has went down four times at the hands of the Dallas defense. We'll keep updating throughout the end of this one.

Green Bay's defense has put in a spirited effort today. We hope Green Bay holds on somehow. They're really laying the wood every play on both sides.

We'll do the honors for Monday Night Football

In honor of the Browns getting to showcase their shittiness to the rest of the country on a national stage tomorrow night, we'll do a post-fest on this here blog. We'll post everything we can find on the interwebs tomorrow from morning until kickoff to ensure that you're reading everything you can pertaining to the two teams involved in tomorrow night's game.

We're talking about a Florio-esque pace of posting on the site tomorrow. We've been un-enthused about football all year for the first time in a long time. But we're gonna keep it rocking in honor of the Browns being on Monday Night Football. We'll probably end up regretting even investing the time shortly after the game starts as we usually do; but nonetheless the Brownies deserve at least a few posts before this debacle gets underway.

So keep it locked here tomorrow all day long for Brownies Monday Night Football Bonanza. Or something like that.

Weekend Wrap

Congrats to the Cincinnati Bengals, 18-12 winners in Pittsburgh today. They out-physical the most physical team in football over the past decade in the Steel City. That's when you know you're doing something right. The Bengals sweep the Ravens and Steelers and if they defeat the Browns on Thanksgiving weekend they will be 6-0 on the year in the AFC North. The Steelers couldn't even get into the end zone today and they never mustered that signature drive. The Bengals continued to get to Ben Roethlisberger at a seemingly endless pace.

Statement wins from the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers today. The Atlanta Falcons lost another tight game in which Matt Ryan was subpar.

Jamarcus Russell got benched again. Tom Brady and Randy Moss went wild on the Indianapolis Colts.

Lots of good football today.

Cincinnati & Pittsburgh setting up for some drama

There's about five minutes left in the 3rd quarter in Pittsburgh. I've caught most of this game between the Bengals and the Steelers. Bengals lead 12-9 in what is shaping up to be a war. These two teams are beating the shit out of eachother.

Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked 4 times and hit hard 4 or 5 times. Palmer has hit the deck a handful of times and been sacked once. It's just one of those games where the Steelers at home play it close and make a run for it on the last drive of the game. I've seen them do it a million times with Big Ben at the helm and it looks like it will be another one of those type of finishes. More often then not they're successful.

Carson Palmer was just sacked at the two yard line and now Cincinnati will punt it away from the back of their own end zone. The Heinz Field crowd is going wild.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers Last Stand

Everyone is talking about the two big AFC matchups today, but the game I can't wait to watch is the Packers against the Cowboys. I really like Aaron Rodgers. I think he's a stud of a player. I also am fond of the Packers, especially when they're playing at home at Lambeau Field. The 4:15 PM ET start time and the finish under the lights reminds me of when I was a kid and watching Brett Favre in his mid-twenties in a shootout with the Cowboys or the 49ers. Remember all those years of the Cowboys mastery of Favre when he finally beat Emmitt and the Cowboys at Lambeau when they were heading out of their prime?

Today's game should make for a pretty good scene. The Tundra is technically frozen now, right? The Packers are seriously fighting for their season. Last stand or not, the Packers were picked by many to be a Super Bowl team this year, although I'm not real sure why.

At the very least, this will be a shootout. The Packers aren't as bad as their record indicates. The Vikings have gotten them in battles twice; but the Packers will move the ball on anyone. The Cowboys come in looking like one of the hottest teams in the league. They're atop the NFC East. They're due for a letdown. This would classify as a big game, so what will happen to Tony Romo tonight?

We think the Packers will win this one. And we hope so.

Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning takes place tonight "Oh, sure, it might be fun if they hated each other, stole each other's women, fired off nasty tweets, treated their rivalry like another bloody night in the Octagon. But the beauty of Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady -- wait, give Brady first billing, since he has a 3-1 lead in the Super Bowl rings derby -- is that neither is a jerk on a sports planet filled with such creatures. Both are classy, dignified men who avoid blowhardish braggadocio and succeed because they rely on a tool that can be so remarkably beneficial when used properly." [Jay Mariotti]

It's Sunday

There's some great showdowns today. Bengals travel to Pittsburgh for an AFC North first place battle. The Patriots go to Indianapolis to try and blemish Indianapolis' perfect 8-0 record. The Jets and the Jaguars battle for what is probably a wildcard spot.

It's going to be a good one.

Ronnie Jaws: "Quinn has big upside"

Ron Jaworski says he's never wavered in thinking Brady Quinn is a big time talent in an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

I think he has a big upside," said Jaworski, a former Pro Bowl quarterback and 17-year NFL vet. "I haven't wavered on him since he came out of Notre Dame. I've seen flashes of a rock-solid quarterback. He needs experience and coaching, but he has the skill set to be a successful NFL quarterback."

Problem is, he'll have a hard time proving that with so little to work with, Jaworski said.
"It's not going to make a whole lot of difference who you put back there right now," said Jaworski, who's studied coaching tapes of six of the Browns' eight games in preparation for Monday night's Browns-Ravens rematch.

"The components aren't in place for a quarterback to flourish. It's a slow, plodding offense. There's no separation from the receivers. You're throwing into tight windows all day. It's not an explosive group by any means."

Just more evidence that this is an impossible situation for anyone under center for the Browns and that Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards should have NEVER been traded in the offseason. Or how about drafting Micheal Crabtree this past year? He would have looked good in Brown and Orange.

Marty returning to Cleveland?

This is just a rumor, but we've been told that Marty Schottenheimer is going to return to the Browns as their team president. This would be the 'Czar' of Football Operations that Randy Lerner is interested in hiring. Everyone is talking about Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren, and Ernie Accorsi.

We're told it's going to be Marty Schottenheimer. Stay tuned and we'll see if our source is right on this one.

Pete Prisco's take on Brady Quinn

Pete Prisco of CBS Sportsline delivers a strong take on Browns QB Brady Quinn:

There are some who will say Quinn was benched in large part so the Browns could avoid paying him bonus money. I don't buy that. This is a team that spent $40 million to jettison the last front office and coaching regime and to re-do the team's facility at coach Eric Mangini's request.

Sitting Quinn down was a football decision. A bad one.

Now they have to make it right. They have to spend the rest of this season finding out if Quinn can be their long-term passer. If not, they have to go into the draft next April and get one. Somehow you can see Mangini thinking Chad Pennington could be his guy. He's a free agent, but that's not a good fix. They need a franchise passer, not a lollypop-armed quarterback who can't get the ball down the field.

One thing I'd tell Prisco, Mangini won't be here next year to decide on the QB of the Browns. Someone will, which is why it's important for Quinn to take some shots in the downfield passing game. It's also important for Brady to take some shots downfield so he can stretch the defense and keep them honest. That makes the intermediate routes more open for him to work, which was billed as his strength.

Prisco and I agree on one thing. The Browns and their fans would be a lot closer to knowing what they had in Brady Quinn if Mangini had never sat him down in the first place. He should have started this entire year.

Five Pick Friday: Cold November Rain Version

Here we are at the second weekend in November. The playoffs are growing nearer by the day. This reminds me of the song November Rain by my favorite rock group, Guns N' Roses. There is none higher. They are the kings of rock. Other then that, the album cover above really has nothing to do with football. That said, lets make some picks shall we?

Everyone is talking about the Patriots traveling to Indianapolis to try and derail Peyton Manning and the Colts perfect season. This will be the week. The Patriots go into Indianapolis and beat the Colts in a hard fought physical battle. We'll look for a score of 30-24.

The second biggest matchup of the weekend is the Bengals heading to Pittsburgh for a battle for first place. The Bengals can basically lock up the division with a win here. They'd by 4-0 against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. But it won't happen. Pittsburgh wins handily to instill belief that they are still one of the powerhouses of the AFC, and defending Super Bowl champs until someone beats them in January.

Philadelphia travels to San Diego for a matchup of two 5-3 teams. The Chargers survived a narrow escape last week against the Giants. This week they face a defense that is a bit more ferocious and better against the pass. Philadelphia won't give up the late score to lose the game. Philly takes this game on the road.

The Jaguars go into the Meadowlands to face the Jets who are coming off their bye week. We like the Jets to win a close game. This is a pick that we went back and forth with. Expect the Jets to look just a hair sharper having two weeks to prepare for this upstart Jacksonville team.

UPSET PICK: Dallas travels to Green Bay for the 4:00 national game on FOX. There's been a lot of talk about everyone getting fired in Green Bay if things don't turn around. Things will appear to turn around just for this week. Dallas has a tough time at Lambeau historically. It should be a shootout and it will be worth your time to watch. Green Bay wins in a close, high scoring affair.

Cutler's bad night dooms Bears

[NFL.com]

I got so excited about the NFL Network Thursday night games being shown I decided to add it to my cable package when I got home from work. My best buddy brought over a bottle of Sutter Homes and a few hours later we were locked in to a pretty good defensive struggle and a nice wine buzz.

How obvious is it that Jay Cutler just tries to do too much? He made some breath-taking throws in this game, but he was also bad enough to get the Bears beat. The Bears weren't allowing anything on the ground or through the air to the 49ers, but a Cutler turnover led to the only touchdown in the ballgame (a Frank Gore run).

It's pretty obvious that while guys like Johnny Knox and Barnett (and even Greg Olsen) are decent targets, Chicago is lacking a true #1 receiver. Cutler tossed it 52 times last night (completing 29) with 5 interceptions and 306 yards.

The Bears fall ot 4-5 and the Niners climb to the same record with Mike Singletary gaining his first victory over his old team. You can tell by the way he acted after the clock his 00:00 this was one that he really wanted.

And now that I've got NFL Network, I might not come out of my cave until February.

Vince Young getting it done

Happy to see Vince Young playing good football for the Tennesee Titans. All along, I just had the feeling that Vince would come out of this and be a more mature and established player because of the experience he had.

In the two games since, he's really done a nice job. With a 2-0 record and two turnover free ballgames.
Watch Tennesee somehow go 8-8 with a late run down the stretch like they did during Vince's rookie season. This team looks to be buying back into Vince and it should be asked why the switch wasn't made to him much sooner.

Bears/49ers Open up Thursday Night NFL Network Schedule

You know you're getting down to the nitty-gritty of an NFL season when the Thursday night NFL Network schedule opens up. Tonight it's Bears/49ers out in San Francisco. The NFL Network is billing the storyline as Mike Singletary against his old team with his new breed of linebacker Patrick Willis flashing on and off the screen replacing that steel-glazed intensity look of Singletary with the Bears back in the 80's. Come on, you know that you know what I'm talking about here.

This is a tough game to pick. Lovie Smith is on the hotseat and needs a win. The Bears have gotten absolutely demolished within the past three weeks twice, the only time that a game was salvaged was against the Browns; which can't really be counted. Jay Cutler had a huge game last week but lost in a shootout at home to Arizona. The Bears have revealed themselves to be the type of team who goes 9-7 or 8-8 and just misses out on the playoffs again.

Mike Singletary also has a tough team that plays great defense but falls tragically short each week. At 3-5, they're a physical team that is bringing along a young QB in Alex Smith. Smith has played fairly decent in starts against the Colts and Titans respectively.

Tonight, expect a low scoring game that takes on the mold of these two defensive coaches. This is an extremely tough game to pick but I'll go ahead and do just that. We'll take the Bears 20-16. Hopefully I can get to the sports bar and see some of this one. This is really a day where I'd love to have the NFL Network.

Harley in the Huddle will make you a better NCAA Football Fan

Site Name: Harley in the Huddle

Harley in the Huddle is an NCAA Football web site done by former Ohio State Buckeye Safety Rob Harley. Here in Columbus, Rob hosts Buckeye Football Fever each week before the Ohio State Buckeye games. I enjoy Harley because he's part Ron Jaworksi/part Jesse Palmer. I used to think that no one watched more film then Ronnie Jaws, until I stumbled upon Harley's site.

While this is an NFL blog first, this is also a football blog. Living in Columbus, Saturdays are almost as near and dear to my heart as NFL Sundays; and lately with the way the Cleveland Browns have been playing, Saturdays are my only escape from the misery that football season has brought.

Enter the Huddle. There you will find not only college football news and a chance to rep your squad no matter what part of the country you are from, but also very solid analysis of X's and O's. This is where Harley is on the cutting edge. Fans in the current don't just want to hear some two-bit analysis of why Team A or Team B will win. They want it backed up with wholesome reasons why. Harley does extensive research each week and then picks the top six games taking place in the nation in addition to the Ohio State game.

I expect big things out of this site in the coming year. Upon becoming a regular visitor to the site, you'll just feel like a more educated fan of NCAA Football. If your team makes it into the six pack of picks, you know you've arrived on the grand stage of NCAA Football prestige.

Jamal Lewis is definitely retiring

Jamal Lewis is tired of it. He says when he retires he will consider himself a Baltimore Raven. Can't really blame him for that, but when a guy says he's retiring after a season of work; the truth is that he's really retired at that moment.

In a signing that many people compare to the Andre Rison signing, Lewis had a nice year in 2007 and an average year last year. This year he's gaining just 3.4 yards per carry, the lowest of his career.

Personally, I'd hope to see more Jeriome Harrison. Love what the Ghost brings to the table and love him getting the ball thirty times in a game (see Cincinnati game earlier this year). But Mangini won't deprive Lewis of carries down the home stretch in his career. He hasn't done anything right thus far so why start now?

Saddling up for one final ride

Brady Quinn has been officially named the starter for Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens.

Eric Mangini named Quinn the starter today, (probably begrudgingly) after the bye week and having 10+ days off.

"Brady has done a nice job in practice," Mangini said. "I expect that. That's what I asked him to do. I look forward to him taking advantage of this opportunity and playing well the rest of the season.

It is what it is. It hasn't ever worked out quite perfectly for Quinn here in Cleveland and it probably won't. We won't act like this is some kind of crowning achievement, if Derek Anderson had played well at all; Quinn wouldn't have taken another meaningful snap for the Browns.

I think it's at least one last chance for Quinn to get a run of games and to showcase what he can do without as much reservation as he had before. Unless he gets hurt, he should be under center for the remainder of the season. He should be able to throw the ball downfield and be less afraid and tenative when it comes to making a mistake.

There's 8 games left in this season, and maybe just 8 games left in Brady Quinn's Cleveland Browns career. The supporting cast isn't any good. The offensive scheme isn't any good. The whole organization is really poor. But just maybe, if Brady Quinn shows some promise somehow; defying all logic, he'll be back next season with the Browns and Eric Mangini will be shown the door.

So after so many big dreams of Quinn restoring this moribund franchise to respectability, here is what we've arrived at. One last ride before the sun sets on the lake.

Birthday Links

Here's some stuff floating around that might be worth your read:

-Peter King addresses some Browns stuff in his Monday Morning Quarterback. Says that Randy Lerner hasn't lost all faith in Eric Mangini yet. [Sports Illustrated]

-Eric Mangini does a candid interview with Clark Judge. [CBS Sportsline]

-This day in Browns history; Kosar threw for 400 yards against Miami. [Plain Dealer]

-Gotta love Chad Ochocinco. [Deadspin]

-Times aren't getting any better for the Redskins. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

-Brady Quinn offers little hope for the Browns. [National Football Post]

-Doomed to fail (it's about Mangini). [Swerbs Blurbs]

Source(s): Quinn will Start Monday Night Football

ESPN is running with a story that serves as a nice minor birthday present I suppose. A year following his national debut on NFL Network at home against the Denver Broncos, the Browns will turn back to Brady Quinn. As if the move ever should have been altered in the first place.

The Browns are not making an official announcement regarding their quarterback situation until Wednesday. But two sources said the team likely will name Brady Quinn the starting quarterback for Monday night's game at Baltimore against the Ravens.

Obviously I just hope to see Quinn play with a little more confidence than he did before. That said, it's tough to do with the receiving corps that he has; Brian Daboll as your offensive coordinator, Eric Mangini as your head coach, and an entire franchise in disarray.

We'll see what happens.

Update: PFT is running with it also

Brady Quinn starting again?

I take this with a grain of salt at this point, but preliminary reports are out there expecting Brady Quinn to get another chance at starting for the Cleveland Browns, as if that's any sort of good thing. ESPN's James Walker speculates:

Mangini said he hasn’t spoken to the two quarterbacks about the situation. But why would he need to if things were status quo with Anderson as the starter?

In previous weeks, Mangini remained firm that Anderson was still Cleveland's starting quarterback. This week he's coy. These are all clues to expect a quarterback switch to Quinn later in the week.

Eric Mangini is a piece of shit. He might be the most hated man in Cleveland, period. There is no rhyme or reason to what he has done this year, and why with him being a dead man walking would it start to make sense?

Mangini will trot out Derek Anderson (the lowest rated passer in the NFL) or do something that even makes less sense. More on this to follow as it develops.

Matt Ryan--my favorite player to watch in the NFL right now

I gotta say, more and more in today's NFL; you're really only as good as your last game and usually it hinges mightily on "W" or "L". Take a look at Jason Campbell on the other side of this game of reference.

Matt Ryan was a pedestrian 17/24 today for 135 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But the guy is a winner. He's easy to like. This is a Falcons team that I hope can continue a strong run on their way to the playoffs, and stay within striking distance of the New Orleans Saints.

I'm interested to see what Matt Ryan can do over the next decade. I think he'll turn into a really nice quarterback in this league, as some have already said. Steve Young called him the best second year Quarterback in NFL history. I'm not sure I agree with that, but as we make a stretch run here in November and December, watch Ryan and the Falcons. This kid is going to do some special things and this team is dangerous.

They'll be there with the big boys Minnesota and New Orleans at the end. I even like Atlanta to hang the first loss on New Orleans when they travel to the Georgia dome in a few weeks.

Sunday Wrap in Early November

The only team that won this Sunday for me was the Falcons, keeping my survivor streak alive and well and beating the Redskins 31-17. The two games I took in today on my couch (feeling under the weather or I'd have headed to BW3's; were Baltimore at Cincinnati during the 1:00 hour and the New York Giants hosting the Chargers and Philip Rivers during the 4:00 hour.

I'll tell you, my old employer the Bengals really impresses me to this point. Here they sit at 4-0 in the division, and they out-physical maybe the most physical team in the past decade in the NFL. Bengals win 17-7, they haven't started 6-2 since their Super Bowl appearance in 1988. I'm shocked they won today but they've got a bunch of guys like Cedric Benson (100 yards against the Ravens for the second time this month) who no one else wanted and a good Quarterback in Carson Palmer. I'm happy for the Bengals in a weird sort of way. If they can turn it around, maybe anyone can in this league. They're for real.

The Giants lost an absolute heartbreaker that if they would have won, would have been a classic. It was probably a classic anyways. Philip Rivers did not outplay Eli Manning in their first matchup, but he did get the win. Eli went 25-33 for 215 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. It was one of those days for Eli where every throw was right on the money and he showed good escapability and good spirals all day in New Jersey. But the Giants went conservative at the end of the game and it cost them the ballgame because Rivers hit Vincent Jackson with :21 left in the ballgame to give the Chargers the win and sink the Giants. Just a heartbreaker of a game that leaves the Giants wondering if this is going to be an 8-8 season heading into their bye week.

In other surprises you had the Buccaneers getting their first victory of the season over the Packers in Josh Freeman's first career start. They came from 11 down in the 4th quarter winning 38-28. They sacked Aaron Rodgers all day long and picked him off three times.

The New Orleans Saints came back to beat the Carolina Panthers and the Colts also stayed unbeaten at 8-0 by slipping by the Texans on a missed Kris Brown field goal.

ESPN Schefter: It's Holmgren's Job to Lose in Cleveland

The news broke this week that Randy Lerner wanted to hire a football Czar to head the Cleveland organization. That name has been revealed on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown with Adam Schefter reporting that it's Mike Holmgren's job to lose if he wants it.

Schefter is not often wrong and is at the top of his game in credibility. This is news you can take to the bank and if you are a fan of the Browns organization this is something you have to be happy about.

The names being kicked around in addition to Holmgren are former Packers GM Ron Wolfe, former Giants GM (and Browns) Ernie Accorsi, and I heard Chris Mortensen say Friday night on ESPN radio that Bill Parcells could be a consideration.

Give Holmgren a fresh start and I'd bet good things will follow.

It's Sunday

G-Men host the Chargers. Bengals host the Ravens. Should be a nice throwback Sunday.

Just makes me want to watch some NFL

Eli and Rivers meet for the first time tomorrow

Tomorrow's game that I'm really looking forward to watching is Eli v. Rivers I. Both of these teams sit at 5-3. Game at the Meadowlands where my girl is from, and the Giants will be wearing those beautiful blue jerseys. Both of these teams need a win in the worst way. The loser will really be looking down in the divisional race that they're involved in. I'd expect to see an absolute dogfight. We're talking playoff atmosphere NFL football tomorrow around 4:00 for the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers.