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| "So, you like...stuff?" |
The Browns travel to Dallas on Sunday after
what was hopefully a fruitful bye week. There are still two months left in the
season, and before the depressing NFL draft
discussion really cranks up as it does in Cleveland around
Thanksgiving most every year, what else is there for Browns fans to ponder over
the final seven games?
1) Tom Heckert's
2012 draft: Even with outgoing team president Mike Holmgren leaving Berea and Coach Pat
Shurmur soon to follow in Holmgren's generously-carriaged wake, Heckert's fate
is somewhat murky. Last April's draft, in terms of early returns at least, has
been Heckert's strongest. First-round picks Trent Richardson and
Brandon Weeden have had their down moments, but both have shown sparks of
talent and star power not witnessed on the North Coast
Mid-to late-round picks John
Hughes, James-Michael Johnson and Billy Winn have all shown flashes of solid
play as well. Still, it will be a strong finish by Weeden and Richardson that
could ultimately be what saves Heckert's neck. If the new brass decides the
franchise needs another quarterback, Heckert will not be the man to choose him.
2) Will this team "learn
to win?" To the Browns' credit, most of their games this year have
been competitive, if not always entertaining. But the closer the game gets, the
louder the gears grind as the Browns tighten up. This is a young roster that
must eventually learn to finish games - no more stalling in the red zone; no
more dropped passes; no more silly penalties or special teams miscues; no more
lost quarters with the team looking completely unprepared to compete. These
fundamental issues have been plaguing the Browns for years. They must be ironed
out and eliminated to finally extricate this franchise from the Marianas Trench
of Ineptitude that has become its in-season home.
3) Short-yardage shenanigans:
Many of the Browns
most memorable plays this season have come on third-and-1 or fourth-and-1.
These are not good,
soft-lit memories as sung by Barbra Streisand, but the equivalent of a
particularly painful wart extraction. The Browns' short yardage woes have
become one of the biggest stories of the year, with the team converting only 8
of 18 chances on third-and-1.
Part of it has been play selection
- Shurmur is fond of calling passes in short yardage - and part has been the
surprising ineffectiveness of Richardson .
The Browns' first overall pick is just 2-of-7 on third-and-1 tries. The second
half of the season should see a further jelling of the offensive line, which
will get the offense a much-needed push up front and improve these woeful
numbers.
4) More Jimmy Haslam reaction
shots: Whether punching
the air in frustration or scrubbing
a hand over his face in recognition of the work that must be done to
bring his billion-dollar purchase to respectability, Cleveland fans can take
solace that their favorite franchise's new boss wants to win as desperately as
they do.