CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The reality of the Browns' season begins right now, this Sunday in Cincinnati. It's the final six games, five of them against teams in the AFC North. Only two are at home. We can learn much about this team. Two games with Pittsburgh, two with Baltimore. One with the Bengals. Combined, the three teams have a...
View full sizeThe Cincinnati Bengals won this season's first meeting with the Browns, 27-17, on Sept. 11. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The reality of the Browns' season begins right now, this Sunday in Cincinnati.
It's the final six games, five of them against teams in the AFC North. Only two are at home.
We can learn much about this team.
Two games with Pittsburgh, two with Baltimore. One with the Bengals.
Combined, the three teams have a 20-10 record.
Cincinnati is an especially sore subject. The Browns began the season with a 27-17 loss to Cincinnati, the home opener for new coach Pat Shurmur. That was a game in which they were flagged for 11 penalties.
It also was a game in which the defensive unit looked like a bunch of guys standing in a circle at a bus stop, staring at some clouds when quarterback Bruce Gradkowski called a quick snap and lobbed a 40-yard touchdown pass to a wide open A.J. Green.
That was a demoralizing debut because the Browns looked ill-prepared.
Their record is 4-6, and the season has been rocky. The question is not if the Browns can finish with a winning record -- or even .500. That would be a shock.
So what can we expect in the final six games?
"How about 2-4 with no blowouts, competitive entertaining games would be nice," Austin Zeizing posted on my Facebook page.
The most recent time the Browns made the playoffs was 2002. Counting that season, they are 4-16 vs. teams in the AFC North during the final six games of seasons.
Overall, the Browns are 19-35 in the "Sad Six" dating back to 2002.
The sad six
"I'm sick of the 'Oh we need to win for progress the next year,' " emailed Justin Heinzmann. "How did Eric Mangini win four straight to end the year?"
That was in 2009, when the Browns beat Pittsburgh and three teams with losing records. But at least it was a 4-2 mark in those final six games.
The only other seasons in which the Browns were better than 2-4 in the final six games were 2007 and 2002.
In the last six games of the season, the injuries pile up. The weather is usually awful. The team often is out of contention. The Browns players might not admit it, but too often they just wanted the year to be over and they played like it.
The Browns ended last season with four losses, three to the teams in their division.
This year, the Bengals, Ravens and Steelers are three of the NFL's top six defenses.
For the Browns' Colt McCoy, the final two losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh were disturbing. Both were on cold, windy days on the shores of Lake Erie, and the rookie quarterback threw six interceptions compared to one touchdown.
Those two games started the real doubts about McCoy's long-term future with the Browns.
Those also were his No. 7 and No. 8 pro starts, and he was playing for a perpetually losing team that sensed its coach was about to be fired.
Joe Maylish emailed: "I'm not concerned about who they beat as much as McCoy's ability to play in bad weather and Greg Little emerging as the [team's] No. 1 receiver . . . and improvement in the running game as we saw last week. We all want to see progress, but these three areas will [affect] how they approach the draft in April."
Yes, this also is the time of year when the hearts of Browns fans turn to spring -- and the NFL Draft.
A list of five
But there are six games still left, and here are five things I would like to see from the Browns:
•1. McCoy performing well in the cold weather and under the onslaught of these defenses. The offensive line must keep McCoy from ending up in the hospital, but the quarterback also has to not rush into contact or hang on to the ball too long.
•2. Phil Taylor to play hard as he did in the last two games against some rugged offensive lines in this division. The rookie can be a big-time defensive tackle if he makes an Ahtyba Rubin-type commitment.
•3. Shurmur to show some creativity on offense and for his team to stay disciplined, organized and motivated in games with the Steelers and Ravens, where it could get ugly.
•4. Little to show he can make plays against these defenses. How about someone else giving hope as a receiver?
•5. Someone to show he can consistently run the ball. Do we see Peyton Hillis or Montario Hardesty again for more than two games? Is Chris Ogbonnaya for real?
Notice that I didn't pick a record.
Jerry Lee Boatner emailed: "Would love to get one against the Steelers, but would not be shocked if they lose all six. Hillis could win the fans back with big games against Baltimore and Pittsburgh."
If the Browns actually finish 6-10 . . . that means they end 2-4 . . . it will be only the second time since 2005 that they have won at least six games.
Yes, it has been that bad . . . and the Browns do have a chance in these last six games to show things are indeed getting at least a little better.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2011/11/cleveland_browns_prepare_for_t.html
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