View from the Dawg Pound Browns vs. Texans 11.16.2014

In the process of a team becoming something special, things happen. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Good things recently happened for the Browns against the Steelers and Bengals, bad things happened against the Jaguars and the Texans.

The Brows are getting better, but they are not that good yet. Not good enough to be a perennial playoff team, like the Patriots or the 49ers. I’m not even sure there is such a thing in the NFL anymore. This years playoffs will be missing the Giants, one of those usual perennial playoff teams. And last year the Steelers missed out on the playoffs. The NFL is always filled with surprises as the season begins to end, look what happened to the Broncos this week. Did anyone see that coming?

Let us not forget that Houston is a good team. They are not the Jaguars. They are currently 5-5 and, like the Browns, still playing for a playoff spot. They still have the core of players from two years ago when many picked them to go to the Super Bowl. Things blew up on them last year, but they seem to be coming together again under Coach Bill O’Brien.

Sunday’s game against Houston showed once again the things the Browns must improve upon if they want to get deep in the playoffs next year. First, more depth at some obvious positions.  Even the defensive line, considered the deepest part of the team in preseason, could use another quality player or two. Second, get healthy. To get deep in the playoffs next year they need a healthy Phil Taylor, a healthy Cameron Jordan, and a mentally healthy Josh Gordon.

I’m not guaranteeing something special in the near future is going to happen to the Browns, but it could. And I am not one of those wait until next year fans. A team doesn’t go from where the Browns were last year to the Super Bowl in one season. With all the hoopla around the Browns being in the playoff hunt, remember what the expectations were back in week one. I’m sticking with the hopes I had in August, at least an 8-8 record, 3-3 in the division, and fighting for a playoff spot.  All of that is still possible entering game #11.

One thing the team can work on immediately and in the off-season is cleaning up their special teams. Every week it is something, this week it was a missed chip shot field goal. They need a full time punt returner who can get them some yardage, not just catch the ball. The best teams have the best special teams.

The Houston game once again showed Brian Hoyer at his worst. He has had a good season, and he does some things most of the time very well. Play action, short to medium routes, the no huddle offense. But you got to be able to attack the whole field, and that includes throwing the deep ball. Houston gave the Browns the short stuff, but nothing downfield. Sometimes that isn’t a problem when you score first and build up a bit of a lead like the Browns did against the Steelers and Bengals. But when you make field goals instead of touchdowns, and then give up a touchdown that followed a turnover in the last minute of the half, and fall behind, you cant always come back.

The Browns have to make a decision at quarterback before next season. What will Brian Hoyer’s body of work look like at the end of the season? Is the team going to see what Johnny Manziel can do? Hoyer’s stock goes up and down each week. The Browns can be a talented playoff proven team next year, ready to make a legitimate move for the big prize. Things could really be that good. But they have to make a decision about the man who is going to be the quarterback.

Even with the loss, there was lots of excitement for those of us sitting in the original Dawg Pound in the east bleachers.  Most of the action and scoring in the game, for good or bad, took place at our end. Two plays made by Browns in front of us stood out to me. The first was Joe Haden’s interception in the first quarter. The way he made the play, first denying a touchdown, then tipping the ball in the air, and then making a catch for the interception, was terrific. Not too many athletes in any sport can make that sort of play.

The other play showed why the Browns are going in the right direction. On Andrew Hawkin’s touchdown catch, he caught the ball with a couple of defenders between him and the goal line. Instead of being run out of bounds short of the touchdown, Mike Austin came off his route and made a terrific downfield block that sprung Hawkins for the score. Just like solid special teams, the best teams have running backs and receivers that consistently make downfield blocks. Austin’s was as good as it gets.

One last note, if the Browns are ever to get to where they want to go, and that seems to be a possibility, they need stability in the front office and on the coaching staff. We need all of this never ending Jimmy Haslem legal problems to finally disappear. Just when we thought it was over, it reappeared this week. Not good.

I said last week to hold on tight the rest of the season is going to be a heck of a ride. Last Sunday we went back to the bottom turn of the roller coaster, hopefully next week at this time we will be back on top.

View from the Dawg Pound Browns at Bengals November 6, 2014

As both a fan and an old coach, there are so many things to like about the Browns win over the Bengals Thursday night in Cincinnati. As a fan I like the divisional win, a big win on national TV, and a win over an obvious rival. It has been a very long time since the Browns had a winning record this far into the season.

But it’s the things that I saw through my coaching eyes that really make me feel good about the win and the future of the team. I saw a defense completely dominate their opponent. I saw guys off the bench coming in and making big plays. I saw a running game the Bengals could not stop. And I saw another week of a short passing/play action attack that keeps getting better and better.

Even with all the rule changes over the years that favor the offense, defense still wins games. The Browns defense took it to the Bengals. They completely shut down not only a pretty good quarterback, but also one of the premier receivers in the league. A.J. Green was held to three catches for 23 yards. Mohammed Sanu, who is another solid receiver, was held to two catches and 20 yards. Quarterback Andy Dalton had his worst game ever, held to 86 passing yards on 10 for 33.

The defense was lead by the usual suspects, including Joe Haden, Tashaun Gipson, Craig Robertson and Paul Kruger. But it was some other guys that stepped up too. Buster Skrine had two picks; Desmond Bryant had six tackles including two sacks on two consecutive plays; rookie K’Waun Williams had some big plays; and Jim Leonhard played more than usual and had four tackles.

On offense with both Alex Hawkins and Jordan Cameron out, Miles Austin stepped up with five catches, and Gary Barnidge had two, including a key catch in coverage that was all over him.  The offensive line keeps improving in the post Alex Mack era, and it was Terrance west’s turn to lead the rushing with 94 yards.

The Browns are good enough to challenge for a playoff spot. As I have said before, it is amazing to see the talent that has been accumulated under all the different front office and coaching changes over the last five years or so. General Manager Ray Farmer did a great job with the draft this spring, and also with signing undrafted players and free agents. Another off-season like the last one and the team could be challenging for a championship, not just a playoff spot.

With the success with Brian Hoyer at quarterback the Browns are left with a major decision at that position. There are many variables. Do they sign Hoyer for the long term? What do you do with Johnny Manziel? Are they completed sold on either player being a championship level quarterback?

Next spring’s draft could be filled with many talented quarterbacks. Johnny Manziel’s reputation could be a thing in the past if the Browns wait too long to move him or to play him. Does Hoyer warrant big money or a long-term commitment? Is Manzel in the team’s long-term plans? I doubt vey much the team wants to have both quarterbacks in camp when summer practices begin next year.

Where should we go from here? Fans and the team should be on the same plan for the long weekend and enjoy the time off. Get healthy and clear your heads, the rest of the season could be a heck of a ride.

View from the Dawg Pound Tampa Bay at Cleveland 2 November 2014

             On what turned out to be a good afternoon for football in November, sunny with temps in the 40’s, the Cleveland Browns raised their record at the halfway point of the season to 5-3 as they defeated the Tampa Bay Bucs 22-17.

Why is it so hard for many fans to be happy with a 5-3 record at the mid-point of the season? Most Browns fans back in August would have been very happy with that. What was it with this week’s victory over Tampa Bay that left you unsettled?

Whatever it is it needs to be ignored because reality is soon coming and we will finally know how good this Browns team really is.  Cincinnati on the road this Thursday, then ten days later Houston at home. The next two games are against talented, solid teams. We know what the Bengals got, and the Texans are bouncing back from last year’s disaster. The Cincinnati game will be the first time the Browns will be out-talented this season, but not by much.

My notes from the first half are filled with scribbles about field goals instead of touchdowns. For the second game in a row I thought that was going to sink the Browns. It did let the Bucs, just like the Raiders last week, hang around. How this is going to play as the competition gets better and the games get more important we will have to see. We have yet to see this team play a complete game. Deep down in our hearts we keep waiting for too many field goals and not enough touchdowns to come back and haunt us.

On the talk shows after the game I heard a lot of criticism of the Browns’ clock management before half, so I won’t rehash that. They did a better job in the second half, but these moments of indecision have to be eliminated if the Browns want to get to where they want to go.

            There were a lot of positives for the Browns in the win over the Bucs. Once again the Browns’ undersized receivers came through. Taylor Gabriel, Travis Benjamin, and Andrew Hawkins all come up with big plays at important times.  Craig Robertson, the linebacker many had not making the team in August, made another big play by blocking a fourth quarter punt that lead to the winning touchdown. Joe Haden made a tip play to Dante Whitner that will be highlight reels for years. Paul Kruger and Justin Gilbert again had good games. And, oh yes, Tashaun Gipson had another interception.

            Brian Hoyer had another up and down game, but got things done when it mattered. For the Browns to be productive this Thursday against the Bengals he is going to have to play more consistent.

            Mike Evans had a great game for Tampa Bay. The rookie from Texas A&M, who was a big part of Johnny Manziel’s success there, caught 7 passes for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns. How good would a big outside receiver like him look in a Browns uniform?

            The Browns coaches know they received a gift from the Bucs in the fourth quarter.  Deep in the fourth quarter the Browns were clinging to a 22-17 lead, the Bucs made a few plays and had a second and one at the Cleveland 36. Three times the Bucs went from a shotgun formation and were unsuccessful making a yard for the first down. If they would have put the quarterback under center, and went to a two back set, they would have had a good chance of getting the first down. Quarterback Mike Glennon is as tall as they come, he could have leaned over and gotten it by himself. Not smart coaching by the Bucs.

            Things were subdued for most of the game in the Dawg Pound, as fans were waiting for bad things to happen as the Browns let the Bucs hang around. But most fans stayed to the end to celebrate the victory, and left the stadium with a sense of optimism.

            One last comment to elaborate on something I said last week about uniforms…How ugly were the Bucs uniforms? Different shades of orange and red and gray, a design that looked like it was put together by first graders. I hope the Browns don’t look like that in the future. Who knows what Nike has planned?

(Greg Cielec is a former college football coach, a freelance writer, and a veteran of over 25 years in the Dawg Pound as a season ticket. Contact him at cielec@hotmail.com).

Literary Event on November 20 at Sokolowski's University Inn

Literary Event November 20 at Sokolowski’s University Inn

A book signing for the Brown Jug Cookbook

Featuring Ed Wolf and Bill Stroud, longtime Jug owners, as well as former semi-famous Jug employees such as Reno Oradini, Joe Blaha, and Steve Hollis

Thursday, November 20, 7:00-9:00

Sokolowski’s University Inn in Historic Tremont

Free munchies, cash bar, music by Cats on Holiday

Co-Sponsored by Pink Flamingo Press and Creative Endeavors and the Cleveland Chapter of the Ohio Wesleyan Alumni Association

$1.00 will be donated to the Cleveland Food Bank for each copy of the cookbook purchased at the event

We’ve had some great events tied in to the publishing/writing projects over the years we have been involved in.  We had a couple of good events at the Harp, and the one at Brothers Lounge for the poetry book was fun. We recently did two down in Delaware at Roops Bar, complete with our friend John Schwab performing. It’s time for another one for our latest writing/publishing project the Brown Jug Cookbook.

If you know me well, sooner or later you have heard me tell stories about the best job I ever had, waiting on tables and bartending at the Brown Jug Restaurant in Delaware, Ohio, during my college years at Ohio Wesleyan University. Two bucks an hour and all the beer you could drink, working with and hanging around a group of characters I will never forget. It was big fun.

The Jug changed a lot after I graduated, as its crowd got older and the drinking age changed. It went from a pizza and pitchers of beer joint, to the first place in Delaware County to serve chicken wings, to the best independent steak house in the state. The place closed several years ago and my old bosses Ed Wolf and Bill Stroud retired from the business.

Recently we got together with Ed and Bill and published the Brown Jug Cookbook, filled with recipes, pictures, stories, and the history of the establishment.

Ed and Bill made many friends in their thirty-one years owning and running the Jug.  Many of them live in Northern Ohio. There is a group of us who worked at the Jug, as well as a lot of old college friends who hung out there. Plus many friends and family members who liked to visit the Jug when they came and visited.

We thought it was a no brainer to have some sort of event in Cleveland about the cookbook. The Ohio Wesleyan Alumni Association thought it was a good idea too, and have agreed to co-sponsor an the event.

So come join us at Sokolowski’s University Inn on November 20 and help us celebrate the Brown Jug Cookbook. Even if you have never been to Delaware, Ohio, or never set foot in the Brown Jug, please come anyway. There will be a lot of good people, a munchies buffet that will include the Inn’s famous perogies, a cash bar, and live music from the guys in Cats on Holiday.

We will have copies of the cookbook to purchase, and Ed and Bill will be on hand and glad to sign them. A dollar will be donated to the Cleveland Food Bank for each cookbook purchased at the event. We will also have copies available of our other recent publishing project, the 2015 Cleveland Little Italy Calendar. It is a beauty, featuring over 60 photos from the Murray Hill neighborhood.

Hopefully see you on November 20. Call or email me if you have any questions. Please pass this information to anyone you think would be interested.

Greg 216.496.8286

cielec@hotmail.com

View from the Dawg Pound Oakland at Cleveland 26 Oct 2014

From the purely aesthetic point of view there was very little beauty in the Browns win over the Raiders last Sunday. The defense had its moments and the offense spent most of the game trying to find itself in the Browns 23-13 win over the winless Raiders.

The Browns spent most of the game clinging to three field goals that weren’t touchdowns, and you just felt that was going to come back and haunt them. Late in the third quarter just when it looked like that was exactly what was going to happen, a great hit by Dante Witner led to Joe Haden swiping an air born fumble and returning it 34 yards. Four plays later the Browns scored their first touchdown and went ahead by two scores and never looked back.

The game wasn’t all ugliness for the Browns. Paul Kruger and Joe Haden did great things on defense. Tashaun Gipson showed once again why he will be All Pro this season. Justin Gilbert showed flashes of why he was a number one pick.  And even Barkevious Mingo, yes, that Barkevious, played enough to say he contributed. I still don’t see why he was a first round pick, but credit the Browns’ coaches for trying to get the most out of his height and quickness. On offense, you have to wonder were the Browns would be without their over achieving undersized receivers. Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel make catches in traffic and aren’t afraid to go across the middle. They both made big plays against the Raiders.

The game ended with some big questions left unanswered. When and if the offensive line will jell in the rest of this post Alex Mack season?  When will Jordan Cameron return after leaving the game with a concussion in the second quarter? Will the Browns ever play a complete special teams game? And, oh yes, what is the long-term solution at quarterback? Brian Hoyer had another so-so day, including several incomplete passes that could have been interceptions. I am pretty confident that the Browns will go to camp next summer with both current QB’s on the roster. Sooner or later Johnny Manziel has to show what he can do, either to prove he’s the quarterback of the future, or to showcase him to other teams.

But for now the team is trying to prove it deserves a playoff sport, and it’s one game at a time and Tampa is next on the agenda. Ugly or not, I think we will all take another win as the schedule will take a turn into a more challenging direction in the weeks to come.

It was another beautiful late fall day on the lakefront. The late 4:25 start put the crowd in a bit of a laid back mood. Even when the sun went down over the lake in the west it still remained pleasant and comfortable. We took advantage of the weather to once again visit friends tailgating at sights to the west of the stadium. We crossed paths with Sam Rutigliano and Don Cockroft visiting fans, signing hats and t-shirts and copies of Cockroft’s book about the Kardiac Kids of 1980. The weather was of the kind you know you must enjoy, because despite the fact we have had beautiful Browns Sundays, you know ugly weather is coming sooner and later and the gray days of winter will soon be upon us.

One last thought about the Oakland game…I’ve loved the Raiders uniforms since I started watching football in the Sixties as a small boy. The Raiders of today aren’t very good, but their uniforms still say class and remind you of when the Raiders were still the Raiders. The Packers, the Giants since they went back to their classic uniforms, the Chargers in their powder blues, the Cowboys, all of those teams whose uniforms have remained mostly unchanged over the years give off a aura of class about them. And it’s not just a football thing, think of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Giants, and Cardinals in baseball; the Lakers, Celtics, and Spurs in basketball; the Canadians, Maple Leafs, Black Hawks, and Rangers in hockey. Even when one of the teams is down, their uniforms give them a touch of respect.  The Browns have been on that list too, since the team’s beginnings. But that will soon end. New uniforms from the team’s partner Nike are promised for next year. Filled with gray and pewter and stripes and who knows what else I’m sure. And when sports fans turn on the TV and see those uniforms they for the first time will say, who the hell is that? Instead of saying, Oh look, the Browns are on TV. Just something to think about.

View from the Dawg Pound Game 6: Browns at Jacksonville 19 October 2014

O.K. the Browns played a bad game. Get over it. Yes, it was painful to watch. And, yes, they played poorly all around, but that is going to happen sometimes, a lot of times, in the NFL.

Everyone has heard the cliché before, don’t let the wins get you too high and don’t let the losses get you too low. Every Browns fan should get that tattooed on their foreheads. Last week fans wanted the Browns to franchise Brian Hoyer and sign him to a mega deal, this week they want to cut him and play Johnny Football.

The Browns spent  a little too much time listening to everyone tell them how wonderful they are, and they encountered a Jaguar team that isn’t as bad as their record and was hungry for their first win.

My 82 year old mother called me up and screamed into the phone, “How can those guys play that bad?” It happens, Mom. It is hard to get everything right every week, especially in a league were there is talent on every team and on every sideline.

Everyone needs to learn from the Jaguars game then put it behind him or her. Remember the important thing, for the sixth game in a row the Browns were not out-talented.

It was assumed by too many people that the three game stretch against the Jaguars, Raiders, and Bucs were going to be an easy 3-0 for the Browns. But it already isn’t, with two of the games to come. Records in the NFL can be deceiving, especially before the half way point of the season. Right now the Cowboys are the darlings of the media with a 6-1 record, but it’s a safe bet they won’t be a one-loss team in December. And after seeing them up close this past weekend you can assume the Jaguars will be more than a one win team soon.

The Browns are going to do what they have to do. Work on the things they didn’t do well last week, while keeping their routine and keeping thing positive. However, quietly and behind doors, there will be discipline. Players will be moved up and down the depth chart, someone will be waived and someone will be signed to the practice squad, maybe someone will be fined for stupid or irresponsible play. Some of this will become public knowledge and hosts and listeners will dissect it for hours on sports radio. There will be some ugly moments in film sessions, and some more when position coaches meet with their players. That is expected, and it will happen far away from media and fans. By midweek it will all be behind the team, and it will be all working in anticipation of the Raiders game.

Short term decisions for the Browns: Decide on who is on the post Alex Mack offensive line and get them as much work together in practice this week. Get Hoyer and his receivers back on the same page. Find someone who can think out there as a punt returner.

Long Term Decisions: It is quite obvious when training camp opens next summer both Hoyer and Johnny Manziel won’t both be with the Browns. Will it be Hoyer and possibly a long-term heir apparent? Or will it by Manziel and a respected veteran behind him? Sooner or later sometime this year they have to play Manziel to see what he has or doesn’t have. The team has to find a way to showcase both quarterbacks in case a suitor or two surfaces.

Other long-term decisions: Who is and isn’t in the long term plans, including but not limited to the following: Do they keep all three current running backs? Which of the undersized receivers make the cut next year? Who stays and who goes on defense, especially at linebacker and defensive back?

The fan base has taken the Jaguar loss very hard. Yes, the Browns played poorly, but remember this once again, for the sixth game in a row the Browns were not out-talented. There is too much talent on this team to see the type of collapse we have seen too often since 1999.

(Greg Cielec can be reached at cielec@hotmail.com)

View from the Dawg Pound Steelers at Cleveland 10.12.2014

 Since they have returned, there have been so many Browns Sundays that ended the same way for me. Walking amongst throngs of quiet fans, heads turned down, across the West Third Street Bridge, having to endure pockets of celebrating fans in Steelers or Ravens or Bengals uniforms.

            Not this past Sunday. Beneath a brilliant blue cloudless sky, in a First Energy Stadium filled with electricity, the Cleveland Browns played like what was once the Cleveland Browns as they dismantled a hapless Steelers team 31-10.

            It was the story of two teams passing in the night, each going in a different direction. The youthful Browns looked quicker, stronger, and more talented than the aging Steelers. Did Troy Palumolo make a play yesterday? Where was James Harrison? How many more seasons does Big Ben have left?

            I know it is just one game, but going back to the second half of the season opener in Pittsburgh, it has been six quarters in a row the Browns have dominated the Steelers. The Steelers had no answer to the Browns running game, play action passes, and relentless defense. Not to keep picking on them, but the Steelers have had the reputation of being great with the draft, constantly reloading their team. I don’t see it. They do have some bright young stars at running back, and Antonio Brown is a player, but over all, especially on the offensive line and the defense, there are plenty of holes on this team. Its time for them to rebuild, not reload.

            But that’s their problem, not ours. Our Browns right now are playing very well. Yes, every so often the ugly head of a team that has had four coaches in five years surfaces. And there still a lot of inexperience on both sides of the ball, but this could be the beginning of a very good run for the team and the fans. This is a talented young team that finally has found the right coaching staff and general manager. Making the playoffs this year is a realistic goal, and who knows where they could go with one more strong draft and a key free agent signing or two.

            My notebook from the game is filled with superlatives: “great play,” “nice drive,” “terrific play action,” “depth!” “Hoyer’s block,” “good coverage.”

            Everyone is talking about the second quarter when the Browns exploded for 21 unanswered points, but two events in third quarter are also noteworthy. Early in the quarter on one of many terrific play action pass plays, Brian Hoyer hit Travis Benjamin with what could be considered Hoyer’s best downfield pass of the year. Benjamin did not have to stop or stutter to catch the ball; it was right on the money. Hoyer needs to show he can go long. The other event started at the Pittsburgh six-yard line, and ended with an incomplete pass on fourth down in the Browns end zone after a thirteen-play drive. The Steelers had their chance to score and get back in the game and the Browns wouldn’t let them.

            The 3-2 Browns find themselves in uncharted territory, a three game stretch against teams they should beat. How will they handle it? Will they give one of them away?

There are also games left against teams similar to the Browns, teams like Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, and the Bills who are trying to make the same statement as the Browns. Then there are the games with proven playoff teams who are considered amongst the elite in the league, including the Colts, Ravens, and two against the Bengals. Being 3-2 is nice, but the road to the playoffs is still filled with challenges.

But let us worry about the future when it gets here and enjoy the moment at hand. No matter what happens the rest of the season, the Browns are no longer the doormat of the AFC North. And, at least for now, the hold that the team two hours east on the Turnpike has held over the Browns, is now history. From my seats in the second row of the Dawg Pound, it was the first time I remember in a long time what it felt like in the old stadium in the late 80’s during the Kosar era.

We had a great time both before and after the game checking at the Horseshoe Casino, which I predict when the weather finally turns, will be one of the most popular game day spots in town.  To go along with all that is already there, they have opened TAG Lounge and Bar, a sports bar on the second floor. With beer and drink specials, and all the games being shown on large flat screens, TAGS is a great place to hang out before and after Browns games. Both before and after the Steelers game the casino was filled with Browns fans having a good time.