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Man, that Browns game really sucked. I felt that we were just a couple plays away from pulling away a victory but we just could not pull it off. Derek Anderson continued his inconsistent play, the Browns defense struggled against the run, and there seems to be some internal problems cooking within this team. In my last blog, I said the Browns would continue to play well, or would just flop, I think they went with the latter. Here are some observations:

Derek Anderson needs to be benched
I have always been a big DA fan. I think he is a solid NFL QB, but he has really struggled this year. Aside from the Giants game, he has been downright bad. Even last year, DA seemed to tail off. Since week 10 of last year, DA has gone 240 for 418 (57% completion) 18 TD's, 17 INT's, and a 70.7 QB rating. Yikes, for a team that is supposed to go to the playoffs those are some average numbers. In those 14 games, the Browns are 7-7. It is obvious that DA can be very good (Week 2 vs. Cincinnati, Week 8 vs St. Louis, Week 9 vs Seattle, in those three games he completed 63% of his passes and threw 8 TD's and 2 INT's, the Browns went 3-0 in those games), but the last half of the 2007 season, and this season, he has been below average. We have a youngster in Brady Quinn waiting to play, and I feel that a change would be a good thing. In one of my previous blogs I gave reasons why we should use Quinn (more mobile in pocket, accurate passer, competitive spirit, field general), and I am going to stick by it. During todays game, every time DA got pressured he threw passes over the heads of receivers, at their feet, and completely away from them. He just did not look in sync. Albeit, the receivers did drop a couple passes, but DA really did not throw well. Also, DA did not seem to manage the game as well. He didn't seem aggressive on the field, and he just looked passive the whole game. I am sure Romeo won't make a QB change, but he should really consider it if he wants to save the season.

The Defense kept us in the game
The Defense really played good this game, not great, but good. They kept this game close, but they still allowed too many rushing yards (193 total rushing yards). It is imperative to stop the run, especially because our secondary has played so well. If we stop the run, we will get more 3 and outs, and teams will be forced to pass the ball more. We have seen how well our secondary has progressed this year. The D is 11th in the league against the pass, and they are 2nd in the league in take-aways (9 INT's). The Defense needs to continue to pressure the QB and force opposing offenses to make mistakes. Shaun Rodgers played a good game and he had a sack as well. The Browns only gave up 158 yards through the air. The D also got a stop at the end of the game to get the ball back to the offense. The D struggled a little bit in the second half because they were on the field for so long in the first half. If the Browns want to completely solidify the D, they need to stop the run, and to continue the take-aways.

Internal problems are brewing
On the field, you could definitely tell the players were not on the same page. The communication between the QB and the WR was just not there. This erupted when fullback Lawrence Vickers and Derek Anderson got onto a dispute on the field, as both of them were trying to call timeouts. You could sense the frustration from Vickers. He seemed very upset and he looked like someone who had no faith in his QB. These types of problems are ones that the QB has to solve. He needs to grab his players by the collar and let them know who is the leader on the field. Apparently the dispute was about calling a timeout. They don't call QB's "field generals" for no reason. Most of the times QB's will call the timeout, but I guess Anderson went AWOL or MIA. Also, TE Kellen Winslow is very upset with the team because he wanted to disclose that his injury was a staph infection. The Browns have had 6 players who have had staph infections in past few years. Also, K2 said that "I'm just frustrated with a lot of things, I feel it's been going on for a while. I don't get treated right and it's not fair. Sometimes I just feel under-appreciated. I felt it was time to say something." The Browns did not want it getting around that he had a staph infection because it has happened numerous times. He even contemplated asking for a trade on Monday. K2 is also upset at the fact that General Manager Phil Savage did not call him when he was in the hospital. This is not good for a team that is 2-4, and really struggling. K2 is one of the best TE in the league, and the Browns have to do their best to keep him a Brown. He is too good of a player to be unhappy.

Keep it going Jamal
Man, Jamal Lewis just continues to impress me. He is one tough runner. Every single time he touches the ball he just chugs away, he does not go down easily. He had a great game as he ran for 80 yards on 19 carries. The Redskins had a hard time bringing him down and he just ran tough. The Browns should continue to give him the ball because we know that he will give it his all every single time he runs. If there is one positive the Browns offense has had it is that Lewis has never quit, and he is always running his hardest in every game.

For next week, its do or die. The Browns will be facing an solid Jaguars team (3-3) in Jacksonville. We will see how the team responds to this weeks loss. Either they will come together and play a great game, or the season will just crumble. It is important to pay attention to who takes reps with the first team at QB. Hopefully the Browns will try to figure out new defensive schemes to stop the run, continue to blitz the QB, continue to run the ball, practice catching the ball with the wide receivers and replace an inconsistent QB. The Browns are 2-4, and if they have chance of making the playoffs, it will start with a win next week with the Jags. Thanks for reading, and go Cleveland!!

-Raz