The Lights Went On!

Denver is an elite and balanced team, and in their third preseason game, they opened up the playbook and meant business. It's true that preseason musn't be taken too seriously, but those who will say that this game meant nothing need head-extraction surgery. (As I've mentioned, stupid people often swing to absolutes.)

Jevon Parker won't drop passes when it counts, so there was luck. On the other hand, it's pretty "iffy" that Jurevicious was out of bounds in the end-zone.

More important were the individual battles. While the Browns defense got trampled, it did pretty well against a pretty potent passing attack. The two-minute defense was atrocious, mainly because it was in "prevent" mode. ("Give them the stuff underneath...under thirty yards. Give them a ten-yard cushion".)

I really doubt that they'll be so soft in the real games. Grantham has never been Martonian like that. He usually sneaks in a safety blitze or something and blows them up, and the cushions are never that rediculous...or...hey, is Romeo....NAH!

The Browns O-line protected and opened holes, even without Steinbach. And do NOT forget: Joe Thomas is brand-spanking new, and absolutely WAS making mistakes that he won't be making even in his next game. This offensive line will be significantly better than the one which pushed the Broncos around, once Thomas gets his reps and Steinbach returns. AND, it will continue to improve throughout the season, as they get used to working as a unit within the new system.

The performance of all three QB's had less to do with their own lights going on (though that was part of it) as it did with improved protection.

I do need to make some corrections: Last week, Shaffer was beaten and Anderson was stripped. The fumble was not his fault. Anderson called a time out because he didn't get the playcall in his helmet. Why do you cretins blame him for this stuff? Because he's just the most obvious target for the mentally-challenged? And in this last game, I read about his "brain-cramp" when he got sacked ON THE FIVE YARD LINE. What--did he endanger the field-goal? Brain-cramp? Huh?

As far as I, or any rational person, is concerned, he's still neck-and-neck with Chuckie. Alas, we're running out of time, and Chuckie did a nice job without any stupidity--and has many more real games under his belt, so it looks like he da man.

What separates him showed up in this game: his ability to take off and run with it. And I hope that his arm-strength won't be questioned again, at least until the next game (JEEZ!)

Quinn? Savage and Crennel are right. As long as the Anderson-Frye survivor is servicable, you NEED to keep him on the bench for as long as possible, despite his stellar performances (this time vs. Denver's first-stringers, as well as a mix of them and backups.) The longer he is kept hungry on the sidelines, watching all the dirty tricks, the better he prepared he'll be when the real bullets fly.

Looks like they'll keep Dorsey and Frye or Anderson (looks like Frye). Dorsey is a good emergency guy, but more importantly has been around for awhile, accepts his role, has the brain of a coach, and will be invaluable in helping a baby QB acclimate.

Yes, Quinn was the best-prepped QB, and I even think that he'd do pretty well if thrown in immediately. But listen: When it's for real, do you know what new and different things the Pittsburgh Steelers can throw at him? And then, there's that thing I talked about before: A rookie QB can kick butt for one or two games, until defensive coordinators have the film to find his weaknesses. Then he gets murdered. He learns from this, and adjust...but it happens again, and again.

Carson Palmer spent an entire season on the bench, and never looked back. Leinart, Cutler, and Smith all came on later in their rookie seasons. ALEX Smith started instantly. NOW, he's highly-respected, but THEN, many felt he was a bust--he was so atrocious. PEYTON MANNING started right away, and HE sucked as a rookie! Check out his brother! Get it?

If Frye or Anderson had continued being putrid, I'd have to agree with you about Quinn needing to start right away--but when you DO have a capable veteran ready to go, you protect the kid. Same as you'd protect a young boxer: You keep him away from the contenders, and let him beat up tomato cans at first. Too fast too soon, and he'll hever recover from the beating.

For that matter, Tom Brady never started until Bledsoe got hurt. Kosar had Danielson in front of him. See it?

But boy, the future looks very bright. Jamal Lewis--wow did YOU know he could be a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield? How you like Chudzinski? And he's really cookin'! LOOKS like he's 27! This guy can break defenses backs. Do you know that Lewis is historicly a slow starter? He's been one of those guys that can be stifled through the firt half (give or take some series), and only starts trampling defenses when they're tired, and he's spotted some weak spots.

But here he is right out of the gate ripping off yardage. Back to the offensive line: THEY did a nice job.

Travis Wilson? Like I keep telling you, he's a bust!

...ok-ok, I said he'd be great. Well, he gets open. How does a guy who never drops anything in college start dropping EVERYTHING all of a sudden? Maybe his vision-he should see Northcutt's optometrist, maybe. Or a shrink. A hypnotist.

But the recievers behind Jurevicious (I like Sanders best) are doing well, and the Browns will have to give one or even two pretty good tight ends their walking papers.

Another correction: The Browns got plenty of pressure on the QB. Which idiot hallucinated a lack of pressure? That's a BOWTBW thing (baby-out-with-the bathwater). Stupid people...like I said. The got ran over, but did well against the pass.

D'Quell Jackson has reached another level. He now knows the defense well enough to stop thinking, and is just all over the place. Chaun Thompson, playing outside where he should be, is likewise excellent. Then there's that very first DE they drafted low and converted to linebacker; the project. Third season--there ya go!

Peek--told you about him, too. He made some of his plays in coverage, too.

Still it's the AFC North, and maybe the toughest schedule in the NFL. On the other hand, both the Steelers and Ravens (the Ravens as usual) are getting overrated.

8-8 in 2007 would be HUGE. Looking at the schedule, all the NFL gurus I know whould be hard-pressed to project even three wins for the Browns. I don't blame them...much.

Edwards Lewis Winslow Heiden Wimbley Wright Jones Pool Jackson Bodden Thomas Steinbach Quinn...I do blame them some. They need white canes and guide dogs, ya know?

OH! How bout Quinn and...whos' that ex-quarterback they turned into a returner and are working at WR? Yeah him. Is it that he doesn't get open, or that they just won't throw to him? Maybe they need to take Quinn aside and tell him not to throw to him anymore. But anyway, you see what a weapon he could be. Maybe.

Oh okbye.