The Shurmurball Advantage

by Cleveland Frowns on December 9, 2012

Forget about what Joe Thomas set off with Peyton Hillis this week. The real bulletin board material for the Kansas City Chiefs is right here:

Consecutive wins against severely handicapped or unimaginably horrible football teams have people saying some crazy things about the Browns, but if they can’t pull off the win today as seven-point favorites against the team with the worst record in the league, there’s a better than excellent chance that they’ll finish with the same 4-12 record as last year.

Romeo Crennel, Brian Daboll, Brady Quinn, and Hillis. It could be a real day today at Browns Stadium so hang on tight because here we go. And here’s your Shurmurball open thread for week 14.

  • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

    as bad as shurmur is, RAC was the worst head coach i’ve ever seen at any level.

    his promotion by pioli speaks to a cronyism on par or greater than shurmur/holgrum.
    (and also pokes a big hole in the mind-boggling race card played by jon embree re: black coaches and second chances after his 4-21 record at CU.)

    • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

      actually let me put a finer point on that statement: RAC is the worst xs-and-os coach. however, i also believe that the leading of men is the most importart trait for a coach. i’d give RAC an edge over shurmur in that area.

      • Yahmule

        To me, Crennell represents the danger of firing your coach late in the season. Not that the universally loathed Todd Haley didn’t need to go, but Crennell’s popularity with players as the interim coach was the primary reason he was retained. Of course, any player’s coach would have been venerated as an alternative to Haley.

        Crennell went 2-1 as head coach, including a stirring 7-3 victory at home in the final week against Denver and God’s punt protector, who went 6-22 for 60 yards and an interception. Apparently, this was enough to cause Chiefs players to chant Romeo’s name in the lockerroom after the game.

        Perhaps cronyism played a role in Pioli’s decision, but it wouldn’t have been the only bad reason to keep a proven failure like Crennell.

      • bupalos

        That’s almost the opposite of my understanding. Although I admit I don’t do x’s and o’s like Rod, I don’t see glaring weaknesses in playcalling and strategy from RAC, and he seems to be able to stay on top of a game. I’ve never seen anything like Shurmur in that regard, though I guess there has to be some allowance for having an incredibly young roster.

    • bupalos

      Game day there is no comparison, RAC is head and shoulders above Shurmur. But I think he’s so hands off in the locker room that it’s like not having a head coach at all.

  • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns

    Reposting my NFL picks from Cheddar Bay thread:

    Chiefs +6 over Browns

    If the Browns lose today they’ll have solidified their status as the
    same 4-12 dumpster fire that everyone knew they were at the beginning of the season (as opposed to the 5-12 dumpster fire that everyone knew they were). Anyone who knows anything about these things knows that they’ve only been able to keep so many games close this season because of the Universal Force of Bad Action that punishes people who think it’s a good idea to make obvious wagers on football games. Case in point: the Browns +7 turnover differential is good for 9th best in the league, which is mostly luck, and teams not taking the Browns seriously enough to hang on to the ball tightly.

    Now here come the Chiefs who everyone thought would be decent this
    season, and their NFL worst -21 turnover ratio. The UFBA finally works
    against the Browns today because everyone’s expecting them to take this one. FOOLS. Chiefs are a Nine Blingee Frolicking Kittens Lock.

    In other action, give me Redskins -2.5 (love this one, too), Saints
    -5 (because Roger Goodell), Lions +6.5 (glutton for punishment) and will round out the slate later with a pick for tomorrow night’s banger.

    • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns

      The Nine Blingee Frolicking Kittens have been #Shurmurballed. #MikeTomlinFace

  • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns
    • Bryan

      Frowns – This article also strengthens the “Lombardi will deliver Saban” narrative. I know you love Saban. Would you swallow Lombardi to get him? Its an interesting conundrum.

      • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns

        Saban or Kelly would make Lombardi easier to swallow but I find it hard to believe that we couldn’t land either of those guys without him.

        • NeedsFoodBadly

          The rumors, such as they are, seem pretty married to the idea that the only way to get Saban is to get Lombardi.

          Whether this indicates Lombardi is the source of the rumors himself is another thing…

        • Believelander

          The inside current is that Nick Saban wants a guy like Lombardi so he himself has Andy Reid-esque personnel powers.

        • actovegin1armstrong

          Saban is not going anywhere, coaching the Red Tide is a more prestigious job than coaching the Browns and he is too much of a control freak for the NFL anyway.
          Kelly may do well, but Saban would bomb AGAIN in the NFL

          • Steve

            Of all the words that doesn’t belong is again, and its the one decide to shout? Saban was perfectly adequate in the NFL. Look at the QBs he had, what should his record have been?

            And I’ll leave it up to Saban to tell us which is more prestigious “When I was in college it was always about coming to the pros. This is the challenge I wanted.”

          • actovegin1armstrong

            “perfectly adequate”

            Now there you go, endorsing Saban with a ringing vote of confidence.

            That is what the Browns really need, not a Mangenius, not the brilliance of the Belichick.

            We shall strive for “perfectly adequate”.

            That may go over with a stylish aplomb on the job interview as well, under “skills”,
            “I am perfectly adequate at most coaching responsibilities”.

  • dwhalen

    Took Army yesterday in one of the most devastating endings to that rivalry game as I’ve ever seen. I’ve been in Trent Steelman’s shoes. Freshman year of college I had a play like that to cost us a ballgame. It wasn’t about losing, it was about letting down your boys when you know how hard they work to win. I just wish Steelman hadn’t done it as a senior, in his last shot at the commander in chief trophy. He’ll go on to do great things outside of football, no doubt.

    BENGALS -3 v. Cowboys. Red-headed step child is playing lights out right now. And a few Green-Ellis TD’s wouldn’t hurt my fantasy team.

    SAINTS +5 @ Giants. Brees can’t throw FIVE MORE interceptions this week right?

    RAMS +3 @ Buffalo. So Sam Bradford ain’t the best when he plays outdoors north of the Mason Dixon Line, but I’m feeling a nice 3-4 interception day for Fitzy.

    BUCS -7.5 v. Eagles. need a big day from V-Jax and Freeman.

    so…if Vikes is short for Vikings…and Jags is short for Jaguars…and Bucs is short for Buccaneers…then what is short for Titans?

    TITS +5.5 @ Colts. Dude, Indy is having a great year, but this Andrew Luck Deep Throat Fest has to stop. Listen, you’ll find no one else who respects the QB position and the preparation it takes to be GREAT more than I do. You’ll find no one else who defends the guys who I believe just have something innate within them, typically known as “it”, which makes them born winners, more than I do. You’ll also find no one who doesn’t think that one day soon Luck could be very fucking good. HOWEVER, in the NFL, we spend a lot of time scanning stat lines and looking at numbers. They exist for a reason. Statisticians (math is a REAL thing by the way) crunch numbers and come up with QB efficiency formulas, and Passer Rating formulas, and the latest, more enhanced QBR formula in order to determine which QB’s are “the best” or have the most impact on the outcome of the games they play in. And, Luck sits at 29th in passer rating with a solid 76. That’s below, well almost everyone, including the likes of Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, and Christian Ponder. He sits just above the vaunted group of Weeden, Sanchez, Tannehill, Cassell, and Skelton. Colt McCoy had a passer rating of 74.6 last season. Tim Tebow, you know, that guy who can’t throw a football if Christopher Lloyd gave it wings and guided it into his receivers’ hands? Yeah, his career rating is 75.5. Luck for MVP!

    I also happen to love the argument that the Colts have “bad receivers” and that their inability to get open added to the number of dropped passes is the reason why Luck’s completion percentage is a measly 55%. The Colts have dropped 28 passes on the season. The NFL average is 23. Five extra passes in 12 games…doesn’t necessarily shout “STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT” to me. Perhaps it also helps to note that he gets to throw to one of the best receivers of the past decade in Reggie Wayne–no seriously, look it up–and that Reggie Wayne gets to mentor a group of solid (don’t come at me with “they weren’t drafted high”) receivers who happen to have a total of 1,350 Yards After Catch. Just seems odd to me that a group of misfit toys who “can’t catch passes of escape coverage” could have 4 guys with more than 30 receptions and be so open that they can run for almost a full mile after catching the ball. You ever watch T.Y. Hilton in college? The dude was fucking incredible. “College performance means nothing, bro.” Oopsie, my bad, he’s got 40 catches for 600 yards and 5 TD’s as a rookie. That’s good for….wait for it…. top 3 in ALL categories among all rookie TE’s/RB’s/WR’s.

    And everyone talks about just how “awful” the Colts rushing offense is this year and that Luck has “so much pressure on him to do well.” Well, they actually rank 18th out of 32, which puts them in the 56th percentile, which is somewhere near the middle if you are familiar with percentages. I believe there isn’t much pressure on #1 overall draft picks in their first year, seeing as how they are added to horrible fucking teams and are given roughly 4 years on average to prove their worth. Throw in the fact that teams like Denver, Green Bay, Detroit, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Dallas all have less rushing yards per game, and you’ve got a pretty futile argument for the “lack of rushing and it’s effect on Luck’s performance.”

    What’s that? You want to talk about how BAD the Colts’ defense is and the fact that Luck “Has to throw it so much because he’s typically playing from behind. And that’s gonna lead to turnovers.” Oh really? And what if I came back and said, “Actually, the Colts have had a second-half lead in 9 of their 12 games? And what If I told you that in the three games they DIDN’T have a second-half lead, that Luck had a total of 11 turnovers (8 INT, 3 FUMBLES), which may or may not have forced his team to be playing from behind the entire goddamn game?” Only 3 QB’s have thrown more than 500 passes this year. He, Palmer, and Stafford. The latter two are having bad years. It’s a passing league, but gluttony is a deadly sin if you recall. And I just don’t buy the fact that the Colts have to “Chuck it” (no pun intended, #chucktrong) because they can’t run the ball, and because they’re defense always has them playing catch up. It seems correlated that a high number of turnovers isn’t due to the added pressure of playing from behind, but instead, it in fact is the cause of playing from behind. Does it matter too that RG3′s defense gives up the exact same number of PPG? Just curious.

    Numbers definitely don’t tell the whole story in any case ever, but for the most part, they can at least give a decent insight into a summary of someone’s play. And while I’ve said before that Luck looks to me like he’s going to be just fine in this league (read: multiple Superbowls), that it’s a tad to early to be crowning him Rookie of the Year (and holy fuck, there’s now MVP talk). Everyone coming out and proposing that he is so incredible and that he deserves all these awards just so they can all pat themselves on the back for calling that one 20 fucking miles away, well it’s just a bit disgusting. The kid is good. He will be great I’m sure of it. But let’s take his ballsack out of our slobbery, dick-sucking lips for just long enough to catch our breath, and perhaps admire the fact that there are 2 other rookie QB’s who are having better seasons than he is. One of whom I’ll go ahead and pat myself on the back for seeing when no one else would. Russell, get over here and whip out your balls.

    • dwhalen

      damn. i should have edited for typos and misused modifiers. and i was an English major. kids, that should tell you: always proof your papers. Their and They’re is a mistake i NEVER make. but i did here. fallible.

      • NeedsFoodBadly

        That’s okay, the overall thing was pretty awesome.

        • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns

          Like Andrew Luck.

          • Believelander

            He’s okay.

    • Believelander

      Great essay. Especially the myth of the Colts run game. Somehow 18th in rush yards despite Luck throwing a ton of passes per game. That’s 4.8 yards per carry. That’s EFFICIENCY.

  • nj0
    • NeedsFoodBadly

      Shurmured on the first play! Is this a new record??

  • Bryan

    Banging a drum here…. But when are people going to start talking about how much T-Rich’s terrible short yardage running is hurting us. Dude can’t get short yardage unless line blows open a huge hole. We had 1st and goal from 3 after Weeden marches us down, and the 3rd overall pick in the draft CANNOT get us in the endzone. I would honestly rather see Hardesty in short yardage right now.

    • nj0

      He did get hit in the backfield on the one running play they ran.

      • Bryan

        …. while running horizontal to the line of scrimmage. He needs to go north/south on that play. The consistency with which he has struggled in short yardage suggests a lot of the blame is his.

        And, again, he was the 3rd pick and was chosen precisely for situations like that. I see talent in the guy and am hopeful he will become a good player. I just am confused why he doesn’t get criticized more. By any objective measure he has not been very good.

        • alexb

          Here’s a breakdown of what he’s doing. He’s a good short yardage runner because he doesn’t slam into the line, he finds contact…usually about 2 or 3 d lineman, then drags them for 2-5 yds depending on if our Lineman get behind and assist the pile. Do I necessary like that approach? Yes and no. It does cost him yards….but it will ensure his longevity. This is why I like bringing in a Hillis type back for next year, maybe even Hillis himself except that’s not possible now cause cleveland fans called him asshole in unison today. But what you have in Hillis is a guy who accelerates the instant the ball gets put into his hands. I would love to have a guy like him in Cleveland next year that gets at least 1/3rd of the carries throughout the season. What this does is spell Trent….which might also allow him to be more aggressive. But I’m also not adverse to letting Montario run more next year. In fact we should have sat Trent today cause we’ve got the skins, broncos and then shittspurgh to finish out. Trent is not running 100%, I hope we can spell him next year.

          • Jpftribe

            I agree with this wholeheartedly. This guy is tough and he bowled over defenders and dragged them along for five yard rides all year long. I really don’t understand the critical comments here from a subjective view.

            From an objective view, the guy broke Jim Brown’s rookie TD record in 13 games. Not the same feat, but certainly on par.

          • bupalos

            Now just a minute there with the Jim Brown stuff. Richardson has those td’s mostly because the Browns have just handed them to him. I can think of 1 td run (it was from about 20 yards out) that any average back in the league wouldn’t have made. The announcers and marketing are all over this guy but if you’re realistic about it he hasn’t performed above replacement.

            I do love the ability to turn the 2 yard stuff into 4-6 though, and I think he’ll be a very solid back in the end. He looks like a Jerome Bettis to me, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

            I’m not sure he deserves to get slammed, but he definitely doesn’t deserve the marketing hype either.

          • Believelander

            He’s had three solid TDs, the rest were goal line jobs.

          • jpftribe

            I was born the year Jim Brown retired, so I am in no place to compare the two, but you are correct Believe, his rushing touchdowns in yards are as follows:
            1,2,5,71,25,1,3,4,11
            TR
            32,6,1,15,26,15,3,1,1
            In addition he had a 23 yard receiving touchdown that was no walk in the park.

            I’m not saying the guy is better than Jim Brown, but those are the facts. Hard to support an argument that there is no objective measure to his success.

          • alexb

            He needs to explode through the holes better though, which means accelerating as soon as he gets the ball. In the NFL those holes are not there long even with a really good O line, we have a decent run blocking line…not great but good enough that he should have more yards than he does. This is why I still support bringing in a Jacobs or Hillis type back that can spell Trent throughout the season so he’s fresh for those AFC North games we KNOW take their toll on players. And whether you start Trent or another big boy, Montario should still be brought in regularly. It seems the dude comes in and explodes for a big gain and then the defense adjusts and he gets stuffed, but that one or two change of pace handoffs throughout the game really seem to be working….let’s do more of that. Montario isn’t a back that should get the ball more than twice in a row.

    • AlvaroEspinoza10

      watching him dance to the hole on every play is infuriating, especially in short yardage situations. I’m afraid dancing is not a symptom of hurt ribs

      • actovegin1armstrong

        Perhaps he saw Emmitt Smith on Dancing with the Stars and he is trying to emulate him.

      • alexb

        no it’s his style, he has to unlearn some very bad college habits. But he can’t run downhill for 30 carries a game. That kind of workload breeds the stop and fell approach to running.

    • Believelander

      Our line is shitty at run blocking in short yardage situations. On his second touchdown run, there were about 5 Chiefs in the backfield and he just shoved it through all of them.

    • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

      the ‘dancing at the line’ is probably the outgrowth of letting the beast bama line set up their blocks. (he did it a lot last year.) i cant decide if i dont like it or not because it’s not always the wrong move.
      will say that there were at least two plays where he himself moved the line three or five yards by keeping those legs churning.

    • actovegin1armstrong

      GM rule: Never draft a running back in the first three rounds.

    • bupalos

      The hilarious thing about it is that the announcers were falling all over themselves to praise him for being such a good short yardage back. I’m thinking he’ll figure it out at some point, but right now he’s terrible at it.

  • AlvaroEspinoza10

    so confused by this creative playcalling. little at RB, gotta love it

    • Believelander

      He’s a converted halfback. Love it.

    • actovegin1armstrong

      Ten weeks ago I was calling for Little at running back and Oogie Boogie as a receiver.

  • http://www.clevelandfrowns.com/ Cleveland Frowns

    However terrible the Chiefs are, this is the first time the Browns have dominated their opponent under Shurmur. There’s nothing to complain about here re: the Coach. Or the GM for that matter.

    • Beeej

      Browns dominant in all three phases of the game? 12-21-12 is getting closer.

    • Jpftribe

      This was a real football game. Impressive outing, lots of opportunities for this team to blow up and instead they dominated. And if Heckert goes, it will be a real shame.

    • Jim

      Agreed. They were supposed to beat this team and did. Handily. Continue to like how Hardesty has been running as well. And Josh Gordon looks more and more like the best receiver out of this year’s draft (Kendall Wright has been solid as well).

      • Defenestration

        Josh Gordon makes me do happy dances. And as someone who has spent too many past Saturdays standing around a truck freezing my baguettes off at halftime listening to friends complain about how Tashaun Gipson needs to pull his head out of his hindquarters if the Pokes were ever going to compete for a MWC title, today’s “hey lookie here” INT, coupled with the “undrafted free agent from the University of Wyoming” phrase coming from my speakers made me Tiger Woods After a Tough Putt Celebrate so hard I almost elbowed tonights short ribs onto the floor.

        • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

          technically, gordon was selected out of next year’s draft. but indeed he looks like a first round talent that we will have paid a mid 2nd rd pick for.

          • Believelander

            Not to mention a year before we spent the pick. Can’t understate the value of him being a year ahead in experience of the pick used to get him. Rough draft value of that pick when used was a high third round draft selection.

        • Defenestration

          The short ribs were delicious by the way.

          • actovegin1armstrong

            I want some! Where do we get these magic ribs?

    • Cranky M

      I might jump off of the Shurmur hate-train. Ever since somebody last week mentioned how the fact that the Browns play so hard could be a reflection of the coach, i’ve been looking at him in a whole new light.

    • https://twitter.com/jimkanicki jimkanicki

      oh come on.. i want to bitch about the absurd challenge when we already has a 1st and goal from the 1.

      • bupalos

        Me too. And I will. How does this stuff happen? Can’t Pat just get some random fan to sit in a box and tell him when to throw it? It really looks like a warning sign to me that this guy just can’t make very simple quick decisions and hasn’t set up any system to help him. I vaguely think he threw that because he wanted the “free” timeout– that is, something was off and he needed a time out and did it that way to avoid criticism. Our redzone stuff continues to look terrible.

        Sheldon Brown, on the other hand, is playing out of his mind, and this defense is for realzies when he holds his own.

        • actovegin1armstrong

          It would be terrific if Sheldon Brown was also passing his knowledge on to Mo Claiborne.
          Maybe the Browns will be smart enough to use a late round pick on the Honey Badger.

          • Cranky M

            Are you kidding me? The Honey Badger is awful. Did you watch him play? His coverage skills are terrible. He wasn’t even the best coverage corner on his own college team.
            But hey, any time you can pick an undersized corner with no coverage skills and a multitude of character issues…..

    • Bryan

      I would rather keep Shurmur/Heckert than have Lombardi/Random Coach. I could not have imagined a situation 2 months ago in which I would have been happy with Shurmur staying, but there it is.

      One of the things I really love of late is the YAC. With Little and Gordon both as deep threats, we now have some soft spots over the middle. Weeds’ accuracy on those throws and Little and Gordon’s athleticism are leading to 20-30 yard plays on 5-10 yard routes. That is really fun to watch.

      • Beeej

        I love watching our receivers block down field.

    • bupalos

      You’re getting soft.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_PCO2kuvVpU PML

    How RAC went 10-6 at any point in his professional career may be one of the Universe’s great mysteries. Also, I enjoyed this thoroughly. Maybe it is possible for everyone involved to show improvement with more experience. Or the Chiefs blow. And the Chargers are handing Satan their taints. Great day indeed. All is right in the world.

    • Butzmark

      Poor RAC takes the blame, but the best QB he’s ever had was DA.

  • Bryan

    Not to start any crazy talk, but if the Browns somehow win out, they may have an outside chance at playoffs. We need Shittsbugh to lose 2 games, the Bungles to lose 2 games and the Jets to lose 1. We play Shittsburgh. Bungles play at Philly, at Pitt, vs Balt. Jets gotta lose one.

    • actovegin1armstrong

      Bryan has been smoking the Biki Lettuce.

      • Bryan

        lol. i don’t think we will actually make it, but the fact that we are not mathematically eliminated after 13 games after starting 0-5 is somewhat of a miracle.

        • actovegin1armstrong

          I agree and I was not being critical Bryan I was merely jealous. It would take all of the magic mushrooms on the manure in my garden two years ago and at least a day’s supply of Biki lettuce for me to even notice that the Browns were not yet eliminated from playoff contention.
          I considered them eliminated after the 1st round back in May.

        • Steve

          Eh, not really. There are only six teams eliminated from the playoffs already. It just means you aren’t the Chiefs.

          • Bryan

            Steve – Its more than that. We are 9th out of 16 teams in the AFC right now. There are currently only 3 teams ahead of us for the last spot: Pitt, Cinci, and Jets. I know it sounds crazy, but I think we are the best of those 4 teams right now.

            Again, its very much a long shot because we need so many things to fall our way, but it is kind of nuts that we are 2 games back of the playoffs with 3 to go. As Cranky notes, imagine if we had just won one of the following games: Philly, Indy, Baltimore (at home).

          • jpftribe

            I agree that we are the best of those three teams right now. However, there is no way they will win in Denver. Manning will pick them apart and Fox will have that D gunning for Weeden. An off season of wondering what might have been.

            And all this talk of giving Shurmur one more year is the cold reality setting in that Heckert is gone and we go back into rebuilding mode converting to a pro set offense with a second year rookie and a 3-4 defense with a shortage of LB’s and a surplus of really talented DL’s.

            You can’t make this shit up.

          • BIKI024

            i’m not sure anyone is suggesting they would switch to the 3-4. When we made the switch when Mangini left, it’s not like we were doing it that well to convince Heckert to stay in the 3-4.. but now that we’re playing better with a finally healthy defense is now 9th in the NFL in points allowed per game. Banner is a smart man of the tribe, it makes absolutely no sense to switch to a 3-4 with a Top 10 defense. Should be even better if they have the full season together, not to mention beefing up the secondary. getting a stud safety to pair with TJ we’re givin the bidness every week.

          • jpftribe

            My point isn’t that it makes sense to move to the 3-4. My point is that the keep Shurmur sentiment is a reaction to rumors that Heckert is out and Lombardi is in with Saban, Kelly or McDaniels. Rest assured if that happens it will be a 3-4 defense and none of them run the WCO.

            I am seriously hoping that all of this is a misguided self-marketing campaign orchestrated by Lombardi. I would love to see him get the Chiefs job, regardless of who he brings with him as coach.

            I am also hoping Banner is smart enough to figure out how to:
            A. Get rid of Shurmur
            B. keep Heckert
            C. Not hire Andy Reid

          • BIKI024

            i’m not convinced saban would be so stubborn to not keep it a base 4-3 with the way the Browns roster is madeup and then sprinkle in some of his other concepts. so does winning another championship help or hurt the chances he comes to NFL?

          • BIKI024

            Dallas warrants being in that group as well. of course most of our wins could’ve gone the other way as well, but yeah, losing 4 games by 3 or less has really hurt us.. We’re 2 wins away from holding that 6th spot which could easily go to an 8-8 team this year..

            coulda woulda shoulda, plus our wins have come with *astericks, and there may be another one if RG3 is out this week. i’m fully behind what Banner and Haslam do, but I’m loving the talent on this roster and whoever gets the keys to this team is going to have a fast car to drive with. add a few more bells and whistles this offseason via draft and the $40m cap room.

    • Cranky M

      All of those early losses early in the season are suddenly breaking my heart. That drop against Indianapolis, the debacle against Philly, etc etc…Would be so awesome if they were 6-6 right now with another game against Pittsburgh coming up.

  • nj0

    Is it any surprise that during the most impressive game of Shurmur’s tenure here the rumors start heating up about Lombardi?

  • GrandRapidsRustlers

    I think Nuke LaLoosh said it best:

    “I love winning man…I love winning it’s like…better than losing.”

  • BIKI024

    Man, if only lil man TB could stay on the field, he really gives us another nice weapon. Don’t look now but Josh Gordon has a good shot at getting to 1,000 yards, needs about 80 a game these next three after getting 8 for 86 today.

    Please god allow RG3 to play, I want to see how our defense does against them, will def be a challenge.

    What’s the line? My guess is Skins-3

    • Cranky M

      That knee injury looked brutal. The fact that he even came back in after that is sheer madness. At first glance, i would have guessed that he had torn every ligament in his knee.

      • Believelander

        Nah, it got whipped to the side. If i have to guess with the way it hyperextended, he probably has some inflammation in there, at worst case a torn meniscus or fluid build up, and might have pulled the FCL and/or ACL.

        Update: MRI says ‘Sprained right knee’.

  • alexb

    I’m willing to give shurm “1″ more year cause he has brought in some decent talent, and if the team is willing to play for him that’s really all that matters…not what we think. Unless Cowher wants to come coach the browns, other than that give Shurm another year otherwise we’re doing the same thing that got done to Mangini, not reward progress and then someone comes in and it’s another do over. We do that too much here in Cleveland.

    • Steve

      If we’re bringing back Shurmur for one more year to see what he can do because he had a nice winning streak, that’s exactly what we did to Mangini. The new regime has to decide (and quickly) do they want their own guy, or do they want to go long-term with Shurmur. Anything else is just wasting time.

      • alexb

        Well not exactly, Mangini only had two years. If Shurms contract was up fine, not sure if we would want to lock ourselves into 4 or more years with him….but doesn’t he have one more year left? Let that run out. We can’t really get worse. If we lose out, which is a distinct possibility even if RG can’t play next weekend….the team has at least shown a real will to fight. Bringing in a new guy who brings in a new system means we rebuild, AGAIN. Not a huge fan of shurm but I’m tired of rebuilding. Shurms brought in some decent talent on both sides of the ball….lets see where this goes.

  • BIKI024

    like Frownie would say: sun shine’s on a dog’s ass sometimes:

    per Peter King

    Special Teams Player of the Week

    Travis Benjamin, WR/KR, Cleveland. The rookie fourth-round pick from Miami (Fla.) made the longest punt return for touchdown in the storied history of the Browns, 93 yards, giving Cleveland a 10-7 second-quarter lead over Kansas City. The twisting, leaping, cutting return was one of the best in the NFL this season, but add to the skill of the return the prelude to it. Benjamin began the play at the line of scrimmage, blocking the Chiefs’ gunner, split wide right. About seven seconds before the snap, returner Josh Cribbs sprinted into a middle linebacker position, and Benjamin was left to sprint back into return position. Two seconds after he got there, the punt was floating down to him, and the rest is Browns history.

    Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/peter_king/12/10/Week14/index.html#ixzz2EfAuDhq1

    • Believelander

      This makes me like Benjamin’s punt return touchdown a little bit less, but only because Peter King is The Worst.

      • BIKI024

        hate him or love him, he does have a large audience, so it’s nice that the rook and the unit got some ink. love TB’s post game interview, seems like a real hardworking and hungry kid, another great pick for Heckert. but lil dude needs to find a way to stay on the field

        • Believelander

          The. Worst.

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