Written by Nick Allburn

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In the season's first two weeks we were been blown out and delivered a shocking upset.  On Sunday, the other shoe fell. That's right folks, welcome back to the wonderful world of gut-wrenching defeat.  In this week's version of Heroes and Zeroes, Nick Allburn hands out his Dawg Bones & Demerits from last week's game ... and in what should be a surprise to no one, Romeo caught some more heat from Nick.  Next week, Nick unveils his Heroes & Zeroes point standings, which he will track all year.

In the season's first two weeks we were been blown out and delivered a shocking upset.  On Sunday, the other shoe fell.  

That's right folks, welcome back to the wonderful world of gut-wrenching defeat.   

For a few fleeting seconds, it appeared that the Browns had won the game.  It wasn't long; just long enough to think that the Browns had won back to back games for the first time since 2003, that the Browns would be over .500 for the first time since the 2004 opening day shellacking of the Ravens, and that the Browns would no longer be in the basement of the AFC North (pending a Cincinnati loss, which came to fruition), if only for a week. 

The expansion Browns have rewritten the book on unique ways to lose.  In fact, the Browns have lost so many games in a strange and unusual manner that they could write their own book on the subject.  Some of these losses would have been downright funny if they weren't so emotionally devastating.  Make no mistake, this loss is not in the same class as the Helmet Toss, but it definitely belongs in the conversation.  But I digress... 

This Week's Zeroes

Five Demerits: Romeo Crennel

Piling onto the coach after every loss is a lazy way to go about things.  That being said, Crennel has to take the brunt of the heat this week; there's no denying it. 

The Browns weren't overmatched by the Raiders.  Frankly, the Browns are a far more talented club than the Raiders.  Quick, name one legitimate playmaker on the Raiders offense. 

Bueller...Bueller... 

...Anyone?  ...Anyone? 

Still, the Browns came out of the tunnel mentally weak on Sunday for the second time in three weeks.  There's no other explanation for falling behind a team as bad as the Raiders, 16-0.  And Braylon Edwards even admitted that the team may have taken the Raiders too lightly!  There are only a handful of NFL teams good enough to take another team lightly and still escape with a victory, and the Browns aren't even close to being one of them. 

And it should have been worse!  The Browns were quite fortunate that the Raiders had two first half possessions that stalled inside the Cleveland five-yard line. 

I hate to say it, because I am not a believer in changing horses midstream, but Crennel may be gone by midseason. 

Four Demerits: Eric Wright

I've looked the other way for two weeks, but this week I have to single out Eric Wright as the weakest link in the construction paper chain that is the Browns secondary.   

I'm not even close to giving up on Eric Wright, but let's face it: Eazy-E has looked overwhelmed in his first three starts. 

Frozen for a split second by the Raiders' play action fake, Wright was torched on a 41-yard hookup from Josh McCown to Ronald Curry. 

Early in the week, Romeo Crennel suggested that he might demote Wright this week, presumably replacing him with Daven Holly.  That's probably the correct choice; Holly is the better player at this point.  Maybe the Browns were asking a little too much of a guy with only 10 college starts under his belt.  Moving Wright to the nickel package might give him a better chance to get his bearings, then possibly reclaim his starting position later on. 

Three Demerits: Those Three Old Fat Guys (aka the Defensive Line)

The down linemen in the 3-4 defense are not meant to be significant players in the pass rush, but they need to be enough of a factor to occupy the offensive linemen and to plug the gaps against the run.  Our guys simply aren't cutting' it. 

Oakland amassed 186 rushing yards on Sunday.  If I was calling the plays for the Raiders, I never would have put the ball in the air.  When your team is averaging over 4.5 yards per carry, why would you? 

Have you watched supposed run-stuffer Ted Washington lately?  The only thing that guy is qualified to stuff is his face.  With how little Big Ted moves during any given play, he might as well just sit down, at least he would be harder to move that way. 

Then there's Orpheus Roye; it figures that after signing a three-year contract extension during the 2006 offseason, all he's been is either injured or ineffective. 

Okay, we signed Robaire Smith this year, and he is probably our best lineman, but it''s merely by default.  If anything, he's the least...bad......least worst? 

But it''s not just the fault of the players; somebody's signing these geriatric gentlemen, and that somebody is Phil Savage. 

Good 3-4 linemen don't grow on trees; they are far fewer in number than their 4-3 counterparts.  It is exceedingly difficult to find a high-caliber 3-4 lineman on the free agent market because teams that run the 3-4 are smart enough to keep their top linemen.  The best way to acquire these specialized linemen, particularly the coveted franchise nose tackle, is through the draft. 

Let''s look at Phil Savage's record; in his three draft classes thus far, he's never spent a day one pick on a defensive lineman.  In fact, Savage has never chosen a defensive lineman prior to round six!  Suddenly, the source of Cleveland's weakness up front isn't so mysterious. 

Two Demerits: Derek Anderson

To channel Denny Green, Derek Anderson is who we thought he was. 

For the third week in a row, the box score was far more kind to Derek Anderson than the film.  In other words, DA is a much better option for fantasy teams than he is for the Browns. 

Anderson threw a pair of interceptions, but easily could have thrown six.  There were several "What is he thinking!?" moments, not the least of which when Anderson forced a pass to Braylon Edwards into quadruple coverage.  Honestly, the guy must be color blind or something. 

How about that errant throw to a wide open Steve Heiden in the end zone with 18 second left in the first half?  There are fans in the stands who can make that throw.  (Left-handed, without spilling the Bud Light in their right hand.) 

I hate to say it, but if Brady Quinn had played instead of Anderson, the Browns would be 2-1 right now.   

Anderson is a solid number two, but he's no starter.  The Browns are going nowhere with Anderson, and it's time to start thinking about getting Brady Quinn some action.  Baltimore and New England are on the docket for the next two weeks, and neither match up is desirable for a rookie signal caller.  Week six at home against Miami is Brady's best bet. 

One Demerit: NFL Rules Committee

Something must be done about these last second timeouts on field goals.  Two weeks in a row, points have come off the board in an endgame scenario (Denver pulled the same stunt against Oakland in week two).  This is a hole in the rules that certainly doesn't benefit the offense; it can't be easy to kick a long, high-pressure field goal once, let alone twice. 

I don''t know exactly how you fix it, maybe if the offense is in field goal formation, the defensive team shouldn't be able to call timeout when the play clock is under 15 seconds?  Regardless, this is a hole in the rules that certainly doesn't benefit the offense.  However, in the meantime, let's hope that karma allows us to win a game in similar fashion. 
 

This Week's Heroes

Five Dog Bones: Joshua Cribbs

Cribbs had another stellar performance Sunday, as his kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter sparked the Browns' comeback, although they ultimately fell short.  In addition to the scoring return, Cribbs chipped in with a tackle on special teams and a seven-yard run. 

I especially liked the gadget play involving Cribbs, and I maintain that Rob Chudzinski should draw up a handful of plays each game that take advantage of Cribbs' unique skill set.  The quarterback draw was a good start.  How about Cribbs throwing a pass, perhaps a flea flicker-type play?  Stay tuned. 

Four Dog Bones: Kamerion Wimbley

Hey, there's our best defender!  Wimbley had his first big game of the ‘07 campaign, logging two sacks and a forced fumble to go along with five tackles.   

Wimbley is basically the lone threat of the Browns' pass rush, so it was good to finally see him get going. 

Three Dog Bones: Rob Chudzinski

After last year's Carthon/Davidson tag team, Chud doesn't exactly have a tough act to follow. 

Still, the OC called a great game on Sunday, and had the Browns (namely, Derek Anderson) executed better, they would have put up huge numbers for the second consecutive week. 

There was mild genius in the play action fake on fourth-and-one late in the first half, when the Browns faked the fullback trap to Lawrence Vickers that was stuffed last week on fourth down, and Anderson then completed a 15-yard pass to Jamal Lewis.  It feels a bit novel to have an offensive coordinators decisions make sense, considering some of the lunacy we endured last year (e.g. the much-maligned Lawrence Vickers option pass). 

It would have been nice to see more commitment to the running game, but falling behind 16-0 has a nasty habit of neutralizing the rushing attack. 

Two Dog Bones: Braylon Edwards

Braylon Edwards wants to be an elite receiver; elite receivers show up every week. 

Following a career game against the Bengals in week two, Edwards took a good first step towards reaching that elite status with a solid, if unspectacular performance.  Edwards grabbed four catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.  Get this man the football. 

One Dog Bone: Scott Player

I'm not sure where Scott Player came from, but he left me wanting more.  I'd like to see the D-Zaster in there every week, but if Zastudil's on the shelf, Player should be the first guy we call. 

Insert Player or Player-Hater joke here. 

Just look at him!  He's listed as 36, but with that wonderfully white grandpa mustache, who's he kidding?  "Thanks to Bowflex, I'm in the best shape of my life.  I'm 49 years old and I'm living my dream, playing for a professional football team!" 

And the old school single bar facemask is a thing of beauty.  Is that thing actually supposed to offer any protection?  It was bent to a nearly vertical angle, looking more like a chin strap than a facemask.  Bravo, Mr. Player. 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that he was solid filling in for Zastudil at punter. 

Up Next: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns Stadium, 1:00

The Browns gave the Ravens all they could handle when the two teams met in Cleveland last season, and I foresee a similar outcome this time.  Make no mistake: the Browns can win this game, but it will take a big play, like a defensive or special teams touchdown, to pull off the upset.

My Call: Ravens 20, Browns 16