Written by Chris Hutchison

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Originally published at LandLoyalty.com:

Welcome to the second edition of The Browns’ Pulse. In this weekly article we pose five Browns related questions to Cleveland Sports Bloggers from different websites including ClevelandReboot.com, TheClevelandFan.com, and WaitingForNextYear.com.

Here are this week’s five questions:

1. What was the Browns biggest problem week one?
2. How much stock do you place into losing the first game?
3. What is your take on the current running back rotation?
4. How do you think Jake Delhomme will respond to his week one performance during the course of the season?
5. What are the keys for the Browns headed into the game with the Chiefs?

Scott from Waiting For Next Year:

1. Their inability to move the ball through the air. They were able to focus on the run through most of the game, but once Tampa Bay started packing the box and testing the passing game, things fell apart in a very bad way.

2. Typically, none. Indianapolis, San Diego, San Francisco…. they’ll all be just fine. But with the Browns, and their schedule, losing the first game does not bode well for an improved season record-wise.

3. While I feel that Jerome Harrison needs to get more than 10 touches to be effective, I have no issues using Peyton Hillis as a power back. The Browns need a guy of his mold, and while it should have been Montario Hardesty getting those carries, it would have been a split one way or the other. As long as they hang on to the football, they’re fine by me.

4. It isn’t the week 1 performance that I’m concerned about as much as his inability to put together a full game agains top-tier defensive units. I don’t think we will pin every poor game from here out on the first week – it will be more of a function of his overall skill set.

5. Take care of the football on offense and don’t allow the big plays on defense.

Chris from The Cleveland Fan:

1. Turnovers. Certainly, the injury/deterioration of Delhomme’s game (and the resultant conservative/predictable playcalling) was a serious deterrent to the Offensive success, but it came after that first pick that resulted in a Tampa TD – a 10 to 14 point swing right there. The Hillis fumble in the Red Zone that blew another 3 to 7 points was just gasoline on the fire. Without those 2 brutal, blood-vessel-popping, beer-can-throwing, life-sucking turnovers, the Browns win that game, injured/ineffective Delhomme or not.

Give ‘em 2 FG’s instead of 2 turnovers, and they win that game 20-10 with relative comfort.

2. Normally, I’d say “not so much”. But when you blow the easiest game of your season, you’re a team with a limited experience with success, and your upcoming schedule is as unkind as it is, I put way more stock into losing this first game that I would otherwise. It felt like the chain broke as our train got to the top of the first hill of the roller coaster, and our doom now is to fly backwards off the track. Into a pit of broken-glass-covered alligators.

Logical? No. But it’s hard for me to overcome a sense of horrible déjà vu.

3. I don’t mind a 50-50 ratio between Jerome Harrison and Peyton Hillis – just so long as they both get more carries. Harrison and Hillis both have a specific skill set which is different from the other, so extensive use of both of them can be beneficial for the playcalling. But with the plethora of running weapons the Browns have, they need to be far more imaginative than just Harrison/Hillis. You have to throw James Davis into the mix. You have to throw Josh Cribbs into the mix. You have to throw Seneca Wallace into the mix. Hell, if you have the innovation, find a way to have all 5 on the field at once.

4. Provided he is healthy (always a question) and provided he can keep from pressing (an even bigger question), Delhomme should be able to play the way he did in the Tampa game prior to the first INT. Which is, to say, ah-ite. Good enough to beat teams like the Bucs, hardly Pro Bowl worthy.

That’s the best case scenario. There’s also a significant chance that his failures will snowball and bury him (and the Browns).

5. They’re the same as they always are: Run the ball. Stop the run. Control the line of scrimmage. Pressure the QB. Don’t make the big mistakes. Don’t make the big mistakes. Don’t make the big mistakes.

Dave from Cleveland Reboot:

1. The biggest problem the Browns faced in Week One was scheduling. In so many ways, the Bucs – featuring the youngest talent in the league – proved to be quicker, faster and more adaptable than the Browns. Although there were a few bright spots to be found in this latest chapter of the eternal rebuild, the Browns were simply overmatched talent-wise.

2. I put a lot of stock into the Week One loss, while also refusing to acknowledge that the season is in some way already over. These Browns certainly have more depth than of their predecessors of the expansion era, but unfortunately, this is a team built for power – playing in a league that is built for speed. Having said that, the Browns are going to struggle with younger, more athletic teams – but could fare well against older, more physical teams – such as the ones that dominate the AFC North.

3. The running back situation is a bit confusing at the moment. Certainly, there is some depth with a combination of Peyton Hillis and Jerome Harrison. However, it is obvious that the coaching staff still does not have complete faith in Harrison. However, after two Hillis fumbles, the same argument could be made for the Week One starter.

4. On one hand, Delhomme is not the type of QB who will lack for confidence. While this is a great quality for a QB to have, it’s worth noting that sometimes Delhomme’s imagination is greater than his physical attributes. Unlike the tentative play of Brady Quinn last year, Delhomme is not afraid to take a gamble. Of course, the bad news is…..Delhomme is not afraid to take a gamble.

5. The Browns will have to stack the front seven against the Chiefs’ ground game and play the kind of lateral run defense that they have historically struggled with. Also, because the Chiefs had such great success with their rushing attack in Week One, the Browns will have to rely on some man coverage in the secondary. Conversely, the Browns can’t afford a succession of short offensive possessions and turnovers. Controlling the clock on both sides of the ball will be key to a Browns’ win.

Nick from LandLoyalty.com:

1. The answer here has to be the turnovers. Just taking away the pre-halftime interception would have been plenty to ensure a Browns victory. That swing of at least seven points set the stage for the rest of the game. If not the turnovers than simply the risky and injured play of QB Jake Delhomme. He made many questionable throws and seemed quite bothered by that ankle injury through most of the second half.

2. The first game is huge for the Browns. Not only is it important for them to establish some sort of confidence and momentum moving forward, but it is also one of the few obviously winnable games on their schedule for most of the season. The game against KC is huge because after that the Browns will have to really earn any victories from there on out.

3. I like the way that it has played out. I think that Peyton Hillis can be VERY effective in the Browns’ offense and his pass catching ability has been a nice wrinkle. Jerome Harrison probably deserves more touches, but I still do not think that he is nearly as good as he played down the stretch last season. In any event I would like to see the Browns run the ball even more and favor that style of play more so than in week one.

4. I am sure that Jake will be fine once his ankle is healthy again. As long as he comes to grips with his physical limitations, I think that he will be a more than adequate QB for the Browns this season. The problem he has is that he does not know when to stop and often makes horrible miscalculations. I do enjoy the fact that he is willing to take risks, but in the future he needs to be more cautious in obviously adverse situations.

5. The key against the Chiefs will be to simply play a full game. The Browns are famous for not being able to play their game for four quarters and last week was another classic one. If the offense can be productive, at least enough to command field position and give the defense a break, for the entire game they should be fine.