Written by Chris Hutchison

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Week 17 – Cleveland vs Pittsburgh

 

You probably haven't heard, but Eric Mangini was fired on Monday.

 

There are many reasons for this action, but chief amongst them is this:  Mangini and Mike Holmgren come from opposite ends of the Offensive philosophical spectrum.

 

Those losses to Buffalo and Cincy?  The blowout against Pittsburgh?  The boneheaded clock management, the player decisions, the going for Field Goals at the 1 yard line?  That was certainly rope for Mangini to hang himself with, but this season was all about one thing (and this is Holmgren speaking):

 

I don't agree with your Offensive scheme, but you did manage to win 4 games at the end of the (2009) season, and I have to admit that there isn't just one way to skin a cat.  So even though my instincts tell me to bring in someone to run something much closer to my system, I'm going to give you a shot.  You at least deserve that.  I'm a coach too, and I understand what you're trying to do, and you should get a chance to do it.

 

But if it doesn't work, you do realize I'm going to have to make a change?  I want to build a winner here, and there's one way I know how to build a winner, and it's not the way you do it.  So - and I don't want to put pressure on you - but you need to win and you need to do it now, because I'm not going to go any further down this path if I don't think it leads to the promised land.

 

Some might call that unfair, but not me.  Holmgren gave Mangini a shot to prove himself when he didn't have to, when a lot of other guys wouldn't have.  His gut instinct was probably to get rid of the guy with the Neolithic Offensive scheme and crap Coordinator and install one of "his" guys.  That's what you do when you're "runnin' things".  Unless they are crazy productive, you move out the people that don't do things the way you want and move in the people that do. 

 

The only thing I can really criticize Holmgren for in this mess is that maybe he was too nice.  Maybe he was too much "sympathetic fellow coach" and not enough "all-business front office exec".  In other words, if he felt that Mangini's system wouldn't work the way he wanted it to, he should've cut bait last year despite the season ending 4 game winning streak.  Anytime you take a year "to see if X will work" - and it doesn't - then you're a year behind where you could be. 

 

Still, hard to really fault him for giving the guy a shot.  Mangini probably deserved it.  So what if it was a difficult opportunity - it was still an opportunity.

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Inevitably, in swoops The Agenda - that mass of people that seem to have some personal vendetta/crusade against/for certain players/coaches/executives, and abandon reason and objectivity in pursuit of crucifying/deifying the individuals they hate/love.

 

In this case, The Agenda is very upset that their beloved Coach is gone and want to blame Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren for said Coach's failings and subsequent departure.

 

Theory #1 - Heckert and Holmgren didn't give Mangini enough talent to work with.

 

Debunkification #1 - This wasn't a good team when Mangini took it over, and he (and maybe Kokinis) tore it down to the ground to build it the way he wanted to.  Which is OK in theory, but it leaves your team devoid of talent, and the disastrous 2009 draft certainly didn't help matters.  So, at the end of the 2009 season, this was a team with about as little talent as any in the league.

 

Then Heckert & Holmgren took over and had one of the best offseasons in the NFL, improving the talent level greatly at many positions.  But were they able to fix all the deficiencies?  No, that's impossible.  There is no way that ANYONE could fix all the problems that the 2009 Browns had.

 

And yet The Agenda wants to blame Heckgren for not fixing everything in one fell swoop, thus enabling Mangini to have a "perfect" team.  Now, there is plenty of fodder to argue if Mangini is a good coach or not, but to intimate that Mangini failed solely because the front office didn't try hard enough to get him talent is straight retarded.

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Theory #2 - Because Holmgren refused to say he would never coach again, Mangini was under too much pressure and the players felt like he was a Dead Man Walking.

 

Debunkification #2 - If an NFL Head Coach cannot perform under pressure, perhaps he shouldn't be an NFL Head Coach.  Handling pressure is part of the job requirement.  And players aren't going to tank because they think maybe the Coach isn't going to be back, especially if his possible replacement is watching from above.  Players play for themselves, first and foremost.  Tanking isn't in their best interest with any Coach on any team. 

 

Plus, after the New England win, I defy you to find one single player who felt that Mangini would be fired at the end of the year.  Almost no one did.

 

Not to mention that I'm sure most of that locker room thought Mangini was a DMW at the end of last year too, and they still managed to win the last 4.  This theory is grasping at straws.

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Theory #3 - Holmgren forced Jake Delhomme on Mangini, and no one can win with Jake Delhomme.

 

Debunkification #3 - There is no doubt that Delhomme is crappy, but he was still an improvement over the Quinn/Anderson duo.  Heckgren wanted a stopgap veteran to man the fort for a year or two until they got a young 'un ready to take over full time, and there wasn't a lot available.  Several guys like McNabb, Campbell, and Leinart became available later on, but they weren't true options when the Browns signed Jake.

 

And don't you dare tell me Vick.  You know perfectly well that there was no way Mangini would want a potential distraction like Vick around, and Holmgren always says he won't force a player on a coach.

 

The rest of the guys that were available?  Probably no better than Delhomme.  And most of them had to be traded for.  Starting caliber QB's just aren't a dime a dozen.

 

Who knows if Delhomme would've played better had he remained healthy, but the truth is that he only started 4 games and went 2-2 in those.  Delhomme's presence had little effect on the outcome of the season as a whole.

 

Besides, I'm sure Mangini's seal of approval was all over Jake.  Remember that it was Mangini that kept forcing a hobbled Delhomme down our throats when a healthy Wallace was available.  I refuse to believe for one minute that Holmgren "forced" Mangini to play anybody... ESPECIALLY Delhomme over Seneca, who is even more one of "Holmgren's guys" than Jake is.

 

Yeah, Delhomme wasn't the ideal acquisition, but for what was available at the time and compared to what Mangini was able to win with last year... I'm not sure what The Agenda would have had them do.

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Theory #4 - Combine all three into one Master Plot to Throw Mangini Under The Bus so Holmgren could justify firing him and take over the team.

 

Debunkification #4 - This is the silliest of them all.  Make no mistake - for as long as he wants it, this is Mike Holmgren's team.  Randy Lerner might as well not even exist.  Holmgren makes all the decisions, Holmgren attends the owner's meetings, Holmgren can do whatever the F*** he wants.

 

At the end of last year, Holmgren could've walked in and tossed Mangini's butt to the curve and taken over the Head Coaching position and that would've been that.  Lerner gave Holmgren de facto power to "Fix This Mess", and that included Coaching (if he saw fit).

 

So Mike Holmgren didn't have to "throw anybody under the bus".  He could've just as easily walked up to Mangini and stabbed him in the heart right in plain view of the general public, and he would've gotten away with it.

 

In the end, yeah, maybe Mangini could've squeezed a winning record out of a more talent-laden team, but nobody (and I mean nobody) can fix overnight the personnel disaster that Mangini himself left behind.

 

In the end, yeah, maybe Delhomme wasn't very good, but he played just 1/4 of the season, and he wasn't the reason the team tanked in the end.  What happened was that the Jaguars figured out the rinky-dink Offensive scheme that Daboll & Mangini were running, and they (Mangini & Daboll) couldn't adjust.

 

In the end, throwing the blame for Mangini's demise at Heckgren is just excuse-making for a Coach that some people had allowed themselves to become attached to, sacrificing objectivity along the way.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen - attach thyselves to the team, not the individuals.  Every last player, coach, exec on this team will fail at some point.  Most of them will end their careers elsewhere.  If you care more about the individual than the team he plays on/works for, then I don't know what to say to you.

 

Other than maybe "enjoy rooting for the Heat."

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I will now give you my credo regarding this entire situation.  You can choose to embrace whatever ghosts you want.

 

I believe that Mike Holmgren truly likes Eric Mangini on a personal level.

 

I believe that his feelings about Eric and his sense of fairness led him to give Mangini the 2010 season to prove himself.

 

I believe that Mangini was involved in the player acquisition process, and that Heckgren did as they promised and didn't force any players on the Coach.

 

I believe that Holmgren felt that Mangini would have a better chance of actually staying if he and Daboll learned the way he (Holmgren) did it from Gil Haskell, which is why Gil was involved in the Camps and Preseason.

 

I believe that Mangini and especially Daboll bristled at "being told what to do", and Haskell backed off with Holmgren's permission.

 

I believe that right then and there, Holmgren was pretty sure that the marriage wouldn't work, but the season was beginning so there was nothing he could do, and he HAD promised to give Eric (and by extension, Daboll) a shot to prove himself.

 

I believe that Holmgren & Haskell gave suggestion when asked, but volunteered less ideas after their previous input was somewhat ignored.  I believe they didn't meddle in the coaching affairs at all, both out of respect for coaches to do it their way and  "You claim you know what you're doing - you'd better be right."  (Don't you stick that knife in your leg, Ricky Bobby!)

 

I believe it didn't take much of watching Daboll's Offense for Holmgren & Haskell to get ill.

 

I believe Mangini did Holmgren a lot of favors as far as making it easier to fire him (especially at the end of the season), because I believe that Holmgren felt bad about it.

 

I do not believe that Holmgren made the decision to fire Mangini on Monday morning, or that his firing was all about wins and losses.  I believe that's what someone in his position has to say, though.  There's no reason to besmirch and belittle Mangini at this point, especially since he likes the guy.

 

I believe that Eric Mangini is a good coach, and might be a college Head Coach or NFL Defensive Coordinator next season, and will do fine with either job.  I also believe it is unlikely he'll ever be a Head Coach in the NFL again.

 

I believe that Brian Daboll will fade off into obscurity.

 

I believe that Rob Ryan will resurface elsewhere and quickly, and that there is still potential for him to be a Head Coach someday.  His name certainly doesn't hurt.

 

I believe that it sucks that we're turning over again, but I believe that Holmgren made the right move for the entire organization.  As long as he's in charge, he has to run things the way he thinks is best to help this team reach the pinnacle.  Sure, none of those other re-boots worked, but Holmgren isn't responsible for those.  This is his shot.

 

I believe that Holmgren is telling the truth when he says he doesn't want to coach this year.  I believe his wife has put a lot of pressure on him to stay retired, and the longer he stays out of coaching, the easier it becomes for him to stay out.  Especially if he puts a guy that runs his system in place.

 

I believe Holmgren really and truly wants to build this team into a Champion.  It would be the crowning achievement of his career.

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Game Recap

 

As if.

 

Final:  Inbred 94, Browns 0.

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Conclusion

 

Time of Possession:  Pittsburgh – 33:14, Cleveland – 26:46

Total Yards:  Pittsburgh - 418, Cleveland – 225

First Downs:  Pittsburgh – 24, Cleveland - 17

 

I conclude that this game was really bad and that the Browns still continue to remain several rungs below Pittsburgh.  I also conclude that I hope the Steelers die.

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Gameballs

 

There are none of these.  Not for a player wearing an orange helmet.

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Honorable Mention

 

Ben Watson – Seems like the only passing threat some days.

 

Brian Robiskie – Helluva way to end the season... one of the few to do so in strong fashion.

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Wall of Shame

 

Robert Royal - How many TD passes did you drop?  Was it 3?  Is that a new NFL record?

 

Mangini/Daboll - Waited until it was 28-3 to give the only healthy RB a carry, which, shockingly, went for 11 yards.  And going for 2 down 32 points when you wouldn't go for the TD when you were only down 14?  Way too little, way too late.

 

John St. Clair - I just like seeing his name here.

 

Colt McCoy - Apparently the accuracy goes out the window when he starts to press.

 

The Cleveland Browns Organization - Once again, Cleveland Browns Stadium was a home game for the unwashed, illiterate Steeler-fan hoards, thousands and thousands of toothless mouth-breathers twirling their used toilet paper in the air as a salute to their own ability to bandwagon with good teams.  As much as we'd like to drop a giant roach-bomb in the stadium and put the vermin down in one fell stroke, the reality is that we won't eradicate the masses of inbred from our home games until the Cleveland franchise can get its head out of its own proverbial ass.

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First and foremost, I'd like to wish Eric Mangini good luck.  Out of all the New Browns' "deceased" Coaches, I liked him the most.  I appreciated the fact that he had a set of values and a system of doing things in which he truly believed.  To me, he's a bit of dreamer - a younger man with an older soul that longs for the way things used to be. 

 

I think that he would do quite well (and be fairly successful) at a Div.II/III school, or perhaps a medium-sized Div. I college in the Northeast like UConn.  At a place like that, his system and his process and his conservatism and his Offensive philosophies will work out well with a bunch of kids that he gets to recruit himself, and mild sustained success will allow him to comfortably keep his job for 10-20 years.

 

He strikes me as a man who loves to Coach, and doesn't need the glory (and doesn't particularly care for those who do).  Additionally, he handled the fire/not-fire speculation and the eventual firing itself with nothing but class.  It's the mark of a man with high character.

 

Maybe he didn't always communicate well with the players.  Maybe he was slow to adjust, to embrace new ideas.  But he never pretended to be someone he isn't, and he was certainly undeserving of the national ridicule that followed him to (and probably from) Cleveland.

 

So good luck to you, Mr. Mangini.  May you find success and happiness in your future, whatever that should bring.

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Except against the Browns, of course - I'm not one of those misguided people that ever hopes an ex-coach/ex-player "sticks" it to my team.

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The Replacements

 

No, this isn't the crap band from the late 80's or the enjoyable movie from 2000.  These are some of the possible men to take up the mantle of Latest Browns Head Coach, and hopefully break this Cycle of Suck that we have been stuck in for the last forever.

 

It's safe to say that whomever is hired by Holmgren will have to adhere to his system - the West Coast Offense - or something similar to it.  He said as much in his press conference; when asked if the next Head Coach had to run the West Coast, he replied:

 

"If I hire a coach, I'm hiring a coach.  He's going to run what he runs, what he's comfortable with, what he knows.  Now will it be part of the consideration in the process?  Absolutely, but I am not going to interfere that way as a president.  I did not do it this year, I'm not going to do it next year and I'm not going to do it ever.  That's not fair.  Is it a consideration in this process?  I think it is though.  Maybe not the 'system' exactly but certainly something that I think allows the quarterback in this case in one of our quarterbacks to be successful."

 

Translation - The new Coach is going to run whatever he wants... but he won't get the job unless it's what I want (or damn close to it).

 

Reading between the lines, Holmgren seems interested in fixing the Offensive side of the ball and thus hiring an Offensive coach.  A change to the West Coast system won't be as huge a change as some might think - this team needs a lot of talent-infusion on that side of the ball no matter what Offense they run.

 

So, when looking around the league, you logically look at guys that fit any of the following criteria:  Offensive-minded, West Coast familiar, previous association with Holmgren and his system.  Guys who might fit this...

 

Mike Mularkey - Already scheduled for an interview, Mularkey has been the Offensive Coordinator in Atlanta for the last 3 years and has been credited with the development of Matt Ryan.  No history with Holmgren, but he does have Head Coaching experience - 2 years (14-18) with the Bills from 2004-2005, resigning due to the "direction of the organization" because of disagreements with new management.  An interesting possibility.

 

Jon Gruden - Most people seem to be largely enamored with this possibility.  He's a big name, he's won a Super Bowl, he's from Ohio, he's got a huge personality.  In 11 years of coaching at Oakland and Tampa Bay, he's 100-85 with 5 playoff appearances and a Ring.  However, there are issues about Gruden that give me pause, such as the way he handles QB's and his ability to alienate some players.  Still, he has credibility, he runs the WCO, and he and Holmgren go all the way back to when Mike was OC in SF (1990).

 

Marty Mornhinweg - When you say his name, I think immediately of him riding his motorcycle out of the middle of practice like a tool because he was "upset", and it's not an image that grows my respect.  That, and he was 5-27 in 2 years as Head Coach in Detroit - not exactly glowing.  However... I have warmed on him as late since Matt Millen was very complicit in the horrible-osity of that Lion team, and MM has done nothing but a stellar job running the Offense in Philly the last 5 years, and he's worked with Holmgren before.

 

Brad Childress - No.  No no no.  Childress is an Offensive-minded coach that comes from the Andy Reid branch of the Holmgren tree, and he had his team inches from the Super Bowl as recently as last year, but this guy has zero cred with players at this point, and would be a disastrous hire.

 

Perry Fewell - Unlikely, because he's defensive minded (D Coordinator for the Giants) and he has no previous history with Holmgren.  I hope he's more than a token Rooney Rule interview, however, because I thought he did pretty well when he was the interim Head Coach in Buffalo last year (3-4) and really brought the Giants D back to life this season after it crashed in 2009 following the departure of Steve Spagnuolo.  Should be interviewed this week.

 

Pat Shurmur - Also already scheduled for an interview, his uncle was Fritz Shurmur, a D Coordinator under Holmgren in Green Bay, plus Pat has worked for the Eagles.  He's currently the O Coordinator in St. Louis, and has been credited with some of the development of rookie Sam Bradford.  Doubtful, since he's only been an OC for 2 years and doesn't have much experience yet, but you never know.

 

John Fox - Just got fired after 9 seasons in Carolina (78-74), including a Super Bowl appearance (3 trips to the playoffs).  Fox is a defensive Coach, and he doesn't have any previous connection to Holmgren or his tree, but he has a good rep around the league and is respected by his players.  I don't dislike this option.

 

Steve Mariucci - Seems like this guy's been out of football for about 30 years now, but it's only been 5 years since he got fired in Detroit.  His overall record is 75-71 in 9 years with the 49'ers and Lions with 4 playoff appearances (all in SF), and was the Quarterbacks Coach in Green Bay under Holmgren.  I think he's pretty unlikely at this point.

 

Jeff Fisher - Well, now that it appears the Titans will be axing Vince Young, it's likely that Fisher stays in Tennessee.  Too bad - I would've been VERY interested in him.

 

Mike Sherman - Sherman worked under Holmgren on the offensive side of the ball in both Green Bay and Seattle, and became the Packers Head Coach in 2000.  He put up a very solid 61-47 record in 6 years in Green Bay, including 4 playoff appearances, but he got fired after his first losing season and became Head Coach at Texas A&M (where he currently is), turning around that program from 4-8 to 9-3 in 3 seasons.  Would be an interesting hire.

 

Jim Mora, Jr. - He was Holmgren's hand-chosen successor in Seattle, but only survived one year after a 5-11 record.  He also ran up a 27-23 record in Atlanta in 3 seasons.  Not an overly exciting prospect at this point.  Besides, I'd be surprised if he left his media job right now.

 

Jim Harbaugh - Apparently turned down an opportunity to interview, so there ya go.

 

Bill Cowher - Well, you can't have a coaching discussion without throwing his name in there, but I highly doubt he'd want to come to Cleveland with Holmgren and Heckert in charge of the Front Office, and I doubt that Heckgren would want him either.  This is just a marriage that won't happen, so no need to consider it.

 

Jim Zorn - My first inclination is to gag.  But when you look at the disaster that is trying to be a Head Coach in Washington, his 12-20 record in 2 years ('08 & '09) isn't quite vomitous.  He worked as a Quarterbacks Coach in Seattle for years under Holmgren & Haskell, and is working in the same capacity right now in Baltimore.  Not my first choice by a long shot, but I'd give him the benefit of the doubt if they went that direction.

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And now we must address the question of Mr. McCoy.

 

I know his ankle wasn't quite right, and that affects his overall game, but these last 2 games have made me a little nervous.  Some of the 6 picks weren't his fault (like the first one last Sunday), but balls are sailing on him and turning into easy INT's.

 

The running game failed him for the last 2 games, so he felt he had to do it all himself, and he wasn't up to the task.  Saying he was pressing is putting it mildly.  There's trying hard and then there's trying desperately.  Even his usually impeccable accuracy goes out the window when his brain shuts off from the physical and mental pressure.

 

And, yes, his bugaboo - his questionable arm strength - certainly came into play in these 2 games.  It was a little alarming, frankly.  Bernie Kosar proved that you don't need to have a gun to play next to the lake, but you do have to know how to handle the conditions more than those guys sporting cannons.

 

Andrew Luck won't be there.  I think that's a given.  And if he was, then the Browns would take him.  Not many teams wouldn't.  Jimmy Clausen was picked a whole round higher than McCoy, and the Panthers won't think twice about drafting Luck.

 

But Cam Newton (or Ryan Mallet/Jake Locker, if those guys are your flavor) might be there when the Browns pick at #6.  And unless you have a Franchise QB, you need one.

 

Is Colt a Franchise QB?  Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Well...

 

I guess it only makes sense to see what an offseason as unquestioned starter and a new Offensive system tailored to guys with Colt's skill set might bring.  Not to mention that Scott Fujita said he was going to have Colt spend some time with Drew Brees this summer (Brees and he are close friends from the New Orleans days).

 

But to pass on a Cam Newton, a guy whose ceiling is infinitely higher than Colt's (though there is a bust factor)...?

 

I'm glad I don't have to make that decision.

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Season Ending Awards

 

Offensive MVP - Peyton Hillis (runner up - Ben Watson).  Hillis was a goldmine of production from the get-go, making Jerome Harrison quickly expendable.  Not only was a bruising runner with speed that could literally jump over people, but he was a great receiver out of the backfield too.  I don't know if I've ever seen a guy account for a higher percentage of his team's carries, which means he was carrying a huge load.  As soon as teams learned that all they had to do was stop Hillis and the Browns were dead meat, we truly saw how important he was to any earlier season success they enjoyed. 

 

Final Stats:  1177 yards rushing (4.4 ypc), 477 yards receiving (7.8 ypr), 13 TD, 13 yards passing.

 

Defensive MVP - TJ Ward (runners up - Joe Haden, Ahtyba Rubin).  Not too bad from the 2nd Round pick that nobody wanted.  Anytime an opponent got lit up, you knew who did the lighting.  Strong in run support, he led the team in tackles.  But where he really impressed me was pass coverage, which was his supposed weakness.  He got beat from time to time, but he also had more than his share of passes defensed.  And he can only get better.

 

Final Stats:  123 tackles, 2 INT's, 39 return yards, 1 forced fumble, 10 passes defensed.

 

Special Teams MVP - Reggie Hodges (runner up - Phil Dawson).  It is rare indeed when the consistent performance of a Punter stands out so, but Reggie was great.  Not only did he show that he has a big foot, but his touch to land balls inside the 20 (and 10) was sometimes uncanny.  And who can forget the big run on the fake punt against New Orleans?  Great season.

 

Final Stats:  43.9 yard average, 39.0 net average, long of 59, 29 punts inside the 20 (out of 78 - 37.2%), 7.1 yard return average, 68 yards rushing.

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Next Up

 

The Offseason 

 

The Browns won this game last year, but it'll take another big performance to make 2011 worthwhile.  Time for Heckert to earn his dough.

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Thing I Like Aaron Goldhammer More Than

 

7-9 Playoff Teams

 

If you were lucky enough to watch the Sunday night football game, you witnessed an epic winner-take-all battle between the Rams of St. Louis and the Seahawks of Seattle.  Coming into the game, the Rams were 7-8 and the 'Hawks were 6-9... in fact, if Seattle had lost, they likely would've earned the #7 draft slot right behind the Browns.

 

Instead, they were gifted a playoff spot because their division is the worst I've ever seen.

 

Watching the game, I was struck by how truly bad the two teams were.  I didn't really expect it - I figured that this was effectively a playoff game, and no matter how badly these guys were against real teams, they would go Battle Royale against someone of their own level. 

 

Instead, it felt like I was watching the Cleveland Browns play the Cleveland Browns.  

 

I've heard a lot about how great Sam Bradford is, and that might very well be true, but he looked really late season Colt McCoy-ish in that game to me, and the few good balls he threw were dropped.  Then out trotted Charlie Whitehurst to make me wonder what kind of glue Seahawks management was freebasing when they gave up a couple 2nds for that guy.

 

The more the game went on, the more I realized that neither of these horrific squads deserved to be in the playoffs.  If not for being in a division with the schizophrenia of the 49'ers and the Anderson aerial attack of Arizona, they'd both be 5 win teams. 

 

But Seattle pulled out this atrocity of a game, and their 7-9 pathetic asses will be starring in a freakin' playoff home game.  I don't necessarily want to change the system, but some act of Congress should be moved in order to prevent this from happening.  They should just give an extra bye to Philly and let New Orleans and Green Bay play the lone NFC wildcard game. 

 

This would, yes, block Seattle from the playoffs, which would be a blessing to us all.

 

Instead, I'll be watching a team that makes me grab for ice picks, pens, cocktail forks, hydrochloric acid, angry scorpions... basically anything that can blind me from seeing the farce that is the 7-9 "playoff" effort.