SB Nation Cleveland - Eagles Vs. Browns: Brandon Weeden Has Rough Debut In 17-16 Losshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48841/cleveland-fave.png2012-09-12T15:38:20-05:00http://cleveland.sbnation.com/rss/stream/30623482012-09-12T15:38:20-05:002012-09-12T15:38:20-05:00NFL Schedule 2012: Ravens, Steelers Face Tough Tests
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<p>Tough tests surround the powerhouse teams in the AFC North in Week 2, as both the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Baltimore Ravens</a> and <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> face tough tasks on Sunday.</p>
<p>Baltimore heads to Philadelphia to take on <span>Michael Vick</span> and the <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Eagles</a>, who narrowly defeated the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Browns</a> in Week 1. Still, the Eagles are a very talented team, and should pose to be a tough test for <span>Joe Flacco</span> and the Ravens -- especially on the road.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Pittsburgh plays host to the <a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Jets</a>, in a rematch of the 2010 AFC Championship game. Though the Jets looked awful through much of the preseason, they manhandled the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Buffalo Bills</a> in Week 1, winning 48-28.</p>
<p>The Browns will head to Cincinnati to take on the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a>. Cincinnati is coming off of an embarrassing 44-13 loss, and will be looking to avoid an 0-2 start in the division.</p>
<p><span>Brandon Weeden</span> will certainly need to play better on Sunday if the Browns want to avoid an 0-2 start -- and send Cincinnati to an 0-2 start of their own.</p>
<p>Still, Week 2 presents an opportunity for Cleveland to pick up a game on at least one AFC North team.</p>
<p><i>Be sure to check out all the Week 2 matchups <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/scoreboards/today/?eref=sinav" target="_blank">over at SI.com.</a> For more on the Browns, be sure to <a href="http://www.dawgsbynature.com/" target="_blank">check out Dawgs By Nature.</a></i></p>
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https://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/9/12/3322786/2012-nfl-schedule-week-2JP Starkey2012-09-12T10:21:03-05:002012-09-12T10:21:03-05:00Josh Cribbs, Travis Benjamin Impressive Weapons In Browns Loss To Eagles
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<p>The <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Browns</a> offense did not impress on the whole during the Week 1 loss to the <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia Eagles</a>, but that doesn't mean that there weren't a few bright spots. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2012/9/11/3318872/game-review-defense-thrives-in-browns-17-16-loss-to-eagles">Dawgs By Nature had some reaction after the opener</a>, and included in that were several positives in the Browns attempt to put points on the board. First, they saw something they liked from the Browns offense:</p>
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<p>The highlight of the game on offense, besides <span>Trent Richardson's</span> jarring hit on a defender, was the double reverse to wide receiver <span>Travis Benjamin</span>. I'll try to talk about the specifics of that play at a later time, but how big was <span>Nnamdi Asomugha's</span> hustle from all the way across the field to stop that play? Is he doesn't get to Benjamin, that play turns into a touchdown instead of just a 35-yard gain. Cleveland should have tried to capitalize more on the Eagles in this manner.</p>
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<p>There were also positive signs shown by Josh Cribbs on special teams:</p>
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<p>With both teams struggling on offense, <span>Joshua Cribbs</span> got plenty of opportunities to return punts and kickoffs. Although he didn't break one for a score, he looked much quicker than he did a year ago and was back to his old self when it comes to fighting off would-be tacklers. He averaged 13 yards per punt return on 6 attempts, and 30.3 yards per kickoff return on 3 attempts.</p>
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<p>While Cleveland's defense played very well, the Browns will need more positives on offense if they are going to bounce back with a win against the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a> on Sunday. <span>Brandon Weeden</span>, the offensive line, and Trent Richardson all had relatively poor showings to start the season. The Bengals defense looked equally poor against Baltimore though, so there is certainly reason to expect the second game to go better than the first.</p>
<p>The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The game can be seen on CBS.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Browns, head over to <a href="http://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Dawgs By Nature</a>. For more news, notes and analysis from around the league, check out SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl">NFL news hub</a>.</i></p>
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https://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/9/12/3320862/browns-eagles-blog-reaction-joshua-cribbs-travis-benjaminStephen Schmidt2012-09-12T08:04:39-05:002012-09-12T08:04:39-05:00Cleveland Browns Week One Fantasy Football Review
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<p>Well, unless you had the Cleveland Browns’ defense by some stroke of pure luck and nothing else in week one, your fantasy football team probably wasn’t a great benefactor of any Browns players.</p>
<p>Cleveland’s defense is currently one of the top available in most fantasy football leagues after forcing Michael Vick to throw four interceptions, one that was taken for a touchdown by D’Qwell Jackson. The numbers don’t figure to be on the rise for the Cleveland defense, which now is going to have to do without star cornerback Joe Haden for a few weeks as he serves a suspension for his failure to notify the <span class="caps">NFL</span> that he has an adderal prescreption.</p>
<p>Against the Eagles, you had to figure the Browns’ top individual offensive player was Trent Richardson, even though he’d have a lot of rust to shake off. Well, Richardson struggled to get into the flow of anything, and other than the sweet run where he absolutely mauled through an Eagles defender, Richardson managed only 39 yards on 19 total carries.</p>
<p>The Browns will continue to center the offense around Richardson, especially if Brandon Weeden continues to struggle the way he has, dating all the way back to the pre-season. Weeden had a quarterback rating of around five, and didn’t produce any touchdowns. I think until he proves otherwise, Weeden is a player you want to steer clear from in the fantasy realm.</p>
<p>Because of that fact, until a Browns receiver clearly emerges among this group of guys, I probably would stay away from them as well. Mohammed Massaquoi was targeted a lot against the Eagles, but had just three catches for 41 yards. Josh Gordon continues to show he is capable of making big plays with two catches for 32 yards, and Greg Little didn’t even get on the board with a catch.</p>
<p>Overall, you’d have to give Cleveland’s week one fantasy football output a D-, saved only by the performance of their defense which appears to have been an unlikely repeat performance.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/9/12/3320168/cleveland-browns-week-one-fantasy-football-reviewSayre Bedinger2012-09-11T13:00:04-05:002012-09-11T13:00:04-05:00NFL Power Rankings, Week 2: Cleveland Browns Still At Or Near Bottom
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<p>The Cleveland Browns kept things very close against the <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia Eagles</a> thanks to a strong defense that made life tough for quarterback Michael Vick. But the Brandon Weeden-led offense wasn't able to get much traction to reward the defense for its strong play. In fact, Weeden put on one of the worst performances of the week, and fans are actually calling for <span>Colt McCoy</span> to get the starting nod. That can never be a good sign.</p>
<p>SB Nation's Joel Thorman actually gave the Browns a little respect in his <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2012/9/11/3315268/nfl-power-rankings-week-2">Week 2 power rankings</a>, bumping them up from last place to No. 31.</p>
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<p>31. <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a> (LW: 32, 0-1): Better effort than I thought against the Eagles. And Trent Richardson is <a href="http://cleveland.sbnation.com/2012/9/9/3305733/trent-richardson-kurt-coleman-hit-browns-eagles">kind of a badass</a>. <span>Brandon Weeden</span>, on the other hand, could use some help.</p>
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<p>Thorman moved the Browns up at the expense of the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Dolphins</a>, who lost to the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Texans</a>, 30-10, to start out their season. Other power rankings around the Internet aren't giving the Browns much credit for keeping it close against the Eagles, though. <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings">ESPN</a> kept them at No. 31, while the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/NFP-Week-2-Power-Rankings.html&page=2">National Football Post</a> kept them at the very bottom of their own rankings.</p>
<p>Brian Billick of <a target="_blank" href="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/powerRankings">FOX Sports</a> had them at the bottom of his rankings as well, and here's his analysis that goes alongside the ranking:</p>
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<p>Brandon Weeden looked as bad as RG3 looked good. The defense, led by <span>Joe Haden</span>, looked impressive, but after testing positive for PEDs, Haden will be shelved for four weeks. The better strategy for this D: Rather than force interceptions, force them to punt . . . at least then Josh Cribbs has a chance to return it for points</p>
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<p>Tongue-in-cheek aside, the bit about Haden being suspended for four games is definitely noteworthy. Of course, it's also noteworthy that Billick had the Eagles at the very top spot in his Week 1 rankings. Despite moving them down a full 10 spots in Week 2 based on their struggles against the Browns, he did not elect to move the Browns up at all.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Browns, head over to <a href="http://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Dawgs By Nature</a>. For more news, notes and analysis from around the league, check out SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl">NFL news hub</a>.</i></p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/9/11/3316492/nfl-power-rankings-2012-week-2-cleveland-brownsJames Brady2012-09-11T10:40:08-05:002012-09-11T10:40:08-05:00Browns Vs. Eagles: Dropped Balls Add To Brandon Weeden's Struggles
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<p><span>Brandon Weeden</span> had an awful NFL debut, but <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Browns</a>' coach Pat Shurmur isn't placing all of the blame for the poor performance on the rookie quarterback. Shurmur felt the team's receivers could have done more to help Weeden during the opener, and he got into specifics about it. All quotes are <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/receivers_catching_some_grief.html" target="_blank">via Cleveland.Com</a>.</p>
<p>On <span>Greg Little's</span> drop:</p>
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<p>When the ball hits you in the neck, you've got to catch it</p>
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<p>On <span>Owen Marecic's</span> drop:</p>
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<p>The ball was thrown to the fullback -- not a perfect throw, but catchable. So all in all that was just bad football.</p>
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<p>On Travis Benjamin:</p>
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<p>If the ball is thrown in a position where the defender has a good chance to get it that ball needs to be defended by the receiver</p>
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<p>Shurmer has confirmed the Weeden will again get the start in Week 2 despite many fans calling for backup <span>Colt McCoy</span> to play. Weeden and the Browns' receivers will have an opportunity to show improvement as they head to Cincinnati to face the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a> on Sunday. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. ET.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Browns, visit <a href="http://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Dawgs By Nature</a>. For more news, notes and analysis from around the NFL, check out <a href="http://www.cleveland.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Cleveland</a>.</i></p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/9/11/3315706/brandon-weeden-browns-eagles-week-1Stephen Schmidt2012-09-10T18:24:34-05:002012-09-10T18:24:34-05:00Eagles Vs. Browns: Cleveland Rookies Overwhelmed In Debut
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<p><a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Browns</a> rookies <span>Brandon Weeden</span> and Trent Richardson struggled in their first NFL game, eliciting some concern from <a href="http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2012/9/10/3307730/week-1-reflections-browns-at-eagles-2012#storyjump" target="_blank">SB Nation's Browns blog Dawgs By Nature</a>.</p>
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<p>Weeden played historically bad, yes. But, he wasn't the only one with a poor outing. <span>Trent Richardson</span>, in his first real game since the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, only averaged 2.1 yards-per-carry on 19 rushes. He missed all of preseason after having his knee scoped. His only highlight of the day came on a game-long 9-yard rush where he knocked off the helmet of safety <span>Kurt Coleman</span>...</p>
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<p>That was a solid hit, indeed. However, the Browns needed more from their young running back than 39 yards on 19 carries, however unfair it may be. And, while Weeden's 12-of-35, four-interception performance opened plenty of eyes for the wrong reasons, things weren't entirely his fault, as other units failed to step up.</p>
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<p>The Browns' offensive line also struggled against a very good <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Eagles</a>' Wide 9 defensive line. Meanwhile, the wide receiver corps is what we've come to expect. To quote the infamous Dennis Green line, "They are who we thought they were." Despite that, the Browns have to demand more from them if they want to win games.</p>
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<p>The Browns hope to improve in Week 2, as they head south to face the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cincinnati Bengals</a> on Sunday.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Browns, head over to <a href="http://www.dawgsbynature.com">Dawgs By Nature</a>. For more news, notes and analysis from around the league, check out SB Nation's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl">NFL news hub</a>.</i></p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/9/10/3313555/eagles-vs-browns-cleveland-rookies-overwhelmed-in-debutBryan Kilpatrick2012-09-10T14:33:15-05:002012-09-10T14:33:15-05:00Pat Shurmur Shrugs Off Calls For Colt McCoy To Replace Brandon Weeden
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a> didn't have much of a battle in training camp when it came to the starting quarterback position. Since the team used a first round pick on him, <span>Brandon Weeden</span> was the assumed starter and earned the job over <span>Colt McCoy</span> after limited competition prior to the start of the season. On Sunday, Weeden had a very poor game, going 12-for-35 on his pass attempts with 118 yards and no touchdowns against a whopping four interceptions.</p>
<p>Following the game (and really, during it), there were a lot of people calling for Weeden to be benched in favor of 2011 starter Colt McCoy. However, Head Coach Pat Shurmur isn't going to make a change like that at this point in the season, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/RuiterWrongFAN/status/245221192007561216" target="_blank">Tweet</a> from Daryl Ruiter:</p>
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<p>Shurmur on fans wanting Colt - "Brandon Weeden is our starter and is going to get better. That's what I'm going to tell them"</p>
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) <a data-datetime="2012-09-10T18:04:22+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/RuiterWrongFAN/status/245221192007561216">September 10, 2012</a>
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<p>A <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryKayCabot/status/245220853904703488" target="_blank">Tweet</a> from Mary Kay Cabot added more from Shurmur, in which he said that Weeden "has to look at this game and make the corrections, which are obvious. He's watching the game." At this point in the season, it's clear the Browns don't want to make a snap decision and pull Weeden. He's a rookie quarterback and, despite his age, he'll have a long go at developing before Browns fans are happy with his performances.</p>
<p>On top of that, there's the matter of the team having spent a first-round pick on him. It wouldn't make sense to put that kind of investment in a quarterback if he's going to sit behind a player who might be good for one or two more wins per season. McCoy isn't exactly the proven quarterback at this point, either.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Browns, visit <a href="http://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Dawgs By Nature</a>. For more news, notes and analysis from around the NFL, check out <a href="http://www.cleveland.sbnation.com/">SB Nation Cleveland</a>.</i></p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/9/10/3308643/brandon-weeden-colt-mccoy-browns-quarterback-controversyJames Brady2012-09-10T14:01:06-05:002012-09-10T14:01:06-05:00Eagles Vs. Browns: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From Cleveland's Week 1 Loss
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<p>The Browns opened the season with a loss for the 13th time in the past 14 years. It was a particularly ugly day for rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. Ryan Alton weighs in on all the negatives, and some positives, from Sunday's loss to the Eagles.</p> <p>"Part of my makeup is that I have a pretty short memory and I'm not going to let anything get to me," <span>Brandon Weeden</span> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2012/09/Weeden-Were-Going-To-Turn-It-Around/">explained, after a dismal career debut</a> in front of a sell-out crowd at <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Browns</a> stadium on Sunday. I suppose having a short memory is a good thing if you're an NFL quarterback. It's not so good if you're a fan of a team that has only won one season opener since 1999. At some point, the repeated losing gets to you. Or maybe it doesn't. Perhaps some develop immunity or numbness to it. For many Browns fans, myself included, losing the season opener is almost expected at this point.</p>
<p>What wasn't expected yesterday, as the Browns took on the <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia Eagles</a>, whom many experts have projected to be Super Bowl favorites this season, was that the Browns were actually within inches from winning the game. However, the Browns were not worthy of a victory on this day. The offense couldn't do enough to garner points when it mattered and the defense, which had been on the field for over 36 minutes, couldn't close the game out in the waning moments. Such is the life of a young football team still learning how to win in the NFL. Unfortunately, for the fans of the team, we don't have short memories. This one will sting for a while.</p>
<p><b>The Good</b>. Obviously, it wasn't all bad on Sunday since the Browns were close to robbing the Eagles of a win. I think if you would have told most Browns fans on Saturday that they would be within one point of victory against the far more talented Eagles, they would've asked where to sign up.</p>
<p>The defense, including rookies DE/DT Billy Winn, DT John Hughes, LBs Craig Robertson and LJ Fort, played inspired and aggressive football for all but two drives of the game. They played so well, in fact, Eagles quarterback <span>Michael Vick</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RuiterWrongFAN/status/244935009348251648">told reporters after the game</a>, "I gotta get out of Cleveland." That wasn't a knock on the city but rather a compliment to how the Browns ball-hawking defense made his 2012 season opener one that he'd rather forget.</p>
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<p>Vick finished the day completing 29 of 56 passes for 317 yards. He threw two touchdowns and four interceptions. The Browns had only nine interceptions all of last season. In 2012, they already have almost half of that after Week 1. Credit Robertson, Fort, middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson and cornerback <span>Joe Haden</span> for the picks, but also credit the defensive line for getting the pressure on Vick and forcing him to throw so many passes up for grabs. Perhaps an underrated component in the Browns ability to create turnovers this year is new defensive backs coach Tim Hauck, who came over from the <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tennessee Titans</a> to replace the departed coach Jerome Henderson.</p>
<p>Other Browns defenders who had solid outings were cornerbacks <span>Dimitri Patterson</span> and <span>Buster Skrine</span>, who came off the bench after veteran <span>Sheldon Brown</span> went down with an injury in the first quarter. Containing Vick is no easy task in itself but combine that with the challenge of stopping two of the better receivers in the league in Desean Jackson and <span>Jeremy Maclin</span>, and the Browns secondary played a great game. Maclin did have a touchdown to end the first half but was somewhat of a non-factor the rest of the game.</p>
<p><b>The Bad</b>. The one part of the Browns defense that did struggle a bit on Sunday was against the run. Fortunately for the Browns, Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid designed a game plan with an emphasis on an aerial attack, as evidenced by Vick's 56 pass attempts. Otherwise, it might have been a long day for the Browns.</p>
<p>By the time the Eagles finally began to establish a running game, it was almost too late. Running back <span>LeSean McCoy</span> had success carrying the ball, finishing with 110 yards on 20 carries for a 5.5 yard average, but most of those runs came late in the game. McCoy's best efforts were after the Browns had taken a 16-10 lead following <span>D'Qwell Jackson's</span> interception return for a touchdown. Had Reid implemented more of a "ground and pound" attack with McCoy early on, it likely would have worn down the Browns defense a lot faster and it definitely would have taken some of the pressure off of Vick to make so many plays with his arm.</p>
<p>On the other sideline stood Browns head coach Pat Shurmur, who failed to go for a two-point conversion after the go-ahead touchdown, which would have put the Browns up by 7 instead of 6. Eventually, that decision proved to be fatal as Shurmur watched Vick lead a 91 yard scoring drive to take the 17-16 lead with 1:18 left in the game. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, especially in coaching, but that is definitely one of those in-game decisions that Shurmur would like to have back.</p>
<p>While Eagles fans have every right to question Andy Reid's game plan, similar questions can also be asked of Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress. The Browns did little offensively to take pressure off of Brandon Weeden in his rookie debut. While he didn't have the attempts that Vick did, the Browns hardly made any effort to establish a rushing attack either. Part of that could be due to the fact that fellow rookie <span>Trent Richardson</span> had no preseason to get himself acclimated to the speed of the pro game and perhaps they wanted to ease him in slowly. You can hardly fault the coaches for taking that approach but it would have been nice to see a bit more consistency out of the running game to help the offense develop some rhythm and perhaps move the chains a bit. That, at least, would have given the defense a little more of a rest and likely could have been the difference in the game.</p>
<p><b>The Ugly</b>. The Browns offense was abysmal. There's not enough lipstick in the world to put on that pig. In fact, I'm pretty sure what we saw on Sunday wouldn't qualify as an NFL-caliber offense most weeks. In Cleveland, however, it looked like more of the same. There's absolutely no way to sugarcoat it or spin the stats to make it look better than it was. It was ugly.</p>
<p>Weeden finished his first career start in the regular season having completed12 of 35 passes for 118 yards and four interceptions. In addition to the four picks, he was missing wide-open receivers and having trouble with his accuracy. "I was so jacked up. I had a little adrenaline and missed Mo," <a target="_blank" href="http://cle.scout.com/2/1219881.html">Weeden said after the game</a>, explaining why he missed a wide-open <span>Mohamed Massaquoi</span> in the first quarter. "Anybody that's a competitor is going to be amped up," Weeden said. "Every game in college I was (amped up). It was a lot of fun to be out there." Perhaps the nerves and excitement of making his first NFL start got the best of Weeden, but that excuse only works once. His passes were erratic and he hardly displayed the touch, accuracy or calm decision-making while standing in the pocket that earned him the right to be a 1st Round draft pick in April.</p>
<p>Having said that, clearly there's nowhere to go but up for Weeden and company. Sitting in the stadium yesterday, I could hear distant cries for <span>Colt McCoy</span>. If things keep going this way, those cries will grow louder as the season progresses. While it's debatable whether Colt could have fared any better statistically against the Eagles, the only way Weeden is going to improve is if he stays the starter and begins to develop a feel for playing in the NFL, along with gaining chemistry with his receivers in this offense. There is very little to gain from having Weeden sit on the bench at this point. Being 28 years old, he doesn't exactly have the luxury of sitting and developing behind a veteran for a few years before taking the reins. Perhaps fans have a bit of buyer's remorse in that respect with Weeden but what's done is done as far as the Draft is concerned, and now the focus has to be on playing him and hoping he gets better. It most certainly can't get any worse.</p>
<p><b>Bottom Line</b>: There was a lot to dislike in yesterday's game. The negatives will always outweigh the positives when a game is lost. I can't imagine having pulled out a victory yesterday would've made the coaches, the players, or the fans feel much better about the offense's performance. But a win would have definitely numbed the sting a bit. It would have felt like we had gotten away with something we shouldn't have. I imagine we wouldn't still be talking about the Browns embarrassingly poor record in season openers anymore. At least, we'd have that.</p>
<p>Maybe we should ask Eagles' fans how they feel about their team after having barely escaped Cleveland with a victory. I'm sure they're glad to have the win because that's all that matters. A win is a win is a win. But I doubt any of the Philly faithful are calling Andy Reid to ask him for playoff tickets after that clunker.</p>
<p>The beauty of the NFL is that each week is another chance. It needs to be reiterated that this is a very young team, especially in so many key positions. I think the Browns' defense provided something to build on and promises to keep the team in a lot of games this season. The offense just needs to step up and make strides and it starts at quarterback. That will ultimately determine how successful or how disastrous this season ends up. I'm excited to see how Weeden and company respond on the road in Cincinnati next week. If our defense can bring the same intensity with a knack for making plays as it did this week, and our offense can take a necessary step forward, we all just might have some memories worth keeping this season.</p>
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https://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-browns/2012/9/10/3308321/browns-eagles-recap-highlights-nfl-week-1-brandon-weeden-trent-richardsonRyan Alton