No Logo Needed

Random Thoughts: Preseason Week 3

By Brandon Rastok
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

The biggest play of the day was Brady Quinn's touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards.  Prior to the third quarter, I believed Anderson would win this quarterback competition and not because Anderson was playing well.  We all know Anderson can't run a two minute drill to save his life. His throws on a slant pass are the worst this side of peewee football.  However, coaches love arm strength.  Throw in a running game that has been struggling and the idea sets in that Anderson's deep passes loosen the defense and open up running lanes. 

Meanwhile, Quinn displayed some decent intermediate passing and the offense was effective using screen passes to supplement the running game.  Given his poise and intelligence, if the offense can be effective in this manner, I fully expect Quinn to be the starting quarterback.  Whomever takes the reigns will be on a short leash with fans and the coaching staff.

Pop quiz, hotshot: Browns' QB controversy, what do you do?

By Don Delco

NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Three preseason games in and the general consensus is the quarterback battle was won by Brady Quinn.

Don’t expect coach Eric Mangini to back up that claim anytime soon.

Yet it does beg the question:

Regardless who is given the starting quarterback position, what do the Browns do with the other guy for the 2009 season?

Initial Reaction: Browns 23, Titans 17

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

•Star: It sure wasn't the defense, with all due respect to Alex Hall's gift-wrapped interception return for a touchdown. Brady Quinn performed solid. Everywhere you look on Sunday, Quinn is considered the "winner."

•Key play: The 20-yard touchdown pass from Quinn to Braylon Edwards was the play most point to as a reason they claimed Quinn the winner. It also should go a long way in helping Edwards' confidence.

•Key stat: So why are most leaning toward Quinn as the "winner" last night? Quinn's four series resulted in a touchdown and two field goals. He was 11-of-15 for 128 yards passing.

Please check back throughout the upcoming week for more analysis from Saturday's game as well as a look ahead to the preview of the Browns' final preseason game Thursday.

Browns vs. Titans: Preseason Week 3

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

The third, and generally the most entertaining of the four preseason games, has arrived as the Cleveland Browns welcome the Tennessee Titans at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

At first, Browns coach Eric Mangini was non-committal in how long the starters will play. Typically in the third preseason game starters play into the third quarter. He said on Thursday that would be the case.

Entering last week’s game against Detroit, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of pressure on the Browns to perform after the stinker that was laid in Green Bay. If fan apathy was to be avoided, the Browns needed to turn it around against the Lions and they did.

While the pressure was relieved, it is not totally gone. The game was against the Lions, the same Lions who finished 0-16 last season. To add to matters, the Browns' quarterback battle wasn't solved, but instead intensified.

With that said, let’s get to the Titans preview and what to watch for on Saturday.

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: Baltimore Ravens

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Earlier today, NoLogoNeeded.com featured the Pittsburgh Steelers' season preview thanks to Donald Starver of Steelers Today.

One rival down, another one to go as Joe Barnes of The Ebony Bird is up.

The Ravens lost to the Steelers in the AFC Championship game last season, a game that was painful to watch for most Browns fans.

Can the Ravens get over the hump and return to the Super Bowl that the franchise won in 2000? Quarterback Joe Flacco is back for his sophomore season after a surprisingly successful rookie campaign. The defnese remains as the team's hallmark despite losing linebacker Bart Scott and cornerback Chris McAllister.

The best thing about the upcoming Ravens season is they no longer any players who played for the Browns in 1995 — kicker Matt Stover. That was one factoid that was brought up in every Ravens-Browns game.

So, without Stover can the Ravens compete? Probably.

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: Pittsburgh Steelers

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

In an nod to equal opportunity, I asked Donald Starver of a surprisingly good Steelers blog, Steelers Today, for his take on the upcoming season.

Pittsburgh is fresh off its sixth Super Bowl title, two of which coming in the last four seasons. That, combined with the struggles in Cleveland, has added to the frustration of Browns fans. It's going on six years since the Browns last defeated the Steelers.

The frustration was on display at the Browns' first training camp practice. At one point, the Browns defensive tackles sauntered over to a different area to work on another drill. A fan yelled toward assistant coach Rick Lyle.

"Hey, guys, we want a win against Pittsburgh," the fan said.

"We want a win against everybody," Lyle said.

The fan responded, "Start with Pittsburgh."

So what is the outlook for the defending champs in 2009? Is there a possibility for a seventh title or will the Browns return to the win column?

Camping in Cleveland: Final day

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer
 
Wonder what kind of commitment it takes to turn around an NFL franchise?

Monday through Thursday, wake up at 7 a.m. and get to work. The day ends no earlier than midnight and usually extends to 1 to 2 a.m.
 
During that span, drink coffee. A lot.
 
Friday take a few extra hours of downtime to sleep.
 
You work weekends.
 
Repeat every day from late July to early January.
 

"There is a correlation between not getting enough sleep and weight gain," Mangini said. "That's my excuse."

 
Of course, Mangini gets paid handsomely for his efforts. Yet those are some long days. It is easy to forget the sacrifices these guys make to live a dream. Family? Forget it. See you in February. Hobbies? Nope, not unless it is watching hours upon hours of game film.
 

"We do a lot of stuff," Mangini said. "You have to prep for practice. You're planning your meetings. You're trying to be as efficient as possible with that time. Then you got to practice and you may have a press conference built in somewhere.
 
"Wednesday’s are usually first and second down days, but then the next day you’re looking at third-down, the focal point there, reviewing the blitzes, things like that.  Friday’s, so Thursday night you’re prepping for Friday, which is red area, goal line, two-minute, short yardage. In each one of those, there are volumes of information.  What you want to do is make sure when you go into the game with your group, as a coach, you give them the best chance to be successful.  What you’d hate to do, is not cover something and be beaten by it and not give those guys a chance to perform at a high level, because you missed something.  I get that all the time from players, too, like. ‘Why are you here so late?’ and then they become coaches, and they get it.  We have the guys that are here helping us out, Brant Boyer’s been here.  Kimo’s (von Oelhoffen) been here. They get it.”

 
Those long days won't end anytime soon as Wednesday signaled the end of training camp.

Mid-week snack: Bite-sized Brownie bits

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Let's put aside the quarterback conundrum for a day. Forget about the defense that has a daunting task early next month in stopping Adrian Peterson. Finally, no need to worry about the special teams when you can read a posting on those units here.

No, my concern involves the Browns' running game. Two preseason games in, the Browns are averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Anything above 4.0 yards per carry is outstanding, right?

If the last two games are any indication, Jamal Lewis and James Davis will be getting the biggest share of the carries. Lewis has a 2.9 yards per carry. He turns 30 years old today, the age that most running backs tend to break down.

Take away Davis' 81-yard touchdown run, he has 13 carries for 40 yards, or a 3.1 yards per carry.

That's not going to get it done. Regardless of how the quarterbacks perform, the Browns running game needs to produce in order for the team to be effective.

Click "Read More" to continue reading more Brownie bits.

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: Green Bay Packers

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

For now, Browns fans associate the Green Bay Packers with the horrendous preseason opener. When the regular season rolls around, the Browns play host to the Packers on Oct. 25.

The team is in year two under Aaron Rogers and if his game against Cleveland is any indication, he's going to have a solid season.

Green Bay is in a competitive NFC North with the Kyle Orton led Bears and the Brett Favre led Vikings. So what are the chances the Packers turn around their 6-10 record?

Daniel Gallen of Lombardi Ave was able to take some time to preview the Packers.

Click "Read More" for Gallen's preview of the Pack.

Q&A with Cleveland Magazine managing editor, Browns fan Jim Vickers

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Jim Vickers grew up 20 minutes south Canton, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a youngster, the Bernie Kosar-era Browns made an impression so strong, like many other Browns fans he’s stuck with the team through thick and thin.

Today, Vickers is the managing editor of Cleveland Magazine. In the August issue, Vickers edited the cover story on “Iconic Cleveland: They are the buildings, monuments and symbols that are synonymous with our city. We sought out 20 of the most recognizable and uncovered stories you haven't heard.”
 
In addition, Vickers wrote that the Browns helmet was among the 20 icons associated with Cleveland. At NoLogoNeeded.com, it caught our attention since we regard the helmet, the only one in the NFL without a logo, as the source of pride for all Browns fans.
 
We were lucky enough to spend a few minutes over the phone with Vickers.

Click “Read More” to continue reading NoLogoNeeded.com’s Q&A with Vickers.

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: Minnesota Vikings

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

The Minnesota Vikings were already a formidable opening day opponent for the Browns. The defending NFC North champions have one of the better defenses in the NFL and the league's best running back in Adrian Peterson.

They can run the football and stop the run. So what's the problem? Quarterback.

Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels? And you thought the Browns were choosing between two average quarterbacks.

Enter Brett Favre. He is pushing 40 years old and it showed the second half of last season. After the New York Jets opened 8-3, they finished 1-4 and missed the playoffs. Yet the Vikings and head coach Brad Childress took a chance on the Wrangler model.

We contacted PurplePride.org and they were kind enough to provide their analysis on the Vikings' upcoming season.

Click "Read More" below to continue reading the Vikings season preview.

Unheralded special teams showing promise

1. By Don Delco

NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Two games into the preseason, plenty of time has been spent assessing the Browns offensive and defensive units. Rightfully so.

Against Detroit last Saturday, both facets looked to be much improved from the train wreck that was the first preseason game. Somewhere in the middle lies the true Browns offense and defense.

For now, we will forget about DA vs. Quinn or whether or not Shaun Rogers will miss the season "with a leg" as Cleveland Reboot speculated.

The Cleveland Browns special teams were beyond impressive.

Click "Read More" for an assessment of the Browns special team units.

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: Chicago Bears

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Well, the Chicago Bears were the big winners in the Jay Cutler raffle. The Bears were able to unload Kyle Orton for a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback with great skills, but a questionable mental attitude.

Cutler's transition to the Bears signal caller has not been smooth and he has already ruffled some feathers. Still, Cutler is arguably the most talented quarterback in Bears history, even if he has yet to record an official stat. Indeed, only two quarterbacks have been Pro Bowlers in Sid Luckman (1939-50) and Jim McMahon (1985).

So, is a return not only to a Super Bowl, but also a Super Bowl title in the works for the Monsters of the Midway? Shea Johnson of Blog Down, Chicago Bears took the time to preview the Bears.

Click "Read More" below to continue reading Johnson's preview of Da Bears.

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: Detroit Lions

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

As bad as the Browns looked in their opener, the Lions equaled that output last Saturday inside Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Lions changed their logo — albeit  slightly — and paid Matthew Stafford a lot of money to be the No. 1 overall pick. New coach Jim Schwartz inherits a team that went 0-16 last season. Talk about a rebuilding effort.

For all the disappointment in Detroit, there are still people who care about what goes on inside Ford Field. Al Beaton, of The Wayne Fontes Experiement, fits that bill and he was kind enough to preview the Lions.

Click "Read More" Below to continue reading Al's preview of the Lions.

Confidence coming to Cleveland

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

A week ago at this time, the Cleveland Browns seemed to have hit rock bottom.

The Browns first preseason game was a 17-0 disaster at Green Bay.
 
The next few practices back in Berea were sloppy.
 
Complaints from players that practices were too physical were met with resistance by head coach Eric Mangini.
 
Said head coach was disgusted by the performance of those players when pushed to their physical and mental limits.
 
Then, the Detroit Lions kicked off to begin last Saturday’s game. Josh Cribbs returned it for a touchdown. Although it was called back for a penalty, the Browns offense marched down field and scored its first touchdown since last November.
 
Whaaa?
 
“That play gave me confidence in my blockers,” Cribbs said. “I trusted in my blockers and they gave me a lot of blocks. It felt really good to have a win in our house. We can do it. Last week was a bummer and we came back and worked hard in practice and didn’t miss a beat.  We kept moving as a team and got the win.”
 
Mangini pushed his team to the edge to see how they would respond. At first, it was not encouraging as players grumbled.
 
Yet last Saturday there was glimmer of hope as the Browns were intense, focused, scrappy and, well, won a game.
 
No doubt, cautious Browns fans sang the chorus “It’s only the Lions” on an endless loop. That has some merit. So, too, does a good performance by the players in orange and brown, no matter the opponent.
 
At this point, confidence and a winning attitude are needed and the Browns went a long way Saturday in gaining those attributes.
 
“You start from ground zero, get some good core guys, get a few old guys, and beat the (tar) out of ‘em in their first year,” said Browns offensive lineman Ryan Tucker to the Canton Repository. 
“It builds a team when you do that. There’s a certain military element to it, with hell week, stuff like that. When you go through that, you get close to the guys in the locker room. It’s pretty neat to watch.”

Click "Read More" below for other observations from the Browns 27-10 win over the Lions.

Initial Reaction: Browns 27, Lions 10

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting in the Atlanta airport awaiting a flight back to the Buckeye state. Last night, during the Browns second preseason game, one of our staff writers, Aaron Ziraks, took the plunge and got married in Houston, Texas. Fellow staff writers Brandon Rastok and myself were two of his nine groomsmen.

As a result, the three of us at NoLogoNeeded.com missed our first Browns game since 1999. While we plan to watch the game tonight at home, we still managed to piece together who we think is our star, key play and key stat from last nights game. All thanks to various updates we received via wedding goers Blackberrys and iPhones.

•Star: Derek Anderson. His performance put to rest the idea that the quarterback controversy was already decided in Brady Quinn's favor.

•Key play: Jamal Lewis' 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Hey, it was the Browns first offensive touchdown since last November.

•Key stat: In fairness to Anderson whose horrendous stat line was the key stat last week, against the Lions DA was 8-for-13 for 130 yards and one interception.

In the coming days, we will have full reaction to the Browns preseason win last Saturday. In the meantime, please join me in congratulating Aaron and Jeanette.

Browns vs. Lions: Preseason Week 2 Preview

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

It’s been quite a long week. After the debacle that was last Saturday’s preseason opener, the Cleveland Browns make their home debut Saturday against the Detroit Lions.

Yes, I know what you’re all thinking — The Great Lakes Classic is back! Sadly, Browns have not won the trophy (it’s a barge, see above) the last two seasons. The Lions, who did not win a game last regular season, did beat the Browns in the preseason tilt 26-6.

In order to get fans excited for Saturday’s game, here is a theme song for the Great Lakes Classic as provided the AM 850 WKNR’s Really Big Show hosted by Tony Rizzo 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday.

GLC Theme Song by Guggy

Now, if that doesn't gear you up for the game, I don't know what will.

Oh, you can click “Read More” below to continue reading some things to watch for during Saturday's second preseason game.

Camping in Cleveland: Day 19 Recap

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

If Eric Mangini wants to come across like Bill Belichick, well, sir, mission accomplished.

Yesterday, Mangini met with the media three days until the Browns second preseason game against the Detroit Lions, more commonly known (Carmen Policy hoped) as the Great Lakes Classic.
 
Mangini's answers to questions didn't really answer the questions.
 
MEDIA: So, coach, who is starting Saturday?
 
MANGINI: We’ll talk about that at the end of the week.
 
MEDIA: Well, end of the week is Friday or, if we’re getting technical, Saturday. How about then?
 
MANGINI: It will be the same this week as next week.  I’d like to go through the whole week and see what happens during the course of the week.
 
MEDIA: (Audible) Sigh.
 
MEDIA: OK coach, I understand. How about by the third preseason game? I mean, coach, we’re getting pretty close to the regular season. I’m sure you’d want to settle on your first team quarterback so he can get as many reps with the first team offense, right?
 
MANGINI: Not necessarily, no.  If it works out that way, then I’m okay with that.  I think it will be another good opportunity to see where we’re at.
 
MEDIA: (Noticeably audible) Sigh, again.

NLN: And there you have it. The Browns are no closer to naming a starting quarterback than a week ago. Most viewed coming out of last Saturday’s game that Quinn has the edge, but it seems he and DA are neck and neck.

I think we can all agree this needs to end very soon. At what point does this become detrimental to the offense moving forward? It's debatable, but we're getting close. Neither quarterback is outstanding and at NoLogoNeeded we are leaning toward Quinn simply because it seems he has better on-field presence and leadership.

In other news:
There wasn’t much news. The Browns did announce the final days of training camp in Berea will be Aug. 24-26 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Waiting For Next Year
Rick asks if there is pressure on Alex Mack. On Tuesday, Joe Thomas had an excused absence and Mack played first-team center with Hank Fraley at left guard and Eric Steinbach at left tackle. This came on the heels of Mack struggling in the preseason opener.

Speaking of that opener, anyone else notice that when Mack first appeared on the field, it went unmentioned? It's the team's first-round draft pick for goodness sakes. Such is life as a lineman, I guess.
 
Cleveland Reboot
DK at Reboot channeled his inner Oprah and posted a few items for a book club. Among his books is the Football Fan’s Manifesto written by Michael Tunison of Kissing Susy Kolber.

Manifesto's Ten Commandments of Being a Football Fan.

1. You Must Choose Your Team by the Age of Eight.
NLN: Check.

2. Value That Team Above All Else, Even Yourself.
NLN: Check.

3. Under No Circumstances Can You Switch Teams (And Expect to Live).
NLN: Check.

4. There is a Limit to the Amount of Merchandise You Can Own (But It's Very Generous).
NLN: Does buying a Bernie Kosar Fathead for the living room surpass that limit?

5. Sportsmanship is for the Athletes. Fans Can Gloat Endlessly.
NLN: Gloat? Browns fans haven’t done that since the LBJ administration.

6. A Self-Induced Coma to Skip the Off-season is a Practical Solution to an Annoying Problem.
NLN: (Yawn) Hey, I hear the Browns play Saturday?

7. An Inoffensive Fantasy Football Name is a Lame Fantasy Football Name.
NLN: Does naming your team the 18^th birthday date of you friend’s daughter count?

8. Wealth Doesn't Matter So Long As You Don't Have to Work Weekends.
NLN: As long as I can afford HD, who needs to be ambitious in their career?

9. Respect Superstitions. If Your Team Lost, It's Because You Jinxed Them.
NLN: THE BROWN PANTS NEED TO GO.

10. In Life, the Order of Importance: Football First, Football Second, Football Third, Family . . . uh, I Don't Know, twelfth?
NLN: February-August, football first and family second. September-January, vice versa.

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: Miami Dolphins

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

The Dolphins went from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5, an AFC East title and a playoff berth. It was the feel-good story in the NFL last season and it gave fans of all teams (Browns, especially) hope that it could happen to their team.

So, can the Dolphins continue the resurgence? Thomas Head of FinsNation gives us his thoughts on if they can.

Click "Read More" below to continue reading Head's preview of the Dolphins.

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: Buffalo Bills

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Vick to the Eagles. Favre to the Vikings. The last few days featured some big name players changing teams. Yet it was the Buffalo Bills who made the first splash as Terrell Owens left Dallas for western New York.

As a result, the Bills went from NFL obscurity to one of the sexy teams. So, will T.O. put them over the top?

Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings filled out our season preview.

Click "Read More" below for Galliford's preview of the Buffalo Bills.

Camping in Cleveland: Day 18 Recap

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Coach Eric Mangini is mad. On the heels of a poor performance in Green Bay last Saturday, the Browns have been sloppy at practice. They are in the midst of a long and grueling camp and mental and physical fatigue are beginning to surface.

The players are not receiving sympathy from Mangini or the fans. Mangini has at least three years to turn this thing around. His approach this camp has been a refreshing change.

For Mangini he is at a pivotal moment of camp. The team is almost at rock bottom and he wants to continue to push through to see who can handle it physically and mentally. The players who are the players he wants to go to battle with Sept. 13.

By the way, have you heard if the Vikings chose a quarterback for the opener?

Anyway, Mangini wants to push his players to the brink to seeing how they respond. So far, the response is sloppy football. He is not about to give his players any relief. Well, he did in his own way.

“They can watch practice and get some comic relief," he said. "They can yuck it up over that. We practiced without pads today. It was relief. What do you do with it?”

Orange and Brown Report (subscription)
According to Steve King of the Orange and Brown Report, Mangini was not laughing when he said that. Also these mistakes in past camps would have been glossed over. That's not happening this year and most agree that's for the better.

As far as Edwards, yesterday NoLogoNeeded.com speculated that perhaps his problems are mental. In practice yesterday, King witnessed Edwards made a leaping catch down the left sidelines. He did it again the very next play. Of course, both times he was lined up opposite Corey Ivy.

Cleveland Browns.com
Edwards met with the media yesterday and it was video taped by the team's Web site. Edwards said he and the team put Saturday behind him.

"We're trying to get better each day as a team," he said.

"Preseason is important. It means a lot getting on the same page, clicking and learning the side of the ball you play on. We need to put ourselves in a positive frame of mind is the key."

Dave Krieg's Strike Beard
Yup, that's the name of a Seahawks blog manned by Johnny Peel. It's quite entertaining even if you're not a Seahawks fan. Johnny may have earned himself some new friends dressed in orange and brown.

He wondered what it would have been like if a similar Favre situation happened with his team — John Elway coming out of retirement to sign with Seattle.

If all of that sounded like a nightmare you wanted to wake up from...

A) You're old enough to have been absolutely tormented by John Elway from 1983-1998.
B) You have some idea what it's like to be a Vikings fan today.

I HATED Elway. He threw for more yards and touchdowns against us than any other quarterback, and was 19-10 against us as a starter. It sure seemed even worse than that, with blowout losses and Elway comebacks seemingly happening every fall.

I remember in 1987, I was maybe 5 feet from him as he got off Denver's team bus before a game at the Kingdome. I wasn't in awe, I didn't want an autograph. I just shot eye-daggers of medical-grade hatred at him and literally, in my head, wished him ill. ... Yes, I was a sick little 12-year old.

Cleveland Leader
Browns fans dodged a bullet on Saturday as the game will be televised. About 4,800 tickets remained to be sold and if they did not get sold, the game would have not been on WKYC.

Instead, the Browns and WKYC split the cost of the remaining tickets.

The last Browns game — preseason or regular season — to be blacked out was in 1995 after Art Modell announced he was moving the team to Baltimore.

In 2009, only three home games have met all the requirements to be televised this season — Sept. 13 vs. Vikings, Oct. 25 vs. Green Bay and Dec. 10 vs. Steelers — meaning five games have yet to sell out. If there is not a sell out, the game is blacked out locally.

Favre's first stop: Cleveland, Ohio

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

The riddle, wrapped in mystery, inside an enigma that is Brett Favre, is headed to Minnesota to be come a Viking. Favre is expected to sign a contract worth $10 to $12 million.

We're not going to waste many words here on Favre. His act is growing old with many football fans and this latest stunt is not surprising. His 39-year-old body caught up with him last season as the New York Jets faltered down the stretch. An 8-3 start ended at 9-7, no playoff appearance, and a fired coach (Eric Mangini).

On Sept. 13, the Minnesota Vikings are coming to Cleveland to open the season. Yesterday, NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer Aaron Ziraks set the over under on number of yards rushing by Adrian Peterson at 300. Favre in purple is another added storyline. Look for this game to garner some national attention by the likes at ESPN, especially.

If the Browns ever need to turn around their tradition of losing the season openers at home this would be a good year to do that, fellas. There will be plenty of Packers fans and disgruntled Favre fans waiting for him to fail. Perhaps the Browns can aid in that effort?

2009 NFL Season Preview Among Blogs: New York Jets

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

The New York Jets, a franchise that won Super Bowl III, now have two teams in the NFL. Their A-team resides in New York while the B-team relocated to Cleveland with coach Eric Mangini.

While Mangini has turned the 2009 Cleveland Browns into the Cleveland Jets, the original franchise hired Rex Ryan as its new coach and landed USC quarterback Mark Sanchez in April's NFL Draft. (Yes, thanks to their sister club in Cleveland.)

The New York Jets off to a hot start last season, but the decline was in conjunction with the play of their 38-year old quarterback, Brett Farve.

With a new coach, new quarterback and new outlook, what is in store for the Jets in 2009?

Willis Klein, who writes for Zeus of Sport, was kind enough to preview the team for us.

Click "Read More" below to continue reading Klein's preview.

Camping in Cleveland: Day 17 Recap

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer

Baseball: The sport formally known as America's pastime. It had a good run, but it ended once people realized how many different ways you can bet on football. In addition, football isn't played every day. That allows us to pursue life's other passions — Jazzercise, teaching English as a second language and attending live shows for House of Cards — all while still being able to watch every game of our favorite football team.

Why are we bringing up baseball? One reason: Steve Blass Disease. Two years after the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher finished second in the 1971 World Series MVP voting behind Roberto Clemente, Blass lost control of his pitches. In 1975, he was out of baseball. Since then, Los Angeles Dogers second baseman Steve Sax, Minnesota Twins second baseman Chuck Knoblauch and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel all contracted Blass Disease.

That type of issue has never translated into football. Yet something is going on with Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards that draws similar parallels to what happened with Blass, Sax, Knoblauch and Ankiel.

Edwards has shown flashes of brilliance just like the aforementioned baseball players. In college, he was dogged by a reputation that he caught difficult passes, but dropped the easy ones. Two years after he was drafted by the Browns, Edwards had 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns. It appeared as if he was on the verge of becoming an elite NFL wide receiver.

Suddenly in 2008 the reputation that was born in Ann Arbor resurfaced in Cleveland. It snowballed into a forgettable season, one in which Edwards led the NFL in dropped passes.

Last Saturday, Edwards dropped his first ball of 2009. Granted, it wasn't the easiest of passes to catch, but it was catchable.

Something is wrong. How's that for analysis? Seriously though, Edwards' problems are beyond physical skills. Now, it is a matter of him overcoming this mental block. The issue is between his ears. It's nothing that hours with a JUGS machine or slapping gallons of stick 'em on his gloves will cure.

Browns coach Eric Mangini was asked Monday if a sports psychologist should be called in to talk with Edwards. His answer was that Edwards needs to work on his physical attributes. "At this time it, (a sports psychologist) is not the answer."

Coach, c'mon, it couldn't hurt. No amount of practice reps will fix the mental barriers that are preventing Edwards from catching a football on a consistent basis.

In other news from Day 17 in Berea:

•Josh Cribbs seems to be leading rookies Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi for the No. 2 wide receiver spot. Give credit to Cribbs who improved his route running, catching and, most importantly to Mangini, his ability to block down field in the running game.

•On Monday, the Cuyahoga County commissioners voted on the parking rates at the county lots for Browns games and other events. If you plan on parking in a county-owned lot before Browns game, you can expect to spend $3 to $25. According to County Administrator Jim McCafferty, it was needed because of a $300,000 deficit in a garage fund.

•The Browns released linebacker Bo Ruud. Four months earlier, the Browns claimed Ruud off waivers from New England. Ruud was a six-round pick of the Patriots in 2008, but missed the entire season recovering from a knee injury. At Nebraska, he started 46 games and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as a junior in 2006.

•Finally, Mangini said "we'll see" regarding the quarterback situation in Saturday's game against Detroit. What is confusing is he said Quinn started at Green Bay because Anderson got to play with the "ones" at the intra-squad scrimmage. Fine, but Mangini originally said the starter of last Saturday's game would not start against the Lions. Now, that is up in the air. Hmmm...

Also, in recent NoLogoNeeded.com posts:
•Aaron Ziraks recapped "What We Watched" in the first preseason game.
•Brandon Rastok jotted down some "Random Thoughts" after what happened in Green Bay.

What We Watched: Preseason Week 1

By Aaron Ziraks
NoLogoNeeded.com Staff Writer

What I want to do is treat that game like every Rocky movie after Rocky IV. It never happened. Yet because I wrote about what to watch for in Saturday's game, I have to rehash the whole thing. I'll try to keep it PG. This is a family-friendly Web site, after all.

1. The first thing I was looking at was how the team carried itself compared to last season. By all accounts, there wasn't much of a difference. The Browns still made mental errors and stupid mistakes that cost games. I know this game did not count, but they looked awful.

Hank Fraley's penalty. Braylon Edwards' drop touchdown pass. Donald Driver being open by 10 yards despite the Browns dropping eight players into coverage are things that stand out the most. Those mistakes directly cost the Browns points.

It is hard to believe at this point that Edwards is serious about playing football. If you are focused, you make that catch. It is also hard to imagine why Fraley is out on the corner for field goals and trying to block the fastest guy coming around the corner. A long player with quicker feet (i.e. Robert Royal) should be there instead of the team's center with a T-Rex wing span. I'm still in awe over the Driver touchdown. Seriously, how does a team drop eight into coverage and get beat by 10 yards. That is hard to do.

2. Like everyone, I was watching the quarterback competition closely. Quinn looked more composed and had better command of the offense. He did drive the offense in the two-minute drill. Although he threw an interception, I liked what he said about it being a bad decision on his part. He realized in that situation instead of forcing it, you have to put points on the board.

Would a better quarterback have scored on Green Bay's second-team defense? Probably. Although Quinn was not great, he played much better than Anderson. DA looked uncomfortable, forced throws and made poor decisions. Is Quinn the guy? He played better than Anderson, so I would say if the season starts tomorrow, yes he is. Is Quinn the guy long term? Based on that performance, I hope not.

3. I wanted to check out the young "talent." Based completely off that game, none of the young guys made much of an impression. Alex Mack looked like he wasn't ready to start in the NFL. Beau Bell and Kaluka Maiva looked over matched and couldn't fill the holes when they needed to. Alex Hall looked too small to make an impact as a pass rusher, but I did like his speed. Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi looked average. Overall, not overly impressed with anyone that can help the team right away.

4. All I really wanted out of this game was a touchdown. The Browns don't have that club in their bag at this point. The Browns haven't scored an offensive touchdown in 275 days. From the looks of it, I'm not holding my breath that it's going to happen any time soon.

Finally, other random observations:

• Eric Mangini was pissed. It looked like Monday's practice plan would be running until you puke.
• Mike Furrey looks good. I loved the first down signal he gave a la Joey J.
• The Browns need linebackers. The ones they drafted aren't going to cut it.
• Kamerion Wimbley is as ineffective as ever. There is a good possibility that he will never be the star we thought he once could be.
• I love that new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is getting Josh Cribbs more touches. Even better, Cribbs took advantage of those touches.
• If Cleveland holds Adrian Peterson and the Vikings less than 300 yards rushing Sept. 13, I will be happy.
• If you are in a competition for a job that only 32 people in the world can have (NFL starting QB) you have to come stronger than 0-for-2 with one interception.
• The broadcast was almost as bad as the game. The sound cut out every three minutes. Jim Donovan's man crush on Tyrell Sutton was embarrassing. Pull it together, WKYC.
• Speaking of the broadcast, one of the best parts of the Browns game was when Bernie Kosar said that Brady Quinn's sister was wearing half a shirt during the Notre Dame-Ohio State Fiesta Bowl. I don't think that came out how he wanted it to. Gotta love Bernie.
  
  To read NoLogoNeeded.com staff writer Brandon Rastok's "Random Thoughts" regarding the preseason opener click here.