Business As Usual in Browns Town

I will say this for the Browns and their first game of the 2009-10 season: they played a pretty darned good half of football.  Crisp tackling, effective running game, great pass rush, a nifty 65 yard touchdown punt return by Josh Cribbs--it all added up to a pleasantly surprising 13-10 halftime lead against the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings.

Then the Browns started playing some real Browns football.  At one point during the broadcast, commentator Brian Billick spoke reverentially about all the tradition and glory of Cleveland football.  The camera zoomed in on the hallowed names of yesteryear--Otto Graham, Jim Brown, Paul Warfield--as Billick waxed poetic on what being a Cleveland Brown is all about.  If he meant sloppy defense, penalties, inept offense and zero hope for the poor schmucks who paid their way into Cleveland Browns Stadium, he was right on.

Because when the offense was called for four false start penalties in the second half, they were playing Browns football.

When helpless and hopeless looking QB Brady Quinn threw a HORRIBLE interception on a misread pattern by Braylon Edwards that led to a Vikings touchdown, he was playing Browns football.

When Quinn fumbled trying to roll left and make an impossible throw downfield, he was playing Browns football.

When the defense let Adrian Peterson run for 800 yards in the second half, they were playing Browns football.

When new coach Mangini totally forgot about Jamal Lewis and the 60 yards he had on 11 carries in the first half, it was clear that he had already learned how to play Browns football.

And when the whole thing basically imploded and turned into a field day for the visiting team, that was just good old fashioned Cleveland Browns football. 

Because guess what, Billick?  The Browns have been perpetual losers since 1999.  That tradition you're talking about?  That belonged to YOUR old team.  Remember?  That team you coached in Baltimore that won a title?

I thought you might.

nwb