May 19, 2013

Despite Early Frustrations Patience Is Still In Order

October 4, 2011 by 20 Comments

This is why I hate all the prediction-itis that surrounds the NFL.  Every analyst on the planet is seemingly forced to make predictions every single week.  It is a part of the underlying formula that makes the NFL so much more popular than any other American sports.  It was gambling as far back as anyone can remember and now we’ve doubled down with the fantasy football culture.  What ends up happening is that everyone ends up prognosticating so much that they (we) lose sight of reality staring us in the face.

Andy Baskin has been a really refreshing voice on the radio since he started his “Talking Heads” slot on 92.3.  Sometimes he might sound more like NPR than a typical sports talk radio host. That might be off-putting to some of you who like your sports talk extra lively, loud and controversial.  When I listen to that show though, even beyond the delivery, Baskin has a very different attitude and philosophy.  He openly scoffs at the prospect of assigning Ws and Ls on the 16 game schedule at the beginning of the season.  

It should be so simple and common sensical to think like that, but it is even easier to get caught up in all the juicy talk that comes from guessing, predicting and establishing some kind of phony guessing game.  In the end though, given the Browns’ youth it makes more sense to just watch and analyze rather than try to predict anything so volatile.  Make no mistake, I think this team has talent and potential, but it is raw.  Trying to predict some kind of consistent performance from this group is the antithesis of logical thought.

I am not pointing outwardly either.  I am including myself as well.  I get caught up a lot.  I predicted that the Browns’ defensive line wasn’t going to have problems with the Titans defensive line this week. How’d that work out?  The Browns ended up getting schooled by the line and a veteran quarterback that was able to take advantage of the blitzing Browns frequently.

But let’s learn from our predictions.  This team wasn’t expected to be a playoff team.  This team was supposed to win somewhere between five and eight games based on most people’s predictions.  Those predictions encompass a granularity of details that most of us don’t really think of as we are knee deep in an NFL schedule with so much hype leading up to every contest.

But losing somewhere between eight and eleven games could easily encompass a couple of rookie-like performances by a QB who is still basically a rookie, and his head coach who is also a rookie.  That head coach might struggle at times to figure out the best combinations of personnel.  Those players might get frustrated because they want to contribute and they hate losing.  Those eight to eleven losses could also very easily encompass a defense giving up some uncharacteristically large plays via bad tackling and horrendous officiating.   See that?  A combination of understandable excuses and unacceptable, yet somewhat understandably sub-standard performances.  Remember most of us predicted between five and eight wins.  They weren’t going to get them all to start the season unless you predicted a 16 win season.

You don’t need to be satisfied with losing, but maybe it is time to be honest with ourselves and stop acting so surprised.  Instead of embracing controversy and strife, call it what it is.  These are growing pains with a healthy dose of frustration as the team figures out who they are, who they want to be and finally who they can be.

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(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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  • Harv 21

    agree, Craig.

    Except the part about “granularity of details.” One more like that and you’ll join Reghi pouting on the sidelines at the upcoming WFNY Celebrity Scrabble Tournament. Don’t care if it’s “really a word.” Just put those tiles back on your stand, my friend.

  • http://www.60bpm.com/ Robbie

    I like Baskin, (but could do without Phelps and his endless unwitty witticisms and unfunny jokes). And I agree with his call for patience. To hear so many people absolutely destroying what’s happened boggles my mind, especially when I consider that many of the same people were calling for Mangini’s head towards the end of last season and crowning Shumar as the next coming of Paul Brown after a few decent quarters of preseason football.

    Young team + entirely new system + new coaching staff + complete lack of off-season preparation = very mediocre performances for a while.

    Pointing-out that some teams can turn it around in a year… there’s another deal on-par with the whole W-L predictions at the beginning of each year. Two years ago, people were yelling that Josh McDaniels was hired over Mangini when the Broncos started so hot. Last year, it was the fact that KC was going to the playoffs. Takes time to evaluate the present. Be patient or we’re continually rebuilding and sucking. You’ve got to stick with something at some point.

    I’ll be curious to see where the Titans are at the end of the year. They killed the Ravens, who look really tough themselves. If the Titans win the AFC South, this past loss is expected.

  • MrCleaveland

    To illustrate the worthlessness of predictions, just for fun we include Sports Illustrated’s picks in our NCAA bracket every year, and — this is the honest to God truth — these experts on college basketball CONSISTENTLY finish near the bottom of our standings, far below the usual pack of casual fans and even non-fans.

    Predictions are fun but completely pointless.

  • http://serandez.blogspot.com Ezzie

    Agree with the post, but at the same time it is reasonable to be frustrated when the issues are the kinds that they have been, which are not about talent or even a couple bad decisions, but just sloppy, spaced out football. Green’s TD in the Cincy game, the shoddy angle and tackling on the Cook TD, and the complete lack of interest in tackling Babineaux after the INT were very disheartening.

    In retrospect, we can say “hey, Tennessee is a really good team”, and that’s fine. Giving up 101 yards to Chris Johnson including junk time yards isn’t horrible. Not punching it in at the end of sustained drives early is frustrating, but we’re talking about a top defense – fine. A bad decision by McCoy will happen once in a great while, and while it’s not “acceptable”, it is realistic to understand. The same is true of a 4th-and-1 surprise flip and other questionable playcalls which happen here and there. But those alone point to a 17-13 defeat or thereabouts, not a going through the motions shellacking, and that’s what is so frustrating.

  • jimkanicki

    i’m as tired of being told to be patient as i am with our unsettled right tackle situation.

  • Ben

    I have no problem being patient when I see things going in the right direction. I understand that rookie head coaches are going to make mistakes but anyone who can tell me with a straight face that Shurmur can be both the HC and the OC at the same time is insane. I think the most important thing this year is to take 16 games and see what we have with Mccoy.

  • http://www.redright88.com Titus Pullo

    But being patient is so hard! I want instant gratification and I want it now!

  • Chris

    Reason has no place in sports talks or politics.

    The only clear answer is to blow up the team and get a new coach.

    I kid. There are flashes of awesome, hints of potential. I am excited about what is to come, but disappointed in the time frame.

    I think a good part of it comes from knowing we’re 2-3 steps back from where we appeared to be last year, and there was by no means any sort of concensus opinion that we needed to go this route.

    Another big part is that, as clevelanders, we’ve waiting for so long through so many “rebuilding” phases, that we’re not confident there IS an end in sight.

    Football is not a democracy, and it’s a good thing too, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. I’m getting tired of hoping, and I think a lot of others might be too.

  • RyInCBus

    I understand people are sick of being patient but I’m sorry, what choice do you have here? You either A) choose to be patient and wait to see which direction this team goes or B) you choose to be impatient, pitch a fit every week or C) go root for Buffalo! Good luck!

  • Garry Owen

    But, but, but . . . the Browns OWE me!

  • http://www.60bpm.com/ Robbie

    Interesting to see so many in favor of patience. After listening to Cleveland sports talk radio over the last 48 hours, I thought I was one of the only ones.

    I forgot an important + in my original post, too:
    … + lack of depth …

    Depth can only be attained through a stable organization and decent draft picks. I’m hoping Heckert keeps-up the solid drafts. If the organization is up-rooted every 2-3 years, though, depth is eliminated due to the new regime bringing-in “their guys”.

  • BomberDawg

    I am sure I’ll take some heat for this, and some of you will say I’m not a true fan. I assure you I am. I tune in every week for these clowns and will until I am no longer on this planet. However, these guys are LOUSY. I am growing sick-and-tired of the weekly excuses I hear for and about this team. No more excuses. No more calling it a “rebuilding period.” Granted, that Heckert hasn’t been here long enough to take the brunt of this. I like H & H…but I get pissed every time I see Clay Jr. make another sweet hit for Green Bay. I’m in it for the long-haul, but these guys are the worst 2-2 team in the league….and this is supposed to be the easy portion of our schedule. Yikes.

  • Swig

    10-6!!!

  • dwhit110

    I don’t understand all of the hand-wringing over the Titans loss. We got spanked. There were a couple of super-frustrating plays (their TE rumbling 80 yards for a TD) but to me blowing a winnable game to the Bengals hurt far more than this week’s loss.

  • http://www.60bpm.com/ Robbie

    @BomberDawg — I hear you… I’m sick of waking-up with hangovers on Monday morning because of how poorly they play, but it’s going to take more than a shortened pre-season and four games to find-out if this regime will be successful or not.

    To be fair, passing-on Clay Matthews Jr. was not a Heckert/Holmgren decision. And, to be clear, I was a Mangini supporter, but I’m willing to stick it out with Shurmer until we can know for sure whether he’s a complete dud or not.

  • 5KMD

    “I’m in it for the long-haul, but these guys are the worst 2-2 team in the league….and this is supposed to be the easy portion of our schedule. Yikes.”

    Sorry, but for teams like the Browns there is no such thing as an easy part of the schedule. If there was, they’d be a playoff team. No one knows at the beginning of the year how all these teams will play. Add in injuries and the NFL is a crap shoot year. I guarantee that fans of the teams on the Browns schedule think the Browns are an “easy” part of their schedule as well.

  • KardiacKydd

    I love what Heckert has done with the two drafts, albeit I’m curious to see what Eric Hagg and Jordan Cameron bring to the mix. Cuz so far, not so much. What really sticks out to me, beyond the general lack of team speed on both sides of the ball, is that Heckert looks at those WRs and says, yeah, they can compte, that we are good there. The media asks him over and over, Heckert, are you sure about those WRs? Don’t we need a veteran go-to-guy to help Colt develop? Don’t we need a stretch the firld guy, again, to help Colt develop? And he’s like no, I think we’re fine there. We’re good. And I’m like, how can this be? What the heck does he see that NOBODY else sees? I mean, Greg Little shows promise. Cribbs just makes plays but the route running isnt there yet. and Mo Mass is a proven #2 with a big time WR on the field. Remember how great he looked with Braylon? And then my Browns brain starts looking for conspiracies because seriously, how can Heckert believe that this group helps Colt develop and helps the team win?

  • John

    “You don’t need to be satisfied with losing, but maybe it is time to be honest with ourselves and stop acting so surprised.”

    No one is surprised. They’re all just disappointed. These are games against teams who are equally as flawed as the Browns. And we don’t expect them to Win, but we do expect them to at least COMPETE with teams like Tennessee. Its unfair for you to say that Browns fans EXPECT certain games to end up in the W column, when all those preseason predictions are really just a realistic “hope” for what they can get with what they put on the field.

    We are all honest with ourselves because lets face it, we’re Browns fans. I’ve come to expect the worst but hope for the best. I look at every loss as a young team that is learning to play together and also as an opportunity to get a better shot at landing Andrew Luck. But I look at every Win as a game where the team I root for played better than the team across the field from them.

    So with that being said, don’t get on Browns fans for being disappointed with the Cleveland No-show that happened this Sunday. We were just excited at a potential 3-1 start going into the Bye Week, what’s wrong with that?

  • Gren

    11 years is patience enough.

  • Slooz

    As frustrating as it can be to watch, I’m in total agreement that patience is still in order. Well put, Craig. But while we’re watching and waiting, there are 2 things I’d love to see from Shurmur:*

    1. Stop acting like you have no agency in calling your own plays. This “the situation dictates” stuff is baloney — if you don’t want to call 61 pass plays, DON’T call 61 pass plays. There is a difference between adjusting and adapting (good) and abandoning your game plan and your biggest/only offensive playmaker (bad). One of my favorite football stories ever was from the ’87 championship game, when the Browns were down 21-3. At half, one of the coaches said something like “we’re not gonna play like we’re down 3 scores, we’re gonna play like we’re down 1 score.” They then came out with steady, purposeful driving that had the Broncos D reeling. Yes, I know The Fumble happened, but I love that attitude — creating a feeling of inevitability, instead of desperation through haphazard passing.(I think this is the right link but I can’t check it while at work: http://www.hulu.com/watch/123941/greatest-games-1987-the-fumble). I’d like to see Shurmur take control and exhibit some of that confidence.

    2. Stop using the term “West Coast Offense.” Yeah, I know that’s what we run now, but it sounds generic and not particularly threatening when someone not named Montana/Favre/Rodgers is chucking the ball. It doesn’t give us an identity. Hillis does (or at least last year, did). I’m not advocating going back to the Daboll/Mangingi style, BUT, I do think that emphasizing how McCoy’s WCO-type passing complements Hillis’s running style (Hardesty’s, too), could really give the whole offense more of a Cleveland identity than it has had this season. One term for this that I dismissed at first as clever-but-gimmicky, but have since come around to like, is “North Coast Offense.” Is it trivial to abandon the term WCO in favor of NCO? Maybe, but I also think that language matters and influences the way we think in subtle ways. So why not seize that term, which suggests both storied history and our present rebuilding process, and then really own it and execute it (see point 1).

    *Apologies for the lengthy post, I’ve been kicking these ideas around awhile.