Indians promote stability, Antonetti, Chernoff, and Falvey
October 6, 2015Kevin Love expected to be cleared for Cavs’ opening night
October 6, 2015Cornerback Joe Haden sat out the Browns latest game — a particularly inventive 30-27 loss to the San Diego Chargers — with a broken finger. He had also picked up an injury to his ribs in the Browns’ loss to the Oakland Raiders. Haden said Friday before the San Diego game that he would be able to play. He was listed as probable on the official injury report but was inactive, which has inspired the NFL to investigate why that was the case. (Always focusing on the important things, that NFL.)
Haden has caught some guff for sitting out that game, and some of his teammates are not happy about it, most notably linebacker Craig Robertson. By way of NEOMG’S Mary Kay Cabot:
“I’ve been around Joe for four years, and I think it’s crap that people are giving him crap for not playing through something that he felt like wouldn’t have put the team in the best situation,” Robertson told Northeast Ohio Media Group. “If Joe decided not to go, it’s because he did it for the team and it was nothing personal for him, but I think it’s crap that fans or anybody is saying anything about any of that because that’s a guy who goes through everything 100% and puts the team before anybody.
“The fact that fans — or anybody’s saying that — that’s ridiculous.”
The first person to suggest that Haden could have gone but didn’t, of course, was Browns head coach Mike Pettine.
“We left [the decision of whether or not to play] up to Joe,” Pettine said Monday. “We left it up to Joe, and he made the decision that he didn’t want to go.”
The Browns were already lousy with problems — non-existent pass rush, cheesecloth defense, suspended GM — and this one looks to be the latest off the assembly line. Perhaps Pettine didn’t put that much thought into his word choice, but he made the decision that he didn’t want to go seems as damning a thing as a coach can say about a player in the get-tough-or-get-out NFL.
Haden has as good a reputation as any Brown, and quarterback Josh McCown was another who came to his defense.
“Everybody comes out on Sunday and if you’re battling injuries — to me, if you don’t feel like you can go out there and be at your best then you have to make that call,” McCown told NEOMG. “But I don’t think anybody in here questions Joe Haden’s heart or intentions and when he’s healthy and ready to be out there, we expect him to be the same Joe that we’re used to seeing.
“I don’t think it’s an issue, not inside this locker room.”
In the locker room, maybe not. But it seems the Browns have enough problems on the field as it is.
16 Comments
Wow, Pettine. That seems like the sort of things that starts losing you the locker room.
What’s a shame is that adding Joe Haden probably wouldn’t have helped much. The biggest issue for the defense was the lack of pass rush against an awful offensive line and the ease in which Philip Rivers identified the Browns’ defensive play calls. Pettine called out the wrong players and needs to get on his golden boy Jim O’Neil. This is not a Mike Pettine defense… they’re a major disappointment.
He left it up to Joe? Uh oh..
The Browns and the word crap welcome to the party Craig Robertson! As for Super Joe Haden I personally thought he was suffering from whiplash as opposed to a hurt finger.
Pettine can’t worry about the lockerroom when he’s trying to preserve his own job! It’s the Browns dichotomy in full effect!
My question is what is the great NFL looking into?
This is all my fault, I bought a Joe Haden Jersey before the season. Had I not bought it, he would be looking great this year. But, I cursed him. Sorry, My bad… Everytime I buy a shirt I curse the player. Time to just buy a Browns polo…
You’re supposed to be somewhat honest with your injury report. In the past, they’ve fined teams that they felt were being intentionally deceitful. As it is an ill-defined policy that is nearly impossible to police, it stands as a great example of typical NFL administration.
Somewhat related: you’d think if the NFL was going to investigate any team for lying about a player’s injury status this past week, it would be the Colts.
OR Pettine simply said “We left it up to Joe, and he made the decision that he didn’t want to go.” AND there is nothing wrong with that AND Pettine did not have a problem with his decision BUT the media portrayed it as if he DID
BINGO!
Okay, so Pettine wasn’t happy about it, but you wouldn’t expect him to be, would you?
In my opinion, this is a completely media-driven, blogossip (hey, I just made that up), talk-radio, hot-take non-controversy. If it’s not an issue in the locker room, then it’s not an issue. But as we all know, the 24/7 “news” cycle demands constant drive-by controversies, so here we are.
bingo !
hi ROBERT … i have authentic jerseys of richardson , rogers & couch in my closet (ughhh). safest bet is to get a throwback … i treasure my authentic kosar jersey. so get one of jim brown or one of our all-time greats. or just have one custom made with your name on the back.
Well, if I do a custom made jersey with my name on the back, I may curse myself and my two boys (I am a soul residential custodial parent). I think I may have to just stick with polos, or not buy a jersey, and then maybe the team in the future will actually go 8-8. I live in Chicago and the Cubs are in the playoffs, miracles happen, but I guess only outside of Cleveland…
Wow. I didn’t even know there were opportunities out there like this. Thank you, Evelyn!
If I sent you a Joe Flacco jersey would you be willing to wear it Sunday? You could probably even wear it underneath the browns polo.
Well, Baltimore did not steal the Browns once, but twice! (St. Louis Browns became the Orioles). If that is what it takes to have the Browns of CLEVELAND finally win, sure…