Monday, December 30, 2013

Jets, Browns veer down vastly different paths with Rex Ryan, Rob Chudzinski

As the Jets doused their beloved coach with Gatorade following a win that spoiled a division rival's playoff hopes, a very different scene was going down for the Cleveland Browns.

Head Coach Rob Chudzinski and his team walked off the field for the final time in 2013, allowing their division foe to breathe playoff life for a few hours more.

Jets Owner Woody Johnson made the announcement minutes after his team finished their season at 8-8 with a win in Miami: Rex Ryan would be returning as Jets head coach in 2014.

Cleveland's "process" didn't go down quite so smoothly.

After a day's worth of rumors surrounding "bad vibes" and "turmoil," NFL reporters tweeted texts from players deriding the organization and/or Chudzinski and foretelling his demise.

Before he left Berea, the Browns made it official and fired Chudzinski after just one season on the job.

Chudzinski held the title of Browns head coach for just 352 days.

What was a dream come true on Jan. 11 turned into a nightmare by Dec. 30.

A somewhat promising start spiraled downward with the team losing its last seven games.

The Browns released a statement Sunday night that included the line: "We have high standards, and there's an urgency for success."

Go back to Chudzinski's introductory news conference on that early January 2013 day and you'll get a much different tone.

"Joe [Banner] and I have both come from organizations where there has been little change in terms of leadership. This organization has had a lot of change in terms of leadership. We wanted to spend a little bit more time," Owner Jimmy Haslam said of the interview process, which ended with Chudzinski getting hired.

One season at the helm, a second major leadership change already awaiting on the horizon.

But what Haslam and company expected to get from Chudzinski they obviously did not get.

"Everywhere Rob has been, the quarterback has gotten dramatically better," Haslam said of Chudzinski.

That certainly did not happen in Cleveland in 2013.  Then again, Chudzinski also went through three quarterbacks, the one who appeared the most successful (albeit in a small sample size) lost to a season-ending injury.

For the Jets, Ryan came into the season with a huge target on his back. Before it even began, he was maligned when Mark Sanchez, who may have been his starting quarterback, was injured while playing during the second half of a preseason game against the Giants.

Some called for his head right at that moment. I was skeptical of Ryan's decision-making at the time.

However, Ryan's fate, and the Jets' approach on this season's final Sunday could not have been a more stark contrast from the Browns.

While Ryan has been a pariah to some for his blusterous attitude, he earned what seemed to be universal support from his players and won eight games with a team critics predicted would win three or four.

Ryan certainly presented fodder for firing: his six seasons have been a rollercoaster ride, the GM who he began with was axed and a new regime can often spell doom for an incumbent head coach.

But instead, of cutting the cord on Ryan, the Jets took the path of patience and continuity.

"We're confident that, with the leadership of General Manager John Idzik, working closely with Rex, we will enter 2014 with great opportunities to improve. We have the resources in place to continue to build our team, including more draft picks and roster flexibility than in previous years. In short, we're on the right path. We are going to continue to move forward together, always looking to be better and stronger, building on our successes and learning from our failures," Woody Johnson wrote in a letter to season ticket holders.

The Browns also have plenty of draft picks but Chudzinski won't get another chance to learn from the failures of his first season as an NFL head coach.

Ryan will be the guy the Jets entrust with leading them forward, despite his inability to get the Jets over .500 in each of the last three seasons.

Is there a black-and-white, right-or-wrong answer when it comes to which approach is best?

No -- NFL coaching decisions are far from an exact science.

Where Cleveland goes next with its new leader and New York its grizzled guy will decide how this day goes down in these franchises' histories, whether the path proves prosperous or plighted with pitfalls.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Browns' Joe Haden pours heart out after loss to Jaguars

When the game’s on the line, Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts wants the ball.

The hometown kid got it and scored the game-winning touchdown in the final minute Sunday to propel the Jaguars to a 32-28 victory over the Browns.

Shorts beat Browns cornerback Joe Haden, who poured his heart out after the game.

Tears welled up in Haden’s eyes as he delivered an impassioned, sometimes expletive-laden, message to media members at his locker. To get the full impact, you need to read it straight through, in its entirety:

“We f***in’ can’t stand losing. It hurts. To go out there, put my f***in’ heart out there every time, every time. And we end up coming up short. It was my fault right there on the touchdown. He ran a good route, good play, good offense, you know what I’m sayin’? Don’t take nothing from our D. We’re out there every time grinding, fighting, and this s*** hurts, every time we start losing. You know what I’m sayin’? We’re tired of it. And there’s nothing we can say. You’re gonna come with the same questions every week and I’m gonna give you the same answers -- ‘We gonna get better next week. We gonna get better next week.’ Until we do it, then there’s nothing else to talk about -- straight up. Good? Alright.” 

On the other end of the spectrum, down the field-level cavern of FirstEnergy Stadium was an ecstatic Cecil Shorts, the third-year wide receiver who attended Collinwood High on Cleveland’s east side then Mount Union, smiling at the podium in the visitors’ media room.

Shorts explained the 20-yard touchdown, one where he faked a slant then did a side step out, expecting Haden to jump the route, which was just what happened.

“Anytime we’re in two-by-two in our previous games, we ran a lot of slants, a lot of unders, lot of in-cutting routes,” Shorts said. “So, we expected him to jump it and he jumped the mess out of that.”

Henne put it right on Shorts who held onto the ball for dear life as he got his two feet down in the west end zone. Shorts had been hindered by drops in other moments of the game but didn’t let it get to him.

“Chad Henne came to me like ‘Hey, I’m coming back to you. You’re a playmaker and I’m coming back to you,’” Shorts said. “Ace Sanders, Mike Brown, Will Blackmon, Marcedes Lewis, a bunch of the guys came up to me like, ‘We’re coming back to you, don’t worry. Don’t worry about it, just keep fighting.”

To Haden’s dismay, Shorts got his chance to shine on the 3rd and 9 with 40 seconds left in the game. Down three and in field goal range, Jacksonville didn’t play it safe and instead, offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch took the shot at the win.

“Coach Jedd made a hell of a call. I’m happy he called that play. It was for me. He gave me the opportunity to make a play,” Shorts said.

Haden was fooled.

“They were setting it up for the whole game. It was a really, really good route,” he said.

Two weeks removed from what may have been his best game as a pro in Cincinnati, where he shut down Bengals’ receiver AJ Green and notched his first career interception returned for a touchdown, Haden has had struggles.

He allowed Steelers’ receiver Antonio Brown to put up 92 yards and a touchdown in the back-breaking week 12 divisional loss. He held Shorts in check most of the day but it is the one decisive play that will be remembered. That scrutiny goes along with being a top cornerback, which Haden knows.

He made note of that when he spoke after the loss to the Steelers a week ago.

“I’m playing against the best receiver on the other team every single week. Things are going to happen. As a corner, I know it’s not always gonna go my way,” Haden said.

A week later, the frustration boiled over but Haden's teammates remain behind him.

“That’s like my brother. For him to be down on himself after he played a game like he did and what he meant for this defense, it’s kind of a terrible feeling,” free safety Tashaun Gipson said. “I know that he would make that play 10 times out of 10 if it happened again.”

 Captain and defensive leader linebacker D’Qwell Jackson said he walked past and overheard the emotions in Haden’s tone. While Haden took the blame himself, Jackson refused to put it on him.

“That’s on the entire defense. That’s not on one man,” Jackson said about the winning score. “It would be a crime to put it on one man.”

Up 28-25 after Josh Gordon’s 95-yard touchdown scamper, the Browns defense succumbed to a Jaguars offense they held in check throughout the second half.

"We should have stopped that drive. It didn’t start with Joe at all," strong safety TJ Ward said. "Joe didn’t give up that drive. We did as a defense entirely."

The Jaguars drove it 75 yards down the field on nine plays in 3:15, Shorts’ touchdown grab the decisive blow.

Haden’s nightmare with the game at stake was Shorts’ ecstasy.

“I can’t really put it in words. It’s a dream come true -- for that play to happen in this game in that situation in the hometown,”

Friday, November 15, 2013

'BatKid' saves San Fran - and a bit of faith in humanity

Every so often we're reminded that, yes, there is good out there still in this world.

There are small examples almost daily.

We just don't usually see them unless we're the ones carrying them out or are on the receiving end (as I write this, I just heard about a five-second slam on the car horn from outside my apartment).

Some days, though, the greater good of humanity, is on grand display - and it really is something to which we could all take notice.

Friday was one of those, as the whole city of San Francisco made a boy's wish come true.

Miles, a 5-year-old leukemia survivor, became "BatKid," saving the San Francisco Giants' mascot Lou Seal and helping apprehend The Riddler, and Penguin. The Department of Justice even sent out a press release, probably the greatest one I've ever read, about the arrests. 

The boy's mom said he likes to be a superhero and is one. She couldn't be more right - and all of those people who cheered for him made him know he was one.

They made him feel special.

"Our superhero is in remission. And today, I think we gave him a little bit of his childhood back," Patricia Wilson of the Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area Foundation said, just before Miles was given the key to the city by the mayor.

The Nebraska football program did it for Jack Hoffman, a brain cancer survivor who suited up in uniform and scored a touchdown in their spring game last year.

This is the joy we can reap when we act at our finest.

Too often, we're barraged with lawmakers squabbling or criminals polluting the news.

And truly, we really don't do nice things for each other enough. Whether it seems awkward or we're just too busy, most of us are guilty of failing to carry out kindness.  I try when I can but I don't do it enough either.

For ages, philosophers have argued over whether humans are innately selfish or good. 

San Francisco, or "Gotham City" as it was also known Friday, offered a compelling case for the virtuous.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Davone Bess redeems himself, makes head coach Rob Chudzinski’s aggressive calls pay off


Davone Bess was just hoping not to drop the ball this time.

How the critical fourth down in the waning minutes of Sunday's game played out was uncannily similar to one week ago in Kansas City – except for the result.

“The guy got a pretty good jam on me,” Bess said. “I turned around on my route and saw Jason scrambling and it looked exactly how it was last week.”

Quarterback Jason Campbell joked after the game that he wasn’t sure he even called the 4th and 1 play, which he tabbed as the game’s biggest, correctly.

“It was a play where we were trying to get something quick and get the ball out of our hands but also make sure we get the first down,” Campbell said.

Campbell did not, however, want to just throw it if someone was not open. So he bought himself time.

“He was rolling,” Bess said. “He threw it at me and I just came over and caught it.”

No pain-staking drop this time for Bess, as was the case on the late-game 4th and 7 against the Chiefs, when Campbell again rolled to his right avoiding pressure, threw across his body and put the ball on target.

“I dropped the one last week and that definitely went through my head - didn’t want to make the same mistake,” Bess said.

With 3:12 left in the game, Bess’ fourth down grab continued the drive that sealed the Browns’ 24-18 win over the division-rival Ravens.

It was Bess’ second key fourth down grab of the game, making good on his head coach’s aggressive decision-making.

Early in the game, Rob Chudzinski kept the offense on the field on a 4th and goal at the 1. Bess came through with a one-yard touchdown catch at 8:24 in the first quarter.

“I think it was important in this game for our guys to have the mentality to play to win and that drive I think exemplified that,” Chudzinski said.

The fourth quarter fourth down call marked an opportunity to take the game.

“It was a potential punt situation but Baltimore was playing so well and able to drive so well I felt good about our guys and us being able to convert that first down,” Chudzinski said. “Jason made a whale of a play. He scrambled, bought himself time. Davone kept working to get open...and a huge play.”

The veteran receiver caught just three passes but all were instrumental to the victory.  His second of the game was his second touchdown, a 20-yard catch and run on a crafty juke move that fooled Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb.

Bess never lost the faith of his head coach, even with his struggles in Kansas City.

“I trust him and I know the type of person he is,” Chudzinski said.”He’s gonna bounce back from the week before. You get to know people and you get to trust people and feel about them in that way.
Davone Bess is one of those people.”

Just as Bess rewrote his own script, the Browns did too against the Ravens, to whom they had lost their previous 11 meetings.

“It’s been a long time since we beat Baltimore,” offensive lineman Joe Thomas said. “It’s kind of a hill that we’ve had trouble getting to the top of and to be able to finally do that I think is building confidence going into the bye week.”

The Browns’ last victory against the Ravens came back in 2007, Thomas’ rookie season, when Phil Dawson hit a 51-yard game-winner that bounced off the left upright, then the crossbar before going through the goalposts.

Finally, the monkey is off their backs.

“We’ve been the kid brother in this division for a long time,” Chudzinski said. “If you want to change that, you have to do things to change it. I think that the guys' approach this week was outstanding. They believed and it’s a matter of actions and getting it done on the field and we were able to get it done today.”

It was a belief Chudzinski helped instill in his players.

“Coach Chud just let us know that hey, it’s time to end this, end this beating we’re taking,” former Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger said. “This one means a lot because not only did we do what we know we can do, at the same time it’s a conference game and it puts us in a really nice position."

His quarterback agreed.

"They always say you resemble your head coach," Campbell said. "When it gets tough, we fight even harder. I think a lot of that comes because our coach is that way. He doesn’t quit."

Despite being under .500 at 4-5, the Browns sit in second place in the AFC North with two division wins and a pivotal matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals looming after the bye week.

So just how big is this win for the Browns' season?

“It’s too early to say if this is the biggest,” said linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, another guy who was around for that last triumph over Baltimore. “I’ll tell you that down the road when we win some more games and we’ll see really the significance of this win. Right now, we know we’re in the hunt.”

Browns' Jason Campbell: Ravens' Haloti Ngata 'isn't dirty player'


When all 330 pounds of Haloti Ngata landed squarely on Browns quarterback Jason Campbell, there was no doubt he felt it.

Ngata was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness on the third down play in the first quarter and Campbell was forced out of the game for the rest of the series with a rib injury.

After the game, the two cleared up the situation and Ngata apologized.

“Ngata told me he wasn’t trying to do anything on purpose,” Campbell said. ”He actually was trying to jump over his guy to keep the guy from running into his legs…and just accidentally fell on me. He’s not a dirty player.”

As Ngata fell onto Campbell, the football was between the quarterback and the ground. It reminded Campbell of when, as a member of the Oakland Raiders in 2011, he broke his collarbone in a game against the Browns.

That injury, and the Raiders’ subsequent trade for Carson Palmer, kept Campbell from playing another down that season.

This time, Campbell was able to return to action.

“I wasn’t coming out of the game,” Campbell said. “You’d have to drag me out. I wanted to stay out there with those guys and keep fighting.”

Fight he did, through pain, in leading the Browns to the 24-18 win over the Ravens.

“I kept telling them [the offensive line] just give me time ’cause my ribs are really bothering me and hurting me,” Campbell said.

He went on to say that the injury caused him trouble with the speed and accuracy of a couple throws on which he wanted to “cut it loose.” Campbell got X-rays taken after the game but doubted that any of his ribs were broken.

Despite the injury, Campbell excelled for his second straight game as Browns starter, completing 23 of his 35 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

The numbers are similar to his stats in the close loss to the Chiefs last week, when he was 22 of 36 passing for 293 yards and two touchdowns.

Maybe even more importantly, Campbell has yet to commit a turnover in his two starts. Brandon Weeden, on the other hand, has thrown six interceptions and fumbled three times this season.

“He’s a pro’s pro,” cornerback Joe Haden said of Campbell. “Every time the offense moves the ball like that and does great things, you see the defense on the sideline, we’re so excited. That gets us juiced to go out there and get the ball back to them.”

Campbell’s ability to move around and prolong plays has also been a boon, as was evident on the fourth down conversion just past midfield late in the game.

“He’s a tough guy. He’s a team guy,” head coach Rob Chudzinski said. “The plays that he made were huge down the stretch.”

For the second time this season, it appears Chudzinski has made the right move in replacing Weeden with another quarterback originally behind him on the depth chart.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Is Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton turning a corner or just following a career trend?

The hype is building around Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.

CBS Sports NFL Insider Pat Kirwan writes Dalton is on his way to big a payday.

Former quarterbacks Phil Simms, Rich Gannon and Steve Beuerlein think the Bengals are now Super Bowl contenders after Dalton's recent outings.

In Sunday's 49-9 trouncing of the Jets, Dalton racked up 325 yards and five touchdowns, the third consecutive game in which he has surpassed 300 yards passing and finished with at least three touchdowns.

Reaching pay dirt has Dalton reaching milestones too. The Associated Press' Joe Kay tweeted after the win: "Andy Dalton is first #Bengals QB to throw 11 touchdown passes in a three-game span, according to STATS."

The third-year quarterback out of TCU has undeniably been impressive leading the Bengals to four straight wins and helping perch them comfortably atop the AFC North.

But the big question really here is - does this mean Dalton is finally turning a corner or is he just doing what the past has shown he will?


Let's take a look at Dalton's first two seasons.


Dalton finished his rookie season with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In a five-game stretch from the first week of Oct. to the first week of Nov. 2011, he helped the Bengals reel off five straight wins and put up some of his strongest numbers (nine touchdowns to five interceptions, three games with a completion percentage of more than 60 percent). After that though, the numbers took a turn for the worse, as the Bengals went 3-5 to finish the season and lost 31-10 in the first round of the playoffs to the Texans.


During the Bengals' final eight games, Dalton had ups and downs, which was to be expected from a quarterback in his first season.

He completed 60 percent of his passes only once more in a regular season game, a win at home against the Browns, and threw six interceptions to his eight touchdowns.

It got worse in the playoff game in Houston, as Dalton was picked three times and the Bengals offense he led reached the end zone only once on a Cedric Benson run in the first quarter.

Go back to last season and you will again see an up-and-down Dalton. Struggling through a four-game losing streak in October 2012, Dalton threw more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (6). 

Following the Bengals' week nine loss to Denver, however, a massive turnaround came about.

Cincinnati won seven of its final eight games and Dalton again looked like a different quarterback.

While he didn't once throw for 300 yards, Dalton limited his turnovers (five interceptions) and capitalized to the tune of 13 touchdowns.

It appeared as if Dalton was making strides, not yet into an elite quarterback putting up gaudy numbers but one that could lead his team to victory with the help of a strong defense.

But again, in the same place as the year before, Dalton and the Bengals were thwarted. 

In a wild-card game against the feisty Houston defense, Dalton struggled, completing less than half of his passes and finishing the day with no touchdowns and an interception. This time around against the Texans it was only the Bengals' defense that scored a touchdown in a 19-13 loss.

So, in two and a half seasons, Dalton has had his fair share of Jekyll and Hyde moments.

Right now, he is performing well, which is not new. The degree to which he is excelling is a promising first. What is yet to be seen is if the downswings of the past are still to follow in 2013.

That will be the true test.

If Dalton can maintain this level of play consistently - be what Joe Flacco was for the Ravens as they won Super Bowl XLVII - the Bengals should take that next step to becoming a serious championship contender.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

It can get worse than Brandon Weeden, Browns fans

Be careful what you wish for.

Many Browns fans are saying they want anyone but Brandon Weeden at quarterback after his lackluster performance Sunday in Green Bay.

Weeden was bad, to put it mildly, completing just 40 percent of his passes (17-42, 149 yards, TD, INT).

His self-described "boneheaded" underhand interception one week prior against Detroit put a halt to the Browns' comeback hopes down a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

In his second season, Weeden has been mediocre, struggling more so since his return from an injured thumb.

While Weeden may not be winning, it can get worse.

You may not believe that but it's true. 

Look no further than Monday night's performance by Josh Freeman for evidence of that.

Freeman was abysmal in his first start for the Vikings, connecting on 37.7 percent of his throws (20-53, 190 yards, INT). That completion percentage is the lowest in a game with 40 or more attempts since Eli Manning's 34-percent day taking on Washington in 2007, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

After getting released by Tampa Bay, Freeman got the start against the Giants just two weeks after signing with his new team. A limited timespan to digest a new playbook did Freeman no favors as he struggled mightily.

Yet, some believe any quarterback off the street could come into Cleveland and outproduce Weeden right now.

Freeman serves as a good guideline against that deluded notion.

While Freeman's numbers this season with the Bucs were the worst of his career, he has had success before. Last season, the former first round pick threw for 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. In 2010, he finished with an excellent 25 to 6 touchdown to interception ratio.

One analyst posed the question "does anybody out there think Troy Smith would be worse than Weeden?" Smith is currently playing in the CFL.

Others have suggested Matt Scott, an undrafted rookie currently on the Jaguars practice squad, Vince Young or former Browns first-round pick Brady Quinn.

Tyler Thigpen, who started a number of games for the Chiefs some years back, could be an option, as well as John Skelton, who started six games for the Cardinals last season.

The Browns have not confirmed or even expressed forthright interest in any of these possibilities. This is just a sampling of what's out there.

Take a long, hard look at these names. Pull up their career stats and see if they're really any better than what the Browns have.

Whether Jason Campbell is a better solution at the current time than Weeden is for the coaching staff to decide. You have to wonder though why he was jumped on the depth chart by Brian Hoyer and didn't even dress for the Thursday night game in which Weeden was summoned into action after Hoyer hurt his knee.

Something just seems off there.

More confounding is this idea that any quarterback can come in with less than a week of preparation and be better suited to lead the Browns into the merciless atmosphere of Arrowhead Stadium against the 7-0 Chiefs Sunday.

Weeden is not proving to be the long-term answer but it is short-sighted to think a replacement can so easily be found and succeed right away. You saw Monday night with Freeman and the Vikings how that can turn out.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Trading Josh Gordon would be mistake for Browns

Trade rumors are again spiraling around Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon after a poor performance Sunday in Green Bay.



Cutting ties with the second-year wideout from Baylor would be a mistake for a few reasons.


- Gordon’s return factored into win streak

While the spark of Brian Hoyer is viewed as the main catalyst to the Browns’ three-game win streak, Gordon coming back from suspension also played a major role in that. Gordon was a difference maker in the win in Minnesota, kickstarting the offense early with a 22-yard end-around and 47-yard touchdown reception down the sideline in the first quarter.

Since his first game back, the focus on Gordon has inexplicably decreased. Against the Vikings, the Browns made a concerted effort to involve Gordon, targeting him 19 times. But in the four weeks following that win, the targets are: 9, 6, 9, 6.

With those six targets Sunday, Gordon caught just two passes for 21 yards and has received a lot of brush back. Some are saying Gordon didn’t fight hard enough to pull in a crucial 4th and 15 pass in the fourth quarter. Watch it again and you will see the defensive back made a solid play, as Gordon said. It’s difficult questioning a guy’s effort in a single moment like that.

Gordon did not excel against the Packers and it’s a game he will want to forget but who in brown and white did have success? Not the guy throwing the ball, any of the team’s other wide receivers or anyone carrying the ball. The Browns’ offense was a black hole in week 7 and to shift the blame to one of the team’s stronger assets is a deflection in the wrong direction.

- Gordon has not yet reached his full potential

It’s a noted trend that wide receivers have a learning curve upon entering the NFL. Most do not come in and immediately tear it up the way we have seen rookie quarterbacks in recent years.

Gordon, selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft, put up solid numbers in his rookie season(50 receptions, 805 yards, 5 TD). Those were among the best for rookie receivers.

Years two and three are notable for receivers stepping up to the next level, as this ESPN piece outlines in detail. Last season, AJ Green, Julio Jones and Randall Cobb had major breakout sophomore campaigns and Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker arrived on the scene in their third NFL season.

In just 21 NFL games, Gordon has shown signs that he has the skills to be a top wide receiver in the league. Those guys don’t just come around everyday and they take time to develop. 

He has also played the majority of his games with a quarterback most want benched.

You may not believe Gordon is giving his maximum effort or that his off-the-field problems will catch up to him. The prospect of a one-year suspension for another failed drug test does pose a serious risk. But all of that is projecting at this point.

For a team that has been lacking a consistent dynamic threat on offense for years at a time, you have to take a chance and ride out the risks.

- Whoever the next quarterback is needs help

Looking ahead, most can see that the Browns will have a new quarterback in 2014. With the trade of Trent Richardson for the Colts’ first round pick, the Browns have stocked up on picks in May’s draft. It is pretty clear that Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell are not the future at the position.

Whether it’s Brian Hoyer in the interim to start 2014 or a rookie right out of the gate, the quarterback will need help. If it is a rookie that gets the starting job right away, it would be a major mistake to trot him out there without experienced weapons at his disposal.

A receiver like Gordon, going into his third season, would be an immense help for a quarterback entering the league. To ask a new signal-caller to develop with solely other rookies or mediocre skill players is not an ideal prospect,

When it comes to trades you also have to view what would come in return. Though it was controversial and seemed a concession in the immediate aftermath, the Browns’ trade of Richardson is beginning to look less crazy as the weeks go on. If it’s a truly astronomical offer, you have to at least consider trading most players that aren’t elite superstars. But right now, the idea of parting with Gordon is a hard one to swallow.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Getting my appendix out: 'I'm so SCARED'

When you have a major life event happen, you have to blog about it. Yes, even if it's one surrounding a vestigial organ.

So here goes nothing...

Monday, 7 p.m.: Ouch. This off-and-on pain that began Saturday night has now continued into day three in its worst form yet. It might be time to do something now that the jutting into my right side isn't going away.

After the "maybe it'll just magically disappear stage" fades, I make the decision to go the emergency room.  Now that I have a car, I decide I can drive over there. It will probably be something stupid, I'll feel better and just head home. I pull out my keys and head down to the parking lot. As I put the key into the ignition, my month-old Ford Focus is not starting.

Hit the internal panic button.

In an instant, I became as frantic as a head coach after a ref misses a call.

"Screw it." I jolt back up to my apartment, call my grandma, then decide I'm just gonna have to call a cab.

But remember, I'm in total panic mode right now, kind of like when the 2011 Eagles realized the "dream team" they assembled was a bust going absolutely nowhere. I call a cab company who can't tell me exactly how quickly the cab will get to my apartment.

Cue more freaking out. I call my grandma and tell her my appendix will probably rupture before the cab even gets here (no overdramatic antics at all here).

The cab ends up getting to my apartment in about 10 minutes. My panic was about as warranted as the five minutes everyone flipped out last week on Twitter when Tom Brady threw a late-game interception before leading a game-winning drive against the Saints.

Anyway, I get to the emergency room and get my bracelet. I see the doctor relatively expediently and get ordered to have some tests.

Back in the waiting room, there's no Monday Night Football to watch but instead Dancing with the Stars.

As my wait continues, the one saving grace is that Elizabeth Berkley is going to perform a dance to "I'm So Excited," channeling every wonderful Saved by the Bell memory of my youth. How fitting that at the very moment I am nervous about my fate, Jessie Spano is recreating her fears about caffeine pills in the form of a reality television dance. 

I can't tell you how much this meant to me.

However, as the wait goes on, I'm becoming much less thrilled with this whole ordeal. Castle is on, then the news, and Jimmy Kimmel. I sit on the floor and charge my phone for a little while, thankful in my frenzy earlier in the evening that I had the foresight to bring the charger. There's this really annoying family in the waiting room who is slowly wearing away at my nerves and I just want to move along. 

Finally, just before midnight, I get called in to get the tests done.

By now, I'm really tired, sitting on a bed in an ER room. From here, I call off work just before I'm wheeled away to get a cat-scan.

One side note: the TV in this ER has Showtime. I'm watching ads for Homeland and Masters of Sex in between visits from the nurse or doctor and that's kinda crazy.

Anyway, the doctor comes back in and says it looks like I may have appendicitis.

Thud.

Apparently, I'm the last patient in that wing of the ER for the night so I have to be moved. I get wheeled into a hallway while waiting for a bed to open. At least this provides some entertainment.

My favorite bit was probably this creepy looking guy standing outside of the restroom, which was right across from where I was stationed. A woman was in there when he initially approached so he had to wait. He awkwardly watches as the nurse is taking my vitals. The woman exits the bathroom and my nurse asks him if he was waiting for the bathroom. No response.

Thirty seconds later, she again asks and tells him no one is in there. He still doesn't answer. It takes another physically going up to him for this guy to actually make use of the facility and stop gawking.


Soon after, a surgeon comes to the spot I've made mine in the hallway and tells me I have acute appendicitis and will be having my appendix removed. He was very clear, nothing like the literal doctor on "Arrested Development" who always confused the Bluths.

It's past 4 a.m. now. People from work are tweeting and I realize this is turning into a saga - not quite a three-parter like Twilight but we're getting there. I decide to use social media to tweet that I'm getting my appendix out. A co-worker asks if me I'll be back into work later that day. I spend a minute debating if he's joking or serious.

My awesome nurse finally gets me a room and I am put in a wheelchair then taken to a new area. The doctor had initially told me the surgery could be as soon as 7:30 a.m. which was like three hours away. Talk about quick (it wouldn't happen that soon).

My mom comes that morning and then we wait some more. 

I'm not allowed to eat or drink but my nurse gives me these swabs to wet my mouth which were basically the most amazing tools at that given moment. 

Finally around noon, a woman in all blue enters the room and it's time.

I'm brought outside a room and a slew of anesthesiologists come up to me. I'm asked my name and birthday so many times that I feel like a celebrity - everyone wants to know my name.

The anesthesiologist asks me if a couple drinks usually get to me. I tell her I went to OU. 

She gives me something and I'm starting to fade a bit. She tells me I'd be a cheap date. This makes me laugh.

I'm brought into the operating room and put on a more narrow surface. A mask is put over my mouth and after a few breaths the next thing I remember isn't for a few hours. 

Thankfully, my mom was documenting things unbeknownst to me. I found out days later the start time of my surgery was 12:57 p.m. and I was out by 2:17 p.m. 

That's quicker than like three innings are played between the Yankees and Red Sox. I'm impressed.

In the recovery area, I start waking up but I'm confused. I think at one point I asked if the Browns game was on, even though this was a Tuesday. Again, I can't confirm this. Disorientation at my surroundings was an understatement.

Eventually, I'm rolled back up to my room and am starting to get back some semblance of understanding. I see my nurse Anna, who was also excellent. I wanted to know where my mom was. And now I was starting to feel pain.

My mom comes up and I decide I have to pee - BUT I CAN'T GO.

I really can't explain to you the drama this produced at this given moment. I really believed I was never going to be able to urinate again. It was one of those moments I imagine older Cubs fans have when it just hits them that they really may never see the Cubs win the World Series in their lifetime and there's nothing they can do about it.

Eventually, I'm able to go. If I weren't able to go soon, I was reaching a frustration level that may have led me to pull a Chris Perez and delete Twitter just because it would give me some control.

Yes, I know this sounds ridiculous but at the time it was a transcendent moment, like if Cleveland were to win a sports championship (except I couldn't really scream or jump up and down in excitement).

After surgery, I was on a "clears" diet, which meant Jello for me. I hadn't had Jello in such a long time that the initial prospect of this was actually quite appealing. 

All the colors - red, green, orange.

So alluring.

Hours - and a few empty Jello containers - later, the enjoyment is wearing off. I'm tired and trying to sleep but still having to go to the bathroom every couple hours because an IV with fluids is hooked up to me.

As the night shift begins, one of my new nurses is named Sundae. All I can eat is Jello. Talk about cruel irony.

Wednesday morning comes around and my new diet is called "GI soft," which means I'm allowed to eat regular foods again.

I feel bad for the guy next to me who hasn't been able to have anything but liquids for like a week. Dick's 89 years old and his wife tells me he was the former vice president of Alcoa, as well as a war veteran. 

We chatted about how his wife and he live in Rocky River during the summer then go down to Florida for winters. Their stay at the clinic is now delaying their annual trip.

I sure hope his gall bladder surgery went well considering that he did once survive war. 

They were nice people and kept me entertained for awhile. 

In my boredom, I checked responses to posts I had made on social media. Probably the funniest surrounded the fact that I had been in Athens for Homecoming weekend and then had to get my appendix out two days later. 

"Could homecoming have maybe been the cause?" my one friend asked. Obviously these two major events were mutually exclusive but the idea of them somehow correlating was pretty funny because I'm getting older now and each time you go back to campus that starts to hit you a little bit more. At 24, I'm basically old man status by Athens standards. 

Just as my increasing frustration with my oversized gown was reaching a boiling point, Anna told me I would be able to be discharged. I just had to wait to get a ride home. 

My friend Phil, who works at the clinic, entertained me for a couple hours and I got to have a good dinner meal. The food at the clinic is actually really good. If you are ever sick and have to stay there, I recommend the rotisserie chicken. The grilled cheese and chicken fingers were solid options too.

Finally, I get the go-ahead to remove that dreaded gown and put on my regular clothes again. I wait a couple more hours for mom to arrive as I read some columns in the Plain Dealer and watch the end of the baseball game on TV (in HD - like I mentioned earlier, this was better selection than the cable package in my own apartment). 

Anna left for the end of her shift and told me to say goodbye to my mom for her. The new nurse Jackie finished off my stay, ordering my wheelchair transport and getting me out the door.

Looking back, it could have been a whole lot worse. Luckily, the pain in my side was bad enough early enough that I went in when the appendix was inflamed but not yet ruptured, which I was told was a good thing.

All of the doctors and nurses were exceptionally nice. All of the well-wishes from co-workers, friends and family eased the pre-surgery tensions. 

And as unpleasant as going to the hospital is by its very nature, this wasn't all that terrible. The pain afterward now that I'm home recovering - well, that sucks.

Here I am - Connor 2.0, post-appendix. Watch out world. 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Weeden's embarrassing interception ends Browns' Week 6 comeback hopes


Moments after Brandon Weeden threw a crippling interception Sunday against the Lions, Thad Lewis connected on a game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter for the Bills.

You would be hard-pressed to ignore the irony in that when it comes to a franchise with as checkered a past at quarterback as the Cleveland Browns.

Lewis, the former third-string quarterback who started the Browns’ final game last season after injuries to Weeden and Colt McCoy, looked proficient against the Bengals, leading the Bills back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and into overtime in his first start with the team (Buffalo ultimately lost 27-24).

No one’s saying Lewis is the second coming of Jim Kelly or Bernie Kosar but at the same time as he was putting together a fourth quarter comeback in Buffalo, Weeden was throwing away the Browns’ hopes in Cleveland.

On 1st and 10 at the Lions’ 44 with less than five minutes to go, Weeden dropped back, hesitated once, then twice more, as running back Chris Ogbonnaya looked to be his target in the flat. Maybe Weeden could have dumped it off to Ogbonnaya for a marginal gain had he released the ball on his first pump.

Instead, he produced one of the most hapless displays of quarterbacking in recent history, flipping the ball underhand with the zip of a tortoise’s sprint in the direction of Ogbonnaya as DeAndre Levy darted up the field and grabbed it.


[Gif courtesy of @BuzzfeedSports]


For a moment, Weeden became a Frankenstein-like assemblage of Garo Yepremian’s arm strength and Brett Favre’s reckless decision-making. Not even in the backyard with friends would a throw of that caliber be acceptable, let alone in a crucial situation in the game’s final minutes.

“It was just a boneheaded play. I was trying to make a play.” Weeden said, also acknowledging that he would have been better off just taking a sack as a Lions defender was about to take hold of his left ankle.

Many more adjectives could be thrown out to describe the interception (some are even calling it the worst in NFL history). The ones Browns fans were probably uttering as the crowd thinned out following the pick would not be appropriate for this space.

Minutes later, Matthew Stafford hit Joseph Fauria in the end zone for the third time, as the Lions capitalized on Weeden’s mistake to go ahead by two touchdowns and effectively put the game out of reach with 2:01 left to play.

All the fault can’t be placed on Weeden’s shoulders. While the offense failed to score a point in the second half, the defense also surrendered 24.

In his first start since regaining the starting quarterback gig, however, Brandon Weeden made you yearn for Brian Hoyer.

He had his positive moments helping the Browns to a halftime lead but when it counted, Weeden folded.

Hoyer, on the other hand, thrived in a similar situation on the road in Minnesota a few weeks ago.

Sure, Weeden came off the bench and led the Browns to a win against the Bills in primetime. One of his shortcomings, however, is proving to be an unnerving inconsistency.

In 18 career starts, Weeden has led one-fourth quarter comeback, as many as Hoyer in four starts.

That will make you take notice of your former third-string quarterback coming up clutch in a different
uniform or miss the hometown product who moved up the depth chart then too quickly onto injured reserve.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Week 5 Monday Night Football a much different outcome for 'fearless' 2013 Jets

One year ago, after Rex Ryan said the Jets got their "ass kicked" in a week four shutout at the hands of the 49ers, the 2-2 Jets were on Monday Night Football with a chance to prove themselves.

Now on this October Monday night, following a week four turnover-plagued loss in Tennessee, the 2-2 Jets again had an opportunity to step up in front of a national audience.

The results couldn't have been more different.

Rex Ryan's 2012 Jets cowered and fell to 2-3 in a 23-17 home loss to the Texans.  
Not the case this time around in the hostile Georgia Dome against the reeling, desperate Falcons.

""I'm glad we won this way. It took every one of us. We were not reckless - we were fearless," Ryan said after the gut-wrenching 30-28 win in Atlanta.

Geno Smith became only the second rookie quarterback to win a road Monday Night Football game, leading the Jets down the field to put Nick Folk in position for the game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired.

Mark Sanchez of last season this was not. 

Against the Texans in that week five game, Sanchez, like Smith Monday night, had a chance to propel the Jets to victory.

Then fourth-year quarterback Sanchez got the ball back down six points with 3:28 left, needing to go 84 yards for a touchdown. 

You know how this ended.

After getting the offense to the Jets' 40, Sanchez threw an incompletion on first down, was sacked on second down and then picked on a tipped pass to end all hopes on third down.

Smith took the helm down one with 1:54 on the clock against the Falcons. Cool and composed, the rookie led the offense into Atlanta territory to set up the win. For the night, Smith completed 80 percent of his passes and threw three touchdowns.

How about that for a year-to-year juxtaposition.

Maybe more importantly, Smith learned from his mistakes two weeks ago on the road in primetime, when he threw an interception that ended the Jets' hopes of beating the division-rival Patriots.

There was no fear from Smith this time.

Just past the quarter pole of the season, the difference between 2-3 and 3-2 can mean a lot.

Instead of sitting in the AFC East cellar with the Bills, the Jets are tied for second with the Dolphins and a game back of the Patriots.

They won't have to play with desperation like the Falcons, now 1-4, really will.

Rex wouldn't let them anyway. While he has made some questionable decisions, like the controversial use of Sanchez in the preseason that led to injury, the calls for his head were always premature.

When the odds are most stacked against his teams, like they were Monday night or in the playoffs against the Chargers in 2010 or Patriots in 2011, Ryan's Jets most rise to the occasion.

That alone is reason enough to cut the talk on cutting the cord on Rex.