Jake Delhomme, slated as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback, didn't look so good last Saturday in a team scrimmage. Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour writes about the flood of criticism Delhomme got locally on sportstalk radio. Criticism, writes Ridenour, mostly centered on a few Delhomme passes that lacked zip and his workmanlike effort, even though it appears the 12-year veteran will...
QB Jake Delhomme Jake Delhomme, slated as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback, didn't look so good last Saturday in a team scrimmage.
Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour writes about the flood of criticism Delhomme got locally on sportstalk radio.
Criticism, writes Ridenour, mostly centered on a few Delhomme passes that lacked zip and his workmanlike effort, even though it appears the 12-year veteran will be directing a workmanlike offense favoring running backs and tight ends.
Is Delhomme washed up at age 35?
In Northeast Ohio, fans cannot get past Delhomme's 18 interceptions and eight touchdowns in 11 games last season, continuing a slide that began with a five-interception performance in a 2008 playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals. Some analysts suggest he hasn't been the same since undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery in 2007, despite leading the Carolina Panthers to a 12-4 record in '08. An ESPN.com fantasy football Web site has dubbed him ''Jake the Quake.'' Even President Mike Holmgren's pre-training camp praise of Delhomme's exemplary leadership skills did nothing to reassure the masses.
And Ridenour wonders if there's an over-under on how long Delhomme retains the starting job? Right now, Browns fans will take the under.
Hey Joe
Eric Wright suffered a right leg injury during Tuesday's practice, so that means rookie Joe Haden is the likely starter on Saturday at Green Bay.
It may not be much of a drop off with Haden in as the starter. Haden, writes ESPN's James Walker, is starting to look more comfortable in Cleveland's 3-4 defense.
Haden received all of the first-team reps Tuesday after Wright went down. Haden's learning curve will increase even more if he starts Saturday's preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, who should have one of the NFL's top offenses this year.
"I'm real excited," Haden said of the potential opportunity. "It definitely means a whole lot more playing time, and that's just more time to make plays."
The news wasn't all good for Haden this week.
Cleveland players have made headlines recently with their Twitter accounts. Haden added to the list by recently tweeting that a teammate was fined for a cell phone going off in a team meeting. Browns head coach Eric Mangini was disappointed because he had just warned the team on Monday about using social networking irresponsibly.
No sour grapes
An NFL official recently admitted blown calls in Super Bowl XL between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren was the coach of the Seahawks, the team on the losing end.
"Of course I was disappointed at the time, and because it was the Super Bowl, I still think about it on occasion," Holmgren said in a statement Tuesday. "But like anything in this business, if you let it linger it's going to have an adverse effect on what you do moving forward.
"We didn't play our best football that day. Had we played better and coached better, those calls might not have made a difference. Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, and you can't hold one person accountable for the final outcome of that game."