The Browns' 17-14 loss at Tampa Bay was nightmare game for Eric Mangini.
UPDATED: 6:04 p.m.
View full sizeHobbled by an apparent foot injury in the second half, Jake Delhomme was often unable to elude rushing Buccaneers such as Tim Crowder, whose hit led to an incomplete pass in the foruth quarter Sunday.TAMPA, Fla. -- The Browns are a very fragile team.
That's what fans could see from Sunday's 17-14 loss at Tampa Bay.
They have a new quarterback in Jake Delhomme who is desperately seeking a fresh start and a revival of his confidence. They are a team with limited talent, a team that must win with shrewd coaching schemes, smart players and an approach to the game that avoids big mistakes.
On this Sunday in Tampa, they were in position to win only their second opener since returning in 1999.
But they wilted.
It was not because of the 90-degree temperatures with a 100-degree heat index on the field.
"We can't play this way," said Browns coach Eric Mangini, whose face was scarlet and whose soft voice could not hide the anger and frustration.
He means three turnovers. He means a couple of damaging penalties. He means an offense that had only four first downs in the second half against one of the NFL's worst defenses of a year ago.
Which brings us to Delhomme. The game that turned the wrong way because their 35-year-old quarterback made the kind of throw that even a 15-year-old knows is very risky. The last thing they wanted were clouds of doubt hanging over Delhomme, but this game will get the thunder of criticism rumbling.
When the Browns signed Delhomme, they knew he was coming off an 18-interception disaster of a season for the Carolina Panthers. They knew he opened 2009 with four interceptions against Philadelphia, and never recovered emotionally. They knew he needed to get off to a good start this season.
Just be the veteran, he was told. Don't worry about winning the game yourself, you have plenty of help. Just don't lose it for us, was the mantra from the coaches.
But that's about what happened Sunday.
With 38 seconds left in the first half, the Browns had a 14-3 lead. They had the ball on Tampa's 39. They had controlled the game and were one play away from a possible field goal right before the intermission.
Delhomme tried to throw the ball to tight end Ben Watson as he was being dragged to the ground by a Tampa defender.
Jake, just fall down. Take the sack.
But he flipped a sidearm-floater that looked like a drunken pelican. It was picked off by Ronde Barber and returned to the Browns' 3, setting up a touchdown right at the half.
Just as the Browns seemed to be heading into the dressing room with a possible 17-3 lead, it was 14-10.
Mangini called it a "possible 10-point swing," and he was right.
The coach naturally delivered his full support to Delhomme. He doesn't want to ignite a quarterback debate after one game. As Mangini pointed out, there were other mistakes.
The Browns came out of the dressing room, marching the ball 67 yards down to the Tampa 15 ... and Peyton Hillis fumbled.
That actually was the Browns' third fumble -- but the only one they lost. Hillis had one earlier in the game, as did Joshua Cribbs (who was contained on special teams).
This demonstrates how they failed to protect the ball, something that happened in the preseason.
Following Hillis' turnover, the offense had the ball seven times. There were five 3-and-outs, another interception and a mere two first downs.
Delhomme seemed a bit shaky. The running game which delivered 87 yards in the first half had only six yards in seven carries after Hillis' fumble.
You can second-guess a few things. Perhaps they were a bit pass-happy, 25 of their first 40 plays were throws -- and that was before the Browns had to go to the air due to the score and clock. Rookie Joe Haden was victimized for a 33-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the game-winner for Tampa.
But the truth is the Browns lost this game, and for that, they can only blame themselves.