Seasons change but a few things remain the same. The Cleveland Browns are 1-11 in Week 1 since returning to the NFL in 1999. The worst thing is that the Browns lost a winnable game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Browns can blame plenty of things on the loss, but it was the turnovers that did them in. Those...
Peyton HillisSeasons change but a few things remain the same. The Cleveland Browns are 1-11 in Week 1 since returning to the NFL in 1999. The worst thing is that the Browns lost a winnable game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Browns can blame plenty of things on the loss, but it was the turnovers that did them in. Those turnovers are something ESPN's James Walker didn't like.
Cleveland doesn't have the talent to make up for a lot of mistakes and needs to play smarter and more efficient to win. Instead, the Browns were sloppy and turned the ball over three times. Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme threw two interceptions against Tampa Bay, and it comes at a time when he was starting to quiet some doubters after a solid preseason. Obviously, many doubts remain.
But Walker did find some positives. The Browns' running game averaged 4.5 yards per carry, and Walker was surprised the Browns didn't go to it more often.
Starting tailback Jerome Harrison rushed for 52 yards on nine carries (5.8 yards per attempt) and Peyton Hillis added 41 yards and a touchdown. Cleveland led 14-3 in the second quarter, yet the team's pass-to-run ratio was 38-23.
Bad debut
News-Herald Reporter Jeff Schudel writes how quarterback Jake Delhomme had a not so good debut with the Cleveland Browns, but the team still supports him.
"Jake is our captain," fullback Lawrence Vickers said. "Whatever Jake did, I'm behind him. If he threw 100 interceptions, I'm right behind him. It doesn't matter to me. That's my quarterback. I think he did a good job today."
Delhomme completed 20 of 37 passes for 227 yards.
He deftly threw a pass to Mohamed Massaquoi over two defenders resulting in a 41-yard touchdown. The interceptions dragged his passer rating down to 59.2.
Coach Eric Mangini didn't blame Delhomme for the loss. Mangini says Delhomme could have had more help from his teammates.
"I thought he was effective throughout the game," Mangini said. "I think we could have helped him more in terms of creating plays offensively. In some plays, we should have been open or been able to get open, but I have full confidence in him and thought he ran the offense well throughout the game."
Spirits remain high
Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour writes how despite the loss to Tampa Bay, the Cleveland Browns' season isn't over.
Seriously.
With a schedule rated the 10th toughest in the NFL, this was supposed to be one for the win column. Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman played with a broken thumb. Dangerous tight end Kellen Winslow, the ex-Brown, was held to four catches for 32 yards. When the Browns took a 14-3 lead with 5:25 left in the second quarter, it looked like the rout was on.
Instead the Browns self-destructed the old-fashioned way. No helmet-tossing or other bizarre behavior needed, they lost three turnovers.
Wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi feels the optimism.
''We don't panic,'' Massaquoi said. ''That's the good thing about the veterans we have on this team. We're always at ease. We always feel we have a chance to win. Even down to that last drive, we thought we were still in it. That's the difference between this year and last year, we're not panicking. Hopefully next week it will be a different result.''
Winslow loves Florida
Former Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow ran onto the field with a Bucs flag and headed straight toward the Browns sideline. It was there Winslow waved the flag in front of his former team.
Winslow says it was about having fun and trying to intimidate the Browns. Winslow, who had four receptions for 32 yards, was traded from Cleveland to Tampa Bay in 2009.
Winslow tells TBO.com that the trade is something he can't forget.
"When I got traded, it felt personal," Winslow said. "I'm in a better situation now with a coach like Raheem Morris.
"When you get traded, cut or released, it is personal because that wasn't the situation I should be in. They came in and wanted his guys. That's just how it is, but I moved on."
Credit
Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris gave the Cleveland Browns credit following the Buccaneers victory. He says the Browns presented things they didn't expect to see.
CantonRep.com reporter Steve Doerschuk Browns fans have seen this a million times.
Even the newest Browns understood that nothing Morris or anyone else said could squeeze any satisfaction from a come-from-ahead defeat to the lowly Buccaneers.
“It’s extremely disappointing,” fourth-year Brown Eric Wright said. “I felt like we definitely had a better team.”
Bucs win
The inexperienced Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Browns and the team is ready to party in the streets.
"It's a sign we're headed in the right direction," center Jeff Faine said.
"It's a sign we could be something special," running back Cadillac Williams said.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Bucs coach Raheem Morris said.
"We're 1-0 and we have a game against Carolina next week," Morris said. "It was a great job, but it means absolutely nothing. We have very lofty goals here. We want to win in the long term and that's what we started today."