The Cleveland Browns don't receive passing grades.
Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini.The Cleveland Browns loss to the Buffalo Bills is an indication that Ohio.com reporter Nate Ulrich wasn't nice when it comes to his weekly grades for the Browns.
And as a good professor, he shouldn't give grades away.
The offense and coach Eric Mangini each earned failing grades, and they deserved it.
Quarterback: F. In his third consecutive start, Jake Delhomme left Browns fans longing for rookie Colt McCoy's return from a high-ankle sprain. Delhomme completed 12-of-20 passes for 86 yards with an interception and a lost fumble. Both turnovers occurred in the fourth quarter, killing the Browns' chances of producing a late rally. Delhomme, though, wasn't solely responsible for those crucial miscues, but I'll get to that later.
Mangini received an F grade for several reasons, but especially for an early decision.
On fourth-and-goal from the Bills' 1, Mangini should have let his offense go for it early in the first quarter. Against most teams, I would have agreed with his decision to take the points with a field goal, but the Bills have the NFL's worst rushing defense. Hillis ran 21 times and was the target of five passes, meaning he was at the center of 26 of the offense's 45 plays. Once the Bills clamped down on Hillis, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll needed to adjust and prove he actually developed a backup plan.
Hot seat
Could Eric Mangini's job status come down to him not going for it on fourth-and-1 Sunday? Well, not exactly, but the loss to the Buffalo Bills and losses in his last three games will certainly decide his fate.
CantonRep.com reporter Steve Doerschuk writes how Mangini was widely second-guessed for not sending a message by going for it on that fourth-and-1. Peyton Hillis has rushed for 11 touchdowns this year, and as Delhomme puts it, “Peyton’s kinda good down there.”
Buffalo’s run defense has been awful, ranking 32nd in the league.
“They marched the ball right down the field on us,” Buffalo linebacker Paul Posluszny said. “Holding them to three points was huge.”
The least flattering, writes Doerschuk, for Mangini would be a judgment that he and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll get outcoached while making in-game adjustments.
Bottom line: The Browns are 5-8 coming off a bad loss. Mangini shows signs of feeling the heat as to having three games left to improve on last year’s five-win total, and a bad game at Buffalo put him behind the 8-ball.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cleveland Browns are not the only team in Ohio having issues. Sunday's opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, have had issues this season with quarterback Carson Palmer.
Palmer is tied for the league lead in interceptions with 18 and he is the first quarterback since A.J. Feeley with Miami in 2004 to have five returned for touchdowns in a season.
In the last seven games, Palmer is 149 of 253 for 1,488 yards with 12 interceptions and 11 touchdowns. Of his 20 turnovers on the season (18 interceptions and two fumbles), teams have scored 79 points.