The Post-Hoyer Browns

This past game, the Browns decided to start Johnny Manziel and bench Brian Hoyer. Hoyer has been struggling the past few weeks after playing above what he's probably capable of consistently playing. This will mark the 21st starting quarterback for the Browns since the Browns came back to Cleveland in 1999. Here's the full list in case you wanted to know:

1. Tim Couch

2. Ty Detmer

3. Doug Pederson

4. Spergon Wynn

5. Kelly Holcomb

6. Jeff Garcia

7. Luke McCown

8. Trent Dilfer

9. Charlie Frye

10. Derek Anderson

11. Brady Quinn

12. Ken Dorsey

13. Bruce Gradkowski

14. Colt McCoy

15. Jake Delhomme

16. Seneca Wallace

17. Brandon Weeden

18. Thad Lewis

19. Jason Campbell

20. Brian Hoyer

21. Johnny Manziel

The bad news is that next year, we'll need to make room for #22. Maybe LeBron will come in as #23. 

This past game against the Bengals was a bad game. It all doesn't go on Manziel's shoulders. Most of it was bad play on the field. Between receivers dropping balls and linemen getting pushed around, it would've been a tough day for almost anyone. Some of it was injuries. Before the game, Dansby, Williams, and Barnidge were all out and during the game, Gilbert and Haden left. Some of it was the Bengals wanting to pound on Johnny Manziel. See all the money signs made? A lot of it was Johnny Manziel.  

I've already written a piece on Johnny Manziel and how he's not a great NFL quarterback. He wasn't even a great college quarterback. So instead of re-hashing all that, I'll just comment on what I saw today.


Running

This is one of the biggest misnomers in the NFL: running QB's don't work. You can make the argument that they will in the future, but right now they don't. What is translating to the NFL from college are quarterbacks who can also run. Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers are your examples. What isn't translating? Running quarterbacks who sometimes choose to throw. Vince Young, Michael Vick, RG3, Tim Tebow, Colin Kaepernick, and Cam Newton. And now Johnny Manziel.

As Luck and Wilson show, you have to be able to throw the ball first. Manziel looks down his first read and then looks to scramble, sometimes to throw it again but often just to run. As he found out today, D-linemen and LB's are fast. This isn't college, despite him playing in the SEC. Michael Sam was the SEC defensive player of the year. He can't even get tryouts with NFL teams now. He is fairly mobile, but he's too small and too slow to pull off the plays he did in college. The NFL game is simply faster.

Improvisation

This is the most overrated aspect of Manziel from his A&M days. In college, when a play broke down (which he looked to have happen because then he could run) he almost always looked to run. When he did choose to improvise, he had two first-round NFL linemen to protect him in Jake Matthews and Luke Joeckel. He also had arguably the best WR in college football in Mike Evans.

What I saw from his improvisation skills was that the play would break down, his linemen would continue to give him some time, and he would toss it up, usually to Mike Evans who could just go up and get it over shorter, less athletic corners and linebackers. He has Josh Gordon who's a very good receiver, but he can't do that in the NFL. Even Megatron doesn't get all those catches despite being nearly a foot taller than whoever guards him. Others around Manziel made him look better than he was in terms of creating on the fly.

Accuracy Problems

This was very evident against the Bengals. Manziel is just not an accurate quarterback. Even when throwing to Josh Gordon, a huge target, he threw it too high or behind him. He had a critical throw that he put behind Andrew Hawkins. He was lucky that the throw he put behind Travis Benjamin that got picked off ended up coming back due to an off-sides penalty on the Bengals defense.

Part of the reason his accuracy is low is his arm strength. It's not so much an issue in the NFC South, but in the AFC North, it gets really cold. You need a strong arm in divisions like this. Take a look at all the QB's in the two coldest divisions, the AFC and NFC North: Big Ben, Joe Flacco, Jay Cutler, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford. You need a big arm to cut through that coldness. Manziel doesn't have it. Neither does Dalton.

Bad Judgement

This is the biggest deal-breaker for me. Same can be said for Jameis Winston. Manziel just shows bad judgement, on and off the field. He did in high school, he did in college, and he's doing it now in the NFL. Sorry. That's a trend to me, and I don't want my starting QB to have a trend of bad decisions. From the off-field antics and trouble with the law to the on-field decisions he makes. He threw a pass to Travis Benjamin that got picked off that even average quarterbacks don't dare to throw. He didn't make second, third, and fourth reads in college and he doesn't now.


I hope that I'm wrong about Manziel, I really do. I'm tired of perpetually looking for our franchise quarterback. It's the most important position in football which means if I only have one hard-working, grinding, intelligent, good decision-making player on my team, it has to be at QB. Look at which QB's are in the playoffs in the AFC as of right now: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Andy Dalton who's a good regular-season QB, Big Ben, Joe Flacco, and Phillip Rivers is the first one out. The best seven quarterbacks are in the playoffs or are first out. This is the most important in football so I need my franchise QB to be better than what Johnny Manziel has shown. Hopefully we can find that guy by next season. 

Tips For You

This blog now is mainly about my rants for Cleveland sports teams and the leagues they play in. However, when I started, I actually addressed other topics. I think I'll try to get back to doing that more often. And what better way then to start out with a controversial issue: tipping.

One of the many controversial issues out there is that of tipping. Should you always tip 15%? Should you ever go below that number? Is tipping directly related to the service you get? What about takeout? Lots of good questions. My purpose isn't to sway you either way with my opinion, but to provide some much-needed information regarding tips. I see a lot of information that isn't entirely correct out there, especially Facebook. I want to help set the record straight.

I've worked in payroll now for seven years and accounting for three. I've worked on different sides of payroll for restaurants. They are one of the more complex industries to do payroll for. There are lots of different rates, overtime, and bonuses. Some are salaried, some are not. Most work with tips, which makes things even more complicated.

In payroll, there is a concept called 'in and out' when it comes to certain items, tips being one of them. Basically, a deduction that falls into this category is something that you receive, are taxed on, and then has been or gets immediately paid out. Items like this would include things like tips, PUCC (personal use of the company car), and advances. In the case of PUCC, you're allowed to use the company car for personal use. You don't receive any cash or anything for it, but there is a monetary value assigned to you using the company car. Let's say it's $200. If you made $300, then you paycheck would look like this:


$300 wages
$200 PUCC


You would get taxed on $500, which for FICA would be $38.25. It would only be $22.95 if you didn't have PUCC.

Tips work the same way. Let's say you made $20 in wages and $500 in tips. Rather than the $1,53 you would pay in taxes on the $20, tips are considered income. Your tax bill for just FICA would be $39.78. Since this is more than the $20 received on the check, you would get a zero net check and your employer would probably withhold the $19.78 out of your tips.

That concept is fairly well-known, but this next one is not. It's called tips to minimum. The federal minimum wage for workers is currently $7.25. The tipped minimum wage is $2.13 but still has to equal the $7.25 per hour when tips are added in. Bottom line, tipped employees should still be making at least $7.25 an hour.

I had an argument with someone in a class in college about this once. She was a server, and the professor had been a server as well. It was in a sociology class. When she brought up the fact that some nights she might only make $3/hour, I told her that was illegal. Both the student and professor argued with me, but they were wrong.

I don't want to do a lot of math here, so let's take an easy example. Let's say you were paid $3/hour as a tipped wage and the state minimum wage is $10/hour. Since the state is higher than the federal, the state minimum is used. Let's say you work 10 hours earning $30 in wages and you only make $170 in tips.

First, because you worked 30 hours, the lowest you can get paid is $300 according to the state minimum wage laws.You only made $30 in wages and $170 in tips totaling $200.

Where does the other $100 come from? Your employer. They are legally obligated to pay you that extra $100. Does it always happen? No, because a lot of tipped employees don't know this. They're letting their employer take advantage of them which isn't right.

No matter how much your hourly wage is, if you're a tipped employee, your hourly wage should work out to be at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

There's also a concept called a FICA tip credit that the employer receives on his business tax return. Basically they get a tax credit on tips reported above $5.15 minus wages.

It's very confusing, which is why a lot of restaurants don't actually use this credit. Sip this section if you absolutely hate math. Using our latest example, this is how it would work out:


$170 in tips
$130 in wages
Had the employee been paid $5.15 an hour, they would have been $154.50

$154.50 - $130 = $24.50 difference in wages paid and wages paid out at $5.15

$170 - $24.50 = $145.50 eligible tips for the credit

$145.50 x 7.65% = $11.13 credit for employer


In this case, on his business tax return, the employer would be eligible for a credit worth $11.13. This is just one employee who made a meager $170 in tips. This credit can get very large. It's also more beneficial to the employer if employees get more tips. While they would pay more in FICA taxes up front for payroll, they would get a bigger credit on their tax return.

Look at this recent example, and instead of $170 in tips, make that $570 in tips.

$154.50 - $30 = $124.50 difference in wages paid out and wages paid out at $5.15 (in this case, the employee made enough in tips to not have to pay out that extra $100)

$570 - $124.50 = $445.50 eligible tips for the credit

$445.50 x 7.65% = $34.08 credit for employer


Essentially the employer is recouping the FICA taxes paid out at the time of payroll. While having paid an extra $22.95 in FICA taxes (7.65% of the difference between $600 and $300), he gets an extra $22.95 credit while not having to pay the extra $100 in wages. Your tipping would save the employer an extra $100.

So what's the point of all this? Employers benefit greatly from tips. It allows them to take a large credit on their tax return while not having to pay out most of an employees wage since tips will do that. I don't want to bore you with my own personal opinion on tipping, but when servers say they only make $2.13 an hour, it's simply not true.

Browns Controversy

From the time the Browns drafted Johnny Manziel in the first round, they had a QB controversy. It was self-inflicted. The Browns were apparently unsure about Brian Hoyer being their franchise guy, so they picked up Manziel to add some competition.

I'm not upset that the Browns drafted a QB. I think it was smart. Two things though...they shouldn't have drafted him in the first round, and they shouldn't have taken Johnny Manziel. I previously wrote an article about Manziel and what I think about him as a QB, but suffice it to say I'm not happy we took him. He was overrated in college and is even more so in the NFL. He's a small guy who likes to run. It doesn't bode well for big guys who like to run, much less smaller guys. Run-first QB's don't do well at the NFL level. His QB gradually goes down during the game, meaning in the 4th quarter when you need him most, he's playing at his worst. Part of this is that he gets banged up during the game because he runs. He isn't good with progressions. At A&M, he would stare down his first route and usually not look to his second, third, or fourth. He had NFL O-linemen and arguably the best college receiver in Mike Evans. Sometimes he would just throw it up for Evans to go get it. His mechanics need a lot of work and his worst games were against the teams that had actual NFL talent. He had a losing record against them.

But everyone remembers his heisman trophy and the fact that he beat Alabama once. "He's a winner." So was Tim Tebow for a few games. How'd that turn out? He's just not cut out to be an NFL quarterback. Since he hasn't had more than 10 passing attempts in his NFL career, that's his resume up to this point.

Talent at the college level doesn't always translate to the next level. Look at these heisman winners since just 2000. Chris Weinke (QB), Eric Crouch (QB), Jason White (QB), Matt Leinart (QB), Troy Smith (QB), Tim Tebow (QB), Mark Ingram (RB), Cam Newton (QB) has hit his ceiling, RG3 (QB) who we now know as a bust. Johnny Manziel is the next person on that list. That's 10 busts who were heisman winners just this century, of a possible 13! Talent in college doesn't always equal great NFL player.

Hoyer's resume isn't extremely great, either. He's floated around a few teams before finally landing here in his hometown. As a starter, he is 10-5. That's the best record the Browns have had in a long time. He's only throwing 56% of his passes to sub-par receivers. His QB rating isn't great. He came through with a clutch performance against the Titans, and he's good in the clutch.

All year I've been a Brian Hoyer guy. This past week, due to bad performances, the Browns benched Hoyer and went with Manziel for a little while. Manziel ran for a touchdown and nearly gave the Bills one as well. So with that having been done, many people thought that Mike Pettine would name Manziel the starter this week against the Colts. Hoyer was named instead. I think Manziel will play, just not start.

As you can guess, many Manziel-maniacs aren't too happy. "We need to see what Johnny has." The Browns have really vamped up their QB controversy. Sticking with Hoyer will be interesting. I don't know how much his confidence has been shaken and how much he'll be looking over his shoulder after every incomplete pass. This has been Hoyer's season and he's done most of it without Gordon and Cameron, and now Mack and Austin. This would be difficult for any QB. With Gordon back, he'll have at least one guy to throw to.

Going with Manziel would essentially be telling Hoyer that "you're not our guy and you won't be getting the new contract that you want from us."It would make Manziel our franchise QB. There's a scary thought...

With Manziel, you'd get some good plays and a lot of bad ones. I actually think going with Johnny would give Hoyer playing time because he will inevitably get hurt. He'd probably win his first few games, then once defensive coordinators figured out how to game plan him, his numbers would go down and he'd start losing...a lot.

Judging from this year, I'm not sure as that Hoyer is a franchise QB as I was to begin the year. He's had his chance, and he's gone 7-5 in arguably the NFL's toughest division. That's not bad, but is it enough to warrant a big contract? Basically I need my QB to make good decisions on and off the field. Manziel has been involved with altercations going back to his college days. He skipped out on the Manning camp. He's involved in late night hotel incidents. I don't care what you do in Vegas as long as you don't come up in the news all the time. "Well Manziel is a higher-profile guy so of course he'll be in the news more." Yes, but he's in the news for all the wrong reasons. I didn't want him for the same reasons I don't want Jameis Winston, and I was high on him the past two years. Bad judgment. Too many little decisions that aren't good.

I'd like to see Hoyer finish out the season. If he does well, give him a contract extension and get rid of Johnny football. If he doesn't, then he might not be our franchise QB and let's get someone in who can be. Draft three QB's if necessary. I would still like to get rid of Johnny football. And hey, if Manziel does play and proves to be a great NFL QB, then I'll be happy because the Browns will be winning, but history tells us that it's probably not going to happen. I can understand fans wanting to pull the plug on Hoyer, but let him finish it out first to see if he can be the guy or not. If not, let's move on.

Cleveland Browns - Week 13

This past week, the Browns took out the Atlanta Falcons on the road with a down-to-the-wire finish as Billy Cundiff kicked a game-winning field goal to edge the Falcons 26-24. So far this year, the Browns are 3-2 in games decided by a field goal or less compared to 0-1 last season. In games decided by a touchdown or less, they're 4-2 this season compared to 3-4 last year.

This game was also the first game back for Josh Gordon who turned a spectacular performance of 10 yards on 8 catches. Crowell ran for 88 yards and 2 TD's while Hoyer threw a back-to-back 300+ yard game. A Browns QB hasn't done that since 1983 when Brian Sipe did it.

The Browns have a lot going for them right now. They're right in the mix for the last few playoff spots. Right now, the AFC standings sit as follows:

1. New England (9-2)
2. Denver (8-3)
3. Cincinnati (7-3-1)
4. Indianapolis (7-4)
5. Pittsburgh (7-4)
6. Kansas City (7-4)
7. San Diego (7-4)
8. Cleveland (7-4)
9. Baltimore (6-4)
10. Miami (6-5)

Despite being tied for the 4th-best record, Cleveland sits at #8, two spots out of the playoffs if the season ended today. If Baltimore beats New Orleans, Cleveland will fall to #9. Basically everyone holds a tie-breaker over the Browns. In order for Cleveland to make the playoffs, they'll have to win more games than at least two, possibly three of the teams currently at 7-4. Indianapolis will still stay at #4 even if they drop games because they're leading the division. The Browns have games against Cincy and Baltimore which could really help them move up.

Fortunately, Kansas City plays two tough games in Denver and Arizona as well as other 7-4 teams in San Diego and Pittsburgh. San Diego has three tough games in Denver, San Fransisco, and New England with two against 7-4 teams Baltimore and Kansas City. Pittsburgh has the easiest schedule playing Cincy twice and Kansas City. Cincy has Denver, Pittsburgh twice, and the Browns. Baltimore plays New Orleans today on the road, San Diego, Miami, Houston, and Cleveland.

Just judging by the schedule, it's hard to see San Diego winning enough to make it in. If Kansas City loses to San Diego, it's likely they'll lose to Denver and Arizona. Here's what I think will happen:

Kansas City loses to Denver, Arizona, Pittsburgh, and San Diego while beating Oakland. They end up 8-8.

San Diego loses to Denver, San Fransisco, New England, and Baltimore while beating Kansas City. They end up 8-8.

Pittsburgh loses to Cincy once while beating New Orleans, Atlanta, Kansas City, and Cincy once. They end up 11-5.

Cincinnati loses to Pittsburgh once, Denver, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay in an upset. They beat Pittsburgh once. They end up 8-7-1.

Baltimore is going to be the wild card in this group. If they lose today at New Orleans, they fall to 6-5. I think the Saints get the upset. They then lose to Miami and Cleveland. They beat San Diego, Houston, and Jacksonville.  They end up 9-7.

Miami is at 6-5 but have enough games left to alter the landscape and possibly move up. They lose to the Jets once and New England. They beat Baltimore, the Jets once, and Minnesota. They end up at 9-7.

Cleveland has a tall order in front of them, but if they can pull out 3 wins in the next 5 games, they'll have a good chance to grab the sixth spot in the playoffs and a game against either Indianapolis or Pittsburgh. They lose to Indianapolis but beat Buffalo, Cincy, Carolina, and Baltimore. They end up at 11-5. Who would've thought?! Even if they drop one of those four, they can still end up at 10-6.

The return of Josh Gordon makes all of this possible. The emergence of Crowell and West at RB really helps the Browns to play their style of ball while now having to respect Josh Gordon deep and Andrew Hawkins over the middle. Miles Austin is a great #3 receiver.

The biggest loss on Sunday was Tashaun Gipson. We'll learn more about his injury this week, but if he is out for a long period of time, the Browns defense might have too much to overcome with Dansby still out.

If you read my blog, and hardly anyone does, you know that I've been a Brian Hoyer supporter since he went down to an injury last year. He is 10-4 as a starter with the Browns, and most of that was without pro bowlers Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron to throw the ball to. Hoyer has had some bad games; but has still found ways to win games. With him, you have to take the good in with the bad. This past effort, he threw for more than 300 yards. Browns QB's just don't do that. But he also had three picks, two of which were his fault. This wasn't typical as he was the last QB in the NFL to throw an interception this year. On the year, he has 11 touchdowns and 5 picks. Those aren't terribly great numbers. He throws for 254 yards a game; still somewhat mediocre. He's 11th on the list of total yards, 15th for yards per game, and 20th for QB rating. He's got about as many attempts as Alex Smith of Kansas City (325) while completing about 30 passes less than Alex. He's actually dead last in completion percentage at 55.9%.

Those stats don't make me feel great. There are other ones that make me feel better. He has a better QB rating in the red zone and in the last two minutes of each half. He gets better as the game goes on. One of my knocks on Manziel is that he got worse as the games went on playing against college defenses. The Browns need to get better on third downs though.

If Hoyer seems like he's the guy going forward, we need to get him paid and trade Manziel. We should still draft another QB this year, maybe third or fourth round. If Hundley, Prescott, or Cook drop that far, that would be perfect. If he's not, then let's get our franchise guy in there. Please, anyone not named Manziel. Can't emphasize that enough.

Should be exciting to see the Browns try to clinch a playoff spot!

Cleveland Browns - Week 11

This past week, the Browns have done what few thought possible: taken first place in the AFC North division. Led by Brian Hoyer, Cleveland pounded the Bengals. They didn't just beat them. They made a statement for the rest of the NFL to see. They may not stay there long, but they've done it. And not just in week 3.

If they can hold onto this lead and win the division, securing a home game for their first playoff game, the Browns get a lot more interesting. Do they pay Brian Hoyer starting QB money? What happens with Johnny Manziel? They've been hitting in free agency with Farmer as the GM. Do they land even better players to fill some holes next year? Do they lose Hoyer and/or Cameron in free agency? Will Ben Tate remain unhappy with his diminished role in the 3-RB system Pettine has installed?

A lot of questions would linger, but that would be a good thing. Cleveland hasn't had to figure things out from the winning side for a long time. Usually this time of year, they're deciding who to use their top ten draft pick on.

I love Pettine's response to them being 6-3:

"There's no prize for being 6-3," coach Mike Pettine said. "The only thing [the season's start]'s done for us is our games are meaningful now."

I can't stress enough how perfect Pettine's fit is for the Browns. This past week, CBS Sports did an article on all the coaches that turned down this job. I thought this job and the Lions were the best two available.

So what will happen with the Browns? We've got seven more games to figure that out. With Josh Gordon coming back from suspension and Jordan Cameron coming back from injury, the offense will be even better than what it has been. The defensive line is getting guys back from injury as well. It'll be fun to watch more meaningful games.

Cleveland Browns - Week 7

Browns beat the Steelers!! What a great win for this team to show everyone that the Browns are legit. Hoyer played well, the defense played really well, and Cameron finally had his great game this year. Last year he had several, and my fantasy team has been waiting for him to step up.

The lone black spot from this past week will be the loss of center Alex Mack. The Browns have a talented offensive line, so John Greco will likely take his place while Paul McQuistan will jump in for Greco. Paul served as a valuable starter for Seattle last season when their left tackle went down for a while. It will still be a very talented line, just missing a big piece. If Greco and McQuistan can handle their new roles, the Browns will be just fine up front.

The next three games on the Browns schedule, two of which are at home, are against teams with a combined record of 1-16. They need to win all three of these games to compete in the division. These are all very winnable games. They start out at Jacksonville then return home for Oakland and Tampa Bay. The Browns have a propensity to play down to their opponents. They can't do that for the next three weeks.

After that, the remaining eight teams have a combined record of 25-18-2 (they play Cincinnati twice) with only one team under .500: Atlanta. The Falcons are better than what their record shows. If they can win the three games before this stretch, they'll come into it at 6-2. They also have five road games of these eight games. Here's the rundown:

@ Cincinnati
vs. Houston
@ Atlanta
@ Buffalo
vs. Indianapolis
vs. Cincinnati
@ Carolina
@ Baltimore

At the beginning of the season, I guessed that right now the Browns would be 3-2. They beat the Saints, which I didn't think they'd do, but lost to the Ravens which I had pegged as a win. Last year the Browns beat the Bengals at home despite their 2-1 record. They can beat the Bengals, and they're the best team remaining on their schedule. All of these games are winnable, and starting at the Houston game, Josh Gordon comes back. That changes things a lot. Brian Hoyer has the 7th best QBR (heading into week 7) in the NFL without his best target. While that may not be entirely indicative of his success at QB, he has the least amount of turnovers as well: one.

Originally I had the Browns beating Buffalo and Carolina. I still think Carolina will fade a little bit down the stretch. Their next four games are at Green Bay, vs. Seattle, vs. New Orleans, and at Philly. I think they come out of there with one win and I think by the time the Browns see them in week 16, they won't really care anymore. I really like the Browns against Buffalo because (1) they have Kyle Orton as their quarterback and (2) Mike Pettine will know what they're gonna bring having coached their defense last year. Side note: I think Pettine is the perfect fit for Cleveland, even if he was winless to this point. He's changed some things around and the players are buying in. The Bills have an even record of 3-3, but as teams get more tape on them, their weaknesses will come out. Plus the worse Buffalo does, the better draft pick the Browns get. That adds a little incentive, especially for the coaching staff.

Atlanta is a sneaky tough team, and they have a lot of talent. They just haven't been able to put teams away. They always throw for a ton of yards. Reading Matt Ryan's games this year, he's thrown for 448 (and nearly lost), 231, 286, 298, 316, and 271. But they needed OT to beat New Orleans and have lost 24-10, 41-28, 30-20. and 27-13. The most yards they've gained on the ground is 62 by Antone Smith mostly because of a big 48 yard run that Minnesota gave up. So while I'm in awe at some of their offensive weapons, they just don't beat teams. I'm switching this one to a win.

They can beat the Texans. Houston is a tough team to gauge right now. Everyone focuses on what they did last year, which wasn't much. However, they have a really good defense and talent on offense. So far this year they've beaten bad teams and lost to good teams. This one is a toss up, so I won't be surprised either way. The game is at home, though, so that should help. Also, Josh Gordon will be back (hopefully) so the Texans may have to game plan a little differently than teams up to that point have been able to do. This is what the end of the year could look like:


Up to this point, Browns are 3-2:

@ Jags - Win
Raiders - Win
Bucs - Win
@ Bengals - Loss
Texans - Loss
@ Falcons - Win
@ Bills - Win
Colts - Loss
Bengals - Win
@ Panthers - Win
@ Ravens - Loss

If this holds true, the Browns go 10-6 this year overall and 2-4 in the division. There's always reason to doubt, and they'll probably slip up and lose a game or two they should win, so maybe 8-8 is where they'll land. Winning the next 3 games against bad teams and then going 4-4 down the stretch isn't inconceivable. If they make it to 10-6, that's been good enough to make the playoffs the last three years in the AFC. It's possible for the Browns to make the playoffs this year, but it won't be easy. It'll be a lot of fun to see them actually have a shot at it though.

Browns Update - Week 6

The Cleveland Browns pulled off the biggest road comeback in NFL history last week against the Tennessee Titans. It was tied for the 3rd-biggest comeback of any team in NFL history. There was a celebration afterwards which I think was well-deserved. Now that it's over, it's time to move on and look towards the future.

I love seeing the Browns coming together, I just wish they didn't put themselves in a position to HAVE to make that big of a comeback. The first half was abysmal on both sides of the ball. Once Locker got hurt, the Browns were playing against his backup. This wasn't Andrew Luck they came back against. So while this game should be celebrated, there were some events that had to line up right to make it happen.

Buster Skrine may have improved, but he looked slow out there against the Titans receiving corp. Until Justin Gilbert can make the leap as a solid NFL starter, look for this to still be a hole in the defense.

But there are a lot of positive things to look forward to. Ben Tate's comeback was huge. He has something to prove since the two rookie RB's did well in his absence. I think he's regained his starting role, at least for now. But even if he goes out again with an injury, which is likely, there are two more-than-capable backs who can fill in the literal and figurative holes.

Brian Hoyer, who I've supported since his three wins as a starter last year, has the 8th best QB rating in the NFL of 72.1. Only Rivers, the Mannings, Romo, Rodgers, Luck, and Glennon have better ratings this season. The Browns were also the last team in the NFL to turn the ball over, which they did against the Titans. Not bad that they lasted until week 4. I'm not saying Hoyer is the 8th-best QB. I am saying he is more than just a serviceable starter; he's good. He may not be great, but I think he's good enough to get us to the playoffs and do some great things there. Manziel is looking more and more like just a distraction. Hopefully we can admit our mistake in picking him and grab a second or third round pick for him. Maybe the Cowboys will take another Browns QB. It is Jerry Jones after all.

They're doing all of this without their best offensive weapon in Josh Gordon. He comes back in about 6 weeks now. Imagine what they'll look like offensively with arguably the NFL's best WR back.

Cleveland is now a respectable 2-2, and they lost their two games by a mere 5 points. It hurts that both of those games were divisional games, so they'll have to win out the last four to have a good chance of winning the division. I think they'll take third this year, maybe second. But Mike Pettine has them playing very well, even in their losses. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win the division which is arguably the NFL's toughest.

Doesn't it just feel different, Browns fans? This new coaching staff, a new owner who cares, a new GM who has been nailing it in free agency. We have a QB who actually WANTS to play for the Browns since he grew up a Browns fan. We have the best wide receiver, left tackle, center, and arguably cornerback in the NFL. We have two very good safeties, a great linebacker, a great D-line, three really good running backs, and a very good (and young) left guard. There are some holes, but every team has holes. This Browns team is learning how to win, and in extraordinary comeback fashion. They're changing the Browns culture. We may not make the playoffs this year, but if things keep going like this by everyone involved, they'll see some playoff success in the next two years.

Browns Update - Week 3

After week 2, the Browns are at 1-1. Not bad for a team breaking in a lot of new pieces. We probably would rather take a win over Pittsburgh and a loss to Nawlins but no matter. While not exactly where some fans expected, the Browns are looking good so far this season.

Keep in mind that having a new coach, new system, and a lot of new players makes it hard, especially to begin the year, for a team to gel. And to make things harder, week 2 against the Saints saw the Browns without their top 2 targets in Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron and their starting RB in Ben Tate. Terrence West looks like he may beat Tate out or at least split carries with him. Isaiah Crowell will still need some carries as well. Once Gordon gets back in week 11, possibly week 10, and hopefully with Cameron healthy, they'll have 4 legitimate targets in Gordon, Cameron, Hawkins, and Austin.

Starting with week 11, the Browns will play versus Houston, at Atlanta, at Buffalo, versus Indy, versus Cincy, at Carolina, and at Baltimore. Over the next 7 games, I don't think 3-4 wins is out of the question. They have teams like Tennessee, Jacksonville, Oakland, and Tampa Bay on their schedule. Four of the next seven are at home as well. So if the Browns can enter week 11 with 4 or 5 wins, they can squeeze out another 3-4 wins with arguably the best WR in the NFL. That might be good enough for a wild card spot in the AFC.

What the first two games have taught is that the Browns are capable of a lot. If they hadn't had such an abysmal first half, even just denying a field goal, they'd be 2-0. It's still early and a lot of things can happen. But if the Browns are able to play with Pittsburgh and mount a comeback against the Saints, they can win a lot of games this year. They have a great defense, one that has a lot of pride and a lot of stars. They have some holes to fill still, yes, namely CB and LB. But overall, this is a top 10 defense. This defense can stop great offensive teams like the Saints.

On offense, it's only going to get better as the season goes UNLESS they decide to throw Manziel into the mix more often. Hoyer is one of those guys who plays better in the games that count. He engineered a comeback in the second half against Pittsburgh and, if the defense holds on that last drive, could've won the game in overtime. He then marches up the field completing passes on third and fourth down without his top two receiving targets. Hawkins and Austin are great 3rd and 4th options, but as 1st and 2nd? That's not easy.

This is why I think Hoyer deserves the starting spot this year, and especially when Gordon comes back. He's a good quarterback and he's better than Manziel. Manziel wins on picking up yards with his feet, but how has that gone for other running QB's at this level? RG3...hurt again this week. Michael Vick...not even starting for the Jets. Vince Young..couldn't beat out Hoyer for the starting job, out of the league. Tebow...gotta mention him. Where is he at? Newton's been beat up and he's built like a LB. Manziel is built like a modest kicker. He runs slower than opposing LB's who have 50 pounds on him. Despite all that, he just can't make the throws. He's had Mike Evans, arguably college football's best receiver, with some NFL linemen to cover his flaws. He doesn't run through progressions well and he can't hit guys on easy routes. He throws behind them. Hoyer can make the NFL throws. He studies, he focuses, he watches film.

Going into the season, I wasn't quite sure if Hoyer should last longer than the first few weeks. But in these two games, just as he did last season, he's shown that he is capable of doing great things. I think he's earned his starting spot past the bye week, which has been and possibly still is in question. As to how much these first two games have bought him, I don't know. I do know that Pettine doesn't want to throw another rookie QB out there, so Hoyer is probably a safe bet for the next few weeks at least.

I don't think anyone would have bet money on the Browns making it, unless someone gave you 10,000 to 1 odds. "If anyone gives you 10,000 to 1 on anything, you take it. If John Mellencamp ever wins an Oscar, I am going to be a very rich dude." (the Office) It's certainly possible this season. As long as the Browns can get some wins over their division rivals and beat the teams they're better than, they could find themselves in the playoffs this year. With a tough test in Baltimore next week, we'll see how close the Browns are to competing for the division title this year.

College Football - Week 1

College football is finally here! Every week I will be doing a recap of what we learned from the previous week and a list of games to watch for the upcoming week, as well as my Prime 5 Picks. The “What We Learned” section will include some things we learned from the previous week of football and will always include some info on the Big Three Utah teams (sorry Weber State) as well as some other teams across the country.  

The “Games to Watch” section will list some exciting upcoming games in the next week. Last year I went 44-21 with my “Prime 5 Picks.” I’ll look to improve my record this season. Each week, I will make 5 picks and I’ll try to pick the underdogs who will pull off the upsets as well as road teams. I’ll be sure to include at least one of the Big 3 Utah teams. I don't have a ton of readers, so I do it mostly for me. I hope you enjoy!

What We Learned

Week 1 tends to be overreaction week. Some teams may have done well against really bad teams, and some teams may have struggled even though they're breaking in new quarterbacks, new coaches, new systems, or simply a lot of turnover. Just because your team did well or didn't do well doesn't mean that's how it'll go the rest of the year.

My Buckeyes pulled it out against Navy. Ohio State had some growing pains to get through with a new offensive line and new QB. OSU tends to not play as well the first game of the year, so scheduling Navy helps get their act together. For breaking in a new QB, Meyer kept the game plan fairly conservative. Throwing for 226 yards on only 12 of 15 completions is great to see. He also led rushers with 50 yards on the ground. I think Barrett is going to be special. He's not quite the runner that Braxton is, but he is a duel-threat nonetheless. He's more accurate of a passer and goes through his reads more efficiently. The three-headed RB crew of Wilson, Samuel, and Elliott are gonna be tough to stop. Wilson has the speed on the outside for slower teams like Wisconsin, Elliott has the power to run up the gut against more finesse teams like Penn State, and Samuel is a combination of the two. It looks like they still need to fine-tune the defense a little bit, but this team is definitely a contender for the Big Ten title.

As much as it pains me to admit it, BYU has a really talented quarterback. I think the passing numbers are a little inflated due to the fast-paced offense they run, but that's what BYU needs to do in order to make up for the lack of talent that they have. Let's face it...BYU can't bring in all the SEC kids that schools like Alabama and LSU can. BYU has higher standards. It's harder to get a fishing license than it is to enroll at Ole Miss because they need talented football players. BYU doesn't need its sports to excel because it has a different focus. So if they can grab a talented QB like Hill and run a fast-paced offense to throw defenses off a little, they will win some games.

Utah had a field day against Idaho State. It's reminiscent of the old Mountain West Conference days when Utah would beat up on teams like UNLV and San Diego State. I'm all for playing tune-up games the first week of the season, I think it helps your team to gel and be prepared for the real tests of the year. The downside to playing cupcakes is you can never pinpoint the strengths of your team, only the weaknesses. If a lesser team exposes an area of your game, it looks bad. Utah's secondary, especially their corners, were one of the weak spots going into the season. That part of their game was exposed against a bad Idaho State team. Anything that goes right when you play a cupcake will be seen as, "oh, it's only because they played such a bad team." Utah won't be throwing up 56 points a game, and some of the things they did well are actually things they'll do well against better competition. But not everything is. So we'll have to wait and see how Utah reacts when they play a decent team.

Utah State has a tough test against Tennessee in a rare Sunday game.

Florida State is not the juggernaut we thought they were heading into the season. They're an elite team, of course, but Oklahoma State gave a nice blueprint on how to expose them. The Cowboys are going to be good this year, so I give them a lot of credit. FSU is probably still the best college football team in America, but the gap separating them from the rest of the pack may not be as big as we thought. Same goes for Alabama.

I'm not sold on UCLA. Of their 4 touchdowns against Virginia, 3 came from the defensive side of the ball. They have a Heisman trophy candidate. Scoring 1 touchdown on offense won't cut it if they're going to contend against Oregon, Stanford, and even USC. A lot of people have them winning the Pac-12, but I just don't think it'll happen.

Wisconsin is a very good team who nearly pulled off the upset in Louisiana. LSU was just too much for them. Both are near-the-top teams in their respective conferences, and we can see why the SEC is better than the Big Ten right now. Wisconsin can't get away from their run game which spells trouble for them if they fall too far behind in games this year. Their passing attack got them two interceptions when it counted most.

For a guy named Gurley, he was quite the man against Clemson. He ran for nearly 200 yards and a lot of those were after the first hit. He also had a kickoff return for a touchdown: 100 yards on top of his rushing stats. Georgia's running attack and special teams are going to be fun to watch.

Games to Watch for Next Week

We’re still weeding out the warm-up games a lot of teams have on their schedules, but there are a few really great games to watch this week despite the NFL stealing some of the limelight with its season starting this weekend. Week two tends to have a couple really good games and a lot of snoozers. Here is the rundown of games to tune in to:

Michigan State at Oregon...this is easily the best game of the week. With both teams having had primers against bad teams in week one, they'll get to face some real competition. Michigan State has one of the best defenses in the country while Oregon has one of the most high-powered offenses. The Spartans capped off their ground-breaking year last season with a road win (basically) over Stanford. Stanford is a team that's given Oregon fits the last few years having beaten Oregon the past 2 years and 3 of the past 5. Stanford and Michigan State have very similar styles of play. With the loss of Braxton Miller, MSU feels they have a great shot at winning the Big Ten and possibly grabbing a playoff spot. A win over Oregon is something they'll want to have on their resume.

USC at Stanford...Pac-12 play begins with Stanford hosting USC. USC has a lot of talent but not a lot of depth. Despite their talent, it's tough to prepare for teams like Stanford. With both teams coming off wins, this should be a fun game to watch. Maybe they can resurrect the rivalry that Harbaugh and Carroll had and continue to have in the NFL.

Michigan at Notre Dame...Go Irish! Utah should pay close attention to this game as they will play Michigan the following week. Go Utes!

Eastern Washington at Washington...This may turn out to be a good game despite the fact that an FCS team is playing. Eastern Washington is one of the best and could pull off the upset.

Prime 5 Picks

Each week I'll be doing my Prime 5 Picks. All the cool names for picks were taken, so I'll use this until I can think up something better. I didn't post last weeks but here they are:

1. Ohio State over Navy (road)
2. Wisconsin over LSU (upset)
3. Penn State over UCF (upset)
4. Florida State over Oklahoma State (road)
5. Georgia over Clemson

I try to pick games that aren't as obvious, like Oregon over South Dakota. I also try to pick upsets and road wins. I knew FSU would be close over Oklahoma State, although I didn't think it'd be that close. I wanted to stay away from Texas A&M and South Carolina. I'm glad I did, because I would've picked the Gamecocks. So after week one, I'm 4-1 on my picks.

Here are the Prime 5 Picks for week 2:

1) Ohio State over Virginia Tech. It'll be a little tougher than it looks on paper, but Barrett is going to make a couple really good plays to get the win over V-Tech. 

2) Oregon over Michigan State. I want to pick the Spartans, I think they match up well with Oregon. I just don't think they'll have enough. It'll be a close game until the end when Mariota makes a play or two and puts the game away. 

3) USC over Stanford (upset/road). USC definitely has the talent and I think they'll catch a few breaks caused by errors on Stanfords part. It's not much of an upset, but this should be the turning point when everyone realizes USC is heading back up to being a national power. 

4) Texas over BYU. I'm sure the loss to BYU is still haunting the Longhorns from last year. With a new coach in place, Texas looks more like the team people think they should look like. Hill is still going to put up numbers, but Texas has a renewed vigor and a stronger team. It'll be close, but Texas comes out ahead. 

5) Michigan over Notre Dame (upset). Initially I had Notre Dame winning this one. Michigan's biggest concern was at RB and Derrick Green has solved that problem. Their new offensive coordinator from Alabama is showing just how good he can be. The Irish keep it close but ultimately can't compete in the big game. Sound familiar?

Not too many upsets this week since most teams are playing cupcakes. If there are some upsets, they'll probably be big ones. I'm just glad that college football is back even though my wife isn't. 

College Football Preview

College football is finally here! There are some exciting things to look forward to. This is the time of year when every team still has something valuable: hope. Once we get further into the season, some teams lose that hope. That's why I'm not really against teams scheduling a couple of soft opponents at the beginning of the year because they can hope longer. It makes it more enjoyable.

There are some new things to look forward to this year in college football, and I'll just touch on them briefly.

The new playoff system is set to take place along with the deciders of who gets into it: the new playoff selection committee. Now, instead of a combination of computers and humans, we'll have playoff teams selected by 12 men and 1 woman. I've stated before that I don't think this solves the problem of who should be given the chance to play for a national championship. Now, instead of a #3 and possibly a #4 team bickering, you'll have teams 5-10 potentially asking why they weren't chosen as the #4 seed.

Take last year as an example. With Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, and Michigan State being playoff teams (Auburn and Alabama would have had to play again in the playoffs), that left out 11-2 Stanford, 11-1 Baylor, 12-1 Ohio State, 11-2 Missouri, 10-2 South Carolina, 10-2 Oregon, and 10-2 Oklahoma. Oklahoma handled Alabama, a potential playoff team, so why shouldn't they be good enough to get in instead of Michigan State? Some thought Stanford was the best team, they only lost a game as well. Same with Baylor. Shouldn't a 2-loss SEC team like Missouri or South Carolina get in over a 1-loss Big Ten team? Ohio State's loss was to Michigan State, so they probably didn't have quite as good an argument. But you can see how instead of possibly only Michigan State arguing that they should have been ranked #2 in the BCS system, you now can have multiple teams arguing over the #4 spot. It's like March Madness...there isn't a lot of bickering over who gets the four #1 seeds, but there are a lot of teams complaining that they didn't get in at the #68 spot. So look for this new playoff system and the teams selected in it by the committee to take some heat.

The Pac-12 has come a long way. I don't think they'll be able to sustain it, but I think they're at their peak. Oregon will start to decline as their genius of a head coach Chip Kelly has taken his talents to Philly. Stanford will always be a good, solid team but they've exceeded their potential the past few years thanks to the next Peyton Manning (Andrew Luck) and a great head coach who left in Jim Harbaugh. USC will probably rise and the Arizona teams (Arizona, Arizona State) will continue to have good and bad years. Washington will be interesting to see with their new head coach Chris Peterson from Boise State. UCLA is riding high right now, too, but historically-speaking they can't keep this act up for long. However, if these Pac-12 powers can stay as good as they are, they'll be locked in as the second-best conference for a while.

The power five conferences will be looking to separate themselves from the rest of college football soon. This will enable them to ultimately control the money. Yes, players may end up getting a stipend or actual salaries (this is also a dumb idea, but there are things the NCAA should change in regards to this), but if the power five can get some power and control over the college football landscape, then they'll be able to put more money in their pockets. Especially now with a new playoff system potentially expanding.

I think those are some of the things to watch this year, but now let's get to the teams.

• SEC Winner - Auburn
• Pac-12 Winner - Oregon
• Big 12 Winner - Oklahoma
• Big 10 Winner - Ohio State
• ACC Winner - Florida State
• AAC Winner - UCF
• MWC Winner - Fresno State

Looks like I'm going with the safe plays, except for Auburn and Ohio State.

The SEC is just a crap-shoot. You could list four teams, possibly more, and have great arguments for each. No one would bat an eyebrow. South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn are all contenders. All have hard schedules, Auburn's being the most brutal. However, I think they feel they have something to prove. They'll have one loss in their 4 week grind against South Carolina, at Ole Miss, against Texas A&M, and at Georgia. They also travel to Alabama and Kansas State. They'll beat Alabama again in the Iron Bowl in a less-dramatic fashion and finish off South Carolina, possibly again, in the SEC championship. The SEC has the highest number of different winners predicted by the ESPN experts as the SEC.

The Pac-12 has three real contenders: Oregon, Stanford, and UCLA. I don't believe the hype on UCLA, although I think they'll be good. Last year they ended up with 3 losses, and I think they'll have about that this year. They play Texas, at Arizona State, Oregon, and finish with Stanford. The Cardinal schedule doesn't do them any favors: against USC, at Washington, at Arizona State, at Notre Dame, and at Oregon. They'll finish strong with a win at UCLA but won't have won enough games to overtake Oregon. Even though UCLA or USC make it to the Pac-12 championship game, this is Oregon's year once again.

The Big 12 consists of one front-runner (Oklahoma) and several dark horses. Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas State, and Baylor could all potentially beat out the Sooners for that top spot. Last year, Baylor did it. Texas beat Oklahoma last year as well. Anything is possible with this conference, but if you had to put money on it, you'd probably pick Oklahoma and their returning core. Plus this year, their schedule is a little easier as their harder games against all four dark horses are at home.

The Big 10 race just got a little more interesting. With Braxton Miller of my Buckeyes getting hurt, the two-dog race between Michigan State and Ohio State seemed to lean a little more green. I really like J.T Barrett, the new starting QB for OSU. He's been in Urban's program for a couple years and he's a much more accurate thrower than Braxton. So yes, the duel-threat gets taken away, but defenses now have to drop an extra guy or two into coverage as opposed to using them as spy's for Miller's run game because Barrett can slice up defenses if they don't. With a load of faster receivers and hybrid tailbacks like Dontre Wilson, Meyer is known for getting the best out of his players and this team is no different. With something to prove and chips on their shoulders, Ohio State beats the Spartans on Nov. 8 and upends Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship game. While Michigan State is surely the favorite, Ohio State has what it takes to win.

The ACC winner is going to be Florida State. Is this even up for debate? Clemson at 16 who got shellacked last year? FSU is just too good right now for their conference with teams like Miami, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech down. Duke may have gone as high as they can go. The Seminoles have an easy path to the first playoff this year. Maybe Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, or even Florida gives them a game this year. That's a big maybe.

The AAC, American Athletic Conference, is no longer a part of the power five and for good reason. I don't recognize most of their teams anymore. They only have three of the eight teams from 2010. It's basically some of the all-star teams from the non-BCS conferences of a couple years ago. That being said, UCF ran the table on them last year with Louisville being a close second. Louisville is good enough to win the conference, but with a new coach and QB, I think it's a little much to overcome. Plus, Louisville leaves for the ACC this year. I think we need another conference named the ACA or CAC to make it more confusing.

I don't really follow the MWC anymore since BYU, Utah, and TCU all left. I think that Utah State is becoming a really good team. Aside from the Aggies, Boise State, and Fresno State, I don't think this conference is very good.

My prediction for the four playoff teams are (1) Florida State, (2) Auburn, (3) Oregon, and (4) Oklahoma. Florida State routs the Sooners and Auburn squashes the Ducks setting up a rematch of last year's national championship, only this time the Tigers beat out the Seminoles. It feels like it's time to have an Alabama school win the title, doesn't it? I mean, it's been a whole year and it's starting to feel weird.

Good luck to all teams out there except Michigan!

New-Look Cavaliers - Part Deuce

The NBA season still isn't here yet, although for Cavalier fans, it can't come soon enough. There are still some potential pieces floating around, but the Cavaliers roster is starting to take shape a little bit. The biggest pending transactions are the Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett trade as well as if Ray Allen decides to join the Cavaliers or retire. With Allen, the Cavs would get a tremendous shooter to go along with Mike Miller, Kyrie Irving, and possibly Kevin Love.

The Kevin Love trade looks like it's going to happen as long as the NBA doesn't step in and dismiss it, which it could. If they find evidence that this trade was set in motion before James' return to Cleveland or even the draft, then this could easily get vetoed. I don't think it will, though, so I'm betting on Love coming to Cleveland and sending the two Canucks to the Canadian border along with a first round 2015 draft pick. Signs are pointing to Allen playing for one more season, and that would likely be with LeBron. So let's say these two things happen. The lineup looks like this:

PG - Kyrie Irving
SG - Dion Waiters, Ray Allen
SF - LeBron James, Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, James Jones
PF - Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson
C - Anderson Varejao, Brendan Haywood

There are a lot more players listed on the current roster, but they will be in and out of the D-league. Guys like rookie Joe Harris and Matthew Dellavedova. Some pieces may be packaged to help alleviate some cap room as the Cavs want to sign K-Love to a long-term deal. Haywood also has a special contract situation so look for him to possibly be shipped. Thompson would be a good trading piece like J.J Hickson was a few years ago.

With Marion, Miller, Jones, and Thompson looking to come off the bench, the Cavaliers are probably 9-deep. Three of those nine are top 20 players easily, two of them arguably top 6. Dion Waiters wants to be in the starting lineup, and even if he is, he'll probably get major minutes with the second group. The fact is that he's a good scorer and plays better without Irving on the floor. At times the Cavs used him as the backup point guard. He will need to learn to play off the ball more this season as not only Irving but Love and James will be taking away touches from him.

Playing Varejao and Love will be a good front court duo. Thompson can rotate in as well. The Cavs can go big and play Miller at the 3, James at the 2, and Waiters or Irving at the 1. They can also go small and have Love at the 5, James at the 4, and any SF/guard combination at the 3, 2, and 1. Thompson and Varejao give them a presence inside offensively, especially Thompson, while Love is a good stretch 4 and one of the best shooters in the NBA. James can also play inside now. With James, Irving, and Waiters able to penetrate, shooters like Miller, Allen, Harris, and Love will help stretch the defense out or give them open looks.

The Cavs have a great transition game. Love is a great outlet guy, while James, Waiters, and Irving can run the floor. Varejao is a center who can run as well. While they may not have the highlights that Wade and James put together, they will have their fair share of them on ESPN's sportscenter.

Overall, even without Love and Allen, this is the best supporting cast LeBron has ever had. If the trade doesn't come through and Wiggins and Bennett stay, it basically moves Thompson up and gives the Cavs an extra piece on the bench. Bennett struggled his rookie year, as a lot of rookies do, but he's steadily improving and will be a solid player wherever he lands. Wiggins has the potential to be an all-star and will have some highlights this year, but if he does become a star, it won't be until year two or three. Having Wiggins on the floor would take away some minutes from Waiters or possibly push him to be more of a backup PG to Irving, although I still think they are on the floor together during the crucial minutes of the game.

LeBron also has this intangible ability to make the players around him better. He took a pretty average, although Cavs fans wouldn't admit it at the time, Cleveland Cavaliers team to the finals in 2007 only to be swept by the Spurs. With this group, he has at least one (Irving) bonified all-star and possibly two (Love) around him. These aren't aging stars, either. Irving, Waiters, Thompson, Bennett, and Wiggins are all under 4 years, some of them rookies. Love is entering his prime. LeBron is still in his prime, although he's probably peaked in his prime. While some older veterans like Allen, Miller, Marion, and Varejao there, it's not dependent upon them like it was Bosh, Wade, Allen, and Birdman. LeBron basically carried them into the finals those last 3 years. With the Cavs, he'll have some youth who he can mentor and have them carry some of the load.

Recently Shawn Marion came to an agreement with the Cavs despite them offering him a minimum contract. This signing becomes huge because now they aren't so dependent upon LeBron playing major minutes. Marion at this point in his career is a borderline starter, which makes him one of the better bench players in the league. So now when teams go to their benches, the Cavs will have a very capable defensive player in Marion. With the exception of point guard, which the Cavs can work around in their rotation, the Cavs are 2-deep at every position. They also have multiple looks in their lineups: they can go small or big. While they probably won't beat out Chicago's front line, they don't really have to. They'll have a solid 4 in Love and a solid 5 in Varejao. With arguably the best point guard and small forward in the league (I think Chris Paul and Tony Parker are better at point, but I think you can make the argument that Irving is the best...it's just not a strong argument), it more than makes up for their lack of star power in the frontcourt. The NBA is now a wing league. Look at the Heat...didn't have a strong presence down low, still went to the finals for 4 straight years. Let's be honest; at the time, even though Cavs fans didn't want to admit it, it was because of LeBron. Now that the Cavs have 2 other all-star caliber players in Love (again, assuming the trade goes through like everyone believes) and Irving, you can't try to lock-down on James as much.

The weaknesses on this team are the defense and coming together in year 1. The pieces that have been added are either real solid (Kevin Love) or have championship experience (James, Miller, Jones, potentially Allen, Marion). Aside from James and Marion, the others on this roster aren't exactly known for their defense. Varejao is better than advertised, especially playing with James again. Waiters and Irving can play defense, they just haven't been forced to yet. Love is a great rebounder but not necessarily a protect-the-rim kinda guy. If they can solve this part of it, the offense will be there. There are 4 players who could put up at least 25 points on a given night (James, Irving, Love, and Waiters). Their new coach is supposedly an offensive genius, so offense will not be a problem for them. They may be like the Saints or the Packers of the NBA: maybe not great on defense, but they'll be banking on the fact that you probably won't outscore them.

This Cavaliers team is going to be fascinating to watch. It feels like a championship is coming to Cleveland at some point in the next few years. I think they have a real shot at it with the addition of Marion, Love, and potentially Allen. They just have to put it all together.  

New-Look Cavaliers

"I'm ready to accept the challenge. I'm coming home."

This is the last sentence from LeBron's letter to Sports Illustrated. It actually happened: LBJ is coming back to Cleveland.

People are probably sick of this story, unless you're a Buckeye. This could turn into the best sports story of the year. The guy from Akron (Cleveland), Ohio, who once played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has come home to play for them once again. As a Cavs fan, this was unexpected and thrilling all at the same time.

For those of you not familiar with Ohio, it's a very loyal state. We love our sports teams, and our teams haven't won anything since the mid-60's. Fifty years. It's a blue-collar city that sticks with our teams through good times and bad, but mostly bad. Not only have our teams been mostly bad, but even the good ones find ways to lose. We have a plethora of two-liners to describe our pain: the drive, the fumble, the decision, the shot. We came up short against the Marlins in '97 and the Red Sox in 2007. It's not a premier site for free agents. The Cavaliers are the only team to make it to an NBA Finals and not win a game. We've had owners who care more about their European soccer teams than their NFL teams. And don't even mention the late Art Modell who sold the Browns to Baltimore, who right after that won the Super Bowl.

There's a bitterness to the city of Cleveland. It shows in the fan base. When LeBron left Cleveland, the city burned jerseys. Who does that?! Cleveland. It hurt so much to have one of our own, who went through those same pains of the drive, the fumble, etc. and added his own two-word phrase to the pains of Cleveland. Other cities may have gone through similar pains, but they haven't done it without the consolation of having a championship in the last 50 years. And San Diego...please. You're in California, you don't have many complaints.

My wife doesn't understand how I could have gone through the pain I went through to see LBJ leave and then come back and feel good about it. First of all, I've had mixed feelings about it. We're talking about the guy who ripped our hearts out, but at the same time, who isn't glad to have the best NBA player join your team? After reading the letter he wrote, I am really impressed at how mature he is. Usually athletes come off as unintelligent, but this letter really shows not only his feelings towards Northeast Ohio, but the fact that he is a Northeast Ohioan. His relationship with this area is more important than money, than championships, than anything. That's the main reason he came back. It sounds very repentant to me, so if he doesn't hold a grudge, especially against Dan Gilbert (which I think he's entitled to continue holding), why should I continue to hold a grudge against him?

Everyone has matured. LeBron, Dan Gilbert, Cavalier fans...everyone is better off because of this decision. And if LeBron is really able to bring a championship to Cleveland, he will be forever enshrined in greatness. If the Browns are able to bring a super bowl to Cleveland, its first ever, they will be like Gods to this city. Same with the Indians. Cleveland is STARVING for some kind of championship, anything! And the team/players that do so will be handsomely rewarded by its fans.

If you're one of those fans who burned your #23 jerseys (or, like me, threw them away) because LeBron took his talent to south beach, don't be ashamed. Like Dan Gilbert's letter, you showed emotion. You showed you cared. When the Browns left, people were outraged. Art Modell never stepped in Cleveland again. He may have been killed, that's how crazy some fans were for getting rid of their football team. It's healthy to show emotion, even if it was masked in anger. As Cleveland fans, we were saddened. We couldn't even hold on to the best player we've ever had in any sport at any point in history. And the worst part? He was a native Northeast Ohioan. He grew up with us, and then he left us. What could we have done more? How could we have let something great leave AGAIN?!

Dan Gilbert's letter, while stupid, actually helped him keep the fans on his side. A lot of people have bad opinions on Gilbert...I think his letter actually helped Cleveland cope. Yes, it's absurd that we put so much into sports, but this isn't New York or L.A, what else do we have? In that letter, he showed some immaturity, some childishness, some stupidity. But it was what Cleveland needed. It may not have worked in any other city, but it did in the championship-starve city who had to add 'the decision' to the list of failures in our city's sports history. There still may be some harsh feelings that LeBron and Gilbert have for one another, but I truly believe that both have matured enough to at least bury them for the good of the city.

So if you're one of those fans who did something crazy and hated LeBron after he left but wants to like him now, don't feel bad. Things have changed, new information has been released, things have progressed. It may be a little sad looking at it from the outside, but if you haven't lived that history, then you don't know how it feels. The Jazz lost to Jordan twice in the finals, and that hurt. It especially hurt because Jordan may have had a little push-off on Russell. But imagine playing in the same conference AND the same division as Jordan for thirteen years. It seems like he hit a quarter of his clutch, buzzer-beating shots against Craig Ehlo. That sad letter is what Cleveland needed to patch the wound left from yet another hole left in its heart.

That being said, LeBron is now a Cavalier. Cavs fans can now rejoice that we have the best player in the world rather than having to play him several times a year. Here is the rest of the roster as it currently stands:

• Anderson Varejao (C)
• Kyrie Irving (PG)
• Dion Waiters (SG)
• Andrew Wiggins (SG/SF)
• Anthony Bennett (PF/SF)
• Tristan Thompson (PF)
• Carrick Felix (SG)
• Joe Harris (SG)
• Dwight Powell (PF)
• Brendan Haywood (C)
• Matthew Dellavedova (SG)

There are some interesting possibilities still out there to change the roster before the season starts. Kevin Love is interested in signing a long-term deal now that LeBron is here. Ray Allen has stated that he'll either retire or follow LeBron wherever he goes. Mike Miller is being pursued by the Cavs. Add in Love and I think Allen follows. In order to get Love, the T'Wolves really want Andrew Wiggins. There's already a backlog at SG with Waiters, Wiggins, Felix, Harris, and Dellavedova. I'm all in favor of sending Wiggins and either Bennett or Thompson (all of them are Canadian and would be right on the border) to Minnesota for Kevin Love. Then the starting lineup is Varejao, Love, James, Waiters, and Irving. There are three legit all-stars with two very good players. Thompson/Bennett, Dellavedova, Allen, and Miller (if they came) would provide a deep roster.

I love having either Thompson or Bennett because they're athletic enough and big enough to play the five and allow the Cavs to go small. Thomspon/Bennett, James, Dellavedova/Allen, Waiters, and Irving. I don't mind keeping Wiggins, but I've never been a huge fan. He would provide some relief for James, who I think won't have to play 40 minutes a night like he did in Miami. Irving and Waiters can provide a lot of scoring, and if Love is added, so could he. If the Cavs don't make a trade for Love this year, he'll be a free agent next year and could possibly join for free. What a team that would be.

The best news out of all this is that James seems to want to stay put in Cleveland. He signed a two-year deal mostly for flexibility. Actually, it's a one year deal. The new television contract will probably raise the maximum salary for James in two years. He mentioned in the letter that he's in this for the long run. I believe the Cavs are two years away from a championship. Things need to gel...new coach, new superstar, new roster, young talent, new GM. But there's a new hope in the air, and it's being led by the best player in basketball in the world. As a native Clevelander, I am excited at the possibility of an upcoming championship

There's some hope we can hang our hats on, Cleveland. Welcome home, LeBron.

Cleveland Sports Updates

For Cleveland fans, we go through a lot. In fact, there's only one other city who has had worse luck for this long as we have: San Diego. Poor SD...when things go bad, you just lay on the beach any time of the year. It's got perfect weather, beautiful people, and tons of things to do. In Cleveland, when things go bad...we freeze our bones off, spend time at the dirtiest of the five great lakes, and deal with unemployment. Plus, San Diego doesn't have horrible sports tragedies identified in two-word phrases: the drive, the fumble, the shot, the decision.

In light of all this, here are the current issues going on in Cleveland. As is often the case, most of the news is bad while some gives up some hope.

LeBron James

LeBron James is currently deciding whether or not he wants to return to Cleveland or stay in Miami. There are lots of good arguments for both sides. Ultimately I think he'll end up in Miami despite reports of him having already chosen Cleveland. These reports have been shot down since LBJ himself doesn't know where he's going. Most people think he'll announce it before he leaves to see the World Cup final on Saturday. If he comes back to Cleveland, it would pretty much redeem his 'decision' back in 2010. Most of the country is rooting for a return to his roots, and while it remains a good possibility, it'll be a little shocking to see him return to Dan Gilbert's team.

Josh Gordon

Probably the hardest hit of the off-season, Josh Gordon not only violated the NFL's substance abuse policy (again) but was recently arrested and charged with a DWI. This will most definitely get Gordon suspended at least for this year, possibly more. Gordon is the Browns best receiver, and arguably the best receiver in the NFL. He led the NFL last year on a rotating QB system and having missed two games. If he's not the best, he's up there and, this is the scary part, will only get better.

While it's hard to replace a guy like Gordon, the Browns have a tough decision to make: should they keep him or let him go? Cris Carter, along with many others, seem to think they should let him go. He's not worth the trouble. I think when you have a talent like this you have to work with him. If the Browns can get him rehabbed, he'll be an investment that could stay loyal to the dawg pound for getting him through a tough time. His problems stem more from depression and anxiety than they do anything else. Keep Josh Gordon. If he gets his problems taken care of, he could be the next Megatron.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs are doing everything they can in order to lure LeBron James over from Miami. They've traded off Jarrett Jack (good move) and Tyler Zeller (even better move) to clear up some cap room to offer James a max contract. They've potentially got a trade in place for Kevin Love to come over. They'd be giving up Andrew Wiggins, possibly Tristan Thompson or Anthony Bennett, and potentially a second round pick. I would prefer to have Love over Wiggins as I wasn't sold on him as a potential superstar in this league. Kevin Love is a premier big man, plus having an all-star trio of a PG in Irving, SF in James, and PF/C in Love is a better fit. This also gives more minutes to Waiters, who is really good.

Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel  has been a mistake from the beginning. I've already written an article on him here, but suffice it to say that in light of his recent events, he was not a good choice at QB. He lacks good judgement, both on and off the field. This has been going on for 4 years now. He was recently caught partying with Justin Bieber (that's a mistake right there), and when asked about it, told the media he "wasn't going to live in a shell." No one is asking him to live in a shell, but when the owner of the team who you are supposed to be the leader of comes to you and asks you to tone it down, that doesn't mean you go out and have another party for the media to throw on the front page again. "I've got too mcuh money in my f&^%$ hands" was caught on video. You're not in college anymore. You're the leader of a professional football team. Tom Brady isn't going out and doing things like this. Peyton Manning wouldn't get caught posterized all over the place. He hasn't beaten out Brian Hoyer off an ACL injury, and he is disrespectful to the owner of the organization. I don't care if he sells jerseys - get rid of him!

Jim Brown

Apparently, Jim Brown's championship ring from 1964 was stolen several years later. The ring has re-surfaced and is being auctioned off. Brown claims it was stolen in the late 60's but the auction denies it. It's been sold several times before now and is currently held by a family member. Brown thinks he filed a police report, but since this story is still not resolved, I'm guessing one wasn't since that would have ended the debate.

Cleveland Indians

Hey, some positive news! Kind of...The Indians are 7.5 games out of first place in the division and 4 games out from the wild card. The Tribe is in the top 10 for most of the offensive categories but has struggled with their pitching. With almost 70 games left to play, they are in a good position to make a run at the post-season.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Okay this isn't a Cleveland team, but it's who Clevelanders root for when it comes to college football. The 2015 recruiting class is currently 6th in the nation. This is pretty good considering they have the least amount of commitments (12) out of the top 13. So the more recruits we can get, the better the ranking. We have the #1 LB for the second straight year, a top-notch DE, and some great defensive backs. We also grabbed a 4-star QB to go along with some other linemen. Meyer tends to grab big recruits later than sooner, so this bodes well for the Buckeyes as we have one of the top classes again.

There's the rundown of Cleveland sports. Always hoping. I was surprised to learn there is a Dawg Pound bar that I will be checking out soon...in Salt Lake City! If your heart has been broken, if you find it hard to hope for our teams, if you feel like just giving up and not putting yourself through another torturous season again, then congratulations! You're probably a true Cleveland fan, and we need more people like you.

The Cavaliers Conundrum

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't been on the map since he-who-shall-not-be-named (HWSNBN) left Ohio. Now they're on stage. Maybe not front and center, but at least they're on the stage. They've just hired a new coach from oversees WITH an assistant who was one of the final two on their list. They have the number one pick in the draft coming up on Thursday. HWSNBN has opted out of his contract and Cleveland is on the list of teams who could potentially land him. Lots of excitement is happening in the forest city.

The current roster consists of Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Anthony Bennett, Alonzo Gee, Tyler Zeller, Jarrett Jack, Matthew Dellavedova, Sergey Karasev, Carrick Felix, and Scotty Hopson. There are three players who will be free agents on July 1st: Spencer Hawes, Luol Deng, and C.J Miles. Having seen C.J for years in Utah, please let him go. Deng is probably not going to come back. Hawes may be coming back, depending on what else the Cavs do in the upcoming weeks. He was a good fit last year, especially with the injury woes the Cavs had.

Irving will be the untouchable asset for them. They'll want to keep Thompson, Bennett, and Varejao but nobody else is untouchable. Waiters is probably first off the table, which is sad because I think he's really underrated. However, if you can't play with the star on your team, you're most likely asking for a ticket out. Jack, Zeller, and Karasev could be additional trade pieces.

The Draft

Much to the country's dismay, the Cavs own (once again) the number one pick in this year's draft. Joel Embiid was the consensus pick until his medical results came out. A big having back and leg problems is not a great choice at #1. Since the top three picks are on a different level than the rest of the players, this means the Cavs will take either Jabaari Parker or Andrew Wiggins.

Over the course of the last couple weeks, Parker and Wiggins have come in to workout for the Cavs. Parker had a poor workout and, what's more concerning, doesn't seem to want to play in Cleveland. Wiggins had a really good workout and has voiced his enthusiasm to play for the Cavaliers. Sources coming out of Cleveland say that the decision-makers had a meeting to only discuss these two players. If they take anyone else, it will have been a failed draft.

I would take either Wiggins or Parker, but Parker will be the better player. Most have Wiggins not becoming a perennial all-star like Parker. Parker is also more NBA-ready out of the gate. He's got a better NBA frame, can score, and is more complete. He's not as athletic as Wiggins, but he's still very athletic.

I guess I'm torn on who to take. With Parker there, unless HWSNBN returns to Cleveland, it doesn't sound like he would stay past his initial contract. If that's the case, I think I'd lean towards taking Wiggins even though I prefer Parker. Again, anyone else would be a mistake.

Another option the Cavs have is to trade this pick to get another veteran. Not a bad option. Depending on the veteran, though, it may not be a great move since you don't get a potential superstar in Wiggins or Parker, unless Embiid turns out to be healthy. The Jazz have Derrick Favors and possibly Alec Burks, along with the 5th and potentially 23rd pick, to jump up and get the LDS Parker. Sixers are offering Thaddeus Young. I like Burks, but neither Favors or Young would be a good enough package for me to trade down. Kevin Love isn't really on the table, but maybe he should be.

Free Agency

After the draft comes free agency. Obviously HWSNBN and Melo own the headlines. The biggest determinant in the Heat staying together are Bosh and Wade, particularly Wade. If he ops in or opts out and demands a max contract, that will spell trouble for the Heat's roster.

There are some other interesting names out there: Lance Stephenson, Danny Granger, Pau Gasol, Thabo Sefolosha, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Kirk Hinrich, and Avery Bradley. None of these names jump out at you, but would provide an upgrade in most positions. The Cavs will need to upgrade their roster, preferably with another superstar, if they want to attract either of the two superstars on this list. It's at a time like this where the Cavs should hire Browns GM Ray Farmer.

Argument for Getting LeBron James

Okay, so I'm not the biggest LBJ fan. Many Clevelanders can attest to that. However, if he decided to come back to Cleveland to bring us some championships, I think that counts as repentance. It will take a lot to get him back, though. I don't think it's gonna happen but crazier things have happened.

The Cavs have a superstar in Irving, and he plays a position that fits with James. Since the NBA is all about big threes now, Cleveland would need to get another star at power forward or center. Adding Wiggins or Parker as a wing would give Cleveland a potential superstar for less money, at least for the duration of the contract. But throw James in with a Kevin Love or maybe a Pau Gasol, and that team becomes the favorite to win the east. Dan Gilbert would also have to offer a really great apology. As long as he's the owner, I don't think James comes back to Cleveland.

Whatever happens this week should be exciting. It's hard to put a lot of faith into this organization, though, until they start producing better results.

Browns Schedule

The Browns don't have an easy schedule this year, that's for sure. It may not be the toughest, but there are certainly easier ones out there. Take a look at the Browns schedule for 2014:

Based on last years records, it may not seem so daunting. But Houston and Atlanta aren't bad teams; they just had bad years. Some people picked Houston to win the super bowl last year. The Raiders are much improved as are the Jags. The Colts are better, the Bengals are slightly better, and the Bucs are better. The Panthers aren't as good. The other teams we won't know until we start playing.

Looking at this schedule, it's going to be tough. The toughest test will be at Cincinnati on Nov. 6 on a short week. Granted, the Bengals will also be on a short week, but they play Jacksonville the week before at home. No travel, easier team, and they're at home against Cleveland on a Thursday. The good news about this game is that afterwards, the Browns will have ten days to recover before they play the Texans.

With the bye week coming during week 4 (that doesn't help much), the Browns will need to go 2-1 against the Steelers on the road, the Saints at home, and the Ravens at home. That's no easy task. If they manage to upset the @ Steelers on the road, they can pick off one of the next two games. I think they're more likely to go 1-2 or even 0-3. But if they beat the @ Steelers and Ravens, they're 2-0 in the division already. The @ Titans should be a very winnable game, because they're not that good and the Browns are coming off a bye week. Out of the next 4 games (Steelers, @ Jags, Raiders, and Bucs), they should be able to grab 2 or 3 of those games at least. That would put them in the 3-5 wins category at the halfway mark. @ Bengals will be tough just because of the conditions. They will have some time to rest before the Texans but they'll be a tough out this year. As will the @ Falcons the next week. They will need to grab one of those games to stay alive for playoff contention.

The @ Bills should be a win, and they'll need to split the next two games against the Colts and Bengals. The Browns do surprisingly well against good teams, beating 3 previous super bowl winning teams the following year in the last few years. The @ Panthers will probably be out of playoff contention by week 16, and they will have gotten worse from last year since they lost all their receivers.

It comes down to week 17 at the Ravens. Both teams could be competing for playoff spots here. The Ravens got better with the addition of Steve Smith from the Panthers, and by now he will have figured out their system. It will be a tough game.

If I have to make a prediction, I will say:

@ Steelers - Loss
Saints - Loss
Ravens - Win
@ Titans - Win
Steelers - Win
@ Jags - Win
Raiders - Loss
Bucs - Win
@ Bengals - Loss
Texans - Loss
@ Falcons - Loss
@ Bills - Win
Colts - Loss
Bengals - Loss
@ Panthers - Win
@ Ravens - Loss

There you have it: Browns finish 7-9 just missing the playoffs but much improved. They lose to the Saints close, to the Raiders close, and to the Bengals (2nd time) close. If they could get a little luck and win a couple of these games, the Browns could win 9 or 10 games this season. Isn't likely, but it's possible. This also includes barring major injuries say to the QB position or several of our star players. If Gordon doesn't play, that will hurt, too. If they win 7 games, I think it will be a very good year considering the coaching staff's first year.