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Winning the Browns' Way

By Eric Burch

For a National Football League team as bad as the Cleveland Browns, it's not easy to win a game in a glamorous fashion. Or, frankly, to win a game. So, as a Browns fan, you sort of have to take what you can get in the win column and not get too greedy about how the team looked.

So, we could nitpick about the Browns victory over Buffalo last Sunday.

We could question the play calling, giving Jamal Lewis 31 carries on his first game back from injury. Or complain about choosing to make Anderson throw downfield in a horrific wind.

We could worry about just 3.3 yards per play on offense, 193 total yards, and just nine first downs for the day.

We could be furious with a quarterback going 2-17, throwing for 23 yards, an interception, and a 15.1 passer rating. Anderson's 11.8 completion percentage was the lowest by a quarterback with at least fifteen attempts in a win since the AFL/NFL merger.

We could be saddened by the fact that the Browns' best player and MVP for the win, without question, was punter Dave Zastudil.

We could worry that the Browns have won just seven of their last 24 games, with three of those wins coming against the Bills.

But, alas, we cannot worry about how badly the Browns may have played, but only be satisfied with the fact that there was a victory.

Let's be frank, there were bright spots in the day. Even with the help of the wind, the defense looked very good.

Eric Wright blanketed Bills receivers and picked off an underthrown pass from Trent Edwards. The defensive line consistently got pressure, and Kamerion Wimbley once again looked spectacular rushing from the edge.

And finally, an impressive performance from Jamal Lewis. The right side of the offensive line is still atrocious, so any runs in that direction end badly, but Lewis was bruising, and his effects on the game clearly showed up in the fourth quarter.

It's a sad, sad day when this sort of performance comes from two of the most storied franchises in the history of professional football, but that's what we've been driven to; Cleveland Browns fans are forced to be happy with a day when their starting quarterback completes two passes.

The question is: how can the Browns improve upon this? There's not another game that Cleveland will win this season if they can only muster nine first downs and 193 total offensive yards again.

If Derek Anderson can complete only two passes in a game again, he cannot be the starting quarterback any further, regardless of whether or not he moves the ball up the field better.

If Dave Zastudil is ever the team MVP again, it won't be in a win.

If the Browns are relying on Billy Cundiff again for all of their points, they won't be winning any more games.

If the Cleveland Browns can only win games in the way they did last Sunday, they can expect their fans to stop supporting a franchise that won't win any more games this season.

Originally Published: October 14, 2009

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