Bengals Degrade Browns

Wow, what an uninspiring game today. The Browns generated no pass rush and no offense for the entire second half to fall to the Bengals. It was a pretty apthetic loss, with penalties routinely hampering the Browns chances and, at times, a noticable lack of intensity. The Browns deserved to lose this game.

A few points:

• Couch, though he was efficient in the 1st half, only reminded everyone why he is not the starter -- lots of wobbly balls, poor footwork in the pocket, and countless dinky passes. He gave a decent performance until a bad interception at the end, but no one will be calling for him to start anymore. He's just not a threat to the opposition right now.
  
• William Green? Rudy Johnson ran with more aggresiveness today. The guy appears to be sleepwalking.
  
• Jamel White? How can "Track Meet" seem SO SLOOOOW. It's like he's running in a sand pit.
  
• McCutheon -- this guy has fallen on hard times. He was out of position several times and it cost the Browns.
  
• KJ -- the guy produces. Still the best receiver on the team.
  
• Quincy -- head still up his ass. Maybe he is looking for his technique.
  
• The Whole D-Line -- Still in San Fran. Sad.
  
• Butch -- Just does not seem to be able to motivate players and kep things under control. Today we saw an undisciplined, sluggish, and predictable team. The blame ultimately falls on the coach's shoulders.

The Browns are not out of the North yet. The Steelers lost, and the Browns may only be a game back depending on what the Ravens do. But this loss didn't provide many promising building blocks. We'll see next week in Pittsburgh; I do think they can win it but this sh*t has to stop.

Couch Gets Start

This is big news in the papers today. I'm all for it; this team should be able to win with either QB at the helm. If having two good quarterbacks is an asset the team should not hesitate to use 'em.

I was a little surprised that Kevin McLeod was cut the other day and that the move had nothing to do with adding a 3rd QB to the roster. It'll be interesting to see if the team picks up another QB; I think they should. Give Holcomb a week off, bring Booty or Hybl in for a one week backup role. Odds are whoever gets cut will still be a free agent come next Monday and you can put everything back together. Only Holcomb will hopefully be ready to play.

Does Couch starting Sunday represent a chance to get his starting job back? Not really, but it's a chance at something. Call it a chance at a chance, as a good showing affords Couch an opportunity if Holcomb struggles or goes down again. And at the very least it's another audition for a potential suitor in the offseason.

Personally I'll be very happy if Couch has a quiet but efficient game -- a few TD drives, a field goal or two, enough of a rushing game to be a threat, and a dozen 8-12 yard completions. Most importantly -- no implosion via numerous turnovers or repeated sacks after 4+ seconds in the pockets. What's really on the line Sunday is Couch's leadership and his ability to impress a cool and confident demeanor to his teammates. If he does that, he'll have done what is asked of him.

All that aside, the rest of the team has to do it's part. In the 4th game it's reasonable to expect a decent rushing attack. And I'd like to see the defensive line continue what appears to be a reawakening. And, somewhat surprisingly, the secondary has played well and we should be confident they'll have a good performance. This will be a competitive game. The Browns will have to win it.

Kelly?

Supposedly Kelly Holcomb is practicing today. I find that hard to believe, but if it is true I question the wisdom of putting him out there on Sunday. Holcomb's a warrior and could probably gut it out, but this situation is tailor-made for having a good back-up QB.

Who gets cut when the Browns resign Booty or promote Hybl from the practice squad? Presumably the OL they signed last week?

Positive Change in Tone for Convention Center Plan

This is encouraging: don't mix non-convention center funds in with a convention center plan. It shouldn't have been this difficult to get to this point. I hop eit's not too late. The City Council president needs to take a step back and realize that nothing good will happen to Cleveland neighborhoods if the economic decline of Greater Cleveland continues.

[It's an old link, I just didn't have time to comment...]

Fantasy notes

My team is 3-0 through good fortune as much as anything else.

QB: Hassellbeck has been solid for me starting and I think he'll continue to play well. Brady started the first game for me then I benched him; NE is not looking like a sure bet, although he'll have his moments. And Bulger has gotten his chance at starting. I'm still favoring Hassellbeck but that could change. Bulger starts in week 4 due to BYE weeks. Overall, though, I'm really happy I didn't draft a QB too high.
RB: Trouble. Henry is my only capable RB and, despite two good games to start the year, he got hurt in the 3rd and his status is unknown. Even without the injury I'm a bit concerned that Henry hasn't gotten many yards. But the best news? No fumbles so far. After that it's Hambrick and Betts, both of which I'd be afraid to start. I made a bad move and dropped Pittman after he did nothing the first week. I still think his court case will take him out of action, but right now I'd love to have him. I did pick up Michael Bennett onto IR in the slim hope he comes back strong late in the year. If Henry is hurt, I'm really going to be scrambling.
WR: Mixed bag -- Harrision has done nothing yet, but he will... he's got to. Hines Ward has been great and has definitely justified my picking him a bit early. Koren Robinson has played great too, although that week 2 benching nearly sunk me. Chad Johnson looks awesome to me but I still consider him 4th in this group. Dropped and re-added Santana Moss; who knows, he might be a good spot-start or have trade value.
TE: Gonzalez hasn't been much of a factor yet.
K: Ha, whatever. Morton Anderson and John Carney. Nothing happening here but what can you do.
D: NE and BUF. Buffalo has been sharp. New England hasn't been so hot, and with Milloy and Colvin gone they may not have as much value.

Overall I'm happy. I could be 1-2 and be sweating it, but right now I think I've got a couple weeks to get things sorted out and possibly trade for a RB. Being 3-0 with Harrison and Gonzalez both starting slow bodes well, I think. If Henry remains a reliable starter the rest of the team should round into shape. The most important factor is one a good friend once told me: "The key to fantasy football is keeping the other team from scoring too much."

Big week begins

Holcomb is indeed hurt with a "tiny" fracture in his ankle. Maybe he could play Sunday, I don't know, but I hope the team is cautious. While it would make for an interesting scenario with Couch starting at home, I wouldn't hesitate to put him in there if there were any questions about Holcomb's health. Especially if a week off will get him completely healthy.

This weekend's matchup vs. the Bengals won't be an easy game. Although 0-3, the Bengals have played reasonably well thusfar and the Browns need to show up to win. Chad Johnson is perhaps the best young receiver in the AFC and Peter Warrick is showing some life this year as well. Corey Dillion sounds like he'll play this week despite suffering a groin injury against the Steelers. This is significant because Dillon historically has played very well against us and the Bengals don't appear to have a lot of depth behind him. It's very conceivable the Bengals put up some points.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated thinks Holcomb is the offensive player of the week. I don't usually find King's ramblings supremely insightful, but I do appreciate his enthusiasm for Holcomb's performance which, the more I think about it, was pretty darn impressive considering the stakes. Go check it out at cnnsi.com.

Oh yeah on a somewhat personal note... yesterday was the first time in a very long time I have stayed at home to watch a Browns game. And man did I enjoy it. So much so that I may stay and watch some home games from the sofa. It helps when the announcers are decent (which they were yesterday, except when they were babbling with about 7 minutes left while a good football game was being played).

Holcomb's X-Rays

He reportedly has a fractured ankle, but no word if he'll be out...

UPDATE: I haven't seen this anywhere online. It'd be pretty big news if it were true, so I'm guessing it's not until something definitive is announced.

Amazing Win

Hehe, well that was a major gut check game and the Browns came away the victors in a tough game vs. San Fran. Actually, this game was a lot like the 2002 season except the stakes were higher -- a loss effectively would have ended the team's playoff hopes.

So, who are the heroes? -- KJ and Andre Davis came up huge. KJ was a machine in crunch time catching all kinds of balls and ducking to avoid getting flattened. Davis was a play-maker -- stretching to barely get the first TD, then making an amazing leaping grab of the winning pass. Wow. Andra Davis had a nice game at MLB and I thought Anthony Henry played real tough. And of course, Holcomb had the ultmate gutsy performance down the stretch as he was hit relentlessly all day and managed to lead the team on two long TD drives to win the game while playing on two hobles ankles. The dude is tough. And overall the defense played great -- the d-line was active and tough, keeping the 49er running backs to under 40 yards total. The secondary kept a lid on any big plays and Griffith made his presence known. Terrell Owens was basically a non-factor, which is a rarity.

It's worth noting that Holcomb did not have a good day until the 4th quarter. His poor play plus his injuries had Couch warming up on the sidelines. It was a complete role reversal from last seasons many games where Couch would play terribly until crunch time and wind up winning the game. Of course it would have been preferrable for the offense to be more effective early....

My major gripe is with William Green, Jamel White and the o-line. There was _nothing_ happening on the ground. Green looked very tentative. White didn't look prepared to carry the ball. And there was rarely a good push on the line. That really has to improve.

More later...

Notes from Hell

There's a few things happening, none of them good:

Stokes has a high ankle sprain. As usual, the team says it's no big deal. I do not trust the team at all, but do find it encouraging that Stokes himself says it's not so bad. Let's hope so. 49er defensive end Andre Carter has got to be thanking his lucky stars.

Browns cut Booty. Pardon me, but this is pathetic!!! I don't buy into this year's trend of keeping only 2 QBs on the roster, at least not in the Browns case. First off, Booty has looked pretty decent in preseason games. He's got a good arm, seems poised, and has the look of a leader -- in other words, he'll make a fine back-up QB. Secondly, either Couch or Holcomb is likely to be gone next season. Having experience in a team's offensive system has proven invaluable for backup QBs and we're basically letting next year's backup go so we can sign an extra backup offensive lineman. Davis explained the move by saying, "It would be tougher to find a left guard who could come in and learn the system than it would be to find a third quarterback who could learn enough to play." Well, okay, I can maybe see the logic but let the record show Mr. Davis that, whatever happens, you f%$*ed up either by cutting Booty or by keeping him in the first place. Please don't try and sell it any other way.

Also, it's worth considering whether the waiving of Booty is a sign of desperation. No doubt the Browns must win this week to have hopes of the playoffs. And the player they signed is OL Craig Osika, previously of the 49ers. If Osika gets waived again in a week, you'll know.

Here's a nice quote on Qasim Mitchel, the OL who the Browns waived off the practice squad and now signed by the Bears: "A year or two from now, he may become a star in this league." What the hell? There are two possibilities here -- You really believe that and you are a complete moron for dropping him from the practice squad. Or you don't believe that and you are lying, again, to us.

Finally, Holcomb admitted yesterday that he didn't play well vs. Baltimore. That is not news to anyone who watched the game. What is news is how this contradicts Butch Davis' assertion that most of the blame belongs to the receivers for not getting open.

Vs. 49ers

OK, so what the heck happens in San Francisco this Sunday? I gotta admit that I'm nervous. 0-3 makes the playoffs unlikely. 0-3 makes a division win near impossible. 0-3 makes certain I lose the $10 I put down for a Browns Super Bowl victory.

San Francisco presents a different sort of challenge for the Browns defense than either the Colts or Ravens. Jeff Garcia has started the year out extremely well throwing balls to lots of receivers and the combo of Hearst/Barlow provides good running and catching skills. Our young linebackers will be severely tested. And of course, Terrell Owens is a monster WR who is going to make some plays and will likely be matched up with Henry due to his height. It's a daunting task, but I'm hopeful if only because the Browns defense may be better suited to play this type of team. And hell, it can't be much worse than last week.

The 49er defense is formidable as well. I don't expect this is the week the the floodgates open and the Browns light up the scoreboard. More likely, this is the week the team focuses on fundamentals, especially in the running game. Early in the game I'd really like to see Green get some decent runs and for Holcomb to hit Northcutt + Johnson for a few 6-8 yard passing plays. With any luck the team will gain confidence as the day progresses and things will start to open up. If there ever was a week to remember the old adage, "It's not how you start but how you finish" this is it.

I've been thinking quite a bit about the Browns LB performance last week and can't get a handle on how they did. On one hand, I'm very dissappointed there were so many times the linebackers were simply taken out of the play. That just shouldn't happen very often, especially when there are 8 guys in the box. On the other hand, they had some flashes and continued to play the pass well. But this position is clearly a weakness. I especially think Bentley has been MIA.

Worse than the LB core were the safeties and corners. Someone really needs to sit these guys down and tell them: you can try and put a big hit on a WR, but please just try and tackle a RB. Seriously, I don't care if you are getting drug around by Jamel Lewis' shoelace, just tackle the dude or slow him down enough to let a teammate finish the job. I big hit will get you on Sportscenter, but so will giving up an 82 yard TD run.

Anyway this weekend I think we play okay. I don't know if it will be enough to get a victory.

"Gerard Warren and Kenard Lang may have had their best games since I've been coach here," Butch Davis said yesterday.

This speaks to the sheer idiocy of the coach of this team.

Has Davis lost the team?

It's a valid question. The honeymoon is long over, and he's just about lost me. I've yet to hear even one deposed ex-Brown speak kindly of him. Actually, most everyone seems to have the same feeling -- they don't understand what Davis is doing. Davis' press conferences are often an exercise in denial or, at best, wishful thinking. I appreciate his optimism, but it doesn't even seem like the players believe it anymore.

And so to this week -- how will the team react? The defense was embarassed beyond belief and now face a long week of practice -- but things will get ugly if they don't respect the coach leading those practices. Davi's decision to jettison his linebacker corp looks bad now, though in truth the unbelievably dissappointing D-line and secondary aren't playing any better. And yet it is the pathetic offense that is the most shocking. Holcomb looks worse than Couch. Green is running tentatively. Jamel White seems out of sync. The receivers haven't done anything. And on and on. It's amazing because this offense should be fantastic.

What do we know about last week? That the Browns were cocky for no apparent reason. KJ trash talking? C'mon. We know that the team was stunned -- STUNNED! -- to again be faced with a cover-2 scheme. That is so lame!!! In cace anyone hasn't noticed, "Cover-2" is a base zone defense, nothing fancy. The only way you can be shut down against a cover-2 is if the defensive players are far more talented than the offensive. Maybe you can make that case vs. the Ravens but certainly not the Colts. It's inexcusable, really, and the blame falls squarely on Davis. Same with the defense -- everyone knew the Ravens would have to run the ball to win; why not load up against the run? Why not give Boller downfield and out patterns and make him beat you? Again, there's no one else to blame except Davis and the coaching staff. Now we have a defense that is demoralized and an offense worse than last year. We even get the same quotes from the QB -- "You got to dink and dunk until things open up." If that's the case, end the season right now.

The cure. For the offense, it's the opposite of complicated. If you're gonna get beat, get beat doing what you do best. So pick 5-6 running plays you think the offensive line can run well. Pick 8-10 passing plays. Pick a couple formations. Go to the line of scrimmage and let Holcomb make the call. You might not win, but you will execute. On defense, I don't know everything but I think it is mental -- these players lack focus and drive. How else do you explain why Gerard Warren flat out sucks? Or why there are so many missed tackles? Or how an entire secondary can repeatedly be in the position to get outrun by a running back? I'm sure the players would dispute lacking "focus and drive" but I'd also bet that deep down they know it's true.

"This is the most disgusting feeling I've had in my life," Little said. "I'm disappointed for the city of Cleveland, for our fans."

Well, props to Little for feeling this way. It might not say anything good about the team's football skills, but at least it's a sign that most players have their priorities straight.

"All three [long] runs came on the same defensive call. They just caught us in some man-to-man coverage." -Butch Davis

WHY THE F#$* are they playing man coverage against a team who can't throw the ball? Why not play a zone and let the front 7 or 8 stop the run? Why keep playing a defense that is getting toasted?

Lewis effectively stomped on the soul of the team Butch Davis has sought to create over three years in Cleveland.

Grossi in the PD.

"We've just got to work out the kinks," said Gerard Warren.

This speaks to the sheer idiocy of some of the players on this team.

“Get out the film and look at it,” Morgan said. “I know I was getting open. I can’t say what the other guys were doing.”

This speaks to the sheer idiocy of some of the players on this team.

"This could be a wake-up call," Cleveland tackle Gerald Warren said.

This speaks to the sheer idiocy of some of the players on this team.

If you listen to Butch Davis today you probably believe the Browns are still destined for the playoffs.

If you believe Holcomb is a much better QB than Couch you didn't watch the last two games.

This is the worst loss in the history of the new Browns. Hands down.

Pre-Game

Since this is Art Modell's last season as owner of the Ravens I'd like to personally tell him to bugger off and I hope the Browns inflict some damage today.

Holcomb has to step up today. If he doesn't I don't ever, EVER want to hear the CBS fans cheering wildly for a backup QB. Seriously, the bandwagon has no clue....

William Green -- a workmanlike performance would be enough I hope. Maybe he can provide more, and I hope so, but I won't ask for too much yet.

Defense -- let's get some freaking pressure on Boller. It will be interesting to see how Zues handles C Brown.

Go Browns.

Pre-Baltimore Blather

First off -- as today is Sept. 11 -- don't forget what happened two years ago and don't make the mistake of believing that an enemy "is just a friend we haven't done enough for -- yet."

Here's John Clayton's synopsis of the Browns v. Ravens game this weekend: "For the Ravens to win, they have to establish a first-half lead and run powerful halfback Jamal Lewis until the Browns defense wears down." Um, thanks John, that was amazingly insightful. It is accurate, though.

We know the Ravens defense is not as bad as they were in the first game; they'll play us well and it will be tough gaining yards at times. We also know that Boller, despite the blowout from the Steelers, played pretty well when he wasn't getting sacked. Our secondary is unlikely to feast on poorly thrown balls. Going on that, here are the two keys to the game: 1) Consistency on offense. We don't need tons of big plays (though it would be nice) as much as we need open running lanes and accurate passing. 2) Show up vs. the run. If our d-line has a good game it will be very hard for the Ravens to beat us throwing the ball. This is easier said than down, however.

I think this will be a tough game. It's already something of a must-win match-up, and there are still some serious wildcards at this point in the season. And don't discount that the Browns have some negative karma coming back to them due to last season's embarassment when Couch followed up a big win in Baltimore by taunting and flipping the bird to the fans. Go Kelly -- play it cool. We need Warren to show up -- I thought he sucked last week. The linebackers need a repeat performance. Our o-line will have to battle with a tough front seven. A win here gets the season rolling; a loss might end it before it begins.

NFL Picks -- last week was a great week for me with 12 correct games. No way does that happen this week as most of the games are tough calls. Best game of the week is the Steelers-Chiefs matchup -- I'd like to see the Steelers defense matchup against Holmes and Gonzalez. I'll take the Steelers. I half-expect the Texans to win in New Orleans or Carolina to upset Tampa but am not picking either cause I'm weak. Most importantly, I think the Browns will win, but 63% of people think the Ravens will.

Well, the linebackers looked good

Last season our linebackers had a total of one interception; yesterday they had two. Davis' pick at the goalline was a thing of beauty.

Oh yeah, I heard that the tv announcer repeatedly referred to Holcomb as Couch -- any truth to that?

9-6 Colts

Really dissappointing. There were some really good things yesterday, but ultimately I have two things that bug me. 1) I'm very surprised and bummed we couldn't run the ball effectively, and 2) it amazes me that Holcomb didn't throw even one deep ball all afternoon.

The defense looked pretty solid. James didn't have much running room. Courtney Brown showed up with a sack and the linebackers made two huge interceptions. There wasn't a lot of pass pressure and that's the worst thing you can say about the defense. Had the score been reversed we'd be feeling very good about holding an impressive Colts team without a touchdown. It's very unfortunate that the defensive effort was for naught.

Obviously next weekend's matchup in Baltimore is immediately a near must win. It's somewhat encouraging that the Ravens got smacked by the Steelers yesterday; let's hope their struggles continue another week, and ours don't.

Jackson to backup Green?

Here's this nugget from the ABJ:

James Jackson is listed as the second-team running back. Jamel White will play on passing downs, but it appears Jackson will spell William Green on regular downs.

This is news. I think it's a combination of two things. One, James Jackson has had a nice preseason and is running hard. He doesn't have lightning speed but he's hitting the hole with some authority and there hasn't been any drop off when he's been in the game. If he plays like this during the regular season he'll be a nice asset for the team. Two, I wonder if Jamel White is still slowed somewhat by injury. Everyone says he is recovered and that may be true, but it seemed to me during the preseason that he was lacking last year's aggressiveness. It could be that this is more mental than anythinig else. In either case, be glad Jackson is playing well and look forward to "Track Meet" regaining his position in the comng weeks.

Jones in 3-way

Now C.J. Jones is working out at cornerback. While we haven't seen him in this role yet, you have to like the move. He's certainly seems to have the athletic ability to be a decent nickel or dime back, and anything that gets the guy on the field is cool. While the team's top 4 receivers are playing there's not going to be a lot of chances for Jones to catch passes from Holcomb. If he can become a three-way player Jones will increase his value to the team even more. I don't think you can understate the value in having Jones around for whenver Andre Davis or Northcut is slowed by the inevitable injuries of the next 17 weeks.

See the game last night? I saw some of it. I thought Testeverde played pretty well and there were occasions where Curtis Martin made some fantastic runs, though they didn't go for much yardage. Overall, however, neither team set the world on fire and it was what it was -- two mediocre teams slugging it out. To me the biggest story of the night was that Ladell Betts got more carried than Trung Canidate. Next week there will be lots of people adding the guy to their fantasy team but remember, Betts still plays for a so-so team and will still split carries. That's a recipe for a fantasy fill-in player, at least at this point. As always, things could change...

Half of the ESPN "experts" are picking the Browns to win this weekend. Frankly, I think that's pretty good. The Colts have gotten plenty of positive press and will probably have the three best players on the field Sunday. But apparently people are respecting the browns offense and Butch Davis' track record of somehow, someway keeping the Browns in the game and winning football games despite various shortcomings. Personally, I'm a little more pessimistic -- I think our revamped defense will have trouble more than the Colts upgraded defense will. And if I were betting on the game I'd probably take the Colts as the underdog. But it's obviously a game the Browns can win and if their defense rises to the challenge they could even impress a lot of people.

As an added "bonus" I'll post my picks for each week this season via ESPN's Pigskin Pick'em. Here's the link. If you want to join in, you can join the leauge by using the password of simply "password." My goal is to beat five of ESPN's "experts" in overall winning percentage. I'm one-for-one so far... :) And, with a heavy heart, I'm picking the Colts to best the Browns this weekend. I hope I am wrong. :(

Oh yeah a couple random notes.... I'm not sure Lawyer Milloy will make or break either the Patriots or Bills defenses. But it should tighten an already tight AFC East race. I think the Dolphins will be weaker than everyone expects (they are, afterall, a Ricky injury away from complete mediocrity). And I think NE will likely be the division champs. And the Bills will be in it all year long. In fact, if the Bills look solid early this season I'd be inclined to say they may win the AFC... Looks like Joey Porter's gunshot wound is not going to keep him out too long -- he's already walking about and the prognosis is good. I don't know about you, but if I got shot while visiting old college buddies on campus it would be a long time until I would get my wife's blessing to return to campus... The Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore game this weekend will be very, very interesting. Someone in the AFC North is going to be much better or worse than we expect and this game might be an indication who that will be.... and yes, I know that my sentences run like William Green.

Thursday update

Looks like Porter will be out 4-6 weeks. It will be interesting to see if any opponents can capitalize on his absence. As the season progresses, however, this may make their defense more formidable as it will have some experience playing without it's best player.

I like the Redskins over the Jets tonight. Call it a bias against New York, though a part of me wants to pick the Jets as a thank you for winning the last week of last season and allowing the Browns to sneak into the playoffs. Nevertheless, the Jets lost a lot of players and just don't seem to be in line for a good season. The Redskins are a big wildcard too, however, so it should be a fun game to watch.

The Browns are favored by a point Sunday. That's surprising, isn't it? Anyway.... even though Verba is gone, I think the Browns will be able to run the ball Sunday.

Lots Going On

Wow, I go out of town for a weekend and a huge number of things happened. Some expected (cuts) and some definitely not expected (gang-related shooting). Let's run down the list...

• Verba Out -- THIS SUCKS. There's no other way to say it. I'm not sure that Barry Stokes will do so well at left tackle, although I do like Stokes in general. The offensive line seemed poised for some very good things and now it is again a big question mark. After the injury there was talk of the Browns picking up waived C Brett Romberg but it didn't happen. That might have been interesting but it wouldn't have helped the left tackle situation. In hindsight it sure would have been nice to have drafted Leonard Davis, wouldn't it? The good news is that the Browns personnel is suited to do lots of creative things on offense. But you can only compensate for a weak offensive line so much...
  
• Joey Porter gets shot. I'm in Vegas losing at various gambling schemes when I decide to turn to college football. I place some money on Colorado State, in honor of CSU alum and Ignatius' hero of their first state championship, Kareen Ingram. The CSU/CU game wound up being supremely entertaining (though I lost the bet). Joey Porter must have enjoyed it too as he attended the game (what's he doing in Colorado? Just wondering.) A few hours later he's shot. Thankfully it's not a life threatening injury but it will sideline him for much or even all of this season. All I can say is this will hurt the Steelers significantly as Porter is by far their best defensive player. Their other linebackers are solid but not in the same league, and Kendrell Bell probably regressed in last year's second season. The Steelers remain the favorite in the AFC North but things could get wild.
  
• The Steelers also waived RB Chris Fuatmatu-Ma'afala and the Browns reportedly are interested in him. There's a lot of angles to this one. First the Steelers obviously got sick of his injuries and are betting that Bettis is healthy. It also means Vernon Hayes is the backup-backup RB. From the Browns perspective Fu could be valuable as a fullback, or just a way to glean info before a matchup with the Steelers. Again, I wonder if it means the Browns are open to trading James Jackson. If it were up to me, I'd stand pat unless we get a left tackle, which ain't happening.
  
• If there is one waived Steeler worth looking into I'd perhaps recommend Hank Poteat. He never wowed anyone with his playing ability, but I'd be pretty interested in his insight about how the Steelers reacted to the Browns shredding their defense last year in the playoffs. He might be worth a roster spot as a backup corner.
  
• I was sorry to see Kalvin Pearson get waived, but it is probably the right move. Instead of Pearson the Browns kept Leigh Bodden from Duquesne. After some eye-catching hits last preseason Pearson seemed very quiet this year. With the addition of Lehan and Crocker it was predictable that Pearson would get the boot, and apparently Bodden impressed more.
  
• As expected, C.J. Jones will be the sixth receiver. He could be a huge asset this season as his ability to return kicks will allow Andre Davis to not rush his return from injury. Although the loss of Verba will hurt the team when it comes to wins and losses, there's still no reason to think the passinig game won't be impressive.
  
• The Bengals are the only AFC North team without a surprise this preseason. Porter, Verba, and the elevation of Boller creates significant questions for everyone but Cincinnati. I'm not saying the Bengals will be division champions, but if they win a few games early they could be in the hunt. What a scary thought.
  
• The Seahawks lost Shawn Springs for half the year. This will make it tougher for the 'hawks to live up to the expectations of many prognosticators. But it might help the fantasy football outlook for Matt Hasselback and Koren Robinson if the team is forced to score a lot of points.
  
• Bears starting left guard Rex Tucker is out for the year. Another reason to doubt that Anthony Thomas or any other running back will be productive.
  
• The Bengals waived TE Sean Brewer. This is nearly meaningless, but it's an opportunity to bring up one of my favorite entertaining Bengals stories of modern times -- when they drafted Brewer a couple years back only to find out that guy smoked like two packs a day. What was he doing on a football field? What kind of scouting department did the Bengals have? Oh yeah, they didn't really have one.... Anyway, this roster move may be funny but may also be an indication that Marvin Lewis is not a complete idiot.