Endgame

Again, it's been a while since the last entry. New parenthood, a busy job, and generally a happy life will do that to ya. It also makes you less tolerant of putting up with what the Browns have been doing recently.

First off, I won't say that Butch must go, at least not at a screaming-from-the-rooftops volume. But the guy has problems of his own making that he has to solve now, or else he shouldn't be the coach come January. I might also add that it seems unlikely he can rescue this team to 7 wins, though of course not impossible.

Of most pressing concern is the Browns inability to come up with anything resembling an effective offense. We've now put up with well over a season of this, and it is unexplainable as much as it is inexcusable. While the team is not loaded with playmakers, the squad has some talent. We've got gamers at QB, FB, RB. A few solid offensive linemen. TEs who aren't blessed with the most talent but somehow seem to make the most impressive receptions. And a WR group that is probably (let's face it) rather poor but can make big plays in the right situations. And that's just the thing. Robiskie and Davis have not put these players in position to succeed very often. That's not to say there haven't been moments of success, but generally this team has been horrible at gameplanning and adjusting to find ways to use the weapons it has.

Of course, the players are to blame too. Some of these guys just aren't that good. But I blame the coaches for a lot of the penalties and many of the bone-headed actions. It's up to the head coach to set the right tone -- the right mix of discipline, aggressiveness, and smarts. And while a lot of penalties are just inevitable, the number of false starts and improper formations are attributable to lack of preparation. Not to mention needlessly burning timeouts. And, oh yeah, Butch has drafted most of the players making the mistakes too...

At least the defense has been decent. They aren't making a lot of impact plays, but have managed to keep the team in games despite the fact the offense is not staying on the field. Of course, the fact that this team is nearly off the rails in spite of some decent performances just puts the coaching staff more in the crosshairs.

There's no point in firing Butch now. In fact, I really want him to succeed. But he needs to be humbled to the point that he stops thinking he's got it all figured out. And he needs to finish 7-9 to keep his job. Even still, the thought of going into next season with Terry Robiskie still as offensive coordinator is a little scary, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being. Time for Butch to put up or get tossed.