"Until we can beat Pittsburgh, we probably won't win the division."So this guy Jeff Schudel at the Morning Journal of somewhere in Ohio (still not sure where) wrote a piece yesterday entitled, "Crennel Eats Steelers Questions for Breakfast." The basic premise of which was the ever-popular, "Look at the Browns now." But with a twist - see quote above.
- Romeo Crennel
Now first, before I even begin to talk about this, I'd like to point out that whoever posted this little gem to the interweb conveniently misspelled "Steelers" in the headline...always the mark of credibility...
But anyway, the central argument here is that while the Browns have lost the last six straight meetings against the Steelers under Crennel, the additions of Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams (among others I'd assume) will help the Browns get "over the hump" if you will, and "win the division," as apparently the majority of NFL head coaches have projected (not sure where Schudel got this fact...would love to hear his source).
Ok, I'll indulge objectivity for a moment. Yes, the Browns have clearly made some moves that they hope will propel them to an AFC North Championship. And yes, if not for the two losses to the Steelers last season (or even just one of them), the Browns would have won the division. So one can reasonably infer that bringing in help along the Defensive line where they were in need of it would put them a lot closer to a Division title than ever before.
However, what we often overlook is - football is just as much mental as it is physical. Pittsburgh has a winning mentality. The Steelers walk into football games ready to secure a win. They know that what's on paper or what's being discussed in a TV studio really has very little bearing a game's outcome. They are confident in their abilities and don't get phased by hype (well most of them anyway). That's how you win games.
The Browns on the other hand, eh, I don't know...Derek Anderson seems to have the right attitude, and maybe he'll be able to foster more of this in Cleveland's locker room. But I just don't know if they have this same mentality yet. Nonetheless, in all fairness - what do I know about the Browns mentality? Really what do I know about the Steelers mentality? I'm just commenting here from my own,
But look, the bottom line is - let everyone in the known universe think the Browns are going to win the AFC North. That doesn't change the fact that who actually wins will be determined on the field next season. As I remember it, this time last season the so called "experts" were picking Baltimore or Cincy to win the division, and look how that turned out.
What about you guys? Worried about the Browns winning the division? And come on, what do you think Romeo Crennel REALLY eats for breakfast???
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Crennel Eats Steelers Questions for Breakfast [Morning-Journal]
3 comments:
I don't know, they have to beat the Steelers eventually, don't they? I will be plenty nervous about this years games.
One thing I will say, though - I do believe that Anderson will end up being a one hit wonder. His performance was in decline during the latter half of last year, especially during the Bengals game where he choked big time.
We shall see....
Oh, and it wouldn't surprise me if Crennel also eats tobiathans microwaved kittens for breakfast too....
pancakes....lots of pancakes
I have to give the Browns a lot of credit for turning things around last year. The second game of the season was definately one of the more exciting games to watch. The question is..can the browns duplicate their success? Or is this going to be another one year wonder like the bengals a few years ago? Like cotter said, they might look better on paper, but sometimes it doesnt translate on the field.
As a Steelers fan I'm more worried about the Steelers' roster. Will we be better than last year? With the loss of faneca, the o-line is an open wound, and unfortunately the pieces to fill our voids are either questionable or there just to take up space. Draft as many lineman as we can and probably only one will sniff the starting lineup. And our special teams had to be the worst in the league. Is it time that the steelers adopt Belicheat's philosophy of using starters? Desperate times call for desperate measures in my opinion. The special teams mistakes cost us 3 games last year as well as a playoff game. Lots of question marks, but I have faith in the Steelers' organization to address these areas of concern. Can/Should Cleveland believe in thier organization? Probably not as much as a Steelers' fan can!
I would guess that anytime an offense is overly reliant on Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, Donte Stallworth, and Kellen Winslow, that it's a bad thing. But hey, if their acquisitions of Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams does as much for their defense as Willie McGinest, look out!
Like the Cardinals two years ago and the 49ers last year, all the pundits will rave about the Browns being ready to make the playoffs - then they'll crap the bed with a 5-11 season.
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