The focus of this Blog is my opinion and observations about the Cleveland Browns and University of Florida Gators performance, the NFL, SEC and sports in general. Sports history and current sports operations including political and social impact on society. Reader's of my book "They Call It A Game" tell me, without exception that it changed their thinking about the NFL and is as relevent today as ever. Saying they enjoyed reading it is a great bonus.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Learning to tackle and block should be top priority in Browns training camp.


With Trent Dilfer at QB the Ravens scored no touchdowns in four straight games down the stretch when the Ravens won the Super Bowl and a Cleveland sportswriter wrote PERHAPS it was Baltimore’s outstanding defense that won the Championship. PERHAPS?? PERHAPS?? Trent Dilfer’s statistics are rather sparse, except that out of 28 passes completed in 2002 and 2003 he threw 4 interceptions. Is interpolating 40 interceptions for each 280 completions unfair? Maybe so. People contend that Jeff Garcia had happy feet. Jeff Garcia also had the worst pass protection in the NFL and some of the worst pass plays to run. It is a modern marvel that he made it through the season without a major injury. I guess he didn’t. The knock was put on Garcia for trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Not giving up trying to make things happen under oppressive pressure?

Garcia is gone and Dilfer is the QB. I live in Florida and saw a lot of Trent on TV while he played for the Tampa Bay Buc’s. I haven’t heard any logical explanation as to why the Browns felt they could dump a pro-bowl caliber quarterback for one of the worst 2:00 minute drill quarterback’s ever according to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their followers. Garcia for Dilfer is not a trade I would have made. No matter now and I am not in charge of Browns trades or anything else.

The Florida Sun Network chose to show a re-run of the 1998 Florida vs. Florida State game twice this past week. Doug Johnson was the Gators quarterback. He overthrew a wide open Travis McGriff in the end zone and again when he was headed for the end zone wide open and the Seminoles cleaned Johnson’s clock 20 something to 13. I won’t go into other gory details of the Johnson’s performance. Being an old Gator I dislike Florida State intensely. Doug is from Gainesville, Florida, where I grew up. I want to write great things about Doug, another home town boy. As opposed to Doug’s performance I kicked FSU’s butts every opportunity I got. I took over the games and kicked Seminole ass. I’d like to say that about Doug, but…unless Doug Johnson’s got some fire in his belly I haven’t seen, the Brown’s quarterback position is in deep shit and that doesn’t leave the rest of the team in very optimistic shape.

Now, I have had my tantrum about the Browns Quarterback situation I am hoping for the best for Dilfer and Johnson because they quarterback my Browns. Maybe a few articles like this will move them enough to step up and kick some butt.

It is most discouraging to me not to hear a single comment from the Browns players, coaches, or management that there is an urgency to improve the Browns tackling. Without drastic improvement in their tackling alone they can’t win 5 games. No they can’t win three games.