@manzier said:

He started just the first few games. Not sure exactly how many, but lost 2 of em if I remember correctly. Then Brady came in and they went on to finish at 10-5(ish) and , ultimately, win it all.

Two... and both were losses.

Brady sat his rookie year and Bledsoe went down in 2nd game of Tom's sophomore season and finished 11-3 in the regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs as a starter.

@miktoxic said:

He started just the first few games. Not sure exactly how many, but lost 2 of em if I remember correctly. Then Brady came in and they went on to finish at 10-5(ish) and , ultimately, win it all.

@logicisforsquares said:

Matt Cassel's 2008 run and Brady's 2007 run differ in the divisions they played. The Patriots 2007 schedule was one of the hardest schedules Ive seen a football team have to play, facing all the top defenses and teams in the league. 16-0.

Cassel got different divisions and a cherry cake walk schedule, went 11-5, lost to everyone even remotely challenging, and failed to make the play offs or win the division.

I don't think Belichick is nothing without Brady, but if Cassel played in 2007 the Patriots would of went like 3-13. lol

Anyway, congrats on 1st

@nickers said:

Matt Cassel's playing time/winning record with the Patriots says otherwise.

@manzier said:

Yep. And dont be surprised to see us let guys go who want top $ and would skew the salary structure. I see them spending the $ on core players like Mack or Thomas, but not so much on skill guys or older players. Example, I fully expect Ruben to be gone or forced to accept a MUCH lower contract. Bullychuck let's guys go all the time and another one just steps in. A consistent winner, with different players every year. And very few stars. And Brady is very good, but he's not the reason that team wins every year.

Hate to disappoint you but Brady is THE ONLY reason they win.. without him. that team would be a mere after thought.. Ive said it once.. I'll say it again.. Belichic was a big fat 0 before brady.. He'll return to being a big fat 0 after brady...

@tour2ma said:

Ironically, Je'rod Cherry was just on the radio saying how much this team reminds him of the 2001 Pats team. Really. Just now. And he is someone who was very close to that situation. .

@manzier said:

Rubin can go, and someone like Kitchen will step up and take his place.

Doesn't mean there isn't room for stars. Just means that we dont RELY on them, pursue them or overpay for them. And the system, if executed correctly, can create stars and will work with whomever plays.

The NE Patriot model? Excepting Brady, Gronk and, maybe, Wilfork and Ninkovich, a bunch of interchangeable parts?

@mudfly said:

@opal312 said:

Mud fly said a mouthful. The Browns are the most complete team in the AFC north. When you can run 3 different backs for touchdowns against a supposed better team in their stadium it's called team work. The Browns don't have one guy that makes a difference like the Saints without Jimmy Graham or the Broncos without Manning. They're just a complete team that believes in themselves and the coaching staff.

I agree. In fact, I think thats Farmers plan. Kind of like Bullychick.

He wants a TEAM, build with good solid players, but not reliant on just one or several stars. Superstars are great till they get hurt or want 1/2 of the payroll, then the team is left lacking.

BUT, if you can fill your roster with solid players across the board, and have some solid depth, then the team just keeps winning. Even when players go down.

I think thats why Farmer was mum on Gordon. His theory is we dont NEED Gordon to win. And if we did, then we are a team in trouble, ala the Watkins argument. But if we have a fleet of solid WR's and the QB isn't focused on getting it to the superstar, then the ball just goes to the open guy. Everytime. Hard to game plan that and easy to fill the void if one of them goes down.

@jafbf said:

More likely, your 30's to have actual memory of it (~10 years old), and maybe more for it to have much relevance.

In the time before mainstream internet, it was much harder to keep up with the brownies if you didn't live in Ohio. My old man made me a browns fan even tho I moved from Ohio at 4 years old. We were in Iowa during that time and I was a young lad so I have no recollection of this.

So this is like Christmas day for me.

@diehardbrownsfan said:

Nice, but don't get too cocky. We still have 7 games to go.

You look familiar. Did you ever play football professionally?

@hoorta said:

More likely, your 30's to have actual memory of it (~10 years old), and maybe more for it to have much relevance.

@jafbf said:

Per the Browns website, that would be 1994 this late in the season. You'd have to be in your mid-late 20s to remember it.

@jafbf said:

I was afraid of that . . . hoping there was a simpler way since it's so easy to do from another link

Imgur. Download the app or use imgur.com

@miktoxic said:

I was afraid of that . . . hoping there was a simpler way since it's so easy to do from another link

@mudfly said:

It marks the point where we officially "control our own destiny".....

It's all on us. No need to worry about anyone else, as long as we take care of our own business

Yup... and to borrow a hockey term, we have a game in hand on PTG and BLT.

@jafbf said:

you have to upload your pics from your desktop to a free hosting service like this one:

http://postimage.org/

on the site you click browse to find your pic, then you click upload. when the picture is uploaded you'll see all kinds of info about it. copy the 'direct link' info. then come here on your post and click the image icon. a little window will pop up asking for the http info. paste the info for 'direct link' into it. done.