@vaportrail said:

This year was so promising, but here we are in the midst of another devastating second-half collapse. 6-3 seems so very far away.

We passed on impact rookies such as Mike Evans, Aaron Donald, Teddy Twatwater, Derek Carr, and Jimmy Garoppolo, and instead we drafted 3 team cancers - two of them in the first round.

Literally the only defense I have for Johnny at this point is that he has a sample size of 1.2 games. But Christ, 50 plays and only a single good throw? How am I supposed to look forward to this guy as the future?

If that wasn't enough, there's some tension among Farmer, Haslam, Pettine, Loggains, and how the QB situation went down.

Are we in a better place than we were when Mike Holmgren came to town? It doesn't really appear that way. I've got a feeling that some bad, bad things are going to go down this offseason. There's no way this front office exists as is going into the next season. Hopefully it involves getting rid of that bitch of a QB coach, Dowell Loggains, who texted Johnny during the draft like a gaga schoolgirl, and showed Haslam the famous "wreck this league" text.

Have to admit, I'm pretty shocked you guys finished like this. I thought this was going to be the emergence year for sure.

Maybe it wouldn't have been any different in the end, but I can't believe your front office allowed the media to force a quarterback change while in a play off hunt. This Johnny Football hysteria ruined your 2014 season.

@aggie-brown-fan said:

This thread has gotten huge, but its probably the best place to put this.

I was finally able to watch the game on NFL rewind, and Johnny, to my surprise, didn't look terrible. Hell, in relation to the Cincy game, he looked much better. I agree, it's still not good enough, but there were signs of improvement.

I really don't understand the play call that lead to the injury, just dumb, but Johnny should have slid when he realized the play was beaten. He won't last if he doesn't learn from that. Likewise, he won't last running naked bootleg sweeps.

This year can be viewed certain ways. Many will view it as proof that Johnny sucks and that he is a wasted pick. Though I think that is a valid view, I think it is too easy, and might be based too much on emotion. And yes, I'll admit that as a Manzealot, emotion has played a large role in my belief that Johnny will be great.

In trying to strip away the emotion, though, I think the way to view this season is that it was always going to be a building season. This team wasn't going to win a Super Bowl, and that is the ultimate goal. The Browns exceeded expectations despite lackluster qb play. They were able to see that Hoyer can win games despite his limitations. They also see that Johnny has a long way to go.

I think both those guys will be Browns again next season, and will both be better players because of this season. I'm not sure of all the needs the draft can meet, but I don't think the Browns should make any drastic moves to get another qb unless Winston, Mariota or Hundley fell into their laps.

Johnny should be full of motivation to prove his detractors wrong, and if he looks bad again next season, after a whole off-season to learn the offense and get better, there's no good excuse. The Johnny Football experiment can be deemed a failure and he can be kicked to the curb.

Really? I shudder to think what you consider terrible.

Johnny Manziel looks like a fan ran on the field wearing a Browns uniform

@nickers said:

Well.. I know it it's only 1 game and another half of football played by Johnny.. But based on what I've seen. I just don't see this little shit (JM) getting any better than he already is. Hey looks way worse than Spergon Wynn,Charlie McFry and Colt McCoy. I think Johnny Cacca is a pussy. He proved it by putting that towel over his head on the side lines,after he "got hurt". Wich I'm really starting to doubt this little assholes character.

Once again, We saw Hoyer trot out onto the field and outplayed him. JM just proved he is no competition for Brian Hoyer. Secondly.. Jimmy Haslam needs to relinquish his ownership and sell it to a Clevelander, that actually understands Cleveland football. or else the viscious cycle will continue..He sucks, He looks lost,derailed and confused.

Jimmy and Johnny.. please get the fuck out of Cleveland. You both are an embarrassment To Cleveland fans

@logicisforsquares said:

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

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

Enjoy

Hoyer will take the best contract he's offered, and rightfully so.

I'm sure the kid would love nothing more than to be the franchise quarterback for his hometown team, but if Cleveland low balls him so they can `see what Johnny has` and someone else offers him compensation for what he's been doing on the field, you lose Hoyer.

I'm not a college football person, but I used to watch Johnny games just because he was entertaining as hell, but IMO anyone who thinks that will translate to pro ball is crazy.

Time and time again I saw Johnny running around the back field for thirty seconds, avoiding pass rushers with his ninja skills, and then hitting a WR returning to the LOS with a ball thrown way too high the receiver had to jump for.

Two things:

1. That will get WR's killed in the NFL.

2. His ninjitsu won't work in the NFL. Pro defenders WILL catch him and probably crush him awkwardly.

Johnny Football as a starter anywhere will be a bust. A flash in the pan gimmick with no long term success.

Does anyone really think Johnny's schtick would work against a top caliber defense like 2013 Seattle or a 2014 Belichick scheme?

Yeah, he could look okay maybe against Jag, bottom feeder defenses (perhaps) but his routine has a low ceiling when you get into play off tier defenses.

@upper-lip said:

do you disagree? do you think that generally cleveland sports fans are level headed, rational, and intelligent?

Can't judge a fan base by radio callers. Sports radio represents the worst of every fan base, and often aren't even fans. They're just fringe bitchers and trolls.

The hosts just aim for controversy and the calls wait on hold for 45 minutes to rant nothing but stupidity that embarrasses everyone listening to it.

Everyone watching football in their living rooms or with family or in the stadium love Tom Brady. The guy is like New England's long lost son, and when the Brady chant started during the Cinci game after all the media hits he took, it was really, really emotional. One of the most emotional moments I can remember watching football, and people I was watching the game with teared up a little bit. New Englanders would storm the gates for that man.

Meanwhile, on talk radio, callers were saying he sucks and demanding he be traded so we can start Garoppolo.

In my experience, sports-radio callers are night and freaking day from the real heart and soul of a fan base. That's been my experience and observation anyway.

I think Cleveland has awesome fans.

So Cinci is now the Jets of the AFC North. This is what your soul crushing beat down of their sorry team reduced them to.

Nice job.

Everyone that gets high on their horse before getting dominated by the Patriots just completely fall to pieces.

Houston showed up in 2012 wearing letterman jackets and they still haven't recovered from their ass whuppin'. I think the Patriots crushed Cinci's soul earlier in the season, and Cleveland curb stomped their skills inside out tonight as they tried to crawl out of their pretender hole.

You guys ripped Cinci's heart out tonight and destroyed their entire organization. Tomorrow the sharks will be circling the Bengals for another prime time beat down. The fans and maybe the team itself will turn on Dalton. The media is certainly going to brutalize him.The head coach probably lost his job tonight, even though he won't get a pink slip until the off season. On Thursday Night Football, the Cleveland Browns broke Cincinatti over its knee. Spine broken. Done. Finished. I do not think they will recover from this and will finish last in the AFC North. Season over. Team going to get blown up. Congratulations on the complete and long term annihilation of a rival organization,

Regardless of who the Bengals are or might have been, it's really the performance that matters. They're a talent stacked team and you gave them a straight up beat down in every phase of the game. A three and out defense, complimented by an effecient offense, great throws by Hoyer, and a swarming special teams.

To me you looked like a solid post season team.

Given the Steelers knack for losing to bad teams, I think the Browns take the North this year and become a very dangerous post season under dog very capable of ending the dream of more likely contenders.

Hopefully you don't come here first.

Hoyer looked very Brady-like tonight attacking the middle of the field.

Texans are a guaranteed win. Ryan Mallett is pure garbage.

If Cleveland is dumb enough to let Hoyer walk this year, a lot of teams are going to jump at him, and with good reason.

Anyway, awesome to see the Browns ascending.

Pats v Browns AFC Championship game. Be there.

Just watched Hoyer's post game. He's really held on to his football philosophy learned under Belichick.

Browns have a winner. Extend that beast

Daltin's interception count was higher than his passer rating. That has to be an NFL first.

Wow. TO

Nice pick up there

TD. Nice drive.

Pats fan in the hizouse.

Gonna' hang out tonight and bring you guys some good mojo. Guaranteed victory.

Go Browns!

Manziel is a complete fraud. Anyone who thinks his gimmicky nonsense is going to take the Browns to the promised land may as well start a bid to sign Tebow while they're at it.

In Hoyer you have a guy who learned under Belichick and Brady and is now winning games for you.

Get rid of him for a media gimmick and watch how fast you become miserable, hopeless Brown fans again (no offense) full of regrets.

I usually hate overly flashy concept uniforms but that looks like a mud splatter on the back of the helmet. I kind of like it.

I love seeing Manziel fans come into Brown fandom and start making demands about which QB to start. If Manziel was started and a complete and total bust, you would never hear from them again, not just on this issue, but any issue at all.

Wow, THAT has to be annoying. It would be annoying for any fan base, but it must be triple annoying here

Gratz on the big win guys. Love seeing Hoyer get his shot with you guys.

@canton-dawg said:

Don't take it personal, hell there's some Steeler fans that can't type a complete sentence

Was a typo >.<

@the-gipper said:

Of course when the Pats were the worst team in the NFL for like 20 straight years, no one ever jumped on that bandwagon the way they have since the arrival of Tom Brady. And now you have people from all over that would drink cum from his asshole.