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Do IT this week: Layering
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 08:58 p.m. EDT, Oct 12, 2009
BEREA: The ring finger on Browns tight end Robert Royal's right hand is bent so grotesquely that he has to tape it to his pinky on game days. He seems headed for ligament repair surgery after the season, if not sooner.
But Royal wouldn't use that as an excuse for his two dropped passes in Sunday's 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the wind was gusting up to 35 mph.
''I don't care if it moves left or right, up or down, I've still got to have it,'' Royal said. ''At the end of the day, I'm not one to make excuses. I'm a lot better than that. I have to make it happen.''
Coach Eric Mangini wasn't making any excuses, either, after quarterback Derek Anderson completed just 2 of 17 attempts for 23 yards and Browns receivers dropped at least eight passes.
Press box observers gave Royal, rookie receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and running back Jerome Harrison two drops apiece and receivers Chansi Stuckey and Joshua Cribbs one each. Today, Mangini wouldn't reveal the number he came up with, saying receivers coach George McDonald and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll differed.
''But it was way too high,'' Mangini said.
Mangini vowed to make the problem a point of emphasis going into Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.
''Wind played a part in it,'' Mangini said. ''Some of the throws could have been better. Some of them were a function of not looking the ball into the tuck, trying to run. A couple times guys were more worried with what was going to happen after the catch than securing the catch. There were some throws that were right on target, we had great opportunities for and we didn't bring it in.
''We're going to wear out that JUGS machine, we're going to get a billion balls there, they're going to get a lot of balls from D.A. We're going to conscientiously continue to improve there because we can't leave those opportunities on the field.''
Some might question why Royal is playing with his finger injury, which he said he suffered on the second day of training camp. He was signed in March eight days after being released by Buffalo, when tight end Steve Heiden was still a question mark after major knee surgery in December. According to a tally by Stats LLC (through Sunday's games) on the Washington Post's Web site, Royal is second in the league in dropped passes with four.
On Sunday, Royal couldn't hold on to Anderson's best throw of the day. Going into the wind in the third quarter, on first and 10 from the Browns 49, Anderson hit Royal in stride in between two defenders at the Bills' 23. The week before in a 23-20 overtime loss to Cincinnati, an Anderson ball hit Royal in the face mask when he wasn't looking. That came with 27 seconds left from the Bengals' 40 on the final drive of regulation.
Asked about Royal's bad finger, Mangini said, ''It's not pretty at all. Robert cares deeply about what he's doing; it affects him. He never wants to let his teammates down. He never wants to be in that position. The finger I don't think helps him. But he wants to be out there, he wants to play, he wants to contribute. He'll work on doing everything he can to make sure he does the next time he has a chance to.''
To his credit, Royal made no excuses in Buffalo.
''Robert would never do that, that's not how he is,'' Mangini said. ''He's very hard on himself from that perspective in a good way. I've seen him catch a lot of difficult balls, I've seen him adjust well to balls. I've seen it both as his coach and as an opponent.''
Not budging on Davis
Mangini stuck to his story regarding the shoulder injury suffered by rookie running back James Davis before the Cincinnati game, which landed him on injured reserve Oct. 3. According to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter, Davis suffered a torn labrum in a post-practice ''opportunity period.'' Schefter said Davis was hit by a linebacker wearing pads when he was without pads. Noted orthopedist James Andrews will perform surgery on Davis, Schefter said.
League spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed Sunday afternoon that the NFL is investigating the incident.
''I talked to the league about it and feel comfortable with where we are on it,'' Mangini said today. ''I like James Davis a lot. The last thing I would want to do is ever put him in a position or anybody in a position where they could get hurt. I've talked to a lot of people involved in it and we're going to keep working with the league on it.''
Mangini did say Davis would need surgery, but did not give specifics.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady used to participate in such post-practice sessions as a rookie, Mangini said. Players are divided into several groups and Mangini said he's not always on the field.
''It's always controlled. Coaches are there for that reason,'' he said. ''It's a teaching period, a skill period.''
Asked if a player in pads would ever be allowed to hit a player without them, he said, ''We'd never do that. If something like that did happen, it shouldn't happen. It shouldn't ever happen.''
Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said he did not see the incident, but wondered how it could happen.
''That doesn't make any sense to me,'' Jackson said. ''But I wasn't there.
''When we're out there, we're in full pads or the dress of the day. I'm sure a guy's not going to go out there with not the right pads on. We can get fined for that. That's one of our team rules.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
BEREA: The ring finger on Browns tight end Robert Royal's right hand is bent so grotesquely that he has to tape it to his pinky on game days. He seems headed for ligament repair surgery after the season, if not sooner.
But Royal wouldn't use that as an excuse for his two dropped passes in Sunday's 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the wind was gusting up to 35 mph.
''I don't care if it moves left or right, up or down, I've still got to have it,'' Royal said. ''At the end of the day, I'm not one to make excuses. I'm a lot better than that. I have to make it happen.''
Coach Eric Mangini wasn't making any excuses, either, after quarterback Derek Anderson completed just 2 of 17 attempts for 23 yards and Browns receivers dropped at least eight passes.
Press box observers gave Royal, rookie receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and running back Jerome Harrison two drops apiece and receivers Chansi Stuckey and Joshua Cribbs one each. Today, Mangini wouldn't reveal the number he came up with, saying receivers coach George McDonald and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll differed.
''But it was way too high,'' Mangini said.
Mangini vowed to make the problem a point of emphasis going into Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.
''Wind played a part in it,'' Mangini said. ''Some of the throws could have been better. Some of them were a function of not looking the ball into the tuck, trying to run. A couple times guys were more worried with what was going to happen after the catch than securing the catch. There were some throws that were right on target, we had great opportunities for and we didn't bring it in.
''We're going to wear out that JUGS machine, we're going to get a billion balls there, they're going to get a lot of balls from D.A. We're going to conscientiously continue to improve there because we can't leave those opportunities on the field.''
Some might question why Royal is playing with his finger injury, which he said he suffered on the second day of training camp. He was signed in March eight days after being released by Buffalo, when tight end Steve Heiden was still a question mark after major knee surgery in December. According to a tally by Stats LLC (through Sunday's games) on the Washington Post's Web site, Royal is second in the league in dropped passes with four.
On Sunday, Royal couldn't hold on to Anderson's best throw of the day. Going into the wind in the third quarter, on first and 10 from the Browns 49, Anderson hit Royal in stride in between two defenders at the Bills' 23. The week before in a 23-20 overtime loss to Cincinnati, an Anderson ball hit Royal in the face mask when he wasn't looking. That came with 27 seconds left from the Bengals' 40 on the final drive of regulation.
Asked about Royal's bad finger, Mangini said, ''It's not pretty at all. Robert cares deeply about what he's doing; it affects him. He never wants to let his teammates down. He never wants to be in that position. The finger I don't think helps him. But he wants to be out there, he wants to play, he wants to contribute. He'll work on doing everything he can to make sure he does the next time he has a chance to.''
To his credit, Royal made no excuses in Buffalo.
''Robert would never do that, that's not how he is,'' Mangini said. ''He's very hard on himself from that perspective in a good way. I've seen him catch a lot of difficult balls, I've seen him adjust well to balls. I've seen it both as his coach and as an opponent.''
Not budging on Davis
Mangini stuck to his story regarding the shoulder injury suffered by rookie running back James Davis before the Cincinnati game, which landed him on injured reserve Oct. 3. According to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter, Davis suffered a torn labrum in a post-practice ''opportunity period.'' Schefter said Davis was hit by a linebacker wearing pads when he was without pads. Noted orthopedist James Andrews will perform surgery on Davis, Schefter said.
League spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed Sunday afternoon that the NFL is investigating the incident.
''I talked to the league about it and feel comfortable with where we are on it,'' Mangini said today. ''I like James Davis a lot. The last thing I would want to do is ever put him in a position or anybody in a position where they could get hurt. I've talked to a lot of people involved in it and we're going to keep working with the league on it.''
Mangini did say Davis would need surgery, but did not give specifics.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady used to participate in such post-practice sessions as a rookie, Mangini said. Players are divided into several groups and Mangini said he's not always on the field.
''It's always controlled. Coaches are there for that reason,'' he said. ''It's a teaching period, a skill period.''
Asked if a player in pads would ever be allowed to hit a player without them, he said, ''We'd never do that. If something like that did happen, it shouldn't happen. It shouldn't ever happen.''
Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said he did not see the incident, but wondered how it could happen.
''That doesn't make any sense to me,'' Jackson said. ''But I wasn't there.
''When we're out there, we're in full pads or the dress of the day. I'm sure a guy's not going to go out there with not the right pads on. We can get fined for that. That's one of our team rules.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/. Follow the Browns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Browns.
Comments
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Akron, Oh
Posted 10:20 PM, 10/12/2009
I briefly watched the Jets game but caught enough to witness Braylon Edwards catch one in the endzone.....oh the irony!
columbus, oh
Posted 11:21 PM, 10/12/2009
I truly hate Braylon Edwards!!! 2 years cant catch anything of importance, 5 days and I see great catches so far on the Jets. He makes me sick. I just put his Jersey that I paid too much for in my burning grill. Nuff said!!! Go Browns!
Marietta, GA
Posted 12:44 AM, 10/13/2009
The coach wanted D-A all along, 2-17 and he has 4 ints in 10 quarters. Were are not stupid, just be a man and say it and move on. I love the Team, starting to hate the coach
Antioch, Fl
Posted 04:50 AM, 10/13/2009
When you spend the week telling the team that someone has to step up and fill Edwards' shoes, you have to expect results like this.
Naples, FL
Posted 06:21 AM, 10/13/2009
If BQ had been playing in this wind his passes would have ended up hitting him in his own facemask.
Akron, Oh
Posted 07:27 AM, 10/13/2009
"If BQ had been playing in this wind his passes would have ended up hitting him in his own facemask."
roflmao!!
Akron, OH
Posted 08:15 AM, 10/13/2009
The only reason Braylon caught that TD pass was because it didn't hit him in the chest or the lap. I'll give credit where credit is due, even for a piece of trash like BE - he can make the hard catches; he just can't make the easy ones.
Posted 08:29 AM, 10/13/2009
The receivers will continue to drop everything as long as Anderson is throwing short passes just off stride or target as hard as he can. Bullet passes work when they hit you in the gut.
Canton, OH
Posted 08:45 AM, 10/13/2009
Interesting comment from Jackson about getting fined for not having the right pads on -
Akron, OH
Posted 09:57 AM, 10/13/2009
Where is the snarky commentary in this article? Oh, it wasn't written by Pat.
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:49 AM, 10/13/2009
I'm soo happy that the Jets lost the game last night,and just wait for it Jets fans,B.E.'s going to start the whining that its always someone else's fault that he can't catch the ball,like the drop's he had in last nights game,
Ooh what about the punch in the face case,I would just Love to see him do jail time for this and pay a huge fine.
tallmadge, OH
Posted 11:59 AM, 10/13/2009
Let me see if I understand. The Browns are 1-0 since he left and the Jets are 0-1 since he joined the team, correct?
Tallmadge, Oh
Posted 01:16 PM, 10/13/2009
"When you spend the week telling the team that someone has to step up and fill Edwards' shoes, you have to expect results like this."
Hey Bob! They all stepped up and filled Edwards' shoes. The team needs to be told to NOT do as Edwards does!!!
Cleveland, OH
Posted 01:20 PM, 10/13/2009
It sucks seeing Edwards play well.....but if ESPN is right (which they may not be), it's actually better for the Browns if Edwards succeeds in NY. Reports are saying that the pick we got for Edwards could become a 2nd round pick if he gets enough catches.
I'll put away my hate for Edwards if it means a higher pick. Browns aren't playing the Jets this year, so give me the better pick.
I agree, this love for DA even when he's been terrible is just as bad, if not worse, than the Quinn lovers.
Anderson is a TERRIBLE QB, period. There is no way around it. He may be better than Quinn, but c'mon now don't act like the team didn't drop 6-8 balls each game Quinn played in either. Edwards had 2 or 3 himself in the first 2 weeks at least.
Heck, Quinn first series ever in the NFL (in 2007 when Anderosn was hurt for like 4-5 plays one game) he was greeted with a dropped TD pass by Winslow (an easy TD too).
So stop saying Anderson was 2 for 17 cause of dropped passes. He was 2 for 17 beacuse he's not good. He never completed 60% of his passes in college and won't ever in the pros, period.
Tallmadge, Oh
Posted 01:21 PM, 10/13/2009
2 of 17 for 23 yards, and an INT? It was back in 1953 that a Browns' QB last threw for less than 40 yards!
Yep! Mangeni is a psycho. DA sure is a great QB, huh? Love that passer's rating of 4 or 5, or whatever it was for the game.
This was the first time in my life that I was not happy after a Browns' victory.
Canton, Oh
Posted 02:26 PM, 10/13/2009
But they ran for 171 yards. After the dust settles does the W mean anything else but a win?
C-town, Oh
Posted 02:50 PM, 10/13/2009
I hope they trade Quinn and fire Mangini (should have never hired him), the Browns look like one of the worst teams in the league, if not the worst.
norka, OH
Posted 04:22 PM, 10/13/2009
oh life is soooooooooooooooo cruel to not have a decent football team! OH! WAIT GO CAVS! Now thats entertainment PS do ya get mad when they make a bad movie and do you really go see it if its a bad movie Remember the NFL says its strictly entertainment and should be treated as such!!!
Posted 06:03 PM, 10/13/2009
Well, it's just another season in clowns town
Posted 11:56 PM, 10/13/2009
I have been a Browns fan all my life. But it may be coming to an end. When a coach pulls a guy after 2 1/2 weeks, Asks the fans to be patient, and gives a vote of confidence to a guy who has thrown away games by tossing ints seemingly enough when they enter the red zone, and comes of the most pathetic passing performance possibly in NFL history. The Browns are doomed for eternal misery. I don't know whether or not to stay a fan but the line is fine right now whether to root for the OHIO team down South or root for the Chargers since they are the team in the region I live in now. I can tell you right now. Its terrible when Mangini came in he wanted to get rid of Quinn then. Then he announces that the position is open. Quinn won the job and he bails on him after 2 1;2 games. He is quite pathetic. If he is not gone by the end of the year I will probably be gone forever as a fan of the Browns. I hate to say it but I am completely disgusted right now with the organization. Maybe I will calm down in the off season but Mangenius disgusts me
Sad in Los Angeles.
Cleveland, OH
Posted 02:21 AM, 10/14/2009
Ok this is ridiculous.
I watched the whole game and it was about three or four passes that DA over or under threw, the rest were just drops and you all still have something to say.
It never occurs to any of you people that the reason why we don't have a winning team is because of your attitudes. Karma is everything and I'm starting to think Cleveland fans are nothing but a bunch of whiny brats. DA in his first season had 10-4 record, and you all were complaining. Last year everyone played bad, and from what I know from your favorite player that's no longer here it was done on purpose because they hated Savage.
Your sole reason for liking a person can not be he grew up in the state of Ohio. BQ was not that great of a quarter back in college and the only reason people made a big deal about him because he was coached by Weiss. That's all I ever heard concerning him his whole career. He can't throw the long ball correctly, he never made good decisions. Against the big teams he didn't have a winning record. You guys are doing the same thing with him as with Charlie Frye, and are honestly upset that he either didn't workout, or isn't getting more time. You probably were some of the people who booed at getting Joe Thomas for the number 3 pick over BQ, after complaining the whole season about needing someone on the offensive line. We waisted a pick (or two picks if you look at the math) for him.
As for Mangini, he has a winning record and lead the Jets to the playoffs, the only reason he was fired, which most people agree is because of the Brett issue, if that mess hadn't happen, he would still be with the Jets.
I know it's hard but try some patience, he has to rebuild from this mess Savage left.
Posted 07:43 AM, 10/14/2009
Do you people really believe that by whining on this site you affect anything with the Browns. As far as the concept of the fans negativity affecting the play of the team, I will quote an area car dealer "are you kidding me?". When does the so called karma come into play? Does it call time out and manifest itself in the huddle or maybe it's in the headsets of the coaches and burrows into their minds and affects the playcalling? I've heard so weird stuff before but this one takes it.
Cleveland, OH
Posted 08:26 AM, 10/14/2009
You're missing the point. I don't believe in karma in the sense that you are thinking.
What I'm saying is that people who constantly complain and throw tantrums because things aren't the way they feel should be and even if the Browns were winning, if it's not they way they want it still complain gets nothing.
I was young when the Browns went to Baltimore, but the one thing I remember is how everyone was glad to be rid of Belichick and said how he couldn't win. Then people were angry when he starting winning in New England.
If I am an owner of a football team and the fans are constantly complaining every year for a new coach or the fact that there qb isn't in the game. I would give them what they want as long as they keep coming to the game. Who cares if they wear a bag over there head, they giving me money and filling the seats.
I personally like winning but if fans aren't patient enough to see what develops only want what they want, business first and what can you do.
That's why I feel that Cleveland is winning, to much catering to whining people that don't no the value of patience. It's the man's first season, and he's working with what was left him.
Akron, Oh
Posted 10:16 AM, 10/14/2009
Go Steelers!
Posted 04:34 PM, 10/14/2009
Braydrops dropped that PI call pass. I'm not worried about him blowing it for the jets. He also didn't have 2 feet down on his touchdown. The rule, as always, challenge any "catch" Braydrops makes.
Posted 07:33 PM, 10/14/2009
I'm just glad we won a game...
