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By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 06:20 p.m. EST, Jan 13, 2010
BEREA: With a passing game that ranked last in the league in 2009, there was no question it would be the Browns' top priority in the coming months.
But on Tuesday, new General Manager Tom Heckert and President Mike Holmgren seemed amazed that the Browns managed to win their final four games with virtually no aerial attack. The statistics and the predictability factor seemed stunning to both.
''How they won games at the end, the ratio of runs to passes in the last four weeks of the season, was remarkable,'' Holmgren said. ''Normally you can't win that way. You can have the greatest running game in the world and play good defense, but if you only throw six balls a game, you are not going to win. We've got to look at that.''
In those four victories over Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Oakland and Jacksonville, the Browns ran the ball 71.8 percent of the time. The Browns' passing attempts were 19, 18, 17 and 11, respectively, and they recorded 84, 66, 116 and 86 net passing yards.
In the Seattle Seahawks' final season under then-coach Holmgren in 2008, they ran 45 percent of the time. In 2007, it was 40.7 percent.
Heckert, who spent the past four years as the general manager Philadelphia Eagles and has been with the Eagles since 2001, also comes from a pass-first system under coach Andy Reid. In the Eagles' 11-5 season in 2009, they ran only 39.4 percent of the time.
''In Philly, we throw the ball a lot,'' Heckert said. ''At the last regular-season game in Dallas, I saw the Browns threw 11 times and in our game we ran it [10] times.
''It's a little difference in philosophy. But what the Browns did tells me they did a heck of a job running the ball, controlling the clock and playing defense.''
While coach Eric Mangini goes on vacation with his family to Disney World next week, Holmgren and Heckert might be studying the 2009 Browns to analyze the team's strengths and weaknesses.
Quarterback Derek Anderson finished with a 42.1 rating and completed just 44.5 percent with three touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Brady Quinn finished with a 67.2 rating and hit on 53.1 percent, throwing eight touchdowns with seven interceptions. It appears Quinn will avoid surgery for a left foot injury suffered Dec. 20 at Kansas City.
Holmgren has already seen enough to know he likes running back Jerome Harrison, who totaled 570 yards (5.0 average) and five touchdowns in the final four games, trailing only Kansas City's Jamaal Charles' 658 yards in that span.
Harrison finished with a team-high 862 yards (4.4 average) and notched the third-best rushing day in NFL history with 286 yards at Kansas City.
''I love him as a player,'' Holmgren said of Harrison, in his fourth season. ''I thought what he did at the end of the season was remarkable. The teams Cleveland played knew that's kind of how it was going to go and they still got it done; 286 yards: is that what he had in that one game? That's a lot of yards.
''When it gets cold and you can have a good running game and can control the clock, it's nice to have a guy you can give the ball to like that.''
Free-agency worries
Harrison, a fifth-round pick from Washington State in 2006, is one of 212 players (according to the Associated Press) who expected to be unrestricted free agents March 5, but will be restricted unless an agreement is reached on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The uncertainty surrounding the CBA has already created speculation that this year's free-agency period will see few signings. Heckert believes that will also include the restricted group. Teams signing a restricted free agent must give up the draft choice corresponding to when he was selected, but the team that owns his rights can match that tender offer and keep him.
''Restricted free agency never been a big thing because if the guy is good enough the team is not going to let him go,'' Heckert said. ''Even this year, I don't think it will be big.''
Brownies
Heckert was born in Youngstown and said he still has family in Akron. ''My mom's mother is still alive and she has two sisters who live in Youngstown,'' he said. . . . Heckert said his first road trip will be the week of the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The roster for the Jan. 30 game includes Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman. Heckert said he will not go to Orlando, Fla., next week for the Jan. 23 East-West Shrine Game. Ohio State defensive lineman Doug Worthington and offensive lineman Jim Cordle are on the East roster.
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: With a passing game that ranked last in the league in 2009, there was no question it would be the Browns' top priority in the coming months.
But on Tuesday, new General Manager Tom Heckert and President Mike Holmgren seemed amazed that the Browns managed to win their final four games with virtually no aerial attack. The statistics and the predictability factor seemed stunning to both.
''How they won games at the end, the ratio of runs to passes in the last four weeks of the season, was remarkable,'' Holmgren said. ''Normally you can't win that way. You can have the greatest running game in the world and play good defense, but if you only throw six balls a game, you are not going to win. We've got to look at that.''
In those four victories over Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Oakland and Jacksonville, the Browns ran the ball 71.8 percent of the time. The Browns' passing attempts were 19, 18, 17 and 11, respectively, and they recorded 84, 66, 116 and 86 net passing yards.
In the Seattle Seahawks' final season under then-coach Holmgren in 2008, they ran 45 percent of the time. In 2007, it was 40.7 percent.
Heckert, who spent the past four years as the general manager Philadelphia Eagles and has been with the Eagles since 2001, also comes from a pass-first system under coach Andy Reid. In the Eagles' 11-5 season in 2009, they ran only 39.4 percent of the time.
''In Philly, we throw the ball a lot,'' Heckert said. ''At the last regular-season game in Dallas, I saw the Browns threw 11 times and in our game we ran it [10] times.
''It's a little difference in philosophy. But what the Browns did tells me they did a heck of a job running the ball, controlling the clock and playing defense.''
While coach Eric Mangini goes on vacation with his family to Disney World next week, Holmgren and Heckert might be studying the 2009 Browns to analyze the team's strengths and weaknesses.
Quarterback Derek Anderson finished with a 42.1 rating and completed just 44.5 percent with three touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Brady Quinn finished with a 67.2 rating and hit on 53.1 percent, throwing eight touchdowns with seven interceptions. It appears Quinn will avoid surgery for a left foot injury suffered Dec. 20 at Kansas City.
Holmgren has already seen enough to know he likes running back Jerome Harrison, who totaled 570 yards (5.0 average) and five touchdowns in the final four games, trailing only Kansas City's Jamaal Charles' 658 yards in that span.
Harrison finished with a team-high 862 yards (4.4 average) and notched the third-best rushing day in NFL history with 286 yards at Kansas City.
''I love him as a player,'' Holmgren said of Harrison, in his fourth season. ''I thought what he did at the end of the season was remarkable. The teams Cleveland played knew that's kind of how it was going to go and they still got it done; 286 yards: is that what he had in that one game? That's a lot of yards.
''When it gets cold and you can have a good running game and can control the clock, it's nice to have a guy you can give the ball to like that.''
Free-agency worries
Harrison, a fifth-round pick from Washington State in 2006, is one of 212 players (according to the Associated Press) who expected to be unrestricted free agents March 5, but will be restricted unless an agreement is reached on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The uncertainty surrounding the CBA has already created speculation that this year's free-agency period will see few signings. Heckert believes that will also include the restricted group. Teams signing a restricted free agent must give up the draft choice corresponding to when he was selected, but the team that owns his rights can match that tender offer and keep him.
''Restricted free agency never been a big thing because if the guy is good enough the team is not going to let him go,'' Heckert said. ''Even this year, I don't think it will be big.''
Brownies
Heckert was born in Youngstown and said he still has family in Akron. ''My mom's mother is still alive and she has two sisters who live in Youngstown,'' he said. . . . Heckert said his first road trip will be the week of the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The roster for the Jan. 30 game includes Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman. Heckert said he will not go to Orlando, Fla., next week for the Jan. 23 East-West Shrine Game. Ohio State defensive lineman Doug Worthington and offensive lineman Jim Cordle are on the East roster.
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 07:03 PM, 01/13/2010
i understand our qb play was very bad to say the least but we need a strong running game for the bad weather games. i doubt a west coast offense is the best thing for cleveland. draft a running back with 1st pick and get us some run blockers for the right side of the line
norka, OH
Posted 08:22 PM, 01/13/2010
I still say O -Line needs Major help on the right side.......it has for 10 yrs
naples, fl
Posted 08:24 PM, 01/13/2010
Marla:
Listen and Learn. This is a testament to the coaching ability of Mangini and his staff. The same staff that You, Grossi Mary Kay, McManamon, and Shaw have been trying to get fired from day one.
You and your Media sharks in your press cesspool should extend an apology to Mangini for greatly injuring his reputation/character with the Cleveland fans.
allentown, pa
Posted 08:35 PM, 01/13/2010
Here's the deal with the draft and trades: trade Anderson and one of our draft picks for Kevin Kolb from the Eagles ( Heckert will like that one )then let Kolb and Ratliff play 1 2 at QB and that leaves Quinn at #3 (I'd rather trade him too but who will take him.) Then get another receiver in the draft or trade 2 of our picks for Steve Smith of the Giants. After that concentrate on defensive backs and a couple of linebackers and a OT. We could use another running back to spell Harrison and Jenkins - a big bruiser ala Bettis. That should do it to put the Browns in good shape for next year. Now we just have to find the people to go for it. And above all give Cribbs some more money. He deserves a renegotiated contract so do the fans. GO BROWNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Akron, Oh
Posted 07:12 AM, 01/14/2010
GO BROWNS!
Akron, OH
Posted 08:15 AM, 01/14/2010
@ pepper & rdkill: 100% right! Let's hope everyone gets QB happy in the draft this year and we get Okung or Davis to solidify the O-Line.
@ mrmilo: Again, we'll get nothing for DA and like it. A single-digit QB rating equals no value.
Holmgren can work with Quinn and I believe the Browns' will draft Dez Bryant in the 1st round. Massaquoi, Bryant, and Robiski will prove a very solid receiver core that's young and talented.
Our running game will be fine once James Davis gets healthy, he'll be the 3rd down back behind Harrison.
The REAL problem is the defensive secondary. They allowed 300 yards passing by Charlie Frye?? HELP!!
GO BROWNS!!
laughlin, nv
Posted 05:36 PM, 01/14/2010
Someone shouild tell Mike and Tom that Woody Hayes use to say three yards and a cloud of dust win ball games
Posted 06:37 PM, 01/14/2010
The answer is JOSH CRIBBS.
Marla, you seem to have half a brain. Thank you for your interesting reports.
Do us a favor though. Walk down the hallway there at the ABJ, and pull Mcmanless's chair out from under him, rip his phone off the wall, and throw his computer out onto Exchange Street.
If he tries to come back in the morning, lock the front door. The guy is a goof.
Posted 06:38 PM, 01/14/2010
Oh and......
GO BROWNS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted 06:40 PM, 01/14/2010
Hank in Naples,
I agree with 100% of what you said. Maybe we could discuss it at your house in Florida. I can be there in 17 hours and 35 minutes.
Posted 06:42 PM, 01/14/2010
Not one word about Josh cribbs,Wow, Going to be another long year for the Brown!
Posted 08:57 AM, 01/18/2010
A running back is not a priority for the Browns. Draft a right tackle to give us more blocking for the running game on that side and have bookend tackles. Next we need a corner or safety, then a receiver. We already have a lot of possibilities at linebacker, that can wait. Trade DA as we don't need the QB controversy. Either make Quinn the starter or bring in a accomplished veteran.
Kent, Oh
Posted 04:45 PM, 01/24/2010
This is to Hank from Naples. Why don't you just stick to watching what you know. Nothing. Go Browns
