However, the announcers made the game a Browns love-fest. Innuendos were abound as Jon Gruden churched up Brady Quinn and the entire Cleveland Browns history. Will Gruden coach the Browns next season? Judging by the broadcast, there was no question.
However, Gruden signed a multi-year deal with media giant ESPN on Monday, leaving little doubt about his future as a head coach in the NFL next season.
The Browns got 90% of the talk Monday night and went as far as to show Gruden's childhood pictures in Browns gear, much like the pictures of Brady Quinn. They even showed a letter he wrote to Leroy Kelly, telling Kelly that he was Gruden's favorite player.
Browns fans were sadly misled. Gruden will not coach the Browns next season. Eric Mangini will. The team has 11 draft picks next season but no stars to build around.
Brady Quinn got the starting job at quarterback and was allowed to play an entire game. This is rare in Cleveland, where the position seems to be unsettled at best.
Browns fans were faced with the proposition to sit outside of their seats until after the opening kickoff as a protest to the team's poor performance and perceived lack of direction. That protest was not evident on television and the fans were as loud as ever, showing support for a team that has done little to deserve it.
Of course, the Ravens beat the Browns 16-0, and there does not seem to be much hope for the lowly Browns. 10-year veteran Steve Heiden was injured early and the best player on the team, Josh Cribbs, was carted off by an ambulance late in the game. By then the stadium was practically empty, and deservedly so.
This team is terrible. They seem to have no identity. The defense seems solid until the second half and the offense is suspect at best.
Who knows what owner Randy Lerner will do next. If changing coaches isn't the answer (and I don't think it is) then what the hell? There is a direction that leads to nowhere, and the Cleveland Browns are following all the way.
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