Browns' Opener, sept5,'07

Just Win Baby

The Browns open the 2007 campaign on Sunday hosting a divisional rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are coming off a .500 season with a new head coach in tow.

There is some uncertainty in the Steel City as to how good this team will be in 2007.

Gone is the fixture on the sideline, Head Coach Bill Cowher, and the mainstay of the defense, Joey Porter, among others. The signal-caller, Ben Roethlisberger, who was dubbed a “franchise quarterback” by many after his 2005 season, also enters week #1 with something to prove.

These guys are certainly beatable right now.

It should be a winnable game for the Browns, right?

Unfortunately, Vegas thinks otherwise, making the pumpkin heads four point underdogs in their own building. The experts feel it will be competitive, but in the end, the Steelers will find a way to win. Unfortunately, they usually do in this series.

But this one is truly winnable, for all the reasons stated and more.

The Browns must get out of the gate quickly in 2007. They can’t afford not to.

Their coach’s job is at stake, their horrid record within the division is at risk (1-11 since 2005) and year #3 of the Savage-Crennel regime should finally be able to provide an opening-day win at home against a team that was 8-8 a year ago. Shouldn’t it?

The word we used was “win” – not be “competitive” as Vegas and many Browns fans expect.

It’s time this regime and Browns’ ownership be held to a higher standard. We discussed it in our last post – the successful “lowering of expectations” by this organization has been clever. But it’s year #3 now of regime #3 since 1999.

It’s time to deliver. No more excuses. That includes Romeo, Phil and certainly ownership – especially ownership that has been around since day #1 of Browns II.

Somehow, someway, this team needs to win early – perhaps more so than any other team in the NFL. These guys need something good to happen now. The players, organization and fans all need something or someone to believe in.

Perhaps Charlie Frye will be that guy. This corner has long been a proponent of letting Brady Quinn learn on the job. But here’s hoping the University of Akron grad plays well against the Steelers. A poor early showing by Frye and company will only make matters worse for the team. No one wants that.

Let’s hope Cameron Wimbley plays like the Pro-Bowler everyone expects him to be starting on Sunday.

Perhaps Leigh Bodden can stay healthy and finally show off his cover skills by keeping Hines Ward and company in check.

Maybe Jamaal Lewis will find a lot of daylight running for 100 yards behind Joe Thomas, as the rookie blocks like a true #3 overall pick.

And speaking of #3 picks, it would be nice to believe Braylon Edwards got the drops out of his system in the pre-season finale and he’ll turn it up a notch come game-day.

Hope spring eternal before the opener.

Everyone is sitting at 0-0. What’s in the past stays in the past, right?

So what if the Browns have had a terrible winning percentage at home since their return. So what if the Steelers usually not only beat the Browns when they play, but also beat them up in front of our eyes. So what if the national pundits have the Brownies once again as one of the league’s laughingstocks this fall.

It all starts anew at 1 p.m. come Sunday and Browns fans want to have fun – whether they are in full dog regalia in the stands, in front of their plasma television sets with their replica Jim Brown #32s on or in some dive somewhere across this great land at a Browns' Backers gathering screaming and yelling with every first down – or lack there of.

But in the end, true fun is realized only if they come away with a “W” come Sunday. That's how it works.

You only leave the Stadium smiling from ear to ear if they get the win. You go outside and cut the grass willingly with a grin on your face if they beat the Steelers. You drive home from the bar very pleased if they take one from their hated rival in week #1.

As Al Davis so eloquently put it years back when he still had his fastball - “Just win baby. Just win!”