Week 12

Well the Browns have done it.  With the win against the Steelers the Browns have catapulted out of the 30th spot where they've languished for weeks and landed five spots higher at 25th.

This major jump this late in the year can be explained by a few things.

 First all of the teams in the lower twenties are clustered together with very similar statistical results.  They are all about the same amount of bad.  So slight tweaks in the record can move teams up and down quickly.

Also this would imply that the Browns are a stronger statistic team than they play.  When a team plays better or worse than their record a change in fortune seems to push these team up or down quickly.  In this case the Browns were playing at a higher level than the record would indicate. 

Finally the Browns did have a solid game all around on paper against a tough Steeler defense.

This week the Browns actually get to be the favorite against a sorry 30th ranked Oakland team with the absolute no-doubt-about-it worst defense in the league.  Another win could push the team up just a little more.

		RANK W/OUT WEIGHT		OFFENSE RANK	DEFENSE RANK		RECORD	SS
1	HOUSTON	1		3	7		10-1-0	27
2	ATLANTA	2		9	12		10-1-0	29
3	SAN FRANCISCO	4		10	2		8-2-1	20
4	DENVER	5		6	3		8-3-0	12
5	NEW ENGLAND	3		1	20		8-3-0	30
6	NY GIANTS	6		7	10		7-4-0	15
7	CHICAGO	7		27	1		8-3-0	20
8	BALTIMORE	8		12	11		9-2-0	25
9	GREEN BAY	9		8	19		7-4-0	5
10	PITTSBURGH	10		22	5		6-5-0	28
11	SEATTLE	13		23	4		6-5-0	18
12	TAMPA BAY	12		11	18		6-5-0	24
13	CINCINNATI	11		13	17		6-5-0	26
14	MINNESOTA	14		15	22		6-5-0	18
15	DETROIT	16		2	26		4-7-0	10
16	WASHINGTON	17		5	24		5-6-0	8
17	NEW ORLEANS	19		4	31		5-6-0	17
18	INDIANAPOLIS	15		16	29		7-4-0	31
19	DALLAS	21		14	14		5-6-0	2
20	CAROLINA	22		21	9		3-8-0	1
21	SAN DIEGO	20		28	6		4-7-0	23
22	MIAMI	18		25	21		5-6-0	31
23	ST LOUIS	24		18	15		4-6-1	6
24	ARIZONA	23		30	8		4-7-0	10
25	CLEVELAND	26		26	13		3-8-0	14
26	NY JETS	25		31	16		4-7-0	3
27	TENNESSEE	28		20	27		4-7-0	15
28	PHILADELPHIA	29		24	25		3-8-0	6
29	BUFFALO	27		19	30		4-7-0	22
30	OAKLAND	30		17	32		3-8-0	13
31	KANSAS CITY	31		32	23		1-10-0	9
32	JACKSONVILLE	32		29	28		2-9-0	4

Week 11

San Franciso's  man handling of the Bears have leapt the squad up from fourth to the second position on the chart.  Houston does little to hurt their top position, even if the output by the woesome Jaguars didn't help their defenseive ranking one bit.

Of course the Browns can't do anything to get out of the 30th position.  Some wins would help, but the statistical evidence is that this team is weak all around.  Unlike other teams the Browns are really bad in any one area, but they are consistently worse than mediocre in every area.  There is no reason to believe that this team will win any more games this season except against KC. 

		RANK W/OUT WEIGHT		OFFENSE RANK	DEFENSE RANK		RECORD	SS
1	HOUSTON	1		6	5		9-1-0	27
2	SAN FRANCISCO	3		8	2		7-2-1	13
3	ATLANTA	2		9	12		9-1-0	31
4	DENVER	5		5	3		7-3-0	5
5	NEW ENGLAND	4		1	25		7-3-0	25
6	GREEN BAY	8		4	15		7-3-0	9
7	NY GIANTS	7		7	10		6-4-0	20
8	CHICAGO	6		26	1		7-3-0	15
9	BALTIMORE	9		13	13		8-2-0	28
10	SEATTLE	11		22	4		6-4-0	9
11	PITTSBURGH	10		17	8		6-4-0	25
12	TAMPA BAY	12		11	16		6-4-0	24
13	MINNESOTA	13		12	20		6-4-0	19
14	DETROIT	14		3	26		4-6-0	14
15	DALLAS	17		15	11		5-5-0	3
16	NEW ORLEANS	19		2	31		5-5-0	22
17	CINCINNATI	15		18	24		5-5-0	29
18	SAN DIEGO	18		27	6		4-6-0	23
19	WASHINGTON	20		10	18		4-6-0	12
20	INDIANAPOLIS	16		14	29		6-4-0	30
21	ARIZONA	22		30	7		4-6-0	6
22	CAROLINA	24		24	9		2-8-0	1
23	ST LOUIS	27		21	19		3-6-1	4
24	TENNESSEE	26		20	27		4-6-0	7
25	MIAMI	21		28	21		4-6-0	32
26	NY JETS	23		31	14		4-6-0	11
27	PHILADELPHIA	25		23	17		3-7-0	8
28	BUFFALO	28		19	32		4-6-0	20
29	OAKLAND	29		16	30		3-7-0	16
30	CLEVELAND	30		25	23		2-8-0	18
31	KANSAS CITY	31		32	22		1-9-0	16
32	JACKSONVILLE	32		29	28		1-9-0	2

Until next week, enjoy the holiday games.

Week 10

Week 10 gives us some change as the undefeated are no more.

		RANK W/OUT WEIGHT		OFFENSE RANK	DEFENSE RANK		RECORD	SS
1	HOUSTON	1		8	2		8-1-0	22
2	ATLANTA	2		6	14		8-1-0	29
3	DENVER	6		5	5		6-3-0	7
4	SAN FRANCISCO	5		12	3		6-2-1	17
5	CHICAGO	4		25	1		7-2-0	21
6	NEW ENGLAND	3		1	22		6-3-0	25
7	GREEN BAY	9		2	21		6-3-0	9
8	NY GIANTS	8		7	11		6-4-0	23
9	BALTIMORE	10		9	16		7-2-0	28
10	PITTSBURGH	7		15	8		6-3-0	31
11	SEATTLE	11		23	4		6-4-0	12
12	MINNESOTA	13		13	20		6-4-0	20
13	DETROIT	14		3	24		4-5-0	13
14	TAMPA BAY	12		10	18		5-4-0	27
15	DALLAS	19		16	10		4-5-0	2
16	NEW ORLEANS	18		4	31		4-5-0	16
17	INDIANAPOLIS	15		14	30		6-3-0	32
18	SAN DIEGO	16		27	6		4-5-0	26
19	CINCINNATI	17		22	25		4-5-0	24
20	ARIZONA	21		28	7		4-5-0	11
21	ST LOUIS	26		19	17		3-5-1	3
22	PHILADELPHIA	23		21	13		3-6-0	6
23	TENNESSEE	25		20	27		4-6-0	5
24	MIAMI	20		26	23		4-5-0	30
25	WASHINGTON	22		11	26		3-6-0	10
26	CAROLINA	24		24	9		2-7-0	1
27	OAKLAND	27		17	29		3-6-0	14
28	NY JETS	28		31	15		3-6-0	8
29	BUFFALO	29		18	32		3-6-0	17
30	CLEVELAND	30		29	19		2-7-0	19
31	KANSAS CITY	31		30	12		1-8-0	14
32	JACKSONVILLE	32		32	28		1-8-0	4

Week 9

Week 9 is in and the Browns season is over.  Not that I had big hopes.  For one I've been on the Shurmer needs to be canned list since he went 0-6 in the division last year.  I've had that standing rule since the last time a Browns coach embarrassed himself like that (Crennel in 2006).  While I was hoping for a good run to end the season, this alternative does assure us that Pat will be out and we won't delay the inevitable.  I think it's very apparent very quickly if a coach has what it takes or has the potential to be one of those coaches.  I thought Belichick had it when he was here in Cleveland.  I think Mangini had the potential when he was here.  Hopefully we'll get to see if he does or not in the future.  Crennel did not, nor did Chris Palmer.  Butch Davis was a mess when it came to talent evaluation, but he could have been a good coach I think.

What do I look for?  Well I'm glad you asked.  1) Team comes out in most games sharp and ready to compete.  Opening series should result in scores almost every game.  2) Players consistently preform above their ability. 3) Playbook adapts to the players on hand.  4) Win at least two games a year that the pundits thought impossible for the team to win.  5) Team on the field always has their head in the game.  Silly clock management flubs and organizational penalties almost never happen (ie delay of game)

I think that coaches in football matter more than any other team sport.  A good head coach, like a good QB can directly contribute to the team winning at least two extra games a year.  They set the tone, they set the attitude, the direct the collective that is a football squad.

Pat Shurmer has almost never fit any of my five points of a good or potentially good head coach.  And the longer we sit on a bad coach the longer we have to wait for a winner.  Especially since Weeden isn't the next Rogers or Manning.

On to the rankings:

		RANK W/OUT WEIGHT		OFFENSE RANK	DEFENSE RANK		RECORD	SS
1	ATLANTA	3		7	13		8-0-0	28
2	HOUSTON	1		8	3		7-1-0	22
3	SAN FRANCISCO	4		12	2		6-2-0	13
4	CHICAGO	2		23	1		7-1-0	28
5	DENVER	6		4	4		5-3-0	6
6	NY GIANTS	7		5	11		6-3-0	16
7	NEW ENGLAND	5		1	22		5-3-0	23
8	GREEN BAY	10		2	23		6-3-0	11
9	PITTSBURGH	8		11	7		5-3-0	27
10	BALTIMORE	12		10	16		6-2-0	30
11	DETROIT	9		3	20		4-4-0	17
12	SEATTLE	15		22	6		5-4-0	9
13	TAMPA BAY	11		9	17		4-4-0	24
14	MINNESOTA	14		17	21		5-4-0	19
15	DALLAS	17		15	10		3-5-0	1
16	MIAMI	16		20	24		4-4-0	30
17	SAN DIEGO	13		30	5		4-4-0	32
18	INDIANAPOLIS	18		14	30		5-3-0	24
19	NEW ORLEANS	22		6	31		3-5-0	17
20	ARIZONA	23		28	8		4-5-0	12
21	CAROLINA	20		25	9		2-6-0	2
22	PHILADELPHIA	24		24	14		3-5-0	7
23	NY JETS	25		27	12		3-5-0	4
24	OAKLAND	26		16	27		3-5-0	14
25	WASHINGTON	19		13	25		3-6-0	10
26	CINCINNATI	21		21	26		3-5-0	26
27	ST LOUIS	27		26	15		3-5-0	5
28	TENNESSEE	31		19	29		3-6-0	3
29	BUFFALO	30		18	32		3-5-0	19
30	CLEVELAND	28		29	19		2-7-0	21
31	KANSAS CITY	29		31	18		1-7-0	15
32	JACKSONVILLE	32		32	28		1-7-0	8

This is the first time there has only been two teams with both offense and defense in the top ten.  Usually there are more.  But for now Houston and Denver are the best most rounded teams.  The rest are excellent in one phase and good enough in the other.

Atlanta may only be the 7th offense and 13th defense, but they can also hand their hats on the best record and a very disciplined team.  Number 2 in turnovers given and 4 in turnovers taken.  They take care of the ball.

And to end on a downer for a downer sort of weekend.  Just when you thought they might be dying, the effin' Steelers just keep coming back.  Those ass hats in yellow and black are shooting up the charts to number 9.  And what was a shaky defense has really strengthened in recent weeks.  Their offense was actually stronger for the first several weeks.

Oh well, I guess we can say that things are as they are meant to be.  Browns out of it before the by week, and all those phoney Cleveland-born traitor Steeler fans laughing at us on their way to the playoffs.