That win the Browns somehow stole in Buffalo could ultimately be the only victory that Cleveland achieves in 2009.
They weren’t even close to getting a victory on Sunday (3-0 lead notwithstanding), and a week featuring a flu outbreak ended with a game that induced nausea for everyone in attendance.
And so it’s time for major changes in Cleveland.
Derek Anderson must go.
Brady Quinn must go.
Eric Mangini must go.
Everyone in the coaching staff and front office must go.
And at a time when Redskins fans are repeatedly calling for Daniel Snyder to sell the team, why aren’t Browns fans similarly uprising against Randy Lerner? The fact that the Browns weren’t expected to be any good this year -- and pretty much haven’t been in the entire decade since returning to the league -- has likely contributed to a sense of complacency and/or acceptance. Still, at a time when some are wisely pointing out that Lerner should declare that it was a mistake to hire Mangini, the bigger challenge would be for Lerner to admit that he made a mistake when he decided to keep the team he inherited from his father, Al Lerner.
Randy Lerner seemed to put minimal effort and thought into the hiring of a new coach and G.M. in January, locking onto Mangini at a time when no one else wanted him, instantly intrigued by a guy who worked his way up from a gopher-type job with the original Browns. It was almost as if Lerner regarded the process as an annoyance, and that Lerner gladly acted on his first impulse.
So, yes, it’s a nightmare in Cleveland. And, yes, the fans could soon be staying away.
But it was a great day for the Packers, who dominated in every phase. Now at 4-2, they have a shot at blowing the NFC North wide open by knocking off the 6-1 Vikings at Lambeau Field.
It’s almost enough to make the return of Brett Favre a curiosity.
Almost.