3.) Inability to Make Changes
The Browns had the worst run defense for 2014 and finished 30th this year after being last for most of the season. What did Pettine do about it? Nothing. He could not fire his long time friend and defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil despite having the highest paid defense in the NFL not be able to stop the run, cover opposing WRs, and get no pressure on the QB. If you looked around the league other teams that were struggling made changes.
The Dolphins and Lions fired a bunch of people. The Saints fired Rob Ryan going into the bye. The Browns did nothing. The team also had four field goals blocked this season including one that lost them the game. Our special teams coordinator Chris Tabor is still here. When you have a 3-13 season you have to shake something up. Pettine wasn’t even willing to spend more time focusing on helping the defense in practice when he is a defensive minded coach. I still think my favorite quote of the year was at halftime of the Bengals game. Pettine said he wanted Manziel to settle down and make throws from the pocket. Marvin Lewis said he wanted his team to try and contain Manziel and keep him in the pocket. When have you ever heard two opposing coaches say they wanted to make the same adjustment at the half? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my life. The game was 14-10 at half and ended up 31-10. Guess you should have let Manziel do what he does best and roll out and make plays with his feet. The NFL isn’t changing for you Mike, you have to adapt to win and you didn’t.
4.) Locker Room and Discipline Problems
Who else in the NFL had players arrested on Christmas? That’s exactly what I thought. All of this isn’t on Mike Pettine because he can’t control all of the character problems coming in but this team was a circus. You brought in an offensive line coach with a bad past and he has a domestic violence problem early in the season. Then we had the TMZ story with unnamed players bashing Pettine for starting McCown over Johnny. You had multiple episodes of Johnny being Johnny and you made it be more of a big deal than it needed to be. Then you set the team back having a carousel at QB to punish him?
It seemed to me like he lost the respect of the locker room. That also transferred over to the football field. Tramon Williams going offside cost them the San Diego game. Other blunders late in the game cost them against Denver. The inability to block and hold people accountable cost them against Baltimore. Starks picked up an offside and a personal foul early in a game against Cincinnati that led to a touchdown instead of a turnover. Erving had a hold in a game that wiped out a touchdown run. How many terrible pass interferences did we witness too? The team lacked discipline and it translated into losses.
5.) Regression and Bad Losses
The best bet that sealed his fate was the regression of the team. Yes I think Farmer screwed him over here and gave him a horrible football team to try and make something work. It was like asking the 76ers to go out there and make the playoffs this year. However you still have to compete on the football field for the fans and your job sake. The Browns lost six of their last seven last year and finished this season tied for worst in the league at 3-13. Not only did they have 13 losses, but their average loss was by 14.2 points. They weren’t even competing in games. It’s hard to sit there on Sunday’s and watch your QBs get hurt because you can’t block. The line couldn’t block to open holes for the running backs.
The receivers we had were small, pitiful, and dropped a ton of balls. Let’s not even get started on the defense either. I think the only highlights of the season for the team was we got some of our best QB play in years for what they had and Coons and Lee did terrific on special teams. If that’s what I wanted to see though I could go watch a youth punt, pass, and kick competition for free. When some of the most passionate fans in the NFL are being outnumbered at home and people can’t give away tickets, you’re not doing your job as a coach. The Ravens and Chargers suffered way worse injuries than any other team and they still finished better than us. Even the 49ers who had everybody retire and Blaine Gabbert starting at QB and a guy we cut multiple times at RB still finish better than us. Sorry Pettine but if you can’t hang with the big boys than you don’t belong at the table.
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