No matter how you look at this upcoming Cinci game, it's just meh. We are virtually out of the playoff race without tons of help and our team looks flat and mentally defeated. Compounding this, our head coach seems inept and the prospects of either retaining him or starting over again loom large over the remainder of the season. Both cases are negatives from this fans POV.

So I find it all but impossible to care about this game this week. Cinci is a weak team struggling like the Browns, victory is meaningless except for division gloating. A loss on the other hand has huge negative implications. If the browns lose, does it mean they gave up? Does it mean Freddie failed or has lost the team? Does it mean anything at all since we are out of the playoffs?

I find nothing to be excited about this week. Like all the other years since the return, we are back to waiting for next year.

because of all of that, I expect this to be a slugfest.

I hope you are right purp, I'll take entertaining even if it's meaningless. But I won't get my hopes up for that.

Least exciting team this season: Us.

A lot of us feel the same way. Just not a whole lot to get excited about, win for culture/momentum/whatever, lose for draft position (both teams...), who really cares.

First, we still have a shot so winning this game is imperative. Second, we do not look the least bit flat and mentally defeated. You are projecting the way you feel onto our team. Third, despite the opinions of a bunch of people who only contact with the nfl is from their couch, Freddie is not inept and will hopefully.be coaching here for a while. The absolute last thing we need is another coaching change.

What we do need is for our fans to support our team , our coaches and our players!!

I thought the Denver game was a snooze fest .. that was our worst performance. Last week was right up there, too.

This team, heralded as the new dream team type squad, has surely had its share of egg lays

It's fun cleat week in the NFL to ramp up the enthusiasm!...

Projecting? Bruh, it's all but over for the season. A 6% chance is a slim damn chance. And what I think of Freddie is irrelevant, what does Dorsey and the Haslams think is all that matters when it comes to him. Most fans want him gone at this point.

As for us couch sitters with no contact, could you point out for all of your fans which guy you are on the sidelines? Or in the booth? Or your relationship with the team and or players? Coach B is that you?

Or are you this guy:

Im sure OBJ will somehow wear ones hes not allowed too. . .

Freddie is not inept - he is very good at trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. He is also very good at telling reporters his way is the correct way, even though its constantly losing games.

This will be the first game this year that I have watched with that all-too-familiar feeling of.. it doesn't matter.

My questions are already focused on next year... if we win out (except for Baltimore) does that save Freddie's job? If so, is that what I want? Or has the brain trust already made up their mind on Freddie?

No idea, and nothing would surprise me coming out of Berea. This is years of experience talking.

If I had to guess, I'd say that if we win 3 of the last 4, and look decent doing so and there are no major scandals/controversies, I'd think that it's a pretty good bet that Freddie will be back. There are a lot of qualifiers in there though.

Yes, until we are mathematically eliminated there is still a chance.

You will not find me on any sideline, ocd. You also will not find me calling our coach inept, stupid, a terrible play caller, unable to design an offense or formulate a game plan. Bacause our coaching staff knows way, way more than I do about our team and all that offensive game planning. They also know way, way more than every know-it-all on here who is constantly criticizing Freddie’s work.

I am going to again paraphrase Ryan day, the next great buckeye coach. Coaches can design a great offense, can call great plays, but if the players do not do their jobs, perform at a high level, it will not be successful.

so, will, was Freddie trying to fit a round peg into a square hole the last eight games last year. When our offense was dynamic and scoring 28-30 ppg. Or did Freddie take stupid pills in the off-season? It is obvious to anyone watching that baker has not been as accurate this year. That our oline has not protected baker as well as last year and at least according to some reports some receivers have struggled to run the right routes.

Those strike me as way more likely answers to why we have struggled than that Freddie lost everything he had last year.

I found the Home Opener the least exciting... Again couldn't start off a season by giving a very excited fan base a win to start the season.

I agree ... I came into the year with “playoff” intentions ... and I thought we were done with “progress” and “development” type games, weeks, etc. Enthusiasm has taken a hit now

BUT you were excited before the game, that's what I'm talking about.

It’s not stupid pills. Simply put Freddie is too immature for the the job. I sit on my couch and see exactly what you pointed out. I’m still on my couch and see that he has yet to effectively address,fix, or compensate for any of that. I don’t have to have NFL approved apparel and a red challenge flag in my pocket to know that it’s Freddie’s job to fix all that and he’s not doing it.

Slugfest is probably right. We have a way of making easier games we should win look hard, especially when we let the other guy hang around. We ought to do well, but I expect ugliness aplenty at this game. We need to get after it harder and with more heart than we have shown. We play like this is a hobby. Would you say it is getting better?

Excited.. I was flying high with excitement..couldn't wait for the game to start and start the season with a win..

Walking out of the Stadium after that loss was one of the worse loss feelings I've had walking out.

All the hype and expectations literally drained away in an instant. The first drive had the Stadium rocking...Then the sinking began.

The fly in the ointment is not just our own inability to win out, but Tennessee has to lose 3 of 4 and they’re playing well

It's not happening. The playoffs are not happening for Cleveland this season.

Current betting odds for the Browns to make the playoffs...

Browns to make playoffs: +900

Browns to miss playoffs: -2900

We don't deserve it either.

I don't think we will either.. but what I want to see is the window stay open for at least a few more weeks. I want the team to play with some of the pressure of knowing it's still possible to see how they respond.

With each week that the things fall the right way to allow it to still be possible, the pressure for us to win will increase...

And I want to see that.

This. Losing to Denver and then Pitt round 2 means we don't deserve to be talking playoffs. Every team from here on out should just start their 3rd string QB.

Actually, the play and offense is overrated. Its doesn't really matter. But what you are missing here in your explanation, is that the coaches job is to GET THE PLAYERS TO EXECUTE at that high level. THAT is what makes a good coach, not play calling or offenses. Getting others to deliver and succeed. You see, a HC is just a leader. A manager. You don't need to even be that well versed in the day to day of the job, if you can get people to buy into your message and perform, your a good leader and a good manager.

Freddie cannot do that. It doesn't take a football god to see hes a piss poor leader. It doesn't take a football god to see that he cant manage.

Until we lost by 30??

IDK, maybe ask Gregg Williams that question as he was the HC then, not Freddie. Your forgetting that Freddie changed the offense this year, huh? You don't remember the offense being a shell to start the year, do you? So yes, actually - he took stupid pills. His own.

so what your saying, that under Freddie as a HC and under Ryan as his QB coach whom Freddie hired, that Baker regressed as a QB. So you agree that Baker has been a worse player under Freddie Kitchens HC'ing then he was under the staff last year, which was completely different.

Every thing you pointed out in this reply, is nonsense, as more than half the staff and offense is different. Coaching means something. WE don't have it.

You mean the Steelers game didn't give you the answer you're searching for?

Geesh.

It's the most exciting game to me, because I'll be there.

Let's drop 50 on em!

If we make it, we deserve it.

~> Browns win out

~> Rats beat the Jills

~> AZ beats the squealers

~> Raidaz beat the titans