DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum A tale of two teams

I was just thinking about this tonight while they were playing highlights of the Miami game on NFL Network.

Anyway while I was watching the highlights I remembered possibly the ugliest Sunday Night football game ever played. It was Christmas Eve (I believe) 2004 and two teams that were going nowhere were pitted in a battle royale of who could out suck the other and pull out another mind numbing loss. For it's games like this one that are lost not won, no, one team simply plays not as awful as the other.

Of course I'm talking about the Browns-Dolphins Sunday nighter. Remember the one that featured that talented young rookie Luke McCown (that went nowhere) and was highlighted by a Lee Suggs fumble on the one. What a shootout it was, ending before the Dolphins could lose their slight edge of 10-7. Yes on that night the Browns managed to escape with another loss and stick the Dolphins with a rare win. And I spent a good half hour just sitting there pondering how far our beloved Browns had sunk after a playoff appearance a mere two years ago. I specifically remeber how painful that loss was for me not because it meant anything in terms of wins and losses but just because it hit me at that point just how pathetic we had become.

But anyway as I thought about that game it struck me how those two teams have gone in such different ways after being stuck in the same rut, or abyss for better use of a word to describe their situations. The Browns as we know brought in Romeo and Phil Savage to turn the sleeping giant (as Phil called it) that was the Browns franchise around. They patiently pieced together a solid roster with a mix of veteren leaders and young talent. They stole a talented but raw qb from are mortal enemies in Baltimore and waited as he matured into a good with the potential to be great NFL Q.B. They manipulated the draft to land us arguably the best prospects at three key positions LT, QB, and CB. They brought in hard nosed players that understood what it takes to win and what it is to be a Cleveland Brown. Bottom line they did what it took to lay the foundation for this team to be contenders for a very long time.

Then look at that other team featured in that premier match up. The Dolphins haven't moved forward at all. In fact they've even taken a step back. 0-10 and heading nowhere fast. AJ Feely is gone replaced by Culpepper no Green no scratch that Lemon on fourth thought make that Beck. They draft players that can't point out London on a map and players they think are going to be great special team players. They bring in old immature overrated veterens and pay them all too much to make fools of themselves and the franchise. And in the end they do everything in their power to lose as many games as possible.

My point in all this is, looking at the Dolphins I see what very well could have been the 07 Browns had we not kicked the old way of doing things to the curb and brought in the right people for the job. So thank you Phil and Romeo for hanging in there with us and pulling this proud franchise out of it's rut. It's nice that for once we're one of the teams that is going about things the right way. It's nice not being laughed at when they play Cleveland Browns highlights. It's nice walking around wearing my Browns gear without having to hear "who-dey's" or "Browns suck". It's nice playing meaningful games later than week one in the season. Right now it's just plain great being a Browns fan.

Keep up the good work Phil and Romeo!

GO BROWNS!!!!! 6-4

You know what...Man, I watched that Sunday night disaster as a Browns fan in a nowhere season with my parents and my best buddy as Dolphins fans during a nowhere season.

Needless to say we werent very amped for that game. We just laughed at how pitiful of a game that was. Ugh.

But yes, in this tale of two teams, there is a completely different direction.

I think, not only is the difference Phil and Romeo, but Randy Lerner. Randy has been a very positive influence. Wayne Huizenga has been a very negative influence in Miami. He's a high profile guy, that wants things done and wants them done now. His lack of patience, and his inability to hire low key hires has caused Miami problems. The hire of Nick Saban was a terrible one. Everyone knew his heart wasnt into it. He loved college ball didnt want to leave, the money spoke, but it doesnt always speak for a long time, especially when theres still money coming from college. But Huizenga wants the high power, high reward, big name hires. Like the yankees have been in recent years. Big hires, low stability, and its causing problems with miami.

Saban
Joey Porter
Dave Wannstedt...more so Jimmy Johnson.
Ricky Williams
Trent Green
Culpepper
Feeley.

All those hires we supposed to be quick fixes. They gave up on each and every one too quickly because Wayne Huizenga wants the quick fix.

Cleveland has been the picture of patience. Letting everyone grow and mature. We've been slightly impatient at times. Dilfer, Carthon and to a point Frye (starting him before he was ready).

We've taken our time and made sure to do everything right. Butch Davis was the get things done in a hurry, right or not (thats why we had to ditch verterans to get under the cap). Now we have taken our time, and have a good blend and youth and money, and we're improving.

Its great to see. I feel bad for Miami because theyre making bad hires. Even Cameron was a high profile guy. Coming from the Great SD Team...While he wasnt a terrible choice (much like Linehan for the Rams), lets hope they keep him around for a while, and let him mature like we did with Romeo. Then maybe they can return to being a good team like they used to be.

I was at that game sitting in the one of the VIP boxes with my girlfriend and a bunch of her friends. I watched the game in disbelief still pulling for my Browns while my girlfriend and her group of friends partied not even watching the game. I'm glad our team is alot more fun to watch.

Ugh! I remember that game. I believe it was the day after Xmas and there was a huge snowstorm. I was watching it at BW-3s in Mentor and my wife called cuz' she got stuck in a snowdrift out in the middle of nowhere. I was actually happy to leave the game to go dig her out.

Watching it on TV was bad? I was there, brudda!

I remember the interception that turned into a fumble, to give us the ball back, and a somewhat cold night. We were the only two Browns fan in our section, and we were all laughing about how poorly our teams were playing. I left before they kicked the game winning field goal, it was tough to take.

I see what your saying Overtoad but I disagree on a few points.

1. How many of those picks from the early 2000's/1999 are still here?
Couch...gone, Brown...gone, "Big Money"...long gone, Jeff Faine...gone, William Green...gone, so as you look at our eary picks all of them are gone. Most of the rebuilding that has been done draft wise has been done 2004 and on up to 2007. The Dolphins could have done the same in the seasons after 2004.

2. We didn't struggle that much for some of the early 2000's. Look at 01' we were literally cheated out of a .500 season. Any way 7-9 wasn't that bad and the record didn't result in a top ten pick. Then in 2002 we went 9-7 were a playoff team (If you remember the Dolphins didn't make it as we edged them out for the wildcard). Once again no top ten picks. that's 16-16 overall for those 2 years or half of the "early 2000's.


3. You mention we got Winslow, Edwards, and Thomas because we picked so high in the draft. The Dolphins passed on Edwards to take Ronnie Brown so they had they're chance to pick Edwards. This year there we're plenty of solid players left when they picked Ted Ginn, they had to know he wasn't going to come in contribute all around. They could have taken Quinn or a number of others. 2004 yes we got a top ten pick and took Winslow and they were substanially further down and took Vernon Carey but there were some very good players left (Vince Wilfork, Steven Jackson). Most years though we have been relatively close in draft position.

4) And shouldn't the fact that they had a strong defense aided in their turnaround process. They were able to narrow their search for talent down to mainly offensive players. In fact if the O could put together some drives and allow them to rest I think their D would still be solid at the worst.

Overall I'm saying the Browns completely started over after 2004 and the Dolphins had the opportunity to do the same. And it's not so much as a fork where they go opposite ways but instead one franchise improving as the other stays the same or goes in circles. And to be clear I'm not saying we have arrived by any stretch I'm simply saying that we have improved and that it is nice playing in meaningful games this late in the year. I look at the Dolphins and I see what the Browns were doing for the most part since 1999. And seeing that it just makes me that much more thankful that we're competitive.

I think it was the day after Christmas, and I was at that game, it was in Miami. It was a cold Florida night, in the low 40's and raining. As Floridians we froze our hineys off.

It was a sad display of athleticism, or should I say lack of athleticism. Our biggest excitement came during halftime when someone in our group found a stand selling hot chocolate.

And though I hate to say it, we're not going anywhere meaningful with this defense
I don't hate to say it...it's a fact..it needs major fixing..
However , I like that the Browns are competitive and winning some games..it keeps that draft pick we gave up free falling late in the first round.

KingSteve hit the nail on the head.
We have been slow moving when making changes, lately.
The Fish have had a revolving door when it comes to coaches.

Add in they have been missing in the draft, you have your reasons.

It also doesn't hurt getting lucky, Anderson.

I remember watching that game and wondering how far this franchise had fallen. Was this the game where Lee "Glass Man" Suggs had over 100 yards rushing and 3 lost fumbles?