Despite Win Browns Defense Has Many Holes To Fill

by Greg Kozarik

The Browns got extremely lucky on Monday night, as they actually were able to hang on to the 29-27 win despite giving the game away as per usual. The Bills fans saw something that has become all too familiar and that is a missed field goal that sailed wide right to seal the Browns' victory.

The win is nice but something very disturbing continues to rear its ugly head—missed tackles. Tackling is a staple in football but for some reason this team continues to miss tackles and take bad angles at the opposing players. This is something that should be fixed in training camp.

Head Coach Romeo Crennel runs a spring break type of resort that everyone else calls training camp. He proclaimed when he took this job that he was a teacher of football but what is he teaching.

Some players need to be taken out of this discussion and those two players are DT Shaun Rogers and LB Willie McGinest. Rogers has been nothing short of spectacular this year and McGinest looks as if he has hit the fountain of youth. The 15-year veteran finally is earning his money.

Watching the defense last night became excruciating. Buffalo's second-year running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch were made to look like O.J. Simpson and Thurman Thomas by a backpedaling Browns' defense. Those two backs rushed for a combined 179 rushing yards and 99 receiving yards.

Thank goodness for the Browns that Bills quarterback Trent Edwards continues to regress in his development. Edwards was setting up camp in the backfield as he had all day to throw once Buffalo's offensive line started to double-team Rogers.

Now let's look at some of the individual efforts by the Browns defense. It is time to sit Kamerion Wimbley. This guy looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. A simple stutter step by Lynch on the Bills first touchdown brought Wimbley out of his jock. This guy has become a bust and moves as if he has cement shoes on.

Crennel said they would move him around to open things up for him, so on Monday night he was in coverage more than rushing the quarterback. When he does rush the quarterback his one move cannot get by any offensive lineman. Where is the teaching for this kid?

One player that the team needs to cut ties with is linebacker Andra Davis. There were numerous times that he just stopped pursuing on plays. Talk about quitting!! I have never seen Ray Lewis stop on a play and seen him come from behind to make plays. Davis has not played hard since Butch Davis was head coach. He is slow and for a linebacker, his tackling skills are amongst the worst on the team.

In the same mold of Davis is D'Qwell Jackson. Jackson whiffs on tackles and also stops once the play goes past him. Plus, when he drops in coverage, there is not one tight end he can cover in the league. Where is the teaching for Jackson on how this game is played?

Another player who gives up is defensive lineman Shaun Smith. This is all on him. If he played as good as he talks, he would be a perennial Pro Bowler. This guy plays at half speed most of the time and he needs to learn to shut his mouth and learn to play football.

One more player is Eric Wright. He is a good player except for his tackling. He looked like a scared schoolgirl when he saw Lynch coming at him. He needs to watch tapes of Daylon McCutcheon when it comes to tackling. Deion Sanders didn't tackle but he did everything else above and beyond his ability. Wright is far from being Sanders.

It is great that the Browns got the win, but just remember it is only a mirage. Some of the better offenses will pick this defense apart and I am sure that Sage Rosenfels and Andre Johnson are licking their chops for a chance to play against this porous defense. Good thing we have a defensive guru for a head coach!!