There are THREE winnable games left on the schedule, MAX.

[mz.]

Don't believe me? Look for yourself.

2010 Browns Schedule
Sunday, September 12 at Buccaneers, 1:00PM L

Sunday, September 19 vs. Chiefs, 1:00PM L

Sunday, September 26 at Ravens, 1:00PM
Sunday, October 3 vs. Bengals, 1:00PM
Sunday, October 10 vs. Falcons, 1:00PM
Sunday, October 17 at Steelers, 1:00PM
Sunday, October 24 at Saints, 1:00PM
Sunday, October 31 Bye Week
Sunday, November 7 vs. Patriots, 1:00PM
Sunday, November 14 vs. Jets, 1:00PM
Sunday, November 21 at Jaguars, 1:00PM
Sunday, November 28 vs. Panthers, 1:00PM
Sunday, December 5 at Dolphins, 1:00PM
Sunday, December 12 at Bills, 1:00PM
Sunday, December 19 at Bengals, 1:00PM
Sunday, December 26 vs. Ravens, 1:00PM
Sunday, January 2 vs. Steelers, 1:00PM

The schedule was pretty brutal to begin with, and out of the five winnable games we I thought we had before the season began, we already lost two of them. So other than Jacksonville, Carolina and Buffalo, we play all potential/likely playoff teams and will be considerable underdogs.

3-13 being a best-case scenario makes for a long fucking season.

[King of Kings]

Not to piss in anyones cheerios but I would cross off the Jags and Panthers as well.

[Vegasdogg]

Well if you want the high pick - and you were pissed about winning those last 4 games - than maybe a dose of Mangini and Dabol is just what the doctor ordered.

If we're going to be 5-11 again I just want us to compete and get stronger. With the guys on this team there is no way we don't get to at least that.

I just think every team feels this way. I'm sure right now the Cowboys and Cardinals and Vikings forums are all singing the blues right now about how their team needs a QB and they suck and just blow the team up.

Even the most ardent Mangini regime supporters knew this gig was a one year audition. He'll get the whole season. I'm just not sure Holmgren is going to let Dabol continue his streak of 1 first down per 4th quarter.

I wasn't looking for more than 7-9 anyway. The team has to show improvements. No more blowouts. Next week is a big test no matter who plays QB, because as we've seen it doesn't matter that much.

[damajuki]

C'mon, mz, it's plenty early still. Things are bad, but they're not THAT bad, yet.

And the reason is simply this: we can play D and we can run the ball.

Remember: anything better than HORRIFIC QB play and we are 2-0 and the storyline is very different.

We are quite literally talking about two picks that changed this whole season, so far. Let's not lose sight of that.

To your OP:

I honestly think we can take 2 of the 4 at home in October/November. I think Bengals, Falcons and Jets are winnable at home.

I also think winning at Steelers is possible if we can get after Big Ben like we did last year.

Panthers are worse than advertised and could be starting Claustrich by then. Jags are also horrible. They could be picking with us in the top 10 or could take our place if we can get our act together.

Finally, I think December is in our favor. Dolphins at Miami is winnable. Ravens and Pukers at home is either going to be spoiler-time for us and/or garbage-time for them -- both winnable.

In all seriousness, if Jake can get better, we have a chance. Not a great chance, but a chance.

I think 5-11 or 6-10 is just as possible as 4-12, to be honest. But it's all going to depend on the offense getting a LOT better.

[Crow]

I can't really see Mangini making it through this year. Our fortunes could change, but the smart money is probably on another disaster year in terms of win-loss record. If 6-10 is the "maximum optimism" as you are suggesting Juki, that would mean Mangini pretty much achieved slightly more than what he did last year. That is not a wonderful position for him to be in. And that's the best possible position.

This will mean another new head coach and more years of rebuilding and more years of the team being blown up. Nobody probably wants to hear that but I believe in H3 - they're more likely to make a good hire than any other dimwit we've employed in the last ten years. Rome wasn't built in a day and football teams don't fix themselves overnight.

[nickers]

Originally Posted by damajuki

C'mon, mz, it's plenty early still. Things are bad, but they're not THAT bad, yet.

And the reason is simply this: we can play D and we can run the ball.

Remember: anything better than HORRIFIC QB play and we are 2-0 and the storyline is very different.

We are quite literally talking about two picks that changed this whole season, so far. Let's not lose sight of that.

To your OP:

I honestly think we can take 2 of the 4 at home in October/November. I think Bengals, Falcons and Jets are winnable at home.

I also think winning at Steelers is possible if we can get after Big Ben like we did last year.

Panthers are worse than advertised and could be starting Claustrich by then. Jags are also horrible. They could be picking with us in the top 10 or could take our place if we can get our act together.

Finally, I think December is in our favor. Dolphins at Miami is winnable. Ravens and Pukers at home is either going to be spoiler-time for us and/or garbage-time for them -- both winnable.

In all seriousness, if Jake can get better, we have a chance. Not a great chance, but a chance.

I think 5-11 or 6-10 is just as possible as 4-12, to be honest. But it's all going to depend on the offense getting a LOT better.

whatever ganj your smokin pass it My way K?

[Enigmatic Evil]

Wait... we can't win at Bye week, can we?

I think we can beat the Falcons. They're an incredibly inconsistent team and I think that's a game we can win. We should be able to beat the Dolphins too. They're a "better" team than us but I don't think they're a team that we can't beat. I also think we can beat the Steelers. We win those games, and the ones that you pointed out, we're at 6 wins and that's technically "improvement" right?

[Greythan]

We're two pick sixes from being 2-0 while turning the ball over 2+ times and committing 8+ penalties each game.

Little early to call for a 3-13 season. I get that's MZ's style (probably his therapy) but don't go there. Its early and don't forget where we were last year. Mangini's teams don't quit. I'm willing to bet we'll do better than 3-11 from here.

[golfer704u]

Originally Posted by Greythan

We're two pick sixes from being 2-0 while turning the ball over 2+ times and committing 8+ penalties each game.

Little early to call for a 3-13 season. I get that's MZ's style (probably his therapy) but don't go there. Its early and don't forget where we were last year. Mangini's teams don't quit. I'm willing to bet we'll do better than 3-11 from here.

Honestly?

I'm one of the biggest Mangini supporters here, but that schedule is brutal and given the first two losses, I don't see more than 4 more wins on this schedule myself.

[Greythan]

My point is that every year folks look forward at the schedule and make conclusions on ease/difficulty based on last year's results. Minnesota and Dallas are 0-2 and look like hell for example.

I honestly don't expect our QB's to throw 14 more pick 6's.

I honestly don't expect this team to average 9 penalties a game for the year.

I honestly don't expect this team to average 2+ turnovers a game for the year.

The two teams we've faced may end up not being good, but they're both 2-0 so far. (Yes, I know we "helped" that but KC beat San Diego and Tampa destroyed Carolina yesterday.)

Finally, I'm an optimist. I know that's not popular.

[damajuki]

Attaboy, Grey. Welcome to the 6-10 club!

I don't know what you guys are watching when you predict us losing all those games. Pittsburgh dominated on D yesterday to gut out a win. We could do that too.

In fact, had we not had the dual Unforgivable QB Sins, we may well have eked out two ugly wins.

Which is what we're built to do, by the way. You think our FO/coaching staff don't know our own limitations (i.e., the QB and the WRs)? Of course they do! Which is why they built this team to play D and run the ball.

And what unraveled that very sound strategy? The QBs. Plain and simple.

So, it's not blind optimism we're preaching here. It's patience and moderation.

We are NOT the worst team in the NFL but we DO have the worst QBs RIGHT NOW.

The main question remains the same: can they, JD in particular, get better?

If so, we'll not only stay in games, we'll win more than people think. If not, we are in the Luck sweepstakes.

[Danamal]

The Torch and pitchfork club needs to calm down.
We are a few pieces short of the puzzle and we all knew it,we will lose some we should win and vice versa.
Seems people just want to bitch looking for the same old lets fire the coach and GM and expect a different result(which we have done four times already).
All the negativity and just outright hostility in here is really ugly and makes it difficult to want to even post here anymore,is this the type of board you want to claim proprietorship of?

This isn't a glass half full type of post,sure we all want to win but you can't just scream for blood every day,it accomplishes nothing and we don't have any say in what they do anyhow.
All this anger is going to lead to some serious personal attacks attacking each other over the teams inability to put a smile on your face.
Calm the hell down everyone,its a long season,longer for some...