My transformation continues.

Before game 1 of the season started, I was convinced of the following truths:
1) Mangini is an awful coach
2) Daboll is an awful offensive coordinator
3) Ryan is an above average defensive coordinator
4) There is a reason Tom Heckert deferred to Andy Reid on personnel matters
5) Mike Holmgren's oversized ego, and his eagerness to run everythign would eventually overwhelm this franchise and make it no better than it was before the season

Now, following game 11, where we squeaked by the worst team in football by a lucky point, when our record sits at a measly 4-7, I think it's time to honestly evaluate where we are in regards to those 5 points.  We'll talk a little about the game, we'll talk a little about Paul's inflamed sinuses, and we'll talk a lot about the big picture, because right now we need tobe focused on that.  Remember, it's GameCenter's standing position that there are only two acceptable outcomes in a football game, you either win the game, or you play a game so that it helps you win a future game or games.

Let's try and sort out this one out without having to rely on a bounce off the upright.

FIVE BIG THINGS, Truth or Fiction edition

1) Truth or Fiction: Mangini is an awful coach: FICTION. Fiction that he's an awful coach.  Yes.  WAS he an awful coach?  Yes.  Is he now?  No, I think clearly he's not awful.  He has some strengths, and some abilities, and some obvious weaknesses.  I think more than anything, this makes him average.  I think in terms of pure athletic talent, this team is in the bottom third of the league.  More on that in #4.  Looking around the NFL, seeing Brad Childress, and Wade Phillips, and Chan Gailey, and Norv, and McDaniels, and Singletary, etc... I think it's clear Mangini is doing much more with less than some of those coaches.  I think he's average.  He comes into games with good strategies, the teams is always resonably well prepared, and his successed have led to increased expectations.  If, at the beginning of the year I would have told you that We'd lose Delhomme, Wallace, AND McCoy at times this year, and that before games AFTER they'd been hurt, we'd expect this team to beat teams like the Jets and Jaguars - I think you'd acknowledge that as real steps forward.  I think those expectations are real and legitimate, and the fact that they're not crazy expectations is a tribute to an improving team under this coach and coaching staff.

2) Truth or Fiction: Daboll is an awful offensive coordinator: FICTION. He's not the worst I've ever seen.  I think he's below average, but he's not as awful as I thought he was.  Maybe in the 18-22 range of ranking offenses... I don't know that he's worth keeping around, but he does some thigns well.  As does his boss, he comes into the game with a good idea of what he wants to do, and he does a good job of establishing it early.  He's a good X's and O's guy, and the plays we run are generally well thought out.  The Carolina game proved to me that he runs plays that put the wideouts in positions to make plays, and that's it is a function of quarterback play that fails to get them involved - not a function of the plays called.

My big complaint is this - As a former defensive guy, when the chips are down, and you're forced to make a call on your gut, Daboll always calls the play that he thinks would bethe hardest to defend.  But the problem is, when your defense gives up a big play, it's usually because you took a calculated gamble, and it didn't pay off.  But you knew you took that risk, so you it doesn't hurt as much when you give it up.  What the defensive corodinator remembers is getting pushed around and giving up 5 yards on aplay that should have given up 2 or 3 - because those extra yards were not in the plan to begin with.  So we run those plays - those 4-6 yard plays that defensive coordinators hate defending.  But when you're running 4 yard plays - you only have to be stopped once to be 3 and out. And those are the plays that have crushed us in the second halves.

3) Truth or Fiction: Ryan is an above average defensive coordinator: TRUTH. I like Ryan, I think we all do, but here's what I like best.  Unpredictibility.  Most good defensive coordinators try to funnel the offense to a position of defensive strength.  Not Ryan.  Oh sure he'll do that, but he'll also dare you to go at his weakness- but go at it onhis terms.  It may be a blitz that gives you what you want, but gives it to you a half second earlier than you wanted it so your timing is off.  Maybe there's a hidden linebacker in there to disrupt a play that looks open.  If Rob Ryan stands for one thing, it's giving you what you want.... but giving it to you on his terms.  It wouldn't work if 32 teams played that way.  But 32 teams don't play that way.  And that makes it special.

4) Truth or Fiction: There is a reason Tom Heckert deferred to Andy Reid on personnel matters: TRUTH. I don't know that I like Heckert yet.  I don't like how he and Holmgren make Mangini the face of everything.  There are personnel questions better answered by that pair than Eric, but Eric gamely answers them every week.  Let's see what the team has on a scale of 1-5, and compare it to last year.  1 = pro bowl - 3 = average - 5 = ufl/xfl/College Div 1-A

Quarterback 3 - Last year, clearly a 5.  But it should be said that had McCoy not turned out to be average, you'd be looking at 2 guys who couldn't start for most teams playing all your downs.  I could see a rating of 4 here.

Running Backs 2 - Last year, 3 - even if they were used improperly throughout the year.  If we could legitimately spell Hillis without losing our entire running game, this could be a 1.

Wide Recievers 5 - Last year, 5 - Nothing done to improve anything here.  If anything it's Mangini's players, Stuckey and Massaquoi which prevents this from being a 6 (Youngstown State Level).

Tight Ends 2 - Last year, 3 - Watson was a good pickup here.  Moore and Royal were already here.

O-Line 2 - Last year 2 - The changes that the front office have made have not improved (or hurt) the line

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D-Line 2 - Last year 2 - The emergence of Rubin has been what's prevented this from being a dropoff.  If Rubin was what he was last year,  then the front office changes would have been a negative.

Linebackers 4 - Last year 4 - Fujita helped, but now is gone, and as for the rest?   We've got like 5 okay linebackers, and 5 just less than okay linebackers.  Quantity does not equal Quality.  Tackling is below average.  COverage skills are below average, and run stopping skills are average.

Secondary 3 - Last year 4 - Replacing McDonald with nothing is baffling.  Still.  You're telling me McDonald can't be a DIME back?  please.  Wright regressed.  Brown has helped, Elam has made plays in 2 straight games, and Ward and Haden are plusses.  The issue is, I'm not sure Haden and Ward are Heckert calls.  I think they may have been Mangini/Holmgren calls.  We'll see.

Special teams is fine, and not worth addressing here, as there has been nor eal changin personnel, since Zastudil was hurt last year too.  My point is this... I don't see where the GM's efforts have helped the team.  Maybe it's a combination of the three Heckert/Holmgren/Mangini that makes all the decisions, and my perception is way off.  But What I see is a coaching staff doing better with most of the same pieces thay had last year, a quarterback Holmgren pulled rank on, with the players Mangini imported last year making the biggest contributions.

5) Truth or Fiction: Mike Holmgren's oversized ego, and his eagerness to run everythign would eventually overwhelm this franchise and make it no better than it was before the season: FICTION (so far). In fact, Holmgren has been eerily silent.  Time will tell....We have no real read into the browns inner circle, so we don't know.  I do know this, with Holmgren at the helm, I expected a more candid, open, honest franchise.  Oddly, the only one more open, candid, and honest with the fans has been Mangini.  I don't know what to make of this.

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Anyway, I barely mentioned last week's game, it was a lot of Jake being Jake, and making Jake-like-decisions, and a few poor tackles down the stretch, but we won anyway.  We got lucky on the kick at the end, but honestly, they were out of bounds the play before, so time should have expired.  It's a win, I'll take it and move on.  It makes up for the one of the ones we should have won earlier in the year.

As for Paul's sinuses? Kudos for him taking a pill, putting on the pads, and putting out a honest week's effort when the chips were down.  he could have just quit and shut down for a week.  It's one more way tBf is better than LBJ.