Impact Analysis: Cleveland Browns offense

September 26, 2008 @ 16:24:35

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Herija C. Green

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel could be ready to make some changes after a demoralizing 0-3 start to the season.

The defense certainly deserves some of the blame (20.0 offensive points and 347.0 yards allowed per game); however, most of the fault lies on the offensive side of the ball.

The offense rnks dead last in the league with only 26 points scored. Last year they possessed a dynamic passing attack (232.9 passing yards per game, 12th in the league) that provided a strong balance to the running game (118.4 rushing yards per game, 10th). This year, neither has seen much success.

Last year they were able to keep defenses honest against the run with 53 passes of 20 yards or more (3.3 per game). This year, they have just one pass of that type through their first three games while ranking second-to-last in the league in passing yards per game (122.7).

Those looking for a silver lining to the Browns' slow start would point to the team having faced two playoff teams from last year (the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers) and the 2-0 Baltimore Ravens, a division rival.

However, looking ahead, all but two of the Browns' remaining opponents either currently have a winning record or were in the playoffs last year. Things might not be any easier down the road.

So what has gone wrong this year? We'll take the same approach as Crennel and evaluate each skill position on its own.

Quarterback

Table: Browns quarterback stats (2008)

Player	G	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Int
Derek Anderson	3	43	93	46.2	405	2	5

At this point last year, Anderson had thrown for 760 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. He would finish the year with 3,787 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He was also sacked just 14 times.

This year has been a different story for the fourth-year quarterback. He has passed for just 405 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also been sacked eight times. Some observers believe Anderson is suffering from a loss of confidence, which could stem all the way back to his struggles last December when he tossed five interceptions in the final two games. He also suffered a concussion Aug. 18, which caused him to miss the team's final two preseason games and limited his snaps during practice.

Anderson's backup, second-year quarterback Brady Quinn, has all the physical tools to succeed at the NFL level. A lack of experience is the big question mark surrounding him, attempting just eight passes in his career. He was relatively productive during the preseason, completing 41 of 62 passes (66.1 percent) for 428 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Crennel plans on giving Quinn more reps with the first team this week, and even though Anderson is set to start in Week 4, he figures to be on a short leash.

Anderson should be relegated to a No. 2 quarterback with potential to put up No. 1 numbers. However, with only one real year of NFL success, alarms bells are ringing that he could be a one-year wonder.

Quinn could be added as a handcuff to Anderson. Those owners struggling at the position in deep leagues could add Quinn as well, though he is no more than a weak No. 3 option at this point.

Should Quinn start, he likely would be more of a game manager, as many young quarterbacks are. However, with more than a year learning the offense, Quinn should be developed enough to open up the playbook after he gets comfortable with the speed of regular season games. That being said, Anderson is more of a vertical passer than Quinn, so if a change is made a shorter passing game is likely to be implemented.

Running back

Table: Browns running back utilizations and stats (2008)

Player	Pls	RZ Pls	IN5	Run Yds	Run TD	Rec	Rec Yds	Rec TD
Jamal Lewis	17.33	2.00	1.00	52.0	0.00	2.33	21.0	0.00
Jerome Harrison	1.33	0.33	0.00	0.7	0.00	0.67	14.0	0.33
Lawrence Vickers	2.00	0.00	0.00	2.0	0.00	1.00	8.0	0.00
Jason Wright	2.00	0.67	0.00	5.3	0.00	0.00	0.0	0.00
Charles Ali	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.0	0.00	0.00	0.0	0.00

The Browns rushing attack is the next struggling part of the offense; however, there are some underlying issues. Last year, their backs ran the ball 24.8 times per game, which placed them 14th in the league. Even more impressive was their 4.4 yards per carry average, which was eighth.

So what's the story through the first three games this year? The loss of offensive guard Eric Steinbach (shoulder) has created a hole on the left side - guard Seth McKinney has struggled replacing him. The return of lineman Ryan Tucker (hip) could help the line, though after practicing all week he was held out in Week 3.

Another factor is the defenses the Browns have played. Over the first three weeks, they've faced the Cowboys, Ravens and Steelers, who all rank in the top five in the league in rushing yards allowed to opposing backs.

Lewis, a bruising back, has just 156 rushing yards on 44 carries (3.5 yards per carry). He also has seven receptions for 63 yards. At 29, and with 2,164 lifetime carries, he could be slowing down.

Wright served as a solid backup last year (60 rushes for 277 yards, 24 catches for 232 yards), but he has just two carries for 16 yards and one reception for nine yards this year.

Harrison (5-foot-9, 205 pounds) and Vickers (6-foot, 250 pounds) don't receive much use in the offense. Harrison has received just one carry for two yards while catching two passes for 42 yards and one touchdown. Vickers, the team's fullback, has five combined touches for 30 yards this season.

From a fantasy perspective, Lewis has fallen to a No. 3 back. If the offense can return to form, his value could come up; however, that looks like a big if. The remaining backs on the roster have no value in most single-year leagues, barring Wright as a handcuff for Lewis.

In point-per-reception leagues, Lewis' value takes a hit as he has averaged just 2.1 receptions per game in 18 career games with the Browns.

Wide receiver

Table: Browns wide receivers utilizations and stats (2008)

Player	Plays	RZ Plays	IN5	Rec	Rec YDs	Rec TD
Braylon Edwards	9.00	1.33	0.67	2.67	24.3	0.00
Syndric Steptoe	3.67	0.67	0.00	1.67	11.3	0.00
Steve Sanders	0.67	0.00	0.00	0.33	6.0	0.00
Josh Cribbs	2.00	0.00	0.00	0.50	8.5	0.00

The Browns have faced some quality defenses, though only Baltimore has truly shut down opposing wideouts. The Ravens have allowed a league-low five receptions and just 58 receiving yards per game to the position. The Steelers rank 14th in receiving yards surrendered per game (118.7), but they're also tied in giving up the seventh-most receptions (11.67) to opposing wideouts. The Cowboys are 20th (153.7) in yardage and 21st (11.00) in receptions per game, respectively.

Edwards (foot) has stumbled out of the gate this year; his 27 targets have resulted in just eight receptions for 73 yards. His slow start could be due to a foot injury he suffered during the preseason. This limited his time in camp. His concentration could be lacking as well. He dropped numerous passes over his first two games and has been penalized several times this year.

Injuries have placed a large burden on Steptoe, Sanders and Cribbs; none of them have stepped up. Steptoe has caught five passes this year for 34 yards. Sanders has caught one pass for 18 yards. Cribbs (shoulder, hamstring), a great special teams player, has managed just one reception for 17 yards in two games.

Not included in the above table are two veterans: receivers Donte' Stallworth (quadriceps) and Joe Jurevicius (knee).

Stallworth has been grounded with a quadriceps injury. The speedy veteran should give the offense another dimension opposite Edwards when he returns, though a firm timetable has not been established. He has caught 84 passes for 1,422 yards and eight touchdowns over the last two seasons, and he has the ability to stretch the field - 24 catches of 20-plus yards in that stretch.

Jurevicius is the veteran in this group. He caught 50 passes for 614 yards and three touchdowns last year. He is not going to stretch the defense as Stallworth might, but Jurevicius has a huge frame (6-foot-5, 230 pounds) and is solid in the short to midrange passing attack. He is also dangerous in the red zone because of his size.

From a fantasy perspective, Edwards should be viewed as a solid No. 2 for the time being with the potential to return to No. 1 stats. If Quinn plays, Edwards' value could decrease as Quinn favors more of a dink-and-dunk approach than Anderson.

Stallworth might be worth stashing in deep leagues but elsewhere should remain on the waiver wire. Jurevicius is not worth owning until a firm return date is known.

Steptoe, Sanders and Cribbs should not be added in any league.

Tight end

Table: Browns tight end utilizations and stats (2008)

Player	Plays	RZ Plays	IN5	Rec	Rec Yds	Rec TD
Kellen Winslow	10.00	0.33	0.33	4.67	38.7	0.33
Steve Heiden	1.00	0.00	0.00	0.33	3.0	0.00
Darnell Dinkins	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.0	0.00

Winslow might be the only player not disappointing fantasy owners in the Browns offense. He is tied for first among tight ends with 30 targets and ranks fourth at the position with 14 receptions. However, it has not translated into many receiving yards as he is 12th with just 116. He also has one touchdown reception.

Heiden and Dinkins have not been utilized often in this offense and contribute almost nothing statistically.

For fantasy owners, Winslow still ranks as a solid No. 1 tight end. It's hard for his value to drop with any quarterback change. In fact, it might go up a little with Quinn under center as he could be a solid safety blanket. The other two tight ends have no fantasy value.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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