The Browns have played three games. While there are obvious problems with
this team, there has been marked improvement each week going back to the
preseason, with the possible exception of the Bengals game. While enthusiasm is
rampant among fans, and this optimism is perhaps merited in some quarters, there
is reason to have hope. It doesn’t have to do with blocking or tackling per se.
It isn’t about what scheme the Browns employ or third down conversions.
A mentor of mine taught me a principle in life that I have found to be true
in whatever endeavor I have been involved: Success always hinges on good
leadership.
The leadership of former head coach and stand-up guy Chris Palmer was aptly
demonstrated via his infamous “runaway train” analogy. And the front office had
Carmen Policy, a person I would not trust to tell me the sky was blue.
It was no secret that I had soured on Butch Davis at the end of 2002. His
leadership style set a tone for the organization, one of mistrust, inequitable
treatment, and ignoring the counsel of the people working he supposedly hired to
advise him. I won’t rehash all of these things. They’ve been discussed to death
on this site.
However, general manager Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel have done a
lot over the last six months or so to turn that upside down. My best reason for
optimism is that the Browns seem much better off in their leadership, at least
from what we have seen to date. The tone set by an organization’s leaders tends
to radiate through that organization and establishes a tone, a modus operandi
for others to follow.
Are these guys perfect? No. I haven’t agreed with every move they have made.
For example, while the backup quarterback market was admittedly picked over, I
was not sold at all on Doug Johnson. The Browns eventually reversed that
decision. But, agree or not with a particular move, I do trust the people and
process that are in place to make the decision.
Let’s face it, to a large extent, the NFL is dealing with players. Players
are human beings. Dealing with human beings isn’t an exact science. You’ll guess
wrong sometimes. But, listening to your scouts, going with the percentages,
taking a chance on local products that have potential and fan support are things
that have a proven track record of success in the league.
Sure, innovation can be good, but a lot of times, simply doing what most
people do and have done makes the most sense. The reason others have done these
things is because they have had a track record of success. In life, as well as
the NFL, seldom is the amazing new approach really better. Unless you are that
rare genius, you aren’t going to figure out a way to suddenly beat the system.
Romeo Crennel has showed some great leadership so far. Look at the way he
talks frankly about being a loser until you win more games than you lose. He
didn’t tell you how great the team was when it played a close game with the
Colts. I love the fact that Crennel benched LJ Sheton after a couple of
penalties in the Detroit preseason game. How about the way he got into the face
of Antonio Bryant and Braylon Edwards were guilty of taunting? I love the fact
that he tells it like it is when the team doesn’t do something well. His quiet,
no-nonsense style sets a tone that radiates through the entire team.
In turn, Savage and Crennel have brought in leaders like Trent Dilfer. While
Dilfer has shown flaws as a player, he is a solid human being, one that it is
hard not to root for. He says all the right things. He is a leader. He is tough.
He’s been through the fire of trials in life and on the football field. And on
top of that, he’s looked pretty solid in the scheme the Browns are running so
far, and I think he has rewarded their trust with a performance that has
exceeded the expectations of most of the pundits.
I think Charlie Frye has some of the same qualities as Trent Dilfer, which is
probably why the Browns drafted him. The comeback Frye led at Akron from a 28-7
third-quarter deficit to defeat Marshall last year was one of the most amazing I
have seen, and showed good leadership and grace under fire. The preseason looked
promising.
This season will likely still have a lot of bumps. Despite the fact that the
Browns seem to be playing with a lot of heart, the defense is not going to match
up well with a lot of teams. Even with good game plans, the talent on the team
might not match up with some opponents. This will test the leadership on and off
the field. But if you hang with this team, I predict that sometime this season,
perhaps sooner than many expected, we’ll be seeing some things that will make us
proud. The team may not always win, but so far we’ve seen great effort. This
team will strive to get better. We’ll see the fruits of good leadership, and
we’ll finally begin to shake off the spectre of the poor leadership of the new
Browns up to this point.
The season is short, bark hard!