Saturday, January 12, 2013

Browns hire Rob Chudzinski as Head Coach

Rob Chudzinski, or "Chud" as he will no doubtedly be referred to in Cleveland (and nationally, if he actually wins games), was hired by new owner Jimmy Haslam and new president Joe Banner on January 10, 2013. Mixed reviews have expectedly followed. Let me tell you why this is a GOOD thing....
1) Lifelong Browns fan. He's from Toledo. The last time the Browns were relevant there was a guy named Kosar who WANTED to play in Cleveland...good times.
2) Offensive minded. If there is anything the Browns need, it is a dynamic offense. It energizes the fan base, the defense (which is talented enough, but can't be subjected to being on the field all the time; it is of course tiring, and makes them resent the offense a bit...not good for team chemistry), and it puts fans in the seats. This may seem unseemly to a diehard football fan to not be a defensively driven team, but it is what sells tickets and gets you on NATIONAL TV on Sunday and Monday nights.
3) He's bringing Norv. Say what you want about Norv Turner, but he is a heck of an offensive mind. He may not be the greatest head coach (although I think his bad times in San Diego can be somewhat attributed to G.M. A.J. Smith), but he is one heckuva offensive coordinator. There is a good reason why Troy Aikman had him be the guy to introduce him for his Hall of Fame induction rather than Jimmy Johnson.
4) He's a quarterback driven guy. Hey, everybody says it's a "quarterback driven league," (a highly overused term), but it's true. The days of a David Woodley (Dolphins) or Trent Dilfer (Ravens) taking your team to the Superbowl are OVER. As offensive coordinator of the Browns, Chudzinski made Derek Anderson a Pro Bowl Quarterback. He made Cam Newton the most prolific rookie QB of all time. This guy definitely has a way with quarterbacks. Personally, I think Brandon Weeden has a million dollar arm and a ten cent head but if he can at least get him to play marginally better, the Browns will be much improved. How a 6'4" quarterback gets his passes batted down more than a 5'10" quarterback (Russell Wilson) is unfathomable to me. If Chud can just get Brandon "Nuke Laloosh" Weeden to play smarter, he may have a real NFL QB on his hands.
Bottom Line: The NFL is fickle and hypocritical. If you don't win in a couple of years, you're fired; if you can't win, it's because you have no consistency at the head coaching position. There is no longer the same chance to build a sound foundation to a team anymore in other than only the best franchises (New England, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Denver) . To build a RELEVANT franchise (as in one that is a contender annually), you NEED consistency. That is what I think Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner are trying to build here. I know this sounds like a broken record, but Cleveland fans need to give these guys a little time to work. Everybody loves a quick fix, but that is not what these guys are looking for...nor should you.





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