DATELINE BEREA: Like many of you, I spent my Sunday afternoon parked in my easy chair watching the debacle that was the Browns home opener. As the game unfolded from early on, my thoughts of optimism were quickly replaced by harsh reality – and that reality is that the 2006 Cleveland Browns are not a very good football team. From the moment that an apparent 60 yard Frye to Edwards touchdown pass was wiped out by a holding penalty on Kevin Shaffer, my thoughts throughout the game continually came back to, “you’ve got to be kidding me!” The team which had the second overall pick in this year’s draft was outplaying our team on our home field, and in every aspect of the game. The Saints out-schemed, out-coached and out-executed Cleveland play after play after play.

The only bright spot in the first half was the Browns red zone defense – which allowed a mere nine points. The Dog Pound would’ve been calling for the coaching staff’s collective heads had it been three touchdowns. It seemed that the only two players on the active roster who decided to show up ready to play were TE Kellen Winslow and S Sean Jones.

That said, it could be worse . . . we could be Raider fans – where Al Davis is still running the show like he’s James Dean (For all you clones out there still using your Crayola's, Dean starred in the movie “Rebel Without a Cause). You think we’ve got O-line problems? The Raiders gave up nine QB sacks against the Chargers, and have toyed with the idea of bringing back Jeff George to play quarterback. WR Jerry Porter is visibly unhappy in “The Black Hole” and wants to be traded – ANYWHERE. The big question in Raider Nation seems to be, “Do we take Troy Smith or Brady Quinn with the first overall pick.

It could be worse . . . we could be cheese heads – where Brett Favre is already wondering why he came back to play another season for the Packers, who’ll have a top five pick for the second year in a row. For the first time in his NFL career, Favre was shut out against “Da-Bears”. It’s almost as if the Chicago defense collectively thanked him for not retiring just yet. In defense of Favre, Chicago will probably finish the 2006 season with a top three defense in the league – but the Packers are a mere shell of their formers selves.

While the Browns O-line didn’t play well on Sunday, there’s every reason to believe that – barring injuries – they should get better as the season goes on. Why? Several reasons . . . 1 – Hank Fraley is a seasoned veteran center, and when he gets used to the terminology and the blocking schemes, he’ll be just fine. 2 – There are two new starters on the line from last year’s team, and offensive linemen need to play together for a period of time in order to work well as a collective unit. 3 – I think they’re still getting over the fact that Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley is gone for the season, and the addition of Fraley will eventually soften the blow.

Conversely, Offensive Coordinator Maurice Carthon is the man under the microscope. It’s been said that his play calling is predictable and unimaginative. While that all may be true, the proof of this team’s offense will be its ability to execute plays on a consistent basis. If they make a marked improvement in execution of plays called, then this issue will eventually become a non-issue. Case in point – when the Buffalo Bills had Joe Ferguson at QB, O.J. Simpson at HB and “The Electric Company” blocking for them; the play calling was as generic as Penn State’s road uniforms. The big difference was that they had a playmaker at running back and an offensive line that properly executed at the point of attack. The one thing that did surprise me about the play calling was the fact that their starting HB rushed for over 1200 yards last season and he got only eleven carries against the Saints. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

So now the Browns have to take their show on the road and play the Cincinnati Bengals, who won the AFC North division last season and have only gotten better. Can the Browns pull off the upset in the Nati? Yes they can, but it will take a monumental effort in all four aspects of the game – offense, defense, special teams and coaching. How well they defend against the run and cover Chad Johnson will be huge determining factors defensively. Offensively, they need to be able to run the ball, move the chains, hold on to the football and win the time of possession battle – which will limit the number of opportunities that Carson Palmer and company will have to score. From a special teams perspective, Cleveland needs to win the battle over field position.