If, by some fantastic shift of reality, nullified points counted in football, the Browns would have totalled 27 points in their first game, 26 in their second, and 13 in their third. They would have had a scoring differential of only +2, but, more importantly, a reasonable shot at being 2-1, or even 3-0, in which case they would have become instant media darlings and popular sleeper candidates. Dennis Northcutt would have been halfway to tying the record for punt return TDs in a season, after only three games!

My point is not to say that the Browns got ripped off, or that they should have won or some such thing, but merely to point out how fickle and unpredictable the game of football is. Let's say Frisman Jackson doesn't throw an illegal block, or, even better, let's say the ref just doesn't notice it. The Browns take the early lead and perhaps end up in an overtime battle, tied at 13. Not much would have changed--I would still think that the Colts' offense had played slightly better than the Browns', and that the Colts' defense had done the same--but the result could have been quite different.

Which is why I am not disheartened by this loss. The lone fact that it was a loss does not do justice to the fact that the Browns played a pretty solid game all-around, especially considering the expectations and the opponent. If I took anything from yesterday's loss, it was a sense of optimism--that the Browns have a successful gameplan; that they know what they'e doing for once, instead of simply hoping that those fluky, unpredictable calls might go their way.

Play of the Week

Alex says: The only moment of this game that started out exciting and didn't then go on to break a Browns fan's heart was Daylon McCutcheon's interception in the 2nd quarter. Essentially, there are no other true nominees, be it for ridiculous penalties (Northcutt's punt return), poor execution (Bryant's dropped touchdown), or just general stupidity (those insane taunting penalties).

Corey says: Alex is right; the offense tended to move downfield in small increments, making it difficult to select a single play. I do recall being quite pumped up on Reuben Droughns' 22-yard run near the end of the first quarter, in which he broke like 3 tackles in the open field. It was the second-longest gain the Browns made all day (the longest being during a meaningless drive at the end of the first half). That run also set up the Browns' first field goal of the day.

Player of the Week

Alex says: Human Phil Dawson has clearly come prepared for the 2005 season. He may have missed an insignificant extra point last week, but he's back to his old self again. Perfect, that is. We all remember Dawson's attempt at history last season, and he's up to his old tricks again. Dating back to Week 17 of last season, Human Phil has played in four straight games, during which he has connected on 11 consecutive field goals. Where will he stop? Nobody can be sure, but it better include a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Corey says: I'm inclined to give this honor to someone on the defense, given the perceived quality of the Colts offense, but really, there's no one to single out, plus, while the Colts offense may have put up mediocre numbers by Colts standards, they were still pretty good numbers by regular standards. So I'll go with Trent Dilfer, for lack of anyone better. Trent was very efficient with his passes and connected with eight different receivers on the day. Dilfer knows not to gamble; he is precisely the type of quarterback I want on my team (he's just a little past his prime). If he keeps performing like he did today, I think the Browns will be just fine.

Quote of the Week

Alex says:

"We know that if we do the right things early, we can win this game. We just got to learn to do the right things early. And not do the bad things." --Reuben Droughns

I don't have anything against Reuben, in fact his sandwiches are delicious. Additionally, he doesn't even say something controversial or interesting. I just picked this quote because Droughn's uneasiness at being interviewed rings out. It also made me laugh.

Corey says:

"I thought we were better than the first two teams [the Colts] played. I thought our game plan was better." --Trent Dilfer

Trent is speaking only of the offense here, and the two teams to which he refers are the Ravens and the Jaguars. I happen to think he's right in that Baltimore and Jacksonville both have severely overrated offenses. Whether the Browns' gameplan specific to the Colts was better or not, I am not qualified to say. The Browns did become the first team to score twice on the Colts defense this season, if that counts for anything.

Ryan Pontbriand Honorary Special Teams Moment of the Week

Alex says: The man of the hour, Phil Dawson, receives more accolades! While his two field goals resulted in more noticeable and immediate benefits to the Browns' cause, Human Phil went above and beyond following his first field goal: he booted the ensuing kick-off well into the Colts' endzone. How? No one may ever know, but let's enjoy it while we can. Before long Phil will be back to feebly knocking them to the 15.

Corey says: Michael Lehan has taken over as the special teams' star gunner on punts, following a proud tradition of Mistake by the Lake favorites. In the first quarter, on Kyle Richardson's first punt of the game, Lehan delivered a wicked hit on Colts returner Troy Walters, dropping him for a loss of 2 yards. Containing opposing punt returners has been a particular specialty of the Browns in recent years, and I have high hopes that this trend will continue.

Obscure Brown of the Week

Alex says: Although he didn't get a millisecond of playing time, he did a fine job holding a clipboard and looking interested. My choice for Obscure Brown of the Week is the newly acquired 3rd-string QB Derek Anderson. While I wish he wore #23 instead #3 to follow in the line of great Derek Andersons in Cleveland sports history, sadly, that's impossible given the NFL's draconian "rules". D-Rock is very big, and wore size-17 shoes at age 10. No joke. Maybe the Browns could mold him into a hybrid QB/TE or something, that would be awesome to say the least.

Corey says: I know Alex was probably saving this one for a rainy day, but I'm going with #75, backup defensive end "Big Ol'" Simon Fraser. Like many Browns legends before him, Fraser is an alum of The Ohio State University, which obviously makes him popular with the fans. From watching the game on TV, you can't exactly tell how many plays a guy like Simon gets in on, but certainly he is a regular participant on special teams. Simon grew up in Upper Arlington, OH, not three miles from Ohio Stadium.

Fashion of the Week

Alex says: The white #10 RICHARDSON, I don't really know why I have to choose these anymore. That being said, Richardson has been great for Cleveland so far, exceeding his career norms and totally kicking Derrick Frost's ass. He's also a proficient passer, with his only career attempt being completed for -11 yards in 2001.

Corey says: How about the #50 FAINE, which many people bought hastily after the 2002 draft but which is only now beginning to look like a decent purchase. I understand that Shelton and Andruzzi had a tough time with Dwight Freeney, but other than that, the offensive line has looked quite excellent. Faine is the only "homegrown" talent among the starting linemen and he is probably the one with the brightest future ahead of him, given his age. Of course, if, by season's end, the O-line looks a little more "Browns-like", then I never said any of this.

Idiot of the Week

Alex says: I'd like to say the referees, but refs will always make calls that piss off somebody. So I'll go with Grady Sizemore, who really should've caught the ball that cost the Indians the game. The Indians losing a sure win has really put me in a funk from which I have yet to recover. That would explain why I'm not as funny as normal. Even though the Indians have a near lock on the playoffs, the Tribe's chances of taking the AL Central just took a major hit.

Corey says: Well, I will say the referees. Whether Frisman Jackson made that illegal block or not; whether the Browns receivers were taunting their opponent or not; these are things that take place far more often than they are called by the referees. At the very least, the taunting, I feel confident to say, is something that takes place all the freaking time without being called a penalty. There is a fine line between taunting and celebrating, and it's purely a judgement call on the part of the ref. Personally, I fail to see how taunting of any variety could affect the flow of the game or the performance of the other team so long as no physical contact was made.

Number of the Week

Alex says: As well-publicized as it was, we all know that the Browns have now allowed a sack on the season (4, in fact). But for the second straight week the team avoided any turnovers, which let them keep the game so close--thus my Number of the Week is once again zero. True, TDilf fumbled the ball on one of the aforementioned sacks (and Football Outsiders has us believe that who recovers a fumble is random). But I'm pretty sure that the grit, mental toughness, and preparation of Leonardo Suggs XII all but assured that the Browns weren't going to lose possession. No way, Jose.

Corey says: -46.6%, the total DVOA of the 1999 Browns. I bring this up now because it was only this week that Football Outsiders published the DVOA stats for the '99 season (having previously only released data for 1998 and 2000-2004). Anyway--surprise!--the '99 Browns posted the second-worst DVOA total of any team in any season for which the stat has been tracked (behind only the 2000 Cardinals' -46.9%). I have said in the past that the 2000 Browns, in spite of their extra win, were actually worse than the 1999 Browns by dint of an inferior Pythagorean win percentage. The DVOA totals, however, suggest otherwise and I am more inclined to put stock in those than in any other measure. Now, you ask, just how is all this relevant to our beloved Browns of today? It's not, really, except that it serves to remind us just how bad things used to be.

Next week: We've got just the thing to help you get over the bye week blues. It's a one-time deal, so be sure not to miss it. That's right! It's Born and Raised on the Cleveland... Indians!