Cleveland Browns

The Browns' ragged inconsistency makes hopes for a winning season look bleak, especially with the 10th-toughest schedule in the league. While the cheap Browns jersey weren't undressed on the most important night of the preseason, too many times they were caught with their boxers down.

''Defensively I don't think we're that far off, judging by the way we're running the plays,'' Mangini said. ''But you can be just a little bit off and not be successful.''

Judging from the performance of Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 who beat Cleveland 38-37 as a rookie, the Browns' defense still has issues. It was picked apart by Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers jersey, who compiled a 143.3 rating in the preseason opener. The Rams' Jay Feely got only one series before suffering a thumb injury, but produced a touchdown. Stafford hit on 13-of-17 for 151 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 120.0 rating.

''He knows I hate making mistakes,'' he said of Mangini. ''When I make a mistake, it's something the whole week I'll be conscious of and constantly work on. He knows I'm going to get it fixed.''

Harrison vowed to get the problem corrected.

''He and I talked about that at halftime,'' Mangini said. ''It's got to get better. When you carry the ball, you have the whole team in your hand. I know he can protect the ball effectively. I have faith in Jerome. I don't expect this to be a continuing trend.''

It marked the second consecutive game that Harrison has fumbled.

Besides Harrison's, which Mangini challenged to no avail, tight end Evan Moore coughed it up after a reception from Seneca Wallace, and rookie quarterback Colt McCoy lost the ball on a hit by defensive end Willie Young in the fourth quarter. Delhomme also dropped a snap that was recovered by running back Peyton Hillis.

''That's 30 points in two games off turnovers. You can't have it,'' Mangini said.

Mangini continued to rail over the Browns' giveaways as they followed last weekend's rain-soaked, five-turnover debacle against the St. Louis Rams with three more against the Lions. Detroit turned the gifts into 21 points.

There were more gashes to come. The Lions hit for five big gainers in the first half, with Stafford passes to Nate Burleson (49 yards), Calvin Johnson (29 yards) and tight end Brandon Pettigrew (16 yards).

On the negative side, the Browns' defense was shredded for big plays, especially during the Lions' first series. Rookie running back Jahvid Best dashed 51 yards around the left end before the cornerback could pull him down at the Cleveland 17. Quarterback Matthew Stafford jersey knew a good thing when he saw it, throwing to Best for 10 more yards, then hitting Bryant Johnson, who leaped over cornerback Sheldon Brown for a 7-yard TD.

Joshu Cribbs showed huge progress as he strives to become a polished receiver with an eye-popping catch on the left sideline in a second-quarter touchdown drive. He deftly pointed both feet to get them inbounds as he pulled in the ball.

''He's a cocky young fella,'' Harrison said of Delhomme, 35. ''He's still got a lot of jazz to him. He's a quarterback you know has your back through thick and thin. You've got to love him.''

Mangini said Delhomme had been ''outstanding'' in the preseason, and Harrison was seconding that notion.

''It is nice,'' Delhomme said of his preseason effort. ''I have a text from my wife. 'Good job. That smile was back. It's good seeing that.' We've been together since high school. We're playing a kids' game and I'm having a whole lot of fun right now.''

Delhomme continued to put up solid numbers, completing 20-of-25 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. In three preseason games, he's hit on 38-of-48 for 345 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a quarterback rating of 122.0. The 12-year veteran continues to affirm President Mike Holmgren's decision to bring him to Cleveland after he was cut in March by Carolina.

On the plus side, quarterback Jake Delhomme masterfully directed the Browns' no-huddle. With the offense in rhythm, it produced two touchdowns and a field goal during his five series. The Browns reached the Detroit 43 on one scoreless possession and another lasted only one play, snuffed by a Jerome Harrison fumble.

There were moments of brilliance and moments of breakdowns, signs of progress and signs of regression. Mangini's postgame remarks reflected both as the Browns prepare for their Sept. 12 opener at Tampa Bay, knowing the starters may see little, if any, action in Thursday's preseason finale against the Chicago Bears.

Judging by the uneven performance Saturday night in a 35-27 loss to the wholesale Detroit Lions jersey at Ford Field, the Browns are far from a fitted product.

Browns coach Eric Mangini billed the third preseason game as a dress rehearsal.

If you really want to search for a dark horse, Leinart might be your guy

Hardesty, though, is the exciting pick, the one with the high upside who could turn into the next great thing. Don't let the fact it is unlikely to happen hold you back, right? Trying to hit a home run also can mean striking out.

No, Harrison is not the best player in the league. But do yourself a favor. Don't take the wild gamble at a point in your draft when you still need reliable contributions. Take ignored Harrison, take the production and don't expose yourself to a potentially wasted pick.

Based on my rankings, these are other players likely to be undervalued and available in the middle to late rounds.

•QB Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals. The addition of Terrell Owens has turned some sentiment on Palmer, but the injuries and lingering memory of last year's 26th-ranked passing offense are too much for many to overcome. Plus, the depth at quarterback this year means there really isn't much reason to take a chance on an uncertain player.

If, however, you wait to take a quarterback, Palmer is a player you can snag in the eighth or ninth round. That gives you the luxury of freeing up one of those early-round picks to use elsewhere — on a top tight end, for example.

•QB Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals. If you really want to search for a dark horse, Leinart might be your guy. With how poorly he is thought of, you can get him in about the 12th round and will want to draft him as a backup. Leinart's upside is huge, given the low expectations. He has star Larry Fitzgerald to throw to, as well as Steve Breaston and Early Doucet. Coach Ken Whisenhunt will protect Leinart with a solid ground game and let Leinart gain confidence. Take him as a backup and use him as midseason trade bait.

•RB Chester Taylor, Chicago Bears. Matt Forte might wind up being a very good starter for Chicago, but it's a wild guess at this point. He is coming off a poor, injury-hampered season, the Bears brought in offensive coordinator Mike Martz and then they signed veteran Taylor. Taylor has long been one of the league's best third-down backs, and third-down-type backs often are what Martz wants.

Forte is being drafted as the no-brainer starter, which is not reality. If the playing time is closer to 50-50, the two should be drafted close to each other. I lost faith in Forte last year and rank Taylor ahead of him.

•RB Carnell Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Williams is a relatively boring veteran with limited upside on a likely low-scoring team. At some point around the ninth round, that is exactly what your team will need, and Williams will probably be sitting there.

He made it through 2009 after returning from a serious knee injury and had his best season since his rookie year in 2005. The Bucs did not bring in anybody to take Williams' time, and he can expect a modest increase in work. That gets him near 1,000 yards and six to eight touchdowns. There is a spot for those numbers on anybody's roster.

•WR Steve Smith, New York Giants. A groin injury in training camp took a little luster off Smith, but he should be fine well ahead of Week 1. For a player who was second in the league with 107 catches and one of five receivers with more than 100 receptions, Smith gets little respect.

The knocks are that Smith has had one big year, the Giants Larry Fitzgerald might run more and the team's other receivers are ready to step up. Smith should be a top-10 receiver, but it is easy to let him slide because of the uncertainty around him. If you have a chance to add him as your No. 2 on the cheap, take it.

•WR Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers. Looking at Driver, I see a player with six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and an automatic No. 3 receiver or flex starter. He also is 35 and going into his 12th season, with some younger teammates itching to take his playing time.

When a player has been consistent and productive for so long, you can assume he will continue at that level until he proves otherwise. For Driver, that means adding him as a third receiver in the seventh or eighth round.

•WR Santana Moss, Washington Redskins. Moss has been a perennial disappointment, but that generally has been the fault of the Redskins, not of Moss. He essentially remains an afterthought, being drafted as if Washington will drag him down again. The odds of that happening with coach Mike Shanahan and quarterback Donovan McNabb appear slim. And Moss has almost no competition at wide receiver. Moss will not suddenly turn into one of the league's elite receivers, but Shanahan's offense will demand a high-catch player (80 to 90 receptions), and that almost has to fall into Moss' hands.

•TE Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders. He seems to be getting punished despite his success and the Raiders' upgrade at quarterback. Miller has improved his year-to-year stats in each of his three seasons and should be on the brink of something huge with Jason Campbell taking over at quarterback. Miller should be an automatic top-10 tight end pick and has a chance to wind up being the best of the second tier at the position.

Signing former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck  was a nice pickup, especially since he's been so productive and pretty much sets the standard for professionalism. He's projected to move from outside to middle linebacker for the Giants, but would that be the best fit?

Bulluck didn't play against the Jets on Monday night as he continues to recover from major knee surgery. Jonathan Goff, Gerris Wilkinson and Phillip Dillard took turns with Goff starting. By all appearances, all three played fairly well. Film breakdown could tell otherwise but the need to move Bulluck inside might have been marginalized.

I was with the Titans last week and there were some folks wondering how Bulluck Anquan Boldin would do because he's not so much a masher -- as the middle spot lends itself to -- as he is a playmaker. New Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell might be looking for that style of Mike 'backer instead of the type New York had for years with Antonio Pierce. In the meantime, Wilkinson, Goff and Dillard combined for 12 tackles, two stops for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Not bad.

Bulluck, based on his resume, could still be more effective than either three -- that's why the Giants signed him and changed his position. New York is being cautious with Bulluck so he'll be ready for Week 1. We'll see if they need him by then.

Next up vs. Pittsburgh on Saturday: Bulluck could be held out again, but should he play, the Steelers will come right at him as they hope to improve their running game.

Dallas Cowboys 2010 Predictions

The Dallas Cowboys won the 2009 NFC East title on the strength of an 11-5 record. They they went on to win their first playoff game in 13 years, a 34-14 blowout over division rival Philadelphia. Now, the Cowboys have their sights set on getting back to the Super Bowl, which will be played in the new Cowboys Stadium this season.

In this article, we'll take a brief look at both sides of the football. Then, I'll make my prediction on where the Cowboys will finish in the NFC East division.

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Offense: The Cowboys were one of the most balanced teams in the NFL in 2009. They ranked No. 6 in the league in passing offense (267.9 yards per game) and No. 7 in rushing offense (131.4 yards per game).

Quarterback Tony Romo is coming off an impressive season in which he threw for 4,483 yards and 26 touchdowns with only nine interceptions. There's no reason to think he can't match those numbers in 2010.

Wide receiver Miles Austin is coming off a breakthrough season. He punched his ticket to the Pro Bowl by catching 81 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 scores. The Cowboys will get an added boost with the addition of rookie Dez Bryant. Bringing Bryant aboard should also push Roy Williams to perform at a higher level. We also can't forget about tight end Jason Witten, who is coming off a 94-catch, 1,030-yard campaign.

The backfield is absolutely stacked with Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. Jones and Choice both gained over 5.5 yards per carry last year, and all together the trio combined for 1,966 yards. If Jones can stay healthy, I'm expecting a monster year out of him.

Defense: Dallas boasted one of the best defenses in the entire NFL last season. The Cowboys ranked No. 2 in the league in scoring defense, only giving up 15.6 points per game. They were particularly stingy against the run, only allowing 90.5 yards per game on the ground (4th in the NFL). But there is still room for improvement against the pass. Dallas ranked 20th in pass defense last season, giving up 225.4 yards per game through the air.

The defense is led by Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware. He is without a doubt one of the very best defensive players in the entire league. Ware has put together four consecutive season with 11 or more sacks.

You're also going to want to keep an eye on Anthony Spencer. He appears poised for a big season after six sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2009.

Big Jay Ratliff anchors a solid front three. This group will have the potential to better in 2010 if it can get more out of Igor Olshansky.

Former Pro Bowler Terrence Newman and Mike Jenkins lead the secondary. Veteran safety Ken Hamlin must be replaced, but the Boys have confidence in Alan Ball among others.

Prediction: 1st NFC East – As we enter the 2010 season, the Cowboys look to be the most complete team in the NFC East, as well as one of the most complete teams in the entire NFC. We very well could see the Cowboys playing at home in Super Bowl 45. NFL lines makers have listed the Cowboys at +125 to win the NFC East. Take a look at my 2010 NFL predictions to see which teams I have winning the other seven divisions.

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Ahmad Bradshaw will be prepared to take over as the featured back

Tuck did, however, say one thing I liked when he was asked if the team had improved the talent level of the defense this season.

"The one thing we have to be careful about is locking into that word "talent." We had the same talent last year, and we all know what happened last year, so I only focus on working and taking that talent and getting some production behind it," Tuck said. "The healthier we can stay this year, the more we can stay on the football field, take reps and the better we'll be."

As was talked about many times during the off-season, the Giants are focused heavily on getting the running game back to where it was in 2007 and 2008, when it was dominant. Head coach Tom Coughlin was asked about that again on Monday.

"I just want to see us run the ball and be productive with the run. Be able to stay with it and play good defense. Stop the run so we can stay with it and stay balanced," Coughlin said. "I don't like the situation we were in last year on occasion where there was no way to stay balanced. We can't win under those circumstances."

A key to the running game, of course, will be the health of Ahmad Bradshaw. Coming off foot and ankle surgeries Bradshaw worked in both practices Monday. Coughlin is watching Bradshaw closely.

"He made some nice cuts and nice runs this morning. He caught the ball in the individual drill. I'd like to see first he have confidence in himself, what he can and can't do. I want to see him extend that and fight his way through some of the tough days and continue out here with his teammates without having to take a step back," Coughlin said. "If you thought you could utilize Ahmad to the full extent, he's a guy who has run kickoffs back and has run punts back. He obviously is an outstanding runner in his own right ... I think that with Ahmad it's just practice, practice, and stay out there and prove to everyone, himself included."

Of all the things that went wrong last season, the lack of a consistent running game might have been the thing that disappointed Coughlin the most.

The Giants went from the No. 1 rushing team in the league in '08 to a No. 17 ranking in '09. They averaged almost a full yard less per carry in '09, which put too much pressure on Eli Manning and the passing game.

Tiki Barber told me early last season that he'd advised Brandon Jacobs to learn how to protect his body more on runs. It may have been solid advice, but Jacobs appeared tentative in '09 and began to doubt himself as the season unfolded. If he looks tentative early in this season, I believe a healthy Ahmad Bradshaw will be prepared to take over as the featured back.

I've been impressed with how quick and decisive he's looked in camp. And Andre Brown appears to have regained his speed after missing last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Brown should be a good change-of-pace back and he has soft hands that could make him a decent option on third down.

When I think about Giants' football, I think about a power running game. We need Brandon Jacobs to put the power back in our power running game. We know what Ahmad Bradshaw can do when he is healthy. Danny Ware has had a good three days; Andre Brown  has had a good three days. So we have the backs. We just have to get the right combination up front to get our power running game back.

When I think about Giants defense, I think about pass-rushers, tough physical fronts. So when people ask me about what do you think about your team, we got to get back to our identity. If we do that, we will be there at the end

Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco

We can only hope that Terrell Owens' and Chad Ochocinco's partnership on the Bengals will be as surreal as their partnership on VH1.

The receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson eliminated 69 suitors on the first episode after starting with -- of course -- 85 ladies. This decision was primarily made by making the contestants do football drills while wearing some classy powder-puff outfits. Receiver Bernard Berrian led the workout.

Since, Chad has been working his way through a seeded bracket tournament, with the Elite 8 almost set. He's also been doing all of the dating show staples: a trip to Vegas, wanting to see the girls' "real personalities," and wanting to see everybody's "wild side." The favorite has to be Rubi, Chad's No.1 seed.

How did Chad Ochocinco land a guest gig on FX's second-season premiere of "The League?"

Using his favorite medium, of course.

The Cincinnati Bengals tweet-aholic saw an episode of FX's comedy about a fantasy football league in which Andre (Paul Scheer) says "Child, please," a catchphrase Ochocinco used frequently on "Hard Knocks." Chad Ochocinco contacted Scher via and asked him to put him in the show.

Executive producers-spouses Jeff and Jackie Schaffer were happy to oblige.

"He's perfect for us because he comes from the world of football," Jeff Schaffer said. "He had a blast."

Atlanta RB Turner expects productive season

Michael Turner is getting his swagger back.

He wants the Atlanta Falcons to know he can carry a heavy workload this season. The right ankle sprain that essentially ended his 2009 campaign in mid-November has fully healed.

Turner spent the offseason training vigorously to regain the Jamaal Anderson  burst that helped him rush for a career-best 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns the year before.

Well, the burst was back on the Falcons' first day in full pads Monday.

"At this point, yeah, I do feel quicker,'' Turner said. "I feel faster, stronger. It's kind of tough to say right now, but I feel like I'm in it for the long haul now.''

Despite trading in March 2009 for perennial Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta's offense fell short of its goals last year.

Quarterback  Matt Ryan missed two games with a toe injury. No. 3 receiver Harry Douglas was out the entire season with knee surgery. No. 2 running back Jerious Norwood, who suffered a hip flexor and a concussion, was sidelined for six games.

Gonzalez and two-time Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White both stayed healthy and combined for 2,020 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns. However, without Turner, the Falcons lacked some of the identity that helped them finish 11-5 and earn a playoff spot the year before.

"Some years you have to fight through injuries,'' Turner said. "It just happened that it was my year. It's unfortunate, but I just have to move on from it and focus on this year.''

Turner has heard all the wear-and-tear stories from aging and retired running backs. They tell the compact, 244-pound Turner that one day he will wake up after a game and feel half-dead.

As far as Turner is concerned, that day is in the very distant future.

"The older vets say it all the time. 'There's going to be a point in your life where there's some days you just don't feel like getting up,' "Turner said. "But I haven't had that feeling. That's fortunate for me, but the first four years I didn't play a lot, so I've still got a whole lot of years left in me hopefully.''

After leading the NFL with 376 carries in 2008, Turner knew some people were predicting his body would break down quickly.

He spent the previous four years as LaDainian Tomlinson's backup in San Diego and signed a lucrative contract with Atlanta despite having only 228 career rushing attempts.

So when Turner averaged only 3.4 yards per carry through the first six games, critics wondered if he'd lost a burst at the line of scrimmage.

It seemed Turner wasn't hitting holes as aggressively and breaking tackles as easily as he did the year before.

By Week 8 in New Orleans, Turner flipped a proverbial switch and gouged the Saints for 151 yards and one TD on 20 carries. He put the first part of the season to rest.

"It was a different way we were running the football,'' Turner said. "It was different play-calling. There were a lot of factors that played into it, and I just gave a better effort on my part to break more tackles and make those plays that sometimes aren't always blocked clean. You know, defenses were loading up against us the first couple of games, so we had to make a point.''

Unfortunately, the Falcons were in the midst of a 2-6 streak that eventually ended their playoff hopes, but Turner seemed to have regained his swagger.

Over the next six quarters, he gained 277 yards on 27 carries, but Turner went down with an ankle sprain just before halftime at Carolina and did not return.

Atlanta coach Mike Smith considers the ankle sprain to be an aberration.

"I think one of the reasons Michael doesn't feel too bad on Mondays is that he's a compact runner,'' Smith said. "When he runs, basically it's shoulder pads and knees. There's not a whole lot of surface to hit. He's got a low center of gravity, and that takes some of the wear and tear off of him. Last year's injury, I don't think, was based on workload.''

Notes: Norwood missed both sessions Monday with a hip injury. Though Smith acknowledged that Norwood hurt the same hip last year, he believes the injury is different. ... Cornerback Dunta Robinson couldn't practice for the second straight day because of a strained hamstring.

Texans at the beginning of the season

Arian Foster is, in my mind, the safe choice to be carrying the load for the Texans at the beginning of the season. He's the only back on the roster that had success in the NFL last year, and Gary Kubiak is, if anything, loyal. He proved that last year by his usage of players with the surname "Brown". Because of these two factors, as well as Foster being named starter going in to training camp, I think it'd take an injury or a massive explosion by one of the other two backs to unseat him as starter to begin the season.

Of course, I'm sure we'll see plenty of the other backs on the roster as well, no matter who the starter is. I think the safe money is on Ben Tate eventually usurping Foster sometime around mid-season. As much as I'm pulling for Steve Slaton, I just can't give him the benefit of the doubt on playing time Mario Williams until he's actually on the field. Neck surgery is a scary thing, and his peripheral vision could be at risk. I'm staying away from him until we see him in a preseason game.

I just realized that I made an error in my July 28 note on Jackson. I said he ran for less than 1,400 yards last season. Shows how good my proof-reading is. He ran for 1,416. I meant to say more. Whatever. Jackson is still the lone proven threat in the Rams' offense. And while it's nice to hear that he is healthy now, it's a lot different than being healthy in December. Jackson hasn't played 16 games in a season since 2006. Keep that in mind before you draft him. I think he's a first-rounder, but I wouldn't take him before pick No. 8. I have more faith in the seven running backs before him and I would slip Andre Johnson in there as well.

To me, this reads like they're going into training camp with Studdard at left guard, Caldwell DeMeco Ryans at right guard, and Smith at center. I would give Studdard the highest odds to be a starter next year, despite how poorly I thought he played, because he started more games than Caldwell last year and has the attitude the Texans love. I wouldn't be altogether surprised if anyone ends up starting or benched, but I think Smith is going to be in the lineup. He's the only one listed as a G/C on the roster, and of course, money talks. Ultimately, I think they'd be best with Caldwell at left guard, Smith at center, and a healthy Brisiel at right guard. But I'd bet on Studdard-Smith-Caldwell.

John McClain recently tweeted that he thought this was Adibi's job to lose. I'm not so sure. For one thing, while he was technically the linebacker with the fourth most snaps last year, he was essentially buried and only got on the field 31 times. Secondly, if the Texans were comfortable enough with him to hand him the job unchallenged, they would have never signed Clark in the offseason.

At any rate, Adibi wasn't exactly a plus run defender coming out of Virginia Tech,Brian Cushing  and Clark spent most of the year as a two-down linebacker with the Giants. I think the plan will probably be to platoon the two of them. Clark on run downs, Adibi on passing downs, and Sharpton on the bench should something happen to either of them. This, of course, technically makes Clark the starter. I wouldn't completely rule out Sharpton as the starter either, but I haven't seen enough of him to really judge how well he'd do. I think he's got some walls to climb to get there anyway.