The defensive line, which last season showed all the resistance of a torn porch screen, has upgraded to Plexiglas. Tim Couch made some nice plays yesterday and showed the enthusiasm that made him a fan favorite last season. But squeeze the balloon hard enough and watch the dead air simply shift to another spot. The secondary, in particular, was pitiful against the Jags. Realistically, Cleveland needs to play almost perfectly to win.
Little mistakes are splinters that hurt.
We did some things that a mature team doesn't do, or that it gets away with,'' Palmer said. When developing a team, you go through days like today. The bright side is that one half of good football is 30 minutes more than the Browns showed last year in their opener when Pittsburgh pounded them 43-0. The bad news is that 30 minutes is still 30 minutes too short. To win, Cleveland cannot fumble in the red zone.