Backing Away From Disaster

If you are any time of Cleveland fan you know when a rookie from the opposing team is going to play...they will have a career day; Even if the Browns/Indians/Cavs are on fire the games you fear the most are those in which the opposing team is doing horrible; those are the games that break our hearts...those are the games we lose.

Sunday's game against the Rams was setup to be one of those games - the Ram's were 0-7 going in...this had disaster written all over it. I was nervous days before the game; I was nervous during the game; Heck, as I write this blog 2 months after the fact (sorry about that...real life/school makes one busy), I am still nervous.

What made the Rams particularly dangerous was the fact that Steven Jackson came back from an injury; he is their star running back. No big deal; I mean the Browns I am sure prepared for him and everything will be fine...hahahahaha; yeah right, we are Cleveland fans.

You know that shovel you have in your garage? The one your significant other laughed at you for getting, saying "when in the heck are you going to use this...it is huge!" Yeah, that one you are so proud of. Well, the Browns borrowed that in the first quarter and dug themselves the biggest hole I have seen in while. Jackson was on fire - he had a rushing touchdown in no time and the Rams drove down a second time and got another.

14 points. While the Browns were working on that hole I started to make the coffin for the game...ok, not really. I mean every Browns fan talks like they are giving up on the game, but no one actually does...ever. The Browns managed to put together a descent drive and get a field goal...not bad.

WAIT. There is a God! Steven Jackson got hurt! No, I don't actively hope that anyone gets hurt and even when they do I pray it isn't serious. That being said, the "back spasisms" he was experiencing was welcomes news to all Browns fans. I told you - God is a Browns fan.

On the next drive I knew we would win this game. The Rams had brought it to the Cleveland 33 and decided to go for it on fourth since the Browns defense was...pitiful. Thats when it happened; the players on the field transformed. I saw sparks of the later 80's and early 90's that I grew up watching. They marched out on the field and stuffed a run for no gain; the Browns got the ball back and the momentum. The Browns never looked back from there. Sure the game was close, but that is when it all turned around.

Winning against a winless team might seem like a "gimme" victory to most people, but us Clevelanders know how hard those wins are to come by. The Browns have now won back to back games and are showing signs of life. I will put away my coffin construction gear for now...