Unfortunately K-Dubs the Soldier took the "U's" loss to G. Tech pretty badly and is currently in a Lake County holding cell. We here at Pencilstorm expect to have him back on board by next week

So without my trusted yet ornery colleague, here is my (Big $'s) take on the current state of the Browns. Remember to follow us @northcoastposse for thoughts and comments throughout the game.......

With the much ballyhooed bye week in the rear view mirror,  what do we know about the 2014 Browns?

First things 1st, I think we have learned that The Steelers and Saints may have entered the season slightly overrated.

I have also discovered that 15 years of the crap we've been subjected to as Browns fans has left me with a thick shell of ambivalence. This shell will not be cracked by a perceived "change of attitude" but by concrete results. My memory is not what it used to be, but it does still recall close losses and blown leads during the Chudzinski era. This is by no means a defense of Coach Chud, but rather an indictment of Browns fans who have changed perceptions while still watching games slip away on Sundays. I'll jump on the "half full" bandwagon when the team consistently wins games it's supposed to. Today will go a long way towards that end.

I believe we can safely say that the "q.b. competition" was chum used to attract a national media presence. Hoyer is a leader, case closed.

It's also time to admit that the rabid local and national media attention paid to Johnny, should of focused on the holes on defense. The tackling is atrocious and the Browns seem out-schemed when it matters most. I am most concerned about the Gilbert/Haden c.b. combo. If they don't improve, even the creampuffs on the schedule will find a way to exploit this tandem in the pass-happy world of today's NFL.

Last but not least, the special teams simply suck. The Browns need to pick up Matt Prater, get him a driver, and team him up with a certain beleaguered w.r. Not only does this make football sense but the revenue lost by the slow death of Johnny mania could be replaced by the potential Prater/Gordon reality show possibilities.

What do we expect in week 5?

The theme of my entries thus far has definitely been "tempered exuberance." No matter what improvements we think we're seeing its still a 1 and 2 football team traveling to Tennessee. The Titans are a mess, but as far as I can tell the Browns are much closer to being a mess than elite. I'm by no means at a point where I can expect or predict a Browns win on the road. Titans 24 Browns 17.

Where would I start LeBron this week?

Although my post-bye week assessment indicates that I see several holes on the field, I have to use King James' many talents to replace the sycophantic stylings of Nathan Zegura. He is so incapable of conveying any anti-Browns opinion I expect that he is somehow tied into "rebate-gate." LBJ hosted SNL, so doing a couple hours of Browns radio/tv per day would be a breeze.