What to make of the Cleveland Browns? Having struggled mightily in 2008, the team looked rather hopeless ending off the season.

The Browns are one of the worse statistical teams in the NFL in every major category, offense and defense. The Brown are in a brutal division, AFC North, with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and the “new & improved” Cincinnati Bengals.

Star tight end Kellen Winslow is out of Cleveland, now with Tampa Bay. There’s no hope at running back (it’s not like Jamal Lewis is getting younger). Offenses pounce on the Cleveland defense, and Braylon Edwards is simply too erratic.

After a 34-20 loss against the Vikings in week 1, things didn’t look too much better for the Browns. Granted, the Vikings are a tough team with high expectations this season, but after a week 2 loss at Denver, the Browns look nearly as hopeless as they did in 2008.

Eric Mangini, the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, came from the New York Jets. While the pressure of coaching in Cleveland isn’t as great as in the city that never sleeps, Mangini has a mountain to climb. After not telling the public who his starting quarterback were until the very last minute, the Browns have been going nowhere fast.

Donte Stallworth would have provide Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson a target, Stallworth is suspended by the NFL for a DUI vehicular manslaughter incident in the off-season.

So maybe Denver really does have a good defense. Is it possible?

There’s a good chance that the Browns will be just as bad as they were in 2008, and possibly even worse. Mangini or not, this team needs some serious help in 2009 and they need more than a few good draft picks.

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