By DOUG TUCKER, AP Sports Writer September 18, 2003
CLEVELAND, OH (AP) -- Kelly Holcomb may not be the only guy on the hot seat afterall.
Cleveland Browns head coach Butch Davis shockingly announced Thursday that he plans to bench all 11 defensive starters for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers for at least the first quarter. In a move that surprised the media and the public alike, Davis said he plans to use his 2nd team defense this weekend and get them more reps in practice to help kick-start his team and pull them from a dissapointing 0-2 start.
``This is insane," said defensive end Courtney Brown. "We hold Indy to 9 points, and all because of one bad game we get benched? This joint is crazy."
ADVERTISEMENT
Brown's sentiments were not unique. Free safety Earl Little also had some choice words for his gipper.
"Our coach is obviously trying to send a message to us, but I think it's ridiculous. We poured our hearts out all preseason, in training camp, and yet he gives us the shaft after two weeks. Two weeks!" he lamented. "That's some shit."
The Cleveland Browns surrendered 295 yards rushing to Baltimore's Jamal Lewis last Sunday in a 33-13 loss. Lewis allegedly predicted he would break the NFL single game rushing record before the game even happened in a telephone conversation with Browns linebacker Andra Davis. The game received national recognition as one of the most humiliating ass-kickings in the league's history. However, one game might not be the sole reason behind Davis' decision.
``This move is obviouly not meant to be personal,'' Brown said. ``As a defensive end, I know I aint lived up to expeditions. I'm lucky I have my family and Jesus to consolidate me in these trying times.''
"This decision obviously wasn't intended to be permanent," coach Davis said to the press Thursday. "But I feel some action is neccessary. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as the old saying goes. I knew before the season began that our offseason cuts at linebacker were a mistake, and now this is becoming painfully evident. Had our GM managed the cap, we might not have had to do what we did, but that's water under the bridge, isn't it?"
The other major controversy in Cleveland, and the more obvious one, is whether Holcomb will be replaced by former starter Tim Couch, who himself got yanked by Davis in favor of Holcomb this preseason.
"It's like choosing between dogshit and horseshit," said Davis. "Either way, your shoe smells. But our dogshit costs us millions of dollars more than our horseshit."
