Three days after the Browns’ collapse, and the familiar dazed glaze of defeat is just starting to wear off. The Colts game reminds me of the Jan. 4, 1986, playoff game in Miami, when the Browns won the division with an 8-8 record and rookie Bernie Kosar at quarterback. We were up 21-3 at halftime, but a QB just a little bit older and wilier — Dan Marino — picked apart our passive defense in the second half. This time it was Peyton Manning outfoxing Foge Fazio, no-huddling and eye-balling his way down the length of the field for four touchdowns in the second half.

Truth is, the Browns this year can’t handle success. From the first game’s egotistic helmet toss, to the ultra-conservative scheme that blew leads against Pittsburgh, to the Carolina collapse following the Superdome spectacular, this team lacks the character needed to break ahead of the parity-produced pack. I’d like nothing more than to see them sneak into the playoffs with two wins and a prayer, but it’s extremely doubtful.

The economics of the NFL gives teams less of a window to turn their investments into winners. When so much salary cap money is tied up in first-round picks whose performance belies their draft position, waiting until next year becomes all the more desperate. Take a good look at Wohlabaugh and Rudd this week and next, because I doubt they’ll be wearing brown and orange next year. And there may yet be more cap casualties that surprise us all in the off-season (Verba, Fuller, Griffith, Roye, Holmes, or maybe even Jamir Miller).

But the real disappointment this year hasn’t been the injuries, much as they’ve stung us, or even the middling performances from blue-chippers like Couch, Courtney Brown, and Gerard Warren. No, I really was expecting to see the Browns continue their development from the outmanned infancy of 1999, from the brief flashes of talent in 2000, from the hopeful enthusiasm of 2001.

This year was supposed to represent maturity, and that has been visibly lacking since Week 1. I hoped for a team that would dominate their home games, that would stay composed for four quarters, that would win more than two games in a row, that would sport aggressive schemes and be quick to adjust to circumstances. The excitement and entertainment value is definitely alive, but ultimately the new Browns have yet to come of age.