RAVENS 33, BROWNS 13

I didn’t want to believe that the 2003 season would be a step backwards in the Browns’ long-term march to greatness. Even with the salary-cap purges and draft-day reaches, I held out hope that somehow our skill players on offense, pedigreed defensive line, and special teams acumen would return us to the playoffs, where anything could happen.

Holcomb’s magic act would mystify defenses. William Green and Quincy Morgan would put up big numbers. Master motivator Butch Davis would keep the team fired up every down of every game.

My heart can no longer deny what ravages the eyes have beheld.

Jamal Lewis repeatedly romped right through the middle of the Browns’ defense, rushing for an NFL record 295 yards. On defense, the other Lewis — linebacker Ray — was equally dominant, with well-timed tackles that crushed the Browns’ very morale.

But make no mistake, the folks in the orange helmets were often their own worst enemy. From kick returns penalties to low shotgun snaps to shanked punts to feeble forward passes to tentative tackling, their effort was downright embarrassing. It’s a blatant understatement to say that he Browns were woefully ill-prepared for this critical division game against a hungry archrival.

Kelly Holcomb looks nothing like the confident gunslinger whose passes were one step ahead of every defense he faced last year. While it’s too early to pull out the hook, you can bet that Butch Davis this week is at least considering when that hook might be needed. My thinking is that if Holcomb has another poor game at San Francisco, Tim Couch will be named the starter for the following week’s home game against the Bengals.

But that’s far from the only issue plaguing this team. Let’s see whether film reviews and press reports shed more light on these questions:

Was Quincy Morgan failing to get himself open, or was Holcomb not finding him?

Was Gerard Warren a valiant warrior against double-teaming, or was he a pushover during Lewis’ repeated explosions up the middle?

Is William Green too tentative, or is he patiently waiting for holes that never develop?

In any case, the rose-colored glasses are off. A return to the playoffs would be a bonus at this point, and the possibility of a 5-11 train wreck cannot be dismissed. It’s high time for Butch to pull his team together, inspire confidence rather than fear, and find for this winless and witless squad some toehold of success to climb upon. Otherwise, come January, it’s not just the high-salaried veterans who will get cut loose.