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Cleveland Browns 2011 Review: Top 5 Stories of The Year

Found December 23, 2011 on Football Nation: Yardbarker Blogger Network
PLAYERS: Mike Holmgren,  Tom Heckert,  Peyton Hillis,  Pat Shurmur,  Colt McCoy,  James Harrison,  Ryan Pontbriand,  Brad Maynard,  Eric Mangini
TEAMS: Cleveland Browns,  Miami Dolphins,  Cincinnati Bengals,  Pittsburgh Steelers
Louis-rams-cleveland
At times, the off-field drama surrounding the franchise overshadowed any positive aspects of the Browns’ on-field performance. Despite the fact that the season itself reflected the fact that Browns president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert made several quality off season moves to upgrade the team and the defense played much better than expected throughout the season, contract disputes, injuries, and poor play created a media circus of controversy that made the team resemble the Kardashian's instead of an NFL franchise.     1) The Saga Of Peyton Hillis   Saying that expectations were sky-high for Peyton Hillis heading into the season would be a dramatic understatement. Last year, Hillis burst out of obscurity to rush for 1,117 yards, catch 61 passes for 477 yards, and score 13 total touchdowns. Hillis’ off season was even more eventful. Powered by a strong fan-based campaign, Hillis was elected to be the cover athlete for Madden 12. The hiring of new head coach Pat...
Original Story: http://www.footballnation.com/content... Verified_ybn
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