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Cleveland has one of pro football's best fan bases. The city survived the move of its franchise to Baltimore and waited patiently for the arrival of an expansion team.

Butch Davis teased Browns fans in 2002 by sneaking into the playoffs as a wild card, but lost to the Steelers in the first round. As it turns out, last year's 10-6 season was a tease of a different kind. Heading into Week 14, the Browns are 4-8 and appear destined for a 5-11 or 4-12 collapse. Coach Romeo Crennel, despite signing an extension in the offseason, will likely be fired. General manager Phil Savage might also be shown the door, particularly if the Browns can land Bill Cowher.

We should have seen it coming, but everyone, including myself, became blinded by the 2007 season. In a league that requires good quarterback play, the Browns had two quality options: Pro Bowler Derek Anderson and former first-round pick Brady Quinn. Savage, maybe a couple of years too late, made trades to finally get the right types of defensive linemen for the 3-4 defense -- Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. Donte' Stallworth, who excels at gaining yards after the catch, was supposed to be the final piece in the passing offense.

Following scheduling formulas as closely as I do, I should have seen the collapse coming. The Browns parlayed a ridiculously easy schedule into a 10-win season in 2007. In 2008, AFC North teams have faced the AFC South and NFC East. The Browns are playing out a .579 schedule, based on opponents' current records, which has pulled down their win total.

The lesson learned in Cleveland is that schedule and quarterback play mean everything in the NFL. Anderson wasn't the same quarterback this season that he was in 2007. Quinn showed some flashes, but losing him to a season-ending finger injury after only three starts was a major setback for the organization.

With only four draft choices at the Browns' disposal in 2009, Cowher or whoever takes over is going to have to break up parts of this team to acquire more draft choices. The Browns have to hope to get value for Anderson. They'll have to consider trading WR Braylon Edwards, or maybe TE Kellen Winslow. The secondary needs upgrading, and the linebacker corps might need an overhaul.

The challenge facing owner Randy Lerner is landing Cowher. Hiring a first-time coach might not be the answer. That's all the Browns have done since re-entering the league. In other words, Lerner had better get Cowher. He's the solution to stop the team's roller-coaster ride.

Let's dive into the mailbag.

Q: What do you think is the main reason the Jets' offensive line has been able to jell so quickly? I believe it's a combination of ability, veteran leadership from Alan Faneca and most importantly the hiring of Bill Callahan as the O-line coach, a hiring that went overlooked in the offseason.

Scott

A: This line didn't get better overnight. This is the conclusion of a three-year rebuilding process that started with the drafting of D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold in 2006. Faneca, a free-agent addition, brought leadership, talent and toughness to the line. Damien Woody brought size and power to the right tackle spot. Quarterback Brett Favre made it work because he gets rid of the ball quickly, and Thomas Jones is an experienced runner who can take advantage of good blocks. It might seem quick, but this took three years.

Q: Mike Brown's skewed vision of how to run an organization has never been more painfully clear. An assertion that a healthy Carson Palmer would have led to a "quantum leap" forward for the Bengals is ridiculous.

Simon in Lebanon, Ohio

A: You have a pretty good read of things. We've seen how the loss of a franchise quarterback affects things. The Bengals are a seven-win team with Palmer, and you see what they are without him. The Patriots drop six or seven games without Tom Brady. It took until midseason for the Colts to look like the Colts as Peyton Manning battled back from his knee problems. Brown needs a general manager and more people in the scouting department. Next year the schedule will be easy, so if Palmer is back, the Bengals can make a pretty nice run toward .500, believe it or not. But a better record doesn't mean the core group of the team will get better. Talent-wise, the Bengals don't match up against the Steelers and Ravens.

Q: John, what are the Bengals going to do with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh? Also, please tell me Mike Brown will hire a real general manager who actually knows what he is doing.

Ty in Cincinnati

A: You heard the word from Mike Brown on Monday. He is not hiring a general manager. The organization is staying the same. Because Brown and the organization don't believe in extending contracts to receivers over the age of 30, Houshmandzadeh is gone. That's why Johnson will probably stay. Replacing two starting wide receivers is almost impossible, which is why Johnson will be stuck in Cincinnati another year. What the Bengals should consider is a trade for Johnson. Let's say Philadelphia or another team offers first- and third-round choices; the Bengals would be wise to jump on it. They could get a defensive end or offensive tackle with the first pick, and possibly another starter with the third-rounder. It's a thought.

Q: What is taking Dallas so long to incorporate Roy Williams into the passing game? With Jason Witten being banged up, it seems like a good time to use Williams more effectively.

Kevin in Dallas

A: That's an easy one. Tony Romo is just coming back from his broken pinkie and is just getting to know Williams. Options No. 1 and No. 2 are Terrell Owens and Witten. Passing option No. 3 is RB Marion Barber. Romo and Williams will develop a relationship over time, and it should be a good one. It's no different than Chris Chambers going to San Diego last season. It took time for Philip Rivers to develop an on-the-field relationship.

Q: Who is having a better season, Ryan Clady or Jake Long?

Robbie in Pound Ridge, N.Y.

A: In my opinion, it's Clady, but that's not slighting Long. Clady has allowed only a half-sack as a rookie, which is incredible. Long has given up around four sacks, but he has blocked well on the run. Falcons QB Matt Ryan is going to run away with rookie of the year honors, but Long, Clady, Chris Johnson of the Titans and Matt Forte of the Bears have all excelled. What's interesting is the following Long has among fans. He's the leading Pro Bowl vote-getter. He has a decent chance of going to the Pro Bowl, even though I think Clady is having a better year.

Q: Why haven't I heard Brett Favre's name in the MVP discussion?

Brian in Bath, N.Y.

A: You make a great point, because Favre has a better chance of going deep into the playoffs than Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and Vikings RB Adrian Peterson. Warner might be able to pull off a win at home in the playoffs, but I don't see the Cardinals winning a playoff road game. If the Vikings make it -- and they have the tiebreakers in the NFC North in the event of a 9-7 tie -- Peterson won't be able to take them deep into the playoffs. Maybe the problem in the Favre-for-MVP campaign is that he's surrounded by so many good players -- Faneca, Thomas Jones and others. He should get more consideration.

Q: With the emergence of Ryan in Atlanta, isn't it time to fully acknowledge Michael Vick's shortcomings as a QB? For years, we heard that Vick was being held back because he didn't have the weapons at wide receiver. Was that really the case, or are Atlanta's WRs flourishing now that they have a good QB?

Mark in Kingston, Ontario

A: You can't forget history and the excitement Vick brought to Atlanta. He was a different quarterback, but he had success. He carried the Falcons to an NFC championship game. But it's time to move on. Ryan is the best quarterback addition to the NFL since Ben Roethlisberger, and he's probably the best prospect since Peyton Manning. He's going to dominate the NFC South for years to come. Vick was a better athlete. He probably had a better arm. He found a way to win games. But it's a new era with Ryan. Enjoy.

Q: The Panthers have some big decisions to make this offseason with Julius Peppers and Jordan Gross potentially becoming free agents. Early this season I thought Chris Gamble would be the most likely to go, given the depth the Panthers have at cornerback with Richard Marshall. However, Gamble has been playing out of his mind this year, and elite young cornerbacks seem to be a hot commodity in the NFL. Do you think that the Panthers can keep these potential free agents?

Patrick in Charlotte, N.C.

A: The Panthers just signed Gamble to a six-year extension. From what I hear, Gross likes it in Carolina so he might sign an extension before March. The Panthers cannot lose Peppers. Even if they have to franchise him, they can't let him off their roster. How can a team lose one of the game's best pass-rushers in a division that has Ryan, Drew Brees and Jeff Garcia? Gamble's signing offers hope that Carolina will keep all three.

Q: What do you think the likelihood is of the NFL tweaking the qualifications for the playoffs by requiring that a division champion have at least an 8-7-1 record to advance to the postseason? In other words, if a division champion has an 8-8 record, and the other division champions in that conference have winning records, the 8-8 would stay home provided there's a third wild card team with a winning record. Thanks.

Edmund in Philadelphia

A: Don't see it happening, because traditionalists in the league would detest the thought of minimizing the value of division games. Now you see why the league doesn't expand the playoffs beyond 12 teams. The Broncos are going to win the AFC West with either a 9-7 or 8-8 record. It will probably be 9-7 in the NFC North. Like it or not, we have to accept the idea that in some years average or below-average teams are going to make the playoffs. In college, you can get a bowl game at 6-6.

Q: What did the Chargers do to the NFL and the refs? It seems that both are out to get the Chargers. The refs again blew a call in the Colts game (Week 12), whistling a fumble dead (which would have probably been returned for a TD) and then called Clinton Hart on a pass interference that I thought was suspect. And the NFL slaps us with one of the hardest schedules travel-wise and doesn't acknowledge one of the worst officiating years I have witnessed. What did the Chargers do to deserve this?

John in San Diego

A: The Chargers haven't gotten one single break this year, but they also haven't deserved one. They've played horribly. Remember, that was my Super Bowl team from the AFC. The schedule was ripe for them to put together a 12- or 13-win season. But the pass rush was lost without Shawne Merriman. The cornerbacks, particularly Antonio Cromartie, have had horrible years. The offensive line has been terrible. LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates have played at 80 percent efficiency. The Chargers have forgotten how to win games and have lost confidence. If they had a break, they wouldn't know how to take advantage of it. Bad year.

Q: John, is it just me or are the Giants the least nationally covered 11-1 team in NFL history? Every week the lead NFL stories seem to be about the other teams in their division (Cowboys/Eagles). I realize the grease fire in Philly is entertaining to some, and the T.O. tantrum watch in Dallas never seems to end in the media, but as a Giants fan who lives on the other side of the country it's a little irritating to not see much coverage of the best team in football. What gives?

Matt in Queen Creek, Ariz.

A: The press box is pretty full every time I've seen a Giants game. NFC East games, particularly those involving the Giants, have been loaded with excitement. After they took control of the NFC East, the Giants have been dominating opponents. They have the look and feel of a champion. This happens with good teams. Fans get the idea that the nation is slighting them. Then after a year or two of success, people start saying "I'm sick of hearing about the Giants." They did it with the Patriots, remember? The Giants are in the midst of a great run.

Q: I am a lifelong Chiefs fan, and being 22, I do not have any memory of the Chiefs winning a playoff game. I do have a memory of my grandfather attending every home game he could until ticket prices were raised so high that he could no longer afford them. Both of these things have led me to an extreme hatred of Carl Peterson. Do you think my anger is justified? Is this disgrace of a season enough to cost him his job? If not, how can the Chiefs become not only a playoff contender again, but also have a chance at actually winning a playoff game? Thanks.

Rob

A: I accept your anger, but hatred of Peterson is too strong. You were in diapers when Peterson turned a loser into a contender and he created a winning, successful football operation. In some ways, Peterson and the Chiefs tried to squeeze out a trip to the playoffs in Herm Edwards' first season and let the team get too old. The Chiefs had a great draft this year and now have to look at getting a quarterback. By the way, I'm 54 and I think I've seen only two Chiefs playoff victories.

John Clayton, a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's McCann Award for distinguished reporting, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.