It must be tough to live being amazingly good at one thing and horrendously bad at another. Think Joe Paterno and his power to inspire blind loyalty countered by his inability to do anything to make him worthy of it.

The Cleveland Browns defense has this problem as a unit. It is ranked first in the NFL against the pass, giving up just 165.2 yards per game, but is 30th against the run, allowing opponents to rush for 144 yards a game.

This was driven home last week when the Texans finished with 261 rushing yards while downing the Browns, 30-12. As if that doesn’t look bad enough, Houston even had two 100-yard rushers as Arian Foster ran for 124 yards and Ben Tate went for 115.

That came a week after Frank Gore ripped Cleveland for 134. And know how awful Chris Johnson has been? You remember him, the guy who made his owners nervous as he held out for a better contract in the preseason, pushed them to jubilance when he signed in time to play the first game and since then has driven them wild by only rushing for 366 yards in eight games this year? Well he got 101 of them against the Browns.

On the whole, Cleveland has allowed its opponent’s leading rusher to go for at least 90 yards in six of its eight games this year, and has allowed its foes to go over 100 yards as a team seven times (see chart).

Those two instances when a leading rusher hasn’t gone over 90 against the Browns might not even count, seeing as they came against Indianapolis and Seattle, teams that are a combined 2-15. Since I am one for piling on, the Colts’ Joseph Addai still put up his second-best total of the season as the team went for more than 100 and the Seahawks rushing game was giving a go of it without top back Marshawn Lynch.

So yes, this is something that I think should be taken advantage of.

First up for this is St. Louis’ Steven Jackson, who is already on a good personal streak, running up 289 yards over the last two weeks. Since the Rams’ passing game has had a tough time getting going this season (202.8 yards per game) and the Browns are good at shutting that down, Jackson should see a heavy workload this week.

Thing don’t ease up much from there for Cleveland, as it then faces Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew, Cincinnati’s Cedric Benson (who has already put up 121 years against the Browns this season) and Baltimore’s Ray Rice, so the weakness will continue to be exploited.

Exploited? Place your own Penn State joke here as a callback to complete this subject. That way, I won’t face a Mike McQueary banishment as punishment for trying it myself.

Random thoughts

Some random fantasy musings occupying my mind:

•Suddenly, Carson Palmer doesn’t seem like such a washed-up, has-been, former-star quarterback after throwing only one interception Thursday in a win over the Chargers. He had begun his triumphant return with two three-INT performances. He also had a pair of TDs and 299 yards Thursday, so maybe there is something to be said for trading one group of thugs for a new gang. And next up for him and the Raiders are the Vikings, who are ranked 30th in the NFL against the pass, allowing 273.6 yards per game. Dare I say he even seems like a good start next week?

•Speaking of taking advantage of the Vikings, the Packers get to do it today. Is there a place above elite status for Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings?

•The Giants’ Victor Cruz is making a run to join this season’s top fantasy sleeper club. After getting just two catches for 17 yards in the first two weeks, he has since gone over 90 receiving yards in five of six games. And now New York’s top two wide receivers, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks, are game-time decisions on whether they can go today against San Francisco. Cruz looks set to put up another 90-plus-yard outing.

•One of those moments that make you hate being a fantasy owner: I lost my matchup last week when the Bears kicked their last field goal on the final scoring play of the NFL week. As of yesterday morning, the tears on my pillow are finally dry. So bring on today.

Playing a running back against the Browns defense has proven a good fantasy strategy this season. Cleveland’s stats against the run this season and how many yards they have given up to their opponent’s leading rusher:

Josh Bousquet can be contacted at tgfantasy@gmail.com.

CLEVELAND  – Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass before swapping his helmet for a baseball cap in the first quarter as the defending champion Green Bay Packers opened the preseason with a 27-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Saturday night.

One day after they were honored in a ceremony at the White House, the Packers began their quest for a second straight Lombardi Trophy. Rodgers and most of Green Bay’s first-string offense played only two series in the first quarter, when both the Packers and Browns had long TD drives.

After establishing himself as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks with his performance against Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl, Rodgers was eager to get back under center following an offseason made longer by the lockout. He got off to a rough start, but finished 6 of 8 for 74 yards and threw a 21-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings.

WKYC-TV

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Thrown together in two weeks and still missing some parts, the new Browns’ offense made an impressive preseason debut Saturday night.

Colt McCoy engineered two touchdowns in three possessions and the backups made them hold up in a 27-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, making a winner of Pat Shurmur in his first exhibition game as an NFL head coach.

The Browns also scored on a 43-yard fumble return by linebacker Titus Brown after a strip-sack of Green Bay quarterback Graham Harrell by undrafted rookie linebacker Brian Smith. Camp kicker Jeff Wolfert added field goals of 46 and 44 yards.

Shurmur even scored his first victory on a coaches challenge, overturning a Green Bay reception.

“It was fun. It was very exciting,” Shurmur said. “I learned from Andy Reid a long time ago it’s hard to win in this league. So even though this game didn’t count, that feeling you get for winning a game is something we all long for.”

The Packers, fresh off a White House visit to celebrate their Super Bowl championship, left their first teams in for only two series. So it’s dangerous to read too much into what you see in August, particularly in the first practice game. But considering their non-existent off-season caused by the NFL lockout, the Browns were surprisingly sharp and in sync in their passing game.

They looked, in a word, coordinated. There was a sense of purpose in what they tried to do and a tempo that was faster than we’ve seen here for a while. The trigger man, Colt McCoy, was on target.

McCoy was almost perfect on his two scoring drives. He was 9-of-10 for 135 yards, tossing a 27-yard touchdown pass to Josh Cribbs and setting up a Peyton Hillis TD on a 37-yard seam pass to tight end Benjamin Watson.

Six players caught passes from McCoy, including four by wideouts Cribbs, Brian Robiskie and rookie Greg Little. It wasn’t dink and dunk.

“For the first time out, I thought we did pretty well,” said running back Peyton Hillis, who had a 3-yard scoring run and 16 yards overall on five carries.

McCoy’s only incompletion was a pass batted at the line of scrimmage by Green Bay second-team nose tackle Howard Green.

There were some hiccups — a defensive timeout on the first play because of 12 men on the field and a brain cramp by rookie fullback Owen Marecic on the first offensive play. Marecic let an incomplete backwards pass — technically a lateral — lay on the ground when coaches were hollering to him to pick up the live ball. Watson had a false start.

“(McCoy) came right back and said, ‘Coach, I should have just run with it,’” Shurmur said. “As he gets more comfortable with his players and this system, I think he’ll progress.”

McCoy overcame those miscues on the first series and marched the offense 71 yards in eight plays against the No. 1 Green Bay defense. Packers coordinator Dom Capers didn’t throw many of his exotic zone blitz schemes at McCoy, but so what? The timing and rhythm that McCoy worked on all week seemed to come together.

Once McCoy crossed the 50 on a blitz-beating pass to Peyton Hillis, he thirsted for the end zone. He connected in the middle of the field on a 15-yard pass to Robiskie and then tossed a perfect ball to Cribbs’ outside shoulder over cornerback Pat Lee near the right pylon at the goal line.

“That’s the mark of a quarterback, getting you in the end zone,” Shurmur said.

After a three-and-out sequence in his second possession, McCoy was allowed to stay in as his final series stretched into the second quarter. He teamed with Watson for successive gains of 19 and 37 yards — firing over linebacker Erik Walden on the latter — to set up Hillis, who rammed it in behind right tackle Tony Pashos from three yards out.

“I thought he was pretty sharp,” Shurmur said of McCoy. “He executed well. He was pretty efficient with his throws. He worked us down the field twice.”

McCoy called the night “pretty good.”

“I thought the operation went well. We wanted to create a tempo and I think we did that early on,” he said. “We’re nowhere where we need to be. It was fun just to see where we are as an offense.”

Defensively, the Browns forced a punt after three plays to lead off the game, then fell victim to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ no-huddle attack. Rodgers completed all six of his passes on a 73-yard scoring drive. He connected with Greg Jennings for a 21-yard touchdown on a laser throw that beat cornerback Sheldon Brown at the left pylon.

After Rodgers was pulled, the Browns got a sacks of backup Matt Flynn by Jayme Mitchell and Marcus Benard. Brian Sanford and Austin English also notched sacks of Grahame Harrell.

Flynn put together an 89-yard touchdown drive at the end of the first half against the Browns’ second team. The TD was scored on a pass deflected jointly off the hands of intended receiver Tori Gurley and Browns defensive back Ramzee Robinson and caught by tight end Spencer Havner.

In the third quarter, a blindside hit by Smith of Harrell popped the ball free and Brown rumbled 43 yards for the winning points.

Two Browns players were seeing their first action in a competitive game in over a year. Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, who last played 22 months ago because of two torn pectoral muscles, made a hit and wrapped up Green Bay running back Ryan Grant after a short gain. Also, rookie Little, who last played a college game 19 months ago, had two catches for 20 yards.

In relief of McCoy, Seneca Wallace was 11 of 17 for 99 yards. He was intercepted once when he threw high for Jordan Norwood. Wallace accounted for three points. No. 3 quarterback Jarrett Brown also suffered an interception in the fourth quarter, and put three points on the board.

Ex-Packer running back Brandon Jackson carried eight times for 28 yards in relief of Hillis.

The Browns’ backups also had a defensive stand at their 2-yard line when Harrell fumbled a snap. He recovered to complete a pass but the Browns mobbed the receiver for a 3-yard loss.

Shurmur also scored his first victory on a coaches challenge, which nullified a Green Bay reception at the Browns’ 3.

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Notes, observations and some facts about the first half …

• The Browns haven’t formally elected season captains, but last night’s game might be a tip-off. Representing the team at the coin toss were quarterback Colt McCoy, linebacker Scott Fujita and kicker Phil Dawson.

• Camp sensation James Dockery was on the first kickoff coverage team, an indication he’s rising up the depth chart. Dockerty helped on the tackle, too.

• The Browns had to call timeout before the first play when it appeared they had 12 men on defense.

• Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson gets his first chance to hit and wrap up on the second play, a short pass to Ryan Grant. The two repaired pectoral muscles/tendons held up. It’s Jackson’s first game in 22 months.

• On the Browns’ first offensive play, Colt McCoy was flushed out of the pocket and threw incomplete for fullback Owen Marecic. It was clearly a backwards pass — technically a lateral — but Marecic let the ball lay on the ground. The Packers didn’t recover and the officials blew the play dead as one Browns coach waved frantically for Marecic to pick it up and run. (Thought he went to Stanford.)

• McCoy then went 5 for 5 in taking the offense 71 yards in eight plays. Josh Cribbs made the catch over cornerback Pat Lee on McCoy’s perfectly thrown pass to Cribbs’ outside shoulder at the right corner of the goal line. McCoy looked left before seeing Cribbs in single coverage on the right.

• Irritated, the Packers go into no-huddle mode on their next drive. Aaron Rodgers matches McCoy, going 5 for 5 for 69 yards. His 21-yard touchdown is to Greg Jennings. The throw and catch beat Sheldon Brown at the left pylon at the goal line.

• Buster Skrine returned the first Green Bay kickoff. Took it five yards deep in the end zone to the 21 for a 26-yard return.

• Richmond McGee had a 46-yard effort on his first punt for the Browns.

• Matt Flynn replaces Aaron Rodgers with 2:39 left in the quarter. Browns defensive starters still in.

• Jayme Mitchell gets his first preseason sack, beating backup tackle Marshall Newhouse.

• In the second quarter, Marcus Benard plays off a block and sacks Flynn.

• Great throw by Flynn to Randall Cobb, beats Buster Skrine for 19 yards on third down. Cobb, the rookie from Kentucky, then gains 28 on a crossing route.

• Flynn takes them to the 3 as Browns’ second-team defense is dragging. Green Bay scores TD when Flynn’s pass for Tori Gurley is deflected to Spencer Havner. Looked like Ramzee Robinson might have gotten a finger on the pass, too.

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy is no Aaron Rodgers.

Browns receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi certainly don’t stack up to Green Bay counterparts Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. And bringing receivers off the bench like Jordy Nelson also isn’t an option in Cleveland.

Therefore, can the Browns successfully mimic the Packers’ West Coast offense next season?

The Packers had success against the Steelers’ vaunted defense in Green Bay’s 31-25 victory in Super Bowl XLV. The blueprint of how to beat Pittsburgh is now on tape for all to see.

No team currently runs the West Coast offense better than Green Bay, and Sunday’s game should have garnered a lot of interest from Cleveland’s brass. The Browns are switching to a similar West Coast scheme under first-year head coach Pat Shurmur, and if run properly, the Packers proved opponents can have success against the reigning AFC North champs.

Green Bay used precise throwing, great timing and route running to beat Pittsburgh. Rodgers threw for 304 yards, three touchdowns and was the Super Bowl MVP.

But there is a huge difference in personnel between Green Bay and Cleveland, and that’s where the Browns have to improve. Catching up to Pittsburgh probably won’t happen for the Browns in 2011. But at least Cleveland knows, thanks to Green Bay, that a well-run West Coast system can potentially do damage in the division.