New Prediction: 12-4

After further review, I now believe that the Browns will lose 4 games.

I haven't even looked into the Texans yet. I just know that they turn the ball over, and of late the Browns defense forces turnovers, so we got that going for us...

This is my first opportunity to observe a live game. I've come off the road and illegally parked in front of Gman's, and got it set up so that he, Bub, Gman and I will go to Eman's and watch the Browns annihilate the Texans.

Finally able to see some highlight replays on the internet, I've confirmed that Chud and co. recieved my emails and are doing as I'd instructed with the finess-blocking stuff. However, if Kevin Shaffer is out, they'll have to trim this down a little. Tucker, while still pretty mobile, is at this age more a mauler-type, and whoever plays right guard is not as agile as McKinney. Both can execute a finesse game--just not as well, and there could be some old-fashioned power-blocking on the right side.

I'm weary of the Jamal Lewis-bashing. I can't be definitive about the "slow to the hole" etc. stuff, as I haven't seen any games. But I doubt it. He came here with this baggage; this reputation. Any time an injured player leaves one system for another, and heals, and is 27 years old, and loses 15-20 lbs...

I am used to hearing the baggage mindlessly brought back every time he only gets 1-3 yards twice in a row. Lewis historicly, and expecially against the Browns, typicly gets stifled early. He'll average maybe 2.2 ypc, and then starts breaking loose for longer runs as the defense tires and he sees how they're reacting to him. When he gets that 100-plus yards, often half or more of them are gained on 1-4 runs.

Damage is damage, whether it's all at once or in evenly distributed pieces. The worst case with Lewis is about two yards. Rarely ever a stuff or a loss. Most teams will take that. Doesn't seem like it, but second and eight really is better than second and ten or twelve.

As for the future, however, I really, really, really wish that Jerome Harrison were allowed more opportunities. Even some of the aforementioned individuals repeated the propaganda that it was because he still needed to work on his blocking. And I repeated that Jason Wright got the nod over him because of his greater experience, and the fact that he's damn near a CLONE of Earnest Byner.

Hey, but the thing is, Harrison is a much-heavier Gregg Pruitt! He's the youngest and newest back, with massive upside. He's THE home-run hitter among the running backs, and he can line up anywhere, including wide.

...but maybe they think he'll fumble. That could be it.

The offense has great leadership in Winslow and, yes, Jason Wright. These guys come through when the chips are down and will not go down. Braylon Edwards can't be a leader til he stops dropping passes--regardless of how many great plays he makes. Through the first five games he proved that he could catch anything near him, and then he regressed. That's inexcusable. If he's on my team, he'd better not give me any advice, or dare to say anything about handling pressure.

I look foreward to more agressiveness on defense. The defensive line isn't bad, if the individual talents and skill-sets of the players are used right.

The issue is the system. It will never work consistantly until all three of them can take on and then shed blocks--especially the nose tackle. By design, it keeps the goons off the linebackers. Yeah, ok I get that. But Roye is chronicly injured and playing hurt. Smith is fine, but older and needs relief as well. The DE backups are much, much better one-gappers than two-gappers.

Shaun Smith is a very good player...INSIDE. Playing him at defensive end is dumb. His speed is limitted and he lacks reach. He's a leverage player who is best used at nose tackle. Rather than concede any part of the scheme in order to adapt to what talent is here, until the last couple games, they've doggedly stuck with the two-gap stuff.

Now, despite Smith being wasted at DE rather than where he belongs, at least they've finally, at long last, said "Ok. Just shoot the gaps and try to make a mess."

We know what the offense can do. We know what Cribbs will do. We know that the defense is a few pieces short of matching either, so the best thing to do is turn every down into a brawl.

This is what a smart boxer will do. If the other guy is too quick, and picks you apart on the fly--you close and trade punches. Maybe you can't get there--you take big shots on the way in. You get cut up and look bad. But it's all you got. If you stand there and let him control everything, you're not just chicken. You're stupid. And you'll get a lot stoopidder real soon.

This defense may not be Muhammud Ali yet, but Ernie Shaffers knocked out 56 guys and only lost about seven fights--to only the toughest of them. We can be Ali next season, after Savage does some more magic. For now, let's be the peanut.

BANZAI!

Ray Who?

Dear Romeo and Todd:

Thank you so much for finally listening to me and doing like I suggested. I don't mind not getting the credit for it, or the fact that so far you haven't responded to my missives. Obviously, you got them, since you did some of it with the Squealers, and some with the Cravens.

Attack. Yes. You got six sacks, four turnovers, and six points. See how it works? Sure, ok, McGahee ripped off that long run for the TD, and the short passes stung a little, but you have to look at the big picture, see?

You have a problem on the defensive line. You don't have a nose tackle to fit your inflexible, no-matter-what scheme yet...except perhaps Shawn Smith, who you seem to think is a DE...and the guys behind Roye and Smith aren't really 2-gap DT-type players.

But finally, at long last, you saw the light. You turned them loose, and the offensive line and backs weren't sure who they were supposed to block. I could almost hear them "Waitaminnit, Robaire! You're not 'sposed to shoot past me like that! No fair!"

I don't have the TFL stats, but I think it's fair to estimate ten negative plays (not counting the four turnovers). These killed drives, or rendered the Cravens one-dimensional with long yardage. You tightened the coverage and used man sometimes.

Isn't this better than those icky twelve-yard cushions that any QB at all can easily exploit all up and down the field? Is gap control really so important that you have to give QB's ten or twelve seconds to select their targets, who are wearing the DB's out, and throw?

That's right--Tora Tora Tora banzai! I doubt that any of the linebackers are complaining about those big guys chasing them around...like Ray Lewis, who spent much of the game on his kiester courtesy of our own big guys (haha).

The Bengals...not this season, but last: They had similar personnel problems on their own defense. But they attacked. They ranked among the league's worst in most categories, but were among the top defenses in terms of turnovers and scoring. They made the most of a bad situation, and it worked.

You can get your big guys this off-season, but meanwhile keep letting them just blitze and penetrate and have fun. Everybody rightfully wants to canonize Josh Cribbs (who I earlier called "Wright" duh) for constantly putting the offense on a short field, two first downs out of field goal range. But see that? The defense did this, as well, with their turnovers!

Robaire Smith is quick, and can bull-rush. Ethan Kelly...is that who it was? Well I heard he did a great job this time...attacking. They couldn't spare anybody extra to put on Smith. And then, of course, it was Smith or whichever linebacker was coming off the edge.

And wasn't it nice that Boller didn't have his backs, and half the time his tight end to throw to because they were too busy chasing our guys around trying to protect him? See how that works, guys? Hope you learned something!

Sincerely, Wile E Coyote

Now for the corrections:

Josh Cribbs now returns kicks and punts, and is the leading special teams TACKLER. If he is used more than occasionally on offense as well, he will wear down and probably get maimed. Every time he's on the field, he sprints all-out, all over it, and he gets hit hard and a lot.

The inside linebackerS are not slow. Davis isn't a very effective blitzer. The other three guys all are. AndrA AndrrrAAAA...Davis will probably be traded this off-season. He's still a very good player, but the other guys are better. Davis would be damn good in the middle of a 4-3.

Anyway, don't generalize. The dumb always throw out the baby with the bathwater.

I'm starting to get persuaded by the guys on NFL Radio that Anderson should be given a big long-term contract soon, rather than franchising him next season. He's already proven himself, consistantly over a number of games. He's still young, with much room for improvement--even as he currently ranks among the league's elites.

Rumors of his immobility and inaccuracy were greatly exhagerrated...although he does still get into a bad throw zone occasionally. (By the way, what was all that "too mechanical" crap? What the hell did that mean? He didn't hop up and down like a little girl? Some of you guys need to get a life!)

The trade option is still there, and should he get hurt there's Quinn. Anderson is the bird in the hand, and they'd never get equal value with a first and the third round pick, probably from somebody in the bottom ten. QB is unique, and good ones are rare. WE KNOW: This one position can make or break you.

I liked what Quinn showed in preseason, and have every confidence in him, but we've been burned before. (No not Couch. Couch's arm broke down, that's all.) And based on what we've already seen of the still-young and inexperienced Anderson in real games--especially coming from behind--man, you just have to keep him.

That crunch-time thing: You can't coach it. Brian Sipe, with his pop-gun arm--he had it. Anderson is Sipe on steroids. These are the new Kardiac Kids--and nevermind that it's only because of a crappy defense.

And Braylon? He's made about ten great throws under that pressure, but nobody knows about it. Know why? DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!

YOU STAND CORRECTED.

Now, as you know, I revise my predictions for the Browns win/loss record as more info comes in. My new prediction is 12-4.

I'm deep in enema territory (Cincinnati) as I write this. If I'm not there for Thanksgiving, eat without me.

Steelers vs. Browns Corrections

The defense is a legit concern, but I wonder if it's the players, or the playcalling. I truly don't know, because so far I can't trust ANY of the amatuerish and generalized descriptions I've read.

We have the cornerbacks for man coverage, and if you can press-cover the top two recievers (and have two linebackers and one safety able to stay with even the better TE's) You can send more people. Are they doing this, or is it just Peek, McGinnest, and/or Wimbley--only on third and longs?

Are the lighter, younger, faster DE's ever being allowed to shoot gaps or stunt, or are they expected to engage the big monsters and then try to get off the blocks? Is Smith going to play inside where he belongs, or outside where he's inadequate?

Bud Carson knew this: If you attack an offense they have to adapt to you. If you don't, they call the shots. If you attack you sometimes get burned, but MORE OFTEN get interceptions, tackles for losses, strip-sacks and fumbles. Even Marty, when he had Dixon, Minnifield, and Wright turned the dogs loose. His was mainly a two-gap defense, whether 3-4 or 4-3, but even Marty knew when to let them penetrate.

If they play it by the book against Pitt, Pitt will march up and down the field and wear them down again. The result is utterly predictable. If they ATTACK, who knows? Now, which gives the Browns the better chance to win DUHHH?

Ok but all this Pitt will get to Anderson stuff is dumb. This is not the same offensive line as the brand new one in week one. This offensive line all but shut down the Seahawks pass-rush, and athleticly is an ideal match for LeBeau's 3-4.

Further, Anderson was always more decisive and quicker than Frye, and now has a bunch more experience with these recievers. If Pitt's D has any weakness, it is it's secondary.

Don't worry about Jamal Lewis. Two, one, four, two, seven, eight, one, twelve...do you understand? And in this game he'll probably be an outlet--which places him on the edge.

The Browns will probably go 2-back a lot. I've been impressed by Chud using Heiden as a fullback sometimes. The backs are there to pick up the zone-blitzes. Often, they're reserves--if this athletic, quick offensive line can pick up the blitzers, those guys are uncovered recievers. Heiden can even go right up the gut, chipping as he goes.

Another thing is, throw out the mobility thing with Anderson. He's much faster than he looks, and Chud knows it and uses it. That's why near the goal line he'll roll out, and often keep it. Even under pressure, he's escaped or minimized sacks with a step or a dive.

Anderson uses Jurevicious. Frye didn't. Chud sends K2 deep. Nobody has been able to stop Edwards--double-coverage is a given, and he beats that too. K2 and Edwards are just as advertized--no defense has enough people to cover them. They have to treat Jurevicous as an afterthought! Can't press them, either, and they block downfield.

This is why the Browns pass first. The more-experienced Anderson checks down and fires quickly. Blitze all you want--if the ball is gone, it's gone.

And these are the new Kardiac kids! Nowadays, when they're down by 14 or 17 points, you're not changing the channel. You still really don't know who will win.

How many times has Anderson converted third and fourth and longs? How many times have the Browns had false starts, holding, etc. penalties in sequence and still got first downs? I swear it's just astonishing--who ever thought that Anderson would be THIS good, this soon? The worse it gets, the better he gets!

And I've got to say this about the defense: Man--when the game is on the line, they match Anderson. Third and inches. NOPE. 4th and inches. STUFF. Between the 20's they get pushed all over the field. They give up big plays, too. But in the red zone they get tough.

So it's not all bad. If you break the defense into phases, they're very good in short yardage and the red zone. They just suck everywhere else, is all.

And special teams. Maybe this will be the game Cribbs breaks one. Maybe he'll turn one of those great stops onto a fumble.

Everybody is raving about Pitt's offense, but in my opinion, the Browns offense is better. Maybe not by a lot, but better, and still improving. The Browns special teams are better, too.

...but they probably lose because of the defense. Dammit.

Brady Who?

What do we do? Now we have too many QBs!

Andrson had turned into a monster, and shows no sign of backsliding. But his agent will never consent to a long-term deal for any less than top dollar. And then, what if he gets hurt before the ink is dry?

Quinn showed great promise. It's ok to keep him parked on the bench for one or even two seasons, but longer? He's not making top 5 money. His deal is close to where he was actually drafted, so he's not very expensive. On the business side, I suppose you could now afford to sign Anderson longer-term, but if you break the bank to pay him, you undermine the trade option, and tell Quinn that he's a benchwarmer for the forseeable future.

It might be neccessary to make Anderson the franchis player with the high tender. That retains him for one season, gives the Browns the option to match any offer, and demands a first and third round pick of they lose him.

The team that drafts 30th could take advantage of this, of course. However, the Browns could still get a very good player, and probably a pretty good one in the third, as well...and still have a well-prepared Quinn ready to go.

I dunno...it's a nice problem to have, though. Savage did this, too. He knew Anderson from the Ravens, and snatched him when they tried to sneak him through waivers onto their practice squad. I doubt that Phil expected him to be this good this soon, though. Still, he knew something we didn't.

People who bash Savage are clueless. We just lost Jackson for a few weeks, and the low-round pick stepping in for him is in many ways better than he was.

The defense has sucked, but doesn't have to keep sucking. It might get better. The only problem is the line, and that stupid soft coverage...and lack of aggression...ah crap okbye

SCAPEGOAT ALERT!!!

Thanks to Vinnie the Fly, my top operative, I have a necktie candidate for you. (You'll need to provide your own ropes and torches).

And I was wr...wronn...incorrect. I had supposed that the defensive problems were Romeo's fault, and that he was inhibitting Grantham. After all, the defense was pretty good prior to the hand grenade rolling under the tent-flap last season. And when Romeo was the coordinator here under Butch Davis, I was driven insane by defensive backs playing like FIFTEEN YARDS behind recievers.

I WAS correct about my view (view: I listen on radio haha) of what's wrong. The lack of pressure on enema QB's, AND the frequency of enema running backs going wild are at least partly due to a passive scheme and passive play-calling.

Here is what one player...who shall remain nameless but can be immediately narrowed down to a member of the front seven--said--along with my comments sprinkled in:

“We were more aggressive last season, with less talent on the field", the OBR was told. "Our corners can cover, we have guys that can get to the quarterback... but when we are schemed out of the play, what can we do?
The opposition sees this and attacks. We are better than we are showing, but until the leash is taken off or Coach (Crennel) gets really involved again, we are going to have issues.”

If you hadn't been boycotting me, you would have read me asking for Bud Carson to please give Grantham a call, and bemoaning what I percieved as a lack of aggression.
This is a 3-4 defense, designed for aggression. Pittsburgh uses run-blitzes on probable runs, actually sending both inside linebackers through interior gaps. They force runs wide or blow them up, and if you try to pass they're in your face anyway. Clearly, I now know, the Browns don't.

As the defense has struggled early in the season, the most evident problem has been on the inability of the team to stop the run and prevent big plays in the passing game. While the defense was beaten over the top in the Browns first three games, the play of the defensive backfield has been somewhat improved in recent weeks.
The OBR is being told that changes might be in the works as the team's head coach, with several decades of experience as a defensive coordinator, begins to step in.
“The problem is, we have not fully committed to stopping the run. We show seven or eight up, but often we are backing off. I see some changes in the way we are going to play, as Coach (Crennel) has been more involved,” the source continued. “He (Crennel) likes an aggressive defensive, as long as the corners can cover"

And ours sure as hell can. Wright would do much better in man/press coverage than in the more complex zone scheme...with the huge, massive pads which makes you people in Oblivia bitch about how wide open guys are.

Bodden and Wright, and either safety--if allowed to--can man-cover tight ends.

Man coverage is what Hanford Dixon expected to see once Wright was drafted. Wright is a shut-down guy who can rely on his raw talent to stay on a guy, and Bodden has established himself as a top cover guy.

Quick-hitters will burn zone coverage, but are not possible with well-executed man coverage. The QB has to either hold the ball for five seconds, or else find a tertiary or even bail-out reciever. This is why with Dixon/Minniefield, Marty flooded enemy backfields with frequent blitzes. Wright played center field and came up hard and fast for short stuff or runs, and Rockins remained shallow and often keyed the running back, and it worked beautifully.

Antwan Peek is wasted unless he is attacking the backfield. Every other player on the defense can blitze aty any given time.

Grantham. Read that? This guy wants Romeo to step in and turn the dawgs loose! It's been Grantham all along, making them sit back trying to react to what offenses are doing. With these guys? We lack depth on the D-line? No we don't. I mean, if you want the two young guys to stand there locking up a guard or tackle each and then try to make a play, we do. But if you want those two to attack and penetrate, we don't, see?

It doesn't matter a whole lot if a linebacker is engulfed by a guard if the DE has just strip-sacked the QB. Don't you know that offenses have to get hats on everybody anyway? Why not make them CHASE the DE's?

Sure, You give up some runs on cut-backs and the DE's get out of position sometimes, but this defense has the speed and talent to turn every series into a slugfest if they attack. Oh...burn us for nine yards, huh? First down--ouch. SACK second and sixteen how ya like that? Gonna run it again?

Chud seems to be a real genius and another brilliant move by Savage. This offense is among the lead leaders in scoring, and hasn't even fully implemented the (thank God) finesse blocking scheme yet. As it stands, this PASSIVE, leashed, defense is maybe the worst in the NFL.

Can it get worse? Don't think so. Would sending at least four and sometimes five or six hurt? Hell no. Want to stop the run? Nail the running back at the hand-off. Teams have a hard time running on second and thirteen.

Todd? YOU STAND CORRECTED.

Intra-game I-told-you-sos

Too bad only people who don't know me ever read this stuff.

Anyway, Harrison just tore up Miami's defense. Wright is doing the same, of course, in his different way--but the point is, the people who were shoveling dirt on Jerome are dummies, and I am not. I told you he'd play and make plays, and this he's doing.

In reality...which is in a whole different zip code from Oblivia--the Wright-Harrison thing is the same as the Anderson-Quinn thing. Wright (who reminds me a lot of Earnest Byner, now that I've seen him a little) is a very good all-purpose back. Fast, but not very. Strong, but not very. Quick and elusive, but not very. Guts, intelligence, heart. Runs sideways or backwards, jumps, dives, squirms and wiggles for every extra inch. LOVE the guy!

Harrison was initially drafted as a change-of-pace, third down back type. He was specificly chosen for his speed and recieving (and returning) abilities. But good GM's like Savage think ahead. That means he anticipates what Harrison might be in 2 or 3 years. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

Priest Holmes, Tiki Barber, and about ten other "third-down" backs started this way.

Harrison returned in his second season at over 210 lbs. This instantly changed everything. You in Oblivia didn't even register this, but Phil and I did. The dude was unstoppable in college as a shrimp, and came equipped with NFL recieving skills. He can go all the way from any point on the field, and even as a shrimp proved in preseason as a rookie that he could go up the gut.

At over 210, his upside is nearly unlimitted. He would have displaced Wright this season had he clearly outperformed him (he didn't--it was pretty much a tie). Also, he fumbled, more than once. This was decisive.

But most running backs who fumble early in their carreers get better at protecting the ball, and Harrison should. Once he proves this...over time...he'll move ahead of Wright, and most likely is Jamal Lewis's heir apparant.

I do really like Jason Wright, and would hate to see him go, or even get kept on the bench. I'd keep both him and Jerome, and work in more 2-back...but this is for down the road.

Right now, the Miami game is 24-3 and turning into a blowout. Brown has made a couple plays, but couldn't accomplish much before the score forced Miami into pass-mode. (The defense did a great job.)

Now, are they going to put Quinn in and get him some valuable real-game experience? Unless Miami is able to close the gap significantly, I sure would, for the whole second half. Miami has just marched to the 24 and got a penalty vs. what I'm pretty sure had to be a prevent defense.

I don't mind the prevent, but you can get pretty rediculous with it--like playing TEN YARDS behind the recievers. Here...they just got six yards, but needed 24. That's how the nickel works. The clock is still ticking--they just got eight more yards, took it to 2 minutes, and still need more for a first down. Use up the clock with a lead. The prevent works, when well-executed.

The thing is those huge pads. Bodden and Wright have the recovery speed to easily play less than five yards behind the recievers, and be in position to pick off an inaccurate throw, knock the ball loose, or at least make sure to nail the reciever as he catches it. There goes 16 more yards, and they're inches from a first down.

I can't see it, but I'll bet you nobody was close to that guy. Don't blame players. Blame coaches. Everybody was probably in coverage (so no pass-rush), and miles away from everybody. Dammit TD Miami. Guess this is the prevent-the-win (and Quinn) defense.

Still 14 points is a good lead. They can run and pass short now. Alternate Harrison and Wright.
They should be able to score some more, and maybe we can still get Quinn in for a quarter.

Unless Romeo's Martonian tendancies prefent him from putting the kid in.

Wright gets 13 yards. You know, this is the blocking. The offensive line is clearly opening nice holes. Earlier, on a Harrison run, Doug and Jim talked about how long he waited for the blocks to set up. A back can't let himself do that unless he trusts those guys...

Yeah they're getting close to a field goal with 15 seconds left. I'm glad they didn't just sit on it. Go for the throat, I always say sometimes. Kick them when they're down. More points. Beat up that defense. Haha! Take Edwards out? There's K2 haha! Joey who?

Incomplete-field goal ok. Better than what the Browns used to do. Run-run, milk that clock, go in with just the 14 points. With 14 points, Miami might have been able to use Ronnie Brown more, but needing three scores and at least 2 TD's in a half even to tie, they'll just have to throw now.

A Little Co--

Context. Common sense.

The Browns defense is weak vs. the run. Vs. a healthy Rudy Johnson, Morris and the Pats, the Raiders, and Pittsburgh. These are four of the most effective running offenses in the NFL. While they've been out of position and tackling has been poor---get a grip.

The Browns defense ranks near the bottom. Refer to previous paragraph. They did better against the Pats than any of that team's four previous opponents, and the Pats were helped by a fumble TD return and offensive miscues. Sure, the Pats pretty much dominated, but that's nothing new. It's too soon with this young team to elevate the standards you judge it by above the NFL median. Can't you understand WHY so many of the "experts" prior to this season, projected the Browns to win four or fewer games, and called them the worst...THE worst team in the NFL?

It was not their lack of talent--except for a few ignoramusses in Oblivia--it was YOUTH, and their QB situation, which made so many of these ex-GM's players, and coaches skeptical about the '07 Browns.

Early in the growth curve, progress is most rapid. That's why you need to throw out the Pittsburgh game and, starting with the admittadly crappy defensive performance against the Bungles, step back and see the progress the defense has made, including against the run.

The best news about the Pats game was that Anderson played well. Romeo wasn't playing politics when he said this. Deflected interceptions are usually not dumb throws. Anderson was not befuddled by the shifting coverages, not intimidated by the well-timed jailbreak blitzes. At this stage in his brand-new carreer, and vs. this elite, cerebral defense, that was impressive.

By the way, if Winslow has two good shoulders, he doesn't give up any footballs. I know--I had a similar shoulder injury. When you pull the arm away from the shoulder, the muscles in your arm, and your grip, go numb. K2's wasn't as bad as mine, and it should be much better in a couple weeks.

Ronny Brown has been tearing everybody a new one, and the Browns will probably go to the air against a weak secondary out of the gate. They'll want to do what the Pats do, and get an early lead. They need that lead to take Brown out of the game.

Much has been made of Jason Taylor. Taylor is 33, and he's going against Joe Thomas.

Joey Porter does need a hug, or something. Winslow doesn't sweat him because Joey doesn't have his crew to hold K2 while Joey hits him. Kellen should be more careful if he goes to Las Vegas, however, and take somebody to watch his back. Levi Jones, maybe.

Normally when a player says something like "he doesn't block", I pay attention. Players are the best sources. But this is Joey Porter, so I disregard it. I don't really know about K2's in-line abilities, but he's a very good blocker in space and downfield, and that's how a smart coach uses him. Heiden is the total-package TE they use for more traditional stuff. And Joey is a moron.

I'm sick of Jason Wright being called "unproven". When he steps in for Lewis, there is zero drop-off, and the playbook expands. Lewis plays ahead of Wright because he's much stronger and can break tackles which Wright or Harrison can't. With Lewis, defenses can't really rely on a safety to come up and stop him. They have to take people out of coverage.

But Wright is a very good running back, with sufficient size and durability to carry the load, expecially in this game, which will probably mean more passing.

Harrison: He is NOT an afterthought. He's a big-play back. He was only inactive because the more experienced Wright never fumbled...that's it--the only reason. Expect Harrison to be used in this game, and to make some plays.

The defense here will probably seek to stop Brown first. Miami doesn't have a great passing game. Lemon has showed promise, and this past preseason was as good as, if not better than Green. But my impression is that he's been a bit over-hyped by unhappy Dolphins fans. Naturally, this is his big chance, he'll have a full week with the first team, he'll be ready with his A-game, and the Browns won't have much film on him. And then, he's young, and can be expected to be better than he's been in the past.

Yeah, that makes me nervous. YOUNG, improving, hungry, and talented players make any intelligent analyst nervous. But Lemon can be fooled into mistakes, probably won't react as well to pressure as a vet, and has limitted weapons.

The Browns defense is, as I've said, underrated because of the juggernauts they've had to play so far. The statistics are skewed by the level of competition.

Poole is probably out. His backup is the free-safety semi-cornerback who excels in coverage. Won't help alot against Brown, and they'll probably use Jones more in a strong-safety type role--possibly even as the linebacker in the nickel, in place of Poole.

Thing is, Anderson over the last three weeks has been pretty consistant and is definitely improving. No more yo-yo stuff. He's emerging as a legit starting NFL QB who makes good decisions. The Offensive line is likewise improving by the game, and is already among the better ones in the NFL. Still wonder about the run-blocking stuff a little, but that sounds like it's ok as well.

Yeah, Lewis only got 2.8 YPC vs. the Ravens. And the Ravens had held everybody else, inc. Cinci, to under 2.7 YPC. When you bring something like this up, your bias and subjective thinking shows. Get your feet back on the ground.

I had to give up 4.5 points. Good deal.

I have to say this: One Browns fan said of Harrison: "I was a big Harrison fan, but obviously he hasn't panned out. He needs to improve his blocking and become a better reciever."

Harrison in preseason blocked EXCEPTIONALLY well, piled up massive yardage as a college reciever, was put in the slot here out of the gate, and...god, the stupidity is astonishing. If two guys are pretty much equal (for the moment), but one is more experienced and protects the ball better, you...duh...rank that one ahead of the other one. If your offense uses both fullbacks and extra tight ends, you de-activate your third running back.

Got it? Good.

YOU STAND CORRECTED.

Revised predictions: 13-3. Browns 77, Dolphins 2.

Adam Caplan Chat Corrections

Adam Caplan: Hi all
So Adam, Browns win by 20 or 30 points?
Adam Caplan: Mark: Have a party if they lose by 10 or lessAdam Caplan: Anderson will throw at least three INTsAdam Caplan: he won't handle it
Adam, how much do Willie McGinest bring to the defense?
Adam Caplan: RAM: Good leadership and pass rush
So you're calling for an unmitigated disaster from the Browns, then?
Adam Caplan: MARK: this week, yesAdam Caplan: no reason to think they can hang with NEAdam Caplan: with that defense
Adam: do feel this team is much improved over last season?
Adam Caplan: DAW: Much, no, improved, yes in a way
CORRECTION: What a dumbass statement. Top LT, Pro-Bowl quality LG, healthy, mature Edwards, Eric Wright, three key LBs' entering second seasons, Bodden back, solid RG, Poole improving by the game, 2 Smiths on DLine..."in a way"? "Not much"?
Adam, how do we get any pressure on Brady?
Adam Caplan: SUGG: No reason to think they canAdam Caplan: NE plays 70% shotgunAdam Caplan: BTWAdam Caplan: same as GB
CORRECTION: Blitze inside. Poole is nickel LB.
Adam, after Roye comes back do you see Shaun Smith going to NT? If so do you see Washington sitting permanently?
Adam Caplan: NU: Look for smith to play more at NT SundayAdam Caplan: rotating and some at DE
CORRECTION: He played DE only due to injuries. Washington's uselessness is becoming too obvious for even RAC to deny. He MUST play more there, and soon.
Adam - Does Crennel have them play the game and just try to keep improving.
Adam Caplan: RAM: I think this week will be an aberration, no one can compete with with NEAdam Caplan: really except IND
Adam, from an individual standpoint, what does Braylon need to do to improve his game? He seems to have improved on his consistency.
Adam Caplan: TU: Route runningAdam Caplan: but he's doing well thoughAdam Caplan: in most phases
Adam, with Carter being so ineffective, any chance we will see Travis Wilson any time soon? If not, is he that bad?
Adam Caplan: TIM: No indication for him and Harrison to playAdam Caplan: pretty tellingAdam Caplan: in year two both are inactive
CORRECTION: Jason Wright has been too effective for Harrison to dislodge. As the younger player who has fumbled, this means nothing. Wilson is in for head-extraction surgery, with an indeterminate recovery time.
Adam, will Tucker be used at Guard now more than Tackle?
Adam Caplan: SUGG: Probably swing in some roles
adam: why does tim carter continue to get playing time?
Adam Caplan: DAW: They need to use Cribbs more
AMEN
Adam how's KW2's shoulder. Will it be a lingering injury?
Adam Caplan: BLE: He's doing the best he canAdam Caplan: He will be in some pain every week with that injuryAdam Caplan: he's tough as nails
I agree
Adam Caplan: DAW: I really like the way their OC is moving him and EdwardsAdam Caplan: aroundAdam Caplan: especially WinslowAdam Caplan: OL is really doing well nowAdam Caplan: Thomas graded out well last weekAdam Caplan: good sign
Any information on possible DEF help via trade or free agency?
Adam Caplan: TIM: Haven't heard anything, that usually happens closer to the trading deadline-10/16
Adam, Do you have any updates on Bentley and Baxter?
Adam Caplan: RAM: Nothing newAdam Caplan: Bentley is less than 50-50 to play this yearAdam Caplan: they have until week 10 reallyAdam Caplan: he won't play in week 7Adam Caplan: Baxter could start practicing fully starting next week or so
Adam, Do you see Ryan Tucker at RG or RT?
Adam Caplan: RAM: Backup at both spotsAdam Caplan: he would be a solid swing OLAdam Caplan: they could use oneAdam Caplan: too
So he fills in for the first one who goes down with an injury
Adam Caplan: RAM: Pretty muchAdam Caplan: If they can just fix the defenseAdam Caplan: secondary did better last week
Adam. Are you still doing Friday night on Sirius?Adam Caplan: RAM: Yep, every Friday though week 17Adam Caplan: then I'm on weekends etc March-August
How many points do you see us scoring against NE on Sunday?
Adam Caplan: Mog: 14-17Adam Caplan: NE-40Adam Caplan: sorryAdam Caplan: You know me, I'm always honest. I hope I'm wrong
Adam, How do we get more physical on D especially against the run? Do we completely lack the personnel?
Adam Caplan: SUGG: Personnel is a big part of itAdam Caplan: I would blow up the front seven after the season
CORRECTION: Throw the linebackers out with the bathwater? Are you nuts? See now the young DE's and Smith progress. Draft and sign stud DLinemen. The linebackers are exceptional. They've blown assignments and in some cases have lacked discipline. Peek should be on the bench recovering, as he's playing lame and is less effective than the two other guys they have to replace him. Three linebackers are second year players--yeah let's blow them up too...JEEZ!
I smell real trouble for Anderson this Sunday.......ne will confuse the heck out of him........i hope chud makes the game plan simple
Adam Caplan: DOG: Agreed Adam, when you discuss Eric Wright and Pool, they both need experience to get to the next level?
Adam Caplan: Ram: Wright was better last weekAdam Caplan: Pool is too inconsistentAdam Caplan: but he just needs to keep playingAdam Caplan: scary when Brady says they didn't do well at CIN in the first halfAdam Caplan: Guys: Don't think this week's game is what they are, they really don't have a shot but they can compete against most teams nowAdam Caplan: that's the point
Is the front 7 something Savage can realistically fix in 1 year. At least enough to be competitive on D?
Adam Caplan: SUG: Older guys have to get lesser roles or goAdam Caplan: Bottom line
CORRECT: Washington is DONE. McGinnist should fill in. Suggs: Front T H R E E.
Adam, what are the chances Romeo is still here in 2008?
Adam Caplan: TIM: 50-50Adam Caplan: they have a long way to goAdam Caplan: They have to go 7-9 for him to stay I would think
Adam, Do you like Chud's game plans and scheme?
Adam Caplan: Ram: like what Chud is doing so farAdam Caplan: Offense is about the best to expect
CORRECTION: BETTER.
Jamal Lewis...contract extension?
Adam Caplan: JLewis is what he isAdam Caplan: can't get any betterAdam Caplan: he has to go next year
CORRECTION: He has been as effective as any RB vs. the defenses he has attacked.
Adam Caplan: Turner they could target
Absotively.
Adam, Is Roye now healthy?
Adam Caplan: RAM: Better
I love the size we have at receiver with JJ and Braylon who has really matured. How good can he be?
Adam Caplan: SUGG: Edwards just needs to control his emotions
80s, Adam picked the browns to win this weekend
Adam Caplan: Tu: It's the Costanza pick
Adam: will Chaun Thompson get a start, he seems to get more pressure on the QB than Peek
Adam Caplan: DAW: Peek shouldn't play as much with McGinest back
CORRECTION: Until he is healed. He's best for this scheme when healthy.
Adam - When are they going to cut Washington or will he actually be able to make 5 to 10 good plays per game.?
Adam Caplan: Ram: No way he's back next seasonAdam Caplan: can't see it
I was thinking he would not last half the season.
Adam Caplan: Ram: He has to weigh close to 400
do they regret letting Baba go?
Of course they do.
Adam Caplan: Tim; Too bad he wasn't on their practice squad
He appears to slow out of the stance to do anything.
Please apply for a job with the Browns. VP Common Sense and 20/20 vision.
Adam Caplan: RAM: When Fraser gets the snaps he does, you know something is going on
Adam, look into your crystal ball...... The Browns starting running back in 2008 is......???
Adam Caplan: SUGG: Turner makes a lot of senseAdam Caplan: No way Lewis is backAdam Caplan: if Savage has a clue to what he's doingAdam Caplan: They are so limited running the ball
CORRECTION: Was Jamal rude to you or something? I can recommend some nice lasik surgeons, ya know. Lewis is an inside runner who has now demonstrated a great ability to catch passes as an outlet guy...outside the tackles. He's 27 and does NOT appear used up.
can turner carry the load?
Should be able to. Adam is right in calling him an upgrade--dude can kick butt.
Adam Caplan: DAW: SD thinks so
Adam, do you like Fraser?
Adam Caplan: RAM: Good hustlerAdam Caplan: gets all he has out of his talent
Is Turner worth franchise money?
Adam Caplan: SUG: Good enough to be the RB for a while
There too much gravimetric attraction between Washington's gut and the earth for him to move fast from his stance.
Adam Caplan: NU: Great guy but can't playAdam Caplan: any moreAdam Caplan: back in the day he was a dominant NT
And RAC thinks he still is.
Adam, When is Shaun Smith going to make an impact?
Adam Caplan: RAM: When he plays NT exclusively
Then I think we're in trouble. lol
Dumbass.
Adam Caplan: IC: He's not that type of playerAdam Caplan: he has a good first step and can play their scheme well for 20-30 plays if all goes well
DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Adam what do you think of Robaire Smith so far?
Adam Caplan: DAW: Not muchAdam Caplan: thought he would be betterAdam Caplan: againt run
Are teams running near him?
Adam, what more can you say about the o-lines pass protection of late? Seem like DA has a lot of time.
Adam Caplan: SUGG: TotallyAdam Caplan: he still makes bad decisions and footwork isn't the greatest
Adam, Wimbley has been better than average, but not great. Chalk it up to poor help around him or other factors?
Adam Caplan: TU: Doesn't play run wellAdam Caplan: goes up field too much
CORRECTION: He is SENT up the field almost 50% of the time. T H R E E - F O U R.
Does Cleveland have a chance to get Turner? What other teams will be looking?Adam Caplan: JIM: Yes, they should be in good cap shape
Adam, do you think we will see Brady play at all this year?
Adam Caplan: CLE: Yes, once they are out of playoff raceAdam Caplan: if not beforeAdam Caplan: two bad games for Anderson could get him in there
Adam, Who is going to provide the pass rush to offset Wimbley?
Adam Caplan: RAM: Peek once foot is 100%Adam Caplan: McGinest a little
You see, when a player is i n j u r e d...hey, Ram, you just like getting your name on the screen, don't you? Could you let somebody else ask some more intelligent questions please?
Adam, just your opinion. How good would Brady be right now if he were starting?Adam Caplan: SU: Not very goodAdam Caplan: rookie QBs rarely do wellAdam Caplan: Manning had a terrible first half of rookie season
CORRECTION: Manning was thrown into it. Brady is even better-prepared by his offensive scheme and coaching in college. The offensive line has been stellar. He has great weapons. he has learned from the sidelines. He was awesome in preseason. You make too many assumptions, and you stick to your convictions despite contrary evidence. Update your database. Lewis is still a good RB, and Quinn is likely to hit the ground running, like Leinart, Cutler, and Smith last season.
Adam, Now that McGinest is back, and Chaun Thompson, why not sit Peek to get him healthy
Adam Caplan: RAM: Kind of agree to a point there
What did you think of the Steelers loss - does anybody realize thats how you beat them that game tape should be stolen by CLEVELAND
Adam Caplan: OSU: They lost some players in the second half and that was an issueAdam Caplan: ARI D is good though
Is it true that Romeo blocked the release of Ted Washington?
Adam Caplan: FOG: Can't say but I can tell you it could happen at some point during the seasonAdam Caplan: if all of their front seven is healthy
In the absence of anything else that makes sense, and given RAC's Martonian propensities, it's very extremely possible that RAC interceded with Savage for his old pal. Savage is trying to build the team to last. Romeo wants o l d buddies.
Adam, why play Tucker? OL is meshing real well
Adam Caplan: TIM: He won't starterAdam Caplan: startAdam Caplan: swing or backupAdam Caplan: would make no sense to start himAdam Caplan: that's what I said two weeks ago
Adam, if Ted goes, who takes his roster spot? Sign Baba off daaah Bearce PS?
Adam Caplan: CHI: I would imagine they would sign a younger veteran who fits their schemeAdam
Caplan: could be NT or DEAdam Caplan: either or
True. Shaun Smith is capable, although the position could use better depth or an upgrade. Oshi is not a first choice--they'll look for a bigger body first, unless they mean to alter the scheme.
Adam how's Quinn's progress coming?
Adam Caplan: OSU: Good knowledge of offense
how bad is Winslow's injury
Adam Caplan: DAW: He will have to deal with it for a whileAdam Caplan: BTW, Heiden is one of the better backup TEsAdam Caplan: no one talks about himAdam Caplan: but he's solidAdam Caplan: Heiden can really blockAdam Caplan: and has good hands
THANK YOU!!! Understatement as usual...Heiden STARTS for the majority of NFL teams.
Adam, have any input on the best available free agent 3-4 DL going into next season?
Adam Caplan: IC: I'll look at that later in the year
How's the rest of the league regard Josh Cribbs? I keep waiting for the direct snap to him and then he sets up to pass.
Adam Caplan: FOG: Many think he needs to get plays on offense every week
BIG ten-four.
Adam, do you see Brodney Pool improving with time?
Adam Caplan: TUT: Yes, the more snaps he gets
err...oyeeee--
Why don't the browns do more of a move around the defense to confuse teams have guys come to line and then back off somewhat like the stillers or pats
Adam Caplan: OSU: I see what you're saying, they done zone blitz like PIT who you can't figure out what they are doing
Excellent question. Obviously Adam has no idea. Could be the youth and inexperience of several principles. Grantham might be insisting on a mastery of the basics before getting fancy. Basics like positon, and tackling. Real complex stuff like that. At least I hope that's the reason.
Anything to the rumor that TB wants McKinnie & Taylor?
Adam Caplan: CHI: NoneAdam Caplan: MIN wants to deal MooreAdam Caplan: I could tell that when I talked to Childress at owners meetings
Adam, how much better are the Steelers than the rest of the division, and do you like coach Tomlin?
Adam Caplan: SUGG: Not that muchAdam Caplan: like Tomlin
Adam, do you see any trades in the league before the 16th?
Adam Caplan: RAM: A fewAdam Caplan: minor ones BrownsAdam Caplan: RAM: DL or WRAdam Caplan: They need both badly
Or Both
Adam Caplan: yepAdam Caplan: Savage knows itAdam Caplan: just a matter of finding the right fits
Adam, Indians or Yankees?Adam Caplan: SUG: YanksAdam Caplan: go tribeAdam Caplan: and I'm a tribesmanAdam Caplan: lol
Adam I heard a rumor that Savage was talking to Urban Meyer? Any truth to that??
Adam Caplan: CLE: None
until we beat Pittsburgh we wont get any respect
Adam Caplan: OSU: Probably so
any truth to Kosar being Pres?
Adam Caplan: TIM: NoAdam Caplan: but they should bring him in for a roleAdam Caplan: would make some sense
when you say our Defensive front seven could get blown up this offseason, who will stay? Wimbley and Jackson?
Adam Caplan: ROY: Both
No! Obviously they should cut Jackson or Wimbley! Yeah they're the whole problem! Sure wish I was as smart as you, to ask that brilliant question!
Adam, we all know you are an NFL expert, but how closely do you follow college football?
Adam Caplan: SUGG: Not much until bowl season
is DA a starter somewhere next year?
Adam Caplan: TU: can't see itAdam Caplan: he's what I thought he would be, big armAdam Caplan: not accurate as much as you would like and mechanics aren't consistent
Hopefully a backup for Quinn.
he is what he thought you would be? there's a dennis joke in there somewhere...
Adam Caplan: HE IS WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS, YOU CAN CROWN HIS.......
Do you see Williams in the front 7?Adam Caplan: CHI: rotationalAdam Caplan: backup
CORRECTION: Whether or not he starts, he'll get roughly the same snaps as Jackson or Davis. Williams is another guy who Adam had his mind made up about around a year ago. He's a hellacious talent with great speed and instincts. He has more upside than any player on this defense except Wimbley, or perhaps Poole. He could even render AndrA Davis trade-bait.
Adam Caplan: Good chat, later all

YOU STAND CORRECTED.

Browns to Upset Patriots!

That's right, the Cleveland Browns will upset the New England Patriots. They will lose by less than the 17 point spread, which should upset them. Also, at some point in the next decade or so, they should defeat them, which is certainly upsetting. And you can take this to the bank.

This is for copy/paste to my relatives:

I came across this great site about the Browns. This guy is a genius! He had Anderson pegged as the deserving starter and a promising talent a long time ago. He tore national "experts" a new one the instant they declared Jamal Lewis washed up based on the Pitt massacre. He's been lobbying for Josh Cribbs for months.

This guy called this offensive line one of the deepest and most talented even before the season began-- now that the Ravens, Raiders, and Bungles really weren't too timid, or too old, or too overconfident, like everybody else on the planet is saying to explain away Anderson's comfort zone--but that this line (and supporting staff) has been a WALL; it's simply that good!

He said that Eric Wright would start immediately, but might have trouble mastering the nuances of ZONE coverage--but had the brains to do it over the course of 3-5 games.

He wanted Ted Washington cut, Smith to start at nose tackle, predicted Edwards's emergence into the elite ranks, declared the Cravens overrated, said before the start of the season that a sixth rounder for Frye would be a bargain, anticipated many elements of the Chud offense, and it's effectiveness...

I just wish that I was as smart as this guy--but as you know so very well, I'm not. I'm just me, is all. So I know that I have nothing to offer, but at least I can find somebody who is really insightful and informative, and turn you onto him. As soon as I found him and read a little, I bookmarked it so that I could go back to check out what new brilliant stuff he had come up with, at least once a week.

Man, you should see him rip up the "experts" when they say dumb stuff. Here's the link: http://brownssanity.blogspot.com/.

Now: The line is 17 and I took the Browns. I think they can lose by less than that. I can't work up much hope for a win here.

Everybody is saying that the Pats will be all over Anderson, but they're full of crap. This offensive line and the backs and tight ends are way ahead of schedule as bodyguards. The evil spymaster will instead use trickery and deciet to con Anderson into throwing interceptions. He'll deploy a shell 2-deep coverage and use zone, and he won't often send more than four guys.

He'll tolerate Lewis gashing him a little, and some intermediate completions, going for turnovers and clock-bleeding.

Offensively, he'll just attack in every way possible. The Browns will mirror his defense in order to contain Moss and (ahem) Morris, and also hope for turnovers. Little chance of that, but it's all they got. A difference is that they will (or SHOULD) blitze liberally--and forget what you hear about how that's dumb vs. Brady. It's dumbER vs. Brady to give him time, and vis Morris to let him get rolling.

Fear not, however. I have secured some Brady hair and constructed a voodoo doll. If he breaks or stubs his right big toe, you will have me to thank for it. I have also sent ex-lax-laden Brownies to the Patriots, although I fear that the evil spymaster Belichick will detect it and foil this.

http://brownssanity.blogspot.com/

How bout them Injuns!?!

Rodney Offensivelinefield

On Sirius NFL Radio, I earlier today heard Adam Schein say something like: "Well if I'm the Ravens, looking at that offensive line, I'd be attacking Anderson."

Yeah. We got a terrible offensive line, Adam. And the Ravens never blitzed or anything. Terrell Suggs just sort of felt sorry for the hapless Joe Thomas. Uh-huh.

Told ya! It couldn't possibly have anything to do with an offensive line including two pro-bowl alternates, a top draft pick, and two solid starting journeymen. Had to be the Ravens not bothering to put any pressure on Anderson.

...who also permanently sucks and must never improve.

Adam, the Ravens were blitzing all day, and the Browns offensive line (and Te's and RB's) simply shut their pass-rush down. And they did it (now read this slowly, three times)...because they're GOOD. This after an unprecedented three games together. They protected well against the Bungles (yawn) and the Raiders, as well. They're getting better not just game-by-game, but quarter-by-quarter.

They might still need some work on the run-blocking, although using data from games against the Raiders' and Ratbird's defenses might not be very realistic. And you saw the hovoc Jason Wright wrought...(hmmm...)

Of course, they've looked much better starting in the second half of the Pittsburgh game, when a quicker-firing Anderson replaced Frye, whose best game might be CHESS.

Bart Scott said, essentially, that the Ravens gave up big plays, and cast the blame on their own poor performance. That's ok, coming from a player who has to believe in himself and his team. I just get sick of hearing crap like that from analysts like Adam Schein. (Adam is actually very smart, knowlegable, and insightful...normally. But he has a real blind spot concerning the Browns, and was among those calling this team one of the worst in the NFL.)

To his credit, he admits when he's wrong, and has done so again, as he did when the Browns beat the Ben-Gals.

Pat Kirwin this morning demonstrated a little more thought. He said that Anderson was "grossly" underrated, and commented about how his quick releases have helped the offensive line.

Now, the issue is how long can Anderson hold off Brady Quinn? Before, it was how many games did he need to lose before the Oxbow bunch in fandom forced Quinn into the fire? (The fire? Implication: The offensive line, despite it's OBVIOUS depth and talent, would, for some inexplicable reason, never be able to protect any quarterback.)

Joe Thomas expressed what I've said: The offensive line is glad to have a QB who gets rid of the ball quickly. He makes their job easier (unmentioned: the idiots in the stands don't know a six second sack from a three second sack). They're all pros, of course, so they automaticly do their best--but we all know how that somehow becomes a little more when your fearless leader makes it easier on you. They appreciate it. They play at a different level for a QB like that, vs. one who they secretly resent.

Thomas also mentioned Lewis, saying that he's his own best blocker. They get a lot of satisfaction when they get him to the second level.

That was seasoned veteran top-flight pro-bowler Chris McCallister that Edwards burned repeatedly. His 79-yarder was on a play-fake which (I surmise) was good enough to make him hesitate. After all, Ray Lewis had them all convinced that Jamal had to be punished for his vicious insult.

But this shows another aspect of the offense: play-action WORKS when a defense fears the run. That's all Edwards or Winslow need, you know. Just a little hesitation. If either gets behind the guy trying to cover them, it's all vertical and all over from there. 6'5" and 6'3" respectively with a QB who can drop it over the defenders.

When Chud came in, he spoke of an attacking offense, and I now truly understand what he meant. It's really cool. Everybody knows that the running back's job is to hammer a defense until they have to stick an eighth guy in the box. But what they don't realize is that this works both ways.

The Ravens probably started out with eight in the box to stop the vicious slanderer Jamal Lewis, so the offense adapted to this and went for the throat over the top. That quickly forced the Bengals into shell coverage and enabled Lewis to steamroll them, and our big recievers to tear them up underneath. Against the Ravens, they stuck to stopping the run first, and paid for it a different way.

In short, it works, and Chud adapts well.

Anderson has now faced the Raiders and the Ravens defenses. Late in the Raiders game, he just about salvaged the victory, and if you go by quarters, you could say that you see progress through the last six, vs. elite talent.

Anderson himself might have been shooting for professional survival. Any QB with starting experience, who is young and cheap, is a good candidate to back up a stud QB somewhere. This is how Kelly Holcomb survived on the bench after coming out of college. And this is how most of them end up: Retiring healthy, and needing only splinter-extraction surgery and a gold-plated clip-board.

Now? Now, he realizes that he is pretty good. Good enough to start. He knows that the writing is on the wall for he and Quinn, but he's got to be working hard to make it impossible for the Coaches to replace him.

He has proven something here. Everybody (see Pat Kirwin) has noticed. This is another Kelly Holcomb here. (Well sort of. Anderson is stronger, Holcomb more accurate--but I just mean the carreer path.)

After these last two defenses, expecting him to regress is unreasonable. He's had a taste of Dick LeBeau's 3-4, so even the Pats defense shouldn't represent too many curve-balls for him.

Don't get me wrong: They WILL confuse him, and lure him into mistakes. I never said he was Peyton Manning. But it shouldn't be a total disaster.

After all, he has this great offensive line, Edwards, Winslow, and Jurevicious his security blanket. Those guys can out-reach and out-muscle people fighting for the ball, and turn a mistake into a mere incompletion, or even a big play. I don't doubt that on some of his dumb throws into coverage, he just felt that his guys would keep him out of trouble.

Waittilnextyear projected 8-8 this season, and I now think he's right. This whole thing is coming together. The defense is lagging a bit, but forcing turnovers and shutting people down in the red zone. Cinci and the Ratbirds were no flukes. From start to finish, they outplayed those teams. The Raiders game was infuriating, but attributable to youth; notably in the QB. Pitt? Hell, the first game of the year. Frye. Bad mistake by the punter. Poor coaching. O-line together for one week.

Now they've got their feet on the ground. They've beaten two GOOD teams. They no longer expect to lose.

I'm almost ready to even mention the "p"-word. I mean, clearly I was wrong about Pittsburgh--they appear to have a dominating team destined to win this Division. But Cinci? Baltimore? Let's do it again. We really ARE better than them, in their back yard or ours.

With San Diego in a tailspin, Denver looking very average--who knows?

Yep. Yep, the Browns are officially ahead of schedule. Why wait til next year?

THIS JUST IN! A couple posts by Craven fans. One is a homo sapiens. The other is not. See if you can see which is which:

1ravensfan
AOL


The ravens are the only team who go play action to throw a 4 yard pass. Get the damn ball to Mgahee he is good. he is definitely not one dimensional like J lewis. lets go back to the Cinci loss. Billick had * downs to get less than five yards and threw the ball. Get him the hell outta here. The defense will come back but imagine if our offense put up 27 points a game. the defense can then gamble and blitz more and create turnovers. we are playing tight on defense!!! Cleveland should never put up 27 on any team in the league. Don't be so hard on Mcalister he is solid and don't give up many- remember what Marvin Harrison did to Prime Time??
ScottG

was a big buzz kill after UMD's win. To put Boller in would have been like letting the wolves out...unless he made a miracle comeback...this loss would have been all Kyle's. Thats the way these print media hacks are.Obviously, we have weak spots on defense,..teams see it...Cleveland exploited it. That needs to be fixed. Otherwise...it will be a LOONNNNg season.

Ray Who?

A lot of alleged experts, in the wake of this game, will talk about the Ravens having taken the Browns too lightly, being unprepared, giving the game away, etc. Anything...anything but admit that the Browns just plain beat the perennially-overrated Ravens.

They rack up 51 points, and it's nothing. Cinci has a bad defense. Why, ANYBODY could score FIFTY ONE POINTS against them!

I can already hear the Yabutts. Jamal Lewis averaged around 5 YPC. "Yabut He got mostly stuffed, and got most of those yards on 2 or 3 runs." Big deal. His runs resulted in conversions, and ultimately points. The Ravens defense had held previous running backs to 2.7 YPC. Lewis was pounding at the door from inside the three several times.

The Ravens were also in a froth over Jamal's vicious, dastardly "strengths and weaknesses" comment, and probably left recievers wide open in theit obsessive fixation on punishing this despicable attack on them.

Arrogance. "Jamal knows there aren't any weaknesses." If people score on you, there are weaknesses. You are only human, Ray. That's why the Browns ran right at you. They knew you were too fast to run around, so they just got right up in your face. See, Ray? You're really good at running around and being everywhere at once, but a guard or center can push you around.

Jeez...we'll leave Ray alone for now, as he denies this and talks about how he threw Fraley aside and leapt tall buildings and stuff...

Anderson actually played a pretty competant game, throwing only one stupid and about five really inaccurate passes. 109 QB rating. Yeah, you have to figure that Quinn, once he gets his feet wet and some reps under his belt with these recievers, will do better. But that's for down the road apiece.

Bernie Kosar said what I've been saying (naturally): Quinn really is learning stuff on the sidelines. People who say he isn't are idiots. (BK didn't say that part. He just thought it.) And the smartest thing they can do for him is allow the rest of the offense to integrate and get more consistant. Support him, so that he needn't carry the team on his back.

Anderson has made real progress. Against the Raiders, He was putrid for the first and some of the second half, but at the end, he rallied them and came back, big-time. He proved something. In this game, he was---well--a little above average, but for the whole game, against an even better defense.

Here, they actually passed to set up the run at first. That was them relying in Anderson.

The offensive line did a beautiful job of protecting him--the Ravens blitzed, seemingly, every play (probably hoping to get Jamal, their arch-enemy slanderer). As for run-blocking, I'm not certain. After all, this is the 2.7 YPC Ravens. Lewis ripped off the longest gain of the season against them, and scored the first rushing touchdown against them.

Hey, how 'bout that Jason Wright? He made them look pretty sick, no? Probably, when they took Jamal off the field, they backed off from their vendetta. Wright is really underrated. I still like Harrison's versatility and speed more, but who can argue with playing this guy ahead of him. Dude is TOUGH. Makes big plays.

That's called DEPTH. Dorsey actually filled in for Steinbach at LG, and from what I know did a servicable job. More depth.

Mr. Yabutt, how about McGahee? He got most of his yards on 2 or 3 runs. Take that Yabutt and apply it to Lewis. See?

The secondary has been getting beat up, until this game, substantially because the front seven was unable to generate much pressure. Ask Hanford Dixon...and listen to the answer for once: You can't expect a secondary to cover for longer than around 4-5 seconds. This game, they did get pressure.

In nickels, they moved Pool up front, like a strong safety, and used Adams as the second deeper "shell" guy. And they sent Poole on blitzes, again and again, when he wasn't on the TE. (That's who McNair went to on those plays.)

I heard this from Jerry Rice on Sirius NFL Radio: Braylon Edwards and he talk a lot, and he advises Edwards. They're going to work out together this off-season. He really likes Edwards, "because he listens."

Oh, man! Can these ears hear any sweeter music? What we've seen out of Edwards so far is just the beginning. He wants to be THE best, and he's not letting up. He was wide open on that 78-yarder. Blown coverage? More likely, it was a move Jerry taught him, along with healed ACL's that let him run full-speed. Oh, yeah.

Didn't you just know that K2 would play? And kick butt? You'd probably need to cut both his hands off to force him out. No...he'd insist that he could catch with his teeth. What a warrior. What an inspiration to the rest of the team, both offense and defense.

Willie McGinest: According to Andre Knott (sp?) he was telling everybody else what to do, like he was stealing the Ravens signals or something (tee-hee). I don't know if he blitzed much, but I do know that when the Ravens ran at him, they were sorry. He is a real asset. I was wondering if he had anything left, but that's been answered. It remains to be seen if he can attack the QB like he did before (forgive me if he did, and that was why Wimbley got to McNair later on)--but he can stop the run.

This was a new offense, offensive line, and QB making progress, as anybody with a brain would have expected. In truth, I thought they'd lose this game...until about half way through that first possession touchdown drive. I was still wondering how they would screw it up, but encouraged:

They were attacking, through the air. The Ravens were not getting pressure. Things were starting to mesh. Oh yeah. When Ryan Tucker comes back, do they replace Shaffer? I think not. Shaffer had some early problems, but now is doing a hell of a job, and fits with the other guys a lot better. But I wouldn't rule him out at right guard...not at all.

Bentley should return before the season is over. What then? HE could well be brought back (for this season) at guard. What nice problems the Browns have!!

Remember after last season? The O-line sucked and had no depth. Give Savage some credit here: It's not just fixed--it's one of the best and deepest offensive lines in football! Remember the secondary? Give Savage some credit here, as well.

Quit bashing him because we don't have a great third wide-out and the defensive line still needs work. He's taken care of EVERYTHING else that was wrong in one offseason.

Well, next week they come down to Earth. They find out how far they have to go, because they play THE best team in the NFL. Even I can't muster up any hope for them to upset the Pats.

Hell, all Brady needed was a freaking Randy Moss! He was nasty enough with journeymen. All that defense needed was Adalius Thomas. That's just peachy.

The important thing to watch in this game is how close they can keep it. I do think that the Pats won't be able to get much more heat on Anderson than anyone else has with this offensive line. I do think that if Anderson isn't in brain-fart mode, they can move the ball.

It's just that I expect Anderson to make more mistakes, and Brady not to make any, and for Moss to burn them repeatedly, as he has everybody else. And for the Pats to also run the ball.

Well, maybe our man Cribbs will hit a couple dingers for us. Yeah. That's the ticket.

I want ten points.

Good game. (Literally).

Browns Vs. Cravens

For some reason, the line just shrank from 6 to 4 points. Gil Brandt picked the Browns as an upset special, and is no doubt being kidded by all his Sirius Radio colleagues.

Hey, I do seek to counterract a strong, herd-like negative bias in re my team, and spend so much time correcting stupid and ignorant statements that I read like a homer. In this game, to tell you the truth, it looks pretty scary.

The issues on defense are maddening, as they have the talent to do a lot better, even as they DID, prior to significant upgrades, early last season. What's going on?

Well, for one thing, Pool is making mistakes, and Wright is crewing up. The one is a new starter, the other a raw rookie. OK. But the run stuff? I wonder. If it really is the gap-discipline thing, does that mean that they're playing passive? I don't know, since I can't watch the games...but are they just standing there and not attacking the backfield? Nobody shooting gaps to try to blow stuff up in the backfield?

It's called a "run-blitze". I'm not the one who invented it. It's been done before. It's done a LOT out of 3-4 fronts. The guy coming through, even if he doesn't make the play, insures that the back can't go to a certain place. He must go laterally, right or left. This keeps him in the backfield longer, giving the rest of the defense a chance to corral him before he can do any damage. Keeps him from turning his shoulders and going vertical.

These blitzes are always between the tackles, aimed at an area between the guards.

And are the linemen always just standing there with that two-gap stuff, or are they ever turned loose to attack? All of the defensive ends we have are quick and fast enough to get penetration.

Or maybe I'm totally wrong. Maybe that's what they've been doing, and how they've been burned. Well...being an intelligent analyst, I hear the coaches say that they were out of position, and stuff about gap-control, and it definitely sounds like I'm right: It's two-gap seven deep.

Bud Carson, where are you now? Could you please give Grantham a call and have a talk with him?

Anyway, the talent is too good...the history is there, and with this DC and head coach. It's got to get fixed. The Ravens offense is respectable, but that's about it. Better than Oakland's, but nowhere close to Cinci's or Pitt's. They can be stopped. Ogden may be out again, and a key reciever in bad shape. Heap is very solid and reliable, but we have linebackers who can cover him.

It's the Ravens defense which is the big menace.

Unbeknownst to those of you in Oblivia, the offensive line has done a pretty good job. The QB misfires have been all Anderson. If they're man-blocking on runs, that's really, really stupid. If they trap, pull, slant and zone-block, they can run on anybody. Have they been? I don't know--nobody will tell me. If I can just see three or four plays....

Ray Lewis needs to get back on his meds. Jamal mentioned "strengths and weaknesses" and Ray just got all insulted and pissed off about it. Could be trash-talk, I don't know--but I hope they all follow Ray's lead and decide to teach Jamal a lesson for unttering this shameful insult.

If they're overanxious to beat the snot out of one guy, they'll bite on play-action and hesitate anytime they need to run away from him. They might overpursue (which they do, being so fast, anyway), and Jamal can make his one cut-back and gash them.

Anyway, Findley can go get Ray and knock him down in runs. That'll work. Too bad they also have Bart Scott. And that safety. And...

But don't forget: Edwards. Winslow (shoulder or no). Lewis. The line. As Anderson goes, the offense goes.

Speaking of which--quit going for the throat every single time, dude. The bad guys where a different color. Stick to the orange helmets, and we'll be ok.

The Browns will win provided they can accumulate a greater number of points, once the first and second halves are totalled up. They can not win if the referees have determined that they must not.

Insanity

Karma.It's a bitch.A twelve game Oakland losing streak.A Browns team that had not won 2 games in a row since the last game of 2003/first game of 2004.And then a mirror image instant replay of the Raider loss to the Denver Broncos - with the time out called just before the made field goal.And the Raiders block a makeable field goal to seal the win after a desparate Browns comeback.Damn.The Browns looked like crap to start the game. Going down 16-0. The offense was inept for most of the first half - with penalties, missed passes, and a general malaise.The defense played well in the red zone, but only in the red zone. And Eric Wright experienced the growing pains that come with a baptism by fire in the NFL - giving up an inexplicable TD to Curry where he not only allowed Curry to get behind him, but let Curry open up such a gap that Wright couldn't even see him because of the curvature of the earth.

It was a bleak start for the Browns, who looked like a young team that was playing its first away game in a hostile stadium.Then, Joshua Cribbs ignited the spark, taking a Sabastian Janikowski kickoff back 100 yards for the touchdown. That was followed by a Lamont Jordan fumble that looked like he was serving in volleyball. Simon Fraser recovered, and the Browns converted the Oakland error into a field goal.The Browns went into the locker room at half time down 16-10.At the time, they had numerous penalties - many of which may have been due to the Raiders calling out fake signals. Which the referees apparently did not realize is a penalty.

Correction: It is if you're not the Browns.

A tackle of Josh McKown by Robaire Smith and Orpheus Roye had hobbled the Oakland signal caller, and Daunte Cullpepper came out to lead the Raiders in the second half.The Browns forced a punt, on a good play by Holly, and after a touchback, took the ball on the 20. But, a couple of Jamal Lewis runs were followed by a Braylon Edwards drop, forcing a Browns punt.The Raiders came back and on 3rd and 10, Cullpepper hit Mike Williams - who had burned Eric Wright - for a first down pass. But, Williams was gang tackled by the Browns and the ball was ripped out, and recovered by Holly.A pass to JJ, a draw to Lewis against the blitz, was followed by an incomplete pass to Braylon Edwards. Then, Anderson looked right, came back to Braylon Edwards in the middle of the field and hit him for a touchdown, putting the Browns up 17-16. It would be the last time the Browns led in the contest.The Raiders came back and ran Jordan, who seemed able to take advantage of an overly eager Browns front 7 all day. Fraser, Peek and others were continually running up field out of position, allowing Jordan to run free in the area they should have been defending. Remember when we used to be so sick of the "gap integrity" speaches from Butch Davis and company? Well, today, the failure of gap integrity was a major factor that contributed to the Browns loss. That is a lack of discipline. I am beginning to wonder if that is an inherent problem for Peek, and the reason he was let go.Also a major factor was poor tackling. How many times did it appear that the Oakland RB was stopped for little or no gain, only to have him come out of the pile to gain more yardage.

This happened late in the game, when they were exhausted. They still should have done the job, but you need to blame the offense somewhate for this, as well.

It was also evident that the Browns DBs are banged up. Bodden is hobbled by his groin injury. Wright injured his arm. Pool played despite his concussion last week. But there were a number of penalties, and missed assignments, that gave the Raiders big chunks of yardage and key first downs.After the Browns went up 17-16, the Raiders went on a 9 minute drive that was kept alive by an Andra Davis pass interference penalty, and further aided by a Bodden holding penalty.The touchdown was scored on a third and goal where Jordan carried Andra Davis into the endzone. The Raiders went up 23-17, and never trailed again.The Browns went three and out - a pass by Anderson to Carter was somewhat behind him, but he got both hands on it but could nto catch the ball.The defense - after the 9 minute drive - was out on the field again with little rest. Starting from their own 15 yard line, the Silver and Black drove using the run, and even converted a third and 23 using a screen pass. The Browns held on a third down pass to Curry that was tipped away by Bodden, but Janikowski hit the field goal, putting the Browns down by 9. 26-17.Cribbs was largely taken out of the game by the deep kicks by Janikowski, taking the kickoff after the field goal 8 yards deep and taking a knee.The Browns started to drive with time becoming a factor. They Browns got a first down despite Anderson missing a wide open Joe Jurevicious. Carter caught a pass.

Carter? He WHAT?

Winslow caught a pass and appeared to go out of bounds - but the clock, somehow, continued to run. Then Derek Anderson scrambled for 10 and appeared to go out of bounds - and the clock, somehow, continued to run.

I dodn't know this. It doesn't surprise me, but I wasn't aware of it. The fix must have been "under", since the Browns covered the three point spread.

A pass to Jamal Lewis for 7 yards was followed by a great catch by Edwards at the 2 yard line. Lewis took the ball to the one, and then Anderson faked to Lewis and bootlegged it in for the touchdown. After the extra point, it was 26-24, Raiders, with time running out.After stopping the kickoff return at the 21, the Browns gave up a first down on a pass to Porter, between Holly and Bodden. But, the Browns, using their timeouts and the two minute warning, managed to stop the Raiders on 3rd and 8 - allowing Jordan only 7 yards and maintaining their stances as Cullpepper tried to draw the Browns offsides on fourth and 1.With 1:04 left, the Browns started on their 9 yard line. On third and 10, Anderson hit Winslow over the middle, who rambled to the 42 yard line. After a spike, DA passed to Winslow, who had Huff hanging all over him, but there was no flag.

Yep. Once the Browns can beat both the referees and the players, they'll be in good shape.

Another pass to Winslow over the middle moved the ball down to the 35, and the Browns quickly moved up for another spike. After a couple of misfires, Anderson hit JJ, who ran down the sidelines to the 23 for a 13 yard gain.Then it was a late timeout negating the field goal, and an up-the-middle block of Dawson's second attempt by Tommy Kelley won the game for the Raiders.A frustrating game for the Browns. Anderson was terrible early, and even though he moved the team much better in the second half, he was not able to consistently make the big plays he did against Cincinnati.

That is an unreasonable demand.

The defense, while only giving up 26 points (not 40+ like pervious weeks) still looks like a weakness for this team. Some bright spots - Wimbley was better on the pass rush. Chaun Thompson wasn't in much, but he made some big plays. Robaire Smith played pretty well. And at least Pool was able to play.

The defense had some problems, but let's not overdo it. There are experience and communication issues in the secondary, which time will resolve.

The offensive line was not as dominant as it was against Cincinnati. It also did not appeared that the Browns were as committed to the running game as against the Bengals.

CORRECTION: You can't run every time. You can run 2 out of three times, maybe. They ran a lot. They stuck with it. It paid off later, as Lewis started breaking to the second level, and the Raiders D was tired in the fourth--contributing to the two drives.

The receivers were also not as sharp - with Braylon Edwards dropping a pass between the numbers to end a drive, and Anderson throwing into coverage more, and not finding the open receivers for much of the game.

Edwards: One drop in three games. Get over it.

A hugely disappointing loss in terms of where we are for the rest of the season. And the game was oh so winnable. 1 and 2 going into the Ravens game puts all the doubts about this young team back in play. We will see which Browns team shows up to the CBS next Sunday.
Last edited 9/23/2007 8:06 PM by T-Dog

Ok we need some context here, in order to regain our rationality:

1: Cinci's D just held Seattle to 24 points. Prior to the Browns, they got five turnovers against the Ravens. It's not a very good defense, but much of what the Browns offense did to it was EARNED.

2: Pitt just racked up 37 points on San Fran. 30 of those were scored by a sunddenly diverse and explosive offense. They slaughtered the Browns in week one, when the Browns had obviously not prepared properly.

3: The Raiders scored 24 points against Denver.

4: The Raiders defense is at least a top-ten force.

5: The Raiders have been trampling everybody they've played on the ground, for well over 100 yards per game, including Denver.

6: Cincinnatti's offense is comparable to the Colts. It will AVERAGE over 33 points per game.

An offensive line needs to be together for YEARS, rather than games, in order to approach it's potential. To expect it to match well-established offensive lines after a couple games is assenine. Little by little, they'll get better, but meanwhile they'll continue to make mistakes.

Anderson has always been an inconsistant QB with huge potential. Even in college, he'd throw five TD's one week, and five picks the next. The idea is to get the more experienced, older version to cut down on the stinkers, as he already has the good stuff down pat...SOMETIMES.

He did, at least, rally the team late against a strong D in a hostile environment. (Well it was an away game, but that's still pretty hostile.) He missed a lot, and didn't adjust at all--

What we saw here was potential. I'm hoping that Anderson will get more consistant with a couple more starts, and turn into a really good BACKUP QB for Brady Quinn. And yes, he should continue to start, at least until the by-week. Let Quinn learn without getting his head torn off, and let the offensive line settle in.

But if Anderson steps up to his challenge and starts getting the job done, let Quinn sit the bench the whole season, just like Carson Palmer did.

See what happened in AZ? Leinart was benched.

I recently finally got to see some films on all the Browns picks. Quinn is pretty fast and very athletic, and can get yards with his legs. Nobody says that, but it's right there. He's got some good running-back-type moves. Thomas moves a lot like a TE--very, very fast and quick. In the films, he was running around in space flattening safeties and linebackers a lot. He was ON them like one second after the snap, before they could even move.

I might have even seen Quinn's mechanical issue: He was throwing his upper body into throws, rather than rotating it. He's end up all on his front foot. I haven't seen him since he's been coached up in-house, but it sure sounded like he was VERY accurate.

Man, after the break, or whenever this kid takes over, he should be protected and have a good running game. Just wait.

We Got a Chance by Joe Snowball

First, some corrections: I found out from a reliable source that the Browns O-line provided adequate protection overall. The evidence cited? Frye was sacked, again and again, after SIX SECONDS OF LOOKING AROUND AND HOLDING ONTO THE BALL.

I THOUGHT so! No, Anderson didn't do much, and also looked pretty bad, but at least he threw the damn thing away. The linemen appreciate and respect that, because they know that the ignorant m asses will blame them for every single sack. (Old story. KOSAR acquired a taste for pigskin under Belichick. I figured he'd make a great politician after football. A democrat, of course.)

Ok, well you guys must have read Grossi: A third reciever has not quite filled in for the missing Henry, leaving Chad Johnson as the sole burner. Rudi Johnson is a human tank, but there's no one to really offset him with speed or verstatility.

Bodden will, when they do play man, be the main guy on Johnson. Wright is pretty small to cover Houshbenwhozzit, but Ben Zada can't shake him, either.

People who say that Palmer looked bad against the Ravens defense are full of crap. He looked like a decent, rather than great, quarterback. The Ravens will do that to anybody. Palmer will bring it to Cleveland.

The Browns D should be able to get more heat on him. The Cinci O-line is still very good, but not like last season. As for stopping Rudi--well, they just have to find a way.

Look: This defense is not identical to last season's, and the Pittsburgh game isn't definitive in that regard. The younger guys are about twenty lbs. heavier, S Smith is a real nose tackle--if the buttheads let him play it rather than Mr. Experience for cryin out loud--Wimbley has become a more complete linebacker, Jackson should be more instinctive, and Peek is here. The knock on him was weakness against the run...

Assenine, because he was only able to play in a 3-4 for his rookie season, and was then relegated to a passrushing DE. How can people make these judgements?

Johnson is a power-back, and Cinci's O-line is different. This defense is very fast. It could be overpowered, yes, but it has a good chance of converging on Rudi before he does a lot of damage. (Note: I didn't mention tackling him. I mean, they might just converge on him and get dragged around and bounce off and stuff.)

Cinci runs a 4-3 D-line. Joe Thomas has worked against the Browns 3-4 in training camp, but is no doubt more comfortable against a 4-3, where he'll usually get to concentrate on the DE (which is pretty damn good).

Again, Shaffer and (ex-Bengal) Steinbach missed a lot of time with their line-mates. I'll bet if I could see the film, I'd see two guys on a linebacker while another backer is untouched and stuff like that. Once the ball is snapped and (by design) defenses do unexpected stuff, the linemen have to adjust on the fly. That's where the chemistry matters.

Thomas might have got used to Findley staying put when a certain thing happened. Now Steinbach does something different, and it's a mess. Now they've been together for a couple weeks, and it'll be a little (not a lot) better.

Shaffer is not a prototypical right tackle and has never played on that side. Everything is in reverse, incuding even his stance, and veteran or no, he and Thomas will make mistakes here and there. This is a young unit, just learning to walk--what the hell do you expect?

I wish I could see the films, because I wonder about the scheme. The obvious way for this line to block is by zones. Every single one of them is an athlete who can run around. If they're trying to use them as man-blockers, they're stupid. These guys aint road-graders! I HOPE that they're trapping, pulling, and slanting, and just messing up because of the newness and complexity.

Adam Caplan made a few inaccurate statements recently which I need to correct:

Pool and Jones are weak in coverage. Wrong. Pool was used to man-cover big recievers and tight ends last season. Don't ask him to do this with, say, Santonio Holmes--but for a big safetey, that's pretty nifty. This is a cover two, mainly, and they cover in zones. Pool is still pretty new, and will make MENTAL errors early-on--but they are zone guys who'll close mainly only after the ball is thrown. That's by design.

Caplan thinks they're both supposed to be free safeties, and that's not reasonable. Cover two safeties are strong/free hybrids--usually NOT converted man-cornerbacks. They can man-up on TE's, backs, or some possession guys, but are strictly zone defenders vs. wide recievers. That's the trade-off for having two good run-stoppers splitting the field horizontally. They'll get burned some, break some up with big hits, and pick some off. That's the scheme.

Adam also picked on Anderson for and inability to find secondary or tertiary recievers. I'm not really sure that's correct, and it sounds like an assumption. Last season, he hit Heidman and Jurevicious a LOT, along with Draughns. These are not primary recievers. Usually, neither is K2.

Chud's offense is different, too. K2 WILL be a primary more often, and deeper downfield.

Cinci's cornerbacks aren't so hot. They got a real good one in the draft, I think, and he'll have to be put on Edwards. And Anderson has the arm to get it DEEP. No cornerback can really stop Edwards of it comes down to leaping wrestling, or reaching for it, and Anderson doesn't need pinpoint accuracy.

They'll have to respect Edwards, and they can maybe take him out of it, but they can't stop both him and K2. Yeah, they have a really good coverage linebacker, but NOBODY can man-up in K2---who will be slamming him a whole lot when he's blocking.

Robert Geathers is the DE they got--yeah. He ate the Ravens' lunch. But the Browns can now tell Thomas: "Just blast him on runs and stop him on passes and don't worry about anything else", and he can do it. The dude specialized in this as perhaps the best lineman in college, and practices agains Kimerion Wimbley. This is the perfect time to tell him he doesn't have to think--just beat this one guy.

That's beautiful, too. Most offenses have to help a tackle with a TE or something against a passrusher like this. That slows the TE or keeps him in period, limitting what the offense can do. We now, for once, have a guy who can deal with it one-on-one.

I don't know enough about the rest of the individuals on that defense, though. I do know that, overall, this defense was near the basement in the NFL, and didn't get the turnovers like it did in '05. They loaded up on corners in the off-season, one of which is a rookie (starter)--and the others are respectable. I know that at least two of the linebackers are pretty good.

The Ravens offense is decent, but (according to Boomer Esiason) their QB had a horrible day and made a bunch of bad reads.

Ah! Yes, Caplan also declared that, based on Pittsburgh, Jamal Lewis is done. That's rediculous. He was taken out of the game as soon as Pitt went up by about ten points. He historicly starts slow. Caplan saw what--did he hesitate once? Get to a hole late once? What could he have seen, in the few times he was given the ball, that the dude is washed up?

Hey, maybe he IS--I don't know. But I'll sure as hell wait til he has a CHANCE before I start shoveling dirt on his coffin. And this was PITTSBURGH--mostly intact from last season, when they were at or near the top of the league in run-stuffage! JEEZ, Adam!! I've got to downgrade you as a source, now!

YOU STAND CORRECTED.

Anyway, Cinci's D could be improved, but it's not all that--certainly not like Pittsburgh's. The Browns offense with Anderson has a good chance to get something done against it. Nor is this defense nearly as bad as it looked last week. Cinci's offense, though missing a couple pieces this season, remains pretty lethal.

People say there's Brady and Manning and then everybody else. Wrong. Carson Palmer belongs right there with those guys. That's how good this guy is. We have guys who can cover TE's, and Rudi isn't a big recieving threat. Johnson shouldn't be able to outsprint Bodden or Wright...

I would throw the kitchen sink into their backfield and hope Palmer can't find Houshyermomma. They have to stop Rudi, and the best way is to blow him up in the backfield. Palmer will burn blitzes, but I'll bet Wimbley or Peek (or a De if they turn them loose) can reach him before he can hurt us too bad...err...more often than not.

C'mon, Coaches! If you sit there with your stupid "blanket" Palmer will march up and down all freakin day. If you play that two-gap vanilla crap because you're afraid of Johnson, he'll trample you. Yeah, go ahead and play it "safe", and they'll kill you.

Dammit. I miss Bud Carson. Remember his defenses? "You go or I go." That's the ONLY way to treat a prolific, balanced offense with a human tank running back. TORA TORA TORA BANZAIIII!!!!

...and a conservative, Infantyan, physical, ball-control offense.

I mean yeah, maybe Carson throws three TD's and Johnson rips off a couple 20-yard runs. But if you get five sacks, three tackles-for-losses, a couple picks, a couple fumbles, and a bunch of punts, and maybe a defensive TD and a free FG, aint it worth it, you knuckleheads? Grantham? Is Romeo calling the plays, or are you? Who do I blame?

Bet it's Romeo...well let's give him has fair chance. Good luck. Don't be a wuss.