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).
Sunday, September 30, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, September 24, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, September 14, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Oxbow Tantrum
Comments on the Browns' trade of Charlie Frye, as posted on cleveland.com:
I would have rather traded [Derek] Anderson! Hopefully [Brady] Quinn will start this Sunday regardless. The fans deserve something to look forward to. - brownsfan24
Frye still can't decide what to do with the ball. Anderson does. Cincinnati specializes in turnovers, and the offensive line still needs more reps together. Yeah that's a great time to start a rookie QB who missed eighteen practices.
How bad will [Romeo] Crennel and company look if they give Quinn the start on Sunday and he destroys Cincy's defense. That is exactly why they will not start him. - nospin33
And Crennel was the second shooter in Dallas.
Good luck Charlie. You've been rescued from this sinking ship. - DawgHouse7
Dawghouse works for the Simpletonian Institute.
In my opinion, we tossed the wrong guy. The buck stops with the coach, and ours is a BUM. - RageIn216
That remains to be seen, Spazzboy. All the crap that happened last season, the personnel turnover, the new system, the injured linemen and Charlie's indecision were not the Coach's fault. You might be right, but it'll be luck. Write "Blind" in front of your handle.
Too bad we could not have gotten a solid [defensive] back [in return]. - falchoon
This after one game with a rookie starter and a couple blown assignments.
Let's see, our starting QB is pulled out in the second quarter of the first game and traded two days later, then unsigned Ken Dorsey is brought in and could possibly start game two? Boy, Romeo sure knows what he's doing doesn't he? - Jizy
Evidently you don't hate Savage. How convenient for you.
A team is only as good as management. Take a look at the leader. - NeedChg
I am. Let's see how he does with a trace of stability.
What does it tell you that OUR first-game starter is picked up by another team to be their third string QB? - tribefan59
Second string. They're moving the other guy back to WR, genius.
The only people dumber than Browns management are the fools that keep on filling that stadium at $50/seat after all these years of losing! - wwjd2007
Make it stoppleaseplease I can't stand it blahblah wahh-wahh oh God--
If he'd seized the opportunity he was given to establish himself as the undisputed starter, the Browns wouldn't be in this mess. - ksuflash87
WHEW! Intelligent life in Cleveland!
It wasn't all that long ago that the fans were chanting, WE WANT CHARLIE, WE WANT CHARLIE. - MrCommonSens
How long will it be before Brady gets booed of the field by drunken, boorish so-called fans? - bjvjev
About two series, dude! And you said it! Every deflected interception, blindside strip/sack, dropped third down and TD pass, penalty, and coaching lapse will be all his fault. The first time he's down by thirteen and has to force it or die, that will be his fault too.
The line will now have had two whole entire weeks together! Yeah! And Shaffer has a whole game under his belt at right tackle...Thomas at left! Should be a massive improvement and they should just steamroll the Bengals this week, right?
Freakin' idjuts.
YOU STAND CORRECTED.
I would have rather traded [Derek] Anderson! Hopefully [Brady] Quinn will start this Sunday regardless. The fans deserve something to look forward to. - brownsfan24
Frye still can't decide what to do with the ball. Anderson does. Cincinnati specializes in turnovers, and the offensive line still needs more reps together. Yeah that's a great time to start a rookie QB who missed eighteen practices.
How bad will [Romeo] Crennel and company look if they give Quinn the start on Sunday and he destroys Cincy's defense. That is exactly why they will not start him. - nospin33
And Crennel was the second shooter in Dallas.
Good luck Charlie. You've been rescued from this sinking ship. - DawgHouse7
Dawghouse works for the Simpletonian Institute.
In my opinion, we tossed the wrong guy. The buck stops with the coach, and ours is a BUM. - RageIn216
That remains to be seen, Spazzboy. All the crap that happened last season, the personnel turnover, the new system, the injured linemen and Charlie's indecision were not the Coach's fault. You might be right, but it'll be luck. Write "Blind" in front of your handle.
Too bad we could not have gotten a solid [defensive] back [in return]. - falchoon
This after one game with a rookie starter and a couple blown assignments.
Let's see, our starting QB is pulled out in the second quarter of the first game and traded two days later, then unsigned Ken Dorsey is brought in and could possibly start game two? Boy, Romeo sure knows what he's doing doesn't he? - Jizy
Evidently you don't hate Savage. How convenient for you.
A team is only as good as management. Take a look at the leader. - NeedChg
I am. Let's see how he does with a trace of stability.
What does it tell you that OUR first-game starter is picked up by another team to be their third string QB? - tribefan59
Second string. They're moving the other guy back to WR, genius.
The only people dumber than Browns management are the fools that keep on filling that stadium at $50/seat after all these years of losing! - wwjd2007
Make it stoppleaseplease I can't stand it blahblah wahh-wahh oh God--
If he'd seized the opportunity he was given to establish himself as the undisputed starter, the Browns wouldn't be in this mess. - ksuflash87
WHEW! Intelligent life in Cleveland!
It wasn't all that long ago that the fans were chanting, WE WANT CHARLIE, WE WANT CHARLIE. - MrCommonSens
How long will it be before Brady gets booed of the field by drunken, boorish so-called fans? - bjvjev
About two series, dude! And you said it! Every deflected interception, blindside strip/sack, dropped third down and TD pass, penalty, and coaching lapse will be all his fault. The first time he's down by thirteen and has to force it or die, that will be his fault too.
The line will now have had two whole entire weeks together! Yeah! And Shaffer has a whole game under his belt at right tackle...Thomas at left! Should be a massive improvement and they should just steamroll the Bengals this week, right?
Freakin' idjuts.
YOU STAND CORRECTED.
A Brilliant Stragety by Ray Schennelheiser
Giving the Stealers a false sense of security is pretty smart. I guess when Zastudil wouldn't take a dive, they had him fake an injury and got this other guy to help the rest of the team blow it.
At first, I thought they were just making the Stealers overconfident so they could later crush them in this particular game, but obviously Romeo has a longer view in mind. Now, it will be even more psychologicly devastating when the Browns go smash them at home later this season!
I can't wait!
That was Ray Schennelheiser. Ray Schennelheis...oh JEEZ! You PEOPLE!!! HAHA...get it? Schennel...I give up.
Anyway, I think the best way for me to proceed is to paste a new column by our resident genius, Rich Passen:
If there is any stunning news that came out of Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener, it’s that Romeo Crennel still has a job as head coach of this team.
How many more pathetic, lethargic, unemotional, monumentally boring displays of professional football must Browns fans endure before the plug is mercifully pulled on what this man does for a living?
Recently, Browns General Manager Phil Savage declared there is no Romeo Crennel watch, insisting that Crennel was “the right man for the job.” Wonder if he feels that way today
He also blamed the media for creating the notion that Crennel is on the hot seat and declared that there is no such seat on which his coach sits.
How many more pathetic, lethargic, unemotional, monumentally boring displays of professional football must Browns fans endure before the plug is mercifully pulled on what this man does for a living?
Recently, Browns General Manager Phil Savage declared there is no Romeo Crennel watch, insisting that Crennel was “the right man for the job.” Wonder if he feels that way today
He also blamed the media for creating the notion that Crennel is on the hot seat and declared that there is no such seat on which his coach sits.
Well, it's unwise to pick out particular buttheads, who shall remain nameless. Rich. Massive injuries and inexperience pretty much cover last year. Coulda been Belichick or Parcells, dumbass.
After Sunday’s disquieting collapse, perhaps it’s time to strike the match and light that fire, Phil, heat that seat and point the finger at the real culprits for putting Crennel there – yourself and the players. It sure looks like a hot seat Crennel occupies with the fans.
“If we get beat, 50-0, in the first six games, that’s a different story,” Savage said. “But I don’t think that’s going to happen.” They’re off to a pretty good start. “There’s no one else out there who could have won more that eight to 12 games with the roster we had” the last two seasons.
Oh yes there is, Phil. And he’s unemployed right now. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Name’s Marty Schottenheimer. Used to be the head coach here at one time back in the days when Cleveland Browns football was exciting and fun and respected.
I can absolutely guarantee you a Schottenheimer team would never, ever have come out as ill prepared as the Browns did against the Steelers Sunday. That team was in no way, shape or form ready to play their bitterest rival. And there is no excuse for it.
Correction: Steinbach and Shaffer hadn't practiced with their teammates, including rookie Joe Thomas. I told you to EXPECT miscommunication and mistakes several months ago, even before they drafted Thomas, as even then it was probable that at there'd be at least two new starters on the offensive line.
A finesse blocking scheme is complex, and takes awhile for any line to master.
I was fortunate enough to miss most of the game on the radio, but I believe there were also blown assignments in the secondary. Wright was burned fair and square (by Ward), but there's no way Santonio Holmes is supposed to be uncovered. This was a mental mistake, probably on the part of an inexperienced Brodney Pool.
Savage said before the season that the defensive line wasn't finished yet. The TEAM is not completely built yet.
The offense is likewise new and complex, and I told you months ago that this would likewise take some time to master.
The contrast between Anderson and Frye was no mistake. I told you a YEAR ago that Anderson gets rid of the ball and is decisive. THAT, you blame on Romeo (or Phil). And keeping Ted Washington while releasing Oshinowo.
Yeah, they sucked. It was murder. Marty might have simplified stuff and only lost by 21 or so points, but you need to get back on your medication.
It was just another litany of turnovers, missed tackles, penalties, botched assignments, dropped passes and lazy football in general by a team that is so poorly coached, it boggles the imagination.
Please don't use that word. Being devoid of imagination, you can't understand what it is. Hey somebody else tell me about the dropped passes--is he just tossing that in there? I do have to admit that I'm pretty concerned about screw-ups myself, but I comprehend that the offense is new and complicated, and several of the players are inexperienced.
The Steelers games can no longer be called a rivalry. The Browns don’t put up enough of a fight in order for it to be given that title. It’s just another two games on the schedule every year until the Browns can fight back.
I concur.
They need someone to kick them hard in the hind flanks. That someone is Schottenheimer.
You can’t outprepare his teams. He knows how to mold winning franchises. You don’t compile 200 career coaching victories by luck. That’s not a coincidence.
We have been told by Savage and his minions that this is a better football team than the one he took over 30-some months ago and has more talent. So if the talent is there, the victories should be close behind, right?
Right. Just as soon as the offrensive system has a chance to get out of it's freaking CRADLE and stumble around a little, along with all the raw, young players...and we have a better QB. How the hell do you think a team is built? He DRAFTED the core. They're still KIDS, nimrod!
OK, we’re waiting.
It’s just one game, some will say. Why the panic?
First of all, it’s not just one game. It’s two miserable seasons and one game. When is enough enough?
The fans are sick and tired of getting kicked in the teeth. This is pure torture if you’re a Browns fan. It soils the wonderful legacy of this team.
Schottenheimer would be the perfect choice to come in here and straighten out a team that has talent, but zero direction. He is a disciple of the 3-4 defensive scheme, had offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski on his staff in San Diego last season and would bring a fresh approach to how to play the game
It’s just one game, some will say. Why the panic?
First of all, it’s not just one game. It’s two miserable seasons and one game. When is enough enough?
The fans are sick and tired of getting kicked in the teeth. This is pure torture if you’re a Browns fan. It soils the wonderful legacy of this team.
Schottenheimer would be the perfect choice to come in here and straighten out a team that has talent, but zero direction. He is a disciple of the 3-4 defensive scheme, had offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski on his staff in San Diego last season and would bring a fresh approach to how to play the game
Hmm...he's staring to convince me. Yeah, with Chud...he wouldn't fire Grantham, either.......
Continuity be damned. This team is headed for disaster with Crennel as the head coach. Keeping him for the sake of continuity is insane. And with Cincinnati and Baltimore lurking in the shadows of the schedule, this season can – and most likely will – get ugly in a hurry.
Schottenheimer critics complain that his teams have never made it to the Super Bowl. Hard to argue that point. But at least his teams play smart football, winning football, creative football. And isn’t that what Browns fans want?
Schottenheimer at least gets to the playoffs. Of course, the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, but if you can’t get to the playoffs because of poor coaching, what difference does it makes what the ultimate goal is?
He is the kind of a coach who can come in and teach the Browns how to win, which is one more step toward respectability than they’re taking now. And respect is something the Browns haven’t received, justifiably so, since the return in 1999. This team has no clue how to win.
In his 21 seasons as a head coach in the National Football League, Schottenheimer has experienced just two losing campaigns. That’s no accident.
Right now, Cleveland’s Clueless Coach doesn’t know how to win. How else can one explain his 1-12 record against AFC North teams, his 10-23 overall mark and unfailing ability to put his team in a position to be humiliated way too many times?
The players like him. Wonderful. The players respect him. Great. Then why don’t they play for him?
Some will argue that Schottenheimer is too old? So what if he is nearly 64 years old? Age didn’t make a difference when Crennel was hired. Age has nothing to do with it. The guy can coach.
This team has to learn to walk before it runs. And right now, it is staggering around like an inebriated jackass. Four penalties on one play on a punt? Hard to keep from laughing on that one.
Browns fans want to have some fun, some enjoyment when they watch their team. As we speak, this club is just a few losses away from a fan backlash that might surprise the front office, whose inaction on Crennel is nothing short of puzzling.
Savage said recently the Browns were “going to be in good shape with Romeo . . . We’re looking for our offense to be efficient; we’re looking for our defense to be opportunistic and solid and we’re looking for our special teams to be sound.”
After Sunday’s little picnic, the offense is no more efficient than a Model-T Ford, the opportunistic defense got pushed around like a 98-pound weakling and the special teams were anything but sound.
Savage also said he and Crennel “are in the business to create cohesion and continuity.” If this is cohesion and continuity, I want no part of it.
To lust for an old coach to return is to deal with the stuff of which fairy tales are made. There’s only one problem. It’ll never happen.
Schottenheimer back in Cleveland? Not a chance. Savage would never hire him.
The suffering continues. Are you watching, Randy?
Schottenheimer critics complain that his teams have never made it to the Super Bowl. Hard to argue that point. But at least his teams play smart football, winning football, creative football. And isn’t that what Browns fans want?
Schottenheimer at least gets to the playoffs. Of course, the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal, but if you can’t get to the playoffs because of poor coaching, what difference does it makes what the ultimate goal is?
He is the kind of a coach who can come in and teach the Browns how to win, which is one more step toward respectability than they’re taking now. And respect is something the Browns haven’t received, justifiably so, since the return in 1999. This team has no clue how to win.
In his 21 seasons as a head coach in the National Football League, Schottenheimer has experienced just two losing campaigns. That’s no accident.
Right now, Cleveland’s Clueless Coach doesn’t know how to win. How else can one explain his 1-12 record against AFC North teams, his 10-23 overall mark and unfailing ability to put his team in a position to be humiliated way too many times?
The players like him. Wonderful. The players respect him. Great. Then why don’t they play for him?
Some will argue that Schottenheimer is too old? So what if he is nearly 64 years old? Age didn’t make a difference when Crennel was hired. Age has nothing to do with it. The guy can coach.
This team has to learn to walk before it runs. And right now, it is staggering around like an inebriated jackass. Four penalties on one play on a punt? Hard to keep from laughing on that one.
Browns fans want to have some fun, some enjoyment when they watch their team. As we speak, this club is just a few losses away from a fan backlash that might surprise the front office, whose inaction on Crennel is nothing short of puzzling.
Savage said recently the Browns were “going to be in good shape with Romeo . . . We’re looking for our offense to be efficient; we’re looking for our defense to be opportunistic and solid and we’re looking for our special teams to be sound.”
After Sunday’s little picnic, the offense is no more efficient than a Model-T Ford, the opportunistic defense got pushed around like a 98-pound weakling and the special teams were anything but sound.
Savage also said he and Crennel “are in the business to create cohesion and continuity.” If this is cohesion and continuity, I want no part of it.
To lust for an old coach to return is to deal with the stuff of which fairy tales are made. There’s only one problem. It’ll never happen.
Schottenheimer back in Cleveland? Not a chance. Savage would never hire him.
The suffering continues. Are you watching, Randy?
This was one game. It was a joke, for sure, and I'm getting sick of it myself. But Rich was saying this stuff last season, when the entire secodary had been wiped out by injuries, the offensive line was playing musical chairs, and Edwards was dropping a bunch of passes.
If you have a brain, you discard the two previous seasons, as (the one before moreso) there was a massive turnover--this team just now NEARING the completion of a total reconstruction.
Marty might indeed be a better option, and Romeo might indeed not be a head coach. But you don't fire the guy until he has a reasonably healthy team, with a stable offense--and a quarterback--and still loses.
Hopefully Cinci is all worn out from it's monday night fight with the Ravens. Don't expect the Browns to win, but...hell, I don't know.
No, I DO know: Last week was an abherration. They'll make a fight of it. Let Anderson work with the first team ALL WEEK every practice, for once, and he should be an improved version of the guy last season.
Now break it up, and go home.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
SOLOMON WILCOTTS UPSET SPECIAL: BROWNS OVER SQUEALERS!!!
That's right! Solomon Willcotts, former starting Ben-Gal and Stealer safety and current Sirius NFL Radio analyst, is being kidded by everybody else for predicting that the "worst team in the league" will upset the awesome, unstoppable, dominating Stealers!
Well, to the source: Solly does tend to be rebellious and contrary at times, but he does always pick with his own convictions, and tends to discount HYPE.
All the reasons why the Stealers will dominate the Browns have been repeated ad-infinitum, but let me tell you something: All those people, including the true experts who are ex-players and front office people, looked first at a Stealer victory and then at the reasons why. They had their excrement-colored glasses on. Even so, some of the justifications they cherry-picked were faulty.
First, the legit bad news: Stenbach and Shaffer have missed too much time, and there could well be miscommunication on the O line. Pitt is very strong against the run, and Joey Porter's replacement may well be a better player. Polumalu is too quick for any lineman to pick up. The spread offense plus Parker will make it hell to stop the run--a Little Dutch Boy story.
Now for the corrections: The left side of the Cleveland line, regardless of Steinbach's sabbadical, matches up favorably against their opposite numbers. Both excell at blocking upfield and in space, as well as in handling speedy passrushers. Both have been practicing against Kimerion Wimbley, and HYPE aside, nobody the Stealers have is like him.
What's this "injured journeyman" crap about Fraley? Fraley has emerged into a top-flight total package center! It's TRUE, Oblivia!!!
McKinney's injury is IRRELEVANT. It DOES NOT MATTER. He will play and play well.
Shaffer is better for blocking in space and taking on 3-4 OLB's than Tucker or anybody else, as well. His and Steinbach's return alter and expand the potential blocking schemes, as their preseason replacements couldn't execute the slant-blocks, traps, upfield stuff, and pulls that they can, and the Stealers don't have film on this stuff!
Roethsenberger will indeed test Eric Wright, probably with Santonio Holmes. SO? Wright matches up admirably with Holmes, and man coverage is man coverage. Wright can PRESS Holmes, and catch up to him if he sneaks by him. Are you assuming that little Santonio has any advantage whatsoever over Wright? Are you nuts?
Hines Ward is hell on wheels, but THIS time, it's Leigh Bodden.
Wimbley will have a tough time with Marvel Smith and Fanika, yeah. But listen to me: Smith is vulnerable to Wimbley's kind of speed. He is a good, but NOT an elite, left tackle.
The center and right side of Pitt's offensive line is not what it was last season. The right tackle is more of a goon type and will have a hard time handling Antwan Peek. It was pointed out that Pitt will chip him with a tight end. Well, Pitt's tight end is a major recieving weapon, and if he has to hesitate before going upfield, I'll TAKE that--especially if he's chipping and outside linebacker and leaving a DE one-on-one with a gap.
This defense is much faster that the one that Parker trampled last season, with Wright, a returned Bodden, Pool instead of Wilson, Peek, and increased time for Fraser and the other young DE, plus Smith (vs. Gramps).
Pool can cover this tight end, too. And after Holmes and Ward, who are the other recievers? Certainly, Parker will sometimes set up in the slot and be a pain in the ass all around---well you can't answer every question.
The spread offense has two sides to it. If you blitze through the right gap, you can blow up the run. No lead blocker. No body guard for Big Ben other than Parker. No second tight end to help with Peek or Wimbley. Here, of Ben has to check down and dump off quickly, it'll have to be short, because THIS Browns team has the corners to man-up and still not get burned (much), and opportunistic safeties.
It won't just be Wimbley and Peek blitzing. Everybody will come, all day long. You'd think, from reading about this game, that Pitt is the only team in this game that can do that. This defense will go toe-to-toe and trade punches, and if you go individual-by-individual, those match-ups favor the Browns more often than not!
Don't get me wrong: I'm talking about pass-protection, mostly. Nobody will beat Fannika but everybody else can be had. When Pitt runs? Well...ok that's tough. I really wish Grantham would just let the younger, quicker DE's slant and penetrate and try to blow stuff up. If they two-gap, they won't do that much.
I hope Washington has sandbagged but doubt it.
Well, to the source: Solly does tend to be rebellious and contrary at times, but he does always pick with his own convictions, and tends to discount HYPE.
All the reasons why the Stealers will dominate the Browns have been repeated ad-infinitum, but let me tell you something: All those people, including the true experts who are ex-players and front office people, looked first at a Stealer victory and then at the reasons why. They had their excrement-colored glasses on. Even so, some of the justifications they cherry-picked were faulty.
First, the legit bad news: Stenbach and Shaffer have missed too much time, and there could well be miscommunication on the O line. Pitt is very strong against the run, and Joey Porter's replacement may well be a better player. Polumalu is too quick for any lineman to pick up. The spread offense plus Parker will make it hell to stop the run--a Little Dutch Boy story.
Now for the corrections: The left side of the Cleveland line, regardless of Steinbach's sabbadical, matches up favorably against their opposite numbers. Both excell at blocking upfield and in space, as well as in handling speedy passrushers. Both have been practicing against Kimerion Wimbley, and HYPE aside, nobody the Stealers have is like him.
What's this "injured journeyman" crap about Fraley? Fraley has emerged into a top-flight total package center! It's TRUE, Oblivia!!!
McKinney's injury is IRRELEVANT. It DOES NOT MATTER. He will play and play well.
Shaffer is better for blocking in space and taking on 3-4 OLB's than Tucker or anybody else, as well. His and Steinbach's return alter and expand the potential blocking schemes, as their preseason replacements couldn't execute the slant-blocks, traps, upfield stuff, and pulls that they can, and the Stealers don't have film on this stuff!
Roethsenberger will indeed test Eric Wright, probably with Santonio Holmes. SO? Wright matches up admirably with Holmes, and man coverage is man coverage. Wright can PRESS Holmes, and catch up to him if he sneaks by him. Are you assuming that little Santonio has any advantage whatsoever over Wright? Are you nuts?
Hines Ward is hell on wheels, but THIS time, it's Leigh Bodden.
Wimbley will have a tough time with Marvel Smith and Fanika, yeah. But listen to me: Smith is vulnerable to Wimbley's kind of speed. He is a good, but NOT an elite, left tackle.
The center and right side of Pitt's offensive line is not what it was last season. The right tackle is more of a goon type and will have a hard time handling Antwan Peek. It was pointed out that Pitt will chip him with a tight end. Well, Pitt's tight end is a major recieving weapon, and if he has to hesitate before going upfield, I'll TAKE that--especially if he's chipping and outside linebacker and leaving a DE one-on-one with a gap.
This defense is much faster that the one that Parker trampled last season, with Wright, a returned Bodden, Pool instead of Wilson, Peek, and increased time for Fraser and the other young DE, plus Smith (vs. Gramps).
Pool can cover this tight end, too. And after Holmes and Ward, who are the other recievers? Certainly, Parker will sometimes set up in the slot and be a pain in the ass all around---well you can't answer every question.
The spread offense has two sides to it. If you blitze through the right gap, you can blow up the run. No lead blocker. No body guard for Big Ben other than Parker. No second tight end to help with Peek or Wimbley. Here, of Ben has to check down and dump off quickly, it'll have to be short, because THIS Browns team has the corners to man-up and still not get burned (much), and opportunistic safeties.
It won't just be Wimbley and Peek blitzing. Everybody will come, all day long. You'd think, from reading about this game, that Pitt is the only team in this game that can do that. This defense will go toe-to-toe and trade punches, and if you go individual-by-individual, those match-ups favor the Browns more often than not!
Don't get me wrong: I'm talking about pass-protection, mostly. Nobody will beat Fannika but everybody else can be had. When Pitt runs? Well...ok that's tough. I really wish Grantham would just let the younger, quicker DE's slant and penetrate and try to blow stuff up. If they two-gap, they won't do that much.
I hope Washington has sandbagged but doubt it.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Idiocy
"The Cleveland Browns might be the worst team in the NFL. I mean, yeah they've got Edwards and Winslow, and Jamal Lewis is looking a lot better than he has the last two seasons, and that rebuilt offensive line is looking like it can really do the job...and they have Wimbley, Peek, and great linebackers overall--and that new secondary--wow! But I just don't think they're going in the right direction."
It speaks for itself. The least this goofball could have done would be to mention the QB question, and the issue of the defensive line and trouble stopping the run--but even then, those two singular factors, even if the sky really WERE falling there, couldn't turn the whole rest of the team into one of the worst in the NFL!!!
Oh, puh-LEEZ!!!
Now for the cuts. Obviously, Phil didn't get my memo about ignoring Romeo and keeping Oshinowo instead of Mt. Washington. I can't be too, too critical about this, since Washington might have been sandbagging in preseason, and is helpful for teaching young guys dirty tricks.
I can't be too critical of keeping Anderson over Dorsey, either--and I'll tell you why later. But first, Romeo said "The guy has to be able to win games." There we go: He means that Quinn is third string and, because he is Romeo, will REMAIN third string all season. But do not be too concerned about this: Savage will intervene if neccessary.
Ok now for the why of it: With the defenses the Browns will be facing in the first five weeks, and the newness of the offensive line (even if Shaffer is back, he's missed a lot of time with these guys), Frye could very well get dinged up. And they don't want Quinn in there that early vs. those top-flight defenses.
Secondly--and this is Phil Savage thinking down the road apiece: If one or both of these guys performs well, their trade-value will shoot up dramaticly entering next season. Even if Anderson never takes a snap, he will still have the experience to elevate his status--or at least make him Quinn's primary back-up after Frye is dealt.
Quit laughing, and proclaiming your ignorance. Last season, both QB's were victimized by poor protection, a weak running game, constantly playing from behind, and Edwards and everybody else except Winslow, Jurevicious and Draughns dropping about every fifth pass--especially on third down and in the end-zone.
Niether consistantly sucked, but rather were up-and-down; at times executing flawlessly and marching up and down the field as well as any QB. Look to Chicago and the lynch-mob going after Rex Grossman for similar reasons. But now look at how expert opinions this season have changed.
Suddenly, they have caught up with me and realized that Grossman is only a third-year player, that his mistakes are becoming less frequent, and that improvement can be expected. While Grossman was a much higher draft pick, it's still pretty dumb to cut him all this slack and keep Frye and Anderson on a leash in the basement.
After all, Grossman had a pretty decent offense with a strong running game. His defense kept it close, so he wasn't always trying to make something happen as his team fell farther and farther behind. HERE, the offense looks a lot better, whereas, Chicago's supporting cast looks pretty similar to last season's.
Roethsenberger: The did, because they COULD, have him throw under twenty passes in a game, while Pitt ran over and strangled everybody. He had putrid games in the playoffs, and at other times, when they fell behind and he had to come back. Now, of course, he'll be and elite QB sans the mistakes--but see? The team around a QB MATTERS!
Frye needn't be spectacular to move this team, and his mobility gives him a great added dimension. While I still say that those first five teams, let alone the rest of the schedule, represent a very, very, extremely huge, massive challenge for an offense in transition and a defense having trouble stopping the run--you may not have the right to blame losses on the QB.
"Winslow caught a jillion passes last season, but they were all for like five yards. They need to find a way to get him the ball downfield."
CORRECTION: Throughout preseason, Winslow has been catching passes at ten to twenty yards downfield. One of the first things Chud did was "find a way" to do that. I wish these clowns wouldn't ignore the Browns that completely. These same clowns will say that Frye has a weak arm again the first time he DOESN'T go 40 yards deep at least three times in a game.
Yeah, so much for opinions from Oblivia.
Savage recently mentioned wanting to get to their nickel/dime defenses. Obviously, of you can stuff a run or two and an offense has to go three-wide and stuff, that's a good thing, but he meant more than that.
The Browns nickel/dime defenses this season will be expremely flexible and adaptable to any offense. The extra DB might be a corner, a safety, or even a linebacker. They have two young passrushing DE's to spell the run-stuffers, and BOTH OLB's can put their hands in the dirt.
In Bodden and Wright, they now have two guys who can press-cover most recievers (for a few seconds) without help, leaving safeties free to blitze, play center field, or man-cover a scat-back.
Also, it's a great chance to get our geezers off the field and to the oxygen-tank. This defense has great depth!
Now for my prediction for the Browns vs. Stealers: The Browns will win if their offense is able to score a greater number of points within the first sixty minutes than the Stealer's offense.
Remember, you heard it here first.
YOU STAND CORRECTED.
It speaks for itself. The least this goofball could have done would be to mention the QB question, and the issue of the defensive line and trouble stopping the run--but even then, those two singular factors, even if the sky really WERE falling there, couldn't turn the whole rest of the team into one of the worst in the NFL!!!
Oh, puh-LEEZ!!!
Now for the cuts. Obviously, Phil didn't get my memo about ignoring Romeo and keeping Oshinowo instead of Mt. Washington. I can't be too, too critical about this, since Washington might have been sandbagging in preseason, and is helpful for teaching young guys dirty tricks.
I can't be too critical of keeping Anderson over Dorsey, either--and I'll tell you why later. But first, Romeo said "The guy has to be able to win games." There we go: He means that Quinn is third string and, because he is Romeo, will REMAIN third string all season. But do not be too concerned about this: Savage will intervene if neccessary.
Ok now for the why of it: With the defenses the Browns will be facing in the first five weeks, and the newness of the offensive line (even if Shaffer is back, he's missed a lot of time with these guys), Frye could very well get dinged up. And they don't want Quinn in there that early vs. those top-flight defenses.
Secondly--and this is Phil Savage thinking down the road apiece: If one or both of these guys performs well, their trade-value will shoot up dramaticly entering next season. Even if Anderson never takes a snap, he will still have the experience to elevate his status--or at least make him Quinn's primary back-up after Frye is dealt.
Quit laughing, and proclaiming your ignorance. Last season, both QB's were victimized by poor protection, a weak running game, constantly playing from behind, and Edwards and everybody else except Winslow, Jurevicious and Draughns dropping about every fifth pass--especially on third down and in the end-zone.
Niether consistantly sucked, but rather were up-and-down; at times executing flawlessly and marching up and down the field as well as any QB. Look to Chicago and the lynch-mob going after Rex Grossman for similar reasons. But now look at how expert opinions this season have changed.
Suddenly, they have caught up with me and realized that Grossman is only a third-year player, that his mistakes are becoming less frequent, and that improvement can be expected. While Grossman was a much higher draft pick, it's still pretty dumb to cut him all this slack and keep Frye and Anderson on a leash in the basement.
After all, Grossman had a pretty decent offense with a strong running game. His defense kept it close, so he wasn't always trying to make something happen as his team fell farther and farther behind. HERE, the offense looks a lot better, whereas, Chicago's supporting cast looks pretty similar to last season's.
Roethsenberger: The did, because they COULD, have him throw under twenty passes in a game, while Pitt ran over and strangled everybody. He had putrid games in the playoffs, and at other times, when they fell behind and he had to come back. Now, of course, he'll be and elite QB sans the mistakes--but see? The team around a QB MATTERS!
Frye needn't be spectacular to move this team, and his mobility gives him a great added dimension. While I still say that those first five teams, let alone the rest of the schedule, represent a very, very, extremely huge, massive challenge for an offense in transition and a defense having trouble stopping the run--you may not have the right to blame losses on the QB.
"Winslow caught a jillion passes last season, but they were all for like five yards. They need to find a way to get him the ball downfield."
CORRECTION: Throughout preseason, Winslow has been catching passes at ten to twenty yards downfield. One of the first things Chud did was "find a way" to do that. I wish these clowns wouldn't ignore the Browns that completely. These same clowns will say that Frye has a weak arm again the first time he DOESN'T go 40 yards deep at least three times in a game.
Yeah, so much for opinions from Oblivia.
Savage recently mentioned wanting to get to their nickel/dime defenses. Obviously, of you can stuff a run or two and an offense has to go three-wide and stuff, that's a good thing, but he meant more than that.
The Browns nickel/dime defenses this season will be expremely flexible and adaptable to any offense. The extra DB might be a corner, a safety, or even a linebacker. They have two young passrushing DE's to spell the run-stuffers, and BOTH OLB's can put their hands in the dirt.
In Bodden and Wright, they now have two guys who can press-cover most recievers (for a few seconds) without help, leaving safeties free to blitze, play center field, or man-cover a scat-back.
Also, it's a great chance to get our geezers off the field and to the oxygen-tank. This defense has great depth!
Now for my prediction for the Browns vs. Stealers: The Browns will win if their offense is able to score a greater number of points within the first sixty minutes than the Stealer's offense.
Remember, you heard it here first.
YOU STAND CORRECTED.
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