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.