Before the Miami game, I got the DSN network on my laptop for the pre-game, and was pretty shocked.
Apparantly, I've been totally out of the loop! It turns out that these guys all know in detail everything that goes on on the front office, and I'd missed most of it. (They mentioned these facts as if they were old news).
While I had thought that Delhomme and then Wallace were injured, forcing MCoy to start, it turns out that in reality this was Mike Holmgren taking over the team and forcing Mangini to start McCoy. I guess the aforementioned injuries were faked, and both QB's are in on the conspiracy.
Furthermore, it turns out that Holmgren also ordered Daboll and Mangini to throw more passes.
Then, McCoy got hurt...well maybe that was fake too, since as of that time, Holmgren "took his hands off the wheel", and under Mangini (who of course had learned nothing), the team resumed it's course toward the nearest ditch.
I had no idea! Man, these guys must have the front office bugged, or something, to find out all this stuff and talk about these empirical facts!
I guess this was Mangini's last chance to learn how to coach from Mike Holmgren, and now Mike is washing his hands of it, and allowing Mangini to lose the rest of the games so that he can fire him (as he planned all along anyway).
Yeah! You see, Mangini never liked McCoy, and was dying to put Jake back in. That's why he didn't compliment him overmuch--a dead giveaway! (I personally miss little details like this. I hope, in time, to refine my analytical skills to this level).
I missed the part about Colt's injury, but I guess that either Mangini had an offensive lineman step on him, or maybe has ordered McCoy to feign the injury, or maybe he just got lucky. At any rate, a now much happier Mangini gets to use good old Jake and revert to a primitive and unimaginitive offense...
Well, I've just got to listen to these guys some more for the real scoop. I'd been listening to Gil Brandt, Bernie Kosar, Rich Gannon, Jim Miller, Pat Kirwin, Sam Rutigliano, Marty Schottenheimer, et al, but, as I learned last week, all these guys are "koolaid-drinkers" in re Mangini.
The conspiracy is obviously pretty wide-spread, what with all these guys that I'd thought were credible in on it!
I guess I stand corrected.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Browns vs. Jets Post-Mortem
1: The Jets missed field-goals skewed things somewhat. The Jets should have won in regulation. I hate writing that as much as homers will hate reading it.
2: However, the Jets are the most balanced and talented team the Browns have played thus far, including (and this part I like writing) the Stoolers and Ratbirds.
3: The Saints, and now the Patriots, have beaten the Stoolers--vs. the Pats, it wasn't even close.
4: McCoy came from behind, in the clutch, to send it to overtime. It's been years since I've had this feeling about a quarterback. What's more, he pretty much had the overtime victory nailed down til Stucky fumbled.
4a: Stuckey should not be benched or cut-don't even start. He's the most reliable wide-out the Browns have.
5: Hillis can't take better care of the ball. Overpowered defenders go for his legs or the ball, and if he didn't have those huge guns, he'd have fumbled a whole lot more. Statisticly, he's still got pretty good security numbers.
6: The defense got worn down when the Jets found ways to stop Hillis in the second half. The offense sputtered, and the defense paid for it. It sure didn't help that Edwards deliberately speared Sheldon Brown out of the game.
7: Anal-ists criticized defenders for trying to take Sanchez down high. Well, sometimes that's all they had when reaching past blockers, and more importantly it's now illegal to go for the quarterback's legs...which is rediculous. Still, they should have wrapped him up.
8: Coverage was generally excellent. Most of the Jets big completions happened when Sanchez shook off tacklers and had all kinds of extra time. If you expect D. Revis or any other cornerback to cover any NFL reciever for 7-10 seconds, please resume taking your meds.
9: Cribbs' injury was critical. He'd been drawing heat away from Hillis. Nice game-plan by lynch-mob victim Brian Daboll. Now that they got rid of Rodney Harrisonfield (dammit), they had to scrap it when Cribbs went out.
The Browns remaining schedule is tough, but they've played the best three teams, and won two of them. They have proven, repeatedly, that they are a match for any team in the NFL. Were you expecting this? Are you raising the bar again now?
Holmgren platitudes aside, you had to know that he wasn't expecting this team to go to the playoffs this season. He wasn't expecting McCoy to be this good this fast. He couldn't have anticipated beating New Orleans and New England.
The plan--regardless of what he said--was to prepare McCoy for next year (not "two or three years" like some clowns said), get another draft and some more free agents, and go after the division title net season.
Now, before this next talent-infusion, they're going toe-to-toe with the NFL's elite.
They almost certainly won't make the playoffs this season--but only because it's just too late. They're already among the NFL's best teams--warts and all.
Now, they can go into the off-season knowing that they've got a quarterback. They can focus on wide recievers, depth running backs maybe, defensive linemen, safeties, etc. Now, they'll START net season expecting to contend.
No, you didn't expect that. And as dear to you as your hatred of Mangini and Daboll is, start facing the reality that you were full of crap, and move on.
After gathering and alalyzing recent actionable intelligence, I am revising my win/loss projection to 10-6.
2: However, the Jets are the most balanced and talented team the Browns have played thus far, including (and this part I like writing) the Stoolers and Ratbirds.
3: The Saints, and now the Patriots, have beaten the Stoolers--vs. the Pats, it wasn't even close.
4: McCoy came from behind, in the clutch, to send it to overtime. It's been years since I've had this feeling about a quarterback. What's more, he pretty much had the overtime victory nailed down til Stucky fumbled.
4a: Stuckey should not be benched or cut-don't even start. He's the most reliable wide-out the Browns have.
5: Hillis can't take better care of the ball. Overpowered defenders go for his legs or the ball, and if he didn't have those huge guns, he'd have fumbled a whole lot more. Statisticly, he's still got pretty good security numbers.
6: The defense got worn down when the Jets found ways to stop Hillis in the second half. The offense sputtered, and the defense paid for it. It sure didn't help that Edwards deliberately speared Sheldon Brown out of the game.
7: Anal-ists criticized defenders for trying to take Sanchez down high. Well, sometimes that's all they had when reaching past blockers, and more importantly it's now illegal to go for the quarterback's legs...which is rediculous. Still, they should have wrapped him up.
8: Coverage was generally excellent. Most of the Jets big completions happened when Sanchez shook off tacklers and had all kinds of extra time. If you expect D. Revis or any other cornerback to cover any NFL reciever for 7-10 seconds, please resume taking your meds.
9: Cribbs' injury was critical. He'd been drawing heat away from Hillis. Nice game-plan by lynch-mob victim Brian Daboll. Now that they got rid of Rodney Harrisonfield (dammit), they had to scrap it when Cribbs went out.
The Browns remaining schedule is tough, but they've played the best three teams, and won two of them. They have proven, repeatedly, that they are a match for any team in the NFL. Were you expecting this? Are you raising the bar again now?
Holmgren platitudes aside, you had to know that he wasn't expecting this team to go to the playoffs this season. He wasn't expecting McCoy to be this good this fast. He couldn't have anticipated beating New Orleans and New England.
The plan--regardless of what he said--was to prepare McCoy for next year (not "two or three years" like some clowns said), get another draft and some more free agents, and go after the division title net season.
Now, before this next talent-infusion, they're going toe-to-toe with the NFL's elite.
They almost certainly won't make the playoffs this season--but only because it's just too late. They're already among the NFL's best teams--warts and all.
Now, they can go into the off-season knowing that they've got a quarterback. They can focus on wide recievers, depth running backs maybe, defensive linemen, safeties, etc. Now, they'll START net season expecting to contend.
No, you didn't expect that. And as dear to you as your hatred of Mangini and Daboll is, start facing the reality that you were full of crap, and move on.
After gathering and alalyzing recent actionable intelligence, I am revising my win/loss projection to 10-6.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Deep Thoughts on Ryan vs. Ryan
1: Rex probably can't pull much on McCoy that he hasn't seen in practice. Unfortunately, ditto Sanchez.
2: But once again, the Jets don't have a Hillis. On his 26-yard gain last week, the formation made it obvious: Two tight ends on the right side, with Vickers set up to lead-block right. "Hey guys, we're going to run around your left side! Ready?"
Couldn't stop it. And Hillis is surprisingly quick and explosive for his size. Thank God for blockheads like McDaniels.
I have to mention that Holmgren probably did NOT influence Steinbach pulling to that side (and smashing a safety). Daboll has consistantly exploited Steinbach's athleticism and minimized his smallish size in this way.
3: Because of his reps vs. a Ryan defense, he has an edge over the other quarterbacks who've played them, and his rookie-hood is less a factor. While Sanchez will no doubt do some damage of his own for similar reasons--and because his offensive line is really, really good--the Browns offense should at least compete.
That's partly because Rex, like Rob, blitze inside quite a bit, and the Browns have the ideal antidotes in Moore and Watson.
4: Green and LT are a scary combo, but at least for the last few weeks the Browns defense has drasticly improved vs. the run. Especially Chris Gocong, who's emerged as a top-flight ILB. I sawe him make one tackle in which he ran all the way around a blocker to take down a carrier from behind--at the line of scrimmage.
See, he had the gap to the guard's right, and was penetrating--he saw the ballcarrier and veered to intercept. Most strong side ILB's can't make that play--that's partly why they don't bother blocking them.
But see here: He WAS penetrating--no standing there waiting. That's why the Ryans are some of my favoritest people.
5: I assert that the wide recievers were always in the game-plan. McCoy even talked about his conscious effort to get it to them more--NOT about asking Daboll to let him.
But if the TE's and Hillis get the bulk of the catches vs. the Jets, blame Revis and Comartie--nort Daboll. Dammit.
6: Speaking of which, their superb man-coverage skills won't mean a damn thing vs. Evan Moore. Not with a quarterback who can put it way up or out there where his massive reach advantage makes them helpless. Nor can they jam him. Look for more passes to him, both outside and inside. He may be the designated blitze-burner.
7: Backup fullback. Trade throw-in. Jets rejects. They cut (Roth/Watson/Moore) "for a reason". You guys should be GM's (hopefully in this division).
Two of the veterans acquired in the Sanchez trade are integral components of the current team which beat the Saints and the Pats. One of them became critical when Jackson went down for the season. Mack is very good and getting great fast.
I wanted Sachez myself, but when I saw the trade, I knew it was smart.
Furthermore, Sanchez had a pretty damn good rookie season, yes--despite the ups-and-downs that some New-Yorkers overreacted to. He's a good quarterback with most of his upside left, yeah. Also, he may be as much as a half and inch taller than Colt McCoy. But I'd still rather have McCoy. And Mack, and three other vets. So quit making asses of yourselves and let it go.
Sanchez was a one-year college starter. McCoy started for four years. Sanchez is accurate. McCoy is MORE accurate. Sanchez is smart. I believe that McCoy is smarter. I believe that NFL experience only makes the two about the same right now. Our quarterback is a match for theirs.
8: This team is actually more talented than the last two. The Saints had some losses and some age, and Doctor Evil has drafted low for too long. The Jets are loaded.
9: Adam Schein on NFL Radio gives a "ton of credit" to Mangini, Daboll, etc. for the last two weeks, but repeats that the only way Mangini keeps his job is to go to the playoffs.
Go to the playoffs playing in the same division as the Steelers and Ravens, the worst of which is probably 10-6. With maybe the most brutal schedule in the NFL. Playoffs or you're fired. Yeah right. Holmgren is retarded.
Oh--no--it's the west coast thing. Can't teach and old dog new tricks!
Bullshit. Holmgren's teams got beat by all sorts of offensive systems, and he respects them. I suppose he wants to fire Ryan because he wants a 4-3. These guys aren't little kids.
If Holmgren himself decides he wants to coach again, ok. But if Mangini wins 7 or 8 games this season, I really doubt that he'd use that as a pretext to replace him, because he lives on this planet and is rational.
This synergy between two successful offensive systems is unprecedented and productive. Becoming a respected/feared team by the middle of his second season is doing a pretty damn good job in this division. Not when the core is nearly all there, and you need one more off-season to fill in the remaining gaps. Not when the players love Mangini and go all-out for him.
Holmgren might want to coach again. If so, so be it. But he also wants to win, and respects results. If Mangini ends the season well, he stays. Playoffs my foot.
2: But once again, the Jets don't have a Hillis. On his 26-yard gain last week, the formation made it obvious: Two tight ends on the right side, with Vickers set up to lead-block right. "Hey guys, we're going to run around your left side! Ready?"
Couldn't stop it. And Hillis is surprisingly quick and explosive for his size. Thank God for blockheads like McDaniels.
I have to mention that Holmgren probably did NOT influence Steinbach pulling to that side (and smashing a safety). Daboll has consistantly exploited Steinbach's athleticism and minimized his smallish size in this way.
3: Because of his reps vs. a Ryan defense, he has an edge over the other quarterbacks who've played them, and his rookie-hood is less a factor. While Sanchez will no doubt do some damage of his own for similar reasons--and because his offensive line is really, really good--the Browns offense should at least compete.
That's partly because Rex, like Rob, blitze inside quite a bit, and the Browns have the ideal antidotes in Moore and Watson.
4: Green and LT are a scary combo, but at least for the last few weeks the Browns defense has drasticly improved vs. the run. Especially Chris Gocong, who's emerged as a top-flight ILB. I sawe him make one tackle in which he ran all the way around a blocker to take down a carrier from behind--at the line of scrimmage.
See, he had the gap to the guard's right, and was penetrating--he saw the ballcarrier and veered to intercept. Most strong side ILB's can't make that play--that's partly why they don't bother blocking them.
But see here: He WAS penetrating--no standing there waiting. That's why the Ryans are some of my favoritest people.
5: I assert that the wide recievers were always in the game-plan. McCoy even talked about his conscious effort to get it to them more--NOT about asking Daboll to let him.
But if the TE's and Hillis get the bulk of the catches vs. the Jets, blame Revis and Comartie--nort Daboll. Dammit.
6: Speaking of which, their superb man-coverage skills won't mean a damn thing vs. Evan Moore. Not with a quarterback who can put it way up or out there where his massive reach advantage makes them helpless. Nor can they jam him. Look for more passes to him, both outside and inside. He may be the designated blitze-burner.
7: Backup fullback. Trade throw-in. Jets rejects. They cut (Roth/Watson/Moore) "for a reason". You guys should be GM's (hopefully in this division).
Two of the veterans acquired in the Sanchez trade are integral components of the current team which beat the Saints and the Pats. One of them became critical when Jackson went down for the season. Mack is very good and getting great fast.
I wanted Sachez myself, but when I saw the trade, I knew it was smart.
Furthermore, Sanchez had a pretty damn good rookie season, yes--despite the ups-and-downs that some New-Yorkers overreacted to. He's a good quarterback with most of his upside left, yeah. Also, he may be as much as a half and inch taller than Colt McCoy. But I'd still rather have McCoy. And Mack, and three other vets. So quit making asses of yourselves and let it go.
Sanchez was a one-year college starter. McCoy started for four years. Sanchez is accurate. McCoy is MORE accurate. Sanchez is smart. I believe that McCoy is smarter. I believe that NFL experience only makes the two about the same right now. Our quarterback is a match for theirs.
8: This team is actually more talented than the last two. The Saints had some losses and some age, and Doctor Evil has drafted low for too long. The Jets are loaded.
9: Adam Schein on NFL Radio gives a "ton of credit" to Mangini, Daboll, etc. for the last two weeks, but repeats that the only way Mangini keeps his job is to go to the playoffs.
Go to the playoffs playing in the same division as the Steelers and Ravens, the worst of which is probably 10-6. With maybe the most brutal schedule in the NFL. Playoffs or you're fired. Yeah right. Holmgren is retarded.
Oh--no--it's the west coast thing. Can't teach and old dog new tricks!
Bullshit. Holmgren's teams got beat by all sorts of offensive systems, and he respects them. I suppose he wants to fire Ryan because he wants a 4-3. These guys aren't little kids.
If Holmgren himself decides he wants to coach again, ok. But if Mangini wins 7 or 8 games this season, I really doubt that he'd use that as a pretext to replace him, because he lives on this planet and is rational.
This synergy between two successful offensive systems is unprecedented and productive. Becoming a respected/feared team by the middle of his second season is doing a pretty damn good job in this division. Not when the core is nearly all there, and you need one more off-season to fill in the remaining gaps. Not when the players love Mangini and go all-out for him.
Holmgren might want to coach again. If so, so be it. But he also wants to win, and respects results. If Mangini ends the season well, he stays. Playoffs my foot.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
This Just In
I just got turned onto this Browns DNS site which is like internet Radio. At first I loved it, but then they started repeating the Eric Wright BS and bashing Daboll. The black helicopters came out: Mangini got Daboll to make sure he'd look good in comparison.
Still, it's better than NFL Radio for even an objective Browns fan.
Anyway, I had forgotten a huge new reason for hope vs. the Pats: Ryan's defense is finally managing to disguise it's intentions pre-snap, like the Stoolers and Ratbirds do! They did it to Big Benny--no bigee. But then they did it to Drew Brees, all day long. THAT is impressive. Brees is right there with Brady and Manning reading stuff pre-snap. (Benny is comnparatively dumb as a rock. He just waits till he's half way to the ground in the grasp, then intentionally grounds it to avoid sacks,)
That's massively important. The 3-4 surrenders it's biggest advanatage over a 4-3 when it shows a quarterback who the blitzer is, and always covers the way it appears they're going to cover as the QB is calling signals. He and the center tell somebody to pick this guy up here and the recievers to change their routes.
Throughout Crennel's tenure, it was that way. How many times did I see a safety OUTSIDE the box moving toward the line pre-snap, or a linebacker shuffling and leaning? JFC why don't you get on the helmet frequency and just TELL the QB what you're doing?
It probably took this long for the parts and pieces to get used to Ryan's version of the scheme (which is unique, and not a carbon copy of anybody else's).
One way to disguise stuff is start everybody out right on the line, showing an all-out blitze--then after the QB does his checks, and as the playclock winds down, drop the guys that are going to drop. The QB has to GUESS. The danger of this is the QB coming to the line and saying "HIKE", and his recievers getting behind coverage.
The other way is real simple: Body language. Simply don't go up on the balls of your feet, don't lean, don't jump around in place. If you're showing man/press and go to zone, don't freaking pull back with ten freaking seconds left on the playclock, or vice-versa.
And part of that last part is, you need to have the ability to adjust instantly if the QB does get the snap early and you're "caught" in man or zone. Inexperience makes that part tough, because the safeties both have to recognize that they have to do something other than what they'd intended...because everybody has to adjust together instantly.
Oh. It's Billy Yates at RG again. Well, ok--he did a good job last week. I was really hoping for Lauvao though. Benches 500, strong man competitor...damn.
But I digress: yes--if this crew was able to decieve Drew Brees, it can decieve Tom Brady. For that matter, if it was able to beat up Brees, it might be able to beat up Brady.
And hey: Who told you that Daboll has consciously decided not to throw to wide recievers? I really doubt that. Delhomme tried, and Wallace hit them some. But when the big inside guys are such easy targets and you're starting a rookie, he will default to the safest possible throw any time he feels pressure. Wouldn't you?
That said--I don't know the answer. I just know that we have a rookie quarterback and priority one is to make his reads simple and get the ball out of his hands quickly.
It'll probably work out anyway. McCoy is no doubt planning to hit them and get it deeper whenever he gets the time AND THEY GET OPEN, which...are they getting open?
Oh, I forgot: If not, that would be because Daboll has them running boring patterns or something, right?
Jeez...
Still, it's better than NFL Radio for even an objective Browns fan.
Anyway, I had forgotten a huge new reason for hope vs. the Pats: Ryan's defense is finally managing to disguise it's intentions pre-snap, like the Stoolers and Ratbirds do! They did it to Big Benny--no bigee. But then they did it to Drew Brees, all day long. THAT is impressive. Brees is right there with Brady and Manning reading stuff pre-snap. (Benny is comnparatively dumb as a rock. He just waits till he's half way to the ground in the grasp, then intentionally grounds it to avoid sacks,)
That's massively important. The 3-4 surrenders it's biggest advanatage over a 4-3 when it shows a quarterback who the blitzer is, and always covers the way it appears they're going to cover as the QB is calling signals. He and the center tell somebody to pick this guy up here and the recievers to change their routes.
Throughout Crennel's tenure, it was that way. How many times did I see a safety OUTSIDE the box moving toward the line pre-snap, or a linebacker shuffling and leaning? JFC why don't you get on the helmet frequency and just TELL the QB what you're doing?
It probably took this long for the parts and pieces to get used to Ryan's version of the scheme (which is unique, and not a carbon copy of anybody else's).
One way to disguise stuff is start everybody out right on the line, showing an all-out blitze--then after the QB does his checks, and as the playclock winds down, drop the guys that are going to drop. The QB has to GUESS. The danger of this is the QB coming to the line and saying "HIKE", and his recievers getting behind coverage.
The other way is real simple: Body language. Simply don't go up on the balls of your feet, don't lean, don't jump around in place. If you're showing man/press and go to zone, don't freaking pull back with ten freaking seconds left on the playclock, or vice-versa.
And part of that last part is, you need to have the ability to adjust instantly if the QB does get the snap early and you're "caught" in man or zone. Inexperience makes that part tough, because the safeties both have to recognize that they have to do something other than what they'd intended...because everybody has to adjust together instantly.
Oh. It's Billy Yates at RG again. Well, ok--he did a good job last week. I was really hoping for Lauvao though. Benches 500, strong man competitor...damn.
But I digress: yes--if this crew was able to decieve Drew Brees, it can decieve Tom Brady. For that matter, if it was able to beat up Brees, it might be able to beat up Brady.
And hey: Who told you that Daboll has consciously decided not to throw to wide recievers? I really doubt that. Delhomme tried, and Wallace hit them some. But when the big inside guys are such easy targets and you're starting a rookie, he will default to the safest possible throw any time he feels pressure. Wouldn't you?
That said--I don't know the answer. I just know that we have a rookie quarterback and priority one is to make his reads simple and get the ball out of his hands quickly.
It'll probably work out anyway. McCoy is no doubt planning to hit them and get it deeper whenever he gets the time AND THEY GET OPEN, which...are they getting open?
Oh, I forgot: If not, that would be because Daboll has them running boring patterns or something, right?
Jeez...
"I am Your Father, Eric"
Wow does that Bill nurse a grudge, or what?
But some of the stuff I read on the message boards is hysterical. Many Cleveland fans are far worse, and just make stuff up about Bill. It's almost as bad as what they say about Mangini.
Anyway, I got a bad feeling about this one, primarily because it's Bill coming back to the site of his own lynching, and he has proven to be such a great grudge-nurser. The Pats are going to be at the peak of their performance for his sake, and his game-plan and adjustments are what they are.
I do need to pick on Grossi here. Teddy Brusci did say that the Pats were the "Big Boy version" of what the Browns are trying to do, but he wasn't talking about physical domination. That's not who the Pats are anyway. He was merely referring to the fact that their system is mature and well-established, and their players can read eachother's minds, and execute in their sleep.
But Bill was unmistakably throwing shots at Mangini in referring to this offense as a "West Coast". There are indeed elements of it here, as there are in his own offense. Brady usually gets rid of the ball in three seconds, even on deep passes. They use lots of slants and crosses.
But the posters jumped all over the west coast reference, accepting validation of their theory that Mangini has suddenly become Holmgren's sock-puppet. No, you idiots. It was Bill insulting him, and that's all it was.
In reality, as Brusci said, this offense is very similar to the current Pats offense schematicly. Niether team has a scary deep threat, and both rely on a lot of short and intermediate passes. If Bill had Hillis and Vickers, he'd run more, too.
My bad feeling about this one is more about our defense vs. Brady than Hillis vs. their defense.
Ryan can hope to beat Brady (and his recievers) up, but that's hard to do. However, Bill can be as sneaky and devious as he wants vs. Hillis--it might not matter.
If what I read about Lauvao maybe starting is true, that's an upgrade (no knock on the other guy, who's done a nice job). Smashmouth can trump trickery and deciet...and keep Brady benched.
I love how Hillis talks about running against NINE in the box like it's another day at the office,
The most exciting thing here, though, will be watching McCoy. Bill has had an even harder time than Rob of generating pressure. He's instead been plugging all the holes and shrinking windows with 7 or even 8 guys in coverage.
In doubt he'll do that with McCoy, actually. I think he'll blitze more than he has--with safeties and corners. Colt is a sharpshooter who can and will "stick" throws into tight windows, and if he has time to figure out all the insideously diabolical deceptions Bill will be using, he'll burn it with pinpoint passes.
I believe that Bill will attack relentlessly both to deprive the rookie of time to think, and to put hats on Hillis before he can square up and get rolling.
Good to hear Colt talking about this game as if he's playing against Tom Brady. He's striving to live up to something, and aiming high. He seems to think of the defenses he faces as just part of that. For some reason, that just sounds...right to me.
Eman: Pat Kirwin concurs with me: McCoy has earned this start.
But of course Pat continues to turn a lack of wide reciever production into a general lack of talent. He's just had his mind made up about that. I wonder if the wide-outs this week make a couple big plays, this will elevate his estimate of the offensive line, tight ends, backfield, and defense in general. He just loves those recievers.
When Bill dumped Moss, Pat wrung his hands over how the Pats would operate without a proven deep threat. I guess the Pats remained talented in his eyes because they've still got Welker.
And listen to me: eric Wright has played well before and since the Ravens game. One psychotic poster is demanding that they cut him. He'll be on Welker a lot today--very very very tough--the nickel corner can't use the sideline (but he can blitze,,,,,,,)
You guys need to track this Wright-bashing poster down and stuff him in a padded cell without a internet access. He's embarrassing us. Or just bust a cap in him before he can reproduce--our gene-pool is polluted enough as it is.
But some of the stuff I read on the message boards is hysterical. Many Cleveland fans are far worse, and just make stuff up about Bill. It's almost as bad as what they say about Mangini.
Anyway, I got a bad feeling about this one, primarily because it's Bill coming back to the site of his own lynching, and he has proven to be such a great grudge-nurser. The Pats are going to be at the peak of their performance for his sake, and his game-plan and adjustments are what they are.
I do need to pick on Grossi here. Teddy Brusci did say that the Pats were the "Big Boy version" of what the Browns are trying to do, but he wasn't talking about physical domination. That's not who the Pats are anyway. He was merely referring to the fact that their system is mature and well-established, and their players can read eachother's minds, and execute in their sleep.
But Bill was unmistakably throwing shots at Mangini in referring to this offense as a "West Coast". There are indeed elements of it here, as there are in his own offense. Brady usually gets rid of the ball in three seconds, even on deep passes. They use lots of slants and crosses.
But the posters jumped all over the west coast reference, accepting validation of their theory that Mangini has suddenly become Holmgren's sock-puppet. No, you idiots. It was Bill insulting him, and that's all it was.
In reality, as Brusci said, this offense is very similar to the current Pats offense schematicly. Niether team has a scary deep threat, and both rely on a lot of short and intermediate passes. If Bill had Hillis and Vickers, he'd run more, too.
My bad feeling about this one is more about our defense vs. Brady than Hillis vs. their defense.
Ryan can hope to beat Brady (and his recievers) up, but that's hard to do. However, Bill can be as sneaky and devious as he wants vs. Hillis--it might not matter.
If what I read about Lauvao maybe starting is true, that's an upgrade (no knock on the other guy, who's done a nice job). Smashmouth can trump trickery and deciet...and keep Brady benched.
I love how Hillis talks about running against NINE in the box like it's another day at the office,
The most exciting thing here, though, will be watching McCoy. Bill has had an even harder time than Rob of generating pressure. He's instead been plugging all the holes and shrinking windows with 7 or even 8 guys in coverage.
In doubt he'll do that with McCoy, actually. I think he'll blitze more than he has--with safeties and corners. Colt is a sharpshooter who can and will "stick" throws into tight windows, and if he has time to figure out all the insideously diabolical deceptions Bill will be using, he'll burn it with pinpoint passes.
I believe that Bill will attack relentlessly both to deprive the rookie of time to think, and to put hats on Hillis before he can square up and get rolling.
Good to hear Colt talking about this game as if he's playing against Tom Brady. He's striving to live up to something, and aiming high. He seems to think of the defenses he faces as just part of that. For some reason, that just sounds...right to me.
Eman: Pat Kirwin concurs with me: McCoy has earned this start.
But of course Pat continues to turn a lack of wide reciever production into a general lack of talent. He's just had his mind made up about that. I wonder if the wide-outs this week make a couple big plays, this will elevate his estimate of the offensive line, tight ends, backfield, and defense in general. He just loves those recievers.
When Bill dumped Moss, Pat wrung his hands over how the Pats would operate without a proven deep threat. I guess the Pats remained talented in his eyes because they've still got Welker.
And listen to me: eric Wright has played well before and since the Ravens game. One psychotic poster is demanding that they cut him. He'll be on Welker a lot today--very very very tough--the nickel corner can't use the sideline (but he can blitze,,,,,,,)
You guys need to track this Wright-bashing poster down and stuff him in a padded cell without a internet access. He's embarrassing us. Or just bust a cap in him before he can reproduce--our gene-pool is polluted enough as it is.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Go With the Kid
Colt McCoy has now faced two of the best, and most complicated, defenses in the NFL and done well. Quit presenting it as a choice between developing a young quarterback or winning. That's a massive ass umption which ignores the young guy's actual, real, measurable performance.
I do like Seneca Wallace a lot, and he's obviously proven something. I was disappointed with Jake, but when healthy I defer to Holmgren on him. I don't deny that all rookies will make mistakes.
You've seen Jake, Seneca, and McCoy. Are you trying to tell me that the older guys are really better? They're NOT!
There we go with the preconceptions again. You had it in your head that McCoy wasn't ready, and now you're ignoring what you see with your own eyes. McCoy isn't as good as he will be, but he's already on a par with the veterans. It's real.
I see that thinking on the boards all the time, like this guy who passionately hates Mangini. Do you hear that screaming? That's his logic.
The game-plan vs. the Saints? No doubt Holmgren or Fujita's idea. The best special teams in the NFL? Of course--that's because Mangini only gets special teamers. If you try hard enough, and squint your eyes, and put your blinders on, and only look in certain places, you can manage to see what you need to see to confirm what you've made up your mind about.
McCoy is good enough to start and win right now. The fact that he needs experience is only the tie-breaker.
You wouldn't think that with these wide recievers it's a good environment for a young guy, but actually it is. This team can run even against stacked fronts, and has an abundance of tight ends and backs who can catch. It's a good offensive line, which is getting healthier in the bye-week.
By the way, in re MCoy's "lack of production" vs. the Saints? When you're up by seventeen points at halftime, you run the ball. DUH.
What are you numbskulls voting for Wright as the goat for? Still seeing what you expect to see (I mean hallucinating)? He covered well. AGAIN. Like he did before and after the Ravens game. I guess NOW he has to be Darryl Revis to clear where you've set the bar. I guess he has to shut guys down completely AND cover for Haden and Brown too! Gimme a break.
And when Haden comes in as the third cornerback, Wright covers the slot guy. So quit talking about Haden's challenge facing Wes Welker. Wright will be on Welker, and rightfully so. He's among the fastest players in the NFL. Welker might make some catches, but he won't outrun Wright.
Doctor Evil up there in New England will no doubt have all sorts of interesting stuff prepared for McCoy (and if it's not him, I'll bring the rope). He's got two games worth of tapes on him, too.
But what weakness will he see? McCoy hasn't shown any. Even the interception that one normally very good analyst said "He wishes he could take back" should have been caught. And I'll bet he'd do it again.
At any rate, Bill has to first and foremost stop the run. And as smart as he is, good luck with that. Nor is it just "the run" that you can blitze to try and blow up in the backfield. It's also the little dump-offs that wreck that strategy. The blitzer is out of the play inside and behind Hillis. Sometimes they don't even bother blocking him.
I don't think even Bill can shut that stuff down completely. He can stifle it somewhat to create some second and third-and-longs. He can flood the short zones to make it hard to catch anything inside.
But this is a hard offense for insideously diabolical defensive evil geniuses to stop, because the running/dumpoff game is one of brute force, and so far the Browns have simply been stronger. Defenses did everything right, but it didn't matter.
The Browns have a chance.
I'm revising my win/loss prediction to 11-5. I will update it next monday after I get more information.
I do like Seneca Wallace a lot, and he's obviously proven something. I was disappointed with Jake, but when healthy I defer to Holmgren on him. I don't deny that all rookies will make mistakes.
You've seen Jake, Seneca, and McCoy. Are you trying to tell me that the older guys are really better? They're NOT!
There we go with the preconceptions again. You had it in your head that McCoy wasn't ready, and now you're ignoring what you see with your own eyes. McCoy isn't as good as he will be, but he's already on a par with the veterans. It's real.
I see that thinking on the boards all the time, like this guy who passionately hates Mangini. Do you hear that screaming? That's his logic.
The game-plan vs. the Saints? No doubt Holmgren or Fujita's idea. The best special teams in the NFL? Of course--that's because Mangini only gets special teamers. If you try hard enough, and squint your eyes, and put your blinders on, and only look in certain places, you can manage to see what you need to see to confirm what you've made up your mind about.
McCoy is good enough to start and win right now. The fact that he needs experience is only the tie-breaker.
You wouldn't think that with these wide recievers it's a good environment for a young guy, but actually it is. This team can run even against stacked fronts, and has an abundance of tight ends and backs who can catch. It's a good offensive line, which is getting healthier in the bye-week.
By the way, in re MCoy's "lack of production" vs. the Saints? When you're up by seventeen points at halftime, you run the ball. DUH.
What are you numbskulls voting for Wright as the goat for? Still seeing what you expect to see (I mean hallucinating)? He covered well. AGAIN. Like he did before and after the Ravens game. I guess NOW he has to be Darryl Revis to clear where you've set the bar. I guess he has to shut guys down completely AND cover for Haden and Brown too! Gimme a break.
And when Haden comes in as the third cornerback, Wright covers the slot guy. So quit talking about Haden's challenge facing Wes Welker. Wright will be on Welker, and rightfully so. He's among the fastest players in the NFL. Welker might make some catches, but he won't outrun Wright.
Doctor Evil up there in New England will no doubt have all sorts of interesting stuff prepared for McCoy (and if it's not him, I'll bring the rope). He's got two games worth of tapes on him, too.
But what weakness will he see? McCoy hasn't shown any. Even the interception that one normally very good analyst said "He wishes he could take back" should have been caught. And I'll bet he'd do it again.
At any rate, Bill has to first and foremost stop the run. And as smart as he is, good luck with that. Nor is it just "the run" that you can blitze to try and blow up in the backfield. It's also the little dump-offs that wreck that strategy. The blitzer is out of the play inside and behind Hillis. Sometimes they don't even bother blocking him.
I don't think even Bill can shut that stuff down completely. He can stifle it somewhat to create some second and third-and-longs. He can flood the short zones to make it hard to catch anything inside.
But this is a hard offense for insideously diabolical defensive evil geniuses to stop, because the running/dumpoff game is one of brute force, and so far the Browns have simply been stronger. Defenses did everything right, but it didn't matter.
The Browns have a chance.
I'm revising my win/loss prediction to 11-5. I will update it next monday after I get more information.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Mitchell, Lauvao Time?
At the beginning of this season, the one prediction I made that was accurate was that the Browns would not contend this season.
Regardless of what Mike Holmgren said, he had to know that this would be a season for growth. After the draft, there remained issues at safety, defensive line DEPTH, WR, and QB (Jake is a "hold-the-fort" guy who they massively overpaid--and don't blame that on Mangini). Other areas could use improvement, like right tackle and right guard...(I repeat they had solid journeymen, but we want a pro bowler everywhere).
Additionally, MoMass, Robiskie, and Mack were entering only their second seasons. Ward is a rookie. Jackson and Rogers were injured. It's the second season of a new system, and several new players were brought in.
Finally, this is the AFC North, and they got the schedule they did.
Now, a lot of you can point at the Rams, KC, etc. (while I counterpoint at Dallas, Arizona, Cinci, etc.), and use this opportunity to bash a perfectly good offensive coordinator and head coach. I don't care. The offense lacks a deep threat, and the defense has been unable to generate a consistant pass rush, mainly due to injuries.
There has been too much heat on the quarterbacks, due to the lack of the deep threat and injuries/disruption on the right side of the line.
But I digress. I'm personally stunned that the Browns lost to KC and the Rams, but never expected a contender in the first place anyway. And if you measure competitiveness and improvement simply in terms of wins and losses, you're being lazy. This team almost beat the Ravens, hung with Pitt in Pitt despite multiple disasters, and led in most of their games until the fourth quarter.
Those in the Mangini/Daboll lynch-mob hate to hear it, but that's improvement.
Now we got McCoy at the helm, and after his debut, rational fans will acknowlege that it's not too soon for him to continue. If the level of performance is similar, then in a growth season you go with the young guy and get him his experience.
I really have to mention this: One comment-poster was not impressed by McCoy because he didn't win. The fact that he was a rookie vs. Dick LaBeau with few practice reps who lost his top two wide recievers didn't matter to this person. Only the win. Black-and-white thinking is childish, if not insane. You don't judge a first-game rookie the same as a veteran, and you don't just ignore everything but the final score.
But enough on Corky-Dawg: So, down goes Pashos, and St. Clair seems perpetually injured. Okay, maybe it's time to unveil another rookie named Lauvao. Move Womack to tackle and start him at guard.
The orginal plan might well have been to make this move during the bi, so that Lauvao could heal more completely, and have two weeks to settle in, but injuries might well have forced the Browns' hand again.
Lauvao has great talent, and is not as raw as many rookies. Right guard is easier to learn than center, and Lauvao has at least had the first several games to learn the mental part. Alex Mack, on the other hand, had to start from the beginning last season.
If Colt could do it, maybe Lauvao can. Let's try.
Mitchell I wouldn't try it with, but they may well have to. If he hasn't got his short and intermediate patterns and reads down, they could always just send him deep every time he's deployed.
This is a guy who can be covered like a blanket, step-for-step, but still outreach/dive/leap or overpower the defender(s) for the ball, and we now have a pinpoint-accurate quarterback who can really elevate those percentages.
Even if he's only targetted once or twice in a whole game, it only takes one big play, and defenses know it.
And don't start with this "arm" stuff again! No, McCoy doesn't have a howitzer, but he reads and quickly and has adequate range to burn a defense deep, especially when a high trajectory floater is the best way to go anyway. Jeez is that all you think about? How many "long bombs" did Popgun Sipe complete? Stop it you're killing me!
Until Mitchell catches (or almost catches) a deep pass, defenses will continue squeezing down on short and intermediate routes and attacking the run aggressively out of stacked fronts.
After he does, even if the defense's game-plan doesn't change, the thinking of the safeties will. He'll make them nervous. They might set up a yard or two further back off the line, with one a little closer to the perimeter on his side of the field. They'd be more hesitant in diagnosing play-action. If they take that first step and it's NOT a run, they'll never catch up to Mitchell.
What have you got to lose, Brian? Who cares even if Mitchell only does the one thing: Goes vertical? Who cares if the defense knows it? Even if he's 95% decoy and catches just one pass in a game, that pass completion nails down a field goal if it doesn't score a TD.
Mitchell, if neccessary, can still learn the rest of his role here--but for now, he can already just run in a straight line and holler "hit me!", and catch the ball in his big mitts.
What else have you got? Robiskie, if he does get open, is short and intermediate. You've also got Moore for that, and the three of them for the middle. You've got plenty of big possession guys and middle guys and Hillis for all the dink-and dunk stuff...put Mitchell in to pry the lid off these stacked fronts!
Next season, when these young guys have that experience to build on, it could well mean that this team is ready.
The season is DOA. Go nuts.
Regardless of what Mike Holmgren said, he had to know that this would be a season for growth. After the draft, there remained issues at safety, defensive line DEPTH, WR, and QB (Jake is a "hold-the-fort" guy who they massively overpaid--and don't blame that on Mangini). Other areas could use improvement, like right tackle and right guard...(I repeat they had solid journeymen, but we want a pro bowler everywhere).
Additionally, MoMass, Robiskie, and Mack were entering only their second seasons. Ward is a rookie. Jackson and Rogers were injured. It's the second season of a new system, and several new players were brought in.
Finally, this is the AFC North, and they got the schedule they did.
Now, a lot of you can point at the Rams, KC, etc. (while I counterpoint at Dallas, Arizona, Cinci, etc.), and use this opportunity to bash a perfectly good offensive coordinator and head coach. I don't care. The offense lacks a deep threat, and the defense has been unable to generate a consistant pass rush, mainly due to injuries.
There has been too much heat on the quarterbacks, due to the lack of the deep threat and injuries/disruption on the right side of the line.
But I digress. I'm personally stunned that the Browns lost to KC and the Rams, but never expected a contender in the first place anyway. And if you measure competitiveness and improvement simply in terms of wins and losses, you're being lazy. This team almost beat the Ravens, hung with Pitt in Pitt despite multiple disasters, and led in most of their games until the fourth quarter.
Those in the Mangini/Daboll lynch-mob hate to hear it, but that's improvement.
Now we got McCoy at the helm, and after his debut, rational fans will acknowlege that it's not too soon for him to continue. If the level of performance is similar, then in a growth season you go with the young guy and get him his experience.
I really have to mention this: One comment-poster was not impressed by McCoy because he didn't win. The fact that he was a rookie vs. Dick LaBeau with few practice reps who lost his top two wide recievers didn't matter to this person. Only the win. Black-and-white thinking is childish, if not insane. You don't judge a first-game rookie the same as a veteran, and you don't just ignore everything but the final score.
But enough on Corky-Dawg: So, down goes Pashos, and St. Clair seems perpetually injured. Okay, maybe it's time to unveil another rookie named Lauvao. Move Womack to tackle and start him at guard.
The orginal plan might well have been to make this move during the bi, so that Lauvao could heal more completely, and have two weeks to settle in, but injuries might well have forced the Browns' hand again.
Lauvao has great talent, and is not as raw as many rookies. Right guard is easier to learn than center, and Lauvao has at least had the first several games to learn the mental part. Alex Mack, on the other hand, had to start from the beginning last season.
If Colt could do it, maybe Lauvao can. Let's try.
Mitchell I wouldn't try it with, but they may well have to. If he hasn't got his short and intermediate patterns and reads down, they could always just send him deep every time he's deployed.
This is a guy who can be covered like a blanket, step-for-step, but still outreach/dive/leap or overpower the defender(s) for the ball, and we now have a pinpoint-accurate quarterback who can really elevate those percentages.
Even if he's only targetted once or twice in a whole game, it only takes one big play, and defenses know it.
And don't start with this "arm" stuff again! No, McCoy doesn't have a howitzer, but he reads and quickly and has adequate range to burn a defense deep, especially when a high trajectory floater is the best way to go anyway. Jeez is that all you think about? How many "long bombs" did Popgun Sipe complete? Stop it you're killing me!
Until Mitchell catches (or almost catches) a deep pass, defenses will continue squeezing down on short and intermediate routes and attacking the run aggressively out of stacked fronts.
After he does, even if the defense's game-plan doesn't change, the thinking of the safeties will. He'll make them nervous. They might set up a yard or two further back off the line, with one a little closer to the perimeter on his side of the field. They'd be more hesitant in diagnosing play-action. If they take that first step and it's NOT a run, they'll never catch up to Mitchell.
What have you got to lose, Brian? Who cares even if Mitchell only does the one thing: Goes vertical? Who cares if the defense knows it? Even if he's 95% decoy and catches just one pass in a game, that pass completion nails down a field goal if it doesn't score a TD.
Mitchell, if neccessary, can still learn the rest of his role here--but for now, he can already just run in a straight line and holler "hit me!", and catch the ball in his big mitts.
What else have you got? Robiskie, if he does get open, is short and intermediate. You've also got Moore for that, and the three of them for the middle. You've got plenty of big possession guys and middle guys and Hillis for all the dink-and dunk stuff...put Mitchell in to pry the lid off these stacked fronts!
Next season, when these young guys have that experience to build on, it could well mean that this team is ready.
The season is DOA. Go nuts.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Anticipating Joe Twelve Pack
1: Just heard James Harrison on NFL Radio: "How can I play the way I was taught?" He forgot the violin.
OK: I now understand that Cribbs was a running back, and his helmet was fair game. Therefore, Harrison saw the opportunity to damage a fellow player's brain and maybe spine, and eagerly tried to do so, as he was taught to. By Coach De Sade, I assume. Since it was legal, it was okay!
I had originally thought the attempted homicide on Cribbs was illegal, but stand corrected.
I had thought that the hit on Massequoi was legal, but had forgotten the defenseless reciever rule. Massequoi had not taken two steps with (or juggling) the ball. Harrison also blamed Masseqoui for "ducking down". .....? He hit him IN THE HEAD with his forearms. He could have decked him with pads-do-sternum or hands to chest, but of course that wouldn't have damaged the other guy's brain 0r spine, and he was taught to kill or maim whenever possible.
James? Burn in hell.
2: McBride kills me. He's another Yoda wannabe: McCoy was adequate. He might have even said "decent" once.
I don't get the guy. IN CONTEXT, Colt was sensational. One of the top defenses in the NFL, weak wide recievers, hostile environment, first NFL start after only five games. THEN losing both Cribbs and Massequoi, and falling behind. Barry, what did the rookie have to do to rate a "pretty good" from you?
NonoNO it's not the same as Quinn! Once defenses got a bead on Quinn's INACCURACY, they adjusted coverages to exploit it. McCoy doesn't have that weakness--in fact is exceptionally accurate. The only questions about Colt were his arm-strength and height.
For sure, they'll take what they can from this game-tape and have a better idea of how to screw up the NFL version of McCoy, but it will be a ton harder than it was to mess up an inaccurate thrower.
I believe that Colt's practice time was nil until week three, when he was temprarily the number two and got about 30% of the reps. Then there was the one week when he prepped to start. So, he did what he did on very little practice time.
3: Daboll had an EXCELLENT game-plan for a rookie quarterback with weak wide receivers facing a Steelers defense. Will you guys never let up? You got it in your heads that he sucks based on recievers dropping balls and quarterbacks making crappy throws last season that Daboll sucks, and now are systematicly filtering everything that happens through that prejudice. Daboll has done, and is doing, a good job.
4: So has Wright. Yes he has, except the one game vs. the Ravens. Now you got another prejudice stuck in your head, and every completed pass gets blamed on him. The issues with that are two-fold:
1: The SAFETIES are a day late and a dollar short and
2: The blitzes are getting stopped, and quarterbacks sometimes have too much time.
That's Ryan: he's taking calculated risks. You can rush four without a lot of disruption, but when you HAVE TO send five, you're taking people out of coverage, and if they don't get to the quarterback in three seconds THREE SECONDS DO YOU HEAR ME, ANY ANY ANY cornerback is just about in deep shit.
On some occasions, I've seen teams pick up the single blitzer, but the QB unable to find anybody open for more like seven seconds--that's just absolutely exceptional coverage. It happened several times vs. Pitt. Like the time Ben intentionally grounded it, and the two times he was in the grasp and going down and sort of dropped it for incompletions,
Moving Brown to safety is one good option, but I'd prefer "single high" coverage with ADAMS at free safety; then you still have three really good corners and TJ Ward in the Chris Rockins role. Adams is actually a ballhawking, human missile tackling free safety ala Felix Wright.
5: Terry Pluto shame on you for generalizing. The Browns do NOT lack offensive talent at tight end, running back, fullback, or offensive line. Only at wide reciever (and that just got worse).
Well okay--you can add quarterback too, if you muddy the definition. Since at quarterback nowadays you just about have to have an elite player--not just a guy. Flacco, Ben, Brady, Manning, Brees,,,
Colt might be that guy, but despite his great start vs. Pitt, he's still a rookie, and will make mistakes.
One mistake might well have been the throw to Massequoi. On that pattern, the wide reciever needs to come to a stop and "sit down" vs. zone coverage. If he's in motion when he catches the ball, that OLB will do what Harrison did (albeit much more cleanly and legally. Most NFL players are human beings,)
I suspect that Colt led him, rather than throwing to where he was supposed to stop.
6: Mangini feels he needs wins now to avoid getting fired, so he might want to bring Delhomme back if he can. But he might not. McCoy did so well that Mangini might agree with most of us that McCoy actually does give his team the best chance to win now.
Those of you who long since made up your minds to hate Mangini and carefully ignore or distort anything good that happens will no doubt ass ume that Holmgren overrode him in any good decision. But Mangini has always started the best players, regardless of their draft position or experience. It's actually the biggest single reason that I defend him against mindless attacks.
7: Back to Colt, and what I saw: I didn't see any bombs, but did see him fire throws with velocity/low trajectories into tight spaces (as I did in game four of the preseason...while you were sleeping).
The ball that was intercepted, in fact, was a perfect, unbelievably accurate pass into the middle of three defenders, delivered to like a two-foot square spot where only his own guy could (and should have) caught it.
YOU guys probobly all just groaned and cursed, but I personally said "wow-what a pass!"
I love that he had the guts to make that "stick" (as Rich Gannon calls those darts into coverage). You can't teach that kind of accuracy, and over 90% of the quarterbacks in the NFL wouldn't even try that stuff, because they're not sure they can get it to that little tiny window, and know that if they're six inches off it's a pick.
And defenses can't stop it. They have perfect position, but can't prevent a perfect throw from getting in that tiny little space. all they can do is interfere, try to pry it loose, or blow the reciever up after the fact.
Trust me: This is a rare TALENT we have here. And you'll see: He'll make the wide recievers look a lot more talented.
He was baptized in fire, and came out stronger. Just wait. Just wait.
OK: I now understand that Cribbs was a running back, and his helmet was fair game. Therefore, Harrison saw the opportunity to damage a fellow player's brain and maybe spine, and eagerly tried to do so, as he was taught to. By Coach De Sade, I assume. Since it was legal, it was okay!
I had originally thought the attempted homicide on Cribbs was illegal, but stand corrected.
I had thought that the hit on Massequoi was legal, but had forgotten the defenseless reciever rule. Massequoi had not taken two steps with (or juggling) the ball. Harrison also blamed Masseqoui for "ducking down". .....? He hit him IN THE HEAD with his forearms. He could have decked him with pads-do-sternum or hands to chest, but of course that wouldn't have damaged the other guy's brain 0r spine, and he was taught to kill or maim whenever possible.
James? Burn in hell.
2: McBride kills me. He's another Yoda wannabe: McCoy was adequate. He might have even said "decent" once.
I don't get the guy. IN CONTEXT, Colt was sensational. One of the top defenses in the NFL, weak wide recievers, hostile environment, first NFL start after only five games. THEN losing both Cribbs and Massequoi, and falling behind. Barry, what did the rookie have to do to rate a "pretty good" from you?
NonoNO it's not the same as Quinn! Once defenses got a bead on Quinn's INACCURACY, they adjusted coverages to exploit it. McCoy doesn't have that weakness--in fact is exceptionally accurate. The only questions about Colt were his arm-strength and height.
For sure, they'll take what they can from this game-tape and have a better idea of how to screw up the NFL version of McCoy, but it will be a ton harder than it was to mess up an inaccurate thrower.
I believe that Colt's practice time was nil until week three, when he was temprarily the number two and got about 30% of the reps. Then there was the one week when he prepped to start. So, he did what he did on very little practice time.
3: Daboll had an EXCELLENT game-plan for a rookie quarterback with weak wide receivers facing a Steelers defense. Will you guys never let up? You got it in your heads that he sucks based on recievers dropping balls and quarterbacks making crappy throws last season that Daboll sucks, and now are systematicly filtering everything that happens through that prejudice. Daboll has done, and is doing, a good job.
4: So has Wright. Yes he has, except the one game vs. the Ravens. Now you got another prejudice stuck in your head, and every completed pass gets blamed on him. The issues with that are two-fold:
1: The SAFETIES are a day late and a dollar short and
2: The blitzes are getting stopped, and quarterbacks sometimes have too much time.
That's Ryan: he's taking calculated risks. You can rush four without a lot of disruption, but when you HAVE TO send five, you're taking people out of coverage, and if they don't get to the quarterback in three seconds THREE SECONDS DO YOU HEAR ME, ANY ANY ANY cornerback is just about in deep shit.
On some occasions, I've seen teams pick up the single blitzer, but the QB unable to find anybody open for more like seven seconds--that's just absolutely exceptional coverage. It happened several times vs. Pitt. Like the time Ben intentionally grounded it, and the two times he was in the grasp and going down and sort of dropped it for incompletions,
Moving Brown to safety is one good option, but I'd prefer "single high" coverage with ADAMS at free safety; then you still have three really good corners and TJ Ward in the Chris Rockins role. Adams is actually a ballhawking, human missile tackling free safety ala Felix Wright.
5: Terry Pluto shame on you for generalizing. The Browns do NOT lack offensive talent at tight end, running back, fullback, or offensive line. Only at wide reciever (and that just got worse).
Well okay--you can add quarterback too, if you muddy the definition. Since at quarterback nowadays you just about have to have an elite player--not just a guy. Flacco, Ben, Brady, Manning, Brees,,,
Colt might be that guy, but despite his great start vs. Pitt, he's still a rookie, and will make mistakes.
One mistake might well have been the throw to Massequoi. On that pattern, the wide reciever needs to come to a stop and "sit down" vs. zone coverage. If he's in motion when he catches the ball, that OLB will do what Harrison did (albeit much more cleanly and legally. Most NFL players are human beings,)
I suspect that Colt led him, rather than throwing to where he was supposed to stop.
6: Mangini feels he needs wins now to avoid getting fired, so he might want to bring Delhomme back if he can. But he might not. McCoy did so well that Mangini might agree with most of us that McCoy actually does give his team the best chance to win now.
Those of you who long since made up your minds to hate Mangini and carefully ignore or distort anything good that happens will no doubt ass ume that Holmgren overrode him in any good decision. But Mangini has always started the best players, regardless of their draft position or experience. It's actually the biggest single reason that I defend him against mindless attacks.
7: Back to Colt, and what I saw: I didn't see any bombs, but did see him fire throws with velocity/low trajectories into tight spaces (as I did in game four of the preseason...while you were sleeping).
The ball that was intercepted, in fact, was a perfect, unbelievably accurate pass into the middle of three defenders, delivered to like a two-foot square spot where only his own guy could (and should have) caught it.
YOU guys probobly all just groaned and cursed, but I personally said "wow-what a pass!"
I love that he had the guts to make that "stick" (as Rich Gannon calls those darts into coverage). You can't teach that kind of accuracy, and over 90% of the quarterbacks in the NFL wouldn't even try that stuff, because they're not sure they can get it to that little tiny window, and know that if they're six inches off it's a pick.
And defenses can't stop it. They have perfect position, but can't prevent a perfect throw from getting in that tiny little space. all they can do is interfere, try to pry it loose, or blow the reciever up after the fact.
Trust me: This is a rare TALENT we have here. And you'll see: He'll make the wide recievers look a lot more talented.
He was baptized in fire, and came out stronger. Just wait. Just wait.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
If it Sounds Too Bad to be True, it Might be.
Well, why the hell not?
Here are some rays of hope:
1: Josh Cribbs and the Flash offense. Yeah, Pitt will be prepared for it, but at least our guys are vets, and it only takes a small mistake for them to cough up a first down or something.
It might work better now that Cribbs seems to be allowed to actually pass once in awhile.
1a: You guys don't know this, so I'll tell you: Colt can run that offense. I never even looked at his clock times, but I saw several of his runs in college, and he's got speed and moves.
2: Yeah that and he's a scrambling threat out of the conventional offense.
3: Roll-outs and the shotgun can be used to help protect the kid and simplify his reads.
You guys are all acting as if the fourth preseason game was meaningless because of the level of talent. That's not quite true for a quarterback. Their worst DB's are still trying to cover your worst recievers. Their worst front 7 is still trying to beat your worst linemen to kill the quarterback.
Accuracy is accuracy, and he showed that in spades; accuracy and touch.
It's true that he's up against a lot more complexity and general speed here, and that these guys will bait him and con him. That preseason game can't compare to what he'll face here. So stipulated. But you guys are, as usual, overboard in dismissing the outstanding talent he displayed.
If they don't get to him quick, he can do a variety of damage. You just cross your fingers that he doesn't get suckered by these devious, sneaky....
4: I hate that Hillis isn't being allowed to recover from his bruised thighs, but in this case I have to admit it's critical that he play. If they muffled Harrison, they can muffle Davis. Hillis is the physical type who can give them trouble.
I want to see Polumalu meet THIS guy in the hole!
Unfortunately, the only two ways smaller linebackers and secondary guys can stop or slow him are to try to pry the ball loose or throw themselves at his legs.
5: Big Ben will be rusty, and even if he isn't, he's stubborn and holds the ball. Pitt's offensive line isn't that good in pass protection. Until the last couple weeks, Benard and Roth haven't been 100%. Rogers might get his old form back. Ward has some experience now. They'll be expecting Wright blitzes...but it might not matter.
6: The Browns can also help protect Colt with personel, ie using Moore (two tight ends). Both these tight ends can deploy outside , pulling potential passrushers (and run stuffers) with them, and making it dangerous to pull Polumalu out of coverage.
Yeah yeah the Stoolers can cancel out and in-line tight end or even one on a wing, but their base personel will have a problem dealing with two of them.
7: If the Browns do that, it'll be hard for them to help a cornerback with Massequoi. Better believe Colt will want to get it to him--he'll have to to loosen the coverage.
8: Colt's accuracy plus these THREE (with Hillis) big, short/intermediate, crossing recievers can help him get rid of it in a hurry.
9: I have my Polumalu and Big Ben voodoo dolls ready to go. They worked pretty good last season!
Here are some rays of hope:
1: Josh Cribbs and the Flash offense. Yeah, Pitt will be prepared for it, but at least our guys are vets, and it only takes a small mistake for them to cough up a first down or something.
It might work better now that Cribbs seems to be allowed to actually pass once in awhile.
1a: You guys don't know this, so I'll tell you: Colt can run that offense. I never even looked at his clock times, but I saw several of his runs in college, and he's got speed and moves.
2: Yeah that and he's a scrambling threat out of the conventional offense.
3: Roll-outs and the shotgun can be used to help protect the kid and simplify his reads.
You guys are all acting as if the fourth preseason game was meaningless because of the level of talent. That's not quite true for a quarterback. Their worst DB's are still trying to cover your worst recievers. Their worst front 7 is still trying to beat your worst linemen to kill the quarterback.
Accuracy is accuracy, and he showed that in spades; accuracy and touch.
It's true that he's up against a lot more complexity and general speed here, and that these guys will bait him and con him. That preseason game can't compare to what he'll face here. So stipulated. But you guys are, as usual, overboard in dismissing the outstanding talent he displayed.
If they don't get to him quick, he can do a variety of damage. You just cross your fingers that he doesn't get suckered by these devious, sneaky....
4: I hate that Hillis isn't being allowed to recover from his bruised thighs, but in this case I have to admit it's critical that he play. If they muffled Harrison, they can muffle Davis. Hillis is the physical type who can give them trouble.
I want to see Polumalu meet THIS guy in the hole!
Unfortunately, the only two ways smaller linebackers and secondary guys can stop or slow him are to try to pry the ball loose or throw themselves at his legs.
5: Big Ben will be rusty, and even if he isn't, he's stubborn and holds the ball. Pitt's offensive line isn't that good in pass protection. Until the last couple weeks, Benard and Roth haven't been 100%. Rogers might get his old form back. Ward has some experience now. They'll be expecting Wright blitzes...but it might not matter.
6: The Browns can also help protect Colt with personel, ie using Moore (two tight ends). Both these tight ends can deploy outside , pulling potential passrushers (and run stuffers) with them, and making it dangerous to pull Polumalu out of coverage.
Yeah yeah the Stoolers can cancel out and in-line tight end or even one on a wing, but their base personel will have a problem dealing with two of them.
7: If the Browns do that, it'll be hard for them to help a cornerback with Massequoi. Better believe Colt will want to get it to him--he'll have to to loosen the coverage.
8: Colt's accuracy plus these THREE (with Hillis) big, short/intermediate, crossing recievers can help him get rid of it in a hurry.
9: I have my Polumalu and Big Ben voodoo dolls ready to go. They worked pretty good last season!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Dreamer (a genuine imitation)
Brian Tarcy is a unique and hysterical writer. In his "The Dreamer" persona, he writes for the Orange and Brown Report, and cracks me up.
As a professional unsuccessful writer, I have, over time, imitated a number or writers that I liked. I'm pretty good at it. I can THINK like them.
But over time, all the imitation sort of got stuck in there and mixed around, and I developed multiple personalities of my own.
So now, I have several writing personalities, and don't imitate anybody else any more. Except in this case, I simply have to imitate Tarcy. Okay well that is, one of my personalites needs to imitate him, so I'm going to imitate myself imitating the Dreamer.
Imitation being the most sincere form of flattery, I'm sure that he would be flattered, were he ever to read this. I know I am.
If I were to write a football book, I would of course need for it to be about a bad team. Kind of like Rocky. A bad team getting better.
Lots of underdogs. Like a college possession reciever that was a longshot, but somebody turned him into a tight end and he survived long enough to get pretty good. Maybe my team still calls him a tight end, but he's more a huge, massive wide reciever.
Then um...a "too small" running back. Like Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith or Tiki Barber or Priest Holmes...all those little guys that had no chance. Those are classic underdogs.
Oh yes--and a too BIG running back. SO big that the team that reluctantly drafted him made him a backup fullback, and then traded him for a bad quarterback to my underdog team, which made him a running back again.
Then there's another "too small" guy, only a quarterback. Got to give it some pizzazz, though, so we'll make him the winningest quarterback in NCAA history.
I'll make him REAL small. Almost as small as Jeff Garcia and Joe Montana. Almost as short as Drew Brees and Brian Sipe. I'll make him a whole 5/8" inches under 6'2"!
Let's say they say he has no arm. That's rediculous, since in every picture there it is. In fact, he has two of them. But that's what they always say about any quarterback who threw a lot of short passes.
The plan is to let him learn on the bench for at least one season, while two old veteran journeymen take care of the team and help teach him. Maybe I'll spice it up and make one of these guys even shorter than him. And the other one a half inch or so taller.
I'll have him look horrible in preseason until the fourth game, where he throws a shutout with and against bartenders and bus drivers (so he's got that going for him).
"Not ready", they'll say. "Good thing we got those two guys in front of him!"
Okay so now we've got to do the "Rocky" thing. What else?
I'll get both of those older quartebacks hurt. And the monster running back. And a bunch of other guys...let's knock out half a dozen or so starters, okay?
Okay so now the little running back and the rookie quarterback will start the next week.
Good set-up, but incomplete. Now for the bad guys: First, this devious, insideously diabolical defensive coordinator who befuddles seasoned vet quarterbacks all the time, and sacks them a lot. Let's toss in a super-safety, since safeties are quarterbacks' arch enemies, and we've got to have our Apollo Creed, see?
Then...we've got to give the little running back a hard time: The bad guys will have the best run defense in the NFL.
Let's see, what else? Oh yeah--and the bad guys' Pro Bowl quarterback is coming back off suspension! Perfect!
Naturally, in my movie, the underdogs heroicly upset the bullies, and become famous and never look back. And in my sequals, they beat them up again and again, worse each time. (Nobody will watch them, but I'll already have made my money, so I won't care).
It's a great story.
Too bad in the real world it rarely ever happens. But that's why I'm imitating myself imitating the Dreamer.
Next I will see if I can dial up some of my established multiple personalites. I will see if I can talk about the upcoming game vs. the Pittsburgh Stoolers. I'm glad I've still got my Big Ben and Polumalu voodoo dolls. They've worked pretty well so far.
Thank you, Brian Tarcy, for the inspiration. I tried to stay in-character, but slipped out. There's only one you.
As a professional unsuccessful writer, I have, over time, imitated a number or writers that I liked. I'm pretty good at it. I can THINK like them.
But over time, all the imitation sort of got stuck in there and mixed around, and I developed multiple personalities of my own.
So now, I have several writing personalities, and don't imitate anybody else any more. Except in this case, I simply have to imitate Tarcy. Okay well that is, one of my personalites needs to imitate him, so I'm going to imitate myself imitating the Dreamer.
Imitation being the most sincere form of flattery, I'm sure that he would be flattered, were he ever to read this. I know I am.
If I were to write a football book, I would of course need for it to be about a bad team. Kind of like Rocky. A bad team getting better.
Lots of underdogs. Like a college possession reciever that was a longshot, but somebody turned him into a tight end and he survived long enough to get pretty good. Maybe my team still calls him a tight end, but he's more a huge, massive wide reciever.
Then um...a "too small" running back. Like Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith or Tiki Barber or Priest Holmes...all those little guys that had no chance. Those are classic underdogs.
Oh yes--and a too BIG running back. SO big that the team that reluctantly drafted him made him a backup fullback, and then traded him for a bad quarterback to my underdog team, which made him a running back again.
Then there's another "too small" guy, only a quarterback. Got to give it some pizzazz, though, so we'll make him the winningest quarterback in NCAA history.
I'll make him REAL small. Almost as small as Jeff Garcia and Joe Montana. Almost as short as Drew Brees and Brian Sipe. I'll make him a whole 5/8" inches under 6'2"!
Let's say they say he has no arm. That's rediculous, since in every picture there it is. In fact, he has two of them. But that's what they always say about any quarterback who threw a lot of short passes.
The plan is to let him learn on the bench for at least one season, while two old veteran journeymen take care of the team and help teach him. Maybe I'll spice it up and make one of these guys even shorter than him. And the other one a half inch or so taller.
I'll have him look horrible in preseason until the fourth game, where he throws a shutout with and against bartenders and bus drivers (so he's got that going for him).
"Not ready", they'll say. "Good thing we got those two guys in front of him!"
Okay so now we've got to do the "Rocky" thing. What else?
I'll get both of those older quartebacks hurt. And the monster running back. And a bunch of other guys...let's knock out half a dozen or so starters, okay?
Okay so now the little running back and the rookie quarterback will start the next week.
Good set-up, but incomplete. Now for the bad guys: First, this devious, insideously diabolical defensive coordinator who befuddles seasoned vet quarterbacks all the time, and sacks them a lot. Let's toss in a super-safety, since safeties are quarterbacks' arch enemies, and we've got to have our Apollo Creed, see?
Then...we've got to give the little running back a hard time: The bad guys will have the best run defense in the NFL.
Let's see, what else? Oh yeah--and the bad guys' Pro Bowl quarterback is coming back off suspension! Perfect!
Naturally, in my movie, the underdogs heroicly upset the bullies, and become famous and never look back. And in my sequals, they beat them up again and again, worse each time. (Nobody will watch them, but I'll already have made my money, so I won't care).
It's a great story.
Too bad in the real world it rarely ever happens. But that's why I'm imitating myself imitating the Dreamer.
Next I will see if I can dial up some of my established multiple personalites. I will see if I can talk about the upcoming game vs. the Pittsburgh Stoolers. I'm glad I've still got my Big Ben and Polumalu voodoo dolls. They've worked pretty well so far.
Thank you, Brian Tarcy, for the inspiration. I tried to stay in-character, but slipped out. There's only one you.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Notes to Oblivia
1: It's easy to repeat what people were saying last month or last year, and easier still to armchair quarterback a coach. While the former coaches and players on NFL Radio are listing Brian Daboll among the Browns best assets, around here it's bashing as usual.
One call that one armchair offensive coordinator mentioned--which was picked up by all the sheep and lemmings: Third and 2.5. Wallace went deep.
First, it was Wallace's call. He saw a weakness and went after it, like he's allowed to. Second, all you clowns are saying is that unless, on every single play, you do exactly what the defense expects you to do, you are an idiot. I hope if we ever go to war, the bad guys make you a general.
And you are the same clowns who wanted him to be more "creative". You think Bernie Kosar is god, but stick your fingers in your ears when he tells you Daboll was fine LAST season.
2: Peyton Hillis has the hot hand. They don't hate Harrison. Vs. Baltimore, Harrison was injured, but they were inserting James Davis until he also got hurt. Cincinnati had Rey Maluaga and two excellent run-support safeties, and Hillis was the best matchup.
A Falcon player (duh) said that the big emphasis in their practice has been on stopping Hillis. They're scheming against him. I would expect Harrison to get some action.
Hillis is a hammer and I love him. But I don't forget what Harrison did, or can do. On Hillis's biggest plays, he reached the open field without contact. Hillis racked up huge gains, but in each case, Harrison probably scores a touchdown. I don't believe that's lost on the coaches.
The way they were inserting Davis vs. Baltimore tells me their intentions. Even if Hillis is the bellcow, they don't intend to run him into the ground and ruin him, as Bum Phillips ruined Earl Campbell. They'll rest him, and if Harrison (or Davis) catch fire, they'll use them more.
3: I do love Hillis, and also Matt Roth. These two guys inspire everybody else, and make the teams the Browns will play respect this team.
Nice article by Mary Kay: Roth is being used on the tight end, wherever he is. He considers it his job to mug him. I really like that! And he said it himself: If he knocks the guy down, he doesn't have to cover him! (He's in trouble if he doesn't, by the way.)
He's a great tactical asset, because he can run right through a tight end enroute to the quarterback, and he makes it really tough for any QB to find the tight end.
I thought he'd be in trouble when the Browns had to face K2, who can split wide on a wing. This week, so can Tony Gonzales. I wasn't able to see how the defense covered that; if Roth went out there with them or what. It makes it much tougher to mug them, and he can't run them over on his way into the backfield, or be there to stuff the run.
If I know Ryan, he kept him near the end of the line and sent him--putting a coverage linebacker or safety on the tight end.
Either way, he screws up offensive game-plans. They have to get the tight end help to block him, meaning an offensive lineman or fullback has to come off somebody else. They can't rely on an in-line tight end to be a reciever. They are discouraged from trying to get around outside him--he's set up on the tight end, and can string it out.
And he's not fast or tricky. He just gets under your pads and drives you back. Not much you can do about that.
Roth and Hillis. Hear us roar.
4: Eric Wright has had some rough times, but is a top cornerback. Opponents target him with bigger, taller guys. He's almost always right there, but can't stop a perfect pass. He's been expecting help from Ward that didn't get there. Ward will be awesome, but is a rookie.
Nobody expects any cornerback to hang with a legit number one reciever for longer than about four seconds. They have to get to the quarterback sooner, or else get Ward more experience.
He was blamed for ALL of Owens yards vs. Cincinnati, when in fact he toasted Haden twice, and Brown at least once. In reality (I watched the replay)--Owens only beat Wright twice that I saw, and I think on one of those plays, Wright was peeling off another reciever.
But you clowns had it in your heads in advance that they would pick on Wright, so you just ass umed that every catch Owens caught was on him.
I do love how Ryan blitzes him often and frequently, even on neutral downs. He's one of the fastest players in the NFL, and they have to keep a running back in or else pull a guy (never the tight end thanks to Roth haha) off a big guy to TRY to get in his way in time.
And quit saying he won't tackle! That was last year--this season he seems to have taken that criticism to heart, because he's doing an EXCELLENT job tackling even big guys. Give him his props--watch what is really happening and quit repeating obsolete cliches!
That said, Haden could take over outside sometime this season. That's why they drafted him so high. But it won't make much difference. In the NFL the top three cornerbacks all play about the same number of downs, and Wright covers the slot guys anyway.
Up until the Ravens game, you all knew that Wright was a good/improving cover corner. After that one game, he sucks.
Grow up.
YOU STAND CORRECTED.
One call that one armchair offensive coordinator mentioned--which was picked up by all the sheep and lemmings: Third and 2.5. Wallace went deep.
First, it was Wallace's call. He saw a weakness and went after it, like he's allowed to. Second, all you clowns are saying is that unless, on every single play, you do exactly what the defense expects you to do, you are an idiot. I hope if we ever go to war, the bad guys make you a general.
And you are the same clowns who wanted him to be more "creative". You think Bernie Kosar is god, but stick your fingers in your ears when he tells you Daboll was fine LAST season.
2: Peyton Hillis has the hot hand. They don't hate Harrison. Vs. Baltimore, Harrison was injured, but they were inserting James Davis until he also got hurt. Cincinnati had Rey Maluaga and two excellent run-support safeties, and Hillis was the best matchup.
A Falcon player (duh) said that the big emphasis in their practice has been on stopping Hillis. They're scheming against him. I would expect Harrison to get some action.
Hillis is a hammer and I love him. But I don't forget what Harrison did, or can do. On Hillis's biggest plays, he reached the open field without contact. Hillis racked up huge gains, but in each case, Harrison probably scores a touchdown. I don't believe that's lost on the coaches.
The way they were inserting Davis vs. Baltimore tells me their intentions. Even if Hillis is the bellcow, they don't intend to run him into the ground and ruin him, as Bum Phillips ruined Earl Campbell. They'll rest him, and if Harrison (or Davis) catch fire, they'll use them more.
3: I do love Hillis, and also Matt Roth. These two guys inspire everybody else, and make the teams the Browns will play respect this team.
Nice article by Mary Kay: Roth is being used on the tight end, wherever he is. He considers it his job to mug him. I really like that! And he said it himself: If he knocks the guy down, he doesn't have to cover him! (He's in trouble if he doesn't, by the way.)
He's a great tactical asset, because he can run right through a tight end enroute to the quarterback, and he makes it really tough for any QB to find the tight end.
I thought he'd be in trouble when the Browns had to face K2, who can split wide on a wing. This week, so can Tony Gonzales. I wasn't able to see how the defense covered that; if Roth went out there with them or what. It makes it much tougher to mug them, and he can't run them over on his way into the backfield, or be there to stuff the run.
If I know Ryan, he kept him near the end of the line and sent him--putting a coverage linebacker or safety on the tight end.
Either way, he screws up offensive game-plans. They have to get the tight end help to block him, meaning an offensive lineman or fullback has to come off somebody else. They can't rely on an in-line tight end to be a reciever. They are discouraged from trying to get around outside him--he's set up on the tight end, and can string it out.
And he's not fast or tricky. He just gets under your pads and drives you back. Not much you can do about that.
Roth and Hillis. Hear us roar.
4: Eric Wright has had some rough times, but is a top cornerback. Opponents target him with bigger, taller guys. He's almost always right there, but can't stop a perfect pass. He's been expecting help from Ward that didn't get there. Ward will be awesome, but is a rookie.
Nobody expects any cornerback to hang with a legit number one reciever for longer than about four seconds. They have to get to the quarterback sooner, or else get Ward more experience.
He was blamed for ALL of Owens yards vs. Cincinnati, when in fact he toasted Haden twice, and Brown at least once. In reality (I watched the replay)--Owens only beat Wright twice that I saw, and I think on one of those plays, Wright was peeling off another reciever.
But you clowns had it in your heads in advance that they would pick on Wright, so you just ass umed that every catch Owens caught was on him.
I do love how Ryan blitzes him often and frequently, even on neutral downs. He's one of the fastest players in the NFL, and they have to keep a running back in or else pull a guy (never the tight end thanks to Roth haha) off a big guy to TRY to get in his way in time.
And quit saying he won't tackle! That was last year--this season he seems to have taken that criticism to heart, because he's doing an EXCELLENT job tackling even big guys. Give him his props--watch what is really happening and quit repeating obsolete cliches!
That said, Haden could take over outside sometime this season. That's why they drafted him so high. But it won't make much difference. In the NFL the top three cornerbacks all play about the same number of downs, and Wright covers the slot guys anyway.
Up until the Ravens game, you all knew that Wright was a good/improving cover corner. After that one game, he sucks.
Grow up.
YOU STAND CORRECTED.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tantrums
Some of you clowns are little babies. Eric Wright starts out good, and has now become recognized by everybody who knows anything as one of the elite corners in the NFL. He has one bad game against an elite reciever, and you call him a bum. "WAAAH!" Shut the hell up.
Anyway, on more than one of those plays, rookie TJ Ward almost certainly misread things and was late to help him, and Flacco had too much time. Wright caught all the ignorant spears, but he was doing Ward a favor.
Why didn't Davis get the ball? Hillis. If it aint broke, don't fix it.
Benard should be back for this game. The team still needs Rogers (and the rest of the starting defensive line--which except for Rubin missed the Ravens), but Benard is pretty special, and should get heat on Palmer.
The Browns can run the ball against anybody. I'm with Terry Pluto on what Daboll said: If you got second and nine, don't automaticly pass. That "tough mindset" that running teams have is partly the willingness to risk three-and-outs early in a game.
It's also a tendancy that defenses draw a bead on in a hurry. With power football, they can draw the bead as fast as they want--it doesn't matter if you just can't stop it.
A running team is like a shorter boxer: It attacks the body, bruising ribs and weakening core muscles. It often seems ineffective in the early rounds, but later the opponent weakens and slows down.
Running lets the offensive big people slam into the defensive little people. It makes defenders hesitate before they fire into gaps after a quarterback, depriving them of that most critical advantage. It gives the blockers the first shot and makes defenders struggle against superior leverage, down after down.
An often overlooked part of this is our big, strong recievers, extra backs, and tight ends blocking safeties and cornerbacks. They're keeping these fastest defenders away from the backs until they're well past the line of scrimmage, and then they have to pursue with bad angles in space.
Of course, we can't go nuts. You MUST pass now and then to keep the safeties uncommitted--especially when there are so many check-down options, and the pass can be a long handoff, and when you've got two tight ends with deep speed and a wide reciever who averaged nearly twenty yards per catch as a rookie with inferior quarterbacks.
Ask Jeff Fisher. He passes the ball sometimes as often as 40% of the time. Lots of play-action.
Brian, you lack reach and you're not fast, but you can slip punches and are strong like bull. USE IT.
Don't worry about Harrison. He couldn't be more different from Hillis, but is no less effective. It depends on the matchups. Maybe this week. Maybe not. With Mal...that linebacker there...hard to say.
I think last week they woke up. They got a real shot today.
I HAVE SPOKEN.
Anyway, on more than one of those plays, rookie TJ Ward almost certainly misread things and was late to help him, and Flacco had too much time. Wright caught all the ignorant spears, but he was doing Ward a favor.
Why didn't Davis get the ball? Hillis. If it aint broke, don't fix it.
Benard should be back for this game. The team still needs Rogers (and the rest of the starting defensive line--which except for Rubin missed the Ravens), but Benard is pretty special, and should get heat on Palmer.
The Browns can run the ball against anybody. I'm with Terry Pluto on what Daboll said: If you got second and nine, don't automaticly pass. That "tough mindset" that running teams have is partly the willingness to risk three-and-outs early in a game.
It's also a tendancy that defenses draw a bead on in a hurry. With power football, they can draw the bead as fast as they want--it doesn't matter if you just can't stop it.
A running team is like a shorter boxer: It attacks the body, bruising ribs and weakening core muscles. It often seems ineffective in the early rounds, but later the opponent weakens and slows down.
Running lets the offensive big people slam into the defensive little people. It makes defenders hesitate before they fire into gaps after a quarterback, depriving them of that most critical advantage. It gives the blockers the first shot and makes defenders struggle against superior leverage, down after down.
An often overlooked part of this is our big, strong recievers, extra backs, and tight ends blocking safeties and cornerbacks. They're keeping these fastest defenders away from the backs until they're well past the line of scrimmage, and then they have to pursue with bad angles in space.
Of course, we can't go nuts. You MUST pass now and then to keep the safeties uncommitted--especially when there are so many check-down options, and the pass can be a long handoff, and when you've got two tight ends with deep speed and a wide reciever who averaged nearly twenty yards per catch as a rookie with inferior quarterbacks.
Ask Jeff Fisher. He passes the ball sometimes as often as 40% of the time. Lots of play-action.
Brian, you lack reach and you're not fast, but you can slip punches and are strong like bull. USE IT.
Don't worry about Harrison. He couldn't be more different from Hillis, but is no less effective. It depends on the matchups. Maybe this week. Maybe not. With Mal...that linebacker there...hard to say.
I think last week they woke up. They got a real shot today.
I HAVE SPOKEN.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
"Lack of Talent"
"GM Jeff", who regrettably represents Cleveland fans on NFL Radio...and wanted Ryan Tucker replaced when he was 28 years old...bent over for Pat Kirwin and stipulated that the Browns lack talent.
Especially at wide reciever. Sure, Massequoi averaged nearly 20 yards per-catch as a rookie with two bad quarterbacks. I mean, he didn't even catch 50 passes! BUM!
Well--okay, he wouldn't lack talent if he played for another team, but as a Brown he's a bumb.
Pat admits that Josh Cribbs has talent, but ass umes that he will never become a wide reciever, so he doesn't count. GM Jeff has been scrupulously ignoring all those receptions he's piling up, and needs to suck up to Pat...
Anyway, all we got are those two guys-ergo no talent at wide reciever.
Tight end is almost as bad, since we only have Ben Watson and Evan Moore. Pitiful!
Hillis is a fluke. He's kind of a persistant fluke--but eventually he will prove that he lacks talent. So will Harrison, until he proves that he can carry the ball 40 times per game for 16 games. At least twice--since he's a Cleveland Brown, doncha know.
I mean, Watson went from being really good as a Patriot to not having talent as a Brown.
All the Browns have on the offensive line are Thomas, Steinbach, Mack, Lauvao, and guys named Joe. That's only one annual Pro-Bowler and two guys who might get that good in a couple years--out of five. No talent on the offensive line.
The lack of talent on defense is even worse. Aside from Rogers, Jackson, Rubin, Smith, Fujita, Gocong (who was good as an Eagle but lacks talent as a Brown), Ward, Brown, Haden, and Wright: aside from those ten guys, who have they got?
Schaefering, Roth, Trusnik, and Benard? Just because they got all those tackles-for-losses and sacks last season? Puh-leez!
I rest my case. This is how to obejctively analize stuff.
I'm weary of hearing goobers and clowns babbling mindless cliches. "No moral victory". Screw yourself. They had a Superbowl contender on the ropes for most of a game. They played well enough to win, without several of their best players.
They're close. They're improving. If you expected them to beat the Bengals or Ravens THIS season, you clown, get back on your medication. And quit throwing tantrums.
ONE season from now, they'll be ready to close the deal. Grow up.
And I TOLD you that "backup fullback" we got for Saint Brady was Brandon Jacobs/Jerome Bettis (except he can catch better). Is it sinking in yet?
I also said they should do more 22 with Cribbs in it. And they shouldn't worry so much about balance when they can overpower people.
Wait til Moore, Jackson, Rogers, Lauvao (stay tuned--he'll have some hiccups but he's got the goods!!!), and Harrison come back.
Wait--what am I saying? No talent there. Nevermind.
Especially at wide reciever. Sure, Massequoi averaged nearly 20 yards per-catch as a rookie with two bad quarterbacks. I mean, he didn't even catch 50 passes! BUM!
Well--okay, he wouldn't lack talent if he played for another team, but as a Brown he's a bumb.
Pat admits that Josh Cribbs has talent, but ass umes that he will never become a wide reciever, so he doesn't count. GM Jeff has been scrupulously ignoring all those receptions he's piling up, and needs to suck up to Pat...
Anyway, all we got are those two guys-ergo no talent at wide reciever.
Tight end is almost as bad, since we only have Ben Watson and Evan Moore. Pitiful!
Hillis is a fluke. He's kind of a persistant fluke--but eventually he will prove that he lacks talent. So will Harrison, until he proves that he can carry the ball 40 times per game for 16 games. At least twice--since he's a Cleveland Brown, doncha know.
I mean, Watson went from being really good as a Patriot to not having talent as a Brown.
All the Browns have on the offensive line are Thomas, Steinbach, Mack, Lauvao, and guys named Joe. That's only one annual Pro-Bowler and two guys who might get that good in a couple years--out of five. No talent on the offensive line.
The lack of talent on defense is even worse. Aside from Rogers, Jackson, Rubin, Smith, Fujita, Gocong (who was good as an Eagle but lacks talent as a Brown), Ward, Brown, Haden, and Wright: aside from those ten guys, who have they got?
Schaefering, Roth, Trusnik, and Benard? Just because they got all those tackles-for-losses and sacks last season? Puh-leez!
I rest my case. This is how to obejctively analize stuff.
I'm weary of hearing goobers and clowns babbling mindless cliches. "No moral victory". Screw yourself. They had a Superbowl contender on the ropes for most of a game. They played well enough to win, without several of their best players.
They're close. They're improving. If you expected them to beat the Bengals or Ravens THIS season, you clown, get back on your medication. And quit throwing tantrums.
ONE season from now, they'll be ready to close the deal. Grow up.
And I TOLD you that "backup fullback" we got for Saint Brady was Brandon Jacobs/Jerome Bettis (except he can catch better). Is it sinking in yet?
I also said they should do more 22 with Cribbs in it. And they shouldn't worry so much about balance when they can overpower people.
Wait til Moore, Jackson, Rogers, Lauvao (stay tuned--he'll have some hiccups but he's got the goods!!!), and Harrison come back.
Wait--what am I saying? No talent there. Nevermind.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Past Performance Does Not Neccessarily Guarantee Future Results
1: Mangini and his system have only been here for one season.
2: The roster is almost entirely new, with a lot of young players.
3: Holmgren and Heckert just got here.
4: The quarterbacks are Delhomme and Wallace.
5: Despite being strafed by opposing quarterbacks, the defense ranked fifth in preseason, and Ryan implies that he did indeed withhold much of his playbook.
6: Delhomme has been awesome. Some of you clowns confidently predict that he will fall on his face as soon as it counts, and the defense won't get any better. This is how biased, irrational people cherry-pick to support whatever opinion they've impulsively decided they need to prove.
Adam Schein is an example. As usual, he's predicted three wins this season, and naturally has Tampa beating them.
Rich Gannon, a Superbowl MVP quarterback, has recently studied the Browns himself, and likes them.
Unlike Adam, he cites a number of reasons, which if you'd ever read this you already know. In response, Adam starts most of his sentences with "I just--". Whenever somebody starts their sentences that way, they're out of facts, and are simply being stubborn.
Gannon predicted that the Browns would beat the Bucs today. He cited a much better quarterback situation, a very good offensive line with a powerful and diverse running and short passing game, the improving defense, Rogers/Harrison/Cribbs/Watson (he really likes Watson--but what does a quarterback know?)/Moore (yes me mentioned Moore--seems to like huge sure-handed guys for some reason), and other stuff.
Shein's reply was "I just like talent. I like coaching. I like the Buccaneers".
Adam loses a lot of debates. He just plain doesn't like the Browns, and never has. He feels more than he thinks, and, like a number of you posters who send stuff in from Oblivia and Crete, is impervious to coaching, management, system, and personel-changes.
"All's I know is--" Listen to Gannon, another ex-QB in Jim Miller, former offensive lineman Ross Tucker, and Gil Brandt. They all like the Browns a lot. Either Miller or Tucker (maybe both) picked the Browns to overtake the Stoolers in the division. All of them told you why--specificly.
Speaking of Ross Tucker, he really likes the offensive line. He says the starting right side, whatever it is, will be ok--just doesn't like the depth. He recommended a particular free agent who could be a swing-tackle.
We do have Steinbach, who can play left tackle, but I believe Ross's point is that this would cause a lot more disruption than leaving him where he was, and simply replacing Thomas.
Hey I miss Ryan Tcuker, too--but not every team can have a Pro-Bowl calibre right tackle every year. A LOT of teams, including playoff teams, have to go with average or just above average guys at one or two offensive line spots. Get real about that, will you? That's part of being rational and thinking with your brain, too.
And quit making stuff up, like Robiskie butted heads with Mangini, so Mangini benched him in a Napoleonic snit. Nobody ever even hinted that that's what happened. And hell, I told you before he was drafted (and saw in games) that he had trouble separating from defenders because he's not explosive.
Massequoi has a second gear, and can shoot out of cuts, but Robiskie is like most of us other mere mortals (especially us caucasians), and has to use trickery and deciet. And reach. And position. And strength. And pretty good top end speed.
Speaking of the Stoolers, get real about them too. Their outside linebackers are awesome, and they've got Hood coming into their defensive line, and he'll kick butt. But the rest of the defense is aging. And do you think that an older player after an injury and re-injury of a knee comes back as good as he was? They peak at twenty eight or twenty nine.
So they don't have Big Ben for four games, and everybody ass umes that whoever the hell the new QB is will do just fine? Why, when their offensive line isn't that great?
They've got Gramps Jackson playing right tackle. He might (or might not) still be an okay pass-blocker, but he's a "wall-off", finesse run-blocker, and he's ancient, too.
They've got good stuff and bad stuff--just quit being superstitious about the Stoolers and ignoring the bad stuff. You think they'll just mysticly transcend their weaknesses as they have in the past under different coaches. That's irrational.
Go position-by-position and position-group-by position-group, and you'll see that the Browns are better overall. I envy them their ouside linebackers, safety (at least the two years ago version), and...I'm not sure I'd trade anybody else...I mean Ben is damn good, but what a butt-head!).
The Browns didn't get lucky with them last season. They dominated them from the opening bell. It wasn't a fluke. They took the Bungles, which swept the division, into overtime. And they did it with a rookie number one reciever and no quarterback.
Stop the inanity. Put away the astrology charts and be analytical for a change.
Browns 8-8. Stoolers 7-9.
2: The roster is almost entirely new, with a lot of young players.
3: Holmgren and Heckert just got here.
4: The quarterbacks are Delhomme and Wallace.
5: Despite being strafed by opposing quarterbacks, the defense ranked fifth in preseason, and Ryan implies that he did indeed withhold much of his playbook.
6: Delhomme has been awesome. Some of you clowns confidently predict that he will fall on his face as soon as it counts, and the defense won't get any better. This is how biased, irrational people cherry-pick to support whatever opinion they've impulsively decided they need to prove.
Adam Schein is an example. As usual, he's predicted three wins this season, and naturally has Tampa beating them.
Rich Gannon, a Superbowl MVP quarterback, has recently studied the Browns himself, and likes them.
Unlike Adam, he cites a number of reasons, which if you'd ever read this you already know. In response, Adam starts most of his sentences with "I just--". Whenever somebody starts their sentences that way, they're out of facts, and are simply being stubborn.
Gannon predicted that the Browns would beat the Bucs today. He cited a much better quarterback situation, a very good offensive line with a powerful and diverse running and short passing game, the improving defense, Rogers/Harrison/Cribbs/Watson (he really likes Watson--but what does a quarterback know?)/Moore (yes me mentioned Moore--seems to like huge sure-handed guys for some reason), and other stuff.
Shein's reply was "I just like talent. I like coaching. I like the Buccaneers".
Adam loses a lot of debates. He just plain doesn't like the Browns, and never has. He feels more than he thinks, and, like a number of you posters who send stuff in from Oblivia and Crete, is impervious to coaching, management, system, and personel-changes.
"All's I know is--" Listen to Gannon, another ex-QB in Jim Miller, former offensive lineman Ross Tucker, and Gil Brandt. They all like the Browns a lot. Either Miller or Tucker (maybe both) picked the Browns to overtake the Stoolers in the division. All of them told you why--specificly.
Speaking of Ross Tucker, he really likes the offensive line. He says the starting right side, whatever it is, will be ok--just doesn't like the depth. He recommended a particular free agent who could be a swing-tackle.
We do have Steinbach, who can play left tackle, but I believe Ross's point is that this would cause a lot more disruption than leaving him where he was, and simply replacing Thomas.
Hey I miss Ryan Tcuker, too--but not every team can have a Pro-Bowl calibre right tackle every year. A LOT of teams, including playoff teams, have to go with average or just above average guys at one or two offensive line spots. Get real about that, will you? That's part of being rational and thinking with your brain, too.
And quit making stuff up, like Robiskie butted heads with Mangini, so Mangini benched him in a Napoleonic snit. Nobody ever even hinted that that's what happened. And hell, I told you before he was drafted (and saw in games) that he had trouble separating from defenders because he's not explosive.
Massequoi has a second gear, and can shoot out of cuts, but Robiskie is like most of us other mere mortals (especially us caucasians), and has to use trickery and deciet. And reach. And position. And strength. And pretty good top end speed.
Speaking of the Stoolers, get real about them too. Their outside linebackers are awesome, and they've got Hood coming into their defensive line, and he'll kick butt. But the rest of the defense is aging. And do you think that an older player after an injury and re-injury of a knee comes back as good as he was? They peak at twenty eight or twenty nine.
So they don't have Big Ben for four games, and everybody ass umes that whoever the hell the new QB is will do just fine? Why, when their offensive line isn't that great?
They've got Gramps Jackson playing right tackle. He might (or might not) still be an okay pass-blocker, but he's a "wall-off", finesse run-blocker, and he's ancient, too.
They've got good stuff and bad stuff--just quit being superstitious about the Stoolers and ignoring the bad stuff. You think they'll just mysticly transcend their weaknesses as they have in the past under different coaches. That's irrational.
Go position-by-position and position-group-by position-group, and you'll see that the Browns are better overall. I envy them their ouside linebackers, safety (at least the two years ago version), and...I'm not sure I'd trade anybody else...I mean Ben is damn good, but what a butt-head!).
The Browns didn't get lucky with them last season. They dominated them from the opening bell. It wasn't a fluke. They took the Bungles, which swept the division, into overtime. And they did it with a rookie number one reciever and no quarterback.
Stop the inanity. Put away the astrology charts and be analytical for a change.
Browns 8-8. Stoolers 7-9.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Ransom Preseason Comments and CORRECTIONS
1: James Davis was not on the bubble. Hillis doubles as a fullback, and a run-oriented team using two-back formations keeps three running backs. For all the Hardesty hype, Davis is a very good player, and the Coaches know it.
2: Davis was not a "speedster", nor a "big back". Who said he was probably the fastest of the bunch? Faster than Harrison and Hardesty? Do some home-work, for cryin out loud! The only reason he slid in the draft was because he hadn't made any really splashy plays! He was a super-dependable chain-mover. He was almost as light as Harrison!
I said before last season that Davis is Earnest Byner. Is it sinking in yet?
3: I'm less surprised than most others by McCoy's performance vs. Chicago...but am still surprised. Yeah, he was working against third-stringers...WITH third-stringers (so stop repeating that cliche!) These guys were all fighting for their very lives. He settled down and demonstrated his pinoint accuracy.
4: Dink-and dunk? Only somewhat. He averaged over ten yards per completion (which is pretty good). Not all of it was YAC yards, but the substantial portion that were came partly from that accuracy as well.
A guy who doesn't have to slow down, dive, stop, or leap for the ball is much, much harder to nail before he can do more damage. This is what separated Joe Montana from everybody else, and it's what McCoy does best.
5: Benard went apeshit. I believe he is making a case to be a starter. I haven't seen/can't judge him in coverage, but he certainly can sift through traffic and track down ballcarriers. (The pass-rush part is a given).
The Browns need a pass-rush, first and foremost. I really like Scott Fujita, but if Benard can help more than he can...so be it. Fortunately, Mangini isn't Marty. Benard has a fair chance. I think.
6: The biggest single reason every enemy passer has OWNED this defense was the lack of pressure. NO secondary can cover for more than a few seconds. A running quarterback is less accurate than a stationary one. A quarterback not at his preassigned launch-point can't see as well, and has to improvise. A timing quarterback can't execute if he can't make it to his throw-count. A quarterback who takes his eyes off the secondary has a hard time finding the recievers again.
These quarterbacks have had all day.
Not that the young guys haven't misread things, been fooled, or simply screwed up. This, however, will improve as they get more reps.
Duh.
7: Great to see Mitchell make some catches. I don't believe he'd survive waivers, and I think he'll be an active player...learning from the bench, mostly.
8: McDonald has earned the right to stick around. Great depth there. He does seem to be the fourth-best pure cornerback. (Adams is a safety/cornerback hybrid. Each guy has weaknesses, but between these two, those weaknesses offset.)
9: Ventrone showed something. Was it enough?
10: Costanzo is a given for special teams play alone, but did show some real ability as a linebacker. He might move up the depth-chart there.
11: The offense McCoy ran was not specificly designed to protect him. It IS similar to what this offense will be with Delhomme, who is likewise a quick and accurate thrower.
It's an Infante-like ball-control offense with no big stars. A defense can't focus on one player. I was stunned to read that eighteen different players had caught passes as of the Chicago game, and that Delhomme has completed passes to ten different players in one game.
This is why I'm frustrated when Pat Kirwin asks a Browns caller "who's your playmaker?"
He means the one guy who commands double-coverage and still makes catches. Pat considers this manditory. He can back it up.
Okay, Pat: Is a wide reciever who caught 36 passes and averaged almost 20 YPC, with a crappy quarterback, and as a rookie, adequate? Who was the secondary target, Pat? Think defenses paid any attention to him? What does Massequoi have to do as a sophomore to qualify, Pat? 120 catches for a 25 yards per catch average? Does the bar go up for the Browns, Pat?
But I digress. How 'bout Harrison, the leading reciever? Can Evan Moore ever aspire to be adequate in your eyes? Or Ben Watson: Can he ever become a playmaker?
Ah, but none of these guys are Randy Moss or Jerry Rice, or even twice as good as everybody else. So to Pat, rather than four pretty good players, the Browns don't have anybody.
How can you stop an offense that targets every part of the field, Pat? I mean, in which it doesn't matter who lines up where, or who you cover? When a quarterback hits ten recievers in one game, and when throughout preseason a whole bunch of guys have several receptions each, and almost every single one of them averages over ten yards per catch?
Where's my playmaker? Have Delhomme throw to Massequoi more often, and there's one. But since he doesn't HAVE TO, I guess you'll never percieve any of these guys as a playmaker.
Pat's partner, Tim Ryan, said of Robiskie: "I don't see the explosion; the separation. He's just not a sudden player." (all true, by the way)..."he'll catch the ball in traffic and run slants on you all day, but---"
BUT? Tim doesn't get it: That's what he's here for! He's not here to be a deep threat!
The reason Tim spoke this way of Robiskie is because for him, as for Pat, Massequoi (and Harrison the reciever) don't even exist. But either of those two, or Josh Cribbs, can score from anywhere on the field.
That's not a playmaker? That's not sudden or explosive? Why IS the bar so much higher for a Cleveland Brown, that Pat Ryan thinks Robiskie was drafted in the second round to be the playmaker?
After this preseason, the defense has me nervous. I have faith in the young talent and in Ryan, however. I know it will be rocky early, but by mid-season I'll be we got a formidable and opportunistic defense to go with a deliberate, diverse, ball-control offense.
This team is already better than the team that split the last half of last season without a quarterback.
You stand corrected.
2: Davis was not a "speedster", nor a "big back". Who said he was probably the fastest of the bunch? Faster than Harrison and Hardesty? Do some home-work, for cryin out loud! The only reason he slid in the draft was because he hadn't made any really splashy plays! He was a super-dependable chain-mover. He was almost as light as Harrison!
I said before last season that Davis is Earnest Byner. Is it sinking in yet?
3: I'm less surprised than most others by McCoy's performance vs. Chicago...but am still surprised. Yeah, he was working against third-stringers...WITH third-stringers (so stop repeating that cliche!) These guys were all fighting for their very lives. He settled down and demonstrated his pinoint accuracy.
4: Dink-and dunk? Only somewhat. He averaged over ten yards per completion (which is pretty good). Not all of it was YAC yards, but the substantial portion that were came partly from that accuracy as well.
A guy who doesn't have to slow down, dive, stop, or leap for the ball is much, much harder to nail before he can do more damage. This is what separated Joe Montana from everybody else, and it's what McCoy does best.
5: Benard went apeshit. I believe he is making a case to be a starter. I haven't seen/can't judge him in coverage, but he certainly can sift through traffic and track down ballcarriers. (The pass-rush part is a given).
The Browns need a pass-rush, first and foremost. I really like Scott Fujita, but if Benard can help more than he can...so be it. Fortunately, Mangini isn't Marty. Benard has a fair chance. I think.
6: The biggest single reason every enemy passer has OWNED this defense was the lack of pressure. NO secondary can cover for more than a few seconds. A running quarterback is less accurate than a stationary one. A quarterback not at his preassigned launch-point can't see as well, and has to improvise. A timing quarterback can't execute if he can't make it to his throw-count. A quarterback who takes his eyes off the secondary has a hard time finding the recievers again.
These quarterbacks have had all day.
Not that the young guys haven't misread things, been fooled, or simply screwed up. This, however, will improve as they get more reps.
Duh.
7: Great to see Mitchell make some catches. I don't believe he'd survive waivers, and I think he'll be an active player...learning from the bench, mostly.
8: McDonald has earned the right to stick around. Great depth there. He does seem to be the fourth-best pure cornerback. (Adams is a safety/cornerback hybrid. Each guy has weaknesses, but between these two, those weaknesses offset.)
9: Ventrone showed something. Was it enough?
10: Costanzo is a given for special teams play alone, but did show some real ability as a linebacker. He might move up the depth-chart there.
11: The offense McCoy ran was not specificly designed to protect him. It IS similar to what this offense will be with Delhomme, who is likewise a quick and accurate thrower.
It's an Infante-like ball-control offense with no big stars. A defense can't focus on one player. I was stunned to read that eighteen different players had caught passes as of the Chicago game, and that Delhomme has completed passes to ten different players in one game.
This is why I'm frustrated when Pat Kirwin asks a Browns caller "who's your playmaker?"
He means the one guy who commands double-coverage and still makes catches. Pat considers this manditory. He can back it up.
Okay, Pat: Is a wide reciever who caught 36 passes and averaged almost 20 YPC, with a crappy quarterback, and as a rookie, adequate? Who was the secondary target, Pat? Think defenses paid any attention to him? What does Massequoi have to do as a sophomore to qualify, Pat? 120 catches for a 25 yards per catch average? Does the bar go up for the Browns, Pat?
But I digress. How 'bout Harrison, the leading reciever? Can Evan Moore ever aspire to be adequate in your eyes? Or Ben Watson: Can he ever become a playmaker?
Ah, but none of these guys are Randy Moss or Jerry Rice, or even twice as good as everybody else. So to Pat, rather than four pretty good players, the Browns don't have anybody.
How can you stop an offense that targets every part of the field, Pat? I mean, in which it doesn't matter who lines up where, or who you cover? When a quarterback hits ten recievers in one game, and when throughout preseason a whole bunch of guys have several receptions each, and almost every single one of them averages over ten yards per catch?
Where's my playmaker? Have Delhomme throw to Massequoi more often, and there's one. But since he doesn't HAVE TO, I guess you'll never percieve any of these guys as a playmaker.
Pat's partner, Tim Ryan, said of Robiskie: "I don't see the explosion; the separation. He's just not a sudden player." (all true, by the way)..."he'll catch the ball in traffic and run slants on you all day, but---"
BUT? Tim doesn't get it: That's what he's here for! He's not here to be a deep threat!
The reason Tim spoke this way of Robiskie is because for him, as for Pat, Massequoi (and Harrison the reciever) don't even exist. But either of those two, or Josh Cribbs, can score from anywhere on the field.
That's not a playmaker? That's not sudden or explosive? Why IS the bar so much higher for a Cleveland Brown, that Pat Ryan thinks Robiskie was drafted in the second round to be the playmaker?
After this preseason, the defense has me nervous. I have faith in the young talent and in Ryan, however. I know it will be rocky early, but by mid-season I'll be we got a formidable and opportunistic defense to go with a deliberate, diverse, ball-control offense.
This team is already better than the team that split the last half of last season without a quarterback.
You stand corrected.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
22 Personel
22: Two backs and two tight ends. One wide-out. It's a jumbo run-package.
The bad guys must use their base defense, re-enforced with run-stuffers. The threat is glaringly obvious: The offense intends to get a big blocker on almost everybody and beat the defense down.
Normally, it's not scary in terms of big plays, but what defensive players fear--especially when it's run in a hurry-up--is the fatigue it causes. They get sluggish, and slow. The defense has to prevent even one first down, almost at all costs, because they know that if they don't, this will happen.
The Browns have the people to do this. I now think that Luvauo will start at right guard, and am leaning towards Pashos at right tackle. Pashos has been criticized as a pass-blocker, but is a road-grader on runs. Luvauo, who did a great job vs. the unrepentant dirty player Suh, seems really good at both. Perhaps Suh was taking out his frustrations on Delhomme.
That's what I always do. When somebody only a little smaller than me is embarrassing me, I find a much smaller guy and try to break his neck, because I'm a punk.
But I digress.
Also, Watson is a good run-blocker.
The possibilities for everybody else are almost limitless. Cribbs is emerging as not just a competant, but a good wide reciever. He's as big as a running back, and an excellent blocker. Massequoi is also a very good blocker.
If they keep three tight ends, Smith is a good blocker. Moore might or might not have become a decent in-line blocker by now, but he can certainly block in space and take on linebackers.
If the Browns use 22 personel, however, it's scarier. Every single back, including Vickers, is an accomplished reciever. Watson and Moore are both dangerous recievers. Delhomme has a very quick release, and you can run screens and play-action out of this set.
In fact, regardless of who the two backs are, the Browns are almost as likely to pass as to run out of this set.
The defenses will know this, of course. But they can't do much about it. They know that if the Browns simply hand it off, they'll need just about the whole defense to prevent a big gain. They almost have to shoot gaps and attack, hoping to blow something up. As seen late last season, this offense can overpower most defenses the old-fashioned way: "Here we come--try to stop us!"
Daboll has a great toolbox, too. He can pick out two backs based on the specific situation and defense. They can deploy Moore (and even Watson) in slots to pull box-players away from the tackles, where they're badly overmatched as coverage guys, and where they'll be late to the party on any inside run.
Massequoi and Cribbs, though not true burners, do have pretty good speed. They would be neccessarily isolated in single coverage every single time. They can fight for balls and break tackles, and there's real big-play potential here.
Combined with the hurry-up, the Browns could use this set to beat down defenses early in games. It almost doesn't matter which guys carry the ball. Defenders have to do wind-sprints to track Harrison down, or weightlifting to stop the other guys. (You see a small back can wear you out, too. Of course, a Peyton Hillis can break you psychologicly--you know he's a monster---and you're not.)
Vickers, if he read this, would be grinning from ear-to-ear. He'd get to catch a pass or two, and otherwise get to go smash multiple targets down-in and down-out.
22 would make them sore, tired, and gun-shy. It's smash-mouth on steroids. It's a throw-back offense, from the olden days where men were men and before we evolved cerebral cortexes.
I'm not suggesting that they should do this all the time, but should do it often, and early in games. It's irrelevant that opposing coaches see it coming.
Rob Ryan would put his quickest players on the field and shoot every gap, trying for the running back on his way to the quarterback. He'd trade some gains for some losses, and hope the pressure would prevent any big plays. At least, that's what I would do.
But then if Watson and Moore split out, and Harrison or even Hillis also go to the line--you can't do that any more. You can't pull a coverage guy off a reciever. He's too far away from the quarterback, and Delhomme won't miss him.
The offensive line could narrow the gaps, you have Thomas and Steinbach on the left side, and a goon in the backfield. The offensive line is firing out to hit you first anyway; you lose your fist step.
With the tight ends in-line, if you sell out like that you might well get Harrison taking a dump-off near the sidelines, where you now have NOBODY, and you have to stop him in space. For that matter, Hillis could do that...
I mean, you'd track him down allright, but then be sorry you did. Even Vickers would get three or four yards and hurt somebody.
You could do an end-around, too.
A good coach adapts his offense to his personnel. There you go.
The bad guys must use their base defense, re-enforced with run-stuffers. The threat is glaringly obvious: The offense intends to get a big blocker on almost everybody and beat the defense down.
Normally, it's not scary in terms of big plays, but what defensive players fear--especially when it's run in a hurry-up--is the fatigue it causes. They get sluggish, and slow. The defense has to prevent even one first down, almost at all costs, because they know that if they don't, this will happen.
The Browns have the people to do this. I now think that Luvauo will start at right guard, and am leaning towards Pashos at right tackle. Pashos has been criticized as a pass-blocker, but is a road-grader on runs. Luvauo, who did a great job vs. the unrepentant dirty player Suh, seems really good at both. Perhaps Suh was taking out his frustrations on Delhomme.
That's what I always do. When somebody only a little smaller than me is embarrassing me, I find a much smaller guy and try to break his neck, because I'm a punk.
But I digress.
Also, Watson is a good run-blocker.
The possibilities for everybody else are almost limitless. Cribbs is emerging as not just a competant, but a good wide reciever. He's as big as a running back, and an excellent blocker. Massequoi is also a very good blocker.
If they keep three tight ends, Smith is a good blocker. Moore might or might not have become a decent in-line blocker by now, but he can certainly block in space and take on linebackers.
If the Browns use 22 personel, however, it's scarier. Every single back, including Vickers, is an accomplished reciever. Watson and Moore are both dangerous recievers. Delhomme has a very quick release, and you can run screens and play-action out of this set.
In fact, regardless of who the two backs are, the Browns are almost as likely to pass as to run out of this set.
The defenses will know this, of course. But they can't do much about it. They know that if the Browns simply hand it off, they'll need just about the whole defense to prevent a big gain. They almost have to shoot gaps and attack, hoping to blow something up. As seen late last season, this offense can overpower most defenses the old-fashioned way: "Here we come--try to stop us!"
Daboll has a great toolbox, too. He can pick out two backs based on the specific situation and defense. They can deploy Moore (and even Watson) in slots to pull box-players away from the tackles, where they're badly overmatched as coverage guys, and where they'll be late to the party on any inside run.
Massequoi and Cribbs, though not true burners, do have pretty good speed. They would be neccessarily isolated in single coverage every single time. They can fight for balls and break tackles, and there's real big-play potential here.
Combined with the hurry-up, the Browns could use this set to beat down defenses early in games. It almost doesn't matter which guys carry the ball. Defenders have to do wind-sprints to track Harrison down, or weightlifting to stop the other guys. (You see a small back can wear you out, too. Of course, a Peyton Hillis can break you psychologicly--you know he's a monster---and you're not.)
Vickers, if he read this, would be grinning from ear-to-ear. He'd get to catch a pass or two, and otherwise get to go smash multiple targets down-in and down-out.
22 would make them sore, tired, and gun-shy. It's smash-mouth on steroids. It's a throw-back offense, from the olden days where men were men and before we evolved cerebral cortexes.
I'm not suggesting that they should do this all the time, but should do it often, and early in games. It's irrelevant that opposing coaches see it coming.
Rob Ryan would put his quickest players on the field and shoot every gap, trying for the running back on his way to the quarterback. He'd trade some gains for some losses, and hope the pressure would prevent any big plays. At least, that's what I would do.
But then if Watson and Moore split out, and Harrison or even Hillis also go to the line--you can't do that any more. You can't pull a coverage guy off a reciever. He's too far away from the quarterback, and Delhomme won't miss him.
The offensive line could narrow the gaps, you have Thomas and Steinbach on the left side, and a goon in the backfield. The offensive line is firing out to hit you first anyway; you lose your fist step.
With the tight ends in-line, if you sell out like that you might well get Harrison taking a dump-off near the sidelines, where you now have NOBODY, and you have to stop him in space. For that matter, Hillis could do that...
I mean, you'd track him down allright, but then be sorry you did. Even Vickers would get three or four yards and hurt somebody.
You could do an end-around, too.
A good coach adapts his offense to his personnel. There you go.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Browns vs. Lions: Battle of Titans
1: Greetings, Oblivia! While you were sleeping, the Lions got a quarterback, massively upgraded their defensive line, and got an awesome scat-back. They won't suck (much) this season.
If you just said "It's the Lions!", you are a moron.
2: When Delhomme was signed, I thought they were insane. But throughout preseason, he's been damn near perfect. It helps that here, he has tight ends to throw to. Kosar also pointed out that he's been told not to take too much on himself...
Kosar has helped me understand what went wrong with him: He partly got greedy/stubborn, trying to force things rather than accept field position or field goals.
3: I TOLD YOU about Peyton Hillis. Is it sinking in yet?
4: Jennings is DOA. For all the flashes he's shown, his stats don't lie. I like the guy, but between him and Davis, it's no contest. And I told you that, too.
5: Bobby Ingram has made some nice plays. I hope it doesn't make the braintrust do something stupid like cut Stuckey, who is still young with upside, and who can play outside as well.
6: Harrison's lower body is much, much more muscular than I remember, and I was surprised to see him power his way to 1-2 extra yards more than once. He's evolved into a complete running back.
7: The interferance call on Wright was bullshit.
8: The defense looks bad. Excuses follow:
A: Ward and Haden are babies.
B: Rogers is MIA.
C: Ryan isn't showing all his cards yet.
D: Gocong never played inside before.
E: The sun was in their eyes.
8: Josh Cribbs is no longer a WR-project. He is a WR. Ask Jake.
9: Robiskie too.
10: McCoy finally looks ok. Even if he didn't, anybody who thought there was any chance he'd be released is an idiot. He's had hardly any reps, and his upside hasn't gone away. Wallace, Brees, McMahon, Garcia, Montana, Sipe--just shut up before I have to name more short guys, ok?
11: I really like this Infantyesque offense. The stats are deceptive: Many of the passes were just long handoffs to the running backs, who couldn't be keyed on and didn't have the ball until they were in open field. Many of the yards were after the catch. NOW I know why Holmgren jumped all over Delhomme--it's what he does best.
12: Back to McCoy: the two pasases that were dropped were on the money. Also, I saw velocity. I'm greatly encouraged (for the future.).
The Browns lost vs. a mediocre (not bad anymore) team. The offense looked very promising, and the defense looked crappy. The Browns first team beat Detroit's first team.
I'm not too paranoid about the defense. I know Ryan, and can go player-by-player and recognize emerging talent. I know I sound like an infernal optimist homer, but re-read what I juat wrote, and review the last half of last season. I'm far more objective than a Stoolers fan.
So there.
If you just said "It's the Lions!", you are a moron.
2: When Delhomme was signed, I thought they were insane. But throughout preseason, he's been damn near perfect. It helps that here, he has tight ends to throw to. Kosar also pointed out that he's been told not to take too much on himself...
Kosar has helped me understand what went wrong with him: He partly got greedy/stubborn, trying to force things rather than accept field position or field goals.
3: I TOLD YOU about Peyton Hillis. Is it sinking in yet?
4: Jennings is DOA. For all the flashes he's shown, his stats don't lie. I like the guy, but between him and Davis, it's no contest. And I told you that, too.
5: Bobby Ingram has made some nice plays. I hope it doesn't make the braintrust do something stupid like cut Stuckey, who is still young with upside, and who can play outside as well.
6: Harrison's lower body is much, much more muscular than I remember, and I was surprised to see him power his way to 1-2 extra yards more than once. He's evolved into a complete running back.
7: The interferance call on Wright was bullshit.
8: The defense looks bad. Excuses follow:
A: Ward and Haden are babies.
B: Rogers is MIA.
C: Ryan isn't showing all his cards yet.
D: Gocong never played inside before.
E: The sun was in their eyes.
8: Josh Cribbs is no longer a WR-project. He is a WR. Ask Jake.
9: Robiskie too.
10: McCoy finally looks ok. Even if he didn't, anybody who thought there was any chance he'd be released is an idiot. He's had hardly any reps, and his upside hasn't gone away. Wallace, Brees, McMahon, Garcia, Montana, Sipe--just shut up before I have to name more short guys, ok?
11: I really like this Infantyesque offense. The stats are deceptive: Many of the passes were just long handoffs to the running backs, who couldn't be keyed on and didn't have the ball until they were in open field. Many of the yards were after the catch. NOW I know why Holmgren jumped all over Delhomme--it's what he does best.
12: Back to McCoy: the two pasases that were dropped were on the money. Also, I saw velocity. I'm greatly encouraged (for the future.).
The Browns lost vs. a mediocre (not bad anymore) team. The offense looked very promising, and the defense looked crappy. The Browns first team beat Detroit's first team.
I'm not too paranoid about the defense. I know Ryan, and can go player-by-player and recognize emerging talent. I know I sound like an infernal optimist homer, but re-read what I juat wrote, and review the last half of last season. I'm far more objective than a Stoolers fan.
So there.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Training Camp
I'm all a-twitter!
OK I'm really glad that at least Sobeleski comprehends that the two inside linebackers are different. Most fans don't. The weskside backer is a run-and-hitter and the strong inside guy is a big thumper. The weakside guy also covers a lot more (dropping into a zone..you see, he is also different from a man corner...nevermind one thing at a time).
Anyway this is why statements about jackson being replaced by Barton, Veikune, or anybody else (on this roster) are assenine. The current Browns have a truckload Macks, but only three Bucks.
Eric Barton is one other weak inside linebacker. Last year he was hung in effigy because he was playing Mack and getting pushed around. Maybe that's something you can bash Mangini about, but not Barton.
Sobo did make a mistake about Gocong, though: he played strong outside linebacker with the Eagles--not defensive end. Mangini also made a comment about both the outside and inside linebackers rushing the passer.
Well, it's true. The Patriot defense (and the way Ryan wants to run his) differs from the Stoolers 3-4. It's been a mantra around here that in order to work, the 3-4 defense has to have two edge-rushing outside linebackers, like the Stoolers do.
Well, that's always the ideal, but not completely accurate, and this is why Mangini/Ryan want versatile guys he can move around. They will send ANY linebacker (or safety) at ANY time--including neutral or probable run downs. All of these linebackers have this in common: They can rush the passer.
Inside blitzes are sometimes called "run"-blitzes because the penetration forces running backs wide when they don't stuff them. They also wipe out the pocket, taking away the quarterback's deep accuracy, wrecking his timing, denying him his pre-planned launch-point, etc.
Inside blitzes, when not picked up, also get there faster. It's not easy to rattle a Manning or a Brady. They read blitzes and react quickly. But an inside blitze is easier to disguise, and reaches them sometimes too fast for them to burn...I mean like right behind the snap.
Mangini and Ryan want opposing teams NOT to know where the fourth and sometimes fifth passrusher is coming from. If they end up with six guys with between four and seven sacks each, that's better than one with twelve.
At any rate, Barton may or may not make this team. If he does, it's only because he's needed to back up Jackson. None of the big thumpers is very good in coverage, and that's important for a Buck.
The guy who has a really good chance of sending Barton packing? Maiaiva! He's more of a strong safety than a linebacker, but with the supporting cast this team will have, that could work out quite well for him. Offenses simply can't afford to commit a blocker to him, and he's the fastest of the bunch, with great instincts.
Moreover, even as a rookie, and before he had to take over for Jackson, he played a great deal in situational defenses as a safety/linebacker hybrid (not even sure what they called him).
I agree with Sobo about Fujita being more likely to spend more time outside, but think that Gocong could go either way (as could Veikune--they're very similar).
Roth is said to be all pumped up. His personal trainer is exceptional. He is one probable outside starter. He relies more on leverage and power than speed, and that makes his performance almost predictable. We hope he's learned another fancy move or two, but power is never a fluke. This guy is drasticly different from Wimbley.
Who's suprised by Evan Moore embarrassing everybody? How can Sobo wonder if he'll make the team, when the Browns have Massequoi, Robiskie, Stuckey, Mitchell (needing work), and guys...well okay credit to Haggerty, who could be a big sleeper--but the rest are guys named Joe?
Labels. They always get you in trouble. Moore is labelled a tight end, therefore he might get cut no matter how effective he is as a reciever? Really? And quit saying a 247-lb. player needs to get bigger, okay? Why--because he skipped lunch and doesn't weigh 250? Because he's not massive enough on his 6'6" frame?
What kind of blockers were Newsome (229) and no-knees Winslow? What could Jurevicious do that Moore can't? Labels-labels-labels. And for that matter, who has decided he hasn't become a decent in-line blocker between his second and third seasons, after playing wide reciever in college? Label/assume/label/assume.
Every back can catch passes, and they will. They have the people for a two-back and they'll run one. They intend to run first. Moore, like Watson, can also play H-back.
Sobo, think "reciever" first, and forget what the label is. Can this guy save the quarterback from getting sacked? Can he be a dependable target? Can Jake let it go to him quickly, underneath, when he needs to--even if a guy is hanging on him? Is he depth at two positions?
You would call Massequoi/Robiskie/Watson/Moore a two-tight end set, and fail to notice that Moore is three yards outside, not even pretending to block. That's a three-wide! And if it works, they'll do it.
I hope Moore has become a proficient in-line blocker, but don't think it matters very much. When it comes down to it, you secretly call him your giant slot reciever and keep him.
Coolest thing I heard: Ward picks off a pass to Moore, but Moore takes it away from him before they hit the ground. THAT is why Moore sticks around.
OK I'm really glad that at least Sobeleski comprehends that the two inside linebackers are different. Most fans don't. The weskside backer is a run-and-hitter and the strong inside guy is a big thumper. The weakside guy also covers a lot more (dropping into a zone..you see, he is also different from a man corner...nevermind one thing at a time).
Anyway this is why statements about jackson being replaced by Barton, Veikune, or anybody else (on this roster) are assenine. The current Browns have a truckload Macks, but only three Bucks.
Eric Barton is one other weak inside linebacker. Last year he was hung in effigy because he was playing Mack and getting pushed around. Maybe that's something you can bash Mangini about, but not Barton.
Sobo did make a mistake about Gocong, though: he played strong outside linebacker with the Eagles--not defensive end. Mangini also made a comment about both the outside and inside linebackers rushing the passer.
Well, it's true. The Patriot defense (and the way Ryan wants to run his) differs from the Stoolers 3-4. It's been a mantra around here that in order to work, the 3-4 defense has to have two edge-rushing outside linebackers, like the Stoolers do.
Well, that's always the ideal, but not completely accurate, and this is why Mangini/Ryan want versatile guys he can move around. They will send ANY linebacker (or safety) at ANY time--including neutral or probable run downs. All of these linebackers have this in common: They can rush the passer.
Inside blitzes are sometimes called "run"-blitzes because the penetration forces running backs wide when they don't stuff them. They also wipe out the pocket, taking away the quarterback's deep accuracy, wrecking his timing, denying him his pre-planned launch-point, etc.
Inside blitzes, when not picked up, also get there faster. It's not easy to rattle a Manning or a Brady. They read blitzes and react quickly. But an inside blitze is easier to disguise, and reaches them sometimes too fast for them to burn...I mean like right behind the snap.
Mangini and Ryan want opposing teams NOT to know where the fourth and sometimes fifth passrusher is coming from. If they end up with six guys with between four and seven sacks each, that's better than one with twelve.
At any rate, Barton may or may not make this team. If he does, it's only because he's needed to back up Jackson. None of the big thumpers is very good in coverage, and that's important for a Buck.
The guy who has a really good chance of sending Barton packing? Maiaiva! He's more of a strong safety than a linebacker, but with the supporting cast this team will have, that could work out quite well for him. Offenses simply can't afford to commit a blocker to him, and he's the fastest of the bunch, with great instincts.
Moreover, even as a rookie, and before he had to take over for Jackson, he played a great deal in situational defenses as a safety/linebacker hybrid (not even sure what they called him).
I agree with Sobo about Fujita being more likely to spend more time outside, but think that Gocong could go either way (as could Veikune--they're very similar).
Roth is said to be all pumped up. His personal trainer is exceptional. He is one probable outside starter. He relies more on leverage and power than speed, and that makes his performance almost predictable. We hope he's learned another fancy move or two, but power is never a fluke. This guy is drasticly different from Wimbley.
Who's suprised by Evan Moore embarrassing everybody? How can Sobo wonder if he'll make the team, when the Browns have Massequoi, Robiskie, Stuckey, Mitchell (needing work), and guys...well okay credit to Haggerty, who could be a big sleeper--but the rest are guys named Joe?
Labels. They always get you in trouble. Moore is labelled a tight end, therefore he might get cut no matter how effective he is as a reciever? Really? And quit saying a 247-lb. player needs to get bigger, okay? Why--because he skipped lunch and doesn't weigh 250? Because he's not massive enough on his 6'6" frame?
What kind of blockers were Newsome (229) and no-knees Winslow? What could Jurevicious do that Moore can't? Labels-labels-labels. And for that matter, who has decided he hasn't become a decent in-line blocker between his second and third seasons, after playing wide reciever in college? Label/assume/label/assume.
Every back can catch passes, and they will. They have the people for a two-back and they'll run one. They intend to run first. Moore, like Watson, can also play H-back.
Sobo, think "reciever" first, and forget what the label is. Can this guy save the quarterback from getting sacked? Can he be a dependable target? Can Jake let it go to him quickly, underneath, when he needs to--even if a guy is hanging on him? Is he depth at two positions?
You would call Massequoi/Robiskie/Watson/Moore a two-tight end set, and fail to notice that Moore is three yards outside, not even pretending to block. That's a three-wide! And if it works, they'll do it.
I hope Moore has become a proficient in-line blocker, but don't think it matters very much. When it comes down to it, you secretly call him your giant slot reciever and keep him.
Coolest thing I heard: Ward picks off a pass to Moore, but Moore takes it away from him before they hit the ground. THAT is why Moore sticks around.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Corrections
1: Please stop the Daboll-bashing. When Bernie Kosar studies the game-films and says "guys were getting open, but the quarterbacks weren't getting it there", and that the game-plans looked fine to him, the objective person listens.
You get in such a froth to blame somebody, you become an old-fashioned lynch-mob. You hang whoever comes in handy.
...and the fact that you're still arguing with Bernie and me proves it. Shut up.
2: Delhomme can't be worse than DA/Quinn. The end.
3: Please don't chant for McCoy the instant Delhomme hits a rough spot. McCoy slid because he needs work. While I'm sick to death of hearing about arm-strength, and it's drasticly over-valued, in McCoy's case it could actually really be an issue.
I saw his highlight tapes. You can't see much bad stuff from these carefully compiled fluff-pieces, but they ARE meant to show all the player's best traits. I never saw McCoy rifle one into a tight spot. I saw a few deep ones, but nothing special.
This is why scouts almost unanimously agreed that he'd be good as a west coast quarterback.
I listen to Jim Miller, especially, when I want to learn about quarterbacks. I found out from him that you can improve your arm-strength, and that McCoy needs to do that. (How do you do it? You throw the ball a lot. A LOT.)
McCoy has the brains and the accuracy. Big deal he's a little under 6'2" and 220--I wish you'd quit harping on 4-5 lbs. and a half an inch. He can run around almost like a scat-back; in fact I was stunned by some of what he did with his legs.
Conversely, those of you who have decided he should sit for more than one season are also assuming way too much. McCoy's only REAL issue is his arm. Mentally, he's not a project at all. He'll enter the '11 season competing to start. If he doesn't win the competition, so be it. But I wouldn't bet against it.
3: Mangini never wanted a workhorse. Whenever he can, he divides the load between two or more backs. This offense has extra fullbacks, running backs, and tight ends, and is short on wide recievers. Do the freaking math and smell the two-back formation.
4: Quit saying "for a reason". Denver let Hillis go "for a reason". yeah--they have plenty of running backs and they wanted Brady Quinn! Ben Watson was released "for a reason". Actually there were several reasons: One is Wes Welker. Another is money. To hear some of you guys, no good players are ever released!!!
Ryan Tucker was released! They got Heiden for a sixth-round pick! Trusnik was a toss-in-Benard and Cribbs weren't drafted---FOR A REASON.
5: When Bernie Kosar came out of college, one of his strongest points was his superior DEEEEP accuracy and his STRONG arm. This continued until said arm was injured on a hit in Kansas City. AFTER that, it was anybody's guess where the ball would go when he threw it past twenty yards.
And by the way, while all of you were in denial about it, this is why he DID have diminished skills.
6: Reality is not what you want. It's what is.
You get in such a froth to blame somebody, you become an old-fashioned lynch-mob. You hang whoever comes in handy.
...and the fact that you're still arguing with Bernie and me proves it. Shut up.
2: Delhomme can't be worse than DA/Quinn. The end.
3: Please don't chant for McCoy the instant Delhomme hits a rough spot. McCoy slid because he needs work. While I'm sick to death of hearing about arm-strength, and it's drasticly over-valued, in McCoy's case it could actually really be an issue.
I saw his highlight tapes. You can't see much bad stuff from these carefully compiled fluff-pieces, but they ARE meant to show all the player's best traits. I never saw McCoy rifle one into a tight spot. I saw a few deep ones, but nothing special.
This is why scouts almost unanimously agreed that he'd be good as a west coast quarterback.
I listen to Jim Miller, especially, when I want to learn about quarterbacks. I found out from him that you can improve your arm-strength, and that McCoy needs to do that. (How do you do it? You throw the ball a lot. A LOT.)
McCoy has the brains and the accuracy. Big deal he's a little under 6'2" and 220--I wish you'd quit harping on 4-5 lbs. and a half an inch. He can run around almost like a scat-back; in fact I was stunned by some of what he did with his legs.
Conversely, those of you who have decided he should sit for more than one season are also assuming way too much. McCoy's only REAL issue is his arm. Mentally, he's not a project at all. He'll enter the '11 season competing to start. If he doesn't win the competition, so be it. But I wouldn't bet against it.
3: Mangini never wanted a workhorse. Whenever he can, he divides the load between two or more backs. This offense has extra fullbacks, running backs, and tight ends, and is short on wide recievers. Do the freaking math and smell the two-back formation.
4: Quit saying "for a reason". Denver let Hillis go "for a reason". yeah--they have plenty of running backs and they wanted Brady Quinn! Ben Watson was released "for a reason". Actually there were several reasons: One is Wes Welker. Another is money. To hear some of you guys, no good players are ever released!!!
Ryan Tucker was released! They got Heiden for a sixth-round pick! Trusnik was a toss-in-Benard and Cribbs weren't drafted---FOR A REASON.
5: When Bernie Kosar came out of college, one of his strongest points was his superior DEEEEP accuracy and his STRONG arm. This continued until said arm was injured on a hit in Kansas City. AFTER that, it was anybody's guess where the ball would go when he threw it past twenty yards.
And by the way, while all of you were in denial about it, this is why he DID have diminished skills.
6: Reality is not what you want. It's what is.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Gramps Engram: Great Move!
The Browns needed an experienced wide reciever to show the young guys the ropes. I mean, it's very complicated:
First, you have to understand what the Quarterback is saying in the huddle. If you don't, you won't know what to do or when the ball will be snapped or anything! Then, you need to look at the defense pre-snap, and diagnose what they're going to do to cover you. You might need to adjust your route. Then, after it's snapped, you have to adjust to what they actually DO do with you!
Without an experienced veteran, how could these young guys ever possibly learn all that abstractionalized complexity?
And Engram is only 37. Many wide recievers have played into their...well he's really got a lot of experience! Maybe more than the coaches!
I just hope they paid him enough, with guaranteed money for a good three years, since as we know it takes so long for young recievers to learn how to play.
Now that Engram will be on board, maybe they won't be forced to use Moore as a reciever. maybe they can afford to cut him now. And that new guy--Practice Squad for sure! Wouldn't want to have to activate him any time this season--bive him a good three years to learn all the complexitationalized abstractionalizations on the bench. Might wreck his confidence by forcing him to experience any real action too soon!
Oh yeah--great move! I'm so glad the new regime is upholding all those time-honored traditions.........
First, you have to understand what the Quarterback is saying in the huddle. If you don't, you won't know what to do or when the ball will be snapped or anything! Then, you need to look at the defense pre-snap, and diagnose what they're going to do to cover you. You might need to adjust your route. Then, after it's snapped, you have to adjust to what they actually DO do with you!
Without an experienced veteran, how could these young guys ever possibly learn all that abstractionalized complexity?
And Engram is only 37. Many wide recievers have played into their...well he's really got a lot of experience! Maybe more than the coaches!
I just hope they paid him enough, with guaranteed money for a good three years, since as we know it takes so long for young recievers to learn how to play.
Now that Engram will be on board, maybe they won't be forced to use Moore as a reciever. maybe they can afford to cut him now. And that new guy--Practice Squad for sure! Wouldn't want to have to activate him any time this season--bive him a good three years to learn all the complexitationalized abstractionalizations on the bench. Might wreck his confidence by forcing him to experience any real action too soon!
Oh yeah--great move! I'm so glad the new regime is upholding all those time-honored traditions.........
Friday, July 2, 2010
WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!! 2
It's the same stuff every year from Browns' minicamp: 'So-and-so looks so improved' and 'Whats-his-name looks to be a steal.' We heard the same stuff about Derek Anderson in 2008 and 2009 only to see him flop when they started playing games that mattered. Until proven otherwise in the regular season, Delhomme is still a 35-year-old quarterback on the downside of his career who chucked 18 interceptions last year and Robiskie and Veikune are 2nd round busts." - mkeogh
That's right: Mike Hol-who? How could Delhomme be better than Quinn and Anderson?
It's the same old garbage we hear every seaon, except for Mike Holmgren and some people he brought in this time!
And here we go: HE wasn't smart enough to even fire Mangini!
...I rest my case.
SHUT UP! NATIONAL PEOPLE READ THIS CRAP AND THINK WERE'RE ALL IDIOTS!!!
SHUT UP!
That's right: Mike Hol-who? How could Delhomme be better than Quinn and Anderson?
It's the same old garbage we hear every seaon, except for Mike Holmgren and some people he brought in this time!
And here we go: HE wasn't smart enough to even fire Mangini!
...I rest my case.
SHUT UP! NATIONAL PEOPLE READ THIS CRAP AND THINK WERE'RE ALL IDIOTS!!!
SHUT UP!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
I Didn't KNOW that!
Thanks to Terry Pluto, whose statements I can rely on without fact-checking for this: David Veikune came in this season at 235.
This explains why Veikune has been working mostly at WEAK inside linebacker, where Jackson normally plays.
Casual fans don't know that weak inside linebackers tend to be quicker/faster than strong inside linebackers. Offenses tend to put the tight end on the right side, and use bulldozers at right guard. They're "right-handed" and tend to run to that side.
The strong inside linebacker is often a bigger guy who can take on offenseive linemen (like David Bowens). Now, here I need to mention that Eric Barton played here last season, and got pushed around. This is because he, like Jackson, is best as a weak inside linebacker. This season, Barton will almost certainly be a backup, and may not make the team at all.
When David Bowens took over at strong inside backer last season, he kicked butt. So much so that he should see more time there this season. At this stage in his carreer, he's probably a better inside linebacker than outside linebacker. Why don't people see that?
Anyway, back to Veikune: If anybody but some crickets ever read my blog, they'd know that last season when Veikune was drafted, I looked at his workout tapes. I even ran them and Kaluka...M's workouts alternately, and was pretty shocked.
Background: Kaluka Maiava was the "other" USC linebacker who some teams projected as a safety. Prior to his starting at weak inside backer due to injuries, he played a lot in his rookie season as a coverage guy.
Veikune was a 260 lb. defensive end. Two inches taller and thirty pounds heavier. What I saw in the Veikune tapes between these two players showed that Veikune was nearly as quick and fast as the guy many thought of as a safety--at 260 pounds!!!
Sure, he tripped a little once, and of course couldn't match the safety/linebacker hybrid step-for-step, but he made most of the other big guys look sick.
NOW he comes in at 235? WOW!
Because, see, here's another thing about this big Polynesian: He's stronger than many offensive linemen, and it's mostly natural "country" strength. Prior to Pluto's comment, I had him pegged as a strong inside guy, if not an outside linebacker. But now? Jackson needs to get his head out of his butt. Even after he comes back, he'll have to fight for his job.
David Veikune can do everything Jackson did, plus is stronger. Weak inside linebackers also tend to be the ones who drop into coverage, and based on those workouts, Veikune can do that even better than Jackson as well.
Welllll...okay that's a bit of a leap. He has the hips and speed, and he's got better length and reach. However, much of coverage is mental, and it's tough to predict how a guy two seasons removed from being a small-school DE will do.
We do, however, have training camp reports to go by, and I have yet to read any knocks on his coverage. On the flip side, I've read about deflections and interceptions.
Now, unlike a lot of doomsday posters, I like Jackson the player. He truly is a very good linebacker. No, he didn't make all his tackles five yards downfield. Bashers say that stuff like Al Sharpton cites racism. Jackson wasn't helped by a nose tackle who wouldn't play two-gap, or a strong inside partner who was his own size. He covered really well, too.
So I didn't come here to bury D'Qwell. However, I believe that Veikune may well be better--he can add more blitzing and penetration. He can stone big backs cold.
Everybody seems to have an agenda, and rely on "faith". Those who burn Mangini in effigy desperately want Veikune to fail. As of the third or fourth game last season, they were already gleefully declaring him a bust. Others who want him to succeed are calling Jackson an overrated bum. In either case, the actual performances of these two players will do little to change either opinion.
Here I've said watch out for Veikune at inside linebacker. And down the road apiece we'll see him outside as well. He's not a bust, and might be awesome.
I don't care who drafted him, or where. I only care how well he plays. Aint that refreshing?
This explains why Veikune has been working mostly at WEAK inside linebacker, where Jackson normally plays.
Casual fans don't know that weak inside linebackers tend to be quicker/faster than strong inside linebackers. Offenses tend to put the tight end on the right side, and use bulldozers at right guard. They're "right-handed" and tend to run to that side.
The strong inside linebacker is often a bigger guy who can take on offenseive linemen (like David Bowens). Now, here I need to mention that Eric Barton played here last season, and got pushed around. This is because he, like Jackson, is best as a weak inside linebacker. This season, Barton will almost certainly be a backup, and may not make the team at all.
When David Bowens took over at strong inside backer last season, he kicked butt. So much so that he should see more time there this season. At this stage in his carreer, he's probably a better inside linebacker than outside linebacker. Why don't people see that?
Anyway, back to Veikune: If anybody but some crickets ever read my blog, they'd know that last season when Veikune was drafted, I looked at his workout tapes. I even ran them and Kaluka...M's workouts alternately, and was pretty shocked.
Background: Kaluka Maiava was the "other" USC linebacker who some teams projected as a safety. Prior to his starting at weak inside backer due to injuries, he played a lot in his rookie season as a coverage guy.
Veikune was a 260 lb. defensive end. Two inches taller and thirty pounds heavier. What I saw in the Veikune tapes between these two players showed that Veikune was nearly as quick and fast as the guy many thought of as a safety--at 260 pounds!!!
Sure, he tripped a little once, and of course couldn't match the safety/linebacker hybrid step-for-step, but he made most of the other big guys look sick.
NOW he comes in at 235? WOW!
Because, see, here's another thing about this big Polynesian: He's stronger than many offensive linemen, and it's mostly natural "country" strength. Prior to Pluto's comment, I had him pegged as a strong inside guy, if not an outside linebacker. But now? Jackson needs to get his head out of his butt. Even after he comes back, he'll have to fight for his job.
David Veikune can do everything Jackson did, plus is stronger. Weak inside linebackers also tend to be the ones who drop into coverage, and based on those workouts, Veikune can do that even better than Jackson as well.
Welllll...okay that's a bit of a leap. He has the hips and speed, and he's got better length and reach. However, much of coverage is mental, and it's tough to predict how a guy two seasons removed from being a small-school DE will do.
We do, however, have training camp reports to go by, and I have yet to read any knocks on his coverage. On the flip side, I've read about deflections and interceptions.
Now, unlike a lot of doomsday posters, I like Jackson the player. He truly is a very good linebacker. No, he didn't make all his tackles five yards downfield. Bashers say that stuff like Al Sharpton cites racism. Jackson wasn't helped by a nose tackle who wouldn't play two-gap, or a strong inside partner who was his own size. He covered really well, too.
So I didn't come here to bury D'Qwell. However, I believe that Veikune may well be better--he can add more blitzing and penetration. He can stone big backs cold.
Everybody seems to have an agenda, and rely on "faith". Those who burn Mangini in effigy desperately want Veikune to fail. As of the third or fourth game last season, they were already gleefully declaring him a bust. Others who want him to succeed are calling Jackson an overrated bum. In either case, the actual performances of these two players will do little to change either opinion.
Here I've said watch out for Veikune at inside linebacker. And down the road apiece we'll see him outside as well. He's not a bust, and might be awesome.
I don't care who drafted him, or where. I only care how well he plays. Aint that refreshing?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Tony, Tony--aw jeez...
The following is copied from a Tony Grossi column. My corrections are in color.
Will rookie Joe Haden and veteran pickup Sheldon Brown knock Eric Wright to the No.3 cornerback spot?
Wright is entering the final year of his contract and has given off vibes of expecting a big payday. While his coverage skills have steadily improved, Wright remains a liability in run defense.
While shorter than Wright, Haden is a more physical corner -- at least at Florida -- willing and able to stick his head in against the run. The seventh player taken in any draft is expected to be an instant contributor. And the Browns didn't give Brown $5 million after trading for him to play in sub defenses.
Of course, all three will receive considerable playing time as opponents field three receivers. But corners have to play the run in Mangini's defense and Wright had the benefit last year of being the best of a weak bunch.
Tony uses salary to pre-determine starters for him. Brown will play as much as the other guys, and it doesn't matter who gets called "starter". (Tony also likes labels and titles. Everything in it's little box...)
Wright has ALWAYS been good in coverage. He is a "man" corner, like tackling machines Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield. (Uh...that was a joke, by the way.) Sure, Mangini wants everybody to tackle. But Ryan's defense will blitze a lot, and man coverage is almost neccessary for that to work.
(Tony: man coverage is different from zone, ok?)
Tony seems to think that a guy who zeroes in on a reciever, first to get a jam on him, and then to run with him (with his back to the QB), is also expected to read the backfield, as if he was a zone corner starting out five or seven yards downfield.
Tony, coverage comes first in man coverage. Wright is a man corner, will be used as such, and will start.
• Will either rookie safety crack the starting lineup in his first year?
Second-round pick T.J. Ward has more coverage ability than fifth-rounder Larry Asante and both are big hitters. Asante's selection almost seemed like insurance because of Ward's injury history.
If Ward is able to stay healthy, he could be the enforcer so lacking in the secondary and set up a competition between Abram Elam and Mike Adams at the other spot. Asante should be expected to be a core player on special teams.
Mangini grabbed Elam because he was experienced and cheap. Please stop leaping to the conclusion that Eric loves the guy and will start him over a superior player. Elam probably backs up from now on.
IF IF IF Ryan uses a conventional coverage scheme rather than a two-deep, Sheldon Brown is almost interchangeable with Rodney Adamsfield at free safety.
But let's not get bogged down in labels, titles, and boxes. The majority of the time there will be five DB's on the field, and we have just named them.
Will rookie Joe Haden and veteran pickup Sheldon Brown knock Eric Wright to the No.3 cornerback spot?
Wright is entering the final year of his contract and has given off vibes of expecting a big payday. While his coverage skills have steadily improved, Wright remains a liability in run defense.
While shorter than Wright, Haden is a more physical corner -- at least at Florida -- willing and able to stick his head in against the run. The seventh player taken in any draft is expected to be an instant contributor. And the Browns didn't give Brown $5 million after trading for him to play in sub defenses.
Of course, all three will receive considerable playing time as opponents field three receivers. But corners have to play the run in Mangini's defense and Wright had the benefit last year of being the best of a weak bunch.
Tony uses salary to pre-determine starters for him. Brown will play as much as the other guys, and it doesn't matter who gets called "starter". (Tony also likes labels and titles. Everything in it's little box...)
Wright has ALWAYS been good in coverage. He is a "man" corner, like tackling machines Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield. (Uh...that was a joke, by the way.) Sure, Mangini wants everybody to tackle. But Ryan's defense will blitze a lot, and man coverage is almost neccessary for that to work.
(Tony: man coverage is different from zone, ok?)
Tony seems to think that a guy who zeroes in on a reciever, first to get a jam on him, and then to run with him (with his back to the QB), is also expected to read the backfield, as if he was a zone corner starting out five or seven yards downfield.
Tony, coverage comes first in man coverage. Wright is a man corner, will be used as such, and will start.
• Will either rookie safety crack the starting lineup in his first year?
Second-round pick T.J. Ward has more coverage ability than fifth-rounder Larry Asante and both are big hitters. Asante's selection almost seemed like insurance because of Ward's injury history.
If Ward is able to stay healthy, he could be the enforcer so lacking in the secondary and set up a competition between Abram Elam and Mike Adams at the other spot. Asante should be expected to be a core player on special teams.
Mangini grabbed Elam because he was experienced and cheap. Please stop leaping to the conclusion that Eric loves the guy and will start him over a superior player. Elam probably backs up from now on.
IF IF IF Ryan uses a conventional coverage scheme rather than a two-deep, Sheldon Brown is almost interchangeable with Rodney Adamsfield at free safety.
But let's not get bogged down in labels, titles, and boxes. The majority of the time there will be five DB's on the field, and we have just named them.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Greetham, Taylor, and Poster Corrections
OK first of all, Elam is not terrible. You want him; need for him to suck because Mangini brought him over, and everybody he brought over has to suck. If he brought in anybody who was any good, it might make him look good. Can't have that.
In reality, Elam is a decent journeyman. He's a solid hold-the-fort guy who's niether great nor bad.
Others among you are absolutists. Absolutists generalize a lot. The secondary was bad most of last season, so you include the entire secondary because you are unable or unwilling to analyze individual players.
They had a problem with McDonald, and at times (rarely during the last six (not four) games), QB's had too much time. NO secondary can cover for longer than a few seconds. Every coach and player knows this.
Now, you guys at OBR need to go back and do some more research on Schaefering. He's only entering his third season, was a NOSE TACKLE in college, has nice speed and quickness for 3-4 DE, and what he did late last season is only the beginning for him. He's learned a new position and is maturing; still improving.
He needed to work on leverage and technique. He WILL BE in the rotation, and that does NOT mean that this defensive line is in trouble!
I can't believe you guys are throwing Kenyon Coleman out with the bathwater! He's only 31 and is a very solid DE! "Nobody else there"? You guys are normally pretty sharp, but that's assenine.
C.J Mosley has really emerged, too! He was best suited as a penetrator--quick and athletic. He needed to work on the two-gap and standing his ground when he was brought here, but he's done that, and if you'd paid any attention you would have seen it last season. Both he and Schaefering have also become really good at getting off blocks and making plays as soon as they see where to go.
Are you raising the bar again? Are Rogers and Rubin the new "average'? Kenyon Coleman, CJ Mosley, and Schaefering are "nobody" now, huh? Oh--I forgot: Mosely and Coleman are ex-Jets...you've got to keep the haters happy!
And Robaire Smith is getting up there, yeah--but he sure looks good for one more season, too.
Letting Rogers play defensive end: DUH! Part of the reason teams ran all over the Browns with Rogers on the nose is that Rogers freelanced. He was so disruptive that the Coaches let it happen, I believe.
Offenses adjusted their blocking and found ways to run around him...with hats on linebackers.
When they put Rubin in, he played two-gap like he was supposed to, and suddenly the linebackers stayed clean and stuffed people.
The disruption, by design, came from constant blitzes.
I'm not bashing Rogers here. It's just that if they put him at defensive end (more), he can go ahead and attack from an angle--they still have to try to stop him. They can run away from him, but proably not around him. They can let him go by and then block him from the backside to seal him away from the play, but he still shrinks the window for the back, and the pocket for the quarterback.
The man's a whole lot smarter than he looks, too. Put him outside and let him go.
Coleman and Smith are aging, along with Rogers, so the Browns do need more young players.
But Schaefering IS pretty good, and Mosley IS better than that--and I don't care where they came from--they're good enough to be in the rotation for several years.
Now just pay freaking attention to them and see if I'm wrong.
In reality, Elam is a decent journeyman. He's a solid hold-the-fort guy who's niether great nor bad.
Others among you are absolutists. Absolutists generalize a lot. The secondary was bad most of last season, so you include the entire secondary because you are unable or unwilling to analyze individual players.
They had a problem with McDonald, and at times (rarely during the last six (not four) games), QB's had too much time. NO secondary can cover for longer than a few seconds. Every coach and player knows this.
Now, you guys at OBR need to go back and do some more research on Schaefering. He's only entering his third season, was a NOSE TACKLE in college, has nice speed and quickness for 3-4 DE, and what he did late last season is only the beginning for him. He's learned a new position and is maturing; still improving.
He needed to work on leverage and technique. He WILL BE in the rotation, and that does NOT mean that this defensive line is in trouble!
I can't believe you guys are throwing Kenyon Coleman out with the bathwater! He's only 31 and is a very solid DE! "Nobody else there"? You guys are normally pretty sharp, but that's assenine.
C.J Mosley has really emerged, too! He was best suited as a penetrator--quick and athletic. He needed to work on the two-gap and standing his ground when he was brought here, but he's done that, and if you'd paid any attention you would have seen it last season. Both he and Schaefering have also become really good at getting off blocks and making plays as soon as they see where to go.
Are you raising the bar again? Are Rogers and Rubin the new "average'? Kenyon Coleman, CJ Mosley, and Schaefering are "nobody" now, huh? Oh--I forgot: Mosely and Coleman are ex-Jets...you've got to keep the haters happy!
And Robaire Smith is getting up there, yeah--but he sure looks good for one more season, too.
Letting Rogers play defensive end: DUH! Part of the reason teams ran all over the Browns with Rogers on the nose is that Rogers freelanced. He was so disruptive that the Coaches let it happen, I believe.
Offenses adjusted their blocking and found ways to run around him...with hats on linebackers.
When they put Rubin in, he played two-gap like he was supposed to, and suddenly the linebackers stayed clean and stuffed people.
The disruption, by design, came from constant blitzes.
I'm not bashing Rogers here. It's just that if they put him at defensive end (more), he can go ahead and attack from an angle--they still have to try to stop him. They can run away from him, but proably not around him. They can let him go by and then block him from the backside to seal him away from the play, but he still shrinks the window for the back, and the pocket for the quarterback.
The man's a whole lot smarter than he looks, too. Put him outside and let him go.
Coleman and Smith are aging, along with Rogers, so the Browns do need more young players.
But Schaefering IS pretty good, and Mosley IS better than that--and I don't care where they came from--they're good enough to be in the rotation for several years.
Now just pay freaking attention to them and see if I'm wrong.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Where's My Shovel?
1: Yahoo Sports: Jerome Harrison ran all over every team he's played against every chance he got, starting in his rookie season. He just never got a fair chance. Last season, he also racked up sweet numbers vs. Cincinnati...or are you raising the bar to 200-plus yards vs. good defenses now?
"Bust'? A guy who averages over 5 YPC can't be called a bust, especially when he was a fourth-rounder. You guys are clueless.
You rank this backfield LAST!? Peyton Hillis averages 4.9 YPC, they drafted a back who, if not for injuries, would have rated a first round pick, James Davis showed great promise before being injured last season, and somehow you find 31 teams with better backfields? What planet do you live on?
2: The offensive line was NOT "porous" last season, especially late. Both quarterbacks usually had more than adequate time to pass. They simply didn't deliver. People who say this just toss it in as a given, without real analysis.
3: Thank you Starting Blocks, and Bernie Kosar. Dropped and inaccurate passes are not on the offensive coordinator. And how do these knuckleheads who bashed Daboll (including my bro Eman) define "creative"? Is he supposed to always call a run when it's an obvious passing situation, and vice-versa? Or how 'bout having the wide recievers learn some dance steps to build into their patterns? I dunno--cartwheels or something?
4: Quit saying "wait til the pads are on". You don't sound smart except to dumb people. Repeating obvious cliches is really, really boring.
5: Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository is right up there with Terry Pluto as an analyst, but I got a problem with his latest analysis: He completely ignored Evan Moore, who looks like the Browns first option as a recieving TE.
Also, I'm not sure what he means by "playoff calibre". I mean, teams never have Pro Bowl quality guys at every position. By these standards, the Colts don't really have playoff calibre tight ends. Meanwhile, the Patriots are annual participants even when the only guy or unit that lives up to them is Brady.
Every team has strong points and weak points, including every single one that goes to the playoffs. In many cases, the "weak" points are competant journeymen--not really bad players.
Ben Watson is above average. I don't know about blocking, but Evan Moore is an elite reciever at that position. I think Steve was just afraid of sounding like a homer.
I do know that I sound like a Homer myself,. This is because I specialize in correcting negative stuff, and there's massive quantities of that.
Here's some negative stuff:
1: Delhomme scares the hell out of me, plus they paid him way, way, way too much.
2: If Capizzi doesn't emerge, we have nobody to take over at right tackle.
3: Harrison was suppressed by every coach, and is still not recognized.
4: Cribbs should be allowed to pass in the Wildcat offense.
5: Robiskie's emergance is not a given, Massequoi isn't a true burner (rather a YAC guy), and the new guy isn't ready, and might never be.
6: Opinions that Colt McCoy may only be good for the West Coast offense might be accurate. Maybe.
7: Every position group could be upgraded, except possibly the secondary and offensive backfield (I mean here on this planet.)
This is because not every player on this team is the best in the NFL at his position.
8: There are too many running backs here.
"Bust'? A guy who averages over 5 YPC can't be called a bust, especially when he was a fourth-rounder. You guys are clueless.
You rank this backfield LAST!? Peyton Hillis averages 4.9 YPC, they drafted a back who, if not for injuries, would have rated a first round pick, James Davis showed great promise before being injured last season, and somehow you find 31 teams with better backfields? What planet do you live on?
2: The offensive line was NOT "porous" last season, especially late. Both quarterbacks usually had more than adequate time to pass. They simply didn't deliver. People who say this just toss it in as a given, without real analysis.
3: Thank you Starting Blocks, and Bernie Kosar. Dropped and inaccurate passes are not on the offensive coordinator. And how do these knuckleheads who bashed Daboll (including my bro Eman) define "creative"? Is he supposed to always call a run when it's an obvious passing situation, and vice-versa? Or how 'bout having the wide recievers learn some dance steps to build into their patterns? I dunno--cartwheels or something?
4: Quit saying "wait til the pads are on". You don't sound smart except to dumb people. Repeating obvious cliches is really, really boring.
5: Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository is right up there with Terry Pluto as an analyst, but I got a problem with his latest analysis: He completely ignored Evan Moore, who looks like the Browns first option as a recieving TE.
Also, I'm not sure what he means by "playoff calibre". I mean, teams never have Pro Bowl quality guys at every position. By these standards, the Colts don't really have playoff calibre tight ends. Meanwhile, the Patriots are annual participants even when the only guy or unit that lives up to them is Brady.
Every team has strong points and weak points, including every single one that goes to the playoffs. In many cases, the "weak" points are competant journeymen--not really bad players.
Ben Watson is above average. I don't know about blocking, but Evan Moore is an elite reciever at that position. I think Steve was just afraid of sounding like a homer.
I do know that I sound like a Homer myself,. This is because I specialize in correcting negative stuff, and there's massive quantities of that.
Here's some negative stuff:
1: Delhomme scares the hell out of me, plus they paid him way, way, way too much.
2: If Capizzi doesn't emerge, we have nobody to take over at right tackle.
3: Harrison was suppressed by every coach, and is still not recognized.
4: Cribbs should be allowed to pass in the Wildcat offense.
5: Robiskie's emergance is not a given, Massequoi isn't a true burner (rather a YAC guy), and the new guy isn't ready, and might never be.
6: Opinions that Colt McCoy may only be good for the West Coast offense might be accurate. Maybe.
7: Every position group could be upgraded, except possibly the secondary and offensive backfield (I mean here on this planet.)
This is because not every player on this team is the best in the NFL at his position.
8: There are too many running backs here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)