The guys on NFL Radio keep referring to Devon Hester as the best returner of all time, while Josh Cribbs holds all the records. Trouble is, Josh plays for Cleveland. The big market shuts down the pundits' brains.
Did you know that there is a "one of a kind" running back? "Defensive backs don't know how to stop him. They just launch themselves at his legs. There's no other running back in the NFL who's that big and that fast, with all he can do. Brandon Jacobs..."
Hillis got the cover of Madden, but that was just too freaking obvious, wasn't it? And everybody voted. They overrode the pundits who predicted it would be Micheal Vick. Nobody asked John Madden. Who do you think HE liked?
At least McCoy is getting rave reviews--especially by Jim Miller, Rich Gannon, and John Gruden.
Phil Simms said he didn't have an NFL arm, but he loved Tavarez Jackson. By Phil's standards, the majority of NFL quarterbacks don't have NFL arms. I bet he REALLY hates Kyle Orton! I used to think Phil was the real expert. I still love the way he's blunt and pulls no punches. But all he talks about is throwing hard, spinning it, and being a leader.
He does like McCoy's personality. He concedes that in a West Coast he might be allright. You can tell he's bored. He's not Tavarez Jackson or Derrick Anderson, and Phil is bored by guys who can't sling it like they can.
I can't leave it alone--I'm sorry. I rarely hear Phil talk about quick reads or accuracy. It's as if they don't matter. Phil is a smart guy, and certainly was a great (and underrated) quarterback. But this is another example of how smart, knowlegable people can be myopic and mentally lazy.
Everybody loves Evan Moore, too. Pat Kirwin, for instance, points out that you can't bring the safety up when you've got him or Watson ready to get behind them. Then he repeats that the Browns need a big-play wide recievers so that defenses can't stack the box. Amazing.
They love Jackson too. finally somebody wrote an article about how perfect he is for this defense. (I mean, somebody besides me.)
I want to talk about Massequoi but I've done that to death. Take out his stats, check out his offenses and quarterbacks, and turn on your freaking brain. You'll only read what I told you elsewhere after the fact.
Great move to lock up Joe Thomas forever. Instead of overpaying MoMass's replacement.
Jayme Mitchell has done pretty well so far. Sheard looks great FOR A ROOKIE. Taylor hasn't made a lot of plays, but IS helping keep big monsters off Jackson. I can't wait til these two learn all the dirty tricks.
Luavao stifled the second dirtiest player in the NFL (Suh) last week. He is the main reason I got so infuriated about people talking about the right SIDE of the offensive line, when they had right guard covered two or three-deep. Clevelanders never saw a molehill. Never noticed the baby in the bathwater either. Also: We're all gonna die.
The heat on McCoy came mainly over left guard (and Corey Williams). I can't wait to read that we need a whole new offensive line.
The defense in general, despite missing several starters, has looked remarkably good under the circumstances. For the secondary, it's similar, but the front seven is completely different, and I'd expected a lot more mistakes.
Jauron (along with Brown and Fujita) deserves much of the credit. They've gone from an insideously diabolical Ryan defense to something like a plug-and-play style. While there will be some wrinkles, the base defense is simple, so that the players can just react and play thoughtlessly fast.
I still prefer the 3-4 and all that versatility, but there's much to be said for fundamentals.
One thing about this defense is that it requires the majority of players to win individual battles. It will need to be very muscular (except for the defensive ends).
Speaking of which, I hope to see Benard back up to speed soon. I'd thought that he'd muscled up, but apparantly (maybe also) got fatter (on purpose). Blame the strike and non-communication with coaches. I'll bet he plays best at around 260.
Why was anybody surprised that Sheard showed up at around his college playing weight of 268? Oh yeah: Because for the combine he slimmed down because he might have been a 3-4 OLB. Lazy lazy lazy. A brain is a terrible thing to waste.
Joe Haden got toasted twice last week. Can't you people be consistant? You're supposed to be saying he sucks! I mean, Wright was here and steadily improving for two seasons, to the extent that after his second, many of you were saying that he should have made the Pro Bowl.
Then the Ravens strafe him, and suddenly he sucks. Why did you drag Wright off the pedestal and to the hanging tree in one afternoon, and yet overlook Haden's bad day? You can't possibly have matured that much in one offseason! You must just like him because he goes to Cavs games.
It's ok with me. Every cornerback in the NFL has had gameS like that, and I think Haden is da bomb. Just wondering why you don't think with your brains.
Brown's performance is somewhat more disturbing, due to his age. He got toasted too, both weeks. Last season, he was not just good, but excellent. I hope it's just rust, but I'm like Belichick about age. One year...probably just rust. He should be fine. I hope. At least whenever he isn't anymore, he'll be a top-notch free safety. I'd even extend him for a couple years because of that.
well okbye.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Predictions
Blahblah only preseason blahblah not get too excited blahblah long way to go blahblah some holes blahblah notice how sagely wise I am blahblahblahblahblah BUT:
1: Colt McCoy is great. It doesn't matter who his recievers are, or if his opponents stop the run. It doesn't matter if the defense spends more time in the backfield than the running backs. He's as effective running for his life as he is standing in a pocket.
It doesn't matter if his recievers are covered, because the defenders can't get to the ball anyway.
The Browns finally have a real quarterback.
2: Last season and before, if the offense reached the red zone, it was usually two runs, and incomplete pass, and a field goal. Now, it's usually a touchdown.
This isn't about how bad Daboll sucks (he doesn't). This is the system. There are tons of short and intermediate passes in this timing system, and when the field shortens, it doesn't change anything. The defense does have less field to cover, meaning they can cover tighter and often be more aggressive, but McCoy is now used to throwing quickly and hitting tight windows. And, the run is still often replaced by a dink-pass.
3: Massequoi will reclaim his x-spot when he gets back, and will kick butt. He can go deep about as often as Jerry Rice did (which was seldom). It helps that he is faster than Rice ever was.
4: Cribbs the WR did not cease to exist against Detroit. He had his guy beat on the interference play, and has proven--including last season--that he has really good hands. His issues were defeating bumps at the line and getting separation. Considering the fact that he's been playing outside (not much in the slot) this preseason, it's clear to those who bother to watch closely that he defeats press coverage and gets a little separation. What else does he need?
PS I love what he said: "You get me the ball in the open field and I run with it. That's the threat." Exactly, Josh!
5: Little is a much bigger Massequoi. By the way, what's this "concerns about his hands" stuff? In camp he dropped a bunch of passes EARLY, but questionable hands had nothing to do with his college resume. Why do some analysts just make stuff up?
6: Like I said, the tight ends will be integral to the passing game and the Browns now have several who can get deep. How, in the absence of one of the six or seven "proven" deep threats in the NFL, can a defense put eight men in the box when one of three huge guys can catch one 20 or 30 yards downfield amongst liliputions?
Further, how can you get eight men in the box when a tight end and/or running back so often line up outside of it?
7: Because of this, as I predicted earlier, the Browns have used a slot reciever sparingly. This has hidden a secret weapon: Smurf Jordan Norwood. This dude can fly. Against certain defenses, he will be used. It will be fun.
1: Colt McCoy is great. It doesn't matter who his recievers are, or if his opponents stop the run. It doesn't matter if the defense spends more time in the backfield than the running backs. He's as effective running for his life as he is standing in a pocket.
It doesn't matter if his recievers are covered, because the defenders can't get to the ball anyway.
The Browns finally have a real quarterback.
2: Last season and before, if the offense reached the red zone, it was usually two runs, and incomplete pass, and a field goal. Now, it's usually a touchdown.
This isn't about how bad Daboll sucks (he doesn't). This is the system. There are tons of short and intermediate passes in this timing system, and when the field shortens, it doesn't change anything. The defense does have less field to cover, meaning they can cover tighter and often be more aggressive, but McCoy is now used to throwing quickly and hitting tight windows. And, the run is still often replaced by a dink-pass.
3: Massequoi will reclaim his x-spot when he gets back, and will kick butt. He can go deep about as often as Jerry Rice did (which was seldom). It helps that he is faster than Rice ever was.
4: Cribbs the WR did not cease to exist against Detroit. He had his guy beat on the interference play, and has proven--including last season--that he has really good hands. His issues were defeating bumps at the line and getting separation. Considering the fact that he's been playing outside (not much in the slot) this preseason, it's clear to those who bother to watch closely that he defeats press coverage and gets a little separation. What else does he need?
PS I love what he said: "You get me the ball in the open field and I run with it. That's the threat." Exactly, Josh!
5: Little is a much bigger Massequoi. By the way, what's this "concerns about his hands" stuff? In camp he dropped a bunch of passes EARLY, but questionable hands had nothing to do with his college resume. Why do some analysts just make stuff up?
6: Like I said, the tight ends will be integral to the passing game and the Browns now have several who can get deep. How, in the absence of one of the six or seven "proven" deep threats in the NFL, can a defense put eight men in the box when one of three huge guys can catch one 20 or 30 yards downfield amongst liliputions?
Further, how can you get eight men in the box when a tight end and/or running back so often line up outside of it?
7: Because of this, as I predicted earlier, the Browns have used a slot reciever sparingly. This has hidden a secret weapon: Smurf Jordan Norwood. This dude can fly. Against certain defenses, he will be used. It will be fun.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Comments and Opinions on Comments and Opinions
I was rolling into town and caught WKNR this morning. I found out the source of all the rhetorical bashing I read on the posts.
The worst WR corps in the league? I mean, I know that there are no proven stars, but there simply must be one or more teams that are worse. Dumb people dart to extremes much faster than sentient people. They can't even insert "one of".
More thoughtful and insightful analysis came from (former Jets GM) Pat Kirwin and (former Ditka-Bearss superbowl DT) Tim Ryan, who visited Browns camp for NFL Radio.
Ryan made the simple observation that he wasn't seeing any of the recievers get separation from the defenders. Kirwin went further, and decried their lack of a burner to "take the top off" a defense.
OK, it's true. But there are a lot of assumptions included in these opinions, and mitigating factors which weren't even considered:
1: MoMass averages over 15 yards per-catch. He did this in vertical-passing offenses. His rookie season, he averaged almost 20 YPC with a weak running game and with Quinn and Anderson. He was the de facto #1 reciever by a wide margin. With nobody else to take the heat off him, he made a whole lot of plays in the second half of his rookie season.
Some defenses double-covered him, and he still made catches. Other defenses stacked 8 or even 9 guys in the box, and he made them pay.
Massequoi is as fast or faster than most of the "known" deep threats. His strong points ARE his ability to get separation, and his yards-after-catch-all West Coast ideals.
Because of a weak sophomore season with three different quarterbacks, and very strong pass-catching tight ends and backs, in a run-oriented offense, I fail to understand why Massequoi is being dismissed.
2: Robiskie, per the coaches, is quietly doing very well. He's a possession reciever. And that's ok.
3: Carlton Mitchell hasn't even had a chance yet...therefore does not exist.
4: Little IS a big powerful guy, but was among the fastest recievers in this draft and is fully capable of going deep BEFORE a catch, and of out-leaping/muscling everybody else for the ball. He's already been typecast ad Anquan Bolden. Not bad, but not completely accurate. Little is a FASTER Bolden.
5: It's not too surprising that the recievers are having a hard time getting separation from Skrine and Haden, is it?
Speaking of which, I told you that Skrine could cover anybody, only the big guys have too much reach for him. I told you that he could very well be one of the opponent-specific third cornerbacks, and a backup outside as a rookie. Nobody else told you that. And no, you didn't think of it yourself just now (Helloooo!)
Ryan also declared that the Browns have nobody to rush the passer. This boggled my mind, because he and Kirwin had just spent about 45 seconds talking about how good it was for Sheard to be practicing against Joe Thomas. Could one of you name for me the defensive end that Thomas can't shut down? How can you say something like that?
Back to Kirwin's point (and former QB Jim Miller says that too a lesser extent it does apply to West Coast offenses): If you don't have one reciever who you don't dare try to cover with one guy, they can bring the safeties down to stop the run and blow up intermediate passes--while sending an extra guy or two after the QB.
If you have that one human torch reciever, then at least one cornerback has to play softer, and one safety has to set up and stay deeper, so stuff underneath is more open and runs have better chances.
How can I argue? I just say you should re-read what I wrote earlier.
6: The Browns don't have a realistic chance of accomplishing much this season. The coaches DO like their YOUNG, somewhat unproven recievers, including the guys you've never heard of. They don't want to commit a bunch of money to a bandaid who will retire or leave just as they contend, and don't want that move to cost them one of their young guys who they think will BE somebody.
7: Jordon Norwood has really, really shined in the slot, and he CAN toast you.
8: All four of the tight ends can make big plays. It doesn't matter if the little guys can catch you when you can carry them and not even slow down much, see? You get behind a linebacker and he can't catch you. Behind a safety and he won't catch you for awhile. If you are willing to trust one safety or linebacker to prevent one of these guys from getting a big gain, you are a fool. Go ahead and bring that safety up close. I dare you.
9: ALL of the tight ends, and for that matter the running backs, can deploy wide and take a big defender outside with them. You can't really stack the box in the conventional sense. The Browns have awesome pass-catching backs and tight ends. Among the best in the NFL--and that is the truth.
Sure, a burner (if he's not already here) would help, but it still won't be possible to stack this team up.
I'm glad they start with the Superbowl champs. They might get slaughtered, but these young players need the reps. Kinda like practicing against Joe Haden, Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, TJ Ward, Dqwell Jackson, and guys like that...
Oh yeah and I told you that Jackson was a natural Mike in this defense. That much should show up tonight.
The worst WR corps in the league? I mean, I know that there are no proven stars, but there simply must be one or more teams that are worse. Dumb people dart to extremes much faster than sentient people. They can't even insert "one of".
More thoughtful and insightful analysis came from (former Jets GM) Pat Kirwin and (former Ditka-Bearss superbowl DT) Tim Ryan, who visited Browns camp for NFL Radio.
Ryan made the simple observation that he wasn't seeing any of the recievers get separation from the defenders. Kirwin went further, and decried their lack of a burner to "take the top off" a defense.
OK, it's true. But there are a lot of assumptions included in these opinions, and mitigating factors which weren't even considered:
1: MoMass averages over 15 yards per-catch. He did this in vertical-passing offenses. His rookie season, he averaged almost 20 YPC with a weak running game and with Quinn and Anderson. He was the de facto #1 reciever by a wide margin. With nobody else to take the heat off him, he made a whole lot of plays in the second half of his rookie season.
Some defenses double-covered him, and he still made catches. Other defenses stacked 8 or even 9 guys in the box, and he made them pay.
Massequoi is as fast or faster than most of the "known" deep threats. His strong points ARE his ability to get separation, and his yards-after-catch-all West Coast ideals.
Because of a weak sophomore season with three different quarterbacks, and very strong pass-catching tight ends and backs, in a run-oriented offense, I fail to understand why Massequoi is being dismissed.
2: Robiskie, per the coaches, is quietly doing very well. He's a possession reciever. And that's ok.
3: Carlton Mitchell hasn't even had a chance yet...therefore does not exist.
4: Little IS a big powerful guy, but was among the fastest recievers in this draft and is fully capable of going deep BEFORE a catch, and of out-leaping/muscling everybody else for the ball. He's already been typecast ad Anquan Bolden. Not bad, but not completely accurate. Little is a FASTER Bolden.
5: It's not too surprising that the recievers are having a hard time getting separation from Skrine and Haden, is it?
Speaking of which, I told you that Skrine could cover anybody, only the big guys have too much reach for him. I told you that he could very well be one of the opponent-specific third cornerbacks, and a backup outside as a rookie. Nobody else told you that. And no, you didn't think of it yourself just now (Helloooo!)
Ryan also declared that the Browns have nobody to rush the passer. This boggled my mind, because he and Kirwin had just spent about 45 seconds talking about how good it was for Sheard to be practicing against Joe Thomas. Could one of you name for me the defensive end that Thomas can't shut down? How can you say something like that?
Back to Kirwin's point (and former QB Jim Miller says that too a lesser extent it does apply to West Coast offenses): If you don't have one reciever who you don't dare try to cover with one guy, they can bring the safeties down to stop the run and blow up intermediate passes--while sending an extra guy or two after the QB.
If you have that one human torch reciever, then at least one cornerback has to play softer, and one safety has to set up and stay deeper, so stuff underneath is more open and runs have better chances.
How can I argue? I just say you should re-read what I wrote earlier.
6: The Browns don't have a realistic chance of accomplishing much this season. The coaches DO like their YOUNG, somewhat unproven recievers, including the guys you've never heard of. They don't want to commit a bunch of money to a bandaid who will retire or leave just as they contend, and don't want that move to cost them one of their young guys who they think will BE somebody.
7: Jordon Norwood has really, really shined in the slot, and he CAN toast you.
8: All four of the tight ends can make big plays. It doesn't matter if the little guys can catch you when you can carry them and not even slow down much, see? You get behind a linebacker and he can't catch you. Behind a safety and he won't catch you for awhile. If you are willing to trust one safety or linebacker to prevent one of these guys from getting a big gain, you are a fool. Go ahead and bring that safety up close. I dare you.
9: ALL of the tight ends, and for that matter the running backs, can deploy wide and take a big defender outside with them. You can't really stack the box in the conventional sense. The Browns have awesome pass-catching backs and tight ends. Among the best in the NFL--and that is the truth.
Sure, a burner (if he's not already here) would help, but it still won't be possible to stack this team up.
I'm glad they start with the Superbowl champs. They might get slaughtered, but these young players need the reps. Kinda like practicing against Joe Haden, Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, TJ Ward, Dqwell Jackson, and guys like that...
Oh yeah and I told you that Jackson was a natural Mike in this defense. That much should show up tonight.
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