1: The Browns reportedly offered three firsts and a second for RGIII. Were they supposed to offer another first rounder? Toss in 6 players? They tried and couldn't get him! What the hell is the matter with you?
2: Other teams DID want TRich enough to jump ahead of the Browns and nab him. Alfred Morris? Alfred Morris was overlooked by 31 other personel guys, and didn't play in a flak jacket with broken ribs all season!
3: Wilson? NAME ANY scout, GM, or coach who thought this guy could ever even start in the NFL!
4: Now TJ WARD was a reach? Hughes is a bust? The same Hughes who is, as a rookie, an integral part of the DT rotation?
5: Haden sucks because a 6'5" reciever burned him last week? Because he doesn't have many interceptions? Five weeks out of six he all but shuts down the opponent's best reciever, but now he sucks?
6: You're calling sixth and seventh- rounders who didn't pan out "busts"? Are you retarded? Enough said.
7: Pinkston and Luavao both start. They're not great and can't pull, but can't you see where they were drafted? Because this is Cleveland, if the GM doesn't find elite players in the later rounds, he sucks. You think Ozzie Newsome bats over .300 on those, you...?
8: The Browns did not expect to contend this season, and wanted to develop their young talent. Free agency is for contenders. Old free agents cost cap-space and prevent young guys from getting reps. They can't get a rebuilding team into the playoffs, and stifle it's progress.
All the same, Heckert was in the hunt for Indi's Garcon and other YOUNGER free agents, but couldn't land them. Had the new management been smart enough to keep Heckert, he would have used free agency more next season, because the young core of talent that he'd built will have the experience to contend.
DDUUUHHHH!
Instead of comparing Heckert to God or your 20/20 hindsite, compare him to other humans who do the same job and didn't have a damn crystal ball!
Say no to John Gruden. His teams faded fast after he won a Super Bowl with Tony Dungy's team. Jay might be ok though--I don't know.
Kyle Shanahan I like. His dad never won a Superbowl without Elway, but his teams were always competitive and usually contended no matter what talent he had or didn't have. When they got RGIII, they were smart enough to adapt to him and let him do what he does best while learning the other stuff.
Kyle is my personal favorite, even though the Shanahans run a different offensive system. If they're stuck with Weeden, they'll adapt somewhat to him and help the transition.
Here's a longshot for ya: Marty Schottenheimer's kid! (He's way more creative and aggressive on offense, and wouldn't you expect him to be as prepared/disciplined?) Back to Kyle:
Kyle's not an ideal fit for the current offensive line, because they love zone-blocking. The outside and middle of this line are okay, but none of the guards on this roster are quick enough. But then, you can adapt here, as well, and the Shanahans seem smart/creative enough to be so flexible.
For that matter, Weeden is a better fit for the preferred Shanahan system, which uses more vertical routes and isn't as complex.
As for GM, as I've said, Heckert is a top five guy (and I doubt that anybody on NFL Radio would debate that. Only Barstool GM's in Cleveland could disagree, and I have to side with people not on the waiting list for brains). Teams will fight over him.
It'll be okay if they can get another top five guy. Maybe from the Ravens, Falcons, or Stoolers.
The Browns will now draft sixth overall, with no second round pick. If you color Gordon as that pick--which he literally is--you must also credit Heckert with getting a first round talent in the second round, and a year early. The dude now has a full season of NFL experience under his belt, too!
None of the quarterbacks in this draft rate that pick, but the best of them will be gone by the third round. And then, you don't draft a quarterback just to draft him.
I personally doubt that Weeden can be a playoff quarterback, but I know I could be wrong. He might just come back next season much improved. His holding the ball while overlooking open recievers is the scariest thing I see...I mean, can you fix something like that?
Vs. the Stoolers, Thad Lewis marched them up and down the field. He got rid of the damn ball!
Grossi pointed out that none of his passes went over 16 or 17 yards, but that's how the West Coast is supposed to work. Lewis has worked in the same system since he came to the league, and merely ran the offense the right way.
Maybe he doesn't have a big arm, but this game didn't say anything about that. Tony needs to take out some old Montana/Young tapes, or maybe even some more recent Rogers tapes, and look for those long bombs there.
I like Lewis so far. But he's a West Coast guy, and who knows if he'll fit into the new regime?
Oh well. I look foreward to the offseason...guess I'm just sick.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
TRich and RG3
I've sure read some dumb comments recently. Trent Richardson is a bust?
For most of the season, every team the Browns have played have made stopping this guy a priority. You attack the combination of a superior running back and a rookie quarterback by overloading the offensive line and sending extra guys.
The running back has to stay there to protect the quarterback if it's a pass--and face it: It was almost always a run anyway, so the extra inside rushers raced him to the handoff and got a hat on him before he could take two steps with the ball.
This is after he recovers from knee surgery and before he tears rib cartilage.
Nor has he healed. As I said when he was injured, you need to NOT MOVE for several weeks for that injury to heal. I can't blame Richardson for playing through the pain, but I do blame Shurmer for letting him.
I understand: Shurmer doesn't want to be fired, and Richardson hurt or not is very reliable and expecially good at catching passes. There are lingering concerns about Hardesty's ball security, and he's not as good a reciever.
But Shurmer has ridden him into the ground. No rookie running back is ever prepared to touch the ball as many times as TRich has in his first NFL season. They work out like maniacs, but for whatever reason, no amount of conditioning can give them the neccessary endurance until they've actually played one full season.
So I think that right now TRich is simply tired. Once he has a chance to heal and has a full offseason, he'll be scary.
RG3 won't play today. Apparantly some teams allow their players to heal.
I love RG: This idiot comes out bashing him for not being black enough, and he asks the guy to define what he means by "one of us". Why is it so important for these clowns to not simply be americans? Why is a guy who works hard and earns the american dream a Tom unless he...what...talks about how he was oppressed? Demands more free stuff? Talks like an ignorant jailbird?
I can't miss that the guy is black, ok? I just don't CARE!
Anyway, I like Kurt Cousins too, but not as much. Because he's white. Kidding.
Updated W/L prediction: 8-8.
For most of the season, every team the Browns have played have made stopping this guy a priority. You attack the combination of a superior running back and a rookie quarterback by overloading the offensive line and sending extra guys.
The running back has to stay there to protect the quarterback if it's a pass--and face it: It was almost always a run anyway, so the extra inside rushers raced him to the handoff and got a hat on him before he could take two steps with the ball.
This is after he recovers from knee surgery and before he tears rib cartilage.
Nor has he healed. As I said when he was injured, you need to NOT MOVE for several weeks for that injury to heal. I can't blame Richardson for playing through the pain, but I do blame Shurmer for letting him.
I understand: Shurmer doesn't want to be fired, and Richardson hurt or not is very reliable and expecially good at catching passes. There are lingering concerns about Hardesty's ball security, and he's not as good a reciever.
But Shurmer has ridden him into the ground. No rookie running back is ever prepared to touch the ball as many times as TRich has in his first NFL season. They work out like maniacs, but for whatever reason, no amount of conditioning can give them the neccessary endurance until they've actually played one full season.
So I think that right now TRich is simply tired. Once he has a chance to heal and has a full offseason, he'll be scary.
RG3 won't play today. Apparantly some teams allow their players to heal.
I love RG: This idiot comes out bashing him for not being black enough, and he asks the guy to define what he means by "one of us". Why is it so important for these clowns to not simply be americans? Why is a guy who works hard and earns the american dream a Tom unless he...what...talks about how he was oppressed? Demands more free stuff? Talks like an ignorant jailbird?
I can't miss that the guy is black, ok? I just don't CARE!
Anyway, I like Kurt Cousins too, but not as much. Because he's white. Kidding.
Updated W/L prediction: 8-8.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Fritz's Nephew
Remember Bill Belichick when he was here? Remember "We could have had Cowher!"? Remember the worst coach in football?
You wore me down. I quit defending him in the old Browns' final season, when the team seemed to regress. I didn't know at the time that the players had known before we did that the team was moving.
Of course, that was BB101. BB101 was a control-freak who didn't just do his job, but also those of his assistant coaches. BB101 had film-study OCD and changed the game plan three or four times leading up to games. He worked 18 hours a day. He hovered over everybody.
His work ethic was awesome, and he was a genius. He wasn't ready to be a Head Coach. Being a Head Coach made him a Head Case.
BB102 is much more like Bill Parcells, his mentor. He delegates authority to the best, smartest assistant coaches he can find. He is the General and lets his Colonels and Captains do their jobs once they have their orders.
Sure, he's got Tom Brady! But see how Brady himself is a coach? See how he LETS Brady be Brady? Note how he actually traded elite quarterback Drew Bledsoe to hand the reigns over to the inexperienced sixth-rounder after one pretty good season?
This whole thing with Shurmer sounds familiar. "I say we haing 'im!"
His ultraconservatism in the red zone vs. the Ratbirds drove me nuts. He didn't guarantee a bunch of field goals. He made touchdowns much much more unlikely. I wanted him fired.
But in the three subsequent games, he's done a great job. He's better now! The offense has been balanced, and not predictable. He's even gone for it on fourth down! He's PASSED on fourth-and-inches! Not that being a compulsive gambler makes you a good coach or anything--but Shurmer has demonstrated adaptability and versatility in his gameplanning and playcalling.
Many fans seem oblivious to this. This is because they're still repeating what they were saying five weeks ago. Some don't even know what they're saying means, because they're repeating something somebody else said. Most people also hate to change their minds, once their minds are made up. It's like accepting defeat or something for them.
I was wrong! Shurmer (so far) looks like a keeper who is improving! See? It's easy! Everybody is wrong sometimes! Nobody is perfect! Admit it! Say it! "I was wrong!"
The youngest team in football is making fewer mistakes, and all along were competitive with teams full of veterans; contending, playoff teams. Developing the young players and being competitive has always been a Shurmer positive. The ONLY issue with Shurmer, really, was his playcalling. You want to fire him now, just when his only weakness is disappearing?
And even his playcalling suckdom was overstated. I was seeing red after the Ravens game, but in most of the other games I saw, the losses were more about dropped passes, interceptions, and blown blocks and referees than bad playcalls.
People were bashing him for sending TRich up the middle--for running on first down for crying out loud! Yeah, 50% of the time, I can tell in advance if it's a pass or a run, and if I can tell...
Maybe the best thing he's done is to protect Weeden as much as possible. That's WHY you run and dink-pass a lot-to protect a rookie quarterback.
He's not perfect, of course. He's run TRich into the ground. TRich is conditioned to play a college season. They can work out all they want, but every college running back starting in the NFL for the first season is not ready to carry the load for sixteen games. That includes Adrian Peterson.
"Dancing"? I can't say because I didn't see the KC game, but I strongly suspect that he's lost his explosion because his legs are dead.
Let's see if vs Washington Hardesty gets more carries. And why not that guy with the name that starts with "O"?
But then, expecting Shurmer to be as smart as ME is probably setting the bar too high...
You wore me down. I quit defending him in the old Browns' final season, when the team seemed to regress. I didn't know at the time that the players had known before we did that the team was moving.
Of course, that was BB101. BB101 was a control-freak who didn't just do his job, but also those of his assistant coaches. BB101 had film-study OCD and changed the game plan three or four times leading up to games. He worked 18 hours a day. He hovered over everybody.
His work ethic was awesome, and he was a genius. He wasn't ready to be a Head Coach. Being a Head Coach made him a Head Case.
BB102 is much more like Bill Parcells, his mentor. He delegates authority to the best, smartest assistant coaches he can find. He is the General and lets his Colonels and Captains do their jobs once they have their orders.
Sure, he's got Tom Brady! But see how Brady himself is a coach? See how he LETS Brady be Brady? Note how he actually traded elite quarterback Drew Bledsoe to hand the reigns over to the inexperienced sixth-rounder after one pretty good season?
This whole thing with Shurmer sounds familiar. "I say we haing 'im!"
His ultraconservatism in the red zone vs. the Ratbirds drove me nuts. He didn't guarantee a bunch of field goals. He made touchdowns much much more unlikely. I wanted him fired.
But in the three subsequent games, he's done a great job. He's better now! The offense has been balanced, and not predictable. He's even gone for it on fourth down! He's PASSED on fourth-and-inches! Not that being a compulsive gambler makes you a good coach or anything--but Shurmer has demonstrated adaptability and versatility in his gameplanning and playcalling.
Many fans seem oblivious to this. This is because they're still repeating what they were saying five weeks ago. Some don't even know what they're saying means, because they're repeating something somebody else said. Most people also hate to change their minds, once their minds are made up. It's like accepting defeat or something for them.
I was wrong! Shurmer (so far) looks like a keeper who is improving! See? It's easy! Everybody is wrong sometimes! Nobody is perfect! Admit it! Say it! "I was wrong!"
The youngest team in football is making fewer mistakes, and all along were competitive with teams full of veterans; contending, playoff teams. Developing the young players and being competitive has always been a Shurmer positive. The ONLY issue with Shurmer, really, was his playcalling. You want to fire him now, just when his only weakness is disappearing?
And even his playcalling suckdom was overstated. I was seeing red after the Ravens game, but in most of the other games I saw, the losses were more about dropped passes, interceptions, and blown blocks and referees than bad playcalls.
People were bashing him for sending TRich up the middle--for running on first down for crying out loud! Yeah, 50% of the time, I can tell in advance if it's a pass or a run, and if I can tell...
Maybe the best thing he's done is to protect Weeden as much as possible. That's WHY you run and dink-pass a lot-to protect a rookie quarterback.
He's not perfect, of course. He's run TRich into the ground. TRich is conditioned to play a college season. They can work out all they want, but every college running back starting in the NFL for the first season is not ready to carry the load for sixteen games. That includes Adrian Peterson.
"Dancing"? I can't say because I didn't see the KC game, but I strongly suspect that he's lost his explosion because his legs are dead.
Let's see if vs Washington Hardesty gets more carries. And why not that guy with the name that starts with "O"?
But then, expecting Shurmer to be as smart as ME is probably setting the bar too high...
Monday, December 3, 2012
The New Shurmer
I like this guy!
First off, it's easy to bash anybody's playcalling. You wait to see what happens, and if it doesn't work, it was stupid. Another method is the Obvious method. You must always run up the middle on first down. Another is the Predictably Unpredictable method: You must always pass on first down.
Then there's the They'll Never See This Coming method: You must always do the opposite of the obvious.
Most bashers mix-and-match all these methods play-by-play, but merely as reasons why the unsuccessful play was stupid.
I'm not bashing the bashers or anything, because I was bashing Shurmer's playcalling too. For me, it was the getting inside Dawson's range and shutting down everything but the run to make sure nothing bad could happen. This guaranteed us a bunch of field goals and no touchdowns.
But some of the bashing is coming from asylums. Like, you never pass the ball on first down! Or you must go 50/50 pass and run on first, regardless of the defense, their front, etc.
The new Pat, however, is aggressive and opportunistic.
The Browns have a big offensive line that can move people inside--whether they know it's coming or not. Whether they like it or not. So he's been going for it more on fourth and inches. Like when the referees screwed Weeden out of his first down on third-and-inches with a bad spot? They went for it on fourth with the same play. I guess the center and guards were angry, because they blew it up and Weeds accidentally got around two yards.
But the point is, Shurmer DID call the play.
When they get into the red zone, now he lets Weeden take shots at the end zone rather than handing (or dumping) it off to TRich 3 times and then kicking a field goal (after the entire defense ignores everybody else and converges on the overworked rookie running back because they know he's going to get the ball no matter what every single time).
When Weeden threw a stupid interception, Shurmer didn't immediately delete all intermediate and deep passes from the game plan. NOW, you just never know when Weeden will try to wooden-stake you.
How 'bout going for it on fourth and a couple feet and PASSING? Most wait for the end of that play and then decide if it was stupid or not. But more than a few can't handle not running no matter what in that situation. I am proud to say that I like the guts and wouldn't have bashed it if it hadn't worked.
That's a wooden-stake play, as certainly as any long bomb. The whole defense is all over the line of scrimmage. The linemen are diving for penetration, so it's very hard for them to get back up and muster a pass-rush. No reciever can be double-covered at all because the safeties must think run first.
Any reception here could go all the way, as the reciever is already behind most of the defenders.
Field position matters as well. Had the fourth-and-inches pass failed, the opponent simply takes over on downs with good, but not great, field position. About the same as a punt-and-return. Risk/Reward--I love it.
Part of this is Weeden. He has apparantly won more confidence from Shurmer in these situations.
Vs. the Raiders, I thought he was inconsistant, and was frustrated as hell with him. Then I find out he'd thrown for 364 yards--and then there was that last crunch-time TD-drive. He kept his cool and handled it like a veteran.
I figure this must be like one of those college games where these defensive coordinators bragged about how they'd beat his team by getting more pressure in his face. He threw for something like 360 and 450 yards in those games, too.
I see his issue now. He has to have his feet set. When he does, he's accurate as hell. But when he's on the move, he's mediocre. This can be worked on, but not during a season.
But I digress: In my amateur opinion, Shurmer's last two games have featured some really good playcalling--and game management too. Two penalties in LA? They're disciplined. Even Little catches everything now.
We'll see what happens the rest of the way, but I have to give Shurmer a fair chance of keeping his job, whether the permabashers like it or not.
How bout that Josh Gordon? Nice move, Tom! Yeah most of the guys on NFL Radio thought a next year's second-rounder was too much to pay for a guy who'd hardly played in college and had been in trouble. But Tom doesn't listen to that stuff.
Part of that criticism was based on the assumption that the Browns would again draft at or near the top of the draft because they would suck even worse than they did last season. (I still find this inexplicable. How can you assume that a team this young, in the second year of new offensive and defensive systems, would regress? That's just insane!)
Heckert all along was probably expecting six or more wins.
Now look at that Gordon move! He's already passed up Gregg Little and MoMass! The rawest, most inexperienced rookie wide-out in football is a touchdown machine who just had his first 100-yard game. Can you imagine what this guy will be like coming back from a full off-season with that experience under his belt?
You saw on that 44-yard touchdown what I mentioned before: Once he gets behind a guy, it's over.
Commentors who declare Heckert a goner already are clueless. Yes, it is possible that they'll fire him--but it would be pretty stupid, and I don't think Haslam is stupid.
First off, it's easy to bash anybody's playcalling. You wait to see what happens, and if it doesn't work, it was stupid. Another method is the Obvious method. You must always run up the middle on first down. Another is the Predictably Unpredictable method: You must always pass on first down.
Then there's the They'll Never See This Coming method: You must always do the opposite of the obvious.
Most bashers mix-and-match all these methods play-by-play, but merely as reasons why the unsuccessful play was stupid.
I'm not bashing the bashers or anything, because I was bashing Shurmer's playcalling too. For me, it was the getting inside Dawson's range and shutting down everything but the run to make sure nothing bad could happen. This guaranteed us a bunch of field goals and no touchdowns.
But some of the bashing is coming from asylums. Like, you never pass the ball on first down! Or you must go 50/50 pass and run on first, regardless of the defense, their front, etc.
The new Pat, however, is aggressive and opportunistic.
The Browns have a big offensive line that can move people inside--whether they know it's coming or not. Whether they like it or not. So he's been going for it more on fourth and inches. Like when the referees screwed Weeden out of his first down on third-and-inches with a bad spot? They went for it on fourth with the same play. I guess the center and guards were angry, because they blew it up and Weeds accidentally got around two yards.
But the point is, Shurmer DID call the play.
When they get into the red zone, now he lets Weeden take shots at the end zone rather than handing (or dumping) it off to TRich 3 times and then kicking a field goal (after the entire defense ignores everybody else and converges on the overworked rookie running back because they know he's going to get the ball no matter what every single time).
When Weeden threw a stupid interception, Shurmer didn't immediately delete all intermediate and deep passes from the game plan. NOW, you just never know when Weeden will try to wooden-stake you.
How 'bout going for it on fourth and a couple feet and PASSING? Most wait for the end of that play and then decide if it was stupid or not. But more than a few can't handle not running no matter what in that situation. I am proud to say that I like the guts and wouldn't have bashed it if it hadn't worked.
That's a wooden-stake play, as certainly as any long bomb. The whole defense is all over the line of scrimmage. The linemen are diving for penetration, so it's very hard for them to get back up and muster a pass-rush. No reciever can be double-covered at all because the safeties must think run first.
Any reception here could go all the way, as the reciever is already behind most of the defenders.
Field position matters as well. Had the fourth-and-inches pass failed, the opponent simply takes over on downs with good, but not great, field position. About the same as a punt-and-return. Risk/Reward--I love it.
Part of this is Weeden. He has apparantly won more confidence from Shurmer in these situations.
Vs. the Raiders, I thought he was inconsistant, and was frustrated as hell with him. Then I find out he'd thrown for 364 yards--and then there was that last crunch-time TD-drive. He kept his cool and handled it like a veteran.
I figure this must be like one of those college games where these defensive coordinators bragged about how they'd beat his team by getting more pressure in his face. He threw for something like 360 and 450 yards in those games, too.
I see his issue now. He has to have his feet set. When he does, he's accurate as hell. But when he's on the move, he's mediocre. This can be worked on, but not during a season.
But I digress: In my amateur opinion, Shurmer's last two games have featured some really good playcalling--and game management too. Two penalties in LA? They're disciplined. Even Little catches everything now.
We'll see what happens the rest of the way, but I have to give Shurmer a fair chance of keeping his job, whether the permabashers like it or not.
How bout that Josh Gordon? Nice move, Tom! Yeah most of the guys on NFL Radio thought a next year's second-rounder was too much to pay for a guy who'd hardly played in college and had been in trouble. But Tom doesn't listen to that stuff.
Part of that criticism was based on the assumption that the Browns would again draft at or near the top of the draft because they would suck even worse than they did last season. (I still find this inexplicable. How can you assume that a team this young, in the second year of new offensive and defensive systems, would regress? That's just insane!)
Heckert all along was probably expecting six or more wins.
Now look at that Gordon move! He's already passed up Gregg Little and MoMass! The rawest, most inexperienced rookie wide-out in football is a touchdown machine who just had his first 100-yard game. Can you imagine what this guy will be like coming back from a full off-season with that experience under his belt?
You saw on that 44-yard touchdown what I mentioned before: Once he gets behind a guy, it's over.
Commentors who declare Heckert a goner already are clueless. Yes, it is possible that they'll fire him--but it would be pretty stupid, and I don't think Haslam is stupid.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Browns Were the More Talented Team
The guys on NFL Radio haven't been as bad as usual with the Squealer-worship, and it's even beginning to dawn on some of them that the Browns have some talent.
Adam Schein, of course, blames the Big Benless Steelers.
I sat next to a group of Steeler fans during most of the game (before finally locating a chapter of Browns Backers in the same place).
First of all, they were pretty nice people and really knew football. Having said that, I was just plain disoriented to hear--during a Browns/Steelers game--these guys complaining about the officiating. No need to elaborate, right?
I wanted to tell this guy: "The reason for all the holding calls is that the Browns defensive line overmatches the Stoolers' offensive line and they ARE holding."
And it's true. In fact, the Browns offensive and defensive lines both dominated, and the reason they dominated was because they are more talented. Certainly Mike Adams will get better, and Castillo will help a lot when he returns, but all this will do is make it closer.
With the return of the Rubin/Taylor tandem (and the ability to keep at least one of them on the field for most downs), the defensive line is suddenly one of the best in the NFL. While there is no superstar passrusher, they bring pressure evenly from both sides and the middle, and everybody gets sacks.
It extends to the front seven. Everybody (except one moron) loves D'Qwell Jackson, but the young undrafted outside 'backers that Heckert dug up are really becoming excellent players in all downs.
The broken-record MM's repeat that the Browns need linebackers, but they don't. If you are saying a "passrushing" linebacker, please stop. This is a 4-3, and needs REAL linebackers.
Sure, nothing is ever perfect, so a real QB-killing weakside starting DE or a super-fast linebacker would help, but these are "wants", not "needs".
TJ Ward has really become a force at safety, too.
And the turnovers? No, it wasn't the Steelers' just giving it up. It was the Browns' taking it. Schein and Tomlin can't seem to get this, but Rich Gannon (who has finally watched a couple games) is talking about an up-and-coming team that is finally putting it together. He said they physicly beat up the Steelers and took the ball with hard, jarring hits.
I was personally frustrated by Weeden holding the ball forever, and then throwing it away. Terry Pluto seems to have seen something different, as he credits Weeden with getting rid of the ball quickly. I think I'm right and Terry is wrong this time.
Tony Grossi blames the coaches for turning a gunslinger into Captain Checkdown. That might have merit, too. For whatever reason, he seems afraid to go deep. I hope it's just a phase.
Gannon and Miller defended him strongly, pointing out the specific defenses he has faced. Others have compared his stats to those of highly regarded quarterbacks vs. the same defenses, and made me think that my expectations for any rookie quarterback have been unreasonable.
The overall offense is now balanced. The wide recievers, including Little, have stopped dropping passes. Weeden is hitting all of them, spreading the ball around.
I still wish that Shurmer wasn't oblivious to the fact that TRich is a rookie accustomed to much shorter seasons, and that if he's not given some rest here and there his legs will die and he'll indeed be ordinary for the last few games--if he isn't HURT again.
I know that Hardesty has put the ball on the ground in the past, but repeat that he never had this issue in college, and should be given a shot to take some reps off TRich.
But I've now gone from negative to neutral on Shurmer overall. Continuity is important, so you've got to grade on a curve here.
A few things about playing in the mud that I don't think people get:
1: It's much harder on cornerbacks and safeties than on big recievers like Little and Gordon. The big reciever's weight gives them better traction so that they can cut without slipping. The smaller defender trying to react to the cut has to tippy-toe around to keep from falling down. They also can't be bumping or getting in the way because they can more easily get decked.
2: Bigger is better in the trenches.
3: It's harder to bring pressure on the quarterback, except with inside blitzes.
The Browns should throw the ball!
They're 1.5 point dogs. I don't get it.
Adam Schein, of course, blames the Big Benless Steelers.
I sat next to a group of Steeler fans during most of the game (before finally locating a chapter of Browns Backers in the same place).
First of all, they were pretty nice people and really knew football. Having said that, I was just plain disoriented to hear--during a Browns/Steelers game--these guys complaining about the officiating. No need to elaborate, right?
I wanted to tell this guy: "The reason for all the holding calls is that the Browns defensive line overmatches the Stoolers' offensive line and they ARE holding."
And it's true. In fact, the Browns offensive and defensive lines both dominated, and the reason they dominated was because they are more talented. Certainly Mike Adams will get better, and Castillo will help a lot when he returns, but all this will do is make it closer.
With the return of the Rubin/Taylor tandem (and the ability to keep at least one of them on the field for most downs), the defensive line is suddenly one of the best in the NFL. While there is no superstar passrusher, they bring pressure evenly from both sides and the middle, and everybody gets sacks.
It extends to the front seven. Everybody (except one moron) loves D'Qwell Jackson, but the young undrafted outside 'backers that Heckert dug up are really becoming excellent players in all downs.
The broken-record MM's repeat that the Browns need linebackers, but they don't. If you are saying a "passrushing" linebacker, please stop. This is a 4-3, and needs REAL linebackers.
Sure, nothing is ever perfect, so a real QB-killing weakside starting DE or a super-fast linebacker would help, but these are "wants", not "needs".
TJ Ward has really become a force at safety, too.
And the turnovers? No, it wasn't the Steelers' just giving it up. It was the Browns' taking it. Schein and Tomlin can't seem to get this, but Rich Gannon (who has finally watched a couple games) is talking about an up-and-coming team that is finally putting it together. He said they physicly beat up the Steelers and took the ball with hard, jarring hits.
I was personally frustrated by Weeden holding the ball forever, and then throwing it away. Terry Pluto seems to have seen something different, as he credits Weeden with getting rid of the ball quickly. I think I'm right and Terry is wrong this time.
Tony Grossi blames the coaches for turning a gunslinger into Captain Checkdown. That might have merit, too. For whatever reason, he seems afraid to go deep. I hope it's just a phase.
Gannon and Miller defended him strongly, pointing out the specific defenses he has faced. Others have compared his stats to those of highly regarded quarterbacks vs. the same defenses, and made me think that my expectations for any rookie quarterback have been unreasonable.
The overall offense is now balanced. The wide recievers, including Little, have stopped dropping passes. Weeden is hitting all of them, spreading the ball around.
I still wish that Shurmer wasn't oblivious to the fact that TRich is a rookie accustomed to much shorter seasons, and that if he's not given some rest here and there his legs will die and he'll indeed be ordinary for the last few games--if he isn't HURT again.
I know that Hardesty has put the ball on the ground in the past, but repeat that he never had this issue in college, and should be given a shot to take some reps off TRich.
But I've now gone from negative to neutral on Shurmer overall. Continuity is important, so you've got to grade on a curve here.
A few things about playing in the mud that I don't think people get:
1: It's much harder on cornerbacks and safeties than on big recievers like Little and Gordon. The big reciever's weight gives them better traction so that they can cut without slipping. The smaller defender trying to react to the cut has to tippy-toe around to keep from falling down. They also can't be bumping or getting in the way because they can more easily get decked.
2: Bigger is better in the trenches.
3: It's harder to bring pressure on the quarterback, except with inside blitzes.
The Browns should throw the ball!
They're 1.5 point dogs. I don't get it.
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