Pett and Flip Really Mean It

Okay, so the Browns are stuck with Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, and Connor Shaw.  That's not ideal.

By now, everybody knows the statistics, which say that teams with the top-ranked quarterbacks make and advance in the playoffs, and those without them don't.

Marty Schottenheimer famously said that statistics are for losers.  I'm beginning to understand what he meant.

Pettine's message all along has been that football is a team sport.  While I'm sure that he would have liked to grab Marcus Mariota or inherit Tannehill, he sincerely doesn't believe that an offense should revolve around any one player.  Not even the guy who takes every snap.

Well, think about this: Josh McCown with Tampa Bay was a terrible quarterback.  But with Chicago, was an elite quarterback.  What was different?

The talent around him was different.

While McCown had elite wide recievers on both teams, the offensive lines, running games, and defenses were markedly different.  Those who point to Tampa's recievers and declare both situations the same are permabashers who cherry-pick information to back up their universally dark and dire prejudices.

Pett has repeatedly said that McCown can succeed in "the right situation", and this is what he means.  

With a strong defense that gets turnovers, McCown shouldn't have to come from behind much.  That means that defenses can't tee off on him and overload his blockers with blitzers.  That he'll have favorable field position more often, so defenses are paranoid about big plays.

With possibly the best offensive line in the NFL and a diverse and formidable running game, he shouldn't have to face many second and third and long situations that mandate a pass.

The scheme will be very McCown-freindly too.  Flip and Pett will use pitches, dumpoffs, and conventional runs a lot, and around 75% of the plays he'll run will be these easy, high-percentage plays.

The bulk of the other pass plays will be slants and crosses on short and intermediate patterns.  He and the recievers must make the correct reads, but the ball will be out of his hands within three seconds.

Stop bashing the tight ends and wide recievers.  All three (current) smurfs are lightening-fast PLAYMAKERS who are ideal for the slants and crosses.

Hartline and Bowe can also run vertical routes, and are relatively safe downfield targets who can often prevent an interception of they can't make the catch.

Rob Housler is highly underrated.  This will be the first time since Bruce Ariens took over in Arizona that he'll be used the way he's meant to be used.  Malcolm Johnson will surprise a lot of you, too.

Guys like Sam Bradford were too stupid to comprehend this, but McCown might have the easiest QB gig in the NFL.  All he has to be is competant.

If you snickered when I said that this might be the best offensive line in the NFL, you are an ignoramus.  I believe that Erving will take over at right tackle, as the unsung John Greco ranks as the 11th-best guard (of 64) in the NFL.

Erving excelled at left tackle, and is an ideal fit for a zone and trap-blocking scheme.

The running backs?  Awesome.  West and Crowell going into their second seasons should be better blockers and recievers, and Duke Johnson is a home-run hitter with one of the best stiff-arms I've ever seen.  He's not small--he's compact.  He's not just elusive and fast, but he's hard to take down!

Crowell, I believe, could mutate into Beast Mode.

The wide recievers are hard to quantify, but the objective analyst would call Bowe and Hartline "pretty good" (sleeper alert: Josh Lenz).  The three smurfs are really good, too.

And I believe Housler can do everything Jordan Cameron did.  He's faster than Dizzy, by the way.

Pat Kirwan rating this defensive line last in the Division was as laughable as it was predictable.  I won't rehash my earlier blog in this subject, but it's not just the three high-profile new additions they've brought on board, but the 3 players who were injured last season who return, that make this a group on a par with the offensive line they'll face in practice every day.

I need not mention the secondary, except to point out that Gilbert might start opposite Haden and play "as advertized" when they drafted him.

The upgraded defensive line will help Orchard and the other OLB's immensely, as pockets will collapse, and opposing offenses won't be able to run the ball like they did last season.

As I mentioned, "lack of pressure" as measured in sacks last season is misleading.  Opposing teams ran the ball a lot, and were ahead on points a lot, and there weren't many obvious passing situations that they could exploit.

Starks, Shelton, and Cooper were all brought here to change that, and these guys can mess up the passing game (each in his own way) as a bonus.

As a result, a game managing quarterback can win with this team.

And I'm convinced that what Mike Pettine is telling the public matches word-for-word what he tells his team behind closed doors.

This is a very talented team, with the bulk of the players young and improving.  The defensive system has, for once, remained intact and is installing "graduate level" stuff now.

And I'm sure that Mike Pettine says this:

JUST DO YOUR JOB.  Sound familiar?