Curb Your Enthusiasm, Grasshopper

It's getting harder and harder to curb my enthusiasm.  I know I'm supposed to, because all the wise sages tell me I should, and one of the wisest predicted an 0-16 season.

I'm reminded daily that May is the month of irrational optimism for all NFL teams.

Let's see: Long way to go.  Way too early.  Shorts and helmets.  Holes.  Shambles.  

The problem for me, however, is that this year, that just doesn't line up with the projected, or even known, facts.  It just sounds to any legitimate analyst like a bunch of people being cautious and trying to sound mature.

To be sure, there are a number of negatives and question marks:

1: The Division, which includes two top contenders.  Well established, veteran teams, loaded with talent.

2: Uncertainty at quarterback.  Every time we hear good things about RG3, it's quickly followed by discouraging reports.  McCown proved a lot last season, but was injured for much of the season.  Rodney Kesslerfield is a rookie.

3: Inexperience.  That's the umbrella word here: It's not just the inexperience of all the rookies, but of Pryor, veterans who were brought in and haven't worked in this system or with these teammates.

4: More uncertainty: Erving has a lot to prove.  Pryor is no sure thing.  How good will the new right tackle be?  How much will Gipson's ballhawking be missed?

I'm sure I could find more negative stuff here, some of which the super-mature sages missed "Enthusiasm you must curb mm"

Still, with Hue Jackson and the well-proven old hands he brought here with him running things, it's hard to convince myself that the team won't be prepared or sensibly managed this time.

I am incapable of even considering history as far as this draft is concerned.  I can't force myself to expect Corey Coleman not to be as advertised, or Ogbah, Nassib, or others.  Not to give the new guys a clean slate is too irrational for me.

The importance of a quarterback is undeniable, but as demonstrated in the last Superbowl, it's not all there is.

To hear these guys on NFL Radio talk, the Ravens will contend again this season because Joe Flacco is back.

It's insanity.  First, Joe Flacco is very good, but not on par with Big Ben.  Second, Andy Dalton had an outstanding season, but this was substantially because of superior receivers, blockers, the running game, and defense.

Why do they think Flacco will kick ass without ANY of that?  Why do they even think he's much better than Dalton?  When did the other twenty one guys stop mattering, and Flacco achieve godhood?

Why can't RG3 or another Browns quarterback not do well with the weapons he will have here?  Is Andy Dalton better? Won't Dalton have Green and guys named Joe?

It's hyperbole.  Mysticism.  A quarterback who can put a whole team on his back is extremely rare, and the only two of those in this division are Big Ben and......RG3.

The rest is the other twenty one players!

The Browns other twenty one are better than the Ravens' almost everywhere!  They might have overtaken the Bengals at wide receiver and on the defensive line.  They've got the Steelers beat at tight end and outside linebacker...and defensive line too, for that matter.

The Browns have the best left tackle in football. Two top ten guards. A head coach who got the train wreck Raiders to 8-8 without a quarterback and got Andy Dalton into the top five.

Let's start scanning position by position in the AFC North: Second best tight end.  Third best wide receiver.  No worse than the third best offensive line.  Probably the best wide receiver depth.  Second best front seven, and a top two secondary.

What is Yoda seeing that I can't see?  Why is he telling me it's all an illusion?

And those questions: Ultimately, they will be answered, and sometimes we will like those answers.

Some of those questions shouldn't be asked.  Can Isaiah Crowell get it together?  He HAS it together! How can you bash the guy for running into his blocker's backs when he's already surrounded and there's no daylight anywhere?  How can you ignore the fact that he never ran to the strong side until game twelve?  How can you first blame him for getting swarmed under the first twelve games, then ignore the most recent four?

How can you blame Paul Kruger for not getting to the quarterback when he wasn't rushing him?

Why won't you listen to what Bill Polian said about the Ryan (Pettine) defense and inexperienced young players?  Or what the players themselves said?

Why can't you see that Nate Orchard got all three of his sacks in the last four games?

If Josh McCown came from a crappy 2014 and played at an elite level in 2015, don't you think RG3 can do the same under Hue Jackson with a whole new wide receiver corps?

I'm sorry, Yoda.  I can only go by what I see.  I see talent and coaching.  I see efficiency and competence.

You will probably feel validated when this team plays the Bengals and Steelers, but be "pleasantly surprised" when they upset the Ravens and several other teams.

Yes, it's early, but some of us can't turn our brains off.  Yes, we haven't seen anything yet, but it's natural to make educated guesses based on talent and production.

Why do we read scouting reports?  We haven't seen any of those guys play in the NFL yet!  Slow down!  Don't get excited! 

Anyway, I'll take four wins.  I expect third in the Division, however.  You should move to Baltimore and tell the Ravens fans to curb their enthusiasm.