Hey thanks for the space! I've been checking out the "Believeland" shows and hearing what the rookies are saying. It sounds terrific.
Hue Jackson AND his experienced veteran assistant coaches are all highly regarded by people who actually know what they're talking about.
History here doesn't matter. Hue isn't Mike or Rob, you see? I'm not sure he ever even met them. I suppose, just in case, he should stick to bottled water and carry a rabbit's foot, though.
The guy who normally writes here talks about the Steelers like they're the guys from the eighties or something.
Well, during the eighties the Browns went toe-to-toe with that dynasty. Yes, they lost more than they won, but they gave the Steelers hell.
Well okay, maybe the Steelers are just too loaded and experienced this season, but there's always the wild card.
They should kill the Ravens twice. That team is full of holes. When did Joe Flacco become Tom Brady? I must have missed something. I mean he's pretty good, but the guys on NFL Radio must have altars to him and the Wiz in their basements or something.
The Bengals? Ok yeah they're tough, but they lost their second AND third receivers, and (especially) Hue Jackson.
I think the Browns can compete with them in 2016. Shut up Wile E you said I could write whatever I want!
Anyway you're the guy writing about that Baylor with Pryor and Coleman thing. Don't you believe your own words?
Experience schmegsperience! Robert Griffin III IS a veteran. So is the whole offensive line except for Shon Coleman. So are the running backs and Barnidge and...well those guys!
I see RG3 throwing bombs to Coleman and Pryor the Bengals can't stop, and two or three guys all up in Dalton's grill every single down.
That offense is still too talented not to be really good this coming season, but it was Hue Jackson who got them into the top five. They didn't just lose that. Their division rival GAINED it!
I'm not even as awed and intimidated by the Steelers as Wile E is. Johnny Manziel threw for 370 yards on them. I think McCown strafed them too. The Browns could luck out and steal one from them too!
The AFC North is now THE toughest division in football, with the Ravens as the weakest team. That's right the Ravens, NOT the more talented at nearly every position Browns.
Cam Erving was a CONSENSUS first round draft pick, and called by some guys the best offensive lineman in his draft as a center. He hasn't played center yet. He's had an off season to lick his wounds and fix what needed fixing. Stop fretting about center! Anyway a MATTHEWS is here for depth.
Would you rather have Corey Coleman or Travis Benjamin? Describe the ideal number one X receiver. Done? Terrell Pryor is already here! The prototype! The recruiting poster for coverage dictators!
Ray Horton isn't overrated at all. Wile E checked out the players he had...you said "anything you want"....Wile E needs his mouth washed out with soap anyway Ray had talent in Arizona, but not much since in Cleveland and Tennessee.
His defenses were also burdened by his offenses. Wile E says he can't find out some of this without paying for it, but he thinks the offenses he worked with couldn't hold onto the ball enough, left his guys with bad field position, and wore out at the end of games and the season.
Makes sense. That's how you can rank high in most categories and lower in points allowed, right?
You know, the defense gives up one first down but gets a stop and after the punt the offense gets it on the 24. The offense turns the ball over at the 32 two plays later and the defense is back on the field already within field goal range and behind on points.
Now the offense pounds them on the ground. The defense stops them but "surrenders" the field goal. The defense did okay, but not in scoring.
Turnovers also go way up when the opposing team is playing from behind. Most turnovers are strip-sacks and interceptions, and even the best quarterbacks take chances trying to come back.
Ray got very little of that. Ray Horton is a really good defensive coordinator. He'll do much better with the talent he inherited than Mike Pettine did, and he just got two stud inside linebackers, a left defensive end, and an outside linebacker. And a 255 lb. Mingo.
Mingo will kick ass. Sort of. Because he'll still cover tight ends too. But he's stronger now and will be a scarier passrusher and run-stopper.
Opposing tight ends won't be the easy way out for quarterbacks.
Ogbah and Nassib can rush the passer. They aren't all they can be yet but they're already that.
The big thing with Ray Horton is he's coming after you, from every angle, even on run downs. Nothing is predictable, and there aren't many strong tendencies to exploit.
He wants to play every down in your backfield. If it were chess, he'd be getting behind your pawns asap and threatening everything he can.
I know Wile E loves that in general (he idolized Bud Carson), but to me it's just telling you: You can do this with inexperienced players. It's vulnerable to big plays (on cutbacks, bombs to tall receivers, delayed draws, dual threat quarterbacks, Ben Roethsenberger, etc) but also--as long as there is penetration-it blows things up in the backfield and forces turnovers.
This is exactly perfect for this team in 2016. It's not boxing. It's a street fight. Inexperienced guys who haven't fully integrated yet can mess up any offense. Ray Horton is in the right place at the right time.
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