I just read a couple of lines in a snarky, sarcastic Browns article by somebody who doesn't do any homework or else is just plain dumb.
The Browns want RG3 to start because he is one of the most gifted athletes in the NFL, and the only quarterback on the roster with the ability to put the team on his shoulders when necessary.
Is that too complicated or something?
Now, you can predict that Hue Jackson won't be able to rehabilitate the guy, and say he's done. That's fair, and you might be right. But the reason they want him to succeed is obvious.
The writer described the rest of the quarterbacks as mediocre, and that was truly ignorant. Sorry to repeat myself, but here we go:
1: Number one wide receiver: Travis Benjamin.
Number two wide receiver: Injured.
Number three wide receiver: You tell me.
2: No running game for most of the season.
3: Broken ribs, separated shoulder, concussion (3a: No time).
4: Constantly playing from behind.
5: McCown had a 92-plus qbr DESPITE all this. That's not mediocre. McCown did the same thing with the Bearss too. (He had a better team then.)
This goober blabbers about McCown might be better or something (I couldn't read it, really I'm allergic to stupid), but that only brings up reason number six why they want RG3 to start:
He is 26. Starting McCown will not get the 2016 Browns to the playoffs. NOTHING will do that. RG3 is still young, and can still improve with experience (notably in the pocket). They know what McCown is. At this point, a go-to backup you hope won't get busted up too soon, a teacher, mentor, and example.
By the way, Josh McCown has been with a lot of teams, but he is OURS now, isn't he? The guts and fire he showed, playing with those injuries...unforgettable. He's a Brown all right, or at least what you want a Brown to be! AND a great person!
Reason number seven is analytical. No Harvard degree required to comprehend this: An average or above performance makes him highly tradeable.
Don't ask why they would trade him ok? They might not but they always want that option.
NON-dumbass Chris Pokorny (Dawgs by Nature) continues his pre-season preview with part 2 of the defensive line.
Chris (and PFF) likes Jamie Meder a lot, and so do I. I don't believe in "overachievers", since none of us really achieve our potentials, but if there were such a thing, it's Meder. He doesn't have a really high ceiling, but he starts out on the third floor.
Chris introduces Nile Lawrence-Stample, who sounds remarkably like John Hughes; a big run-stuffer who CAN get a little penetration and pressure.
Chris thinks he has a shot to be the backup nose tackle, but I say so does John Hughes.
He can't help but point out that X Cooper rated dead last with PFF, but I like Chris a lot because he doesn't go on to suggest he sucks.
Good thing. Chris talks about the importance of stopping the run, but seems to overlook the Ray Horton factor:
This is common: Everybody thinks that a run-stopping defensive line has to two-gap and have guys like Hughes/Meder/Stample, but there are more ways to skin that cat.
The down linemen can one-gap and penetrate, and two inside players (linebackers or one of those and a safety) can plug the leaks (or come with them on run-blitzes for that matter.)
Much depends on the specific opponent and your own personnel, of course. The one-gap has a better chance vs big goons or zone-blocking, but not against g-power with a fast shifty running back, or a running quarterback.
One-gap is also better vs a brainy quick-release quarterback than a mad bomber too, because this scheme offers no pre-snap clues.
Ok-ok you do know that teams don't always run on "obvious run" downs right?
Anyway you don't want Xavier Cooper two-gapping. So stipulated. Mike Pettine had him two-gapping.
He makes the team case closed.
Coaches talked about using Nassib inside:
Well this tells me a lot about their plans:
First, understand that in Horton's scheme the left defensive end needs to have the length and reach to keep the right tackle at bay, and Nassib is "it", period. He HAS to play that position in this defense, because except for the venerable Des Bryant there is nobody else.
So I believe they will have him shaded inside the right tackle, and attacking the strong side b-gap a lot.
How they set the edge and cover to the sidelines is a separate issue, but this makes sense, because you don't want this underweight straight-line rookie trying to stand up right tackles or set the edge anyway.
It gets way deeper because, as I've said, nickels and dimes dominate the NFL today, and it's anybody's guess how Horton will handle that opponent-by-opponent, or where Nassib will fit.
Horton will use everything from one to five down linemen here, and in nickels and dimes Nassib is an unlikely edge player; an outside linebacker will do that.
Based on what Nunn said, they might get really unconventional with Nassib, and actually sometimes put him in the a-gaps.
Seriously, I've never heard this kind of talk before about a player like Nassib:
He does have a major reach advantage over guards and centers, and he is certainly a better athlete, but he's not very strong (yet), he'll find it hard to stay low, his first step is good but not great (like Cooper's), he'll be extra-vulnerable to cut-blocks, and...
Nah! No they might use him as a gap-shooter/pass batter-downer sometimes inside, but I really just think Nunn meant that the left DE will attack the b-gap.
But then, Nunn knows slightly more than I do about this stuff, so if I'm wrong I'm wrong.
But that lde thing is important. It means the left OLB stays outside and sets the edge more.
Having that DE attack the right guard makes it hard on an offense, because it means that right guard had better not pull, can't bother with Shelton or whoever else, and is overmatched by a much faster guy who will jolt him first with a head start.
But everything is a trade-off. Offenses will run away from him, roll the quarterback right, dump off right...they'll have the right tackle jab his pads to unbalance him, then target the edge-player (maybe with a tight end chip or real block), aim a shifty running back between them a lot, etc.
Still, I like it. Nassib or Bryant, with a running start, vs a right guard is a mismatch. Shelton or whoever one-on-one vs a center bodes well too.
Yeah it's risky, but underlying it is that the offense has to do stuff it's not built to do to overcome it, and can't stop penetration. It puts the right tackle out in space vs a superior athlete, pits a guard against a defensive end, gets the defensive end to the pocket, Nassib can tip or bat passes or claw at handoffs, they have to stay deep to get around him...
I picture a right tackle trying to nail Mingo or Ogbah in space. I find that funny to think about. Certain running backs coming behind them make that less funny, but like I said it's a trade-off, and one a defense should win more often than not.
If I'm right, opposing offenses will power run left and attack the right edge on the ground. They will roll out more, and use more short passes inside.
I can't say it won't WORK, but in general offenses are built to run right, throw from a pocket, and not have right tackles in space.
I guess Nunn is analytical too.
Hope I'm not linking to another guy who ripped me off, but this is a good article on why Josh McCown should stick around.
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