Brian Billick Doesn't Hate the Browns

Brian Billick is not a moron and (as far as I know) doesn't personally hate the Browns.  He won a Superbowl with Trent Dilfer.

What was interesting here was Hue Jackson's reaction to Billick's 0-16 prediction.

Hue is irked by how people from outside Berea can make such predictions.  In a moment of anger, Hue's guard came down.

You see, there is more than meets the eye going on here; things Hue and company can't talk about.  

Preseason is generally vanilla by universal consent, except generally in game three, where a few more complex offensive and defensive plays are tested out.  Even here, few Coaches will reveal more than they have to.

Still, most teams come into training camp with set schemes, and have determined most of their starters by the third preseason game.  They run at least a cut down version of their whole offense and defense.

Hue and Ray didn't do it that way.  They already knew what was right and what was wrong with their quarterback, so they deliberately mostly did what he needed work on.  They tested all sorts of players and alignments on defense, right through the last game, and stuck with fundamentals as well.

Other teams and coaches (including Billick) use the preseason tune up their teams.  Hue and Ray used it to test and train young players.  This is why Hue's first response, after hearing what Billick said, was that he hadn't known that Billick worked for the Browns.

Because Hue and Ray know the parts of their offense and defense which weren't used, and Billick doesn't.

Solomon Willcotts just said on NFL Radio that the Browns have the front seven to be a contender, but he's concerned about the secondary.  

What does he know, right?  Anyway, I doubt that Billick agrees, since all he has seen was opposing quarterbacks having all day to throw, and Green Bay trampling them too.

I was wrong yet again, as it looks like Ogbah will be weak and Schobert strong.

It makes sense, though.  It puts Ogbah and Hassan on opposite sides, a real linebacker/speed blitzer behind Hughes, and spreads speed and power out.  Right handed quarterbacks prefer to scramble right, and Schobert has the best chance of tracking them down.

Opposing teams will probably throw guards around Hughes and at Schobert, but they have to do it in space.  Hughes can win most fistfights with right tackles, and won't get pushed around.

It's outside the box and kind of unique, but there are reasons for it.  Schobert will cover some tight ends over there, too.  Orchard can't do that nearly as well.

I expect a LOT of 4-3 fronts with this personnel group, notably when Hassan plays.

PFF caught RG3: He rates zero passing to his left.  The thing is, I suspect that Hue did this on purpose.  And it looks like Rodney Pryorfield will start on the right, and Coleman on the left.  In the words of Pat Kirwan: Inter-esting.