When an offense can't hold onto the ball, a defense wears down. We saw this vs the Steelers, as the defense held that offense to six points in the first half...until consecutive penalties all but guaranteed that Belle could gain a couple feet for a touchdown.
Not that they were very good in the first place, just sayin.
Why couldn't the offense sustain drives? Well at first, I thought it was because the Steelers suddenly had an awesome secondary, because Cody Kessler just couldn't find anybody open and kept patting and then eating the ball.
Then Josh McCown came in, and receivers magically came open!
Well actually, McCown rifled it into tighter windows. He, too, held and ate the ball sometimes, but more often threw a pass on time. He is less accurate than Kessler, but at least he got rid of the damn ball.
It really is too soon to file a final verdict on Cody Kessler, but it sure does not look like he can be the guy at this point. One issue does seem to be his arm.
Case in point was the pass over the middle to Gary Barnidge. It was a frozen rope into very tight coverage. Barnidge made a terrific catch a couple inches above the turf, falling down with a reaching defender right on top of him.
Kessler can't make that throw. To his credit, he is aware of his own limitations, and plays within them. But it seems as if he needs a clear separation between his receiver and the coverage guy before he'll throw. That won't cut it in the NFL.
We can cross our fingers that Kessler will return next season with a stronger arm and a more aggressive mindset, but no way can Hue or Sashi count on that. They can try to trade for Jimmy Garropollo, or else draft one.
The Browns also need offensive linemen. The Steelers sent five man pressures a lot, but over half the sacks were on the quarterback (holding the ball), so the pass protection wasn't as bad as it looked. But the run-blocking was atrocious.
Rich Gannon kept referring to how Pryor was turning into a major weapon, Coleman was a big play threat, complimenting Crowell, Johnson, and Barnidge, then saying the Browns quarterbacks weren't getting enough help.
I would assume he was referring to the offensive line. I mean, if he wasn't, that's a case of cognitive dissonance I haven't seen since...the last Presidential election.
Garropollo would probably be the best option, since he's ready. But Bill Belichick has a very old quarterback, and has to look to the future. If he were willing to deal, the starting point for any deal would be the first round pick Sashi got from Philadelphia.
At this point, the consensus on those quarterbacks projects only two going in the first round, and none displacing Myles Garrett at first overall...
No, the Bleacher Report thinks the Browns will draft Mitch Trubisky first overall. Take that with a grain of salt though, because they have the Browns drafting Pocic, a center, next.
That's a lack of homework, because it presumes Erving is a bust, and ignores the guy on IR (Austin Reiter). And please don't confuse Cam Erving with John Greco. Greco had a horrific game vs Tuitt. Erving was ok, except for that boneheaded twitch of his.
Also, Bleacher Report has Trubisky as the only quarterback drafted in the first round. That shows profound naaivity, as quarterbacks are always overdrafted.
Trubisky is my own early favorite, because I know that THE most important tool is accuracy. Trubisky is very accurate.
Bob Rang points out that he is supported by NFL calibre talent (significant). He just threw two interceptions last week to lose a game. He only has ten starts (but was used a lot the previous year; probably has around 13 or 14 games worth of real experience).
He came from Mentor, Ohio, so some of the left over scouts on staff know about him.
My previous commentary on Trubisky was wrong (garbage in garbage out), but I now have it from more credible sources that his arm is just fine, and he's not merely "mobile", but a true dual-threat quarterback.
I was wrong about how this quarterback draft is being percieved, as well. This one could be more like 2013; the one which produced superstars like Geno Williams and...ummm...
But Trubisky does change plays, make protection calls, read and diagnose well. His percentage is not over-inflated by dink-passes---he is accurate over twenty yards.
Given this most recent game, his comparative inexperience, and strong supporting cast, he probably won't project as a top five draft pick overall, but he's a quarterback. Bigger, stronger, taller, and faster than Kessler, and with Kessler's positives as well.
Carson Wentz played at a lower level of competition, and also had superior talent around him, and also was inexperienced.
Right now, I would bet that LaCanfora found an acorn and is right for once: The Browns probably want this guy.
DeShaun Watson has fallen off the map. He isn't as accurate, and still throws too many interceptions. I don't know what's happened with Kizer, but do know that he completes ten percent fewer passes.
Bill Parcells once said that college completion percentages drop steeply in the pros as the windows shrink. Cody Kessler is finding that out. Guys with stronger arms can handle it better, as they can deliver quickly and on low trajectories. Trubisky can do that.
I hate giving up on a rare passrusher comparable to Von Miller, and overdrafting a quarterback, but the Browns may not have a choice.
It's okay, though: They have four more top 75 picks, and the top fourth rounder as well. They need secondary and offensive linemen first, and can still get most of that, especially if (shhh don't tell Tony) they trade down some more.
Say...I wonder if whoever drafts second (San Fran right now) would want Myles Garrett enough to cough up a third round pick to move up one slot...
This just in: A bunch of amateur draft "experts" now have the Browns drafting Watson or another defensive end first overall, proclaiming any quarterback they might draft DOA, and declaring none of the candidates worthy of the pick.
The last assertion is easy: Niether Goff nor Wentz were deemed worthy of their ultimate draft positions, but two teams traded away a LOT to move up and draft them. It happens every year. Think they might know something? Huh?
The first part is easy too: Joe Bitonio. Austin Reiter (counting?) Coleman, Rango, and yes: even Erving. The fact that three of the guys mentioned were rookies this season, and should make the single biggest improvement entering their second training camp. Pay attention! Stop generalizing!
Then there is, indeed, the draft. It's a virtual lock that at least one of the top 75 picks will be used on a stud offensive lineman, and starting offensive linemen can often be found atop the fourth round.
Finally, if a quarterback gets sacked after five, six, or seven seconds, stop blaming the offensive line for it, and don't blame the receivers either. When defenses are putting eight or even nine in the box and sending five, look at the quarterback there, too.
Coleman, Pryor, and Barnidge are all being covered like blankets down after down really? I don't think so.
If Trubisky or somebody else comes in here and just, for crying out loud, trusts the system and makes the tight throw (or throws it away, or runs and slides), he'll be fine with these guys back off IR, a year older, and coming in as high draft picks.
What is it with you? Shon Coleman no longer exists because he's played sparingly as a ROOKIE? Spencer Drango is an instabust because he had mixed results as a ROOKIE? Nobody ever gets better? Grows? Learns? Refines? Heals?
Three rookies, a second year player, and a Pro Bowl calibre player on IR and we're all gonna die STOP IT! You're bonkers, you know that?
If Mitch Trubisky or anybody else can get rid of the damn ball on time, draft him, and he'll be fine. The elephant in the room here IS the quarterback.
Note on Trubisky here: He does run a timing offense, and excels at throwing with anticipation. I saw his last interception. It was a deep pass on the hash marks. No receiver was anywhere close.
I'll bet you the receiver zigged when he was supposed to zag. It doesn't bother me. Trubisky could still be the guy.
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