Browns vs Giants GET RID OF THE DAMN BALL

This is great!  McAdoo plans to play his starters into the third quarter monday night!  That's an acid test for Osweiler and the (Joe Thomasless) Browns first units.

In fact, with Rod Johnson at left tackle, it could get ugly.  Roderick may eventually grow into a good left tackle, but right now?  Not good.  Not good at all.

But that's good in a way too: Hue and Osweiler will have to cope with this adversity.  He still wants to work on the passing game, but in this situation he'll have to play it like it counts and run the rock.

They'll also have to get rid of the ball in a hurry, and keep a tight end in to help Johnson out sometimes, and run some two-back sets (with a fullback).

That's a pretty good defense.  Hue might put Kizer in with the first unit some.  Good test I like it!

The Giants are loaded with receivers, both wide and tight ends.  Their offensive line isn't really good though.  Let's see what this front seven makes of that (especially Garrett).

The Browns should win again off superior depth (not that important of course).  Kessler should slice up the Giants third string, and the Browns third string front seven should wreck their opposite numbers.

You realize we're talking maybe Tyrone Holmes, Nassib, Cooper, Alexander, Olugbode?  They insist on shopping Des Bryant, so you could see Ogunjobi in there too come on now who else has that kind of depth what you kiddin me?

I'm already ready to make some predictions for the regular season (subject to change of course):

1: Myles Garrett will start...ok ok that one doesn't count
1: Coley will get around the same number of snaps as any of the defensive tackles, as he will play both left and right and is  a BEAST.
2: Des Bryant will be gone.

...well that's it.  I mean I can't predict which defensive ends won't make it.  I'm almost ready to put Carl Nassib on the bubble here (now watch him tear up the Giants).

It's too deep.  After Garrett and Ogbah, there are usually two more defensive end slots, and they're looking at Tyrone Holmes, Nate Orchard (very similar players btw), Nassib and Cam Johnson.

Johnson has the disadvantage of being the oldest.

Some will say that Orchard wasn't drafted by the current regime.  Irrelevant.  

Carl Nassib has not, to this point, been impressive at all, while all of the other guys have been.  But he's hard to figure, because he has some situational potential inside, and on both sides of the punt teams, and might fit better in short yardage defenses than the other guys do because of his length and size.

There is always the practice squad for some of these guys, but most of them wouldn't make it without getting nabbed, and Johnson isn't eligable.

Linebackers, tight ends, wide receivers and defensive backs make the best special teamers on kickoffs, but field goals and (especially) punts are different.  

So maybe between Tabor and Williams, the Browns can find a way to keep some of these guys.

That's another thing: The Browns special teams should actually be special this season.  This team is jam-packed with athletic young talent (yes it is!) and Tabor is excellent.

They just added Josh Cribbs Jabrill Peppers as a returner.

Peppers is a lot like Cribbs.  He's very strong, and breaks tackles.  Unlike smaller guys, he doesn't try to run around you, but rather by you.  He's more "downhill" than other returners, as he fakes and darts just enough to make sure you can't meet him with force, and runs right through your arm-tackles.

You don't catch him from behind, or converge on him.  Many returners are faster, but Cribbs/Peppers run more-or-less straight ahead.  They need less "daylight".  They're avoiding square hits, but not contact, see?

Peppers is the next Josh Cribbs.  Make that prediction #3.

Back to the Giants:

They just drafted Tight end Evan Engram.  He's a freak who clocked 4.41 at 6'3" 235.  Many local yokels thought Hue Jackson needed a tight end who couldn't block and thought the Browns would draft him.

Peppers will help in trying to contain this guy, and look like a nickel back, going where he goes.

I've deleted a bunch of stuff here that got too deep in the weeds, but here's this:

Gregg Williams is different from what you are used to.  He uses off-man and zone coverage a lot.  Here, we're used to press/man.

Conventional wisdom says that if you blitze, you need press coverage outside to...

Nevermind just know that Williams is different.  Okbye

THIS JUST IN: Peter Smith backs me up on Hue Jackson's preseason playcalling, but gets deeper.

I really like his power right, zone left blocking ideas--Pete knows his players!