I wasn't able to watch the Steelers beat the Browns by 3 points in the opener, but had Jim, Doug, and three text buddies helping me out.
I already know what the narrative will be: The Steelers were uninspired, took the Browns too lightly blah blah. Next time they'll be serious and crush them like they rightfully should have today blah blah.
Well dammit Antonio Brown was the guy that terrified me, and sure enough he killed us. Pluto said he was targetted eleven times and caught all eleven! I don't know how he does it!
Well (sorry G) give the devil his due: Big Ben's accuracy to that guy is otherworldly! As I heard it, Brown was tightly covered on all the vertical routes, but the passes were just perfect.
Join the club. Nobody else can stop those two either. Damn them to hell.
In reality yes, the Steelers helped a lot by committing penalties, but the Browns made them feel they had to hold and interfere and stuff, and Mike Tomlin tomorrow will deny that there was anything wrong with all those (at least three) helmet-to-helmet hits.
In re that, isn't there a pattern here? Yeah I know we got the "Bountygate" guy (Gregg Williams), but his defenses were never anywhere near as vicious and dirty as Mike Tomlin's defenses always are.
Miraculously, none of Tomlin's intended targets were kayoed, but one of his own thugs was! I thought that was a tinga beooty! Corey Coleman and Ricardo Louis both showed physical and mental toughness in abundance.
The physical part is mostly just genes; some people have "thicker skulls" than others. But Coleman held onto the ball through the typical Steeler helmet-to-helmet hit, and Ricardo Louis came back off the first typical Steeler helmet-to-helmet to make a tough, critical catch knowing he was about to get blasted again.
That separates the men from the boys.
Conversely, what's up with Kenny Britt? The Browns might well have won if he'd caught that one perfect pass while he was wide open. I wonder if the Steelers just stopped covering him so they could focus on guys who could catch.
It's just the first game, but I'm already done with this clown. I dubbed him Dwayne Bowe II. My text Buddy said Kenny S--t was a better fit.
There's your vedderrunn reseeverr! Let the children play. Ricardo Louis is already better than Britt is. The THREE new wide receivers the Browns just signed are second year players too--If I were Hue, I'd be thinking hard about cutting Britt loose, vedderrunn or no.
They cut Jordan Leslie and kept THIS guy!?!
Kizer keeps overthrowing Duke Johnson! Donovan said on the first overthrow, Duke's body language said he wanted Kizer to put more air under it to give him a chance to run under it.
I'm sure they'll work it out. Duke Johnson does not have great long speed. He's just quick and strong with great hands and instincts...do not confuse him with Gregg Pruitt.
Kizer seemed in synch with the other guys (especially DeValve). He was effective with short passes and (correct me if I'm wrong) showed good touch except with Duke.
Yeah he screwed up, and got sacked seven times, but he never "lost it". And (listen to me here) he's just a baby!
He demonstrated a LOT of mental toughness himself. The offense is actually not "together" yet. Kizer is raw, and if you think he'll be substantially better in week two, you are delusional.
The Ravens (to my amazement) just blanked the Bengals at home. At least I was right about that defense. It's significantly better than the Steelers defense that just intercepted Kizer and sacked him seven or more times and stuffed the run.
Right now, you need to know that Andy Dalton is better than Kizer, because he knows what he's doing. He had great weapons out the yinyang but the Ravens ate his lunch.
...fortunately, Hue Jackson is not Marvin Lewis, has all that on tape, and has a defense capable of pulverizing an offense which is vastly inferior to the one they just gave up 14 points to.
The Browns offensive line is better than the Bengals'. The embryonic Kizer can not have the judgement of a Dalton, but he's bigger, faster, and has a better arm.
The Ravens off--nevermind I'm getting ahead of myself here:
The Pittsburgh Steelers might just be the top AFC Superbowl contenders, and they won this game by the skin of their teeth.
For all the "Belle was rusty" etc hype, this is what really happened:
The Steelers first touchdown was off a blocked punt. The Browns defense allowed 14 points (including extra points) to this offense. The Steelers are the dirtiest team in the NFL, but the Browns emerged with no concussions. Myles Garrett and Danny Shelton (remember him dammit?) did not play. Kizer is a rookie. He scored a td on the ground and another by air, and completed 66.7% of his passes.
The Browns are rebuilding. The Steelers are top Superbowl contenders.
Honestly, I was surprised that this game was as close as it was.
...but I was shocked by the Ratbirds 20-0 whupping of the Bungles in Cinci too.
I'm sorry I'm really not scared, and think the Browns will beat the perennially-overrated Ravens in week two.
Kizer might take awhile to master his trade, but the rest of the team is on a faster track.
Wide receivers Kasen Williams and Sammy Coates mainly need to learn the new language, and get some reps with Kizer. They're real veterans; still near the bottom of their growth-curves-- but NFL, rather than college players...with proven production at the NFL level.
Kizer is "synching" with Corey Coleman and Seth DeValve, with Njoku coming on strong as well.
While Kizer will still get outsmarted for awhile, he'll "synch up" with these guys fairly quickly.
He has clearly synched with Kenny Britt...finally...but...
Dammit let the best players play, and screw the eggzzbeereeunzzz bullcrap! Accept what your eyes tell you, without regard to Sashi's "rep", or salary, or any other bullshit and promote or retain players based on performance dammit!
I mean, I can see exceptions for upside, but for veterans, there should be no exceptions. Kenny Britt has had plenty of time to learn how not to drop passes.
If you're going to screw up anyway, screw up with young guys who mean business and have upside.
And dammit I have to say this for the fifth or sixth time: Britt instead of Pryor?
Well nobody (except me) is perfect, and the Browns are looking real good ahead of schedule. We can nitpick if we want, but Sashi and Berry brought us Schobert, Coley, Calhoun, DeValve, Dayes, Kindred, Taylor, etc., and they just did what they did.
Dayes is being used to the max--he's impressive for an almost undrafted guy. Hue used him on every third and long, but also on third and short...and generally just a lot.
I like the initial 3-back sets which include tight ends...well I need to do more research okbye
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