"Todd" is a designated "Browns"-caller to NFL Radio. Todd is thoughtful and intelligent, but not assertive.
Well, today "Toddy-O" called in to Pat Kirwan. After admitting that the Steelers backups will probably beat the Browns, and expressing hope for Ken Dorsey, Todd was asked this question by Kirwan:
"So how far do you think moneyball has set the Browns back? Two years? Three?"
Todd is Todd, and not me, so his response is irrelevant. My own response is this:
What tf are you talking about? You just implied that most or all of the players Sashi Brown drafted or otherwise acquired suck! You just implied that Ken Dorsey will have to get rid of most of them; gut the team, and start over! You just said this about the youngest team in the NFL!
What's up with you, Pat? Are you that threatened by DePodesta that you can't even think straight any more?
Zietler. Tretter. Kindred. Coley. Schobert. The Colemans. McCourty. Collins. Jenkins. My God already Njoku, Peppers, Ogunjobi, Brantley et al are done and need to be kicked to the curb!?!
Set back? Are you seriously trying to tell us that that YOU wouldn't be happy to have all these players? Man, you just can't talk to some people!
Thanks to "moneyball", the Browns are down to two major needs: Quarterback and Head Coach. Pat is smart enough to see this, but has his "moneyball" blinders on, and decided two seasons ago it was doomed...no matter what.
"Moneyball" as if that's all Paul DePodesta ever did! He's a renowned business consultant to Fortune 500 companies! He's one of the smartest people on the planet!
He was never picking players! He was participating in that as a super-PFF guy, but was more concerned with the bigger picture. He's probably the guy who said the Browns needed to tear down to the studs and start over through the draft. To trade short-term mediocrity for long-term success.
Nobody expected 0-16 in season two, of course, but it doesn't alter the fact that the talent is here now, and almost universally ascending!!!
Now they've got SIX top 100 picks to go with that thanks to "moneyball" as well, and Pat wonders how far it set the Browns back!?!
This is so obvious!
I give up. Anyway, I saw Sam Darnold vs the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl. For one thing, he needs more work than I'd thought. He responded poorly to pressure, and made bad decisions.
Of course, that Ohio State defense was a freaking garbage disposal wow! The Browns need to pay attention to what defensive talent shakes out of that tree!
In fairness to Darnold, I don't see how any quarterback could have done a whole lot better vs that passrush and coverage. I felt sorry for the kid.
Still, he inexplicably waved the ball around in one hand while surrounded by Buckeyes about to sack him, and threw those picks (the two I saw were on him). Darnold does look and move remarkably like Carson Wentz, but he's no Carson Wentz...at least not yet (and probably never).
Well, next up is Baker Mayfield in the Rose Bowl. Georgia is no joke. That defense is much better than last year's. (Don't get me wrong: I'm personally clueless about this college stuff, but read it somewhere and am pretending it's my opinion now).
I'm liking Mayfield more and more. I try not to be influenced by his Kurt Warner movie star good looks, but am reminded that Warner was short too (note to self: Add Warner to the "short quarterbacks" list). Warner was also first and foremost accurate as well, like Mayfield.
I instantly gave Baker big bonus points for instantly accepting his invitation to the Senior Bowl, even as he's contending for a National Championship.
This guy is extremely confident. Last season, DeShaun Watson opted out of the Senior Bowl, no doubt on the advice of his agent.
Mayfield just said "why not?", because he expects to kick everybody else's butts.
Since we've all agreed that Josh Rosen isn't an option (the concussions alone are enough), Mayfield is now my favorite, and I'll try hard to actually watch him vs Georgia under the lights.
Unfortunately, the way this is playing out, trading down from first overall probably isn't an option, unless it's just one slot, and Dorsey is certain the other team won't draft his guy out from under him.
All my current opinions are tentative here, but if I were compelled to make a prediction, I would predict that Mayfield will beat Georgia and at least play well in the National Championship, then kick ass in the Senior Bowl and be the consensus-best quarterback on draft day.
I hope Ken Dorsey ignores this "AFC North" quarterback garbage. Yokels will be saying that Mayfield is too small and doesn't have a strong enough arm and stuff.
DeShone Kizer is a prototype "AFC North quarterback", and the Browns (stupidly) tried to trade for Andy Dalton's backup ok?
More important than size or arm strength are accuracy, processing speed, and leadership, anywhere you play. A quarterback needs enough of an arm to threaten the whole field; there IS a certain threshhold below which you can't go in the higher rounds, but lately even a lot of legit pro personnel people have gone overboard on the "arm" stuff.
Mayfield doesn't have Kizer's arm, but can "make all the throws".
Look at the best quarterbacks ever: Among them are Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Joe Montana, and based on stats I have to put Brian Sipe in their company. Rodgers plays in Green Bay, Montana in San Fran, Sipe in Cleveland.
And what do all those guys have in common? Leadership, accuracy, and processing speed.
But wait! There's more! Shorter quarterbacks tend to be "shiftier" and more elusive; harder for big giant guys with other big giant guys getting in their way to nail in the backfield. They can also re-set their feet more quickly. Their throwing motions are tighter, quicker, and more consistent. They have better short area quickness, get to top speed faster, and can DUCK.
Accurate (notably hitting guys moving from right to left or vice-versa) quarterbacks who can "throw receivers open" could care less about wind, because their receivers catch it in stride and can DO something with it!
...of course, if Hue Fisher is still here, well, he won't do that, no matter what, so it's Duke Johnson or bust.
Fortunately, provided they fire Hue Lewis, Alex Smith in 2018 is a real possibility! KC can't pay him 20-plus million, and will have to release him.
Unfortunately, if they don't fire Hue Fisher, we can cross our fingers and hope DeShone Kizer makes a big jump entering his second season...
Fire Hue, Jimmy. Just do it. You'll be even more unpopular if you don't.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Black Cloud, Hue Fisher, Gregg W, and the Browns
Black Cloud wants me to tell you that the Browns will suck for at least two more seasons blah blah -groan-...
Ok but he says they shouldn't fire Hue Jackson! Man, usually this guy wants to fire everybody including the waterboy and the owner--what's up wit dat?
Oh! Maybe he wants to keep Hue to make sure his predictions come true! Nah. He doesn't think he needs any help. He's not political like that...but what...
Oh! It's because I said they should fire Hue!
You see usually, I am defending GMs, players, coaches etc against Black Cloud. Now, when I throw up my hands and give up on Hue, I must be wrong! For Black Cloud, it's not so much about bashing everybody as it is about picking fights.
This time, Black Cloud flashed a brief glimpse of conscious thought, as he said he thought they should have stuck with Mike Pettine, and musical Head Coaches has been a big part of the problem here.
If he read my previous posts, they didn't penetrate past his eyeballs. Continuity is certainly a key to sustained success.
We see the longest tenured Head Coaches in Baltimore, New England, Geen Bay, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. When Philly was a perennial contender, it was Reid. For the Giants, it was Coughlin. I can't argue with this.
But you can't build your dynasty around a BAD Head Coach!
As Andy Benoit has figured out (maybe with my help), Hue Fisher has been part of all this losing.
As Thomas Moore (can't find the article) points out more bluntly, Hue has been THE problem. I urge any new reader to check out my previous posts. I can't keep rehashing what I've said. I'm boring people.
Black Cloud is in the Real Estate business so he can comprehend this: Do you want a house built on sand?
Well, Hue Lewis is sand! He's not Lord Insideous, or Tomlin, or Harbaugh. At best, he's an embyonic Marvin Lewis. You want to keep him just to keep him? And TRUST ME, Mike Pettine didn't have the right stuff either.
As Andy suggests, Ken Dorsey has a list of potential Head Coaches he knows he can work with. If they're like Andy Reid, they actually do adapt their offenses to make the most of the players they're stuck with, at least until they alter their roster enough to run their "favorite" system.
This "Hue hasn't lost the team" stuff is cute, and if I'm Kirksey or whoever I'd have his back too. But look at the roster.
Young, unproven players are going to ball out no matter who the coach is, because they're fighting for their professional lives. This is NOT a veteran team, and this "they still play hard for him" crap is accurate up to the last two words of that sentence.
Moving on from the obvious, I've thought about making Gregg Williams the Head Coach.
It's not as outlandish as it sounds:
Williams knows all the best offensive coordinators, because he has faced them in battle. He and Dorsey could find one, and help him fill out his staff.
Williams knows his limitations. Most likely, he'd promote or hire a nominal defensive coordinator as well, but wouldn't interfere with his offensive coordinator, except to tell him what he would do to stop this or that.
It might be like Joe Thomas and Myles Garrett (et al). Big Joe is happy to advise the guys he practices against on how to beat him. He's like Saint Josh McCown that way.
Finding an offensive coordinator is easier than finding a new Head Coach. Gregg Williams stays in his lane and loves his job. The new offensive coordinator would literally run the offense.
It's semantics you see? Williams stands at the podium for post-games and stuff, but internally it might be exactly the same as it is now, except Hue Fisher has been replaced by a more adaptable and creative offensive boss (who has to listen to the adaptable, creative Gregg Williams' "advice").
Remember the Packers game? Here is where Williams would assert himself: He would NOT play as soft as he did with a 14 point lead on defense. (I'm pretty sure that Hue ordered him to back off).
Gregg would also make sure his offensive boss ran a balanced offense and and remained unpredictable and kept aiming at actual additional points, not to mention actual first downs.
Indeed, Gregg's new Offensive Coordinator could come from the Packers' staff. That big comeback was almost all West Coast and QB scrambles.
Promoting Gregg Williams to Head Coach is a viable option.
He'd naturally retain the majority of his own defensive staff, his defensive coordinator would be more or less his surrogate executing his system (for the third season), the new offensive coordinator couldn't blow up the special teams staff to bring his buddies in, and would be here with a mandate.
What mandate?
1: You WILL set up an offensive scheme designed to maximize the PLAYERS YOU HAVE ON YOUR GDAM ROSTER.
2: You WILL keep your "playmakers" on the field as much as you can, regardless of position.
3: You WILL have/use every possible scheme in your playbook, including zone-blocking, West Coast, and be prepared to ADAPT to unique situations and defenses.
4: You WILL run a balanced offense, emphasizing the run, but you will never, ever, be P R E D I C T A B L E. (Well except when a defense is worn out and you can run them over...BUT YOU WILL DO THAT TOO GDAMMIT)
Just a thought. Unlikley. Dorsey will want "his" guy in charge, and might not welcome Gregg Williams' input...like Sashi Brown did...
But Black Cloud? "Continuity" applies to mediocrity as well as it applies to success. Because you're sick of something doesn't mean you have to stick with where the wheel stops this time no matter what. You can't build a house on sand...how many different ways can I say this? Got to take one last stab at this: Hue Lewis sucks...any of this sinking in yet?
Hue Fisher gots to go.
Ok but he says they shouldn't fire Hue Jackson! Man, usually this guy wants to fire everybody including the waterboy and the owner--what's up wit dat?
Oh! Maybe he wants to keep Hue to make sure his predictions come true! Nah. He doesn't think he needs any help. He's not political like that...but what...
Oh! It's because I said they should fire Hue!
You see usually, I am defending GMs, players, coaches etc against Black Cloud. Now, when I throw up my hands and give up on Hue, I must be wrong! For Black Cloud, it's not so much about bashing everybody as it is about picking fights.
This time, Black Cloud flashed a brief glimpse of conscious thought, as he said he thought they should have stuck with Mike Pettine, and musical Head Coaches has been a big part of the problem here.
If he read my previous posts, they didn't penetrate past his eyeballs. Continuity is certainly a key to sustained success.
We see the longest tenured Head Coaches in Baltimore, New England, Geen Bay, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. When Philly was a perennial contender, it was Reid. For the Giants, it was Coughlin. I can't argue with this.
But you can't build your dynasty around a BAD Head Coach!
As Andy Benoit has figured out (maybe with my help), Hue Fisher has been part of all this losing.
As Thomas Moore (can't find the article) points out more bluntly, Hue has been THE problem. I urge any new reader to check out my previous posts. I can't keep rehashing what I've said. I'm boring people.
Black Cloud is in the Real Estate business so he can comprehend this: Do you want a house built on sand?
Well, Hue Lewis is sand! He's not Lord Insideous, or Tomlin, or Harbaugh. At best, he's an embyonic Marvin Lewis. You want to keep him just to keep him? And TRUST ME, Mike Pettine didn't have the right stuff either.
As Andy suggests, Ken Dorsey has a list of potential Head Coaches he knows he can work with. If they're like Andy Reid, they actually do adapt their offenses to make the most of the players they're stuck with, at least until they alter their roster enough to run their "favorite" system.
This "Hue hasn't lost the team" stuff is cute, and if I'm Kirksey or whoever I'd have his back too. But look at the roster.
Young, unproven players are going to ball out no matter who the coach is, because they're fighting for their professional lives. This is NOT a veteran team, and this "they still play hard for him" crap is accurate up to the last two words of that sentence.
Moving on from the obvious, I've thought about making Gregg Williams the Head Coach.
It's not as outlandish as it sounds:
Williams knows all the best offensive coordinators, because he has faced them in battle. He and Dorsey could find one, and help him fill out his staff.
Williams knows his limitations. Most likely, he'd promote or hire a nominal defensive coordinator as well, but wouldn't interfere with his offensive coordinator, except to tell him what he would do to stop this or that.
It might be like Joe Thomas and Myles Garrett (et al). Big Joe is happy to advise the guys he practices against on how to beat him. He's like Saint Josh McCown that way.
Finding an offensive coordinator is easier than finding a new Head Coach. Gregg Williams stays in his lane and loves his job. The new offensive coordinator would literally run the offense.
It's semantics you see? Williams stands at the podium for post-games and stuff, but internally it might be exactly the same as it is now, except Hue Fisher has been replaced by a more adaptable and creative offensive boss (who has to listen to the adaptable, creative Gregg Williams' "advice").
Remember the Packers game? Here is where Williams would assert himself: He would NOT play as soft as he did with a 14 point lead on defense. (I'm pretty sure that Hue ordered him to back off).
Gregg would also make sure his offensive boss ran a balanced offense and and remained unpredictable and kept aiming at actual additional points, not to mention actual first downs.
Indeed, Gregg's new Offensive Coordinator could come from the Packers' staff. That big comeback was almost all West Coast and QB scrambles.
Promoting Gregg Williams to Head Coach is a viable option.
He'd naturally retain the majority of his own defensive staff, his defensive coordinator would be more or less his surrogate executing his system (for the third season), the new offensive coordinator couldn't blow up the special teams staff to bring his buddies in, and would be here with a mandate.
What mandate?
1: You WILL set up an offensive scheme designed to maximize the PLAYERS YOU HAVE ON YOUR GDAM ROSTER.
2: You WILL keep your "playmakers" on the field as much as you can, regardless of position.
3: You WILL have/use every possible scheme in your playbook, including zone-blocking, West Coast, and be prepared to ADAPT to unique situations and defenses.
4: You WILL run a balanced offense, emphasizing the run, but you will never, ever, be P R E D I C T A B L E. (Well except when a defense is worn out and you can run them over...BUT YOU WILL DO THAT TOO GDAMMIT)
Just a thought. Unlikley. Dorsey will want "his" guy in charge, and might not welcome Gregg Williams' input...like Sashi Brown did...
But Black Cloud? "Continuity" applies to mediocrity as well as it applies to success. Because you're sick of something doesn't mean you have to stick with where the wheel stops this time no matter what. You can't build a house on sand...how many different ways can I say this? Got to take one last stab at this: Hue Lewis sucks...any of this sinking in yet?
Hue Fisher gots to go.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns
My relatives are understandably reluctant to discuss the Browns with me because they can't shut me up. However, I was able to pry some opinions loose:
One bro is hesitant about firing Hue Fisher due to the continuity thing, but the other bro and bro in law (not really but I call him that) are all-in about his removal. (Correction: We're tied, 2-2).
They all seemed to "get" that Smith or Cousins would not want to play for Hue Lewis, because he would refuse to let them do what they do best. Too bad nobody else does.
Bub (bro in law) likes Baker Mayfield a lot, and thinks the Browns might be smarter to consider trading first overall, and drafting him with the second pick, or possibly later. One early mock had him going to the Jets at 8th overall.
Here is one man's opinion of Mayfield, and here is an overview of scouts' opinions on him by Albert Breer.
He has had one very serious off-the-field incident. I don't care about the dui, but fleeing the police bothers me, and resisting arrest ticks me off. However, fleeing arrest is resisting, and that may have just been tacked on.
He grabbed his crotch to insult an opponent on the field once, but that's not a big deal to me.
Mayfield sounds like Manziel athletically and instinctively, but not emotionally or mentally. He seems dedicated to football, serious, and a lot more disciplined than the aforementioned bonehead.
While he plays almost exclusively out of a shotgun, my understanding is that he is required to make progressive reads.
Mayfield's teammates love and believe in him.
Yeah, he's short, and that is a real handicap. For every Brees, Wilson, Vick, or Keenum, there are 3 or 4 Manziels. But I should mention that Aaron Rodgers is probably less than one inch taller than Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield was smart enough to accept his invitation to the Senior Bowl. This could catapault him to the front of the pack, as it did Carson Wentz.
Walter Football (the peanut gallery) says that Mayfield isn't an NFL calibre quarterback, but PFF rates him atop all college quarterbacks (see pic at end of post).
Their numbers are compelling, especially on throws traveling 20-plus yards in the air, under pressure, and vs the blitze. I've now read a bunch of analyses of the top quarterbacks, and PFF's is, of course, the most objective.
The comparisons to Russell Wilson are misguided, as Wilson played at least his last two seasons at Wisconsin in a pro system. Mayfield is not the same kind of finished product. Russel is just even shorter and can run around too.
Inevitably as the draft approaches, yokels will resume talking about "AFC North" quarterbacks who have to be big to take a pounding, amd spin the ball to cut through the wind.
As usual, I will bring up Sipe, Montana, Nelson, Flutie, Dalton, etc. While size and arm are definite advantages, decision-making and accuracy under pressure outweigh them in any environment.
Josh Rosen is a big guy, and he's had a bunch of concussions already. He's sitting out his Bowl game with a concussion. Why do so many people want the Browns to draft him into the AFC North? And doesn't Mayfield's first-place ranking on deep passes (note: PFF means passes which actually are deep, and not dumpoffs that guys run away with) mean anything here?
Again, it's very early. Darnold is taking on Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl this friday, and he's thrown 7 TDs and two picks in his last five games. I still like the guy a lot, and if he looks good there, I'll like him more.
But then, Mayfield will be in the Senior Bowl, so I might...well it's still early. Right now, though, this Mayfield guy, with all undue respect to the peanut gallery, looks like an NFL caliber starting quarterback.
One bro is hesitant about firing Hue Fisher due to the continuity thing, but the other bro and bro in law (not really but I call him that) are all-in about his removal. (Correction: We're tied, 2-2).
They all seemed to "get" that Smith or Cousins would not want to play for Hue Lewis, because he would refuse to let them do what they do best. Too bad nobody else does.
Bub (bro in law) likes Baker Mayfield a lot, and thinks the Browns might be smarter to consider trading first overall, and drafting him with the second pick, or possibly later. One early mock had him going to the Jets at 8th overall.
Here is one man's opinion of Mayfield, and here is an overview of scouts' opinions on him by Albert Breer.
He has had one very serious off-the-field incident. I don't care about the dui, but fleeing the police bothers me, and resisting arrest ticks me off. However, fleeing arrest is resisting, and that may have just been tacked on.
He grabbed his crotch to insult an opponent on the field once, but that's not a big deal to me.
Mayfield sounds like Manziel athletically and instinctively, but not emotionally or mentally. He seems dedicated to football, serious, and a lot more disciplined than the aforementioned bonehead.
While he plays almost exclusively out of a shotgun, my understanding is that he is required to make progressive reads.
Mayfield's teammates love and believe in him.
Yeah, he's short, and that is a real handicap. For every Brees, Wilson, Vick, or Keenum, there are 3 or 4 Manziels. But I should mention that Aaron Rodgers is probably less than one inch taller than Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield was smart enough to accept his invitation to the Senior Bowl. This could catapault him to the front of the pack, as it did Carson Wentz.
Walter Football (the peanut gallery) says that Mayfield isn't an NFL calibre quarterback, but PFF rates him atop all college quarterbacks (see pic at end of post).
Their numbers are compelling, especially on throws traveling 20-plus yards in the air, under pressure, and vs the blitze. I've now read a bunch of analyses of the top quarterbacks, and PFF's is, of course, the most objective.
The comparisons to Russell Wilson are misguided, as Wilson played at least his last two seasons at Wisconsin in a pro system. Mayfield is not the same kind of finished product. Russel is just even shorter and can run around too.
Inevitably as the draft approaches, yokels will resume talking about "AFC North" quarterbacks who have to be big to take a pounding, amd spin the ball to cut through the wind.
As usual, I will bring up Sipe, Montana, Nelson, Flutie, Dalton, etc. While size and arm are definite advantages, decision-making and accuracy under pressure outweigh them in any environment.
Josh Rosen is a big guy, and he's had a bunch of concussions already. He's sitting out his Bowl game with a concussion. Why do so many people want the Browns to draft him into the AFC North? And doesn't Mayfield's first-place ranking on deep passes (note: PFF means passes which actually are deep, and not dumpoffs that guys run away with) mean anything here?
Again, it's very early. Darnold is taking on Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl this friday, and he's thrown 7 TDs and two picks in his last five games. I still like the guy a lot, and if he looks good there, I'll like him more.
But then, Mayfield will be in the Senior Bowl, so I might...well it's still early. Right now, though, this Mayfield guy, with all undue respect to the peanut gallery, looks like an NFL caliber starting quarterback.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Rosen, Darnold, da Bearss, Hue, and the Browns
I'm celebrating Josh Rosen's concern over being drafted by Hue the Browns. This is great news.
Yes, Rosen is the consensus-top quarterback in the 2018 (should he opt to enter it). This is because he plays in a roughly pro-style system and is a classic pocket passer, unlike Sam Darnold et al.
Rosen has already proven his ability to read through progressions and get rid of the ball on-time, making him also the safest pick.
HOWEVER, Sam Darnold is more athletic, and arguably more accurate. Darnold played basketball and baseball as well as football in highschool, along with any other sport he could get into. He can throw hard and accurately all-arm while falling--nevermind rudundant sorry.
Anyway, Rosen's only real edge over Darnold is pro-readiness, and marginally lower risk. Upside-wise, there is no comparison between these two. Darnold wins the upside battle.
Their arms are probably comparable. Darnold should beat Rosen in every combine test.
Sam Darnold might well overtake Rosen as the draft approaches:
Rosen will be on his best behavior as he is interviewed, but the fact is, he is a scumbag. As teams interview his draftable teammates and do their more in-depth research, they will ALL give Darnold the nod in the leadership and "face of the franchise" departments.
Look for Ken Dorsey to start "leaking" that he wants Josh Rosen. Ernie Accorsi is retired, but he could still fleece the new guys like the Chargers fleeced Accorsi out of a bunch of draft picks and had to "settle for" that bumb Philip Rivers.
If Dorsey can convince the Giants that Josh Rosen is the apple of his eye, and if the Giants think Rosen is vastly superior to that bumb Sam Darnold, he might be able to extort a high second round pick and change to move down one slot and draft Darnold anyway.
Unlikely, in view of Rosen's scumbaggery, but possible. These people get paranoid. When Eli's bro Peyton was drafted, the Darnold guy was Ryan Leaf. 'Nuff said?
Hue Jackson is really displaying his blockheadedness as he explains his comments on the huge hole Isaiah Crowell ran through on his 59-yard run.
Hue talks about breaking tackles, and "tough yards".
I'm here to translate for you! For Hue, the ONLY way to run the ball is power/man blocking. The back is aimed at a specific hole or two-gap option vertically. Beyond that, he has no discretion; he is committed as soon as the ball is snapped, and he has to cross that line as soon as possible.
Because the defense sees this coming, and outnumber the blockers, you need a big bruiser to run over safeties, or else an extra-fast/quick change-of-pace guy to get anything significant nine times out of ten.
Hue Fisher isn't that impressed by Isaiah Crowell in HIS CARVED-IN-STONE Power/man nomadderwudd blocking scheme.
Redundancy alert: Just like Cousins and Smith are first and foremost West Coast quarterbacks, Isaiah Crowell is first and foremost a one-cut running back.
He's seventh in the NFL in yards after contact even in Hue's cave man system, because once he does get past the defensive line, he shrugs off little guys and off-balance lunges by big guys.
Understand this: Zone-blocking puts all the big guys off-balance and often moving sideways from the snap on. Man- blocking offers them gaps to shoot, and lets them anchor and "dig in" to meet the back with leverage.
And now Hue is talking as if Isaiah Crowell is the problem. He claims the next time the same play was called, it was stuffed for a two-yard loss.
That's inaccurate, unless it was Duke who got stuffed, but doesn't surprise me. The defense was looking for it the second time!
You can't do that with zone-blocking (stay with me here)!!!
Zone-blocking makes everything random. A defense can't look at the tape and watch for it the next time, because, by design, it creates chaos, and random gaps.
And it also looks identical to pass-blocking to them, by the way.
Hue Jackson put Isaiah Crowell in a no-win situation, and that running back deserves a freaking medal for accomplishing what he has out of the box he's been stuffed in by that blockhead.
The game just started. Crowell ran 3 times for a first down and 4 yards. Punt. I blinked when it was third and three and then it was 4th and 9. But Crow is kicking ass on a bad surface. Time to pass now, Hue!
Nice defense! Justin Currie (sacked Trubes on third down) is an ex-Seahawk Sashi scooped up I think. Wright vs Peppers a mismatch but they probly couldn't help it.
3rd and ten handoff to Duke man blocking not even a draw gimme a break. Great punt return/field position. At least Hue aint coaching the defense. Dammit.
Went to the head and came back in time for the Chicago touchdown what the hell why not oh! Nassib blocked the extra point yay!
Nassib is a pretty damn good player btw. Oh yeah he's not a real player nevermind.
Punt. We all see this unfolding. Hue will make sure not to pass so much this time, but will send the backs through the a-gaps when he runs and hit them in the flats when he passes and da Bearss know it as well as I do so...
Actually in these conditions and vs this defense, I would go DEEP to my biggest targets (I'd have DeValve on the field with Njoku and Gordon)...
...well he tried that give him credit. Great coverage nobody's fault. But I know that either DeValve or Njoku weren't options because one was benched. PUNT.
Defense looks good. You know Trubisky played in Mentor right? He LIKES snow! Garrett just nailed him on a stunt. Down by 6.
Crow just got 2 yards over LG. The cluesless will pick at him over "hesitation". He bought those two yards off hesitation. Like Laveon Belle, the most "hesitant" back in the NFL. Beats the hell out of running into brick walls.
Ok I saw that pick. Kizer overthrew Gordon, who was open in the end zone. His feet were set. That's 100% on the quarterback.
Kizer was drafted in the second round and was very raw, so to call him a bust at this point would (will) be extremely ignorant, but to say he doesn't have "it" isn't.
Defense came through again PUNT. They need to get more turnovers but absolutely do not suck. The offense sucks and special teams do, but the defense does not suck. And the offense could be fixed by a quarterback and adaptable/flexible Head Coach, period.
Nice bomb to Ricardo Lewis! And Zane Gonzalez MADE the 48 yard field goal!!! Seems like Lewis is a servicable lower round pick.
Oh yeah. None of them are real football players.
Well it's Xmas Eve so I'm gonna get kicked out here so bartender Bob Cratchett can be with his family BAH HUMBUG so I gotta go bah hamburg
However, I have seen enough to predict that the Browns WILL beat da Bearss unless da Bearss outscore them.
Yes, Rosen is the consensus-top quarterback in the 2018 (should he opt to enter it). This is because he plays in a roughly pro-style system and is a classic pocket passer, unlike Sam Darnold et al.
Rosen has already proven his ability to read through progressions and get rid of the ball on-time, making him also the safest pick.
HOWEVER, Sam Darnold is more athletic, and arguably more accurate. Darnold played basketball and baseball as well as football in highschool, along with any other sport he could get into. He can throw hard and accurately all-arm while falling--nevermind rudundant sorry.
Anyway, Rosen's only real edge over Darnold is pro-readiness, and marginally lower risk. Upside-wise, there is no comparison between these two. Darnold wins the upside battle.
Their arms are probably comparable. Darnold should beat Rosen in every combine test.
Sam Darnold might well overtake Rosen as the draft approaches:
Rosen will be on his best behavior as he is interviewed, but the fact is, he is a scumbag. As teams interview his draftable teammates and do their more in-depth research, they will ALL give Darnold the nod in the leadership and "face of the franchise" departments.
Look for Ken Dorsey to start "leaking" that he wants Josh Rosen. Ernie Accorsi is retired, but he could still fleece the new guys like the Chargers fleeced Accorsi out of a bunch of draft picks and had to "settle for" that bumb Philip Rivers.
If Dorsey can convince the Giants that Josh Rosen is the apple of his eye, and if the Giants think Rosen is vastly superior to that bumb Sam Darnold, he might be able to extort a high second round pick and change to move down one slot and draft Darnold anyway.
Unlikely, in view of Rosen's scumbaggery, but possible. These people get paranoid. When Eli's bro Peyton was drafted, the Darnold guy was Ryan Leaf. 'Nuff said?
Hue Jackson is really displaying his blockheadedness as he explains his comments on the huge hole Isaiah Crowell ran through on his 59-yard run.
Hue talks about breaking tackles, and "tough yards".
I'm here to translate for you! For Hue, the ONLY way to run the ball is power/man blocking. The back is aimed at a specific hole or two-gap option vertically. Beyond that, he has no discretion; he is committed as soon as the ball is snapped, and he has to cross that line as soon as possible.
Because the defense sees this coming, and outnumber the blockers, you need a big bruiser to run over safeties, or else an extra-fast/quick change-of-pace guy to get anything significant nine times out of ten.
Hue Fisher isn't that impressed by Isaiah Crowell in HIS CARVED-IN-STONE Power/man nomadderwudd blocking scheme.
Redundancy alert: Just like Cousins and Smith are first and foremost West Coast quarterbacks, Isaiah Crowell is first and foremost a one-cut running back.
He's seventh in the NFL in yards after contact even in Hue's cave man system, because once he does get past the defensive line, he shrugs off little guys and off-balance lunges by big guys.
Understand this: Zone-blocking puts all the big guys off-balance and often moving sideways from the snap on. Man- blocking offers them gaps to shoot, and lets them anchor and "dig in" to meet the back with leverage.
And now Hue is talking as if Isaiah Crowell is the problem. He claims the next time the same play was called, it was stuffed for a two-yard loss.
That's inaccurate, unless it was Duke who got stuffed, but doesn't surprise me. The defense was looking for it the second time!
You can't do that with zone-blocking (stay with me here)!!!
Zone-blocking makes everything random. A defense can't look at the tape and watch for it the next time, because, by design, it creates chaos, and random gaps.
And it also looks identical to pass-blocking to them, by the way.
Hue Jackson put Isaiah Crowell in a no-win situation, and that running back deserves a freaking medal for accomplishing what he has out of the box he's been stuffed in by that blockhead.
The game just started. Crowell ran 3 times for a first down and 4 yards. Punt. I blinked when it was third and three and then it was 4th and 9. But Crow is kicking ass on a bad surface. Time to pass now, Hue!
Nice defense! Justin Currie (sacked Trubes on third down) is an ex-Seahawk Sashi scooped up I think. Wright vs Peppers a mismatch but they probly couldn't help it.
3rd and ten handoff to Duke man blocking not even a draw gimme a break. Great punt return/field position. At least Hue aint coaching the defense. Dammit.
Went to the head and came back in time for the Chicago touchdown what the hell why not oh! Nassib blocked the extra point yay!
Nassib is a pretty damn good player btw. Oh yeah he's not a real player nevermind.
Punt. We all see this unfolding. Hue will make sure not to pass so much this time, but will send the backs through the a-gaps when he runs and hit them in the flats when he passes and da Bearss know it as well as I do so...
Actually in these conditions and vs this defense, I would go DEEP to my biggest targets (I'd have DeValve on the field with Njoku and Gordon)...
...well he tried that give him credit. Great coverage nobody's fault. But I know that either DeValve or Njoku weren't options because one was benched. PUNT.
Defense looks good. You know Trubisky played in Mentor right? He LIKES snow! Garrett just nailed him on a stunt. Down by 6.
Crow just got 2 yards over LG. The cluesless will pick at him over "hesitation". He bought those two yards off hesitation. Like Laveon Belle, the most "hesitant" back in the NFL. Beats the hell out of running into brick walls.
Ok I saw that pick. Kizer overthrew Gordon, who was open in the end zone. His feet were set. That's 100% on the quarterback.
Kizer was drafted in the second round and was very raw, so to call him a bust at this point would (will) be extremely ignorant, but to say he doesn't have "it" isn't.
Defense came through again PUNT. They need to get more turnovers but absolutely do not suck. The offense sucks and special teams do, but the defense does not suck. And the offense could be fixed by a quarterback and adaptable/flexible Head Coach, period.
Nice bomb to Ricardo Lewis! And Zane Gonzalez MADE the 48 yard field goal!!! Seems like Lewis is a servicable lower round pick.
Oh yeah. None of them are real football players.
Well it's Xmas Eve so I'm gonna get kicked out here so bartender Bob Cratchett can be with his family BAH HUMBUG so I gotta go bah hamburg
However, I have seen enough to predict that the Browns WILL beat da Bearss unless da Bearss outscore them.
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Hue Fisher, Cousins, Smith, and the Browns
Mike the bartender doubts that Hue Jackson will be back for 2018, despite what Jimmy Haslam (the poor cornered guy) said when he dumped Sashi Brown.
Even if Hue beats Mitchell and da Bearss tomorrow, his record is amazingly bad, and in reality Sashi Brown did preserve and provide him with a bunch of talented players. That's veterans (Zietler, Tretter, McCourtey, Collins, Coley) as well as draftees and undrafteds like Boddy-Calhoun.
There is and has been enough talent here to win a few games, even with a bad quarterback.
I've gone into what's wrong with Hue Jackson, but the Cliff Notes version reads: "Rigid. Inflexible. Not adaptable. Entrenched. BLOCKHEAD. See 'Fisher, Jeff'".
It goes beyond this, however. In my last post, I told you why Alex Smith (and Kirk Cousins, for that matter), might love the idea of having targets like Gordon, Coleman, Njoku, Johnson (AND DeValve btw dammit) to throw to, but probably want nothing to do with Hue Jackson.
This I can redundate: These are first and foremost West Coast quarterbacks. They know that Hue Fisher will NOT let them do that, no matter what.
You hear what I'm saying? They might play for the Browns, but not for Hue Fisher!
TRUST ME, right now Ken Dorsey is telling Jimmy Haslam exactly this. It might go something like this:
"Boss, you're killing me here. I know I'm not allowed to talk to agents, but little birdies are telling me that Hue Jackson is radioactive for Smith and Cousins, so where do I get the veteran who's ready to win this Division in 2018?"
"But now I'm in a jam! I fire another Head Coach I said would be here forever after one or two seasons? I'm a laughing-stock already! And now here we go again with a new offensive system! I know Hue is a blockhead, but at least--"
"I know I get it, but a veteran quarterback would iron a lot of that out. Would you rather have Hue, or Alex Smith in 2018?"
"It's really like that?"
"These quarterbacks are running out of time, and they know it. They can shop around, and their top priority will be somewhere where they can do what they do best. That's emphatically NOT anywhere near Hue Jackson."
"But we have the first overall pick! What about--"
"If we start another rookie quarterback, we have no chance of winning this Division next season. The bulk of the roster is coming into it's own just now, and this is our window. You have to fire Hue if you want to turn this around quickly. You need an elite veteran quarterback to do that, and replacing Hue is how you can get one."
"You have somebody in mind?"
A lot of you don't understand how this works. Newly-hired Head Coaches don't always want to "clean house", and most of the candidates for this position would have no problem retaining Gregg Williams and his staff.
Presumably Hue's replacement would be an offensive coach, quite possibly from the Holmgren/Reid tree, with which Dorsey is very familiar.
Yokels will insist on a "proven" Head Coach, but this translates to "somebody somebody else fired". It's more likely to be an offensive coordinator, and you need to understand this, as well:
In his rookie season, the former offensive coordinator can mostly do what he did before and let Gregg Williams and the special teams guy do what they do.
There would be a lot of unavoidable disruptions on offense, as the players have to learn a new "language" and stuff, but a Smith or Cousins would adapt quickly (especially Smith, who has run five or more offensive systems in his career).
Listen to me: Routes are routes. Every NFL receiver can run all of them. Zone-blocking is idiot-proof, and every offensive lineman can execute it (well or poorly is a separate issue) out of the gate.
The complications for these non-quarterbacks are mostly about language. "ABC" is now "ZWB" to them.
For receivers, the West Coast is also more demanding, as they're required to read the defense just like the quarterback does, and they need to be very precise in their routes.
But hopefully, the new Head Coach would do what Hue Jackson was expected to do, and adapt his offense to his personnel:
I'm projecting West Coast offense off of Holmgren/Reid, but Gordon is a Randy Moss deep threat, Njoku is (well ok will become) a dangerous vertical threat, and Coleman can blow people's doors off too, so a smart Head Coach exploits those vertical routes as well (assuming he has the right quarterback to hold up the other end).
This (sadly) brings me back to Hue Fisher. Remember how, in game one, the Browns barely lost to the Steelers, and Kizer looked like the real deal?
After that, opposing defenses stifled and then shut down Hue's offense. That's partly because, well...that was his game-plan in every game since, no matter what.
We saw this just last week: Despite having a lead, he stopped running, and put the game on Kizer's shoulders. Was Hue just so used to playing from behind that he just couldn't help himself, or what?
I have to get up off of Hue, who I like personally, but firing him is the best thing Jimmy Haslam can do (and damn the torpedos!)
The hell with DeShone Kizer. We've seen enough of Hue Fisher to know he's not a franchise Head Coach.
THIS JUST IN: Derrick Kindred was just placed on IR.
All due respect to Pat McNanoman, who might have just mis-written, but his replacement will probably be Jabrill Peppers, and Rodney Nacuafield will get some more playing time and, I hereby predict, play well.
Even if Hue beats Mitchell and da Bearss tomorrow, his record is amazingly bad, and in reality Sashi Brown did preserve and provide him with a bunch of talented players. That's veterans (Zietler, Tretter, McCourtey, Collins, Coley) as well as draftees and undrafteds like Boddy-Calhoun.
There is and has been enough talent here to win a few games, even with a bad quarterback.
I've gone into what's wrong with Hue Jackson, but the Cliff Notes version reads: "Rigid. Inflexible. Not adaptable. Entrenched. BLOCKHEAD. See 'Fisher, Jeff'".
It goes beyond this, however. In my last post, I told you why Alex Smith (and Kirk Cousins, for that matter), might love the idea of having targets like Gordon, Coleman, Njoku, Johnson (AND DeValve btw dammit) to throw to, but probably want nothing to do with Hue Jackson.
This I can redundate: These are first and foremost West Coast quarterbacks. They know that Hue Fisher will NOT let them do that, no matter what.
You hear what I'm saying? They might play for the Browns, but not for Hue Fisher!
TRUST ME, right now Ken Dorsey is telling Jimmy Haslam exactly this. It might go something like this:
"Boss, you're killing me here. I know I'm not allowed to talk to agents, but little birdies are telling me that Hue Jackson is radioactive for Smith and Cousins, so where do I get the veteran who's ready to win this Division in 2018?"
"But now I'm in a jam! I fire another Head Coach I said would be here forever after one or two seasons? I'm a laughing-stock already! And now here we go again with a new offensive system! I know Hue is a blockhead, but at least--"
"I know I get it, but a veteran quarterback would iron a lot of that out. Would you rather have Hue, or Alex Smith in 2018?"
"It's really like that?"
"These quarterbacks are running out of time, and they know it. They can shop around, and their top priority will be somewhere where they can do what they do best. That's emphatically NOT anywhere near Hue Jackson."
"But we have the first overall pick! What about--"
"If we start another rookie quarterback, we have no chance of winning this Division next season. The bulk of the roster is coming into it's own just now, and this is our window. You have to fire Hue if you want to turn this around quickly. You need an elite veteran quarterback to do that, and replacing Hue is how you can get one."
"You have somebody in mind?"
A lot of you don't understand how this works. Newly-hired Head Coaches don't always want to "clean house", and most of the candidates for this position would have no problem retaining Gregg Williams and his staff.
Presumably Hue's replacement would be an offensive coach, quite possibly from the Holmgren/Reid tree, with which Dorsey is very familiar.
Yokels will insist on a "proven" Head Coach, but this translates to "somebody somebody else fired". It's more likely to be an offensive coordinator, and you need to understand this, as well:
In his rookie season, the former offensive coordinator can mostly do what he did before and let Gregg Williams and the special teams guy do what they do.
There would be a lot of unavoidable disruptions on offense, as the players have to learn a new "language" and stuff, but a Smith or Cousins would adapt quickly (especially Smith, who has run five or more offensive systems in his career).
Listen to me: Routes are routes. Every NFL receiver can run all of them. Zone-blocking is idiot-proof, and every offensive lineman can execute it (well or poorly is a separate issue) out of the gate.
The complications for these non-quarterbacks are mostly about language. "ABC" is now "ZWB" to them.
For receivers, the West Coast is also more demanding, as they're required to read the defense just like the quarterback does, and they need to be very precise in their routes.
But hopefully, the new Head Coach would do what Hue Jackson was expected to do, and adapt his offense to his personnel:
I'm projecting West Coast offense off of Holmgren/Reid, but Gordon is a Randy Moss deep threat, Njoku is (well ok will become) a dangerous vertical threat, and Coleman can blow people's doors off too, so a smart Head Coach exploits those vertical routes as well (assuming he has the right quarterback to hold up the other end).
This (sadly) brings me back to Hue Fisher. Remember how, in game one, the Browns barely lost to the Steelers, and Kizer looked like the real deal?
After that, opposing defenses stifled and then shut down Hue's offense. That's partly because, well...that was his game-plan in every game since, no matter what.
We saw this just last week: Despite having a lead, he stopped running, and put the game on Kizer's shoulders. Was Hue just so used to playing from behind that he just couldn't help himself, or what?
I have to get up off of Hue, who I like personally, but firing him is the best thing Jimmy Haslam can do (and damn the torpedos!)
The hell with DeShone Kizer. We've seen enough of Hue Fisher to know he's not a franchise Head Coach.
THIS JUST IN: Derrick Kindred was just placed on IR.
All due respect to Pat McNanoman, who might have just mis-written, but his replacement will probably be Jabrill Peppers, and Rodney Nacuafield will get some more playing time and, I hereby predict, play well.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Bad Analysis and the Browns
247 Sports (Josh Edwards) knows how to fix the Browns in one offseason. I've included the link because Josh is pretty smart for a non-fan, and has some good ideas.
Unfortunately, I have no choice but to disassemble him:
1: Two of the four needs Josh listed were free safety and wide receiver. We can dispense with wide receiver off the top. So much for that. Free safety might be a "need", but I'd rather give Peppers a second season, and think UFA Kai Nacua could be that guy. Josh is in a big hurry to take two rookies off the table.
2: Josh calls CB Trumaine Johnson "better than anything the Browns have". I want McCourtey's opinion on this. However, going after Johnson might be a good idea.
3: Josh thinks the Browns should go after Laveon Belle. I can't argue with that, but he'll be going for a new record salary. Chris is underestimating the money he'll demand. Belle is extremely greedy.
4: Josh thinks the Browns should sign Alex Smith. This would be a great idea if Hue Jackson weren't the Head Coach. But Hue is the Head Coach. Smith might well tell his agent "Hue Jackson need not apply".
5: Josh's top pick in the draft is Josh Rosen. As I explained in my last couple posts, Rosen is a scumbag, and it MATTERS.
I do like this writer's logic of putting the rookie behind Alex Smith, but acquiring Smith is unlikely, and he picked the wrong rookie.
Josh has the Browns picking safety Derwyn James right after the wrong quarterback. I am clueless about James at this point, and if he's really awesome I'd buy that for a dollar (no comment).
Atop the second round, he has the Browns drafting left tackle Colton Miller as "Joe Thomas insurance". I know nothing about this player, but find it hard to believe that Josh Edwards has found an instant replacement for Big Joe in the second round. (Of course I'll look James and Miller up in case Josh dug up some sleepers, and get back to you).
6: Josh drafts a wide receiver and two linebackers with the remaining second round and top third round picks, saying "depth is starting to be addressed".
Again, I don't yet know about the players Josh lists, but can't fathom his attacking linebacker and wide receiver.
In reality, Ricardo Lewis has emerged as a solid wide receiver, and...isn't Collins due back next year? Anybody notice Schobert as a Pro Bowl alternate? Did Josh ask PFF about Burgess?
Ok I'm done. I could keep kicking Josh, but I'm not like most of you. I have to do this, but not because I like it.
Unfortunately, I have no choice but to disassemble him:
1: Two of the four needs Josh listed were free safety and wide receiver. We can dispense with wide receiver off the top. So much for that. Free safety might be a "need", but I'd rather give Peppers a second season, and think UFA Kai Nacua could be that guy. Josh is in a big hurry to take two rookies off the table.
2: Josh calls CB Trumaine Johnson "better than anything the Browns have". I want McCourtey's opinion on this. However, going after Johnson might be a good idea.
3: Josh thinks the Browns should go after Laveon Belle. I can't argue with that, but he'll be going for a new record salary. Chris is underestimating the money he'll demand. Belle is extremely greedy.
4: Josh thinks the Browns should sign Alex Smith. This would be a great idea if Hue Jackson weren't the Head Coach. But Hue is the Head Coach. Smith might well tell his agent "Hue Jackson need not apply".
5: Josh's top pick in the draft is Josh Rosen. As I explained in my last couple posts, Rosen is a scumbag, and it MATTERS.
I do like this writer's logic of putting the rookie behind Alex Smith, but acquiring Smith is unlikely, and he picked the wrong rookie.
Josh has the Browns picking safety Derwyn James right after the wrong quarterback. I am clueless about James at this point, and if he's really awesome I'd buy that for a dollar (no comment).
Atop the second round, he has the Browns drafting left tackle Colton Miller as "Joe Thomas insurance". I know nothing about this player, but find it hard to believe that Josh Edwards has found an instant replacement for Big Joe in the second round. (Of course I'll look James and Miller up in case Josh dug up some sleepers, and get back to you).
6: Josh drafts a wide receiver and two linebackers with the remaining second round and top third round picks, saying "depth is starting to be addressed".
Again, I don't yet know about the players Josh lists, but can't fathom his attacking linebacker and wide receiver.
In reality, Ricardo Lewis has emerged as a solid wide receiver, and...isn't Collins due back next year? Anybody notice Schobert as a Pro Bowl alternate? Did Josh ask PFF about Burgess?
Ok I'm done. I could keep kicking Josh, but I'm not like most of you. I have to do this, but not because I like it.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Political Correctness and the Browns
Here is why guys like me can't write for most publications. The linked article (CBS Sports again--different writer) does the Ross Perot thing; you know, standing in the middle, and pointing respectful fingers equally at both sides?
Ken Dorsey now knows he underestimated the aggragate intelligence of Browns fans, and has retreated (slightly) from his astonishing Sashi/roster-bashing last week.
This writer stipulates a few Browns players like Garrett, Gordon (I know G Sashi didn't draft him quit interrupting dammit), Collins, and somebody else...then says "are there holes? Of course! Lots of them!"
BULL. SHIT.
I'm so freaking sick of this! SHOW ME THE GDAMN HOLES!!!
DEFINE "HOLE". SHOW ME ONE "HOLE" (besides quarterback) ok? Where is it?
Oh yeah, I forgot HEAD COACH, so that makes it plural, but this still doesn't add up to "a lot", you see? TWO isn't "a lot". You need at least three for the smallest possible "lot", ok?
Excuse the hell outta me for speaking english and thinking literally and coherently, and being allergic to bullshit.
Lower round players like DeValve, Shon Coleman, Schobert, Drango, Kindred, Ogunjobi, Brantley, Dayes etc are not fakes. Free agents like Zeitler, Tretter, McCourtey, and Coley are real football players. Undrafted free agents like Boddy-Calhoun are not fake football players.
That covers Brown, but if you've mastered arithmatic, toss in Gordon, Thomas, Duke, Crow, Bitonio, Telfer, and Kirksey and tell me where tf these "holes" are gdammit!
Dorsey was TOTALLY full of shit, PERIOD. REALITY IS WHAT IT IS.
The Browns need a quarterback and a Head Coach, period.
DEAL with it.
And oh yeah: Think with your BRAIN.
Ken Dorsey now knows he underestimated the aggragate intelligence of Browns fans, and has retreated (slightly) from his astonishing Sashi/roster-bashing last week.
This writer stipulates a few Browns players like Garrett, Gordon (I know G Sashi didn't draft him quit interrupting dammit), Collins, and somebody else...then says "are there holes? Of course! Lots of them!"
BULL. SHIT.
I'm so freaking sick of this! SHOW ME THE GDAMN HOLES!!!
DEFINE "HOLE". SHOW ME ONE "HOLE" (besides quarterback) ok? Where is it?
Oh yeah, I forgot HEAD COACH, so that makes it plural, but this still doesn't add up to "a lot", you see? TWO isn't "a lot". You need at least three for the smallest possible "lot", ok?
Excuse the hell outta me for speaking english and thinking literally and coherently, and being allergic to bullshit.
Lower round players like DeValve, Shon Coleman, Schobert, Drango, Kindred, Ogunjobi, Brantley, Dayes etc are not fakes. Free agents like Zeitler, Tretter, McCourtey, and Coley are real football players. Undrafted free agents like Boddy-Calhoun are not fake football players.
That covers Brown, but if you've mastered arithmatic, toss in Gordon, Thomas, Duke, Crow, Bitonio, Telfer, and Kirksey and tell me where tf these "holes" are gdammit!
Dorsey was TOTALLY full of shit, PERIOD. REALITY IS WHAT IT IS.
The Browns need a quarterback and a Head Coach, period.
DEAL with it.
And oh yeah: Think with your BRAIN.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Prick vs Darnold, Hue Lewis, and the Browns
Consensus is almost unanimous that the Browns will draft Josh Rosen first overall, and not Sam Darnold.
The reason? He's more pro-ready. That's it. That's all. More pro ready.
Clearly coachability, personality, upside, and character are all far less imortant than pro-readiness.
One prognosticator even said that Darnold and Rosen are pretty much interchangeable...then picked Rosen.
Pro readiness: Are we really talking about starting a rookie quarterback in game one again? A rookie quarterback will be expected to take down the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals in 2018?
Pro readiness will be a low priority for Ken Dorsey. Upside will be the top priority, and Darnold has more.
He's more accurate, he can improvise, throw off-balance, and run like Wentz.
Not that this matters or anything, but he listens to coaches, and his teammates will run through walls for him too.
I go back to my last post, and think a veteran (quite possibly McCarron) will be brought in to start. We can give DeShone Kizer a puncher's chance. After all, he hasn't had time to stabalize his mechanics, and he has had his moments.
The drafted quarterback will be protected and nurtured. If he's a little less pro ready than that prick, who cares? Dorsey will want the best quarterback in 2019.
Most of these guys also want desperately to replace that bumb Ogbah at defensive end with the Texans pick.
I don't understand this. Left tackle, probably downhill running back...well that's kind of it...make more sense, unless the defensive end is like Garrett himself.
But there's a problem here:
I've been defending Hue Fisher's playcalling up til the Green Bay game, but now I've got to concede that he's pretty bad.
As Dan Labbe and others have pointed out, despite the fact that the run was working vs the Ravens, Hue scrapped it, and had DeShone Kizer back to pass for most of the game, including when the Browns were leading.
I personally noticed that the Ravens blew up dumpoffs to Crowell (for losses) at least three times. The Ravens obviously had the answer for that play. The second one I can understand, but the third one shouldn't have been attempted.
Just as Hue refuses to adapt to his personnel, he refuses to adapt to the opponent and game situation.
Vs Green Bay, I'm almost positive that Gregg Williams didn't willingly back off and allow the Packers to dink and dunk up and down the field and come from far behind.
I know for sure that this was one time when Hue did fall in love with the run. Know who else knew it? The Packer's defense.
Kizer actually looked good in that game! But Jackson took his foot off the gas with half the game remaining. The Browns went away from what was working, and the Packers exploited it.
Dear Mike Brown: Please come get him. He's the perfect replacement for Marvin Lewis. We'll take a 7th round pick. And a bag of Doritos too. Ok skip the pick.
This is deflating. All the stuff I said about his Bible-sized playbook, creativity, and adaptability. I've rarely been this wrong about anything.
Well at least I admit it. Other stuff I was wrong about: Pryor, Britt, Dayes (I thought he was a wasted pick)...can't think of much else recent but feel free to read more posts and nail me.
Yes, I now hope that Mike Brown is crazy enough to want Hue back, and yes...to start over with yet another Head Coach of Dorsey's choosing.
I doubt it will happen, however, or that Haslam will change his mind and fire him.
Well Marvin Lewis won lots of games. Hue can, once he has the players to fit his rigid, inflexible scheme, and the majority of those players have some experience.
The problem is, I don't trust him in critical moments anymore, and did you see it vs the Ravens again? He was indeed yanking Josh Gordon off the field for Ricardo Lewis, including in the red zone and in come-back mode!
Look, cornerbacks stay on the field for every down, and they have to work harder than wide receivers! Why the hell would you want your best wide receiver randomly stanting on the sidelines over 35% (I'm guessing) of the time?
Peter Smith strikes again! This time he's all over Hue Lewis for how he handled DeShone Kizer, and he's mostly on the money.
I just disagree with Pete on a few minor points. For one, I think Kevin Hogan shouldn't be judged on his one and only start. If you check out his overall performance (and progress) through his first two seasons, you see potential here.
But Pete backs me up on Hue's inflexibility. "The system is the system, no matter who is at quarterback". I would add: Regardless of the skill-set of your running back, the types and number of tight ends you have, how bad and few your wide receivers are, or how athletic your offensive line is.
Smith is quite fair to DeShone Kizer. He was absolutely not ready to start in the NFL, and this isn't his fault.
I don't know how good Kizer will eventually become, or even how far his "leap" from his first to second year will take him, but he'll obviously be significantly better than he is now.
If Angelo Dundee had put Cassius Clay up against contenders in his first few pro fights, you might never have heard of Muhammud Ali. Hue Jackson is no Angelo Dundee.
Peter takes Hue behind the woodshed in this one, and I concur about 86.2%.
If the improbable happens, and we get to replace this Marvin Lewis clone before 2018, Gregg Williams and his assistants should be safe, which would provide continuity on defense.
This defense has disappointed recently, but you have to realize that Danny Shelton, Ogbah, and Jamie Collins not being there matters.
A few more Bullcrap corrections:
1: Deep safety was one of the few positions Jabrill Peppers rarely played in college, although he's faster than most NFL starters at that position.
2: Peppers is at deep safety something like 30% of the time.
3: He will be much better at that position in his second season, but it might not matter if Nacua (who is a true deep safety), or another high draft pick takes it over.
4: The defense's (unprecedented in Williams' carreer) lack of turnovers is alarming, but not terminal. When Ogbah went on IR, it stifled pressure from the edge, as defenses could focus on Garrett, and roll away from him.
The majority of turnovers are forced by getting to the quarterback, obviously. They come from deflections, strip-sacks (almost always from behind), and premature, off-balance throws.
The real experts who say that the Browns need a "bookend" for Myles Garrett are correct, but I can't understand their dismissal of Emmanuel Ogbah, who will be returning for his third season next spring.
Jamie Collins is a unique player. All the other linebackers are around 6'2", and under 245. Collins is 6'5", 260, and I think faster than all of them.
Collins can make interceptions, separate ballcarriers from balls, deflect passes, and (read this slowly), Gregg Williams uses him differently than he does the shorter, smaller, slower guys.
Overall, Ogunjobi, Brantley, and (especially) Coley mitigate Danny Shelton's injuries. The Browns now have great depth at defensive tackle.
However, when Shelton is on the field, it's a lot harder for opposing offenses to run the ball.
When Shelton is there on first and sometimes second downs, running backs get stuffed more often (still with me here?). This forces more passes on second and third downs.
When Ogbah, Shelton, and Collins were all on the field, this defense was forcing turnovers. Rodney Ogbahfield and Collins were two of three key playmakers on this defense, and Shelton was a catalyst who set them up.
Now in 2018, two or more of the top five draft picks (from first overall to the top pick in the third round) should be starting quality defensive players.
Ogbah and Shelton will be back and healthy. McCourtey is getting old, but as amazing as he's been this season, we can reasonably expect him to rank high at CB next season and to exploit any mistakes opposing quarterbacks make for turnovers.
I'm fuzzy on Dorsey's history with free agents (and undrafted free agents) at this point, but Andrew Berry is still here, so I expect this to go pretty well. The Browns won't lose any important defensive players, and should land one high-profile veteran and score on a couple more undrafted guys as well.
Personally, without doing any research, I am personally leaning towards a Joe Thomas protege with the Texans' first round pick.
I can't find the left tackle Sashi drafted in 2016 because for some reason the Browns injured reserve list is too hard for me to find. I know he's extra-tall and very athletic, but that's all.
"Project" left tackles rarely work out, however, so going by the numbers, the top of the first round is your best bet, and this is one position you need to make sure of.
If you think replacing Ogbah is more important than replacing Joe Thomas eventually, you need a brain transplant.
That would take us to the top pick in the second round (etc).
Ogbah himself was drafted much lower. Stud running backs and free safeties are often taken here (I'm editing based on real Browns team needs--so are guards, centers, linebackers, tight ends, edge-ru...ok well just everything except quarterbacks ok?)
Dorsey should "hit" on most of the non-quarterback top five picks. It's not nearly as hard as digging up gold in the lower rounds...
Wow, did Sashi Brown set this guy up or what?
I begin to understand why Dorsey said "AFC North Division Title or bust":
1: He expects Ogbah and Collins back.
2: He expects to add at least two Williams-freindly studs in the top three (ok get real more like the top two) rounds.
3: He expects to maybe nab another one in free agency.
4: He knows that Ogunjobi, Brantley, Peppers, Burgess, and Nacua will be better, and has to like Howard Williams.
5: He knows Gregg Williams.
Unless Ken Dorsey is just a compulsive blow-hard, he expects the 2018 Browns defense to be one of the best in the NFL.
And that is realistic.
Assuming he's stuck with Hue Fisher as his Head Coach, and that Kizer isn't the answer at quarterback, he can still push Hue around.
Hue's record is what it is. If Mike Brown doesn't bail him out now, he'll never be a Head Coach again if he's fired here.
If Peter Smith and I can see what's wrong here, so can Ken Dorsey. But Hue has to listen to Dorsey.
This is deep: In this organizational structure, both the Head Coach and the defacto GM answer to the owner, rather than the Coach answering to the GM.
Well, Jimmy Haslam just replaced Sashi Brown with Ken Dorsey; kinda-sorta siding with Hue Lewis. But Hue Fisher has since then managed to squander two leads in games, and might well manage to lose to da Bearss this week as well.
If this new voice, with a great history of achievement, tells Haslam "Hue sucks", he will LISTEN, and Hue knows it.
Dorsey can push Hue around, and he will. He's already declared himself a scumbag with his "real players" bullcrap (which was partly to manipulate Hue...how transparent this guy is...)
Anyway Ken Dorsey has more real power here than he has ever had before in his carreer. He WILL ask him about the Gordon rotation, the blocking scheme, the prevent offenses and defenses, and everything else all of us have seen.
Dorsey isn't a "football guy" himself, but he just said nothing short of the AFC North title was acceptable in 2018. And HE will be asking Hue why the hell he rotates Gordon in and out, won't zone-block, won't stay with the run, etc., like we all do.
But NOW, Hue has to LISTEN. Ken Dorsey is a despicable human being, but he just might be the answer.
The reason? He's more pro-ready. That's it. That's all. More pro ready.
Clearly coachability, personality, upside, and character are all far less imortant than pro-readiness.
One prognosticator even said that Darnold and Rosen are pretty much interchangeable...then picked Rosen.
Pro readiness: Are we really talking about starting a rookie quarterback in game one again? A rookie quarterback will be expected to take down the Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals in 2018?
Pro readiness will be a low priority for Ken Dorsey. Upside will be the top priority, and Darnold has more.
He's more accurate, he can improvise, throw off-balance, and run like Wentz.
Not that this matters or anything, but he listens to coaches, and his teammates will run through walls for him too.
I go back to my last post, and think a veteran (quite possibly McCarron) will be brought in to start. We can give DeShone Kizer a puncher's chance. After all, he hasn't had time to stabalize his mechanics, and he has had his moments.
The drafted quarterback will be protected and nurtured. If he's a little less pro ready than that prick, who cares? Dorsey will want the best quarterback in 2019.
Most of these guys also want desperately to replace that bumb Ogbah at defensive end with the Texans pick.
I don't understand this. Left tackle, probably downhill running back...well that's kind of it...make more sense, unless the defensive end is like Garrett himself.
But there's a problem here:
I've been defending Hue Fisher's playcalling up til the Green Bay game, but now I've got to concede that he's pretty bad.
As Dan Labbe and others have pointed out, despite the fact that the run was working vs the Ravens, Hue scrapped it, and had DeShone Kizer back to pass for most of the game, including when the Browns were leading.
I personally noticed that the Ravens blew up dumpoffs to Crowell (for losses) at least three times. The Ravens obviously had the answer for that play. The second one I can understand, but the third one shouldn't have been attempted.
Just as Hue refuses to adapt to his personnel, he refuses to adapt to the opponent and game situation.
Vs Green Bay, I'm almost positive that Gregg Williams didn't willingly back off and allow the Packers to dink and dunk up and down the field and come from far behind.
I know for sure that this was one time when Hue did fall in love with the run. Know who else knew it? The Packer's defense.
Kizer actually looked good in that game! But Jackson took his foot off the gas with half the game remaining. The Browns went away from what was working, and the Packers exploited it.
Dear Mike Brown: Please come get him. He's the perfect replacement for Marvin Lewis. We'll take a 7th round pick. And a bag of Doritos too. Ok skip the pick.
This is deflating. All the stuff I said about his Bible-sized playbook, creativity, and adaptability. I've rarely been this wrong about anything.
Well at least I admit it. Other stuff I was wrong about: Pryor, Britt, Dayes (I thought he was a wasted pick)...can't think of much else recent but feel free to read more posts and nail me.
Yes, I now hope that Mike Brown is crazy enough to want Hue back, and yes...to start over with yet another Head Coach of Dorsey's choosing.
I doubt it will happen, however, or that Haslam will change his mind and fire him.
Well Marvin Lewis won lots of games. Hue can, once he has the players to fit his rigid, inflexible scheme, and the majority of those players have some experience.
The problem is, I don't trust him in critical moments anymore, and did you see it vs the Ravens again? He was indeed yanking Josh Gordon off the field for Ricardo Lewis, including in the red zone and in come-back mode!
Look, cornerbacks stay on the field for every down, and they have to work harder than wide receivers! Why the hell would you want your best wide receiver randomly stanting on the sidelines over 35% (I'm guessing) of the time?
Peter Smith strikes again! This time he's all over Hue Lewis for how he handled DeShone Kizer, and he's mostly on the money.
I just disagree with Pete on a few minor points. For one, I think Kevin Hogan shouldn't be judged on his one and only start. If you check out his overall performance (and progress) through his first two seasons, you see potential here.
But Pete backs me up on Hue's inflexibility. "The system is the system, no matter who is at quarterback". I would add: Regardless of the skill-set of your running back, the types and number of tight ends you have, how bad and few your wide receivers are, or how athletic your offensive line is.
Smith is quite fair to DeShone Kizer. He was absolutely not ready to start in the NFL, and this isn't his fault.
I don't know how good Kizer will eventually become, or even how far his "leap" from his first to second year will take him, but he'll obviously be significantly better than he is now.
If Angelo Dundee had put Cassius Clay up against contenders in his first few pro fights, you might never have heard of Muhammud Ali. Hue Jackson is no Angelo Dundee.
Peter takes Hue behind the woodshed in this one, and I concur about 86.2%.
If the improbable happens, and we get to replace this Marvin Lewis clone before 2018, Gregg Williams and his assistants should be safe, which would provide continuity on defense.
This defense has disappointed recently, but you have to realize that Danny Shelton, Ogbah, and Jamie Collins not being there matters.
A few more Bullcrap corrections:
1: Deep safety was one of the few positions Jabrill Peppers rarely played in college, although he's faster than most NFL starters at that position.
2: Peppers is at deep safety something like 30% of the time.
3: He will be much better at that position in his second season, but it might not matter if Nacua (who is a true deep safety), or another high draft pick takes it over.
4: The defense's (unprecedented in Williams' carreer) lack of turnovers is alarming, but not terminal. When Ogbah went on IR, it stifled pressure from the edge, as defenses could focus on Garrett, and roll away from him.
The majority of turnovers are forced by getting to the quarterback, obviously. They come from deflections, strip-sacks (almost always from behind), and premature, off-balance throws.
The real experts who say that the Browns need a "bookend" for Myles Garrett are correct, but I can't understand their dismissal of Emmanuel Ogbah, who will be returning for his third season next spring.
Jamie Collins is a unique player. All the other linebackers are around 6'2", and under 245. Collins is 6'5", 260, and I think faster than all of them.
Collins can make interceptions, separate ballcarriers from balls, deflect passes, and (read this slowly), Gregg Williams uses him differently than he does the shorter, smaller, slower guys.
Overall, Ogunjobi, Brantley, and (especially) Coley mitigate Danny Shelton's injuries. The Browns now have great depth at defensive tackle.
However, when Shelton is on the field, it's a lot harder for opposing offenses to run the ball.
When Shelton is there on first and sometimes second downs, running backs get stuffed more often (still with me here?). This forces more passes on second and third downs.
When Ogbah, Shelton, and Collins were all on the field, this defense was forcing turnovers. Rodney Ogbahfield and Collins were two of three key playmakers on this defense, and Shelton was a catalyst who set them up.
Now in 2018, two or more of the top five draft picks (from first overall to the top pick in the third round) should be starting quality defensive players.
Ogbah and Shelton will be back and healthy. McCourtey is getting old, but as amazing as he's been this season, we can reasonably expect him to rank high at CB next season and to exploit any mistakes opposing quarterbacks make for turnovers.
I'm fuzzy on Dorsey's history with free agents (and undrafted free agents) at this point, but Andrew Berry is still here, so I expect this to go pretty well. The Browns won't lose any important defensive players, and should land one high-profile veteran and score on a couple more undrafted guys as well.
Personally, without doing any research, I am personally leaning towards a Joe Thomas protege with the Texans' first round pick.
I can't find the left tackle Sashi drafted in 2016 because for some reason the Browns injured reserve list is too hard for me to find. I know he's extra-tall and very athletic, but that's all.
"Project" left tackles rarely work out, however, so going by the numbers, the top of the first round is your best bet, and this is one position you need to make sure of.
If you think replacing Ogbah is more important than replacing Joe Thomas eventually, you need a brain transplant.
That would take us to the top pick in the second round (etc).
Ogbah himself was drafted much lower. Stud running backs and free safeties are often taken here (I'm editing based on real Browns team needs--so are guards, centers, linebackers, tight ends, edge-ru...ok well just everything except quarterbacks ok?)
Dorsey should "hit" on most of the non-quarterback top five picks. It's not nearly as hard as digging up gold in the lower rounds...
Wow, did Sashi Brown set this guy up or what?
I begin to understand why Dorsey said "AFC North Division Title or bust":
1: He expects Ogbah and Collins back.
2: He expects to add at least two Williams-freindly studs in the top three (ok get real more like the top two) rounds.
3: He expects to maybe nab another one in free agency.
4: He knows that Ogunjobi, Brantley, Peppers, Burgess, and Nacua will be better, and has to like Howard Williams.
5: He knows Gregg Williams.
Unless Ken Dorsey is just a compulsive blow-hard, he expects the 2018 Browns defense to be one of the best in the NFL.
And that is realistic.
Assuming he's stuck with Hue Fisher as his Head Coach, and that Kizer isn't the answer at quarterback, he can still push Hue around.
Hue's record is what it is. If Mike Brown doesn't bail him out now, he'll never be a Head Coach again if he's fired here.
If Peter Smith and I can see what's wrong here, so can Ken Dorsey. But Hue has to listen to Dorsey.
This is deep: In this organizational structure, both the Head Coach and the defacto GM answer to the owner, rather than the Coach answering to the GM.
Well, Jimmy Haslam just replaced Sashi Brown with Ken Dorsey; kinda-sorta siding with Hue Lewis. But Hue Fisher has since then managed to squander two leads in games, and might well manage to lose to da Bearss this week as well.
If this new voice, with a great history of achievement, tells Haslam "Hue sucks", he will LISTEN, and Hue knows it.
Dorsey can push Hue around, and he will. He's already declared himself a scumbag with his "real players" bullcrap (which was partly to manipulate Hue...how transparent this guy is...)
Anyway Ken Dorsey has more real power here than he has ever had before in his carreer. He WILL ask him about the Gordon rotation, the blocking scheme, the prevent offenses and defenses, and everything else all of us have seen.
Dorsey isn't a "football guy" himself, but he just said nothing short of the AFC North title was acceptable in 2018. And HE will be asking Hue why the hell he rotates Gordon in and out, won't zone-block, won't stay with the run, etc., like we all do.
But NOW, Hue has to LISTEN. Ken Dorsey is a despicable human being, but he just might be the answer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)