Well, these referees were just plain horrible. It is NOT legal to hit ANY player in the head with their helmet, period, let alone a quarterback who is obviously starting to slide.
The referee correctly threw the flag, but was overruled, and here's the translation: It is legal to hit Browns quarterbacks in the head!!!
How can these clowns get away with this garbage?
Brad Cagnon (Bleacher Report) wrote a nice article on how the Browns Coaches are ruining Baker Mayfield's inaugural season.
I do have to say that probably one third of the 14 flags thrown against the Browns were bullcrap, but there were still too many, and this has to be on the guys in charge.
Look, some penalties you just have to deal with. If a left tackle is beaten, and his quarterback is about to get crushed, he will tackle the guy, and the Coach will accept that.
Ditto a toasted cornerback who is about to give up a certain touchdown.
But jumping offsides that often, false starts, etc are clear evidence of a lack of discipline.
But how, exactly, do you enforce discipline? You can't bench these players, as due to injuries, team depth is already being sorely tested.
Still, Belichick does it somehow. The Ravens are disciplined, as are the Saints, Rams...somehow, those coaches always have disciplined teams.
It's not just the penalties, however: Vs Tampa Bay, Mayfield's receivers held up their end, kinda--but that was the first time! If this wasn't the Browns, you could assume that chemistry has improved and they should be even more effective next week, but...
Then oh come on man! Peppers' fumble on that return? Jeez some how, some way, they find a way to LOSE!
Peppers had a great game as both a returner and a defender. As usual, just when you're smiling at a young Browns player and reaching out to pat him on the back, OOPS!
It's maddening. Senseless. Insane.
Hue Jackson is taking most of the heat for all this, but Todd Haley has been running this offense, and that offense has managed to go scoreless in the first quarter of nearly every game.
Dorsey just had to confiscate his favorite toy to force him to use Nick Chubb. I don't like that.
Read all my previous posts: I've been a huge Todd Haley fan, and expected him to rescue this offense and max out the skill players.
But so far, he's made me miss Hue! At least Hue used Duke Johnson liberally at various positions, and Njoku and DeValve combined for over 60 catches and a lot of yards.
I'm not ready to convict anybody just yet. Njoku only had one idiotic rediculous drop last week, but he IS one guy who can be benched (replaced by DeValve). (Update: DeValve never got on the field, and Pharoah Cooper was just brought onto the active roster. Haley seems to really hate DeValve!)
Njoku wouldn't even have been on the field in my offense, but Todd just really really likes him better, so the drops don't seem to matter to him.
I'm curious to compare Callaway and Ratley snap-counts too, because Ratley has PROVEN himself a lot more reliable than Butterfingers. I bet Haley used Callaway as much or more!
Way to look out for your rookie quarterback, Todd!
I mean DUH!
Ohmmm....ohmmm...
Todd Haley has a long and commendable record as an offensive coordinator, and I do not. That's why I'm reserving judgement.
His playcalling seems just fine to me. His players simply haven't executed well. As I mentioned, all those stupid drops. Every time there's a big play, you look for the flag that will reverse it.
Somehow San Diego's secondary blows up timing on every receiver and looks like...well just dammit that crew should not have been able to do that!!!
(of course, they couldn't stop Rodney Ratleyfield, but...)
Playcalling? Oh that's easy to pick on. When something doesn't work, it's a bad playcall, right? Oh how eriudite you simpletonian monday morning coordinators are! You people....
Todd Haley doesn't tell players to blow blocks, screw up patterns, or drop passes. That's not what "play calling" means, and you're not ready to step in for Todd Haley in your wildest dreams...
Ohmmm....ohmmm...
Baker Mayfield himself will probably get more assertive now. He'll let Haley know he wants Ratley and Duke on the field all the time, and won't back down.
(Interestingly, Hue might have his back here if Haley digs his heels in---ooo, the intrigue and power struggles!!! LaCanfora will jump all over it, and for once it might be legit for a change!)
The defense is doing it's job. Down Schobert and two of his top three corners, Williams forced four more turnovers and kept the Browns in it vs a decent offense, and Gregg doesn't need to be lumped in with Jackson or Haley.
Hair-trigger passrushers jump offsides sometimes. Defensive coaches can't tell them to "make sure" or whatever, because that first step is their biggest edge.
Gregg can hammer a defensive back for continuing to mug a receiver 10 yards downfield, but can't blame him for a total bullshit call (of which there have been many).
Is he supposed to tell Myles Garrett not to tackle the quarterback? To be kinder and gentler?
Don't be a spazz. Don't blame EVERYBODY.
Baker Mayfield is in charge now, and Dorsey has his back. PFF wants you to know he's the best rookie quarterback in the NFL, and already in the top half of all quarterbacks.
Mayfield has leverage, and will use it. "I want Duke. I want Ratley. I want more run/pass options, zone reads, and rollouts, and so does the whole fucking offensive line!"
Trust me: However this coaching issue sorts itself out, Baker Mayfield is NOT going to be a "good soldier", and will be heard by the Haslams.
The 2018 Browns are still contenders, because Baker Mayfield won't accept bad coaching.
Stand by.
Update: Butterfingers was on the field much more than Ratley, and is still listed ahead of him on the depth chart. No. Matter. What.
Ratley again caught most of his targets, while Callaway caught one of TWO. Doesn't matter! Todd Haley does not reward performance or penalize screwups. He has not adapted his offense to his personnel.
He is a blockhead
Yes, Hue Jackson: You DO need to step in here! I don't think you can make it worse. Maybe you can accidentally fix it.
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