How glad are we that Jimmy and Dee Haslam are letting John Dorsey find the Browns' next Head Coach.
Last time, Jimmy hired a professional recruiting firm to help him out. I'm not sure how that worked; I assume they did have some expertise in this niche market (so don't beat them over the head for hiring perhaps the hottest candidate: Hue Jackson).
But I digress: This decision pretty much made itself, since John Dorsey (and his assistants) could open their own NFL Coach Headhunter firm if they weren't busy running the Browns.
There could be as many as seven other teams fighting over various candidates this year, but the people who are projecting this are thinking that Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy and Ravens Coach Jim Harbaugh could be creating two of those vacancies.
McCarthy is unlikely to be fired. That's been blown up partly because of Dorsey's relationship with him. If anybody thinks the Packers' current issues are McCarthy's fault, they need a brain transplant.
But the Harbaugh thing? That's for real, if he fails to make the playoffs this season.
That's just as dumb as firing McCarthy, but the Ravens' ownership hinted at this prior to this season, and they drafted QB Lamar Jackson.
My peeps on NFL Radio say that switching quarterbacks (when the two quarterbacks are markedly different from eachother) will sometimes trigger a coaching change, as ownership targets a new Coach to run a system more amenable to the new guy.
That's still stupid, since I know for sure that Jim Harbaugh could/would "Jacksonize" his offense---but this is how it happens.
We all have even more reason to root against the Ravens now.
As I said before this season started, the prennially-overrated Ravens, even with their terrific free agency moves, remained the least talented and oldest team in the AFC North.
Expecting them to overtake the Steelers or Ravens and win this Division is sheer hubris. Even insisting that they win a wild-card spot out of this dog fight is unrealistic.
Yes, Ravens: by all means blame Jim Harbaugh when your outgunned team doesn't make it so Dorsey can offer him annual revenge in perpetuity!
Here is some great news: The Browns might have three defensive starters back in time for Matt Ryan's Falcons.
Joe Schobert has become vitally important, and most fans don't grok his full value.
In his absence, Jamie Collins had been calling the defenses. I won't presume to pick on him over this, but I just know that this defense has been much tougher vs the run (and on third down) with Schobert than without him.
Part of this is Schobert's still-underrated athleticism. He's not only blown up a lot of screen passes, but stifled some scary opposing tight ends in coverage as well.
Everybody knows about Demarius Randall now. I just need to point out that Gregg Williams has moved him back to man corner before, and he probably will this week, so that he can run his best defense:
Ward is the third starter, check: But the Falcons have Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, AND Mohammud Sanu. If you try to zone-cover those guys, you are dead.
For Gregg, the two outside corners need to disrupt the outside receivers' routes, and now that EJ Gaines is out (and TJ Carrie inexplicably fell on his face), Randall has to be Ward's bookend.
Free safety is less critical vs this specific offense than those two cover corners.
This Browns front CAN put heat on Matt Ryan, and the object is to force him to his third read early...
Nevermind.
The Browns' offense vs the Falcons' defense looks pretty good. Much has been made of the Birds' recent signing of passrusher Irvin.
He's been a scary guy except for this season (he's 31). A Falcons' analyst points out that Irvin was a lot better with Khalil Mack than without him, but...
The Falcons don't have anybody like Khalil Mack, so I must be missing something...
The Browns have a better chance vs the Falcons than they did vs the Chiefs, mainly because of the three returning defensive starters.
And Mayfield, Higgins, Ratley, Callaway, Njoku, Duke, and Chubb DO YOU U N D E R S T A N D?
...No you don't: Everybody there except Higgins and Duke are rookies or second-year players in a new system.
These are all ascending players...
I give up. Most of you are unreachable.
The Falcons' offense seems unstoppable, and Matt Ryan is completing SEVENTY SEVEN PERCENT of his passes (with an above average yards-per-attempt)...
But the Browns have a shot, because they have three key defensive starters back, a flexible offensive coordinator, and a smashmouth running game...
...and Baker Mayfield (unleashed).
I hereby predict that the team which scores more points than it allows will win this game.
I
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