I just saw the first half of the Browns vs Bucs preseason "dress rehearsal" third game, in which Baker Mayfield played the whole first half.
Nick Chubb didn't play, but Kareem Hunt did, so skip that part. OBJ and (I think) Landry didn't play, and that matter.
The Browns couldn't run. Mayfield took more early pressure than he should have, but was still personally shaky (innaccurate) early on.
That is, he looked like a normal Quarterback, who was imperfect on some of those microscopic windows he was aiming for.
Still, even as Bake was having his bad night, he nailed some passes, and his receivers (Strong, Higgins, and Willies at least one each) dropped catchable passes.
Then Mayfield got the windage, recalibrated--whatever, and for at least the last 2 series was that sniper we've come to know...
And his receivers KEPT dropping passes.
Look: When a Quarterback is hitting tiny little windows, he sometimes has to rifle it in there, or put it way up in the air for a perfectly-timed leap.
If you can get two sets of fingers on that football, you need to make that catch.
I'm not sure how this game will effect the WR competition, but I know that Strong and Willies both accrued some "demerits"...and by the way where tf was Ratley?
Ratley? Ratley?
Well the Offensive Line looks bad, and blame them for no running game and the early heat on Mayfield too. They look shaky.
Njoku didn't play either, and Kitchens was vanilla: He went empty backfield a lot but 2 Tight Ends or Running Backs rarely if ever. Jake Burns will need to confirm this for me, but it also looked to me like there were few (or no) RPOs, and the run-blocking was a Jacksonian power/man (not zone).
I'm not sure how good the 2019 Bucs defense is, but they sure look impressive to me...and by the way deserve some credit here.
Especially their coverage guys! They were all over every receiver; I saw almost no separation at all. It seemed like every single pass was hotly contested.
The good news was the Browns Defense. The Bucs had one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL in 2018, and haven't lost a lot of talent.
Up until both teams yanked their stars, the Browns defense stuffed the Bucs offense.
Right Guard remains unsettled. A lot of that early pressure on Mayfield, and penetration in general came through Right Guard.
Right Guard is the ONLY problem here! Damn they're so close...but would you take Zeitler back and "refund" OBJ and Vernon, even now? Would reclaiming Jabrill Peppers, or even the 17th overall pick make you want that deal back?
It shouldn't (obviously). OBJ would have made those catches the other guys didn't. Vernon is making a huge difference.
Still with me here? Not every team has a DT named Suh. Can Baker roll out? Can he target convenient running backs? And you've written off Austin Corbett, but what about Drew Forbes?
Remember I said Freddie was vanilla (I saw it in his face as he called plays-it was like (sigh/eyerole) I can't stand looking this stupid but here goes))...
He doesn't bother hiding his mouth as he calls the plays (hey where did all the body language experts go? Let's dig into Freddie's bored expression: What is he hiding?)
What a bunch of pretentious goofballs most of you are! (Sorry not YOU, but most pundits, ok?)
Oh sorry last call okbye
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