Browns v Raiders Pregame by Ray O Sunshine

The scariest part of the Raiders are a good quarterback plus Cooper and Crabtree.  Both are big YAC guys who can do a lot with short passes.

Oakland will no doubt take note of last week's sackfest by this defense and use a lot of those to get the ball out of Carr's hand asap.

In general, deep passes aren't the way to go against the Browns.  The book so far in 2015 says quick passes and outside runs.

By the way: Not inside runs.  You need to understand the difference ok?

The Brown's are built to run press/man coverage on the two outside receivers, and that's what they have to do here.  No corner can stay on a receiver long, but this is the best way to screw up quick-hitting passes.

If Carr can't count on Crabtree or Cooper getting to their spots on time, he has to find them, confirm they're open, and check down or throw quickly.

Carr was NFL-ready when drafted, and has a bunch of starts under his belt, so he can do ok with this.  But he's still not a seasoned veteran, and should catch a lot of heat, so he could make a couple mistakes.

As my crickets and Bub know, prior to his draft, I cited a distinct drop off in his stats in pressure situations as a reason to draft Bridgewater instead.

I wrote at the time, this can't always be fixed.  It's flight-or-flight and more hardware than software.

I'm not bashing Carr, and haven't kept close track of him.  He's done exceptionally well, given his circumstances so far.  But it was a flaw he at least had in the past.

The Browns' front will attack as usual, of course.  The cornerbacks are good enough to stay with receivers well enough to prevent big YAC yards, and there's enough general speed to converge.  One safety can play a little deeper, but not so deep as not to be a factor against the run.

Cooper, at least, will do some damage.  You should also recall that I really liked him a lot, because he does everything almost perfectly and would be an instant stud.

But I believe Crabtree can be limited, provided the pass rush gets to Carr on time.

Offense-wise, I have some stats and otherwise don't know as much as I should about the Raiders.  Khalil Mack duh.  I loved him too.  He's not just a passrusher, but a total-package block-shedding tackling machine that any offense needs to find before every snap.

Fortunately, there's only one of him, and he can play on only one side of the field at a time. 

I know from Marty that statistics are for losers, and game three is way early in a season to rely on them, but so far the Raiders have been weak against the run.

Here's the thing: The Browns so far have been a mediocre running team.

The knee-jerk reaction is that this means the Browns will trample the Raiders.

Experience has taught me that anything so obvious to pundits rarely happens.

However, I believe it will this time, for this reason:  The Brown's have the blockers and the runners, period.  They should be able to steamroll anybody.

I mean announce that they will run the ball, dare the defense to stop them, and still succeed...dammit.

The Raiders will be geared up to stop the run.  Big deal.

With the running game inexplicably still lurching and sputtering, Josh McCown marched the Browns to the New York Jets' goal line in his first and only possession.

The Jets didn't fear Josh or his receivers, and tried to stop the run first. Dink-dunk.  It works.

The Raiders have the game film.  They'll believe that the more McCown has to throw, the better chance they have of his making a mistake, taking a sack, or at least finding himself in a bad spot.  So they'll focus on the run too, and hope they have the same luck the Jets had.

I don't believe it will work this time. It's not just the smashmouth thing, but also the Benjamin thing.

I believe they'll have to try soft man or zone to cover him, and keep him short.  If they don't, they'll have to keep a safety deep.

These coverages are more effective against the run, as at the snap the cornerback isn't backpedaling and is watching the backfield, but he's still backed off.

Benjamin underneath remains a threat.  See his punt returns.  Quit reciting the "precise patterns" mantra too by the way.  His patterns are fine now.

Defenses now fear Benjamin.  They don't fear Hartline or Crowell (except in the red zone), and he will open things up for other guys (lets not leave Duke and Malcolm Johnson out).

The Raiders are also thus far vulnerable to tight ends.  We could see some surprises there too.

The Browns should win decisively.  They are better than the Ravens.  Yeah I said it.

The Number One Dumbest Browns Analysis of All Time

I'm trying to find this twit's name, but he was on ESPN with Steven A Smith Wednesday.  I will call him Rhonny Barrett, for reasons which will become obvious.

The topic was Manziel vs McCown.  Rhonny feels that Pettine and Farmer are desperately trying to save their jobs from Hair Trigger Haslam, but have little hope of doing so, since everybody on offense around the quarterback is so terrible.

The wide receivers are a bunch of undrafted guys except for Benjamin, who isn't bad but not great either.

Joe Thomas is a great player, but the rest of the offensive line are turnstiles.

He laughed at Isaiah Crowell.

The offensive line reference requires no further comment, as all by itself it vaults this to the all-time dumbest analysis.

I've rarely read or heard any analysis that didn't have something right in it.  This one only manages to get a couple things maybe 33% right.

Crowell hasn't been great so far this season, but he's been okay.  Duke Johnson is on this team as well.

Two of the wide receivers were undrafted, but even if there were more, a lot of undrafted wide receivers and running backs are exceptional.

Say what you will about Dwayne Bowe, but Brian Hartline is a BIG asset to any team.

I saved this part: Pettine and Farmer were opposed to drafting Manziel and were ordered to do so by Hair Trigger Haslam.

This is a steaming pile of LaCanfora.  It's quite possible that Mike Pettine didn't like the pick, but went along with it.

Guys like this abhor vacuums.  When they see holes or gaps, they leap over them, arriving at predetermined conclusions.

Dysfunction.  Power struggles.  DRAMA.

Jimmy Haslam isn't running for office.  He said that continuity is important, and he likes Mike Pettine.  He's from the Steelers organization and is a businessman.

He didn't force anybody to draft anybody.  He lets professionals do their jobs.  He wants the Browns to be like the Steelers.

The rest is gossip and crap.

And shame on Steven A Smith for not knocking Rhonny Barrett's b.s. out of the park.

Now, I dare anybody to find a dumber analysis.

Josh McCown Starts vs Raidas

During the Titans game, I felt that the Manziel era had dawned.  Surely, he did enough to take over the team and grow faster with it.

But nooooo!  Marty Pettineheimer says gramps has to start again, cuz he's eggzzbeereunzed.

But I am probably wrong, and Mike right.

I was ignoring Johnny's two fumbles.  Just because the good guys recovered them doesn't mean they never happened.  Just as because three catchable passes weren't caught doesn't mean he didn't throw them.

Still some rough edges with Johnny, and actually, McCown has looked better overall.  

He did methodically March the team down to the Jets goal line before he got hurt.  He looked great.

Johnny has proven he can start.  He has done well.  But Josh is the guy who worked with the first team through pre-season, and who has done nothing to warrant a benching.

Josh McCown might well give the Browns a better chance to win. Further, it might be better to take the pressure off the kid again and let this win soak in as he watches his mentor run things some more.

The real pros--former coaches and quarterbacks--don't find consensus here.  Some think it should be Johnny.  Others, McCown.  Each side sees the logic of the other.

But they all agree: We could have a controversy brewing if McCown stumbles.

I respect Mike's decision.  Better to risk "John-nee! John-nee!" than "BOOOOO!" if he starts Manziel, and he is the one who stumbles.

Remember, last season shouldn't really count for Johnny, and he's one year removed from a playbook-free sandbox offense.  He's not there yet.  He could still revert.

Boxers are (ideally) drilled and tested relentlessly before they're even allowed to spar.  Balance, defense, combinations etc. must become reflexive and automatic.

If you rush your baby boxer, then as soon as he's stunned, he'll become the raw prospect he was before you trained him, and might get destroyed.

So it's fine with me if they take their time with Johnny.  The longer it takes, the more comfortable he'll be in a pocket...and in protecting the ball...

Browns vs Panthers Instareaction

Manziel fled the imaginary pocket several times after only 4 seconds or so.  Obviously he is not an imaginary pocket passer.

Manziel blew two passes, one each to Bowe and Benjamin.  He should have known it would inconvenience them to reach or dive for the ball.  He also blew another one to a tight end I haven't identified yet.  He clearly threw it away too hard, and right between his numbers.  He most likely caused bruises.

All in all, considering how bad he is and always will be, I guess the kid lucked out.

Hopefully, McCown will be back next week, to put Manziel back on the bench where he belongs.

Panther fans at least now know that Marcus Mariotta is a bust.  What are they going to do at quarterback now?

The Brown's defense still can't stop the run except most of the time.

It was just the Panthers, so it doesn't mean anything.

The Brown's still suck and we're still all gonna die.

Merrill Hoge is a Big Dope

According to Merrill Hoge, Johnny Manziel was a bust as a rookie vs. Cincinnatti.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a quicker hook.

Hoge has ignored his performance in pre-season, and in the first half vs the Jets.

Merrill, you can't stay in a pocket that doesn't exist.  It's okay to run for your life.

To any objective and sentient observer, Manziel has improved dramaticly.  He stays in the pocket when there is one to stay in, and he finds second, third, and even fourth reads.

Indeed, his progress from the sandlot system he ran in college, and his drunken stupor of a rookie season, has been remarkable to everyone with two synapses to rub together!

And he is a second year quarterback in his second offensive system. He has around three games worth of experience.

Josh McCown was running for his life, too, so let's kick him to the curb as well.

Thomas Moore of Fansided wrote a good article on these comments by the poster boy for the NFL concussion protocol.

Guys like this say "Nothing I've seen" (changes my mind) a lot.  Do you know why?  Because they ignore anything that doesn't support whatever they made their mind up about.

Early in training camp, some fans made fun of McCown for getting excited over a Manziel completion to Johnson the fullback.

Well, nimrod, the fullback was the fourth read, and Josh saw that Johnny had read that far and made the correct throw.

I'm sure Hoge would have laughed at that too.  It's worse for this assistant curator of the Simpletonian Institution, though, because he is supposed to comprehend this stuff.

Some people had their minds made up about Johnny Manziel before he was drafted.  And nothing they have decided not to see will ever change their minds.

Merrill Hoge was a really good football player, but can't analyze his way out of a paper bag.

Well THAT Sure Sucked

Until Josh McCown did his Jordan Cameron imitation the Browns were winning, and on the verge of a nice lead.  The offense was grinding out first downs and eating the clock.

Manziel flashed what he could do, but the Jets got his number after he burned them.

Johnny Manziel is an inexperienced quarterback who hadn't worked for a couple weeks.

The offensive coordinator and system are new.  McCown will be back later, and for now Johnny will get a full week with the starters.

He will be slightly more experienced and much better prepared.  

As for the running game, well it was the Jets is this a big shock?  Once they were down 10 points they had to scrap it, while the Jets had their whole playbook.

This was bad...after McCown got hurt and the kid's wheels came off.  This was one game; really one half of one game.

Next time Gipson might hold onto his interception and the quarterback might not get his bell rung and fumble, and the Jets have to come out of a deep hole.

This is a very talented young team.  The sky isn't falling.  Yet.

Also Solomon's injury could get Pryor back.  But if not, Mike Pettine has taken ownership of his release.  Don't blame Ray for this one.

But...Ray BRING HIM BACK RIGHT NOW!

Note to Johnny Manziel: You are a Cleveland Brown.  Helmet-to-helmet hits on you are legal.  Protect yourself.

Browns vs. Jets: Sounds More Like Browns vs Patriots. Jeez

First off, I've figured out the Gilbert incident: The other driver was a wide receiver.  Gilbert drove on the sidewalk in order to avoid him.

But please cut this crap out, demanding that the team fires or cuts somebody almost daily.  You embarrass us.

To hear the guys on NFL Radio, the Browns are playing a superior team this Sunday, and might as well not show up.

Apparently during the pre-season Isaiah Crowell has turned into a bum, the offensive line forgot how to block, Josh McCown has no chance of matching Brian Hoyer, (or Ryan Fitzpatrick), the dress rehearsal in Tampa Bay never happened, this year's wide receivers are worse than last year's, and the Jets the JETS offense will be too much for the Browns defense.

Mangold, I guess, can block 3 guys simultaneously, because he sounds better than Thomas, Mack, and Bitonio.  No doubt he'll handle Danny Shelton single-handedly.  (He'll need the other hand for Des Bryant).

And of course, the Browns always lose their openers.  Thing is, Mike Pettine only lost ONE.

In reality, the two teams are comparable, but the Browns have a better offensive and yes defensive line.  Crowell was just warming up, and Duke Johnson will be the scariest offensive player in this game.

The Cleveland Browns are more talented, and Mike Pettine knows what he's doing.

Browns 95, Jets minus 13.