On monday night, in what might be a Superbowl preview, I'm watching the Rams trading big plays with the team DORSEY (not Reid) built, and am encouraged.
One of the reasons everybody hypes Callaway over the at least equally gifted Dameion Ratley is because he had off the field issues like Tyreek Hill had...and Dorsey drafted Hill so...
Nevermind let's just roll with that and call Callaway Dorsey's new Tyreek Hill.
I hear you, but what did Hill do as a rookie receiver? Hill emerged as the lethal weapon he became in his second and third seasons.
Callaway and Ratley are marginally slower than Hill, but bigger and taller...and there are TWO of them, which greatly improves the odds that at least one of these quick-twitch speed-merchants will fill Hill's role in 2019.
Nick Chubb is the new Karim Hunt. He can be a similar receiver; lining up wide and stuff. He's not just a "hammer".
Referring back to this game, Nick Chubb looks more like Gurley than he looks like Hunt. Check out Gurley's pre-draft scouting report and rookie stats.
Dorsey didn't draft Njoku, but there he is, and he is turning into his Kelce.
Last but not least, Baker Mayfield is Dorsey's new Mahomes.
Mahomes spent most of his rookie season on the bench, and got a few reps at the end of 2017.
These two quarterbacks are very similar.
I'll stipulate to the nit-pickers that Mahomes is a little more athletic, has a stronger arm, is a little bigger, and is better at off-balance throws.
What is similar is their phenominal memories, processing-speeds, and improvisational skills.
Mahomes just ended this game with an interception. It was do-or-die, but definitely a bad decision--he choked, because he still had downs and time to get in field goal range.
Don't get me wrong. Only a gaping rectum would bash a guy who just racked up 48 points on that Rams' defense--plus objective Browns fans will remember Baker Mayfield screwing up too.
But Patrick Mahomes is a year ahead of Baker Mayfield, and does have a better supporting cast (for now--Kelce/Hunt/Hill etc are veterans).
Andy Reid has remained in charge, so the offensive system has remained stable (and kudos to Andy for not Haleyizing Mahomes).
Anyway, Baker Mayfield is, IMO, slightly more accurate than Mahomes, and might be a tad more decisive.
Their personalities matter, too. Mahomes isn't all "fiery" and outgoing (or flamboyant) like Baker is.
I'm not sure how much that matters, but I had to mention it.
...well...okay, Baker Mayfield makes people laugh, and wears his heart on his sleeve. I give him a slight edge over Mahomes as a leader of men.
Anyway, John Dorsey drafted here like he drafted in KC, and YOU PEOPLE need to recognize it.
The 2018 Browns are longshots for the playoffs (thanks to Todd Haley, crappy kickers, crappy referees, and rookie screwups), but in 2019?
See the 2018 Chiefs. Unless Dorsey "screws this up".
DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
I
Monday, November 19, 2018
Gregg Williams, Memorex Morons, Browns Pundit Stockholm Syndrome
I'm a big fan of Condoleeza Rice (a huge Browns' fan), but how tf can so many writers regurgitate this crap about the Browns considering her as their next Head Coach?
If this was April 1st, I get it. But it's not, and I feel as if we're now living in the movie "Idiocracy".
We need to resume teaching Critical Thinking in our schools (Condi agrees by the way).
I won't waste any more time on that topic.
Terry Pluto wrote a good article on the Browns' coaching search.
Like Randy Gurzi and everybody else, he all but dismissed Gregg Williams as a candidate.
And this "interview" stuff is stupid. John Dorsey won't perform this pro-forma ritual with a guy he talks to every day and knows as well as he knows Mike McCarthy.
Terry thinks that Gregg won't have a chance unless he wins like four out of the remaining six games -snort-.
This is where Terry and others float away from reality. The Gregg Williams Browns probably WILL win at least four games.
This is classic Stockholm Syndrome stuff; major mental dysfunction.
Nobody seems capable of separating the pre-Hue/Dorsey Browns from the post-Hue/Dorsey Browns.
Nobody seems able to fathom the fact that rookie players usually start getting their bearings in the latter stages of their first seasons.
Jeez these people are still talking about putting Callaway back on the bench, and finding an "adult" to mentor junior Mayfield!
Idiocracy! For real!
Not ONE legit coach or scout in the NFL isn't scared shitless by Baker Mayfield (and Nick Chubb). But HERE, we got Terry Pluto dismissing four more wins as unthinkable.
Did I mention "Stockholm Syndrome" yet?
Knock-knock anybody home? If you think the Bengals (with or without Green) or the Ravens (with or without Flacco) should be favored over these post-apocolyptic Browns, there is something wrong with you.
Ah yes! Stockholm Syndrome!
The Bengals and Ravens are not as good as the Browns. The Texans and Panthers are tough, but still in the same tier.
With a different quarterback and bad coaches, this young, inexperienced team tied the Steelers and took the Saints to overtime.
Coaching MATTERS. Experience MATTERS. Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb matter!!!
Memorex Morons. Stockholm Syndrome. Gregg Williams will submit his Head Coach resume the old fashioned way, and really surprise Terry Pluto.
If this was April 1st, I get it. But it's not, and I feel as if we're now living in the movie "Idiocracy".
We need to resume teaching Critical Thinking in our schools (Condi agrees by the way).
I won't waste any more time on that topic.
Terry Pluto wrote a good article on the Browns' coaching search.
Like Randy Gurzi and everybody else, he all but dismissed Gregg Williams as a candidate.
And this "interview" stuff is stupid. John Dorsey won't perform this pro-forma ritual with a guy he talks to every day and knows as well as he knows Mike McCarthy.
Terry thinks that Gregg won't have a chance unless he wins like four out of the remaining six games -snort-.
This is where Terry and others float away from reality. The Gregg Williams Browns probably WILL win at least four games.
This is classic Stockholm Syndrome stuff; major mental dysfunction.
Nobody seems capable of separating the pre-Hue/Dorsey Browns from the post-Hue/Dorsey Browns.
Nobody seems able to fathom the fact that rookie players usually start getting their bearings in the latter stages of their first seasons.
Jeez these people are still talking about putting Callaway back on the bench, and finding an "adult" to mentor junior Mayfield!
Idiocracy! For real!
Not ONE legit coach or scout in the NFL isn't scared shitless by Baker Mayfield (and Nick Chubb). But HERE, we got Terry Pluto dismissing four more wins as unthinkable.
Did I mention "Stockholm Syndrome" yet?
Knock-knock anybody home? If you think the Bengals (with or without Green) or the Ravens (with or without Flacco) should be favored over these post-apocolyptic Browns, there is something wrong with you.
Ah yes! Stockholm Syndrome!
The Bengals and Ravens are not as good as the Browns. The Texans and Panthers are tough, but still in the same tier.
With a different quarterback and bad coaches, this young, inexperienced team tied the Steelers and took the Saints to overtime.
Coaching MATTERS. Experience MATTERS. Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb matter!!!
Memorex Morons. Stockholm Syndrome. Gregg Williams will submit his Head Coach resume the old fashioned way, and really surprise Terry Pluto.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Rodney Kitchenfield and the Browns Next Head Coach
I recommend this article by Dan Justik on the various known Browns' Head Coaching candidates.
Dan does a great job of explaining why they must be considered.
The most interesting one to me is Iowa Head Coach Matt Campbell, because he hasn't won any Bowl games or anything.
Per Dan, all he has done is take second tier talent and upset a number of teams that overmatch him on paper; he consistently beats the odds.
I do need to correct Dan, however:
Dan doubts that John Dorsey would hire a "defensive minded" Head Coach like Gregg Williams when the priority here is to develop Baker Mayfield:
1: Bill Belichick is a "defensive minded" Head Coach, like his mentor, Bill Parcells.
2: Gregg Williams isn't all that interested in micromanaging offense. He's given Freddie Kitchens the keys to the offense.
The Head Coach doesn't need to be offensive minded, as long as he stays out of the way.
3: In every scenario other than a Gregg Williams extention, Freddie Kitchens likely gets kicked to the curb.
Why doesn't anybody ask Baker Mayfield himself how he feels about that?
4: Baker Mayfield isn't a project. He's already pretty good. He doesn't need to be "mentored" or nursed along like Sam Bradford or Josh Allen.
After what we have seen, both under Todd Haley and Freddie Kitchens, I'm kinda stunned that Dan and others still think of him as a "toddler".
5: One of Dan's candidates is John DeFelipo, who was the OC here under Mike Pettine.
Dan is right that the stats don't accurately reflect what a great job he did here, and what he did for the Eagles speaks for itself.
The thing is, Freddie Kitchens is the new "Flip". He's creative, adapts to his players, etc.
In other words, we may already have a DeFelipo here, don't you see?
The screaming you hear is coming from their logic. Dan and others think that hiring Flip and dumping Freddie would be better for baby Mayfield than just leaving Kitchens in charge of a known offensive system!
No knock on Flip, by the way. He's a brain. It's just that so far, so is Kitchens. Flip went from here to the Eagles and won a Superbowl. What if the Browns had retained him?
Talk about stuck on stupid: Go ahead and fire Freddie Kitchens. See what happens again.
Okay okay, for the moment I obviously lean towards maintaining the status quo (note: I can't see why Gregg Williams would want to replace Kitchens, since he's not mentally impaired).
But I'm impressed by most of these candidates, and how the rest of the season plays out is what matters most. We'll see.
I'm not sure Josh McDaniels is all that. The Lord Insideous coaching tree has been hit-and-miss in re Head Coaches, and really Tom Brady runs that offense.
Joe Thomas weighed in on Mayfield vs Darnold, and also how the youth and inexperience on this team has been a big part of it's losses in 2018.
Joe didn't say anything I haven't said repeatedly, but maybe you'll listen to him.
There is no comparison between Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. We'll need to wait three years to really judge this quarterback class, but for the moment, Baker Mayfield makes the rest of them look like busts.
And he's actually overcome more than the rest of them have already. None of them had to deal with Todd Haley!
More Randy Gurzi! In this excellent article, Randy documents and analyzes John Dorsey's many moves, including "admitting mistakes" (trading Carlos Hyde).
Dorsey is the real deal.
Dan Justik discusses how Freddie Kitchens is making Todd Haley look bad, and he's right.
If you read this Blog, you won't find anything new here, but like with Joe Thomas, I like to back myself up with other guys who are sentient.
Most people are fine with the Josh Gordon trade. I guess I am now too. Josh has been productive for the Pats, but has only caught a little over half his targets.
He doesn't look like the lethal weapon he was in 2013, and you have to know that Tom Brady is maxing him out.
Josh's "floor" is well above average, and he is missed here. But it looks to me like the buzzed Josh was better than the sober Josh.
Josh Gordon is a good guy, and I wish him luck.
...okbye
Dan does a great job of explaining why they must be considered.
The most interesting one to me is Iowa Head Coach Matt Campbell, because he hasn't won any Bowl games or anything.
Per Dan, all he has done is take second tier talent and upset a number of teams that overmatch him on paper; he consistently beats the odds.
I do need to correct Dan, however:
Dan doubts that John Dorsey would hire a "defensive minded" Head Coach like Gregg Williams when the priority here is to develop Baker Mayfield:
1: Bill Belichick is a "defensive minded" Head Coach, like his mentor, Bill Parcells.
2: Gregg Williams isn't all that interested in micromanaging offense. He's given Freddie Kitchens the keys to the offense.
The Head Coach doesn't need to be offensive minded, as long as he stays out of the way.
3: In every scenario other than a Gregg Williams extention, Freddie Kitchens likely gets kicked to the curb.
Why doesn't anybody ask Baker Mayfield himself how he feels about that?
4: Baker Mayfield isn't a project. He's already pretty good. He doesn't need to be "mentored" or nursed along like Sam Bradford or Josh Allen.
After what we have seen, both under Todd Haley and Freddie Kitchens, I'm kinda stunned that Dan and others still think of him as a "toddler".
5: One of Dan's candidates is John DeFelipo, who was the OC here under Mike Pettine.
Dan is right that the stats don't accurately reflect what a great job he did here, and what he did for the Eagles speaks for itself.
The thing is, Freddie Kitchens is the new "Flip". He's creative, adapts to his players, etc.
In other words, we may already have a DeFelipo here, don't you see?
The screaming you hear is coming from their logic. Dan and others think that hiring Flip and dumping Freddie would be better for baby Mayfield than just leaving Kitchens in charge of a known offensive system!
No knock on Flip, by the way. He's a brain. It's just that so far, so is Kitchens. Flip went from here to the Eagles and won a Superbowl. What if the Browns had retained him?
Talk about stuck on stupid: Go ahead and fire Freddie Kitchens. See what happens again.
Okay okay, for the moment I obviously lean towards maintaining the status quo (note: I can't see why Gregg Williams would want to replace Kitchens, since he's not mentally impaired).
But I'm impressed by most of these candidates, and how the rest of the season plays out is what matters most. We'll see.
I'm not sure Josh McDaniels is all that. The Lord Insideous coaching tree has been hit-and-miss in re Head Coaches, and really Tom Brady runs that offense.
Joe Thomas weighed in on Mayfield vs Darnold, and also how the youth and inexperience on this team has been a big part of it's losses in 2018.
Joe didn't say anything I haven't said repeatedly, but maybe you'll listen to him.
There is no comparison between Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. We'll need to wait three years to really judge this quarterback class, but for the moment, Baker Mayfield makes the rest of them look like busts.
And he's actually overcome more than the rest of them have already. None of them had to deal with Todd Haley!
More Randy Gurzi! In this excellent article, Randy documents and analyzes John Dorsey's many moves, including "admitting mistakes" (trading Carlos Hyde).
Dorsey is the real deal.
Dan Justik discusses how Freddie Kitchens is making Todd Haley look bad, and he's right.
If you read this Blog, you won't find anything new here, but like with Joe Thomas, I like to back myself up with other guys who are sentient.
Most people are fine with the Josh Gordon trade. I guess I am now too. Josh has been productive for the Pats, but has only caught a little over half his targets.
He doesn't look like the lethal weapon he was in 2013, and you have to know that Tom Brady is maxing him out.
Josh's "floor" is well above average, and he is missed here. But it looks to me like the buzzed Josh was better than the sober Josh.
Josh Gordon is a good guy, and I wish him luck.
...okbye
Friday, November 16, 2018
Browns Next Head Coach: Nepotism or Realism?
PFF rates the Browns offensive line as one of the best in the NFL through ten weeks.
If you don't understand how that could be, here are a few hints:
PFF doesn't penalize offensive linemen for "coverage" sacks or pressures. I'm not sure where the "cut-off" is, but I'd guess that if a lineman keeps a passrusher off the quarterback for four or more seconds---well what do you expect?
Todd Haley undercut and stifled not only Baker Mayfield, but the offensive line. These guys were expected to keep Mayfield clean for five seconds and longer as he shopped around for a deep receiver from exactly seven steps deep.
The guards and center were all well above average-to-elite, which did push the line's overall rating up. This trio is at least as good as any in the NFL.
As the article mentions, Greg Robinson--for at least one game-- played very well vs the Falcons too.
The last two games under Freddie Kitchens also gave the season-long rating a nice boost, as the quicker passes, movement, RPO's, jumbo sets, wishbone etc etc etc really helped them lay the wood to the bad guys, while making any edge-rush almost unthinkable (see earlier posts).
Like Baker Mayfield, this offensive line could have been dominating all season long.
PFF just knew it all along.
Mary Kay Cabbot expects John Dorsey to pretend to consider Gregg Williams as the next Head Coach, but "in the end" stick with nepotism.
Don't get me wrong: She could be right. This is how most GMs operate. Whenever you hear somebody say "comfort level", it really means "I just like him better is all".
But she could also be wrong, because Gregg Williams and Dorsey have been together all season, and who's to say that Dorsey doesn't like him?
Why does it have to be somebody from the list Dorsey brought here from Kansas City? I mean...he never updates his list!?!
And she brushes Williams and Kitchens off like dandruff, as she properly points out that the new Head Coach is likely to, in turn, bring in his own cronies and poker-buddies (oops I mean people he has a comfort-level with).
I can't believe John Dorsey will...well just check my previous Blogs:
Sure, of course Dorsey has dreamed of this opportunity (of choosing his own Head Coach), but why can't that be Gregg Williams if he EARNS it?
Mary Kay does make some hard points: The Browns' defense does get turnovers, but through ten weeks ranks at/near last in yardage and scoring.
Well let's see here: Steelers (twice), Saints, Bucs, Falcons, CHIEFS? Where do those offenses rank in yardage and scoring?
Remember all those cornerbacks Gregg used to have? Terrence Mitchell established himself as Ward's bookend, then bit the dust. Then the backups took turns getting injured, Randall played hurt then missed a game, oh and there goes Joe Schobert, and let's check out "game scripts":
This defense has been through a bunch of overtime games, and got wore down.
No, NOT their fault! They kept getting forced fumbles and interceptions, and the fkng offense kept going 3-and-out (*under Haley*).
Opposing offenses had neutral or positive game-scripts in the fourth quarter, so right up until the last game vs the Falcons, Williams couldn't turn his dogs loose.
Vs the Falcons, Freddie Kitchens was running the offense, and Gregg Williams had the back end players and Field Marshall (Schobert) he needed.
It wasn't a fluke, and it wasn't because the Falcons were...bored or whatever.
Mary Kay thinks the Browns should target a wide receiver, defensive tackle, and left tackle in the 2019 draft.
She does stipulate that how Des Harrison and Gregg Robinson play out the season/project will influence the left tackle part, and good for her.
(I still think Harrison will be a stud).
The wide receiver stuff is just plain stupid. Like everybody else, MKC utterly ignores Dameion Ratley, and (now) Breshad Perriman.
She zeroes in on Callaway, as if he's the only guy worth mentioning--why? Because of where he was drafted?
Jeez what ever happened to Higgins!?! And (oh yeah I forgot) Jarvis Landry!?!
Idiocy! Insanity! Baker Mayfield needs a drafted wide receiver he can "rely on" until Callaway can "develop"!?!
Obviously, she never consulted Baker Mayfield on this issue. I'm sorry, Mary Kay: that's just stuck on stupid. Rethink that.
This probably goes for my man Terry Pluto, too: Higgins IS a big tall reliable VETERAN now, and wide receivers usually make their biggest leaps in reliability and production going from year one to year two---
Why do you guys think wide receivers take longer than quarterbacks to "develop"? Where does this idiocy come from?
Jeez, Callaway is "developing" now! You think he needs 3 years or something? And for that matter, Rodney Ratleyfield is ahead him!
And quit insulting Baker Mayfield. He hit NINE different receivers last week. You think this guy needs a crutch? I swear...wtf?
Defensive tackle? I guess, maybe...
If your poker buddy new Head Coach replaces Williams, who knows?
Let's make Myles Garrett an outside linebacker! Where's the nose tackle?
Because, you know, the new Head Coach might hire a Todd Haley type defensive coordinator.
As it is, Mary Kay has Alzeimers or something, because Gregg Williams' version of a nickel defense usually deploys DT/DE hybrids inside (sometimes including Garrett or Ogbah), and does so 66% of the time).
John Dorsey might indeed "move on" from Gregg Williams, as Mary Kay assumes he will.
But he said: "Just don't screw this up", and Mary Kay and company totally misinterpreted that statement.
I suspect that John Dorsey is rational.
He doesn't want to screw up Baker Mayfield, or disrupt the team and it's upward trend in general.
There are six games remaining, so John can see what happens. The pundits (and general public) inexplicably think that 2 or 3 more wins would be great for this floundering team, but you're all wrong.
Gregg Williams and Kitchens will continue to exploit the massive talent on this team, and at least overtake the Bengals and Ravens.
If I am correct about this; if the Gregg Williams Browns win (at least) four more games, can John Dorsey in effect replace Williams and Kitchens?
Not unless he thinks the new Head Coach won't "screw this up".
The Browns are not "rebuilding" anymore. Pluto and Cabbot don't get this yet, but Dorsey (and I) already know that in 2019 this team can win the AFC North.
Big Ben is a geezer, the perennially overrated Ravens are geezers, and Marvin Lewis is Marvin Lewis, and (oh yeah) the Browns have more overall talent (especially emerging young talent) than all of them...and Baker Mayfield by the way.
Do you get this? It's still a tough Division. The Bengals remain scary and deep on both sides of the ball. The Steelers will remain an offensive juggernaut as long as Big Ben lasts, and possibly after him. The Ravens defense is the best in the NFL now, and can only decline so far, plus Jackson presents a whole new paradigm under Harbaugh---
Oh yeah: The smartest move Dorsey could make this offseason would be to replace Gregg Williams, Freddie Kitchens, their offensive and defensive systems, teach Baker Mayfield a new system, because...?
I have to trust John Dorsey here:
Unlike a lot of ignoranamuses, I like Mike McCarthy a lot, and wouldn't object to Lincoln Riley either (Riley might well retain Gregg Williams or his son, and maybe even Kitchens--he really is a BRAIN, I'm tellin ya).
John Harbaugh? Ok.
But just don't do it just because, right?
Gregg Williams (and Freddie Kitchens) will be taken a lot more seriously six weeks from now than they are now.
It will start next sunday, when the Browns stomp the Bengals.
Oh the Hue Jackson "intelligence coups" stuff:
Hahaha! Mary Kay thinks this is a bigee.
Yeah right: Everything he's got on Gregg Williams everybody in the NFL has.
He can divulge Todd Haley's language, but is clueless about Kitchens, or the changes he's already made...Hue can say "watch out for Ratley on this pattern" or whatever, but everything else is 3 weeks old.
Marvin Lewis hired an old friend. That's about it.
I find it really entertaining when amateurs try to play this game: By the time the Browns play the Bengals, absolutely nothing Hue Jackson will have offered the Bengals will matter.
I'm disgusted by most of the recent punditry on the Browns. It's been downright stupid.
But I'm up to eight clicks on my last post, and consistently get at least six!
At least 30% of what you guys read about the Browns starts right here, because at least four of my per-post clicks are assholes stealing my content.
And I now think Terry Pluto is one of them.
But I digress: The Browns should beat the Bengals (because they are more talented plus Burfict is back and should be good for at least two critical penalties) and we got Chubb and Mayfield. And Scobert/Ward/Garrett/this offensive line/Collins/etc).
...Just check me out first. You'll see, I'm ahead of the "professionals" you read, who regurgitate my analyses 3-12 hours later.
*this doesn't apply to the film-analyis or PFF guys...there are a bunch of people I know aren't shamelesly stealing and regurgitating my analyses sans attribution.
Yeah...I hate to say this, but I now suspect that Terry Pluto is one of these scumbags. Pay attention. Read one of my posts, and see what Terry writes less than 48 hours later.
Terry gets into PFF numbers and stats and stuff more than I do, but...
Nevermind.
Imitiation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I'm fkng FLATTERED as hell.
If you don't understand how that could be, here are a few hints:
PFF doesn't penalize offensive linemen for "coverage" sacks or pressures. I'm not sure where the "cut-off" is, but I'd guess that if a lineman keeps a passrusher off the quarterback for four or more seconds---well what do you expect?
Todd Haley undercut and stifled not only Baker Mayfield, but the offensive line. These guys were expected to keep Mayfield clean for five seconds and longer as he shopped around for a deep receiver from exactly seven steps deep.
The guards and center were all well above average-to-elite, which did push the line's overall rating up. This trio is at least as good as any in the NFL.
As the article mentions, Greg Robinson--for at least one game-- played very well vs the Falcons too.
The last two games under Freddie Kitchens also gave the season-long rating a nice boost, as the quicker passes, movement, RPO's, jumbo sets, wishbone etc etc etc really helped them lay the wood to the bad guys, while making any edge-rush almost unthinkable (see earlier posts).
Like Baker Mayfield, this offensive line could have been dominating all season long.
PFF just knew it all along.
Mary Kay Cabbot expects John Dorsey to pretend to consider Gregg Williams as the next Head Coach, but "in the end" stick with nepotism.
Don't get me wrong: She could be right. This is how most GMs operate. Whenever you hear somebody say "comfort level", it really means "I just like him better is all".
But she could also be wrong, because Gregg Williams and Dorsey have been together all season, and who's to say that Dorsey doesn't like him?
Why does it have to be somebody from the list Dorsey brought here from Kansas City? I mean...he never updates his list!?!
And she brushes Williams and Kitchens off like dandruff, as she properly points out that the new Head Coach is likely to, in turn, bring in his own cronies and poker-buddies (oops I mean people he has a comfort-level with).
I can't believe John Dorsey will...well just check my previous Blogs:
Sure, of course Dorsey has dreamed of this opportunity (of choosing his own Head Coach), but why can't that be Gregg Williams if he EARNS it?
Mary Kay does make some hard points: The Browns' defense does get turnovers, but through ten weeks ranks at/near last in yardage and scoring.
Well let's see here: Steelers (twice), Saints, Bucs, Falcons, CHIEFS? Where do those offenses rank in yardage and scoring?
Remember all those cornerbacks Gregg used to have? Terrence Mitchell established himself as Ward's bookend, then bit the dust. Then the backups took turns getting injured, Randall played hurt then missed a game, oh and there goes Joe Schobert, and let's check out "game scripts":
This defense has been through a bunch of overtime games, and got wore down.
No, NOT their fault! They kept getting forced fumbles and interceptions, and the fkng offense kept going 3-and-out (*under Haley*).
Opposing offenses had neutral or positive game-scripts in the fourth quarter, so right up until the last game vs the Falcons, Williams couldn't turn his dogs loose.
Vs the Falcons, Freddie Kitchens was running the offense, and Gregg Williams had the back end players and Field Marshall (Schobert) he needed.
It wasn't a fluke, and it wasn't because the Falcons were...bored or whatever.
Mary Kay thinks the Browns should target a wide receiver, defensive tackle, and left tackle in the 2019 draft.
She does stipulate that how Des Harrison and Gregg Robinson play out the season/project will influence the left tackle part, and good for her.
(I still think Harrison will be a stud).
The wide receiver stuff is just plain stupid. Like everybody else, MKC utterly ignores Dameion Ratley, and (now) Breshad Perriman.
She zeroes in on Callaway, as if he's the only guy worth mentioning--why? Because of where he was drafted?
Jeez what ever happened to Higgins!?! And (oh yeah I forgot) Jarvis Landry!?!
Idiocy! Insanity! Baker Mayfield needs a drafted wide receiver he can "rely on" until Callaway can "develop"!?!
Obviously, she never consulted Baker Mayfield on this issue. I'm sorry, Mary Kay: that's just stuck on stupid. Rethink that.
This probably goes for my man Terry Pluto, too: Higgins IS a big tall reliable VETERAN now, and wide receivers usually make their biggest leaps in reliability and production going from year one to year two---
Why do you guys think wide receivers take longer than quarterbacks to "develop"? Where does this idiocy come from?
Jeez, Callaway is "developing" now! You think he needs 3 years or something? And for that matter, Rodney Ratleyfield is ahead him!
And quit insulting Baker Mayfield. He hit NINE different receivers last week. You think this guy needs a crutch? I swear...wtf?
Defensive tackle? I guess, maybe...
If your poker buddy new Head Coach replaces Williams, who knows?
Let's make Myles Garrett an outside linebacker! Where's the nose tackle?
Because, you know, the new Head Coach might hire a Todd Haley type defensive coordinator.
As it is, Mary Kay has Alzeimers or something, because Gregg Williams' version of a nickel defense usually deploys DT/DE hybrids inside (sometimes including Garrett or Ogbah), and does so 66% of the time).
John Dorsey might indeed "move on" from Gregg Williams, as Mary Kay assumes he will.
But he said: "Just don't screw this up", and Mary Kay and company totally misinterpreted that statement.
I suspect that John Dorsey is rational.
He doesn't want to screw up Baker Mayfield, or disrupt the team and it's upward trend in general.
There are six games remaining, so John can see what happens. The pundits (and general public) inexplicably think that 2 or 3 more wins would be great for this floundering team, but you're all wrong.
Gregg Williams and Kitchens will continue to exploit the massive talent on this team, and at least overtake the Bengals and Ravens.
If I am correct about this; if the Gregg Williams Browns win (at least) four more games, can John Dorsey in effect replace Williams and Kitchens?
Not unless he thinks the new Head Coach won't "screw this up".
The Browns are not "rebuilding" anymore. Pluto and Cabbot don't get this yet, but Dorsey (and I) already know that in 2019 this team can win the AFC North.
Big Ben is a geezer, the perennially overrated Ravens are geezers, and Marvin Lewis is Marvin Lewis, and (oh yeah) the Browns have more overall talent (especially emerging young talent) than all of them...and Baker Mayfield by the way.
Do you get this? It's still a tough Division. The Bengals remain scary and deep on both sides of the ball. The Steelers will remain an offensive juggernaut as long as Big Ben lasts, and possibly after him. The Ravens defense is the best in the NFL now, and can only decline so far, plus Jackson presents a whole new paradigm under Harbaugh---
Oh yeah: The smartest move Dorsey could make this offseason would be to replace Gregg Williams, Freddie Kitchens, their offensive and defensive systems, teach Baker Mayfield a new system, because...?
I have to trust John Dorsey here:
Unlike a lot of ignoranamuses, I like Mike McCarthy a lot, and wouldn't object to Lincoln Riley either (Riley might well retain Gregg Williams or his son, and maybe even Kitchens--he really is a BRAIN, I'm tellin ya).
John Harbaugh? Ok.
But just don't do it just because, right?
Gregg Williams (and Freddie Kitchens) will be taken a lot more seriously six weeks from now than they are now.
It will start next sunday, when the Browns stomp the Bengals.
Oh the Hue Jackson "intelligence coups" stuff:
Hahaha! Mary Kay thinks this is a bigee.
Yeah right: Everything he's got on Gregg Williams everybody in the NFL has.
He can divulge Todd Haley's language, but is clueless about Kitchens, or the changes he's already made...Hue can say "watch out for Ratley on this pattern" or whatever, but everything else is 3 weeks old.
Marvin Lewis hired an old friend. That's about it.
I find it really entertaining when amateurs try to play this game: By the time the Browns play the Bengals, absolutely nothing Hue Jackson will have offered the Bengals will matter.
I'm disgusted by most of the recent punditry on the Browns. It's been downright stupid.
But I'm up to eight clicks on my last post, and consistently get at least six!
At least 30% of what you guys read about the Browns starts right here, because at least four of my per-post clicks are assholes stealing my content.
And I now think Terry Pluto is one of them.
But I digress: The Browns should beat the Bengals (because they are more talented plus Burfict is back and should be good for at least two critical penalties) and we got Chubb and Mayfield. And Scobert/Ward/Garrett/this offensive line/Collins/etc).
...Just check me out first. You'll see, I'm ahead of the "professionals" you read, who regurgitate my analyses 3-12 hours later.
*this doesn't apply to the film-analyis or PFF guys...there are a bunch of people I know aren't shamelesly stealing and regurgitating my analyses sans attribution.
Yeah...I hate to say this, but I now suspect that Terry Pluto is one of these scumbags. Pay attention. Read one of my posts, and see what Terry writes less than 48 hours later.
Terry gets into PFF numbers and stats and stuff more than I do, but...
Nevermind.
Imitiation is the sincerest form of flattery.
I'm fkng FLATTERED as hell.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Gregg Williams and Freddie Kitchens: so far so good: Don't Screw this Up
The guys on NFL Radio are pretty much dismissing Gregg Williams as a candidate for Head Coach of the Browns in 2019.
They all agree that John will want "his guy" in there...because...err...
Dorsey was "stuck with" Andy Reid in KC. Poor guy. Never had a chance to fire him and replace him with some old poker buddy!
Can the NFL really be that political?
NO.
John Dorsey wants to remain employed, and get big raises, and maybe be more famous and get awards and stuff (whatever).
Well, since (I believe) he convinced Haslam to fire both Jackson and Dorsey, the whole team got a lot better instantly.
I mean, like an inflatable toy being held underwater, then released.
Suddenly, Baker Mayfield is completing 77% of his passes, the running game is unstoppable, and (*with the return of Field Marshall Joe Schobert*) the DEFENSE all but shut down the Atlanta Falcons offense.
Suddenly, one of the least-penalized teams in the NFL. No more DROPS.
John Dorsey says "Just don't mess this up" to himself.
He's obstensibly talking about his search for a new Head Coach, but these words apply (and I believe were intended) in a broader sense:
We/he can't ignore that inflatable toy exploding out of the water; this instant and radical across-the-board upgrade with Gregg Williams at Head Coach and Freddie Kitchens at Offensive Coordinator.
The guys on NFL Radio are generally brushing these last two games off, and asking questions like "but what if they do win two or three more games?"
As if this is unlikely. As if, like the Browns' almost wins over the Saints and Steelers were meaningless, what they did to the Falcons is another in a series of flukes.
But I digress:
I believe that if the Browns win four or more of their remaining games (very likely, on this planet), John Dorsey will have to consider NOT replacing Gregg Williams (and Freddie Kitchens) with his old buddies.
The guys on NFL Radio (and some of you) expect opposing Coaches to "figure out" and defeat what the Browns are doing now...or something (they never explain this feeling)
Look: You can't "diagnose" Nick Chubb and three tight ends, or "solve" the Wishbone, or stop Duke Johnson catching stuff out of the backfield, or stop a perfect pass, or...
Jeez you expect the defense that just held the Falcons to 16 points to come back worse after the bye?
But I digress again:
If John Dorsey replaces Gregg Williams with a new Head Coach, it will mean a new offensive system, and the probable losses of both Williams and Kitchens.
Williams will be hired by somebody ELSE as a Head Coach, and Kitchens will be replaced by somebody else's poker buddy or cousin, and both Williams and Kitchens will come back and stick it to the Browns.
Of course, if the "Williams" regime sputters and stumbles and only wins two more games...
Good luck with that. If you expect that, you are not a rational being. You are a Permabasher.
May God have mercy on your soul.
If it aint broke, don't fix it. Dorsey probably never wanted to fire Andy Reid either DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Not done yet: Ebineezer Bell/Beckham to Browns DOA:
If you are 10-12 years old, I forgive you for suggesting this. I was once a dumbass myself, and you might eventually become sentient, like I did.
If you are older than that, you are an irredeemable mow-ron if you think the Browns need either of thesescumbags players.
Ok Beckham is indeed a superstar, but Ebineezer Bell is overrated as hell...
and wtf is wrong with you people that you want to break the bank to replace Chubb/Johnson-- and think Mayfield NEEDS Beckham?
You people: "We got all this money let's spend it oyeee!"
I'm SO glad you're not the Browns GM!
Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, Joe Schobert, Njoku, Higgins, Ogunjobi, Boddy-Calhoun et al were already here for him. In his awesome first draft, Dorsey found Mayfield, Chubb, Ward, Avery, Callaway, Ratleyfield...
He will have to PAY all these guys, and that's a "balloon payment", see?
John Dorsey's first Browns' draft was awesome, but so was the talent Sashi Brown left him.
To put it bluntly, a lot of you people are spazzes.
John Dorsey will not neccessarily replace the current coaches. He will NOT pursue Ebineezer (are you KIDDING ME you're dumb as a bag of hammers with that no offense)...
Sorry. It's late. I get fixated on dumbassitude when in my cups. No offense intended, if you are a dumbass (some of my best freinds are dumbasses!)
They all agree that John will want "his guy" in there...because...err...
Dorsey was "stuck with" Andy Reid in KC. Poor guy. Never had a chance to fire him and replace him with some old poker buddy!
Can the NFL really be that political?
NO.
John Dorsey wants to remain employed, and get big raises, and maybe be more famous and get awards and stuff (whatever).
Well, since (I believe) he convinced Haslam to fire both Jackson and Dorsey, the whole team got a lot better instantly.
I mean, like an inflatable toy being held underwater, then released.
Suddenly, Baker Mayfield is completing 77% of his passes, the running game is unstoppable, and (*with the return of Field Marshall Joe Schobert*) the DEFENSE all but shut down the Atlanta Falcons offense.
Suddenly, one of the least-penalized teams in the NFL. No more DROPS.
John Dorsey says "Just don't mess this up" to himself.
He's obstensibly talking about his search for a new Head Coach, but these words apply (and I believe were intended) in a broader sense:
We/he can't ignore that inflatable toy exploding out of the water; this instant and radical across-the-board upgrade with Gregg Williams at Head Coach and Freddie Kitchens at Offensive Coordinator.
The guys on NFL Radio are generally brushing these last two games off, and asking questions like "but what if they do win two or three more games?"
As if this is unlikely. As if, like the Browns' almost wins over the Saints and Steelers were meaningless, what they did to the Falcons is another in a series of flukes.
But I digress:
I believe that if the Browns win four or more of their remaining games (very likely, on this planet), John Dorsey will have to consider NOT replacing Gregg Williams (and Freddie Kitchens) with his old buddies.
The guys on NFL Radio (and some of you) expect opposing Coaches to "figure out" and defeat what the Browns are doing now...or something (they never explain this feeling)
Look: You can't "diagnose" Nick Chubb and three tight ends, or "solve" the Wishbone, or stop Duke Johnson catching stuff out of the backfield, or stop a perfect pass, or...
Jeez you expect the defense that just held the Falcons to 16 points to come back worse after the bye?
But I digress again:
If John Dorsey replaces Gregg Williams with a new Head Coach, it will mean a new offensive system, and the probable losses of both Williams and Kitchens.
Williams will be hired by somebody ELSE as a Head Coach, and Kitchens will be replaced by somebody else's poker buddy or cousin, and both Williams and Kitchens will come back and stick it to the Browns.
Of course, if the "Williams" regime sputters and stumbles and only wins two more games...
Good luck with that. If you expect that, you are not a rational being. You are a Permabasher.
May God have mercy on your soul.
If it aint broke, don't fix it. Dorsey probably never wanted to fire Andy Reid either DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Not done yet: Ebineezer Bell/Beckham to Browns DOA:
If you are 10-12 years old, I forgive you for suggesting this. I was once a dumbass myself, and you might eventually become sentient, like I did.
If you are older than that, you are an irredeemable mow-ron if you think the Browns need either of these
Ok Beckham is indeed a superstar, but Ebineezer Bell is overrated as hell...
and wtf is wrong with you people that you want to break the bank to replace Chubb/Johnson-- and think Mayfield NEEDS Beckham?
You people: "We got all this money let's spend it oyeee!"
I'm SO glad you're not the Browns GM!
Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, Joe Schobert, Njoku, Higgins, Ogunjobi, Boddy-Calhoun et al were already here for him. In his awesome first draft, Dorsey found Mayfield, Chubb, Ward, Avery, Callaway, Ratleyfield...
He will have to PAY all these guys, and that's a "balloon payment", see?
John Dorsey's first Browns' draft was awesome, but so was the talent Sashi Brown left him.
To put it bluntly, a lot of you people are spazzes.
John Dorsey will not neccessarily replace the current coaches. He will NOT pursue Ebineezer (are you KIDDING ME you're dumb as a bag of hammers with that no offense)...
Sorry. It's late. I get fixated on dumbassitude when in my cups. No offense intended, if you are a dumbass (some of my best freinds are dumbasses!)
Monday, November 12, 2018
Kitchens, Chubb, Mayfield, and Stomping a Mudhole in the AFC North
Josh Edwards looks like a genius now, as he was the only writer I found who predicted that the Browns would beat the Falcons.
As you know, I expected the Browns to lose. I have never been happier to have been wrong.
...well I need to point out that I said the Browns had a "shot", because they were getting three defensive starters back, and it was just the second week of the post-Haley/Jackson era, and (oh yeah) of Rodney Higgensfield.
Kitchens/Mayfield are doing a great job of maximizing the skill talent of this offense, and making the offensive line's job massively easier.
You saw it, right? Baker Mayfield rarely held the ball for over three seconds. There were slants, crosses, and stuff to help him out.
And ok-ok Nick Chubb is a stud, but the commitment to him, and the "in yo face" smashmouth running game was also semi-new.
I say "semi"-new because Todd Haley did try to run the ball a lot.
But Freddie Kitchens really did use some wishbone formations, and had Mayfield getting rid of the ball quickly.
The offensive line (especially tackles) looked better. Who wooda thunked it? That's what happens when they get to be the hitters instead of the hitees, and when the passrushers don't have all day to get home.
How about Brashad Perriman? Where were the drops? In fact, nobody dropped anything!
This whole team is excited and optimistic. They've stopped screwing up; their standards are higher than they were before Hue and Todd hit the road.
You can see it. Why the hell was Nick Chubb parked behind Carlos Hyde? Why was Duke stuffed in a car-trunk? Why was Mayfield standing in a deep pocket waiting for guys to get open?
The defense was more impressive than the offense, as the Falcons are one of the most lethal offenses in football.
They're optimistic, and liberated. Freddie Kitchens has a real future as an offensive coordinator, and Gregg Williams has to be taken seriously as a Head Coach candidate.
The infuriating part of this was that this talent has been here all along...in handcuffs.
Quit talking about the playoffs being an unrealistic goal for the 2018 Browns. They should have had at least six wins by now, and when they come back off their bye, they're going to play like a contender.
The playoffs are now mathematically unlikely, but they will face the Bengals and other wildcard contenders directly.
Even with bad coaching, this team lost in overtime to the Saints on bad kicks, and tied the Steelers in a game they should have won several times over. Last week they all but shut down an elite offense and beat a team that won four in a row.
They're one game behind the Ravens and two behind the Bengals, and yes: They can beat both those teams.
The 2018 Browns can beat any team in the NFL.
I suppose expecting this young team to win out is too optimistic, even for me. Even that would make them 9-6-1
But only the Chargers are 7-2. None of the rest of the AFC non-division leaders have won more than five games.
The Titans and Colts are red hot right now, but they're in the same Division in a dogfight, and niether of them are a match for the Browns.
No, they're not. The Browns are better. Just the facts, man.
If the Browns miss the playoffs in 2018, it's okay. They can ruin a lot of other teams' days, anyway.
As you know, I expected the Browns to lose. I have never been happier to have been wrong.
...well I need to point out that I said the Browns had a "shot", because they were getting three defensive starters back, and it was just the second week of the post-Haley/Jackson era, and (oh yeah) of Rodney Higgensfield.
Kitchens/Mayfield are doing a great job of maximizing the skill talent of this offense, and making the offensive line's job massively easier.
You saw it, right? Baker Mayfield rarely held the ball for over three seconds. There were slants, crosses, and stuff to help him out.
And ok-ok Nick Chubb is a stud, but the commitment to him, and the "in yo face" smashmouth running game was also semi-new.
I say "semi"-new because Todd Haley did try to run the ball a lot.
But Freddie Kitchens really did use some wishbone formations, and had Mayfield getting rid of the ball quickly.
The offensive line (especially tackles) looked better. Who wooda thunked it? That's what happens when they get to be the hitters instead of the hitees, and when the passrushers don't have all day to get home.
How about Brashad Perriman? Where were the drops? In fact, nobody dropped anything!
This whole team is excited and optimistic. They've stopped screwing up; their standards are higher than they were before Hue and Todd hit the road.
You can see it. Why the hell was Nick Chubb parked behind Carlos Hyde? Why was Duke stuffed in a car-trunk? Why was Mayfield standing in a deep pocket waiting for guys to get open?
The defense was more impressive than the offense, as the Falcons are one of the most lethal offenses in football.
They're optimistic, and liberated. Freddie Kitchens has a real future as an offensive coordinator, and Gregg Williams has to be taken seriously as a Head Coach candidate.
The infuriating part of this was that this talent has been here all along...in handcuffs.
Quit talking about the playoffs being an unrealistic goal for the 2018 Browns. They should have had at least six wins by now, and when they come back off their bye, they're going to play like a contender.
The playoffs are now mathematically unlikely, but they will face the Bengals and other wildcard contenders directly.
Even with bad coaching, this team lost in overtime to the Saints on bad kicks, and tied the Steelers in a game they should have won several times over. Last week they all but shut down an elite offense and beat a team that won four in a row.
They're one game behind the Ravens and two behind the Bengals, and yes: They can beat both those teams.
The 2018 Browns can beat any team in the NFL.
I suppose expecting this young team to win out is too optimistic, even for me. Even that would make them 9-6-1
But only the Chargers are 7-2. None of the rest of the AFC non-division leaders have won more than five games.
The Titans and Colts are red hot right now, but they're in the same Division in a dogfight, and niether of them are a match for the Browns.
No, they're not. The Browns are better. Just the facts, man.
If the Browns miss the playoffs in 2018, it's okay. They can ruin a lot of other teams' days, anyway.
Saturday, November 10, 2018
A Slow News Day and Browns Offensive Tackles and what Todd Did to Them
I've run out of Browns stuff to talk about, but Dan Justik brought up Chris Hubbard's likely future, and gave me some ammo.
Dan addresses the cap issues, and how Hubbard (and Harrison) have underperformed on the edges in 2018. I of course agree with everything Dan says.
I have to bring a few things up in defense of both these guys, however:
1: Harrison's excuse is built-in. He was signed and then promoted based exclusively on his rare athleticism. He played comparatively little in college, and that at a low level of competition. He's very much a work in progress.
2: Todd Haley's offense jammed up the tackles as much as it jammed up Baker Mayfield.
First, most pass-plays were from seven-step territory. It's actually easier for offensive tackles to protect a quarterback three or five steps deep, because edge-rushers can't get "set them up" for countermoves as easily, and the tackle has much less ground to cover.
Second, the seven-step area is for deeper passes, and the receivers take more time to "uncover".
Third (redundancy alert), I'm not sure if Todd Haley called any bootlegs at all, and I know he was light on run-pass and read-options, too.
Offensive linemen all love this stuff, because it screws up passrushers who are coming out of the blocks aiming at a pocket that's not going to be there for bootlegs, and because they get to attack the defensive line instead of backing up with RPOs and Read-options.
Going a tad deeper, once defensive coordinators figured Haley's predictable tendancies out, they were able to "streamline" and narrow their preparations for it.
As you saw, the Browns gave the first three teams they played hell, and then middling opposing defenses started looking like the fkng Steel Curtain (until after Haley was fired).
Todd Haley's offense pretty much guaranteed that any offensive tackle not named Joe Thomas wasn't going to prosper.
Having said that, Dan is still right: Hubbard is being paid more than he is worth, and Dorsey made a mistake paying him that much.
If Hubbard made less money, maybe they keep him. But as it is, almost certainly not.
Dan says that the 2019 Browns might need to find a new right tackle, but tyat guy might already be on the roster:
Greg Robinson played well at left tackle vs the Chiefs in relief of Des Harrison, and might start vs the Falcons based on that.
Greg Robinson was drafted high in the first round to play left tackle in the NFL. Sure, he was a bust there, so far, but he might have turned a corner now (or not).
Anyway, Robinson has a LOT more starting experience than Hubbard (at various positions), and is now being paid peanuts by the Browns.
The plan here is for Des Harrison to develop into an upper-echelon left tackle. Greg Robinson is, for the moment, an obvious possible starting right tackle in 2019.
Another possibility is Rodney Corbettfield. Austin Corbett didn't pan out at left tackle in his rookie preseason, but that doesn't mean he can't play right tackle in season two.
That's complicated, of course. JC Tretter's injuries are making Dorsey nervous, and Corbett is a strong candidate to take over at center (where he would probably be better than he would be outside).
Josh Edwards as you know is not my favorite analyst, but was the only member of the OBR staff who predicted a Browns' win over the Falcons tomorrow.
The rest of them predicted narrow losses in a shootout.
I myself expect a loss, and don't hold Josh in high esteem as an analyst, but he is 5-2-1 in his predictions.
Joe Schobert and Damarius Randall will be back. The "Williams/Kitchens" era enters it's second week. Rashard Higgins too. Callaway caught two passes in a row last week, Perriman showed up, and Rodney Ratleyfield is probably better than Callaway.
The Falcons' offense is all that. But the Ravens' defense is just okay. And Mayfield and company are "unchained" now that their oppressors are gone.
The keys to the game:
1: RUN RUN RUN (and keep Ryan and co off the field).
2: Blow Ryan (and his running game) up.
3: Let Baker be Baker DUUUHHH.
I herebye predict that the Browns will win if they score more points than the Falcons, and you can take that to the bank.
Dan addresses the cap issues, and how Hubbard (and Harrison) have underperformed on the edges in 2018. I of course agree with everything Dan says.
I have to bring a few things up in defense of both these guys, however:
1: Harrison's excuse is built-in. He was signed and then promoted based exclusively on his rare athleticism. He played comparatively little in college, and that at a low level of competition. He's very much a work in progress.
2: Todd Haley's offense jammed up the tackles as much as it jammed up Baker Mayfield.
First, most pass-plays were from seven-step territory. It's actually easier for offensive tackles to protect a quarterback three or five steps deep, because edge-rushers can't get "set them up" for countermoves as easily, and the tackle has much less ground to cover.
Second, the seven-step area is for deeper passes, and the receivers take more time to "uncover".
Third (redundancy alert), I'm not sure if Todd Haley called any bootlegs at all, and I know he was light on run-pass and read-options, too.
Offensive linemen all love this stuff, because it screws up passrushers who are coming out of the blocks aiming at a pocket that's not going to be there for bootlegs, and because they get to attack the defensive line instead of backing up with RPOs and Read-options.
Going a tad deeper, once defensive coordinators figured Haley's predictable tendancies out, they were able to "streamline" and narrow their preparations for it.
As you saw, the Browns gave the first three teams they played hell, and then middling opposing defenses started looking like the fkng Steel Curtain (until after Haley was fired).
Todd Haley's offense pretty much guaranteed that any offensive tackle not named Joe Thomas wasn't going to prosper.
Having said that, Dan is still right: Hubbard is being paid more than he is worth, and Dorsey made a mistake paying him that much.
If Hubbard made less money, maybe they keep him. But as it is, almost certainly not.
Dan says that the 2019 Browns might need to find a new right tackle, but tyat guy might already be on the roster:
Greg Robinson played well at left tackle vs the Chiefs in relief of Des Harrison, and might start vs the Falcons based on that.
Greg Robinson was drafted high in the first round to play left tackle in the NFL. Sure, he was a bust there, so far, but he might have turned a corner now (or not).
Anyway, Robinson has a LOT more starting experience than Hubbard (at various positions), and is now being paid peanuts by the Browns.
The plan here is for Des Harrison to develop into an upper-echelon left tackle. Greg Robinson is, for the moment, an obvious possible starting right tackle in 2019.
Another possibility is Rodney Corbettfield. Austin Corbett didn't pan out at left tackle in his rookie preseason, but that doesn't mean he can't play right tackle in season two.
That's complicated, of course. JC Tretter's injuries are making Dorsey nervous, and Corbett is a strong candidate to take over at center (where he would probably be better than he would be outside).
Josh Edwards as you know is not my favorite analyst, but was the only member of the OBR staff who predicted a Browns' win over the Falcons tomorrow.
The rest of them predicted narrow losses in a shootout.
I myself expect a loss, and don't hold Josh in high esteem as an analyst, but he is 5-2-1 in his predictions.
Joe Schobert and Damarius Randall will be back. The "Williams/Kitchens" era enters it's second week. Rashard Higgins too. Callaway caught two passes in a row last week, Perriman showed up, and Rodney Ratleyfield is probably better than Callaway.
The Falcons' offense is all that. But the Ravens' defense is just okay. And Mayfield and company are "unchained" now that their oppressors are gone.
The keys to the game:
1: RUN RUN RUN (and keep Ryan and co off the field).
2: Blow Ryan (and his running game) up.
3: Let Baker be Baker DUUUHHH.
I herebye predict that the Browns will win if they score more points than the Falcons, and you can take that to the bank.
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