First, a note to Oblivions:
The Browns are unlikely to carry six active wide receivers, so stop saying that.
While you were busy living life in Oblivia, the Browns designated Duke Johnson as the primary slot reciever, added tight end Njoku to Seth DezValve, and have indeed been practicing a lot of two-tight end offenses (even with Njoku dinged and unavailable).
I know this seems unfathomable, but you see, even two actual wide receivers will have a hard time getting on the field at the same time in this offense. The Browns will probably hold onto four tight ends (note: tight ends catch passes too!).
They're all fixed for waterboys and equipment managers, so it will be hard to make room for a fifth, let alone sixth, wide receiver.
I read a good article on Gregg Williams last week:
We already know that he has no set scheme, and adapts his basic defense to make the most of what talent he has available.
All defensive coordinators say that, but Williams walks the walk.
This is why I told you as soon as he was signed that he would run a 4-2 base. Long before anybody else caught on...
He further tweaks his scheme from week-to-week (and down-to-down) based on offensive personnel and individual mathups (the latter is another reason why every defensive player learns two or more positions).
As I've said, here, with these players, Gregg will probably almost always have four down linemen, even if one or two of them stand up occasionally. Why mess with a strong unit and complicate things?
I told you that before they drafted Garrett and two 3-tech defensive tackles, and stole another defensive tackle from the Ravens remember?
But what I was thrilled to hear Williams say was that he wouldn't be running any of his defensive players into the ground.
I believe I read somewhere that last season, Danny Shelton played 95% of 2016's defensive snaps. I was outraged. Especially with this specific player, who's extra-heavy, and was getting double-teamed most of the time.
Gregg pointed to Myles Garrett, playing around 80 snaps per game as a college senior, and managed to edit his opinion of that down to "that's too many".
Terry Pluto misread Gregg's comments on rotations: Gregg never said he wanted to limit his players to 50% of the defensive snaps. He just used "fifty percent" as a very generic example.
The main point is that Gregg won't be setting up weekly fourth-quarter defensive collapses because Shelton's legs have turned to spaghetti, Haden with his twin groin injuries has played every single snap, etc.
Every DC rotates his defensive line to keep them fresh, but they usually run their defensive backs and linebackers into the ground for some reason.
Williams is different. This is partly why he says "forget starters". For all his bombacity (yeah I know I invent words get with the program), Gregg Williams is extremely smart. He is a "football guy" who fits right in with "analytics" (kinda like that Belichick guy)...
Anyway here it is:
Myles Garrett is the best defensive end here. But unlike everybody else but me, he knows that he's got FIVE more guys who are like 75-80% as good as he is.
Well now, Garrett on snap one is that much better. On snap five, the guy who's been just hanging out might be as good as Myles is, because Myles is getting tired.
Williams will have Garrett in in every third and long (I'll bet at defensive tackle in a "Nascar" package, because he's solid muscle and Gregg is eyeball-deep in edge-rushers he's dying to use), but he might take him off the field in short yardage.
Garrett might play 75% of the snaps. Shelton is one guy who might get 50%.
But I'll bet you that Jamie Collins and the defensive backs won't exceed 80% either.
Gregg Williams understands exactly why fourth quarter and late season defensive collapses happen: Hero-worship. Most coaches ride their best players into the ground.
They want to let the younger guys play, and rest the top guys, but as the game unfolds, every down just looks too important, and they get "whatifitis". Perhaps even the majority of them would play Garrett, Shelton, Collins, Haden, etc. on every single snap.
Guys like Orchard, Johnson, Holmes, Currey, Nacua, and even Schobert might not play at all.
I love Gregg Williams, because he lets everybody play. This is one of the reasons why all of the players who played for him love him.
If you screw up, you're benched, of course, and he won't use you if you don't show up in practice either.
But the veterans loved him because he prolonged their carreers and didn't humiliate them by wearing them out and getting them burned, and the young guys loved him because he gave them a chance.
I can't wait. The Browns lost so many games at least partly due to late defensive collapses (vs the pass and the run alike). I guarantee you: Whatever else happens in 2017, this defense will not cave in in the 4th quarter, and won't weaken significantly if key players are injured.
Nevermind what he said to Joe Haden: "I would have cut you if you hadn't played hurt". I'll tell you right now, Gregg would have benched Joe as soon as he saw he was ineffective. He was only referring to Haden's guts and heart.
(In fairness to Ray Horton, he had Calhoun, but really nobody else who was actually better than even the lame Haden, so I'm not bashing him for that).
But that's another thing: Gregg Williams has a lot more talent than Ray Horton had to work with. He has LOTS of cornerbacks, for one thing, plus Peppers.
Ray kinda had to run a 3-4 too. Bryant and Orchard weren't here. Collins came in late. Nassib fell off the map...Ogunjobi, Brantley, Coley weren't here, Cooper disappointed, Shelton could play nose, and...just trust me Horton isn't a bumb is all I'm saying.
I do think Gregg Williams is better: His record backs me up. On top of that, though, he's got Garrett, an experienced Ogbah, Orchard and Scobert back where they belong, Holmes, three new defensive tackles, a healthy Kindred and Haden, McCourtey, a settled in Collins, Peppers, Wilson on-deck I mean can you see why he can't stop smiling?
Gregg Williams died and went to heaven. He has outstanding depth and versatility throughout his defense, and can lean hard on a four-man front to make it easier.
Ok see a 4-man defensive line is a foundation. It automaticly generates a 4-man passrush, and gobbles up the offensive line vs the run. Edge-rush check. Inside rush check. If you have that, you can concentrate your indidious diabolicality on the back 7 and be even sneakier!
But I semi-digress:
I hereby predict that at the end of 2017, the Browns defense will rank no lower than 15th overall, and will rank in the top ten in turnovers.
I also need to explain critical analysis 101 to a lot of pundits:
If Brock Osweiler plays well, he can be traded for a decent draft pick OR can win games for the Browns. Kizermaniacs tend to overthink this. Look up "OR" in your Funk&Wagnall. A trade is NOT the only conveivable reason for Hue starting the worst quarterback in history over the best ever.
Listen to Hue Jackson, in his own words. He will serve no quarterback before his time, and Kizer is not ready, in Hue's opinion. If you think you know better...well that's just sad.
The Giants offense is scary, and will sorely test this defense...
Well maybe not, because they might not use several of their veterans including Manning, Marshall, Lyte or Beckham at all...ok nevermind.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Monday, August 14, 2017
First Browns Preseason Game Re-analysis
Every Peter Smith article is a treat for me. He just published this one, no doubt because he's been actually looking at the game-tape from Thursday's Preseason win over the Saints.
But even Peter isn't perfect:
1: Level of competition is almost irrelevant for a quarterback. If he's playing against truck drivers and accountants, he's playing with phys ed teachers and cabbies. What Kizer did meant every bit as much as what Osweiler did in this vanilla game.
2: Nobody will be surprised if Coley makes the final cut.
I get it. Peter is looking at two defensive tackles just drafted and Jamie Meder (with Shelton)...and (oh yeah) X Cooper, which, along with Coley, makes six guys fighting over (we think) four roster spots.
But Coley is not a rookie. He's been through two training camps and been trained for two seasons--most recently by the Ravens (which matters).
As I pointed out in an earlier post (blush-blush) Brantley and Ogunjobi are not at this point very good one-tech prospects (they're right dt penetrators), whereas Coley can play both positions (or nose tackle, for that matter).
I don't expect him to "disappear" like other preseason wonders have, either. I'm guessing X is a gmf, and...I can't say it...
Pete is correct: Jamie Meder will play a lot somewhere in the NFL this season.
That's all for the nit-picky corrections (I never catch Pete for anything worse dammit).
I can add to some of the other stuff he said, however:
Hell yes on both Vitale and Telfer. If Vitale keeps growing as a lead-blocker, his abilities as a receiver and a runner will be valuable, and if Telfer keeps doing what he's doing as a receiver, he's a viable weapon in a two-tight end offenses.
I've repeated this for years. A "blocking tight end" is a skinny offensive lineman, and you might as well just use a spare lineman. If a tight end can't make at least underneath catches, why bother?
Telfer has, throughout this preseason, demonstrated not only that he can catch the chain-moving wall-off short passes, but actually get upfield and do more damage. He FITS.
Mayes did show nice vision on his touchdown, but also patience. I studied that one:
Vitale got stood up, and Mayes confronted a solid wall. Most smaller backs would run laterally and try to sneak around the edge, but Mayes did a Laveon Belle:
He just kinda "hovered", watching the blockers and defenders struggling, waiting for some little seam to appear. (By the way, as he shifted and danced, every defender who saw him reacted to him. Laveon Belle deliberately does this stuff to help his blockers get the upper hand--sorry Black Cloud);*
Some people don't get this: Once everybody is standing still, and it's all leverage and brute force, offensive linemen are winning. At least one of them will push one defender backward; maybe only a couple feet.
Moreover, when a back doesn't race for the edge, the defensive player assigned to hold it attacks around the blockers nevermind too deep.
Mayes waited for that. It was impressive (and unusual).
Understand Vitale's role as a lead-blocker: He's supposed to target off-the-ball linebackers and safeties trying to fill holes or seal edges. When he can, he's supposed to "chip" bigger guys who are already locked up with his own bigger guys to knock them off-balance so the blocker gets the upper hand and leverage.
On that play (I didn't check it out well enough to be sure of this), the Saints front seven did a great job stonewalling the Browns offensive linemen, and the gap Vitale was supposed to go through to blast the safety didn't exist.
He did the right thing. He just hit the wall as hard as he could and joined the melee. Mayes went outside of him, but Vitale might have stifled penetration and bought Mayes and the other blockers time.
I say this not even knowing whether or not Vitale makes the team. I CAN predict that Mayes has, already.
More recently, Jabrill Peppers has joined the first team defense and already impressed everybody. I don't know where they played him yet...none of the reporters seemed to care.
Fortunately it's not important. He is hitting people, deflecting and intercepting passes, stripping people and all that good stuff. I guess I don't care either.
Osweiler is hitting both DeValve and Njoku, which might indicate the two tight end base I predicted (because it was obvious) is being worked on (and is working out. No drops for Njoku! That makes one day in a row!)
Peter thinks Cam Erving can be salvaged. I don't think the Browns will undertake that project. Not now. Not again.
Hue is still buying Gregg's beers on the goal line, but the offense is getting in the end zone anyway. The offense is catching up.
Keep watching for WR Rodney Lesliefield. If Britt doesn't get his head out, Louis will take his job, and Leslie will knock him off the team.
...then the Browns would have to find two vederrunn wide receiverzz...
But even Peter isn't perfect:
1: Level of competition is almost irrelevant for a quarterback. If he's playing against truck drivers and accountants, he's playing with phys ed teachers and cabbies. What Kizer did meant every bit as much as what Osweiler did in this vanilla game.
2: Nobody will be surprised if Coley makes the final cut.
I get it. Peter is looking at two defensive tackles just drafted and Jamie Meder (with Shelton)...and (oh yeah) X Cooper, which, along with Coley, makes six guys fighting over (we think) four roster spots.
But Coley is not a rookie. He's been through two training camps and been trained for two seasons--most recently by the Ravens (which matters).
As I pointed out in an earlier post (blush-blush) Brantley and Ogunjobi are not at this point very good one-tech prospects (they're right dt penetrators), whereas Coley can play both positions (or nose tackle, for that matter).
I don't expect him to "disappear" like other preseason wonders have, either. I'm guessing X is a gmf, and...I can't say it...
Pete is correct: Jamie Meder will play a lot somewhere in the NFL this season.
That's all for the nit-picky corrections (I never catch Pete for anything worse dammit).
I can add to some of the other stuff he said, however:
Hell yes on both Vitale and Telfer. If Vitale keeps growing as a lead-blocker, his abilities as a receiver and a runner will be valuable, and if Telfer keeps doing what he's doing as a receiver, he's a viable weapon in a two-tight end offenses.
I've repeated this for years. A "blocking tight end" is a skinny offensive lineman, and you might as well just use a spare lineman. If a tight end can't make at least underneath catches, why bother?
Telfer has, throughout this preseason, demonstrated not only that he can catch the chain-moving wall-off short passes, but actually get upfield and do more damage. He FITS.
Mayes did show nice vision on his touchdown, but also patience. I studied that one:
Vitale got stood up, and Mayes confronted a solid wall. Most smaller backs would run laterally and try to sneak around the edge, but Mayes did a Laveon Belle:
He just kinda "hovered", watching the blockers and defenders struggling, waiting for some little seam to appear. (By the way, as he shifted and danced, every defender who saw him reacted to him. Laveon Belle deliberately does this stuff to help his blockers get the upper hand--sorry Black Cloud);*
Some people don't get this: Once everybody is standing still, and it's all leverage and brute force, offensive linemen are winning. At least one of them will push one defender backward; maybe only a couple feet.
Moreover, when a back doesn't race for the edge, the defensive player assigned to hold it attacks around the blockers nevermind too deep.
Mayes waited for that. It was impressive (and unusual).
Understand Vitale's role as a lead-blocker: He's supposed to target off-the-ball linebackers and safeties trying to fill holes or seal edges. When he can, he's supposed to "chip" bigger guys who are already locked up with his own bigger guys to knock them off-balance so the blocker gets the upper hand and leverage.
On that play (I didn't check it out well enough to be sure of this), the Saints front seven did a great job stonewalling the Browns offensive linemen, and the gap Vitale was supposed to go through to blast the safety didn't exist.
He did the right thing. He just hit the wall as hard as he could and joined the melee. Mayes went outside of him, but Vitale might have stifled penetration and bought Mayes and the other blockers time.
I say this not even knowing whether or not Vitale makes the team. I CAN predict that Mayes has, already.
More recently, Jabrill Peppers has joined the first team defense and already impressed everybody. I don't know where they played him yet...none of the reporters seemed to care.
Fortunately it's not important. He is hitting people, deflecting and intercepting passes, stripping people and all that good stuff. I guess I don't care either.
Osweiler is hitting both DeValve and Njoku, which might indicate the two tight end base I predicted (because it was obvious) is being worked on (and is working out. No drops for Njoku! That makes one day in a row!)
Peter thinks Cam Erving can be salvaged. I don't think the Browns will undertake that project. Not now. Not again.
Hue is still buying Gregg's beers on the goal line, but the offense is getting in the end zone anyway. The offense is catching up.
Keep watching for WR Rodney Lesliefield. If Britt doesn't get his head out, Louis will take his job, and Leslie will knock him off the team.
...then the Browns would have to find two vederrunn wide receiverzz...
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Kizer, Brockytop, Defensive Sleepers, and the Browns
The media has been unusually solid in their coverage of the Browns, which is always frustrating for me. I can't even pick on MKC today, as she seems to have beamed back down from the Kizer Nebula (or wherever she was).
Still, she repeated that heading into Friday's scrimmage, Kizer had been outperforming the other quarterbacks, so she hasn't admitted to having hallucinations yet.
Still, progress is progress, and she's ready to let Osweiler sink or swim while Kizer maxes out the reps and keeps trying to catch up.
But for a full recovery, Mary needs to confront her delusions. For me, this would take somebody informing me that Kizer was completing only 52% of his passes. I would say "Oh. Nevermind". But I'm rare like that.
Chris Pokorney was really informative in providing defensive player-by-player stats for thursday's preseason game.
The Coaches will have to consider specific matchups and stuff for the guys lower on the depth chart, but these numbers do offer some good clues to how they're performing.
Chris even broke them down by percentages; how much they played.
By the numbers, Tyrone Holmes actually outplayed Nate Orchard. He played significantly less, and still did more (especially in the opposing backfield).
But again, I think Orchard entered the game earlier, against tougher players, so we can't take that to the bank.
Des Bryant got a "no stats recorded", and I earlier read another article which singled him out in a bad way. Per the writer, he was blown off the ball repeatedly on run plays.
I need to mention here that per PFF, in 2015, Bryant was really weak vs the run. I think he's doomed. Nothing personal.
And in the same article, the writer said the same thing happened to Danny Shelton!
Trevon Coley played 32% of the snaps, but outdid everybody else (I think mainly from left defensive tackle; Shelton's spot). I always credit Sashi Brown for nabbing these guys off other people's practice squads, but Andrew Berry (a "football guy" btw) is the guy who targets them.
Coley and Brien Boddy-Calhoun are really shining bright right now, and they're just the obvious ones.
That was the linemen. Joe Schobert was the Coley of the linebackers. Playing only 19%, he piled up two tackles, a tackle-for-loss, a quarterback hit, a sack, and a pass defended!!! That's just downright amazing.
Sorry, Tank Carder. You just got served. In fact, Gregg Williams is probably trying to figure out how to get Schobert on the field more.
In fact, Christian Kirksey had best watch his back (you heard that here first).
Sadly, a bunch of guys we've never heard of really kicked ass. Most notably, Olugbodi with five tackles (57% though--maybe not enough.)
Olugbodi or Alexander are two guys who, if they're cut loose, will probably start somewhere else. As I've been saying, questioning the Browns' linebacker depth is insane.
At cornerback, Darius Hillary played a whopping 69% of the plays, and got two tackles, but Chris points out that the cornerbacks weren't challenged much, so it's a tad early to start calling guys losers and bumbs.
Everybody who isn't deaf and blind knows Briean Boddy-Calhoun now. That undrafted free agent has just kicked ass ever since he's been here, and is even better now than he was in 2016.
Listen to me here: This guy will challenge Taylor and Haden for playing time. He's just that good! Williams has worked him at free safety. You heard that here first too.
And no, it wasn't just that fourth-down tfl. He covers, gets interceptions, and is in on way more run-stops than you'd expect out of a cornerback. He's like Nate Orchard and Joe Schobert: a "football player".
Nobody really stands out at either safety spot, except Derrick Kindred got 3 tackles playing only 20%. That's actually sad, because he was tackling running backs who ran right tf through the front 6-7.
On that issue (the run defense): Gregg Williams will fix it. Danny Shelton had a bad game. You have to know he'll be fine. Des Bryant never was very good vs the run, and he won't be sticking around. Schobert is better than Carder, and will replace him (no offense Tank I love ya man).
Chris thinks Justin Currie (3 tackles) is making a case for backup safety, and that Calvin Pryor probably won't make it. I concur. I had some hopes for Pryor, but he's not standing out like any older player on this roster needs to.
Williams blitzed everybody from everywhere, which I was glad to see. Williams walks the walk. I don't think you can be on his field if you can't blitze.
Don't misinterpret that; he usually blitzes one guy at a time, except on third and long. But it could be anybody.
That's one of the reasons his players all love him. Playing for Gregg Williams is fun!
I do get to correct some people today, including Terry Pluto:
Joe Thomas (as well as my humble self) has told you, you don't really need to practice run-blocking a lot. Regardless of scheme, it's pretty straightforeward, and every good running back is instinctive too.
The passing game is a lot more complex, and you need all the live reps you can get. This is why Hue passed about twice as often as he ran in this first preseason game. It's that simple. Don't overthink it.
The running game is in the bag.
Speaking of which, I was encouraged by Isaiah Crowell implying that he wants to be paid like Devonta Freeman (around 8 mil/year) because that's a reasonable demand.
I had feared he was looking at Ebeneezer Belle's rediculous situation with the Steelers.
Now that Freeman (now the highest-paid non-franchised running back in the NFL) is signed, contract talks should get moving again for the Crow.
I heard that! No, Crow isn't the best running back in the NFL (yet), but niether is Freeman ok? This has to do with salary cap inflation and the need to lock players down for long periods.
Crow is still young (and improving), has been durable, and has "low mileage" on his tires. I hope Sashi (and Andrew) see the budding "Beast Mode" I do in this guy, and pays the man.
I was stunned when Sashi took Mitchell Schwartze's offer off the table, though, so we can't count on it.
I just saw another breathless headline "DESHONE KIZER PROMOTED TO FIRST TEAM!" Stop it! He and Brock split the reps, like Kizer and Kessler did throughout camp. They've got like a month til their next preseason game, and Hue just wants Kizer to be in tune with the starting skill guys.
Hue, if you listen to him and watch his face, is amazed by all this. I'm sure he expected the intense scrutiny, but the conclusions people leap to shock and amaze him.
He'll probably say in his next interview, for the thousanth time (sigh) "It doesn't mean anything. I'm just spreading it out. It's way too early. He has a lot to clean up why do I have to keep repeating this every goddam day stop it stop it stop it "@%%#÷×>`#;`?!!!"
I guess I might have projected a little there, but I promise you, it's what Hue wants to say.
Even Mary Kay finally gets it.
Mitch Trubisky was amazing in his own preseason debut. DeShaun Watson was pretty good (not as good as Kizer). I don't know about Mahomes yet. But all of these guys are being "protected" so far.
Frankly, Mitch Trubisky actually looks "ready" right now, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him starting game one for da Bearss, despite the fact that Mike Glennon is actually pretty damn good.
Permabashers would love that. "Day blew idd again". "Day cooda hadd him"
Yeah for like their entire draft. I like Garrett how bout you? And Peppers, and Njoku et cetera?
Wait three years. Trubisky still won't have Kizer's arm or amazing deep accuracy. He won't get any taller, or much faster. Wait 3 years, and let's see where Trubisky, Wentz, and Kizer are respectively. I can't wait.
Kizer has more physical talent than all of them (although Mahomes and Watson are close). Nobody is 6'4", 236 lbs, or has that arm. (Mahomes is close on the arm).
Intelligence doesn't always translate to live games, but DeShone Kizer is as smart or smarter than all of them. And he is the only one not picked in the first round.
My readers remember me wanting Trubisky, Garropollo, Mahomes, and Watson, and NOT Kizer. In fact I kinda bashed Kizer!
But that was before last thursday.
I hope this time it's real: Right now, it looks like the Browns (especially Sashi) found their guy. Everything he did wrong was due to inexperience, and is predictably (or inevitably) fixable.
Now, nobody else gets this yet, but Hue Jackson had DeShone running early on purpose, to back the defense off.
Cam Newton never had this kind of accuracy. I'm not sure any quarterback has as strong an arm.
Yes, I guess you could say I'm cautiously optimistic about DeShone Kizer.
But I think Osweiler is as likely as not to be pretty good again (we'll see vs the Giants). If he does okay in that game, he should be the starter through game 4, at which point Kizer could indeed take over.
They'll probably keep depriving Kevin Hogan of live reps so they can sneak him back onto the practice squad. If it works out, they can trade Brockytop for an actually decent draft pick, maybe without a significant bribe.
Then Hogan is suited to take over Kizer's offense if he goes down.
Call me Robbydamus.
Okbye.
Still, she repeated that heading into Friday's scrimmage, Kizer had been outperforming the other quarterbacks, so she hasn't admitted to having hallucinations yet.
Still, progress is progress, and she's ready to let Osweiler sink or swim while Kizer maxes out the reps and keeps trying to catch up.
But for a full recovery, Mary needs to confront her delusions. For me, this would take somebody informing me that Kizer was completing only 52% of his passes. I would say "Oh. Nevermind". But I'm rare like that.
Chris Pokorney was really informative in providing defensive player-by-player stats for thursday's preseason game.
The Coaches will have to consider specific matchups and stuff for the guys lower on the depth chart, but these numbers do offer some good clues to how they're performing.
Chris even broke them down by percentages; how much they played.
By the numbers, Tyrone Holmes actually outplayed Nate Orchard. He played significantly less, and still did more (especially in the opposing backfield).
But again, I think Orchard entered the game earlier, against tougher players, so we can't take that to the bank.
Des Bryant got a "no stats recorded", and I earlier read another article which singled him out in a bad way. Per the writer, he was blown off the ball repeatedly on run plays.
I need to mention here that per PFF, in 2015, Bryant was really weak vs the run. I think he's doomed. Nothing personal.
And in the same article, the writer said the same thing happened to Danny Shelton!
Trevon Coley played 32% of the snaps, but outdid everybody else (I think mainly from left defensive tackle; Shelton's spot). I always credit Sashi Brown for nabbing these guys off other people's practice squads, but Andrew Berry (a "football guy" btw) is the guy who targets them.
Coley and Brien Boddy-Calhoun are really shining bright right now, and they're just the obvious ones.
That was the linemen. Joe Schobert was the Coley of the linebackers. Playing only 19%, he piled up two tackles, a tackle-for-loss, a quarterback hit, a sack, and a pass defended!!! That's just downright amazing.
Sorry, Tank Carder. You just got served. In fact, Gregg Williams is probably trying to figure out how to get Schobert on the field more.
In fact, Christian Kirksey had best watch his back (you heard that here first).
Sadly, a bunch of guys we've never heard of really kicked ass. Most notably, Olugbodi with five tackles (57% though--maybe not enough.)
Olugbodi or Alexander are two guys who, if they're cut loose, will probably start somewhere else. As I've been saying, questioning the Browns' linebacker depth is insane.
At cornerback, Darius Hillary played a whopping 69% of the plays, and got two tackles, but Chris points out that the cornerbacks weren't challenged much, so it's a tad early to start calling guys losers and bumbs.
Everybody who isn't deaf and blind knows Briean Boddy-Calhoun now. That undrafted free agent has just kicked ass ever since he's been here, and is even better now than he was in 2016.
Listen to me here: This guy will challenge Taylor and Haden for playing time. He's just that good! Williams has worked him at free safety. You heard that here first too.
And no, it wasn't just that fourth-down tfl. He covers, gets interceptions, and is in on way more run-stops than you'd expect out of a cornerback. He's like Nate Orchard and Joe Schobert: a "football player".
Nobody really stands out at either safety spot, except Derrick Kindred got 3 tackles playing only 20%. That's actually sad, because he was tackling running backs who ran right tf through the front 6-7.
On that issue (the run defense): Gregg Williams will fix it. Danny Shelton had a bad game. You have to know he'll be fine. Des Bryant never was very good vs the run, and he won't be sticking around. Schobert is better than Carder, and will replace him (no offense Tank I love ya man).
Chris thinks Justin Currie (3 tackles) is making a case for backup safety, and that Calvin Pryor probably won't make it. I concur. I had some hopes for Pryor, but he's not standing out like any older player on this roster needs to.
Williams blitzed everybody from everywhere, which I was glad to see. Williams walks the walk. I don't think you can be on his field if you can't blitze.
Don't misinterpret that; he usually blitzes one guy at a time, except on third and long. But it could be anybody.
That's one of the reasons his players all love him. Playing for Gregg Williams is fun!
I do get to correct some people today, including Terry Pluto:
Joe Thomas (as well as my humble self) has told you, you don't really need to practice run-blocking a lot. Regardless of scheme, it's pretty straightforeward, and every good running back is instinctive too.
The passing game is a lot more complex, and you need all the live reps you can get. This is why Hue passed about twice as often as he ran in this first preseason game. It's that simple. Don't overthink it.
The running game is in the bag.
Speaking of which, I was encouraged by Isaiah Crowell implying that he wants to be paid like Devonta Freeman (around 8 mil/year) because that's a reasonable demand.
I had feared he was looking at Ebeneezer Belle's rediculous situation with the Steelers.
Now that Freeman (now the highest-paid non-franchised running back in the NFL) is signed, contract talks should get moving again for the Crow.
I heard that! No, Crow isn't the best running back in the NFL (yet), but niether is Freeman ok? This has to do with salary cap inflation and the need to lock players down for long periods.
Crow is still young (and improving), has been durable, and has "low mileage" on his tires. I hope Sashi (and Andrew) see the budding "Beast Mode" I do in this guy, and pays the man.
I was stunned when Sashi took Mitchell Schwartze's offer off the table, though, so we can't count on it.
I just saw another breathless headline "DESHONE KIZER PROMOTED TO FIRST TEAM!" Stop it! He and Brock split the reps, like Kizer and Kessler did throughout camp. They've got like a month til their next preseason game, and Hue just wants Kizer to be in tune with the starting skill guys.
Hue, if you listen to him and watch his face, is amazed by all this. I'm sure he expected the intense scrutiny, but the conclusions people leap to shock and amaze him.
He'll probably say in his next interview, for the thousanth time (sigh) "It doesn't mean anything. I'm just spreading it out. It's way too early. He has a lot to clean up why do I have to keep repeating this every goddam day stop it stop it stop it "@%%#÷×>`#;`?!!!"
I guess I might have projected a little there, but I promise you, it's what Hue wants to say.
Even Mary Kay finally gets it.
Mitch Trubisky was amazing in his own preseason debut. DeShaun Watson was pretty good (not as good as Kizer). I don't know about Mahomes yet. But all of these guys are being "protected" so far.
Frankly, Mitch Trubisky actually looks "ready" right now, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him starting game one for da Bearss, despite the fact that Mike Glennon is actually pretty damn good.
Permabashers would love that. "Day blew idd again". "Day cooda hadd him"
Yeah for like their entire draft. I like Garrett how bout you? And Peppers, and Njoku et cetera?
Wait three years. Trubisky still won't have Kizer's arm or amazing deep accuracy. He won't get any taller, or much faster. Wait 3 years, and let's see where Trubisky, Wentz, and Kizer are respectively. I can't wait.
Kizer has more physical talent than all of them (although Mahomes and Watson are close). Nobody is 6'4", 236 lbs, or has that arm. (Mahomes is close on the arm).
Intelligence doesn't always translate to live games, but DeShone Kizer is as smart or smarter than all of them. And he is the only one not picked in the first round.
My readers remember me wanting Trubisky, Garropollo, Mahomes, and Watson, and NOT Kizer. In fact I kinda bashed Kizer!
But that was before last thursday.
I hope this time it's real: Right now, it looks like the Browns (especially Sashi) found their guy. Everything he did wrong was due to inexperience, and is predictably (or inevitably) fixable.
Now, nobody else gets this yet, but Hue Jackson had DeShone running early on purpose, to back the defense off.
Cam Newton never had this kind of accuracy. I'm not sure any quarterback has as strong an arm.
Yes, I guess you could say I'm cautiously optimistic about DeShone Kizer.
But I think Osweiler is as likely as not to be pretty good again (we'll see vs the Giants). If he does okay in that game, he should be the starter through game 4, at which point Kizer could indeed take over.
They'll probably keep depriving Kevin Hogan of live reps so they can sneak him back onto the practice squad. If it works out, they can trade Brockytop for an actually decent draft pick, maybe without a significant bribe.
Then Hogan is suited to take over Kizer's offense if he goes down.
Call me Robbydamus.
Okbye.
Browns Preseason Game One: Stars are Born
Of all people, Bud Shaw was the quickest to write a sane article on the quarterback situation in the wake of DeShone Kizer's impressive debut thursday night vs the Saints.
First, I'll pre-correct the shrinking number of permabashers who decided before any quarterback was signed or drafted that he would bust out:
1: The fact that he was playing against the bottom of the Saints depth chart is almost irrelevant, because he was playing with the bottom of the Browns depth chart.
2: The "vanilla scheme" thing is overstated. The Saints were blitzing a lot, and mixing coverages too. Offenses are more vanilla in preseason than defenses.
On the other hand, listen to Hue Jackson's pre-emptive critique aimed at Mary Kay Cabbot, who he knows will declare that Kizer has won the starting job:
He held the ball too long, stared down receivers, and made some bad throws and decisions. He is a rookie. He needs more work DO YOU UNDERSTAND MARY KAY?
Osweiler had two days to work with the first team, and most of his problems could be attributed to a lack of chemistry with receivers he'd never worked with. He did start to get on track in his final drive.
You can't help but be thrilled with Kizer's dramatic improvement in completion percentage, 114 passer rating, and really amazing deep accuracy.
But if he makes the mistakes he made vs the Steelers defense in a real game?
As Bud Shaw says (quite well), let's see what Brockytop can do with over a week of first-team reps in preseason game two before we make another spastic move.
Brock is using the whole playbook. Kizer's is attenuated and adapted to him. Defensive coordinators are already watching that film, and will come up with his kryptonite.
Finally, Kizer is here for five years. Osweiler is a costly, diminishing asset. If he can succeed next week, Sashi still has a chance to "cash out" and get a draft pick for him.
As the second (or preferably third) team quarterback, Kizer would once again get proportionately more reps/experience, with two more preseason games remaining.
At this stage, it doesn't matter which unit Kizer plays with, as long as he gets his reps.
Now that I've dumped icewater all over DeShone, I can let my inner-fan out to play:
Wow! He sure looks like the real deal! I was unable to watch the game (listened to Jim and Doug), but I was able to watch every pass he threw later.
I saw what Hue was talking about (holding the ball). The tape didn't show the three sacks, so it made it look like no big deal, but it is.
This almost always means he's missed his reads, you understand. He has at least two check-downs every time, and all three are rarely covered.
Like Hue says, rookies do that a lot, and he's not too worried about it long term.
But I also saw him throwing short darts to crossers. He wasn't as good at this as he is going postal, but this is where he's made the most progress.
As I've explained, short accuracy to crossers and slanters is very different than vertical accuracy, and there's no way a quarterback can really be elite without being at least above average at both. If you can't threaten the whole field, defenses can stifle you.
Every short pass I did see was a rocket, but then every short reception I saw was into a very tight window (he had to make stick-throws---and he was mostly on the money. It was impressive.)
Kessler can't do that. He can't get it there that fast. Give him credit for knowing it.
(Side-note here: Why weren't those crossers getting open? Are the Saints coverage scrubs that good? Something's wrong.)
One exception to Kizer's holding the ball issue was that fourth and short touchdown bomb. He had max protection, and was supposed to wait (if he could. He no doubt could have ran for a first down-- and don't you know, the defense knew that, see?)
You can do that stuff with a dual threat guy on third or fourth and short. They have to set up for the run first, then they have to be careful how they attack the backfield. They really can't afford to hold a safety deep when he's needed in the box and has the best chance of stopping the running quarterback...but I digress anyway you can't do this with Kessler OR Osweiler. Maybe with Hogan, but Hogan doesn't have that kind of arm...but I redigress...
And yeah, when this particular kid does take over, Hue will pick certain pages out of his massive playbook which suit him best. Osweiler and Kessler are more conventional.
Kizer has unwisely compared himself to Cam Newton and Tom Brady both. Well, he's not as big as Cam, but he runs like Cam. Brady doesn't hold the ball, but I'll tell you what:
DeShone Kizer is deadly accurate at any range. That's what anybody with a brain saw thursday night. Yeah, I'm wrong AGAIN!!!
Kizer's got it ALL, man! I haven't seen if he can use more "touch" on those shorter routes yet. That's much harder than firing a rifle-shot straight at a spot, and it's about half the skillset required for a Montana-type sharpshooter (and something Kessler excels at).
You can't just assume he'll get good at that, either, people.
But how are we supposed to find out when every short and intermediate receiver he hit was covered like white on rice dammit? Hey Al Saunders why can't your guys separate?
Well I've probably blabbed over my weight class again, because that was probably zone because I saw the receivers stopped dead, which they're supposed to vs that coverage.
If they don't, Kizer's rifle shot gets picked off. If they don't and Kizer also screws up, they might end up like Darryl Stingley. (The lesser consequences graduate down from a coma to a fumble).
...oh some of you don't know that! Zone coverage is more about putting people in your way than about passing receivers off like batons.
When the 49ers started tearing up the NFL by turning dink passes into 60 yard touchdowns, zone coverage was part of the solution...
But I digress again: Anyhow that's what a "stick-throw" is: it's a (generally low) bullet pass to the correct side of a receiver who has just stopped dead. It arrives too fast for the defensive back to prevent the catch.
Kizer made those throws as well as anybody I've seen. He wasn't perfect, but like I said, as good as any. It was very impressive, yes it was!
However, he was probably late on those throws...because he waited for the receivers to stop and turn towards him, instead of throwing when he was supposed to throw. This gave the coverage guys a chance to close on the receivers, which made the stick-throws neccessary yeah I get it now.
I'll skip Myles Garrett (he speaks for himself) but preseason is where undrafted, practice squad, and third/4th year free agent stars are born.
Trevon Coley was one of these. He caused that fumble and caused most of the rest of his mayhem from Danny Shelton's left dt spot. (I'm not sure but Jamie Meder probably did the same from that spot as well).
I love how this Browns regime does business. At the end of the day, it won't matter if/where you were drafted, or by whome. Coley (stolen from the Ravens) immediately passed up Ogunjobi (Brantley is injured) based on his performance in practice.
As I posted earlier (blush-blush) scouts blew it on Coley...and a bunch of people blew it on Brantley and Ogunjobi too...Coley can play every inside position in every scheme. He's actually a veteran, tutored by the Ravens, so he's ready to rock.
My man WR Rodney Lesliefield didn't do that much this time, and Jordan Payton did, so he's fallen behind again.
Josh Boyce had a couple nice plays, but also dropped one. He's a 26 year-old geezer without Jordan Leslie's freakdom, so he's in even more trouble.
Rannell Hall is on the ropes too. It's not just his dropped passes (note: from Kizer), but the fact that Jabrill Peppers is another Josh Cribbs. Also, Ranell is a shrimp.
The linebacker situation is sad. It's sad because, like edge-rushing defensive ends, starting caliber players will get cut loose.
After this first preseason game, Joe Schobert might well have passed up the long-suffering Tank Carder at mlb (and backup olb).
This stuff is hard for me, because I love underdogs, and it would suck if, after all this time, Tank doesn't get his big break.
But Joe Schobert is better.
It's ok, though: Tank Carder is a core special teamer, and he's now made himself more indispensable because he's proven that he really is a pretty good linebacker.
Dominique Alexander...well it's sad. Some really good players are going to get cut off this Browns roster. Look at what Nate Orchard did thursday night! Do you understand that he might still get cut?
...or not. Cam Johnson is older. Ty Holmes is a very similar player. Garrett, Ogbah, and Nassib are set in stone. That leaves one slot. It's sad.
I root for Nate Orchard, because he was actually a decent 3-4 OLB and always just finds ways to make plays; he's just a pure football player with great instincts, and the hell with his combine numbers.
But that's just my emotionally charged amatuer opinion. Someday I dream of buying access to PFF's database so I can clinicly compare players, but for right now I'm just a fan (sorta).
Mayes didn't impress me as much as he seemed to impress everybody else. It was pretty cool how he took his time and picked his shot to get that touchdown, but I don't make as big a deal of that as most people do.
Don't get me wrong: I've compared Mayes to Earnest Byner. I just hate it when certain Doug announcers Jim who shall remain nameless bend over backwards (and foreward) lavishing praise on any player.
What about Richard Mullaney, who got open 45-plus yards deep and caught that Kizer bomb? He's still a guy named Joe.
I feel for the "losers", because I know they're in the 99th percentile, and am irked by the fact that the 15th percentile calls them "losers" and "bumbs", but I take comfort from the fact that they'll make more money than most of their critics do.
Sadly, I have to spell this out: If the 2017 Browns are forced to cut starting caliber linebackers, defensive ends, running backs, guards, centers, tight ends, and possibly even wide receivers, where are they, really?
Oh crap I left gaps! Sigh...
The Browns will probably keep four tight ends. The loser is probably JP Holtz, who has been kicking ass as a receiver from all over the place. Hell YES he could start somewhere else, if you're not picky about in-line blocking. JP could only start for 7-8 teams, though.
Fabiano could only start at center for 4-8 teams. He's mostly a zone-blocker. Ikard is similar. Reiter got the jump on them. He's bigger and stronger now.
Ok look I shouldn't need to spell the rest of it out--my god if my twelve followers are mindless zombies I have failed utterly just T H I N K ok?
The 2017 Browns are unlikely to make the playoffs *can't count it out--not now*, but they should achieve respectability.
Aside from Joe Thomas, Njoku was also missing. Hue ran his two tight end offense with Telfer (how bout that? Dint know he could catch, did you? I mean, unless you read my blog that is dammit)
Anyway you need to join me here and strive for imagination:
Imagine DeShone Kizer at QB (in game TEN) (or later):
...ok look you can't. Everybody is telling you that Hue Jackson is a mad bomber, and that's bullshit. Hue Jackson is ultra-flexible, but prefers a Correlyan timing offense. This is more vertical/aggressive than Walsh's "west coast", but is kinda the same...
...as, by the way, Lindy Infante's offensive scheme, which underpinned the "Kardiak Kids", and much of which Walsh stole and took credit for.
But I digress again: The point is, Hue Jackson runs a timing offense. He goes deep occasionally but prefers accurate, high-percentage, chain-moving passes overall!
Kizer has to get rid of it on-time to make it work right. That's why the HEAD COACH QUARTERBACK GURU keeps telling you "he's a rookie. He's got a lot of work to do. It's way too early" DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
First, I'll pre-correct the shrinking number of permabashers who decided before any quarterback was signed or drafted that he would bust out:
1: The fact that he was playing against the bottom of the Saints depth chart is almost irrelevant, because he was playing with the bottom of the Browns depth chart.
2: The "vanilla scheme" thing is overstated. The Saints were blitzing a lot, and mixing coverages too. Offenses are more vanilla in preseason than defenses.
On the other hand, listen to Hue Jackson's pre-emptive critique aimed at Mary Kay Cabbot, who he knows will declare that Kizer has won the starting job:
He held the ball too long, stared down receivers, and made some bad throws and decisions. He is a rookie. He needs more work DO YOU UNDERSTAND MARY KAY?
Osweiler had two days to work with the first team, and most of his problems could be attributed to a lack of chemistry with receivers he'd never worked with. He did start to get on track in his final drive.
You can't help but be thrilled with Kizer's dramatic improvement in completion percentage, 114 passer rating, and really amazing deep accuracy.
But if he makes the mistakes he made vs the Steelers defense in a real game?
As Bud Shaw says (quite well), let's see what Brockytop can do with over a week of first-team reps in preseason game two before we make another spastic move.
Brock is using the whole playbook. Kizer's is attenuated and adapted to him. Defensive coordinators are already watching that film, and will come up with his kryptonite.
Finally, Kizer is here for five years. Osweiler is a costly, diminishing asset. If he can succeed next week, Sashi still has a chance to "cash out" and get a draft pick for him.
As the second (or preferably third) team quarterback, Kizer would once again get proportionately more reps/experience, with two more preseason games remaining.
At this stage, it doesn't matter which unit Kizer plays with, as long as he gets his reps.
Now that I've dumped icewater all over DeShone, I can let my inner-fan out to play:
Wow! He sure looks like the real deal! I was unable to watch the game (listened to Jim and Doug), but I was able to watch every pass he threw later.
I saw what Hue was talking about (holding the ball). The tape didn't show the three sacks, so it made it look like no big deal, but it is.
This almost always means he's missed his reads, you understand. He has at least two check-downs every time, and all three are rarely covered.
Like Hue says, rookies do that a lot, and he's not too worried about it long term.
But I also saw him throwing short darts to crossers. He wasn't as good at this as he is going postal, but this is where he's made the most progress.
As I've explained, short accuracy to crossers and slanters is very different than vertical accuracy, and there's no way a quarterback can really be elite without being at least above average at both. If you can't threaten the whole field, defenses can stifle you.
Every short pass I did see was a rocket, but then every short reception I saw was into a very tight window (he had to make stick-throws---and he was mostly on the money. It was impressive.)
Kessler can't do that. He can't get it there that fast. Give him credit for knowing it.
(Side-note here: Why weren't those crossers getting open? Are the Saints coverage scrubs that good? Something's wrong.)
One exception to Kizer's holding the ball issue was that fourth and short touchdown bomb. He had max protection, and was supposed to wait (if he could. He no doubt could have ran for a first down-- and don't you know, the defense knew that, see?)
You can do that stuff with a dual threat guy on third or fourth and short. They have to set up for the run first, then they have to be careful how they attack the backfield. They really can't afford to hold a safety deep when he's needed in the box and has the best chance of stopping the running quarterback...but I digress anyway you can't do this with Kessler OR Osweiler. Maybe with Hogan, but Hogan doesn't have that kind of arm...but I redigress...
And yeah, when this particular kid does take over, Hue will pick certain pages out of his massive playbook which suit him best. Osweiler and Kessler are more conventional.
Kizer has unwisely compared himself to Cam Newton and Tom Brady both. Well, he's not as big as Cam, but he runs like Cam. Brady doesn't hold the ball, but I'll tell you what:
DeShone Kizer is deadly accurate at any range. That's what anybody with a brain saw thursday night. Yeah, I'm wrong AGAIN!!!
Kizer's got it ALL, man! I haven't seen if he can use more "touch" on those shorter routes yet. That's much harder than firing a rifle-shot straight at a spot, and it's about half the skillset required for a Montana-type sharpshooter (and something Kessler excels at).
You can't just assume he'll get good at that, either, people.
But how are we supposed to find out when every short and intermediate receiver he hit was covered like white on rice dammit? Hey Al Saunders why can't your guys separate?
Well I've probably blabbed over my weight class again, because that was probably zone because I saw the receivers stopped dead, which they're supposed to vs that coverage.
If they don't, Kizer's rifle shot gets picked off. If they don't and Kizer also screws up, they might end up like Darryl Stingley. (The lesser consequences graduate down from a coma to a fumble).
...oh some of you don't know that! Zone coverage is more about putting people in your way than about passing receivers off like batons.
When the 49ers started tearing up the NFL by turning dink passes into 60 yard touchdowns, zone coverage was part of the solution...
But I digress again: Anyhow that's what a "stick-throw" is: it's a (generally low) bullet pass to the correct side of a receiver who has just stopped dead. It arrives too fast for the defensive back to prevent the catch.
Kizer made those throws as well as anybody I've seen. He wasn't perfect, but like I said, as good as any. It was very impressive, yes it was!
However, he was probably late on those throws...because he waited for the receivers to stop and turn towards him, instead of throwing when he was supposed to throw. This gave the coverage guys a chance to close on the receivers, which made the stick-throws neccessary yeah I get it now.
I'll skip Myles Garrett (he speaks for himself) but preseason is where undrafted, practice squad, and third/4th year free agent stars are born.
Trevon Coley was one of these. He caused that fumble and caused most of the rest of his mayhem from Danny Shelton's left dt spot. (I'm not sure but Jamie Meder probably did the same from that spot as well).
I love how this Browns regime does business. At the end of the day, it won't matter if/where you were drafted, or by whome. Coley (stolen from the Ravens) immediately passed up Ogunjobi (Brantley is injured) based on his performance in practice.
As I posted earlier (blush-blush) scouts blew it on Coley...and a bunch of people blew it on Brantley and Ogunjobi too...Coley can play every inside position in every scheme. He's actually a veteran, tutored by the Ravens, so he's ready to rock.
My man WR Rodney Lesliefield didn't do that much this time, and Jordan Payton did, so he's fallen behind again.
Josh Boyce had a couple nice plays, but also dropped one. He's a 26 year-old geezer without Jordan Leslie's freakdom, so he's in even more trouble.
Rannell Hall is on the ropes too. It's not just his dropped passes (note: from Kizer), but the fact that Jabrill Peppers is another Josh Cribbs. Also, Ranell is a shrimp.
The linebacker situation is sad. It's sad because, like edge-rushing defensive ends, starting caliber players will get cut loose.
After this first preseason game, Joe Schobert might well have passed up the long-suffering Tank Carder at mlb (and backup olb).
This stuff is hard for me, because I love underdogs, and it would suck if, after all this time, Tank doesn't get his big break.
But Joe Schobert is better.
It's ok, though: Tank Carder is a core special teamer, and he's now made himself more indispensable because he's proven that he really is a pretty good linebacker.
Dominique Alexander...well it's sad. Some really good players are going to get cut off this Browns roster. Look at what Nate Orchard did thursday night! Do you understand that he might still get cut?
...or not. Cam Johnson is older. Ty Holmes is a very similar player. Garrett, Ogbah, and Nassib are set in stone. That leaves one slot. It's sad.
I root for Nate Orchard, because he was actually a decent 3-4 OLB and always just finds ways to make plays; he's just a pure football player with great instincts, and the hell with his combine numbers.
But that's just my emotionally charged amatuer opinion. Someday I dream of buying access to PFF's database so I can clinicly compare players, but for right now I'm just a fan (sorta).
Mayes didn't impress me as much as he seemed to impress everybody else. It was pretty cool how he took his time and picked his shot to get that touchdown, but I don't make as big a deal of that as most people do.
Don't get me wrong: I've compared Mayes to Earnest Byner. I just hate it when certain Doug announcers Jim who shall remain nameless bend over backwards (and foreward) lavishing praise on any player.
What about Richard Mullaney, who got open 45-plus yards deep and caught that Kizer bomb? He's still a guy named Joe.
I feel for the "losers", because I know they're in the 99th percentile, and am irked by the fact that the 15th percentile calls them "losers" and "bumbs", but I take comfort from the fact that they'll make more money than most of their critics do.
Sadly, I have to spell this out: If the 2017 Browns are forced to cut starting caliber linebackers, defensive ends, running backs, guards, centers, tight ends, and possibly even wide receivers, where are they, really?
Oh crap I left gaps! Sigh...
The Browns will probably keep four tight ends. The loser is probably JP Holtz, who has been kicking ass as a receiver from all over the place. Hell YES he could start somewhere else, if you're not picky about in-line blocking. JP could only start for 7-8 teams, though.
Fabiano could only start at center for 4-8 teams. He's mostly a zone-blocker. Ikard is similar. Reiter got the jump on them. He's bigger and stronger now.
Ok look I shouldn't need to spell the rest of it out--my god if my twelve followers are mindless zombies I have failed utterly just T H I N K ok?
The 2017 Browns are unlikely to make the playoffs *can't count it out--not now*, but they should achieve respectability.
Aside from Joe Thomas, Njoku was also missing. Hue ran his two tight end offense with Telfer (how bout that? Dint know he could catch, did you? I mean, unless you read my blog that is dammit)
Anyway you need to join me here and strive for imagination:
Imagine DeShone Kizer at QB (in game TEN) (or later):
...ok look you can't. Everybody is telling you that Hue Jackson is a mad bomber, and that's bullshit. Hue Jackson is ultra-flexible, but prefers a Correlyan timing offense. This is more vertical/aggressive than Walsh's "west coast", but is kinda the same...
...as, by the way, Lindy Infante's offensive scheme, which underpinned the "Kardiak Kids", and much of which Walsh stole and took credit for.
But I digress again: The point is, Hue Jackson runs a timing offense. He goes deep occasionally but prefers accurate, high-percentage, chain-moving passes overall!
Kizer has to get rid of it on-time to make it work right. That's why the HEAD COACH QUARTERBACK GURU keeps telling you "he's a rookie. He's got a lot of work to do. It's way too early" DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Cleveland Browns: Looking Scary. No Kiddin.
Boy, Brock is like a bulldog. Now that he's with the ones, he's not messing around! He's hitting all his receivers (speading the ball around), which is a great sign.
Yes, his mechanics could break down on thursday (my biggest concern with a guy that tall), but if he "maintains", things are looking up!
Regardless of what Osweiler does, almost everybody inserts that damn "Obviously he's not a long-term solution" disclaimer, which is driving me insane. To me, this sounds like "Baah! Baah!"
Why are you saying that? He's big, has a strong arm...I kinda get it when you said that about Kessler, but Osweiler?
Ok for most of you it's peer pressure, and you really are sheep. But for the originators of that disclaimer (including Buzz Kill Bill Polian), it's because of his crappy 2016 performance.
For you, that's it. He had his chance and he blew it. Stick a fork in him, he's done.
I can see that. He understudied the great Peyton Manning and was groomed by QB guru Gary Kubiak. It's not like he was a rookie.
Still, I don't buy it. Rich Gannon never accomplished much until he was an old geezer. Joe Flacco has had down years. Big Ben took a long time to really become elite.
You can't write a big guy with an arm off like that! You can say he might not be, or even probably isn't the answer, and I won't go nuts. But you're saying he's done.
He's absolutely not. For all I know, Sashi Brown just accidentally caught lightening in a bottle, and Osweiler will keep doing what he's been doing.
I'm in daydream-mode now: What if Osweiler does that and Kizer is "all that" too?
Nevermind.
Anyway Ricardo Louis is starting to really show up (uh...with Osweiler hmm). And Duke Johnson is starting to catch passes...with Brock...
NFL Radio was at today's practice (Phil Savage and Solomon Willcotts two of my favorites). I was unable to listen to the whole thing (yet), but I caught enough to pick on people:
Phil stipulated to Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman at wide receiver, but pointed to Duke Johnson in the slot and says "it seems like they don't have confidence in their other wide receivers".
Hue Jackson himself helped clear this up a few minutes later. He told Phil that Duke is a playmaker and one of his best players, and it made no sense to him to keep him on the bench.
Duh. Hue didn't bother talking about the two-tight end sets.
Another guy on NFL Radio I picked on was Jim Miller, by the way. When the Browns made theOsweiler second-round pick trade, Miller called Osweiler the best quarterback on the Browns roster. "Why would you just cut him?"
At the time, I thought Jim was full of it, because Kessler had done what he'd done. But it now looks like he was right, and I was wrong. In fact, Jim (a former NFL quarterback who played in several systems), was the first guy I heard who compared the Kubiak system to the O'Brien system (to the Jackson system) and said Brock could prosper under Hue Jackson.
Yeah I guess I got Brockmania. Sorry.
Anyway all I heard were the top guys interviewed (Kirksey, Osweiler, Jackson).
Osweiler talked a lot about how he followed Peyton around, studied his game-tapes trying to figure out what he saw and why he did stuff, and learning from him how to prepare and study.
Kirksey said little of consequence (nothing wrong with that 95% of what players say is pc pap).
But Jackson somehow manages to be honest and informative without screwing up! Like the Duke Johnson in the slot stuff.
Phil and Solly understand what's going on here. Phil said they were in year two of a "three year project".
Back to the practices, and what they indicate (start paying attention):
Up until this week (when a certain QB took over the first team), the hyper-aggressive, insideously diabolical Gregg Williams and his s-load of passrushers, linebackers, and freaks kind of "owned" the offense.
This week, the offense is scoring touchdowns.
I'm sorry. I have to. Osweiler is just plain more experienced. He is making the difference. Williams just can't mess him up as much as he does the other guys.
Meanwhile, Gregg's defense is finally getting some turnovers.
That's good, too.
Oblivions and Myopians don't get this, but this training camp is a real pressure-cooker, with very talented players fighting very talented players.
Garrett vs Thomas is only the most obvious example.
Duke Johnson as a slot receiver hasn't done much yet, but that's partly because of who's been covering him. Kenny Britt has been more or less contained, but suddenly we see Corey Coleman (and Louis) making plays.
One guy said that the first team offense opposes the second team defense. I guess that could be right, but more likely, this pundit assumed this was the case since that's how they ran friday's scrimmage.
It's not that important, since (in reality) Gregg's defense has great depth, and "vetted" players on both offense and defense get days off, so they can stay healthy while the youngsters fighting for status (or survival) can get their reps.
I've got to say, I couldn't have run this training camp much better my own humble self.
This is "analytics", you see? Guys like Kirksey, Collins, Bitonio etc are "known". In some cases, you need to see how they'll do at different positions, or maybe you need to see where a Joe Haden is at after offseason surgeries...
But once you know all you need to know about veteran players, you put them on bicycles, so that the young, unproven guys can get their reps and show their stuff.
1: Your core players remain healthy.
2: Your unproven players get more reps/experience.
3: You get more "tape" on these guys, so you can make smarter decisions at the cut-down deadlines.
You can say "analytics" if you want, but it's really just uncommon sense.
Preseason is mostly about trying out young players and tuning up a little, but it's also like a flea market.
I expect Kessler to be pissed off. He won't be up against this defense. He should have Ricardo Louis, Rodney Lesliefield, Matthew Dayes, and Njoku (who has the dropsies and needs more work) to work with, and might just kick New Orleans' second string defenses ass.
Maybe. Anyhoo, as Bill Belichick was once ridiculed and burned in effigy in Cleveland for saying, I can only go by what I see:
Kevin Hogan is looking better than Cody Kessler right now. Sashi and Paul might be looking to trade Kessler.
Playing him behind Osweiler, and (I suspect) ahead of Kizer (and Kizer ahead of Hogan) would tell other GMs and coaches that Hue thinks Kessler is second-best, and that he thinks Hogan sucks.
Hogan might well kick ass, but the "football people" will dismiss it because he's beating guys who won't be in the NFL.
They'll take Kessler at face value, if he kicks ass vs second stringers, and they'll remember he started a bunch of games, and piled up some pretty good stats. They'll see Cody Kessler as a really cheap top-flight backup.
Bill Belichick might suspect that the Browns prefer Hogan to Kessler, but I doubt that anybody else would, so they might trade for Kessler. Conceivably even a fourth round pick!
This is more of what you call "analytics" on my part, I guess:
I now think that Brock Osweiler is at least a top-flight backup. I Know that in this reality, DeShone Kizer is a project, with no guaranteed results. I still like Kessler, but he doesn't look so good lately...
But Hogan does! In reality, the guys on NFL Radio discussed Kevin Hogan a lot in the draft he and Kessler shared, and never said a word about Kessler.
The whole Kevin Hogan thing is wierd, ok? Nobody saw him as a dual threat. Only a few questioned his arm, and he was generally considered accurate. Almost everybody called him a "brain".
You can burn me in effigy (as you did "the worst Head Coach in history") for saying this again, but I can only go by what I see: Kevin Hogan is the second-best quarterback on this roster, and he has great upside, and he's a perfect match for Kizer in the offense Hue would run to maximize that skill-set.
Bold Predictions:
1: Osweiler will remain the starter into game one and beyond.
2: Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan will both have long NFL carrers.
3: Kizer will eventually become at least an above average starting quarterback.
4: Myles Garrett will be a monster.
5: So will Jamie Collins.
6: Seth DeValve will outdo Njoku in 2017.
7: Kai Nacua makes the team and plays a lot.
8: Rodney Lesliefield makes the team...at least.
9: So does Josh Gordon.
10: Crowell becomes the new "Beast-mode" (wish I could predict a signing).
Yes, his mechanics could break down on thursday (my biggest concern with a guy that tall), but if he "maintains", things are looking up!
Regardless of what Osweiler does, almost everybody inserts that damn "Obviously he's not a long-term solution" disclaimer, which is driving me insane. To me, this sounds like "Baah! Baah!"
Why are you saying that? He's big, has a strong arm...I kinda get it when you said that about Kessler, but Osweiler?
Ok for most of you it's peer pressure, and you really are sheep. But for the originators of that disclaimer (including Buzz Kill Bill Polian), it's because of his crappy 2016 performance.
For you, that's it. He had his chance and he blew it. Stick a fork in him, he's done.
I can see that. He understudied the great Peyton Manning and was groomed by QB guru Gary Kubiak. It's not like he was a rookie.
Still, I don't buy it. Rich Gannon never accomplished much until he was an old geezer. Joe Flacco has had down years. Big Ben took a long time to really become elite.
You can't write a big guy with an arm off like that! You can say he might not be, or even probably isn't the answer, and I won't go nuts. But you're saying he's done.
He's absolutely not. For all I know, Sashi Brown just accidentally caught lightening in a bottle, and Osweiler will keep doing what he's been doing.
I'm in daydream-mode now: What if Osweiler does that and Kizer is "all that" too?
Nevermind.
Anyway Ricardo Louis is starting to really show up (uh...with Osweiler hmm). And Duke Johnson is starting to catch passes...with Brock...
NFL Radio was at today's practice (Phil Savage and Solomon Willcotts two of my favorites). I was unable to listen to the whole thing (yet), but I caught enough to pick on people:
Phil stipulated to Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman at wide receiver, but pointed to Duke Johnson in the slot and says "it seems like they don't have confidence in their other wide receivers".
Hue Jackson himself helped clear this up a few minutes later. He told Phil that Duke is a playmaker and one of his best players, and it made no sense to him to keep him on the bench.
Duh. Hue didn't bother talking about the two-tight end sets.
Another guy on NFL Radio I picked on was Jim Miller, by the way. When the Browns made the
At the time, I thought Jim was full of it, because Kessler had done what he'd done. But it now looks like he was right, and I was wrong. In fact, Jim (a former NFL quarterback who played in several systems), was the first guy I heard who compared the Kubiak system to the O'Brien system (to the Jackson system) and said Brock could prosper under Hue Jackson.
Yeah I guess I got Brockmania. Sorry.
Anyway all I heard were the top guys interviewed (Kirksey, Osweiler, Jackson).
Osweiler talked a lot about how he followed Peyton around, studied his game-tapes trying to figure out what he saw and why he did stuff, and learning from him how to prepare and study.
Kirksey said little of consequence (nothing wrong with that 95% of what players say is pc pap).
But Jackson somehow manages to be honest and informative without screwing up! Like the Duke Johnson in the slot stuff.
Phil and Solly understand what's going on here. Phil said they were in year two of a "three year project".
Back to the practices, and what they indicate (start paying attention):
Up until this week (when a certain QB took over the first team), the hyper-aggressive, insideously diabolical Gregg Williams and his s-load of passrushers, linebackers, and freaks kind of "owned" the offense.
This week, the offense is scoring touchdowns.
I'm sorry. I have to. Osweiler is just plain more experienced. He is making the difference. Williams just can't mess him up as much as he does the other guys.
Meanwhile, Gregg's defense is finally getting some turnovers.
That's good, too.
Oblivions and Myopians don't get this, but this training camp is a real pressure-cooker, with very talented players fighting very talented players.
Garrett vs Thomas is only the most obvious example.
Duke Johnson as a slot receiver hasn't done much yet, but that's partly because of who's been covering him. Kenny Britt has been more or less contained, but suddenly we see Corey Coleman (and Louis) making plays.
One guy said that the first team offense opposes the second team defense. I guess that could be right, but more likely, this pundit assumed this was the case since that's how they ran friday's scrimmage.
It's not that important, since (in reality) Gregg's defense has great depth, and "vetted" players on both offense and defense get days off, so they can stay healthy while the youngsters fighting for status (or survival) can get their reps.
I've got to say, I couldn't have run this training camp much better my own humble self.
This is "analytics", you see? Guys like Kirksey, Collins, Bitonio etc are "known". In some cases, you need to see how they'll do at different positions, or maybe you need to see where a Joe Haden is at after offseason surgeries...
But once you know all you need to know about veteran players, you put them on bicycles, so that the young, unproven guys can get their reps and show their stuff.
1: Your core players remain healthy.
2: Your unproven players get more reps/experience.
3: You get more "tape" on these guys, so you can make smarter decisions at the cut-down deadlines.
You can say "analytics" if you want, but it's really just uncommon sense.
Preseason is mostly about trying out young players and tuning up a little, but it's also like a flea market.
I expect Kessler to be pissed off. He won't be up against this defense. He should have Ricardo Louis, Rodney Lesliefield, Matthew Dayes, and Njoku (who has the dropsies and needs more work) to work with, and might just kick New Orleans' second string defenses ass.
Maybe. Anyhoo, as Bill Belichick was once ridiculed and burned in effigy in Cleveland for saying, I can only go by what I see:
Kevin Hogan is looking better than Cody Kessler right now. Sashi and Paul might be looking to trade Kessler.
Playing him behind Osweiler, and (I suspect) ahead of Kizer (and Kizer ahead of Hogan) would tell other GMs and coaches that Hue thinks Kessler is second-best, and that he thinks Hogan sucks.
Hogan might well kick ass, but the "football people" will dismiss it because he's beating guys who won't be in the NFL.
They'll take Kessler at face value, if he kicks ass vs second stringers, and they'll remember he started a bunch of games, and piled up some pretty good stats. They'll see Cody Kessler as a really cheap top-flight backup.
Bill Belichick might suspect that the Browns prefer Hogan to Kessler, but I doubt that anybody else would, so they might trade for Kessler. Conceivably even a fourth round pick!
This is more of what you call "analytics" on my part, I guess:
I now think that Brock Osweiler is at least a top-flight backup. I Know that in this reality, DeShone Kizer is a project, with no guaranteed results. I still like Kessler, but he doesn't look so good lately...
But Hogan does! In reality, the guys on NFL Radio discussed Kevin Hogan a lot in the draft he and Kessler shared, and never said a word about Kessler.
The whole Kevin Hogan thing is wierd, ok? Nobody saw him as a dual threat. Only a few questioned his arm, and he was generally considered accurate. Almost everybody called him a "brain".
You can burn me in effigy (as you did "the worst Head Coach in history") for saying this again, but I can only go by what I see: Kevin Hogan is the second-best quarterback on this roster, and he has great upside, and he's a perfect match for Kizer in the offense Hue would run to maximize that skill-set.
Bold Predictions:
1: Osweiler will remain the starter into game one and beyond.
2: Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan will both have long NFL carrers.
3: Kizer will eventually become at least an above average starting quarterback.
4: Myles Garrett will be a monster.
5: So will Jamie Collins.
6: Seth DeValve will outdo Njoku in 2017.
7: Kai Nacua makes the team and plays a lot.
8: Rodney Lesliefield makes the team...at least.
9: So does Josh Gordon.
10: Crowell becomes the new "Beast-mode" (wish I could predict a signing).
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