Where Do We Go From Here?

Where Do We Go From Here

So, absent the nuclear option or any dramatic and sweeping changes that would read more the palpable panic the fan base is currently experiencing. Perhaps a more cool, measured response really is the correct one here. Yes, it means that we're probably looking at one maybe two wins at most the rest of the season, but we can gauge some things.

1. Reinstate DeShone Kizer as the starting QB.
   
   First, I would expect this to be the move made by Hue "Trust Me" Jackson this afternoon. Second, I railed against DeShone after an abysmal start to his rookie campaign. But with a season already off the rails and an offense floundering, see what resiliency and ability is in the rookie is really the only sound option left.
   
   If DeShone can make some strides or show us some capability in the remaining 10 games, we can better gauge the option of taking a quarterback early in the 2018 NFL Draft. If the QB continues to flounder and look lost, it will become a foregone conclusion that we take a QB early - perhaps even at No. 1 overall. If the QB continues to flounder and look lost, the chances we earn the No. 1 overall pick increases dramatically.
   
   
2. Correct Hue "Lights Out" Jackson as the offensive coordinator.
   
   My preference is replacing him entirely as the offensive coordinator from within with running game coordinator, Kirby Wilson. It would stand to reason that the guy charged with coaching and scheming the running game would call more running plays for our team. If Hue is unwilling or refuses to name an offensive coordinator, the F/O needs to step in and demand that he make things easier on the rookie QB.
   
   Early on, Hue said he was "throwing everything" at DeShone. Why? Especially for a second round pick rookie who didn't start the preferred (by scouts opinions) number of games in college, have the bowl game wins, etc. Hue Jackson set his QB up to fail (and yes, I defend Kizer through gritted teeth) and then benched him and set his replacement up to fail as well.
   
   Step 2 determines two things: first, if Hue is amenable to letting go of play-calling duties or changes his approach, this should help the team overall. Calling an easier gameplan, leaning on the running game, and sticking by a quarterback for once will show he's taken the necessary growth as a coach. Second, if he cannot do this, it becomes clear that he needs to be replaced. He's currently in a tailspin as a coach, is in over his head, and yet displays an unreasonable degree of hubris and ego.
   
   
3. Identify a replacement for Hue "-Ge Mistake" Jackson.
   
   Perhaps the report, which the Browns have strongly denied, about looking to expand the front office of the team was denied for the context - it's not the F/O getting changed up. Yes, the list of impending head coaching candidates doesn't look great yet but there's a lot of time between now and the start of the 2018 offseason. In that time, the F/O has plenty of avenues to look into a replacement for Hue.
   
   This endeavor should begin now with the implicit point of identifying a better head coaching option. Changing coaches for the sake of changing coaches gets us a Mike Pettine and not a legitimate upgrade. I don't want to replace Hue just to replace him, but finding an upgrade must be a priority - especially if he's unwilling to make changes in his approach to the game.

 

Generally I am with you on this SAS, but God I hope we don't have to. Hue needs to become a HC, absolutely.

The FO should be making that clear to him. If he wants to be OC, then he's leaving Cleveland, and good luck, but it seems perfectly obvious that "he" has to change his approach. He's been given talent, yet no discernable difference on game day. This team under a truly effective coach would be winning games.

Hue, man up. Accept your shortcomings as a HC, leave the OC behind and focus on becoming this team's HC. If you don't you are "choosing" to fail, and will be rewarded accordingly. Name a OC, and take control of the team as a whole, support your coaches, and let's go win some games.

I can see your argument for putting Kizer back into the line up, but I would love to know how it is Hue has so deeply damaged his relationship with Kessler, that he doesn't even mention him.

His hot and cold support for his QBs is distrubing, and undoubtedly effecting all of them.

 

Yikes....where is it...they have led for about 3 mins out of 360 mins...that tells me their over matched

 

OK, I have to put this back into terms you can understand, and I apologize, I can't remember what school it is you coach at...I just want to look and see the ratio of freshmen and sophomores are starters on both sides of the ball. Do you look at your roster and say, ok, we lost 2 games last year, so let's take all the Offensive Seniors but 1 (Joe Thomas) and cut them. Now, let's take all the Juniors but 4 (Bitonio, Zeitler, Tretter, and Crowell) and cut or bench them. Then get the freshmen and sophomores ready to win their Junior and Senior years. On Defense, we will take Senior (Jamie Collins and McCourty) and Juniors (Shelton, Kirksey, and Taylor) Then get the Freshmen and Sophomores ready to win their Junior and Senior years.

So that's 12 out of 22 players we will get ready to be the base for our winning team in two years....Is that the approach you would take in High School? Oh did I mention, when we rotate in subs, we will also use Freshmen and Sophomores?

The talent is there, they are trying to speed up their learning curve.

So, YES, they are over matched, can you show me another team that is using (12) 2016 or 2017 draft picks/rookie free agents as either starters and their immediate rotation players?

This team is so over matched in terms of experience it isn't even close. Even the other teams that are "Young in the league" aren't using that young of players to that extent.

 

Even when promoting Kessler from the inactive list to backup QB, he qualified that it was because of a rib injury to Kevin Hogan and not his 38.1 passer rating in a performance that wasn't even as good as that 38.1 would seem to indicate.

Kizer passer ratings, by game: 85.7*, 27.3*, 50.1*, 43.5*, 38.1*
Overall: 49.5

Hogan passer ratings, by game: 26.4, 79.2, 77.1, 88.0, 122.4, 38.1*
Overall: 61.5

Kessler passer ratings, by game: 85.9*, 81.6*, 126.0*, 105.3*, 97.7*, 104.4*, 92.6*, 52.1*, 72.9
Overall: 92.3

*indicates start

 

But I'm sure the F/O determined snap counts and playing time for these two.

 

Overwhelmed is the theme of the Hue Jackson's 2017 NFL season...I'm pretty sure he doesn't even know that these players are low on snap counts until the game is over and he goes through his post game recap.

 

Sounds like someone who needs to give up play-calling duties.

 

Yes sir!

 

Irish I can understand any terminology you want to use....just cause their young doesnt mean their talented cause you think so or I think so....I watch the games across the NFL.....they are bottom 2 no doubt about it....SF is close and they just went w Beathard at QB(lol).....Dallas went 1-15 in a tear down and went 7-9 the next yr and 11-5...are the Browns close to that spike?

 

AGAIN..You are taking a total team roster, with a bad record I might add, and assuming there is no talent on that roster. Just because they are currently learning a system doesn't mean they aren't talented either...Is it the chicken or the egg? Talk to me when they are in their 3rd/4th seasons...

 

Who are the talented players that can play on a playoff roster?

 

Your mind is made up, we are just spinning wheels at this point. Your closed mind is in lock down mode....I give up

 

I hear you Irish, they're young, but c'mon. It doesn't forgive an 0 and 6 record, following a 1 and 15 record.

I gotta believe there more than a couple of coaches out there who could have eeked out a W or two.

I certainly hope we aren't angling for a top draft spot, and thus are willing to go through 2016 once again.

I refuse to believe that. I am inclined to point to Hue's lack of HC experience.

 

I believe its the other way around...not many people on this forum or across the NFL want many Browns players....you believe their talented cause they were high draft picks not by performance on the field

 

That's not the point, you see a player that needs to be pro bowl the day he steps into the league, which really surprises me coming from a coach that should be used to teaching players how to reach potential...The potential is what is being groomed. They have their career ahead of them, limits are based on their desire at this point. a 21-23 year old prospect is a lump of clay..They don't have to be a pro bowl year one or two, by year three is when you should start seeing the potential coming through, by year four is when you need to start comparing them to the premier players in the league. This is a long play, not a short one...obviously, as long as the potential rears it's head.

Can you REALLY not see the potential of guys like:
Myles Garrett
David Njoku
Duke Johnson
Joel Bitonio
Emmanuel Ogbah
Danny Shelton
Joe Schobert
Derrick Kindred
Larry Ogunjobi
Brian Boddy-Calhoun
Carl Nassib

Rashard Higgins, Jabrill Peppers and Seth Devalve have even shown glimpses, even if my thoughts on them are not as highly as the rest of that group..

Now, add in that potential up top to the short list of veterans:
Joe Thomas
Kevin Zeitler
Jamie Collins
Jason McCourty

The plight of the Browns have been put on this short list...there isn't another team, I don't believe that is relying on such a lack of experience.

I am really questioning your ability to decipher the difference between potential and reality... Do you look at a freshman and simply say "you are at the peak of your potential and I am not wasting my energy to teach you"? I have taken girls that no other program wanted and 2-4 years later they are in discussion as potential Senior Varsity replacements as Freshmen. There isn't a point of a players first three years of any stage of their career that you can simply discard that players potential...unless of course they have no athletic ability. There isn't a player in the National Football League that lacks athletic ability...

 

I excuse the record from the players because their head coach is simply not putting them into a position to win. As I noted in the DPL, it sounds like Hue is gone by at least the offseason, but to date he's:

1. Refused to hire or delegate play-calling
2. Incapable of calling a QB-friendly gameplan
3. Incapable of developing young QB talent
4. Benched his rookies quarterbacks four times in two seasons
5. Made mind-boggling clock management decisions
6. Lost every challenge
7. Gone 1-22 in the face of both the NFL model (parity) and statistical probability (science)

I've harped and harped, but other head coaches and coordinators have simplified the NFL playbook, made gameplans tailored to their rookie QBs' strengths, and leaned excessively on the running game.

Hue demanded we sign Bob Griffin, built an offense around his skill set, and refused to adapt that offense once he predictably got injured. His rookie that season (Kessler) played extremely well, despite a head coach who constantly demanded down-field shots and even benched him because of that. Then he demands we add DeShone Kizer - a project - who needs to sit and learn the game. Instead, he declares him the starter in preseason and instead of tailoring a gameplan around him, throws the entire playbook at him, dials up almost deep and long-developing routes exclusively, and the only help he gives the rookie is to allow him to play from the shotgun.

Hue-GE Mistake Jackson needs to go. A replacement coach at the BYE could get this team to finish 3-13. A coach like Sean Payton coming to town in 2018 to turn around the record almost immediately and get us back to at least Pettine-Ball (5-6 wins).

 

IRISH u no nuthing.... guyz r bums.. 2016 wurst draft. ever. only fore pro bowl players out of like 500 picks... BOsa culd hav been brown... huge jackman blew it... but sasha khan iz wusrt GM than bill polio.....ur mind is close...no1 wants browns players..... look 31 other teams didnt even take Miles Garret! lololol.... bum.

 

#NoMatterWhat


I don't care that it will make the heads of half the fans' and all the sports media in Cleveland collectively explode, I'm taking Barkley - even at #1 - before a QB.

 

That's a 5 STAR post if there ever was....