OK, so we got beaten by KC, quite possibly the next Super Bowl Champs. Atlanta lies ahead, and for my money represents the first "real" oppty to show what the Post Hue Browns are all about. Welcome back Duke, and Rashad. Best wishes for the wounded, and thank you to whoever decided Robinson was an upgrade to left tackle. Good things. No 3 and outs, only 4 penalties, 26 first downs..... a lot to like about the O last week. Mayfield sounded more like himself again, at his post game presser, and the team didn't feel demoralized like they did after Pitt. I'm looking for them to build on that, and fight Atlanta for a W all the way to the wire. For the first time this year I am more concerned about the D than the O. The injuries have mounted to the point of real impact. Ward is concern #1, without him, we become totally vulnerable on the back end. The O on the other hand actually has talent: QB, RB1, RB2, WR Landry. What's always been missing is the deep guy who makes anyone sweat. Having Higgins back is definitely a plus, but if we can't get either Calloway or Perriman to step up, that will remain a shortcoming. Njoku is such a tease, making great plays one time and dropping gifts others. None the less, we do have enough to beat Atlanta. I don't expect our D to "stop" them, but hope they can turn them over a few times to make up the difference. I do expect our O to put up point in the range of 30 and that might be enough. What's the feeling in the lounge?
Haha, where are you that you can vote at 12:43 am? Ours opened at 6:30, but I was already at work, I am going at lunch time. Anyone that doesn't believe in continuity is full of ..... Here is last week's line on Baker: Name, Targets-catches Duke 9-9 Landry 7-6 Njoku 6-5 Higgins 4-3 Callaway 5-3 Perriman 6-2 All of his receivers that he gets a lot of work with, and has been with since he took over, they seem to be on the same page now..after only 7 games. Perriman, who is obviously well behind everyone else, not so much. But, I do think it is looking good that they are all starting to gel. I don't think it will be long before teams are saying, "it isn't about stopping Baker, Chubb and the Browns offense..It's about slowing them down and trying to keep up." They are very close, imho. I honestly think they have all the tools in the shed if they can stay healthy. Callaway can stretch the field, Higgins is that possession receiver that seems to be able to find the open spot and Landry in the slot, with Duke coming out of the backfield or being able to split wide. Njoku has the tools, if he can get his concentration in check AND LEARN HOW TO BLOCK...we are there. I am a bit surprised they aren't getting DeValve more involved yet. I do think, like Perriman, he is behind because of his injury. This team is loaded with talent. With Baker Mayfield, we finally have someone capable of developing that talent. Couldn't agree more... The injuries on defense very impactful. I'm not convinced the depth is high quality enough that a few practice sessions will cure it. Ward is #1 priority, I hope they pulled him being precautionary. I haven't heard a single word about his injury though. Honestly, the first hit was to E.J. Gaines with his initial knee injury way back when and it now looks like he will probably be lost for the year, if not career ending. Two concussions in 3 weeks is something you need to evaluate on a lifestyle level. My hope is that Schobert and Randall are very close to returning..If they get back and Ward's issue isn't serious, we should be back to scary very soon. Has anyone heard if Terrance Mitchell will come off IR, or if they have determined it's season ending?
I turned my ballot in last Friday. (Ohio has a provision for early voting.) I could have died over the weekend so I guess it is possible for dead people to vote.
Always the optimist, I think this is a winnable game, too. Another week of practice with the new coaching structure and another week to get comfortable with a new play-caller who seems to play much more to the strength of the individuals (shocking, right?). Unfortunately, Atlanta can score and the Browns are hurting badly on defense... that's my greatest concern with this game. If our top corners aren't ready to go against Julio Jones sand Calvin Ridley, it could be a loooong afternoon.
The ONE thing we have going for us, it's finally supposed to be a little colder on Sunday...low 40's... So hopefully the domer's will not like playing outside in the cold, like the big boys do it. It could slow them down a little. Like you said though, I will feel a lot better if Denzel Ward is good to go.
Low 40's is tolerable - even for a dome team. Wind would affect them more but it would also affect the Browns.
Not a lot we can do at the moment about adding guys who can catch, but Baldy makes some good points about Duke Johnson as well. He had nine targets (nine catches) in the game... in 40 games prior, he only had that volume once. Duke is the slot receiver... we now seem to have an offensive coordinator who realizes it. #feedChubb Atlanta is 29th in rush def. scoring, 29th in rush def. yards-per-carry allowed, and 17th in rush def. yards. Chubb can have a big day and that will help to setup the play-action that Kitchens called much more of and Baker had much more success with against the Chiefs.
Is it my imagination or did Collins just go through the motions last week ? He got paid sooooo . the O Line needs help and Dorseys second round pick cant get on the field ? same as the pick he wasted on Chad Thomas . Irish you have more faith in # 85 than I do . looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane . cant block and his hands are questionable along with his concentration . he is good for a couple drops and stupid penalties a game . TE is on my draft list along with OT , WR , DT and someone who can set the edge. our rush D is HORRIBLE !
Nope... he was a half-effort guy last Sunday. The picks Hue-Should-Not-Be-Named wanted to surrender for A.J. McCarron have had about as many snaps as the Oakland backup this season, in Corbett and Thomas. Knowing that Corbett is the plan at center, and this is likely Tretter's last season, I get him being on the sidelines... NFL linemen take time to develop. The Chad Thomas pick is a head-scratcher. He's not a good defensive end. He likely needs to move inside to tackle, which could be the plan - get him around an NFL strength and conditioning coach and an NFL diet plan and he shows up next season ready to play inside. Problem is, that's where they ought to move Emmanuel Ogbah as well. Njoku's was always going to be about 100% projection - and reliable hands can't always be coached/taught - given how raw and underused he was at Miami. He came out with only 64 career catches in 22 games, and I don't believe he was a starter for many (or any) of those. What he's got going for him is that his catch rate is dramatically improved with Baker (as well as time). He's catching 65.1% of his targets with Baker, compared to 52.7% with all QBs prior. In no particular order, I would say LT, WR, CB, and LB are what I'd consider the top priorities at the moment. There's virtually nothing in the way of free agent left tackles hitting the market in 2019, so if we don't swing a trade or a promising veteran gets cut (rarely happens), you can put "LT" in pen as our 2019 first round pick. Combined with the huge disappointment of recent first round wide receivers, I think that's a fairly safe bet unless an absolute stud drops to you for some reason (e.g., Ed Oliver, DT Houston).
Winds are supposed to be 12-13mph... If they implement a similar game plan to this past week, Baker threw a lot of shorter precision routes geared towards hitting his receivers in stride, that would be perfect for this type of game. Matt Ryan on the other hand likes to stretch the field long, in a dome he is very precise, outside not nearly as much. For his career, inside vs outside, Ryan's completion percentage drops 3% from 66% to 63%, his QB Rating drops 4.5% from 95.2 to 90.7... He has only played in Cleveland 1 time in his career, it was in his 3rd year in the league in which he had a Pro Bowl season with a 62.5% completion percentage and 91.0 QB rating, in Cleveland he was 57% with a 89 QB Rating... He won the game, but the Falcons only scored 20 points against that 5-11 team, when they averaged 26 points per game... In 2018, they are averaging 28.5 points per game, so if we can drop that down to about 24 in this game, I think we have a chance....
The other thing about the rookie picks... we already have starters at: quarterback, wide receiver, running back, left tackle, cornerback, and outside linebacker who are rookies. That's considerably more than the Browns fields in other years' past during the youth movement. By most appearances on early returns, Dorsey hit a homerun with his first draft in Mayfield, Ward, Chubb, Callaway, and Avery. And then players like Damion Ratley, and Derrick Willies (undrafted) look like pieces you can develop. Our much maligned kicker is even rookie... that's a lot to ask of a GM's first class. I haven't looked it up, but I'm guessing more than any other time in recent NFL history. The previous coach was reluctant to play rookies, despite an abundance of them, because he was a coward. This playing experience is only going to accelerate their learning curves and help them develop quicker. So if Dorsey destroys it again in 2019 and fills those holes at LT, WR, and maybe one other position as well as he did with Mayfield, Ward, and Chubb... that could cement the nucleus of players that get this team to perennial playoff contender.
So Ward looks like a "go" for Atlanta. Thank God as we lose Kirksey and Gaines. Kirksey is a major loss. He's been called the Defense's Heart. Shoebert is back on the practice field, which helps, but gotta wonder if his ankle is game ready, or if we're just putting him in harms way. So the D is the big question mark. Could we possibly see the O lead the charge this week? I keep hoping Mayfield is all we thought he would be when he came in and mugged the Jets. I believe he is, but I also believe the coaching staff did him no favors, and the leakage at WR hurt too. That said, Landry remains, Duke has risen from the dead, Higgins is back, and Callway and Periman can keep the safeties honest, so is that enough for a offensive breakout. Whether it was the improved left tackle play, better communication, new / reclained WRs, or the overall weaknes of KC's D, we looked like a professional Offense again last week, after what may have been our worst performance ever vs Pitt. Does another week with the recievers, and decent protection make an offensive explosion possible? We're probably going to need it, with the state of our Defense. Go Browns
Happy Cleveland Browns Game Day!!! I'm excited about this one...I have a good feeling. Two turnovers and an offensive breakout game give the Browns a victory...but no day off tomorrow!!
