2018 Season | The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Well......the Browns will be picking at #17. When was the last time they drafted that far down without trading down?

 

Local news this morning reported that John Dorsey will announce the Browns' head coach this morning. That timing (if true) narrows down the suspects

 

Wow... that would seem sudden. They just announced today they had asked permission to interview one of the Patriots defensive assistants (hard pass).

 

Turned out the news guy (gal?) jumped the gun. He did have a presser at 9:00 but the first words out of his mouth were that he would only discuss his process - not individual candidates.

 

^^^^^

I plan on doing a much bigger 2018 re-cap GBU but I wanted to hit on something real quick related to the coaching search/staff. Gregg Williams managed to go 5-3 with the same roster Hue Jackson went 2-5-1 with. A lot was made of the Browns only beating one team with a winning record (like the four wins in the previous three seasons - none of which I believe came against winning teams - was impressive).

With the exception of the Chiefs game where the Browns were completely out-matched, they were in the other games with Williams at the helm. Even the Texans game, which looks lopsided from a score standpoint, was incredibly close late into the fourth quarter. They lost to Baltimore by two after the kicker missed a 46-yard field goal attempt and the referees took six points off the board for the second time this season with a fumble recovery for a clear touchdown.

So let's look ahead to 2019 real quick... here are the Browns' opponents by bucket (my rankings, obviously):

Teams CLE is Definitely Better Than
Cincinnati (twice)
Buffalo (home)
Miami (home)
New York (at)
Arizona (at)
San Francisco (at)
Denver (home)

Teams CLE is On-Par With
Baltimore (twice)
Pittsburgh (twice)
Seattle (home)
Tennessee (at)

Teams CLE is an Obvious Dog Against
New England (at)
Los Angeles (home)

... hypotethically, split the games with teams they're on par with, give them losses against the obvious underdog situations, and give them the wins against teams they're better than (proved they can beat those teams finally). Retaining Gregg Williams, I'm sitting here looking at 11-5.

Not sure I want to mess that up. I'm voting for Williams for at least another season to see how it plays out.

 

EDIT: In case you're wondering, yes... this checks the box on the Rooney Rule.

 

In case you are wondering. Think Adam Gase. I hear your owner is taking adv ise from Peyton Manning, and that is what he told him to do.

 

Presumably... I'm not the only one.

Followed up with...

 

FWIW, Juice posted a hair before the Browns posted their schedule. I thought it was in response to Gase being fired and/or mentioned in Cleveland.

 

It was (I suspect). More just stirring the pot.

 

Breshad Perriman

In just two starts (10 games total) with the Browns, Perriman posted 16 receptions (25 targets) for 340 yards (21.3 YPC) and 2 touchdowns. His catch rate of 64.0% far outpaces his previous career average (42.6%) and had him finishing third among Browns' wide receivers - only Higgins (73.6%) and Ratley (65.0%) were higher.

He didn't have enough snaps to qualify overall, but his 71.8 grade from PFF.com would have placed him t-41st among all receivers, just behind Landry (74.7) and, FWIW... Josh Gordon (73.5 grade, likely looking at a lifetime ban).

Two immediate reactions I have:

1. He's a UDFA after this season, so I would like to see the Browns retain him, but on a modest contract.

2. What could Corey Coleman have looked like with Baker Mayfield as his quarterback?

 

Corey Coleman, after being cut by the Bills after a trade, went to play with Tom Brady whom many consider the GOAT...He didn't look any different in a Patriots uniform with Tom, than he did a Browns uniform with DeShone Kizer. In fact he was so bad, they cut him 6 days after signing him. He did manage to spend another 8 days on the Patriots practice squad.

Corey Coleman is exactly what I said he was in the pre-draft process, a bust waiting to happen. I cannot believe they spent a first round pick on him...I'd have to look it up, but I believe I said I wouldn't draft him at all..

 

I agree. I think Perriman is the opposite of Coleman, he was a first round talent that for whatever reason didn't emerge in Baltimore. He's already shown flashes after joining the team mid season. An off season with Baker could make him into the first round talent he was prophesied at by Ozzie...Or he could turn into the guy who missed on nearly 60% of all balls thrown to him.

Regardless, I would like him to be re-signed sooner than later.

 

lol! Awful take.

 

Only two QB's diced the Ravens for 300 yard passing days...Pat Mahomes did it. And Baker Mayfield did it twice.

Not sure what the Steeler fans are talking about with Mayfield choking, but that was not the case at all in Baltimore. Clearly sour grapes in steeltown. Anybody that thinks Baker cost cleveland the game doesn't understand football at all. I watched that game live, and both times they replayed it on NFL network. Baker was mostly spectacular. He had Ravens D on their heels all afternoon. Yeah, he had a couple shitty breaks off tipped passes where Ravens came up with it, but he was dropping dimes on that secondary. We couldn't run at all on them. It was ALL on Baker, and the kid almost pulled it out against the NFL's best defense (outside of Chicago)....The play he made right before the half, which should have won the game for us, was one of the most amazing plays of the season. Of course our Kicker ruined it, so nobody is talking about it, but that was Brett Farve-ish. Extending the play, and having the elite arm talent to get that ball all the way downfield to Higgins, as time was running out, knowing he's gonna get drilled. That was unbelieveable....And he had about 15 other jaw dropping throws as well. I just can't see how ANYBODY could watch that game and come away unimpressed with Baker. To imply that he choked is absurd....

 

His accuracy sure sucked on those last four throws to end the game. He didn’t choke, but he sure got flustered that last four downs. He looked great on that drive until the last four.

 

You don't think Landry could have caught that ball on the sideline if he'd have used both hands? It was a little behind, but catchable IMO, and I'm sure Landry would concur. And the play at the end would have broke the Ravens back. Landry was open, and that was gonna be a game winner. Give Mosley credit for being the great player that he is....

We were what,10 yards from legit FG range? Can't get much closer to pulling off the unthinkable. Raven nation was as tight as can be...I guarantee they feel just relieved to get away with a W....Especially considering our missed FG just before half, and the bullshit "quick whistle" that negated our play of the game on defense. (100 yard play).......

 

If the referees didn't take six off the board, Baker wouldn't have needed to make those last four throws.

It would be Nick Chubb three times for a first down and then a kneel down.