Only thing I disagree with slightly. Myles Garrett alone puts fear in the pass rush, which causes teams to speed up their pass plays, allowing those plays to under develop. We need to stop the run, no doubt, but they actually aren't terrible at that with Clowney on the other side. I fall for hype... but I think they got a steal in Perrion Winfrey. He is a disrupter in the middle. He's going to need some coaching up, but I think he has the tools.
Really, there's only two outcomes here: 1. This coaching staff isn't prepared to elevate the scheme and play-calling based on what they've shown in two seasons thus far. 2. They chose not to last season, intentionally sabtoaging the QB (and thereby, the season) in an effort to move on from the only decent quarterback the franchise has known in three decades. Neither of those is a good thing, but one is definitely more of a scumbag move than the other -- and if true will have costed fans two full seasons of competitive football during a very small window where their core and best players are at their primes.
I found this especially interesting in recent days with the Russell Wilson news: Wilson deciding to go with a first-time head coach and first-time offensive coordinator over a team like Cleveland says a lot in the first place. Obviously, the QB weapons in Denver are much better, the offensive line is significantly better a pass pro, and the defense truly is a Top 10 unit. BUT... a QB's best friend can be a terrific ground game and Cleveland has one of the best in the business (at least a Top 3). Would seem to indicate Wilson feeling some unease with the coaching, front office, or ownership of the team in my opinion. The next part goes back to that obscene contract they gave a quitter and PR nightmare like Watson. It reeks of desperation, quite honestly. They were spurned by Russell Wilson. One of my biggest gripes was that they seemed to only key in on #QB26, but if Wilson was a target, it stands to reason they did their homework other places as well. While it's speculation, being told "no" over and over again had to be demoralizing, and then finally to be told "no" by Watson. Yeesh. They go crawling back to TFQB who, by all rights, was miffed and demanded a trade meant they needed to sweeten the deal and that's exactly what the $230 fully guaranteed with protection in Year 1 against a full season suspension -- things no other team in the running was discussing -- illustrates.
I've bit my lip long enough. You've had some shitty takes over the years, but this one takes the cake. When this coaching staff takes a shit, even the turds left in the toilet bowl have forgotten more about football than you will ever know. Precisely how does any coaching staff elevate the scheme when their QB1 is already playing (sporadically) at his absolute ceiling? How does a coaching staff intentionally sabotage an injured QB who tells them he's good to go? By not calling plays he is unable to execute even if he's healthy? The only decent QB this franchise has known in three decades? If that's your standard, I submit your bar is low enough that a Mack truck could jump over it.
It really doesn't matter what they have learned and forgotten over their career. This is the NFL, it is on their shoulders to communicate and execute a successful plan. They haven't been overly successful in their brief stint, but last season some of the decisions are down right fireable.. like playing your multiple injury QB. I don't care how much a player is jumping up and down with his hand in the the air saying play me, play me.. You can see in practice what those limitations are, even if the medical staff says it is a very low percentage you can do more damage by playing... You KNOW the limitations already.. if it is because, even with those limitations he gives you the best shot at winning, then your GM didn't do his job by providing you with a viable backup.. since he is no longer here either, I would say that is a viable argument as well. It doesn't take running a professional football team to know when a staff is either in over their head, just not knowledgeable enough, or is making progress.. This staff did not make ANY progress in 2021. When the roster is decimated by injury, it is precisely their job to scheme to strengths, not continue to use the same plays that are not working week after week. I'm not going to agree that the staff sabotaged anyone, but it would be easy to do with play calling. I simply don't think they were competent enough to make the necessary changes when they had the right side of the line and their starting QB get injuries that were detrimental to the offense. Please explain the most simple question, how do you leave a rookie offensive lineman alone on the right side of the line against one of the most dangerous players in the NFL? NO adjustments? Not even one idea to throw out there when a single player is destroying your playcalling? It is certainly suspect and gives those who question him reason. As for this final statement... That really says it all.. When you have to go through that many QBs to get the level of QB you had in the room... What makes you jump ship and hire a guy with off field issues, who just last year quit on his teammates and ownership by rewarding him with the richest contract in league history? Desperation doesn't even begin to explain the move away.
Hey Crex. Good to hear from ya again buddy. I have the faith brother, and so does every Browns fan I know. Sorry to disagree with most everything you said. In fact, the only Browns fans I know of that have lost all faith post here. What is with the doom and gloom? lol! It's simply not the case..This team has SB aspirations as it should. This nonsense about our defense being a huge liability is ridiculous IMO. We finished last season with the #5 overall defense, and we got better and better as the season went on. Our two stud rookies (Owusu-Koramoa and Newsome) from last year have barely scratched the surface. Plus we drafted (my guy) Perrion Winfrey (Best DT in the draft) to help shore up the middle. Ward, Newsome, Greedy, Delpit, Johnson, Green...Not to mention our top pick this year, Martin. That's easily among the most talented secondaries in the NFL, and we get to pair that with Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney up front wreaking havoc with the dawg Winfrey. All that with the fastest LB group in the NFL spearheaded by JOK.. Seriously, this is by far the best Browns defense we've had in the modern era, and it's not close. How many defenses have two #1 overalls and a #4? The dawgs are comin. If we are gonna worry about something with this team, defense should be way down the list IMO.
The tape doesn't lie. Baker's problems last year were much more about decision making than his non throwing shoulder injury.
Well, apparently floating turds left in a toilet bowl know more than I do also, so I’ll just leave it at that.
I just disagree that Baker's biggest problem was his left shoulder last year. That's all. At the end of the day, I like that my team expected more and decided to upgrade the position.
If you are just basing this off their record and inability to improve from the previous season, the reason is obviously because their up and down roller coaster QB was all over the place. By his own admission, he lost confidence. Much more goes into judging whether a coaching staff made any progress anyway. Our defense went from finishing 16 overall the previous season, to 5th overall last year. I'd say that qualifies as improvement. I'm sure you are only talking about Baker and our staff's "failure" with him, but based off his track record since Cleveland drafted him in 2018, Baker has pretty much been a wildly inconsistant turnover prone QB that consistantly fails to see the field properly. Not to mention that he tends to play especially poorly in the clutch moments, like game winning drive situations. He's proven himself in the opinion of the ones that matter, and most people outside of Sooner Nation, to be unworthy of the #1 overall pick. That's why he's a Panther in a QB camp battle with Sam Darnold. Ironically, another QB from the same draft who is in the same boat of QB disappointment.
With room to spare. Good lord it's been epically inept. Besides, if we are going back 30 years, I submit Vinny Testaverde. He won a WC playoff game too. Now that I think about it, he had a lot of the same characteristics as Bake when it comes to protecting the football.
The tea leaves are so easy to read at this point. Baker wanted the Josh Allen extension last summer and when he didn't get it he decided he needed to be the focal point of the offense so that he could get paid. He and the coach clashed because 1) he wasn't playing the position the way he was coached to play it and 2) because Baker is never going to have success in the NFL as the focal point of the offense and he's too damn arrogant to understand that. And everyone in the locker room knew it which is why none of them went to bat for him.
p.s. The Browns are ANALYTICS guys. They knew what they had in Baker from Day one. They knew what he could and couldn't do. It's why he didn't get the post 3rd year extension guys like Mahomes, Allen, Kyler and Watson got. Baker's ego prevents him from seeing the big picture.
The long wait for word on Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s suspension came on Monday morning. PFT has confirmed that Judge Sue L. Robinson has ruled that Watson be suspended six games for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. Watson was accused of sexual misconduct and sued in civil court by more than 20 women who were hired to massage him while he was a member of the Texans ahead of this year’s trade to Cleveland. No fine was issued as part of Robinson’s ruling. The Browns play the Panthers, Jets, Steelers, Falcons, Chargers, and Patriots in their first six games of the season. Jacoby Brissett is expected to be the starting quarterback in Watson’s absence. Watson has settled the cases with all but one of those women as of Monday morning, but the matter of his NFL suspension may not be a settled matter. Watson or the NFL could appeal the decision and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would hear any appeal. Goodell could impose a longer suspension if he does hear an appeal. The NFLPA issued a statement on Sunday suggesting Watson will not appeal and calling for the league to take the same approach. PFT
Now comes the waiting game to see if the NFL appeals cause they want a longer suspension. Anyone know if Goodell can just say “I don’t think that’s long enough” and reject the suspension recommendation or is this part of the players union contract for this process. I’m pretty sure DW isn’t even thinking to appeal since It’s a lot shorter than I was expecting.
So DW will only miss one division game (week 3). Here are the games that Brissett needs to get Cleveland through; At Carolina NY Jets Pittsburgh (TNF) At Atlanta Chargers Patriots When Watson does become eligible, his first two games out of the gate as Browns starting QB will be against Baltimore and Cincinnati.
