Positional coaches should be looked at, too. For all the feel-good about the reunion with Adam Henry (wide receivers coach), I think this year from a receiver standpoint has been a disaster. Odell is a highly-paid decoy, Jarvis Landry is our top receiver, and there's virtually nothing behind them because they're either awful, or in the doghouse (Higgins). Ryan Lindley is a *clear* downgrade from Ken Zampese. Baker's regression proves this. Baker needs someone (and Kitchens is too busy trying to run the show) to be in his ear and coach him up in between drives. The check-down is available on nearly every play. The play-calling looks ugly until you go back and see Baker missing a wide-open read. That's on him and his position coach. Freddie, as head coach, is responsible for motivating and driving his team forward... but he cannot be expected to coach up the little things. How many times have we seen the defensive back tagged for interference because they were playing the receiver and not for the ball? Little details like that have to fall to the position coaches and remember, almost the *entire* coaching staff was re-tooled in the offseason. Yes, more turnover likely means more growing pains, but I would argue where have we seen growth? Which positions (besides running back) have excelled this season?
Some strong points SAS. The one comment summed up his greatest weakness, "he makes decisions emotionally". I believe this to be true in play calling and in some personnel moves as well. Can he grow out of it? I'm not so sure, emotional isn't one of the Freddie core characteristics, and one that while detrimental in some areas, is also his strength. Tough call.
Does anyone think Belechek has had top talent across his roster? Not in my opinion, but his guys "do their jobs" or they don't play, and his staff seems to always get what they need from the guys they have. Like Tomlin or not he always has Pittsburgh 'in it", regardless of changing personel. Coaching. I don't expect Freddie to be at that level, but it's worth noting that niether has play calling responsibilities. They are the overlords of the coaching team, and make their demands on them, not relying on individual player relationships for success. IMO, Monken has failed as the O coordinator. Week after week we hear about how we're trying to get Odel involved, yet he's playing second banana to Jarvis. In New York, Odel was famous for quick slants, that went for big yards because of his ability, that then set him up for deep shots, as the corner had to protect against the short routes. Whether it's Monken, or Baker, we have wasted the talent that is Odel. Unforgiveable IMO, after the things we gave up for him (a Dorsey discussion). Freddie calls the plays but the game plan / play designs, I am assuming are Monken's. Not a good job.
Play calling. SAS makes a fair point: Freddie seems to get the scripted plays pretty good, but struggles to sequence plays after that to create defensive mismatches, and vulnerabilitiies. It would indicate he has a good offensive mind, but is yet to learn to apply the same insight during "live play".
Discipline. The stupid Odel stuff and the number of penalties, exposed a lack of focus and a willingness to bend to players whims. I think it's only fair to say he's addressed that. More concerning to me is what appears to be emotionally driven personel moves, like sitting Higgins, like leaving Randall home for Pitt 2, playing Calloway when he was clearly not ready. These are moves that frankly weren't in the best interests of the team, IMO. It's losing sight of the bigger picture. Maybe those moves made sense, in some abstract way, but where's the groundwork to make sure you have guys you need to step up, ready to do the job?
With all that said, I don't want Freddie gone. I've ridden the roller coaster enough. Dorsey chose Freddie, and IMO, he has to work with him to help him see the larger picture. Freddie's play calling helped him get the job, but IMO he needn't be the play caller to have his imprint on the offensive game plan, and would be better served to provide input and demand his O coordinator follow his overarching system. He's got to get better at the overseer part, setting expectations, and motivating his team, while setting an example for professionalism. He may be better in play design than play calling, and that could be used effectively, but he rythm of the play calling is weak, and a more experienced OC could easily incorporate a good play design, but at the correct moment. My greatest fear is that Freddie could lose the team, after the T shirt incident, where he claims he'd do it again. NO. apologize to the team for doing what you've clearly asked them not to do. Creating a useless distraction, and hope to re-gain their trust. Trust. It's what you are preaching. Own it, and learn form it.
Kitchens is a crappy HC. The best thing you guys could do is get McCarthy or Mayfield's coach from Oklahoma. Somebody who can get control of Mayfield.
A couple of points to ponder . . . We really don't know how or who puts a game plan together. I suspect it's a group effort between Kitchens, the OC and maybe even Baker to some degree. We can no longer complain about the lack of talent or (in some cases) lack of depth. We have seen snippets of success with Kitchens as the OC (albeit against mediocre teams). We haven't seen this team play 60 minutes of disciplined team first football yet this year.
Agreed. It bothers me that we went into Pitt and laid an egg. I can't help wonder if the T shirt and the benching of Randall had our guys wondering if they were really getting the best effort from Freddie et al.
Super-weird, also, that no one is getting into it. Randall has categorically denied he skipped practice because it was too cold (the earlier rumor) but has not said that he didn't skip practice for another reason. Freddie is taking the same line "ask the player", like he isn't the one responsible for the punishment. I don't know what Rashard Higgins or Damarious Randall did at certain points in the season, but to essentially write these guys off (this is was Damarious' second healthy-scratch) is trying to take the leadership too far, in my opinion.
Here's a good thread by Jake on Baker making it harder on himself by forcing throws versus taking what the defense gives him. Super weird, after all the football we've had since 1999, complaining about the QB *not* checking down, but in this case you have to wonder what Baker is being coached-up to do. Is Kitchens/Monken/Lindley harping on him to try and uncork a deeper throw into tight coverage, or are they saying "hey... this checkdown will be here all day"? Looking at stuff like this makes you re-think the offensive issues. The offense vacillates from Freddie making terrible play-calls to great ones and the players executing or not. Not an easy fix, but I think if I had to pick just one thing to change for 2020, it'd be Lindley. Baker needs a better position coach. What's Ken Zampese doing this year?
A check down to Kareem Hunt is a play you take many a times. I hope Hunt hits the market. I would love him on the Steelers. If the Steelers had either of the Browns Chubb or Hunt I would really expect a SB win for them even with the duck hunt going on. Duck does have a much better rating than Baker.
This was your argument with Mason "Dixon Line" Rudolph, too, before he sucked up the room against Cleveland and then called Myles the n-word.
He's an RFA. If he's not tendered at the first round level, Dorsey deserves to be fired. If the Browns don't match a contract offer from any team outside the Top 5 picks, they're idiots.
