I agree with Lyman. Pittsburgh made the bigger effort. No argument. The question is why did that happen? I feel like the "team" part is missing. That, like it or not falls on Stephanski. On one side of the field, the confident and demanding Tomlin, on the other Professor Kevin. The O was pitiful, again, that's on Stephanski, along with some just piss poor performances from our skill players (you know who you are). Is the Stephanski way wearing thin? We one loss in Cinncinati away from irrelevancy, with 8 games left to play just to fill out the schedule. Just to reach last year's win total we have to go 7 and 2. Does anyone think we can lose in Cinci and run off 7 and 1? I'd like to see an "on to Cinncinati" attitude. I don't want to talk about it, I'm only concerned and focussed on winning this Sunday. The rest is just bullshit anyway.
9 Games to play... this could be good or it could be bad... Here's the thing. There are certain games this year that we have seen exactly what this team can do... On offense... Then on defense... They can't put a complete game together. I had hoped they would gel by week 8 and it hasn't happened. Still... It could. Yes, I think it possible, however based on what I have seen, I think it is improbable. Regardless, we might be fighting the Chiefs for the final wild card, if we can roll off some wins. They barely got by the Giants last night, looked really bad doing it. We need to catch the Bengals, Steelers or Chargers.. All of which are a loss ahead of us, so they control their destination halfway through the season. The one thing we control right now.. We play the Bengals twice. If we beat them twice, we could gain the upper hand there. First game is first.. We need to concentrate on a W this weekend. Only thing we really control is attitude, right now this team needs a major adjustment. Unfortunately, I think the Jekyll and Hyde routine continues. I think this Sunday will be a matter of who has the football last. My hope is that last drive is when the defense steps up and the Bengals aren't able to rally back from a deficit. I think the Browns come out and build a lead, 21-10 at half time and hold on to win 41 - 34. I see a lot of offense in this one.
The Browns are team built to play from ahead. Get a lead, pound the football, heavy play action. Doesn't mean it's the only way they can win but it's their identity and when they can't play to that strength I think they are an average team. Doesn't help that Hunt is out. Defensively, I think they are setup the same way. Not great against the run, much better playing with a lead, forcing the other team to throw so they can turn Garrett loose. One thing I noticed this Sunday Garrett seemed to be on the sideline a significant amount of snaps. Ended up 55 out of 74 snaps. Why is that? Why is Joe Jackson on the field so much? p.s. They just don't call holding anymore. Garrett was held all day. Watt not as much because they were double-teaming a lot but had his moments. The flag for facemask they threw on him and then picked up he was being held massively and neither announcer even mentioned it. It's like they are just used to it - along with the refs.
The holding drives me nuts. You get an average Joe and they call holding against your team for barely touching the guy inside the shoulder pads with elbows out.. Myles and TJ are held on every play they aren't double teamed. I think it is another way the league is protecting the QB. IF they called it on every play, it gives the offense a distinct disadvantage, either hold or get your QB killed. Let's face it, they can't call it every play and give the offense 1st and 20, 2nd and 30, 3rd and 40.. It isn't feasible, but...what gets me are the rinky dink holding penalties against the average player. If you are loosening up the rules for the studs, keep them loose for everyone, that's all I ask.
That trio accounts for 51 catches on 96 targets (53.1 catch rate percent) for 583 yards (6.1 YPT, 11.4 YPC), and 1 touchdown. The three of them are producing fewer yards than 10 individual receivers on the season so far. David Njoku, our best receiver who's criminally under-utilized by this coaching staff and who's set to become a free agent, has 20 receptions, 323 yards, and 1 touchdown himself on 1/4 of the targets of that trio. Cut Beckham. Trade Hooper. Profit.
If you needed any more reasons, now there's this stuff coming out... We're not privvy to the behind-the-scenes stuff, but between his body language in games and this, pretty safe to say he's reverted to Malcontent Status and that's detrimental to team chemistry.
Did anyone watch the video? Need situational comments for each play... One play Baker has already been sacked on the ground when Odell is circled as open down the field.. This video is beyond ridiculous. Other plays, he is open at the bottom of his route, but the defender has already boxed him in. Baker throws some "bad" balls his way, but if they had been "good" balls, they would have been picked off easily. I'm not going to argue that he doesn't get open now and again.. however, there are so many plays he is taking off... I don't think Baker trusts him any longer if he isn't the first read.
My 17 year old was at the game Sunday, watching from an elevated perspective, and he said the same thing. Every time MG rushes they just grab him. There was a lot of griping about that in the stands...
I can think of three critical fourth down throws that he's dropped so far this year in addition to the second-and-10 gator arm catch that he gave up on against Pittsburgh last Sunday. If your highest-paid receiver isn't making the clutch plays... why is he your highest paid receiver? This offense was supposed to be built around tight ends and the running game... right? This offense has lost its identity and needs to find it. Quickly.
I'm not sure they have ever really found their identity.. A few games they have run well and had high yardage, but as far as utilizing the TEs, they just don't do it, despite having (3) weapons at their disposal. Harrison is talented, he will drop a ball here and there, but so do our super stars (more often than he does)..
Cleveland needs a Treylon Burks in their lineup next year. Combat catch guy with size. Doesn't need a perfect ball to win.
Policing Myles like he's Shaq in his prime is ridiculous. Just because he's built like a superhero doesn't mean he should play by a different set of rules.
Amazing we're still having these discussions. This is an analytics-forward team... they have this data. They know it's not working -- why isn't something being done about it? It's like when Stefanski dropped this gem: But the Cleveland Browns rank No. 1 in pass block win rate (72.9%) and second place isn't even close. Dude... y'all are analytics-bend folks. What numbers y'all looking at because (spoiler ahead) they're not working!
I'm not saying you're wrong. I just don't know how we quantify "effort" viewing the game through a television. Lots of teams give 100% effort and still lose.
According to the Really Big Show, OBJ sent home before practice for shoulder injury and non injury related personal reasons. They are speculating he is done with the Browns based on the facts Baker’s normal press time being moved to after practice and Stefanski being added to a presser at 1:00pm. I am fucking sick and tired of this bullshit in Cleveland. Why can’t they get their heads out of their asses and just play fucking football. It’s a GD circus all the time. I just want to root for my ducking sports team, not this media led bullshit.
Just a report, but supposedly the Saints made an offer for Beckham, it wasn't enough... then all hell broke loose on Twitter with Odell's dad and Baker's wife... SHUT DOWN SOCIAL MEDIA!! Or write in to every contract, if any immediate family member tweets about the organization in any way, the contract can be null and void. Maybe that would be enough for these outsiders to keep their mouth (keyboard?) shut and just let them play fucking football. Now the rumor is that Odell put his dad up to this to try and force a trade... That is NOT confirmed. Last we heard from OBJ, he was happy just trying to win a championship and Cleveland gave him a good chance to do that. I'm not certain where things went south, but I am sick of hearing and seeing this bullshit. I would rather just talk about the Bengals game and WE FANS talking amongst each other, our feelings on what could help change certain situations. I want my franchise to, at least seem, look normal business as usual. We never get that...
