I was a walk-on in college. Never good enough to start or even get significant playing time. As such, I had plenty of time to sit around in the locker room and observe while the starters were taking on fluids, expelling fluids, getting re-taped, etc. And, no, the coaches didn't re-write the game plan but they spent almost the entire halftime going over the existing game plan and scratching plays or schemes that didn't work and scribbling notes to use plays or schemes that did work or had a better chance to work. Quite often they would tell a player (one on one) to line up a little deeper, shallower, wider or closer in a given situation. Once we were back on the field for the 2nd half, all of these little things would be invisible to the casual fan but the players knew what adjustments were made if only from the plays/schemes called in from the side line.
Yes, and if you watch the professional game closely, this is going on CONSTANTLY on the sidelines by coaches the casual fan didn't even know existed. Not just at half time, but all game long... The difference in coaching staffs in college and pro? College typical staff = 12 coaches, 1 head, nine assistants and 2 graduates Pro typical staff = 18 coaches, basically 1 head with 3 coordinators...each coordinator with numerous assistants and specialty coaches that just keep the players at the top of their physical level. That is exactly what I was trying to say, they make these adjustments throughout the game... Does anyone on here really think in a pro locker room ( or in this case specifically the Browns) that the coaching staff spends half time making dinner reservations and making copies of the original game plan because the originals got dirty? I am sure all coaches have their own half time traditions, but for the most part, I believe they are all working at looking at everything they have at their disposal from the first half so that those changes on the fly can be made throughout the second half. What was said and, imho, meant was they don't use those 14 minutes to have a team meeting on the change of game plan from what they learned throughout the week.
Giants will sign RB Peyton Hillis. With David Wilson (neck) out, Andre Brown (leg) on PUP, Da'Rel Scott (hamstring) waived/injured and Michael Cox too raw, the Giants are turning to a blast from the past. Hillis ran for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Browns back in 2010, but has since hit a downward spiral that's seen him garner a total of 246 carries over the last three seasons while bouncing from Cleveland to Kansas City to Tampa. He'll step in as Brandon Jacobs' (probable, hamstring) primary backup for Monday's game against the Vikings, but is only worth a speculative add in the deepest of leagues. The Giants have a bye in Week 9, and Brown/Wilson could both be back for Week 10.
the Browns have 10 games left , can they go 500 ? I would love to break the double digit loss streak this year . I would take 7-9 this year and be happy . If Hoyer hadn't got hurt how many more would they have won ? tired of looking at 5-11 finishes
Two things: 1 - You don't have 'epiphanies' when you're omnipotent. O 2 - Believe it or not, I actually was not trying to get a rise out of people this time. What Dudzinski said about half-time adjustments and what actually happened are two different things. I am inclined to believe what my eyes saw versus what someone else said. Offense - Dud may actually have not thought about making changes at halftime and was content with the way things were going. What actually happened is we ran the ball 16 times and threw it 23 times in the first half en route to a 17-7 lead. After halftime, we ran the ball only 5 more times and threw it 20 more, despite not falling behind until 10:41 to go in the 4th. Defense - Did an admirable job and at halftime, I'm sure they determined no adjustments were needed. Unlike the Browns, the Lions made halftime adjustments and reminded everyone why Reggie Bush was once the No. 2 overall pick and why Craig Robertson was undrafted. Yet, there were no adjustments made "as the game progressed" to stop either Bush or to attempt and cover the tight ends. I don't expect a new gameplan in the second half. Honestly, they should have kept running it and taken the ball out of Weeden's hands (our only hope for victory - "Help me Obie Ogobannya, you're our only hope."). They didn't do that. Then, defensively, I wouldn't expect many changes to be made either but once the Lions came back out and were embarrassing them, they should have made the necessary adjustments at the time.
We also saw in the 2nd half; 3rd QTR 1st possession 1st and 15 2nd and 13 3rd and 10 3rd possession 2nd and 8 3rd and 10 4th QTR 4th possession ( down 21-17 at this point ) 2nd and 20 2nd and 25 3rd and 25 Now down 24-17 with 6 minutes to go...they are in full blown pass mode and in the 5th possession the now infamous INT occurs which leads to the final score.. I'm certainly not defending the play on the field, but the play calling was dictated by situation as much as anything else. It had a snow ball effect at the very least. Especially taking into account the 2013 rushing offense that Chud knows in the back of his mind he has to work with....
I have nothing to defense here...to have Bush covered by a LB is unquestionably a bad play call...however, to say they should have anticipated the Lions offensive changes at half time to gear it to Bush, well that would require a crystal ball and a wizard capable of using it. To make adjustments, you must have something to base it on and Bush was a non-factor in the first half. To adjust to him at half time would be absurd...now adjusting to him on the fly? That is equally absurd to ignore it...However, instead of blaming "dud", you probably look over his shoulder to Horton on that blame game..
No, no... that was not what I was going for. This item was directed Chudzinski's declaration that many of those "adjustments" happen on the fly or during the course of gameplay. As they're watching Bush run roughshod over Robertson, at some point you have to give your undrafted, second year LB some help. From what I saw, that didn't happen.
Extra Points ? He?s their man: It?s ?rally ?round Brandon Weeden? week in Browns headquarters. ?We definitely think he?s the guy that can lead us this year to the playoffs,? said left tackle and offensive captain Joe Thomas. ?We got Weeden?s back. No worries here,? said running back Willis McGahee. Coach Rob Chudzinski said he didn?t have to meet with team captains to gauge the level of confidence in Weeden in the locker room. ?Because it?s apparent to me, without even needing to ask that, that?s there,? the coach said. ?I don?t see any issue with that. This team has rallied around Brandon and will. He?s played well at times. He?s embraced the coaching. He?s doing everything he needs to improve. I expect that to happen and I expect him to play well.? Mr. Comedy: If he is an embattled quarterback outside the locker room, Weeden surely did not come off that way inside it. He shrugged off his epic interception at the end of the Lions? game, insisted he doesn?t hear the criticism swirling around him, and made jokes. To wit: * On blocking out the negative noise: ?Yeah, it?s no different than any other week. There?s no new negativity. It?s part of playing the position. I?ve got very good ear muffs on. I went out and bought the best ones I could. You can?t listen to it. All I care about is what goes on in this building. Guys in this building have my back and I have theirs and we?re on the same page. It really doesn?t matter what else is being said. I love coming to work with these guys.? * On how difficult it is to block it out: ?The easy one?s obviously social media, which has turned into a joke. Then, just watch movies with the wife, whatever. Just don?t listen to it. I?ve been through ups and downs enough. I?d like to say I?m mature enough to not listen to what a 7-year-old kid has to tell me (about) how to play quarterback. I?m not concerned with it. I?m concerned with helping this team win games.? * On looking back at his instant-classic back-handed flip interception: ?It?s behind me. Obviously, I didn?t lose any sleep over it. But it stung at the time. If I watch that game again, it?ll bring back memories. It all happened so fast. Just don?t let it happen again.? * On whether he has heard encouragement from other quarterback friends: ?Absolutely, several guys have (contacted me to say) I?ve done that or I?ve done worse.? * On whether one of them was Garo Yepremian: ?I don?t even know who that is.? * On turning 30: ?Monday I felt 40. I feel 20 now. Body feels great.? The return of Jason: Offensive guard Jason Pinkston has been cleared to return to the practice field, almost two months to the day he suffered a severe high ankle sprain in the second preseason game. Pinkston, who received the injured reserve/designated to return tag, can practice for up to two weeks. Then the team must make him active or inactive the rest of the season. ?It?s exciting what we have going on,? Pinkston said. ?The faster I can get back, the quicker I can get in on some of the action.? Pinkston said he had just found some rhythm at right guard, a new position for him, when the injury occurred in preseason. He missed most of last season with a blood clot. ?I think it?s been two months since I?ve had pads on,? he said. ?Other than that, I feel good, strong. I?ve done a lot of lifting, offensive linemen drills indoors. It felt really good and now hopefully I can just pick up where I left off.? Quick hits: Outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard (knee) returned to practice after being a Sunday scratch from the Lions game ? Defensive end Billy Winn (quad) was out.
By Greg Cielec OBR Contributing Writer Posted Oct 16, 2013 The defense was on the field too much the second half, but that is not an excuse for some sloppy play. They too did not make some needed in game adjustments. 1 Comment For the sixth game in a row, the Cleveland Browns took a lead into the locker room at intermission. And for the fifth time this season they were completely outplayed in the second half by a very beatable opponent. The Browns fall to the Detroit Lions 31-17, dropping their record to 3-3. The Browns play in the second half this season, no matter who the quarterback is, has been horrible. In six games they have not scored in the second half at all twice; take away the 20 second half points they scored against the Bills they are averaging four second half points a game; even with the Bills game they are averaging less than seven second half points a game; and in three of the games they have scored no fourth quarter points. Against the Lions the refs did the Browns no favors on several big plays. I had a good view of the first quarter pass interference call on Joe Haden in the end zone, it was a lousy call and the replay backed up the fact. Also the replay showed the pass Greg Little caught in the fourth quarter challenged by the Browns was a catch. What did the refs see in that replay we didn?t? Brandon Weedon had a solid first half, throwing two touchdowns and no interceptions. In the second half he threw two picks he shouldn?t have, and scored no points. How much of that is Weedon?s fault and how much of it is the offensive game plan is something we will never know. Both of Weedon?s interceptions were his fault, poorly thrown balls at the wrong time. The defense was on the field too much the second half, but that is not an excuse for some sloppy play. They too did not make some needed in game adjustments. They needed to quit covering Reggie Bush out of the backfield with a linebacker who could not keep up with him, and how many big plays were they going to let tight end Joseph Fauria before changing up things on him? The Browns are a terrible second half team on offense. They can?t protect first half leads, and seem to make much more mistakes after the half than before. For example, the team?s last five interceptions have been during the second half, they haven?t thrown a first half pick since the first half of the first game. The radio and television talk shows this week will all be about Brandon Weedon. I don?t know if he is the answer at quarterback, and I know he threw two interceptions against the Lions he wishes he had back, but the problems on offense are not about who is at quarterback. The problems are the inability to hold leads, not taking time off the clock in the second half with successful drives, and not scoring second half touchdowns. Remember the old saying, when a team wins the quarterback gets too much of the credit, and when they lose too much of the blame. Brian Hoyer is hurt and out for the year. Weedon and Campbell are whom we have left for the season. But don?t think things are going to change in the future. There is no Andrew Luck coming up in the next NFL draft, the next few NFL drafts for that matter. Drafting a quarterback is a crapshoot in this era were most college quarterbacks never really learn to read defenses and coverages. The RGIIIs of the world take off and run if their main targets aren?t open, and we see how things are working out for the real RGIII in Washington. The team traded away their future for him and they are currently 1-4, and yesterday he threw no touchdown passes in a 31-16 loss to the Cowboys. Blame Weedon for the loss to the Lions if you feel you must blame someone. But if you do, also spread some of the blame around also to the offensive coaches for some poor second half-play calling, and to a defense that didn?t make any adjustments when needed. Pregame Notes?For our pregame activities this week we decided to check out the festivities around the Galleria on East Ninth Street and I?m glad we did. We got there at 10:15 and Winks, a Winking Lizard knockoff, was already jumping. There was outdoor and indoor seating, and they feature beers and spirits from Ohio and the surrounding region. I?m not of the craft beer generation, I?m showing my age, but still found a few beers I liked. I had a veggie wrap fro breakfast and it was very good. About half the stands in the food court were open, and there was a bar and DJ out on the patio. We walked down to East Ninth and Lakeside where WKNR and several of their sponsors had a great set up that included a live band, several bars with large screen TVs, and plenty of room to get comfortable. Next week I?ll be coming to you from Green Bay, as I will be making the pilgrimage to one of the shrines of football. I am not giving up on the Browns or anyone on the team or coaching staff. Still plenty of football to be played, and I really believe the Browns are so close to being good. I?m not waiting for some franchise quarterback to show up to turn things around; it is just not going to happen anytime soon. We are stuck with this team and I am sticking with them.
Happy hump day lounge houndz *DRINK* *DRINK* Wednesday Funnies http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9834578/cleveland-browns-fan-offers-brandon-weeden-job-craigslist *ROFL*
I am right there with you Bluez. The time is now. I hope the FO isn't into "wait til next year" mode, cause we are viable today, and the post season is going to be joined by teams who won't be in double digit wins, so put the pedal down, and GO! The hot pursuit of winning now makes sense every week. Next year holds no guarantees either in the draft or that guys we count on won't go down with injuries. The cupboard isn't bare, so open up a can O WhupAss, and let's go chase the dream. I'm in.
Browns discover new WR Charles Johnson has torn ACL during introductory physical By Nate Ulrich Published: October 16, 2013 New Browns wide receiver Charles Johnson has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee that the team discovered during his introductory physical, a team spokesman said today. Johnson will be placed on the non-football injury list and undergo surgery. The Browns signed him off the Green Bay Packers? practice squad Saturday to fill quarterback Brian Hoyer?s roster spot. Hoyer was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn ACL in his right knee. Johnson was practicing with the Packers before joining the Browns. Johnson will occupy a spot on the Browns? 53-man roster until after they play the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 27. Per NFL rules, a team must count a player signed off a practice squad as part of its 53-man roster for at least three games. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Johnson, a seventh-round pick in this year?s draft, compiled 128 receptions for 2,229 yards and 31 touchdowns in two seasons at Division II Grand Valley State
How did these knuckleheads not know that the guy they just signed had a torn ACL??? *WALL* Now they are stuck with dead weight for three weeks :rolleyes: IDIOTS *WALL*
Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden ended his team?s hopes of a fourth-quarter comeback with an ugly interception that Weeden himself described as ?boneheaded.? But Weeden says he?s ready to move on. Weeden told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that far from dwelling on the interception against the Lions, in which he backhanded the ball into the arms of Detroit?s DeAndre Levy, he is moving on and focusing on Sunday?s game against the Packers. ?It?s behind me. I didn?t lose any sleep over it. It stung at the time,? Weeden said. For Browns fans, the news that Weeden didn?t lose any sleep over his interception won?t necessarily be welcome. Some fans would like to hear that Weeden is flogging himself for that throw. But as long as Weeden remains the Browns? starter, the team is better off if he can keep looking ahead, and put that interception as far behind him as possible
Back in the days when athletes were routinely denied water while training, they also were supposed to avoid other activities that in theory could tap into the overall supply of energy. On Wednesday, Jets coach Rex Ryan may have dusted off the old no-sex adage. Unless he didn?t. According to Seth Walder of the New York Daily News, a message from Ryan regarding the importance of focusing on this week?s game against the Patriots has at a minimum created confusion regarding whether players have been instructed to stay away from their wives or girlfriends, or both. Newly-arrived receiver Josh Cribbs is quoted as saying that Ryan told players in a team meeting ?don?t do nothing with your wife.? Defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson reportedly said ?[m]ost definitely? when asked whether he interpreted the message to include an order to stay off the rides at the carnal carnival. But here?s the full quote from Cribbs, as distributed by the team: ?I can tell he really wants this game. He was like, ?Rest your legs. Don?t do nothing for your wife. Say, baby next week. I?m going to do it next week. I?m going to take out the trash next week. I?ll take the kids to practice next week, but I have to rest for this game. That just showed us how, I?m going to tell him to put it on paper so when I give it to my wife, I can be like, ?Hey, Rex said that I don?t have to take out the trash.? So, he might get a call from my wife.? Asked by a reporter if Cribbs was referring to ?something else,? Cribbs said, ?You guys are sick.? According to the Jets, Ryan also has clarified that he was referring to chores, and that he wants players to minimize additional responsibilities to focus on watching tape and preparing for the game. So there you have it. For Jets players, there?s no red light preventing them from a week filled with, well, fifty shades of green.
CLEVELAND (92.3 The Fan) ? Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon hopes to remain a Brown for a long time. But an important deadline as to whether or not that has any chance of happening is nearly 2 weeks away ? the NFL trading deadline. Gordon remains less than thrilled that his name hit the rumor mill but he?s dealing with it the only way that he knows how ? to play hard. Gordon expressed those sentiments in an interview on the PNC Bank Cleveland Browns radio network Wednesday night. ?It definitely crossed my mind a bunch of times, seeing it at home on the television screen,? Gordon said of the rumors over the last month. ?I wondered if my phone was going to ring any moment now considering what took place not too long ago with Trent [Richardson].? Gordon admitted that he and the rest of the locker room were shaken by the deal that sent Richardson to Indianapolis for the Colts? 2014 first-round pick. ?All of us were on our toes after something like that happened,? Gordon told Michael Reghi and Vic Carucci. ?It?s a business, the NFL, so whatever the front office deems reasonable and a smart business move you definitely can?t just feel bad about it or be angry about it, so I was prepared either way. ?Regardless I felt I had even more to prove either to the Browns or to the potential team that was going to get me so I could go out there and play and hopefully I don?t have to be that player that has to be shopped around so I want to go out there and make my mark each week.? The Browns reportedly fielded phone calls from the San Francisco 49ers as well as a few other teams as to Gordon?s availability following the Richardson trade. There was a report that the Browns were seeking no less than a second round pick for the former 2012 supplemental draft selection. The NFL?s trade deadline is Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. but even if Gordon remains, he?s not expecting his name to disappear from rumors. ?Even still through the deadline, you?re still not sure,? Gordon said. ?I take it for what it is but I?m definitely going to go out there every Sunday and play my game and do my job.? Since returning from a 2-game suspension to start the season for violating the league?s policy on substances of abuse in the offseason, Gordon has 25 catches for 429 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He is coming off a 7-catch 126 yard effort in Sunday?s 31-17 loss to the Lions and his 107.3 yards per game average is second best in the NFL this season.
The Morning Kickoff ? Going with what they?ve got: Brian Hoyer was lightning-in-a-bottle for the Browns. Don?t expect that to happen again this year. No quarterback savior is going to fall from the sky ? much less the waiver wire ? to rescue this Browns season. When the Browns sat on their hands the day after Hoyer?s injury and didn?t place a call to the just-released Josh Freeman ? big and strong-armed, only 25, 60 NFL games experience, and minimum-salary cheap -- they made the conscious decision to ride out the season with what they had at quarterback. So pick your poison: Brandon Weeden or Jason Campbell? In just two games, Hoyer showed how a leader on the field can pull every ounce of character out of the rest of the team and free it to achieve. Or over-achieve. The Browns are an incomplete team, to be sure, in the first year of this latest reboot. But Hoyer proved they could win now with exemplary play at quarterback. Now what? The Browns have three choices: 1. Let Weeden wing it 50 times a game and weigh the consequences of deflating sacks and interceptions vs. a home run or two to Josh Gordon. 2. Try Campbell, who scratched himself from starting the fourth preseason game in Chicago and then finished his Game 2 relief stint in Baltimore with an under-handed toss. 3. Shift the focus of the offense from the quarterback to the offensive line and the running game. Martyball: The surest way to stabilize a faltering or destructive passing game without changing quarterbacks is to choose option No. 3. Many successful coaches have done this over the years. Bill Parcells did it when he lost Phil Simms to injury in the 1990 New York Giants season. Brian Billick did it in 2000 with the Baltimore Ravens. More recently, John Fox did it in Denver in 2011 (pre-Peyton Manning) with Tim Tebow. For the most part, they ran the ball. Yes, the quarterback had to make a play, or two, at times to win a game. But the team and, most importantly, the offensive line, developed a mindset that it would physically dominate a defense by running the ball. The man who most famously authored this blueprint was none other than former Browns coach Marty Schottenheimer. In 1984, Schottenheimer took over a 1-7 team from Sam Rutigliano at mid-season. Schottenheimer brought Earnest Byner off the bench and ran the ball, played defense and special teams and won four of the last eight. In 1985, the Browns planned to manage the season through veteran QB Gary Danielson. But after Danielson mangled his shoulder, the team had to rush in gangly rookie QB Bernie Kosar sooner than it wanted. Schottenheimer took the ball out of Kosar?s hands as much as he could and gave it to Byner and Kevin Mack. They each topped 1,000 yards rushing and the Browns plowed their way to a playoff berth with an 8-8 record. It wasn?t always pretty. Kosar, who made a few plays along the way, hated it. But it was effective. Now, Schottenheimer actually took Martyball too far in post-season games and in seasons in which he had quarterbacks capable of leading their teams. But as a band-aid, Martyball was effective in stabilizing an offense and giving his teams their best chances to win. I asked Chudzinski, who worked under Schottenheimer in 2005-06 in San Diego, whether Martyball was an option for him. Lord knows confidence in Weeden is flagging, internally and externally. He answered: ?I think that what we really need to do is stay the course from a philosophy-strategic standpoint. The run and the pass really go hand-in-hand of where we?re at right now and I think we?re improving in the running game. Just to ditch the passing game and go 100 percent run, I don?t think it will be in our best interest. I think that we need to continue to get better in both, whether it?s Brandon, whether it?s the offensive line. I thought our offensive line really responded and played their best game yesterday. I think that we?re improving in running. They go hand-in-hand. You can?t do just one thing in this league.? Here?s a plan: Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are recognized as two of the most creative offensive minds in the NFL today. With the 49ers receiver situation bleak and quarterback Colin Kaepernick suffering because of it, the 49ers climbed back into the thick of the Super Bowl chase by running the ball. In Green Bay, where the Browns play on Sunday, the Packers have also suffered hits to their famed passing game by losing receivers Randall Cobb and James Jones to injuries. So what are they doing to stabilize their season? Running the ball. On his weekly radio show with Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said, ?We are a top five running and throwing the football offense. This is exciting. It?s exciting offensive football. Running the football has opened a lot of that stuff up.? The Browns built a 17-7 halftime lead over Detroit on Sunday because they were creative in the running game. They had 115 yards rushing, using every available ball-carrier, including third tight end MarQueis Gray from the Wildcat. The offensive line was dominating the game. Weeden was an accessory to the offense, not the focal point. That has to be the blueprint going forward. The Browns? only hope of staying relevant this year is turning Weeden into Trent Dilfer, circa 2000, with the Baltimore Ravens. Don?t let him lose games. Give the game to the offensive line and run the ball.
