last against the run pizzes me off more than anything . getting smacked in the mouth pizzes me off to no end . call it what ya want but it doesent fly with me .its a test of your men hood if you cant stop the run . either that or a crappy scheme .or both the D Cordinator needs to go !
Lym, those are some eye popping stats. It points the fickle finger of shame onto the Offense. One of the responses to the Tate dump, was to take a pretty rough look at Hoyer's stats, and while they clearly show erosion, I expect the exact same can be said of the running game, which tends to point the finger in a different direction: the line play. I don't think it is even arguable that the demise of the Offense has directly mirrored the loss of Mack. No team should be so heavily impacted by the loss of one guy, but it certainly appears to be the case. I will agree that Hoyer at this point can't be expected to the loss of protection, the loss of a running game, the loss of his TE, all in one moment, let alone the fact that there is no #1 WR on the roster. OK, so we agree that Hoyer is no savior, but neither is he to blame. That the D has matched it's numbers is encouraging on the one hand and dismal on the other. We simply cannot stop the run, havent been able to and still can't. I guess the good news is teams that run the ball generally aren't explosive in point scoring, which has kept us in games, while not scoring much oursleves. That cannot be expected to continue IMO, and we actually need the O to put up 30 / week now, to help the D keep us in it, rest and have a shot at winning by forcing teams to pass, where our strongest group of defenders live.
Was looking around at potential landing spots for Tate . . . o Buffalo o Indianapolis o Atlanta See a common thread in there? #chiponmyshoulder
Browns signed LB Zac Diles. Diles will provide depth for a linebacker corps currently missing Karlos Dansby (knee) and Jabaal Sheard (foot).
Speaking about last against the run! I just saw the 1st mock draft of the year from SB Nation. They had Buffalo picking 14 and us picking 15. 14. (BILLS) Bud Dupree- Kentucky DE/OLB 15. Kevin White- West Virginia WR They said Dupree could play DE or OLB if we didn't resign Sheard. They said White would be insurance if Gordon leaves in FA. They also said that would give us 2 very good WR's. Now I had both of these players on my wish list. It also had McKinney and Oakman still on the board at that time. I would rather have Mckinney and White personally. Mckinney could be that run stuffing LB we need. Plus you could pair him with Kirksley for a long time. Funchess also went in the 1st rd. but later it said. But it is nationally known that we need another WR and a front seven run stopper. They also had Bennett going late in the 1st. I know its early I just wanted to throw that out there. But for me we over paid for Dansby. Yes he is a major upgrade over Jackson but he is getting up there in age. My dream picks in the 1st would be McKinney and White.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Browns OLB Jabaal Sheard doesn't need season-ending foot surgery and should be back "in a week or so." Big news for the Browns. Coach Mike Pettine said Monday that Sheard's season may be over. After receiving a second opinion, it was determined Sheard doesn't need surgery. He hasn't posted big pass-rush numbers in a contract year, but has graded out as a top-three run-stopping 3-4 end over at Pro Football Focus. Barkevious Mingo will likely start Week 12 against Atlanta
Browns v. Atlanta Falcons Sunday, 1 p.m., in Georgia Dome; Atlanta, GA. Record: 4-6. Last game: Defeated Carolina Panthers, 19-17, Nov. 16, in Charlotte, NC. Coach: Mike Smith, 65-46, seventh year. Series record: Browns lead, 10-3. Last meeting: Falcons won, 20-10, on Oct. 10, 2010, in Cleveland. League rankings: Offense overall is 10th (24th rushing, 6th passing), defense is 32nd (24th rushing, 32nd passing) and turnover differential is plus-3. Offensive overview: Within the first month of the season they lost two centers and two offensive tackles to injuries. The instability caused coordinator Dirk Koetter to shuffle plans. He shelved his preferred four-receiver spread offense for what at times is a jumbo package featuring three tight ends. This has been effective in helping them achieve the fourth-ranked offense inside the red zone. The objective now is to possess the ball to keep an inferior defense off the field and to give quarterback Matt Ryan maximum protection. Ryan still has some formidable targets in Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas and Devin Hester. But running the ball with Steven Jackson (3.6 average) has been a struggle. Defensive overview: Coordinator Mike Nolan employs a hybrid 4-3, which allows defensive ends Kroy Biermann Jonathan Babineaux and Osi Umenyiora to flex into standup linebackers on occasion. The flexibility of Nolan?s system is negated by the fact there are few playmakers on the field. As a result, the defense has blown double-digit leads in three games ? to the Jets, Lions and Panthers, though they recovered to defeat Carolina. The best player may be cornerback Desmond Trufant. The unit is breaking in another starter opposite him, Robert McClain, after losing Robert Alford to a wrist injury. Special teams overview: Kicker Matt Bryant is 16 of 18 on field goals with a long of 54 yards. Punter Matt Bosher handles kickoffs and is 16th with 27 touchbacks. As a punter, Bosher is 19th in gross average (44.8 yards) and 11th in net (40.2). Devin Hester is still a threat as the return specialist, ranking fourth with a 12.6 punt return average with 62-yard touchdown return. He is 14th in kick returns (23.8 average). The coverage teams lost their leading gunner, Antone Smith, to a broken leg and have given up some big returns. Players to watch: 1. Quarterback Matt Ryan: His 20 fourth-quarter comeback wins since 2008 are the most in the NFL, earning him the nickname Matty Ice. Ryan is completing 65.4 percent of his passes, has a 17 to 8 touchdown to interception ratio and a passer ranking of 93.2 2. Receiver Julio Jones: The player the Browns passed up in the 2011 draft when they traded down 21 spots with the Falcons, Jones is fourth in the NFL with 67 receptions and eighth with 912 yards. 3. KR-PR Devin Hester: The NFL?s all-time in combined kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns (20), he is still dangerous at the age of 32. His 62-yard touchdown return was the 14th punt return TD of his career ? also an NFL record. Injury report: CB Robert Alford (wrist) and RB Antone Smith (broken leg) are out. OL Jonathan Scott (hamstring) hasn?t played the last two weeks. Harry Douglas (foot), RS Devin Hester (ankle, hand) and DE Jonathan Massaquoi (foot) will be limited. Small world: General Manager Thomas Dimitroff was a college scout for the Browns from 1998 through 2001 ? Assistant head coach/wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie was on the Browns? coaching staff from 2001-06. He was interim head coach for the last five games of the season in 2004 ? defensive line coach Brian Cox held the same position with the Browns in 2009 and ?10) ? Special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong spent one season as the wide receivers coach at the University of Akron.
I sense we are starting to panic on here fellas. We could win this game if we contain their passing game. Haden has to contain Jones. Like he did to Green. I'm also hoping we can get some kind of pressure on Ryan. I'm not worried about their running game. But unfortunately that is not our strong point. I guess it's going to come down to Gordon. Is he ready or how ready is he? The offense is going to have to run the ball and keep theirs off the field. With all these injuries the Browns depth is going to get tested from here on out. That's what scared me at the start of the season. DEPTH! I thought it would be O-line and WR that we would be in trouble. Not what we have now. All we can do know is go out and play to win the game. I said at the beginning of the year that if we won 7 games I would be besides myself. I wouldn't mind more but I'll be happy with 7. This team is still 4/5 starters away for taking this division and making real noise in the AFC. Just as long as he drafts at best player of position of need. But we have some tough decisions to make about some players this off-season.
Jordan Cameron remains in the league's concussion protocol and will not practice Wednesday. Cameron appears to be in doubt for Week 12 against the Falcons, though he could be cleared any day. Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge continue to fill in at tight end. At this point, it's a waiting game. Cameron's long-term health is a concern. just retire if you cant play the game . tired of waiting on you *WALL*
Just saw on ESPN the Vikings claimed Ben Tate. That's kind of funny though. First Goodell boots Peterson out for the year then the Vikings get Tate. UMMMMM! Now I've never been arrested for domestic violence or child abuse but I think Goodell should be fired because the NFL has become a joke. People love the game of football. Flag, Pop Warner, High School and College. I see tons of fans at every level of games. Anyway, good luck Tate I hardly knew ya!
I also just read on Yahoo that Cameron is cleared to play this week. So we will see both Gordon and Cameron on the field this week.
Here's a good read on reducing concussions using magnets. What do you all think about this? http://www.neatorama.com/2014/11/17/Using-Magnets-to-Reduce-Football-Concussions/
News & Views News: Josh Gordon returns to the Browns after serving a 10-game suspension for abusing the National Football League?s drug substance program. Views: How much of a difference in the struggling Cleveland offense will the wide receiver make? Certainly not what Browns fans expect. Most fans expect Gordon, who stunned pro football last season with an incredible string of performances, to step right in and pick up where he left off. That?s not going to happen for any number of reasons. First and foremost, he is rusty. He might be in good shape from a physical standpoint. From a mental and emotional standpoint, he isn?t even close to being game ready. The most important aspect in the on-field relationship between a quarterback and his receivers is timing. All plays on that side of the ball require precision, mostly in the aerial game. Mess with that just a little bit, disrupt it even the slightest, and the likelihood of executing a successful play shrinks. That?s what quarterback Brian Hoyer and Gordon have to guard against this week in preparation for Sunday?s game in Atlanta. It won?t be easy. Gordon has no idea the kind of ball Hoyer throws this year. Watching him throw in the first 10 games is not the same as being on the field to see how much spin he puts on the ball. Does it tail? Does it drift? Does Hoyer wait for his guy to make a break in running his route before throwing the ball or does he throw the ball to a specific area before the break and rely on his man to be there when it arrives? He?ll find out beginning Sunday. It?s not as easy as a game of pitch and catch. Only the great quarterbacks can do that and Hoyer is still an NFL quarterback baby. Don?t for a moment think opposing defenses won?t pay extra special attention to Gordon wherever he goes on the field. That target on his back starts out large and grows by the game for the next six games. The opposition wants to minimize Hoyer?s options in the passing game. They see the wide receiver corps without Gordon has been mediocre at best in the first 10 games and will strive to keep it that way. But what about last season. Didn?t Hoyer and Gordon, who sat out the first two games due to another suspension, do well last season? Yes and no, but briefly. Hoyer debuted as the Browns? starting quarterback in the third game last season against the Minnesota Vikings and targeted Gordon 19 times. He connected on 10 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in a 31-27 victory. In the next game against Cincinnati, also a victory, Hoyer threw nine passes Gordon?s way, connecting on four for 71 yards. One game later, Hoyer tore his ACL in the first quarter, targeting Gordon once. What made the lanky wide receiver?s season so remarkable was he caught all but one of his nine touchdown passes and compiled most of his receiving yards from three different quarterbacks on a team that lost its last seven games after starting 4-5. The overwhelming majority (86.8%) of his 1,646 yards and touchdowns were compiled when Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell were under center. They were the perfect quarterbacks for Gordon?s stretch-the-field talents. That presents another problem. Weeden and Campbell have strong arms. Hoyer does not. It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan game plans for his newest wide receiver. Also bear in mind the Browns threw the football on two of every three plays last season because they had no running game. Gordon was targeted a very generous 11.4 times a game, enabling him to pile up those great statistics. This season, the Browns have a running game and do not throw the ball two-thirds of the time. So do not expect big things from Gordon right away. It might take as long as a few weeks for Hoyer and Gordon to establish the necessary rhythm to be successful. One thing is certain, though. Those Hoyer passes that have sailed over the smallish Cleveland receivers? heads all season will not sail uncaught when thrown in the much taller Gordon?s direction. News: The Browns release running back Ben Tate. Views: What took them so long? Was it because he opened up his mouth last week and declared his unhappiness at being the third option at his position? First of all, there are two reasons the Browns placed Tate behind Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West on the depth chart: They are better. And they are rookies. None of this would have happened if Tate had displayed some of the talent he exhibited in his first three seasons with the Houston Texans when he ran for nearly 2,000 yards and 10 touchdowns while serving as Arian Foster?s backup. That?s what the Browns expected when they signed him to an incentive-laden contract when no one else in the NFL showed any interest. All he had to do was come close to replicating those numbers and everything would have been all right. After injuring a knee in the opening game and missing three games, he returned and played well in victories over Tennessee and Pittsburgh, piling up 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns. After back-to-back lackluster efforts (62 yards on 31 carries), Mike Pettine decided his rookies couldn?t do any worse. That started Tate?s slide out of Cleveland. His last contribution against his former team last Sunday: Two carries for minus-9 yards. How fitting. Don?t let the door . . . News: Karlos Dansby goes down with a knee injury. Could miss rest of the season. Views: Bad news all the way around. The linebacker was the hub of the defense. He was the linchpin that made it somewhat respectable. With Dansby gone for at least the next month, the Cleveland defense will not be the same. He played as much from the neck up as he did with his large body. The defense will miss the mental aspect of his contributions. His ability to recognize certain offensive formations and call the correct defense against those formations will also be missed. He tackled well, was superb with his pass drops and was the glue that held the defense together. He was the antithesis of his predecessor D?Qwell Jackson. Big loss. Posted by Rich Passan
Brain cancer anyone ? I remember when they just played the game . you could lay someones ass out . now anything that resembles a hit gets flagged . the wussification of the game I grew up loving continues .
Will the Browns bounce back? Nov 17, 7:54 PM Cleveland's 23-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday was not pretty but there is one statistic that bodes well for the Browns. In games after a loss, the team is 3-0 this season. They will get a chance to run that tally to four straight on Sunday when they travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons. After a season opening loss to Pittsburgh, Cleveland bounced back with a win over the New Orleans Saints. The Ravens then beat Cleveland. The Browns followed that loss with wins over Tennessee and Pittsburgh. The team then lost at Jacksonville before recording wins against Tampa Bay, Oakland and Cincinnati. If the trend holds true, Cleveland would win their next four games against Atlanta, Buffalo, Indianapolis and Cincinnati. For the time being, the team is focused on the task at hand - Atlanta.
Where did you see this Els? I have been looking for it, but can't find it. Don't you have to practice, then wait at least 24 hrs before being cleared from the concussion protocol? He didn't practice yesterday, so I'm not sure he is even eligible to be released from protocol... I hope your source is accurate though, getting a 6' 5" target back the same week Gordon comes back could be huge down the stretch. Especially since we can get a two headed running game steam rolling, instead of needing to feed the big headed 3rd wheel a few snaps each week. I think the Tate move really strengthens this running game. I can't wait for Sunday!! Back on track for the AFC North!! I have a great feeling about this Falcons game...
Browns wide receiver "ready" to get back to playing football, rather than being suspended from it. BEREA, Ohio?Josh Gordon is not only back?he said he?s ready to play. ?(I?m) very ready,? Gordon said after his first practice. ?I had a long time to get ready for it.? Gordon just finished serving a 10 game suspension from the NFL for testing positive for an illegal substance. Gordon said his main goal is to help the Browns to get to the playoffs. ?Really, I just want to display some hard work and effort, not only me but try to get that atmosphere throughout the rest of the team and have us be in a position that the city of Cleveland hasn?t been in a long time,? Gordon said. ?Really, just trying to make a playoff push. That?s for sure.? Last year, Gordon was suspended for the first two games and in his first game back he had 10 receptions for 146 yards, including a touchdown in his first game back. Gordon went on to lead the NFL in receiving yards with 1,646 yards. Gordon was asked if he think he can play right away Sunday and contribute. ?I definitely think I can,? Gordon said. ?In regards to the coaching and how they want to implement me into the game plan, that?s up to them. I want them to do what they see fit and just use me as an asset wherever is the easiest for them to do.? Gordon was asked about former teammate Nate Burleson and current NFL Network analyst saying Gordon told him on Total Access Tuesday night that Gordon was going to ?tear up this league.? ?We might have a misquote,? Gordon said laughing. ?I told him I definitely wanted to outwork everybody at my position or anybody opposing me, just to put that effort out there and that leadership role through showing what I could do on the field as a sense throughout the entire league. He probably took it and [spun] it, but it?s cool. Nate?s my guy so in that context, sure.? Notebook Positive News on Sheard, Dansby: The Browns appear to have some positive news, in addition to the return of Josh Gordon. They received a break on the injury front in news on both Jabaal Sheard and Karlos Dansby. On Monday, Mike Pettine said he feared the injury to Sheard?s foot was more serious that of the knee sprain to Dansby. Pettine said he thought Dansby might be out for a month, but said it was possible Sheard was done for the season. However, Wednesday before practice, Pettine wsn?t ready to rule any of the player?s out for this week?s game, including Sheard and Dansby. ?We?re not in a position to rule anybody out, at this point,? Pettine said. ? We did get a second opinion on Jabaal and it was more encouraging and we?ll know in a day or so as far as his availability will be. It might be an issue where he?ll be down for a little bit, but we weren?t going to make the decision to put him on IR until we heard this other opinion and the news was fairly favorable.? Pettine indicated that once the foot ?quiets down? he might be healthy enough to play. ?Once it quiets down, (Sheard) could potentially play with it,? Pettine said. ?We sent him to one of the most renowned experts out there, but it?s such a rare thing, it was good news, but it surprised all of us.? Pettine said Dansby is attacking the injury in rehab and he is optimistic he could return sooner than later. ?With Karlos, he is working as hard as he can and we?ll know more as the week goes on,? Pettine said. Pettine said he didn?t think the chances were high that Dansby could play this week, but didn?t want to rule him out yet. ?I might rule him out (Thursday), but not today,? Pettine said. NFL Network?s Ian Rappaport reported Wednesday morning that Sheard?s injury wasn?t as serious as first thought and he is now listed as ?day-to-day? and could return as early as this Sunday. Sheard and Dansby were two of six players listed on the pre-practice injury report. In addition, tight end Jordan Cameron (concussion), defensive back Johnson Bademosi (concussion), wide receiver Marlon Moore (hamstring), defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin (knee) and Dansby were listed as limited for Wednesday?s practice. Rubin is another player to keep an eye one. Pettine admitted that the injuries on Rubin have affected him for most of the season. ?I think it?s definitely affected him,? Pettine said. Pettine said it might be later in the week before they know if Rubin will be able to play against the Falcons. Pettine also mentioned that Cameron and Bademosi are still in the concussion protocol and didn?t expect them to practice on Wednesday.
Where did you see this Els? I have been looking for it, but can't find it. Don't you have to practice, then wait at least 24 hrs before being cleared from the concussion protocol? He didn't practice yesterday, so I'm not sure he is even eligible to be released from protocol... I hope your source is accurate though, getting a 6' 5" target back the same week Gordon comes back could be huge down the stretch. Especially since we can get a two headed running game steam rolling, instead of needing to feed the big headed 3rd wheel a few snaps each week. I think the Tate move really strengthens this running game. I can't wait for Sunday!! Back on track for the AFC North!! I have a great feeling about this Falcons game... Tate was becoming a locker room distraction . addition by subtraction . have fun in Minny where you will also be a back up . I doubt we see Cameron again this year . its a shame as we do need his talents on the field . if his health is this bad then maybe he should consider walking away from the game . his long term health should come first . Rubs is playing hurt . what was once a strength has turned into a walking MASH unit . no wonder we cant stop the run or get much pressure on the opposing QB I wonder if they will give Winston a shot a RB ? here we go again with the three headed monster at RB . We can win in Atlanta and I expect them to do just that . the secondary will have its hands full with the Falcon WR corps . we must pressure Ryan to have a chance at winning . time for Gilbert to show up . all I am saying about him . at this point in the season your not a rookie anymore . its past time you get it !
