Inside Cody Kessler's numbers: Accuracy remains his hallmark 11:47 AM ET Pat McManamon ESPN Staff Writer BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Cody Kessler is living up to his reputation as an accurate passer. According to ESPN Stats & Info, only 8.8 percent of Kessler's passes have been off-target this season. That is the lowest percentage of off-target throws among qualified quarterbacks. Cincinnati's Andy Dalton is second, 12.4 percent. Kessler had the hallmark of being an accurate passer coming out of USC. The Browns made him a surprise third-round pick in part because of the fact that he completed 67.4 percent for the Trojans. With the Browns, he's completing 65.6 percent. Keeping his passes short has helped rookie Cody Kessler to a strong start this season.?Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire Accuracy also avoids turnovers. Kessler has just one interception in 122 throws, a ratio of 0.8 percent. In college, he had 19 interceptions in 851 attempts. Kessler and Seattle's Russell Wilson are the only two qualifying quarterbacks to have only one interception with at least 122 throws. One factor that is helping Kessler is the Browns' almost complete reliance on the short passing game with him at quarterback. Which isn't surprising given Kessler also arrived with the reputation of not having the strongest arm. The Stats folks at ESPN report that Kessler's average pass distance thrown is 6.98 yards. That's the sixth-lowest in the league. Only Detroit's Matthew Stafford, Kansas City's Alex Smith, Minnesota's Sam Bradford, Denver's Trevor Siemian and Wilson are lower. Only 17 of Kessler's 122 throws have been at least 15 yards downfield (13.9 percent). That's the second-lowest percentage in the league, behind Siemian. By comparison, Dalton has thrown 40 of 218 passes 15 yards or more (18.3). Kessler is 7-for-17 on those throws, with no touchdowns and one interception. On throws longer than 15 yards, Kessler has completed 41.2 percent. On throws shorter, he's completed 69.5 percent. The easy conclusion would be to disparage what Kessler has done based on those numbers. But the list of guys with short throws includes some pretty good quarterbacks. Bradford is fifth in the league in Total QBR, Stafford seventh. Bradford, Stafford and Wilson are ranked second, third and 12th, respectively, in quarterback rating. Most important, all of their teams are .500 or above. Combined, the records of the those teams is 19-8. Teams clearly can win with short-passing games, depending on the rest of the team's talent. A high passer rating for short-passing quarterbacks matches the conventional wisdom. Short and accurate passers are rewarded in passer rating. Sometimes the more careful a quarterback plays, the better his rating. Eventually the Browns will have to have Kessler throw the ball downfield more. Seventeen passes of more than 15 yards averages out to about four per start, or 1.3 per quarter (to factor in the fact he played just one quarter against New England). Defenses will squeeze the field on him now that they've seen film of him. But Kessler also is learning on the fly. He was thrust into the starting lineup far earlier than the Browns expected or hoped. His skill is accuracy, and coach Hue Jackson designed game plans to take advantage of that skill. One of Jackson's first statements when he learned that Kesser would start was that he had to design a game plan to help him. Kessler and the Browns are a short-passing team right now. Criticizing him for what he does well doesn't seem fair. Instead, he should be credited for taking advantage of what he does well. His long-term success, though, may depend on how well he does in the intermediate and long-passing game as he grows and as the offense grows with him.
Just seen this picture of Miocic with his arms spread out after he became champon. Under that it had LBJ with his arms out after the Cavs won the NBA title. Then it Santana with his arms out after he caught that pop up. After all that it had a Browns QB laying flat on his back. See fellas, the whole sporting world knows the Browns are the Cleveland weak link. They have been for over a decade and a half now. Enough is enough! I don't care how long it has been for this team to be relevant. It's been to damn long. I'm watching other teams turn things around in 3 years. Look at the Raiders. What really is the problem there in Berea? Excuses are over. Right now my sports revenue is going to the Indians, Cavs and Monsters. I was actually thinking about buy Indians season tickets instead of 4 tickets for a Browns game for my family. I got Direct TV so I wouldn't be stuck watching this train wreck. The Browns are losing out. I'm changing my #1 pick for this team. Now it is Myles Garrett T A&M. Still want Eilflein with the 2nd pick though. Time to put up or sell JIM BOB! Your business is making my city of champions look bad!
Why do you feel the need to take a dump all over the success of Cleveland and its winning teams by ranting incessantly about the Browns. Why combine the two and use the Cavs, Indians, etc. success as a measuring stick for the Browns? Be happy for the upside in one post and then rant away in another. This ain't a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. No reason to get your peanut butter in my chocolate. May be time to up the dosage on your bi-polar meds again, Els. Starting to sound quite the broken record. Did you really expect an almost completely overhauled roster to be that competitive? Have you not been paying attention since 1999? They aren't going to go from "suck" to "success" with just one draft and an off-season learning the new playbook.
No shit Els. You need to get a grip...wth? You always bring up the past as if it has anything to do with the guys currently working to resolve the problem...We are all aware of the frustrations that the Cleveland Browns and their fans have endured since 99. Just as we are aware of the success of the other Cleveland sports teams....You stomp and scream about other teams that have turned things around in THREE years, like Oakland, yet evidently you are only willing to give our current regime one draft and 6 games before you "lose it"?? lol! We are all proud of the success of our other Pro franchises in Cleveland, but casting stones at this young hard fighting Browns team because the baseball and basketball teams are championship caliber is just absurd....Bringing Miocic and the minor league hockey team into the rant is just hilarious though....If you don't want to watch the Browns play on Sunday, then don't. Go enjoy the Monsters.....I think most of us have found them to be more competitive than expected, and pretty fun to watch. Growing pains were expected by most of us. If for some reason you were thinking lots of wins this year for the Browns then you need get real....
Not to mention the Raiders took a little longer than 3 years, and more than 5 head coaches to accomplish their "3yr turnaround". Slam is in year 4. I'll give him year one, because he was "given" a front office. He did it to himself after that, but I believe he learned about how/when to go looking for and getting a HC who is truly worthy. Not sure how the Moneyball part is working out, lots of questionable moves IMO, but still I think I see a team forming. I may even live long enough to see it become one.
Inactives Inactives Marcus Burley DB Corey Coleman WR Seth DeValve WR Joe Haden DB Corey Lemonier LB Josh McCown QB Dan Vitale RB
Hogan with td run . kid must think he is Pryor or something . Will he last the game ? who is the back up to the back up ???
Elias reports that Kevin Hogan's 28-yard TD run was the longest by a quarterback in Browns team history. Hogan's running should not be a total surprise. He ran for 1,249 yards in four seasons at Stanford, and averaged just short of four yards per carry. Hogan's running was the main reason he ranked third in Total QBR among college quarterbacks in 2015.
*DRINK* *DRINK* *DRINK* *DRINK* *DRINK* The Buckeyes last night, and the Browns earlier today. %) I must be into whips and chains. *HIGH* Rok *BYE*
Hue said in his presser that he doesn't like where we are right now . Wonder if he was referring to the fact that he is in Cinncitucky or that we just don't have the talent to compete on Sunday .? I bet both .. *HELP* Els before ya come in here touting Eflein from the Buckeyes he got his ass handed to him the last two weeks .last night was HORRID ! Erving who must go left the game with a illness ? wonder if he got a STD from all the time his weak ass spent on his back getting run over . I still hate Farmer for that & well the rest of his screw ups . We are Cursed .I'm sure of it . Perhaps a sacrifice is in order to appease the football Godz ? I vote we use a mullet headed toothless inbred Ohio born Stooler fan wearing a T Shirt two sizes to small .. start scouring your local Walmart for one ASAP . *HELP*
bluez said - "Perhaps a sacrifice is in order to appease the football Godz ? I vote we use a mullet headed toothless inbred Ohio born Stooler fan wearing a T Shirt two sizes to small .. start scouring your local Walmart for one ASAP ." I can find all you want, but they'd be wearing Cowgirls T Shirts. *CRAZY* Rok *BYE*
I hope Kessler is okay....I always think, "there's no way our luck will stay this bad!"....and then each passing Sunday they find ways..... *WALL*
Bluez, Im not going to kick when someone is down,lol. Jackson just doesn't have enough bullets to shoot himself out of this mess. The running game looked good. Erving isn't really worth mentioning on this board. The Buckeyes are young on their line. I thought this year they would lose 3 games. OKL, Wisconsin and Michigan. I mean they lost a chit load of players to the draft. NONE WHERE TAKEN BY THE BROWNS,lol. Elflien is waaayyyy better than that ACC scrub we have in there now. Linebackers and defensive backs is what this team needs on defense. Thats why I've mentioned Peppers and Garrett. Garrett can get after the QB. Peppers can play either saftey position. 2 huge needs on this team. Offensively this team still needs some lineman. Whether people want to admit it or not the Browns are losing out. They want that #1 pick to trade. I like Kessler and Hogan but the Browns need to keep 5 of them,lol. This team has so many holes that Kiser or Watson wont help them,lol. JT and Haden are on their ways out. You are a no win football team with them. Besides they want to save that money,lol Don't worry die hards. This is all in the plans. You may not want to like it, you may not want to admit it but losing out is in this teams plans. TRIBE ON TUESDAY!!!! Don't let the Browns get you down. Time to win a WORLD SERIES!
A year after the Browns nearly traded tackle Joe Thomas to the Broncos (unless they didn?t), the question of whether the long-time fixture on the team?s offensive line will be shipped to a contender will once again land in the middle of the league?s radar screen. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, a trade is possible this year. However, real obstacles exist to getting a deal done. The Vikings, for example, would be very interested in Thomas. However, with a first-round pick and more already shipped to the Eagles for quarterback Sam Bradford and little cap space remaining, it?s a long shot that he?d go to Minnesota. The Cardinals, Giants, and Seahawks have varying degrees of interest in Thomas as well; the challenge would be coming up with what the Browns want (the source says it?s a second-round pick) and the cap space. If a deal happens, it likely would come at the deadline, after the Browns pay Thomas another $488,000 for Week Eight. And if the Browns opt for a take-what-they-can-get fire sale for Thomas, the Patriots would be interested in providing the landing spot. Ultimately, the Browns could simply decide to keep Thomas for the rest of the year and then trade Thomas after the season ends and before the draft. The chances of a trade happening this year currently are regarded as smaller than the chances of a trade were a year ago. With the Browns skewing younger and determined to stockpile draft picks, an eventual trade of Thomas would hardly be regarded as surprising.
By your logic, and the Browns for the past 18 years, the Browns will NEVER become a winning franchise. How is the logic, you have two proven players, but get rid of them because you haven't won anything with them...which empties your cabinet further. At some point you must BUILD a roster that you CAN win with. In order to build a roster, you cannot continually rid yourself of talent... Listen, we aren't the only team in the entire NFL who misses on draft picks. They are called misses, but in reality it is just impossible to predict how a college player will adapt to the pro game, because let's face it, the college game doesn't reflect the pro game in any way shape or form. Everything is different, because you must readapt your team every two to four years. The pro game evolves through longevity. This sets the college game up to elicit every ounce out of college players, which make them shine against teams that don't have film to shut that down. When they get to the pros, it is all about film and knowing how to exploit these players. Trading players who have proven they can adapt well enough yearly, and even weekly, to keep teams from exploiting them, is never going to better your team over a draft pick that may never be adaptable in the first place. The best option for this team is to carry Joe Thomas until the day he retires, because he makes this team better....eventually, they need to pay players or this team will eternally be a losing franchise...they found the diamond in the rough, just keep polishing it.
Joe Haden is simply GREAT for the city of Cleveland. This guy is a walking billboard for everything good going on in this city, and oh yeah, he's also one of the best at his position. I know he is injured a lot, but when he is healthy, he is still one of the best, whether you all want to believe it or not. You think player A or player B is better, but you don't study them weekly to see what there weaknesses are. When Haden is off the field he is supporting, our other pro franchises, he goes to local businesses and talks highly of them on social media...he has adapted to being a Clevelander. He is constantly talking about positive things going on in this city which helps attract others to come here...losing, or trading, him would be bad for the team because it would weaken the roster, and bad for the city because he is a great ambassador. We need to stop the bleeding of talent...instead, we need to add to the current talent pool and start actually building a team.
