By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer Email the author | Follow on Twitter on December 18, 2016 at 5:24 PM, updated December 18, 2016 at 5:26 PM ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- I don't know who Hue Jackson will play at quarterback next week when the Cleveland Browns entertain the San Diego Chargers. But I have a sense the Browns coach is feeling much like many of us do. It's painful to watch Robert Griffin III. I'm not blaming the Browns 33-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday all on Griffin. The defense was terrible. Some passes were dropped. Some of the blocking was iffy. But Griffin looks lost. It's excruciating to see Griffin play. I sense that's why Jackson said "everyone is in play" when it comes to deciding who will start at quarterback next week. He may circle back to Griffin. Josh McCown is 37 and not in the plans for next year. Cody Kessler is a rookie and the Browns do like him, at least as a backup. But he's had two concussions this season. Kessler has been cleared to play, but do they take a chance on him having a third concussion? My guess is Jackson will play Griffin next week. He was just very frustrated after Sunday's game. But this much is certain: Griffin has shown no reason to have much confidence in him as a viable quarterback option for 2017. SAD TO SEE Once upon a time, he was so much fun. That was in 2012, when he could throw, run and bring a crowd to its feet. That was his rookie season with Washington. Now, he looks as if he's suffering from football's version of shell-shock. He seems to be running for his life, and not always because the blocking has fallen apart. Good quarterbacks have a sense of where the rush is coming from and how long they have to throw. Griffin's mental clock is broken. Yes, the offensive line has issues. But Griffin makes their job harder because the blockers sometimes have no clue where he's going when he drops back to pass. Griffin has problems finding his second receiver when the first option is covered. So he just takes off and runs ... all over the place. Once in a while, it works. The Browns only touchdown Sunday was his 18-yard scramble. But mostly, he just looks desperate. IT'S MORE THAN RUST Jackson has said Griffin is "rusty." This is the first time since 2014 that he's had back-to-back starts. Griffin insisted, "I think I played better this game." He did, compared to his start last week in the 23-10 loss to Cincinnati. But we're talking such small steps, it's barely worth mentioning. Griffin has never been the same since having major knee surgery after the 2012 season. It was the same operation he had on the same knee in college. I saw Griffin play a few times in 2013 and 2014, when he had a 5-15 record as a starter. He was not close to the same dynamic player as 2012. And he looks the same way now as he did for Washington in 2013-2014. If the Browns want to play Griffin in the final two games, that's fine with me. I'm in the mode of "Please just get the season over!" If nothing else, the Browns should know for certain Griffin doesn't make sense to be in the plans at all next season -- be it as a starter or a backup. From the moment the Browns decided to trade down in the draft and pass up a shot at Carson Wentz, whoever played quarterback was just a place-holder. The Browns signing of Griffin was like buying a lottery ticket in the hope of a long shot coming in to pay the mortgage. The Browns were putting off the real search for a quarterback until 2017. And hopefully, they have spent all this season doing serious scouting of college quarterbacks. As for Griffin, I'm writing him off -- at least for this team. I'm curious to see if Jackson is ready to do the same when it comes to naming a quarterback for next week.
hard to tell . all I know is this offense is OFENSIVE :! This team is a train wreck . just end it already :!
The Jags fired Gus Bradley ..now hopefully the Browns fire Hortons dumbass and hire Bradley as DC .. He can coach defense .. Horton cannot *HELP*
No Cleveland Browns "Perfect Season Parade" for Me, Thanks Barry McBride 8:27 AM While the Browns have put an atrocious product on the field, a "perfect season" parade is a step too far for OBR founder Barry McBride. There's little to be gained in arguing with comedians. You never come off looking good, and generally find yourself getting laughed at. Or being told you don't have a sense of humor. Whatever. It's a loser's game. So call me a loser, because I'm not with the funnymen this time out. I'm not at all a fan of the notion of an "0-16 parade" to follow the Browns horrible season. I say this realizing that I'm now going to be lumped into a group which includes attention seekers, skeezy on-air bee pollen hucksters, and people accused of being humorless. Yikes. Before we continue, let me beg for your consideration of the notion that I "get it". You're reading an article from a guy who called himself "Art Bietz" and ran a website called the "Ravens Suckzone" making fun of the then-inept Baltimore Ravens during the Browns hiatus. I've tried at times, but don't claim to be funny, and admire and am jealous of those who are. I also admit to having a nearly ten-year-old twitter feed?full of sardonic comments on the Browns franchise. I'm as guilty of darkly laughing at this team as anyone. So, yes, I chuckled when I first heard of the idea of a parade for the winless Browns. Throwing a parade for a winless struggling franchise is a sure-fire example of ironic whimsy. It's funny to talk about. Actually doing it, however, is disrespectful to your fellow fans and to those people within the organization, including many players, who are trying their hardest to turn this franchise around. It's the difference between laughing about your team's futility within the "family" of Browns fans and publicly mocking the team, its employees, and its players. It's a line I don't feel comfortable crossing. Granted, the Browns are 0-14 and headed for a winless season. The product they've put on the field is atrocious and basically unwatchable. People are turning away from the team in record numbers, and FES is certain to be nearly empty as the Browns burn up their Christmas Eves with a pointless game against the Chargers. It doesn't get any worse than this, so one would expect some sort of reaction from the team's fans. But, as I've thought about it, I've wondered about guys like Terrelle Pryor?and Joe Thomas?, both athletes with undeniable skill and strong work ethics, who are trying their best week in and week out. Are they deserving of public mockery? Seriously? I think about the many people I've known who have worked for sports franchises. As evidenced by the controversy this week about comments by an Atlanta Braves exec, people give something up when they work in sports. I honestly can't speak for people in the Browns organization, but there are often incredibly long hours and low pay for the privilege of working for a sports franchise. A lot of these people have nothing to do with the on-field product but are as dedicated and supportive of the Browns as the most loyal fan. Are they deserving of public mockery? And what about the large percentage of fans who don't agree with this "parade"? By holding it, Browns fans will get painted with a singular brush, as we've already seen with Stephen Colbert's comments on the parade, in which he said the parade was being put on "by the city". The national media coverage of the event will be as subtle as a sledgehammer and generally uninformed. Browns fans have had a long history of rejecting the notion that other fans "speak for us". From Big Dawg to Dawgpound Mike, being pictured as speaking for Browns fans has generally led to bad results, regardless of whether or not they're deserved, as Browns fans are a demographically disparate group that doesn't like being lumped together as a caricature, even ones as funny as the folks behind this. Sure, there have of course been rationalizations for "Perfect Season Parade" along the way. Some associated with it claim that it "sends a message" to the team. As if this "message" was needed. No one is more embarrassed by the team's horrible display than those involved with it. No one more wants to turn it around. There is no message being sent, nothing of value, anyway, merely an opportunity for folks to have a giggle at the team's expense. Friends, putting more pressure on the team will simply result in more hasty decisions and reboots of the type which have landed us in the mess in the first place. As fans, we may not like the current plan put in place by the team, but at least there's an argument for letting it play out. How will the team's and other prospective free agents feel about playing in a town that laughs at its own representatives? At worst, the parade isn't seen as "dedicated fans laughing along with the team", but rather a river-on-fire indictment of the fanbase and the organization. Once launched, the spin will be impossible to control. One thing I've learned about the media, especially the national media, is that they revel in poking fun at Cleveland and its' fans, and will not pause to ask for complex discussions of motives. They may very well just point and laugh at Cleveland and move on. Perhaps not. I admit I could be wrong. Maybe everyone will "get it". Maybe we'll be seen (as we're all painted with that same brush) as loyal and lovable fans having a sense of humor about the franchise. But from personal experience on both sides of the media aisle, I don't have high hopes for the media's ability to absorb subtle distinctions. Surely, this will go on whether or not I personally support it, so, best of luck. You're speaking for all of us, whether you want to admit it or not.
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports Terrelle Pryor plans to play through a torn ligament in his finger which will likely require surgery after the season. Pryor suffered the injury against the Bills in Week 15. It does not make much sense for Pryor to tough it out in the definition of a dead season, especially with the quarterback situation in Cleveland as bad as anywhere in the league. Pryor has just five catches for 22 yards in the last two games. Playing injured in a terrible offense, Pryor will not be a realistic fantasy option this week.
I like Gus Bradley as a DC too...If we are gonna make a change, we could do worse than him. We were talking about potential candidates to help our sorry defense yesterday and I immediately thought of a guy that was sitting at our last home game along side Jim Brown....What about bringing in Jim Tressel to see if he can fix this mess? That guy knows how to coach defense. Just a thought...Idk. I really think he could help, and I know he's a life long fan that has to be disgusted with what he's seeing these days...
I understand Jim Tressel has a history surrounding the offensive side of the ball, but his teams have always seemed centered around ball control and playing great defense.... The guy is just a winner and a rock solid leader of men IMO, and I think he'd be an asset for a team that doesn't seem to have an abundance. I'm not saying make him defensive coordinator. Just bring him in....It would be more impressive to me than Art Briles. I'm just sayin...
RG3 will remain the starting quarterback against the Chargers, but Hue Jackson said he won't hesitate to replace him Fred Greetham Yesterday at 5:44 PM Hue Jackson said that he is going to give Robert Griffin III his third-straight start this week against the Chargers, but said he won't hesitate to replace him with Cody Kessler if RG3 struggles again BEREA, Ohio--A day after saying all options were on the table at quarterback, Hue Jackson didn't hesitate to name his starting quarterback for this week. ?Yeah, I think I am going to leave it as we have had it," Jackson said on a conference call Monday." I think ?Robert will go back out there again, and we will go out there and give him another opportunity to take a swing at it.? Jackson was asked why he was sticking with him. ?Because I think there was some improvement," he said. "There were some things that I thought he did much better when you go back and watch the tape than the first time he played. Hopefully there can be another jump in this next game, but I think he needs to go play and he needs to play well." Griffin was just 17-of-28 for 196 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and a rating of 81.8. He did rush for 48 yards on eight attempts and ?was sacked five times. Griffin scored the Browns only touchdown on an 18-yard scramble.? Jackson was asked what he liked about Griffin's performance. ?I thought in the second half, I thought he stood in there and threw some good balls," he said. "I thought he started managing and running our offense with efficiency. I thought he was in rhythm. For a moment there, we looked like the offense that I have come to know a little bit, and I thought there was an uptick in performance. It was unfortunate we got the holding call on Joe (Thomas). "I really did not think that was a holding call," he said. "We would have had the ball at the 3-yard line with a chance to score again, but again, there are some things that I think this week we will focus on with Robert again and see if we can get better. I think he is up to the challenge to do that.? ?Jackson wasn't asked but said he will replace Griffin with Cody Kessler, if need be. "I will not be hesitant in this game because I would like to see a little bit of Cody before the end of this season, and if things are not going as well as I like I do have that card to where I could put Cody in the game.? Extra Points Pryor Hurt: WR Terrelle Pryor injured his finger in Sunday's loss to the Bills and might miss next week's game. "Terrelle Pryor Sr. has an injured finger," Jackson said. "It happened in the second half. We will see how he progresses throughout the week, and we will make a determination from there. "Randall Telfer, he sprained his ankle," he said. "He was able to return to the game, but it might be an issue as we go through the week. We will see how he progresses. We would love for him to be back out there, but we will see how that all unfolds.? Jackson said Pryor's?availability?will be pain tolerance. If he's unable to play, WR Ricardo Louis will get a chance to play more snaps.? ?It would be Ricardo and Rashard (Higgins), and then obviously (Andrew Hawkins) ?Hawk?," Jackson said. "But, we will probably give Ricardo a shot at it. He has played there. He has done it earlier in the year. When we started playing our first group of rookies, he was out there. So, I am sure he will be excited if that would happen. We would hate to lose Terrelle. But, if we did, that is just part of it. We would have to find a way to continue to move forward.? Pryor caught four passes for 19 yards against the Bills to give him 67 receptions for 877 yards on the season. He needs just 123 yards to hit the 1,000 yard mark on the season.
Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor does not seem to be a popular guy among his colleagues in the NFL. Bengals cornerback Adam Jones ripped Pryor both before and after covering him this month. Players on the Giants ripped Pryor both before and after covering him last month. And Vikings guard Alex Boone, a college teammate of Pryor?s, said before this season that he was surprised Pryor was still in the NFL, adding, ?I hated everything about him.? Now we can add former NFL receiver Brian Hartline, who played with Pryor both at Ohio State and on the Browns, who said on Columbus radio station 105.7 The Zone that the Browns would be making a big mistake if they signed Pryor to a No. 1 receiver contract this offseason. ?If I?m building a team, what is [Pryor]?? Hartline said, via Ohio.com. ?Is he my No. 1? God, I hope not because let?s put it this way: For me, I want a guy day in and day out I know what I?m getting. You don?t know what you?re going to get. You don?t know who?s going to show up. You don?t know if he?s going to get in trouble. You don?t know if he?s going to smart off. I need stability. That?s so more important to me. I need a guy that runs routes. I need stability. I need constant production. Is he a No. 2? OK, yeah. I mean maybe. He kind of disappeared the last couple weeks. So I?m very apprehensive as a Cleveland Browns guy to give out a contract. Listen, you had one year. You?re a flash in the pan. You?re trying to tell me with a guy that had suspect personality characteristics, I?m going to go ahead and hand you a bunch of money but you?re going to work harder? Uh, I think I?m going to bet against that if I?m a betting man.? Pryor is the Browns? leader this season in catches (67), yards (877) and touchdowns (four), but Hartline says that doesn?t make Pryor a great player. ?At no point is he being dominant,? Hartline said. ?I?m not paying a guy off of one year. I?m wishing him well, and I?m going to go ahead and go build something else because I?m not sure Terrelle Pryor is a building block.? It?s unclear what it is about Pryor that causes so many NFL players to have such a negative reaction to him. But a whole lot of players dislike him.
They all cant b wrong...I keep saying it giving this guy a huge contract is asinine....somebody mentioned 4 yrs $40M....crazy...if they want to keep him 2 yrs $12M w some incentives...if he declines see ya
I have to say, Hartline brings some credibility to the doubts that creep in when you are considering big money contracts. I can't imagine there is really any animosity from him that would bring this out to harm the Browns. I think he is probably speaking his mind on the player...That worries me, not going to lie. If so, then you have to place a high priority in the draft...Maybe a Mike Williams with that Philly pick, he's the one player that I see #1 potential from the get go. I actually like Corey Davis better personally, but he is a higher risk coming out of the MAC. I have no idea where he ends up getting drafted. My money betting wise would be that Davis has a better career, but for my Browns building a franchise, Mike Williams is probably a safer bet.
I noticed TP antics all season long . the man wants to win and has some passion . that I like but ..I have also seen both coaches and players grab him after he blows up . I would resign but its going to be incentive laden contract . take it or leave it . I do trust Hartline . he is from the area . grew up a Browns fan . IMHO He only wants what's best for the franchise . lots of ex Buckeyes have spoken out on TP . where there's is smoke there is fire . Irish lots of good players have come out of the MAC..Antonio Browns comes to mind for one . I love the MAC myself .
Just dropped by to wish everyone a Merry Xmas. Been busy with work and the whole shopping thing, wrapping, decorations, etc. Maybe if we were good, Santa will get the Browns a win. So far it's been nothing but a lump of.......well, let's just say "not coal." Bluez, a round of overly spiked eggnog for the DPL if you would. *DRINK*
Duff good to see ya . Hell the drinks are on the house till after Christmas . we need to rotate the stock anyway . what better way to rotate than to drink it up . MERRY CHRISTMAS !
