And it's crazy to sit here and type ^^^^ that, a mere four seasons removed from going 0-16, but it's the reality of how good this roster is, how well this coaching staff and front office works together, and how very real the window is for this team to win a Super Bowl. The expectation of a 12-14 win season shouldn't seem unreasonable. Executing on fourth downs and dominating an inferior opponent on defense should be the bare minimum.
Well put SAS. I'm in agreement. We didn't come close to playing our best on Sunday, yet we still hammered the Bears. Speaking of hammers, don't forget we are only one silly Scottish Hammer play away from being 3-0 right now. It's going to be fun when this squad hits it's stride.... I mentioned the good stuff yesterday, but no doubt my biggest concern in watching the game was definitely the play of our O-line. I thought it was Jedrick Wills that got beat on both of the early 4th down fails. The one with the bad snap was doomed from the get, so I'll give a pass on that one, but the effort by our LT wasn't good on either attempt. I expect this unit to take a little heat in the film room this week and regroup in fine fashion for Minnesota. Certainly wasn't their best day, but that Chicago front 7 has some studs and they made a lot of good plays.... Minnesota presents a whole different set of challenges, so yeah, we need to shore up some things. Theilen and Jefferson are a scary thing up in that dome and I know it was by design, but we are certainly going to have to be more aggressive offensively than what Stafanski showed against Chicago. I think coach played it pretty close to the vest on Sunday and this week we will see him open it up.
Had a chance to go back and watch this game. I have a few thoughts on it (and the rest of the weekends match ups) that I'm going to try and post before Sunday in the random thoughts thread, but I have questions I wanted to drop in here first. This is obviously all based on personal opinion, so sling it how you will - Is the 2021 version of Baker Mayfield an accurate representation of what he is as a player? How much of an impact would it have on the ground game to start Hunt over Chubb? What do you see as the weakest link on either (preferably both) sides of the ball? You have to change one aspect of play calling for both the offense and the defense on game day. What are you changing? You have @Vikings, @Chargers and the Cardinals coming to town for your next 3. You're 2-1. What does your record look like 3 Tuesdays from now?
My personal opinion doesn't carry much sway in here, but . . . Here it is. It's close. But there are a few areas in which he needs to improve. Pre-snap reads. There are times (especially when under center) where he appears to be surprised when looks downfield after his dropback and sees a pass rusher he wasn't expecting. He's gotten better at realizing it's okay to throw the ball away and bring in the punter. But he still has his moments. If the defense continues to improve, this decision should come easier to him. He's the starting QB of an NFL team. It's time for him to abandon the rah-rah college bullshit after a good play. Act like the result of a play was exactly what it was designed to be. Cleveland is blessed to have two starting caliber running backs. Each with their own subtle differences. Chubb tends to prosper more as the game wears on and Hunt appears to be explosive right out of the gate. However, shy of tracking yards gained by each by quarter (which I'm not inclined to do) I don't think that impression holds water. They both run behind a pretty damn good O-line so it probably wouldn't have that much of a statistical difference. If you were to ask this question at the end of the 2020 season, the answer (probably unanimously) would have been the defensive secondary. Andrew Berry did a remarkable job in the off-season to re-tool the entire defensive unit. If there's a weak link left, it's the experience level of the entire unit working as one at NFL game day speed. You can't coach experience. All you can do is turn them loose and coach out their mistakes in the film room. Figure out how to cover a tight end over the middle. 4-2.
1. I think Baker is a system QB that fits well into Stefanski's system. Is there another system out there that he could run, I would say absolutely. He's got a sharp football mind. Is there a system out there that he would totally bomb? Absolutely, there are coordinators out there that do not change their system no matter what tools they have at their disposal. Now, until his shoulder fully heals, he will probably be a lessor version of himself, but 3 weeks into the regular season, that is probably true of 75-80% of the QBs starting. 2. It would have ZERO impact. To name a starter only tells you who will be in the game for the first play. The way Stefanski utilizes both backs is strategic and he changes things up on the fly nearly every game. Both of these guys make their team better, the fact they are on the same team makes it very difficult for defensive coordinators to plan for the Browns running attack. 3. Offense - This sounds pretty stupid but, too many weapons... It makes it more difficult to get in a rhythm when the packages change as much as they do... However, I am being about as picky as anyone could be. This is the best offense I have seen in Cleveland in over 30 years. From the product we have seen on the field the past two decades, it would be ridiculous to complain about anything. Defense - inconsistent CB play. So far, the rookie has done the best job of matching up to his opponent and not allowing them to play to their strength. I would like to see Ward tighten up his coverage, which should allow a split second longer for the pass rushers to do their job. I didn't get to see the complete game from this past weekend yet, but it sounds like he did a much better job. He is the second leading tackler on defense, but that is reflective in the fact that they are completing a higher percentage of passes when he is targeted. So far, amongst expected starters, I would put Ward as the weak link... Again, I'm being picky, both sides of the ball require a team effort and especially on the defensive side of the ball, the defense has been much more lacking than the offense to date. Missed tackles, missed assignments have not been a single person issue. They need to tighten up if they want to have the kind of season we all expected early on. 4. More blitzes on defense, need to speed the clock up for opposing QBs. Offense..what could you possibly change? They have been hitting on all cylinders. Keep the plays called for first read under 20 yards? Don't call too many long developing routes as the offensive line is good for the most part, but they don't seem to sustain their blocks for very long. 5. 5-1 of course, you gotta believe. No one goes into a week expecting to lose.
Only thing I disagree with. I don't think he does any more or less than the great QBs in the NFL do. Manning celebrated, Brady celebrated, Montana celebrated, Favre celebrated... and no, I am not comparing Baker to any of these guys, only in the fact that they get excited and celebrate after a big play. Being excited and reacting to a good play is infectious and makes those around you want to do it more often. That could mean a receiver runs a more crisp route, even when he isn't the first read or block down field, EXPECTING the runner to come his way on every play. They get excited knowing they were a part of it. If your QB doesn't get excited, then he is leading by example and no one is going to get excited. Brandon Weeden didn't get very excited... well, he didn't have much to get excited about, but you get my meaning. I can appreciate everything else stated as written!
Not much other than what has been already said. There is room for growth. With the best RB duo in the league I don’t think it matters. As eluded to earlier having to starting caliber RB’s is a plus. Offensively – I think that the WR need to be running better/cleaner routes. I’m not seeing the kind of separation especially in shorter routes. Not sure if this is related to technique, scheme, or laziness. Kareem Hunt is the leading receiver at this point. With all the talent at WR and TE this should not be the case. Defensively – IMHO it’s the lack of aggressive play calling and scheming. Yes we pummeled Chicago, but HOU should never have been in the game that close. I agree w/ Lym; TE’s are killing the defense. In game and Halftime adjustments. At times it seems like the coaches aren’t making the necessary adjustments/readjustments as the game progresses. P.S. on 4th and one don’t line up like you’re going to pass. Given the talent on the O-line and with Hunt and Chubb, load up to run and use play action if/when necessary. Likely 4-2
I hope not. I would hope there's still a lot of room for growth there. Yes, he's in his fourth season with the club but only his second with any sembelence of consistency. He's playing very well in Stefanski's offense, but he has room to improve. The Chicago game was a great example because there were serveral passes he missed (the wheel route to Felton would have been a gimme TD had he not over-thrown it). He's got to do a better job with those. I also still worry about his play with Odell on the field. I think whomever starts is irrelevant. Stefanski has shown the ability to switch between both backs, as needed. They both offer different skill sets and are both legitimate Top 5 RBs in the NFL. It's a very good "problem" to have. Denzel Ward. Offense: No more FB dives. Defense: More blitzes. 5-1
