Category: NFL

Cleveland Browns Coaching Decision and 2018 Season Review.

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Well it’s Super Bowl Week, and in a stunning a turn of events, the Browns have already been eliminated.  That leaves the Rams and Patriots standing in Atlanta.  Sadly the Browns were eliminated quite some time ago.  Week 16 to be exact.  In Week 17 there was still hope of finishing the 2018 season with a winning record (8-7-1).  In a Week 17 showdown with Baltimore, the Browns fell 2 points short of achieving that goal.  The Ravens outlasted the Browns 26-24, with CJ Mosley intercepting Baker Mayfield on the final possession to seal the deal.  It wasn’t all bad for Mayfield, who threw for 375 yards and 3 Touchdowns.  Bakers third TD toss gave him 27 on the year, which surpassed Russel Wilson’s record for the most of any Rookie Signal Caller.

7-8-1 sucks, but clearly is an improvement from 0-16.  If the Browns ducks were in a row last summer, well I think we would’ve been playing at least one Playoff game this year.  Once the coaching dust settled, they showed just how good they could be.  They were one of the most efficient Offense’s during the second half of year.  They could run it down your throat with Nick Chubb, and sling the fucker all over the joint.  In the end, the Defense is just not where it needs to be for this team to reach the Postseason.  In the final game, Lamar Jackson ran for 90 yards and 2 Touchdowns.  Kenneth Dixon rushed for 117 yards, and Gus Edwards added 76.   While they were able to generate a shit ton of turnovers in 2018, the Browns Defense just could not get a stop when they needed it the most.  Priority number 2 this Offseason should be improving the Defense, especially the interior of the Defensive Line.  What is the reason this is only second on the Offseason “To-Do List”?  That’s because priority number 1 this Offseason was to find a new Head Coach to pair with Baker Mayfield.

 

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They wouldn’t have to look to far to find the 17th Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns.  With Sean McVay having so much success out in Los Angeles, and Matt Nagy having similar success in Chicago, every NFL team is trying to replicate that type of hire. These young, offensive minds have captured the hearts of desperate, stupid Owners.

Kliff Kingsbury was hired out in Arizona, for reasons that confuse many. This guy choose Davis Webb over Baker Mayfield at Texas Tech, and was unable to win anything with Patrick Mahomes. He’s seen as this young genius, who has connections to McVay. The Cardinals went as far as to mention it in their Press Release:

You see where Arizona’s Head is at with this hire. They see those McVay connections, and history with Mayfield and Mahomes. It makes owners drool. They see high point totals and Kliff being the media’s darling like Sean himself. Problem is the dude finished under .500 at Texas Tech. Mediocre at best.

Kingsbury is just one example of this type of hire. The Jets hired Adam Gase, a mere few hours after he was fired by Miami. He too, is a young Offensive minded Head Coach.

Matt LaFleur was hired by the Green Bay Packers, who was Sean McVay’s Offensive Coordinator in 2017 out in LA. LaFleur then took over as Titans Offensive Coordinator. The Titans finished 27th in Points Per Game this past year, averaging 19.4 per game. This guy was hired to coach Aaron Fucking Rodgers.

The Browns interviewed a slew of mediocre Coordinators and former Head Coaches for the open position. Names like Jim Caldwell, Mike McCarthy, Gregg Williams, and Dan Campbell were interviewed. Josh McDaniels was linked to the job, mostly due to media speculation. Thanks to his Irish Goodbye from Indianapolis last year he never got an interview, while Patriots Defensive Coordinator, Brian Flores did. Despite having arguably the most attractive job open in the NFL, the Candidates were slim pickings.

All of these factors helped John Dorsey circle back around, and hire Interim Offensive Coordinator Freddie Kitchens as the teams 17th Head Coach. This comes as surprise, as Freddie was just a Runningbacks coach in August. He then was given the keys to the Offense when Todd Haley was told to screw. The results speak for themselves:

The Offense exponentially improved during the second half of the year with Kitchens calling the shots. The Browns Offense went from being one of the leagues most lackluster to most potent. Biggest tell for me is Red Zone Efficiency. From October on, the Browns were fucking money in the Red Zone. Mayfield was surgical inside the 20’s, so much so he was one of the better Red Zone passers in the NFL. You might think it’s easier to score in the Red Zone, but in the NFL it narrows your margin of error. You have to be even quicker, even more decisive in the Red Zone. Mayfield was just that and then some.

The Browns are betting on themselves with this hire. It is very rare a coach rises so rapidly within the ranks. Freddie has been in the league for quite some time, but he came from nowhere to be the most popular candidate. The one time Alabama Quarterback is loved by players and fans alike.

He is nearly impossible to dislike and or root against. Kitchens hails from Alabama, so naturally he’s got a deep Southern Drawl. He’s got a natural sense of humor at the podium.

That natural sense of humor is what helps Freddie connect so well with players. He clearly has a tight bond with Mayfield, and the whole team. He has this belief in the team, a belief that clearly translates on the field. Take a look at the second half of the year. The Browns were running trick plays to show off how good they were, they were breaking 90 yard Touchdown runs, and were slinging it 60+ yards to a first round bust (Perriman). Hell, if Alabama had not beaten Georgia in the SEC Championship, Freddie was going to let Nick Chubb call some plays in the Browns upcoming game. He was serious too. This sort of stuff was impossible for the Browns to ignore.

While I am definitely nervous about this hire, but there is definitely that slim chance this dude pops and the Browns explode to like 11-5 or something . I am certainly skeptical, but this is Dorsey’s guy which makes it all better. What do I mean by Dorsey’s guy?

Jimmy and Dee Haslam keeping their fucking asses out of Football decisions. That’s what i mean. They desperately need to keep watching from the sidelines, keep mouths shut, and sign fucking checks. Sounds harsh but these two do more damage than good. This is John’s team now. John, Alonzo, Eliot, and the rest of the old Packers boys should be making these calls. John Dorsey knows this. Seth Wickersham recently wrote just a fantastic Expose for ESPN on the Browns under Haslam. Regarding the Kitchens hire Dorsey states, “I flexed my muscles and got what I wanted”.

Dorsey paired a cabinet of solid Assistant Coaches with Freddie to help ease the transition.

Todd Monken is taking his talents from Tampa to Cleveland to be Freddie’s Offensive Coordinator. Monken comes of high regard, and was Interviewed for numerous Coordinator AND Head Coaching gigs this Offseason.

Monken is an aggressive coach, who’s philosophy revolves around the Air Raid system. His teams are aggressive, and it showed with Buccaneers this year. Monken is coming in to run the offense, but not call plays. That will still be Freddie’s bread and butter.

On the Defensive side of the ball, Steve Wilks was brought in to run the show. Wilks spent the 2018 Season as Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinals. His team was an absolute train wreck. They gutted the roster before he got there, basically hanging the dude out to dry. Wilks is most known for being the Carolina Panthers Defensive Coordinator. If anything, Wilks will be able to help guide Freddie through the Up’s and Down’s of being a Head Coach in the NFL. Gregg’s Defensive scheme had gone stale, and was masked by the unit generate a shit ton of turnovers. Wilks is a highly regarded Coordinator, and the Browns are hoping he can take the Defense to another level.

All that’s left now is to wait for the League New Year for any sort of news. March 13th will be the day Free Agency opens up. Big John has stated he doesn’t have any Jaw Dropping plans, like last years flurry of Trades and signings.

I tend to agree with that stance from Johnny. There aren’t really any Free Agents out there that tickle my fancy. A list of the top NFL Free Agents ranked by Pro Football Focus can be found here. Obviously there are a few names that stand out. Demarcus Lawrence certainly tickles the fancy, but the Cowboys are likely going to re-sign him. Trey Flowers is another one that moves the needle. If he hits Free Agency odds are he won’t want to leave a perennial winner in New England for Cleveland. Still, there are a few D line options the Browns could go after to bolster the Run Defense and Pass Rush.

Shaq Barrett is one to grab on the cheap, as Bradley Chubb outshines him out in Denver. The Browns have been interested in the past, but never got anything done. Maybe they take a flyer? Other than that nothing appeals to me. It’s an older Free Agency class than what we normally see.

2018 being over sucks. I have major Blue Balls for next season. I am not going to sit here and guarantee playoffs or anything though. The Browns are the Browns. Usually when they make strides the next year is hell. While I feel comfortable with Mayfield and Dorsey, it’s still going to be interesting to see how the teams builds of the late season success of this year. Fingers crossed.

I’ll leave you with an assortment of Browns Porn to get you through the Offseason.

Hope 2019 adds a second volume of Browns Porn. I sure enjoy it! Go Browns!

Hammer Time!

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This past Sunday the Cleveland Browns pulled the curtain on their home schedule, with a 26-18 beating of the hapless Cincinnati Bengals.  It was the first game I have ever watched where nearly every Offensive play the Browns ran…worked.  Everything was clicking.  The win on Sunday brings the Browns to 7-7-1 on the year.  Sadly, their fate was out of their own hands.  The day prior saw the Redskins lose to the Tennessee Titans, which was enough to officially eliminate the Browns.  Don’t cry because its over, smile because it happened.  I’m not necessarily mad they didn’t make the playoffs a year removed from not winning a single game, but looking back….FUCK.  They should be in.  The Browns should be traveling to Baltimore for the right to claim the AFC North Title.  Hindsight really makes those early season losses that much worse.  They will be playing a game which determines the AFC North Title at the very least? Either way, the Browns and their fans are having some fun.  This past week was yet another display of that, as it was a fucking treat to watch.

The beginning of the game saw both teams come out a bit flat.  It is expected for the Bengals who have nothing to play for at this stage.  The Browns had been coming out firing for the better part of a month, but the Bengals were able to stymie them early on.  Both squads exchanged 4 punts to begin the Battle of Ohio.  Finally at the end of the First Quarter Mayfield lead a long march inside the Bengal Five yard line.  On Third and Goal from the Three, Mayfield hit David Njoku in the back corner of the Endzone to open up the scoring.

Nice throw by Mayfield to the back corner, and all Chief has to do is win the one on one battle, which he does easily.  Seems like a light switch has been turned for Njoku since the Kansas City game.  The Browns in general are freaking money in the Red Zone.  The Red Zone used to be a place where I closed my eyes and just hoped for the best.  Recently I can count on them to make big plays in the Red Zone.

Having just scored, the Browns were feeling it.  The very next possession had the Bengals going the wrong direction.  3 plays totaling a loss of 11 yards.  The Browns got the ball back, eager to give the Sellout crowd a show, Freddie Kitchens dialed up yet another trick on the first play from the Browns 30:

Seeing this as a trend this year in the NFL.  A ton of teams are running a shitload of Jet-Sweeps with Wide Receivers, and occasionally having them throw up a bomb.  We’ve seen a few from Odell Beckham this year, and Landry has made a few attempts himself.  Helluva throw on this play.  No joke this might be the second best throw by a Browns QB since 1999.  What a beautiful throw by Landry!  First, he shows great awareness feeling that pressure coming, stepping into pocket, and hitting Perriman’s back shoulder in stride.  Not to mention he fit it between two defenders.  There goes Perriman again with his token big play.  Two plays later, Mayfield fired a Touchdown pass to Darren Fells to make it 13-0 Browns.

The Browns were rolling, so naturally Greg Joseph decided he’d rather play “H-O-R-S-E” by drilling the upright with the Extra-Point.  It wouldn’t pose much of a problem, because the Bengals would not threaten for the remainder of the first half.  The Browns would add a Greg Joseph Field Goal to make it 16-0 at halftime.

The Second half started out much like the First.  The Bengals were forced to punt on their first possession.  Mayfield made them pay, taking the Browns on a 9 play, 87 yard march to pay dirt.  On 3rd and 4 from the Bengal 17, Mayfield hit Rashard Higgins underneath, and Higgins took care of the rest:

Once again the Browns were absolutely torching the Bengals.  They would add one more Field Goal in the fourth Quarter to make it 26-0.  Jeff Driskel then lead a mini-charge, scoring 18 unanswered points.  On their last drive of the game, Mayfield decided it was time to ice the game:

Best part about this play?

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Naturally that is Hue Jackson who Baker is taunting right there.  I was hoping they’d get really mean, and try and punch it in after that long catch and run.  Sadly the Browns decided to #VictoryFormation for the remainder of the game.  A third consecutive win brings them to 7-7-1.  This is bittersweet because it is great to finally be winning at a healthy clip.  7 wins a year removed from winless will never not be a positive.  It is unfortunate that their ducks were not in a row at the beginning of the season.  There are games that they should have won.  Oakland, New Orleans, Tampa, and the first meeting with the Steelers should all have been Browns wins.  More often than not, the Browns beat themselves or got screwed by inexplicable calls in those games.  They should be around the 11 win clip.  That doesn’t mean this season is a failure, its just giving me some serious blue balls.  Had that first down call in Oakland not been reversed, this weeks match-up with Baltimore would be for the fucking division.

This game does have meaning, as it will determine who wins the AFC North.  If the Browns win, the Steelers will take the North (assuming they beat Cincinnati).  The Ravens win and they’re in.

The game has been flexed into the National time-slot with Nance and Romo calling this one.  Hopefully the Browns will be playing more Nationally televised games in the future, but with their own Playoff fate on the line.  Lets finish above .500, shall we?

Lets go Browns!

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Here Come the Browns.

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After getting their tails kicked in by the Texans three weeks ago, the Cleveland Browns have once again won 2 games in a row.  They took care of the Carolina Panthers 26-20 to improve to 5-7-1, and they took down the Denver Broncos at Mile High, 17-16.  The Browns are so very close to .500 at 6-7-1, and even still have a small chance to make the playoffs. Small chance is being a bit generous too, considering they’ll need a Colts and Titans tie in week 17.  Safe to say the Browns late season push will be for not, but  Its week 16 and they have not been eliminated.  Normally this is pathetic to be proud of, but it sure beats the alternative:

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The horror of 0-16 seems like forever ago.  Watching Saturday night showed many what is coming in the future.  A team that is only going to get better.   The Browns have a supremely athletic Defense that is opportunistic, and Offense that can run the ball down your throat, and pick you apart in the passing game.  Most importantly of course is the Quarterback, which is now in place.  Baker Mayfield has been nothing short of fantastic.  He was amazing at Mile High, which is right up there as the toughest place to play in the NFL.  Combine those sicko fans and noise with altitude, and your hard pressed to find a tougher place.  The Bronco’s aren’t the same as they once were, mostly on Offense.  Gone is Demaryius Thomas, hurt is Emmanuel Sanders, and Case Keenum simply sucks.  They still have as good a pass-rush as anyone in the NFL, sporting Bradley Chubb and Von Miller.  The secondary is not what it used to be in their Super Bowl Days when they had Chris Harris Jr, Aqib Talib, and TJ Ward.   Even so, they were hanging to a thread in the playoff race just like the Browns.

The Browns did not wilt.  In what was a sloppy affair between two mediocre teams record wise.  Baker Mayfield was fantastic on the Opening Drive.  On 3rd and 9 from the Denver 31, Mayfield found Breshad Perriman around the goal line:

Phenomenal throw and catch.  Perriman has been just about as good as you could hope for.  All the Browns did was take a flyer, and this dude makes at least one huge play a game.  No more than 2 catches a game, but its always a deep bomb, a clutch 3rd down catch, or in this case a touchdown.  Things were looking good for the Browns, but they hit a bit of a lull for pretty much the entire first half.  After the opening Touchdown drive the next 5 possessions went: Punt, Punt, Field Goal, Punt, Interception.  Luckily for the Browns, Case Keenum and company didn’t fair much better.  They were able to match Perriman’s match touchdown at least:

The second half wasn’t much more exciting, as both teams continued to struggle on Offense.  Mayfield added a fumble to his early interception, while Keenum threw his second pick of the afternoon.  Despite the sloppy play, Mayfield lead a march into Denver territory early in the 4th.  Finally, on 1st and Goal from the Denver 2, Mayfield found Antonio Callaway on a quick slant for six.

With the Browns up 17-10 late in the 4th Quarter, the Broncos added a 29 yard Field Goal from  Brandon McManus to cut the lead to just one point.  Sounds great and all, but this was 4th and 1 from the Browns 11.  Knowing how good the Browns are running the Football, why on earth would you kick?  You HAVE to go for it.  Sure enough the Browns managed drive the ball all the way into Bronco territory. They were looking to pretty much kill the game.

Just awful.  With an easy chip shot within range, The Browns really wanted to ice a win by going for it on 4th and 1.  I love the ambition, as normally I would go for this every single time too.  4th and 1, in December, at Mile High? Kick the damn ball, or if you go for it keep the ball in the hands of Mayfield.  The Broncos sniffed out the Chubb run before he could even blink.  Just like that, the Browns would have to keep the Broncos out of Field Goal Range.

Never fear, Jabrill is here.

Just like that, the Browns were a scorching 6-7-1 on the year.  Don’t let the Browns get hot!  In terms of the playoffs, the Browns are done.  Nearly every team the Browns needed to lose…won.   They are not eliminated from Wild Card contention, but are from the AFC North thanks to the New England Patriots.  The only scenario in which the Browns could sneak in involves needing a tie.  That means its over.

That doesn’t matter much to me though, as I never expected them to make the playoffs.  How could I?  I am more excited about the team firmly sitting in the teens for this Springs draft.

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The Browns sit at 16th.  Still hanging on in the Wild Card race by a thread with just two weeks remaining?  I’d say this season is a success.  This weekend the Browns will host the Cincinnati Bengals in their final home game of 2018.  The Browns are eager to take a few more shots at their ex-Coach.

The Browns are a staggering 9 point favorites heading into this one.  I genuinely feel like this one shouldn’t be too much of a problem for the Browns.  Jeff Driskel will be starting for Marvin’s gang.  The Bengals defense is absolutely terrible, so Mayfield and company should feast.  Look for more growth from players like Njoku and Callaway, who turned the switch during the second half of the year. Lets finish this thing the right way with two wins to finish 8-7-1.

Lets go Browns!

Feelin’ Dangerous.

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Fuckin’ right!  For the first time in years (seriously its been like 3-4 years), the Cleveland Browns beat an opponent soundly.  No barely made field goals as time expired, or a stop on the final drive.  The Browns took a multiple possession lead into the fourth quarter, and closed it out.  The Atlanta Falcons were red hot coming in, having won three straight games.  Didn’t matter on this day, as the Browns finally had their Offense AND Defense clicking at the same time.   The win was a nice glimpse into the future, as two Browns Rookies shined the brightest.  Nick Chubb and Baker Mayfield electrified FirstEnergy Stadium.  For the first time in years, the whole Browns roster played a complete game on Sunday.  Wow that feels good to say!

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I was expecting another loss coming into this one, considering Atlanta was coming in hot.  Stupid of me considering the teams they beat consisted of the New York Football Giants, Washington Redskins, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Browns were coming off an ass-kicking, courtesy of the Kansas City Chiefs.  Didn’t matter on this Sunday, as the Browns showed they were ready to play from the get-go.

Both teams exchanged punts to start the game, but on their second possession, the Browns started to march.  Mayfield got it going with a nice 16 yard catch and scamper by Breshad Perriman.   Two plays later from the Cleveland 30 yard line, Mayfield fired an 18 yard strike to David Njoku, and I am still not sure how this dude caught it.

Just an unreal throw from Baker, and a shockingly good awareness/hands from Njoku.  Certainly not one he usually catches.  A 13 catch and run by Nick Chubb, and a 10 yard reception by Jarvis Landry had the Browns at 1st and 10 from the Atlanta 28 yard line.  Magic ensued as Mayfield took a shotgun snap, rolled to his right, and fired a 28 yard strike to a leaping Rashard Higgins.

Just an awesome drive, capped off by Mayfield’s best throw of the afternoon.  Rolling out to his right, pressure coming up the middle and on the edge, and he fired a pill off his back foot.  Just an awesome throw, one Cleveland Browns fans are not used to seeing.  A nice 7-0 lead for the Browns.

Just as you might expect, the Atlanta Falcons came right back down the field on their ensuing possession, as Giorgio Tavecchio nailed a 40 yard field goal.  It capped off a long 15 play, 53 yard drive.  On the ensuing Browns possession, things were looking great again, until Freddie Kitchens got a little too excited.

AHHHHHH fuck guys!  A nice 6 play drive had gotten the ball into Falcon territory, and the Browns got cute.  Never get cute if you’re the Browns.  Coming out in sort of variation of the Wishbone formation, Dontrelle Hilliard (lined up to Mayfields left) took a quick hand-off, and Mayfield took off to the flat on the left sideline.  Hilliard reared back and threw a duck to Mayfield.  It was easily picked off by Damontae Kazee, who ran it back to the Cleveland 45 yard line.   I have no problem with these gadget plays when you’re struggling to find some offense and need a spark.  The Browns were moving the ball at will, and got a little cocky when they didn’t have to.  Six plays later, Matt Ryan found Julio Jones for six.

This is where you start to groan and say, well that’s it!  A costly turnover which the Falcons capitalized on to take the lead.  Its all down hill from here, right?  Wrong.  The Browns responded with a mesmerizing 8 play, 80 yard march to pay-dirt.  On 2nd and 13 from the Atlanta 13, Baker Mayfield found Nick Chubb on a beautifully set up screen pass.  Chub waltzed into the endzone from there.

Beautifully set up screen pass by Mayfield, who stood tall selling all of the fakes.  Even better job by the big uglies on the offensive line.  They set up a nice wall for Chubb once he caught it, and they sealed off the only free would-be tackler.  The Browns would head into half up 14-10.  Baker finished with a perfect passer rating.  Unreal, it’s so beautiful I nearly shed tears of joy.

The Falcons would open up the second half with the ball, looking to take a lead.  Instead, on the third play of the half, Mohamed Sanu coughed up the ball, and the Browns recovered in Atlanta Territory.  Six plays later, Duke Johnson caught a Baker Mayfield check-down, and waltzed into the endzone, similar to Chubb.

So now, I am trying not to get excited.  A two possession lead is normally this teams Kryptonite.    I was fully expecting Atlanta to make it 21-17 on their next possession.  The Browns had other ideas, as they forced Matt Ryan and the Falcons to go three-and-out.  When the Browns got the ball back, they were pinned deep.  Starting from their 8 yard line, I was hoping for a long, clock killing drive.  Nick Chubb said “fuck it”

On 2nd and 8 from the Cleveland 8, Nick Chubb exploded through the line of scrimmage, and it was over from there.  92 fucking yards, and the Browns were up 28-10.  Unbelievable.  Shout out to Antonio Callaway on this play, who I give a lot of shit to.  Helluva play here.  Nowadays everything is damn penalty, so he directs Chubb to the left, and merely creates a moving screen.  Thankfully that Sally did not want any part of engaging Callaway, or trying to tackle Chubb.  Callaway merely stood in the way.  No stupid penalties taken.  The best play Callaway has made all year, and I mean that.  It was a smart, heads up play.

It was 28-10 for the majority of the 4th quarter, as the Browns were trying kill the clock.  So were the Falcons apparently, as they marched at their own pace.  The Falcons marched inside the Cleveland 10 twice in the fourth Quarter.  One trip resulted in a turnover on downs:

The second trip into the Redzone resulted in a Matt Ryan touchdown pass to Austin Hooper on 4th and goal.

BLAH.  Shoulda made that tackle.  Shoulda, coulda, woulda though.  The Browns would in fact sack Ryan on their 2 point conversion attempt, keeping the score at 28-16.  The Falcons would get the ball on last time, and the game ended on sack fumble recovered by Jamie Collins.

When the Browns want to be, they can play with anyone, and they can beat anyone. We are finally starting to see some more disciplined play, since the departure of Hue Jackson.

OH you don’t fucking say?!  Only 4, huh?  Funny how that works.  Remove the common denominator, and good things happen.   Credit to Gregg Williams, as he as instilled far more Football discipline than Hue.  It seems to be a huge problem for Jackson as this same issue constantly plagues the teams he’s coached.

The Browns are off this week, which sucks because you want them to try and ride the momentum of their win.  Two weeks off is dangerous, because they are gonna be hearing how great they are.  Hopefully they continue to build off this win, and don’t get complacent during the Bye week.  The Browns next game will be in two weeks time, in Cincinnati.  Cincy is coming off getting bent by the New Orleans Saints at home to the tune of 51-14.  The Browns can beat these fucking bums.  With two weeks to prepare, I would hope the Browns take advantage of the reeling Bengals, who fired there Defensive Coordinator this past Monday.

More incentive to beat the fucking pulp out of these guys.  Less than two weeks after his firing, Hue Jackson took a Dwight Schrute esque role with the Bengals.  He did a media tour saying “WOE IS ME” and “NOT MY FAULT”, and then takes a job with his soulmate Marvin Lewis.  I have never wanted a win more.  I wouldn’t hate him so much if he had just shut his fucking mouth.  He’s the only coach to basically go on a media tour to plead for another job.  A media tour in which he blamed everyone but himself.  I hope the Browns see this, and get ready to bury that motherfucker.

Says it all right there.  So much lack of respect.  I love it.  I bet there are many more Browns players who feel the same way, and we just don’t know it.  Either way, Hue’s return has made this match-up in two weeks more interesting.  It has certainly made for some classic, memes,  gifs, and other internet jokes.

Two weeks to prepare for this fucking guy.  Two weeks.  Lets hope the Browns build off this last week, and add a few more wins to the total.  I do not think they are going to make a legitimate run at the playoffs this year.  The problem with the Browns winning is…people tend to overreact to them.  It happens so little, every time they win we see articles and tweets about Playoffs.  Could they?  Sure. Will they? You know the answer to that.  They can definitely still play spoiler for other teams like the Bengals and Ravens.  Just enjoy the win for two weeks, and lets see what they’re made of coming out of the Bye.

Go Browns!  Can’t lose this weekend!

2019 Head Coaching Shortlist

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The dust has settled after a wild 48 hours in Berea, Ohio.  We are Offensive Coordinator-less and Head Coach-less.  Sure Gregg Williams was named Interim Head Coach, but it doesn’t really matter. The interim could be Joe Blow for all I care.  The season is lost at this juncture anyway.  Especially with Mahomes coming our way this week.  With the Browns defense slipping with each passing week, we won’t be able to stop them.  The Chiefs defense is god awful, but the Browns aren’t good enough to score enough points required to beat Kansas City.  We’d have to score around 30 points (thats a conservative number), and that is not happening.  At this point, keep developing the talent on the Roster, get healthy, and find an offense in the Off-Season.

With all that being said, lets take a look at some of the candidates to be the next Head Coach of the Browns being thrown out there by the media.  In no particular order:

  1.  Lincoln Riley Image result for lincoln riley

Going to hear this name a lot in the coming months.  I’ve heard it nonstop since we drafted Baker in May.   Hell, a couple of hours after Hue and Haley were fired, Riley had to answer a question about the Browns job:

Pretty stupid if you ask me.  Reporters asking Lincoln this question, what the fuck do you expect him to stay?  You’re only putting him on the spot.  Either way, I am a hard pass on Lincoln Riley.  No college coach can turn around the Cleveland Browns.  No Nick Saban, no Bobby Bowden in his prime, nobody in college can turn around the Cleveland Browns.  Going after Riley would seem like slapping a band-aid on the issues.  “Oh boy! Let’s hire Lincoln!  He’s coached Baker in college, problem solved!!”. This guy seems to be a pretty good coach at Oklahoma, but I feel like once Baker left, the two should go their separate ways.  They may have worked great together in College, but just college.  All good things must come to an end.  Plus there are 52 other guys to deal with not named Baker Mayfield.  They aren’t college kids either, how would this dude handle it?

I do like the idea of an Offensive Minded coach,  a young one too, but to fix the Browns NFL experience is needed.

2. Matt Campbell

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Again, this name is going to be brought up quite a bit from now until January.

Dustin Fox, who hosts a Radio Show in Cleveland tweeted this after Albert Breer stated, “Keep a close eye on … Matt Campbell,” Breer reported on Monday. “Highly regarded in the circles that [Cleveland] GM John Dorsey runs in.”  Again.  No.  I feel like the last two names are Sean McVay knockoffs.  The young, progressive coach, who is regarded for being innovative, and getting the most out of his players.  Stop trying to copy the Rams, and mimic a McVay type hire.  Odds are a college coach would be a disaster.  Especially one that coached at the national powerhouse that is………………..Iowa Fucking State.  I am pretty sure Iowa State has been bad my entire  life.  So far, this short list BLOWS.  Be better at fishing out candidates media, come on.

3. Bruce Arians 

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Now this beautiful bastards name was not brought up specifically by anyone in the Breer, Rappaport, or Schefter mold, but Bruce has long been connected to Cleveland.

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Bruce was the Browns Offensive Coordinator from 2001-2003, and has stated numerous times that he wants to come back.  Not sure if he is willing to come out of the Broadcast Booth, as that is a pretty cushy gig.   Now is as good a time as ever to lure this man out of retirement.

As an NFL Head Coach, Arians is 49–30–1 in the regular season, and 1-3 in the Postseason.  He is most know for his years with the Arizona Cardinals, but he also had a 9-3 stint as Interim Head Coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.  He is a two time Super Bowl Champion, as he was the Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receivers Coach, and then Offensive coordinator.  He spent a whopping 7 years with the Steelers (2004-2011) winning two Super Bowls.  This man has done it all, and he has done it all in the National Football League.  Sign me up.

The Browns already have a connection to Arians on the staff, as new Offensive Coordinator, Freddie Kitchens was a member of Bruce’s staff in Arizona.

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First things first: Any coach who wears a QB wrist band, as Kitchens is above…they FUCK  plain and simple. Freddie was our Runningbacks coach, but was elevated when Haley was fired.  He was Quarterbacks Coach in Arizona, and is credited for being a big reason why Carson Palmer turned his career around.

This is neither here, nor there.  It is a nice connection to Arians, who is honestly my ideal candidate.  Who knows if he even wants to Coach anymore, I doubt he does.  Its a shame, because only a man with experience in MULTIPLE (coordinator, positional coach, head coach) NFL coaching roles, can save the Cleveland Browns.

4. John DeFilippo

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Flip!  Widely mentioned to fill numerous Head Coaching voids in the NFL, mainly due to his work as a Quarterbacks Coach in places like, Oakland, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and now Minnesota.  He has also spent time as the Browns Offensive Coordinator, and is currently in the same position in Minnesota.

I really, really like John DeFilippo.  He works wonders with Quarterbacks. The Browns offense was actually half decent under Flip.  No matter who played, they weren’t terrible.  We had Manziel, McCown, and Austin Davis playing at some point that season, and the offense always moved the ball.  Manziel’s only NFL success came with John DeFilippo calling plays.   Obviously, Flip played a major role in the development of Carson Wentz, as he spent the last two seasons in Philly as Quarterbacks Coach.

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The Browns haven’t been able to move the ball at all since Flip was the OC.  I swear that man works magic.   We just did not have the talent to score a lot of points, but we were always moving the ball.  All of the Quarterbacks looked good doing so, as well.  Now, Flip is doing his thing with Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen, and Stefon Diggs in Minny.  He has that offense flying high (not hard to do, really).  Flip is high up on my wish-list.  He made me think weapons is all Johnny Football needed to be “The Guy”.  I salivate at the thought of Flip and Baker.

5. Gregg Williams

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I know it sounds stupid, but you gotta put Gregg on the short list, as of today.  I am not expecting this guy to be any good as a head coach.  I do think there is a very good reason why he has been nothing but a coordinator, since his one stint in Buffalo back in the early 2000’s. Curiously, Buffalo was his only head coaching gig.  Usually most guys who make the jump from Coordinator to Head Coach, get two kicks at the can with it.  Rex Ryan had two, Hue Jackson had two, Pete Carroll had two, Bill Belichick is still on his second stop as a HC (not counting the Jets), but Gregg only ever had one.

I went back and looked at the record, and he finished 17-31.  In his three seasons he went 3-13, 8-8, and 6-10.   Not great, but far from Hue Jackson, and probably deserved a second chance somewhere along the line.  He is getting that now, as the Interim Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns.

This is the sorta thing that Gregg Williams brings to the party.  A motivator type, who will probably get these guys to play hard, and competitive.  Now, why is he on the list?  Well if I am all horny over DeFilippo and Arians, due to their NFL coaching experience.  It is only fair to include Gregg in the same sense.  Gregg has been at it since the 80’s, in a multitude of Coaching Roles.  He has won a Super Bowl in New Orleans, as the teams Defensive Coordinator.  Yes he was a major part of the Bounty Scandal.  No comment on that.  Lets see what he can do, and by some miracle, the Browns win a bunch of games, he will be in consideration.

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Out of the 5 Candidates, who’s names have been thrown around as potential Head Coaches my order would be: Bruce Arians, John DeFilippo, Gregg Williams, Lincoln Riley, and that fucking stiff Matt Campbell.   This is all very early, it is likely we have a whole new list by December 1st, and different one again on January 1st.

This week the lowly Cleveland Browns welcome the Sack-less, Kansas City Chiefs into FirstEnergy Stadium.  You know my stance on the Chiefs as a true contender.  They are not one.  Mahomes is off to a wonderful start, and he is for sure the real deal.  Too bad they are still Coached by Andy Reid. This means that around this time they will start to struggle, or fade.  If they don’t fade in November, they’ll just wait for the playoffs.  With a Defense as bad as the Chiefs, they aren’t going anywhere that matters.  Jokes on me, neither are the Browns.  Just keep this one close.

Every Baker needs a Kitchen, bitches.

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Go Browns!

BREAKING NEWS: Hue Jackson, and Todd Haley Have Been Fired.

 

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First things first, I’d like to extended a hearty fuck you to to Hue Jackson.

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You know it is sad, when you get more excited about a coach firing, than on-field success.  Honestly this news hitting us at 11 AM felt better than beating the Jets.

Today was finally the day.  The nightmare that was Hue Jackson has finally been extinguished.  If he hadn’t thrown absolutely everyone in front of the bus, lied, and trashed the players constantly, I’d feel a little sorry for him.  Instead I feel nothing but joy, and hope to never see him on another NFL team.  If I do, I hope he is coaching with his butt-buddy Marvin Lewis.  Those two can lose in the wildcard round together for years to come in Cincinnati.  I will always hold a strong sense of pure hatred for the very sight of Hue Jackson.  A consummate bull-shitter, who was never cut out to be an NFL Head Coach.  After 1-15, he should have never been brought back.  That spiraled into 0-16, and now 2-5-1.

Todd Haley is a bit different, this one is more of a surprise.  I would’ve though Dorsey would have given him some more time to develop the offense, and scheme.  Obviously this was not the case, as he was fired within an hour of Hue.  The two had been fighting like school girls through the media pretty much since Hard Knocks began.  I initially loved the hiring of Todd Haley, thinking he would work great with a young Quarterback.  But reports are saying he was paying zero attention to Jackson.  He was doing whatever he wanted.  Hue Jackson is a fucking moron, and not qualified to Coach an NFL team, but listen to your boss you fucking shithead.  It’s annoying to think we botched games, because Todd would be going stag.  Fuck you dude, running around basically sabotaging games, series’, play-calls.

Gregg Williams will be our Head Coach until the end of the season.  He will likely be terrible. All Browns coaches are terrible.  What can ya do?  Never get excited about the Browns ever again in the future, you’ll only be let down.

Good news is: Chiefs this week!  Yippie!!

 

 

 

Oh No! We Suck Again!

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Remember when I said to enjoy it?  Did you?  You better have, because The Browns suck again.  After starting the season 2-2-1, the Browns now sit at 2-4-1.  After ousting the Ravens in overtime, the Los Angeles Chargers slapped the Browns around to the tune of 38-14.  A day in which they got thoroughly beat on both sides of the ball.  This past week, the turds lost yet another overtime heart-breaker to the Buccaneers, 26-23.  This was the third loss this season, in which they should have won.  If they had any players with any sort of Football aptitude, smarts, or common sense they’d be 6-1.  But alas, the Browns  have oodles of talent, but not enough brains to win games.  Its incredibly frustrating to be a Browns fan.  Each week, outside of L.A. they have shown flashes of great play.  They have shown they CAN beat anyone.  Yet, week after week, the Cleveland Browns find a way to lose.

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Honestly Baker sums it up pretty well:

Just brutal, man.  I don’t even know what to say anymore.  Even the two wins couldn’t help the Browns get out of this rut, where all they do is choke at the worst possible time.  I mean it is incredible how often they lose a close game.  For 55 minutes, they show they can play.  In the final 5(overtime too)? Sack, fumble, dropped passes, interception, penalty, untimely timeout, getting stuffed on a QB sneak at the 1 pube line on 4th and goal, blocked punts, blocked field goals, missed field goals, and countless other fuck ups.  All of these things happen when the game is on the line for the Browns.  It took a lousy Jets team, and the worst MADE field goal ever to win a few games.  I wasn’t expecting playoffs, but I was expecting a cut-down on the abundance of stupid fucking mistakes these guys make.  Even more frustrating?  Quarterback is not the problem.

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Which leads me to Hue Jackson.  Can.  His.  Sorry.  Ass.  It’s time… you gave him a roster with far less scrubs than any post ’99 Browns team.  The SAME issues that plagued the last two teams, is plaguing this one.  There is one common denominator, and it is quite obvious.  The Browns need to move on, and go with some stiff already on staff.  Things are slightly better than years past, but again, as I have said a thousand times, they still make an absurd amount of stupid mistakes.  This is a new crop of players, the coach HAS to be part of the issue.  I don’t care who the interim is, Todd Haley, Greg Williams, Ken Zampese, whoever, just remove Hue Jackson before it is too late.  Please, Jimmy.  Fire this man.

Brings me to the closing of this rant.  NFL Officials…..WHAT THE FUCK?? We are halfway through the season, and the NFL has fired (extremely unprecedented) an official due his fuck up against the Browns, and sent multiple apology letters for blown calls. The video below details the most egregious blown calls week by week. There is a major one almost every game. A major one that turns into points against the Browns. Disclaimer: The blown false start is somewhat irrelevant, as they were getting bent by the Chargers anyway.

Week after week, the Cleveland Browns turn their head and cough for the guys in stripes.  Normally its not an issue, every NFL team gets screwed by the refs.  It is happening to the Browns almost double the rate it happens for other teams.  What must be done?  I can take bad calls, but when it is every week, you just have to wonder what you can do.  Its just another thing working against them, they got all this negativity, bad history, and now you gotta fight off the officials too.  Brutal man.

Sunday afternoon will see the Browns take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, at Heinz Field.  I am expecting to get blown out,  but they always play a good game against the Steelers.  There is a chance the Browns go in there in win, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up.  If they don’t, look for Hue Jackson to be fired.  Sounds like he won’t make it to the bye week.  Surely, the Browns will be losing to Pittsburgh on Sunday, bringing their record to 2-5-1.  I’d expect an interim at this time next week.  God pray for us all, its Steelers week.

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Let’s go Browns.

How About Those Browns?!

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I can’t even really describe what I have been watching these past four weeks.  All I know, is that finally, after years of suffering, the Cleveland Browns are showing signs of progress.  It hasn’t been pretty by any means but, it is October 11th, and the Browns are still very much in the thick of it.  At the end of the day, this all a Browns fan can really ask.  After Sunday’s miraculous overtime victory, the Browns improved to 2-2-1 on the season.  There is hope.  There is also quite a bit of frustration, as they should really be 5-0.

Week 1, The Browns played to an ugly, 21-21 tie with divisional rivals, Pittsburgh.  Tyrod Taylor looked beyond pedestrian in this one.  Taylor finished with a measly 15 completions, 197 yards and 1 touchdown.  He did the bulk of his damage on the ground, as he rushed for 77 yards and  1 touchdown, on 8 attempts. Josh Gordon caught his last ever Browns touchdown as time expired, to tie the game at 21.

Despite generating 6 turnovers, the Browns weren’t able to break the tie in overtime, and the Steelers whiffed on their chances as well.  In the pouring rain, the Browns had tied.

Despite not losing for the first time in over a year, the Browns still entered week 2 with a bitter taste in their mouth.  I was expecting the doors to be blown off courtesy of Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr, and countless other weapons. I was dead wrong.  The Browns not only showed up, but they carried the play for the majority of the game.

Once again, the Cleveland Browns came up short.  Having gotten off to a 12-3 lead in the third quarter, the wheels fell off.  Right now, you can count on the Browns to blow a two possession lead the very second they get one.   Multiple missed field goals by Zane Gonzalez lead to the Browns dropping a heart-breaker, 21-18.

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Tyrod had a better performance in Week 2, but still left so much to be desired.  Taylor finished 22-30, 246 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. He didn’t cost the Browns the game, but as the Quarterback, he didn’t go out and win it either.  The Browns remained winless at, 0-1-1.

The following week, the Browns season was on the brink already.  Sure they were only 0-1-1, but they desperately needed to get a win.  They needed to end the worst losing streak in team history.  The New York Jets came into Cleveland, riding the chosen one, Sam Darnold.  Again, Tyrod Taylor was miserable.  The Jets had absolutely zero respect for his ability to read the defense, step into the pocket, and fire it to an open receiver down field.  The Jets blitzed on almost every obvious passing situation.  They were shutting the Browns rushing attack down, save for one big Tyrod run, and a few Carlos Hyde runs for first downs.  With just under 5 minutes to play in the 2nd Quarter, Tyrod Taylor was taken to locker-room to be evaluated for concussion.  The Browns were down 14-0, and reeling.

Enter, 6.

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Right from the get-go, The Browns looked like a totally different team.  Suddenly, the Browns were marching. They were able to muster up a field goal drive to end the first half, cutting the score to 14-3.  The Jets got the ball to start the half, but sensational Rookie Corner, Denzel Ward forced the Jets, Robby Anderson to fumble deep inside Jets territory.  Ward ran the ball deep down inside the Jets 10 yard line.

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The Browns would have to settle for a field goal, making it 14-6 Jets in the 3rd.  Sporting a stout, playoff caliber defense, the Jets would be forced to punt again on the ensuing possession.  Mayfield responded, leading a  7 play 69 yard touchdown drive, when Carlos Hyde rumbled in from the 1 yard line.  How did the Browns get to the 1 you ask?

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Holy shit!  The Browns don’t make plays like this.  Jarvis Landry displayed some fantastic concentration and hands to haul in Mayfield’s frozen rope. Down 8 points, Baker had the stadium buzzing.  Carlos Hyde capped off the drive with a 1 yard touchdown run, to make it 14-12 New York.  Surely the Cleveland Browns will botch the 2 point conversiton.  A sack, fumble, interception, penalty, or drop will surely be the outcome.

Wrong.

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And the game was tied!  Similar to the Landry catch, the Cleveland Browns do not execute plays like this.  Especially in a live game.  Yet Jarvis Landry tossed a beautiful left handed throw to Mayfield in the endzone.  Darnold and the Jets did not waiver, as Sam lead a 12-play 65 yard field goal drive to make it 17-14, J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.

Never fear, 6 is here.  Not flinching one bit, Mayfield 15-play, 65 yard touchdown drive.  Carlos Hyde rumbled into the endzone for his second score of the game, and the Browns chopped 6:52 off the clock.

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The following possessions saw Darnold through interceptions to Joe Schoebert and Terrance Mitchell, which iced the game for the Browns. Off the schneid at long last.  The worst year of football finally came to an end.  While Tyrod was knocked out of this game with injury, everybody knew it was going to be Mayfield the rest of the way.  He finished the game 17 of 23, 201 yards, and no touchdowns or interceptions.  Not bad for a half of play.  The Browns were feeling good about themselves heading out to Oakland the following week.

Feeling good alright!  Those 1-1-1 Cleveland Browns!  Oakland sucked the good feelings about the Jets win out of me.  I don’t want to talk too much about this game, I would just get pissed off.  The Browns won this game.  Period.  They won it.  Carlos Hyde got that fucking first down, you know it, I know it, and that sackless fucker Walt Anderson knows it too.

Baker Mayfield played fairly well in this one finishing, 21-41, 295 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.  He also fumbled twice, but still the Browns had the ball with under 2 minutes to play, only needing a first down to ice the game.  On 3rd and 2 from the Browns 19 yard line, Carlos Hyde powered his way to the 21 yard line.   He made it to the marker, not past it.  The officials measured it and the ball was a pube hair past the marker for a first down.  For absolutely no reason whatsoever, the booth reviewed the spot.  Not a single replay showed the ball not making it to the sticks, where they originally marked it.  The officials decided to move it back a full yard out of nowhere.  This forced the Browns to punt, and from there they would give up their 8 point lead, and eventually lose in overtime.  Fuck Walt Anderson.

That brings us to this past Sunday.  The Baltimore Ravens came into Cleveland riding high, after dismantling Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Browns were coming off a brutal loss, one in which they should have won.  For the first time in what seems like 20 years, the Browns proved me wrong.  Coming in, the thought was they would get their teeth kicked in by John Brown, Michael Crabtree, and Captain Elite Joe Flacco.   Not to mention, Baltimore has an insane track record against rookie QB’s.

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Since 2008 the Ravens are a whopping 15-5 against Rookie Quarterbacks, and 7-0 against Browns rookies.  The Ravens are always no joke on defense, but their offense is so Jekyll and Hyde.  This leaves you never knowing if you’ll get blown out, or play them close.

Early on, things looked like they could get hairy, as Baker threw a pick on the Browns first possession.

Tough one here.  This wasn’t a poor read, or forcing it into coverage, but it was miscommunication.  Mayfield was expecting Rashard Higgins to continue his route across the middle (a deep 10 yard in-route).  Higgins broke his route off and continued straight up the seam of the field.  Baker threw it expecting the crossing route, and it was picked off easily.

With great field position after the takeaway, Justin Tucker nailed a hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens, after the Browns dug in to force a three and out.  The remainder of the half saw the teams trade three-and-outs.  In the Second Quarter, Flacco and the Ravens managed to drive inside the Browns 10.   Sensational Rookie Corner, Denzel Ward picked an arrant Flacco pass, for his third interception in 4 weeks.  This kid has been everything you would ask from a number 1 Corner, and then some.

Wouldn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, as both teams punted twice a piece in the following 4 possessions.  Finally, with under two minutes to play, Baker Mayfield began to march the Browns in their 2-minute offense.  Two big gains from David Njoku of 19 and 24 yards had the Browns with 1st and 10 from the Baltimore 19 yard line.  Mayfield stood in the pocket and fired a 19 yard touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins to make it 6-3 Browns.  Of course new Kicker, Greg Joseph drilled the extra-point off the upright.

This gave the Ravens some time to march down the field, and potentially tie the game before the half ended.  Flacco managed to march the birds 45 yards on 7 plays to set up a Tucker attempt to tie the game.

Denzel Ward making a big time fucking play to keep the Browns in the lead.  This guy has done nothing but make play after play.  He just gets the ball, doesn’t matter how.  What a fantastic pick.  All the Browns fans bitching like school girls because they passed up on Bradley Chubb.  Gimmie the lock-down corner who has a nose for the football every single time.

The second half was a complete snoozefest.  The Browns managed to add a field goal to make it, 9-3 in the third quarter.  The Ravens countered with two field goals to tie the game.  As per usual, the Browns were unable to put away a team they were beating fairly soundly.

For the 3rd time in 5 games the Browns were playing an Overtime Period.   It continued much like the second half did, with each team exchanging punts and three-and-outs.  Finally with just over 2 minutes left to play in the stalemate, the Browns got the ball back at their own 16.  On the very first play of the drive, Todd Haley called one of the worst play’s I have ever seen.   A jet sweep to Rod fucking Streater.

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It was an 11 yard loss, and they were staring a 2nd and 21 from their own five yard line.  A 13 yard scramble by Mayfield helped gain a huge chunk of that loss back.  Then the magic happened.  On 3rd and 8 Baker Mayfield scrambled in the pocket, and found Derrick Willies at the first down marker, Willies slipped the defender covering him, and was off to the races.  He was finally brought down inside Raven territory.  It was a 39 yard catch and run, leading the Browns to 1st and 10 from the Baltimore 43.

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Two Duke Johnson runs later brought the ball to the Baltimore 19, with 6 seconds remaining in overtime.  The Browns took their final timeout, and we prayed.

Well I’ll be, the Cleveland Browns won on Sunday.  Can’t even describe the feeling of relief that was felt after this win.  The Jets win can be be spun as, “well it’s the Jets”.  This one is a quality win against a quality team.  I could give two fucks if it was ugly, pretty, or sexy.  All wins are sexy.  So now your 2-2-1 Cleveland Browns matching up against the 3-2 L.A. Chargers.    A winnable game by all means.

Will the Browns continue to win, and contend for the playoffs?  Probably not.  That doesn’t mean I don’t think they can, but I just feel like they are still a bit too young.  With the roster as it stands, they should have 5-7 wins by the time the time this year will be all said and done.  Could more be on the table?  Absolutely.  Could less be on the table?  Absolutely. In the meantime, we are getting some wins, and we are getting positive Quarterback play. No disrespect to Tyrod Taylor, but he was fucking dreadful. If Baker can continue to play at high level, and cut down on the turnovers, than we are in some serious business. But for now, let’s ride our top 5 defense to the gates of Hell.

For now enjoy whatever wins come from this season, because the schedule is fucking brutal Who knows, maybe they’ll catch fire with Six at the wheel?

Let’s go Browns!! October 11th, and they’re in the thick of it. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Where the Browns Stand Through 2 Weeks of Preseason.

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On August 9th, the Browns traveled down to East Rutherford, New Jersey to take on the New York Giants to open up their preseason.  It was a night where the two worst teams from 2017-2018 squared off to see who sucks less.  In the end it was the Browns who outlasted the Giants with a final score of 20-10.  It was nice to win a Football game, but it means next to nothing.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Browns throw the ball, catch it, run for yards after the catch, and score.  Sounds simple, but its true.   Everything looked much more crisp, which is all we can really ask for.

On the first play from scrimmage Saquon Barkley bounced outside the tackles to gash the Browns for 39 yards.  What a wonderful start!    Rough first play for Denzel Ward on the outside there.  Instead of setting the Edge to prevent Barkley from bouncing outside, he gets sucked in, and Barkley has free space out on the boundary.  Thankfully, Eli Manning looked absolutely woeful on this night.  There were a few  passes he threw to absolutely no one.  Now, Odell Beckham did not play, but he still looked like garbage.  After Barkley’s run the Browns held the Giants to a field goal.  3-0 Giants after their first offensive possession.

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The Browns first play from Scrimmage went almost as well as the Giants.  Showing 5 wide right off the hop, Tyrod Taylor hit Jarvis Landry for a 25 yard gain.  Problem is, jawing between Janoris Jenkins and Landry ended up with a 15 yard penalty on the Browns.  Landry must’ve said something to have warranted the flag, otherwise it was just two competitors jawing.  Keep the fucking flags in your pockets, Stripes.  The Browns were unable to move the ball any further on their opening possession, and were forced to punt.

The Giants weren’t any more successful in moving the ball, as they made the switch to Davis Webb at Quarterback.  Davis Webb is so fucking bad I was offended by the fact I was forced to watch him.  The G-Men did absolutely nothing in his time at the helm.  Webb finished 9-20 for 70 yards, no TD’s, and no INT’s.  Meanwhile, in Tyrod’s second series, the Browns started to go No-Huddle. Taylor found some chemistry with Rashard “Hollywood” Higgins hitting him on a quick 6 yard pass, and on the next very next play, he found Higgins again, this time for a solid 21 yard gain.

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That bitch Eli Apple got absolutely worked by Higgins on this one, and the Giants defense was on its heels.  Continuing with the no-huddle on the next play, Taylor hit David Njoku up the seam in stride, Chief made a few miss galloping his way to six.

This is how David Njoku needs to be used.  Straight up the seam exposing a weak match-up.  That Linebacker acting as a human turnstile stood no shot.  This created a small window between the trailing linebacker and Safety playing deep.  Taylor lofted it beautifully into Chief’s hands, who took over from there.

After that possession Tyrod Taylor’s night was done.  He finished 5 for 5, 99 yards, and a touchdown.  Taylor finished the evening with a perfect 158.3 passer rating.  Not a bad start for the bridge guy!

Enter Baker Mayfield. With the score 7-3 at the start of the second Mayfield went 3 and out on his first drive.  Two Nick Chubb runs netted a total of 0 yards, and Mayfield threw an incomplete pass.  It was Mayfield’s second drive where things got going.

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His first completed pass was a beautiful 26 yard, back shoulder completion to Hollywood Higgins.

After a crappy run, an incomplete pass, and a holding call on Spencer Drango, Mayfield hit CJ Board on 3rd and 18 to extend the drive.  Terrible video, but Baker does a fantastic job of climbing the pocket, surveying his reads, and firing it to a wide open target.  While its only preseason, that conversion was nice to see.  But, he still wasn’t done.  On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 27, Mayfield stood in the pocket, scrambled to his left to find an open target, and finally took off for the first down marker.  Mayfield got 7 yards and moved the chains again.

Three plays later, Mayfield and the Browns were looking at a 4th and 2 from the Giants 13, Mayfield got 5 yards on what looked like a designed QB keeper, and an easy first down.  Two plays later Baker fired a 10 yard strike to David Njoku for 6 points.

Exceptional pocket awareness from Baker, who had to move on from his first and second read to find Chief Njoku in the back of the endzone.  Baker put that ball where only the athletic monster that is David Njoku could get it.

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The Browns would go into halftime with a solid 13-3 lead.  Much of the second half was garbage time, but a few key players for both teams continued to see time.  Mayfield played early into the fourth quarter:

After the Giants scored to cut the Browns lead to 3, Mayfield and Antonio Callaway connected on a big 3rd and 7 completion for 24 yards.  Again, Mayfield uses his legs to buy some time outside the pocket.  He threw an absolute rocket on the run putting it low and toward the sideline, and  Antonio Callaway laid out beautifully to haul in the pass along the sideline.  While the Browns did not score on this drive, it was nice to see them pick up a few 3rd and long conversions on this night.

Finally, two drives later Baker hit Antonio Callaway on a short 5 yard slant, Callaway broke a tackle, and he was off to the races.

The game was over at this point with the Browns holding on to their 10 point lead for the rest of the fourth quarter.  Mayfield was done  for the evening with quite an impressive stat line:

It was nice to see the Browns win a game, even though its only Preseason.  Sadly this is no indicator of how the regular season will play out.  They went 4-0 last year in the preseason as we all are well aware.  BUT, these guys need to learn how to win somehow, so if they’re keeping score; win the fucking game.

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The following Friday saw the Buffalo Bills come into FirstEnergy Stadium for the Browns second Preseason tilt.  We saw the Browns sling it all over the joint against the Giants, both Tyrod and Baker.  This past week saw Todd Haley mix up the game-plan to incorporate a heavy dose of Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb.  Week 1 the Browns Offensive Line was absolutely manhandled in the running game.  They amassed only 50 yards on 1.8 yards a rush attempt.  This week went much different.

The Browns flexed their muscle early going on a 9 play Touchdown on their first possession.  Carlos Hyde broke free for a 26 yard rush, and 9 yard rush on consecutive plays.  Haley mixed in some Duke Johnson, and intermediate Tyrod Taylor passing.  Finally the drive ended with a Carlos Hyde touchdown, his first in the Preseason.

The rest of the first half was a defensive stand still.  Neither team could move the ball a lick, and Buffalo even lost a Quarterback in the Process:

Myles Garrett was a force all night knocking out AJ McCarron on this pass rush, and using his speed off the ball to cause another sack:

With McCarron coming out of the game, Rookie Josh Allen came into the game.  He promptly lead a 15 play, 80 yard touchdown drive, culminating in a Rod Streater Touchdown catch.

Allen would lead another Field Goal Drive to end the half, making 10-7 Bills.  Up until this point the Browns were dominating, however stupid penalties along with missed opportunities on defense allowed Buffalo to surge ahead.

The second half continued to be a defensive stalemate.  Baker Mayfield was leading the offense, and unlike his first game, he was stuck with all 2nd and 3rd stringers.  No Callaway’s or Njoku’s.  While, he didn’t light it up as he had against the Giants, he still played well.  He had his moments within the pocket that make you say wow.  His footwork in there is pure wizardy.

Probably Mayfield’s highlight of the night.  3rd and 6, facing a heavy pass rush, moving around the pocket, and firing a pass back across his body to convert on 3rd down.  It was a fantastic display of Mayfield’s best traits as a Quarterback.

The Browns managed a touchdown in the second half, but Buffalo was too much on this night.  The Browns dropped to 1-1 on the Preseason losing 19-17 at home.

 

Decent start so far from this new look Browns team.  They managed to win a game, and each unit has shown flashes of its potential.  In game 1 we saw the passing attack go off for multiple touchdowns, and big yardage.  In game 2 we saw an effort to run the football heavily.  This generated a few big runs, and 2 rushing Touchdowns.  In both games we saw flashes of a young, fast, athletic, physical defense.  In the early stages of the Buffalo game, the Browns had allowed 9 yards on 9 plays.  Hopefully this is a glimpse as to what is to come.

Finally with the most important news of the Preseason:

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Josh Gordon announced a mere hour or two prior to the Buffalo game via Twitter and Instagram he would be rejoining the Browns.  What. A. Relief.  All systems go.  Josh Gordon stepping away from the team for any length of time is never a good thing, but he actually fucking came back.

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It will take some time for the Browns to assimilate Josh back into the offense, but fucking A, we might get Josh Gordon Week 1 against Pittsburgh.  T’s and P’s Joe Haden.    Things keep on rolling closer and closer towards regular season football.  I cannot freaking wait any longer. Tonight the Browns take on the Philadelphia Eagles at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The game will be a National Fox Broadcast at 8pm tonight.  Expect Tyrod Taylor and the rest of the starters to play for a good chunk of the game.  I would estimate 2 and a half quarters.  What am I expecting from the Browns?

  1. Balance.  I’d like to see Todd Haley mix it up with a nice balance of Run and Pass this week.  Week 1 they struggled to run the ball, so they aired it out for the majority of the game.  Week 2 the Offense made a concerned effort to run the football.  Lets see them combine the two in the so called, “Dress Rehersal” game.
  2. Defense.  I want to see the Defense continue to terrorize opposing Quarterbacks.  So far, the first teamers have not generated a turnover.  That was a huge issue last year, in terms of yardage and points the Browns fared well defensively, they just could not generate turnovers.  I’d like to see a few take-ways from the defense.  Show some hunger.
  3. Baker.  I am not yearning for Baker Mayfield just yet, I like Tyrod Taylor, and understand the teams decision to start him over the kid.  That being said, Browns fans aren’t going to have many more opportunities to watch Baker play.  I’d like to see him continue to play turnover free Football, and demonstrate that clear command he has of the offense.
  4. Win the fucking game.  You can only learn how to win by winning.

 

Tune in live on Fox to watch defending Super Bowl Champion, Philadelphia Eagles invade Cleveland.   Hopefully this will be yet another building block for good things in the regular season.  Go Browns!

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2018 Browns Training Camp Week 1 Recap.

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Thursday afternoon marked the 7th completed practice for the Browns so far in Training Camp.  A lot has gone down in those 7 days, so lets just take a look back at some of the highlights.

Baker Mayfield:

All in all it has been a good start for the 1st overall pick in April’s draft.  Tyrod is firmly the starter, but Mayfield has been opening some eyes this past week.  Accuracy, velocity, and leadership are all on display.  Funny, haven’t heard much about his height the last 7 days? Funny how that works.

Holy shit.  A lot of Baker Mayfield action these past 10 or so days.  Through that time, he has been everything the Browns could hope for.  It is early, but he is flashing the traits that lead the Browns to draft him first overall.  Unfortunately, with it only being camp we are limited to short social media highlight clips, so its hard to truly see how he is doing.

What I am seeing is a guy who is going to stand in the pocket and pick Defense’s apart.  He’s got the quickness and mobility to move about the pocket, and create his own throwing lanes.  His touch on deep balls appears to be a major strength.  Those deep balls float into his receivers hands with great touch.  Helps that he has some versatile weapons in the likes of Rashard Higgins, Seth Devalve, David Njoku, and countless runningbacks to mix-match.

By all accounts, he’s been working extremely hard on the field, off the field, and creating bonds with his teammates.  According to those covering the team, Mayfield hadn’t thrown a recorded Interception in camp until Friday’s Orange and Browns Scrimmage.  Tyrod is still firmly the starter, but Mayfield is doing his very best to challenge Tyrod.  Baker has stated numerous times he never wants to have a backup mentality, so it is expected to see him go balls to the wall.  It is a bit surprising to hear how well he is doing however.

Rashard Higgins:

A bit of a forgotten man coming into camp, Rashard has come in and flashed as a potential sleeper option on the Browns offense during the first week.  Last season saw some mild production from Higgins.  Nothing special, but he did have himself a few big games.  When the rest of our bum receivers were dropping passes, Higgins stepped up to contribute.   Also worthy to note his growth.  He more than tripled his yardage output, doubled his touchdown total, and caught nearly four times as many passes in 2017 as he did in 2016.

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Early in camp, Rashard has developed a strong connection with Baker Mayfield, as the two have hooked up on numerous highlight reel plays.  Higgins was going to have to fight for a job this season, especially with the new crop of Wide Receiver talent the Browns brought in last season.  He is on the fringe of the depth chart, but has developed into Mayfield’s favorite target so far in camp.

A couple of nice highlight clips there from Hollywood Higgins!  Hopefully this will parlay into Preseason.  I see the makings of a decent slot receiver.  I am rooting for Rashard Hollywood Higgins to make the team.

Denzel Ward:

There is a defense on the Browns as well, might as well show them some love.  Denzel Ward came into Training Camp higher up the depth chart than originally expected, as the kid tore up Mini-Camp.  So far Denzel has had a strong camp, by all accounts.

Denzel is impressing coaches, and teammates alike so far in 2018.   The kid has the quickness to cover guys one on one, and he is reeking havoc at Browns camp.  It’s great to see him getting reps with the first team.  Right now, looks like Terrance Mitchell and Denzel have been the starting corners.  Mitchell has made a whole bunch of plays, leading him to get that number 1 spot opposite Ward.  Still, with T.J. Carrie, E.J. Gaines, and Brean Boddy-Calhoun available, we’ll likely see a combination of all of these DB’s.

Jarvis Landry:

Jarvis Landry.  The dude has been a fucking highlight reel every single day of Browns practice thus far.  When the Browns first acquired Landry my very first reaction was: “Oh no, he’ll hate it in Cleveland.”  I was way wrong, the dude is quickly becoming the most vocal leader on the team.  Yeah he runs his mouth about playoffs, but the dude puts in the work on the field.  He’s a fantastic football player, who looks to be energized in a new situation.  I can’t wait to see how Todd Haley utilizes Landry in the offense.  You can send him deep up the sideline on go routes, he’s sure-handed enough to go across the middle, and he’s got the quickness to beat anyone with the ball in his hands.  Hell, you can use Jarvis in the backfield.  In the open field this dude makes DB’s miss.

Joel Bitonio:

Sigh.  Late last week Hue Jackson made the announcement that Joel Bitonio would be moving from his Left Guard position to Left Tackle.  It is a brand new position for Joel, and he stated that he preferred not to move just a few days earlier.  In addition to that, the Browns stated he would be the last option.  Sure enough, Friday saw Joel against Myles Garrett in practice.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but it is discouraging.  I was looking to see if Austin Corbett could assume the role, but the Coaching Staff prefers he play Guard.  I just don’t like having to place someone with no experience at a position like Left Tackle.  If he doesn’t feel comfortable, than hit the waiver wire.  The upcoming games will give the fans more of an idea of how he will do, its hard to gauge how well he did when you can barely contact your opponent in practice these days.

Corey Coleman:

TRADE ALERT! Late last night, the Browns shipped Corey Coleman off to Buffalo for a 7th round pick in 2020.  Weird that they are moving on so fast from Corey.  While injuries, drops, and off-field have plagued Coleman, I thought for sure they’d give him a full training camp to earn a role.  Nope.  He’s gone.  Traded for essentially nothing.  A first round pick from two years ago.  I am not sad about them losing Corey Coleman.  He’s a small-ish receiver with blazing speed and suspect hands.  Dime a dozen.  The problem with Coleman is his worth ethic, and Football IQ.

Anyway, best of luck to Corey Coleman in Buffalo.  I feel like the train has already left the station with this guy.  No matter what he does in the future, he will always be remembered for this:

fuck you dude.

Big week ahead for the Browns.  Tomorrow we will have the much anticipated premier of Hard Knocks.  HBO’s documentary, chronicling the Browns 2018 Training Camp.  With a cast of characters like the Browns, this season is bound to be pretty good.  We may even get a juicy little nugget regarding the Coleman trade.  He missed practice yesterday with a bum hammy, and then BAM.  9 PM hits and your traded.  I am curious to see if something happened that lead to the Browns just throwing him at Buffalo.

Even better, we have ourselves a football game this week.  Tune in on Thursday 8/8 to catch the Browns take on the New York Giants from MetLife Stadium.  Baker Mayfield vs. Saquon Barkley.  Can’t fucking wait.

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Lets go Browns.