Almost at the quarter pole-Cleveland Browns 2012
https://afcnorthnews.blogspot.com/2012/09/almost-at-quarter-pole-cleveland-browns.html
As we approach the quarter pole of the NFL season, let’s take a moment to reflect on our Browns thus far. Let’s also take a moment to hope that the quarter pole is made out of brass, and has a hot girl swinging around on it. (I’ve apparently spent too much time in Vegas lately) OK, as we can see from my Preseason Predictions/Reader Mailbag column a few weeks ago, I’m a complete genius. I mean, except for a bunch of them, every single prediction I made has come true. (I also made it through nearly three weeks before getting knocked out of my Survivor Pool, so top that, Skip Bayless) With a lifetime sports prediction winning percentage of nearly 42%, you can see why I get the big bucks to write for a first class publication like (Note to self: Insert name of whatever unknown, low-traffic website you submit this to before sending it to the editor). What I CAN say is this; while the win-loss numbers are off, I stand by my evaluations in general. I also stand by my pantry, hoping another box of Frankenberries will somehow magically appear. I have lots and lots of free time.
Defense: Realistically, they’ve been pretty good. Additionally, we can’t fully evaluate the progress on this side of the ball until Joe Haden and Phil Taylor return. The D nearly won the Philadelphia game with zero help from the offense. Yes, without Haden, severe depth issues in the defensive backfield have been exposed, and this must be a point of emphasis for the front office in the offseason, but what team out there could survive the loss of a Top-5 corner and their best defensive lineman without suffering a dropoff in productivity? Tell me another team without Air Bud on the roster that could pull that off? The pleasant surprise so far has been the arrival of the young LB corps. In addition to their leader DQ, Fort and Robertson have played well, and I can’t wait to see what James Michael Johnson can do once he gets back from his oblique injury. Oblique. I don’t even know what an “oblique” is. I just know it’s not a good excuse for married guys like me to explain a late return from Las Vegas, a evidenced by the following real dialogue between my wife and I after my latest Sin City trip was mysteriously extended two extra days:
Wife: Why are you two days late?
Me: Sorry honey, I had an oblique injury. Wife: Really? Then why is there glitter on your face?
Me: I’ll sleep on the couch.
Anyway, I’m excited to see JMJ back on the field alongside his young LB brethren. These young guys are learning to play 100MPH by watching DQ - and I hope that once Haden gets back, he provides the same type of leadership-by-example for the young guys in the defensive backfield. There are two more games without Haden, then one more until Phil Taylor returns; only at that point will we be able to fully evaluate the defense. We do know this: as a defense, they’re pretty damn good, and they’re probably going to win 1-2 games all on their own the second half of the season.
Offense: Well, it certainly didn’t look good against Philly, did it? It has improved since then, but only in fits and starts. Preseason, I said the entire offense rested on the fate of TRich and his knee. I see now that I got it a bit backwards: the fate of the offense rests on the ability of someone, anyone, anywhere, being able to catch a damn pass. Against Cincy the passing offense looked decent, which opened up the running lanes, and Richardson showed who he is: a stud. However, in the other two games there has been exactly zero threat of a passing game, allowing opposing defenses to stack as many as they want into the box. At one point, I swear Buffalo had thirty-five guys, a couple of Buicks, and a llama up close to the line of scrimmage. No one could run consistently - or block consistently - against that kind of front. So until someone steps up at WR, this offense is going to face more of the same. Now, I will say that MoMass has been playing pretty well, but he’s not a #1 receiver, and he never will be, so asking him to perform the duties of a #1 is unfair. MoMass has a ton of talent, but he’s an Alvin Harper who’s in search of his Michael Irvin. He, along with the rest of the WR’s need a veteran out there to learn from - as the young Linebackers are learning from DQ. These kids have skills, they have raw talent, but no one from whom to learn the position. Two weeks ago I postulated that it might be time for the Browns to call Plaxico Burress, and that feeling only gets stronger with each passing week. Coming into the season, the best case scenario was that this young group would realize their potential all on their own; unfortunately, they’ve gone the complete opposite direction into the worst case scenario, and without Plax or someone else with similar seasoning, it’s not going to get much better. Plax, Ocho, or T.O.; any one of the three could show these kids a step or two, a trick or two, a technique or two, that could turn on the light bulb over their heads. Is that a good tradeoff for 3/4 of a season of potential locker room chaos? To answer that question, I ask you this one: how much worse can it get? Really, with the losing and the new ownership and the upcoming “Colt/trade deadline” noise, how much worse could any of those three WR’s make it? I think it’s worth the risk. You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned Greg Little this entire time, and the reason is simple: he has the skill, he gets open, he simply can’t catch the ball. Jerry Rice had drop issues early in his career as well, so Little can still turnit around, but time is running out - he needs to either prove he can catch the ball, or it’s not worth discussing. As with the defensive backfield, Wide Receiver MUST be a point of emphasis this coming offseason.
On to Brandon Weeden. As I’ve said previously, I was not a fan of this pick. I wanted the front office to use this years’ draft to bolster the other positions and give Colt another year; that way if things didn’t improve, they could take a shot at Matt Barkley next year, and bring him into a more fully loaded roster, like what Big Ben had as a rookie. I was hopping mad when the Weeden pick was announced, which I should point out is a rare occurrence, mostly because I don’t like hopping. Up and down, up and down ... what’s the point? After a bunch of hopping, I’m still mad, plus usually I’m kind of tired, and occasionally gassy. (I also rarely get my dander up, because I’m not sure what dander is. Is it that little thing that hangs down in the back of your throat? Write me at funnyman1515@hotmail.com if you know) Anyway, I didn’t like the pick. That being said, Weeds has been pretty much as advertised. Strong arm, good vision, but definitely a rookie. While he’s rocketed a few passes into tight spaces on the button, he’s also missed a few wide open receivers that have appeared. Again, until someone out there gets some consistent separation (HEY FRONT OFFICE! THAT’S SOMETHING THEY COULD LEARN FROM A VETERAN LIKE ... OH, I DONT KNOW ... PLAXICO BURRESS!!!) he’s likely not to show marked improvement.
(On a side note, if the losing continues, the Browns may be in position for Matt Barkley next year anyway. At that point, they could stick with Weeds and trade the #1 pick for a slew of other picks, or take Barkley and start over with another rookie QB. Tough, tough call; some are saying Barkley is even more NFL ready than Andrew Luck, so how do you pass on a talent like that? On the other hand, they could get an almost Herschel Walker level haul of picks for Barkley, so how do you pass on THAT? In any case, it will make for an interesting offseason if things don’t turn around in the next thirteen games.)
Admit it, even with all of those negatives about the offense, they’ve showed enough flashes that you at least believe there’s a chance they can move the ball. Unlike the past few years when you knew it would take a miracle for the cha-cha offense (1-2-3-kick) to generate a touchdown drive, this team actually has the skills to score some points. They finally look like a football team again. Not a great team, not yet, but definitely a team. One step at a time, folks.
Record: 8-8. OK, so perhaps I was bit overzealous, but admit it - when they had Philadelphia on the ropes, when I was the ONLY person on the planet who picked them to win that week, you were thinking I was a genius, weren’t you? You were planning to invest your 401k in my picks from then on, weren’t you? You were planning to send me money and gather virgins and Frankincense to present as gifts at my door, weren’t you? No? OK, well it was still almost a genius pick. If Little holds onto that pass in the second quarter against Philly, they win that game. If Haden plays week 2, they win against Cincy. Then again, if if’s and but’s were candy and nuts, a frog wouldn’t bump his butt when he tried to fly, or something like that. The point is, that while the numbers don’t reflect the improvement in this team, I stand by my evaluation of the improvement itself. This team is better than anyone thought at the outset, they’re actually quite close to being good. They simply have a thin defensive backfield that’s being exposed, and a glaring hole at WR that’s magnifying the inexperience at QB and RB, dragging down the offense, and putting way too much pressure on the defense.
As for the rest of my preseason predictions, I said the Ravens would win the division but their defense would backslide due to age and the up-tempo Flacco offense. Right on that one so far. My division winners are looking OK with the exception of New Orleans - I had typed in Atlanta (and Chicago, for that matter) and then backed off. Again, if if’s and but’s were candy and nuts, she’d be your uncle.
Basically, except for the ones that I got wrong, I’m a genius. All that’s left is to sit and wait for ESPN to call with an offer. I’m here. Go ahead, Bristol. Hello?
Defense: Realistically, they’ve been pretty good. Additionally, we can’t fully evaluate the progress on this side of the ball until Joe Haden and Phil Taylor return. The D nearly won the Philadelphia game with zero help from the offense. Yes, without Haden, severe depth issues in the defensive backfield have been exposed, and this must be a point of emphasis for the front office in the offseason, but what team out there could survive the loss of a Top-5 corner and their best defensive lineman without suffering a dropoff in productivity? Tell me another team without Air Bud on the roster that could pull that off? The pleasant surprise so far has been the arrival of the young LB corps. In addition to their leader DQ, Fort and Robertson have played well, and I can’t wait to see what James Michael Johnson can do once he gets back from his oblique injury. Oblique. I don’t even know what an “oblique” is. I just know it’s not a good excuse for married guys like me to explain a late return from Las Vegas, a evidenced by the following real dialogue between my wife and I after my latest Sin City trip was mysteriously extended two extra days:
Wife: Why are you two days late?
Me: Sorry honey, I had an oblique injury. Wife: Really? Then why is there glitter on your face?
Me: I’ll sleep on the couch.
Anyway, I’m excited to see JMJ back on the field alongside his young LB brethren. These young guys are learning to play 100MPH by watching DQ - and I hope that once Haden gets back, he provides the same type of leadership-by-example for the young guys in the defensive backfield. There are two more games without Haden, then one more until Phil Taylor returns; only at that point will we be able to fully evaluate the defense. We do know this: as a defense, they’re pretty damn good, and they’re probably going to win 1-2 games all on their own the second half of the season.
Offense: Well, it certainly didn’t look good against Philly, did it? It has improved since then, but only in fits and starts. Preseason, I said the entire offense rested on the fate of TRich and his knee. I see now that I got it a bit backwards: the fate of the offense rests on the ability of someone, anyone, anywhere, being able to catch a damn pass. Against Cincy the passing offense looked decent, which opened up the running lanes, and Richardson showed who he is: a stud. However, in the other two games there has been exactly zero threat of a passing game, allowing opposing defenses to stack as many as they want into the box. At one point, I swear Buffalo had thirty-five guys, a couple of Buicks, and a llama up close to the line of scrimmage. No one could run consistently - or block consistently - against that kind of front. So until someone steps up at WR, this offense is going to face more of the same. Now, I will say that MoMass has been playing pretty well, but he’s not a #1 receiver, and he never will be, so asking him to perform the duties of a #1 is unfair. MoMass has a ton of talent, but he’s an Alvin Harper who’s in search of his Michael Irvin. He, along with the rest of the WR’s need a veteran out there to learn from - as the young Linebackers are learning from DQ. These kids have skills, they have raw talent, but no one from whom to learn the position. Two weeks ago I postulated that it might be time for the Browns to call Plaxico Burress, and that feeling only gets stronger with each passing week. Coming into the season, the best case scenario was that this young group would realize their potential all on their own; unfortunately, they’ve gone the complete opposite direction into the worst case scenario, and without Plax or someone else with similar seasoning, it’s not going to get much better. Plax, Ocho, or T.O.; any one of the three could show these kids a step or two, a trick or two, a technique or two, that could turn on the light bulb over their heads. Is that a good tradeoff for 3/4 of a season of potential locker room chaos? To answer that question, I ask you this one: how much worse can it get? Really, with the losing and the new ownership and the upcoming “Colt/trade deadline” noise, how much worse could any of those three WR’s make it? I think it’s worth the risk. You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned Greg Little this entire time, and the reason is simple: he has the skill, he gets open, he simply can’t catch the ball. Jerry Rice had drop issues early in his career as well, so Little can still turnit around, but time is running out - he needs to either prove he can catch the ball, or it’s not worth discussing. As with the defensive backfield, Wide Receiver MUST be a point of emphasis this coming offseason.
On to Brandon Weeden. As I’ve said previously, I was not a fan of this pick. I wanted the front office to use this years’ draft to bolster the other positions and give Colt another year; that way if things didn’t improve, they could take a shot at Matt Barkley next year, and bring him into a more fully loaded roster, like what Big Ben had as a rookie. I was hopping mad when the Weeden pick was announced, which I should point out is a rare occurrence, mostly because I don’t like hopping. Up and down, up and down ... what’s the point? After a bunch of hopping, I’m still mad, plus usually I’m kind of tired, and occasionally gassy. (I also rarely get my dander up, because I’m not sure what dander is. Is it that little thing that hangs down in the back of your throat? Write me at funnyman1515@hotmail.com if you know) Anyway, I didn’t like the pick. That being said, Weeds has been pretty much as advertised. Strong arm, good vision, but definitely a rookie. While he’s rocketed a few passes into tight spaces on the button, he’s also missed a few wide open receivers that have appeared. Again, until someone out there gets some consistent separation (HEY FRONT OFFICE! THAT’S SOMETHING THEY COULD LEARN FROM A VETERAN LIKE ... OH, I DONT KNOW ... PLAXICO BURRESS!!!) he’s likely not to show marked improvement.
(On a side note, if the losing continues, the Browns may be in position for Matt Barkley next year anyway. At that point, they could stick with Weeds and trade the #1 pick for a slew of other picks, or take Barkley and start over with another rookie QB. Tough, tough call; some are saying Barkley is even more NFL ready than Andrew Luck, so how do you pass on a talent like that? On the other hand, they could get an almost Herschel Walker level haul of picks for Barkley, so how do you pass on THAT? In any case, it will make for an interesting offseason if things don’t turn around in the next thirteen games.)
Admit it, even with all of those negatives about the offense, they’ve showed enough flashes that you at least believe there’s a chance they can move the ball. Unlike the past few years when you knew it would take a miracle for the cha-cha offense (1-2-3-kick) to generate a touchdown drive, this team actually has the skills to score some points. They finally look like a football team again. Not a great team, not yet, but definitely a team. One step at a time, folks.
Record: 8-8. OK, so perhaps I was bit overzealous, but admit it - when they had Philadelphia on the ropes, when I was the ONLY person on the planet who picked them to win that week, you were thinking I was a genius, weren’t you? You were planning to invest your 401k in my picks from then on, weren’t you? You were planning to send me money and gather virgins and Frankincense to present as gifts at my door, weren’t you? No? OK, well it was still almost a genius pick. If Little holds onto that pass in the second quarter against Philly, they win that game. If Haden plays week 2, they win against Cincy. Then again, if if’s and but’s were candy and nuts, a frog wouldn’t bump his butt when he tried to fly, or something like that. The point is, that while the numbers don’t reflect the improvement in this team, I stand by my evaluation of the improvement itself. This team is better than anyone thought at the outset, they’re actually quite close to being good. They simply have a thin defensive backfield that’s being exposed, and a glaring hole at WR that’s magnifying the inexperience at QB and RB, dragging down the offense, and putting way too much pressure on the defense.
As for the rest of my preseason predictions, I said the Ravens would win the division but their defense would backslide due to age and the up-tempo Flacco offense. Right on that one so far. My division winners are looking OK with the exception of New Orleans - I had typed in Atlanta (and Chicago, for that matter) and then backed off. Again, if if’s and but’s were candy and nuts, she’d be your uncle.
Basically, except for the ones that I got wrong, I’m a genius. All that’s left is to sit and wait for ESPN to call with an offer. I’m here. Go ahead, Bristol. Hello?