Because who wouldn’t pay $2,000 for a pair of LeBrons? While We’re Waiting…
October 20, 2014Ohio State rolls again; St. Ignatius gets a big win
October 20, 2014If you’re late to the party, or are still ignoring social media in general, I’ve been a frequent guest on CBS Radio’s Youngstown Sports Talk on 1240 AM/WBBW. Typically, our conversations focus on the Cleveland Cavaliers as, again—if you’re late to the party, that’s my niche around these parts. But this past week, the afternoon duo of Marc and Sean had me partake in their three-question survey that expanded beyond the Wine and Gold.
Their first question: What will be the final score of the Browns-Jaguars game? Riding high on the wave of momentum that comes with beating the Steelers, I said something along the lines of the Browns winning handedly. I can’t recall my exact score, but it was something along the lines of 27-10, Cleveland. Now knowing what happened, I still feel like this should have been the final score. You know, if not for the full afternoon of suck that came from the entire Browns offense.
Buckle up, folks. No one’s safe this week. Let the napalm commence!
LOSER: Brian Hoyer The Cleveland Browns have won plenty of games despite Brian Hoyer wowing in the box score, but we have long given him the benefit of the doubt. This past Sunday, however, all kindness flies out the window as the guy who spent all week as the target of contract extension discussions whizzed on his white cleats for 48 game minutes. Sure, the offensive line was new, and sure, he found himself clapping like a sea lion multiple times as the play clock neared triple zero, but his passes were off all day long—he was behind, he was wide, he was everywhere. I’m not going to mention the M-word, but The Destroyer did himself absolutely zero favors on Sunday afternoon against a previously winless franchise.
LOSER: The Offensive Line If we’re going to put a lot of this loss on Brian’s shoulders, we have to point the finger at the interior of the offensive line as well. Joel Bitonio had penalties, John Greco was blown up multiple times, and Paul McQuistain—Jesus. Watch him here as he chases (falls after?) his guy toward his quarterback’s reconstructed legs.
For all of the victory laps we ushered along last Monday, the interior of the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line needs work—pronto. If they can’t stop the hapless Jaguars from getting to the quarterback, what makes anyone think they can do the same against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Oakland Raiders? Ray Farmer better do something, and fast. There’s no replacing Alex Mack, but they can surely do better than whatever that was.
LOSER: Mike Pettine With all due respect, Mike, what in the hell was that that fourth-down play? No, not the sideline route to Jordan Cameron that resulted in a turnover on downs, the one where you quickly swapped off the special teams unit for the offensive unit like it was freaking HOCKEY and then ran a “play” in which none of the players on the field knew what their assignment was? If not for the high definition, it could’ve easily been mistaken for this Friday’s Grandview-West Jefferson game. There’s having faith in your offense and there’s doing things that are an outright detraction from what your end goal is. Going for it on fourth down is supposed to be ballsy. That was embarrassing.
LOSER: Jordan Poyer It takes a lot for fans to clamor for Travis Benjamin, but Jordan Poyer managed to do it all—attempting to catch a punt on his own two-yard line, muffing said punt and not recovering it during what was a crucial point in the game.
If Mike Pettine and Chris Tabor don’t simply put Jim “punt catcher” Leonhard back there from this point on and simply take the ball wherever it’s fielded, they’re just asking for it at this point.
LOSER:Terrance West Everyone will point out the fourth down pass attempt to Jordan Cameron, but many will not recall what go them to that point. Inactive just a week earlier, the Browns gave West his chance for redemption and the rookie shot himself in the cleat. On two runs, on second- and third-down, West danced around and went for holes that didn’t exist. On the third-down play, had he just cut left, he’d still be running. Instead, he took it up the (nonexistent) middle and was stuffed, forcing a huge turn of events. Why didn’t Ben Tate or Isaiah Crowell get the shot? “That’s coach’s decision,” said Tate after the game.
LOSER: Entire Defensive Line Denard Robinson had a career-high day and the way the defensive line was pushed around, it’s easy to see why. Even when the edgiest are contained, the D-Line is not filling gaps. Then there are instances like this where the offensive line OF THE JAGUARS stands them up and simply pushes them down field while the ball-carrier gets in nearly untouched.
I say “nearly” for those who want to put Tashaun Gipson as a “Winner” in the comments. Make sure to mention that No. 39 was the one who blew past Robinson on the edge before the dreadlocked Wolverine dove into the end zone. Awful all around.
WINNER: These people
They got to see a win and get some killer sun in the interim. The Indians should look into turning all of right field into a pool ASAP. If the Jaguars can get people into their stadium, the Tribe should have no problem.
Happy Monday, you guys.
93 Comments
I laughed really hard at this quote:
“Paul McQuistain – Jesus.”
That’s just perfect, Scott.
Frostee is alive and well in the desert to boot.
I laughed too.
Nailed it!
I think he did his job on the gif. He turned the runner inside to where Mingo should have been.
Typical Cleveland Browns after 15 years people should know better! Shame on all of you.
8 days brother 8 friggin days! Btw you see your boy yesterday for Buffalo?
Agreed. Unless he’s made some pretty giant strides in the last 7 weeks, Johnny would probably just be a worse version of Hoyer right now.
Did you not catch the Redskins game?
I was very suprised that we were 6 pt favorites. Someone made some money
With Manziel, I think the highs will be higher and the lows will be lower, but I think most games will be one or the other
me!
But for the call for Johnny, I think your criticisms of Pettine this game are pretty valid. But no johnny. no no no.
Me, three.
Oh yeah, kick us when we’re down. That’s what we have the national media for.
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140415223837/sistersgrimm/images/6/67/Yes_i_did.gif
WINNER: Gipson – 2 picks (he seems to just be in the right place at the right time)
LOSER: The entire Browns organization and fanbase, as we try not to do back to back losses to teams that are 0-6. That would be simply soul crushing.
Winners: People who want to argue all week that a 9-0 lead with a minute left in the first half, on the road, with the other team getting the ball to start the 3rd, is insurmountable.
I keep thinking some variation of this thought. I’ll give Jax credit…their defensive front is more than stout, but where was the “keep em honest” call on offense?
I don’t recall many screens either. It seemed like the Jags figured out that all they needed to do was put big pressure on Hoyer by stuffing the running game with extra players and dare him to beat them. This pattern will be repeated next week.
Speaking of pressure…why in the world didn’t the Browns use the same strategy against Bortles. Dude has the yips and throws three picks. It would have been 5 had they ever rushed more than 4 guys. Why not send extra men on blitzes and make the INT-happy rookie QB beat you? Geez…
my guess is that the scouting report was noting that Bortles gets confused more than rushed. when rushed, he wants to run. when confused he throws INTs.
also, how many times were there only 2 actual DL on the field? our DL depth for the game may have played into how we defended too.
Loser: Defensive strategy.
Bortles has been a pick throwing machine, and he continued that trend yesterday. The run defense for the Browns has been bad thus far. Bortles is a mobile threat (scouting fail!).
All of this leads me to ask…why not load the box with defenders and make the turnover prone rookie QB beat you with his arm? He had way too much time to throw yesterday. All they needed was to keep his eyes down on the action happening along the line. The rest would have taken care of itself.
Loser: deciding not to kick the field goal to go up 9-0. For crying out loud…kick the field goal, go up 2 scores, keep the Jags off the scoreboard by giving them an 80 yard field with little time, and you have the other team heading into the locker room thinking they’ll NEVER score. Instead, you show your frustration by unnecessarily going for it, and thus, create an opportunity to forfeit momentum where previously, none existed. ARG!!
considering the offenses were playing much like the ’11 Browns v. Seahawks game, I don’t think that argument is out of the realm of possibilities.
Lack of DL depth is all the more reason to dial up blitzes. If you can’t rush 4 straight up, overload one side of the OL. That probably would have confused Bortles too.
Overall, if you’re short defensive lineman, I gotta believe the best strategy is to bring more guys up along the front and make sure you at least limit exposure in the run game, especially when the QB that needs to step up to beat you is throwing INTs to TDs at a 3:1 ratio.
Wild guess: Those people in the pool are paid models.
only the highlights: simple 10 yard pass in the flat + missed point blank tackle = 70 yard TD; pass interference call leads to FG. Come on, man. I would love Colt to be a guy – and made a comment about him here just last week. But he is what he is. The guy they have to go to when the second stringer is throwing picks against a bad Titans team.
Its unbelievable to me that Hawkins did not score on the catch and run early in the 4th. You HAVE TO BE faster than that. I’m sorry… but to justify what he is getting paid, that should have been a TD. And if it had been, Browns win the game.
Or imports from Atlantic Beach.
Forgot that you can’t joke a day after a loss…..
You can argue that Hoyer looked awful in the same preseason games that Manziel looked awful in. Everything was so vanilla, that neither got the chance to show what they could do. Or even how badly they could screw up.
If there is a move made to Manziel, we should be hoping that it happens sooner than later. Not that I am calling for it, but it would be a much softer (you would think) landing spot against Oakland and Tampa then what follows.
National media slurped the Kool Aid all week what are you talking about?
Was the woman who wore jeans a model that time?
We weren’t down then. Now we are. The national media’s modus is to kick us when we’re down. I’m bracing. I assumed you were the opening act.
4yr/$13mil contract is a cheap WR deal for a guy that has been our best WR this season
perhaps. but, no guarantee we get that 3:1 ratio if we did it.
really though, I just have a tough time blaming anything on the defense. they did their job yesterday holding the Jags to 7pts of their own accord despite the offense giving them no rest. the offense & ST gift wrapped the other 17pts.
er, sorry, in my mind I’m the only one capable of sarcasm today. I’ll be fine by Wednesday. AS LONG AS PETTINE FESSES THAT ESCHEWING THE FG WAS MORONIC. Say it , Mike … say it.
there’s a word for passing up the FG there, it’s called “over-thinking”
Agree, if Pettine kicks the gimme FG and Hoyer had led one TD drive we’d be singing Gipson’s praises today. What they’ve unearthed is an undrafted guy who is the first Browns safety with an ability to go get the ball since Felix Wright. And, he’s thinking Pick 6 every time he gets one and even uses the amateurish defensive teammate blocking to try and get there. Despite using all those high draft picks and FA money on defense he’s the first to emerge as a playmaker. Sheard is close, Kruger’s getting there, Dansby is close. But right now Gipson is the guy the opposing QB will be accounting for.
[I noticed this guy right away at training camp 2 years ago in the DB drills. Amazingly athletic up close (as is Skrine, btw). Was hoping he’d make the team that year].
You had me and then you lost me.
I don’t disagree in terms of his role and overall value. I guess I just see a wide receiver of his size get that much space and open field in front of him I expect him to be able to break free and score the touchdown
WINNER: Me, for being too busy moving to watch the game all my friends and family kept texting/FB messaging me to say how terrible it was.
LOSER: Me, for being too busy because of a move, because moving is a freaking nightmare.
I was moving this Sunday and am thankful that I didn’t have to watch the nightmare. At the same time, I know I’m still going to sit with my Game Rewind and watch the whole freaking thing at some point this week, because, you know, I’m a stupid freaking Browns’ fan. UGH.
Once again I learn that ‘quick’ and ‘fast’ are NOT the same thing. It was amazing to see how fast the defense caught up to him.
When Mark Cuban purchased the Dallas Mavericks, he said “We’re not selling basketball, we’re selling fun!” Cleveland can become the NFL’s next “America’s Team” if we just let Johnny Manziel create the FUN AND EXCITEMENT! He will be a winner and every major network will have a keen interest in televising Cleveland’s games on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays.