Indians announce Phase 2 of Progressive Field renovations
August 13, 2015Ball played: Indians win Game 2 in only nine innings
August 13, 2015Monday Morning Quarterback writer Peter King attended Cleveland Browns training camp on Tuesday. The longtime NFL scribe, who runs his own football-only site under the Sports Illustrated umbrella, The MMQB, conducts a training camp tour every preseason. On Wednesday, he shared his thoughts on the Browns.
He was high on starting quarterback Josh McCown, saying that he “looks as sharp as a tack executing Cleveland’s new matchup passing attack.” King said that playing behind an impressive offensive line that includes Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, and Joel Bitonio could re-energize the 36-year old.
“For those who would say Josh McCown was an uninspired signing after watching him last year in Tampa, I would say watch Josh McCown when he had some protection in Chicago,” King said. “And when he had some time to get to his weapons, that’s when any quarterback is going to be successful.”
The biggest thing King believes the Browns must do to improve on their seven wins: sack the opposing quarterback. With three Pro Bowlers in the secondary, King said that Cleveland’s success hinges on the success of their defensive front.
“One of the things that has to happen for this team to be good, is they’ve got to develop a consistent pass rush,” King said. “They need Barkevious Mingo, they need that front-seven to pressure the passer. Mike Pettine does a really good job in scheming imaginative ways to get to the quarterback. That has to happen.”
Although Johnny Manziel is listed as the backup quarterback on the depth chart, King said that Manziel is still the biggest storyline in Browns camp. After struggling to get through 2015 both on and off the field, King sees progress as more important than playing time for the former Aggie.
“I think Johnny Manziel really needs to take this year as a makeup year,” King said. “I’m not saying he won’t play at all, but I think the best thing for Johnny Manziel would be to work hard at his craft and aim to come in opening day 2016 and compete for the starting job. He needs a year to learn this craft.”
In his “10 Things I Think I Think” column Thursday, King added that he liked the Browns thinking outside the box in making their camouflage practice jerseys.
I think the Browns have the right idea by making unique practice jerseys. I’m not necessarily a fan of the orange-and-brown camo that they came up with, but hey, the more merchandise you can create, the more merchandise you have a chance to sell. That’s the game.
King didn’t do a proper writeup on Browns camp this year, but MMQB writer Jenny Vrentas did. She noted that McCown is “firmly,” in Mike Pettine’s words, the starter, which Pettine thinks has helped McCown prepare for the season. That said, Vrentas was less impressed by McCown’s performance in Tuesday’s practice than King was.
In the practice we saw, McCown looked mediocre. Pettine was really excited about a strike McCown threw off his back foot to Taylor Gabriel to convert a first down, against a cornerback who was starting to undercut the route. But many of his throws seemed to lack zip, including a floater into the end zone that was easily picked off by CB Joe Haden.
As far as the backup quarterback goes, Pettine said that the team didn’t do a good enough job last year of holding Johnny Manziel accountable, “even when he wasn’t the guy.” Pettine cited that as the reason why he replaced quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains with Kevin O’Connell, who worked with Manziel before he was drafted and was a backup QB for the New York Jets when Pettine was an assistant there. Pettine said he has especially seen improvement in Manziel’s focus and mental approach.
An example: He rarely gets a question wrong in meetings. “The times when he is frustrated are when he wants something to be right and it’s not done right,” Pettine said. “He’s a work in progress, but the will is definitely there. I think he realized he let a lot of people down, and he wants to make amends for it.”
Vrentas saw some things she liked in the Browns offense, especially wide receiver Taylor Gabriel — “The thing you notice when watching the 5-foot-8, 167-pound receiver is his easy quickness.” Still, a series of injuries to skill position players and another new starting quarterback gave her pause as to whether or not the Browns can score enough to contend in the AFC North.
We’ll get our first look at the 2015 Browns tonight when they take on Washington at FirstEnergy Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
35 Comments
They replaced Dowell Loggains because we was worthless.
Worse than worthless. I’ve never openly hated a position coach before this guy. Between that Arkansas radio interview and the dumpster fire (JFF year 1) he oversaw, he was god awful.
1 Thing I Think I Think: The NFL won’t let the Browns market or sell those jerseys.
I also don’t like his name! Dowell is a bad name and he should feel badly!
1 Thing I Think Peter King Should Stop Thinking:
[From his 10 Things He Thinks He Thinks] “6. I think scrambling yards need to be counted as passing yards. This has occurred to me more and more as I’ve read back through my 2014 film notes to write the team-by-team previews for this site. Most scrambles come on passing downs, out of a passing formation, against a pass defense and on a called pass play. The play just happens to end with the quarterback running. . . . .”
What the #@&% is a “passing down”? A down is a down. And who cares if it’s a “pass play,” “out of a passing formation, against a pass defense.”? If the QB runs, it’s a RUNNING PLAY.
Maybe he called himself Dowell as an ironic name? He didn’t do well at all.
Cool practice jerseys.
Not my style, though.
I’m loyal to my Eric Turner jersey. My one and only.
Him and Ozzie are my two favorite browns.
That radio interview should have tipped them that this guy was an 8th grader in a middle-aged man’s body. Before we even get to coaching acumen, the breathtaking lack of comprehending appropriate public statements by an assistant coach put him close to the top of the huge heap of unprofessional behavior in the Browns’ org since ’99.
Yeah, I think I read somewhere that they aren’t allowed to sell practice jerseys?
Yep. I read it here.
Rain Cloud Alert….
1. “Watch Josh McCown when he had some protection in Chicago,” King said.
“And when he had some time to get to his weapons, that’s when any
quarterback is going to be successful.” — said weapons on this team are a little under the caliber he had in Chicago.
2. Pettine was really excited about a strike McCown threw off his back foot — dear lord help us.
Positive Side….
Good to hear Manziel appears focused and prepared in the meeting room.
the “weapons” comment was funny. I agree. he has blunt knives and muskets at his disposal.
Loved that guy. #29.
Me, I’m loyal to my white Eric Metcalf jersey. Like you, the only one i have.
Other Peter King ruminations: 18). I think hot dogs should be called hot snakes. This has occurred to me more and more when I eat them and realize they look more like snakes than dogs.
And touchdowns should actually be called field goals.
Who knows, maybe the line does help Bowe return to the one season he was a number one target and turn McCown into the QB he was for like 6 games in CHI with elite weapons and heals the RB’s and turns water into wine….
I would not want to be shot by a musket nor stabbed by a blunt knife.
Heart cut out with spoon then?
Because it would hurt more?
I wouldn’t want that, either.
Agree. It is the “goal” of everyone on the “field.”
You’re a Browns fan right?
Seems to me “heart cut out with a spoon” would be like your daily cup of coffee.
HEY, LISTEN HERE…THERE WAS ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO CALLED TOUCHDOWNS “FIELD GOALS” ALRIGHT PAL AND THEY WERE CALLED NAZI’S.
THIS IS AMERICA. TOUCHDOWNS.
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.
Gross. My daily cup of coffee is my daily cup of coffee.
John Elway and Earnest Byner were my heart surgeons. My heart did not go on. That Celine Dion was full of $#!t.
“Touchdown” is actually a term with Rugby origins. But I see, you’d rather we’d lost that war to George III. TORY! BENEDICT ARNOLD!
OH AND HERE COMES JOHNNY BRIT TO TELL ME ALL ABOUT HIS TEA AND RUGBY.
LISTEN JACK, TOUCHDOWNS.
IT WASN’T EARNED TO BE BURNED.
26). I think football should actually be called “throwcatchandcarryball.” The foot making contact with the ball is really only something that happens on approximately 1.7% of all plays in a throwcatchandcarryball game. Besides, “football” is already the term that the whole world uses for the game that we call “soccer.” “Soccer” should be the name given to the thing that Ray Rice does.
they were called Nazi’s what? (sorry, had to do it)
nor I. But while dying from the wound, you could still find time to intercept a pass and take it back for 6 points. However, a sharp knife or an assault rifle would stifle you immediately and render your defense lifeless.
HAH! +100 points to you sir!
Nazi’s grammar Nazis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aq0zvwXjcs
hilarious. really. freaking hilarious.
I was expecting the “cancer merchant” comeback…but touche.
Or “fumbleinterceptdeflateball.