On Lowe and Windhorst’s Tuesday Tristan Thompson talk
October 7, 2015A week in the life of a Cleveland Browns fan
October 7, 2015Anchors get a bum rap. Sometimes they are discussed as if they are merely a nautical dead weight attached to their vessel, some type of ball and chain to merely weigh the ship down. However, anchors have a crucial maritime role as they maintain a boat’s position regardless of the current or choppiness of the waves around them. The Cleveland Browns showed once again in a 30-27 loss to the San Diego Chargers that they are still in search of their anchor to keep them steady in choppy waters.
Entering the 2015 NFL season, the fans and media were told the Browns had finally found their anchor. The Cleveland Browns would rely on their defense and running game to stay in and win games. It was a refrain repeated by general manager Ray Farmer, head coach Mike Pettine, and others within the organization.
Philosophically, the idea had merit. The Pete Carroll-led Seattle Seahawks had demonstrated to the NFL it was possible to win and win convincingly on the back of a strong defense. Russell Wilson had received some praise, but most understood the defense that held opponents to a NFL least amount of points scored three years in a row deserved the true accolades. Add in an effective running game spearheaded by the brutal running style of Marshawn Lynch, and old school football was new again.
The Browns put their money where those words led them. The Browns entered the 2015 season with the most expensive defense in the NFL as they were the only team spending over half of their salary cap room on defense. High-profile free agent acquisitions Randy Starks and Tramon Williams were added. A defensive-heavy draft supplied Danny Shelton, Nate Orchard, and others. An already strong secondary was talking about being the best in the NFL. A defense that had struggled to stop the run was supposedly plugging those gaps. While offensive improvements were put off another year, the seemingly already strong defense was bolstered further.
Furthermore, the offensive line looked to be a strength. Joe Thomas is a future Hall of Fame player. Alex Mack was returning from injury to solidify the center of the line. Joel Bitonio was coming off one of the best rookie seasons in the NFL. Cameron Erving was selected in the first round to plug any injury or performance concerns, should they arise.
Instead, if the defense is the anchor, then the slack on the chain must be too weak, perhaps snapped off as the ship has bullied by the uneven sea. In the Browns three losses, the defense has given up a minimum of 27 points. A week after allowing 314 passing yards from Derek Carr, the NFL’s best secondary1 watched Philip Rivers pass for 347 yards.
Worse yet, on Sunday after the offense tied the game at 27 with just two minutes left, the defense needed to prove its worth. Unfortunately, they might have as Rivers quickly marched the Chargers into field goal position for the win. While the first field goal attempt sailed wide, the Chargers were able to move closer and kick successfully for the win. Why? Well, one of those key free agent acquisitions for the defense, Tramon Williams, was offsides.
Oh, and if the offensive line is an anchor, then the slack on the chain is too short because the running game has been pulling the entire offense underwater. Even after a somewhat successful game against the Chargers, the team is averaging less than four yards per carry. On the past two Sundays, the offense has abandoned the run. Even with the score manageable throughout the game, the Browns called 45 pass plays to just 21 rushes in San Diego.
Of course, as Rivers demonstrated, the obvious anchor for a football team is the quarterback. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Andrew Luck are the anchors for their teams. In 32 combined seasons starting2 , their teams have made the playoffs 29 times. One of the three seasons without playoffs was in 2002 when the New England Patriots lost out on a tiebreaker to the Butch Davis Browns. The other two seasons were early in Peyton’s career when he was learning how to minimize his mistakes and the Colts were building around him. Otherwise, despite injuries around them, free agent losses, coaching turnover, rule changes, bad breaks in games and more, those players have kept their teams steady and in the playoffs each season.
Not surprisingly, people spend an inordinate amount of time focused on fixing the most obvious position to cure the ills of the Browns. Through 23 starting quarterbacks since 1999, the answer is still a mystery. Sorry, Josh McCown. Averaging nearly 350 yards and two touchdowns in games completed is great. But, Rich Gannon notwithstanding, a 36-year-old career backup is not going to become an anchor for a team. Plus, both of those games ended in a Browns loss. Johnny Manziel might eventually be that elusive player, but anyone stating such with certainty after his rookie season and uneven (though at times exciting) play in 2015 is desperately reaching. Cal’s Jared Goff certainly appears he will become an anchor player for some team starting in 2016, but banking on Goff requires at least 10 more losses3 and cheering for losses is not a fun way to root for team.
Perhaps the Browns will regain their defensive savvy against the pass and figure out how to set an edge to mitigate the opponents rushing. Perhaps the Browns offensive line will begin opening holes so that fans can throw pizza Lunchables onto the field. Perhaps, Josh McCown can remind fans of Rich Gannon or Johnny Manziel can live up to the incredible hype once attached to his name. However, until one emerges, the Cleveland Browns are left searching for anchors.
- Tashaun Gipson described the Browns secondary as “second to none” before the season, and Whitner would only point to the Seahawks secondary as comparable. [↩]
- subtracting a season-long injury for Tom Brady and Peyton Manning [↩]
- I fully expect Jared Goff of the University of California will be the number one overall pick and is quite worthy of that lofty status already. [↩]
39 Comments
Browns are laughable both in and out of Cleveland
I’ve stayed away from this week’s venting lest I be the guy I hate, Mr. Ad Nauseum. But all signs point to coaching deficiencies, on both macro and micro levels. Slow reactions to situations, lethargy, mindless penalties, inability to address general problems like run defense, inability to adjust in-game (yo, if they immediately go no-huddle and spread out in response to jailbreak blitzes you … um …), inability to successfully incorporate high draft choices, barely veiled post-game comments that indicate zero player buy-in.
I’m not a Ray Farmer fan, and surely not all his acquisitions are good, but some should be able to make some big plays when it counts like, you know, average NFL players sometimes do. It feels almost like the coaching has neutered any talent into one of the league’s worst defenses. By game’s end San Diego’s offense was without, what, 5 starters? Highly paid players get no alibis. But this All Mouth defense needs a large personality with coaching skills. Good DCs are everywhere, but not here. Nor do we appear to have a HC with the crucial ability: Mind the store, make sure your chosen department supervisors are carrying out your store policy and handling their employees when you have to walk over to make sure the new warehouse supervisor has a clue how to unload the trucks. But most of this skill is performed in the off-season, when you pick and train your supervisors, not when the store is crushed with customers.
For people suggesting Pettine might not last the season, how would that work? The DC can’t handle his own job, the OC is a young rookie newly bumped from position coach – I see no one remotely suited to take over in mid-season. The Browns will win a few more because, just like the Jets were better than expected (now that’s a rookie HC), some opponents coming up are worse. Berea has felt iffy since the cascade of self-inflicted wounds in the off-season. Come the whistle after Game 16, I feel more blood spilling, maybe a whole lot.
I’m with you (and from your tone, I perhaps detect neither one of us wants to be here). This place is the realization that the organizational foundation is fundamentally flawed–or carrying Bode’s analogy–the captain and crew–are piloting the Exxon Valdez.
This place is also the realization that he coaching and/or GMing have been disastrous, but there’s a bit of a chicken or the egg dilemma (talent vs coaching). Or maybe it’s the whole farm. But I’d still like to see Pettine get some more time, if but for no other reason, than to see if we can’t land him some talent by way of a new GM or a GM that just happens to get it right more often than not, for once. If there is blood spilling at season end, I’d much rather see Farmer go.
I’d also like to see some major adjustments by Pettine that you rightly call for, although his rigidity worries me. I think he’s going to die on that hill of BFF Jim O’Neil as his right hand man, and not make a much needed change. I also think his resistance towards incorporating the draft picks and not getting something from them is piss poor. Mike, we know you don’t like some of these guys, but perpetual dog housing isn’t going to cut it. I find it hard to believe Justin Gilbert can’t crack the field, talent wise. Or that Nate Orchard can’t somehow be worth a shot.
I’m with you, except the empiricist in me now rejects that Pettine just needs a fair chance. Can’t do this anymore, and not because I demand instant results. It’s because I’ve liked him without football cause. The way he looks on TV and speaks has zero to do with how he coaches, prepares his players, chooses assistants, anything. Put a long pink wig on him, make him talk like Daffy Duck, make his eyes swing furtively when asked questions, and now … how does his team play on Sundays? Are his second and third rounders even active, never mind contributing? Does he just need more time and a better ecosystem? This town loves to play the “He’s one of us – give him a chance/He’s a tool – good riddance” thing. Shanahan was a tool no doubt, but one who brought in his hand-picked position guys and had this line zone blocking in one off-season. If we get a good guy who can coach – Bruce Arians, whoever – that’s wonderful. But get a freakin’ guy for football cause, a guy who can coach.
At the very least Pettine proved himself to be an excellent defensive coordinator.
I know he brought O’Neil with him, and it may be tough, but maybe Pettine needs to take a little more personal approach to the defense, and not worry if he steps on O’Neil’s toes.
If the talent is as advertised, then that leaves only one other option as too why the defense is so bad.
This looks like the largest quagmire from what I can tell. Pettine is too close with O’Neil and has too much faith in him to take O’Neil’s shortcomings as seriously as he needs to take them. A quarter of the season is gone and the Browns have the worst defense in the NFL (in terms of yardage), but here is Mike Pettine telling everyone that the defense is “close” and that it’s just a couple of fixable errors here and there, and that O’Neil is doing a good job. I really liked Mike Pettine after last season, but I’m starting to lose faith in him fast… I don’t know if he has the personality to fire up this team and hold people accountable like they need.
You guys are hitting on one of the principle problems. Only Shelton and Bitonio seem to get chances on the field of high draft picks. Is it HC-dog housing that needs to loosen or just plain bad drafting.
Something I just noticed… in terms of yardage the Browns have played the #3, #9, #15, and #17 offenses in the NFL through 4 weeks. They have also played the #3, #6, #15, and #31 defenses in the NFL. It’s probably too early in the season for those rankings to mean much and I’m sure playing the Browns was a large factor in those teams’ rankings, but I just found it surprising to see that the only truly bad unit the Browns have played this season is the Oakland Raiders’ defense.
All that being said and prior to the season, I really thought the Browns’ defense would be the type of unit that dictates its terms to opponents, not the other way around. What a huge disappointment they’ve been and it does seem like there are no real anchors.
Hard to say…
Gilbert thus far stinks, so blame bad drafting.
JFF aside from flashes of ability just doesn’t strike me as a “Pettine guy”.
Erving is buried by depth.
So, we’ll call it a push, at this point. đ
Well, 25% of what makes those teams #3, #9, #15, and #17 in offense is the Cleveland Browns defense. Vice versa offense vis a vis defense. (That last sentence just rolls off the tongue.) Beyond that, I’m not sure we can draw too many conclusions based on rankings at this point.
I need to do a research project. Does Gilbert simply stink or has he not been given the chances. Both he and Manziel are “Big Play Either Way” type players. A big player is happening with them on the field, it just might be the opponent or it might be the Browns as the beneficiary. Pettine seems to loathe that type of player.
Anchors? They need play makers.
Interesting question this might speak to the inadequacies of the organization wherein they put all of these young, raw college kids in the hands of another first time head coach. A head coach who himself is learning much the same way. The problem is this has been done repeatedly with this organization and it hasn’t worked once. It’s not going to work now. I don’t see what is so hard to understand.
I think they are worse then comical you have to try to even be empathetic these days.
This organization needs a legitimate NFL GM or President who has already acted in that capacity before and has a track record/resume. Not a head coach acting like one a la Mike Holmgren or someone like Joe Banner. I mean someone who has built, constructed and drafted within an organization before who has an ability to recognize talent on and off the field. Until this happens you’ll just be stuck in a GroundHog Day situation.
Dog house or lack of talent aren’t the only choices. It could be that draftees have talent but in fact aren’t ready to play, because they aren’t being adequately coached up. Word was they booted Loggains because he didn’t hold Johnny responsible. Maybe other position coaches are not particularly good teachers of the NFL game and, after a summer camp and mid-week practices it’s a good thing Orchard, et al. aren’t getting a lot of snaps. It’s hard for me to watch Crowell, and West in preseason, needing to be constantly reminded to hit the first crease and go, rather than still deluding themselves that they can outrun NFL LBs to the edge and then cut upfield. This team as a whole plays with a low football IQ. Almost no one knows how to do the little things right.
[And now I’m being that guy. I’m out]
Not being coached up properly is equivalent to “coaches doghouse” to me. The coach has deemed them not ready for the field (regardless of their own doing or the coaches lack of coaching). I probably should have used a different term though as I see how doghouse could be interpreted solely on their own accords.
excellent post HARV … maybe pettine could tell jim o’neill that he will be taking over the defensive calls.
100%. Unless you get lucky, unless you find a guy with historically wide skill sets that cross both coaching, personnel eval and organizational skills (Bill Walsh, Pat Riley) it doesn’t work when you hire a great HC to be prez, or even a great old coordinator (Bud Carson, Dick Lebeau, Lindy Infante, Buddy Ryan) to be a HC. You need to get a guy who’s excelled at THAT job before, and hope he’s not coming only because he’s too tired but needs those last paychecks like Rollie Massimino. The Indians struck gold with Hank Peters. The Jacobs opened their vault to let him rebuild the entire minor league system, and he had just enough gas left in the tank to set it up and hand it off.
hi guys … i would only add that we ran a 4-3 , with 4-3 personnel , until pettine changed to a 3-4 defense. IMO , we do not yet have the personnel for a strong 3-4 defense yet.
ok, got it
It’s not a HC’s job to micromanage the defense. Pettine needs to be the conductor, setting the tone, seeing the big picture and freed up to make the crucial calls on game day. If he needs to grab the defensive reins to save the season and his job, he’s leaving a young rookie HC and everyone else on their own. I think this coming off-season we’re going to hear some nasty leaks about what’s happening right now.
sorry tiger, but Ray Horton transitioned us to the 3-4 during his season as DC under Chud. Pettine actually kept things there when he came.
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I see troubling things, but I can’t definitively say he “can’t coach” or that his troubles are so fundamental to him as a person, to the extent he can’t right himself. I do think those issues we see are magnified immensely with a lack of talent and some puzzling roster decisions.
That said, I’m not sure Pettine can be a great coach, but I think he can at least be alright–and that’s good enough for me in keeping stability at this point. He’s got the right temperament, and maybe I’m grasping for straws here in light of the objective lack of good results, but I see enough in the guy. Who knows. I saw good things in that Mangina guy too, so what the hell do I know.
hi MG … you are correct ! for some reason i had dick jauron on my mind & forgot about ray. that’s what i get for shooting-from-the-hip.
Yep and the 2011-2012 Jauron defenses weren’t really around long enough to make a huge change from the 3-4 defenses that Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini/Rob Ryan ran. Also consider this… in 2011 the Browns drafted Phil Taylor to play in a 4-3 defense (despite clearly being a nose tackle in my opinion), Jabaal Sheard (who ended up as a serviceable 3-4 OLB), and Buster Skrine at CB (so defensive alignment didn’t matter). In 2012 the Browns drafted John Hughes and Billy Winn, who are both decent 3-4 DEs. There were no other defensive players of consequence from either draft. For better or for worse, our GMs have mainly drafted and added free agents for a 3-4 defense over the past 11 years… so if the pieces don’t fit a 3-4 scheme, then that is scary!
I don’t want to say anything definitively either. I just don’t see any signs he can coach. The temperament we see for the cameras may have nothing to do with how he is with players and, even if it is similar, what does that have to do with anything? Vince Lombardi and Tony Sparano both screamed. Tom Landry and Pat Shurmur were both stoic. There’s nothing to be comforted about. There’s just the product after 20 games.
[why am i still commenting? shut up, harv]
Yeah, no worries, we have a few more coaches than most teams to keep track and chronologically organized.
There’s nothing to be comforted about.
Yet another 2015 phrase to be added on the Cleveland Browns list.
Embrace the Absurdity
It is What it Is
Scoff for Goff
There’s nothing to be comforted about
I love boat analogies! So here’s my nautical take on the state of the USS Browns:
An anchor will do no good on a rudderless ship with a flooded engine compartment, leaky hull and drifting towards a reef. Oh yeah; and don’t forget captain Pettine seems to think there is no need to panic. After all, he spent a lot of money to get a few more horsepower out of that engine (the one in the flooded engine compartment). He thinks all it will take to right the ship is to rearrange a few chairs on the weather deck.
This ship’s listing bad and is in real danger of sinking unless they can a)stop the flood, b)pump the bilge, c)get the motor running, and get the ship moving enough to get some steerage and get out of the shallow water.
Of course, if the captain can’t right the ship and she ends up breaking up on the rocks we’ll get to pick a nice new ship next year. I hear Farmer has his eye on a nice ship called the Titanic- that one’s a can’t miss because it’s unsinkable!
I know kinda cynical. Sigh…… Go Browns
It would be interesting to see where those teams would rank if the Browns were taken out of the equation. On second thought, maybe some things are best left alone
I think you make a good point here, and although I’ve made excuses for Farmer in the past, this falls squarely upon his shoulders. Part of drafting the “best players for your organization” is drafting the types of players your coach likes. We don’t have the margin for error to allow for personality/style conflicts to keep players drafted that highly off the field.
Of course, a counter to that argument is that the coach should be willing to put that kind of stuff aside and do whats best for the team. Additionally, a good coach should be able to get the most out of every player, personality/style conflicts be damned. The fact is, Pettine is the coach, and at the time of the draft(s), that was not changing anytime soon. As a result, Farmer should have had a better read on Pettine’s personality and avoided those type of “boom or bust” players. Now, maybe Farmer didnt know that in 2014 (2 boom or busts in the first round) and he is learning (Shelton and Erivng were both regarded as “safe” 1st rounders,) so perhaps he is learning?
Also, please note: I think Gilbert has all the talent in the world, and he just needs to mature, and he will be a good (maybe not great, but top 25) CB in this league for a while. The question is, is he an all time bonehead who wouldnt see the field anywhere, or is Pettine grinding an axe against Gilbert because he fits a stereotype? Thank God they finally have him returning kicks. he’s a natural with the ball in his hands. WTF took so long?
Now, with all that being said, either Farmer and Pettine will be gone, or just Pettine will be gone. There is ZERO chance they fire Farmer, hire a new GM, and that guy keeps Pettine on.
we are the coaching petri dish of the NFL. It’s one of my longest running problems with the organization. How many GM/coaches/OC’s/DC’s have done the job they were hired to do here somewhere else at the NFL level beforehand?
I wonder if Bill Polian is tired of eating cafeteria food in Bristol yet. Im still mad at Butch Davis for giving Ron Wolf the cold shoulder
you mean like when they fired the last President and GM (Banner and Lombardi), but kept Pettine with the new GM (Farmer).
Yep.
Hate to be nitpicky here, but I don’t recall Pettine being described as an excellent coordinator prior to being hired here. Plus his defense at Buffalo still ranked 28th against the run.
yeah thats not exactly the typical situation though. Farmer was already in house, and was part of the Pettine hiring.