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October 28, 2015Truly frightening: Halloween costume ideas inspired by Cleveland sports
October 28, 2015After watching Josh McCown exit the game against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday with what appeared to be a dead right arm, it’s somewhat shocking that he might only miss some practice time this week. The way Josh McCown was holding his arm on the way to the locker room he was a brisk jog away from doing a Kevin Love impression. It’s a time like this when it really occurs to me just how much Josh McCown has been beaten up this season.
It started rather quickly with McCown’s helicopter at the goal line against the New York Jets. Even after missing some time and seemingly learning his lesson about running into contact, McCown has found himself under fire. But first, here’s my favorite edit of McCown’s famous helicopter against the Jets thanks to Reddit:
Josh McCown has taken the fourth-most sacks in the league. He’s been put on the ground 21 times; only Russell Wilson (31), Colin Kaepernick, and Alex Smith (25 each) have been sacked more. Interestingly enough, despite the totals, McCown ranks only eighth in terms of sack yardage lost. That means that guys above him — like Drew Brees, Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater, and Ryan Tannehill — must have some really big yardage sacks next to their names in the stat sheets.
In addition to the stats and sacks, McCown has seemed to take some shots to the head that went uncalled. Even on his empty-handed fumble throw against the Rams, the Browns quarterback had his facemask yanked and then was blatantly tripped after giving the ball away. Neither was called on behalf of the elderly Guile-from-Street Fighter look-alike.
I had trouble coming up with other examples off-hand, and maybe these are things that happen in all NFL games, but it seems like quarterback is the one place left where the NFL is like the NBA in terms of refereeing. Maybe it’s my own Cleveland Browns inferiority complex, but it seems like some of the shots or grazing blows that Josh McCown takes to his helmet and facemask would get called for his more famous quarterback counterparts.
It’s especially frustrating when McCown is doing such a decent job for the Browns this year. Most fans had reasonable expectations for Josh McCown, but so far he’s ninth in terms of passer rating across the NFL. McCown is currently seventh in terms of passing yards per game and ninth for yards per pass attempt. Despite the fumble issues, McCown is fifth in terms of pass interception percentage, which is particularly important. Of all the things the Browns hoped Josh McCown could do for them, it’s this kind of statistic that proves he’s doing it.
That’s the rub: The Browns have failed to do so many of the things you really think they planned to do well. They don’t run the ball like we expected them to be able to with the return of a healthy Alex Mack. They certainly don’t play defense the way we thought they might be able to, namely in terms of stopping the run. That leaves special teams, where they’ve performed to expectations, and passing, where they’ve probably exceeded expectations. Josh McCown is obviously a big part of that passing success, but at the rate he’s getting beat up, it’s hard to imagine it continuing for much longer.
19 Comments
The OL is a paper tiger i.e. it looks like a tiger on paper. What a huge disappointment this group has been maybe we shouldn’t have been so quick to label them as the best in the NFL. DOH! McCown has looked like a crash test dummy out there at times. No wonder he may make some questionable decisions. Listen we all know McCown isn’t the answer but for me, so far, he isn’t the problem!
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I am in abject disagreement. Watching the games and reviewing them, the OL is protecting well enough though the Rams did burn the interior decently a few time. On the whole season, they have held guys like Von Miller in check quite well. McCown has stepped into pressure and held onto the ball far too long on many occasions this season.
They have moments but overall the line is not performing anywhere near the level it needs to for this offense. They certainly can’t run block. If a defense doesn’t have to worry about the run all they have to do is rush an when they do this OL is being pushed back over and over. I heard excuses against the Jets who do have a very good defense but then I saw the Titans do it and then the Raiders. The only team who didn’t do a lot against this OL was Baltimore and maybe that’s why the Ravens aren’t as good this season.
But maybe it’s not the OL’s fault. Maybe the lack of a real bona fide RB not to mention a legitimate WR is indeed not helping. I know plays aren’t being made by anyone really. Benjamin had one game and I maintain that was more a product of Titan’s mistakes then Browns execution.
Denver had success but wait for this weekend against Arizona. If I was McCown I’d say my arm hurt.
Agreed the OL hasn’t run blocked as well as expected though there are plenty of breakdowns out there demonstrating the RBs are as much (or more) at fault there too.
Arizona does not get after the QB all that much (compared to Denver and StL at least). They rely on confusing QBs and creating TO’s, which they are fantastic at doing.
When I’ve seen Arizona play I’ve seen blitzing not a ton but enough. But yes they are more of a coverage team and with the guys in that secondary I can understand why.
But as far as the Browns OL goes it looked better last year. Bitonio gets more penalties now then as a rookie. Mack looks nothing like a Pro Bowler perhaps he’s still not 100%. But more importantly maybe this demonstrates that you do in fact need a position coach and the fact the Browns had theirs suspended then fired didn’t help. Whoever hired him blew it.
I have seen McCown on more than 1 occasion run out of bounds on a pass play for -1 yard loss
Mid-season truths about McCown:
– He’s not playing worse than anyone’s expectations (except maybe Dwayne Bowe’s).
– The way he bounces back up after a vicious hit, the way he moves on without a hint of complaint to his teammates or to the media demonstrate the dude’s a legit tough guy, a Texas badass. If only this attitude was contagious to some of his teammates.
– One reason he’s getting hit so hard is the constant second and 9, third and 7. Crowell could save some of his QB’s grey matter by challenging first contact with some ferocity; if ducking and covering is how he’s solved last year’s fumbling issue they need to get Turbin in there. But another reason is that McCown’s reads are pretty slow. He doesn’t anticipate and get the ball out quickly on blitzes and he has fairly poor pocket sense for a 13 year veteran. Taking consecutive sacks at the end of the Denver game, as just one example, was downright Weeden-esque, just brainlock by a veteran who somehow lost sense of time and situation. On Sunday he never saw a blitzer coming unblocked from the snap on his sighted side, other times he sensed pressure from the wrong side. If they could just frankenstein his arm, toughness and body to Hoyer’s vision and quick brain you’d have your guy. But the league’s not even down with HGH or non-approved shoe color, so I’m thinking there’s little chance of that happening.
Likely headed to 4-12 and the crazy thing is McCown isn’t to blame.
He’s on my short list of respected Browns v.2.0 QBs. While his on-field decisions haven’t always been the best, his off-field behavior has been exemplary.
Sad that it’s hard to find an on-field reason to respect the post-’99 QBs.
McCown one of two people who can say they played QB for the Hartford Colonials!
On-field respect for Browns QBs? Next to McCown, I’d probably only put Holcomb and Couch on the list. Holcomb for playing well enough. Couch for being cursed to play on a team destined to fail and taking so much physical abuse in the process.
Has he ever done this?
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view5/4347353/brooks-backwards-pass-o.gif
Same. And let’s not forget that Holcomb was good for less than a full season. I will always respect what he did in that playoff game against the Steelers.
I’m always surprised how that game gets lost in the shuffle of Cleveland sports woe. Maybe because it lacked that defining, soul-crushing moment.
It might have been worse for just that reason. The sense of…inevitability of the loss was suffocating during that fourth quarter. I was at home with 6-7 people and you could see and hear it in every one of us: that loss was coming, it was just a matter of time. The Northcutt drop just sealed it.
http://www.cantonrep.com/storyimage/OH/20091018/NEWS/310189884/AR/0/AR-310189884.jpg&MaxW=315&MaxH=315
AZ has a very solid pass rush … Did you see the pressure they put on Flacco on Monday night including getting 3 sacks ??? Watch rookie OLB Markus Golden , that kid is impressive if you like Junk Yard type mentality players . He is currently PFF highest ranked rookie OLB at 16th overall among 50 OLBs ranked credited with 3 sacks , 8 QB hits and 16 pressures. They have Freeney coming on strong who still does he patented spin move as good as ever. Woodley is a dud , but is good holding the edge and Okafor is out. They also bring a TON of interior pressure with guys like Calais Campbell who to me is the 2nd best 34 DE behind Watt , Frostee Rucker still plays at a very high level with 2 sacks , 4 hits n 9 pressures on the season, and rookie 6″5 305 pound DE/NT Rodney Gunter is a beast who will be a star in the future. Their secondary is the best in the NFL. ILB Deone Bucannon ( Currently ranked 5th best OLB in NFL by PFF) brings a ton of heat shooting gaps as well , Minter is a solid run n cover LB but not so good rushing the QB. McCown better get the ball out quick , I would not underestimate AZs front 7.