I’ve read most of the posts concerning the Browns game and the Jets problems so I figured I would chime in #1 The Browns are an up and coming decent team and should win at least 6 maybe 7 games this year. They have all pro talent at key positions. Mayfield is going to be a good QB. Just because he bested Darnold last night does not mean he will be a better QB when all is said and done. #2 Sam Darnold is still the franchise. Don’t let these last two weeks fool you. Last night he was running for his life. He has no reliable weapons other than Q. Q is not a # 1 WR but he needs to be resigned - a tough player. Other than that this offense as a whole needs to be built around Darnold not the other way around. These quick drops are an admission that there is no confidence in the OL as a whole. #3 The Jets are not a good enough team to overcome mistakes and silly penalties . Enough is enough with this nonsense. Stupid dances , idiotic end zone celebrations, taunting, false start after false start. Enough . This falls on the coaching staff particularly Bowles. Which leads to #4. #4 Bowles grip on the head coaching job is slowly slipping away. Last night was proof. No adjustments to the game plan at halftime - playing scared. The same emotionless stare. While the state of the team may vindicate a head coach is this predicament - after last nights meltdown - the countdown has begun. #5 Mac needs a homerun in this coming offseason to keep his own job. He will have the ammunition in 90 million dollars plus a high first round pick probably anywhere from # 7-11. He needs 2-3 new bodies on the OL particularly the left side . Long is not fit for a center. I believe he is much better suited for LG. They will need one anyway . They need to part ways with Robby Anderson . He is not a # 1 WR. He will want too much money and is simply a one trick pony. He needs to look a little further into the TE position and give Darnold another option underneath . It is yet to be determined if that player is even on the roster at this time. Mac also needs to solve the outside pass rush once and for all even if it means bringing in two of them - maybe one FA and a high pick . There are way too many third and long conversations. It will do wonders for this defense and elevate the play of Williams, Jenkins, Lee, Adams etc. Just my two cents ....
Good stuff, @mrjet80! Especially #3. There is nothing more embarrassing to me as a fan than a team who talks the talk and doesn't walk the walk. Rex's team did that for years and it was a joke. Bowles was brought in to fix that, but it is clear he is more similar to Rex than we realized. The team acts so cocky, yet is a joke across the NFL. The lack of discipline is unbelievable. I hate that.
I think your two cents are pretty much spot on. The only slight quibble I'd have with it is maybe concerning Robby Anderson. I agree he's not a #1 WR, and I also agree that everybody's attitude towards him right now is at an all time low with the fugly fumbles and the off season behavior but all that said does not mean he "should be gotten rid of" He's still a dangerous player to have on the field and a threat to do good things for you rather than the horrible things of the last couple weeks. I think he's still an asset to the team although absolutely... not a true bell cow #1 WR type by any stretch of the imagination. In time I feel like this loss will look a little less appalling than it does right now after the Browns win 7 or 8 games and push for the playoffs. The worst part of the night for me was that TD drive the Browns had in the 2nd half where they just methodically walked the Jets defense right down the field and plowed it in. That was freaking embarrassing. And should have been especially so for our head coach who theoretically the reason we have him as our head coach is because he's an innovative defensive master at preventing EXACTLY THOSE TYPES OF THINGS from happening. Browns ending up being a playoff team or not I'm sorry.... that was bullshit. and literally embarrassing.
You gotta game plan to get your players in key spots to succeed. Let Robby go deep and give him some run , game plan and give him some plays. Or how about Cannon, try to get him in space ...I like getting Q the ball but there's other WR's that can contribute. Get Darnold some help! I feel like game planning is just as much an issue here.
Coaching scared is unforgivable to me....I can live with leaving it all out there and emptying the kitchen sink but coming up short As soon as Baker came in we went into a shell and it reeks of Bowles on down just trying to cling on to the lead Where is the creativity, the aggressiveness, the shots downfield??? Literally nowhere to be found On defense we were attacking Taylor and definitely dropped back to let Baker pick our soft zone defense apart Never going to win anything worth a shit in the NFL with Bowles’ philosophy unless you are just that much better talent wise...which clearly we aren’t even close to that When you’re out-manned it makes even more sense to “play for the win”...Bowles doesn’t see it this way and sadly will never change
I keep hearing we don't have any weapons at WR except Quincy. I ain't buying that. We didn't have Q last season and our passing attack was respectable. The problem with our passing game is the play calling which is too heavy on 5 yard routes and Sam lacking the skills to consistently make good reads. This is being compounded by the fact that each week Sam is becoming less and less accurate. Yes we have a crappy O-line but with so many short routes that should be less of a problem. Sam takes to long to identify when and where a receiver is going to come open. IE - he is holding the ball too long for a short passing attack.
The main issue is dumb coaches (ours) sometimes handcuff a young QB and don’t want him to take shots downfield because they’re scared he will turn it over...so they make him make a bunch of easy and short throws What they don’t realize is that the defense continues to creep up and jump routes because why would they respect anything else when you refuse to even try? It makes it hard for the receivers to get open and harder for the QB to throw to non-open receivers Just let Sam sink or swim as a normal NFL QB....making all the throws....why is that so damn hard?
I totally agree. Our offensive gameplans are horse crap. But some of it is one Sam taking too long to make his reads. A short passing game is a quick attack. Cant hold the ball that long. Hopefully that can work out with more experience and becoming familiar with the each wideouts tendencies. But his accuracy has been slipping, requiring our WRs to make great catches too often. The 4th down conversion to Kearse is a great example.
What happens when we fire Bowles and there's no homerun from Mac? Saddle the new coach with a crappy roster? Fire Mac and keep the coach? Fire the coach after one year? No, barring a big turnaround this season Bowles and Mac have to go.
I agree with your comments except for this - if we don't have a top 5 pick I will be amazed - who are we going to beat apart from probably splitting the series with the Bills?
Good post. I totally agree with all you said. I would add that with regard to the TE position, we may not have a keeper on the roster. Herndon hasn't shown crap, but he has the rest of this season and maybe next to show something. Has Leggett even suited up yet? He has been a huge disappointment. If he doesn't get on the field and start making some big contributions soon, then I say cut his ass following the season, no 3rd season. Right now, the only TE I'd keep in 2019 for certain is Sterling.
I say the Colts, Vikings ( upset ) possibly at Miami, the Bills both games and upset over GB. Throw out the two upsets definitely another 4 wins at least they are slightly better than last years team . But still a long way from the playoffs .....
I don't think it's Sam holding the ball to often, but rather the WR'S not getting the separation for Sam to make the play, which causes Sam to hold the ball and wait for someone to get open. The 4th down throw to Kearse was well placed, the defender had him well covered & Sam made a good throw. Our WR'S are not living up to their hype. Most of us felt we were an underrated WR group. I still think they are good, but the play calling isn't helping. Let's not forget this browns defense gave Ben & Drew, two of the best, along with their great Wr's, fits and they should have won both games. Don't get me wrong, we should have won that game, but don't underestimate the Browns. We did put up 334 yds on a good Dolphins defense so it's not like Sam was terrible his first 2 games. I am not expecting much of a turn a round against the Jaguars. The OL has Bates calling plays scared. Quick dump off, bubble screens etc., no plays to stretch the field. We have to start playing & calling plays with some confidence or else these teams are going to be jumping routes, loading the box without fear of the deep a threat. This year is all about developing Sam & the offense. Hope they figure it out by '19 season. As for the defense so far has been jeckel & hyde. Game 1 we were great. Game 2 we played a poor 1st. Half, then shut out Miami the second half. The third game we played an excellent 1st half & terrible 2nd half, WE NEED CONSISTENT PLAY FOR 4 QUARTERS. If we don't start figuring things out by the end of the year, I say it's time for a new CS.
Leggett pulled in a sideline pass that Sam was throwing away. Held the ball but didn't come down in bounds. He's got good hands, I don't get why he's not part of the passing attack.
I mostly agree with #1 and #3 for the reason the Jets lost. In #3 the dumb sh^t ass shenanigans helped turn the momentum of the game away from the Jets. For #1, the Browns have 2 of the top PR's in the game plus a hot rookie CB who's a real playmaker and that put a lot of pressure on Darnold; very similar to what happened in the Miami game. The outcome could have been a lot worse. Taylor missed a sure touchdown to Calloway and Mayfield had one that Calloway just dropped. I won't criticize the Jets for not having a game plan for Mayfield as some have. It was clear they a good one for Taylor. You shouldn't have to have a game plan for the backup QB, especially in a short week. When you knock out the starter, that's supposed to be a good thing (Drew Bledsoe notwithstanding.) No one could have predicted Mayfield would light it up like that in his first NFL action, even me, and I was as big a Mayfield supporter. Besides, the Jets had opportunities to stop the Browns several times with the fumble and the missed interception. The top teams don't miss those opportunities.
Colts are beating Eagles as this is written, Bills are slamming Vikings so those games are looking more interesting and GB? No way..