ballpeen

Good times for sure.

18 hours ago, Orion said:

Nice post.  Stef did what was best for the team.  He tried hard to keep DTR from losing the game for us.  He finally had him throwing downfield in the last minute of the game...but that's what the situation called for.  And lo and behold, the kid delivered with the game winning drive.  

I saw the DTR on-field interview after the game.  He spoke of how he felt that his performance was hurting the team and you could tell that he felt horribly about it.  I'm happy for him that the final drive played out like it did.  He earned the win in that final drive.  He beat the Steelers...in Cleveland...there is no regular season victory bigger than that.  

All that said, the only way to win games with 5th round rookie DTR at QB is to win ugly.  Keep the score low.  Lean on the defense.  Be conservative in the passing game.  Try to run the ball.  You're not going to win a boat race.  

I think Stefanski coached one of his better games.  He knew it was going to be a close game and coached accordingly.

Somewhere I read, or maybe it was in a PC that earlier in the week AVP handed DTR a play sheet and told him to memorize those plays.  DTR did.  I think those plays were the plays we ran at games end.  Pitt was afraid of a pass interference call late and played zone, something they didn't do much of prior to that last drive.

When you talk about scripting plays, it is usually the opening drive.  I think we scripted that final drive feeling it would be a close game and they would probably go to a zone, and might need as FG to win or tie the game with time running out.  We used the script when we needed it most.

Pretty brilliant.

On 11/15/2023 at 9:56 PM, Ghoolie Always Ghoolie said:

No cigar. You are even contradicting yourself. If the previous condition, as you say, made Watson more likely to get a worse injury, why the fuck was the 230 million dollar man allowed to play?

Having a strained weakened joint or was it a hit?

Let me give you the official diagnosis. It is called BULLSHIT. My best friend is an accomplished orthopedic surgeon..He calls this bullshit.

I suppose it is possible some hairline fracture started to form.  If so, ask your friend if it is easy to not detect such a fracture.  Also, is it possible the bone wasn't even showing signs of a fracture but could somehow be weakened just the point it could fracture but hadn't?

I think we will be OK.  We can win 4-5 games down the stretch.

When in the playoffs, D usually rules the day.  We have the D to go all the way.

18 hours ago, hoorta said:

Russ, I believe Stan was cremated... You could PM Kathy to find out for sure.... But it's becoming more frequent to have the cremains located in a cemetery nicharium, for lack of a better term.  

I understand.  That is why I said interred, not knowing if he was buried, placed in a wall, sitting on the mantel, or ashes spread out somewhere.

Stefanski isn't going anywhere, but if he did, I'd just promote Schwartz to HC.

I go up to most games and have often thought about paying my respect. Lay some flowers, maybe a baseball.  Does anybody know where Stan is interred, if he is?

27 minutes ago, syd said:

 

Maybe it's me, but that looks a bit like WSSteve.

13 hours ago, Bob806 said:

We will be near the Settlers Landing Rapid stop fyi

Pretty much the usual spot.

I won't be tailgating.  Plan on taking teh train out of brookpark around 9:30 and going in to the stadium when it opens.  Great weather for a Nov game.

DPJ was a dime a dozen WR.  He had some nice moments, but he is just a guy.  We probably have 2-3 guys on the practice squad who can fill his shoes.

We got a 2025 6th round pick for the guy.  Low compensation for a guy not in high standing around the league.  Good deal IMO.  We got something for nothing.  The Lions got a punt catcher.

1 hour ago, syd said:

I said this once and never again,,,,,,,,,,dont fucking jinx it

I don't know.  He strikes it pretty true.  Something York struggled with though he will probably figure it out.  For him, I hope he does.  I don't hope for people to fail.

That isn't to say DH isn't going to miss some kicks.  All kickers do, even some shorter ones.  All are going to make a bad strike.  All are going to get a less than ideal holds and all are going to face some unpredictable wind conditions.

To me kickers are like golfers who only have one club.  Their distance is their distance.  They can't pull out a 3 iron when all they have is a 4 iron.  Even Ben Hogan, Jack, Tiger and Phil could hit bad shots, be it a bad strike, bad lie, or a screwy wind.

Two things on Hopkins.

First:  The knock on him was he had limited distance.  Who the heck said that?.  They were wrong unless they expect a kicker to nail 65-70 yard kicks.  That 58 yard kick he made would have been good from 62-63 yards.  No distance my ass.

Second:  My only question about DH is why was he even available??  He can kick for any team in the league.

On 10/17/2023 at 12:17 AM, hoorta said:

I'm making the trip over to Indy Sunday to Lucas Oil. Have in laws that live north of town. Unfortunately, for a guy who doesn't get up at the break of dawn anymore to tailgate, both the Indy Browns Backers and Steve Weber's GNATS Tailgaters will be wrapping up around the time I make it to downtown Indy.... If you have an interest, you can check the Central Indiana Browns Backers and Steve's GNATS Tailgaters sites for more info.  

Which brings me to another potential road trip.... I was going to blow off the Browns playing the Rams in LA- until I found out Allegiant has nonstop round trip flights (with attractive times) from Cinci to LA for less than $200 bucks. And LAX is only 5 miles away from SoFy- negating the need for a car. Plenty of cheapo hotels within easy walking distance of the stadium too. 

So my question to our West Coast contingent- (never been to LA) what's the neighborhood like around LAX and SoFy? Not worth it if you're going to get robbed in a hotel or on the way walking to the game. 

Thanks.  

Never been, but I always use google maps to check out areas before I go.  I see mostly 1 and 2 star hotels near the stadium .  Some going for $69 a night.

My general impression is it pretty much a crappy area.  Do what you want, but $69 a night pretty much borders on a flop house rate.  I wouldn't stay anywhere near there.

For that matter, i wouldn't go to LA for any reason.

On 10/19/2023 at 6:38 PM, hoorta said:

On paper, it was a good idea to draft York- Groza award winner in college. Could kick the ball out of the stadium. But historically, strange things can happen to great college kickers who get drafted high when the money and pressure of the NFL is involved. Cade is buried on the Titans Practice Squad, so we'll see if he can cure his accuracy woes.  

Russ, I did have to look it up on Pro Football reference and his career was far longer that I thought it was...  Martin "not so" automatica Grammatica. 75% FG% doesn't cut it. Doing some research, there's some very good (even HOF) place kickers that were drafted in the 4th round or higher- and some notable big time busts   LOL, the 49ers Mr. Wide Right Jake Moody was drafted #99 overall.   

Trying to post the table won't work, so for those who have an interest, here's the history of every kicker drafted in the 4th round or higher.  😉

https://www.fanduel.com/research/theduel/highest-drafted-kickers-in-nfl-history-have-any-been-drafted-in-the-first-round-01gyfgykem2p/

For every Sebastian Janikowski, you have a Jeffy DePoyster  

When you look at it, the make it or break it number is probably pretty close to what it is for any position.  The problem kickers face is that there is no back-up position for a kicker.  You can't be kind of, sort of good.  You need to be good.

I think it was late December, 63...was a very special time for me...Oh what a night

On 10/1/2023 at 8:26 AM, tiamat63 said:

A couple things I wanted to briefly touch this morning.  The first...

 

WTF is the NFL even doing here with this Oline alignment depth? How can that even be remotely legal? 

 

 

We have talked about this before, and I agree.  Everything has been about protecting QB.s.  They let it slide because of that.

At least that is all I can figure since it is pretty common with all teams and all officiating crews.

On 10/1/2023 at 8:26 AM, tiamat63 said:

 

I like those.

They only pop on  the local ad slots.  The national buys still show up.  With 2 teams, which local ads should they show, and those ads don't pay enough to get national exposure.  I don't want to see some local Baltimore ad selling gutter guards.

Going with the Zen is better than showing an old Indian head or lighthouse test pattern.  Some of you older folks know what I am talking about.

For you younger folks, TV stations signed off at 1AM or so.  If you turned on the TV, all you saw was a test pattern or  just static fuzz.  They would usually sign back in at 6AM...some sort of farm report was usually on the air.  Corn is up.  Pork Bellies down

Just a general reply.

People give Hunt way too much cred.

On 9/27/2023 at 5:53 PM, Orion said:

I also think we're stuck with Wills for this year and next.  We don't have a 1st round pick this coming draft.  And I doubt that we try and trade for one.

No doubt.   If anything we will try to add picks like we have. We may try to move up some on draft day, but it won't be for a 1st rounder.  Maybe try to move back in to the 3rd, or something like that.

On draft day we may move up some

2 minutes ago, Unsympathetic said:

pure clickbait, but fun if you're into that kind of thing.  "Cap" at present is rollover for next season.

We likely have Jed both this season and next because that's his rookie contract.. an equivalent-or-better talent at his cap level won't be possible.  His replacement will come with our 1st-rounder in the 2025 draft.

Exactly.  You can't do it all in a day.  It' a process that extends over several years, and you have to move from position to position.   A coach and fans  think about this year.  A GM has to project out 2-3 years.  You don't replace Bitiono when his contract expires, or he retires.  You have to move on that a year or two before that happens.

Being a day late usually doesn't work.

I know we just signed a back from Indy, another player, i can't remember the position.

At this time of year you are mostly looking to update the practice squad and bottom end of the roster with future in mind..

Building a roster from the bottom up might not be sexy, but it is just as important as building from the top down.  If you can replace your weakest players and improve, you just got better.

Roster building isn't just about bringing star quality player.

2 hours ago, Bob806 said:

Jeez, please no. Even with a goofball like DePodesta giving input, I just can't see them parting ways with good ole 24.

In an age of extreme overboard analysis, Chubb not only brings the stats, but the immeasurable "heart factor."

The locker room was a bit shaken after that Pitt game when asked about losing Chubb. I think they will allow Chubb to determine his role on his terms, he's definitely earned it.

 

Chubb is a great player, but Depo isn't a goofball.

Come on man, you are a smart guy.

I don't.

I want to draft York when we did, and we did.

I still think he will be a good kicker in the league, but he wasn't ready for whatever reason, and he still might not.  Like any position, there are no sure things.  Kickers face more internal pressure than anything, and if that becomes a problem, sometimes those are hard to shake.

I played golf to a 2 handicap when I was in my  mid 20's through mid 40's, but there were a couple of holes on a couple of local courses that i took some high numbers, and never could get that out of my head and no matter what I did, I just couldn't play them to par.  Bogey was a win, and I usually doubled them...or worse.

Once that gets in to your head, it's hard to shake.

That said, Hopkins is exactly what we need.  The ball comes off true.  He's going to  miss some kicks but if he does I am to the point you just shrug and know its going to happen to the best of them.  The added bonus is he came in advertised as having a somewhat limited leg, but he has hit a few in the 53 or so yard range.  Sure, if a guy can hit a 62 yard FG, that's great, but you don't really expect that.  If your kicker hits it solid and  it comes up a yard short from 55, then he gave it the best chance he could.  That is all you can ask.  It's not like a kicker can turn his leg from a 4 iron to a 3 iron to get some added distance.  Just strike the ball true and you get what you get.

Coaches know the average true kick distance and the gray area distance his kicker might be able to make.

1 hour ago, tiamat63 said:

The most effective designs in countering Lamar actually haven't involved a spy, believe it or not. 

I can believe it.  If you can bottle him up in the pocket with pressure, that would be the ideal.  That is better than having 1 defender playing more or less neutral football unless Jackson starts to run, and even then, they have to be able to run with the guy.

If the DB's don't give him good targets and we apply pressure, that is the ticket, and this D can do that a good amount of the time.  I don't buy it when people say Jackson can't throw.  I do agree he isn't the best at hitting tight windows, especially under duress.  Keep the guy sweating.  We may or may not get the sacks, but we stand a good chance at having a shot at a few picks if the pressure gets him chucking the ball two feet  high or wide to either side.

I think we have a very good chance if we can limit rushing yards, no matter who runs the ball AND don't allow Andrews to go nuts on us.  I think Schwartz will have a very specific plan on how to deal with Andrews.  At least I hope so.