Flugel Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Folks, it doesn't take an ounce of intelligence to understand that football on the shore of Lake Erie was frequently a Poseiden Adventure and as recently as a 2013. YES, we keep hearing about the QB position almost as if we didn't see 2 former first round QBs combining to win only 1 game they started out of 12 in 2013 (plus a save in the Buffalo game thanks in large to a pick 6 from our D plus a punt return TD from Benjamin). Meanwhile, the journeyman QB (Hoyer) won all 3 starts with the same exact teammates. That magic seemed about as close as it gets to seeing somebody walking on water in Cleveland. He's either from St Ignatius or he became St Ignatius. And when we drafted Brady Quinn in round 1 to replace Charlie's Fryes - we ended up counting on another QB (Derek Anderson) to lead us to 10 wins in 2007. We basically asked a journeyman caliber QB to play behind an oline that could run block us into many 3rd and short scenarios. That translated to a reliable running game + 29 TD passes from Journeyman QB. The gridiron chess table was set to compete and win before DA turned into the football version of Ricky Ankiel on the mound. We also saw similar circumstances CPR the career of Vinny Testaverde in an 11 win season plus a playoff W when all we needed back from QB was just 16 TD passes to 18 INTs. In essence, we've SEEN what can work here. It wasn't as much about finding a messiah at QB as it was about making this an easier team to QB for the right guy. On top of that, our OC didn't have to play chess exclusively with pawns so it was game on. In recent years, whenever I wanted to homer up a game face - it started with our 2 Joes, Alex Mack & TJ Ward before I needed the creativity of a Stephen King to make it all look like it could be non-fiction. Since the chaos of 4-12 in 2013 - we purged out confusion at the top with a brain-trust that brought us a philosophy and a clearcut plan. Last year, we improved by 3 wins while we had 2nd half leads/tie scores in 6 of our 9 losses (2 as time expired). The only games we got rathoused were Houston and Cincy II while close games with Buffalo and Jax got away from us. Anyway, we added some promising draft picks, FAs and undrafted FAs and it was easy to see how much it all raised the competitive bar on game day. We were no longer the BINGO version of free space on everybody's schedule. It now took at least a second half and usually an entire 60 minutes to beat this team (just ask playoff teams like Indy, Pitt, Balt). Meatball on spaghetti here, we just added 12 draft picks that are specific to the philosophy of our FO/Coaching Staff plus undrafted rookies & veteran FAs to improve depth. All of a sudden I have all these players making it easier than ever to find a game face: 1) Danny Shelton - Thou must commit at least 2 blockers to him at all times & good luck with that! 2) Joe Thomas - 8 Consecutive Pro Bowls worth of Leadership by example. 3) Joe Haden - Already Pro Bowl caliber before the pass rush is improved = can't waitsies. 4) Alex Mack - The Return of the Mack isn't just a good song - it's an essential. 5) Joel Bitonio - Haven't been able to run consistently between our LT and C since Steinbach's career ended. 6) Tashaun Gipson - Big beneficiary of Pettine's backend coverage changes + the addition of Whitner 7) Isaiah Crowell - Averaged over 5.2 yards per carry for the stretch of games our oline was at full strength. 8) Nate Orchard - 18.5 sacks in 2014 says he's pretty good idea for a team looking to hurry passers better. 9) Karlos Dansby - With Shelton keeping him as untouchable as Arizona kept him in 2013 - SIC EM! 10) Paul Kruger - Besides 11 sacks - his hit on Brees gave Gipson a pick 6 + stripping Luck gave our D a TD. Played through a very sore lower back all year so it would be nice to give him situational relief. 11) John Hughes - He's a 2 gap clinic that can play inside or in a 5 technique. 12) Xavier Cooper - Can learn from quality vets like Starks, Winn, Hughes while offering fresh legs in rotation. 13) Tramon Williams - Great vet for the Gilbert situation at corner. 14) K'Wuan Williams - Best 3rd corner we've had this side of Anthony Henry. The difference is we don't have to race him out of that comfort zone like Jerry Jones did with Anthony Henry to trainwreck results. 15) Dwayne Bowe - With the perimeter speed of Benjamin and Gabriel showing up in 17.4 and 17.3 ypc respectively as well as Hawkins ability to get open and catch the ball - it's a setup Bowe has missed recently. 16) Andy Lee - An elite caliber punter that should help us considerably at flipping field position in our favor. 17) Josh McCown - Tampa had the 31st ranked running game leading to 3rd and long behind suspect pass protections. Consequently, Pettine sees our setup closer to Chicago's running game that yielded the highest passer ratings of McCown's career (about 109) with 14 TDs to 1 INT w/ only 2 fumbles (another career best). I can think of a couple occasions in 2014 where we had WRs that beat DBs by a country mile only to find they had to come back to big underthrows. 18) Duke Johnson - Hoping he's a Herman Fontenot or Calvin Hill on 3rd downs with better gears/younger legs. On top of all that, our training camp roster packs the most talent we've had driving competition for starting jobs, situational rotation reps and roster spots. In 2014, we witnessed a top to bottom roster that made "play like a Brown" possible despite the outrageous injury volume confronting a team coming off 4-12. 2015 marks only our 2nd opportunity to improve that; BUT we finally have the right leadership empowered to take care of that for us. None of the excitement I'm feeling today is taking place by accident. Even better, there's finally no confusion from our FO/Coaching thinking we play in SF or on a dry field under a roof keeping winds and cold temperatures away. Sad I have to type that but look how many GMs and staffs completely whiffed on that reality. While I can't change cynical thinking or a cumulative effect of snake bite scars - I can at least challenge the practice made perfect doom and gloom outlook with what's actually changing our forecast ahead. This goes all the way down to being best prepared for injury in as many places as possible. I love how many posts I've read in here from our die hards that GET this when they speak about depth. When I was a kid playing varsity football I used to think the following saying was just an excuse to kick our asses before it planted us in 2 straight Sectional Championship Games: "if you fail to prepare - then prepare to fail." Today, I couldn't be happier we have Farmer and Pettine preparing this franchise for success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 GREAT READ !!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldBrownsFan Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I think you are spot on with your analysis Flugel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canton Mike Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Tom...GREAT post! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 OOO-RAH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyceRolls Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I always get excited for the Browns to come back. Usually it's just "anything can happen" homer ism, but this year I am excited to watch this team turn heads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasAg1969 Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I have loved this building process since day 1. And if they ever want to be proven right about the JM pick, then the trade-off of Hoyer for a more willing mentor with similar experience was the right move. Every building starts with a strong foundation if you want it to last a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canton Mike Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I have loved this building process since day 1. And if they ever want to be proven right about the JM pick, then the trade-off of Hoyer for a more willing mentor with similar experience was the right move. Every building starts with a strong foundation if you want it to last a long time. Agreed, except for the "similar experience" comparison between Hoyer & McCown. Hoyer had a small sampling of game experience, while McCown has quite a bit & has faced more adverse situations. That's a big plus for McCown & more knowledge he can share with our young QBs. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldBrownsFan Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 I know you have to have the talent in the NFL and great motivation and attitude will never alone get it done on the field unless you have the talent to win. The Browns have that talent and a great motivational coach in Pettine and I see this team catching the vision and taking on the personality of their coach. Since 99 and before Pettine and Farmer I didn't see this team really having either any type of continuity, vision or identity but I think under Pettine they are going to be known as a hard nosed fundamentally sound football team with Playing Like a Brown not being an empty slogan but how this team will take the field. I believe Pettine and Farmer also are very good at acquiring talented players and I see a great future ahead for the Browns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasAg1969 Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 I know you have to have the talent in the NFL and great motivation and attitude will never alone get it done on the field unless you have the talent to win. The Browns have that talent and a great motivational coach in Pettine and I see this team catching the vision and taking on the personality of their coach. Since 99 and before Pettine and Farmer I didn't see this team really having either any type of continuity, vision or identity but I think under Pettine they are going to be known as a hard nosed fundamentally sound football team with Playing Like a Brown not being an empty slogan but how this team will take the field. I believe Pettine and Farmer also are very good at acquiring talented players and I see a great future ahead for the Browns. Maybe it's time to really define Pettine's vision of "Play Like A Brown". I'd start with personal responsibility followed closely by effort, toughness, bye-in, homework and TEAM first. I see this team getting on board this train. We'll know it's arrived the day Mack re-ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 I'll be damned... "Return of the Mack" is a song... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumby73 Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 Got nothing for Haden "can't waitsies" though . Searching stay tuned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flugel Posted July 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 Maybe it's time to really define Pettine's vision of "Play Like A Brown". I'd start with personal responsibility followed closely by effort, toughness, bye-in, homework and TEAM first. I see this team getting on board this train. We'll know it's arrived the day Mack re-ups. Nice. I'd say the cohesive agreement to "Play Like a Brown" has a prerequisite of "Be Prepared." That 2 word phrase encompasses showing up in optimal shape (and staying there) so you can whip someone's ass for 60 minutes. Anyone that busts tail like that is very mentally equipped for the opportunity to finish the job on game day. Those that aren't - need oxygen after every 2 plays and always have excuses why they've never played up to their expectation here.Yes, I'm calling out the Phil Taylor that blows a pec out in weight room on the first day of an off season conditioning program that translated to missing our first 8 games 1 year. That doesn't happen to guys that are motivated or fit. There's always an excuse so I'm hoping the necessity of Danny Shelton puts a flame under Taylor's ass. I say that remembering how important it was for him predraft to impress teams with his nutritional changes, lost weight and eagerness to impress. I guess the silver lining here is Taylor LIKES being on this team and his teammates so the actions speaking louder than words puts the ball in his court. It also encompasses knowing all you need to about your upcoming opponents' strengths, tendencies and their vulnerabilities. Some teams win a lot games finding those pre-snap keys. Pettine got his NFL diapers on one of them. Since 1999, there's been a lot of defenses that knew our offense better than half the squids we were putting out there. As we saw in 2014, a young player's first opportunity to shine can come at any time especially in a world where injuries aren't pre-scheduled. Being prepared is a must. It all starts at the OTAs and steam rolls from there. Rookies like Bitonio, Crowell, Gabriel, Shaw, Williams, Kirksey all exemplified this. We also had some vets like Greco moving to another position (ie; Pittsburgh blowout) and we didn't skip a beat in that game. Robertson might have outplayed Dansby when he filled in. If PFF says otherwise based on how well they ranked Dansby vrs the run, the eye ball test it was worth a comparison. And whoever played NT during that span did a nice job keeping Robertson blocker-free. If Dansby excelled vrs the run before that, maybe the NT did a nice job with that all year. That said, nobody gave us the inside push Shelton can bring on the apex. I think all our LBers are gonna enjoy the personnel we're rotating in up front defensively. Even more about being prepared, the better our roster is built from top to bottom - such a proactive approach awards the ease of reaction to injury. We saw this as early as coming off 4-12 in 2014. We reached 6-3 and 7-4 around injuries until the injury volume reached FUBAR status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flugel Posted July 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 I'll be damned... "Return of the Mack" is a song... Love that song my man so I gotta reward that with a biscuit. Since we're talking about the return of the Mack - let's revisit what followed a Bill Cowher "get physical" pep talk with his LBer. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+of+kevin+mack+running+over+greg+lloyd&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=8A69856C4610CD6208A38A69856C4610CD6208A3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flugel Posted July 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Thanks for the replies and positive feedback folks. A good barometer of where we are and how we should feel about it is usually how many players you are excited about. Every time I use a list - I leave people off by accident or have trouble deciding where to end my list. If any of yuz has some player names I missed - run it! As others have said, this is easily going to be the toughest competition for the last 5 spots on the active roster as well for active duty in our situational rotations at dline/LBer/secondary/WR/TE/H-back/FB/RB. Ummm, stay tuned... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Agreed, except for the "similar experience" comparison between Hoyer & McCown. Hoyer had a small sampling of game experience, while McCown has quite a bit & has faced more adverse situations. That's a big plus for McCown & more knowledge he can share with our young QBs. Mike Im with you on this one Mike....... While McCown and Hoyer might have some similarities, I see them as totally different players.....with McCown having a lot more experience......more maturity(and self confidence).....as well as better physical tools.... And he lacks that "looking over his shoulder" thing that seemed to distract Hoyer so much..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Thanks for the replies and positive feedback folks. A good barometer of where we are and how we should feel about it is usually how many players you are excited about. Every time I use a list - I leave people off by accident or have trouble deciding where to end my list. Ummm, stay tuned... Great write up Flugel......and I like the new longer list...... LOTS and lots of players worthy of our excitement and high expectations..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 I agree Flug......I say we win at least 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 Love that song my man so I gotta reward that with a biscuit. Excellent... luvs me a good bisquit... try them with shredded, cheddar cheese and minced green onion folded into the batter... Im with you on this one Mike....... While McCown and Hoyer might have some similarities, I see them as totally different players.....with McCown having a lot more experience......more maturity(and self confidence).....as well as better physical tools.... And he lacks that "looking over his shoulder" thing that seemed to distract Hoyer so much..... Agree that Josh is more inherently secure than BH, but as I just wrote in another thread, I love the way Pet has handled his QB "competition" this year vs. last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Couch Pulls Out Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 I'll be damned... "Return of the Mack" is a song... It's also the opening line of this song: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaconHound Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Talent + Good Coaching = Wins 1 + 1 = 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canton Mike Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Excellent... luvs me a good bisquit... try them with shredded, cheddar cheese and minced green onion folded into the batter... Agree that Josh is more inherently secure than BH, but as I just wrote in another thread, I love the way Pet has handled his QB "competition" this year vs. last. Pet, like his players, is always looking to improve himself. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Talent + Good Coaching = Wins 1 + 1 = 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Couch Pulls Out Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Talent + Good Coaching = Wins 1 + 1 = 2 I think it's more like ((Talent - Injury + Good Coaching - Poor Scheme Fit) x Temperature )^2 / (1.5(Player Engagement x Unforeseen Life Events)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 I think it's more like ((Talent - Injury + Good Coaching - Poor Scheme Fit) x Temperature )^2 / (1.5(Player Engagement x Unforeseen Life Events)) All raised to the power of Character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 I think it's more like ((Talent - Injury + Good Coaching - Poor Scheme Fit) x Temperature )^2 / (1.5(Player Engagement x Unforeseen Life Events)) I think that formula elicited the following response: "Now I am become death, the destroyer or worlds" Is your last name Oppenheimer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Couch Pulls Out Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 All raised to the power of Character. How could I have forgotten such an integral part of the equation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Is the Temperature scale absolute? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiamat63 Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 All raised to the power of Character. Timmy Tebow, heart of a champion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombo Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Timmy Tebow, heart of a champion. Arm of a color commentator. Zombo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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