Denver victory aftermath

[Nero]

BAD: 

- Secondary: We didn't have Ward, but we need to improve against the screens and tight ends. And most important. TACKLING! I see that players are in the right zone at the moment of the catch, but don't end the play. If we are going to stop the run and prevent the deep threats, at least make the stop when you tackle your guy after a 5 yard reception and don't let him run 10 extra yards. 

- Mayfield first half ending INT. Wrong decision at the wrong spot and time. He tries the ''most difficult one'' sometimes because he can, mostly when things aren't going all that well, so I'd say he needs to learn from his errors and take a short pass or a FG instead of forcing the ball. I also remember a route when he rolled to the right, Callaway was wide open and had 5 clean yards for a first down and he decided to force it to Landry who was covered behind Callaway... Anyway, I'm optimistic because I think he's a guy that learns from his mistakes. 

- Run calls. I think that we didn't seize that much the run game until late in the game. Chubb had 20 attempts whereas Mayfield had 31. I like when we keep it more balanced and I think it has been fruitful (unlike when Hue-Hailey asked Mayfield to throw 50 bombs every game). 

- Dline: I don't know if it was because they were asked to stop the run so they couldn't commit that much to the pass rush, or that the Denver's Oline is not bad, but I felt like we only could get QB pressure when we called a blitz.

 

GOOD: 

- Baker Mayfield: he is a leader and keeps making plays, no matter what happened last drive, always standing up after any hit. 

- Jabrill Peppers: INT, 6 tackles, game ending sack... Perfect game, I hope he keeps contributing. He is one of the few reliable tacklers we have in our secondary, and they almost never break a tackle of his. He played well rushing the passer, in pass defence and even at safety, and I think that it is of major importance having a player that can switch positions in defense in today's NFL and keep producing. He didn't do anything stellar on special teams but improved there too. 

- LB: I think that Schobert and Collins had a good game, and they kept Lindsay under control (24 yards in 14 attempts, that's huge!). It could be said that tight ends killed us, but I'd say that they did it mostly on the sidelines, away from our linebacker corps, but I might be wrong. 

- Nick Chubb: He played very well, 100 yards in 20 attempts. A keeper. 

- Gameplan: I think that the decission was to stop their run and make Keenum win the game. He had 31/48 for 257 yards, but no run game at all, and mostly dink and dunk passes (which inflate the stats). 

- Winning: I LOVE that we got to win this kind of close, prime time games and ON THE ROAD. Mostly when the team didn't play a good game (it was rather ugly). Good teams win even ugly games, and the confidence keeps growing.

 

GO BROWNS! 

 

[CLEVELANDwantsPLAYOFFS]

-Yes tackling was bad. Need to find a way to cover those TEs who leak out.

-The INT? yea, we could’ve used the 3 there but it happens. They threw a man 2 deep safety look which Baker wasn’t expecting.

-He did have Callaway on that play, but Landry was open too and he missed the throw a little high. Uncharacteristic. (Baker does have games where he struggles finding the open guy, when under pressure.)

-The Dline played well. They were saving Myles on that last drive of Den. As soon as the defense forced a 2nd and 9, Garrett came in the game. Interesting chess move.

-Linebackers played very well and it’s gonna be nice to get Kirksey back.

-with the game on the line, it was Nick Chubb time... awesome.

-Winning was great. But the end of the game could’ve been handled better. I think we kick the FG if we had good Ol’ Dawson.

[Canton Mike]

1 hour ago, Nero said:

"- Winning: I LOVE that we got to win this kind of close, prime time games and ON THE ROAD. Mostly when the team didn't play a good game (it was rather ugly). Good teams win even ugly games, and the confidence keeps growing."

 

GO BROWNS! 

 

Nero, I LOVE your statement above. Not long ago, when asked what the Brown's biggest need was, Williams said "experience". This may just be our most important win of the season as we learned that we can "win ugly".

PS: WHAT "Denver curse"??.......that's now past history 

WHAT A GAME!!

Mike

[stillmotion]

Cornerbacks couldn't tackle, and Collins couldn't cover linebackers. We need to work on all that, but i think with Ward and Gaines being out, we didn't do too bad.

[calfoxwc]

I have a question - is it just me, or did the Browns run too much on first down? I was thinking it was a bit predictable, especially when Denver seemed to have stopping the run #1 in their game plan. Our wr's had trouble getting open at times - a lot of tight windows.

[Zombo]

On 12/16/2018 at 9:04 PM, calfoxwc said:

I have a question - is it just me, or did the Browns run too much on first down? I was thinking it was a bit predictable, especially when Denver seemed to have stopping the run #1 in their game plan. Our wr's had trouble getting open at times - a lot of tight windows.

Good old fashion pound and ground. I think Kirchens wanted Denver's elite pass rushers to have to expect runs so they couldnt tee off when we did pass. Plus we wore them down ... as evidenced by Chubbs 40 yard run on 1st and 10 in the 4th Q.

We have a good, agressive offensive line that we can run a balanced attack behind.

Z

[LondonBrown]

Gregg Williams made it clear pre-season he wasn’t happy with Denzel’s tackling style so whether anyone likes it or not, this team is tackling the way they have been told and taught to by the coaching staff. 

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/articles.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2018/08/denzel_ward_gregg_williams_stu.amp

[calfoxwc]

1 hour ago, Zombo said:

Good old fashion pound and ground. I think Kirchens wanted Denver's elite pass rushers to have to expect runs so they couldnt tee off when we did pass. Plus we wore them down ... as evidenced by Chubbs 40 yard run on 1st and 10 in the 4th Q.

We have a good, agressive offensive line that we can run a balanced attack behind.

Z

On the flip side, I wonder if that sets up the third and long, when they stack to stop the run on first down, and then can expect a pass on second and/or third down, then can go after them then. I don't know, just wonder. I guess I'll have to go back and start watching to see how many times they threw on first down.

[CLEVELANDwantsPLAYOFFS]

36 minutes ago, LondonBrown said:

Gregg Williams made it clear pre-season he wasn’t happy with Denzel’s tackling style so whether anyone likes it or not, this team is tackling the way they have been told and taught to by the coaching staff. 

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/articles.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2018/08/denzel_ward_gregg_williams_stu.amp

Denzel is on the smaller side. I think he needs to add size to avoid injuries. He plays with some aggression. 

 

[jiggins7919]

On 12/16/2018 at 12:04 PM, Nero said:

Winning: I LOVE that we got to win this kind of close, prime time games and ON THE ROAD. Mostly when the team didn't play a good game (it was rather ugly). Good teams win even ugly games, and the confidence keeps growing.

That's basically it in a nutshell.  HOW MANY of these games have we lost over the years?  Virtually every single one of them, and that's not an exaggeration, LOL.  Games that came down to just one or two plays were always out of our reach for the damnest of reasons.  The Oakland game?  Forget the spot that screwed us, we were still up 8 and LOST.  Bucs game?  Peppers fumbling the punt?  On and on down the line over the past several years, the games that came down to the end almost always went against us, and it's because we simply couldn't make the plays when we needed them.  And how about Gregg Williams and son dialing up the cover 0 "jail-break" blitz on 3rd AND 4th down?!  Holy cow that took a set and a half!  In the back of my head I just knew they were going to run a screen pass and completely school us, but NOPE!  The pressure completely worked, and the entire house (I was at a big party) went absolutely nutso when Peppers got home for that sack.  What a cool moment!!  My friends and I were all shouting and hugging, and we went directly to the "ice luge sculpture" and poured giant shots of liquor, and we waited for the liquid to travel down the giant ice contraption into our waiting gullets.  Yeah, it was THAT kind of party (I declined the offer to partake in "Bong-Zilla", which is a giant beer bong with 6 hoses that holds a 12 pack of beer.  Nope, nope, nope).

Anyways, there's especially one point I agree with in your post, and that's the tidbit about Baker throwing that pick before half.  That was his THIRD time throwing a costly pick before halftime when we desperately needed points.  All 3 picks were completely forced, and all three plays had other people open for at least a little gain.  Like you said, Baker is the kind of guy that LEARNS from his mistakes, but he hasn't quite grasped this concept yet.  How big would a FG have been there?  Now there's no guarantee that we MAKE the kick, but Joseph is somehow kicking well, and we still had 28 seconds and one timeout left.  We could have easily gotten a bit closer.  He simply HAS to understand how different the NFL is from his college ball.  At Oklahoma, if he doesn't give his kicker an opportunity, it's probably ok because they still scored 40+.  In the NFL, 3 points can be a very big deal, and all three of his pre-half picks cost this team.  I also want to say that the pick Saturday was also on 2nd down (could be wrong).  If you don't get the look you like, just throw it out of bounds.  I didn't even see a way Jarvis COULD HAVE caught that ball, even if it was thrown well.  Again, I could be wrong again, but there was a safety deep, and Jarvis' man seemed to have blanket coverage.  

But Jesus, I'm so excited.  That TD to Callaway was so incredible, especially after hearing all that went into it  (semi hurry-up offense, didn't let defense substitute, shifted Duke to the other side so he took the LB with him, changed the play and signaled Callaway to run slant, all in 27 seconds!).  I tell ya what, Callaway is showing the ability to get a little separation in the end zone, and the majority of Callaway's 5 TD receptions haven't come on bombs, they've come on short passes.  When you're as accurate as Baker is, just a step is all you need.  Callaway has also caught a 2 point conversion, too.  

Oh, one more thing (promise).  Greg Robinson continues to make his bid to remain the Browns' LT.  Yes, I know he had yet another costly holding penalty, and that's something he HAS to work out, but the guy probably had his best game as a Brown (according to Joe Thomas).  If Greg keeps IMPROVING, then he's going to be sticking around.  Maybe he won't be the BEST LT in the league (like we're USED to), but if he grades out to be mid-pack, then we've got a STEAL.  Also, David Njoku's effort to try and get that first down was AMAZING.  I don't know if he got it, but he certainly got jobbed on that spot.  It was total bull, and it should have been within a couple inches, if not a first down to begin with.  What an effort!