The Good, the Bad, and the Lucky

[jiggins7919]

The Good:  We won. Let's look at the obvious and accept it. We're beating bad teams, we're sticking to our formula, and it's working. 

Baker Mayfield:  it's so easy to find the negatives with Baker, and at times I'm guilty of it too, but Baker is converting a large percentage of 3rd downs, and 3rd and longs to boot. Baker hit some impressive intermediate-deep throws today, starting with the gorgeous one to Hodge early. Baker also hit Hooper down the seam, and really engineered a beautiful 94 yard drive that simply stalled at the half yard line. He also hit Higgins on a beautiful ball and Mayfield is starting to prove that he can make big throws in the damn elements. Did he hit them all? No, more on that later. But we don't win this game without Baker. 

Taki - Christmas come early, but he made the play when he had to and plodded all the way to the end zone. I'd been begging for a defensive TD and I got it. Special assist to Denzel Ward who hit Wentz just in time! 

Denzel Ward. I mean, he's so good. 

Hodge - he's on a 1 year deal and we need to sign him NOW. No, he's obviously not OBJ but what he does is still impressive. He blocks like a possessed rhino and he's making difficult catches. He's a special teams ace and the next time we play in good weather, Hodge WILL have a deep touchdown. 

Chubb/Hunt - very tough sledding early, which might be an understatement. But they took care of the ball, made plays late, and made all WORLD plays late to secure the game yet again. Hunt literally VAULTED over a guy at the goal line, and Chubb used the Hand of God on that one punk and planted him in the ground like a turnip while rampaging down the field. Hunt also made a heady play by recovering the backwards pass that Baker threw late. If Baker completed that pass, it's a touchdown. 

Vernon - holy shit Batman. He did it with speed, he did it with power, and he did it on the goal line. He literally crumpled the pocket several times including the safety which essentially altered the game. To me, the safety changed the game and it felt like we had it after that. Also, Vernon batted down a screen pass that could've gone for HUGE yards. Like, I didn't see a Brown in sight. (Vernon's game today was better than Clowney's season btw) 

Cody Parky - don't laugh. He's hit some big kicks and really given us clutch points. 

The Bad:  There's definitely some bad here, but that's OK when ya win! 

Baker Mayfield:  "But Jiggins, you had him under The Good!" Yea, yeah, it's my post so shut it. First and foremost you cannot fumble, and you HAVE to secure the ball. At the time of his fumble, we're up 7-0 and a sack doesn't kill you. Eagles have done jack SHIT on offense and you let them right back in it. Can't have it. Baker also missed two throws that weren't acceptable. They weren't difficult throws, he had time, and he completely blew it. Just cannot miss those opportunities. Against the Eagles, you may get away with it. Against the Ravens and Steelers... 

Wyatt Teller - boy, this is a shocker! "Bad" might be unfair, but Fletcher beat his ass all game and really hurt us. Teller got some revenge on Hunt's touchdown run though, and really owned that fool. 

Njoku - another drop. Yawn

Mack Wilson - my lord he's awful. 

Peoples-Jones - this could be unfair, as he didn't do anything wrong, but he scares me to death. He holds it with 1 arm and has almost fumbled twice now at the end of returns. I don't understand why coaches can't address this because the ball is definitely coming out soon. 

The Lucky: 

Baker's second fumble towards the end of the game. Refs blew it dead inexplicably and thank God because that drive essentially ended the game. It's a much different feel if refs don't blow that call but I ain't complaining! 

The Entire Eagles Offense - why? Because Myles Garrett didn't play. He might very well of had 9 sacks and put Wentz in the hospital. 

Left lots out there, but what a game and it feels great to be 7-3. Go Browns! 

 

[nickers]

Yeah Mack Wilson completely blows... We need serious LB'er help on this team... Taki is ok.. Goodson.. so so... I mean hell.. Joe Schobert had 13 tackles yesterday... I would take that back in a heart beat... This defense is NOT better without him or his type of production..

[Ibleedbrown]

I actually thought Peoples-Jones had his best game as a returner. Just going from recollection here but l recall a few nifty direction changes to gain a few more yards and what l felt were smart decisions in catching a bounced ball or letting it go.

[The Gipper]

Chubb used the Hand of God on that one punk and planted him in the ground like a turnip 

Love this turn of a phrase!

 

[nickers]

2 hours ago, The Gipper said:

Chubb used the Hand of God on that one punk and planted him in the ground like a turnip 

Love this turn of a phrase!

 

That was a thing of pure beauty... As I heard someone say or post... He's poetry in motion...

[jiggins7919]

3 hours ago, Ibleedbrown said:

I actually thought Peoples-Jones had his best game as a returner. Just going from recollection here but l recall a few nifty direction changes to gain a few more yards and what l felt were smart decisions in catching a bounced ball or letting it go.

He did. He was actually just fine, it's the fact that he's almost fumbled twice, almost cost us the Texans game, AND almost screwed us in the Dallas game. Bottom line...he's GOING to screw us. Lol. 

[bjh2130]

53 minutes ago, jiggins7919 said:

He did. He was actually just fine, it's the fact that he's almost fumbled twice, almost cost us the Texans game, AND almost screwed us in the Dallas game. Bottom line...he's GOING to screw us. Lol. 

When did he almost fumble? How do you tell if someone almost fumbles other than the obvious thing of it coming loose but regaining control before it hits the ground. 

[gumby73]

Honestly?     Why do I bother? 🤦‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️

I'll choose to follow this chick            to go hide in the running car 🤣  👨‍🌾👩‍🌾 🚙

Were 7-3 & Baker has a career 61.2% completion %... And No! Bake's not perfect & sat behind Tyrod Taylor for a whole 2.5 games before starting..

This Week alone..

1) I've watched Russ Wilson, miss a wide open TE for a TD by 2.5 feet over his head...🤯

2) Arron Rogers sat behind a Brett Fav-ara for over 2 seasons after being drafted.. Today I see him, as pissed off, for missing a wide open WR for a TD vs. the Colts 🤯

Pimping up, hof pro Q.B.'s ain't easy in this pro QB gig..  and I also enjoy reading your honest opinions.. honestly.. you bring back stuff I forget over the very next play..cause that's what old player are coached..no harm done here..a can flashback at play & agree or take a pass..

 meanwhile a) The Bake fumble.. yes* it was a cluster _ _ _ _!     but    b.) The 5 yard Baker bootleg call? That was a wasted crap play call imho 🤬   

By all means, carry on "our worry-some friend" ... and now I will shut it Up 🤓...  Read ya Jags week!

But for that Tits week? I'm ahhh coming game day live baby! 

  

[Kvoethe]

Garrett was thrilled

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/11/myles-garrett-im-smiling-and-crying-im-so-proud-of-the-dl-including-olivier-vernon-who-had-3-sacks-in-his-absence.html

Sucks he is out for Jax

[jiggins7919]

28 minutes ago, gumby73 said:

By all means, carry on "our worry-some friend" ... and now I will shut it Up 🤓...  Read ya Jags week!

LOL! That's not fair, I put him in the "Good" column too! I praised him. Also, this is 3 weeks in a row (at least) that Baker didn't throw a pick. I'm a Baker apologist, I admit it. I love the guy. I think he can be special. Is he perfect? Of course not. But he's playing some good ball. 

[gumby73]

33 minutes ago, jiggins7919 said:

LOL! That's not fair, I put him in the "Good" column too! I praised him. Also, this is 3 weeks in a row (at least) that Baker didn't throw a pick. I'm a Baker apologist, I admit it. I love the guy. I think he can be special. Is he perfect? Of course not. But he's playing some good ball. 

Well 🤓 kinda,sorta..     ya got Bake as your first Good && && && Bad post... but we all know, were all good till the all 22 frozen photos come out next 😍... I'll hide my chainsaws out back till than 🤣   

[Tour2ma]

Good summary...

For the record I still have hope for Baker, but there are concerns to work thru. Strangely his one fumble (the other was a by-the-book forward progress call) really did not upset me from a ball security standpoint. He had the ball in two hands, chest high, ready to throw... it wasn't one of those one-hand, wave-the-ball-around-and-lose-it-when-you-hit-your-own-thigh numbers we've seen in the past. What bothered me about the play was his lack of reaction to the growing pressure coming from his sighted-side.

And the above is a corollary to a general, nascent escapability concern... but too early to get into that one.

Other random thoughts/reactions...

• I think Vernon may finally be healthy... that plus the urgency of the second half of a heretofore disappointing contract year performance... might be his springboard to a great 2nd half of the season.
• WRs returning kick-offs is just a bad idea in general. Give me an RB for those all day long... although Johnson's late one gave me little comfort.
• WRs are fine for punts, but DPJ doesn't have the quickness-based, skill set I look for there in what can resemble broken-field situations very quickly. DBs can excel here as well. Overall I'm not sure I see a well-suited player in our 53 other than Ward... and I'm not inclined to risk him in this duty.
• Taki's pick-6 run showed our LB... and general D-side... issue, lack of speed. I swear I could have timed him with a sand dial and was sure the TE had the angle to catch him.
• Can't be sure, but I think the long, 3rd Qtr completion to Eagles TE, Rogers, that lead to a FG was the same play as his TD catch. Both times he was Wilson's man.
• As for the Iggles... they are simply a very bad team.

[Unsympathetic]

Carson Wentz is angling for the Triple Frown -- leading in picks, sacks, and fumbles.

[bjh2130]

2 hours ago, gumby73 said:

b.) The 5 yard Baker bootleg call? That was a wasted crap play call imho 🤬

First I wouldn't technically call it a crap play call because we picked up the first with it. Secondly and more importantly I was talking with tour in the tavern about this play and it didn't appear it was supposed to be a baker bootleg. It looked as if it was a busted play and hunt ran the wrong way.  Baker quickly realized it and just got as many yards as possible. 

[bjh2130]

1 hour ago, Tour2ma said:

Can't be sure, but I think the long, 3rd Qtr completion to Eagles TE, Rogers, that lead to a FG was the same play as his TD catch. Both times he was Wilson's man.

Tour i disagreed in the tavern with you at the time and thought we were playing a cover 3 on the rogers td catch but I rewatched it and you were correct (of course you were), it was man. I only saw Mitchell's drop (which looked like zone but was just sonewhat poor coverage)  and the other two linebackers dropped into zones so I thought it was zone. However upon rewatching Sendejo was definitely manned up on the other eligible receiver in the slot on other side. Redwine was playing a single high cover 1 and taki dropped into a zone because his man (the rb) stayed in to block.  Long story short here i apologize for doubting you lol.

The second one Wilson did pretty much everything right but mistime his jump which is odd simply because the ball skills he exhibited in the preseason of his rookie year would have lead me to believe he had really good ball skills. However that whole preseason now appears to be fools gold regarding Wilson.

[jiggins7919]

21 minutes ago, bjh2130 said:

First I wouldn't technically call it a crap play call because we picked up the first with it. Secondly and more importantly I was talking with tour in the tavern about this play and it didn't appear it was supposed to be a baker bootleg. It looked as if it was a busted play and hunt ran the wrong way.  Baker quickly realized it and just got as many yards as possible. 

I could not tell if it was a busted play or a designed run, lol! I didn't watch it a second time but it worked great! 😂

[nickers]

1 hour ago, Unsympathetic said:

Carson Wentz is angling for the Triple Frown -- leading in picks, sacks, and fumbles.

He's a fraud at the QB position..... He would probably do better at hoops...

[Dutch Oven]

3 hours ago, Unsympathetic said:

Carson Wentz is angling for the Triple Frown -- leading in picks, sacks, and fumbles.

It's a damn shame... he's gone from a legit MVP candidate to a liability. Justin Fields laughed at his decision-making. 

I think the Eagles broke him.

[jiggins7919]

2 hours ago, Tour2ma said:

Taki's pick-6 run showed our LB... and general D-side... issue, lack of speed. I swear I could have timed him with a sand dial and was sure the TE had the angle to catch him.

I gotta tell you, I don't remember EVER seeing a linebacker that slow. I was screaming at the TV, "Run faster!" Lmao. The guy was running in slow motion, I swear it. I honestly didn't think he was going to make it. 

I had a chance to watch the game again. I realize Baker Mayfield messed up missing those early TD tosses, but I don't think people truly understand just how many terrific throws Baker had. On a very early drive we had a 3rd and 10 from our own end zone and Baker slung  it across the middle to Hodge for a HUGE 1st down. He had multiple throws that were on the money and he looked infinitely better than Wentz, which doesn't take much. Baker really did have some amazing plays, and I encourage everyone to watch at least the highlights again. 

 

 

 

[nickers]

32 minutes ago, jiggins7919 said:

I gotta tell you, I don't remember EVER seeing a linebacker that slow. I was screaming at the TV, "Run faster!" Lmao. The guy was running in slow motion, I swear it. I honestly didn't think he was going to make it. 

I had a chance to watch the game again. I realize Baker Mayfield messed up missing those early TD tosses, but I don't think people truly understand just how many terrific throws Baker had. On a very early drive we had a 3rd and 10 from our own end zone and Baker slung  it across the middle to Hodge for a HUGE 1st down. He had multiple throws that were on the money and he looked infinitely better than Wentz, which doesn't take much. Baker really did have some amazing plays, and I encourage everyone to watch at least the highlights again. 

 

 

 

Taki is a lifetime special teamer.. Goodson is very average and Mack Wilson just flat out B L O W S!!!!!

[Dutch Oven]

34 minutes ago, jiggins7919 said:

I gotta tell you, I don't remember EVER seeing a linebacker that slow. I was screaming at the TV, "Run faster!" Lmao. The guy was running in slow motion, I swear it. I honestly didn't think he was going to make it. 

I had a chance to watch the game again. I realize Baker Mayfield messed up missing those early TD tosses, but I don't think people truly understand just how many terrific throws Baker had. On a very early drive we had a 3rd and 10 from our own end zone and Baker slung  it across the middle to Hodge for a HUGE 1st down. He had multiple throws that were on the money and he looked infinitely better than Wentz, which doesn't take much. Baker really did have some amazing plays, and I encourage everyone to watch at least the highlights again. 

 

 

 

Baker is a competent game manager at this point. 

I still see nothing in his play that indicates he will ever progress to being a top-level starting QB. 

But for now, he's plenty good enough to help the Browns progress from being a constant 10+ loss team to a competent, solid team.

But do I think he's a guy who will take the Browns from solid to legitimate playoff team/Super Bowl contender? 

That's where I have some serious doubts. 

[jiggins7919]

5 minutes ago, nickers said:

Taki is a lifetime special teamer.. Goodson is very average and Mack Wilson just flat out B L O W S!!!!!

Mack Wilson might be the worst linebacker in the league. He's so bad that I don't think he'll see a DOWN next year for us. The one thing he did right yesterday was bring the pain to the tight end who was big-league'ing Denzel Ward and Mack gave him the BUSINESS out of bounds. 

[nickers]

2 minutes ago, jiggins7919 said:

Mack Wilson might be the worst linebacker in the league. He's so bad that I don't think he'll see a DOWN next year for us. The one thing he did right yesterday was bring the pain to the tight end who was big-league'ing Denzel Ward and Mack gave him the BUSINESS out of bounds. 

Yeah it was funny because Wilson was making excuses for himself on twitter a couple of weeks ago saying He's still injured and it's affecting his play or some shit...

[The Gipper]

19 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

Baker is a competent game manager at this point. 

I still see nothing in his play that indicates he will ever progress to being a top-level starting QB. 

But for now, he's plenty good enough to help the Browns progress from being a constant 10+ loss team to a competent, solid team.

But do I think he's a guy who will take the Browns from solid to legitimate playoff team/Super Bowl contender? 

That's where I have some serious doubts. 

Honestly, you could have had those kinds of doubts about 30-40% of the QBs that HAVE taken their teams to Super Bowls. If you go down the list of all QBs who have started in the Super Bowl, it is not like they are all HOF caliber. 

Names:    Lamonica,  Morrall, Kapp, MOrton, Kilmer, Ferragamo, Jaworski, Anderson, Woodley, Theisman, Plunkett, Eason, McMahon, Simms, Williams, Esiason, Humphries, O'Donnell, McNair, Bledsoe, Dilfer, Johnson, Gannon, Delhomme, Hasselback, Grossman, McNabb.....All SB starters, all HOF eligible, none in.   And then some actives:  Flacco, Kaepernick, Foles, Goff, Garrapolo....not sure those are HOF caliber.  I am not sure that Baker is any less capable than this whole list of names.   You also have to have the rest of the team do its part.