Reading Between the Lines with Jamal

[Chip Banks]

 

Okay. Let’s piece together some of Jamal's statements of late.

 

A couple weeks ago, Jamal seemed very aggravated about running out of the WildDawg and running out of shotgun formations in general. In an interview with one of the STO shows I saw him say “I’m not used to running out of those formations." You could tell he was less than pleased.

 

There was a statement attributed to the Browns’ coaching staff during the bye week about Quinn that his eyes tend to go too quickly to a rusher which causes him to abort his downfield reads and check down too quickly. The obvious short-term solution: shotgun formation.

 

Jamal said yesterday that the Brown’s offense is really a “passing offense” during his rant.

 

He also said that he doesn’t want to be a “baby-sitter” or a mentor.

 

Putting this all together, does it tip anything?

 

Might we see the offense run more out of the shotgun formation Monday? Maybe even some no-huddle? Three and four receivers flooding zones and running short crossing routes? The Ravens have been dreadful against the pass this season. Remember, before they got Moss and Welker, that’s how the Pats attacked the Ravens and Steelers’ 3-4. They hardly even tried to run.

 

Might we see a reprise of the WildDawg as a key part of the offense?

 

And the statement I find most curious -- who is Lewis being asked to mentor? Davis is on IR, Harrison is in what? His fourth year? He shouldn’t need mentoring. Are we going to get a look at Jennings? Could it be Cribbs?

 

Jamal’s frustrated and I find it hard to believe it’s really about 3 two and a half hour practices after the bye or that he even knows the name of the kid on the practice squad who got hurt in "opportunity drills". Hell, if a guy's on the practice squad, it means that he can't play on Sunday, anyways. He's a seed, not part of the crop.

 

Maybe Mangini pulled Jamal in after the last game to discuss his reduced role for the second half and what was expected of him (mentoring) and this is Jamal's way of saying he will not accept it?

 

 

[Earl34]

It's a good guess. Sounds plausible. I think that it's possible that Jamal sees the end is near before the end of the season and he's a little loose in the gums. Now, that said...we're just guessing.

[professor_g]

This is a very interesting speculation. People say that Quinn is best made for a west coast offense, and I've been wondering whether they might try to make some changes over the bye to accommodate Quinn along these lines.