- This topic has 10 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 1 month ago by
.
- Posts
The season opening loss to the ratbirds wasn’t a surprise. we had a completely new coaching staff / system with no real offseason and no preseason games.
After the first game things seemed to have changed. It helped playing weaker teams but that was our preseason.The team has discipline. The don’t commit a lot of penalties and that goes to the coaching staff holding players accountable.
Injuries have hit the Browns and we are still able to go out and win. D’Ernest Johnson is getting more playing time because Chubb is injured and has the 28 yarder at the end to help seal it. Higgins had a few catches including a TD and a key block on the 28 yarder and is playing because Hodge is hurt. Hubbard also had a key block on the same play and is playing because Teller went down.
Harrison Jr started because Joseph was hurt and returned an INT for TD. Harrison got hurt and Redwine (really) comes in and gets an interception. Teams become good because guys step up when called into action.The offense has impressed me a lot. The running game was the best in the NFL before Chubb went down and Baker really stepped up in the first half against the Colts even if he has a horrible second half. They made some mistakes but the Browns still pulled out the victory.
The defense has been shaky but they are creating turnovers. Myles Garrett signed a massive extension and is playing like it. His pressure resulted in 9 points against the Colts (the int return for TD and the safety were the result of his pressure). We won by 9. I like it.
The receivers throwing passes is something I like. It gives the defense something else to think about.
The red zone offense is in the top tier in the NFL right now and we have scored 30 plus points in four straight games.
While I still get nervous on extra point attempts and FGs, Parkey is getting it done.
Seems like last year the kick that deflected off the left upright and was good would have bounced out.
Things are going our way and the 4-1 record reflects that.
D’Ernest Johnson was USF’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards. He went undrafted in 2018 and worked as a fisherman in Key West. Signed with the Orlando Apollos of the AAF in 2019. The Browns signed him for the 2019 NFL season.
Through 5 games:
The Browns are 4-1, their best start since 1994 with Bill Belicheck as HC and Nick Saban as the DC. Vinny Testeverde was the starting QB.
1,933 total yards are their best since 1963.
The 156 points scored also the best since 1963.-Four straight 30 plus point games are the best since 1968. “Only scored 29 against the Colts who had number 1 scoring defense in NFL.
-Way back in 2000, we scored 161 points for the entire season.
Coaching. I’m starting to believe we got it right.
The staff is clearly on the same page on all levels.
You can see the team buying in. Look at how well the offense played 3.5 of the last 4 games. Look at yesterday 2nd half offense faltering, what happened? The D knew they had to step up and they did.
In the past it was like the D only cared about the D and the O only cared about the O. Now they pick each other up when down.
Personalities seem to have disappeared as well and melted into one.
Yesterday the team had 1 real penalty. I say that because they ha 2 – one being the phantom hold on Mitchell.
Stefanski confidence in the team is contagious to the team. Down 7-3 for a chip shot FG – Indy went for it to get 7- they did it we can do it. Baker throws for the first down then he throws for a TD.
Stefanski handling of Mayfield has been amazing as well. Not giving too much and while Baker is taking a lot of shit from fans, he’s made a ton of key 3rd down conversations.
At 4-1 I’m far and away most impressed with Stefanski on down.
Also, you’d have put me in an insane asylum had I told you the Browns, 5 weeks t he ough the season, would put up more points than the Chiefs.
We are 4th in the NFL in scoring at over 31 PPG. Chiefs are at 29. We scored 6 week 1. That’s batshit nuts
Freedom!!!
37.5 PPG in the last 4.
We have scored the most points in the AFC and trail only Dallas and Seattle in the entire NFL. I would have never predicted that one even though I thought we would at least have a pretty decent offense.
Agree coaching and front office seem in sync. The players are buying in. Penalties are down. Big plays on both sides of the ball are up.
For all the points the defense has given up, we lead the league in takeaways with 12.
Coaching
Direct and to the point.
Coaching.
Baker is still not great, but we have a coach who uses every single player by their strengths.
Takitaki is terrible. But coach has him in the right position to make plays.
Sendjo is atrocious. However, he is in position for the most part.
Hue Jackson is a loser.
The coaching can not be overstated.
What sticks out to me, is with Hue, he couldn’t figure out how to get the ball in Chubbs hands more. He literally said at every press conference, we need to figure out how to get him involved. The starting RB. It’s not rocket science.
With Stefanski, he seems to understand that Odell needs to be involved, but it’s not good for Baker to just force him the ball. So, instead, you see the pass from Jarvis, and the end arounds, and having Odell throw a pass to Hooper last week. OBJ needs to be engaged to keep his game elevated, and Stefanski finds ways to do that and allow him to make plays without telling Baker to just force feed him.
He also seems to have the perfect balance between calm, but still intense. Not like, Romeo Crennel or Pat Shurmur calm. Not Gregg Williams or Rob Ryan intense. But somehow he’s both calm and intense at the same time. I think that keeps everybody focused.
The line of scrimage ownership by the Browns. When you own the line of scrimage you are gonna win a lot of games.
http://cloudassetserver.com/STL/posts/185/sp_04_976x0.jpg
Just the overall way the browns are winning. They do what good teams do and find ways to hold onto victories instead of constantly handing them away like we always have.
Cincinnati was a good “shake it off” game after getting embarrassed by Baltimore. Old Browns teams would have hung their heads and let it get to them so much that they would have lost that one too and would be staring at 0-2 and the start of another miserable season. This one didn’t.
We started leaking momentum in the 3rd against Washington but completely shut them down in the 4th quarter and put them away. Old Browns teams would have just wilted and let them come back and win. This one didn’t.
We were up 41-14 against Dallas and watched it dwindle to 3. Old Browns teams would have let them complete the comeback. This one didn’t.
The Colts are a legitimate team with a nasty, stout, #1 rated defense, and we were without our top RB and several key defensive starters. Old Browns teams would have just walked themselves behind the woodshed to take the beating. This one didn’t. It punched them in the mouth and held it.
We’re winning games the way that good teams win them. That’s what impresses me the most. (Also, I’ve been talking about this on the show every week).
Just a few observations on the coaching, first the plays are getting in much faster on offense that’s avoiding delay of game penalities and the waste of time outs, also the players are much more disaplined, the amount of flags thrown this season is getting lower each game. all in all I could not be more pleased with coach Stefanski and his staff.
There’s a Bill Walsh quote, “the score takes care of itself”, which I think greatly applies to this year’s Browns team.
The players all go out and do their jobs. They aren’t looking at the scoreboard and panicking, they aren’t getting overconfident, they aren’t letting the other team dictate the game. They seem to remain calm, take what is there on offense, and let the other team make mistakes on defense. That says so much about the coaching.
What we haven’t seen yet (other than the first game) is how they play from a significant deficit. Their ability to mount a huge comeback will no doubt be put to the rest at some point, and that will be huge for whether they can get enter the realm of “elite” teams.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.