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Could James Davis be the spark the Cleveland Browns need to ignite their offense against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday?
The Cleveland Browns are off to a disappointed 0-2 start, and things don't get any easier against the Baltimore Ravens this week. This week's game against Baltimore will be critical in terms of how the remainder of the season will unfold, which leads me to believe we're going to see a few significant changes this week in personnel.
First off, let's discuss what a win would do. It would send us into our Week 4 match-up with the opportunity to play for second place in the division, since our opponent that week would be the Cincinnati Bengals. If your expectations were that the Browns would start the season off at 2-2, would you rather the wins have come against non-AFC North opponents? Being in that situation would be a complete turnaround in terms of the morale of the fans and the motivation in the locker room.
Winning these next two games is really the Browns' only chance at salvaging the season. Things didn't go well during the first two games of the season offensively, and while it's not exactly easy to move the ball on the Ravens' defense, I envision Eric Mangini mixing things up in an attempt to create a spark.
Disclaimer: I still attribute many of our offensive problems to the playcalling, but it's not as easy to toss your offensive coordinator aside.
One of those players is running back James Davis. While I'm still on the Jerome Harrison bandwagon and always will be, Davis has seen increased reps in practice due to Harrison's thigh injury. Harrison is expected to practice on Friday, but he might have several things going against him. He has shown fumbling issues this year, both in the preseason and then last week against the Chiefs. Although he should have been ruled down, the ball still shouldn't be coming out. His productivity through the first two weeks hasn't been superior to the point where a temporary shift to Davis would be out of the question. Here's a tidbit from Mangini's press conference Thursday morning on Davis:
(On James Davis’ saying he was going to do everything he can in practice to make him want to play him on Sunday and how he did) -- "First of all I love that answer. That is exactly the right answer and that’s what everybody’s perspective should be, ‘I’m going to practice so well you can’t help but to play me.’ To me that’s exactly the right approach from guys like James, or practice squad guys or anybody who wants more play time. That’s your opportunity to make your case for play time is during practice. I thought he had a good day. I was pleased with what he did with his chances and that’s one of the, you never want anyone to be injured, but that’s one of the positive things for guys who are the next guy down the depth chart, suddenly a world of opportunity opens up to you, what will you do with it."
Next up is wide receiver Brian Robiskie. While I don't think he has done anything to be in the doghouse, he has been missing practice with a hamstring injury. This coincides with Eric Mangini commenting after last week's game that more plays out of the Wildcat should have been called for Joshua Cribbs. Quarterback Seneca Wallace is expected to start again this week since Jake Delhomme has a high ankle sprain, and Wallace's favorite receiver throughout most of training camp seemed to be Cribbs.
I think we have to see a few Wildcat plays this week to try to counter the Ravens' solid run defense, but I think we'll also see him at the receiver position. As much as I don't want Wallace throwing the deep ball, if it was in the gameplan last week and Ed Reed is missing from the secondary, whenever the Ravens blitz, Wallace will probably lob the ball as soon as possible. If someone's going to be on the receiving end of those passes, I'd probably want it to be Cribbs.
We might also be able to get excited about Cribbs in the return game this week. At least one Ravens player has commented that the team will not kick away from Cribbs, and Cribbs doesn't think they will either:
Cribbs' reasoning? Because of Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg.
"Rosburg is the kind of guy not to back down," said Cribbs, who spent two seasons with Rosburg when he coached special teams for the Browns. "He doesn't back down. Even when we played here, I remember we used to play good returners, and we used to get up for games when we had good returners. That's the kind of coach that Coach Rosburg is."
Defensively, the Browns haven't really needed a spark yet considering how well they've been playing, but it's good to hear that linebacker D'Qwell Jackson might play in certain packages against the Ravens. Baltimore's offense has certainly not lived up to expectations through two games, but with Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh all on one team, you know they have to break out at some point. Let's hope it's not against the Browns.
Are there any changes in terms of positions that you think should occur this weekend? If Harrison is healthy enough to play, is it worth giving Davis a shot?
0 recs | 57 comments
Speaking of Cribbs:
This is Cribbs mic’d up last week. He practically called the play on the TD pass.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-sound-efx/09000d5d81ac0f52/Sound-FX-Cribbs-mic-d-up
And this…well this is just awesome.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/cleveland-browns/09000d5d8191ec0d/Return-man-extraordinaire
StuckInPa - September 23, 2010
Very cool.
Cribbs for coordinator?
Ryan Kelsey - September 24, 2010
That was awesome.
I loved his comment to Vickers, “I know there is a bunch of jersey’s there, but make me a hole. You’re the best blocker on this team!”
I wish Daboll thought the same.
Bernie19Kosar - September 24, 2010
Cribbs doesn’t look that big on the field, but next to us humans he’s a monster.
Brownie's Year - September 24, 2010
This.
RelapsingDawgCatcher - September 25, 2010
I’d love to see Harrison get the bulk of the load so long as Vickers is clearing the way and the passing game keeps the defense honest.
troy145 - September 23, 2010
I voted for Davis only because I’m a Clemson homer.
But in all seriousness, Hillis.
emily522 - September 24, 2010
As long as Vickers is in, I don’t think it really matters who gets the most carries. I voted Hillis. I think he’s the best of the three.
golanbatrac - September 24, 2010
I’d like to see what the Browns can do with Davis’ speed. He is supposed to be the fastest player on offense. I’m not too sure about Harrison and I’ve never been much of a believer. I’d like to see Hillis get more carries.
Robiskie in, Robiskie out… does it really matter? Getting the ball to Cribbs more often in more creative ways makes a lot of sense.
I think the defense will have to cause a few turnovers and the special teams will have to score in order for the Browns to win this game.
You are spot on about the Browns needing the next two games to have a chance at reviving the season.
Brownsyup - September 24, 2010
Neither James Davis nor Brian Robiskie have blazing speed. Both must have been chosen for solid fundamentals and spirited play.
I think the challenge will be to implement James Davis as a tailback and give Brian Robiskie the chance to grow into a possession receiver role. These are specialties, if you go and back and look at some 80´s football for instance, you will see that neither Walter Payton nor Jerry Rice had track speed. It´s about smart players doing things right.
mooncamping - September 24, 2010
Good read. I agree a victory this weekend would be huge. Any time the Browns beat the Ravens is big but if the Browns can pull this one off it would go a long way turning this season aroun. I don’t think it is out of the question either. From what I saw the first two games Cleveland was the better team, we shot ourselves in the foot both games.
I voted for Hillis to start but later read a post stating that James Davis is the fastest player on offense which would lead me to start him over Hillis because I believe for a RB to have success on Sunday we need a guy that hits the whole quickly, I’m not sure the power / bruising type of RB will be able to move the ball well against the Ravens.
rob525 - September 24, 2010
I am hoping another week of Wallace practicing those long throws down the sideline will help….the plays were there, he was just a bit off on those, if he hits 2 of those we probably end up winning.
Is David Modell still involved with those ratbirds?
Red-Right-88 - September 24, 2010
Robiskie is not a good receiver. Against the Ravens D he will get lit up and be even less effective. Harrison goes down as soon as he gets bumped into and looks slower than ever this year. IMO he should be trade bait. Hillis can absorb hits and push a pile and Davis has speed to get out side or at least give Wallace a short pass option when he’s getting rushed every other down. Give me Cribbs all day, every day. He will make plays if he has an opportunity.
browndawgbacker - September 24, 2010
I’m not sure they’re using him the right way. He can’t get separation on streaks down the sidelines but he should be used as a possession rec, running short and intermediate middle and post routes would probably utilize his strength and size better.
HenryDawg - September 24, 2010 via mobile
Yeah, he’s fast enough to play in the NFL, but he’s not really a deep threat.
As far as Harrison being slow, well, I’ll defer to last year’s chiefs game.
notthatnoise - September 24, 2010
and is it just me, or did we throw to Robiskie a LOT downfield?
bross09 - September 24, 2010
He was open. Teams are stacking the box and daring our noodle armed QBs to go over the top. So far it’s working.
golanbatrac - September 24, 2010
yeah. Maybe he was open, but even with teams doing this, I don’t think Robi is most effective running that many go routes. maybe a few a game, but I only see him being able to get open 2-3 times on go routes a game.
bross09 - September 24, 2010
If you hit an open receiver on a go route 2-3 times a game you win the game.
golanbatrac - September 24, 2010
yes. its all about hitting the WR too. I wasn’t as clear as I wanted to be. If we send Robi running go routes on almost every play, he might get open 2-3 times. Out of those times, who knows how many times our QB can hit him. If we did this, maybe we get one long play by robi but is is worth it?
Its a 2 way street, he can be open but I don’t have confidence in our QBs hitting him deep consistently.
bross09 - September 24, 2010
I just don´t see what he brings to the table over Cribbs, MoMass, Moore, or even Stuckey. I did see he is doubtful for Baltimore so maybe he has been dinged up and that is why he has looked so bad.
realmccoy - September 24, 2010
possibly. Right now it is hard to say what he brings. Its early on in the season, plus I don’t feel he has been effectively utilized.
bross09 - September 24, 2010
By that reasoning Edwards is a good receiver because of 07 too. And that would be the same Chiefs that just shut Harrison down this year. Also – again – Harrison goes down too easy and against one of the hardest hitting teams out right now he is not a good matchup. Although I have never drank the Harrison kool-aid either so just an opinion.
browndawgbacker - September 24, 2010
Yeah, I think it’s too early to call Robiskie a bust. We add a true #1 receiver to the team, bump MoMass to #2 (where he belongs) and put Robiskie in the slot (where he belongs) and we’ve got a pretty good receiver corps. The problem now is that without that true #1, both MoMass and Robiskie are playing out of position (out of necessity). We get a player that demands the full attention of the opposition’s best DB and the occasional double team and things will open up considerably for the offense.
golanbatrac - September 24, 2010
I think running room will be scarce against the Ravens, but I definitely don’t think Davis is the solution. If your top two backs are having trouble, going with the third, inferior back probably isn’t the solution. The only way we’re going to have success running the ball against the Ravens is to be creative — Wildcat plays, counters, misdirections, that sort of thing. You don’t plow through the Ravens and succeed, not with the Browns’ personnel. That’s why I’d give Harrison the bulk of the carries; while we probably won’t see much success overall, he has a chance to break one.
As for Robiskie, if he hadn’t been a second-round pick (and an OSU alum), he’d never get mentioned. I’m not even thinking about him until he catches a couple of balls.
Chemo - September 24, 2010
Inferior? How do you know he’s inferior? He’s yet to see playing time.
StuckInPa - September 24, 2010
I was on football outsiders and I found some interesting stats.
Peyton Hillis is ranked 20th in Defense Adjusted Yards above Replacement. He is also ranked 18th in Defense Adjusted Value over Average. Hillis also ranks first in the league in Success rate which measures the rate the running back makes an ‘effective’ run. In general, good downhill runners have a good success rate, and he is #1 in the league.
Harrison on the other hand is a different story. He ranks 39th out of 40 (backs with at least 16 carries) in Defense Adjusted Yards above average and ranks last in Defense Adjusted Value over Average (a measure of per-play effectiveness). he also ranks 39 out of 40 in success rate (so is being stuffed the most of almost every RB). He also has only 7 effective yards which is a translation of DVOA into a yard per carry form.
Our RBs have been very effective catching the ball out of the backfield. both rank in the top 15 in DVOA and DYAR for receiving out of the backfield. Harrison however, has shown to be more effective when thrown to, having a 100% catch rate (though Hillis’ 88% is still good) and he ranks 3rd among RBs in DVOA. Per play, Harrison is the most effective receiving back right now.
i say, start hillis and have harrison be your 3rd down/Change of pace back. Right now, Harrison should not be carrying the load running the ball (and he has 4 more carries a game than hillis, which isn’t good IMO) but still should get some looks in the passing game out of the backfield.
My vote is for hillis.
bross09 - September 24, 2010
This clearly demonstrates that statistics are for losers – just win the damn games. Hillis fumble cancels out all the good things he has done.
realmccoy - September 25, 2010
you obviously aren’t a baseball fan.
notthatnoise - September 25, 2010
being THE best running back in the league in short yardage situations>fumble problems.
hillis fumbles do NOT cancel out everything he did. I believe they do take into account fumbles for some of the stats (maybe DVOA). Even so, Hillis has been one of the better RBs in the league when he touches the ball, while Harrison has arguably been the least effective RB in the league with at least 16 carries (and has been less effective than some RBs with less than 16 carries). Harrison is not the best RB holding onto the ball either.
Do you listen to Colin Cowherd a lot? because he thinks that statistics and facts are for losers and nerds…granted, he is a moron most of the time.
bross09 - September 25, 2010
No.
Hillis isn’t the best short yardage back in the league, small sample size be damned.
If he continues to put it on the ground, he isn’t helping this team. Adrian Peterson is one of the two best RB’s on earth. That being said, he should have been benched in last seasons NFC championship game BECAUSE he fumbled.
Putting the ball on the ground is the worst thing a RB can do. Now if the guy can go for 1,500 a season like AD, you find a way to live with it. When it is a short yardage RB, you find a new short yardage RB.
Bernie19Kosar - September 25, 2010
I’m pretty sure while AP fumbles more, it averages out with his # of yards.
SpecialBrownie - September 25, 2010
I do see you point. I meant more of the best RB in the league so far (and he proved it today). I guess I see him as the better option because harrison has been THAT bad.
bross09 - September 27, 2010
You think Peyton Hillis is the best RB in the league?
Bernie19Kosar - September 27, 2010
No, statistics aren’t for losers. And even if that was true, nothing in that comment “clearly” demonstrates that.
Buckeye Brad - September 25, 2010
Well boys – I know how you feel about this – but my hunch is we see Colt McCoy get his first action this week. Will be tough to protect Seneca from Ray Ray. Can´t stand that guy – but he is literally a sick beast.
realmccoy - September 24, 2010
Fixed.
Bernie19Kosar - September 25, 2010
Should’ve left that with murderer.
SpecialBrownie - September 25, 2010
To be fair to Ray Ray – I don´t think he is actually a murderer (yet), but an obtrstructioner of murderer.
realmccoy - September 25, 2010
I don’t recall him killing anyone.
Brownie's Year - September 25, 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lewis#Arrested_for_murder
he was charged with murder, and made a deal to take lesser charges in exchange for testifying against his friends. He was in a fight in which two people were killed, and we’re to believe he didn’t have anything to do with it? no thank you.
notthatnoise - September 25, 2010
yup. he’s a knife wielding murderer,
Dawg Nuts - September 25, 2010
He also murdered Saturn in that Old Spice commercial.
North Coast Flea - September 25, 2010
I SAID THAT FIRST!
SpecialBrownie - September 25, 2010
Many people have been charged with murder and weren’t actually murderers.
Buckeye Brad - September 25, 2010
I always knew you were a Ravens fan.
SpecialBrownie - September 25, 2010
I’m aware, but that’s ignoring the facts of the case. If he is innocent (and both of his companions got acquitted btw) why would he agree to lesser charges in exchange for testimony?
notthatnoise - September 25, 2010
Sometimes it’s not about being innocent it’s about whether or not you feel you will be convicted. Obviously for Lewis he felt it better to take the lesser charges and not risk the chance of being found guilty.
Villeslgr - September 25, 2010
He’s Ray Lewis. No doubt he had the best lawyer money could buy. If he had nothing to do with it, he would’ve had nothing to worry about.
SpecialBrownie - September 25, 2010
Not necessarily.
Buckeye Brad - September 25, 2010
Maybe because he didn’t want to go through a trial, because it might further damage his reputation or just because trials aren’t fun experiences (I assume). Or maybe because he just didn’t want to risk being found guilty. I don’t know his reasons, but I do know that there are many, many examples of innocent people agreeing to a lesser charge to avoid a trial and everything that goes with it. So I don’t really think it’s appropriate to assume that means he’s guilty. If the police had enough evidence that he actually did murder someone then I’m sure the DA would have never dropped the charges.
I know he’s a Raven and thus we all hate him, and that’s perfectly fine if we’re just joking around, but it’s going too far to actually call him a murderer in a serious tone.
Buckeye Brad - September 25, 2010
Is it going too far to call Ben Roethlisberger a rapist in a serious tone?
golanbatrac - September 25, 2010
We have had this argument/discussion before (Kobe?). So I will stay out of this one as my feelings are already well known.
Bernie19Kosar - September 25, 2010
I disagree. But to each his own I suppose. The dude will never hear, nor care for my opinion so big deal.
SpecialBrownie - September 25, 2010
many people weren’t charged for murder and are murderers…one rings a bell in my mind…I think he might have played football…
bross09 - September 27, 2010
Peyton and Vickers bloodying some noses and getting Watson and Moore more involved up the middle is the only way I can see the Browns opening up the rest of offense and even having a chance to score any TD’s.
I’m actually pretty confident that our Defense will hold it’s water and keep Baltimore around or under 20 pts. Rice and one of the O-lineman are ailing and Houshmanzadeh isn’t what he used to be.
Hopefully the Browns will turn this into a brawl and let the Special Teams and Defense decide it.
theotherJimBrown - September 24, 2010
Brian Daboll: “Who’s this ‘Vickers’ guy?”
discoinferno083 - September 24, 2010
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