Dawgs By Nature

Jerome Bettis?

Ryan Kelsey - September 28, 2010 reply

I think we’re making white rb jokes.

Yeah, Earl campbell was one scrappy white boy!

I know he wasn’t but I thought that’s what Bross was trying to start.

Also. Holy shit you changed your sig.

actually, even if John Riggins wasn’t white, i still would have made the comparison. His style reminds me a bit more of riggins (though there aren’t huge differences between riggins and campbell)

I don’t think bross’s or jerseywahoo’s were jokes.

Ryan Kelsey - September 29, 2010 reply

Honest to Christ, that’s who he looked like against the Ravens.

dawginhouston - September 29, 2010 reply

I think I’ll call him CRASH

Special shoutout to the offensive line.

Roger Dorn - September 27, 2010 reply

this was the type of line i was expecting this year … they were strangely absent in the first 2 weeks.

what’s the latest on lauvao (sp?)?

DontCallMeJoey - September 27, 2010 reply

actualy, the line was pretty solid the first 2 weeks, you were just misled because harrison was sucking up the joint. we had solid protection of the QB and were able to push the pile.

DontCallMeJoey - September 28, 2010 reply

didn’t the starting qb get knocked out w/ an injury?

he got a high ankle sprain, it’s not like he has broken ribs or something from being hit over and over.

that was partially his fault for stepping back into pressure and hanging onto the ball to long and then trying to throw it when he did. despite having one of the worst RBs over the first 2 weeks (harrison), the line was respectable at pushing the pile and was able to give solid protection.

/agree about the O-line but a lot of Hillis’ success Sunday was his ability to hit the hole quickly and his toughness/strength at the point of attack. I really liked looking at the faces of the Baltimore defenders after they finally brought him down—it was a look of total disbelief. It was like “how can this guy be doing this to us?” It was the high point of the game for sure. I thought Hillis should have been given more touches in the first two games. Now maybe he’ll be more featured in an offense that has little to feature.

Brownsyup - September 27, 2010 reply

Just a thought… What would the trade value be for Jerome Harrison right now? Any chance we could package him and someone else to a team for a good wide receiver?

It just seems to me like we could get by with having Hillis as the main ball carrier and then James Davis backing him up… How much do we really need Jerome Harrison right now and what could we get for him?

shep615 - September 27, 2010 reply

Disagree on even trying to trade Harrison. God forbid Hillis goes down but if he does then Davis alone won’t suffice.

In any case, I don’t think he’s even worth a 3rd right now.

skipkirk - September 27, 2010 reply

with the way harrison is playing right now, if we can get good value for him I would take it.

Well, I know a lot of folks won’t like this but there is a decent receiver out there right now looking for a home: Vincent Jackson. There is no doubt this guy would make the team better. He is 6-5, 230lbs. He caught 68 passes for 1,167 yards and 9 TDs. I’d still like to see the Browns at least try to win this year instead of just folding up the tent and waiting for the draft. Heck, if you pick a receiver early in the draft you still have to pay him a boat-load of money, you don’t know if he’ll be any good, and you don’t really know their character before they start getting the big paychecks. I know that this isn’t the biggest problem with the Browns right now but why not do something that will address a MAJOR hole in the personnel right now?

Brownsyup - September 28, 2010 reply

Would he want to come to Cleveland? Doubtful.

Would the Browns want his character issues? Doubtful.

RelapsingDawgCatcher - September 29, 2010 reply

Hah… I agree on the first one. Not sure he’d want to come here but at this point I think he’d do anything to stick it to San Diego. I wish we were playing them this year… that would be a big draw for him. I don’t know if you’ve followed the story but there is some NASTY blood between Vincent and the organization.
As far as the character issues go, I think he deserves at least one more chance and we should give it to him. I’d like to see the Browns get better. Heck, it seems like about half the good wide-receivers have some kind of character issues. If we could get Vick right now would Browns fans be talking about his character issues? I think not.

Brownsyup - September 28, 2010 reply

If we could get Vick right now would Browns fans be talking about his character issues? I think not.

Well, one of them sure the hell would be.

Two.

I’d bitch because I just don’t want him.

Sure, he would come to Cleveland. All we have to do is pay him like he’s Larry Fitzgerald and pay San Diego draft picks like he’s a franchise quarterback. No thanks.

woodsmeister - September 28, 2010 reply

This is exactly the reason he won’t be a Brown.

Monsters of the Midway - September 28, 2010 reply

Glad someone finally pointed this out.

if you pick a receiver early in the draft you still have to pay him a boat-load of money

I will be extremely surprised if this is still true next year.

I would love a straight up trade of V-Jax for harrison but that would NEVER happen.

It’s clear to me that the Raven’s were already looking ahead to the Steelers game.

The players never heard of Hillis… Seriously? That’s ridiculous. Anyone playing fantasy football knows about him… The Ravens’ coaching staff have no excuse and were clearly overlooking the Browns. That’s extremely risky and I hope they cut that out. You can’t afford to overlook anyone in the NFL. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing this week or the next. I guess I can’t cry about it too much because they ended up with the win.

BAL_Hawk - September 27, 2010 reply

Hey. I’d just like to say that I looked at the things you said in the instant recap thread. I respect you a lot. Even though you’re a Baltimore fan ;)

shep615 - September 27, 2010 reply

The players never heard of Hillis… Seriously? That’s ridiculous. Anyone playing fantasy football knows about him

did you even read the quote by Suggs? apparently, he never heard of hillis so there is a good chance, the coaching staff did not put a lot of gameplanning for him (or else he probably would have remembered hillis for the game). Honestly, it isn’t that surprising that teams aren’t expecting hillis. he was our backup and was a fullback (mostly used for blocking) the last 2 years.

How does fantasy football help? the only people I know that drafted him were browns fans. He isn’t that ‘fantasy relevant’.

I agree though. it seemed like the ravens overlooked the browns a little bit and they were a bit lucky that it didn’t bite them in the butt. they could have easily lost that game and the coaching staff better remember that.

He isn’t that ‘fantasy relevant’.

He is now! And yes I’m serious.

9James - September 27, 2010 reply

He’s currently a top ten back in fantasy points. On pace for 1000+ and 16 TDs.

Let me rephrase that: he wasn’t fantasy relevant. this game has made him relevant, but before this he really wasn’t (other than the fact that he was the only healthy back besides davis on the roster coming into this game)

He had scored a TD in each of the first two weeks while averaging 60+ yards from scrimmage.

He’s been all over ESPN as a guy to pick up as well.

Villeslgr - September 27, 2010 reply

I didn’t know this. If only I played in more leagues with no other browns fans. I might able to have him on them.

i snagged him in both my leagues. stupid bills fans.

:-)

haha. I am in 4 leagues and 2 are browns fans and one is a bills/jets fan league.

Hillis gets the game ball?

I would’ve though it’d be Eric Wright

RudeMood19 - September 27, 2010 reply

The custom is to award game balls to players who performed well.

Roger Dorn - September 27, 2010 reply

I think eric Wright played very well for Baltimore

Estonianzulu - September 27, 2010 reply

Damn it, I wish I would have read these comments before I posted mine below.

Simmsinns - September 27, 2010 reply

You walked into that one, Dorn.

Actually I was aware of the point that was made in the original comment, I just didn’t think the joke was funny.

JulioBernazard - September 27, 2010 reply

Obviously.

It was wry sarcasm…

RudeMood19 - September 29, 2010 reply

And I benched him for LDT this week… grr…

Avindian - September 27, 2010 reply

Great video of “Peydirt” blasting Landry down the field. The writer make an Alstott comparison, as well.

Brett Ratliff was just cut by the Jags.

Was this to make room for another QB?

Garrard has been atrocious

rose_11 - September 27, 2010 reply

They made several roster moves and left a roster spot open. Maybe they’re going after Kolb or Moore.

or Trent Edwards!

Roger Dorn - September 27, 2010 reply

Jamarcus!

George!

Jeff George?

Boy.

JustBob - September 27, 2010 reply

carlin

notthatnoise - September 27, 2010 reply

Clinton, Jefferson, Bailey, Costanza

of the jungle

I’d rather have Garrard over all 4 of them.

Simmsinns - September 27, 2010 reply

Which four?

Kolb, Moore, Edwards, Russel.

I’ll give you 3/4, but how can you say you’d want Garrard over Kolb? we know Garrard sucks, and while Kolb may, he still has a decent chance of being good.

After watching the Jags game this weekend, I’d honestly take all four over Gerrard. He’s literally regressed to the point where Trent Edwards would might be be an improvement.

And by ‘would might be’ I mean ‘might be’. Sheesh!

the only reason I rooted for him was b/c he had Crohns disease, which my cousin has. fro a football standpoint (purely) I was never a fan.

Bernie19Kosar - September 28, 2010 reply

Agreed.

Garrard is horrible.

This may be true, but his stats certainly don’t show it.

Garrard never used to be terrible. He wasn’t the second coming of Manning, nor Delhomme in his prime but he wasn’t terrible.

Also, stats never tell the real story, don’t fall into that trap.

Bernie19Kosar - September 29, 2010 reply

He was great in ’07, other than that he was nothing to brag about.

I’m not saying he was ever anything special, and I’m fully aware that stats don’t tell the whole story. I’m not trying to argue that Garrard is good or has been in a while. I just think his stats are surprisingly good.

last year:
61% completions
15-10 TD to interception ratio
3 rush TDs on a 4.3 average
7 YPA
83.5 rating

the only stat that lets you know how bad he was is the huge number of fumbles.

notthatnoise - September 29, 2010 reply

So he is a poor man’s jake delhomme (pre 2009)

most of those numbers are about as good or better than anything Delhomme put up, minus the fumbles.

actually, they are right in line with Delhomme, except for the rushing.

Jake Delhomme’s before the 2009 season:

1.51/1 TD/INT ratio
60.5 Comp %
7.35 ypa
85.9 QB rating

This also includes a record of 54-38 as a starter and 1 super bowl appearance.

you’re making my point. How does playing exactly like Delhomme make him a “poor man’s jake delhomme”?

notthatnoise - October 1, 2010 reply

well…Delhomme historically has been better over a longer period of time, doesn’t have the fumble problem, has a better winning record, and has a greater % of comebacks/game winning drives.

His stats in pure passing are similar, but still not better.

also, we could argue semantics of what makes someone a “poor man’s version” of delhomme, but that will get us nowhere.

Interesting. I’ll admit I haven’t actually watched a Jags game from start to finish since the Browns beat them last season.

Still, Russel? Hell NO!

Nailed it!

Damn, I was really hoping to hit up and see Jeff George.

I had a feeling that was the case actually, but the exclamation was to emphasize how little it matters if they “win” the Trent Edwards sweepstakes.

This could be another case of “Oh, Campbell just isn’t being coached right” then 1 1/2 games later, he’ll be benched.

In related news the Baltimore Raven’s Gameball of the Week goes to: Eric Wright.

Simmsinns - September 27, 2010 reply

Wow, Hillis was so awesome, he has two articles written on him in the Yahoo blogs.

One about Suggs having no clue who he was and the other about how awesome he is and that he’s good for fantasy.

can you maybe post links? either here or make a fanshot. It would be much appreciated.

Suggs didn’t know who Killis was

Hillis is awesome for fantasy

Hm. Killis was a typo, but it sounds awesome.

PEYDIRT KILLIS.

I noticed Killis too. Thought it was intentional.

I mean it was a typo on my part.

Yeah, I know. I thought you were giving him that nickname.

I am now haha.

I actually like this nickname

Kimble_79 - September 28, 2010 reply

CUT WRIGHT NOW!

(cut wright right now?)

yawn

JustBob - September 27, 2010 reply

don’t use the post title.

actually, I bet he put it between two asterisks. the same thing happened to me the other day.

notthatnoise - September 27, 2010 reply

no way

Yep. And anything you type outside of quotes gets deleted upon posting.

Aye, it war the asterisks.

JustBob - September 28, 2010 reply

he just made it bold, likely with the bold key that is right next to the italics.

Damn, chill out.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81adda17/article/you-decide-best-photo-from-week-3?module=HP_spotlight

speaking of Hillis.

NFL.com has an AMAZING shot of him in the "bets shots of week 3 page)

that thing needs to be voted for.

Starting to remind me a bit of what gave me hope last season:

troy145 - September 27, 2010 reply

I love it! 5 guys trying to bring him down! Not to mention that three of them are Suggs, Ray Ray, and Ngata.

And JT is coming to serve up some pancakes.

Monsters of the Midway - September 28, 2010 reply

That’s the best part. The above photos of Cribbs and Harrison are great but the defenders are Jags and Raiders. Blasting through the Ravens is a whole different level.

don’t forget Jarrett Johnson. thats 4 of their best defensive players.

Aaron Rodgers has failed me. I need 11 points to win. It’s looking highly unlikely. I’d only need 9 if he didn’t throw that pointless INT!

I am down by 2 freaking points. If he hadn’t thrown that INT I’d be tied. So frustrating.

that TD run just lifted me over for a win. So long as he avoids any turnovers I ought to win.

troy145 - September 27, 2010 reply

I’m hoping this goes into OT. I still have a shot now that it’s tied.

THAT RUN TIED IT UP!

NOW THEY LOSE THE BALL? COME ON!

I rec both these outbursts.

I’m going to tie. If he hadn’t thrown that dumb INT at the end of the half, I’d be 3-0 now.

I like Yahoo. They go to hundredths so you can never tie.

discoinferno083 - September 28, 2010 reply

but i can lose by 1.6 at least twice a season.

Wait… Are you talking about your fantasy football team? Or the Browns? :)

shep615 - September 28, 2010 reply

Comment from a Steeler fan

Tough loss, I was really hoping the Browns would pull this one out.

It’s been a poor start to the season, but I think the Browns are putting together a decent team. The OL is strong.

worldtrip - September 27, 2010 reply

thanks for the love.

maybe we’ll go to the O-line world championships.

discoinferno083 - September 28, 2010 reply

They only love us when we play the Ravens. The feeling is mutual. The only time I’ll ever root for the Steelers not to get thoroughly pummeled until they cry “Mama” is when they’re playing the Ravens.

woodsmeister - September 28, 2010 reply

I really don’t know which team I despise more. At least Pittsburgh started up their own team though…

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=291210005

That’s actually not true in my case. I pull for the Browns all the time, but that is mainly because I have a few really good friends who are Browns fans. But also, I was around when the Steelers and Browns had a great competitive rivalry in the 70’s. I’d be thrilled to see that again.

worldtrip - September 28, 2010 reply

enjoy!

troy145 - September 28, 2010 reply

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/division-standings.html

enjoy!

worldtrip - September 28, 2010 reply

scoreboard

troy145 - September 28, 2010 reply

Good for you. I have reached the point with Steelers and Ravens fans that all I have to offer is schadenfreude.

woodsmeister - September 28, 2010 reply

Never the Ravens.

browns record doesnt show how tough they have been playing no blow outs but blown wins its a start. and u cant blame wright for the loss he was man to man on one of the better recievers in the league and had no safety help over the top cuz they brought the house…

HILLIS is looking like a stud love the way this guy plays lets get a win BROWNS!!!

Shaffdog - September 28, 2010 reply

we most certainly can blame wright. he wants to be considered a top corner, he needs to stop at least one of those plays, and at least be in the picture on all of them.

Predictions for next week:

Hillis has 106 yards on 19 carries and 1 TD.
Wright gets at least 1 interception.
Wallace goes 16/26 with 2 TDs.

Browns win 24-17.

This is assuming Seneca is still playing.

I also think he will hit one of those deep routes. I personally like that Daboll is trying to go deep at least a couple times. We have to try and keep the defense honest.

Yeah, I just wish Wallace could put it in the same zip code as the intended receiver.

JustBob - September 28, 2010 reply

What could possibly give you that much confidence? I want some.

It’s the only way I can handle rooting for this team year after year.

I’ve heard beer is a better choice.

I prefer Captain.

I wouldn’t know.

Bourbon. Or lots of beer. Only way to make it as a Cleveland fan.

Ryan Kelsey - September 28, 2010 reply

I also wouldn’t know this.

…learn…

Ryan Kelsey - September 29, 2010 reply

I’m telling you, Captain will do the trick and not taste like horse piss.

You are correct.

Rum is awful. Bourbon is the most wonderful creation of the last 300 years.

Ryan Kelsey - September 29, 2010 reply

I agree with this.

I also agree.

Roger Dorn - September 29, 2010 reply

I’m on the “rum is awful” train, and even though I don’t like liquor much in general, I have quite the affinity for whiskey. I also had absinthe last weekend and that was surprisingly good.

notthatnoise - September 29, 2010 reply

Isn’t that alcohol with a stupid as hell alcohol content?

Monsters of the Midway - September 29, 2010 reply

I’m trying to figure out if you are 18 or just a teetotaler?

And for the mods I believe this conversation is relevant because alcohol is essential to being a Cleveland Browns fan.

I’m 19 and drug and alcohol free. I’d rather not die sooner than I should.

So…have you ever drank? Just curious, I find it odd someone that is 19, probably in college, and hasn’t drank.

Hell no. Never touched the poison and I don’t plan to.

Hmmm….well, good for you. Dawg Nuts is very correct below though. It’s not the alcohol, but how the person drinking it uses it. Have a few beers playing poker, camping around the fire, ect is all good. Sitting at home everyday, drinking as fast and as much as you can until inebriated, is NOT all good. Not to mention driving of course.

flashback alert.

Dawg Nuts - September 29, 2010 reply

Yeah, I kinda vaguely remember having this conversation with us three before. LOL….see SB, this is what happens when you drank too much while in college. Kudo’s again.

haha. flashback.

I agree though. I am in college and am not a fan of drinking heavily and fast. I have a couple times, but I seriously regretted it.

I like to sit on my porch, play poker with a few friends, and have a couple beers…or sit down with my dad and have a beer while watching the browns.

How big is your frickin’ porch?

oh…the watching the browns isn’t on the porch. my porch is big enough to get a table where 4 people play poker and a grill.

I laughed out loud at this.

it isn’t the booze that does it Sport, it’s the way the person drinks.

but kudos to you for not drinking underage.

Dawg Nuts - September 29, 2010 reply

Absinthe? Not really, maybe depends. It’s more known because of rumors that it causes hallucinations. I don’t know a lot about it, but I’ve heard both ways, some might be mixed with other drugs.

You might be thinking of Everclear, which can be bought in several states at 190 proof (95%). Speaking of which, Everclear can make some delicious Apple Pie! Apple juice, apple cider, cinnamon sticks and you’ll never taste the otherwise god awful clear devil.

I think Absinthe is up there though but I think you’re correct.

Ever see the video where this guys girlfriend does the cinnamon trick and he gives her a water bottle of Everclear to wash it down?

Hilarity ensues… until he takes it way too far.

Ha! My wife and I were at a friends house watching the mountaineer game one weekend. His wife had made some fruit soaked in everclear. I knew this…my wife did not. So when she loaded up her plate with fruit I laughed inside. She IS NOT a drinker at all. She bit into the first piece of fruit and the look on her face and the involuntary spitting of the fruit across the room was absolutely priceless. :)

As a kid, I had a friend whose mom had made some rum soaked fruit. We didn’t know and she just downed all the fruit. I didn’t know it was rum soaked but I still didn’t eat it because it wasn’t mine to eat. She was pretty funny after it was all said and done.

Absinthe is higher than most liquors, around 60%, but the way you drink it takes care of that. You’re supposed to mix it with cold water, about 50-50 if you’re not trying to get drunk or a little more absinthe otherwise. upon mixing, it turns a dull white color. you can drink it like that, or add a sugar cube if you prefer (Hemingway did, so I try to).

It doesn’t make you hallucinate, that somewhat of an urban legend. It does have a chemical in it that acts sort of like a stimulant I think, the result being that while you are clearly aware you’re drunk, you don’t really feel like it. From wikipedia:

The most commonly reported experience is a “clear-headed” feeling of inebriation—a form of “lucid drunkenness”.

The variety I had was fittingly called Lucid.

wikipedia

Interesting, this idea of lucid drunkenness is intriguing to me.

it also tastes pretty good. It tastes like anise, and even though I don’t really like the “black licorice” taste most of the time, I found it pretty agreeable. it also smells really good.

notthatnoise - October 1, 2010 reply

really? I didn’t realize it tasted like that. I do like black licorice. so it kinda tastes a bit like Jager?

except better, because unlike with Jager, you aren’t acutely aware that what you’re drinking is full of alcohol. It’s there, but it’s not punching you in the face.

notthatnoise - October 1, 2010 reply

nice.

I would like Jager if it was les syrupy. I like licorice but am not a huge jager fan. mostly its b/c most of the time I have had it is in Jagerbombs and I don’t like that combination (especially since I have never been a redbull fan)

Absinthe is strong too. It is anywhere between 90 proof and 150ish proof.

Thats just it, its rumors about Absinthe causing hallucinations. Thujone, the active ingredient in it besides alcohol, can cause a ‘clear headed inebriation’ but absinthe these days is weak to the point that you would die from it before feeling Thujone’s full effects.

Never tried everclear though.

It’s seems everybody here is picking a side, but I generally like both rum and whiskey. I feel I shouldn’t be talking too much about alcohol, though, so that’s enough out of me.

Some rum is awful. Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced Rum is absolutely delicious. It’s the only liquor I’ll drink strait. Bourbon, and every whiskey I’ve ever tried taste like… well I can’t legitimately compare it to anything, so I’ll just say I find it really freaking disgusting. Beer is bad too: 12 onces, only 4%, and is bitter as ****.

I’ll stick with Captain, get a great buzz, not at all filling, and taste awesome.

Beer is bad too: 12 onces, only 4%, and is bitter as ****.

you’re clearly not drinking the right kind of beer…

Dawg Nuts - September 29, 2010 reply

If it’s not at leat 70 proof and delicious, no thanks.

The acid in a lime slice will balance the ph of the beer and take away the bitter taste. Or, as DN suggests, just drink better beer.

My girlfriend’s parents always do the lime trick with their Corona’s and i just found it stupid.

I did not know it served an actual purpose.

works well with all kinds of beer actually

I like Corona with lime, but there aren’t many beers I’d put a lime in. Great beer needs nothing else added. I wouldn’t dare add lime to any GLBC beer or any of the great german and british beers I get here in Italy.

Has anyone ever had grappa? It’s italian moonshine that has a nice kick to it. Dorn probably has.

dawgtribe - September 30, 2010 reply

You’re in Italy? That means you’ve been exposed to one of the worst beers in the world – Peroni!

JustBob - September 30, 2010 reply

Yeah, Peroni makes Bud look like a gold medal winner. I took a sip at a friend’s house and turned to my wife and told her she could finish it.

You must not like your wife. ; )

JustBob - October 1, 2010 reply

lol. She’s just a less discriminating beer drinker than I am.

dawgtribe - October 2, 2010 reply

I figured it served the same purpose as the lime juice in Margharita’s or the ‘sour’ in whiskey/amaretto sours.

Amaretto Sours are awesome!

they are. I want to try to make a godfather sour. a godfather is amaretto/scotch. i figure they have whiskey sour and amaretto sour (and they are pretty much the same thing besides the liquor) so why not combine them?

I’d expect a whiskey sour to be terrible, but that’s only because I really don’t like whiskey. By the way, I had the glass version, not the shot. 1/2 Amaretto, 1/2 Sprite, a few splashes of sweet and sour, plenty of ice. Fantastic.

RelapsingDawgCatcher - September 29, 2010 reply

Or, as DN suggests, just drink better beer.

Universal wisdom for every occasion.

I don’t mind rum, I do like Bourbon much better.

I prefer sitting on my porch on a sunday night, having a godfather on the rocks, smoking a cigarette, and watching mad men.

You watch Mad Men from your porch?

yeah, there are a shitload of crazy people running around my neighborhood.

This made me laugh.

Holy s bross made a funny.

RelapsingDawgCatcher - September 29, 2010 reply

Ha! Clear as day in retrospect but I never saw it coming.

I tried to think of a way to basically make the same joke, but I couldn’t do it without it sounding dumb, so kudos to you.

Guys, I found an interesting article from a Baltimore writer. He made two interesting observations:

1. Talking about Hillis’ dominance:

The big back’s downhill running style gave the Ravens big problems in the first three quarters, and if Hillis hadn’t ran out of gas in the fourth, the outcome might have been different.

2. Talking about Wallace’s effectiveness:

Despite completing 16 of his first 18 passes, Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace was a liability and everybody in M&T Bank Stadium knew it. The Browns had success making short throws in the first three quarters, but they had no chance in the fourth quarter when they needed Wallace to throw the ball downfield. When the Ravens defense finally got Hillis under wraps, this game was over.

I didn’t see the game. I don’t doubt the quote about Wallace but what do you think about Hillis running out of gas?

Here’s the link: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/vensel/2010/09/seven_points_ravens_24_browns.html

James Walker also put much of the blame for Boldin’s 3 TDs on the coaching staff for not changing tactics and at least doubling up the coverage.

He also opens the article by calling the Browns

surprisingly formidable

.

Nice.

Ravens fan, ugh.

Well, weren’t we surprised too?

Chemo - September 28, 2010 reply

I just meant for the whole article in general.

James Walker is a Ravens fan? this is news to me.

It’s hard to say for certain but he grew up in Maryland. He spent 3 years covering the Browns for the Columbus newspaper, and also covered the Bengals for a period of time.

To me he comes across as a Ravens fanboy.

Even then, the Ravens fan line was for the article before he brought up walker.

This. Sorry about the confusion. The bit from James Walker was a side note.

dawgtribe - September 29, 2010 reply

I didn’t know he covered the ravens. I knew he covered the browns for the C-Bus Dispach.

He covers the AFC North for ESPN.

I know that. I didn’t know he spent time specifically covering the ravens.

I don’t think Hillis ran out of gas. However, I do agree somewhat with the analysis with Seneca. the only time I remember him trying it deep was on 4th and 2 when he threw a bad pass out of bounds intended for Cribbs along the sideline.

walker is right, though maybe he put more blame than I would on the coaching staff. Rob Ryan definitely should have made some adjustments. He did try and did try to move wright around, but they targeted him wherever he was on the field. when you only have 3 corners with experience (and mike adams, who you would also need at safety) it doesn’t give you a lot of flexibility in tactics.

And they did try to double cover boldin and it worked, you just can’t afford to double cover one guy consistently against the ravens because then mason or Housh will beat you.

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/statistics.html

From what I’ve read, the couple of times Ward was around Boldin he was able to disrupt the play.

Speaking of Ward, did you guys know that Ward is leading the team in tackles? He’s got 27 and 22 of them are solo. Eric Berry only has 17 tackles for the season.

Since I brought up stats, I was checking out how the Browns have stacked up against their opponents so far and it’s surprising to see that overall they’ve been virtually even with the teams they’ve played. The biggest difference has been field goals. The Browns have scored 6 TDs and their opponents also have 6 TDs. The Browns run defense has been stout. They’re allowing only 3.8 yds per carry and haven’t given up a rushing TD yet. They’re also averaging 4.5 yds per carry themselves.
Take away the pick6 and add Dawson’s two missed field goals and we might be looking at a 2-1 record.

dawgtribe - September 29, 2010 reply

It’s amazing how even those stats are from top to bottom.

Cribbs best return was a whopping 24 yards. We’re 3-0 if he produces like he has in years past. Also it seems like we get sacks and turnovers and penalties from the other teams when it matters the least, and give them up when it matters the most.

we are getting destroyed in the field position battle. our opponents start their drives 5 yards more downfield. thats bottom 10 in the league.

on Football Outsiders, we are ranked 16th in their efficiency rankings for total offense and 19th for total D. we would be ranked higher for D, but we plummeted last week in passing D (I wonder why). Our OL is top 15 in run blocking and 6th in pass blocking. This team is better than their record suggests.

Ok, so they’re 0-3 but are ranked middle of the pack both offensively and defensively. Considering that they’ve been ranked near the bottom in most major categories the last few years I think we can definitely say that this team is much better despite the record.

dawgtribe - September 30, 2010 reply

agreed. we lost 3 games by a total of 12 points. to put it in perspective, the cardinals are 2-1 but have a -21 point differential. they beat the Rams and the Rams and Raiders by a total of 5 points, then got killed by an actual competent team. This is why record this early does not mean much.

I dunno whether to be optimistic we are always in close games or pessimistic that we find a way to lose. I mean, the team isn’t playing terrible, I just fear we will end up 4-12 or 3-13 and have actually played well and had a chance at 8-8.

If they play well but still end up going 4-12, then we get higher picks in the draft and will be one of the surprise teams to make the playoffs next year. It’ll seem like a huge jump to everyone outside of Ohio. We see the improvement and that’s what matters. A competitive team that loses is just a couple of pieces away from being a respected team.

dawgtribe - September 30, 2010 reply

I definitely like this point of view. But, I’m worried that going 4-12 spells the end for the coaching staff.

I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think Holmgren will fire the coaching staff based on a losing record. I don’t think he’s that shallow. It’s obvious that this team has bought into Mangini’s system and they’re playing well enough despite the record. The team’s record will reflect the lack of talent and speed and the difficulty of the schedule. Dabol is probably the only one who is in serious danger of losing his job.

I agree. it would be nice to get a high pick. I guess I am thinking more short term and having a conflict of Pessimism/Optimism for this season.

This season, pessimism shouldn’t be fueled by the number of losses but by how the Browns perform in those losses. If they play 13 more games like they did against the Ravens with the same results, then we should be optimistic. Right now, the Browns are being called formidable based on their performance on Sunday. I love that.
This year, I want a competitive team. Next year, I want a winning team. Next year or more likely the year after, I want a champion. Dynasties are built in the long term. There are reasons for optimism right now in the short term.

It’s interesting the what Peter King said in his prediction for Sunday. Here’s the link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/peter_king/09/30/weekend.pickoff.week.4/index.html?eref=sihp
Once again, the word is formidable.

I agree. Its nice to see the team competative. Its just easy to fall into blind pessimism when your team keeps finding a way to lose.

oh

by the way, and center Alex Mack is one of the most underrated linemen in football.

You know, I almost think this team is one BIG WIN away from making a run for the playoffs. Yes, that is extremely optimistic, but bare with me for a moment. We have competed in every game. Including most recently against one of the better teams in the league, the Ravens. Had Ward got that pick 6, or if we would have converted 3rd & 2, or any number of things in any of these games we could have won.

I don’t see us going deep in the playoffs against some of the other teams, but I can see us fighting for a wildcard spot if we can get on a roll. IF we can get on a roll. Momentum is a major advantage. When a team feels good, they play good.

Very unlikely, but I’m a fan of optimism.

Thanks for not crushing my momentary lapse of good judgment.

Not at all. Realistically, they were one or two plays from a win in each of those games.

this happened to me earlier, and I don’t care how irrational it is, I want that kind of optimism back.

To make the playoffs we’d have to go 10-3 against a tough schedule the rest of the way. We have 6 hard games in a row right now.

I’d say we’re a big win away from 5-11 (which would be a respectable 5-8 the rest of the way).

Chemo - October 1, 2010 reply

You’re right, we’re not going to go 10-3 the rest of the way. The very most I can see us doing is 7-8 wins. That’s if we can handle the Bungles this week and winning a couple other tough games like Miami and Atlanta. We’ll also have to see how we can handle the Steelers and if we can put the Ravens away next time.

StuckInPa - October 1, 2010 reply

I think you could easily make a wildcard run with a record of 9-7, so I was thinking 9-4 over the remainder of the season. (Only one game difference I know) I think we can do this over the rest of the season. Again, only if we can get some momentum going though. As of yet, we have none.

Kimble_79 - October 1, 2010 reply

if we go 9-4 to finish and get a wildcard, I think we could easily make a deep run considering the teams we’d have to beat to get there in the first place.

Dawg Nuts - October 2, 2010 reply

Very true.

StuckInPa - October 2, 2010 reply

Who Likes the Browns Chances this Week?

I am thinking the Browns finally get their first win this week verse the Bengals. I am looking at 24-14. Thoughts?

champion64 - September 28, 2010 reply

Agreed. If we can handle the Bengals like we did the Ravens. I think the Ravens are really the better team between the two, regardless of the outcome of their game.

The Bengals are not good. Like at all.

They are just… different. Their defense might be able to play with the Browns, Ravens, and Steelers. But if Palmer stays this bad, I like our chances.

Ryan Kelsey - September 28, 2010 reply

Yea, their defense is pretty good. Not Raven good, but pretty good.

I fear the Bengals corners and I fear them attempting 40+ passes.

I think that’s a legitimate concern.

Nuclear Power - September 28, 2010 reply

Assuming Sheldon Brown covers the OrthoNovum, Owens will probably catch 4 TDs against Wright. Then we can have another 600 posts arguing whether TO is a top three WR. That thread will be inane (or insane) as the one on Boldin.

Feature back?! Are you kidding me, he´s a fullback. Get him a decent tailback and you can wreck havoc old style. He can block and carry the ball. That´s much more unsettling for a defense.

mooncamping - September 28, 2010 reply

-josh mcdaniels

davus - September 28, 2010 reply

Is he not wrecking havoc now? ~~220 yards on 39 rushes and 3 touchdowns.~~ Ha, why am I even trying?

Are those his actual yards?

Awesome.

Get him a decent tailback and you can wreck havoc old style. He can block and carry the ball. That´s much more unsettling for a defense.

He said you, I imagine he is saying that using Hillis as a blocker and a ballcarrier with a feature back would allow the team to wreak havoc. If you got a guy like Hillis in front of a premier tailback it would make it much more unsettling for a defense than just seeing Hillis behind the QB.

Oh ok, I guess someone should tell Heckert to go pick one of those up next time he’s out.

Yeah, they should.

mooncamping - September 29, 2010 reply

Hmmm…No need for sarcasm. No one said it was easy to just go out and get one, but since we’re talking football it makes perfect sense to speculate that it would be more intimidating to see Hillis in front of a decent tailback.

Just because you tried to be an asshole and failed at it because of your lack of reading comprehension doesn’t mean anyone has to be punished by your disgruntled sarcasm.

Haha, what? My point was their is no need to waste resources on trying to obtain a premier feature back, seeing as how it isn’t easy, when Hillis is already running extremely well.

The second half of your comment made this a lot more amusing however, so I’ll go along with it:

I apologize then, because I misinterpreted your second comment.

No harm done.

You have to give Simmsinns a break…he is aggrevated from being 1-2 in our fantasy league.

And what am I? Oh right, 3-0.

After losing in Week 2 and squeaking out a win in Week 1, I think I have finally “righted the ship” with my team. Stafford going down early really hurt me, but I picked up Vick who has more than picked up the slack.

Vick has paid off dividends and will continue to do so. Great call, pick up of the year for sure.

Problem is my backup QB is Jimmy Clausen. Not feeling very good with that at all, but as you said below the FA in QB’s really sucks.

I’m more aggravated about being 1-2 in my 8-man money league. I really don’t know what I was thinking drafting a WR first… it goes against everything I believe in for fantasy draft strategy. I just wasn’t prepared to be drafting 7th out of 8. But yeah, it’s really hurt me early on.

Luckily I’m working the hell out of the waiver wire and I did draft Foster. I still expect to make the playoffs.

About that other league I’m in, well I bounced back, but in a 14-man league, I just don’t think have enough talent to make a run for playoffs. Also the free agency is sucked up dry instantly, and Yahoo’s default waiver order is disappointing. Oh well, I won’t give up.

Bernie19Kosar - September 30, 2010 reply

If you need a sleeper for down the road, Ryan Torian looks like he may be the guy in the second half of the season.

I’ve done pretty well in the waiver wire as well. I’ve picked up Brandon Lloyd, Louis Murphy, and Hillis.

emily522 - September 30, 2010 reply

I got Brandon Lloyd, too. I just haven’t been sure if I should start him over Mark Clayton, Megatron, and Greg Jennings.

Bernie19Kosar - September 30, 2010 reply

I don’t know about you, but I can’t trust any of the Bronco’s WR.

Each week one seems to go for 120+, but it is a different one each week.

Yea this is the problem, but then I feel like an idiot when he gets 20+ points and he’s on my bench.

SpecialBrownie - September 30, 2010 reply

This.

I have to start Lloyd this week. Miles Austin is on a bye.

emily522 - October 1, 2010 reply

I picked up Kuhn (GB-RB) yesterday as Peterson and Harvin are on a bye this week. I’m guessing since he is playing the Lions that he’ll rack up some fantasy points this week.

Kimble_79 - October 1, 2010 reply

I never know what to do with Galloway.

Does it not amaze anyone else that Joey Galloway is 56 years old, yet is still able to start for a NFL team?

Bernie19Kosar - October 1, 2010 reply

He must use “Just for Men” coloring gel

Kimble_79 - October 1, 2010 reply

My bad, I meant Gaffney*.

Damnit.

SpecialBrownie - October 1, 2010 reply

it amazes me that he is 38 and can still function as a deep threat