DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2019 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 13 Titans 43 Who Else is Scared!

BBS

Scared is a bit drastic to describe my feelings heading into the season ... but I’m definitely on edge about it. I think it’s extremely important to WIN this week. Maybe not even play well, but to just WIN. That will quell a lot of concerns IMO.

If we lose .. then we are facing 3 must win games out of the next 5 IMO (at NYJ, LAR, at BAL, at SF, SEA) and that’s not a recipe for success

I'm very nervous.

Winning game 1 will calm my nerves a bit. Winning big would calm them even more.

It just really all depends on Baker. If he succeeds the team will feed off of that and the team will succeed. But teams have had a whole offseason to prepare for him. It's not going to be as easy as last year, and against the good teams it wasn't easy at all. Can he meet the challenge? Has he done enough this offseason to tip those odds in his favor?

Is the team calm or are they going to be pressing? I kind of like that they aren't shying away from the hype. But everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. How will the team respond? How will Baker respond?

You bring up a good point about adversity: let’s say we go 3 and out the first few possessions ... how do we respond? Or we LOSE two straight to open up the year? What do we do for game 3? Etc.

Having expectations is a double edge sword

Scared? Nah!

Petrified comes to mind.

Just worried that they're, as a team, caught up in the hype as much as we are.

Imo the coaching staff knows that as well. We'll be prepared.

I'm anxious and excited.

Scared? No.



Are they waiting to lambaste us? Absolutely.
With all of the hype and off-season laurels thrown upon us, there is a bevy of stories waiting with either outcome of this game. We either validate the hype and everyone starts to sit up and take notice, or we stumble and the narrative shifts to "same ol' Browns".

Not even a little bit bro ...

- we got through TC with no major injuries other than Hunt and that won’t hurt us at all ...

- Freddie has appeared MORE THAN READY since TC started ... he’s a LEADER in what seems to be every sense of the word ...

- our roster is LOADED WITH TALENT ...

Dang bro .. how times have changed ... i’m calming u down ... *L* ...

This is gonna be FUN BROTHER!!!!

LETS GOOOOOOOOooooooooo

If we find any way to win game #1 (and I mean any), then I'm fine. Going into it, I think I'm a bit numb. I don't like all the hype surrounding the team.

What is troubling to me is my 81 year old dad insisting on grilling brats outside to keep up the tradition even though he's fallen into the grill twice in the last two years.

Not scared.... But, like some part of me is waiting for the wheels to come flying off.

A win against Tennessee is something that they've never done before.

They're not the Browns of old... But you just sort of expect the worst with this team.

Baker has a giant chip on his shoulder. Either this whole thing implodes, or they blow up the divisi6

i cant even describe my emotions, TBH.

im so happy that the season is finally started, yet worried about the pressure and hype, yet excited about the potential of our team, yet ticked off that Calloway's dumb ass did something to get suspended, yet hopeful once kareem gets back.


and yet so damn thankful that mayfield is our QB!

I'm a little worried about Greedy and Denzel potentially having to tackle D. Henry to kick off the season, but other than that I'm just gonna take it as it comes.

I'm excited for the season to begin as I always am. But otherwise in no way am I scared or nervous about it.

I'm fully aware that things will go in one of two directions and I have zero control over that.

We have the talent to accomplish great things. But as always, as with every team, we have our weak spots.

We have a new DC, a new OC and a first time HC. A lot of new moving parts and systems. We could look great coming out of the gate or we could stumble early considering all of those factors.

Despite what seems to be many fans overlooking the Titans, they have a great D. I don't believe this will be a cake walk by any stretch of the imagination.

My expectations for this season are high, but at the same time I understand with such an influx of new players and new coaches, things may not take off at lightening speed. I believe my perspective is a realistic way of looking at things. As such it works to keep emotions somewhat in check.

So I'm certainly excited and am anticipating the beginning of the season. I'm certainly expecting a positive season with a lot of growth and production. But to call any of that scared or nervous, no.

Scared and nervous aren't words that describe my feelings about the Browns.

Pumped up or bummed out would.

With my heightened anticipation, those feelings will also be heightened.

I am excited! I feel happy and confident!

I {{{know}}} our team is good.

I feel like the only thing that would make me nervous is injuries.

I still flinch about getting optimistic .. Battered Browns Fan Syndrome

Colin Cowherd was talking about our Browns today and he made some good points. He said we have a lot of new players, a first time HC and OBJ that is hurt a lot. He said 9 wins is about right but if we stay healthy we have a chance at more. We can be special on O with the talent we have. I know some of our posters don't like him but I felt his points were valid and I like to hear his opinions.

A home opening win hasn't happened since 2004. I'm one of those that believe that there is something in the universe that hates us. I'm afraid of that damn thing.

The D will be better than our O ... and thats saying something ...

I LOVE COLIN ... 1/2 that bag of chips on Bakes shoulder were provided by him ... sometimes i wonder if he’s on our payroll ... *LOL* ....

The sun shines on every dogs a$$ once in a while...

I'm thinking the one who should be scared is Marcus Mariota, because it could be a very long afternoon for him, courtesy of Myles Garrett & friends.

Yeah I'm a little nervous, but I always am unless we're out of the playoff chase.

Which is.... you know... most of the time.

But yeah, the expectations have me more uptight than usual in Week 1.

Forget scared.

This is our time, just like the Bernie years, like Brian Sipe and the Cardiac Kids!

Sit back and enjoy as we Git er Done.

But we didn’t git er done in the Bernie, Brian and cardiac kids years.

Just wanted to quote it.

So we came up a bit short but it sure was grand watching those seasons play out!

Some great movies have had sad endings but they were still great.

Scared?!?

I jumped on the Browns at -5.5!

Going to be a great season....finally.

You mean like the Titanic, that almost made it across the Atlantic.

It was a fabulous cruise, until they sank.

No, I mean like the Browns, kicking butt around the league, week after week, until we didn't.

Ehh Sure, What's gonna happen, the Browns are gonna lose? big deal, been through this before.

Wha, what do I think? Is Beckham still motivated?

Did he peak a few years ago, never really saw him play much, I'm not a Giants fan.

No more Zeitler, Now Coley is gone,

Perriman, Duke, Hyde, Jabril Peppers, a bunch of guys who I don't remember in the moment,
Aren't going to score a single TD for the Browns this year now that they are off the team,

So the 5-3 finish, I don't know if it is equal to equal until some of the bugs get worked out.

On paper, last year, they had a 3rd year HC, sure 1-31, but not a rookie HC,
I don't have to keep down that path,
Everybody already knows it's not Haley, or Gregg Williams, This is Freddie Kitchens' debut.

What I'm trying to say is,

First year Head coach, (weve SEEN THAT) Seen that about a dozen times since 99, with mixed results, HA!

Hey, the seasons here, no sense to worry, just try for the best, see what happens.

Hows' Chubb going to respond being the big man on campus in the RB room with little experience behind.

Who knows if, Hunt is motivated, and week 10 seems wayy long into the season.

Who knows if Beckham Jr is, well what could he be?

Callaway, I think was lights out last year, hard to imagine, Beckhams' production is going to equal the threat Callaway had last year,

And Callaways out 4 games, so the """""increase""""" I don't know how it could be all that.

But, first rd pick, and all the ripples of players not here, because of the Beckham Trade.

The uhh, The D-line, Who knows?

Sure they're built to rush the QB, but every minute of every play doesn't always call for that!

Just remembered. . Didn't Jax, among others, prove 2 years ago in the playoffs that the way to beat Pittsburgh is "Not to rush the Qb" but layoff and hold back the DLine to knock passes down, and get interceptions off of those.

I could see something like this playing out,

Browns have 2 or 3 bad losses, in tough games, maybe 3 pt losses,

Then beat somebody 40-nothing,

But the net is more L's than W's


Scared Sure, but hope I'm Wrong.

That young quarterback is pretty awesome, at times.

Not scared, but anxious, like so many of you. I've been beaten down by this team before and it's hard to just shake that off. My Dad is even worse. I can't watch games with him because he's so pessimistic. But tough to blame a guy who's been following the team since the Jim Brown days.

But just like the media has been hyping us and there are a lot of people who want us to lose, I truly believe our guys want to show the world we're for real.

I'll feel a lot better after the game, that's for sure.

Dawgs4Life is your dad?

I can't stand apathetic people.

Apathetic?

Who's your daddy?

I'm hoping Mayfield can stay healthy for the season, scared that he might not and we'll have to wait until next year, once again.

We've waited long enough. We want our fun NOW. It's our time.

Can't wait! LET'S GOOOOOO!

I wonder what the defensive line is going to look like.

I'd like to see a rotation and am curious how many snaps Lawrence would get.

Hard to complete passes when you are looking up at the sky.

I'm nervous too. We haven't tasted opening weekend victory since 2004 (?). Last year we were hyped and we finished with a tie. This year there is even more hype and expectations. My worry is if we lose people will be immediately despondant. The Bears were expected to win vs a questionable GB team and they laid a huge egg. Could we do that? I don't think so, but yeah, the worry is always there because, well, we're Browns fans and we have seen it all and felt every emotion in one game...hell, in one quarter (usually the 4th!).

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....More like...

jc

Stop with the skeered ish.

Expect to win!!

I hear what you are saying. Personally, I get all the love, I get all the talent, I get all the media. I get the fans expectations. But I still think a lot goes into a team trusting and playing together. I think we are a better team, I think we are a talented team. I just don't know if we have the chemistry yet to win like some think we are going too. Every team has trials and tribulations during a season. Can this team curb them and move forward? We shall see.

I think we have the QB to do that. I think we have the HC to do that.

But we still have to see it. And no matter what the paper or roster looks like before we play on sunday - we are still a below .500 football team.

Prove me wrong Browns.

We are favored which is rare. I like our chances. We can screw up quite easily if some playmakers loaf or BM isn't ready. Not scared, but I am cautious until I see it myself.

Sunday will tell us a bunch. Our defense will dictate the outcome IMO. And we do have multiple game changers.

Unleash The Elf!

Oh hell, a season ago we were 0-16.. I'm way more excited than scared..

Said it after the Bucs preseason game.... I'm pretty sure that Myles Garrett is going to get his first confirmed kill against the Titans.

j/c...

Just flew back home and my flight out of ATL had quite a few people coming up to the game this Sunday. There were several Baker jerseys.

Spirits were high! Nobody was scared.

They had all just got off a conference call with me ....

Tough crowd.

I ain't Scared. I'M STOKED!

I'm not scared of losing because we've done that forever. I'm too excited for this year though because high expectations can lead to let downs and I've conditioned myself to expect losing for so long now. But one thing I know I can count on this year is the game will be fun to watch no matter the outcome.

I waited for this moment when the whistle blew to end our last game.

I always have jitters waiting for the game to start but this year, this year I have a more quite resolve I KNOW we are going to get this done, I KNOW there will be some ruff spots so what I have seen plenty of ruffs spots.

Will win number one in the most convincing way anyone could imagine, so do what I do relax chew your nails if you must and mostly just enjoy; the Browns are truly back.

About damned time too

I only worry about the things I can control, and this isn't one of them.

If they lose big deal we've all been there done that before, just kick back relax and enjoy the ride. We should all be confident that we have a young and talented team to watch. Don't expect too much and just enjoy the talent that we have.

It's not the end of the world if we lose a game, we have to go back into work on Monday regardless of the outcome. It's just another day, just another game, have fun and have a beer. :-)

I just need to take my high blood pressure med tomorrow, and I'm good. I want to be able to use the "Un" word at work tomorrow.

I need this on a t-shirt.

Sacred? No.

I'm... intrigued.

This team is a complete unknown in its present incarnation, and that's worthy of keen interest. There is such an enticing array of players on both sides of the ball, I could be licking my chops. I also know that this game is st00pid quirky and unpredictable- which is why the games are played.

I'm antsy with anticipation but I have absolutely no expectations.... and that's kind of a good place for me to be, after 19 years of "Battered Dawg Syndrome."

It's an opening chapter of a brand-new story.
I can't wait to see where it takes me.

Yep- intrigued is the right word for now.

Antsy is a good word to describe how i’ve Felt most of the offseason ... the anticipation has been palpable

Well this is DIFFERENT ...

For the last decade or so I couldn’t wait til the game was over .... today, i can’t wait for the game to start ...

Here’s to hoping its a great day here on fantasy island .... ...

‘1-goal. Trust. 6:15 AM. Don’t be scared.’ And more words John Dorsey lives by as he rebuilds the Browns — Terry Pluto

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/09...erry-pluto.html

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio — It didn’t take long for John Dorsey to figure out what the Browns needed — beyond a major talent infusion.

As we talked in his office four days before the season opened, the Browns general manager stood up and wrote one word on the big white board:

TRUST.

“That’s what has to permeate through the building,” he said. “It’s incredibly important.”

Dorsey doesn’t want to discuss the situation he inherited when he took over for Sashi Brown as head of the team’s football operations in December of 2017. But he did explain:

“My first four weeks, I was able to study everything from the people in the building – the support staff, the coaches, players and to some degree, ownership. You do mental gymnastics about what needs to be fixed. Then you go about it in a non-threatening way.”

It’s more than replacing people and players.

“You need to make moves where you can can create the harmony you want,” he said.

Coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were fired in the middle of the 2018 season. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam mentioned “internal discord.” That has been the Browns’ problem for decades.

Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam seem to have found a GM they can trust in John Dorsey. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)
Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam seem to have found a GM they can trust in John Dorsey. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

A REASON TO TRUST

When Dee and Jimmy Haslam hired Dorsey, they brought in a man who played in the NFL with the Packers. He worked his way up from a lowly scout in Green Bay to being general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs. In Kansas City, he combined with coach Andy Reid to take a 2-14 team to the playoffs in their first season together (2013). They made the playoffs all four years.

Some say he lost a power struggle to Reid. Others say Dorsey was fired because of problems handling the salary cap. Regardless of the reason, he was dumped following the 2017 draft. His final big decision for that organization was to trade up and draft a quarterback named Patrick Mahomes.

So, Dorsey arrived in town with more credentials than many men who have sat in the general manager’s office.

The Haslams also were mentally exhausted by all the losing and turmoil within the organization. They were ready for a strong leader. So were most fans, who soon embraced Dorsey as they watched his front office work when it came time to draft and trade for players.

FINDING THE RIGHT COACH

Heading into the 2018 training camp, Freddie Kitchens was the new backfield coach. He was hired by then-offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Dorsey did not know Kitchens well. Who would’ve guessed a year later Kitchens would be the head coach of the team?

“Football is a very interesting game,” said Dorsey.

Kitchens never has been a head coach at any level of football.

“He is a leader of men,” Dorsey now says. How does he know?

He said it began in the final preseason game of 2018. That was when Kitchens was given permission to call the plays for Baker Mayfield.

“I walked away from that game and thought, ‘He’s got IT,’ ” said Dorsey.

He has what?

“IT,” repeated Dorsey. “IT is part of play calling. Everyone thinks play calling is a science. I see it more as an art. Preparation is a big part, but it’s still a feel of the game … an art.”

ONE DECISION AT A TIME

Other than drafting Mayfield, Dorsey’s most important decision since taking over the Browns has been the hiring of Kitchens.

It goes back to building trust. Dorsey wanted to move away from all the factions, second-guessing and finger-pointing that have torpedoed the team for years. That begins when owners trust the general manager. The Haslams have expressed strong faith in Dorsey and his front office people.

Then the front office and coach have to be together. Dorsey fixed the front office by hiring Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith as his assistant general managers. The three worked together for years in Green Bay. They shared a common team-building vision, as was expressed on his white board written in red:

1-PURPOSE

1-MIND

1-GAME

1-0.

For that to happen, there has to be one more thing…

Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey took a gamble making Freddie Kitchens the head coach. Kitchens has never been a head coach before. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)
cleveland.com

Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey took a gamble making Freddie Kitchens the head coach. Kitchens has never been a head coach before. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

FINDING THE RIGHT COACH

When it came to hiring Kitchens, Dorsey looked beyond the play calling with these questions:

1. “Does he fit the cultural values you are trying to build?”

2. “Can the job be too big for him?”

3. “Can he establish the trust of the players by being the same guy, day in and day out?”

Dorsey saw how Kitchens brought the offense together in the final eight games of 2018. On the field, the Browns went from a bottom-10 offense in the first eight games to a top-10 offense in most categories in the final eight.

“He coaches the way a team should be coached,” said Dorsey. “You could see the offense come together, beyond the play calling. He established a trust factor with players by being the same guy every day ... Consistency.”

The John Dorsey front office got it right by making Baker Mayfield the top pick in the 2018 NFL draft. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)
cleveland.com

The John Dorsey front office got it right by making Baker Mayfield the top pick in the 2018 NFL draft. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

PULLING TOGETHER

Also written on white board is this quote from former Green Bay Packers GM Ron Wolf:

“ALL OF US ARE VICTIMS OF OUR OWN SELF IMPORTANCE.”

As I started to mention how Dorsey now has “his guys” running things, he stopped me and said “It’s our guys.” That led to something else on his white board:

“MOST INFORMED DECISIONS ARE ABOUT WE, NOT I”

About four months before the 2018 draft, Dorsey had his main advisors rate the quarterbacks: Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Sam Darnold and Mayfield. They were told not to talk to each other. Doing this exercise were Wolf, Highsmith and advisor Scot McCloughan. They also used the old Green Bay Packers rating system … a system they learned from Ron Wolf, Eliot’s father.

All three came back with Mayfield ranked as the No. 1 quarterback. They sought other areas of information. The analytics people loved Mayfield, based on the stats from his college career at Oklahoma. Then the meetings began.

“You get every piece of information you can so you can make a factual decision, not an emotional decision,” Dorsey said.

The general manager said if someone has an extremely strong voice, don’t let that person speak first. Open with the people whose personalities are more quiet. Let their opinions come out first so they aren’t intimidated by louder voices.

“God created us with two ears and one mouth for a reason,” said Dorsey. “Listen more than you talk. I don’t reveal my opinion until the end.”

Then they go over all the information again. It was the same process he used in Kansas City. The result? In back-to-back years, Dorsey’s front office drafted Mahomes and Mayfield … two of the best young QBs in the NFL. Neither were rated by most “experts” as the top QBs in their respective drafts.

TRUSTING BAKER MAYFIELD

I asked Dorsey if he was concerned about Mayfield having a fall off in his second pro season. It’s called the “sophomore jinx,” the result of a successful rookie not being as dedicated as in his first season.

“You always worry, that’s human nature,” said Dorsey. "But from what I’ve seen in camp on a daily basis, I’m ecstatic.”

Then Dorsey wrote this on the whiteboard:

6:15 AM

“Every morning, I drop into the quarterback room at 6:15 in the morning,” said Dorsey. “I see Baker there with Drew Stanton and Garrett Gilbert. All three quarterbacks. Baker isn’t a worker. He LOVES football. He has that football mindset.”

It’s more than work, it’s a passion … even an obsession … in the mind of Dorsey. It’s why he brought in veteran QBs Tyrod Taylor and Stanton a year ago to set the standard for Mayfield.

“He saw them and knew, ‘This is what a real quarterback room looks like,’” said Dorsey.

BIG EXPECTATIONS

The Browns finished 7-8-1 last season. That was a huge jump from 1-31 in the previous two years. But this is a franchise that has not had a winning record since 10-6 in 2007. Now, the Browns are being picked by many experts to make the playoffs. Some fans are starting to have dreams of a Super Bowl.

“We always start with being competitive in the AFC North.’” said Dorsey. “The expectations are set and they are challenging goals. There is a lot of hype out there, but the only thing that matters is expectations in the locker room — the players and coaching staff.”

The 59-year-old Dorsey has been around far too long to play the prediction game. Ask him about a record, and points to the “1-0 … 1-GAME … 1 … 1-PURPOSE” mantra on the whiteboard.

But Dorsey made big trades to win now, adding Pro Bowlers Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon from the New York Giants. Only nine players are left from when he took over. His goal is to win soon, but not give away the future in the process.

A 2019 first-round pick was part of the Beckham deal with New York. Beckham is only 26 and under contract for five more seasons.

“Odell is one of the most prolific receivers in the NFL at a very young age,” he said. “When you have a young quarterback like Baker, why not surround him with enough playmakers to accelerate his progress?”

DON’T BE SCARED

That’s something else written on the whiteboard. It’s part of what Dorsey learned from watching Ron Wolf rebuild the Packers in the 1990s.

“If you really want to rebuild this thing and get it to the level it should be, you have to stay true to core beliefs,” he said.

That includes taking some chances. It could be with Mayfield, considered by some too short at 6-foot to be a big-time NFL QB. It could be drafting or signing some players with trouble in their past. It could be hiring a rookie head coach in Kitchens.

“I mention Ron Wolf a lot,” said Dorsey. “You go back on his moves, he wasn’t scared. He was aggressive.”

Sometimes, when an executive such as Dorsey is fired and lands another job, he could be more cautious. Not Dorsey.

“What, I’m going to get fired again?” he said, laughing. “When I did self-assessments after I was fired, I thought the way we built that model in KC was pretty good. There are some things to tweak. But for the most part, that’s the proper strategy in the rebuild.”

Then Dorsey sincerely thanked the Haslams for supporting him in some of the decisions he made.

THE BIG DREAM

Dorsey loves football history. He is in the process of collecting films and video of every Browns game back to the 1940s. For the interview, he was in his usual unofficial “uniform,” a gray Cleveland Browns sweatshirt and a “Brownie" baseball cap. It fits in perfect with the gritty fans of this city.

“This is a great football city, an iconic franchise,” said Dorsey. “I want the 2019 Browns to make you proud to be a Browns fan.”

Dorsey knows the schedule is demanding, especially the first eight games. He also knows he’s added a lot of new players and coaches. It takes some time for it to blend together.

“I ask the fans to exercise a degree of patience,” he said. “We are building this thing to last 10 years, not just have one good year.”

Then he paused, leaned back in his chair. He desperately wants the Browns and their fans to have something to cheer about … something good … something big.

“Why not us?” asked Dorsey. “Why can’t we have a franchise to make us proud? That’s what we’re all working towards.”

I don't know about me, but there are 31 other teams who should be scared.

I'll admit im a bit nervous.

Part of my barking this off season and being hard on Baker is part of my anxiety of all this anticipation and not wanting to be let down.

the season is here, I'll support this team every Sunday and that includes Baker. I just hope for some wins. We deserve a winner after all we been through!

Scared? Not at all. Mostly because I don't expect a playoff run this year. Way too many new faces and new schemes. I expect the playoffs to come next season. All I want this year is to play good football and by the end of the year be a very dangerous team. I suspect we will start off slowly and as the year progresses get better and better. But I could be wrong. Every year a team surprises so who knows? I'm just happy we are finally on the right track. If that means we have to wait a year for a playoff run I am cool with that. In Dorsey I trust.

Well I guess Titans changed the tone of this thread.
Nobody saw a 30 pt blowout

I know it man, the worst I expected was for us to lose a heartbreaker on a FG at the end. I respect the Titans and they have a good team, but I really can't wrap my head around how this happened.

This is probably the most disappointing game I've ever attended, especially after the way it started. I'm just not going to sleep well tonight, I was afraid to start caring again and this is why.

Oh well, we'll get 'em next week.

Ironically that 1st drive looked that preseason drive
But that just proves preseason matters zero.
The Titans adjusted to the Browns adjustments
That's where coaches you find out are made for the job or not

J/c

I’m scared about next week’s game ... but now it’s for a different reason. This could be a big turning point for our franchise honestly.

If we right the ship we’ll feel good (obviously) ... if we don’t? Watch out. There’s a very tough stretch of games ahead and a lot of personalities and a porous OL

j/c

when I first saw the schedule, I saw 5 - 6 wins. I did not buy into the hype, but the hype was contagious. I had hoped that the 3rd preseason game was a much needed wake-up call and not a sign of things to come. Now .. It is beginning to look more and more like that game is who we are. Improvement is needed, or my 5 - 6 win supposition will come true.

Looking at the next chunk of games before the bye:

1. Tennessee - LOSS
2. at NY Jets
3. LA Rams
4. at Baltimore
5. at San Francisco
6. Seattle


It appears like 3-3 is what we have to hope for at this point. Lose to the Jets and 2-4 or 1-5 is in play

Titans played hard nosed disciplined football. We were pass happy and lacked gave them about 30 penalties to choose from. 18 penalties accepted but another dozen were declined or they had their choice.

It's a great game to learn from. You can't beat anyone when you are beating yourselves.

The jets are a much better team than last year. I am very concerned about W2 right now. 0-4 is a real possibility with 1-5 realistic as well.

I disagree. The Jets are not very good. Unless Baker's hand is injured, this should be a statement game for the Browns.

This game will tell if the Browns are contenders or pretenders.

A bunch of players on this team (the oline, Baker, Landry, the D) showed the league that they're for real at NY Jets last year. I'm hoping that the return will help them get focused in a positive way.

If Robinson is suspended by the NFL and the the offensive line is a hodge-podge of players again, it doesn't bode well for us no matter how good or bad the Jets are.

Is a Robinson suspension really a worry? I thought the ejection was pretty much the end of it.

It would be if we were the Patriots.

But since we're the Browns.

LOL

I'm not so sure about that. I'd be willing to bet a large league fine will be the minimum. But with all the PR from the league about player safety, it could be worse.

After seeing it live and when he got tossed, I thought to myself it could lead to something more than just a fine. We'll see but it felt like enough people were discussing last night and this morning that it could be something that happens.

I'd only expect a hefty fine, but I wouldn't put anything past the league.

Suh does this sort of thing - or worse - and gets a slap on the wrist and a small fine. So, of course, to maintain balance, Robinson will probably get a four game suspension.

I think it’ll be close to warranting a suspension ... or a game check

Well, there you have it.

Actually in prior seasons I wouldn't even suggest it as a possibility. Much like yourself, I've seen things just as bad and even worse go by with a small fine. But one thing I try to always keep in mind is that the NFL has an ever changing dynamic.

Kids playing football is down. The league keeps putting more and more focus on safety. So I certainly see an evolution with how they handle these situations is coming. I don't know if that will happen this season. They just finished week one and we have no idea at this point.

But believe me, it's coming. The league wants a new cleaner image when it comes to game play. Obviously with the AB situation they don't care as much about other things.

I felt a sense of panic in our players ... almost like a suffocating feel you get in your chest when your worst nightmare unfolds, and it snowballs out of control.

The worst part? Then we quit playing hard and started reeling more.

Just a horrendous way to start this year ... the year that’s supposed to finally be GOOD

It's like we got smacked in the mouth and didn't expect it. We were so shocked about it we couldn't get back on track. It's the NFL and you have to expect things like that. Maybe we believed too much in the hype and not what the reality could be. Growing pains for a young team and coaching staff?

Yeah, I mean we’ll find out soon if it was just a wake up call or what we really are.

I just hate knowing that we weren’t ready, didn’t compete, and got embarrassed. Heck, we’ve all lost for 20 years w/this franchise ... but this was a different type of embarrrassment given the circumstances