DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2021 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 29 Chiefs 33 Injuries

j/c

We need to remember and consider that he tore his ACL less than a year ago. I'm a frequent OBJ critic, but even a super-human rehab usually takes a fair amount of time... a year is not all that unusual for a speed guy like him.

Not many thought we would play as well as we did against KC...and we should destroy the Texans with or without OBJ. I don't have a problem with holding him out a couple weeks early in the season.

It was considered superhuman a few months back to even consider him being ready for Week 1. All of the hype and Instabook posts conditioned everyone to expect that superhuman result, and now he's getting bashed because of people's disappointment that the crazily improbable didn't actually happen.

The life of being a fan, lol

j/c...

Stefanski's a bit to blame for that, though. His language has been vague enough to leave room for people to have week 1 expectations. Could've easily just said throughout preseason and into week 1 that he's working hard and progressing, but not ready yet.

OBJ didn't play yesterday and how many snaps was Higgins in the game for again? I don't know myself but I don't recall even seeing him on the field and I certainly don't recall him ever being targeted.

Schwartz was drafted to replace OBJ anyway... he may actually, eventually work out too.

This is what I was getting at when brought this up right before the game. KS always chose his words carefully and then shut down follow-up questions.

Yes, but he's not just talking to the media, and definitely isn't talking to us, when he says things. I guarantee that between Ski's pressers and OBJ's InstafaceTweets and videos, it caused them to prepare for him. If even a little bit, that's time spent not preparing for the other guys. Add in sneaking Schwartz under the radar and it's totally justified. What we fans think and hear is meaningless. If he got even 5% of an advantage from playing it close to the vest, he's right for doing it. No matter how small, you don't give up any sort of competitive advantage if you don't have to.

I have no idea why people don't understand this. I tried to explain almost the exact same thing you did just the other day. And we still get posts acting as though Stefanski owes us and the media some explanation and that somehow means more than keeping our opponents guessing.

Yeah I was shocked Higgins didnt get a ball thrown his way. Especially with the chemistry he has with Baker

I only recall Higgins once, and we had him near the box to help chip block...But beyond that, I really never saw him again.

j/c

Wasn't Higgins coming off a recent hammy injury? Maybe that's why he didn't play as much?

I think we are committed to using Schwartz and TE’s … which means HIggy will have less usage

To be clear, I don't think Stef owed us anything. If it was in large part to give Reid & Co. some more to think about, all good. I'm just saying that he was the main reason many dumb fans (myself included, who put him in some daily fantasy lineups) thought OBJ would get at least some proportion of snaps.

Which sort of presents a double edged sword. If he doesn't make us consider that, he won't be making the opposition think that either. I think the best way fans could look at it is while Stefnaski says a lot of words at his presser, he really doesn't say anything at his pressers.

I'm a person who like likes it that way.