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Again.. he's not here anymore. I try to continue his "Come one, Come all" post. The premise is simple, post your predictions for the team and the season, flesh it out.. give us your reasons. Tell us what you're thinking. Give us the won - lost and tell us why. Delve into the O and the D, talk about the leadership, the coaching or the lack of thereoff.

This is NOT a thread to challenge other posters, it ain't here for anyone to be called out. Asking someone to clarify something is cool tho. Be respectful and tell us what YOU think.

Personally, I think the season will be a failure. I'm at a loss to see how we can possibly do a whole lot better than last year. IMO, in an organization success or failure premeates an organization from the top down. The entire Lerner family has been a failure for the Browns. They have consistently backed the wrong horse. Holmgren has showed me not a whole heck of a lot and I've lost confidence in Heckert.

The Oline is not very good, and defenses are going to stack the line because they know we can't stop them. TRich should get some yards, but not near what people think. D Coordinators know that our WR corps is not very good. I think the D game plan to play the Browns is simple.. come after the QB hard and often. The right side is a rook, the two guards aren't very good. Overwhelm the middle and put an edge rusher against Schwartz, double up the WR on Joe's side. Thats all it will take.

IMO. Shurmur is out of his league. I have next to no confidence in him. Dawson is the MVP this year. And the FO is swept out, we'll have a new coach next year.

Defense will get tired, on the field all day. There's only so much they can do. DLine could have been upgraded so much more. Hmmph.

15 rookies? OUCHIE ~~> Lots of Losses

BeeWee was a reach. I'd have been happier with taking him in the appropriate round.. like the 2nd.

2 wins worst case, 4 wins reasonable and 6 wins optimistic.

Your thoughts Dawgs?


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Hmmmmm....a lot of thought required...

Ill split this post into a bunch of parts:

Offensively:

I think we will see a team that spends much of its time feeling its way through games. With a rookie QB, a rookie RB, and 2 rookie WRs paired up with a 2nd year WR and a 2nd year TE and whatever youd call Jordan Norwood we have a lot of unknown...and that could be good. It could also be horrible. In addition we have a rookie RT and 2 2nd year starters at guards (one in his 3rd year)...We'll spend a lot of time feeling our way through games. As for what we'll see.

I have high hopes for Weeden and they come through what we saw in the preseason. Albeit in limited time lets look at the backups. Give them the eye test and what did we see. I saw...this is me, I saw, but i think we saw, 3 QBs (mccoy, wallace, and lewis) drop back look, look, run...improvise and either Colt like throw to whoever found space or run, or just plain run to open space, and we saw 1 QB drop back, look and fire, or look look and fire. For better for worse, Weeden fires. This is something we havent seen, and no opposing teams have seen since DA was here, and luckily Weeden can place the ball where it needs to go.

We have a QB that will gladly sling that ball wherever it needs to go...which says to me when teams stack the box...our QB is gonna fire one and that is going to free up space if he can connect on some of them (which we've seen courtesy of Travis Benjamin and Josh Gordon) it will open up the short game for guys like Cameron, Richardson, Little, Watson, and Norwood.

I think early in the season we will see stacked boxes and our offense will do a few different things: a. go 3 and out a bunch b. throw an int and give up a short field c. get quick strike scores, or quick strike big plays putting us in scoring position read field goal range. If C can happen more than A and B we'll see more honest defenses, and we'll also see a lot of teams flooding short zones which guys like Gordon and Benjamin will run by...We'll test teams deep alot I think because Weeden slings. He throws that ball and I think when hes made the right decision hes put it where the defense cant get it. Maybe the O doesnt...but the D cant. When hes made bad decision, we have had almost INTs and I expect those to happen alot too.

Thats our QBs...I think we'll also see our best running since Jamal Lewis ran for 200 against Cincy, and before that Willie Green run us into the playoffs (even though he didnt even have 100 in that game...96 if i remember correctly). Trent is a man, and I feel as though if the regular season had been happening we'd seen him on the field sooner. He runs with patience and he runs with determination. We're going to see some fantastic running and none of that Hardesty BS (save for 5 ish times a game (i hope no more than that)).

I see our OL improving and still struggling v. the wide nine, but TRich will help us there because Trent Knows (I have the shirt, idk what he knows, but he knows). We will get good push and as long as we communicate better on the line we'll improve. Weeden too will learn how his guys block and react accordingly.

thats a big bunch of what I think will happen...I think that it will manifest itself in us scoring a bunch more points. being much more dangerous, but inconsistent early because our pass game will be inconsistent. That being said...if we get down, I think we'll have an offense that has the ability to get us back into the game because Weeden will throw the ball everywhere...also he could throw us out of a game or two here and there.

I have higher hopes for the offense than most, because I think the presence of Childress will improve us greatly, the presence of an OC will help Shurmur, and a QB that chucks can do great things.


on defense:

I see us still struggling to stop the run. We havent been good in the past and Dick Jauron defenses dont do that unless they have big fat fatties in the middle and a stout MLB...see Jax and Chicago...also Buffalo.

HOWEVER...one thing Dick Jauron Defenses do...is shut down the pass, and force turnovers...in a passing league, that could be great for us. Jauron played DB and has been a DB coach any time he hasnt been DC or HC...his teams always force turnovers. I see Ward and Haden rebounding, Skrine/Patterson/Wade replacing Brown by midseason (maybe moving to some S) and I see Hagg being disruptive...also our corners will be tough. We'll get short fields, but we may give up long drives.

Basically I see last year's D, but with much more forced turnovers and an improved ability to get off the field on 3rd down. JMJ, Maiava, Fort, Robertson, Carder...theyre all better in coverage than Gocong and Fujita...even if they arent...they cant be worse, and theyre faster.

I expect improvement on what was already a pretty decent unit that made a quick transition to the 4-3.


Therefore...

Overall I see improvement. A more dangerous offense with a more disruptive defense.

7-9 i what I think...I think that we will get down in many games...but unlike previous years, I think we have the ability to score quickly and opposing defenses at least early will be victim to that because they dont think we can. This will get us back into games easier...OR we can use some quick strikes to build a lead that Richardson can hammer away at.

I think our improved talent (which everyone seems to think wont be there) will keep us in games, TRich will make us better...

7-9 is the prediction
4-12 is the basement
10-6 is the ceiling.


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power rankings- food for thought

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/powerRankings

#32 And Cleveland . . . well, Cleveland is just Cleveland. At least the Browns will get the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft!

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings
#31
Carrying 15 rookies on the roster will lead to lots of growing pains. (Hensley)

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15649376/power-rankings-elites-exposed-lions-bills-at-door
#32 I just think it's going to be an offensive struggle in Cleveland. Be patient, Browns fans. I know you hate hearing that.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000...gles-cards-down
#29
Brandon Weeden makes some nice throws. Then he looks overwhelmed. Then he's underwhelming. Then he drops the football on the carpet. Then you realize he's a rookie. Then you realize he's been playing with Montario Hardesty and Brandon Jackson in the backfield. Then you think he might be a really good rookie. Trent Richardson, be special. Please.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/20...s-patriots-jets
#31
Who's their MVP? T Joe Thomas

Thomas has been a rock ever since he entered the league in 2007, and he'll be needed more than ever as the team breaks in Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson at the same time.


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Watching the Browns will be like watching a train wreck, you have to watch because you can't look away. After which, there will be an intensive search for survivors, exhaustive press coverage bemoaning the tragedy, then perpetual and vehement finger pointing and scapegoating. In other words, just another year as a Browns fan. Go Browns!



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I LOVE it !

Why?

Well, when was the last time the media idiots have been right with preseason power rankings?

You know who ESPN had as 32nd and 31st exactly 1 year ago? Bengals and Panthers...4 of their last 8 placed teams made the POs

Look and laugh

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings/_/year/2011/week/1


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Ok guys.. I know you have opinions. Lets not be shy here. I know some of you can write novels..


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Quote:

Ok guys.. I know you have opinions. Lets not be shy here. I know some of you can write novels..




I think people finally just don't care anymore, honestly...



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Quote:

Quote:

Ok guys.. I know you have opinions. Lets not be shy here. I know some of you can write novels..




I think people finally just don't care anymore, honestly...




Hmmph. Maybe you're right. I just didn't think this group would ever give up.


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Maybe it's not that people don't care, it's just that people don't want to type out the same things they've probably typed out for the past 5 or 6 seasons.


I am unfamiliar with this feeling of optimism
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It's called apathy.

My main concern is that people aren't going to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel that is going to be there and we'll blow it all up again.

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There's a new owner. He's going to want to have his own guy in there, and his own guy is NOT going to want the guys that put the team in this position.

They will blow it up make no mistake about it. The current FO will be gone.


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I'm not going to be long-winded with this post, but I will make an ultimate prediction.

Offense

I'm really hoping to see an improved OLine, but things are definitely shaky. Our guards are putrid IMO and Schwartz hasn't shown anything close to being "plug and play" material. If the line stinks, our offense will be worse than last season. In terms of our WRs, I'm wary of Little's ability to improve as a weapon. Also, Gordon is going to take A LOT of time to develop ... I mean like three years. He'll have some production, but it's a long process and he's light years away. TRich's value is being overrated simply because he has nothing else around him. I don't see him making it through the year healthy. Weeden has been my biggest concern since April. I watched him over the past few years, and I was so angry when we drafted him. IMO he's not a franchise QB ... he's DA reincarnated, including his athleticism. Weeden will never lead us to more than 8 wins, book it.


Defense

The injuries hurt. Taylor and Gocong at least made us competitive, not to mention the suspensions that are pending. I'm high on our young defenders (especially the DTs) but they can't possibly be ready to play effectively yet. I'm also very down on Ward .. IMO he's putrid as well. Not to mention Sheldon Brown.

All in all ... it's a very long year ahead. People will say they will be patient ... until they aren't. Plus, the schedule is brutal (the worst teams you could play for the most part).

Ugh, that's enough, I shouldn't have even started this. My final prediction:

3-13 with wins over Indy, Cincy, and Washington.

It's about to get ugly guys. But, there's always next year!


"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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Quote:

Maybe it's not that people don't care, it's just that people don't want to type out the same things they've probably typed out for the past 5 or 6 seasons.




This is the reason I usually only post in Tailgate.

You can only type "This team sucks" in so many ways



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Quote:

It's called apathy.

My main concern is that people aren't going to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel that is going to be there and we'll blow it all up again.




Yep. People see that this team has been around since '99, so we treat the team as if we've had the same coaches and proper personnel in place in '99.

Let's face it. This is year 2 of an expansion team. It sucks to high heaven, no doubt, but just because we've been around a while doesn't matter, IMO.

My outlook and hope for this season is that we improve each game. If we lose to teams because the other teams are just better than us, but we make it respectable and you can see that hope for the future, I'm "ok" with that.

JMHO


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i think i said this last year but man...


this group is depressing! We havent even played a game and we're already throwing in the towels!

Let it happen first...

Again we have a QB that can throw a pretty deep ball.
We have a running back who could have similar immediate impact to Adrian Peterson...and guess what, his former head coach is our OC
We have big physical receivers mixed with small quick receivers and some can actually get open
Moreso our QB is willing to throw guys open and take said chances
Our OL CANT be WORSE than last year, its entirely the same save for RT in which we improved. Nevermind that the guy is a rookie, but remind yourself that with a 2nd year in the system, they'll know better what they should be doing, and anything is an improvement over the gangrenous Oniel Cousins/Tony Pashos/Artis Hicks disaster combo of last year. It cant possibly be worse.
Also...when Obi started at RB in his 2 stars he ran for 90 on 19 carries v. the Rams and 115 on 21 carries against the Jags. He also broke out for a 28 yarder against Pitt...Thats Obi...We now have a WAY better running back in Trent nevermind that hes a rookie. The man is beast.

We have improved Tight ends...really, we've improved everywhere from a team that went 4-12. We're better in LBs (JMJ, Robertson, Fort) better in the secondary (healthy Ward, Hagg, Haden, Skrine, Wade...save for Brown but he wont start all year), better at DEs (Rucker, 2nd year Sheard, Parker, Stephens)...only DTs have slipped, and not really because our depth is better...

Every spot is improved save for DT which cancels because now we can rotate guys. How can it get worse?


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ok, here's my take:

offense

QB - I didn't like taking Weeden that early, but he's our QB now and we have to roll with it. He is going to struggle mightily under pressure and our OGs have not shown that they can keep the pressure off of him (and Schwartz has one of the most ridiculous opening season slates a rookie RT could possibly have). So, I expect a ton of frantic mistake passes early and often. However, I also expect him to beat these defenses geared towards putting on the heat with some big plays as well. I think he has the arm and the gusto to go deep to our bigger more physical WRs (and with the refs letting more bumping downfield that actually might be a slight advantage to us).

WRs - I expect massive improvement. How can I not? Little and Benjamin will have their drops (just seems to go with them), but I expect them to cut down on those and I expect Gordon to flash brilliance (with rookie mistakes - really bad ones at times). and, I expect more depth here since we have made our return.

TEs - I don't know what to expect. I like Watson "if he can stay healthy" I am intrigued by Jordan. Lot's of ? here though.

RBs - I'm cautiously optimistic that the Richardson + BJAX combo can be potent. BJAX isn't great but he fills the secondary RB role great (very good blitz pickup and receiver out of the backfield).

OL - again, I want to see the OGs perform before hoping for more. Schwartz will struggle on the rookie learning curve. JoeT is JoeT and Mack is above average.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Defense

DL - ugh. Losing Phil Taylor may prove to be a fatal blow. Glad to see the youngsters doing their best to fill-in, but that one hurt. I want to see some more pressure from the DEs, but we'll see what happens. I have a feeling DE is going to be high on the list of needs for the 2013 draft.

LB - again, tough with Gocong being injured. Might be ugly at times early with aggressive rookie mistakes (they better be aggressive mistakes). JMJ is the guy I have tabbed to make some noise as the season goes along.

DBs - I like our CB depth (though don't think Brown should be starting). I don't like our S depth, but am intrigued to see Hagg + Ward as the starters. Hopefully, we can keep healthy here since we are not staying healthy at the other defensive spots.


Overall - I think we are going to be better offensively than most people think and worse defensively. Around a 17-20 NFL rank in both really. And, by that, around 6-9 wins, but the 6 is much more likely with our youth.


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Quote:

Ok guys.. I know you have opinions. Lets not be shy here. I know some of you can write novels..






5-11

And that's being optimistic IMO.

There are too many questions and not enough answers right now. My biggest two concerns are pass protection and playcalling.

If we continue to run on first down every single posession, this offense will go nowhere fast. At some point, you have to make your oponent actually guess which play you are going to run in order to succeed with where we are at this time. Having second and longs ot telegraphing your plays simply won't cut it this year.

We simply don't have the experience on the OL, or talent at G depending on your opinion, to maul people and run the ball down their throats. We certainly don't have the pass protection to give Weeden a three to four second pocket on any type of regular basis.

So to have success on offense, we will be in need of Shurmer coming out of his cacoon and soaring ¿ike a butterfly this season. Some "under two second routes" on first downs. Preferably of the 10 to 15 yard variety. Quick slants, hooks and comeback routes come to mind.

We will need our rookies to grow quickly into their roles. We saw Little last year afte a year out of football. For people to expect more or even the same from Gordon who didn't even have a Junior year is quite unrealistic IMO. Next year will be the year to get a clue what he will become just as it will be with Little this year.

Our D? Well, last year our secondary was not put to much of a test. When teams know they can run all over you, they do. And they did. Will they again this year? That's still up in the air. By up in the air, I mean it depends on what we can do through the air.

If you can put up points, it forces your oponents to pass the ball. 13.6 points per game does not accomplish that. If you can get that total up somewhere between 21-27 points, it most likely will force them to pass more than they run. Some offenses use the run in order to pass. Some pass in order to open up the run. With our oponents consistantly putting eight men in the box, we will have to prove we can pass to open up the run.

The only reason I feel that 5-11 is doable is due to continuity developing between the QB and the WR's as the season progresses. I hope that will also develop in terms of pass protection with this OL, but I'm not nearly as optimistic of that.

So IF Shurmer has it in him to be somewhat innovative in his playcalling and the WR's and QB develop some timing and rythym, I expect to see a 5-11 record. If either of these two things do not happen, 2 or 3 games may very well be all we win.

I'm hoping a new owner will put a fire under Shurmers butt. Whether that's to stay here or as a resume' for another job. Certainly he has figured out what he was doing is broken. If not, we're all in for a very long season.

Sometimes it's not having the greatest talent, but doing the most with the talent you have. I'm not a Mangenious fan, but that team he won five games with wasn't nearly as good as this one.

So here's to hoping the glass is half full...... At least in the last half of the season. In the first half of the season? We may not even get a sip......


Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.

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7 wins max with most of them coming in the second half of the season., Reason, simple Lots of very young guys that will get better as the year goes on.

We'll struggle at first. then if these guys are real, we'll improve enough to squeak out some wins.


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I've been within one win in my predictions for the last five years or so ... then again, it doesn't take a genius to see that we've been pretty bad. I don't have much optimism for this year, though I'd love to be dead wrong.

I'd say 4-12. 6-10 is the ceiling, 2-14 is the floor.

I've yet to see anything out of Pat Shurmur that instills any confidence. I think it's very possible that he gets canned unless we win six games. Not saying he should or shouldn't be ... but I think the guy is already on the hot seat.

I think Weeden has bust written all over him.

Our WR's are raw, and I expect lots of mistakes.

Richardson needs to show up in a big way. If he goes down with an injury, I think 1-15 or 2-14 is a distinct possibility.

Losing Taylor, Gocong (and possibly Haden) is going to hurt. You know your D is bad when losing Gocong is a big blow.

I fully expect us to have a top five pick again next year.

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I'm going with 3-13.


Browns is the Browns

... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.

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I see this season as one big struggle for an inexperienced squad facing one tough opponent after the next. God help the team if the injuries mount up. I think we are going to have to scheme well week in and week out to stay in these games.

All I am going to look for is progress out of the first and second year guys to give me reason to have hope for next year. Not that i don't need that anyway because next year here I'll be.

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I really don't get all the negativity around here....we were a pretty young team too last season and won 4 games...Vegas has us at 5.5 wins with all media boobs going hard on the Under (fade material) and we DOMINATED the trenches in both Steelers games....have we already forgotten that we played them to the end twice and had a good shot beating them if we had some kind of passing game? I just don't see how Weeden can be worse than McCoy, even if he busts

Otoh, maybe it's a good thing too, so that the casual fan might be saying "we were better than expected" at the end of the season


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Sorry Django I wish I had your optimism. This team sucks IMO. Too many young and inexperienced guys. The defense will end up missing Haden and Taylor. Our offense is going to struggle because our guards can't block and we will have an abysmal passing game. We can't beat Pittsburgh or Baltimore.

I am predicting 6-10 at best.

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Quote:

Ok guys.. I know you have opinions. Lets not be shy here. I know some of you can write novels..




Random thinking here...

I think much WAY to much was made of how close some of the games were last year and how high our D ranked. I believe those two thing have led to a false impression of overall improvement. I don't have the numbers handy, but I do know what I saw. I saw the Browns get their asses handed to them week in and week out, with the second half of many of those games being a mere formality that allowed us to score meaningless points and pad our D stats.

I think Shurmur was in WAY over his head last year, and that Jauron and Chldress are here to make sure he doesn't fall on his face week to week. I think that, in itself, is detrimental to the team as a whole, and would not be surprised if he were some type of joke in the LR. He may be better this year, God knows he can't be worse, but he was a ridiculous selection made by a pompous blow hard. That decision could bite us in the ass at worst, and at best will probably prove to be a simply mediocre coaching choice. If he turns out to be a great coach for the Browns, I will type "I want to bear Shurmur's love baby" 100 times. (Okay, maybe I'll just type it once copy and paste it 99 times.) He MUST learn to game plan effectively or he's just goofy collection of gooey organs in a meat suit.

I think our O-line is going to suffer against great D-lines, and I think Wheeden will be killed several times. His lack of mobility will burn us, and so will his tendency to lock onto receivers. I also think we are going to see the occasional OMG! play from him, and that will give us hope. Whether he can develop into a solid, NFL QB remains to be seen.

Our running game will be simply mediocre unless Richardson comes back 100%, and can stay healthy for 16 games. Without an excellent running game this year, I doubt the passing game will ever gain traction.

Our receivers scare me. I think they are capable of big plays and good plays. I also think they are capable of courting disaster through poor route running which causes turnovers. Hugely inconsistent and that is scary, especially with a shaky line and a rooking, immobile QB. I am hoping they are a huge and pleasant surprise this year.

Our TEs are major questions marks right now. Question mark #1 - Watson's Health. #2 - Cameron's ability when the Harrisons of the world are flying at him.

Our young D-line must hold their ground against the run and get some pressure on the QB. We have to be able to exert pocket pressure rushing four or this defense is useless. I don't know that we can do that yet.

Our linebackers scare me. I think they are capable of big plays and good plays, but are equally capable of being out of position and giving up big plays. As with our WRs, I am hoping the LBs are a huge and pleasant surprise this year.

Our DBs are the strength of the team, and that isn't saying much with Haden suspended, Ward questionable as to whether he can stay healthy, Brown opposite Haden and Hagg in his first year as a starter.

Special teams scare me. (Execpt for Dawson.) I think our highly praised punter is inconsistent. I don't trust us on coverages, and I don't trust the coach. I think return-wise, we will be average to slightly above average.

Heckert hits and misses, I think he hits more than misses, but the jury is still out. If Haslam turns it all over next year or the year after, it won't matter any way. Continuity will be shot.

I'll be incredibly happy when Chumley is gone.

I am extremely excited to watch these young guys play, and hope to see some close games, a few wins, and consistent and steady improvement with a nasty streak full of attitude. Give me that and I'll be happy with the season and the direction of the team. Show me the Keystone Browns week in and week out and it's SSDY.

It's not a novel, but that's the Reader's Digest version of my take.


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I really don't get all the negativity around here....we were a pretty young team too last season and won 4 games...Vegas has us at 5.5 wins with all media boobs going hard on the Under (fade material) and we DOMINATED the trenches in both Steelers games....have we already forgotten that we played them to the end twice and had a good shot beating them if we had some kind of passing game? I just don't see how Weeden can be worse than McCoy, even if he busts

Otoh, maybe it's a good thing too, so that the casual fan might be saying "we were better than expected" at the end of the season





I never put any stock in Vegas or the media... of course, I also over-estimate our wins every year. Last year, heading into the weakest schedule we've had since Anderson & Company nearly got us to the playoffs in '07, I expected 8 wins from this squad, and even looked at the schedule and felt that I could see that many wins. Go figure, eh?

Well, this year we're younger, and believe it or not, less experienced, than last year (how many rookies this year... 15? And how many of those are starting or playing regularly on normal downs?? 7-8??), and playing a significantly tougher schedule. That's a terrible mix.



All we have to go on of this team is what we've seen in pre-season... which, at best, is a mixed bag of ugliness; and that based on judging execution, not win/loss. If we try to factor in last season, well.... you're adding even more ugliness, lol.
I reserve the right to change my opinion following Week 1 when we've seen them play for real with an actual game plan, but, I just cannot see us being very good at all.


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... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.

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3-13. Horrendous. Barkley and a new HC next spring... everyone "of power" will be gone except Heckert.


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3-13. Horrendous. Barkley and a new HC next spring... everyone "of power" will be gone except Heckert.




Puke

I don't want Barkley

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My fearless predictions.

Weeds throws for about 3900 yards. He tosses 23 TD passes, and 15 INTs. . He completes only around 57% of his passes, but he averages a very good 7+ yards/pass attempt.

Richardson runs for 1250 yards and 10 TDs. He will also have another 400 yards in receptions.

Sheard get to the opposing QB 13 times. Parker has 5 sacks in part time duty.

The Browns wind up with 45 sacks on the year.

JMJ breaks through as a rookie to become a force on the outside.

Cribbs really slows down. Benjamin may take over some return duties by the end of the year.

They also finish the year with 12 INTs.

Cameron Jordan becomes the starter at TE by year's end. The TE position winds up with somewhere in the range of 1400 yards receiving.

Our leading receiver among the WRs will have somewhere in the range of 700-800 yards. I do think that all of our receivers on the roster will have some production.

I do not believe that Hardesty will be on the roster by year's end.

I see the offense running mostly 1 back ........ 2 TE or 3 receiver sets.

I have us going 3-3 in the AFCN, and 8-8 overall.


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I think much WAY to much was made of how close some of the games were last year and how high our D ranked. I believe those two thing have led to a false impression of overall improvement.




i agree, but i don't think we were handed our butts each week. we had alot of close games because of alot of the QBs we got to face.

wk1 Dalton's 1st game giving way to Gradkowski
wk2 Painter
wk3 Henne
wk4 Hasselbeck (and before he got hurt, so 1st above avg QB we faced and we got killed)
wk5 Bye
wk6 Boller
wk7 Whitehurst
wk8 Alex Smith (average QB - killed us)
wk9 Schaub (above average QB - killed us)
wk10 gimpy Bradford
wk11 Gabbert
wk12 Dalton
wk13 Flacco
wk14 Roeth
wk15 Skelton
wk16 Flacco
wk17 Roeth

So, after wk12, we started seeing decent QBs on a more regular basis (other than Skelton), but before that the QBs we faced were mostly terrible (and when not, we got shredded).


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My God, lol... that's so demoralizing, hehe!

Seriously, I never bought into the whole "our defense was good last year" thing, but that just highlights it in a big way. Ouch.


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... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.

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well, not to worry, we get to face Vick before his annual injury, Romo, Eli and RGIII from the NFCE and Brady, Fitzpatrick from the AFCE

at least we still get Sanchez/Tebow, Henne?, Cassel (or Quinn ), and Gabbert


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Again.. he's not here anymore.




I'm pretty sure I saw him lurking around...I was on the who's on line...and I saw his name...But hey...who knows...

I think I like having 15 rookies...Maybe they may be to numb to the fact that they are suppose to suck... and actually make more of an effort to win then some of the old vets that just want to get a paycheck....

I'm willing to give this coaching staff a chance to teach the rookies on how to win and be proud to be a Cleveland Brown...

I'm hoping the coaching staff don't hold this team back by playing conservative because they don't trust them in tougher play calling...Go balls to the wall...What else is there to lose....I love Dawson...but I don't want to see him much...unless he's kicking off after we put up 6...

I think this young team needs to kick the crap out of that old Steelers team...And the Rats don't scare me neither...

I would rather see this team go for it and make the effort to win..and if they look crappy learning fine...Because if this team plays conservative lay back and lose cause we don't think you can play to win...then I will puke and turn the game off..

Not much more to say..they haven't played a real game yet...

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I'm not too good at predictions ... I would rather hear it from DiamDawgs fingers.

Like Clem said I look for spirited play from our youngsters. These Dawgs are still cutting their teeth. They will give us some head scratching moments, but I think that we will also see their talent potential as well.

I'm not one who buys into the team being blown up at the end of this season. It's possible, but I don't think that it's a forgone conclusion.

Ask me with 6 games to go and then I might be able to speculate a little better on that one.

With Weeden at the helm I'm anticipating some deep balls for TD's and more +20 yard plays.

I think that offensively T Rich will be key. If we can get him and the running game going, then I think that we have a chance to maybe hang around in some games and possible even win a few games in the fourth quarter.

Defensively I think that we have some talent there (albeit inexperienced at some key position) even without Taylor.

I think that other then injuries the only thing that will keep us from being a top 10 defense will be ineffective offense. (again)

ST's was not pretty in the preseason, but I think that could be in part do to playing a lot of players there who didn't make the cuts.
Cribbs will have help covering kicks and punts with Bademosi and Ventrone. Dawson and Hodges are pretty darn solid.

Hopefully Cribbs still has something left in the return game ... If he struggles I would not hesitate to bring in Benjamin in that role.

Diam ... you have been on your hiatus long enough my friend

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Sorry Django I wish I had your optimism. This team sucks IMO. Too many young and inexperienced guys. The defense will end up missing Haden and Taylor. Our offense is going to struggle because our guards can't block and we will have an abysmal passing game. We can't beat Pittsburgh or Baltimore.

I am predicting 6-10 at best.




Oh I think that we will miss Taylor and Haden, but the 2nd half of the season I think that we could be a pretty good defense with both of those guys back in the fold and our younger guys will be a little better seasoned.

Rucker can fill a really big hole that was exploited in every game we played last year.

Our Rookie LBers will make mistakes, but they have the speed to help make up the distance.

Billy Winn I think will surprise a lot of fans and I think that Hagg is going to be an upgrade at FS.

Our depth at CB is about as good as I could wish for (other then more experience).

Patterson, Skrine and Wade will giver us the ability to match up with multiple receiver formations and speed ... especially when we have Haden available.


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I see us as having a great year if we get to .500, maybe one above. I think if we score more with Chilly, we could (maybe!) double the wins. If the D can get off the field, stops or turnovers (rarely), we shade it up.
One of my yardsticks will be if we can win in our own division. Used to be growing up that we split with several teams; was told early"Don't bet on the Browns, but don't you dare bet against them!" Ignored the advice and made some money a few times (the Kardiac Kids were good to me, but it almost killed me!). I want us not to hand out games like Halloween candy for a change and really get after our "friends" and beazt them. That is the only doorway to the playoffs, and we will need to stand on a few throats to do it. I hope to be surprised if we get crazy solid. With ten field goals possible for us per game, any game could be within reach! I heard Phil Dawson is OK with TDs.


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Quote:

Quote:

I think much WAY to much was made of how close some of the games were last year and how high our D ranked. I believe those two thing have led to a false impression of overall improvement.




i agree, but i don't think we were handed our butts each week. we had alot of close games because of alot of the QBs we got to face.

wk1 Dalton's 1st game giving way to Gradkowski
wk2 Painter
wk3 Henne
wk4 Hasselbeck (and before he got hurt, so 1st above avg QB we faced and we got killed)
wk5 Bye
wk6 Boller
wk7 Whitehurst
wk8 Alex Smith (average QB - killed us)
wk9 Schaub (above average QB - killed us)
wk10 gimpy Bradford
wk11 Gabbert
wk12 Dalton
wk13 Flacco
wk14 Roeth
wk15 Skelton
wk16 Flacco
wk17 Roeth

So, after wk12, we started seeing decent QBs on a more regular basis (other than Skelton), but before that the QBs we faced were mostly terrible (and when not, we got shredded).




Week 1, 27-17 - 3 points scored in the 2nd half, gave up 14 in the 4th Q.
Week 2, 27-19 - We managed to beat the worst team in the league.
Week 3, 17-16 - Barely squeaked by the Phins.
Week 4, 31-13 - KILLED by the Titans. Scored our only TD in garbage time.
Week 5, Bye
Week 6, 27-17 - Soundly beaten by the Raiders, scored 10 of our 17 in garbage time, final TD with 2:38 remaining, onside recovered, couldn't move the ball, 4 and out.
Week 7, 6-3 - Squeaked by the Seahags by 1 FG.
Week 8, 20-10 - Could not score except for a field goal almost the entire game. Scored our only TD with 6:23 remaining, then SF went on a clock chewing 68 yard drive and scored a field goal putting the game out of reach for good.
Week 9, 30-12 - Unable to score, unable to stop them. Scored our only TD with 4:51 remaining when the score was 30-6.
Week 10, 13-12 - Could not score when it mattered, could not stop the Rams from scoring when in counted. One of the "botched snap" games. This should have been a win and wasn't... one of those games that is credited as being a games we could have won, and while true, we could not beat an "inferior" team.
Week 11, 14-10 - We managed to squeak by another "inferior" team, finally taking the lead in the 4th quarter.
Week 12, 23-20 - Here we actually played well, but managed to give up the lead in the 4th quarter, and was unable to stop the Bengals when it mattered.
Week 13, 24-10 - Couldn't stop them, couldn't score a TD until garbage time, with 4:29 to go.
Week 14, 14-3 - Steelers. 3... That's right, 3 points. 'Nuff said.
Week 15, 20-17 - Close, but could not score in the 4th Q and could not keep them from scoring in the 4th or beating us in OT.
Week 16, 20-14 - Couldn't score against the Ravens the first half, and didn't get the final TD until halfway through the 4th Q, when it was highly unlikely we'd get a 3rd score. Seneca played well toward the end, but it was futile all the same.
Week 17 - Could not score a TD. This is one of those "close" games that really wasn't.

Make no mistake, we got it handed to us. The teams we did beat were inconsequential and those games could have gone either way.


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What do you expect from a defense who's offense goes 3 and out and turns the ball over (Hillis I recall had quite a few fumbles as did our receivers) on a regular bases? Drops

We where actually pretty good in the Red Zone IIRC.

Teams won't have the luxury to run left over Mitchell when ever they so chose to like last year either.

I think that this defense is a year ahead of the offense right now and fully expect to see some improvement made over last season.


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Quote:

Quote:

I think much WAY to much was made of how close some of the games were last year and how high our D ranked. I believe those two thing have led to a false impression of overall improvement.




i agree, but i don't think we were handed our butts each week. we had alot of close games because of alot of the QBs we got to face.

wk1 Dalton's 1st game giving way to Gradkowski
wk2 Painter
wk3 Henne
wk4 Hasselbeck (and before he got hurt, so 1st above avg QB we faced and we got killed)
wk5 Bye
wk6 Boller
wk7 Whitehurst
wk8 Alex Smith (average QB - killed us)
wk9 Schaub (above average QB - killed us)
wk10 gimpy Bradford
wk11 Gabbert
wk12 Dalton
wk13 Flacco
wk14 Roeth
wk15 Skelton
wk16 Flacco
wk17 Roeth

So, after wk12, we started seeing decent QBs on a more regular basis (other than Skelton), but before that the QBs we faced were mostly terrible (and when not, we got shredded).




Wow. Ugh.

I feel like the truth just punched me in the gut.

Great post.


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Our defense could be dramatically improved over last year and still allow more yards and more points. I fully expect this to be the case, because I fully expect us to score more than we did last year, and to put more pressure on opposing defenses.

We start out the year with one hell of a tough test though. The Eagles were #1 in sacks last year, and almost all of them came from their DL. They are a few handfuls, to say the least. If we somehow beat the Eagles, then people are going to get all kinds of unrealistic ideas. lol If we get blown out, people are going to jump.

In other words ..... same as every year.


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John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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j/c

but... but... Weeden will save us.


BTW Where have all the Weeden bible thumpers gone?



We should win about 8-10 games this year because a QB like Weeden makes the WR OL TE and RB better. We really should have a high scoring offense with Weeden at the helm.


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