DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Defensive concerns...

Personally I hope that he turns things around starting this week, and that he becomes everything we hoped for when he was drafted.

I think that is the hope of every Browns fan.

i was really glad he was working with haden in the offseason. had high hopes. as always with anything browns related my hope became just one more crushing disappointment.

Just like Dwayne Bowe had his best practice few weeks ago, and still hasn't even dressed this why I don't listen to Mike, Flip or Jimmy's pressers anymore, they say stupid stuff like that.

If the OLB is going to crash up and set an edge, the DE cannot allow himself to get sealed outside. That is what creates that hole. If the NT then allows himself to get sealed in, then there is a gigantic gap to be covered by nothing but a single ILB that has already probably been pulled into coverage, or now has a TE or FB in his grill.

Unfortunately, exactly all of that has been happening a lot. Shelton still takes a double, but when he gets doubled that double easily moves and seals him away from the play. I haven't noticed the DE's as much, but what little I recall they haven't exactly made the eyes pop with an ability to shed a blocker and get to a hole.


Anyone know if we're running more of the 2-gap read & react D?
Isn't the 3-4 much more effective when it is a 1 gap scheme??

Once again, defense the root of the Cleveland Browns' problems

The Browns are clearly a more competitive football team under head coach Mike Pettine. Their offense, while prone to stagnation, has shown glimpses of beauty. Josh McCown, Cleveland’s latest journeyman quarterback, is better than most of the others before him.

But the losing results are the same, sketchy personnel decisions are rising to the forefront, and the original script the team wrote about having an elite defense for the 2015 season has gone haywire after a Week 6, 26-23 overtime loss to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos—a game Peyton and Co. did their best to lose.

It’s close to the halfway point, and Cleveland (2-4) has had to face some sober realities, ones that could result in more than a few people on the hot seat.

Stunningly, not many of those realities have to do with the 36-year-old McCown and the offense, which, thanks to contributions from the likes of wide receiver Travis Benjamin and tight end Gary Barnidge, continue to rack up points, yards, and—potentially—future dollar bills (both players are free agents at the end of the season).

Rather, the more concerning matter is Cleveland’s 30th-ranked defense, which has become a tangled mess.

In their last 11 games under Pettine, the Browns are 2-9 and are giving up an average of nearly four touchdowns per contest. This season alone, five different unheralded running backs have rushed for more than 100 total yards against Cleveland—with Tennessee’s Dexter McCluster and San Diego’s Danny Woodhead being the most egregious cases. Denver backup Ronnie Hillman, who could start for any number of teams, was the latest perpetrator, galloping for 111 yards on 20 carries.

Recently, a number of players have told me what they believe is the main impetus behind the continual running-back beatings: The Browns have issues with gap integrity—football speak for jamming the holes between the offensive linemen—at all.

Rather than being assigned specific gaps, Cleveland's defensive linemen play different techniques based on how their offensive counterparts are blocking them. The linebackers, then, are expected to guess what technique their teammates are using, scrape through the resulting mess and make the play. Opposing offenses have identified this flaw on film and are repeatedly, week-after-week, gashing the edge of Cleveland’s defense. It’s a completely chaotic approach to stopping the run, and players have said—off the record—they're spending way too much time thinking, and not nearly enough time reacting.

“It’s an entire guessing game,” said one source. “Imagine trying to define mud.”

Indeed, the defense may be too complicated for its own good—something the players have largely failed to address head on. Coordinator Jim O’Neil comes from the Pettine-Rex Ryan lineage, whereby part of the defensive philosophy is to cause pre-snap identification problems for quarterbacks and offensive linemen. It's a scheme that flourished with the Ravens, Jets and Bills but has so far failed to yield reliable results in Cleveland.


Simply put, the Browns are spending so much time figuring out ways to trick the offense, they're leaving themselves little to no margin for error. If it means dropping linebacker Paul Kruger in coverage to fool Peyton Manning, despite the latter being a scheme-identifying genius, Cleveland will do it. In other words, the Browns are so worried about you figuring out their cards, they wind up putting certain players in the wrong position.

The other factor causing anxiety within the Browns front office is age. Cleveland’s two best defensive players this season have been linebacker Karlos Dansby (who will turn 34 in November) and cornerback Tramon Williams (32). Both were signed by general manager Ray Farmer to lead the locker room, which they’ve done adequately enough. But both are in the sunsets of their careers, and they alone can’t assure everyone is up to speed and in the right place. Meanwhile, 31-year-old Randy Starks has turned out to be a somewhat overhyped signing. Not only is Starks not making an impact, but he's also taking away snaps from younger players Xavier Cooper and Jamie Meder.

Where can the reeling Browns turn? Tashaun Gipson may be the most talented young player on the defense, having intercepted 13 passes in the last 2.5 seasons. But a source close to the situation says contract negotiations between Gipson and the team went sour over the summer, and it’s hard to envision a fair long-term deal being reached if Farmer is still in charge this off-season.

The scary part is neither Pettine nor O’Neil saw any of this coming. Gipson, Joe Haden and Donte Whitner were coming off Pro Bowl seasons in 2014, while Kruger registered 11 sacks—many of them through double teams—a year ago. Meanwhile, first-round pick Danny Shelton had said he hoped to compete for rookie of the year, and second-round pick Nate Orchard (18.5 sacks last season at the University of Utah) was supposed to be a plug-and-play contributor.


Pettine, who built his name coordinating the New York Jets’ vaunted defenses that went to back-to-back AFC title games, was so sure of the defense heading into the season, he radically reversed his role to start coaching offense for hours on end, devising the scheme and game plans with first-year offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. Now it seems like that move may have been a mistake.

To be fair, the defense isn't without its potential building blocks. Nickel back K’Waun Williams is an undrafted diamond in the rough; second-year linebacker Christian Kirksey is becoming smarter and more physical by the week; and Haden is still on track to become a face of the franchise despite battling injuries this season. Moreover, the finger-pointing is by no means running rampant, despite the continued depressing results. Cleveland’s defense is a tight-knit unit, so don't expect off-the-record critiques to mushroom into a public spat any time soon.

Still, outside of a few noteworthy wins against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati in 2014, Cleveland’s defense is not the backbone Pettine and Farmer anticipated it would be, and that could have a damning impact on both of their futures. Indeed, if McCown were actually paired with even a middling defensive unit, the Browns could be 4-2. As it is, they're already in danger of fading fast into the AFC North's mirror.

Combine all of that with an overall lack of team speed, the near-midseason exit polls show the Browns’ D has become one of the more disappointing units in all the NFL.

http://www.si.com/thecauldron/2015/10/21/mike-pettine-cleveland-browns-defense-problems-afc-north

It's the scheme. We have the players, but they are not being put into the best situation.

I think O'Neil spends too much time trying to be sneaky, and hard to predict. This leads to the snap coming while guys are standing around trying to confuse the QB.

Line up and play. screw this "fooling" the offense, it is not working. I'll say it again, dropping Kruger into coverage is assinine. They are supposed to be a staff dedicated to playing to a players strength, but they continue to do the opposite.

O'Neil is the problem, IMO. The scheme is horrible, and if Pettine doesn't see this, he is next on the list.

If we had Kitchen we would be the best defense in the league. I just don't understand how nobody else in the league wants him.

Browns linebacker Nate Orchard called on to help jumpstart sluggish sack production

By Mary Kay Cabot, Northeast Ohio Media Group
October 23, 2015 at 6:58 AM

BEREA, Ohio -- Rookie linebacker Nate Orchard has started the past two games at outside linebacker opposite Paul Kruger and will get more opportunities against the Rams Sunday to jumpstart the Browns' sluggish sack production.

"He's getting better every week,'' said defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil. "This past week was one of his better pass rush games. We're going to give him more opportunities this week."

Orchard, the Browns' second-round pick out of Utah, finished second in the nation with 18.5 sacks last year -- a Utah record -- but he has yet to notch his first one this year.

"I'm excited about it,'' said Orchard. "Our biggest thing going into every week is to stop the run and set that edge, and I've done that the last couple of weeks. Jimmy wants to open it for me to start rushing the passer and I think I'll earn that opportunity and take advantage of it.''

The Browns, who invested heavily in their defense in the offseason, have only 10 sacks this season, which is tied for 21st in the NFL. What's more, they've gone three of six games without a sack, and they've totaled only three sacks in five of their six games.

The only reason they're not at the bottom of the league -- where their run defense resides -- is that they erupted for seven sacks against rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota in week two.

Last week against the Broncos, they became the first team all season not to sack 39-year-old Peyton Manning.

"You always want to hit the quarterback and get more sacks,'' said O'Neil. "Last week, we were talking about the lack of interceptions – we got three. Sacks come in bunches. We're close. Guys are winning on pass rush, the ball is getting out. Peyton did a great job last week of getting the ball out. He's a damn good quarterback. He got it out. That stuff will come, but do I want our guys to win more? Do I want more free runners? And more quarterback hits? Absolutely, but I'm not panicked about that.''

With all the talent on the defensive front, it's surprising the Browns don't have more sacks. But their edge-rushers just aren't getting home much this season. Barkevious Mingo, who drops back more than he rushes, doesn't have a sack this year and his playing time is minimal. Paul Kruger, who finished tied for 12th in the NFL last year with 11 sacks, spent the first quarter of the season dropping back more and has only half a sack. Desmond Bryant, who led all Browns defensive linemen with five sacks last year, has missed two games with a shoulder injury and has none.

Armonty Bryant, who started opposite Kruger in weeks three and four after Mingo started the first two games, leads the Browns with 3.5. No other player has more than 1.5, which is John Hughes' total. Nosetackle Danny Shelton, who's primary job is to occupy two blockers, also has none.

"(10) is more than enough,'' said Orchard. "We've just got to continue to keep pushing through. Up front, d-line-wise, outside linebacker-wise, we have so much talent and we just need to continue to stay in our pass-rush lanes and get to the quarterback.''

Orchard said he's beginning to realize just how tough it is to get sacks at this level.

"Most definitely,'' he said. "You're going up against the best of the best, guys with technique, it's amazing. Of the offensive linemen, not a week goes by where it falls off, so I just need to stop on top of my game every week.''

Orchard came into the season with a goal of double-digit sacks, which means he'll have to get one a game to reach it.

"Ultimately my goal coming in is to help stop the run and I'm going to do just that and when opportunities for sacks present themselves, I'll take advantage of it,'' he said.

But does O'Neil think he's a double-digit sack guy? When O'Neil and Pettine ran the Bills' defense in 2013, they finished second in the NFL with 57 sacks and had three double-digit sackers.

"I believe so,'' said Orchard. "That's why they brought me here. He knows I have great potential. But like I said, stopping the run is the first thing.''

Orchard acknowledged that "at this level, you need two to three moves. You just need to perfect it, so that's what I need to do.''

He said he seeks pass-rushing advice from Kruger, Mingo, both Bryants and "even Karlos (Dansby), who once played outside linebacker. Everyone has different skills, so if I can just pick their brains and get what I can from them, and add it my repertoire, I'll do just that.''

With all the big-money pass-rushers on the team, Orchard is thrilled they're looking to him to get the job done.

"It's a huge honor to be able to be in there with Paul, Armonty, and Mingo getting after the quarterback,'' he said. "Not too many guys get a chance to do that, and if I prove myself to the coaches, it's a great opportunity and I'll take advantage of it.''

The Browns have been looking for the outside 'backer who can best set the edge in the run game, and Orchard is determined to do just that.

"I take pride on setting the edge and I'll continue to do that and I know the guys will follow along and we'll continue to build on our defense,'' Orchard said. "I think I'm doing well. I can always improve on my technique. But Jimmy O is happy with my performance thus far, so I'll continue to build on it.''

Orchard knows he'll have his hands full with rookie running back Todd Gurley, who leads all NFL running backs with a 5.7-yard average. He's also rushed for 146 and 159 yards in each of the past two weeks.

"Great back, runs hard, downhill player,'' said Orchard. "He doesn't go east and west. He just gets hungry and wants to make big plays. You've just got to continue to rep (the run defense) throughout practice. It's the little details, technique, just being on top of our stuff mentally.''

Like everyone else on defense, Orchard is frustrated by the 32nd-ranked run defense.

"Who wouldn't be,'' Orchard said. "We don't want to be at the bottom. We know we're better than that. We just need to continue to prove to everyone that we are and continue to work on our technique.''

The same can be said of the disappointing pass rush.

Nate Orchard has shown next to nothing. Just last game I watched someone latch onto him and drive him pretty much all the way to the sidelines.

He takes pride in setting the edge? Don't you need to have done something to take pride in it? If nate really is under the mindset he's doing good, then we have a larger issue than a player who's not performing well...

I don't know what this team was thinking letting him go. He's a difference maker.

1. Watt 2. Kitchen 3. Donald 4. Quinn 5. Houston

But a very, very close second. More like 1A, 1B if you ask me.

Just in case anyone missed this part of the article.

Really, really dumb. Great teams simplify things for the players (Seahawks, Patriots, Packers, etc.), we are doing the opposite.

Well, that completely explains what I was wondering above.

Next question: Is this what we ran last year, or is this a new wrinkle to our defense - effectively making it a new scheme this year?

Lastly: Is this what Pett did with the other teams, and we can expect that this season is just a step in a progression and we're feeling growing pains, or is this something all new that he and O'Neil dreamed up?

Here's what Browns coach Mike Pettine is saying today

On if chemistry factors into the issues on defense: “I think it can be a factor. I don’t know how big. I’m not going to say that’s not the case, but that’s one of the downsides. It’s a double minus when you get an injury. Not only do you not have that player, now you have somebody new in there that for the exact reason that you talk about. Whatever word you’re going to use, ‘chemistry,’ ‘cohesion,’ the communication part of it, the trust, that’s part of it, I don’t know how much of it is, though, but I’d agree that’s a factor.”

On crediting some of the defensive issues to multiple injurie, specifically to the secondary early in the season: “You’re going to be optimal when you have your guys out there all playing together, that’s well known. We’re not going to use that as an excuse. That’s why I always tell the staff that coaches are measured – it’s just as important that we see how prepared their backups are and how they play as opposed to just the starters. A lot of teams go through this. It’s a set of circumstances that we have to deal with.”

On if the run defense’s scheme is too complicated and that players have to think too much: “No, no we’ve been running these calls not just here in Cleveland but other places. A lot of the stuff we’re doing is Day 1 install. I think guys start to press and search for answers, and if that gets into their head, and they feel like they’re thinking too much, we try to declutter, defensively. You simplify it. You break it down to win your one-on-one match up. When in doubt, whip the guys’ tail across from you, then we’ll find a way to make it right behind you. We don’t teach defense like a golf swing – put your thumb here, put the ball located here and you want to get the club. That’s not how we coach it.”

On if people are searching for a reason to rationalize the run defense’s struggles: “Could be. I’m not sure of the context of it. I just know that we haven’t changed the way that we teach it. It’s simpler for some positions than others. We haven’t increased the scheme workload in order to stop the run. We know we have calls to do it, but we need to execute.”

On his comments that coaches at times have to scale back some elements with certain players to maximize results: “Yeah, and that’s on the position coach. That’s a big part of coaching is understanding your players and how do they learn. Are they visual learners? Do they have to walk through it? Can they get it in the classroom? That’s on us as coaches to get it taught. I do know from a call sheet standpoint that so far this year, if you just took the number of calls per gameplan, we’re a notch lower than we were last year and even other places we’ve been.”

http://www.ohio.com/blogs/cleveland-brow...-today-1.634809

The above article makes it seem like this is the Ryan/Pettine system.

Yup. Based upon what Grateful just posted, this is a continuation of last year, but we have lots of new parts so guys are learning. New DLine learning and perhaps not reading things the way they should all the time...but, if the LBers behind them are making what should be the right read, then they end up not on the same page... and that causes breakdowns.

So, as much as people want to nail down a scapegoat or a simple thing that they can point their fingers at and yell "fire him!", it looks like the whole thing boils down to Learning curve/growing pains, and then the fact that we're testing our depth pretty heavily so far at certain position groups (like we do every single year, year after year, when a perceived strength automagically becomes the one position group that gets mysteriously hammered by injuries).

Pettine's reaction:


Mike Pettine dismisses anonymous players' complaints about his faltering defense
Oct 23, 2015

By Tony Grossi | ESPNCleveland.com

Extra Points …

Piling on: When a team is losing, everyone has answers that the head coach can’t seem to find on his own.

Last year, the general manager texted his suggestions during games. Now, some defensive players are chipping in their suggestions.

In a story written for The Cauldron and carried on si.com by Kevin Jones, a former staff member of ClevelandBrowns.com, some defensive players confided anonymously that Mike Pettine’s “completely chaotic” defensive scheme is taxing their ability to think clearly on the field and that is the root of the problem with the team’s last-ranked run defense.

The players told Jones the scheme is too bogged down in “trying to trick” opponents and that philosophy puts players “in the wrong position.”

Jones, who had intimate access to players in his former role as a team employee, quoted one player saying, “It’s an entire guessing game. Imagine trying to define mud.”

In response, Pettine staunchly defended his system as tried-and-true and said coaches have simplified it, rather than made it more complicated.

“We’ve been running these calls, not just here in Cleveland but other places,” Pettine said. “A lot of stuff we’re doing is Day 1 install. I think guys start to press and search for answers and if that gets into their head and they feel like they’re thinking too much …

“We try to declutter, defensively. You simplify it. You break it down to win your one on one matchup. When in doubt, whip the guy’s tail across from you, then we’ll find a way to make it right behind you.

“We don’t teach defense like a golf swing – put your thumb here, put the ball located here and you want to get the club. That’s not how we coach it.”

“I’m not sure of the context of (the players’ complaints). I just know we haven’t changed the way that we teach it. It’s simpler for some positions than others. We haven’t increased the scheme workload to stop the run. We know we have calls to do it, but we need to execute.”

Pettine said that in some cases, because of new players introduced to the defense, coaches have scaled back assignments and play-calls.

“A big part of coaching is understanding your players,” Pettine said. “That’s on us as coaches to get it taught. I do know from a call sheet standpoint … if you just took the number of calls per game plan, we’re a notch lower than we were last year and even at other places we’ve been.”

When confronted about the story, linebacker Karlos Dansby said, “I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know the story came out. That is crazy.”

It could be another, ahem, interesting week if the Browns do not fare better against Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley in St. Louis on Sunday.

http://www.espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=50601

It looks like certain Browns' players aren't the only ones who are unhappy with the Pettine / Ryan style of defense. In Buffalo, Marcel Dareus and Mario Williams are not thrilled about being asked to drop into coverage ...



Marcell Dareus questions Rex Ryan dropping him back in coverage

The Buffalo Bills' highest-paid members of the defensive line are making it known they don't agree with how they are being used in coach Rex Ryan's schemes.

On Tuesday, defensive tackle Marcell Dareus backed up recent complaints by defensive end Mario Williams, saying that Ryan calling for the players to drop back in coverage isn't a winning formula.

"Hey, like [Williams] said, they pay us a lot of money. And we want to use our talents the best way we know how. If we're going to be dropping we don't want to get questions about not getting sacks. That's just how it is," Dareus said Tuesday, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Dareus was speaking from the Play 60 event in London to promote Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bills have marketed their quarter-billion-dollar defensive line comprised of defensive end Jerry Hughes (five-year, $45 million contract signed in offseason), Mario Williams (six-year, $96 million contract signed in 2012) and Dareus (six-year, $96.5 million deal signed in offseason) as the "Cold Front," which based on results, is an unintended description for the unit. The Bills have been held to just nine sacks through the first five games.

"We want to make some plays. We don't want fans looking at us crazy," Dareus said, according to Yahoo! "We like making plays. We like getting sacks, just being out there exerting a lot of energy and having fun.

"But when we're dropping, when I'm not out there on third down or just I'm dropping or Kyle [Williams] is dropping or Mario is dropping or Jerry [Hughes] is dropping ... . It's not been a lot of times where there have been all four of us, full tilt, ears pinned back and we're going after it. We haven't had a lot of that this year.

"Hopefully Rex is going to implement it. There's nothing we can do."

The Bills failed to register a sack of Andy Dalton on Sunday in a 34-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals that dropped the Bills to 3-3 this season. After the game, Williams said, "I think I probably set a record on dropping today."

"When we got four guys rushing, we can do some things. Some of the calls we had today, we just didn't have four guys out there rushing in certain situations, things like that. You just play the call.

"We don't make the calls as players. We've got to go out and execute whatever's called by any means. If it's three guys going, then it's three guys going, and we have to figure out a different way to get there faster on our part," Williams told reports Sunday.

Williams and Dareus aren't alone in questioning how they are being used. Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, who also was at the Play 60 event, agreed with their takes on Tuesday.

"Dropping Mario Williams into coverage a lot? Didn't we pay him a lot of money to hit the quarterback? And if I'm the opposing quarterback and I see him dropping into coverage, oh, that's a big plus. I'd definitely have a smile on my face," Kelly said, according to Yahoo!


http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/139327...-rex-ryan-calls

Lee Suggs could come out retirement and put up 220 on this run defense.
This defense lacks a physical mindset. Its a finese defense.

I think Miami had similar issues as well - I remember some reads about Suh going rogue and the new coach 'simplifying' the defense - and O by removing large parts of the overly complex playbook.

It doesn't make much sense to me to take your best pass rusher - Kruger - and ask him to do a job that he's ill-suited to do. He just isn't the type of athlete who can drop into coverage on a RB. He HAS shown an ability to get to the passer, which is something that is sorely missing from our defense. These coaches really do overthink this stuff sometimes.

I keep Typing this same name over and over and over again , PETTINE !

I said it before and I'll say it again. This staff routinely states that they tailor their defense and offense to the players strength. BS. They are asking players to live with this scheme even though it takes away the strong suit.

IMO, it's not the players, it is scheme.

j/c

I've noticed two agendas that consistently beat Cleveland the short pass followed by the run. Defense chases. They stop the run QBs throw the short pass. They stop the short pass and run game starts working.

To me, defense as a whole is not prepared. I think lack of experience means they are fixing and learning less time studying the opposition. Defense does not have a well versed group knowledge in this defense.

You see improvement each week. We also see level of competition improve too. If we continue seeing this team play an entire game each week, I feel it is a good sign. It will get better.

Because you only post articles that fit your agenda, I find it hilarious you chose to post one by an author you bashed mercilessly when he wrote for the Browns just weeks ago.

Ah, Kevin Jones. Remember that name? The fluff writer?

Yes I remember when his articles were bought and paid for by the Cleveland Browns. It was simply his job description and his paid duty to be a shill for the Browns. Now he's not.

It's funny how people fail to consider the circumstances and see them for what they are.

I would even say he has a unique insight into the team because he no longer works for them. There are things the can discuss now that he is no longer employed by the team.

Why? Did he get canned or quit?

Well he is now working for Sports Illustrated. I would say that is a better job for a writer than being employed by a team. Usually you don't get a better job if you are fired.

From the horse's mouth....

"It was a fun challenge putting a positive spin on all things Cleveland Browns."

LOL. Well, that's a loaded statement.

Thanks Pit. I have Memphis on ignore for a reason.

I was amazed at how the tone of the writing had changed. I had to double check who the author was.

Jones' own comment that Milk posted about having to put a positive spin on things and having higher career aspirations tells the story and makes Memphis look even worse than normal.

I haven't been following this thread but I don't like starting new threads and this seems like the most appropriate place to put this article. I don't know if it has been posted yet or if the article it references was posted but here it is.


Browns vs. Rams: Looking Through Kevin Jones' Article on Cleveland's Defense - The Sunday Five
By Chris Pokorny  @DawgsByNature on Oct 25, 2015, 6:30a 1


Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans, and welcome to gameday! Be sure to check out our game preview and prediction for the Browns' Week 7 matchup today against the St. Louis Rams. In this week's edition of "The Sunday Five," I look at the startling piece that came out a few days ago about the Browns' defense, the high volume of games Cleveland will be playing over the next two weeks, and more.



1. The Expose the Browns Needed: About one year ago today, Kevin Jones, a staff writer of Browns.com, invited the Dawgs By Nature staff to briefly tour the team's headquarters in Berea. It was surprising to see a person of Jones' youth at the forefront of web content being put out by the Browns, but it was nice to see the team embrace the "blogger generation." In my brief encounter with him, I learned that one of the big advantages that Jones had compared to the other media members was his darn-near 24/7 access to players. While the likes of Tony Grossi (ESPN Cleveland) and Mary Kay Cabot (Plain Dealer) might be limited to 30 minutes of select player interviews a few days a week, Jones was in the building all day and could have those one-on-one type of conversations.

In my limited time with him, I could see why players wouldn't mind gravitating toward Jones, whether it'd be football-related or not. When you write for the team, though, you can't just put anything out there. You have to promote everything about the Browns in a positive light. That includes acting like Jim O'Neil stating "we will stop the run this year" this past offseason has some merit to it, or the praise that the coaching staff gave guys like DL Phil Taylor and WR Terrelle Pryor before they are cut. There is a fine line between having to spin everything positive, and then doing what I do here at Dawgs By Nature. You will rarely, if ever, see me writing overly-pessimistic pieces. However, I try to break down the strengths and weaknesses of the team as best as I can.

Jones decided to leave Browns.com two weeks ago, but didn't officially announce it until Friday. Jones said, "It was a fun challenge putting a positive spin on all things Browns, but I'm excited to develop my own unique voice inside the media." He didn't waste any time getting started when he published a piece on Sports Illustrated about the Browns' struggles on defense in 2015.



2. The Root of the Defensive Problem: I hate to copy+paste so much of Jones' piece, but I feel I have to in order to help spread the cry for help that Browns players made to Jones while he was with the team:

Recently, a number of players have told me what they believe is the main impetus behind the continual running-back beatings: The Browns have issues with gap integrity—football speak for jamming the holes between the offensive linemen.

Rather than being assigned specific gaps, Cleveland's defensive linemen play different techniques based on how their offensive counterparts are blocking them. The linebackers, then, are expected to guess what technique their teammates are using, scrape through the resulting mess and make the play. Opposing offenses have identified this flaw on film and are repeatedly, week-after-week, gashing the edge of Cleveland’s defense. It’s a completely chaotic approach to stopping the run, and players have said—off the record—they're spending way too much time thinking, and not nearly enough time reacting.

"It’s an entire guessing game," said one source. "Imagine trying to define mud."

When I've been doing my weekly film review sessions, I couldn't quite place my finger on why the Browns' linebackers looked so indecisive this year. Even though ILB Karlos Dansby later came out and disagreed with Jones' article, Lane Adkins of the OBR has hinted at the same issues. Over at the OBR forums, Brent Sobleski said, "Honest to goodness, this is the first time I've ever heard of a defense where players have to guess what their gap responsibilities are. I simply can't wrap my head around it."

If the Browns are going to run the type of defense they are trying to run, I'm of the opinion that they need world-class type of players at multiple positions in the front seven. The problem is they are running it without a Pro Bowler to speak of. If this is the definition of the Mike Pettine and Jim O'Neil trying to install a "graduate-level defense," they've got the wrong approach.



3. Other Delicious Nuggets: Although the stuff above was the primary takeaway from Jones' article, there were a lot more juicy nuggets. Some of these are obvious, but gain more merit when you here a former insider spilling the beans:

Jones says the Browns' front office is starting to have anxiety because their two best defensive players, ILB Karlos Dansby and CB Tramon Williams, are getting toward their mid-30s. Guys like CB Justin Gilbert and NT Danny Shelton haven't lived up to their draft status yet, and the team isn't on the same page with FS Tashaun Gipson long-term. Jones specifically says that he doesn't see a long-term deal with Gipson getting done "if Ray Farmer is still in charge next offseason."

On the defensive line, Jones says, "31-year-old Randy Starks has turned out to be a somewhat overhyped signing," and that he's taking away snaps from the likes of Xavier Cooper and Jamie Meder. Remember that this club parted ways with Billy Winn before Week 1 after he was one of the club's better contributors in 2014.

Jones says that head coach Mike Pettine has been floored with the defensive struggles in 2015, to the point where he never even fathomed the struggles as a possibility in his wildest nightmares.

"[Pettine] was so sure of the defense heading into the season, he radically reversed his role to start coaching offense for hours on end, devising the scheme and game plans with first-year offensive coordinator John DeFilippo."

In a radio interview on 92.3 the Fan, Jones said that head coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer are on the same page a lot more than people think. The rift between them is overblown and driven by the likes of Tony Grossi. If there is one sticking point, though, Jones believes that if Pettine could make the decision himself, he would just cut WR Dwayne Bowe.


4. 3 Games in 12 Days: This is the portion of the schedule where the Browns are going to be very busy. They will play 3 games over the next 12 days, starting with today's game against the Rams (October 25th). Next Sunday, they are back at home against the Cardinals (November 1st), before going on the road to face the Bengals (November 5th) on Thursday Night Football. It's a good time for Cleveland to get back in the playoff race if they can win two of three games to bump their record to 4-5. If they go 1-2 during the stretch, then 3-6 is pretty darn gloomy.

After November 5th, the Browns go through a stretch where there won't be very much football. They will only play 1 game in 24 days, with that second game coming on the 25th day. Why? Because of the Thursday game against the Bengals, the Browns' next game is November 15th (a Sunday) against the Steelers. Then, Cleveland has a bye week, and their next game is a Monday Nighter on November 30th against the Ravens. So hopefully we can savor these these next couple of games with some victories, because then we'll be starved for football the rest of the month.



5. Projecting the Inactives for the Browns vs. Rams: It's time to predict the inactives on gameday, as the team can only dress 46 players. The players we know for sure will be inactive this week are TE Rob Housler and CB Joe Haden. I also thing FS Tashaun Gipson (doubtful) will be inactive. The other four inactives I'm projecting are QB Austin Davis, WR Dwayne Bowe, TE E.J. Bibbs, and S Don Jones.

Although I'd like to see Bibbs active, when asked about him earlier in the week, the Browns coaching staff said they were concerned about whether he could step in on special teams. Housler contributes on special teams. Then I look at ILB Jayson DiManche, who was just signed this week and is known as a special teams guy. I wouldn't be surprised if the team sees DiManche as a substitute for Housler on special teams, and then just uses OL Cameron Erving as the third tight end. If WR Marlon Moore is good-to-go from his injury, I think he'll be up instead of Jones. If not, Jones will be active.

Also, it'd be the most Browns-thing-ever if Bowe was active and playing significant reps this week.
http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2015/10/25/9602628/browns-vs-rams-the-sunday-five?ref=yfp