DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Isaiah Crowell questions the Browns' playcalling only 'sometimes,' but thinks about getting paid 'all the time'

That's where veteran leadership comes in. We have a very young team and no leaders at this point. The only guy who you could say is one is JT but that's it. It's too much for one man as great as Joe is.

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j/c

It cracks me up that people feel we should keep running the ball against seven and eight men in the box. Somehow they feel banging your head into the wall makes sense.

Crow was effective running against 8 in box last year.

I bet if you could pull Hue aside without media reprisal he would admit that he should have been running the ball more and like other QB guru's gets wrapped up in the passing game and grooming their QBs.

Hmmmm.... Maybe the supposed "upgrades" in the OL aren't doing their job? I haven't seen anyone run right effectively.

I subscribe to the old school Herman Boone approach to the run game....
"....It's like novocaine. Just give it time, always works."

I've always been critical of Crow not seeing the hole...tripping over blades of grass...and running directly into his O linemen and defenders. Doesn't mean I'm right, just what I notice all too often.

He said it again this week .... I NEED TO CALL MORE RUN PLAYS ... Hues words,not mine ....

But thats not good enough for Vers or Pit .... Hue's own words ....

A few things..


Then Hue shouldn't "apologize" for not getting him the ball more.. if the game plan dictates we throw the ball a lot and he's not much of a pass catching target.. then it is what it is. Hue has been apologizing for not running the ball more for over a year.. he calls the plays.


I think that is a big part of it.. we run the ball on about 1/3 of our offensive plays with a 3.6 yard average... I think our biggest problem is we don't sustain drives, we don't give the O a chance to get into any kind of a rhythm.. and we never have a defense on its heels.. that is when the running game becomes successful

I'm thinking that we shouldn't allow the other team to dictate whether we run or pass a lot. Yes, you take what the defense gives you, but you also can assert your will and dictate right back to them what they are going to have to try to defend.

If we're a good running team, then let's run it on them even when they put an extra guy in the box and let's pass when we have them biting hard on the run.

To the last 3 posters..............yep, it's all about coaching and has nothing to do w/our talent level.

Clueless!

I don't read WSU's posts, but it seems like you are talking about teams stacking the box to stop the run. Yep, we both pointed out that they did it last year and are doing it again this year.

Some are getting on Hue because he has said that he should run the ball more, but what is he supposed to say? Would people prefer that he throws Kizer and the WRs under the bus by pointing out that they aren't taking advantage of the opportunities that are on the field? LOL

I know not directed toward me, but:

It's usually multiple penalties that take a manageable third down/whatever down to "let's blitz them because they're so backed up again" and etc. Stupid ones too, like false starts on a WR. How does a WR get a false start let alone how many times ours do? And it's from vets too like Britt. It's absolutely pathetic and has to kill rhythm.

Tab,

My reference to Mr Objectivity above is that last year all our offensive woes - according to him - were due to Kessler's woeful arm strength. Now we have a cannon back there and we have the exact same issues but with a MUCH better OLine.

THIS year it's all because of poor WRs and TEs...last year it was all on Kessler.

It's still on the QB for the most part. Kizer is either not seeing opportunities or inaccurately missing on his throws. If he does make a good throw they are too often dropped.

In a nutshell, we are not completing passes downfield, whichever the reason. Until we do defenses are going to play the run. If we could hit more passes they'd play deeper leaving room to run. If we could then run effectively it would open up all levels of our passing game.

This is just a microcosim of the same finger pointing going on over whose to blame for the play of the field .... is it hue .. is it the fo ... is it execution by the players ... when in FACT ITS ALL OF THE ABOVE ...

Same concept here ... just a different question .... whose to blame for the lack of running attempts .... game score certainly plays into it ... 8 men in the box certainly plays into it cause we can't pass it downfield ( u can blame both the qb and recievers for that ) .. crow needing a seeing eye dog to find the holes when there their ... hue not calling enough running plays ... once again FACT IS ITS ALL OF THE ABOVE ...

No doubt. My only issue is that 1 1/4 years into his HC term, Hue continues to talk about running the ball more but doesn't do it...even before we get behind the eight-ball. That doesn't mean I want him fired...far from it. But it DOES lend credence to the calls for him to get an OC so he can focus on the bigger picture of the offense and entire team.

I would add to your point the unbelievable amount of foot-shooting penalties making 3rd & 3 into 3rd & 8 or 3rd & 8 into 3rd & 18...AND often times the penalty is by a vet player.

https://twitter.com/NFLDrafter/status/916006891615952896

so the shotgun is working the best around the league.

either we suck at execution, or we suck at execution.

Running out of the shotgun is great when you have the right runner for it. Crow is not that runner. He's a North/South runner that isn't much of a threat on the outside. He's not really the greatest at quickly finding the hole, so that half second of hesitation that he gets in the shotgun doesn't really help him. He'd be better getting the ball with his feet already moving. I'd almost prefer the pistol to the shotgun, but that won't help him much either.

It is about getting wins. And how that the team has not gotten any just yet! Just hope they keep on improving. Getting chemistry.

I agree 100% after having you said that and thinking about it. We do operate a ton from shotgun and etc, and like you allude to - this could be why Crow may not be the guy.

but what does that say about the team that a running back that averaged 4.8 yards a carry last season is no longer being considered the guy simply because our QB can't operate under center?

Says that the QB, should sit an learn. Hogan should be our starter

We're operating under a point deficient each and every game and are, in general, pass happy as is with a struggling rookie QB with a horrid cast.

It says a lot about our team, nothing of which is positive and hasn't already been stated in some which, way or form before lol.

We're just a bad team in many areas.

Crowell ran for 5.96 yards per carry last year out of the shotgun (79 attempts for 471 yards).

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CrowIs00/splits/2016/

In 2015 he ran for 4.46 yards per carry out of the shotgun (64 for 286).

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CrowIs00/splits/2015/

Running out of the shotgun isn't the problem.

Nice stats.

I think the problem the past two years is a lack of talent especially at the QB and WR positions.

QBs:

Last year, Kessler either couldn't or wouldn't challenge defenses w/tougher throws. He also held the ball longer than any other qb in the league other than T. Taylor.

This year, Kizer has been extremely inaccurate. He also holds the ball way too long, but I haven't seen where he ranks in the NFL. It's gotta be similar to Kessler.

WR:

Last year, they were not very good. But, Pryor produced and Hawkins was somewhat reliable. Coleman had a few moments and everyone else sucked.

This year, no one has come close to what Pryor or Hawk gave us and Coleman got hurt even earlier.

It's hard to run the ball when your passing game is so putrid. People can blame Hue all they want, but I think the reality is that we have been lacking talent/experience/productivity at both the QB and WR units the past two seasons. I could add the TEs in the mix, as well........but decided not to in this particular post.

I do not think Crow or Hue are the problems. Then again, I probably don't know as much about football as some of the geniuses on this board.

The problem? We lack playmakers pure and simple. No one on our O scares anyone. It's that simple.

It isn't THE problem...but it is A problem - at least for Crow THIS year for some reason.

I am sticking to my contention that Crow is the problem. He hasn't been running hard (to my eye). Last season he ran hard some of the time. Usually after he would get pissed off about something. I remember one game last year where he was just going through the motions, then he got called for a penalty that cost us a big play. He then became a different runner for the rest of the 1st half. He ran hard, ran through tackles. After the half he returned to his so-so self.

He also misses a lot of holes. Hiss vision is terrible.

At the end of the season, there is no way I offer him a contract. He's a free agent and in my mind is free to leave. I want Barkley. Along with 2 Wr in the 1st 2 rounds. JMO

FWIW. I have the same opinion of Crow and his play. I'm beyond ready to see what Dayes can do and ready to see Duke get more carries.

The difference is that the last couple of years, the shotgun hasn't been our base formation. It's a lot easier to run 5 yards when the other side is expecting pass because you are in shotgun.

If we want to go primarily shotgun, Duke is a better choice, but we need him at WR too. We are only in shotgun this year because the QB already has enough on his plate. We'll move away from it and Crow will be relevant again.

Crowell was his normal self in the first quarter but actually ran hard in the second quarter of the Jets game.

Regardless, you can let him walk. Dime a dozen player...

At the end of the day, Crow and Duke putting together 22 rushes for 80 yards isn't perfect, but it's enough. Until we get better quarterback play, we're not going to get consistent success rushing the football. We need QB play to open up the rushing for us in the second half. To Hue's credit, he really tried to run the ball this week, but this isn't a league in which that is enough.

I do wish we could get Crowell and Duke involved in the receiving game a little more. Outside of the long 3rd down and Duke being Duke late in the game, this was another week in which we didn't get them involved through the air. It's a shame, they're both talented receivers.

With that said, I say that acknowledging the missed shot to Duke in the first half in which Lee got called for illegal contact on Duke. That was heartbreaking because it was a clear touchdown without that contact. Ended up being 'overthrown' by about three yards but on the replay it was clear the contact more than made that difference.

The rushing got a lot better once kizer left if you noticed ...