DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season Preseason Looking Back: Browns 35 Lions 17 Postgame Thoughts

- Detroit's backups are horrendous ... maybe the worst I've seen in the NFL. We legit dominated them.

- Dayes is someone who I've always wished got more of a shot ... I hope he sticks (and Hilliard impressed too) .. tough to lose 1 or both of them

- Cajuste had an up and down night .. probably will be cut. Had penalties and a big drop

- I'll hand it to Orchard ... he made a nice play fighting for his spot

- We REALLY wanted to get some work for the OL (Robinson, Corbett, Drango, Zeitler) ... and they pulled A LOT. Definitely wanted to evaluate them there.

- Jeff Janis is gone IMO. He just never showed anything.

- Wish we could keep Dmari Scott. Maybe a PS candidate.

- The DB corps is really tough to pare down .. I wouldn't know who to cut between Rice, Jordan, McKinnon, etc.

- Baker was solid. Pretty accurate, under control, showed good poise ... did hold the ball too long on a few

- Chubb looked to have better vision IMO. Maybe he's adapting.

- Next time it's FOR REAL

Everyone starting this game did good. It was pleasing to watch. We moved the ball at will against Lion's backups.

It's just preseason.

I'm ready for regular season. This was just appetizers.

I like both players, but Hillard gives us a nice KO option to Peppers.

I don't think that anyone won the 6th WR, by tonights performance.

I hope that none of the injuries are long term.

Dont forget the rookie ... but I like Mckinnon and Rice.

Lions backups are hideous.

Baked looked solid.

All RB looked good. Hillard and Dayes made solid displays and should get onto another team.

Orchard finally made a nice play. L
I also liked the blocking for Nate, I think Currie did it.

Cool to see hard knocks with Nates big play and Cajuste's too.

I liked the effort. It looked unbalanced against Detroit though.

I got the Detroit feed on NFL Network. Chris Spielman was trashing the Lions a lot of the time.

I would have said dump Orchard and keep Nasib until this week. I've always hoped Nasib would stick here as a rotational guy. But then I saw him on Hard Knocks talking @#$%^ to Coach Haley. That was very disrespectful. If they keep Nasib and cut Orchard I'll be fine with it, but if it were me I'd keep Orchard and the rookie and Nasib would go...

This could be a really good defense. We improved our secondary immensely and our pass rush should be stiff. If we can stuff the run... Teams might have a tough time playing against this D. If we run the ball like I hope we do and limit the other guys possessions we could win some games. Run the ball, play good D, manage the clock, strike when the other guy becomes complacent... It can win games.

I would feel a lot better if they pick up a solid vet at WR during cuts. We have first shot at it and we should take advantage of that. Landry is a player you can build an offense with. He WANTS it. But with two players in the WR-room you can't rely on, having another veteran on board would feel very reassuring.

Dayes played so well, and then suffered an ankle injury. I feel bad for him, because I don't know whether we keep 4 RD, 4 TFE, or a FB, but I think he's in that group under consideration. He showed great burst on his TD run.

I think that Cajuste is also in competition for that same spot.

I also hope that Burgess is OK.

I hated to see some guys make big plays, and then big mistakes.

I really hope that Baker learns to speed thing up. He is still a little slow in his vision and decision making. He seems to be willing to study, so hopefully he'll learn as the season progresses, and he gets to really study tape.

I was glad to see Orchard make a big play. I think his time is done here, but I have to admit that I have a soft spot for a guy who is such a loving father.

I think that Janis is gone. I just don't see him as having done enough, and Jarvis Landry has really established himself as the veteran leader. With Higgins also stepping up as a veteran presence on the field, Janis is almost certainly gone.

I have a feeling that either Board or Scott will make the team as a PR. (at least initially) I really do think that Haley likes some of his young guys at WR.

Colquitt/Vogel could be a harder decision that I ever thought.

I think the team likes Simeon Thomas, as a big CB, but he is still raw. Do they risk him on the practice squad?

I really like Zaycoven Henderson as a plug on the inside of the DL .... but I think that he's probably either a practice squad kid, or maybe if even destined for another team. I think he's got a future, though, but maybe on a true 3-4 team.

I think that Ratley will make the team, as the guy who is inactive on gamedays. I think that he has potential as that big receiver so many teams covet.

I wonder if Gaines makes the team, or heads to IR.

I think that most of the roster is set, but the last 5 or 6 spots will be interesting. I imagine that there will be a shocker or 2.

Well, it was deserved. I thought Spielman was very good... it was like football 101 listening to him.

Freddie Kitchens calls a nice game.

The Browns defense is no joke. There will be a couple games this season where we get things going early offensively, and boat race an opponent... because of the defense. Write it down. With all the talent, we also have a tenacity. Teams won't like that too much when they're down and Greg Williams has us pin our ears back. Will be fun to watch a defense play with a lead occasionally.

Cajuste still shows that he's a "feast or famine" player. Don't think he makes the cut.

Baker Mayfield looks the part. He threw some beautiful balls tonight. Two of the prettiest were drops. Some of the criticism for holding the ball too long is unjust. He looks to be a QB who will have an uncanny ability to anticipate pressure and move well in the pocket. When it breaks down he flushes, keeps his eyes down field, and throws it away when necessary. He moves and freezes defenders with a solid pump-fake. QBs who can do these things well make game-changing plays out of a throw away down. Big Ben makes a living of it. Hat's off to Baker... solid start buddy boy.

Nate Orchard "made the cut" tonight. Great instincts to get his hands up, that's the way you play the position. None of his goofs this preseason have shown a lack of energy, and tonight did not disappoint. He also seems like a great guy with two adorable kids. I'm all for as much "professional football player" as we can get when we look at the last few years... heck, the last few weeks.

Hard Knocks has us spoiled. Next year's preseason is gonna suck.

I think Nate Orchard made the cut when Kendricks didn't make the cut.

Hit that nail on the head. That was definitely the biggest deciding factor. I still don't think it was a done deal 'til he lumbered down the field into the endzone.

So, who’s the player we’re going to nickname Shake?

Then we’ll have, Shake and Bake.

This one might even get us a Thanksgiving game.

agreed on Spielman ... he was disgusted with Detroit's play

in terms of who makes the team ... guys like Orchard, Scott, Cajuste, etc might initially make it, but their jobs are not safe for long if we can upgrade obviously

j/c:

--Most importantly, I really like the helmets w/out the stripes. The entire uniform looks so much better.

--Someone mentioned that Orchard made the squad when Kendricks did not. I don't see it that way. They play different positions in Williams defense. I think Burgess was going to make the team and now Bello might also make the team.

--I think I would rather have Orchard make the team over Nassib, but based on the lack of the latter's playing time last night, it appears his snarky self already made the squad.

--I like the speed and quickness of both Deyes and Hilliard over Chubb's.

--I would not be shocked to see Cajuste make the team over DeValve.

--McKinnon has the longest arms. Man! He had a up-and-down night, though. That special team's gaffe could hurt him.

--I like Jackson over Board, but both will probably get axed.

--#69 on the OL looked pretty good at times.

--Some of our top O-line guys played way more than I thought. You were more right than I was, Diam.

--Baker was more good than bad, but the bad concerns me. First the good. His arm is legit. I don't get the claim that he has a noodle arm. He was accurate. He moved in the pocket well. He made quick decisions when his first guy was open. My concern is that when his first read isn't open, he seemingly looks clueless. That's a pretty big concern moving forward. Not all will get that, but those who have listened to me talk about reading post-snap coverages over the years will get what I'm saying.

--A huge bright spot for me this preseason is just how much faster our defense looks. We have guys flying around. I think it's a combination of having some faster guys and guys being more comfortable in Williams' defense.

--Glad I didn't have to listen to the Brown's announcers. I love listening to Chris Spielman. The guy was one of the most intelligent on-the-field football players I ever watched. I also love how honest and frank he is. I personally like the passion, although I can see why the soccer crowd is probably turned off by it. LOL

- I thought Harrison (young LT #69) showed some promise as well .. it would be REALLY nice if he could at least hold down a backup T spot until year 3-4

- I'm okay with keeping Harrison and Robinson as backups at T, keeping Watford and Drango as backup Gs

Quote from fate...
Baker Mayfield looks the part. He threw some beautiful balls tonight. Two of the prettiest were drops. Some of the criticism for holding the ball too long is unjust. He looks to be a QB who will have an uncanny ability to anticipate pressure and move well in the pocket. When it breaks down he flushes, keeps his eyes down field, and throws it away when necessary. He moves and freezes defenders with a solid pump-fake. QBs who can do these things well make game-changing plays out of a throw away down. Big Ben makes a living of it. Hat's off to Baker... solid start buddy boy.

I agree here. People say he holds the ball to long but it isn't at the expense of taking a sack. He holds the ball when he has time. When the pressure arrives he either gets out of the pocket or makes the throw.
In the end he seems to make the right decision with the ball. His pocket presence is uncanny. You just never see that from a rookie.
On a side note.. Everyone please don't forget your tanning oil and sunglasses!

He was great to listen too, and refreshing. The one play I don't know if you remember, it was short run up the middle for us. The Def tackler comes in and tries to strip the ball, and instead of wrapping him up, and we get a few extra.

He makes them rewind the tape and is BLASTING the guy. I loved it. He is fearless in the booth.


I don't get the Noodle arm thing either. The kid has been clocked and rated as the 2nd strongest arm in the draft class. And he was throwing some lasers last night. The one over the middle that was his second incompletion, was a legit hardline laser.

--Yeah, I remember that play. I was laughing my ass off when Chris went off.

--I wouldn't put too much stock into the Combine test. I heard it's not a good way to gauge arm strength. With that said, Baker's arm is strong. It's not an issue at all. He also throws some beautiful spirals.

--One other thing I forgot to mention is Patricia has been clueless as the HC for Detroit. Some of his decisions, like the long FG before halftime last week have been horrid. He also has the absolute worst body language on the sidelines. Glad we didn't end up w/that guy.

I totally disagree with ya on Chubb and Rb evaluation. He has good vision and quick feet. No he isn't a burner, he is between the tackles pounder. He has improved each and every week. I think that style is what we need and might be the direction we go. Dayes fits more so than Hilliard... I though he was bad. Goes down to easy on first contact. No leg drive between the tackles. To his defense that's not what he is.

Post game thoughts:

My boy BROGAN looked decent out there! I loved that TD pass he threw. Hopefully he gets a shot on PS or another roster.

- No one has mentioned him yet, but I was impressed with Roback. He has some pretty good touch, doesn't mind pushing the ball down the field, especially when the WR is 1 on 1 with a DB. That quick side arm throw under pressure had a flash of Matthew Stafford. Hope we can keep him on the PS.

- The Orchard INT was pretty impressive. To catch a pass like that is not an easy task, then he took off with some decent speed. I think we end up keeping 4 DEs, and Orchard will be #4.

- The RB's did what the heck they wanted to do. Credit to the o-line, who needed a game like that, and credit to the RBs for making some nice moves. Chubb, Dayes, and Hilliard all looked good.

- Not sure who will be the 5th WR. I do know Janis WONT be. I saw a lot of 1 on 1 opportunities, and the odds were never in our WRs favor. DB's made the play darn near every single time.

- Its been tough trying to keep up with all the 3rd string DBs, but our guys have played pretty well across the board, especially in man coverage. Some more tough decisions will be made when calling the 53 man roster.

- Tired of seeing offensive PI calls. I think we only had 1, but still. Penalties in general were horrible last night.

- Baker looked good. Yes, he holds the ball a long time, and that cannot happen against 1's, but he keeps his eyes down field, and he has good feel of the pocket. He makes it work. Love his accuracy, and he can fling it when need be.

Good Game! Go Browns!

I enjoyed the heck out of that game.. fun to watch the Browns dominate even if it's just Preseason and second stringers..

I think Kosar was right when he mentioned that Detroit's D was playing vanilla,, nothing complex. He didn't want to detract from the good night Baker and the O had but he did say it wasn't even the best of a second team D.

Our D on the other hand, brought the house.. man they were just playing as if it were the Superbowl...LOL No vanilla there.

I want Cajuste to make it, not sure he will. That's not based on his play, although I thought he was decent, it's based on his Hard Knocks showing.. Seems like a good kid. Can't help but root for him. Dayes has the Job locked up IMO.

Hope CJ Board is ok..

A LB went down, not sure if he's hurt seriously (name escapes me at the moment, maybe Brantley)

I gotta say this, Mayfield, dispite the Detroit D playing Vanilla, put the ball where he had to and made plays.

I really see what the Browns saw in him.

They said it last night on the broadcast, and I agree, there will be quite a few of the guys we cut will get a show elsewhere.. That's gotta be a first.

All in all, a fun night watching football.. Very enjoyable.

I saw enough to make me eager for the real thang. I could not believe how relaxed I was and how much I was enjoying it. Hats off to some good efforts.

j/c

Let me preface this comment by saying I'm not an OL expert, all I can see with whether the is making his blocks or not. I don't have the background to speak about the footwork that others talk about.

I just watched the first half this morning, paying particular attention to the LT, #69 Desmond Harrison. He was lined up against Detroit's #49 Freddie Bishop most of the time. I think Bishop was in on 1 tackle, and that a run up the middle where the runner was stacked up. Other than that, Bishop was a non-factor.

Harrison looked very good, I thought, aside from his jumping the snap in the first series. On passing plays he kept his assignment out of the pocket, and on running plays he opened holes. He knocked his assignment to the ground at least 3 times. The 1 play where it looked like he got beat, turned out to be a successful screen pass.

Now, how much of that was his ability and how much was the Lions' ineptitude, I can't say. But for a rookie out of West Georgia, I'd say he has a future. I doubt he makes it to the PS.

days really grabbed my attention. We haven't had a breakaway threat like he showed for awhile. Keeper.

Gotta love the footballs headband:

I saw two bad passes. Everything else was on the money Wow. the screen pass was great it shows he has the touch as well as the arm.

Yeah, I don't know how you can watch that and be disappointed. I have a friend who is a Denver fan and even he was raving about Baker. The kid has a pocket presence, like the best of them. He can shift around and buy time. He needs to learn his pre-snap reads and go through his progressions a little bit better, but that's only going to improve with time. That is exactly why you let him sit on the bench. No need to give him David Carr/Tim Couch Disease in his first year while the rest of the Browns offense finds their footing.

Cuts this year is going to be tough! Some of these guys might actually find work with other teams. When was the last time we could say that. We could probably start our own thread about that. The RB position is 5 deep, and I thought both Hillard and Dayes had great games. I was really impressed with Hillard. That's a pretty shifty dude. It's a shame that we'll probably have to cut one of them.

Wide Receiver is going to be tough. Did anyone really stand out for that 6th spot? I think Ratley is a lock for the 5th spot, and he did well again last night. I don't know who gets the last spot. Janis looked terrible (again). Jackson had a nice TD grab at the end and I'm willing to give him a spot just for that Landry Speech spoof, but I think he's probably a good Practice Squad candidate. I'm almost thinking we should carry 4 tight ends, as Cajuste has shown himself to be a better receiving threat than any of the other receivers. Even with that bad drop he had.

As far as QB's, I've coined the phrase Broback's Disease for QBs that can't help but throw it deep every time. I think he threw 3 passes that were under 10 yards the whole night. The dude let it rip. I think he's already penned in as an ideal Practice Squad candidate, but I really wouldn't mind if we kept him over Stanton.

That Nate Orchard snag and TD was just sick! As much as he's labored the fact that he's not getting sacks, he's still at least generating pressure. He forced the QBs into making a few bad throws just by running in there. I think that TD grab though might cement him a spot on the team.

Great game all around. Can't remember the last time the Browns rolled up the score and looked comfortably in control the entire game.

I couldn't draw a lot from this game. I mean the Lions starting D is bad, much less the back up D so it is what it is. Other than a hand full of our players who were in the game, most of them were bubble players and fighting for their jobs. Nothing like anything we'll see on either side of the ball in regular season. With that in mind, here goes nuthin'.

Baker is developing. While this may sound a bit strange, one of the most impressive things I saw from him was when he threw the ball away. From memory, it was twice he did so. Young QB's tend to panic which leads to mistakes. And I did see him gamble on a pass he threw into traffic over the middle which I'm sure he wishes he hadn't thrown. But you'll have that on occasion from every QB.

But watching a kid throw the ball away to live another down is HUGE! It shows he cares more about the team than his stats or making highlight reels. It shows he's smart and doesn't panic under pressure. He's certainly developing. You can see him make some progressions instead of staring down WR's.

This kid wasn't asked to do a lot of things an NFL QB needs to do when he was in college. So it's certainly been a mountain for him to climb. But he is making his way up that mountain.

Cajuste seems to be on the tips of everyone's tongues these days so I paid attention to him. Holding call on the opening kickoff and a big drop on a good pass over the middle. You gotta wrap that ball up and put it away.

Orchard made a great play but I simply don't think it will be enough to save him from all the misses he's had thus far. Last year was year three for him and he didn't step up. So far it's looking like year four won't be that year either.

As we should have all learned last year if you hadn't by then, preseason doesn't mean Jack. But going into the regular season with a win has to be better than going into the regular season with a loss.

Everybody is talking about Orchard, because he made one good play. IMO, the dude has done nothing this preseason to say he makes the team. People are also bashing Nassib because of his antics on HK. But to my untrained eye, as I have been zeroing in on these two, Nassib is the superior player. He is always close to the ball. He has a knack for batting balls down, and he never stops. He is also much better at setting the edge.

IMO, hard knocks has tainted peoples minds. I'm reading where people want Orchard to make the team, because, "he's a nice family guy". Great for some reality show, but we need football players. I likes Orchard in the past, but with our lack of talent, he looked better than the rest. IMO, if he wasn't featured on Hard Knocks, most would say he is gone tomorrow, based on his play.

I don't understand all the love for Hilliard. He played against the worst of the worst, on a team that was going thru the motions. Dayes, I always liked, but when the regular season comes around and he gets a carry or two, he looks mediocre at best. I think he will stick mainly because of his ST play.

I kinda disagree w/you about all of that, but that's cool. We all see different things.

I just think Nassib's motor is nonstop. I don't think either is a great player, but Nassib does create push and is always close to the ball. The Orchard INT, was a great play though, and in the past he has flashed. It's hard for me, since in the past with this team, they would be considered starters. Now they are just trying to make the roster.

I like that

Carl Nassib setting the edge? The games I've seen him, he has been a HUGE liability in the run game, which is why you typically only saw him on passing downs last season.

I like Nassibs length in batting balls, but I see Nassib with only a very small edge on Orchard in terms of consistency.

Hopefully both continue to get better, but realistically, neither will get a 2nd contract from the Browns.

No to rain on BM parade, but I saw nothing impressive,considering he was the mumber one pick, he was ok/good like he was supposed while playing backups. Big windows, no passes outside the number. Ol was doing a good job for most of the time.9/16, 56% completions... nothing to rave about, he has to be on the high 60% level.

I liked Roback....

Imagine that. Coming from you. Who'da thunk it?

I DID NOT see that coming at all.

Shocking. Just shocking.