DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 18 Saints 21 Post Game Thoughts

Meh... He played better, but I would hesitate to say well. Took plenty of YAC off the board with late passes, passes behind WR... overthrew badly at least two I can remember. Better anticipation, but nothing to write home about.

TD pass to Callaway showed me much more about the rook than TT. Tough pass to track and run down, most receivers would have given up or slowed too much once they hit the end zone.

Much better grade than last week's sog-fest.

I agree. Taylor had a good game. The INT was a bad decision, one he normally doesn't make, but the guy put us in position to win the game twice with passing the ball. I don't know what us he could have done.


This loss falls squarely on the kicker. I can't see how anybody could see anything different.

Post game thoughts:

1. Tyrod Taylor played well enough to win. He had a 73% completion percentage, 256 yards, a TD and 26 yards rushing. He had some good throws late to get us back in the game. He put this team in position to win this game, he isn't why we lost.

2. I don't get all the hate for Gonzalez. Sure, he missed a few kicks today. Even the best ever have missed kicks. The kick against the Steelers last week was not his fault, blocking assignments were blown and it was blocked. This week he struggled a bit, but I have fiath he will get this cleaned up, Cutting this kid now would be beyond stupid.

Gonzalez is a 2016 All-American kicker, Lou Groza Ward Winner, 2x First Team All PAC, and a 1x Second Team All PAC. He was one of the best kickers in the country, the kid is only 23 years old FFS! give him a damn chance, he is growing just like the rest of the team. this kid's leg is all world talent. He doesn't exactly have the best coaches.

3. Defense was not very good in this game. We allowed Drew Brees to complate 80% of his passes, 80%!!!!! you kidding me!? No professional NFL Defense should allow 80% or more completion rate. Brees might as well have been playing Madden 18 against our D. Our pass rush also wasn't as good as it was last week. Still need more work.

4. Offensive Line played better, but still needs major work in the run blocking area. Pass blocking got better, but run blocking still not good enough. We get no push at the LOS and that has gotta change and soon.

5. Hue Jackson has a dark cloud hanging over his head. I don't know if its fate, happenstance, or just really bad stinking luck, but I don't think we will get a win until he is gone. He is the new "Curse of the Bambino" and is so thusly named "the Curse of Huey". When Huey is gone thats when we get our 1st win. I feel it.

On a Side Note, Remember Cam Erving, he looks like a beast for the Chiefs! I watched him and Mitchell Scwartz open up holes large enough to drive a truck through against the Steelers defense.

Funny how Erving isn't good enough to play for us, but is good enough to play for the Chiefs....isn't it funny?, once Erving goes to a team with an actual "viable NFL head coach" in Andy Reid, a year later Erving suddenly has gotten the NFL game, the Light turned on and Erving is playing well. Erving justr signed a 2 year extension with the chiefs before the season.

this is just further proof Hue Jackson is an awful coach, who couldn't develop a roll of toilet paper, let alone a QB. .Andy Reid is laughing his arse off that he fleeced the Browns out of a young up and coming offensive lineman. The guys is a starter and solid depth, the kida guy Bill Bellichik wins championships with.

The Browns give up on guys too soon, and stick with losers like Josh Gordon for too long...sigh...were the only team in the league that can't develop anyone....how pathetic.

Can he kick?

Sorry man, Gonzalaz is a head case. He wont ever be any good under pressure.

The D was horrid on the 2nd half... just saying...

I can't give Gonzalez a pass today. Miss one? okay. Miss a few here and there? okay.

It was a JOKE today.

I'll say with Erving sometimes it's being with a different coach or different scheme thwt fits yo better... sometimes it's the fact that you got cut and it's humbling enough to make you start to wok harder..

Good stuff about Gonzales... I don't want to cut him but hope he gets to work and works on the mental side... kid has the talent but I'm worried this is going to get in his head....

Check. Yea I was watching from a bar without sound. They did most of their scoring in the 4th. I think we had the lead the entire game until around the 2:30 in the 4th mark.

Agree. Kicking in a dome. He makes the shorter of the two kicks and goes one of two onXPs and we win.

I think Taylor's game was fine. I'm looking for more steady improvement from him. I'm starting to get a little worried about the on-line, though. Harrison improved again, but our running game looked bad. Line got very little push all game. Hyde fought for every yard, it seemed.

I gotta watch again, but Haley's name kept getting called by the announcers throughout the game, and usually for the wrong reasons. Dude needs to turn the cute to zero in practice, and focus on perfect execution. This offense needs to gel and form an identity other than stinky.

Defense played well enough to win, and offense played well enough to be carried by the D....
Most of you don't know me all that well; so trust me when I say I'm not one to point fingers. I'm usually Mr. It's a Team Game... but I just can't wrap my head around missing not one but 2 PATs. And then missing a makeable FG on top of that, and sealing it with a miss on a tougher kick. I get that the guy has potential, but he's a kicker. Lots of guys on the couch that, while maybe they don't have as much leg, won't literally single-handedly poo away a game. I'm not gonna bother pulling out the pitchforks for a kicker, I'm just going to state that I don't see how a pro kicker can miss 2 PATs on top of a makeable FG and gets to keep his job.

How can you say that? It didn't even make it above the linemen's backs before it was blocked.

Post Game Thoughts???


Worked today till 3:30p but Dvr'd the game.

Just got done watchin it.

Now I just wanna start projectile vomiting.

I was really impressed with that drive where Taylor converted 3 or 4 third downs and chewed up a bunch of clock. I really thought we were going to win at that point.

I never think we are going to win.

You know when all his team mates agree with the guy leaving the team - which is what has been reported - you know something is up.

You don't know what's up? Me neither - I'll trust the FO. And even if it was simply repeatedly being late and pulling his hammy at some promo gig - I'm fine with it.

Gonzalez has not been good since he arrived last year.

Time to move on...

I've always been nervous with Gonzalez. Just never felt confident ... and as of late, it's been totally disastrous

Eve is savage tonight and taking no prisoners, I like it!

This perfectly sums up how I feel about him as well. Whenever he comes in, no matter what the length, I'm always holding my breath in hopes that he'll make it. I have noticed that its very rare that he makes kicks down the middle or the kick seems to be in control. It always seems to float left or right.

Dawson had ice water in his veins and never let any situation bother him. We need somebody like that. I'd settle for someone that doesn't have the range but is accurate.

#Browns have forced eight turnovers in two games. They have scored 10 total points off those turnovers despite numerous drives starting in the opponent's territory. The lone TD was a one-yard drive.
https://twitter.com/ChrisFedor/status/1041481753762951168

That's not good.

for years we've wanted TO's ... and we get them and STILL lose. Depressing

I missed most of the game, due to work....Just watched the full highlight tape

However we played in a dome (the most ideal controlled environment for a kicker and or punter) To miss 2 easy extra points in one game is inexcusable...The FGs yeah missing two in a dome is bad, I can understand missing the 52 yard one, but should have nailed the 44 yard one. Just a bad game for him, and I thought when we drafted him we'd have our kicker for the next decade...Doesn't look all that promising.

-How come the few times I saw Duke rolling out for passes the LB is sticking with him (Is he not up to speed or rounding off routes?)

-Whats up with the TE screens that amount to nothing for us

-Randall at FS is alot better, closes in and makes plays on or near the ball

-Besides kicking, how did special teams fair today? I know I heard on the forum Colquitt had a bad punt to start the game.

-Really couldn't tell much of the limited plays, played the Saints a lot better than I thought we would

-Browns have to win the next two games, no doubt about it...Both are winnable games by rather lousy teams...We need to win the games we are supposed to win.

lampdogg, understated as always

The defense was about as good as expected ... to hold Brees and the Saints to 21 at home is all you can ask for ... I just wish we would have gotten a stop when we REALLY needed it.

But obviously this L is on the offense and STs

This is the number one reason why we have not won yet.... have to capitalize on those turnovers!!

I initially felt bad for ZG, but then I thought to myself: "If I messed up at my job that badly, I'd be fired....and I wouldn't expect anyone to feel bad for me". So it's time to move on. The guy screwed the pooch and deserves the axe.

Yeah, I mean he has, what? two focuses in his whole life ... Kicking FGs and kickoffs.

With a short week, I'd be surprised if ZG is cut this week. If they are going to get rid of him, I'd expect it to be after the Jets game to give a new kicker more time.

Cutting Zane Gonzalez shouldn't even be a thought or conversation.

Specials teams players are built though the 5th, 6th, and 7th round draft picks along with depth at various positions.

We have to stop this cutting guys at the first sign of trouble. Gonzalez is 23 years old, he is young. We will never get anywhere cutting people at the first sign of trouble. You would think the Cam Erving lesson would ring this true to people(a wasted 1st rd pick that is paying dividends for KC)

We gotta be patient with the players we draft and develop them like other teams do. Look I want to win as much as anyone else, but we will never dig ourselves out of this hole if we don't start keeping the guys we draft for more then 2 years and start developing these guys. Every year we turn over massive amounts of our roster, and every year we get the same results.

I am fully confident that Gonzalez will get things sorted out. This kid was one of the top kickers in the country with numerous awards like All-American, Lou Groza award, etc. You don't get awards like that if you suck at kicking. Just give it some time, Gonzalez will be just fine. All he needs is to make 1 or 2 kicks and were aces, the kid will stop thinking and start kicking. I swear

You talk about giving ZG a pass yet want to fire Hue. Fact is, we'd be sitting at 2-0 right now if we had a kicker.

Blaming Gonzalez for last week is pretty harsh. With that said kickers are dispensable and there are plenty better than Gonzalez available.

Dang, girl.
Harsh, much?


Look... I sit somewhere near the 50 yard line between the two of you, but I get both takes. Trust that. On one hand, I totally get your optimism/enthusiasm, because a lot of stuff on paper looks better than we've seen in quite some time.

Still:
1. A season-starter of a W was snatched from us on botched kick protection in the rain. Ties are like kissing a sibling as practice for the Real Thing.
2. And this week, ST's once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory- with ZERO weather to blame.

[Rich Eisen: "Browns are gonna Brown"]

So... you have enthusiasm.
Jules has apathy.

Apparently, both approaches are for losers.... because the Browns have yet to win a game.

And you both are still here, right along with me and the rest of us.



Right now, I'm experiencing neither apathy nor enthusiasm.
I'm simply sitting back, and watching the season unfold like a TV serial, a la 24, The Sopranos or Breaking Bad.

____________________


I've chosen to study this season as the first with 3/4 a team, an intact coaching staff, good roster moves, and a decent chance to win some games.

After years of abject futility, foolishness and failure, I can reasonably say these things:

1. Crazy, optimistic Browns fandom is for teens, pom pom-waving cheerleaders, and Brownies who see more promise than actual
production has presented

and

2. Jaded, defeatist 'doom & gloom' Browns fans who drop smelly, semi-firm turds into the Sunday Browns Punchbowl-

-are both off base.
Niether of you fit these camps.

The season is young, and we don't know what may come down the pike.

Me/myself? I'm in a 'wait & see' place.

I'm happy that we didn't begin yet another 'top-down retool' this past off season. I'm happy that we did (seemingly) smart things between Jan and Aug.

Still... I'd love to be 2-0, instead of 0-1-1.

Certain Brownies can cheer they azzes off for a team whose best result in 30+ games is a tie....

... but I can also understand a certain "Show me" attitude from a certain segment of our population.

"Apathy Is For Losers" makes for a great bumper sticker.
It's not always appropriate when evaluating expressions of fandom.


2018 Browns are winless.
2018 Browns have one verified loss.
Yay.

It's not so much: "Apathy is for losers" as much as it is:
"Apathy is the result of following losers." And you can't blame someone for a 'wait & see' attitude.

Jules & Me might get on on board, once Our Team starts earning some enthusiasm.

W's earn that energy.
L's and T's don't.

Just sayin'...

Its just my life experience.

I know apathetic people whose reponse to everything is "Meh"

They experience no joy, no feeling, no excitement. Ever. They always expect to lose,

F that.

I live for every football Sunday, win or lose, I give the game all my emotions, and will to win. I expect to win. I love the rollercoaster for all its worth. If we lose,...my response is...can I ride the rollercoaster again?

So, yeah, if some lameo comes on here whining about how apathetic they are,...no I will not respect that. All the Browns fans at all the Browns Backers bars throughout the country wont respect it either, None of us will roll over being apathetic lameos.

And Your Life Experience is the only 'Truth' you need, going forward?End of conversation, right here/right now?


OK.



Enjoy your 'W.'
Lonely as it may be.


The rest of us actually live in a world of nuance, Hard Facts, and 'shades of gray.'


Shake them pom poms all you want. It's your energy to waste.



Jules is a skeptic.
Eve is a Fangrrrrl.

Clem wants to believe... but lives his Life in Reality.


I'll happily wait- with bated breath, thank you.
Browns haven't done sp!t to make me a believer, just yet.

Last week, they screamed back from a double-digit deficit, to grasp a TIE in Game One.
In Game Two, they managed to lock down an L, when given 3 opportunities to seal the W.


Until we see something other than the 'same old/same old,' you'll just have to pardon the 'wimps' for not being as convinced as you 'sheep' are.


Later.

if it were me, I would cut Gonzalez. Honestly, I've never felt comfortable with him for 18 games. He's VERY shaky ... but at this point? He's a disaster between the ears.

Do you really feel comfortable trotting him out there Thursday night in a game-changing situation?

our d was not “horrid” in either half. we pretty much held in check one of the most high powered offenses in the league. our defense did it’s job. New Orleans scored 40 last week and they will score 40 multiple times this year. good job by our defense!

Forgot about Ogunjobi ... that was a great game by him. Very disruptive

Kicking at this level is 98% between the ears ...

Right now ... its real hard to trust whats going on between his ears ...

He’s gotta go ... lets see if there willing to do the obvious and admit there “mistake” ... i don’t blame them now so I don’t think it was a mistake ... he must have been real good in camp ... if they keep him and it happens again ... THEN ITS ON THEM ...

He missed two extra points ... the 2nd one was 100% between the ears ...