DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 12 Ravens 9 Chubb, Callaway, and Other Notes

How is Chubb as a pass catcher? Any threat at all?

He was effective in college, though rarely used. (neither was Michel, and he's OK when called upon in New England)

That performance with Chubb was astounding! Give him seven or eight this Sunday. I would love to see the Browns blow up the scoreboard on the Rats.

A guy can dream.

Unleash the Elf!

After all the bad drafts this team has seen, finally we have players. But there will still be those that claim Dorsey sucks because Corbett is not starting.

Or, because we cut Nassib and traded McCourty. LMAO

I remember reading an article about how well Nassib was playing in Tampa ..... when he had no stats whatsoever.

Now, stats aren't everything, but you have to make a tackle once in a while to make an impact.

(he has 3 tackles in 4 games, BTW)

3 tackles? Dorsey is so stupid!

So is Hue! He should be fired!

I actually tried watching him against Pittsburgh last weekend .. didn't notice him once

I saw him on the sideline a couple times and that was it.

On a related note, the Bills cut Orchard a few days ago.

Browns notebook: Antonio Callaway faces challenge to play better

By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal/Ohio.com


BEREA — The Browns still trust rookie wide receiver Antonio Callaway to make big plays, but he has yet to prove he can consistently perform well.

Sunday’s 45-42 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders perfectly illustrated the conundrum. Callaway dropped three passes, including one that resulted in an interception cornerback Gareon Conley returned for a touchdown, but also set up a fourth-quarter touchdown by gaining 59 yards on a catch-and-run.

“He doesn’t play as well early and may start making plays later. He’s got to start faster,” coach Hue Jackson said Friday as the Browns (1-2-1) prepared for Sunday’s home game against the Baltimore Ravens (3-1). “We’re talking about a young man who hadn’t played football for a whole year, and I think he’s getting back into it. But he understands he needs to start faster for our football team.

“I don’t have an explanation for it. I don’t think he does. I just think in those situations, when you haven’t played, you’re just getting back in the groove, and you’re out there playing, and here it is. The anxiety probably kicks in a little bit. That’s all I can think of. I don’t want to make it more than what it is because I think he’s going to make plays.”

Callaway sat out for the entire 2017 season at the University of Florida because of his involvement with a credit card fraud scheme. Felony charges were dropped after a plea deal was reached.

Despite Callaway’s absence from football last year, the Browns have put a lot on his plate, especially since they traded Josh Gordon to the New England Patriots on Sept. 17. Callaway has played 191 of 310 snaps (61.6 percent) through four games, including 176 of the 221 snaps (79.6 percent) in the three games without Gordon.

Jackson now concedes the Browns probably need to lighten Callaway’s workload.

“We’re going to have to depend on Antonio,” Jackson said. “He’s going to have to make plays for us as we go. We’re not going to shy away from that, but maybe not playing as many plays as he plays in a game will help him get to step back, take a look, take a blow, come back and do it again.”

Callaway, who has caught 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown on 24 targets, expressed confidence in his ability to handle a high volume of snaps. But he also insisted he’ll follow his marching orders, whatever they are, without complaining.

“I don’t want to be no bad apple, no bad seed,” said Callaway, a fourth-round pick in April’s draft. “Whatever Coach says, that’s what it is.”

Meanwhile, the dropped passes aren’t haunting Callaway. He had one-third of the offense’s nine drops Jackson counted against the Raiders. In addition to slipping at the top of his route and having the pick-six deflect off his hands with about 10:11 left in the first quarter, Callaway dropped a ball for a would-be two-point conversion with 12:35 remaining in the second quarter and a screen pass with about 5:28 left in the third quarter.

“Drops are going to happen,” Callaway said. “I ain’t worried about it. Moving on.”

He rebounded with the long reception on a dig route and is sure he would have scored a touchdown if he hadn’t tweaked a knee during the play. Running back Carlos Hyde rushed for a 1-yard touchdown two plays later, and the Browns took a 35-34 lead with 8:07 left in the fourth quarter. Callaway sat out Wednesday’s practice because of the knee — he explained he previously suffered a torn medical collateral ligament in the same knee — but participated Thursday and Friday and said he’ll definitely play Sunday.

His teammates are glad because they still have faith in him.

“We believe in him,” rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “He has a lot of talent, so we’re going to be right there for him.”

“In some instances, when you talk to a guy that’s passionate or whatever it is, [making mistakes] puts them under the bus for the whole game,” receiver Jarvis Landry said. “He had a great attitude. He came back.”

Injury updates

Starting linebacker Christian Kirksey (illness) and starting free safety Damarious Randall (heel) will play Sunday, even though they’re officially listed as questionable on the injury report, Jackson said.

Kirksey didn’t practice Friday after participating the previous two days.

“The guy’s got the flu,” Jackson said. “We’ve got him quarantined.”

The Browns ruled out backup linebacker James Burgess (knee) for Sunday. He’ll miss his second consecutive game.

The Ravens ruled out backup cornerback Anthony Averett (hamstring) and backup linebacker Tim Williams (hamstring). They listed seven players as questionable: starting cornerback Brandon Carr (knee), backup defensive tackle Willie Henry (abdomen), backup tight end Hayden Hurst (foot), backup strong safety Anthony Levine (hamstring), starting left guard Alex Lewis (shoulder), starting nose tackle Michael Pierce (foot) and backup linebacker Za’Darius Smith (hamstring).

Over the top

Jackson is skeptical about the intentions of Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale, who said Thursday, “I think Baker Mayfield is this generation’s Brett Favre or John Elway.”

When told about the comment, Jackson’s initial reaction was, “Huh?”

“Tell Don, ‘Thank you,’ ” Jackson continued. “But I’m not buying that. Don’s a good man. I’ve been knowing Don a long time. Tell him, ‘You’re not buttering us up that way.’ That doesn’t work.

“Baker’s going to be what he’s going to be. He’s got a lot of football ahead of him. The guy’s played one game. Let’s let it all take its course. You just mentioned two names that are off the chart. So if he is that, that would be good for everybody. True? That’s the way it works.”

Another award

Running back Nick Chubb was voted the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for his performance against the Raiders.

Chubb rushed three times for 105 yards (35 average) and two touchdowns (63 and 41 yards). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, out of the 1,200-plus times an NFL player has rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns in a game, Chubb is the only one to do it with three carries or fewer.

Mayfield and cornerback Denzel Ward won the rookie of the week award in Weeks 3 and 1, respectively. This is the first season in which three Browns players have won the rookie of the week award since its inception in 2002.

https://www.ohio.com/sports/20181005/browns-notebook-antonio-callaway-faces-challenge-to-play-better

I think a lot of callaway's issue is his lack of awareness. He's literally playing with no experience (even last year). Hopefully he gets better each game

This is amazing in and of itself.

Stop!
You and that Diam fella need to get hold of yourselves,you're starting to sound foolish.
We are presently,and where we will end up,the doormat of the North.There is a good probability we will crawl out of the gutter next year,but we most assuredly will not be the team to beat.
Maybe in 2030 or 2040 after the bugs have devoured my stinking carcass the Browns maybe good.
And,of coarse,that will be the end of humanity on this planet.

Stick with Calloway don't dial his playing time down...turn his playing time up!

He's the most explosive player in the passing game.

Get him more touches early. He's a rook, he's gonna make mistakes, he's going to drop passes. But he has big play potential that will make it all worth while in the end.

You have to keep Calloway in and take some shots to loosen the D. Otherwise they’ll strangle us. Give Ratley a chance. We need some wrinkles as this is a very good D we are facing.

Hollywood Higgins had a great game last season in week 17 against the Steelers. 3 reception 66 yards & 2 TD's. And he has improved off that game. We need to keep him as I believe he can continue to improve as this team improves.

Is there a don't like button for this Negative Nancy?

The Browns could vey possibly go 0- for the rest of the season. But I don't think it happens. There is a lot of football left to play, but I like our chances to finish with 8 wins more than the chances that we only finish with 2.


I agree that with Dorsey manning the ship, we can be the dominant team in this division for the foreseeable future.

Not sure if you are being sarcastic.. but I couldn't devote a single minute of my time to this team if I felt like that.

You should have another coff of cuppee, bro....

The Steelers are the new doormat right now, and right now is all that matters. Last year's losses don't count for squat this year.

One loss by Baltimore and a Win by us puts us in 2nd. We hold tiebreakers on the Steelers AND Ravens already.
And, that fact, right now, sets up a potential Week 11 showdown between us and the Bengal for the Division lead.

Book it.
Yeah, there is a LOT of football to play still... but that holds true for all of the other teams just as much as it does it. These are NOT the Browns of the past 20 years.

I don't know Prpl.. the Bengals just have the look of a team that is poised to win the AFCN and then lose their first playoff game.

I watched parts of the Miami game and then the highlights again last night. Miami lost that game. The Bengals are beatable but then again so are we. Is that game reflective of Tannehill overall?