DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2019 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 30 Redskins 10 Your Focus Against Washington

It's the first preseason game of this highly anticipated season. What are you going to be focusing on this particular week?

--I am most interested to see what types of coverages our secondary uses. I want to see if we are playing more man or more zone. And what zone coverages we do use when in zone.

--The RG battle will be interesting to watch.

--I will be interested to see if the d-line is more stout against the run than last year.

--I want to watch our backup offensive tackles. See how they do.

--Will any of backup qbs play well?

I have seen some of the local writers saying nice things about Gilbert. I am curious to see if he goes against Washington's 2nd or 3rd team guys.

Not sure who Wasington is.....just a poke in the ribs man. We all do that.


I agree. I am interested in seeing how our defensive backfield plays as a scheme. How often do we man up and how often to we play zone. The problem is you can't always tell on a TV broadcast since the main focus of the cameras is to follow the ball.

I also don't want to see our real guys playing much. They can get their timing down in a controlled practice where "our" guys might not hit as hard. Let the 2nd and 3rd team guys hammer out.

I want to see the kickers. I didn't think Joseph did such a poor job we needed to draft a kicker in the 5th. I am also intrigued by the Scottish Hammer. Nothing against Colquitt. He is a excellent punter, but I want that guy on my team.

I read somewhere it might come down to how he holds on field goals. I don't care about that. I care about 65 yard punts.

I care about holds. When I was a young kid, Bobby Franklin, the 2nd team QB held for Groza. Nothing says your punter has to be the place holder. Anybody with good hands could be the holder with some practice. Don't cut a great kicker because he doesn't hold well.

I can't say for sure, but I don't remember Ray Guy hold place kicks. I do remember him punting the heck out of the ball.

That's a good list. I would add, special team execution. The path for a lot of guys onto the final roster will be through special teams. So, the kick and punt coverage units, as well as the return units, are important. Bringing us to the kickers, themselves. Somebody has to step up. This is the opportunity to do it.

Another point of emphasis for me will be penalties of lack thereof. How many? What kind of penalties are they? Who is committing them?

These are things I'll be watching in addition to the areas you named.

There's been a focus, supposedly, on stopping opposing TEs. Let's see if that plays out. Also interested in defensive scheme in general. Aggressive? Bend-don't-break? I know it's preseason, so it'll be tough to really get a feel for it.

I hope we don't see our starters much, if at all. Yeah, need a little game speed practice, but man, not sure it's worth the potential cost.

I always look forward to the over-analysis of preseason games from the fans and media, too. I get a real kick out of the people who are the "we're going all the way!" based on us winning a preseason game and then the "we're going 0-16" people if we lose. Though I have a feeling there won't be as many people in that latter category, especially if we lose with our 4th stringers.

If this is truly going to be a big year for us, and our starters play, we need to see them dominate, especially against 2nd stringers. Too often our starters could barely compete, if at all, against 2nd stringers. I want us to be able to wipe the floor against opposing first-teams, let alone against backups.

More than anything, I'm just looking forward to watching some Browns football.

- RG play

- Gilbert and Blough

- Greedy

- K and P Competition

- KR and PR opportunities

- Backup TEs

- No injuries

I don't think teams really show you their hand in preseason. Things are ran pretty vanilla. I think you get a pretty good glimpse in week 3, but otherwise teams are trying to keep things pretty close to the vest.

As per usual I will be looking at depth and will pay close attention to the RG position in terms of technique.

RG play of course
Kicking competition
Get some offensive chemistry going ... ideally, one good drive then sit the starters
A good look at our depth at LB

Oh, and no injuries on either side

- Mack and Takitaki

- Kicking competition

- RG competition

I don’t believe any of the starters (the bigger names at least) are even playing a single snap.

RG and OT play. The one thing that could kill us on offense is bad OL play. I worry about replacing KG and lack of depth at OT.

I think most of our studs are going to sit out (as they should) but I'll be interested to see how the right guards play.

The bottom of the wide receiver depth chart is really unsettled so it'll be interested in seeing if anyone steps up.

Drew Stanton was awful last year so I would to see him put together a competent drive or two. Even more than that I'd like to see Garrett Gilbert show some control of the offense.

I am drawing a blank. Who is KG?

I think he meant KZ (Kevin Zeitler).

I probably better clarify something. I know that our starters are not going to play much and of course we never want injuries. When I used the word "focus," I was referring to the things that we will be able to see. That is why I mentioned things like backup qb, backup tackles, coverages, and the right guards.

I did not use the words "wish to see." I used the word "focus." LOL

Oh yeah............That makes sense. I should have thought of that.

I'd be shocked if we ran anything other than a skeleton version of our regular season defense.

I think the coverages will be employed. They have to be.

True. But the personnel running those coverages? ehhh

But yes, the type of coverages we are running will be interesting to see.

Fair enough.

As an aside.............Hey Refs........will you please correct my misspelling of Washington in the thread title? It's driving me crazy.

I hate the preseason... just want to get through it without any major injuries....

Thank you.

Yes, priority number 1

Most years I was hoping we didn't look like a Chinese Fire Drill on offense. This year I'm hoping we can successfully kick a field goal.

Most years I was hoping we didn't look like a Chinese Fire Drill on offense. This year I'm hoping we can successfully kick a field goal.
Sorry duplicated

J/c

Good point randawg ... for YEARS we’d be thrilled with a few first downs. It’s good to expect them now haha

The LBs and where they fit in the puzzle is interesting to me too. I suspect Taylor to get a lot of reps, same with Taki ... and I want to see us with 3 safeties on the field too

Three things -

1. WR comp...regardless of the preseason game, vanilla or not, who's playing or not...I think this is where these guys will start creating separation. Excited to see Willies.

2. Kicking comp. Although Joseph is by far having the better camp, I've read both of these guys are hot garbage in general.

3. Takitaki and Mack Wilson. Might as well start paying attention to these guys. They will probably be the starters next year.

I don't think preseason is going to tell us march about the RG comp, unless one of these guys lays a real egg in any of the games. The preseason games just aren't real enough. These guys are facing more comp in practice. That's going to be a decision that Freddie and Co. make based on the string of practices these guys are putting together.

Besides the usuals, if all these guys play, I will be looking closely at:
Austin Corbett
Sheldon
Vernon
Mack Wilson
Takitaki
Greedy

I want to see the offensive line mix, especially guards and tackles. Knowing we will go limited starters, I want to see how ferocious our "vanilla" sets can be. Especially pass rush and corners. The CB and S play interests me. I want some points!

I want to see the Hammer. Let's show off a bit and win this one.

J/c

Greedy, Redwine, Murray, and Burnett for me in the DBackfield ... basically the new guys

The kicking battle. I hope we are not married to a draft pick who is getting bested by the incumbent in TC/exhibition games.

I'd like to see how Takitaki plays. Dude is interesting.

Yeah now that you mention it, I'd like to see how Gilbert does. And Greedy... It'll be fun just to see him in a Browns uniform for the first time.

As somebody else said, no injuries on either team.

Having just got back from Cleveland and going to TC...I want to see our Oline perform well. I want to see how our Dline penetrates the opponents line and I want to see solid kicking. What I witnessed in Berea and at the scrimmage is worrisome. We WILL lose games with both kickers, but Joseph is currently the better of the two.

RE: the kicking gig....don't the Bears have two decent kickers? One will be available. What about trading Duke for a 5th and one of their kickers?

No and I repeat, no injuries.

Oline RG LT

Linebackers

Coordinators

PDX, can you give us a rundown of what you saw at training camp?

Yes pleas ... or anybody else who goes

Absolutely!

I just posted my thoughts in the 2019 Training Camp thread page 6 post #1645930!

Thanks bud

Good list, Vers.

As it is preseason I am not sure how much insight into defensive schemes we will actually get. But how we utilize the DBs is a big question for this season.

I am interested in:

- Special teams. A little w returners but mostly how the kickers and punters do. Will the Scottish Hammer get some opportunities to hold? Why do we not use a backup QB for that? It seemed that when I was growing up a lot of teams used QBs as holders. Don't see that any more.

- Ability to stop the run. This has been a problem.

- Ability to stop opposing TEs from gouging us. This has also been a problem.

- Fundamentals like tackling and eliminating penalties.

- Team speed on D. I think with the drafting of Taki, Wilson and Redwine we focused on fast guys who are not afraid to hit. I think this to counter players like Lamar. I want to see if this is noticeable.