Cleveland Browns: Can they avoid being sucked into New York drama?
Today 6:54 AM
By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
TALKING ABOUT THE GAME
Just STOP!
That’s what the Browns need to do as they prepare to face the New York Jets on Monday night.
Odell Beckham’s watch...
Adam Gase vs. Jarvis Landry...
Most of the Browns vs. Gregg Williams...
Gregg Williams vs. Odell Beckham...
Perhaps the Browns will turn all the noise into action on the field before a national audience.
But it can’t the same “dumb” penalties (Myles Garrett used that word) the Browns put on display in Sunday’s 43-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The Browns have shown players video clips of some of the worst penalties, such as Garrett throwing a punch and Greg Robinson kicking an opponent. But they also have shown what happened before the personal fouls.
They want the players to ask, “How did I get provoked into losing my poise?”
Then they warned them to expect more of the same from the Jets.
THE GREGG WILLIAMS STYLE
I didn’t think Williams should have been named the Browns permanent head coach, but I had tremendous respect for how he brought order to a chaotic franchise at mid-season.
The Browns were 2-5-1 when Williams became interim head coach and Freddie Kitchens was promoted to offensive coordinator. Williams allowed Kitchens to run the offense. He concentrated on infusing discipline and accountability.
As one NFL source told me, “Gregg didn’t do anything that special, just normal coaching. But it looked great after the mess he inherited.”
Another NFL source characterized the Browns as “romper room” in the final weeks of the Hue Jackson/Todd Haley regime when those coaches were verbally dueling with each other.
Williams is egotistical. One of the reasons players such as Damarious Randall can’t stand Williams is because the coach sometimes attacks his players personally with biting, profanity-fueled criticism.
That style can work in the short term, but tends to wear out. It’s part of the reason his average stay with most teams is 2-3 years. The personality of Williams is part of the reason he didn’t interview with any other teams for a head coaching job despite his 5-3 record with the Browns.
But teams looking for a quick fix to their defense are attracted to the 61-year-old Williams, who was hired by Jets coach Adam Gase after not being named the Browns head coach.
I could be wrong, but I doubt Williams ordered the Browns to injure Beckham in a 2017 preseason game. Beckham claims he did. In that game, he was injured on a low tackle by Briean Boddy-Calhoun.
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reached Calhoun, who denied being told to injure Beckham by Williams. It doesn’t make sense to do that in a preseason game.
But Williams had a strange denial when talking to the New York media.
"We don’t do that,” Williams said. “Never done it anywhere I’ve been. We don’t do anything to hurt the team.”
But Williams was suspended for a year in the New Orleans Saints “Bountygate” scandal where players were paid for knocking opponents out of the game. Williams admitted it to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Saying "we’ve never done it anywhere I’ve been” is not true, period.
IMPACTING THE BROWNS
Having been around Williams for his two Cleveland seasons, I bet he’s enjoying all the controversy heading into the game. He knows the Jets were an underdog even before starting QB Sam Darnold came down with mono.
It will be even harder for the Jets to beat the Browns now, assuming the Browns keep their poise and play the game.
Just like Browns fans, Williams knows the Browns embarrassed themselves last weekend with 18 penalties. He knows they have some volcanic personalities such as Beckham.
And he knows if he can have a game where fingers are pointing, insults are ugly and a few fists are flying – that will benefit the Jets.
The Browns can’t fall into that trap.
GASE AND THE BROWNS
I have no doubt Gase threatened to trade some of his players to Cleveland unless they shaped up. Browns receiver Jarvis Landry said Gase told him and others that when they were together in Miami.
At least twice, Gase was contacted about coaching the Browns earlier this decade. Both times, he turned down formal interviews.
He viewed the Browns as a place where careers go to die, and that was a common opinion across the NFL. It had nothing to do with Cleveland, but everything to do with the people running the franchise.
That’s why this season is important. It’s time for Cleveland to cease being the Devil’s Island of the NFL.
General manager John Dorsey has upgraded the talent. He has brought stability to the front office. The 7-8-1 record was a major sign of progress.
But the Browns must show the maturity of a team intending to make the playoffs.
ABOUT ODELL BECKHAM
Odell Beckham wore a watch during a game. Odell Beckham ripped Gregg Williams. With Odell Beckham, it’s always going to be something to draw attention to himself – while insisting he doesn’t want to draw attention to himself.
He can be exhausting, which is a big reason the Giants traded him to the Browns.
What Browns fans want to see is Beckham playing like a Pro Bowl receiver.
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken said he didn’t see much of a timing problem between the receiver and Baker Mayfield. I thought there were times when Mayfield seemed to be fixated on Beckham. Someone who studied the tape of that game several times said I was wrong.
Beckham caught seven passes for 71 yards, three were for first downs. His longest catch was for 24 yards. He was OK.
The receiver off to the best start in the game was Rashard Higgins, who had two catches for 35 and 11 yards on the opening drive last week. Then he suffered an ankle injury.
Monken on Higgins: “The No. 1 thing is you can count on him. You can move him around, play him inside and outside.”
Higgins is a favorite target of Mayfield when the QB needs a first down. He has been limited in practice heading into the game.
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