DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2020 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 7 Steelers 38 What I saw Steeler Game #1

Thanks EO. I’m sure we all agree with your points. Not much to celebrate after that one.

The one huge, huge disappointment from me: our OL got manhandled. Wills looked like a JV guy, Hubbard proved why he’s BAD, Conklin was beaten repeatedly, etc. I know we miss Teller ... but they got embarrassed.

Another huge thing: Baker simply is NOT progressing like he should. He can’t see the field (whether this is a physical thing or mental thing).

Our defense, with the exception of Myles and Richardson and occasionally Vernon, is crap. I see that Ward’s given up the most TDS of anyone in the NFL. Yikes.

I didn't bother to watch the final minutes of the 3rd quarter or any of the 4th so on one hand What I Saw might be limited, but I don't think I missed anything.

-I don't know if the Steelers are just that fast but our guys looked uncharacteristically slow. Just slow all around

-ANYBODY has got to be better than Sandejo... He could have had multiple tackles for a loss but I guess didn't realize wrapping up was part of it.

-Our DBs were jumping routes early which was awesome but a couple completions by Ben made them gun shy the rest of the game.

-Hunt looked off all day. More than once I saw him hit the line, look at the hole off to the side and instead of side stepping he does this weird spin move and can hardly keep his balance. Romo kept quipping how the best way to run at the Steelers was to run right at 'em and make the LB/DB pick a side. Hunt's best runs came off of doing that but there just looked like so many opportunities to bounce around a defender that he normally hits.

-The GAMEPLAN... on one hand it was good to see that Stefnaski didn't panic and didn't allow us to go completely 1 dimensional by the end of the 1st half and early 3rd quarter. But this offense only has one gear. We don't seem to utilize those sudden, up tempo drives that helps your QB get his feet under him.

I've got a little more on Baker but I think I'll drop it on the Baker thread..

What I saw was at least in this game nobody can say we looked great in the first half only to let our foot off the gas in the second half.

Good point about Chubb. We really miss him. Hunt is a different type back. Better out of the backfield and as a 1B type player.

Chubb hits those cutbacks and weak side zone runs so well

Well, I tuned out when we went down 10-0, and I turned it off just before Half, so I didn't see much.

What I did see was that it was painfully clear that we were outmatched in every aspect from the word go.

Our vaunted OLine got pushed around like rag dolls.
Our DLine couldn't get ANY pressure, nor could they plug run lanes.
Sendejo is still an unguided missile.
We have absolutely nobody that can cover any of their taller receivers.
Our QB can't see stationary LBers
Even if he could, he has people in his face as soon as he finishes his drop.
We were completely ineffective at running the ball and they didn't have to sell out to stop us.

I think we learned some things and confirmed some things:

We confirmed that Hubbard is just a backup and will not fare well against elite D Lines;

We confirmed that Teller is really, really good;

We learned that Jack Conklin will struggle against speed rushers;

We learned that Hunt + Johnson is way, way < Chubb + Hunt;

We confirmed that we aren't ready to compete with the top 10 or so teams in the league;

We learned that our vaunted D line is good...but no where near elite;

We confirmed that our back (7) is below average with a couple good pieces keeping us from being poor;

We confirmed that our rookie LT has a lot of promise and a ways to go;

We learned that our rookie HC needs more to work with;

We learned nothing new about our QB who struggled mightily and confirmed that he is not yet comfortable in this offense;

I'm not sure we learned anything at all in this game other than we are not in the same league as Pitt or Balt...everything fell apart except for a few bright spots like Richardson's effort;

We can't really confirm that we progressed from the Colts game because we were inept all over the field...I'm not sure we can confirm that we regressed either as THAT might actually be what we are capable of right now;

We experienced another Browns game where we cannot truly take away much of anything positive from our play in that game.

If it wasn't obvious already, then the Steelers provided the blueprint on how to play this offense. I would think other teams would try to replicate. If Baker can't improve and adapt, then we've answered the question of what (if anything) we're going to do at QB.

Baker still has the season to improve and show what he can do. He's improved before, and I think he will.

Then we have to make adjustments. Probably more quick passes ,slants and screens etc. I think we have a coach that can make the necessary adjustments.

I hope we don't start blaming another coach and run him out of town. I didn't like the hire, but the guy is doing a good job. I don't think "lack of adjustments" were the problem.

Other teams can attempt to replicate, but they have to have the talent to pull it off.

Creative blitzing has been used to cover for sub-par talent before.

I think we have a coach that can do that too... but we also need a QB that can beat a blitz.

Olay!

I think he means adjustments going forward. Trying to make adjustments during that game would be like trying to adjust your carburetor with a blown fuel line!

This game was a full failure in all departments, but the "way to beat the Browns" falls squarely in Baker's lap. If he can't beat pressure, can't beat the blitz... at least occasionally, then the blueprint will remain.

Fact is, this puts Baker directly into a sink or swim situation; week after week, with no excuses, because we will game plan for it. He just needs to execute. No more "well, he's making progress". Small ticks on the progress chart will probably mean more losses. Baker needs to step up to the plate.

Not only did Sendejo not tackle him .. he didn’t even TOUCH him

I don't think lack of adjustments were the problem either, but I do think some would have presented a possible solution. I really would have liked to have seen sometime shortly after 10-0 us go in to a no huddle for a series or two. Hit on a series of quick plays to get some confidence back in to your offensive unit as a whole, gets some points to keep you in it, and because we are good at running a lot of different things out of the same look, it may have even slowed the Steelers D a little.

But that's just me. I do give Ski credit for not coming out 1 dimensional to start the 2nd half.

All in all I think Ski is doing a fine a job especially within the context of how this year started off.

Ouch. I haven't seen anything that inept since Trent Richardson running away from the holes or Brady Quinn's accuracy chart.

is Kareem Hunt still dealing with the groin injury? Cause he seemed a little slower than usual.

Its definitely not the coach. Its a QB that, right now, has some issues.

I don't think was the coach either, well he gets some blame too. IMO, the players either didn't step up the intensity in face of adversity or they couldn't.

We need Safeties and LBs.

I just wanna say I can't wait till we look ahead to the Bengals game and put the Steelers game behind us and move on.

I didn't know exactly where to put this so I posted it here. We got beat really bad Sunday in all phases of the game. We all know that. We are a young team laying a foundation and hopefully will improve as we move forward. I remember a game back in 1969. WE had just beaten Dallas really good and were playing well. We went to Minnesota and we got destroyed 51-3. We couldn't run, couldn't pass couldn't do anything right. Bill Nelson was sacked twice and was constantly under pressure. He threw 3 picks and we had 4 all totaled. I was 12 and couldn't believe we got beat so bad. In the 53 years I've been a Browns fan this might have been our worse defeat. It was a veteran team that bounced back the following week and won easily. What I'm saying is we have to forget about this game learn from it and move forward. It's the only thing left to do. We've been outscores 76-13 in our 2 losses. We played Minnesota again that year in the championship game and got soundly beat again. The aggregate total; 78-10 Just an observation.

I think a coach owes something more to a team than I saw, especially Sunday. I think we planned well enough, but our offense didn't bring a ton of variety, specifically some work at doing things to try to take the pressure off. Not much outside running, reverses, screens, others that might have caught them. Keeping BM, a slow reader under center as much as we did, and other stuff like not rolling BM often. Some of what might have helped belongs to Ski if he is the caller. Some of what we saw, if results drive the calls and frequency of the plays, should not be seen often at all. This isn't the whole answer admittedly, but I want players to know we tried different stuff.

I will say one thing.

Case Keenum came in and did pretty much squat. No points scored (not even a field goal), I know he had few, if any, 1st team reps, but him coming in and not scoring at all tells me the issues on Sunday extend far beyond just the QB position.

My Baker agenda? Most of the country agrees w/me and disagrees w/your Baker agenda.

And I could care less if you and a few others think I don't know football. I think most folks on here know better. But, even if they don't, it's not a character trait.