DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2021 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 14 Raiders 16 Postgame thoughts

Maybe. My thinking is to sign a vet. There are a lot of guys out there who have hung around for a reason, but I admit they have hung around and moved around for a reason as well.

I wouldn't be against spending maybe a 3rd rounder on a guy, but we have to be ready for failure because failure rate for kickers is pretty high. We drafted Zane Gonzalez pretty high when he was the best kicker in the draft, and he has bounced around some. I mentioned Evan McPhearson out of Florida. He has been money for the Bengals. I also liked Carleson out of Auburn a few years ago, and he beat us last night. I haven't started to look in to draft eligible kickers for this year.

I always know when a loss bothers me more than usual when I'm still obsessing about a couple plays the next morning. In this case its the 3rd and 3 run by Chubb on our final possession. I kept thinking how well a couple roll-outs to the left by Mullens worked, because they forced a defender to come up into no man's land and leave a receiver open behind him. The second of these resulted in the TD to a wide open Harrison Bryant.

The other play was on either 2nd or 3rd down early in LV's final drive, when I thought Carr was looking rattled and ripe for a balls-out blitz. We had sent a CB blitz from the left on the prior play but it got swallowed up in the LOS scrum. I wanted a Koramoah blitz right up the gut, where I thought there were gaps in Carr's protection, but it didn't happen. We left the short middle soft and defended deep and at the sidelines (to keep them inbounds after a catch). Turned out to be a bad strategy, IMO. I wanted an aggressive attacking approach that tried to cover receivers rather than concede short pass completions.

There are QBs who will kill you if you blitz them, but I don't think Carr is one of them. I was watching and I just had this really strong feeling we were going to see a strip-sack or another Interception if we only pressured Carr more.

Since two of those games were PIT and BAL, that would have us looking really good right now.

Jc

Man I’m really sad about this loss. I get that we are Covid stricken, and we played as well as we could.

But the big picture is something that really bothers me: this entire team plays so conservative.

Guys, this is the kind of game where you’re just supposed to say “f it” and just let it rip. And yet both sides of the ball played so scared. It really makes it obvious that this entire coaching staff coaches and schemes not to lose. Woods, Stefanski, or whoever is acting HC, this team has been coached to play soft and scared.

Our team played as well as they could given the circumstances, but they played as well as they could given the extreme conservative nature of the game plan.

I don’t put this on the players. I put this L on our coaching staff. They really coach scared. That’s not a recipe for deep playoff runs.

Good point about Carr. He wasn’t good last night and seemed hobbled. Any pressure folded him outside of a few minor plays.

We surely miss Clowney and Takk when they aren’t in the game. And we desperately need DT upgrades

Packers fan here. See you guys Saturday. I am truly sorry about that Covid crap you had to deal with. You would have won if it wasn’t for that. I don’t wish that on anyone. I hope you guys get to the playoffs without beating us. Here is to a great game Saturday with no injuries and good officiating and no Covid hitting us. Much love your way. Merry Christmas.

j/c

On the Raiders last drive we were gassed...twice they were able to get out of bounds and stop the clock...why did we not use a timeout - or 2 - there? Give those guys a minute or so to catch their breath...maybe allow the coaches themselves to re-assess their plan to get a stop? In-game decisions.

"Bart Scott, a Browns and Baker hater, was the only analyst I saw predict the Browns would not make the playoffs.

Bart gets the last laugh."

You can not help yourself can you?

Like the Browns. Always wish you well when your not playing us.

Not sure about Woods or Stefanski (as a play caller). Both guys are WAY too conservative. You can't win playing soft in this league. Still need help at LB and some depth at OL. Next year we need to see if Baker is the guy. I can easily see the Browns drafting a QB although I'm not sure who's available right now. Oh well - wait till next year. Like none of us have EVER heard that. Deflating.

j/c...

Josh Gordon chiming in with his postgame thoughts. His since deleted tweet...

This. IF Kevin cannot relinquish play calling duties he MUST be fired. You cannot constantly choke the talent you have on the offensive side of the ball. Same goes for Woods (although LB is lacking). Playing not to lose does one thing: It causes you to lose. And we are all sick and tired of losing winnable games. It's ridiculous and the front needs to understand this and make the necessary changes. The sooner, the better. Use these last 3 games to learn something.

Which is par for the course for Woods. Also the reason he needs to be relieved of his duties. I think most of us would support this move.

j/c...

Joel Bitonio with a 91.5 PFF grade playing LT. Wow.

Ask yourself why our coaching team so often prefers to play conservative in the third and fourth quarter instead of having a more pro active approach. Yesterday’s last 3 minutes was a great example why our game ended with a loss.

The bosses on the top sets the tone. That’s how a healthy organization should work. Players comes and goes but the culture should stay the same if you have a confident leadership. If our GM gives instructions to our coaches that he wants us to be more adventurous then you will see a another type of game. Using a conservative approach is often about not having the self confidence to when necessary being able to take on the challenges and put your trust to our own players.

Humans have three types of approaches when facing challenges. (read danger)
Attack. (being pro active)
Freeze. (wait and see)
Flee. (being defensive)

Compare our approach in the latter stages of the game to the Ravens or the Steelers. Huge difference.

I've said it before... there's something in the depths of "analytics" that color codes our play charts... both sides of the ball. Playing "not to lose" is somehow what the math says to do. We can change up plays all we want, but time, distance and score dictates when they are allowed to be run.

Early on, the coaching staff and FO agreed that they will live by that sword, and they're obviously willing to die by it just the same.

ONE WOULD THINK, that a game like yesterday would allow a little rule breaking, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but it really didn't happen -- and on the rare occasion it did (blitzing) it was usually defended well... apparently reconfirming the mindset of the brain-trust.

I'm so tired of hearing things like "oh, you can't blitz that QB, he'll kill you". PLEASE make me a list of QBs that don't kill us, as a little evidence that we should stick to this tired idea of "create pressure up front". It's been the curse of Myles Garrett and has been the narrative over multiple coaching staffs. What a sham.

Meanwhile, the QBs that you can't blitz... Mahomes, Jackson, have been rendered largely ineffective on many Sundays this season because teams finally had the balls to blitz them.

File under FWIW…

I did not expect a huge amount of offense during this game.

Two things occurred that allowed the Browns to lose:

Failing to get first downs after the interception.

Failure to stop the Raiders from getting close enough for a FG because too often Raider receivers were open. That happened far too often.

Coquitt’s somewhat shanked punt didn’t help either.

Gilliam was on the Covid list last night. See how easy that is?

That PI call on the raiders drive that put them up 6 was total BS. We had them stopped and that hurt us as much as anything else in the game.

1 first down was all that was needed - 1 damn first down - 10 yards.

Not likely and he won't be under contract.

This 100

Steelers and Ravens -- WOLVES
Bengals -- Wolf pup
Browns -- Chihuahua

You are bing unkind to Chihuahua's. . . . tortoise might be more appropriate.
4 yards ... one play, 4 yards.

Much like yourself I'm not understanding what anyone was expecting. These guys played their hearts out. I know that a moral victory doesn't help get you to the playoffs. With 19 players on the Covid list and playing our third string QB, most of even our loyalist fans didn't give us a chance in hell. Yet they played their hearts out and almost pulled it off. This "almost win" by people just moved up to the active roster and our 3rd sting QB was actually a better showing than we've seen in some other games this year under far better circumstances.

Sure, people can critique it like they expect everything should have went well with 19 players not on the roster. Even the punter was just signed because Gillam is on the Covid list. All you hear is how if this or that had been done a little differently, we would ave won. Yet before kick off you heard we didn't have a chance. Expectations escalated quickly.

Silver lining....I will get better odds on Cleveland for next year

That is the defeatist attitude that not only permeates this board,but the team as well.
Despite all the challenges you mentioned,there was an opportunity to win the game.But instead of seizing that opportunity,the team did what it has done several times this year,choked.Fear of winning is just as bad as excepting losing.

j/c...

Zac Jackson
@AkronJackson
Stefanski says John Johnson is day to day and “results pending” on Garrett’s groin injury.

Nate Ulrich
@ByNateUlrich
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Day 10 for him in COVID-19 protocols is Saturday, so he'll be able to coach vs. #Packers on Christmas

Zac Jackson
@AkronJackson
Stefanski goes no-comment route when asked if he will consider a kicking change.

Nate Ulrich
@ByNateUlrich
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he won't get into whether he would have called the same plays as Alex Van Pelt on the final possession, added AVP is a pro, he's done it before, has total faith in him doing it

Ignoring the reality of a situation by having unrealistic expectations is what we are witnessing. Your post is a prime example.

I'm worried about Myles. It appeared as though he may be suffering from a pulled groin. It didn't look good.

No, it's not... not at all. His post has nothing to do with "expectations". Neither do most others. This is another "Pit builds a narrative that doesn't exist" thread.

We were WINNING THE GAME.

That has nothing to do with expectations or a covid list. NOTHING.

When you're winning a game and your coaching and play-calling gives it away, fans have every right to call it like they see it.

The "reality of the situation" is we should have won the game, but you can slice it any way you want to.

Our coaches puckered their butt-holes, yet again, because it is a way of life for them. Whether we're up by twenty or down by twenty, Lions or Chiefs, home or away, doesn't matter.

You can not like people calling it out all you want, but it has nothing to do with unrealistic expectations.

i can only add one thing,
yea.

Yes we were winning a game that nobody thought we had a chance of winning. It's just with 19 people on the covid list and a third string QB, we came up a bit short. Who could have imagined that?

That is this year are most of Next year. It is usually a 12 month rehab

I’m not sure if you arguing for the sake of it or if this is your honest belief? Anyway.


Like everything else in life great opportunities comes and goes. Against the Raiders we had like you said 19 people on the Covid list and a third string QB but we still had a very good chance to win this game. Less then 3 minutes left with the ball in our hands and with a similar approach three times in a row then a punt. In came the defense. Once again we had a really good chance to win the game but we let it slip because of fear and us being too conservative with only seconds left on the clock.

Why is that happening again Pit? Was it the first time this season? Do you see any patterns? In your opinion do you think anyone is responsible?

Einstein famously said… The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.