DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2022 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 20 Eagles 21 Postgame Thoughts

Not sure if this thread is always started by one poster or not. My apologies if it is. Just let me know and I won't start it again.

My thoughts:

First and foremost. The defensive line play was terrible. I did not see one guy who looked good. I'm sure Wright will get some love because he did slip a few blocks and make some tackles, but he did a terrible job of setting the edge. The interior guys were horrid. Winfrey was easily contained and never had a counter move. Perry and Logan were pathetic. The DEs were bad, too. Rochell and Odom. Gag. I am very concerned w/out DT play. This simply can't happen.

The only LBer who impressed me was #42, Tony Fields. He isn't great, but he's a football player. The other dudes...Harvey and #56 stink.

AJ Green was okay. The rest of the secondary had some good and bad play.

The offensive line that played w/Dobbs, our second string guys, actually looked pretty good. Hudson did pretty good, but the guy who impressed me the most was Dunn. He played some center and quite a bit at guard. He got to the second level multiple times.

Dobbs looked very good. His arm looked way better than I remember. We know he's smart and athletic. I was also impressed by his pocket presence and throwing the ball on time. Rosen looked okay at first, but there was clearly a timing issue w/his receivers right at the end.

We have 5 really good backs. It's kinda hard to believe. peen has been high on Kelly and the guy looked good to me. Very good vision and always is going forward. Ford looked good, too.

I feel a little better about our receivers after today. We might get a couple of guys who can compliment Cooper and DPJ.

The TEs had a couple of good moments, but underwhelmed and had a couple of dumb penalties.

The kicker looks to be the real deal.

Bottom line: I like what I saw for the most part, but the DTs are a huge, huge concern. We have to upgrade there.

I think David Bell looks like a veteran already. We had another WR or two make plays, , which might mean we can cut Schwartz because he dropped another one.

Dobbs will be the backup to Brissett. It’s hard to tell sometimes with all the backups playing, but he looked crisper than Rosen.

We will be cutting a good RB such as Kelly, if we can’t trade him.

We got gashed up the middle in the first half.
Just a few quick initial thoughts without reading anyone else’s.

Glad to see Josh Dobbs doing well

Yeah agree about Dobbs with his pocket presence and intelligence. Hell, I wouldn’t mind if he started over Jacoby, if it came to that.

Dobbs showed some big time athletic ability on that 34 yd tightrope down the sideline
RBs did a nice job of bouncing to the outside for 1st down runs
Josh Rosen looked very average today.not understanding the love he got last week
The dline wasn't firing off the LOS and getting low
I watched a Eagles WR do something that Anthony Schwartz can't do
Get behind a secondary by 5 yds and come up with a big time catch
Again the defense failed to create Turnovers like last year.

We lost by a missed field goal. Sound familiar?

Not knocking York. I think he’ll be great and win more than he’ll lose.

The DT’s were horrid. I don’t know how much Togiai played but I’m praying it wasn’t much. I couldn’t make out the numbers from where I sat. The linebackers weren’t good either but the only guy I think will make the roster is Fields unless another makes it for special teams only. I agree that early on the DEs were bad. I thought they got better later on. Rochell was pushed 2 yards deep in the end zone on one of the TDs. If we take 11 dbs I think Herb Miller might make this team. I don’t like that.

Offensively I thought we looked pretty good. I think we only had two penalties. I really am intrigued by Baldwin. He is a big body that last week and this week has shown some good things.!hope he makes the PS. I wonder how Dobbs has looked in other preseasons. He looks good but he is going against backups. Outside of the top 6 lineman I have no idea who will make this team. Was Dunn playing center?

j/c:

I'd cut Josh Rosen and run with 2 QBs until Watson comes back. Use that extra roster spot at WR or DT where there is still so much uncertainty and youth and see how who might separate themselves as the season goes on. Heck, there seems like a lot of good young players at TE and RB too they team might not want to lose.

I posted this earlier.


The first time I saw him, he was at center. Later at guard. Not sure if he shuffled back and forth. I don't think he did.

I didn’t watch it play for play, but I agree with a lot of this stuff.

- our DT play is horrid .. the first few drives they were getting gashed.
- I love what I see from Ford and Kelley. Our whole backfield is tough.
- I’m glad York missed honestly … he’s bound to miss a few times lol
- Bell has been underwhelming
- Dobbs was the star of the day. He’s a shoe in for the roster
- Hill will be cut immediately. He was toasted all day.
- Herb Miller certainly had a rollercoaster day.
- No injuries that I saw of note, which is good

I think a guy to keep an eye on is Deon Cain for Philly. He looked really good to me. He was good at Clemson. Drafted by Indy and has bounced around mainly due to injuries. The announcers were saying the Eagles were looking for RB help. We could use another WR. They mentioned Reogar, the former 1st round pick, but Cain looked better to me.

It's really hard to identify numbers anymore because the camera cuts away so fast from the actual play, but Tiogai was playing at first. He was not as bad as the other guys, but I was disappointed in his performance.

If we’re to have a good D we can’t have a garbage interior.

More on Dunn and the OL from PFF. I will post the individual grades once they become available, but here is this for now.



OFFENSIVE LINE
• Cleveland's offensive line kept the Eagles' pass-rushers at bay for the majority of the contest. The unit surrendered only two pressures — both hurries — on 33 team pass-blocking snaps.

• Guard Michael Dunn is on track to lead the team in run-blocking grade across 17 such snaps.

Just saw that Sheldon Richardson is a FA. We might want to make inquiries.

Yeah lamp, we need help. Maybe after the cuts? The DTs were trash. Winfrey looks to a lot more talk than walk.

Thanks Vers. I missed that. I thought Cain looked good as well. I just don’t know how many receivers we can carry. I don’t see us cutting Cooper, DPJ, Schwartz, Bell, Woods. That does leave room for one more but we will need a returner. Hartley was up today. We also have Felton who was drafted last year by these guys. Woods might be able to qualify for IR but that can’t happen until final cuts.

Sheldon Richardson, Suh, or anybody of worth that gets cut or can be traded for (we do have a plethora of backs)

I know Joe Thomas alluded to us maybe snagging a Philly WR

Yeah JT mentioned that. It might help that the Eagles have gotten a good look at our RB depth the past few days.

Forgot to mentions Ford and DJ. Another good outing for both of them. Ford is a slippery little dude.

We made two of their backups look like all pros. Who do they have on their roster at receiver?

Reactor is certainly on the move or cut. I also liked that Kane guy today .. he’d be an upgrade IMO

REAGOR sorry

I liked Cain as well. He was a PS player last year. I wonder if he will be cut? Jalen Reagor is a former first round pick. I checked his stats and quite frankly they suck. Maybe a change of scenery will help.

Yeah Reagor is someone who’s underwhelmed AKA Corey Coleman lol

Josh Rosen confuses me. At times I thought like he had potential. He seemed more mobile than I expected and threw a good ball, sometime. Then he looks like he can't hit the broad side of a barn. The one he threw in the dirt looked like he was throwing darts, sidearm. I am no QB mechanics expert, but his look bad.

In my opinion Rosen's problems seems to be in his head, it looks like he lets the previous play get to him if doesn't go well. I think that's why he looks so Jekyll and Hyde.

I think that's true.

The knock on Rosen when he was first drafted and took over the starting position in Glendale was that his focus was more on feeding his own ego and believing his own hype.

Once the OC was fired mid-season and the offense he had learned was changed, he seemed lost.

Murray was drafted.

Then began years of a humbling process. Some rise above it and rebound, others don't.

He's got all the physical stuff, but (imo) he's spent mentally.

When we got him, I thought he'd really challenge Dobbs for the #2. But I agree with the above poster who said we'll probably only carry Brissett and Dobbs.

Talented guy without the headspace to match. It's not uncommon story in the NFL.

Maybe we can make a deal for one of the Eagles WR's. I've read they have a deep and talented group, and they can't keep them all.

When someone said, Analytics? that system doesn't get real players. Well, Analytics, that system doesn't keep real players.
There is probably some analytic against going after a layer they cut, or didn't resign from 2 years earlier.

This process of bringing in new guys who suck to replace previous guys who were good or at least ok, is really going to be hard to watch.

The Bengals vs. Giants game currently on tv, in Columbus, .... sadly, is much much much closer to a regular season game in competitiveness, than either of the two Browns' preseason games thus far.
And Tyrod Taylor is in for the Giants, and, he's still doing uestionable things on 2nd downs consistently.
I mean he wouldn't convert a 2nd and 4 if he had I0 yards of open space ahead of him, he'd get 3 and bring up 3rd and one.

It's almost like Tyrod Taylor, doesn't feel you are allowed to get the first if you don't play the 3rd down.

I wonder then, how many times have the Browns converted on 2nd down? And Why isn't this stat advertised more?

Is there an analytic that reproduces that?
I think, they lost by failing to score on their 2nd to last drive, even while going for it twice on 4th down. and they failed to score on their final drive.

I think that sounds familiar. And those could include, even though the Browns defense got a stop late in the game.
Anyone remember a Raider game loss, or another game loss where the Browns got an interception with less than 5 minutes to play in the game, and had the lead and still lost because the offense...
the Browns offense is treated like a 2nd class citizen by the Browns own analyzers when it comes to things like, (what to do with draft picks) or, (should they keep and develop their own guys.).

Could only listen on the radio today...I like Zegura in general and on podcasts and such...but man...he sounds like a total H-O-M-E-R. He'd call out a "great" play when we'd hit a guy before a 1st down or TD while STILL giving up the 1st down or TD.

I think Jerrod Cherry would be a better color guy than Zegura. We are going to miss Dieken's candid comments when we are playing like crap.

Does the offense even have a coach? What coach is going to take responsibility for, what looks like the exact same plays the offense has ran since Stefanski became HC, so nothing new, no Xs' and Os' development whatsoever.
And it obviously hasn't worked, because they never score in the 4th @uarter.
and Consistently it hasn't worked, and with various groupings of players it hasn't worked.

Bernie.
Period.

What can we get for Rosen? No, really.

+1.

I'm also going to miss hearing his little groans when the Browns give up a 3rd/long by one yard, or when a WR drops a gimme with no defenders in sight. He's every bit the homer that Jimmy is, and it showed on plays like those. He was always a fan just like us.

a side note: JT73 did color on my TV broadcast. My jury is still out on him. On one hand, he's very knowledgeable, calls the after-play well, and can be funny and engaging. On the other hand, his vocal delivery is a little too close to Tony Romo's for my taste. I loved his podcast with Andrew Hawkins, but that format was 'two guys just kicking it,' and he's great in that setting. And I'll admit up-front: I'm really hard on ex-player color guys. I hate most of them!

Good gosh you arent lying. Zegura loves the sound of his own voice
Listening to him hype up the players is comical.
If you didn't know any better, the Browns 4th string LB is better than
Another teams 1st string LB according to Zegura.
Even Joe Thomas inserts homerisms once in awhile.

I agree about Thomas actually. He’s really good breaking stuff down but gets a little too silly during the actual game. The comparison to Romo came to my mind as I was watching too.

But I also think he’ll get better and better because he’s so smart and personable

IIRC they said Rosen was 5 for 6 last week.

No Really?
The Browns Wr room has become so uestionable... ( How @uestionable said all comedians following up a set up line...)
that Khadarel Hodge's return would be a boone to the Wr room and he'd instantly be a veter.. a'nother veteran presence in the Wr room, I think.
Google says Khadarel Hodge is an Atlanta Falcon, and had I57 yards on I3 catches last year for the Lions.
( I know, ... but it IS/may-be THAT bad) of the current Browns Wrs. sigh. )
Do you think they could get a player for player swap of Hodge for Rosen?
It's not probable
It is Think-able.
You asked. ( I never liked Hodge, because he stalled drives, but, at least every now and then, I dunno, It's bleak.) Is it not?

With how the NFL is now, you’d think that we’ll be able to at least upgrade the bottom of our WR corps once cut downs occur.

I didn't get to watch the whole game because our son and his family paid an unexpected visit. But I did put the game on my tablet and got to watch random plays from mid-2nd quarter until mid-4th. I could not watch closely though, so didn't really know who I was watching. But in that limited exposure, I thought we looked bad and was surprised the score was so close. From what I saw our D got a smack down and the O was still struggling. I know it's preseason and most of those guys won't even be here next week, but what I saw looked sorry. Woods' D scheme doesn't excite me one iota, and frankly never has. He has had a handful of good games with the Browns, and a couple of them were top-notch defensively, but overall his calling the D scares me tbh.

I agree. After listening to Joe, he wouldn't be a HOF broadcaster.

I don't get to listen to radio calls so I can't say from actually listening to Zugura. I'd just say to give it some time to let the guy find is footing. For several years now the guy's job was to be a pom-pom holder. It's going to take some time for him to drop those and find his spot...if he can.

At one time during the broadcast someone said something about Philly might need a back. These practices and game were a good opportunity for them to scout a few of ours. Maybe we will be able to work a trade? Kelly had a nice showing. Kelly did keep Kamara on the bench when at Tennessee. Maybe he caught Philly's eye, or maybe he showed enough to allow us to move on from DJ or Hunt?

I just think it foolish to just cut guys rather than trade them, especially when you have recently had some asking for a trade.

I liked what I saw from both Bell and Harley. Harley got it done in college....he could be the sleeper we needed to show up.

Tony Fields looked fast and decisive. Another backer who flashed was #51...I can't remember his name. We just picked him up. He looks like he could be a valuable ST player.

Our 2nd team O-line looked really good. As for O-line in general, I was never sold on Harris at center. I like Poicic and it looks like we won't have trouble finding someone who can fill in and do a good job if needed. Dunn looked good, Hance has played center...it isn't a worry for me.

I feel the same way.

I half joked during the game: Maybe Brissett will want to start the 2nd half after watching Dobbs’ 1st half performance.

I’m not sure how much better Brissett can be than that (granted, it is against a backup defense with backup OL, etc)

Play calling in a preseason game is vanilla. So are the defensive concepts. Teams don't blitz very often, don't run many stunts, and do not change the coverage from the initial look. Thus, evaluating play calling is a worthless endeavor during the preseason.

What I can say is both teams played fairly clean games despite being played w/backups and guys that won't even make either team. That's a positive for both coaching staffs. I will also say that Stefanski did a nice job of managing the clock at the end of the game. He remains calm in those types of decisions. He does not get overly animated and never looks bewildered like some other coaches. I liked how he had Van Pelt by his side and how they appeared to be addressing the possibilities. As an aside and this is mean, but I can't believe Van Pelt was a college and NFL qb. He has really let himself go. I've never thought coaches should be so overweight because it shows a lack of discipline. With that said, Andy Reid is one of the better coaches in the NFL. I just think coaches should set a good example for their players.

I think starting a qb controversy would be dumb. JB hasn't even played yet and we are discussing replacing him. Furthermore, please remember that preseason defenses don't blitz much, run many stunts, or disguise coverages.

Itt's my opinion that we allow the coaches to make the choices. Not only do they possess more knowledge than us, but they see these guys every day. The last thing this team needs is more controversy.

Newsflash: That's their job.

Wasn't there a bit of a bumbling of the ball on that second attempt by York? I thought so, but not 100% sure

Anyway, Dobbs looked good... Our RB's looked good.. Nicer WR play....

Forgot to mention, I don't know how Rosen makes the team....

And ineffective today. Dobbs performed twice. Last week's outing gives him some swap value. I think we will be shedding one QB and one running back. Real interested in the PS that we build. I still prefer moving Rosen based on what I saw, even so while considering who he was out there with. Fourth quarter choke with the game on the line (sound familiar?). Not hating him; I do feel Dobbsy outplayed him twice. Entertain your own opinions, the window is open; debate for too long, and you have decided to keep him by refusing to decide. What does JR give us that we do not have? What might we add that we lack with his trade or roster spot? The latter IMO.

Ham sandwich.

I get all those points vers, but I don’t think the coaches/FO care about what nobodies such as myself think, lol.

Yes it is...and Dieken simply didn't do the job that way. He was great to listen-to.

To quote Joe Thomas “Ass over Tea Kettle” was friggin hilarious. That was a Whoops moment. I think Joe will be great once he gets a little more time.

Analytics for that too, I bet. LOL

Like I said in my original post, the DTs were terrible.

A few surprises:

--I thought Fields played better than that.

--Did not think Rochelle deserved that grade.

--I didn't notice D. Allen much.

--Thought AJ Green did better.

Final thought: Really poor outing by the defense. I wish I had access to the offensive grades. I'm surprised I haven't received them yet. I'm sticking w/Dunn grading high and the OL as a whole doing pretty good, especially the guys who were in there w/Dobbs. The backs had to have graded well. The WRs should be acceptable.

I didn't even realize Curtice Weaver was still on the team. I was pulling for the guy when we picked him up. He was a beast in college and then had a horrific injury where his big toe was almost ripped off during his rookie training camp in Miami. We stole him from the injury waiver wire. Did he even play much last year? I don't recall hearing his name much.

He stayed on our PS all last year.

So, PFF says that Motley was our best CB, but we released Motley today..... one of these things doesn't seem right.

PFF might have said it but the eye did not agree.

He was horrible.

DT and LB are still ginormous holes.. If teams start running on us early it will be a long season. We don't have a single DT that should be starting. I really hope we bring in a couple this week.. I'd take a hard look at Suh or Richardson. Both would be MASSIVE upgrades over that trash we are rolling out. Or maybe we trade one of our 39899293932 CB we like to hoard. Our secondary is beyond deep enough. We need help elsewhere.

Here are the offensive PFF grades.




I figured Dunn would grade well. I loved his work on the second level.

No real surprises other than the WRs are a little lower than I would have thought. Nothing drastic.