DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2022 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 24 Commanders 10 Browns vs Commanders

WAS -2

O/U 40.5

Yawn.

Some of the matchups I find noteworthy.

--Both the Browns and Commanders are giving up 6.5 passing yds per attempt. Washington has allowed 44 less passing yards for the season than the Browns. They rank 7th in passing yds allowed and we are right behind them at 8th overall.

--Washington is allowing 4.5 yds per carry and we are surrendering 4.9. They have given up just about 300 fewer rushing yards for the season.

--On offense, both teams are almost identical in passing yards per attempt and total yardage.

--The Browns are averaging 4.6 yds per carry and the Commanders average 4.0.

--Browns have 2210 rushing yards, which is 5th in the league. Washington is 13th w/1856 yards.

Washington has two good backs in Robinson and Gibson. The latter is good at catching the ball out of the backfield. Gotta watch out for that. They have good weapons in McLauren, Dotson, and Samuel. The key will be to generate pressure on Wentz, who has been known to get flustered into mistakes when he is facing a heavy pass rush.

I think we have to run effectively. They have some good pass rushers and their pass D has been pretty good overall.

Washington is playing for their playoff lives and we are not. Could be a tough game for us after last week's tough loss. This is exactly the type of game where previous Browns teams quit.

Ron Rivera is a good coach. Difficult to root against him. Also, It’ll be cool to see Chase Young play. - Awesome Buckeye.

Happy Birthday SB!

If good Carson Wentz shows up for the rare game, can the Browns Passing attack match them teat for tat?
and I think we know the answer.
If the Browns can keep their identity, which is run on offense and defend the pass on defense, .. that is how they beat the Ravens.

that ^ and winning the FG battle.

Now that we're eliminated from the Playoffs, I expect that we'll come out firing on all cylinders like we're Super Bowl contenders.

Joe Gibbs and Marty. Awesome football teams.

Thanks for sharing.

Courtesy of the YouTube uploader, my friend. I’ll never forget watching as a kid when Earny Byner scored that TD.

j/c:

Looks like Wills is probably out w/a back injury. Hudson would take his place if he can't go.

Clowney returned the other day from his concussion, but missed yesterday w/an illness.

Cooper was limited w/his hip injury.

JJ III still dealing w/a thigh injury.

Clowney returned the other day from his concussion, but missed yesterday w/an illness


What the heck is this illness Myles and Clowney seem to share ?

I think Myles cares, but Clowney has always been lazy and not dependable.

Clowney will probably suit up … if he feels like it lol

Harrison Bryant, almost always healthy.

Name anytime ever that he made a play that in any sort of way helped the Browns win, on a day the Browns actually won?

Yet the offense?? runs through him so often. Way too often.

I think we will continue to see the O transition more to a pass 1st offense.

I know people want to see chubb run more, but you better start to understnd that Chubb is going to become less and less the focus of this O now that Watson is around.

It is going to focus through him, and that doesn't include him handing the ball off 40 times a game to runningbacks.

Gibson is a good pass catching back, so that helps slightly IMO

You do qualify that to when and if watson ever returns to his old form correct?

I am not worried about that. I understand you root against that.

Root against what? It appears you don't understand near as much as you think you do.

He is. I think almost everyone knows that Watson will return to greatness. It's just more sour grapes by the Baker fan club.

Nobody "knows" that watson will return to greatness. I've actually given him credit for every game he has improved in. Once again you're trying to hand out grades on posters. The one's who agree with you get good grades. Those who don't get labeled with what you consider bad grades. This isn't your classroom.

I didn’t think that this thought merited it’s own thread, so I guess this is the best place to ask… Does anyone think that the brainiac analytics guys in the front office see winning these two games as working against our draft position? I can see it. Dipodesta telling Stefanski to lose these two games so that we’re drafting a few spots higher with the scant picks that we have…

j/c...

John Kelly SZN!

John Kelly. Why?

I hope this doesn't mean what I think it could mean. It would be another PR disaster.

Burning Questions for Week 17 vs. Commanders
Even though the playoffs are out of sight, the Browns are still placing plenty of importance on their final two games of the season
Dec 31, 2022 at 11:03 AM

Anthony Poisal
Staff Writer


The Browns are hungry for a two-game win streak to close a 2022 season that won't end with a trip to the playoffs, and that process starts Sunday in Landover, Maryland, against the Commanders, a 7-7-1 team that desperately needs a win to keep their own playoff hopes alive.

Cleveland wants to play spoiler — and also build momentum into the offseason after the disappointing year. Even without the playoffs on the line for the Browns, the game is still an important one before they close the season next week at Pittsburgh.

Here are the biggest questions that highlight why the game is still critical for Cleveland:

1. Will offense perform better under warmer weather conditions?
One of the most frustrating aspects of last week's loss against the Saints was that the Browns weren't able to find much offensive success, particularly when they passed the ball.

The pass game was always going to be a challenge for the Browns, though, with a kickoff temperature of 6 degrees and winds swirling around FirstEnergy Stadium all afternoon. QB Deshaun Watson completed 15 of 31 pass attempts for 135 yards and an interception. The Browns' only touchdown was a 12-yard run from Watson, who has manufactured three touchdowns, two of them through the air, in his first four starts with the Browns.

"Offensively, especially as the quarterback, we want to score more points," he said. "Not just for me, but for the whole offense. We want to score points and put ourselves in position to put a game away and help our defense out and our special teams out. I know it's a team game and we have to complement each other, but we can help ourselves offensively."

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said players had to be graded on a curve last week because of the blustery, arctic conditions against the Saints. With normal weather this week, he expects to see the offense perform more efficiently.


"I think we're ready for that," he said. "We just need to see continued improvement. I think if we can put the ball into the end zone, we would all be a lot happier. It's a really good defense we're playing, especially up front. Our challenges are there, but we should definitely see more productivity out of us, especially as we get down in the red zone. We haven't scored when we have gotten down there like we should."

Despite the low scoring outputs, Watson has looked more comfortable operating the offense since his first start in Week 13 in Houston and has delivered more accurate throws. Three of his well-placed passes were dropped in the end zone last week. WR Amari Cooper slipped on the icy, frozen grass as he was looking to catch one in the back of the end zone, while WR Donovan Peoples-Jones and TE David Njoku each dropped passes that would've gone for six points on the Browns' final drive of the game.

With temperatures expected to be in the 50s at FedEx Field, the Browns should be able to find much more success completing passes.

"I'm always expecting that," Watson said. "We don't go into a game not thinking that, regardless of the weather. Last week, we thought that we could put up however many points that we can. Once those opportunities come, we have to take advantage of that. We can't force the issue. We have to do the little things and make sure we have our opportunities to get down there to even put up points."








2. Can the defense spoil Wentz's big start?
The Commanders made a QB switch this week as they look to kickstart their offense and stay alive in the playoff chase with QB Carson Wentz stepping under center for the first time since Week 6.


Wentz will relieve Taylor Heinicke, who had started the last nine games for the Commanders after Wentz suffered a finger injury. Wentz became the backup to Heinicke even after he recovered, but a slow offensive start for Washington last week against the 49ers led to another change from head coach Ron Rivera.

CB Greg Newsome II offered some poignant analysis on the differences between the two QBs.

"Heinicke is that play-action type of quarterback," he said. "Smaller guy, so he's a play-action type of dude. He can really throw the deep ball really well. He's an improviser, kind of like Russell Wilson, where a lot of stuff breaks down and he's able to use his legs.

"Carson Wentz, obviously a big arm, strong arm guy, straight-in-his-dropback type of guy. Not really that play-action pass type of dude. They're both good quarterbacks, but you can tell when one is in versus the other. The offense is going to be a little bit different."

Wentz has been sacked a whopping 23 times in seven games this season, including nine sacks in Week 3 against the Eagles. Wentz, however, was not sacked in 16 dropbacks last week against the 49ers. He completed 12 of those pass attempts for 123 yards and one touchdown.

The Commanders will likely run the ball plenty, too, against the Browns' 25th-ranked run defense and look to continue a trend they've followed all season in winning the possession game. Washington leads the league in average time of possession with 32:51.

The No. 2 team? The Browns at 32:04.

One way for the Browns to take control of the game on defense, though, will be to apply plenty of pressure to Wentz when the Commanders do pass — and attempt to take the ball away.


"He does tend to hold the ball sometimes, but we have to get the ball out of his hands," DE Myles Garrett said. "They're definitely still looking forward to running the ball. They've had success. They have a winning formula in keeping time of possession and marching down the field slowly but surely and getting points on the board.

"We have to force them to lean on him in the pass game, and then we have to get after them. It's no guarantee that he does hold the ball, but we have to find a way to take the ball away from him, whether it's picking it off or stripping him."

3. Will Browns rest any starters?
Head coach Kevin Stefanski doesn't plan to rest anyone with the playoffs no longer possible. That includes RB Nick Chubb, who said himself this week that he doesn't plan to rest despite battling a foot injury.

It is possible, however, that the Browns give a few added snaps to younger players on the roster.

"I think practice reps are valuable, but anytime you can get young guys in game settings and see them respond, yeah, I think it's good," Stefanski said. "We have had a lot of young guys play for us. Going back to Week 1, guys have stepped up and played a lot of football. I really try to evaluate all of it from the meeting rooms to the practice field to the game field. Yes, of course, two more games to see how guys respond in certain settings I think is important.

"We will make decisions on players, like you mentioned. Guys may get a couple more opportunities. Bottom line is we are going to do everything we can to try to win this game. That is really where our focus is. If a young guy warrants getting some extra plays, he might."

https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/burning-questions-for-week-17-vs-commanders

Zac Jackson had similar thoughts.

As they say, it's December in Berea.

No, I think they can lose both while trying to win them.

Many years ago, when I was just a little one, I still then felt like the redskins didn't seem like a real NFL team, and Now
I understand why, I mean, if ever a team so butchered its own identity so much that it should just be dissolved or kicked out it is the current iteration of whatever that team wants to call itself.
I refuse to call them commanders that is a JOKE of a name for a team.

I think Terry McLaurin has been a productive receiver out of the well out of the role player mode.

Agreed. I’ll always call them the Redskins.

j/c

Well, the weather will be about as good as one could hope for for a Jan. 1 game. DW won't have any excuses.

Other than the bad weather game he has improved each week. But one does have to wonder how many games it will take until we start seeing glimpses of his old self. So far that hasn't happened. Here's to hoping for continued improvement.

Would calling John Kelly up to the active roster for the Browns, out of the blue, only after elimination from playoff contention mean;
wait for it.

It would mean == Mac was right/correct and that analytics is not putting winning first,
they
the analyists, are putting protecting assets in the 365 day year ahead of winning games on gamedays.

YIKES seriously folks, are they throwing in the towel? They have got to be kidding me. Tell me they aren't.

Is this what they think of you and me as a football fan in the city of Cleveland.
In Cleveland? With the Browns?
That they could just not play to win?
Oh well, at least they are/would be being consistent, analytics over everything, even over winning.
Are they throwing in the towel?
Are they throwing in the towel?

The week before his return, I predicted that we wouldn't see his pre-break production until next season. I'd love to see him surprise me, but don't expect it.


.02

I don't know what "glimpses of his old self" would mean. I don't remember D Watson as being, a whatever,
He wasn't Aaron Rogers or Pat Mahommes, whatever,
I dunno, how about how about whatever he does next game, this game, tomorrows game.
260? 260+? too much to ask? ehh well if they've actually thrown in the towel / given up, then we'll be lucky to see I80+.

What new face will Watson have to throw to at the beginning of the season in 2023 who is not yet on the team?

I really don't think you're wrong IF he reaches his "pre-break production". I do not however believe that's a foregone conclusion. I'm sure we all hope it will transpire but if there's one thing I've learned in life it's that there's no guarantees. I'm just looking to see at least some signs of that beginning to take place. Vers pointed out and rightly so that his footwork is off. And his reads are very slow. I'm just looking for some signs that he's at least making some measure of working his way towards what he once was.

LMAO. Says the guy who made countless excuses for our previous qb and insulted anyone who pointed out his shortcomings.

That's the ting about excuses. They either work both ways or neither way.

And I have been critical of Watson's play each and every week in the Recap threads.

And I have given him credit for his gradual improvement yet that doesn't seem to keep you from labeling me a hater and saying I'm a "fabulous baker Boy". I don't like watson the person. That much you would be correct about. But I can and do separate that from his on field performance. And BTW- arch said " DW won't have any excuses". He even put j/c so it was clear it wasn't directed to anyone specific.

And while I did address my comment to you directly, I meant that many people make excuses for watson. I didn't mean to insinuate that it was you specifically. Sorry for any confusion I may have created in that regard.

I have noticed that you saying he is improving and I did not mean to imply otherwise. You are a Fabulous Baker Boy, though........LOL. Hell, it's not even an insult. I also didn't think you were talking to me about excuses. I was just putting that out there.

But you do expect him to return to that same form? At the moment I am in wait and see mode.

Spoke to a good friend this morning who is a HOU fan and watched most of his games - he said he brings some elite things to the table including great sense of the pocket and being able to evade and extend plays at a surreal level ... he also said a lot of Watson's amazing stats came in games where the game was already lost in the first half and it was basically a second half of 'garbage time' facing soft defenses. Just one Houston fan's opinion who says he has watched most of his games pre-Browns.

Hmm, wonder what is up with the RB situation for tomorrow

Yeah as really wished they could use Chubb and Hunt there would had been frequently use there.

Pretty sure that is ..........eh, you aren't worth my time.

Maybe elevated because he is good. and deserves it?

Face it, Hunt is by all accounts on the outs.

I know it isn't popular, but the Chubb train is going to change with Watson at QB. I am not saying he is going anywhere, but with the type of O we will be running with Watson at QB, Chubb isn't the most complementary back.

For all that Chubb is, he isn't a good receiver nor a good 1 cut, hit the hole runner between the tackles.

Again, I am not saying that Kelly is here to replace Chubb, but he might be the guy we use to replace Hunt. Why not give him some love the final 2 games?

I’m curious about the future of our run game too. Our offense has to change around Watson and Chubb certainly isn’t what he’s used to and vice versa

I don't think our offense has to change. It will just become more evolved and open up a little because we won't be hamstrung by a limited qb.

Does anyone else think it's kinda bogus to claim that Watson put his numbers up in garbage time when his team made the playoffs in consecutive years? I get that the 2020 team was horrible and he probably did put up big numbers in some garbage games, but the Texans made the playoffs in 2018 and 2019. That's hardly "garbage time." Sounds like yet another fairy tale from a Baker fan.

I am, too, D4L. Are we looking at a plug & play swap for Chubb? Is it a different back in the same old offensive calls that often leave us behind the chains after the short yardage on a first down call? We run Chubb into the teeth of a stacked box on first down, lone back, for a yard or two. Watson hasn't changed the predictable play selection. I would love a reason to put Van Pelt in just to see. The analytics has to show what is happening as the run game as called has tailed off.
I was in favor of two-backs like Hunt/Chubb or another pair so it isn't as loaded. Ski is setting his bar. He isn't getting enough to carry Woods, whose unit has improved recently. Still some dopey things happening that should not be excused. My point is that Watson won't walk on water, and Ski seems to guarantee more of the same because his philosophy of football hasn't shown much improvement in our record. We need to challenge some fictions after this season's fiasco was allowed. We drowned in our kool-aid, buying our hype, winning on paper. We do not control everything we could, so we don't control our future (we die in December). We are giving way too many passes for way too many mistakes, way too often. We can't expect it all to be made better with a different QB doing the same stuff. Demand some performance imperatives of your primary coaches. A few "Thou shalt"s may have won some games early on. It wasn't the Ten Suggestions after all. We keep stacking losses up to losing seasons that seem to be deja vu all over again. Kill this learning curve we seem to allow. I think the turnaround starts with coaching parameters, like Camp Cupcake. We aren't going to the playoffs again, but wow, we are well rested! Watson's upside will be realized and help others around him. The weakest link is leadership going into the offseason. .02

I'd love to see Watson play a complete game with 275-300 yards and 2-3 TD's and no 0-1 INTS or fumbles (he did that a 3-4 times year too) with an RTG +- 100

Kinda? The whole "garbage time" argument is usually complete b.s. Unless you saw it with your own eyes, in a specific game, it's nothing more than a weak narrative. People see a team with a crappy record and go straight to "garbage time" when describing the QB's season performance.

Sooo... I went back and took a quick peek at his 2020 season (4-12). Most of the losses were actually close games or complete beatdowns. Only two games even qualify IMO. So, even in a season that it seems fairly safe to assume there was plenty of garbage time -- there wasn't.

I've calculated all of Watson's GT stats for 2020...

185yds / 2TD

Subtract that from his total (4823 / 33 / 7) and call it a day.

I hope Dw shows some progress today. that in itself will make a lot of us feel better. A win wouldn't hurt either!!

He has shown progress in every game since he returned except the last game and in those weather conditions, especially the wind, nobody could have expected him to do well. The playcalling didn't help him either. Calling 12 to 20 yard pass plays in those conditions wasn't the smartest move on the planet. Short outlet passes, some designed runs for watson and RPO's would have certainly been some better options.

Let's hope we see the progress that we saw before last week continue.

I agree Pit. Too bad our receivers couldn't have caught those couple of dropped passes. DW's stats would have looked a little better. It was a tough day for a passing game no doubt.

And that's the thing about dropped passes. If WR's, TE's and RB's didn't drop passes every NFL QB's stats would look a little better.

Yesterday seemed to be the tale of two halves. A crap first half followed by an excellent second half.

Only in your twisted, agenda driven world would a post that talks about the elite things Watson does, referring to a conversation someone had with a friend, and try to manipulate that into an insult and bring Baker into it.