DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Backup QB

While I won't get into all of the strategic hand wringing, there is no doubt that the lack of a better quality back up QB on the roster rests on the shoulders of the people in the FO.

With a rookie QB, you know that you're up against the odds, so you go with what you do best. You of course, run the ball mixing in the odd screen, slant, etc. You get what you can; you know you're not going to score 27 points so get the odd FG and let your defense win you the game. Nothing wrong about winning 9 - 6. How many points did we get Sunday and nearly got DTR killed? I'll take the boring 3.5 yds/run thank you. And p.s. - let's see more of Strong Jr.....

No matter what weakness our FO doesn't address adequately with the roster seems to come to an ugly head. This year back-up QB. Last year DL etc. One year it was LB or safety. The back-up QB this year could easily have been addressed. It wasn't and cost us a game and all this indignation which will go on for 2 weeks. Very avoidable.

Since when, after Chubb's injury, is running the ball "what they have done best"? You may want to look back at the Titans game and then tell me what the Browns were doing the best when they throttled the Titans. Here's a hint, it wasn't running the ball. Your scenario says that no matter what defense they are running, do what they are prepared to stop rather than do what they're not prepared to stop. Somehow you have made up your mind that would have been the better option and changed who would have won the game. The Woody Hayes three yards and a cloud of dust theory would not have changed the outcome of that game.

And you can attempt to try and use the Steelers game as an example, but their D had to account for watson. The Ravens D didn't.

Unfortunately, Brissett and Watson are significantly different stylistically. Brissett was a decent fit as we transitioned from what we did with Baker to what we wanted to do with Watson. As we witnessed, the Baker to Brissett transition was much smoother than Brissett to Watson.

Watson was going to be our starter. We wanted his backup to have a similar play style so we wouldn't have to change a bunch of things if he had to come in. I also think not wanting to change a bunch of things when Watson wasn't expected to be out for long (if at all) was also a factor in what we saw.

Instead of arguing over the backup, we should focus on the starter who would rather sit than play free being cleared to play… Not my QB.

Lolz.

I'd rather have him miss one game than be hurt the rest of the season. Sometimes you have to look at the big picture or at least try to find a balance. I know some people have trouble seeing the forest past the trees.

For 230 million we have to respect DW's wishes and needs!! He obviously felt like he couldn't go so that was that.

I’d rather he man up against our toughest division rivals, else what are we even doing here?

/purple

Yup.. I agree.. I don't remember for sure but was there ever a rookie back up to ever successfully take over for the starter? I mean other than Tom Brady who I think we can all agree, was a special case.

DTR will be a good backup. He just needs to have time to learn and DW not to get hurt this year

Trying to win a Super Bowl? They don't play it in September.

You gotta get to the playoffs first, and they are playing for that every game. DW gave this one to the Ravens. Last weekend, DW was the best player on their team, IMHO.

The more you post, the more you don't make sense. I thought you said you were done with this team? Not?

If a rookie is good, he's usually starting these days.

Brady actually only threw one completion his rookie year in 2000.

He started games in 2001 after starting as the backup.

2007 Derek Anderson replacing Charlie Frye was another 2nd year guy that started as the backup and had a pretty solid season.


Brock Purdy did alright coming in as a rookie last year, I believe.

I'm pretty sure Lamar was still the best player on the Ravens.

DW didn't give them anything, each team plays with 11 on the field at any given time. Better to find out what DTR needs to work on now than when we're facing elimination.

There was some of that as well.

Had to edit for my comment to make sense. I thought I had quoted...my reply was in reference to your comment about DTR trying to play hero ball.

The Browns defined their FRANCHISE PRIORITIES when they named their 53 man roster. The two areas of the roster that concerned me the most were KICKER AND QB, followed by the OL depth.

So, Watson goes down just before the game against our hated rival, THE RAVENS...and the only BACKUP QB the Browns have available is a rookie QB..'who has NO EXPERIENCE PLAYING IN A REGULAR SEASON game'..

HOW DID THAT WORK OUT FOR THE BROWNS ANALYTICAL FRONT OFFICE...a 28-3 BEAT DOWN.

The Browns front office decided that it was OK if the Browns lost to the Ravens as long as the QB met their ANALYTIC STANDARD OF BEING THE CHEAPEST QB AVAILABLE.

Losing SUCKS...

LOSING CHEAP SUCKS EVEN MORE

Time for the GUARD-RAILS TO BE FLUSHED..!!

Losing 28-3 while paying Jacoby Brissett $8M would have left me feeling worse. We lost the game Brissett started against the Ravens last year and he had been the starter going into it. Your record doesn't look different based on point differential.

We got beat. The Ravens may have done it if a healthy Watson played. It happens. The Ravens played well. When Lamar is playing well, they are a dangerous team.

Throw in a QB on short notice and things will often (always?) be discombobulated. Doesn't matter who it is.

I'm more worried about the OL than the backup QB.

I'm worried about the entire offense not named Cooper or Njoku ... we know what we're getting from them

Our OL has been really disappointing .. couple that with us losing Chubb and an injured Watson .. that's a recipe for 4-5 wins

j/c

Should Watson have played?
I think, in general, yes. With the Bye Week to follow, and being medically cleared to play, he should have just played and then had the two weeks after to rest things up.
I don't think the coach can force him to play in a medical situation, though.
In short, he didn't feel like it, which tells me that he's just here to cash checks.

In essence, the moment he tapped out, we knew we were likely losing the game because unless DTR could step in and do well enough as a passer to start beating them with his arm, we would be shut down. All they had to do was play the standard rookie approach of bring insane pressure while selling out to shut down the run, and then prey upon the mistakes that follow. I'm betting that it was as easy for them as our game against the Bears and Justin Fields in 2021.

I agree. I think we should have risked playing him ... even if it would allow us to function like an actual pro offense instead of what we saw. The ravens basically knew we were incapable of doing anything

I just love reading the hyperbole trying to compare a QB who simply can't throw the ball due to an injury with manning up. Comedic genius.

....I kind of think teams are attacking the OL more than they were attacking DTR. OL needs to figure out how they are handling stunts. They've been awful at that in particular for the most part. Fortunately against Tennessee, Watson bailed us out repeatedly by avoiding the pressure. I think that helped brush the OL's issues under the rug for a bit. Problem was still there, though.

Time for Callahan to live up to his reputation and get the OL sorted out or teams are going to stunt us into oblivion.

Yes, then just imagine all the crap we would see being posted...... 'He looks horrible! He can't even throw the ball!" "What an idiot thinking he can play with his shoulder all messed up like that?" "He looks horrible!". "Stefanski should be fired for letting him play!"

If the man couldn't throw the ball he shouldn't have played. I guess it's up to everyone to decide for themselves if he was actually able to throw the ball last Sunday. You know, through their crystal ball. Under neither scenario would this have turned out good in the eyes of many.

I can agree with Purp's sentiment. Also with Pitt's reasoning, though it seems a reasonable setoff outcomes.

But I wanted to post this today, but I am not sure what to make of it. At gametime, I learned DW wasn't playing and the rook would start. I saw a number of shots of DW walking his hat around on the sideline. The dynamic was bad IMO; he looked distracted and was really riveted on a pad for quite some time, I think even after kickoff. He didn't seem engaged with players, and wasn't following the game much at all that I saw. Saw few people near him. Looked almost angry or frustrated. The rook was treated to a beating and took many shots. Ski didn't do much to roll him, move him, or offer routes that were shorter. We seemed to ignore the run, probably because the pass was so terrific.
In the course of this beatdown, there was zero "badassery" on offense, and I saw no interaction between DW and the rookie, trying to help him out and give him some advice and encouragement. Throughout this, Watson looked haunted by his insistence he couldn't play and wouldn't go. Ski seemed to throw him under the bus when he said DW was medically cleared but chose to call off this game. DW didn't look happy with his decision at any time. This disturbed me. We need a vet who will play. This nonsense kind of injury (now I will play and now I won't) can stretch on as long as it is allowed. I am reading tea leaves here; I suggest they have started to point south. Short of playoffs, these division games are monsters. Maybe he would have played if it had been more important. Sunday it wasn't.

I think if one were to take a closer look, the short routes were there but DTR chose not to target them. I don't think the inability to be able to throw the ball is related to your opponent.

I havent seen a report that said he couldnt throw. Ive seen that he was cleared but he didnt feel as if he could go.

I think if there was common knowledge DW couldnt throw the ball as youve said a few times, noone would question him. I dont think thats the case but maybe i missed something. Ive been busy since Sunday.

Can you please show where anyone that was close enough to the situation to know all of the facts that questioned him? All I see are a bunch of armchair QB's and "sports journalists", and I use that term loosely, who have no idea what actually went down doing that. Sometimes you may wish to ask what the people actually know about a situation while they're asking questions or making assertions.

No dude. Im not the one spamming the board with the statement he couldnt throw the ball.... the onus is on YOU to provide some substance to that claim.

I'm not going to bother to find the article but Andrew Berry said it was obvious DW wasn't going to play. Now, that may have been Sunday morning, might have been Saturday. he said it was obvious to him and the coaches.

I haven't been any of the people spamming the board claiming he should have played while not knowing if he could throw the ball either. What we do know is that he has fluid on his shoulder which in and of itself would indicate it's far more likely than not he was unable to throw the ball with any strength or accuracy. I haven't seen anything that points in the other direction besides bluster.

I'm not sure where you are getting this from. I distinctly remember them showing DW and DTR sitting side by side with Watson pointing things out to the rookie on the Surface pad during the broadcast.

Watson was angry and frustrated that he wasn't able to play. How do you want him to feel? He wants to play, he wants to win, he's a competitor. He had pain and lack of power while just tossing the ball pregame. He wasn't going to be able to drive the ball into tight windows or down the field. You can't just take an injection and gain power while maintaining the fine control needed to be accurate. He thought it would feel better. It didn't. He had probably recovered from similar situations faster in the past. He's not as young as he used to be, unfortunately.

I am not saying you're wronmg, but I don't recall seeing Watson sitting with DTR at all. I remember seeing the QB we brought up from the PS sitting with DTR, and going over thigns with him on the tablet, but I don't recall DW with himm at all.

8:20 left in the 2nd quarter.

I'll drop a screenshot in the discord.



They are doing similar around 12:00 left in the 3rd quarter but both are sitting. Charles Davis commented about Watson giving DTR the "benefits of his wisdom."

Yeah I do remember seeing Watson talking to DTR on the screen ... my point remains that Watson will never get the benefit of the doubt by the general public (really in any regard ... he's viewed as something negative) so he's going to have to change the public perception by himself

Unfortunately, public perception is something he has no real control over. People suck at being objective. It is what it is.