DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2023 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 27 Cardinals 0 The Return

Watson's first pass of the game...

I won't enjoy any game until I see the $230 million top 5 QB we supposedly traded for.

he's just gotta take care of the ball .. the Cards aren't even anywhere close to the Colts. This game should be a perfect first game back

Oh my gosh, could we have
more caveats

More "reasons"
more maybe so gimmes and excuses for an NFL player. ^ reading that, I think, "is this Bakers little brother out there?" < He would never be given these excuses

This is the NFL, go out and play the game and win it, by playing the game to win it.

If DW can't do that, if he can't go out there and Play football, and play like it should be played to win it, then let the other guy play,
then let the other guy play.

Of course, if it just read,
DW needs to go out there and don't do anything stupid,
well that I could agree with.

It doesn't exist.
Only 2 more years until most of the draft picks return.
And nothing is preventing DW from playing really Really well when he is healthy again except,
maybe the coaching
and the other teams
and the secret fixers of football outcomes
and father time,
and ...

Play the healthy @uarterback? or Do not play the hurt one until he's actually healthy.

When will that be since you seem to think you know what the heck you are talking about.

I know you aren't a football coach. Maybe a M.D.? Nurse? Have you even slept at a Holiday Inn Express?

Is 'Throw Long' another moniker for 'PayDaMan' from the recent past? Sentence and paragraph structure is similar IIRC....

By all logic/intuition, this should be a "get right" game for the Browns.

I don't expect to see a CLE v. TEN- level Deshuan Watson. I don't think any rational person, bleacher-seat fan or the Browns staff should, either. Rust will be rust. And shaking off rust after injury usually produces sub-standard execution, for obvious reasons. Use 'O by committee,' feature the ground game/screen, spread the attack around. Make #4 be an actual QB, efficiently running an O. Discourage him from being Superman.

Best-case scenario: Schwartz sends the D after the Rook QB, pitches multiple 3+outs, giving #4 and the O as much opportunity to work together in a real game as possible. CLE dominates, and Stella gets her groove back.

My hope: CLE comfortably wins by ±10, with plenty of film to review before we roll into the teeth of the midseason divisional leg of the schedule (BAL/PIT).

_________________________


That said, I'm still working my recovery steps from decades of 'Battered Dawg Syndrome' PTSD. We've lost soooooo many games that have looked like this, over the years.

As much as I like how this matchup looks, a 10% part of me still can't shake that shadow of The Grim Reaper hovering just off our left shoulder. Browns historically give up games like these in the same fashion as they've historically given up bye-week schedule advantages, and game day 3rd-and-long defensive stands over the years. I don't blame the fans for this culture. I expect the team to create a replacement culture that the fans can get behind. Now is the time. This is the year. And it can start with this game.

I don't need a feel-good, +24-pt beat-down on an opponent like this year's AZ to feel hopeful. I need to see a team that puts all 3 phases together in this game like it was a practice drill for the next 2 games they'll have to play.

That would make me feel a bit more confident than I've been feeling over this past month.



.02

this is a game that we SHOULD "get right" but I also fear that we won't haha. We've seen too many let down games like this before.

We need the offense to get some rhythm today ... that's the #1 hope for me

I agree with many of you.

1. Win the game at any cost, run more than usual if it leads to a W. if that means that Deshaun doesn’t get as many reps in as he would like, then fine.

2. Az has beaten Dallas and has been competitive against a few other good teams.

3. 5-3 is a good record given all things considered. Get to 5-3 and the playoffs are within site.

4. Lose and the season is just about over. The morale of the team would be in the gutter if we lose to a 1-7 team.

I agree ... we have to somehow get to 5-3 .. then probably lose at Baltimore which puts us at 5-4

5-4 heading into this stretch:

Pittsburgh
at Denver
at LA Rams
Jacksonille
Chicago
at Houston
NY Jets
at Cincinnati

Are you referring to the same people who determined he was healthy enough to return the last time? Because we all saw how much their expertise worked out. Hopefully the people who you think "know what they're talking about" do a better job of knowing what they're talking about this time around or watson will reinjure that shoulder the first time he gets hit.

The Watson trade is looking like to be the most lopsided
Trade in recent NFL history
Anything less than a SB and the trade is colassial bust.

I would have agreed to you until I heard Bernie Kosar describe the same injury.

I feel like you've said that before -- like 175 times. Maybe it's just me.

Looks that way so far, but we’ll see. I mean he still has at least two years to get us there.