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

We will most likely go 6 OL more now with Harris ... and go run game/PA game if possible

j/c

I did not see the game. Comments are from what I have read and heard ....

We won convincingly against a very bad team.

DW looked meh early - looked good especially on some deep passes later.

Offense went back to some heavy sets and one comment I read was it was like being back to 2020 but with an elite D instead of a D that would lose games late.

Very much agree that the next 2 games are basically a determination of who we are - possibly who DW will be for the Browns. Tough games against good teams. Division rivals. 2 wins would be glorious ... a split would keep hopes alive. 0-2 would be disasterous for this season and any hopes of playoffs even if mathmatically we might remain alive.

Looking at the box score and reflecting on the Seattle game ... why did Strong only carry it 3 times? I thought he looked at least 'adequate' and comparable to Ford. Any insight welcome.

Peaking ahead after Baltimore and Pit - we've got 3 very very winnable games in Broncos, Rams and Jets ... a jekyl and hide team in the Bears who you feel we *should* beat - tougher games against Jags and Texans (who knew?) and then a season finalle vs Bengals. It'd be brilliant to have a win and you are in for the last game vs Bengals. but 1 week at a time I know.

Have to mention Elliot as well. I’ve been hard on him (in other places) for his play in the past. This year he is really picked it up and is making some splash plays as well.

Would totally be great if the Cincy game is a "play for seeding" game and all of the north gets in..

"knew it was going to be a dogfight, didn't know it was going to get extended into the playoffs"

[

Agreed, I miss his knowledge and even a bigger thing for me is I miss his sarcasm with the knowledge.

You can tell him if he comes back: I will back him in his previous quest of making sure everyone is aware that Mike White is best QB in the NFL.

Something else I have been noticing. This goes back to a bone of contention I have had for more than a few years. I have long said that fullbacks are pretty useless. My feeling is if you want a playmaker on the field, put a playmaker on the field. If blocking was what you wanted, put a back-up lineman in the game to get more blocking. I am seeing us do that. Big thumbs up from this guy.

Don't waste a darn roster spot on a useless fullback.

Quoted for truth.

You have been nothing, if not consistent with this p.o.v. for years.

I remember debating with you about this very thing when Lawrence Vickers was our fb. Back then, my pov was that LV was valuable as lead blocker, but could also catch for runs from the backfield, making him the more valuable/versatile roster spot.

Clearly, your premise has been validated by current CLE's approach.
Big Boy has been helping us covert 3rd & shorts all season long, and we already have pass-catching backs for plays that require such a feature.

Hats off for a call you made more than 10-15 years ago.



______________


That said, there was something special about watching #47 seek out and destroy LB's on toss-sweeps. Grown-ass men flew backward when they met this man in the hole. He was the one, true Football Hardass on a Browns team that was regarded, league-wide... as- soft, back then.


Nobody ever talked s# about Lawrence Vickers.
Nobody.



Bro- if ya can't tell from my post- I'm still a fan.
#47: Old School Football.

I'm showing my age.

I absolutely loved watching Vickers block for Jamal Lewis and Peyton Hillis! He was a great blocking FB.

He was no Owen Marecic though.

I get it, and talking about things discussed 10-15 years ago like they were last week is showing signs of age....lol.

Vickers: A number of years ago, when ever he played for the Browns, I casually told my wife "They call him the Bodyguard because of how he blocks."

Guess what I got for Christmas that year. A #47 Browns jersey with "Bodyguard" on the back as the name.

There is NO way, no way no way, No Way all of the north gets in the playoffs.

Just look at the rules, ok, how could we make a way?

One, Reallign the Panthers to the AFC south this year for the Texans
Two, remove the 2nd place team in the AFC east from contention,
Oh that wouldn't work,

Really, by rule, current rules the Div winner from all four Div get the top 4 playoff spots.

and the first tie breaker beyond overall record and head to head play between an Afc North team and teams other div, is whoever was closest to reaching first place in their own division.

In Order for all 4 of a single div's teams to make the playoffs
the 4th place team in that div.
must have at least a half game better overall record than the 2nd place team in all 3 of the other same conference divisions records.

Not by rule, but by just how all the rules make it end up working out,
How the schedules are made, everything.

Not only would the Browns have to pretty much sweep the Texans, Jags, Broncos and Jets
But the Bengals would also have to do similar to whoever the two teams they play in the east and west, Bills and ? KC
and the Ravens the same, ? Oak or LA Charger and Miami or Ne
and Pittsburgh the same, whichever two of those 4 are on their schedule.

Basically your whole Div would just have to landslide the rest of the AFC and that doesn't happen, because of a number of things

And while doing that, to make it work out by record,
Your own div. would also have to about split with each other 3 and 3 across the board. It's virtually not possible
but with God all things are possible.

I think we should get rid of the divisions all together ... my idea:

- move to an 18 game schedule
- you would play everyone in your conference once (that is 15 games)
- you would play 3 teams from the other conference on a rotating basis (that is the other 3 games)

top 8 records from each conference gets in

Thru 8 games it has happened. I think it is a long shot, but it is possible. Let's just say the Browns, Bengals, and Steelers all end up at 10-7. So, each would go 5-4 the remainder of the way. That is not impossible.

The Bills would have to go 5-3 to tie
The Jets 6-3 to tie
Texans would have to go 6-4 to tie
Colts would have to go 6-2 to tie
Chargers would have to go 6-4 to tie
Raiders would have to go 6-2 to tie
Titans would have to go 7-2 to tie
Broncos would have to go 7-2 to tie

To this point in the season Only the Dolphins 6-3, Ravens, 7-2, Jags 6-2, and Chiefs 7-2 have played better ball than what is needed to get above 10 wins. So realistically the Bills, Texans, and Chargers have the best odds to get to 10 wins. The 3 AFC North teams have a good shot if they continue to play at the same level thru 8 games. Not saying it will happen but they each have better odds than the other contenders.

I chuckled and thought of you posting this when I noticed us doing this

what this means is we need to do it more lol .... if the line can hold up

I think the only thing that you call "board doctors" said on here was that they hoped they weren't rushing watson back too soon. I had no idea anyone would consider that a diagnosis. As a matter of fact it's not and nobody needs to be a doctor to hope he is healthy before he is put on the field. Actually one would think that everyone would have hoped for the same thing.

There was a lot to like in those clips beyond his accuracy and touch on those passes too. Also:

1. His footwork moving around in the pocket on those first two plays was really nice.
2. When he was moving in the pocket, he kept his head up and maintained looking downfield when pressure was applied. This was a concern some of us had early on when he started playing for us. I hope that means things are continuing to slow down for him.
3. He had no issues really staying in the pocket waiting for the play to develop and throw. I think the last two plays were good examples of that.

But agreed....the line would need to hold and give him the time needed and for the play to develop. And these are only five plays, so there could be others where he didn't do that stuff. In fact, I'm quite certain there were plays when he didn't do that stuff. But on all 15+ yard throws, he looked good. He looked really good.

Someone also concluded he might be suffering from depression.

It's not as though I don't get what you're saying. I guess we just differ in what I think are simply opinions and what you are describing as a doctor's diagnosis.

Yes I can confirm that Ballpeen has said that for years. And it makes perfect sense if you really think about it. Maybe we’re setting up Tricky Nick for one of those ‘Big Man Catches Football’ moments near the goal line. That’d be cool

I saw a couple where he put some zip behind it, but I saw far more where WR was WIDE open.

I saw a lot of throws to Cooper. I think only 1-2 went to someone other than Cooper (hard to tell on some).

Ford led the team with 7 targets. Njoku had 6. Cooper 5. Akins 3. Moore and Goodwin with 2. Tillman, Strong, and Hunt had 1 a piece.
link

j/c

Any news on Marquis Goodwin?
He looked very wobbly after that almost-catch, and I've heard nothing further.

He is in concussion protocol.

His legs were rubber after that play.

Given this and the blood clot issue, it might be in his best interest to hang up the cleats. He's 32, 5-9" and 185lbs.

I forgot about the clots.
Scary stuff.