DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum What Now Pt. 2

I believe we share those same feelings. I was just trying to interject a little perspective. I probably don't keep up with this as closely as some do. I mean I have looked at the overall big picture but for me it really is inconsequential until a HC has been hired.

I knew there were quite a few HC jobs open. But when I saw the total was eight of them and that's 25% of all NFL teams, and how some of those teams already have their QB's in place with plenty of cap room, it really hit home just how bad of a predicament the Browns find themselves in.

Haha

The seeming popularity of the Rees as OC or HC suggestions perplex me.

I mean we have seen it time and time again where they play calling has been slammed consistently on this very board.

I certainly understand the argument that It's more about executing the plays called than the actual plays being called. I have made that same argument myself many times. I've also made the argument that doing exactly what your opponent is expecting you to do is not the smart approach to fourth down calls.

What the issue boils down to for me is this. When it's your OC making those play calls, when it's he who is in charge of the O, why is it he keeps calling plays this O is in no way ready for or equipped to execute? The O said of the ball was obviously the weak link here. And Rees had his hands involved in all of it. I chalk it up to not having enough talent on the roster period. But if Stefanski is being blamed for the O why in the world would people not lump Rees in with that?

I know people can say, "Yeah but t was Stefanski's system and plays". But his system isn't overly complicated and the plays for the most part aren't complicated either. Why would anyone think a more complicated O in a more complicated system would be a benefit? That's directed just at people who blame the whole ball of wax on Stefanski and are trying to give Rees a free pass..

Actually most of those guys with better records were fired after the Stefanski firing was announced. Otherwise we are pretty much in agreement.

I think it’s just fine to have high hopes but as longtime Browns fans I think that’s ALWAYS tempered with that reality that this is the Cleveland Browns we’re talking about here…
We’re pretty well based in that reality.

Most established coaches with 8 wins over 2 seasons lose their jobs. Heck, most coaches with 3 win seasons manage to lost their jobs. Yje Browns were excedingly patient with Stefanski. I know there were personnel challenges, but he lost whatever ability he had to make a winner out of little. He has a Super Bowl level defense, and could not win. Offensive challenges aside, theh defense managed to add in UDFA and low end FA ..... and make an elite unit. Stefanski couldn't even make a below average unit out of his. He had numerous problems, an inabilty to eliminate the mental mistakes being the most galling. He was done here. He just seemed to lose whatever he had that made him at al special, It was time for him to go.

As an aside, my typing sucks.

As an aside, my typing sucks.

KS has a very plausible defense for his lack of success in Cleveland. Top 3 reasons:

DW
DW
DW

I think if DW was not in the picture, the results would be different. The Houston Texans thank the Browns.

You can say that again!

Just a reply to your post Pit. I agree about the executing the plays.

I said this after the last game. I can't speak for previous years of Kevin's playcalling. Watching Kevin and Rees calling plays were different, I guess the word would be structure. Kevin didn't use much motion at all in the beginning of the year. By the end of the year, we were using it regularly to uncover man to man or zones. Now, the one thing I do want to bring up as a possbililty, we did have a lot of young players. Maybe they didn't want to overload them. I don't know, just trying to give a possibility of what could've been the reason for it.

The main thing was the formations we used. Kevin really didn't build off of looks. He would run a play with a look and it was an end around with Corley. Then you wouldn't see that look the rest of the game. This happened quite a bit. When Rees was calling, he would run that play. Then throughout the game, he would run that formation with Corley in motion and run play action or a dive/off tackle with Judkins. You could see in the end zone view of the replays the LBs either sliding to the side of the motion or after snap take one step that direction then have to adjust back to the other side.

I liked Kevin. I wanted him to stay for another year.

I see the comments about Kevin is gone, Berry should be gone.

A couple possibilities as to why Berry is still here.

Ownership could look at this team and see the progress it made with drafting of players. They might look at it and say we had one of the top defenses in the league. We have some really good parts on offense with these rookies. We need a pieces on offense. If we clean house with our GM and HC, they might just blow this all up and start over again. We just need a new voice leading this team and try to keep our DC and Rees.

I liked KS too and thought he should get another year from just what I've seen but I don't know what's going on behind closed doors. Maybe management felt he wasn't holding players and other coaches more accountable. We were ranked dead last in offensive support. How can you win with that. Some people want to blame AB for that, but you can't do that without giving him credit for the D, our last draft, some trades he made and some solid FA signings. AB is on the right track and I think he deserves another year for the draft and FA signings. JMO

Giving AB credit for the defensive talent would mean if you are being fair then you would also have to credit him with the terrible offensive talent. Life is a two way street.

When Stefanksi first arrived here he went 11-5 with the offensive talent and roster John Dorsey had assembled. He even managed to lead the team to the playoffs after they pulled Flacco off the couch. That evolved into having no real QB, no real OL and no real WR's. That was all under Berry's watch. And Stefanski took the fall for it all. I'm not bitter or angry about it. But it is what it is and everything else is nothing but excuses.