DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum A little Love From Fox Sports!!!

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6196414

Because the DVOA ratings look very different from the conventional wisdom, I have a bit of a reputation as somebody who hates your team. Frankly, it doesn't even matter which team is your team. Odds are, I've been accused of irrationally hating them, probably multiple times.

That's why this week, I decided to do something different. This week, I'm proud to present the first annual DVOA Commentary All-Optimism Special. I've poured through all our various statistics and found good things to say about every single team that didn't lose its star quarterback for the season this weekend. (I'm sorry, even my optimism has its limits.)

Before we begin, I want to highlight one team in particular that is giving its fans a lot of reasons to be optimistic ? not about the last six games of this season, but about 2007. We don't get to talk about them a lot, but things are looking up for the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland jumps six spots in our rankings this week, up to 17th. They may be 3-7, and they may have blown this week's game late to the Steelers, but they are playing much better than their record indicates, and they are doing it with a lot of contributions from young players who are still years from their peak: tight end Kellen Winslow, wide receiver Braylon Edwards, and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley, just to name a few. The secondary is filled with underrated players ? Leigh Bodden may be the best cornerback east of Denver, and safeties Brodney Pool and Brian Russell are playing very well without anyone noticing.

No team has a bigger difference between their ranking in our stats (17th) and their unadjusted ranking for the full year (25th). The Browns played their two worst games of the season in the first two weeks of the season, and they've been getting better ever since. That's now reflected in our ratings because, as the season progresses, we reduce the importance of those early games. The Browns also have played a top-ten schedule by our measures, and they've had awful luck recovering fumbles. The Browns have fumbled 13 times on offense and recovered only two of those. That's really nothing but random chance.

Unfortunately, the one position where the Browns can't be optimistic happens to be the most important one, quarterback. We wrote about this on our blog twice over the past week. But hey, I hear Damon Huard is a free agent after this year.

Unless noted otherwise, all the ranks below are based on Football Outsiders stats, mostly DVOA splits, rather than official NFL stats for things like red-zone efficiency. We've even dragged out our individual defensive stats for the first time this year, as well as some early results from the 2006 game charting project.

Two things I noticed...Bashed Frye and didn't mention Sean Jones <img src="/images/graemlins/rolleyes1.gif" alt="" />

This Frye bashing kids do needs to end. Damon Huard is a nobody and nvere will be. The Holcumb of the Chiefs - Huard has been all over the league (MIA, NE and KC). Their ranking of us is noce, but propping up Huard just shows how little football knowledge they have.

If the guy wants to pimp a QB replacement why not throw the name Matt Schaub out there?! If he doesn't take over for Vick this year anyway.

Sorry, but Frye is NOT the problem. The kid has moxy. I'm not ready to throw him under the bus. He's got a lot of potential. Just ask Bill Cowher.

Yeah Huard has done well in his time as QB in KC, but then again, when you have Larry Johnson as your RB and Gonzales as your TE, your bound to have some advantages.

[color:"orange"]I'd say this is pretty accurate, especially for a guy looking in from the outside.

He definitely sees our potential, which I agree with, he sees the talent we have and the budding stars (I'm miffed he missed SJones <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> )

Looking at Frye's stats, reading the Cleveland media, and looking at the record how do you think outsiders are going to judge Frye? I got news for ya, these "analysts" (loosely termed) dont spend much time breaking down Cleveland, we're about as attractive as our record indicates. Luckily, the folks in the FO are focused on this team and look past the surface. [/color]

The way I look at it is this: Our opposition has been praising Frye as of late. They are the ones that have been studying films all week, they are the ones that are playing against him, and thus, they are the ones that would know.

Charlie has started what 16 games? and is asked to carry this team completely on his back. I have ripped on Charlie for some of the bonehead mistakes but those are slowly disappearing. Get a real running back in here and then we will know whether Charlie has what it takes or not.

[color:"white"]Forget the back, get a real line in here.

Like getting a faster back is going to make that line block any better <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" /> [/color]

You mean O-line right <img src="/images/graemlins/rolleyes1.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I'm sick of seeing Frye getting the Couch treatment when it comes to how many times he gets hit. We already killed one QB's arm from getting hit too much, I'd hate to see the guy that I really see being our future being killed too.

I meant what I said. A real running back. the line is an issue but it isnt the only issue. would a great line make Reuben a better back? sure it would but the best line in football wouldnt make him special.

If we had our choice of any back in the league, there would probaly be 40 backs that I would take before Droughs and that is part of the problem. The only thing Reuben has done that other Browns backs werent able to do was stay healthy for 16 games and now that is gone.

[color:"white"]Nobody has ever claimed he was special, only solid, and solid is good enough while, on the other hand, the line isn't.

RB is a low priority. That doesn't mean I don't want a guy to pair with Droughns, or even that Savage won't get one at some point, but it's not a priority.[/color]

And in football terms....that is synonymous with average. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[color:"white"]But average for what? A feature back, or just a player? <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

And you don't replace solid players, especially when they aren't a problem <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> [/color]

And that is part of our problem, especially on the defensive side. We have a lot of "solid" players - none that are special. There are a few (on both sides) that have the potential to become special, but for some reason, they take longer when they're in Cleveland, whether it be due to injury or the system.

Regarding the article, I kinda wonder if the author (prolly not knowing much about the Browns) had meant to pimp Jones rather than Pool... It wouldn't surprise me. Although it sure is nice to read to read that, even though it hurts. Our record really could be flipped around.

A faster back will get to the hole a lot faster and need a smaller hole. Droughns is merely an average back - nothing more. He works hard, but LT did great without a line in SD for a couple years due to his vision and quickness to the hole. No more blue collar RBS, we need a game breaker.

I agree 110%!

This team is struggling right now.........but they are keeping so many games so close against pretty good opponents!

I feel that as soon as we can put an above average OL on the field with come decent depth..............this team will improve in a major way!

It is not that hard for oppossing teams to game plan against the Browns right now.............they know that we have a decent defense but that is not enough!

All they have to do is keep the score close.............utilize a lot of blitzes against this OL.........and contain the running game because we do not give our RB any major gaps to run with!

Our OL is very easy to blitz.........one of our sorry ass OL players will miss their tackles and Charlie is scrambling for his life!

He is often blamed for holding on to the ball too long............sometimes that is the case........but often times he is just pressured too much and has no choice!

It is not about Charlie and not about our RB............it is all about the OL.

Frye is doing a hell of a job getting passes downfield for nice gains.........but he can not do it all when he is often blindsided by some LB or DL because somebody missed a block! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

It happens way too often! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

The Browns will be a competive team as soon as the OL is built in a very good way.............I think that Phil has tried to do that........but I have a feeling that after this season that will be manatory!

We can only hope........I mean for how many years have we been saying this! <img src="/images/graemlins/rolleyes1.gif" alt="" />

I keep seeing these questions come up about Frye. The questions about him are really easy to answer. Frye is going to be a good QB in this league, but there will always be a better QB. He is going to be serviceable for the Browns, but there will always be a better QB.

I doubt we will ever find a QB that has more drive or tries harder or is more of a Brown.

[color:"white"]I remember saying that Leigh Bodden was a Top 10 cornerback awhile back and a bunch of people laughed at me.

Champ Bailey is regarded as THE best corner in the league by pretty much everyone. This guy's saying Bodden is #2 basically.

My Top 10 comment doesn't look quite as stupid now does it? [/color]

jc..

One thing the guy and a lot of other people didn't mention is how we've done with eliminating penalties. From what I can tell, we have 44 penalties for 397 yards. Patriots (just to pick on someone) have 57 for 526 yards.