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How close were the Browns to Super Bowl XLIX? According to Pro Football Focus, 5 players

January 26, 2015 at 2:36 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- ESPN.com and Pro Football Focus have paired up to show just how many players away each NFL team was from the Super Bowl this season. The Browns, who finished their season by losing six of their last seven games, rated higher on the list than you might expect: seventh.

Yes, the Cleveland Browns, according to Pro Football Focus' player evaluations, were fewer players away from contending for this year's Super Bowl than the Carolina Panthers (10th), the Pittsburgh Steelers (11th), the Cincinnati Bengals (13th) and AFC runner up Indianapolis (20th), just to name a few.

I'll let Sam Monson from Pro Football Focus explain the process: link

"We started by evaluating each player (minimum 250 snaps played) on the 28 teams to make the conference championship games from 2007-13. Players were placed in one of four categories -- elite, good, average or bad -- based on how their performances compared to that of an average player at their positions.
"After adding up all the data, we determined that, on average, 40 percent of the qualifying players on those 28 teams earned either elite or good grades.

"From there, we looked at the 30 teams that didn't make this year's Super Bowl in the exact same way -- by eliminating the players who played less than 250 snaps and putting the remainder into one of the four categories based entirely on their 2014 performance."
So how far off were the Browns from nailing that formula? They ranked as having two elite players (Joe Thomas and Joel Bitonio), seven good players and 19 average players.

The rankings, however, raise some questions. They have K'Waun Williams and Taylor Gabriel ranked in the good column while Joe Haden sits at average. Notably missing from the bad column is Justin Gilbert. He's ranked as average, too.

Go check out the full list at ESPN.com. More to the story, link You can click on each team to see a full explanation. And remember, the games aren't played on paper. Especially not on Pro Football Focus' paper.

Included in this story is a poll..
"How many players away from Super Bowl XLIX do you think the Browns were?
Click this link to vote Poll

If we could just find a competent QB......

In my own personal opinion we have the most talented roster we've had since 2007, and quite possibly more so than that roster was. We're in absolutely dire need of a new WR, RT, DE/DT and pass rusher. If we can add a GOOD player at each of those positions this offseason (along with obviously finding a quarterback) I think we're on the road to being a very tough team. We went 7-9 with a very young (and injured) team, and four of those nine losses came by 4-points or less.

Adding those without a QB will be pointless. We need a QB, plain and simple. The NFL isn't complicated - find a QB and you win with average talent at other positions. The teams that made the playoffs this year show the truth to that - AZ and Cincy are the only two that did not have a QB that I would love to have playing for the Browns. Heck, Andy Dalton is better than anything we've had which is downright pitiful.

Yeah I completely agree.

I hope we're able to make a play for Nick Foles or Sam Bradford.

I think those two guys are our best option to win now.

I said it in another post, you put Andrew Luck in as our qb and we are in the AFC title game.

I don't have to agree but your post makes sense just one thing confused me and I thought didn't belong.

We're in absolutely dire need of a new RT

Absolute? Dire Need? I don't think so - will I jump up and down if we go and draft a kid like Schreff to start day one at RT...sure would. But we are not in DIRE NEED.

Myself I think only QB is dire need status. We most definitely are in dire need of some depth/rotational positions.

jmho

j/c:

Arguments might be had about a few players and which categories they should or should not belong in, but I think this article is in alignment with what a lot of people think about this team....

......There is more than enough talent and all we need is a real QB.

Unfortunately time could be running out on some of this talent, either by age or contract.

5 players?

#1 WR, TE, OLB, NT, and ofcourse...QB

...and 3 of the 7 "bad" players are all RBs, just saying.

I'm the only one around here that insists on RB being a major need this offseason. This data, while far from perfect, should at least raise some eyebrows around here. Some of you may have to rethink our RB situation

What exactly don't you like about each running back?

they fumble too much.

I like Crowell, but he's not consistent enough and not dependable from week to week. At least he has talent, something West simply lacks. Both have had character concerns in the past and both have been in Pettine's doghouse already.

They're simply not reliable. Crowell can go Gordon on us at any moment and then all we have is a dime a dozen showboating plodder. I see Corwell as a RB2 and West as one of many who should fight for the last RB roster spot. We need a complete 3 down RB1 AND depth to push the other two.

RB class is supposed to be solid. Wouldn't mind a RB with our 2nd or 3rd round pick, even at 19 overall if a top talent drops there and another in the 6th/7th or UDFA.

I agree. Both backs had some good moments and Crowell looked better than West. I would think Crowell may be able to become a 3 down back but if there is a really good RB sitting there in the 2nd or 3rd I'd take him.

on one hand, it is nice to see that the Browns' roster is being recognized as talented (or at least having some top level talent - they do not dig into depth for this article at all).

however, without the QB, it makes everything else harder.

As a team we had 7 fumbles all season. That ties us for 5th best in the league.

I agree.

Am I the only poster who is fine with our RB situation? I think they compliment each other well and will be a great duo threat simliar to the Williams-Stuart combo in Carolina. When Mack returns, they will blow up and be a highlight of this offense. If the team feels like pulling in a 3rd guy, I'd take a late round flier. RB is not an issue IMO.

WR, ILB,OLB, DL, QB, and OL depth are what I think we are missing. That is a lot of holes.

I like Crowell for the special bursts he is capable of doing (like the Atlanta TD). West is also fine. Nothing too special with him, but he's able to get straight ahead and gain some tough yards, so he's okay.

We should always be on the look-out for more RBs though as the NFL pendulum has swung to the point where many seem to be undervalued and we can pick up some bargains there (potentially).

This article is very wrong. We were one player away from making the playoffs.

With a Good kicker we would have won 3 more games and made the wild card with a better divisional record.

I wouldn't use the word NEED. However, I'd still say the position security is unknown.

When I think of NEED, I look at OLB, D-Line, or WR. Positions clearly not being held down by the people who have been in the position for a couple of years. If this were year two with Crowell and West, then I'd tend to lean in your direction. For know, I simply say we don't know yet, either way (Good or Bad)

I understand depth, but we are still missing quality STARTERS.

i went to war for the WR's all season, but the simple fact is we had nobody to consistently stretch the field. Hawk and Gabriel are quick as hell, and excellent at running routes, but they don't have after burner SPEED. and none of them can command a double team. we just need a #1, seeing as how the only one on the team right now is gonna be banned another season(sigh....). here's my thing. when Hoyer was playing dominant ball, we was 7-4. our WR's didn't matter then because we had a QB.

but when our QB plays bad, or has an ok game, thats when you see the value of WR. because they BAIL their QB out with ridiculous catches week and and week out. perfect example: Aaron Rodgers with Nelson and Cobb.

We still need an OLB, because right now the only monster we have is kruger. sorry but mingo isn't good right now. and i simply don't have faith that he will be. I'm tired of seeing QB's( jake locker left mingos jock strap on the field when we played the titans) FB's and TE burn our LB's.

Still need a NT. our guys suck. i think we have good DE's, but we have no dominant NT. hell, i don't think our NT would even start on another squad, unless that team was as bad as we were.

TE. we don't need a Gronk or Graham. but we definitely need a Greg Olsen. Right now we have a cupcake TE who is scared to block and gets injured all the time.

and of course...QB. man.....man. i don't even wanna talk about that right now.

Doesn't matter because next year, the Super Bowl is tailor-made for us. That's right, Super Bowl L.

This articles serves to reinforce my optimism that we DO have talent, and that the very few posters that have implied that we are talentless are simply meandering in the darkness...

About 8 more wins.

This whole "x players away" stuff is garbage. It's the sort of silly playtime guesswork that 8th graders would do in their spare time.

8th graders who make millions of dollars and are employed by half of the NFL teams.

That explains why we never get any better, actually.

Well we never get better because I bet one of those 5 positions is the QB.

Then stop making that bet so we can get better.

Boy, how close we were? Superbowl? Ya I'll stay outta that debate, too much opinion. I'll say we are closer than the year before haha, about the only comment I'm willing to make.

I hate to pull a Vers, but remember when I said we were a top 5-10 talented team and got mobbed up on?

Feels good to be right

Most of the logical people on this board who understand what they are watching have claimed that.

You don't have the market cornered on it.

Never claimed I did.

sorry but you're cherry picking. i listed 5 positions i feel were the reason we couldn't make a playoff run. WR was one of them, and yet in a very predictable fashion, you chose to attack that position on WR.

regardless of what gordon accomplished, or lack thereof, teams didn't stack the box on us when he came back.

how could they? you think it's just luck that Crowell managed to have one of his best games at Atlanta while Gordon STILL got 120 yards?

that game should tell you all you need to know. that was during Hoyers horrible slump by the way. he played like absolute dog crap yet he STILL beat atlanta through the air because we had a WEAPON they couldn't stop.

i never said the WR position was a lost cause, i said that was a position we definitely need help on.

man i was on your side but these other posters are actually right: you attack people for their perceive opinions on situations, then get upset when they do the same to you.

i think WR are important. you clearly don't.

cool, but don't cherry pick on a thread CLEARLY about 5 players, it's like you see WR in a post or thread title and lose your mind.

j/c

I'd love to know how anyone can honestly say we need a RT as a top 5 player on this team or as a 5th player away from making the SB.

We Need a QB, #1 WR, WR#2, DE, TE, DL, FB, OLB, RB, RG and then... a RT. I think people have forgotten how bad RT play can be and how much Schwartz has improved or just sucks less compared to the rest of the NFL.

He was borderline ProBowl/AllPro in comparison.