Mind Character

This team is wrecking my nerves man....

Let's go Baker...

Chubb was going to be wide

A non-RB screen PASS!!! YES

Awesome! Thanks for the detailed info.

Was stuck in grocery store with the Mrs and rascal. We scored? What did I miss? How did we look? How did Baker Look? Was there quick game, running back passes? Was it deep bombs? What?

Mahomes vs Deshaun and Trips Right no quick game Browns time is nigh....

# Elf Pound 2020.

Even if we do lose today we're still winning 8 games. (Dolphins; Steelers x2; Bengals x2; Cardinals). The Question is will 8 wins win the division? I don't know. Maybe.. maybe not. Probably not. Ravens gimme's left on the schedule are Bengals x2; Steelers; Jets. That puts them at 7 wins. The remaining games on their schedule are Seattle; Texans; Rams; 49ers; Pats; Buffalo; Browns. I think they probably win 2 of those (Buffalo and 49ers) putting them at 9-7. They could win 3 making the AFC North winner the 10 win team with Strength of Schedule as the tie-breaker. We need to win 2 out of Seahawks, Buffalo, Ravens to get to 10 wins and likely control our fate. It's going to be a rough ride down the stretch. We kind of need this Seahawks game to give us some breathing room to get this thing going. Ultimately, the playoff race might likely come down to the Browns-Ravens headed to head match up later in the season.

It really sucks that Deshaun vs Mahomes is happening at the same time as our game. If we tank it, I'm out of there an will rewatch it on gamepass so I can watch the 2 QBs I wish we had now.

This can be our game. Seattle defensively can be BBQ chicken in the pass game. Their OL is ailing with potentially 2-3 starters out. To me, it all comes down to whether Freddie and co. help get Baker in rhythm and in the flow early via the quick game. I know it's not his strong point, but I don't see why we can't throw Nick Chubb or the RB group the ball with 8-12 targets on delayed or immediate Jerk routes, Option or Angle routes on early downs to get the easy yardage, have the RBs going down hill with a head of steam, and to get Baker easy completions. I don't care about RB screens unless the situation calls for it on a 3rd down. That's what the Saints offense does best. The Eagles, Chiefs, and Patriots thrive that way: RB passing game as extension of the run game and best way to get offense and QB in rhythm. OBJ/Jarvis/Callaway Quick Slants and RB non-screen passing targets are what I'll be looking for all game. If we have them, we'll be back on track.

What has been is not always. Baker may have done things one way before at times but isn't now. Those articles aren't "gurus" making stuff up so that they can appear to be smart, but they are attempts at analysis of the situation by using the film as a guide. The film/play breakdowns can leave room for different interpretations of what's going on or attirbutions of blame, but I'm telling you man they're both sound snap shot analysis on Baker all leading to one point: Baker is not seeing the game clearly consistently, he's missing layups and easy to diagnose plays, and Freddie has been putting Baker in losing situations a lot but not all the time.

Indeed. Absolutely. We're putting too much on him right now as if he's already arrived as a down-in down-out elite NFL QB that should/can shoulder the heavy lifting and carry an entire offense. Wildest thing is the fact that we actually have the personnel with the skill sets to take pressure and mental strain off of Baker with a quick-rhythm game. We need to treat Baker like he's a young second year Quarterback and give him lay-ups to get him going with confidence. Soon thereafter his natural talent can take over. It's amazing how coaches like Belichick, Payton, Shanahan, McVay, Reid, make it so easy for their QBs by designing lay-up after layp-up to get their QBs going, creating mismatches that allow their personnel to win quick and their QB with a repertoire of quick solutions to whatever problem the defense presents. Each of those offenses revolve around the quick game with either quick/easy throws to the RB, quick slants to WRs, and the unwavering commitment to the running game as the engine that propels the passing game. There was a Patriots reunion interview a few years back where they asked Josh McDaniels and Bill O'Brien what's Belichicks influence on the team's offensive philosophy. I'll never forget what they both said in the shared interview. It was something along the lines of O'Brien first saying: "Never make anything harder than it needs to be. That's what we're tasked to do. Create paint by numbers easy solutions and throws for all QBs no matter what their experience." Then McDaniels chimed in "Coach' wants to scheme clear and easy reads; find the path of least resistance and take it every time." They went on to talk about how such things make up 70-60% of the offense and the rest of it is carried by the individual talent and collective ability of the QB, OL, and playmakers. Most troubling for me with Baker is #1 We don't create enough lay-ups for Baker whether that be RB pass or quick game and #2 that Baker is missing the lay-ups that he is given; missing those things that should be routine reads and throws; one's that he should be able to diagnose what's going on pre-snap and adjust accordingly. It's one thing to be confused by exotic or unexpected defensive calls; it's a whole other thing entirely to miss or be confused by basic/base calls and things you should know are coming. I don't know what is going on with him with the lay-ups he's missing. It is so strange and odd. I never believed he was elite at processing or had elite-level film room commitment based on what a lot of scouts had to say despite popular opinion being otherwise, but Baker's good enough and is a committed hard worker enough to where it doesn't make much sense as to why he's missing so much even when the Offense isn't struggling and the play call is sound. The hope that I have is that Baker is at a crossroads in his career. His natural talent has taken him as far as he can go. He's on a level with thousands of hardworkers with numerous coaches and players being elite hard workers and investing countless hours in the game. He's not the otherworldly instinctual player and arm talent player of Favre and Mahomes; he's not the athlete Russell Wilson is. Drew Brees is his blueprint for success, but that will take another step and leap in becoming obsessed with the game; relentless in watching film with his WRs; having them run through countless scenarios and routes; incessantly drilling footwork and mechanics in the off-season and season. Here's to hoping Baker wants it and goes and gets it like Brees.

Nice Review of what's been going on by Football Outsiders #1 and Jake Burns #2: Football Outsider's Breakdown: https://www.footballoutsiders.com/film-room/2019/film-room-baker-mayfield Jake Burns OBR: https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/Article/OBR-Film-Room-Baker-Mayfield-one-read-QB-Fact-or-Fiction-136729182/

I'd be shocked if we didn't come out fighting and firing on all cylinders against the Seahawks. Team got embarrassed on Monday night. The coaches are sick of the current state of affairs. Going against top competition where everyone knows they have to be on it. I just think Russell makes a few more play than Baker. Their defense a few more plays than us. Seahawks pull away with 5 minutes left in the 4th. Final Score: Seattle 34 -- Browns 28. We feel better about the whole team after but with some concerns regarding if we'll ever get over the hump against contender-type teams this season.

I'd be shocked if we didn't come out fighting and firing on all cylinders against the Seahawks. Team got embarrassed on Monday night. The coaches are sick of the current state of affairs. Going against top competition where everyone knows they have to be on it. I just think Russell makes a few more play than Baker. Their defense a few more plays than us. Seahawks pull away with 5 minutes left in the 4th. Final Score: Seattle 34 -- Browns 28. We feel better about the whole team after but with some concerns regarding if we'll ever get over the hump against contender-type teams this season.

hahah.. indeed.. good times..

2-3 Scoreboard doesn't really matter as the Jets with Trevor Siemian and under-prepared Luke Faulk are what they are. Ravens win was quality though and credit should be given for that. Blow-out loses don't happen to talented teams in the NFL. It's rare. The blowout lay down loses mostly happen to the worst talent teams in the league that are over-matched. When it happens to teams with talent and vets multiple times it's a real problem. I never had unwavering support for Hue Jackson the entity per se but instead it was the HC in the context of the team surrounding him that made me constantly wary of making assessments of the coaching quality from game 1 and beyond. I thought there were just criticisms (and voiced them) and incessant unjust criticisms (and voiced my disagreement with them constantly). Let's not rehash what I believe my arguments central point was during the Hue Jackson era vs. what they were interpreted to be by those that read them. (Rehash: Historically Talentless and Young with Rookie Starting QBs team made it difficult to evaluate quality of HC and until such a time as we had talent a true diagnostic assessment of the HC was not possible). Point is, the talent on this team and the displayed utilization of such talents (using Demetrius Harris to block Bosa; no quick hitter slants or quick game for Baker to get him in rhythm; 4th and 9 calls; redzone calls same formation no runs, etc) simply just allow for an easier read on what Freddie is and isn't. Of course, I don't believe anything is set in stone with Freddie as a HC/OC-HC because it is early in the season and there is a learning curve at HC. However, not having Cam Erving, Austin Pazstor, Bryce Treggs, Kasen Williams, Cody Kessler, Deshone Kizer out there on the field makes the evaluation of coaching at this early stage of the season more meaningful and more diagnostic imo.

Before reading your post... ---- After reading your post and realizing the Brotherhood of Realists is Colossal..

Lol. Thanks for your kind words regarding how meaningful and clear of point this thread is. You'll definitely be riding that Amnesia Wave in no time living the dream if you think beating 4 of the soon to be top 5 picking teams in the draft Steelers x2; Dolphins; Arizona; Bengals x2 is "getting our collective sh**t" together. I bid thee a merry and blissful ride.

Hahah... I the found a loop hole. From now on all my post will just be re-quotes of other people's thoughts that I like. The Likes will pile up and I will be heralded as the greatest FFer in the history of the internet. Really it's been awhile since I posted stuff like this... this is therapy for me so I don't meltdown post while at work thinking replaying the travesty that was that 49ers game over and over. I thought you had a good, nuanced response and talking about the 2nd half of the season and what if/anything winning will mean during it would make for an interesting mini-discussion.

Winning fixes everything. Winning is the opiate of the football masses. All will be forgiven. All will soon be forgotten. Our schedule in the 2nd half of the season is going to be the Great Amnesia Wave of the season wiping out all troubles and frustrations in the mindless euphoria of consecutive wins. At the end of the year we'll have an 8-8/9-7 record and people will be holding hands singing kumbaya about how all will be well in time even after a 1st round exit in the playoffs. "We made the playoffs the first time in forever and had 8/9 wins... I trust Freddie." "I told you He Gets Us" will be another rallying cry. ... I can hear it all now. No one will remember this part of the season and the next few losses ( I expect us to lose to the Seahawks, Pats, and mabye the Bills). After Buffalo, we have the Steelers x2; Bengals x2; Miami; Arizona, Baltimore --- In my mind, we will win 6 of our last 7 games. Any comment about how we still haven't really beaten anyone yet will be met by the pitchfork mob. Soon, voicing dissent against Freddie-ism (and Ryan Lindley) will be classified as a thought-crime punishable by banishment. At the end of the year imo, our only quality wins will be Baltimore and maybe against Buffalo with our wins coming against the Jets; Steelers x2; Bengals x2; Miami; Arizona. That to me will serve to mask the real issues with this team giving us enough reasons not to make the necessary changes/adjustments on the coaching staff (Ryan Lindley.. possibly Freddie, etc) to help this team get to the next level. Either way... The Great Reckoning.. The Great Amnesia-ing is Nigh... just hold out a little longer and the sweet bliss of winning will wash all ills away (for better or worse).

.