Freddie ain’t Ready

[Mind Character]

Critical 4th Quarter Play: Terrance Mitchell Interception return to around the Pittsburgh 30 yard line in scoring position.

With around 7:00 minutes to score down 7 points (20 PIT; 13 CLE) the team/offense is given new life.     

With arguably the two best running backs in the game, the calls are as follows:

1.) Pass call with 3, 30 yard+ routes down the field and 2 check-down options. Results in no gain.

2.) Pass call. Check-down to Kareem Hunt. Results in no gain.

3.) Pass call. Deep route combos again with 1 at the sticks. Results in a sack. Wyatt Teller gets beat and Pittsburgh had the basic route concept defended anyway. 

-------

3 Pass calls in the biggest game and moment in the season to shift momentum toward a winning side. No awareness regarding player and team strengths. In Week 13 after making similar consistent play-calling issues throughout many weeks in the season, nothing has been learned resulting in the same big moment mistakes.

This is not the play-caller that has the consistent depth of strategic thinking required to lead a winning offensive unit in critical moments and/or match wits when an opposition has high-level to elite Offensive/Defensive Play-callers/Teachers of Plans of Attack.

More than just that game I even said it last year, Freddie's play-calls often do not build upon one another or have high-level internal logic based on our player strengths and/or what the defense has shown or is predicted to show going forward.

Ultimately, to me Play-calling is like the art of Chess. There are different levels of Chess player mastery with the ability to think deeply about things like how one's move will influence the opposition upcoming series of consecutive moves, how to build a series of moves that exploit and attack the opposition's weakness, knowing when to aggressively attack and when not to, being able to implement high-level moves in critical big advantage deciding moments within the game, how to adapt to the changing approaches the opposition puts forth, etc.

Good chess players can have success in games and can look like high-level experts when viewing them execute certain moves from afar; however, there are higher levels of mastery where a Grandmaster for example would look at that "good" chess player and see that though he can implement all the basic moves and famous move-set strategies, the Grandmaster sees that "good" player's moves lack an overall depth and sophistication of strategic thinking.

I said it last year even when the offense had success. Freddie's play-calling often was more grab bag execution of Chess moves luckily against mostly bad defenses rather than a display of the ability to masterfully build adaptive, strategic winning plans of attack. Freddie is probably an expert Chess player. He has tons of expert knowledge regarding famous and winning moves. He has creative abilities to synthesize different move-sets he's become familiar with during his long tenure of experience with the game. Against certain opposition's he can have winning success and appear to be have Chess mastery. However, there's levels to this sh*t. In Chess, the levels are Expert, Master, FIDE-Master, International Master, and Grandmaster.; and there's a huge difference between an Expert and Grandmaster. 

Amongst other Expert-level Offensive Play-callers/Chess players Freddie's probably above the middle of the pack above average. In terms of his Head Coaching ability, he's below average.. below the middle of the pack relative to other Expert-level Head coaches.

How much better can he get between now and next year? Between now and 3 years from now? I tend to think that his Head Coach and Offensive Play-Caller Ceiling is not high and we'd be better finding  a higher-level Head Coach that either has Grandmaster level play-calling ability and/or the ability to hire other coaches that do.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

1 minute ago, Mind Character said:

Critical 4th Quarter Play: Terrance Mitchell Interception return to around the Pittsburgh 30 yard line in scoring position.

With around 7:00 minutes to score down 7 points (20 PIT; 13 CLE) the team/offense is given new life.     

With arguably the two best running backs in the game, the calls are as follows:

1.) Pass call with 3, 30 yard+ routes down the field and 2 check-down options. Results in no gain.

2.) Pass call. Check-down to Kareem Hunt. Results in no gain.

3.) Pass call. Deep route combos again with 1 at the sticks. Results in a sack. Wyatt Teller gets beat and Pittsburgh had the basic route concept defended anyway. 

-------

3 Pass calls in the biggest game and moment in the season to shift momentum toward a winning side. No awareness regarding player and team strengths. In Week 13 after making similar consistent play-calling issues throughout many weeks in the season, nothing has been learned resulting in the same big moment mistakes.

This is not the play-caller that has the consistent depth of strategic thinking required to lead a winning offensive unit in critical moments and/or match wits when an opposition has high-level to elite Offensive/Defensive Play-callers/Teachers of Plans of Attack.

 

This is where I took my first intermission.

1 minute ago, Mind Character said:

More than just that game I even said it last year, Freddie's play-calls often do not build upon one another or have high-level internal logic based on our player strengths and/or what the defense has shown or is predicted to show going forward.

Ultimately, to me Play-calling is like the art of Chess. There are different levels of Chess player mastery with the ability to think deeply about things like how one's move will influence the opposition upcoming series of consecutive moves, how to build a series of moves that exploit and attack the opposition's weakness, knowing when to aggressively attack and when not to, being able to implement high-level moves in critical big advantage deciding moments within the game, how to adapt to the changing approaches the opposition puts forth, etc.

Good chess players can have success in games and can look like high-level experts when viewing them execute certain moves from afar; however, there are higher levels of mastery where a Grandmaster for example would look at that "good" chess player and see that though he can implement all the basic moves and famous move-set strategies, the Grandmaster sees that "good" player's moves lack an overall depth and sophistication of strategic thinking.

 

Brb, gotta pee.

1 minute ago, Mind Character said:

 

I said it last year even when the offense had success. Freddie's play-calling often was more grab bag execution of Chess moves luckily against mostly bad defenses rather than a display of the ability to masterfully build adaptive, strategic winning plans of attack. Freddie is probably an expert Chess player. He has tons of expert knowledge regarding famous and winning moves. He has creative abilities to synthesize different move-sets he's become familiar with during his long tenure of experience with the game. Against certain opposition's he can have winning success and appear to be have Chess mastery. However, there's levels to this sh*t. In Chess, the levels are Expert, Master, FIDE-Master, International Master, and Grandmaster.; and there's a huge difference between an Expert and Grandmaster. 

A look at young Freddie learning the craft...

 

1 minute ago, Mind Character said:

Amongst other Expert-level Offensive Play-callers/Chess players Freddie's probably above the middle of the pack above average. In terms of his Head Coaching ability, he's below average.. below the middle of the pack relative to other Expert-level Head coaches.

How much better can he get between now and next year? Between now and 3 years from now? I tend to think that his Head Coach and Offensive Play-Caller Ceiling is not high and we'd be better finding  a higher-level Head Coach that either has Grandmaster level play-calling ability and/or the ability to hire other coaches that do.

A glimpse 2 years into the future after Freddie gets some experience and embraces dat keto life.

 

 

[Mega Ron]

1 hour ago, Mind Character said:

I tend to think that his Head Coach and Offensive Play-Caller Ceiling is not high and we'd be better finding  a higher-level Head Coach that either has Grandmaster level play-calling ability and/or the ability to hire other coaches that do.

I agree. To be this far in to the season and see Freddie making the same mistakes is ridiculous. 

Based on what we have seen, how can we believe that next season will be any different?

Edited December 14, 2019 by Mega Ron
Autocorrect is ******* annoying

[MarkPrice25]

So according to reports the Browns have no intention of firing Freddie, but Odell wants to see changes to the offense next year. So @Mind Character might have been right all along: Monken gets fired as the scapegoat and Freddie gets to stay.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

1 minute ago, MarkPrice25 said:

So according to reports the Browns have no intention of firing Freddie, but Odell wants to see changes to the offense next year. So @Mind Character might have been right all along: Monken gets fired as the scapegoat and Freddie gets to stay.

Or Monken gets promoted to run the offense entirely.

Either way, we need Freddie to focus on being the HC and let someone else run the offense.

[candyman93]

OBJ isn’t going to want to bounce after 1 year. Now NEXT YEAR might be a different story.

[sdrawkcab321]

Hopefully he gives up playcalling 

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

8 minutes ago, sdrawkcab321 said:

Hopefully he gives up playcalling 

Not sure Dorsey will give him the option.

I get that HC’s don’t want to give up play calling, and I’m fine with giving them a chance to do both, but when it’s not working they need to do the right thing and hand it over to someone else.

[brownie man]

If we keep Freddie instead of trying to hire Ron Rivera I am going to be pissed

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

22 minutes ago, brownie man said:

If we keep Freddie instead of trying to hire Ron Rivera I am going to be pissed

If you’re operating under the assumption he’s definitely getting fired I think you’re gonna be disappointed.

[Mind Character]

It's takes a special type of bad to have the NFL's leading rusher and having an offense this ineffectual. 

Seriously. We're still not leveraging productive running to help the passing game. Still few and far between play-action passes or similar zone run looks that are actually pass plays.

No rhythm off of a first down run or good run to get to the line with tempo and pace and keep the defense on their heels to put pressure on their mental and physical. Then, attacking them.

Still slow, late getting the plays in, shotgun 3 wide, similar route combos.

Being that I 100% believe that Freddie will be back next year some please (seriously) give me some reasons why things will be better next year? Maybe he goes into the lab and puts in the time to get better? We get healthier and more talent? .... ??

[bruceb]

Instead of being a leader and developing talent, Kitchens enables bad behavior.

It's not ok to let subordinates to "be who they are" if they are jackasses.

His play calling is for isht, for sure.

But his lack of effective leadership is the bigger issue, imho.

[Mind Character]

I keep hearing some of the most insane true tortured Browns fan stuff that's just madness.

Stuff like," We need to return to the simpler times.. the good times when we had less talent.. so Baker and our OC can thrive once more not having to worry about so many mouths to feed and worry about having to get the ball so so many people's."

It's nuts. We're literally talking about getting the ball to 2 WRs and 2 RBs with one being a pass catcher; We're NOT talking about having 3 WRs; a TE; and RBs. People are acting like it's quantum physics.  Some teams have GASP! 3 WRs, a TE, and a RB and they were able to do all the advanced rocket science to figure out that they wouldn't be better by trading one of them.

Can you imagine other coaches or their fan bases saying of some of the more talented offenses in the game saying stuff, " I"m sorry... we're going to have to trade you .. I'm afraid we just have too many good players and it's too conffusing and hard to figure this out."

You know we've gone completely bat **** crazy when plans being put forth are, " Okay. I think I have it figured out how to thrive.. Let's start with trading Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham.. after that things will start to click for our play-calling and QB."

Nuts I tell ya... Absolutely NUTS...

[matt27j]

Greedy playing 10 yards off los is bush. Then moves up when it's 3rd and 2 for easy conversions all day.

I get that Myles and Vernon would drastically change the game, but there are common sense things like this that are really irritating.

For Freddie, its yet again blocking the opposing best pass rusher with a te, is shovel passes on third down, its not using pa after chubb has a big drive and instead opting to hand it off to him out of the shotgun.

There's nothing that ruins watching a game more so than common sense coaching errors like these. 

Can't get in any rhythm if your not willing to call the game according to common sense. It's common because it's a feeling, a sense, a rhythm.

We can do better running a vanilla offense and defense next season. 2wr sets so obj and landry actually have room to work. Run, pa, short third downs, play cover 3 press on defense. 

After getting destroyed next week I'll find it hard to believe anyone, even within, opting for kitch to stick around. Love him but there needs to be a leader.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

To be clear since I’ve seen multiple people mention it, the “te blocking a multiple time pro bowler” looked a lot like a screen pass.  

Whoever the TE was released and immediate had his hands up and looked to be ready for a pass.

ijs, it may have just been poor execution and not an awful play design.