The Browns should play Denver every week

[Randomguy]

They look way better tonight with half the starters out for the game. 

[Randomguy]

Or the Broncos are just stinking up the joint so far.  Either way, I hope it keeps up. 

[Randomguy]

OBJ really is showing no hands and no awareness at all.  The Browns should take any trade they can get at this point.  

[jsharr ★]

10 hours ago, Randomguy said:

OBJ really is showing no hands and no awareness at all.  The Browns should take any trade they can get at this point.  

Weird how receiver’s flame out so fast

[Razors Edge ★]

So, the Browns won?!?!?  You seem to be leaving us all hanging!

[Randomguy]

43 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

So, the Browns won?!?!?  You seem to be leaving us all hanging!

Yeah, no closure.  To sum, the Browns started fast and pretty much controlled the game, despite how close the final score was.  The Browns defense is a problem, I think, and have been pretty soft the last three weeks.  No way Denver should have been that close at the end.  Also, you can't really count on your third string back to run for 140 yards a game.

If this had been against a good team with good coaching, the Browns might not have won.

2 hours ago, jsharr said:

Weird how receiver’s flame out so fast

I agree that the chemistry with Mayfield just isn't there.  He finally had two catches in a row from Keenum where the ball didn't bounce off his hands and looked good.  Most of his targets do end up in incompletions, though.  I have no problem on him falling down on that one play where the ball just bounced off his hip, the problem is his concentration.  If he had even a little ball awareness that could have been a catch.

Anyway, just to get rid of his salary would be worth a trade, I would happily take a three for him right now but I am not sure someone takes him for that.  Maybe he can revive his career at Dallas, who knows?

[Kzoo]

1 hour ago, Randomguy said:

 

I agree that the chemistry with Mayfield just isn't there.  He finally had two catches in a row from Keenum where the ball didn't bounce off his hands and looked good.  Most of his targets do end up in incompletions, though.  I have no problem on him falling down on that one play where the ball just bounced off his hip, the problem is his concentration.  If he had even a little ball awareness that could have been a catch.

Anyway, just to get rid of his salary would be worth a trade, I would happily take a three for him right now but I am not sure someone takes him for that.  Maybe he can revive his career at Dallas, who knows?

I've heard lots of NFL "experts" talk that they have to move OBJ.  I only watched the first half.  I remember the 2 catches in a row.  The first was a nice sideline catch.  The second he was wide open on the left side.  He looked kinda bad on the stumble but that can happen to anyone.  I haven't seen his stats but lots of people say he has to go.

The Browns run game didn't miss a beat.  I was surprised by the final score after watching the first half.

 

[MickinMD ★]

The Broncos were 3-0 before the Ravens whipped them something like 26-6, with the Ravens' top 3 running backs, All Pro cornerback, and key offensive line members out, but the 3 teams the Broncos had beaten were 0-9 through the first 3 weeks.

The Broncos haven't won since.

But the Broncos were, perhaps, more limited by injuries than the Browns.  The Browns had an accomplished, good backup QB working behind a very good offensive line while the Broncos had to play banged-up Teddy Bridgewater who would limp in pain after each time he threw the ball - and which one announcer said was probably the reason he was intercepted in the endzone.

The O-line is very important!  Some QB's have gone from so-so to excellent moving to a team with a good O-line and receivers, like Ryan Tannehill going from Miami to Tennessee and Matt Stafford from Detroit to L.A.  That O-line plus receivers like Landry and Beckham helped Keenum. Meanwhile, the Browns still had a strong running game without Chubb and Hunt, thanks a lot to their O-line.  Remember what a great running back Le'Veon Bell was behind a great Steelers O-line and then how ordinary he looked playing for the Jets?

Why the Broncos didn't go with Drew Lock at QB is unknown: local polls show Denver fans strongly prefer him over Bridgewater, who threw 3 interceptions week 6 and looked awful in the 1st half, and even the announcers expected Lock in the 2nd half Thursday.

The Broncos also lost their one great-pass-rusher, Von Miller at the end of the 1st half.

[Randomguy]

22 minutes ago, MickinMD said:

the Broncos were, perhaps, more limited by injuries than the Browns. 

I am not so sure about that, 4 of the most important pieces in the Browns offense out, and the left tackle was in worse shape than Bridgewater.   The defense is pretty banged up and shorthanded, too.   I think Wills hurt the team by being in there, Bridgewater playing didn't help much, either.  Even when healthy, Bridgewater barely cracks the top 20 quarterbacks in the league, I feel.  Barely. I would put him nearer to 25 if I had to say.

Beckham is mostly a hindrance to the Browns at this point.  He has about as many drops as receptions, and in crucial moments.  Last night's line?  6 targets, 2 receptions, 2 drops, not including the catchable ball that bounced off his hip.  This is becoming predictable with him, the offense runs better without him.  Could that change?  Sure.  It hasn't happened in three years, though, so it is unlikely to happen in Cleveland.

[Randomguy]

Just now, Randomguy said:

Beckham is mostly a hindrance to the Browns at this point. 

Odell Beckham can’t stop dropping the ball

by Randy Gurzi1 minute ago Follow @rgurzi81

 

Despite his claims about not dropping the ball, Odell Beckham, Jr. is struggling with butterfingers.  After a couple of huge drops by Odell Beckham, Jr. on fourth down this season, the Cleveland Browns receiver decided he needed to address this issue. Which he claimed was a non-issue.

Beckham discussed several things including his desire to win a championship — which is stronger than wanting the ball in his hands according to OBJ. But what really stood out was his comment about his hands being like “Purell,” meaning they were 99.9 percent effective.  “I always joke all the time, but my hands are like Purell, 99.9 percent (effective). I’m most likely going to make the catch every time. It’s the only ball you’ve seen on the ground this year.” — Beckham on his recent drops.

Fast forward to Thursday night and the Browns as a team are playing well. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead on the strength of D’Ernest Johnson running the ball as well as a long kick from Chase McLaughlin — who was unbothered by the wind in First Energy Stadium.  However, there was also another bad drop from Odell Beckham who was unable to haul in a pass from Case Keenum on second-and-13 despite it hitting him right in the hands.

The play was eerily similar to the previous drops from Odell, although this one was at least on a second down and not a fourth down.  As for the rest of the receivers, the Browns are thrilled to have Jarvis Landry back. He’s already been hauling in everything that came his way including one on third-and-four during their second drive that bounced in and out of his hands.

NEXT: Fracture puts remainder of Mayfield's season in jeopardy

Beckham is now in his third season with the Browns and he continues to struggle to find his old form. Eventually, you have to think the drops will subside but it’s not happening anytime soon it seems.

[Kzoo]

15 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

I am not so sure about that, 4 of the most important pieces in the Browns offense out, and the left tackle was in worse shape than Bridgewater. 

Your right tackle Jack Conklin... out  I wanted to see him play.  He is a local kid.  He graduated from the HS just to the north of us.  Sams HS that WoKzoo graduated from.  His dad was the head coach there for years.  Jack was a walk-on that Michigan State.  He's done well for himself.