2023 Cleveland Browns - Regular Season Thread

[Hurl Bruce]

Watson at his worst is better than Brissett at his best, so last year's record is probably below what this year's version's floor is.

Add in the vast improvement on the DL, and that makes this team's floor cemented as higher than last year's record.

Things at their worst put this team at 8-9.

Things going just decently puts them at 9-10 wins.

Things going well puts them at 11-12 wins.

If Watson is at the level where he was at his best in Houston, this team is looking at 13-14 wins.

 

[natedagg]

Injuries are always an equalizer.

If any NFL team, Browns included, gets like 2-3 significant injuries at the same time at any position group, that position group is going to be negatively impacted in a huge way. There just aren’t 1,696 elite football players in the world (32 teams x 53 man rosters).

If Myles and Za’Darius both get hurt at the same time, the pass rush will crater and everything defensively will really take a step backwards.

Any discussion of success, for the Browns is depending on two things, Watson and relative health.

Agree but that’s the state of the NFL for all great teams. I do believe we can weather the injury storm pretty well at almost all positions.

If you want to get psyched about the Browns, just remember how g-d awful Joe Woods was, and how we might have made the playoffs with a different DC last year. Then look at all of the upgrades. DL with absolutely sweeping changes.

Garrett might get his DPOY. JOK can roam free. With Ward, our corners are monsters.

We have the best rushing RB in the game. Cooper/Moore/Njoku all bring different skills and all will need to be accounted for.

It’s going to be a fun year, and this is pretty much the year where Stefanski needs to grow in his in-game execution because the talent on the field is an embarrassment of riches.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

Watson at his worst is better than Brissett at his best

I mean this is just not at all true as we saw literally last year when the offense took a step back when Watson returned

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

Brissett led vs Watson led.

We went from 2.7 offensive touchdowns per game to 1.4

Completion % down 6%, Y/A down 0.7, QB rating down, took considerably more sacks

Basically everything was worse except the record which was helped greatly by games against Huntley, Kyle Allen, and Carson Wentz

There are, obviously, explainable reasons for this. But I also feel like people are really losing sight of how bad Watson was last year. He was not a top 20 QB and our offense looked pretty bad after he took over

 

[Hurl Bruce]

I mean this is just not at all true as we saw literally last year when the offense took a step back when Watson returned

Last year was extended preseason.

 

[daddywags]

Probably a very minority opinion, but I think we're rather thin at WR. If Cooper goes out for any extended time I can't see the rest picking up the slack. I have hopes that DPJ takes a big step forward this year which could alleviate the issue.

 

[sportscoach]

Probably a very minority opinion, but I think we're rather thin at WR. If Cooper goes out for any extended time I can't see the rest picking up the slack. I have hopes that DPJ takes a big step forward this year which could alleviate the issue.

We aren't thin at WR, but we don't have any depth in the first string, but a million in the second string...

 

[daddywags]

We aren't thin at WR, but we don't have any depth in the first string, but a million in the second string...

I almost said top-heavy.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Probably a very minority opinion, but I think we're rather thin at WR. If Cooper goes out for any extended time I can't see the rest picking up the slack. I have hopes that DPJ takes a big step forward this year which could alleviate the issue.

We aren't thin at WR, but we don't have any depth in the first string, but a million in the second string...

Not a lot of teams have a dominant #1 X receiver waiting in the wings to take over if their number one goes down.

If Cooper gets hurt, I think it'll be either Goodwin or Tillman sliding into the X role, with DPJ and Moore probably staying where they are. My hope is that Tillman quickly surpasses Goodwin, but there's a chance the vet starts the year ahead of the rookie on the depth chart.

 

[natedagg]

Not a lot of teams have a dominant #1 X receiver waiting in the wings to take over if their number one goes down.

If Cooper gets hurt, I think it'll be either Goodwin or Tillman sliding into the X role, with DPJ and Moore probably staying where they are. My hope is that Tillman quickly surpasses Goodwin, but there's a chance the vet starts the year ahead of the rookie on the depth chart.

If Tillman pans out, you can see how that helps with DPJ’s upcoming contracts talks. Hopefully he’s too good to keep off of the field this year regardless of injuries.

I think losing Cooper is a perfect example of how depth could be a strength this year. Like it doesn’t end our chances, and we should be able to morph the system and still create plenty of points. Plenty of teams losing their stud X would be in much worse shape.

 

[FiveThous]

Probably a very minority opinion, but I think we're rather thin at WR. If Cooper goes out for any extended time I can't see the rest picking up the slack. I have hopes that DPJ takes a big step forward this year which could alleviate the issue.

I’ve been saying this for 5 years.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Last year was extended preseason.

Sort of.

This isn't an original thought, as if you listen to Jake Burns he's kind of elaborated on it, but the Browns tried to install 2 offenses last year. When the Browns saw the results of how uncomfortable the whole team was in the Houston game, Stefanski pulled the plug and went back to the original, under center offense. For as good as Watson is as a QB, he's not really an under center the majority of the time guy. He loves being back in shotgun, looking at the coverage and then making his decisions. He doesn't love compact football, he likes to spread the defense and make a play.

The results became a heavily predictable offense (run scheme was basically all outside zone and pin pull while the passing offense was play action and simple routes) and a defense that couldn't compete with offenses because of their complicated scheme rules. A lot of people were focusing on Pocic's injury as to why the Browns failed to run late in the season, but the reality was that teams knew their looks and knew their run schemes to a T. Especially when they were running out of shotgun. It was simply too basic and did not threaten a defense at all.

I expect the offense to look so radically different than anything we saw last year. The Browns led the NFL in empty this preseason, and I expect that to continue, because Watson was easily the best empty formation QB in the NFL by a wide, wide margin from his draft year thru 2020. You're also going to see a lot of inside zone runs from shotgun this year, because you can run zone read and RPO's off inside zone runs. You cannot do it, or at least not very easily, on outside zone.

Ultimately, I think the worst we'd see of Watson this year would be a mid tier QB, but there is no reason for him to be that bad. This is the offense and style that he is most comfortable in. He should rip the NFL to pieces again, maybe even at a better level than before, because inside zone/zone read/RPO's should be deadly between himself and Nick Chubb. Should be unstoppable, if I'm being honest.

 

[natedagg]

Should be unstoppable, if I'm being honest.

THIS IS HOW I FAN. LOVE THIS.

 

[N7RobBob]

I’ve been saying this for 5 years.

Cooper goes down and then we see Watkins shine as WR1, amirite?

 

[red.]