NFL Week 6: Steelers @ Browns (1:00 P.M. CBS)

[Maximus]

Should I take you not answering the question as saying you do?

No. I have no relation to him.

 

[elcheato]

I'm sure it's been mentioned, but the Browns leading rusher was a healthy scratch and the team still crushed the Steelers, and ran for 158 yards and 3 TDs. It's not even a stretch to say we haven't had a single RB at any point since returning as good as any of the 3 currently on the team.

 

[Warren G.]

I'm sure it's been mentioned, but the Browns leading rusher was a healthy scratch and the team still crushed the Steelers, and ran for 158 yards and 3 TDs. It's not even a stretch to say we haven't had a single RB at any point since returning as good as any of the 3 currently on the team.

As much as we may like to suppress memories of Jamal Lewis (Ratbird) and Peyton Hillis (douchebag), the current backs have work to do to match up to those guys' best seasons in Cleveland.

Lewis '07: 1304 yards/9 TDs rushing, 248/2 receiving
Hillis '10: 1177/11 rushing, 477/2 receiving

No doubt that this is the best stable of backs we've had at a single time, but I'll go no further than elevating them over Reuben Droughns. So far.

 

[Damien O'Connel]

You can come close...the 2007 New England Patriots and '96 Chicago Bulls were pretty damn dominant.

'96 Bulls are maybe the only example. In the history of sports lol.

Can't count the '07 Patriots, choked in their final outing. Not winning the Super Bowl after dominating the league all year seems pretty imperfect to me.

 

[col63onel]

I'm at a conference in Houston. There was a Steelers fan sitting next to me during yesterday's session. We were both trying to watch the game on my phone. I clapped when we went up 21-3. She turned to me and said "did y'all just score another touchdown?"

She was very cool about it, though.

 

[FiveThous]

As much as we may like to suppress memories of Jamal Lewis (Ratbird) and Peyton Hillis (douchebag), the current backs have work to do to match up to those guys' best seasons in Cleveland.

Lewis '07: 1304 yards/9 TDs rushing, 248/2 receiving
Hillis '10: 1177/11 rushing, 477/2 receiving

No doubt that this is the best stable of backs we've had at a single time, but I'll go no further than elevating them over Reuben Droughns. So far.

The Browns 3 RB's through 6 games have a combined total of 151 carries for 715 yds and 8 TDs. They have a total of 6 catches for 28 yards.

Do they have a Jamal Lewis workhorse type back? No, but their production is far exceeding a Rueben Droughns.

 

[DJTJ]

As much as we may like to suppress memories of Jamal Lewis (Ratbird) and Peyton Hillis (douchebag), the current backs have work to do to match up to those guys' best seasons in Cleveland.

Lewis '07: 1304 yards/9 TDs rushing, 248/2 receiving
Hillis '10: 1177/11 rushing, 477/2 receiving

No doubt that this is the best stable of backs we've had at a single time, but I'll go no further than elevating them over Reuben Droughns. So far.

Hillis had a great year if you completely discount the six or seven games where he absolutely shit all over the bed, floor, and hallway on the way to the toilet.

He lost five fumbles, had four games where he averaged less than three yards a carry,and seven games where he averaged less than four a carry. He put up three TD's on Carolina, but then proceeded not to score for the next five games.

He caught a lot of balls on a shitty team that checked down what seemed like 80% of the time. Cool. He's a running back.

In comparison?

We could easily have a single back reach Hillis's yardage mark, and another who could reach the TD mark... While splitting carries. A lot more impressive.

 

[Warren G.]

Do they have a Jamal Lewis workhorse type back? No, but their production is far exceeding a Rueben Droughns.

Hillis had a great year if you completely discount the six or seven games where he absolutely shit all over the bed, floor, and hallway on the way to the toilet.
...
We could easily have a single back reach Hillis's yardage mark, and another who could reach the TD mark... While splitting carries. A lot more impressive.

The way I read elcheato's post was that each of our three current backs, right now, could be considered better than any other RB we've had. I disagree with that, for now.

No, Hillis wasn't a true star back, and yes, I might take this trio collectively over a "workhorse" like Lewis, and definitely over Droughns (which I said in my original post), but I don't think I'm being ridiculous or confrontational by saying that the guys, taken as individuals, haven't proven themselves to be more than NFL-caliber runners. This isn't Cleveland fatalism 101, where I expect to be underwhelmed for the remainder of the season. We certainly could see the scenario play out like you described it, DJTJ - operative word in both of our statements being "could." It's just that, considering the early stage of the season and given their respective question marks – Tate's durability, West's deactivation, Crowell's possible case of butterfingers – I think elcheato went a little too far in anointing them.

 

[Tornicade]

Rk     Tm     Year  Att  Yds ▾   Y/A     TD
1     CLE     2014  165  732     4.44     8
2     CLE     2007  116  551     4.75     3
3     CLE     2004  131  539     4.11     2
4     CLE     2009  138  531     3.85     1
5     CLE     2010  133  514     3.86     4
6     CLE     2008  129  492     3.81     2
7     CLE     2001  148  461     3.11     2
8     CLE     2002  108  411     3.81     1
9     CLE     2011  122  408     3.34     2
10   CLE     2003  127  402     3.17     1
11   CLE     2013  112     395     3.53     1
12   CLE     2012    94     389     4.14     4
13   CLE     2006  119     375     3.15     4
14   CLE     2000  106     374     3.53     1
15   CLE     2005  104     371     3.57     0
16   CLE     1999    92     342     3.72

 

[DJTJ]

The way I read elcheato's post was that each of our three current backs, right now, could be considered better than any other RB we've had. I disagree with that, for now.

No, Hillis wasn't a true star back, and yes, I might take this trio collectively over a "workhorse" like Lewis, and definitely over Droughns (which I said in my original post), but I don't think I'm being ridiculous or confrontational by saying that the guys, taken as individuals, haven't proven themselves to be more than NFL-caliber runners. This isn't Cleveland fatalism 101, where I expect to be underwhelmed for the remainder of the season. We certainly could see the scenario play out like you described it, DJTJ - operative word in both of our statements being "could." It's just that, considering the early stage of the season and given their respective question marks – Tate's durability, West's deactivation, Crowell's possible case of butterfingers – I think elcheato went a little too far in anointing them.

But what I'm getting at is as far as "seasons to beat", Hillis's season wasn't really all that great. It was marginally OK, just like Droughns had.

Crowell had one fumble, and taking that stupid hard toss where the ball is thrown into your chest while you're reading a hole isn't much of a butterfingers.

Tate got hurt. It happens.

West's deactivation really never got any explanation, but I think it's because he isn't getting out on the chip and release and he's getting ate up by blitzers or taking ones on when he doesnt need to.

 

[col63onel]

West's deactivation really never got any explanation, but I think it's because he isn't getting out on the chip and release and he's getting ate up by blitzers or taking ones on when he doesnt need to.

Per this article, it was due to a subpar week of practices. Only problem West directly mentions is not carrying out play action fakes, which we saw were vital against Pittsburgh. Whether that was the only issue or not, only Pettine and the staff really knows.

Must say I have no problem with him sending a message like "Take practice seriously, or you sit", but that is a hard punishment to hand out equally and fairly.