Week #5 - Baker Bounce Back @ Bolts

[PIP]

John Johnson is pretty disappointing…

Definitely missed Clowney…

Sucks having a QB that can’t stretch the field or really roll out and throw downfield…I would not pay him. Once some of this talent is off this team he’s certainly not going to be a guy that will win you a game…

Coach was absolutely destroyed today

 

[Kris032]

We already know who Baker is at this point. But to crucify him for not winning the game in a situation where it is less than 2 minutes with no TO, bad shoulder and all that is crazy. Even the greatest QBs would have a difficult time executing that.

Not to mentioned we are missing Landry which I think was baker's safety blanket for these kind of situation/drive.

I've watched the Cavs lose in heartbreaking fashion so many times for the last decade but man, watching browns football is much tougher. This one will circle on my head for the next few days.

 

[buzzdog]

He was much better against the Chiefs than he was today.

The Browns inability to consistently get chunk plays in the downfield passing game is by far and away their biggest weakness offensively and it generally falls on Baker.

One holding call shouldn't automatically mean a punt, and for teams with a better QB it does not. But for the Browns? A holding is a guaranteed punt basically.

I ask you this... do you often/ever feel confident Baker is going to come through with a big play in a situation where the defense knows the Browns are going to pass? I certainly do not.

You're forgetting that 1st and 20, or 2nd and 20, those are automatic draw play calls for KS. That is what he does like 90% of the time, it's who he is as a play caller. Other coaches know you have to call a chunk pass play in those situations, get at least half of it back. But not KS. He has complete faith in the 1st and 20 draw play.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Lol Baker is not a role player

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

For the don’t trust Baker crowd.

Stefanski presser said that he played conservative because he had back up tackles and didn’t want anything bad to happen.

You either trust his words or you don’t.

This. The impact of that is being massively underestimated. Normally, you'd send out 5 guys to catch passes when you're down and need that final score. People are used to seeing that, and so are wondering why Baker wasn't zinging the ball around and getting at least 10-15 yards a pop to whomever is open underneath. The problem is that the OT's couldn't be left on an island because they sucked. So we had to keep guys in to try to provide some protection, which meant that they could pretty much double-cover everyone who went out.

So Baker faced the exact opposite situation as did Hebert. Hebert's pass catchers were running wild because our top 2 CB's were out, and Greedy was hurt. Baker's pass-catchers couldn't get open because the OT situation meant guys had to be kept in for protection, and so our receivers were blanketed.

 

[Henry Tuttle]

Lol Baker is not a role player

I’m struggling to think of any plays he made that any other replacement level QB could not make. I’ve seen him make these throws in the past — have not seen them the last 2 weeks.

 

[buzzdog]

12 yards in 50 seconds with the game on the line...
Why?

It should never have come down to the last drive. We could have and should have iced the game 2 different times before that last drive, just with more aggressive play calls. KS goes into ultra-conservative mode way too early against teams that can score at will against our defense.

 

[Mr. Orange]

It was pretty clear in the 4th that we would not be stopping Herbert on defense. He is dripping with moxie. The only thing to do was keep the ball away. Maybe Kevin Stefanski and his Ivy League brain know something we don’t, but he sure seemed willing to trust his defense by calling a draw play on 3rd and 10.

Honeymoon is over. He needs to coach better.

 

[Soar]

My concern with Baker, which was echoed in here...

You have the best O-Lline and RB duo, probably in the league and he's just not making those big throws and plays you need him to make in the biggest moments.

 

[ZooCrewDude]

This. The impact of that is being massively underestimated. Normally, you'd send out 5 guys to catch passes when you're down and need that final score. People are used to seeing that, and so are wondering why Baker wasn't zinging the ball around and getting at least 10-15 yards a pop to whomever is open underneath. The problem is that the OT's couldn't be left on an island because they sucked. So we had to keep guys in to try to provide some protection, which meant that they could pretty much double-cover everyone who went out.

Further… if Baker is healthy maybe you face some danger and let him extend plays behind a shaky line, but you really can’t do that when he’s nursing an injury. You’re damned no matter what. And we still hung 42 on em; but when the play calling gets jammed at the end of the game, it was too much to overcome.

 

[buzzdog]

This. The impact of that is being massively underestimated. Normally, you'd send out 5 guys to catch passes when you're down and need that final score. People are used to seeing that, and so are wondering why Baker wasn't zinging the ball around and getting at least 10-15 yards a pop to whomever is open underneath. The problem is that the OT's couldn't be left on an island because they sucked. So we had to keep guys in to try to provide some protection, which meant that they could pretty much double-cover everyone who went out.

Exactly, the Browns were keeping receivers back to help block, and the few running patterns downfield were blanketed and double covered.
If Mayfield would have forced throws in there you all would blame him for that too.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

My concern with Baker, which was echoed in here...

You have the best O-Lline and RB duo, probably in the league and he's just not making those big throws and plays you need him to make in the biggest moments.

I don't think any OLine with Blake Hance at one tackle and Lester Hudson at the other can be called "the best" at anything.

 

[buzzdog]

My concern with Baker, which was echoed in here...

You have the best O-Lline and RB duo, probably in the league and he's just not making those big throws and plays you need him to make in the biggest moments.

Is it still the best OL in the league if you are minus your 2 starting tackles?

 

[WellYouNeednt]

For me, the real killer the entire game was all the 4 & long conversions, some of which were inside the 30 on their side of the field.

Hat off to Staley — guy coached ultra aggressive and it worked.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

Funny no one is talking about the defense in here. LOL

Have a good night fellas.

I think people (at least me) are more sympathetic towards the defense because they MADE the 1 stop they needed to make and had one of the worst DPIs I have seen in quite some time take that away.

They weren't good, but they made their stop. And it got taken away. Also I think people underestimate the pressure an offense puts on a defense when you know they are 4 down territory at all times. It's hard to stop. it's a big part of why we are such a prolific offense ourselves