Week #6 - Arizona Cardinals @ Cleveland Browns (-2.5) - 4:05 p.m. on Fox

[redscoon]

What is the defensive philosophy here? It feels a lot like pray Myles makes a drive killing sack and just take on water everywhere else. Clearly the secondary is a mess and can’t figure out who to cover and where they need to be, so at least try to attack and create negative plays. Sitting back and trying to make the zone work has failed miserably.

This team is going absolutely nowhere with this defense. Keep in mind they were pretty much full healthy today too.

 

[benchplayer]

IMO the biggest problem with this team is Woods. If this defense played to even half of their potential we'd have won last week and this week.

 

[CBBI]

I don't understand the reasoning for not calling more run plays early. They fell behind somewhat but it seems like Stefanski gets caught forgetting what makes this offense good. Cards don't play the run well at all, why are they challenging them over the air so much with two tackles that suck ass?

Why not utilize D'Ernst more if you know Hunt is already banged up?

Feels like prisoner of the moment type of actions.

The first 6 runs of the game went for 0, 5, 2, 2, 4, -2 and by that time the Browns were down 20-0.

 

[I'mWithDan]

The first 6 runs of the game went for 0, 5, 2, 2, 4, -2 and by that time the Browns were down 20-0.

Yeah, was just about to say that. The line looked awful run blocking and Kareem looked hobbled. Seemed like throwing was the best course of action, even score aside.

The line wasn’t good but they looked marginally better pass blocking than they did run blocking.

 

[ZooCrewDude]

Some thoughts:

1. Kevin gets a pass from me today because of missing tackles. But if there is one flaw in his system it’s that it is so scheme dependent that when there’s a break in the chain the rest of the chain falls apart. The protection up front was generally bad, but good teams need to be able to put up more than a single TD drive and a Hail Mary, and they need to be able to adjust week to week to sneak away with victories they don’t deserve when banged up.

2. Ditto the above for Baker. Protection was bad, but he needs to be more effective on 4th downs (as does the offense in general) if we’re going to be an aggressive team in 4th and short situations. His turnovers, were terrible, but at times he looked more himself today. Gutsy stuff coming back after the injury. He’s still not playing himself to a payday, and he’s proving out the narrative that he’s a ‘game manager’, which is fine as long as…

3. The defense is even average. We’re not respectable against respectable offenses and it’s not just execution (although there are doses of that). They played undisciplined, they had suffered from bad play calling in third and long and they can’t get the offense off the field when it counts. The D was as embarrassing in 3rd down as the offense was in 4th down… you won’t win many games that way particularly when…

4. The injuries are piling up. It’s really difficult to get a read on what this team is capable of and who is most accountable when we’re just falling apart at key positions. It’s heartbreaking to watch and we are about to march into a short week.

5. That’s two straight weeks of piss poor officiating that disadvantaged the Browns. It mattered less this week as it wouldn’t have changed the outcome, but the league has a problem and the first step is holding its officials and itself more accountable. The head in the sand approach hasn’t worked and it’s destroying the product on the field.

6. It’s not time to overreact yet. There is a lot of season and I’d rather watch this play out early than late. We can still make waves inside the division by taking care of teams in the division (increasingly tall order with the way CIN is playing). The reality is great teams have shit games, great teams lose heartbreakers… and that’s what we watched play out the last two weeks. We’ve seen what this team can be, and it’s plenty, they just need to get healthy and put it together. A few marquee wins against good teams are going to be needed to snatch a wild card. From there, if we’re healthy, I do believe anything is possible with the roster as constructed.

 

[caf]

My thoughts on today.


Why me God?????

 

[I'mWithDan]

My game thoughts:

Today was unfortunately a reminder of how quickly everything can unravel in a sport as physical as football.

 

[bigfoot5415]

I’d say relative to how we lost and the number of key injuries sustained, it would be an absolute miracle if we made the playoffs as well.

Gotta think 10-7 is the minimum necessary. So we somehow now need to win 7 of our next 11 with nearly every important offensive player banged up, injured or out for the year.

It certainly looks pretty bleak with all of this shit collectively going sideways at the wrong time.

6 is gonna be the floor. Given the tie breakers we won't own, nor sure if we can even afford that. AFCN & AFCW will ea send two teams minimum.

 

[DirtyDan]

The first 6 runs of the game went for 0, 5, 2, 2, 4, -2 and by that time the Browns were down 20-0.

First drive: 3 and out. All passes.

Second drive: 6 passes, 3 runs. Last 4 downs: Baker pass, Hunt short run, Baker pass, Baker pass.

Third drive: Hunt run, Baker pass/fumble

Fourth Drive: Baker pass, Hunt run for negative yards, Baker Pass/Interception

Now it's 20-0.

Early in the game they needed to control the clock and run the ball.

 

[Real Deal]

If there's one glaring problem that needs to be instantly changed, it's the defense. I don't live for the off-season and neither should you, Kevin, Haslam, or the Browns. We live for the now, and now should see change. The defensive scheme has to be scrapped and get back to basics. We still have the Ravens twice, the Pack, the rising Bengals twice, there's hard games and alot of easy ones left.

If the Browns are going to improve, it's not going to start with Baker or Odell. You know where it starts. 84 points in 2 weeks. That shit is wild.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

First drive: 3 and out. All passes.

Second drive: 6 passes, 3 runs. Last 4 downs: Baker pass, Hunt short run, Baker pass, Baker pass.

Third drive: Hunt run, Baker pass/fumble

Fourth Drive: Baker pass, Hunt run for negative yards, Baker Pass/Interception

Now it's 20-0.

Early in the game they needed to control the clock and run the ball.

A clearly hobbled Kareem Hunt. Are we leaning on D'Earnest Johnson and Demetric Felton?

 

[DirtyDan]

A clearly hobbled Kareem Hunt. Are we leaning on D'Earnest Johnson and Demetric Felton?

I would rather that than the Cardinals defense teeing off on Baker Mayfield over and over.

 

[MD13]

My game thoughts:

Today was unfortunately a reminder of how quickly everything can unravel in a sport as physical as football.

Not everything is Baker’s fault, clearly, but this whole season has shown us how having a franchise QB covers up the warts of your football team. We’ve had 2 games where he’s had at least one drive to win the game, and he’s been awful in those situations. Again, not all his fault, but 4-2 is a whole lot different from 3-3.

 

[dkbldev]

This was only the 2nd time Colt McCoy lined up in victory formation at first energy stadium*


*I have no evidence to back this up

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

I would rather that than the Cardinals defense teeing off on Baker Mayfield over and over.

He had enough time for most of the day. At some point, Baker has to overcome SOME adversity.