The Browns might be down their two elite defenders (Myles and the Warden) for Sunday, with their #3 guy (yes, it's Ronnie Harrison) dinged. But...
The Jags suck. Measure it by yards or points, they're near the bottom on both sides of the ball. Basically they average a 30-20 loss every week. They can't stop teams and they can't score. They suck.
It's the right time to heal. And more good news: If the Browns win, regardless of anything else, they move into the cushy 5 seed, because somebody's gotta lose between the Titans and Colts. And then the 5 likely plays the winner of that division in the playoffs, a good draw. And home field won't mean as much.
We're not gonna win the AFCN this year but we could very well end up 11-5 and the top WC team, heading to Indy or Tennessee in a toss-up game. Making the playoffs is HUGE for this organization and how it's perceived by potential free agents and everybody else. Winning a playoff game would be epic to set up next season, complete with a post-vaccine traditional training camp.
Final four in the AFC with (say) the Chiefs, Bills, and Steelers is ideal. We're teed up with cap and picks to tighten things up for 2021 and aim for an AFCN championship. Super Bowl talk can begin there.
It's not just the 32m we have now. I think that'll go up when we weed out some WR money and replace it with a rookie deal. I deeply doubt we'll have both Landry and OBJ next season. In fact, we might have neither and it won't really be a bad thing.
We need to win Sunday to keep all this joy a'rolling, but it's also a great opportunity for the offense to win a game while the defense is mending. Weather should be much better and we can get a look at what we can be with a healthy OL, two healthy backs, and spreading the ball around. I'd love to see us put up 30+ and more than 250 passing yards. It would send a message that we're not just one thing.
Let's go!
Ward is OUT for a "few weeks" with a calf strain.
Sheee - ittttt.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2837915-browns-denzel-ward-undergoing-mri-on-calf-injury-suffered-vs-eagles
Yeah, not great. But if we can get a win Sunday, we'll get Myles back for the Titans and hopefully find a trio of CBs who don't shit the bed. Mitchell will become the #1, he's had a really strong season.
I know KJ and now AJ, not sure who else we'll have. But it'll get better with Myles, shrink the passing window.
One week at a time. First, just win this one.
You did mean AJ Green from our practice squad? He was a much coveted corner post draft.
AJ, answer the door. Opportunity is knocking.
DE Joe Jackson is now on COVID protocol and will miss the game. For the Jags...their entire D coaching staff is not at the facility for COVID, and their K is already on COVID protocol.
Yeah, they called up AJ Green. Love to see somebody pull a Rams, they're getting great play from a couple low draft pick DBs, including Buckeye Jordan Fuller.
These kids are all fantastic football players, stars in college, and it's never lost on them that opportunity doesn't always knock twice. I hope one of them can step up and seize it.
Kinda think we need to pick up a vet, if one's waiting for the phone to ring.
EDIT: Eli Apple? With his fellow Buckeye limping around, getting in his ear?
I wanna see my boy Willies get another go in some capacity.
Has size and tools.
Bingo, Barrels.
He has the size and the speed to provide the deep element that has been missing since 13 went down.
Any chance he's active? I agree. He brings a big outside WR presence, gets downfield. Although we're seeing that from Hodge, too.
Still absorbing the suckage of the Jags defense. Historically bad, could average 30 PPG, which would be some kind of record. Bad against the run AND the pass. Just bad, bad, bad.
If it isn't a monsoon, great opportunity to win a game by scoring 35 points while Myles and Denzel heal up.
Jordan Elliott has really been rising, top DT by PFF in the league last game. That really helps the outside rushers, which helps them cover for Myles.
Guys stepping up could really play well when he returns. Fielding a monster DL is something we all expected and it could come to fruition just in time.
TakiTaki is on COVID now. But then again, Jags have 4 defensive guys on IR or out since injuries last week...so shouldn't be an issue for the Browns.
Money is the matter and they're gonna keep playing until all the wheels come off, regardless of how any of us feel about it. My selfish fan gene mostly overtakes my rational "greater good" gene. I'm not proud of it but no sense in lying (!).
So that confessed, it's just part of the competition this season, trying to win at Covid management. Browns have done better than most, but combined with our usual injury luck (Chubb, Delpit, Greedy, Teller, OBJ, and so on), it's still tough, especially Myles.
We can win without being at our best Sunday, and that's what matters for now. Getting Myles back for the Titans seems key.
Chris Hubbard has been activated and will be available for this weeks game.
The COVID-19 cases are getting insane over there. Given it is Thanksgiving and Christmas is just around the corner, I shudder at what your numbers will look like over the next six weeks. Let's never again vote for washed up reality TV host who objectively has the intelligence and temperament of a teenager in the throes of mental illness and an adderall addition. I'm beginning to doubt we'll even have playoffs.
I digress - apologies for not starting the game day thread. Work has been hectic. On the bright side, my final deadline for the year is December 18 so I'll get to fully enjoy the final three weeks of the season. Entirely possible we're sitting at something like 9-4 heading in to those final weeks - we could beat both the Ravens and Titans, but I doubt we're ready to beat both. I was reading the sweepstakes for Lawrence is basically down to the Jags and Jets. Everyone else is unlikely to drop enough games for the Jags or Jets to crawl their way out of a top two selection, although the Bengals might now without Burrow. I hope not. They would get a fucking king's ransom for the pick. Could be one of the largest trades in NFL history. Pretty quick route to fixing that OL. With that in mind, I think it's fair to wonder how on-their-game the Jags will be. A third string journeyman quarterback, their receivers are banged up and their season is lost. Definitely a trap game for us, but I'm not sure how inspired they will be to come out an perform. They're sixth worse in total offense, seventh worst passer rating, tied third most picks, pretty crap on TDs and yards. Their rushing attack is okay but they have the fewest carries in the league and 4th fewest rushing yards as a result. They're crap against the pass, allowing 105 passer rating which is tied for the worst. They're tied 3rd most passing TDs allowed, 3rd most YPA and are last in the league, by a mile, in fewest sacks. Baker needs to turn out - he's going far too many games without being productive. Tied of the flashes and the moral victories, he just needs out outright play well. Jags are middle of the pack against the run. 4.3 per carry and a decent amount of long runs and touchdowns allowed. Their weakness is against the pass, so it'd be nice for Baker to pay the ground game back for the wins over Houston and Philly. I feel we've been tacking better lately. Defense has clearly improved for their issues to begin the season, Chubb has reignited the ground attack and the blocking continues to be high quality. We're just kind of waiting on Baker do show something. It's a little concerning how consistent meh he's been considering the situation he's in. He's being clearly outperformed by quarterbacks who dream of being in the situation he's in - and the dude just isn't really taking advantage. If he can't beat one of the worst passing Ds in the league... welp. I'm predicting the good guys win 27-13.
Also, they're down almost all their CBs now, between injury and COVID. Josh Allen is out. They should present an opportunity to air out the offense a little, hopefully we can have one game without a Sharknado.
Jedrick is back. Feared he was out, similar situation to Myles, sick for two practices. Offense is basically whole. Defense is not but it's the Jags and Glennon.
Win... and get Myles back. Read he's on track.
They're rocking the all blacks, we're rocking the all whites! Love it.
Love it. I'm a big fan of predominantly one colour with just secondary hints. All white, especially opposite all black, is crisp.
100% agree. Orange is an accent!!!
What the Jaguars are saying about the Browns (clevelandbrowns.com) Is it just me or do the Jags sound like a team who have already accepted a loss? I'm not sure I've ever read a "what the opponent is saying" article like this.
Crazy that we're going to be missing three DEs and Sendejo is questionable with Redwine already out. I would guess they'll be fine with Harrison and Joseph at safety - which, frankly, might be an upgrade over Sendejo. We don't have any listed depth at DE behind Clayborne and Vernon, although I'm guessing Richardson will get some reps there with Elliot seeing an expanded role at DT. Not sure what happens there. I'm not too worried about CB. Between Johnson, Thomas, Stewart and Mitchell - that's not all that bad. That's a little scary. We're not exactly a powerhouse on D. If we struggle to get to the quarterback and have a disjointed secondary? Yeesh. Not entirely sure I trust Mayfield in a shootout with Mike Glennon.
You don't trust Mayfield to outplay Glennon? Bud, you've gone too far into the dark side, a negative hyperbole vortex of poop.