Karlos Dansby doesn’t think Browns defense is too complicated
October 23, 2015Video: Jay Glazer on Johnny Manziel last year versus this year
October 24, 2015The Cleveland Browns implore you to not give up. Don’t ever give up. Sure, the Browns lost another game in the last minute (this one in overtime) in heartbreaking fashion when they fell to the Denver Broncos 26-23. But, the Browns played well despite the another Broncos conquest over the Browns.
So, now the Browns travel to St. Louis to take on another team with a fearsome defensive front in the Rams. Hopefully, this weekend the focus will remain on the team without worrying about whether or not we need to give Johnny Manziel the benefit of the doubt.
Browns offense versus Rams defense
The Rams have a formidable pass-rush, which has the NFL’s second most sacks per game to the Denver Broncos. The Browns struggled last week containing the Broncos rush, what must the Browns do to correct the issue this week?
Craig: The key is to gameplan. When a team has an elite ability like St. Louis appears to have, the only answer is to gameplan effectively and get the ball out quicker on slants. Sure, it would be nice to design something that enables your QB to hold the ball longer, but I’m not sure how you do that. This is the chess match of the NFL.
Joe: The Browns offensive line was not that bad versus the Broncos pass rush. A lot of the blame on the pressure can be placed on Josh McCown and his pocket presence. He must be better at reading the rush and deciding when to hold on to the ball and when to throw it. The offensive line must work more as a unit and figure out where the rush will be coming from and deal with it accordingly.
Michael: After looking at more game film (including Joe’s breakdowns), the Browns OL did a decent job subverting the rush. Josh McCown, on the other hand, went all scatter-brained after a couple early pressures and stepped into two of the sacks, while only needing to rush throws due to his own movement in the pocket. With the Rams having better pressure from the middle (Denver has it on the edges), it will be up to Joel Bitonio, Alex Mack, and John Greco to calm McCown’s nerves.
Josh: Block better up front. No but seriously, the Browns must establish a passing game so that the Rams can’t load the box and come after Josh McCown every play. Obviously, the offensive line must block better, but that has been a problem for the majority of the season.
Scott: This seems simplistic, but Josh McCown needs to get rid of the ball faster. San Diego and Denver and countless other teams have offensive lines worse than that of Cleveland, but the difference largely falls on the quarterback’s ability to navigate the pocket and get rid of the ball in less than three seconds. There are a handful of sacks taken by McCown thus far that could’ve been avoided by hitting hot reads or throwing the ball out of bounds. He’ll need to improve this if he wants to not feel the same wrath of Week 6.
Will: I’m answering all of the questions with YouTube clips this week. Hope that’s alright. What must the Browns do to slow down the Rams pass rush, you ask? They need to savor Josh McCown. They need to preserve Josh McCown. They need to love Josh McCown, and they must stop the Rams in the name of that love.
The over-aggressiveness of the Rams pass-rush has left them susceptible on run defense this season as they are giving up 4.1 YPC (20th in NFL). Last week the Browns called 46 pass plays and 33 rushes. Will the Browns go even further to balance their play-calling this week?
Craig: Well, the Browns certainly seem to like their mix of running backs with Crow, Duke, and Robert Turbin. They cut Shaun Draughn and I hope that means a continued commitment to using the various skills – speed, elusiveness of Crow and Duke and the bruising nature of Turbin – in establishing their running game.
Joe: I think the Browns will stick with the balance they had versus the Broncos. With the way the team is rushing the ball, it is just not possible to be balanced completely. Duke Johnson did look better rushing the ball, so his emergence in the run game, along with Robert Turbin coming back, could improve the run game, which will give the coaches more confidence to rely on it.
Michael: Obviously, the final tally will depend on the score in the fourth quarter, but I do want to see more balance in the early goings. The Rams have one of the more athletic linebacker corps in the NFL, so relying on getting Duke Johnson loose in the flats is a risky proposition to replace a running game. But, if the combination of Isaiah Crowell, Robert Turbin, and Johnson continue at the sub-3.5 yard per carry clip they are on, then the Browns might not have much choice.
Josh: If Isaiah Crowell, Robert Turbin, and Duke Johnson can prove that they can establish a legitimate run game, absolutely. But with a struggling running game at times, it’s tough to lean on something that isn’t working. If Crowell and company play well, that’s going to open the Browns offense and play-action game a lot, even for Josh McCown.
Scott: Game flow will have a lot to do with the play-calling, but with the addition of Robert Turbin to the fold, I do think they will continue to run the ball. I’m too lazy to look up the run-pass average throughout the league, but I can’t imagine the Browns are outliers on the passing side by any means — I mean, Phil Rivers threw 60-something passes last week, and they have Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead. Plus, given all of the passes to the running backs over the last few weeks, it may be screens against the blitz that allow the Browns to succeed.
Will: We heard up and down this season that the run will be the Browns’ bread and butter. It hasn’t worked out that way, but now they have three running backs to play with. What say we go for some balance this week, eh boys?
Brian Hartline has been terrible (Nine receptions on 22 targets), while Taylor Gabriel and Andrew Hawkins have been inconsistent in their usage. Do the Browns need another receiver to emerge to complement Travis Benjamin and Gary Barnidge?
Craig: No. There are only so many balls to go around. I’d be more concerned if the Browns were targeting one guy and then nobody was getting receptions and yards. Even in the loss to the Broncos, Travis Benjamin went for over 100 yards and Gary Barnidge only had three catches for 39 yards, but two of them were touchdowns. Duke Johnson caught 3/4 targets, Crow caught 2/2. Hartline was 0/3 and while it’s a concern that he’s not being targeted more, it’s hard to get upset when you’ve got other guys being productive.
Joe: I think Hawkins needs to return to his production he had for most of the year last season. Hawkins has not looked the same this season and the Browns would definitely benefit from getting the production level he had last season. Gabriel’s big plays have been missing, too. Hartline has been a complete letdown after having a strong preseason. If the Browns can receive the production of Gabriel and Hawkins from last season and have Hartline show up even a little bit, then the Browns will be in good shape combined with an already great year from Barnidge and Benjamin.
Michael: Gabriel has become a short yardage guy, Hawkins seems to have lost his shiftiness, and Hartline has been terrible (oh, has that been said?). Benjamin and Barnidge emerging has been one of the better stories on the team this season, but I think McCown needs to have one more receiver to demonstrate better ability if they cannot balance things with the running game or defenses will adjust.
Josh: With Hartline’s struggles and the fact that the Browns receiving corps struggles as it is, it’s going to be hard for the Browns to find another threat outside of Hartline doesn’t step it up. He’s not only the tallest WR, but was expected to be a big component of the Browns offense this season.
Scott: I don’t necessarily buy into the theory that the more weapons the better, but having other targets whom defenses have to respect certainly helps. It could also be argued that the Browns running backs have become those “emerged” receivers despite them, you know, not being receivers.
Will: Do they need one? Sure. Until that happens, just lean on Travis and Gary, Josh.
Browns defense versus Rams offense
In the offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams made waves when they swapped their starting quarterbacks though both quarterbacks have been mediocre at their best in 2015. For the Rams, Nick Foles has passed for less than 200 yards each of the last four games, while the Rams have scored 10 points or fewer in three of those weeks1. Can the Browns continue his struggles?
Craig: I think the Browns can continue Nick Foles’ struggles, but not if they don’t also shut down Gurley who is emerging as a talented NFL running back.
Joe: I think the Browns can continue his struggles because the Browns secondary looked better last week. I believe the Rams, though, will look to hurt the Browns with their running game, in particularly Todd Gurley. Hopefully Tashaun Gipson and Joe Haden can return to improve the secondary even more. Foles is not the player in their backfield that I fear the most.
Michael: Amazing Foles had everyone excited after eviscerating the Seattle Seahawks defense in Week 1. He has not been good since. The Packers confused and harassed Foles last week despite Gurley running extremely well, and the Browns can continue his struggles even with Joe Haden and Tashawn Gipson sidelined.
Josh: The Browns continue Nick Foles’ struggles, but with a struggling run defense, rookie Todd Gurley could have himself one hell of a game. The Browns make non-Pro Bowl running backs look like Pro Bowlers, let alone a guy who has been running at will the past few weeks. If the Browns have to load the box to stop Gurley, that can open things up for Foles downfield as well.
Scott: It will come down to the pass rush. If the front seven can gain any sort of pressure on the kid, the Browns should succeed. If he gets to just hang out and decide when and where he’s going to thrown the football, the Rams should be in good shape.
Will: Yes. Nick Foles is bad. He is a bad quarterback, and for all I know, he is a bad guy. I’ve just now decided that I hate Nick Foles.
With the passing game not working, the Rams have turned over to their NFL-best running game2 with 355 yards in the past two games including 305 yards for a 6.2 YPC from their 2015 first round pick, Todd Gurley. Given the Browns struggles against the run, will the Rams best their season-high 191 rushing yards for a game?
Craig: This will be Gurley’s second game at home and the first time when he’s not going to be on a play count. His first experience at home was six carries for nine yards in a loss to the Steelers. In the last two games, he’s had 49 carries, so it could be a big opportunity for the rookie against a Browns defense not known for good things in run defense.
Joe: The Rams will not best their season-high 191 rushing yards for a game mark. I think the Browns will be solely focused to stopping the Rams run game. They will look to put more in the box to stop the run. The defense should not be afraid of the Rams passing game, so their main worries should be focused on the Todd Gurley and the running game. With this focus, the Browns will hold them to below their top mark, but they will still be gashed like previous weeks. Their run defense has big problems and will most likely not be fixed in one week.
Michael: The Rams turned the ball over four times and only scored 10 points when they rushed for 191 yards against Green Bay. The Packers basically settled on letting Gurley get his yards and doing everything in their power to make life miserable for Foles. Since the Browns cannot seem to stop the rush anyway, it might be their best route even if the Rams break 200 yards rushing.
Josh: Kind of answered this in the previous question, but I absolutely think Gurley will have the best game of his season thus far on Sunday. The Browns have proven that they can’t stop the run and the Georgia product is going to make them pay.
Scott: God, I hope not. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. I mean, Todd Gurley is better than Ronnie Hillman.
Will: What do I feel when I think of Todd Gurley? Fear. But Todd Gurley, despite what his name may trick you into believing, is just a man. And man is not to be feared.
The Rams turned the ball over three times in their season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks and four times in their Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers. In their other three games, they turned the ball over one total time. What do the Browns need to do in order to create turnovers against the Rams?
Craig: I don’t know what the Browns can do, specifically to create turnovers. Up until the Browns started intercepting Peyton Manning, it felt like the Browns weren’t capable of it at all in 2015. With limited reps by Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson on the year, it feels like an even more impossible task.
Joe: The Browns need to put pressure on the quarterback. Whether that is from blitzing or a single player beating their block, the Browns need to pressure Nick Foles. Seattle and Green Bay are known for their pressure, so it is not a shock that the Rams turned the ball over against them. Pressure makes mistakes. The Browns defense must get more pass rush than they have produced so far this season.
Michael: Confuse Foles. If they can force a fumble out of Gurley during his 30 or so rushes (not looking forward to those), then great. But, the key will be mixing up the rushes to confuse Foles. Overloaded sides, stunts, dropping back into coverage. The Browns need to kick Foles while he is down and not allow him to build up any confidence.
Josh: Bring pressure to not only stop the run, but to give Foles no time in the pocket. With Foles’ struggles, if the Browns can force him to move out of the pocket and make decisions faster than he wants, it’s going to cause mistakes. Yeah, Gurley can have the best day of the season, but the Browns can absolutely stop Foles and the passing game.
Scott: I’m a broken record at this point, but they need to get to Foles. Forced passes are bad passes, many of which can fall into the hands of linebackers and defensive backs alike.
Will: They need to play like they’re pissed off. They need to show a little attitude out there.
Overall
Are the Rams as similar to the Browns as they seem? Which team has a brighter future?
Craig: I think the Browns and Rams are kind of similar, but I’d take the Rams over the Browns right now. I don’t love Nick Foles, but I think I’d take him over McCown. I think the Rams defense has proven more and I think despite the breakout of Travis Benjamin and the fact that I like Duke Johnson, I’d still take the upside of a talent like Gurley right this second. I could always change my mind by the end of the weekend.
Joe: In my opinion both teams are in the same position, except for an advantage for the Rams in their defensive front seven, both teams lack the most important thing, a franchise quarterback. Both teams will be in the same position until they can find their franchise quarterback. The Rams do have a better defensive front seven, while the Browns have a better secondary. On offense, the Browns have better passing threats, while Todd Gurley tops anybody the Browns have running the ball.
Michael: Well, the Rams rely on tiny receivers (Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey) outside a disappointing veteran (Kenny Britt) and their tight end (Jared Cook) and backup running back (Benny Cunningham) are among their main weapons for an underwhelming quarterback. So, while the Rams OL is more run-geared and the Browns OL is more pass-geared, the offenses are quite similar.
On defense, the Rams have the star-studded DL, while the Browns have it in their secondary. The linebacker corps give a hefty advantage to the Rams, but both teams have some big faults in what was thought to be strong units entering the season.
Overall, the Rams seem to be in better shape. Of course, it could change quickly if their owner, Stan Kroenke, bullies his way to Los Angeles.
Josh: Rams. With a rookie running back that has seemed to establish himself already and a QB that has shown he can lead an offense (not this season though), I think the Rams’ offense is much further ahead than the Browns, unfortunately. The defenses may be about even, but the fact that Cleveland can’t stop the run is worrisome, now and in the future.
Scott: The Rams have a better running game, better defense and an equal-at-worst return man in Tavon Austin. Their recent first-round picks (Austin, Gurley, Greg Robinson, Aaron Donald) are starters. Even if you assume Nick Foles is equal to Josh McCown (Pro Tip: He’s not), the Rams come out ahead. Sorry, Browns fans.
Will: Please don’t ask this question. You’re gonna make me cry all the way home.
3 Comments
If Gurley doesn’t flirt with 200 yards on Sunday, I’ll be genuinely shocked. I think it’s a very good thing this game is on the road, as it should mean fewer Johnny chants and boos for McCown when things get ugly.
Mike Pettine, Jim O’Neil, and Karlos Dansby all claim that there’s nothing wrong with the defensive schemes, only a strange conglomerate of bad executions by many different players. I think the defense will continue to get abused by running backs as long as they keep lying to themselves.
was that a spinal tap reference? haha love it. One of my all time favorite movies. with no facts to back anything up I think the browns take a step forward this week. Every week I see things getting a little better. No idea if it will put them over the top with a win but I do think it will be much better. Call it a gut reaction.