Intrigue and questions surround Browns four quarterbacks
September 5, 2017Trevor Bauer is unapologetic and it is great fun: Between Innings
September 5, 2017Happy Tuesday, WFNY!
I hope everyone had an amazing Labor Day weekend! I know I did. And I certainly know the Cleveland Indians did as well. The Tribe have now won 12 straight games as they continue their scorching run despite battling a string of injuries. The AL Central lead is up to ten games, the Indians are four games clear of Boston for the 2 seed, and they are just three games back of the Houston Astros for the top spot in the American League.
While the Indians are hitting the stretch run of their season, the Cleveland Browns are preparing for the start of their own season this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The offseason is finally over. Brock Osweiler has been cut, trades have been made, players have been signed off waivers, and the 53-man roster is set. It’s time for regular season football!
For the Browns, this season is likely more about progress than anything else. Sure, winning the Super Bowl can be the ultimate goal for any team, and it would be pretty incredible if that happened for the Browns this season. But realistically, the goals have to be aligned a little more properly with expectations. That begs the question, though. What are the expectations for the Cleveland Browns this season?
Obviously, the floor for any expectations is two wins. After suffering through a 1-15 season in 2016, having another one-win or (heaven forbid) a winless season is not acceptable. The Browns have made a lot of moves under the watch of Sashi Brown to tear down what was there in the past and start building with youth and through the draft. Those results need to start panning out to some degree this season.
Yet the Browns are still a team with a rookie QB, a middle-of-the-road RB, and mostly unproven WRs. There are high hopes for a stout defense this season, but the offense is very much a work in progress. Without the ability to consistently move the ball and score points, it’s going to keep putting pressure on the defense and forcing them to be on the field more than they should. This is all a recipe for a lot of losses again this season.
So what is the ceiling for the Browns? I went through the schedule and I optimistically saw a route to a 6-10 record. I would be ecstatic to have a 6-10 season. In looking at this roster, it looks more like a 3-13 team to me. That would still be progress, but it would also illustrate just how far the Browns have to go.
This is the joy of this time before the start of the season, though. We can allow ourselves to dream and to have hope. We can ask ‘what if’ questions. What if DeShone Kizer is the real deal? What if Corey Coleman has a breakout season? What if Isaiah Crowell establishes himself as a legit feature back? What if the Browns’ defense takes a leap with stellar play from Myles Garrett and Jabrill Peppers and becomes a top-5 unit? What if all of these things happen and the Browns are the story of the NFL this season?
It could all happen, right? We know it probably won’t. We know what is more likely to happen. Kizer will be hurt in Week 1, Kessler will struggle and be inconsistent for a few weeks until he goes down around Week 6 or 7, then the parade of QBs begins. The WRs never do anything, Crowell is asked to do too much, and the defense will try mightily until they ultimately fall apart due to injuries and fatigue from being on the field all game.
That’s sadly a more likely outcome than the Browns having things come together and being the breakout story of the season. But this week? This week, we can allow ourselves to dream and to hope. I know the playoffs are the ultimate goal of any season and the thing everyone is working for and watching for, but I just love the beginning of new seasons in sports.
Perhaps it’s part of the condition of being a Cleveland sports fan. Most of the time, we don’t have the luxury of entering seasons with the hope and confidence of being a Championship team. We (mostly) jokingly claim the draft as our Super Bowl. But when a season starts, that’s the time we most often allow ourselves to imagine a better reality for our sports teams.
Following sports, we see time and time again stories of impossibility becoming fact. Cinderella shows up to the dance routinely. There is almost certainly going to be at least one surprise team in the NFL this year who nobody saw making the leap that they did. Every year, I go into the season expecting the worst but keeping my fingers crossed that maybe this time it will be the Cleveland Browns’ turn.
I don’t know what this season has in store for us. But I do know it’s easy to sometimes allow hindsight to guide our judgment. When we consider the value of a season after it’s over, we can forget what our expectations were coming into the season. I’ll be honest, I haven’t followed much in the way of experts’ picks for the Browns. I don’t know what expectations are from the outside looking in. But for me, personally, I’m expecting three wins, allowing for the possibility of six, and dreaming of nine.
But what about you guys? What are your expectations for the Browns this season? What does the team need to do in order to satisfy your base level of growth and progress for the team? What needs to happen for this to be a good season?
Whether the team meets those expectations or not, the regular season is finally here. Next week we’ll be breaking down the first game on WFNY. If that’s not enough to get you excited, I’m not sure what is. Go Browns!
104 Comments
Preseason is for assumption just like virginia is for lovers.
The run the ball part is my biggest concern, and less with the line and more with Crowell. If they are forced to become one dimensional it’s deja vu all over again. Johnson is not your feature back and after Crow it’s the product of dumpster dives. Hope I’m wrong about this.
Our WRs are so cruddy, I expect Duke to probably be the most reliable pass catcher.
https://media.giphy.com/media/WuGSL4LFUMQU/giphy.gif
Drango, Banner and Averill pretty much proves this hypothesis. Throw as many mid round picks at the problem as you can and see what sticks.
Peppers is going to assure he becomes a Made Teflon Goldfish.
Ugh.
You can have the turd in the toilet bowl prize.
How did you know that’s what it was????
I know, right??
https://media.tenor.com/images/69019578903286db71d5c8c90e7b13be/tenor.gif
I don’t think it will show up in the wins column but I see a much improved team this year.
As much as I love that kid, the two in the back doing a super-90s choreographed dance are my favorite part of that gif.
I can confirm. All lovers. Zero haters. Every murder in this state is a crime of passion.
not only do i have expectations for the season , but for this Sunday as well … what a test for Kizer & the rest of the Browns with the Steelers coming in on Sunday … if the Browns can keep it close (within 1 score) into the 4th quarter , that would be pretty dang good & give us some reason for improvement & hope … should the Browns get blown-out 41-3 , this will be majorly demoralizing for Hue & his staff , the players , the fans , this page … you name it. even though it’s only 1 game , it might be a major tone-setter for all involved.
and yes i would love it if Kizer pulls-off some heroics & the Browns not only beat the Steelers , but DOMINATE them … this too would only 1 game , but it sure will mean a lot to the young players & the fan base.
It’s a dang good dance. Also, remember when being fat was allowed to be funny? /sigh
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-greco-still-recovering-from-injury-job-in-the-air
Hard to argue with your view on this, and I wanted to. Couldn’t find anything backing up the Browns approach to this. Really not a good look for the org.
“hope is not a course of action”
But it is an exceptionally effective campaign slogan
Duke up the middle!
That rule hasn’t changed.
https://media.tenor.com/images/4e7b3206874a0da8a1b8b1c6f0c70cb3/tenor.gif
Drango is not the starter, he is a backup.
Now, Greco was cut because he was playing injured but not allowed to say he was injured because he would have been cut early on. This is the NFL where starting caliber players (or young players who might become starting caliber) get placed on IR but veterans who are backups must fight through. It is not just the Browns here.
Greco was outplayed by the youth this preseason. He wasn’t good enough. It is a youth movement in that the youth who are better are on the 53-man roster. The FO should be consumed at this stage with laying the youthful foundation, but it includes having the best roster among the players present because the backups who fill in are important for the starters development.
Never since Hank Fraley has such a below average offensive lineman received as much praise as I’m seeing for Greco the past two days. I honestly love it, but it doesn’t say anything about the Browns FO.
Sorry, pulled away. Hope you found something to distract you from trial prep.
It’s more a NFL thing than a Browns thing. If Greco was a true average-to-above average starter, then he would be afforded more opportunity to heal. Ugly business.
Tiger’s Disqus account done been hacked! Dude, this is so, so … cold-eyed or something. Is everything ok? Should we be worried?
when the FO is desperately picking up WRs off waivers & trades at the waiver deadline, then you know how bad it is.
i don’t think I’ll ever forget this sketch as long as i live … i laughed so freakin’ hard when i saw it !!!!
LMAO !! … hi HARV. no worries … i just think 6-10 is about right , that’s all … i’ll bet i’m predicting the most wins , so , in that respect , it would be very “Tigers” … so , what are you thinking as far as wins ??
ehhhh , i don’t know … let’s wait & see what happens when it counts … Coleman & Britt are decent to start with … then we have Louis , 3 TE’s & then Duke … i expect Coates won’t be up-to-speed … they just need to tell him “go deep & don’t freakin’ drop it !!!”
got absolutely nothing from Higgins & Payton … how disappointing ! WWRFT (what would ray farmer think).
If you meant Greco being the starter in 2016, then I would point out Drango was a rookie and should be better this year. Also, playing to win in 2017 means keeping the better player right now. That is Drango whether or not due to Greco being injured.
It’s a shame that none of the receivers drafted last year (baring Coleman) look remotely like NFL football players.
man , i love Greco & anything to do with Toledo , but i think keeping Drango over Greco was the right move. “youthful foundation & winning games” … can’t they balance both ??
hi BEN … you’re writing-off Britt before we’ve even played a game ?
when guys like Haden & Greco get beat-out & outplayed by the youth , the FO is taking too much heat for letting them go … you know , the ole “Browns are cheap” thing. i agree with both moves.
hi JM … you will have to do better than that & actually come up with a prediction !! … *smile*
I mean, we kind of know what Britt is. (And this is from a guy who finds him on my fantasy team at some point almost every year).
He has the occasional good game. Last year was his first series of good games in a single season. But, he’s looked pretty awful in the preseason.
I was more optimistic before I saw him blow chunks all over the preseason.
i have to be honest , after watching him in the pre-season , it reeked of Dwayne Bowe … but I’ll watch him closely Sunday & see how he does. Britt & Njoku should see a lot of red-zone action … provided we get there enough.
Friday for sure!
Sorry. My trial prep distraction was distracted by trial prep.
http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/2013/01/relieved.gif
LMAO !!!
Man do I hope I’m wrong, but Duke just seems wildly overrated going into this season. I didn’t see much last season or this preseason to justify the good vibes.
I shall say it here now and again on Friday: 3-13. We may be better than last season, but this is still a bad team.
As your Dream Team pro hac consultant, I maintain that you go with the insanity defense. Re-watch Primal Fear and channel Ed Norton’s character. Talk about things in the third person as “Garry” did X and the bad men hurt “Garry.” In the end, I pray that you will be aquitted.
Ps. Nothing in this communication shall be deemed a waiver of attorney-client privilege.
For shame.
Higgins back on the PS though. Just wish he could develop his routes a bit better. He has the hands and size, but not the quickness/speed, so he needs those routes to be perfect.
It’s the first thing I think of any time I hear “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend”
Cool. Cool cool cool.
And RealTree camo is still proper courtroom attire, right?
It is in Georgia.
Yeah, don’t let Tiger bully you. Friday is the deadline here.
I heard the over/under was 4.5, which sounds perfect to me. But honestly, I don’t care. Just want to see what I mentioned in my comments, And precise draft slotting means zip because, as we’ve seen, if they can’t evaluate talent it doesn’t matter where or even how often the selections are.
This. +100000000
LOL !!