LeBron on Letterman
September 23, 2009While We’re Waiting… Cleveland SI Covers, Tressel Not Calling Plays, and Kings Island’s Halloween Steve McNair “Tribute”
September 24, 2009With the Browns gearing up for Baltimore, a few player got to speak their mind on various subjects. The answers may vary, but one thing appears to be the common denominator: The Team. The entire team needs to play better on both sides of the ball. Whether catching, blocking, snapping, or tackling – the team as a collective unit has under performed.
The words of Josh Cribbs, Mohamed Massaquoi, Robaire Smith and Eric Steinbach are after the jump…
Josh Cribbs
(On playing in Baltimore) – “It’s a fun place to play. There’s a lot of commotion going on behind the whole team, they like to rally on that momentum that the fans give them out there. It’s a fun place to play.”
(On how to jump start the offense) – “We just have to make plays when the opportunity presents itself. I should have held on to the ball early on (against Denver), that would have moved the chains. We could have done some things on the line, running back, quarterback, all sides of the ball. We all have to play better, period.”
Mohamed Massaquoi
(On if it is tough to sit on the bench and wait for your time) – “No, because we have great players. Whenever anybody’s number is called out there we want them to make a play. We are all out there supporting each other, making sure that when one guy makes a play, the next guy is ready to make his play. That way everybody is anxious to make plays and that’s how you become a better team.”
(On if he can be the player to jump start the offense) – “We have a lot of weapons right now. We just have to make sure that we are able to go out there and produce and perform like we have been practicing.”
(On if he is itching for some deep passes) – “Right now we are just trying to string together good drives so we can put points on the board and help the defense out and make sure that we are going out there and playing the best that we can.”
Robaire Smith
(On if the defense has been out on the field too much) – ”Weather we sit here and say we have been on the field a lot of whatever, it doesn’t matter. We are a team. With times like that we have to be able to pick our offense up or pick the special teams up and make something happen.”
Eric Steinbach
(On helping Alex Mack at center) – ”We all have to do a good job. Alex is the center so he is the one that takes the initiative to come up and make the calls. With the veteran guys that we have on the line, we have to come up and help him make those calls. The most important thing is that everyone is on the same page.”
(On positives from the first two games) – “There are some good positive things out there on tape. It’s just that we didn’t play all four quarters either game. Obviously, if you want to come out with a win, in a tough league like this, you have to come out and play four quarters and sustain the blocks and do everything good for the length of the game.”
(On the challenge of playing in Baltimore) – “We take it as a challenge, but it’s also a good opportunity to go out there and show what we can do. That team is going to be rallying around the defensive leaders, especially being at home with that crowd, but you look at it they are 2-0, we are 0-2. We are going up to their place in a hostile environment, I think it would be fun to go out there and put everything together in an environment like that. It will be a great test for us so we are excited.”
21 Comments
cliches are like salt in the wound when your team is lousy.
@1
Yes, but cliches usually hit the nail on the head.
When MoMass was referencing the great players on the team, who exactly was he referring to?
@#3-I believe he was referring to the most NFL ready college receiver taken at the top of round 2. Both smart kids……….they know the playbook in and out.
Or, Isis, in something that makes sense, maybe he was talking about players who actually are on the field. You know, given the question. Relevance is fun.
Isis I swear to god come up with some new schick … everyone is tired of you just as they were when you were RANDYOSU … when you say something new or insightful then you should comment otherwise shut the **** up
Nullster.. Intense. lol. I don’t want to get involved with what you and Isis/RANDYOSU have going on… so I’m just going to say what I gotta say and get out of the way for the fight that’s bound to follow your comment.
The most irritating thing about watching the Browns isn’t the losing. We’ve had to deal with the losing for years now. It’s our new tradition. What I’m fed up with is the Browns not putting a competitive team on the field. I was and still is a Brady guy. So far he has done nothing worth noting that has backed up my gut feeling on what he could/should be. We have had very skeptical play calling. Brian Daboll has been nothing but a major disappointment. I never had any high expectations about him in the beginning, so that shows how incompetent he really is. He just seems like a guy who got a job b/c he’s somebody’s brother… But in this case it was b/c he and Mangina were roomates when they were ball boys. I’ve been rather impressed with the defense of the Browns in the first half of games. But, watching the games, you get a feeling that eventually there will be big play after big play against them. Uh, not to beat a dead horse and I know that Kellen Winslow isn’t very popular on this site, but why did we trade away a pro-bowl TE for a draft pick? Not known talent; but a draft pick? Brady is throwing to His TE more than anyone, Royal is his comfort blanket.. wouldn’t we (and Brady) prefer that blanket be Kellen?
Don’t give me the BS about him being a “cancer” in the locker room. He was a hard worker and there are 53 GROWN men in the locker room. One immature guy doesn’t tear a team down. ESPECIALLY when that one man goes out and performs on Sunday’s, And he plays through injuries, puts in the work. Don’t mention how he couldn’t block either. Royal isn’t exactly springing our running game to the tops of the league. Thanks.. fighting continues….
Nullster-you’re as lame as your name. Now go back and tell us how great it is that Mangini is bringing “discipline” to a “country club” group of players. Cmon…..let’s hear it. And hear it…….and hear it. 2-14.
Alex-would you actually be Alex Mack? Your smarts are astounding. You’re always so spot on. You must have been a Phil Savage supporter until the end, right?!
What do you know, yet another thread overrun by the rampant ego of randisis….i swear the 10% of the time you contribute something relevent and insightful just isn’t worth the 90% of the time that finds you repeating your holier-than-thou, committed to auto-text ranting ad nauseum. I think it’s pathetic that you can’t come here and discuss intelligently but instead have to make it all about how much smarter you think you are than everyone else while insulting anyone who takes a different view than your own. Differences of opinion keep things interesting and should be welcomed–instead you berate and belittle and ruin any real point you may have. I have always had the attitude that you ignore the trolls til they go away, but there’s no getting away from your nonsense as it drags down every conversation without fail. So congrats to you and your ego for ruining what is otherwise a great site for those of us who actually want to talk Cleveland sports, and not just be message board tough guys.
I agree with B-bo. Can we install some sort of ignore function on this site. Otherwise, I might find another place to go. These posts are being overun by Isis and his repetition. It’s not that I object to his opinions. It’s just that he keeps saying the same thing over and over and over and over. No matter the content of the post, he keeps dragging it back to his agenda.
Let’s just create an Isis code bank:
#1: Mangini is overbearing and boring
#2: the second round draft picks suck and they should have been Beanie and Rey whatshisname.
#3: Mack sucks and should have been one of the other centers or we should have kept pick #5 and drafted guys from #2.
#4: off topic but the Dolans are selling out and leaving
#5: Weglarz is not a prospect, even though AA players should not be discussed as much as he discusses this guy.
#6: Shapiro is awful and whoever agrees with anything he says/does is an idiot.
Feel free to add other numbers, but Isis, could you just use the reference numbers and at least keep your posts shorter? Once we have a complete list I will mail one to everyone so you will be able to interpret these glorious ideas correctly.
Guys, you can all install your own ignore function. Scroll on right past anyone you choose to not acknowledge.
This isn’t a message board. Comment on the post itself – not the comments wherein. You can all choose to ignore whomever you prefer; no one here makes anyone read each and every comment.
I think it’s just a matter of (short) time before the Browns out it all together and become a football team. It seems to me, and maybe I’m blinded by love of team, but they just need something to pull it all together. The offense can move the ball, drives stall-it happens, but in the 1st game, they moved the ball decently. With this young offense turnovers are bound to happen. I just think they’re close to getting it together. The defense looks impressive, they just have no time to rest. With the unfortunate turnovers on offense, the D is on the field way more than in needs to be. I may be a ‘homer’ but I think the Browns are close.
What is the timeline on Hadnot’s return? I think that could go a long way to restoring the right side of the line and improving all phases of the offense.
offense stays on field longer, defense doesn’t get gassed by the fourth quarter.
The biggest issue that I’ve seen on defense is depth (we don’t have enough of it at any position) and on offense is the line (particularly the right side). It’s easy to criticize BQ or the OC for being too conservative, but how are we supposed to call or run big plays (Flash package, deep throws) if the line can’t stop penetration from disrupting those plays? The offseason appeared to add adequate depth, but injuries have obviously led to some guys being out there far longer than they should be expected to be. It’s not that the team is far from being competitive, it’s just that these problems are the kind that take time to address more than anything else. I don’t like the idea of sitting through another 4 or 5 win season any more than the rest of us, but it’s the reality in year one of this new regime.
I think we should have a WFNY party in Cleveland somewhere, so we can all meet this Isis fellow (and everyone else for that matter).
Anyone else for this?
@B-bo I feel like we should just start out posts with a combination of those code numbers and take bets on what he’s going to lead out with
That being said, I do like the discipline he’s brought to this team, I agree with you Isis that the lack of changes at halftime is a killer and while he is not going to bring us to the superbowl this year, did we really think he was going to as it was. The biggest issue with this team last year was it’s lack of depth once you got past the starters who weren’t all that fantastic to begin with. They’ve brought some depth to many positions, and while it hasn’t shown to help yet, that’s mostly because the Defense has had to be on the field for about 75% of the snaps. The defense might actually have a shot to keep the opposing teams down if the offense could get a few first downs and settle for something more than a field goal. I don’t see us getting more than 3 wins at this point, however until we get our O turned around this year or next it’s going to be a struggle to get many more wins than 3.
The Mangini-bots have become self-aware!!!!
Is Cribbs aware that you have to be across the first down marker to get a first down? His fumble was 5 yards short of the first down.
His quote should read “I need to learn to run my route to the first down marker”
MacNip – I agree completely, and it’s plays like that where it is all too obvious that he isn’t a receiver. It’s great to get the ball in his hands, but we shouldn’t be relying on him in 3rd and long situations where we need a perfect route or a tough catch in traffic.
The ideal play for Cribbs is a pass out in the flat or a screen, on first or second down to pick up yardage to make for manageable 3rd downs. That gives us the option of throwing or running on 3rd down and forces the defense to prepare for anything. He has the same chance of busting a big play on first down that he does if it is a clutch 3rd down pressure situation, but without the downside of punting it he doesn’t break free.