Secondary neglected, now we pay the price

They still should've came away from this year's draft with more talent at CB than some scrub 5th rd Richardson, who can't even make the 53. Archer was a luxury pick the jury is still out, CB in that rd was more of a priority.

 

The Browns have a couple of 1st round CB's and that didn't keep our guys from making catches. With no pass rush any CB can look bad!
Taylor is past his prime, but not even close to as bad as some think.

Taylor defends a pass and it's "he should have intercepted it"
Taylor makes an interception (I know very rare) and it's "He should have returned it for a TD"
Taylor returns one for a touchdown and it's " He should have fed the homeless on the way to the endzone"

Give the guy a break!

 

I think a perfect spot for a corner was exactly where we drafted Archer. That's why I just didn't know about that pick. Just look at the game today. Where are they going to fit him into this offense? LevBell is a stud, why take snaps away from him?

 

Dri got hurt today also. What's the status on him? My fear with him was that he would be an injury risk because he's just so little.

 

I think I would probably honestly rather get a cb in free agency. From the guys we've drafted lately I just don't trust our judgment in evaluating them. I'm not saying I'm against drafting one. I'm just saying maybe it would be a better thing in free agency.

 

Ha ha. I concur with your sentiment, sir.

Start with the kid from Eugene...
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

 

They got everything going by running ball in second half. Then play action. I would blame it more on run D

 

The run D gave up the openings in the 3rd setting up having their QB have his way with us. A true NT would help. Many made fun of him but big snack would have shut some of those runs down.

 

Yeah I'm just thinking that if they let Worilds walk he will need to be replaced and we obviously need a nose as well if we want to play good 3-4. For all the flack some are giving the FO for keeping Ike around I do think it should be pointed out that they DID make him take a paycut so that says to me they DO realize he is not as valuable as he once was or even as he thinks he is. So maybe they are coming to the conclusion that it is time to draft one. I just hope they can evaluate them. Corners seem to be the red headed stepchild of our d ya know?

 

I would like to see the team devote a draft to rebuilding the secondary. Take like 4 DBs and let them compete.

Side note, was it just me or did anyone else think that Mitchell looked terrible today?

 

Losing Keenan Lewis really hurt us. If we would have made an offer to him to stay, I doubt Ike is on the team this season and we have Lewis and Allen as #1 and #2.. When he was a FA 2 years ago, I didn't care if we tried to keep Wallace, I just wanted us to get Lewis to stay. Lost someone who knew the system and was a decent coverage guy with more in the tank and younger legs than Ike.

 

We couldn't afford Keenan and Allen though right? Wasn't it a sort of "either/or" situation? At the time, I personally didn't care for Lewis because I thought he had horrible ball skills and a low football iq but now it might have been handy to keep him around. However, was he really the long time answer or just "better than Ike is now"? How has he done in New Orleans?

 

I'm sure our cap situation at the time had a lot to do with it. But I haven't paid any attention to how he's doing with the saints. I'd say with Matt Ryan almost putting 500yds on the saints secondary, that he at least didn't do well today lol. I would say he is probably def better than Ike right now, but for the money he wanted it might not have been worth it. But if I remember right I think Lewis said the steelers didn't even make him an offer so who knows what we could have had him for. But I don't make those decisions, I guess the coaching staff didn't think too much of his skills since they didn't keep him or at least try. Although he was part of the defense that year we were 1st pass defense. And I think he did have a lot of passes defended, and his ball skills and hands can not be any worse than Ike's lol

 

Yeah my initial thought after this defensive meltdown today was that the Saints might put up 1,000 points on us. Now I have that same fear with the falcons as well since Ryan absolutely TORCHED them today. However, maybe Ben can have a great game against them too?

 

Well Wheaton put some #s down on Gilbert and AB on Hayden.

Loading the backfield is only effective when their QB is under attack.

 

Bingo.

If anyone is wondering which is the chicken and which is the egg, then just look at how long Hoyer had to throw in the second half. No pressure at all. The commentators kept mentioning how 'relaxed' and 'in control' he looked.

BUT - and this is the frustrating thing for me - in the first half we had much more pressure on him. Not as much as I'd like to see, but pressure nonetheless. So what happened?

And how long before we see Tuitt on for Thomas, I wonder?

 

We have lots of work to do.
Just a quick question, when you are getting gouged, don't you think some adjustments should be at least tried? Or were they and I just missed them? Horrible defensive effort, possibly one of the worst I have seen in a long time. Remember, this was against no names, that were doing this damage, hell they made West look like Shady McCoy LOL.

 

Well, they certainly aren't the all-star team. But I'm not sure I'd count them as scrubs, either. Joe Thomas, Mack, Greco... that line is pretty good. Jordan Cameron is a beast (ironically not part of the second half, of course), and West played well. Now, if the Browns go on to a 2-14 record, feel free to come back and berate me.

They're still a team we should be beating, though. (Just emphasised that so as not to be misunderstood).

 

But don't we have players also? If there not getting it done shouldn't we try someone else?

 

Oh, I agree completely. Cam Thomas seemed to be neutralised in the second half, so I would have had Tuitt on then, for sure.

The point was more about writing off the Browns as scrubs, really.

 

But we did get it done, we won didn't we?

 

Isn't it possible that they tried someone else and that the results are the same?

It's not easy to replace high caliber NFL starters, ie, Hampton, Smith. They are pretty much stuck with the guys they have this season unless injuries happen. They just have to continue to practice and play until they get better.