McDonald to possibly be benched in favor of Daniels Options

[Guest_mz._*]

CPD reports McDonald may be benched in favor of Travis Daniels against Buffalo Monday.

Yikes. Perhaps we need to draft that CB out of Illinois after all...

[BrownsFan17]

After that crappy performance by McDonald last week, I am all for seeing what Daniels can do. Can you really do much worse than give up 3 TD's and drop two easy INTs?

[Vegasdogg]

He's young and needs coaching, so of course RAC will bench him. He is incapable of coaching up any of the young players on this team.

[JewDago]

it's also good that someone who's proven himself a good DB coach got promoted to a position he's obviously not imaginative enough to handle. it's not like we could use tucker to help bring mcdonald along at this point instead of having him call safety and slot blitzes all game.

[sisky fringo]

After that crappy performance by McDonald last week, I am all for seeing what Daniels can do. Can you really do much worse than give up 3 TD's and drop two easy INTs?

he gave up one TD--oh, you mean over 2 weeks huh? well, at least that first pick ricocheted off the receiver--that's a pretty tough catch at full sprint, especially since he had to react last minute..

if B-mac looked bad what about his help--they didn't even make it onto my tv screen they got beat so bad. looking back the d seemed to play pretty well when mike adams was in there. i like sean but i'm just saying. maybe he's still hurt?

i think they should leave the kid alone--it's not like hanford was all-pro in year 2. he's broken up more passes than any 2nd year db in cleveland in a very very long time (especially in relation to games played--it's crazy). his ability to close has saved his butt more than once and he guesses wrong less than EW does. and he's better man to man than E wright. if he had tackled denver's wr last week instead of attempting to swat the ball away no one would even be talking about this.

what have we got to lose? it's not like the season is on the line or anything.

even if we had a serious chance of sweeping the last 7 i'd still like to leave him in. ef it.

p.s. get the entire team some jump ropes. buncha pussies.

[HowieDawg]

he gave up one TD--oh, you mean over 2 weeks huh? well, at least that first pick ricocheted off the receiver--that's a pretty tough catch at full sprint, especially since he had to react last minute..

if B-mac looked bad what about his help--they didn't even make it onto my tv screen they got beat so bad. looking back the d seemed to play pretty well when mike adams was in there. i like sean but i'm just saying. maybe he's still hurt?

i think they should leave the kid alone--it's not like hanford was all-pro in year 2. he's broken up more passes than any 2nd year db in cleveland in a very very long time (especially in relation to games played--it's crazy). his ability to close has saved his butt more than once and he guesses wrong less than EW does. and he's better man to man than E wright. if he had tackled denver's wr last week instead of attempting to swat the ball away no one would even be talking about this.

what have we got to lose? it's not like the season is on the line or anything.

even if we had a serious chance of sweeping the last 7 i'd still like to leave him in. ef it.

p.s. get the entire team some jump ropes. buncha pussies.

I agree, this, if true, is another knee jerk from the coaching staff. B Mc has the makings of a great corner and will not excel in every game and was pressured into saving the game as our DL and LBs gave up the ghost and allowed our opposition the time to develop unhurried passing games. He has not been a bust all season, in fact I seem to remember some big plays coming from this young man. I see B Mc as a player that has heart in our team. He was pretty destroyed after the game last week and in interviews said he blamed himself in isolation for the loss. That says alot about the man to me as it certainly was not all his fault in any way. So for all of you that want to burn him along with BE, DA, RAC, K2, DS, CW, AD, .......................... do you get fired after one bad day at the office? I think you'd want your good service record to count for something in your new job wouldn't you. The kid has great potential and, to repeat myself, has the right kind of heart for our team. I say leave him in.

[samoth]

Has Travis Daniels played AT ALL yet? Why not bench Cousins who gets burned on every play he's involved with.

[Legacy Fan]

On the 98 yarder, BMac was clearly motioning behind him for safety help. He either saw something in the formation, and knew Cutler & Royal were coming his way or knows that Royal is too fast for him. To me that shows good instincts, right up until his whiff biscuit of a takeaway instead of a tackle. I've got to hang a lot of that on coaching and the scheme rather than MacDonalds talent or lack thereof. However, if the motioning was b/c of the speed thing that might be another issue.

I don't mind giving Daniels a shot, but how about starting with non-existent Cousins 1st?

[HowieDawg]

Has Travis Daniels played AT ALL yet? Why not bench Cousins who gets burned on every play he's involved with.

AND is clearly in cleveland only for an easy payday, he couldn't give a shite whether he makes plays.

[Guest_ATENEARS_*]

O-where, o-where is Mike Adams?

When Adams was in there are DB's were talked about as a strength, since Sean Jones has been back we've been burned more than any time in the new era. Seriously, we used to be a poor exspansion team, but seldom did we give up the big pass play (big runs, yes, but not big passes).

If your young CB is struggling, why keep calling defensive formations that leave him isolated?

Why are we always so ass-backwards at the safety position in this new era? It's as if the position is just a second thought and anyone even remotely comfortable back there either gets hurt from big backs running through our transparent LB's, or not re-signed when there contract comes up.

If we are not going to fill the four vacant LB positions, at least find us a safety. I think our corners would be fine if we had better LB's and Safeties.

[88fingerslewy]

I noticed during the Balt game he was being picked on a little and I thought they must see something about him.

I think he jumps routes, which means he's gambling for the big play or he's inexperienced or a little of both. The big Den. pass was a stop and go, or out and up (or some version of that). He obviously bit on the first move, recovered nicely then the brutal air-tackle. You can't deny his wheels though. I say leave him in....but COACH HIM....PLEASE!!!! COACH HIM!!!!

[ballpeen]

As one said....we have a staff that can't coach.

McDonald is going to be fine....but long term I would put him at free safety....he is big enough.

For now....put him in the nickel and put cousins on the bench, and see what Daniels has.


To someone else.....yes....Vonte Moore would be a excellent choice....he is in a very elite class of corner....you don't pass those guys if you have a chance.

[hx214]

From what I read, it seems that Daniels and Mac will rotate time, and "Keep them fresh" at the end of the game... It doesn't matter how many DB's they throw in there, if you can't get to the QB in under 10 seconds, all the Corners are going to be out of gas by the end of the game anyway...

I guess Homeo figures it was just BMac's fault that we lost the last two games, and not the overall lack of pressure. So instead of fixing the no pressure problem, lets just stick with the prevent D, and rotate in a few more DB's.... God what a waste.

Mac doesn't deserve to get benched, as many of you have already said, he got beat but he didn't have any over the top help. I was at the game last week, and all Mac could do on that 92 yarder was dive at Royal and hope to trip him up. I have no idea where the Safety was on the play, he might as well have been getting a drink on the sidelines...

Then on the play in the endzone with Marshall, the first play he had decent coverage but was still having trouble stopping Marshall. Everybody in the upper deck knew they would go right back at him, yet the coaching staff decided not to give him any help at all. So, ya I was upset with Mac for blowing the coverage, but there REALLY should have been double coverage on Marshall.

Bad coaching yet again.

[Pumpkin Eater]

we just need better coaching.

[Mitch]

Looks like RAC is just getting desperate trying to mix things up. Honestly if RAC thinks Daniels is the 2nd best CB why wasn't he even on nickel instead of cousins? I've seen Cousins get burned more times than McDonald for the amount of plays he has been in.

[Lumbergh]

RAC said on Thursday and again emphasized on Friday that a 93 yd TD should NEVER happen.

I figured Sean Jones was just as culpable as BMac on those plays though.

[lemosley01]

If they left Brandon in, that means they have to start blaming...the coaching.

Brandon McDonald showed good instincts and athleticism last year and even this year at times, leading me to believe that it is more a matter of how he is being coached (or not coached).

Sucks for him. I like the guy. Maybe he won't turn out to be a really good NFL corner. I don't think he will as long as the clowns are running the show.

[c-dawg]

McDonald seemed to be the more solid cover corner earlier in the season when Wright was giving up TDs. There is evidence that they both can tackle (in spite of last week) and blitz when called to.

I agree with others that Daniels should take Cousin's spot first, if he can. McDonald should have another shot and a chance to prove that last week in particular was not indicative of his worth/ability. What? Are we going to fall out of first place if he struggles again?

Other postings (as well as Jay Cutler) have referred to the base defense that we deployed as well as the fatigue factor on our D-Line. We are thin and young there and have been on the field too much. Our guys played tired on Thursday and Denver took advantage.

Another issue that concerns me is the coaching staff's inability to provide a coherent game plan on both sides of the ball week-to-week, although the limited offense for BQ was well done last week.

Our best game period was against the Giants when we had the bye. We came in prepared and lit them up. Last Thursday we underprepared, fielded a generic scheme and had too many players in position to watch the play instead of make a play. Let's see how we do with the extended prep again this week.

Theoretically McDonald should have learned a great deal from his worst game as a pro. Let's give him a chance to apply it and bounce back.

[d531]

Wow, you guys are rough on the coaching staff. McDonald has clearly been burnt on numerous occassions through out the season, and quite simply, has had problems executing his responsibilities. I'm sure he'll learn with time, but there is no way to coach execution. The opposing team has seen it on films and that's why they throw his way. And until he can prove otherwise, he will continue to get picked on by oppsoing QB's.

If it was the defensive scheme, how could Wright be successful? RAC has alot of issues with poor judgement calls, but this isn't one of them. Or at least he's trying to do something about it.

[d531]

Cousins sucks too, but it hasn't been as blatent.