Mark O Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 FMIA Week 5: Awaken the Sleeping Giant? Browns—Yup—Feeling Frisky Getty Images The thing that’s surprised me the most about the first month of the season—even more than the fact that Philadelphia is 2-3 and hasn’t scored 24 points in any game, more than Atlanta being 1-4, more than Ryan Fitzpatrick being 18 points higher than Tom Brady in passer rating—is the Cleveland Browns. They’re fun. They’re competitive. They’ve got a quarterback out to prove the world wrong, and playing like it. They’re 2-2-1, they easily could be 4-1, and conceivably could be 5-0. Scoring margins in the first five Browns games: 0, 3, 4, 3, 3. In the three games they lost or tied, they had the ball in opposing territory in the last minute of the fourth quarter with a chance to win. The whole year: crazytown. You might remember back in April, when I covered the Browns draft in Cleveland and met a two-decade season-ticket-holder named Dan Adams. So mad at the Browns’ ineptitude was this middle-aged operations manager at a hydraulics company that when his ticket invoice came in the mail last spring he photocopied his hand with the middle finger sticking up and folded up the image and sent it to the Browns with these words: 1-31 and I’m done. This one’s for you. At the last moment, he relented and bought the tickets again, for one last time he said. He just couldn’t quit his Browns. I called Dan Adams on Sunday night. “The energy in this city is incredible right now,” he said, a few hours after the Browns’ ugly but beautiful 12-9 overtime beatdown of Baltimore, their first AFC North home win in four seasons. (Think how incredible that is.) “The Indians are great. The Cavs are great, and God bless LeBron. But there is nothing like this place when the Browns are winning—70,000 people just going nuts for their team. We’ve really missed that.” When the draft was over, I met Cleveland GM John Dorsey near the Browns’ practice facility in Berea. He showed up in one of those funky gray sweatshirts with the block orange CLEVELAND BROWNS on the front. (Dorsey: those sweatshirts. Jim Harbaugh: the khakis.) We had a couple of beers, from Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing, and Dorsey dissected the draft. Here’s what I remember about that day: Dorsey knew the draft cognoscenti wasn’t crazy about quarterback Baker Mayfield at No. 1 overall and cornerback Denzel Ward at 4. Mike Mayock, for instance, had Mayfield as his fourth-rated passer, and thought pass-rusher Bradley Chubb was a surer choice than Ward. USA Today gave the Browns’ draft the 25th-best grade out 32 teams. But Dorsey was almost fierce in his regard for both picks. And he made this declaration: “We will awaken the sleeping giant. I have no doubt.” Five games is too early to say anything about the Browns other than this: They’re one of the most compelling and competitive teams in the NFL. Their feisty new leader, wideout Jarvis Landry, told me Sunday he thinks they shouldn’t have lost a game yet, and when players say things like that, you just nod and laugh a little bit on the inside. But they tied Pittsburgh when their kicker had a field goal blocked with 13 seconds left in overtime, they lost to the Saints when their kicker missed two field goals and a PAT in the fourth quarter, and they lost to Oakland when a dubious replay reversal gave the Raiders life in the final minute. Most Sundays, I watch games in some combination on my laptop and the TV, on the RedZone Channel and whatever is the game of the day. In the last two weeks, the 45-42 loss at Oakland and the 12-9 win over Baltimore, I spent most of the second half and overtimes lasered on the Browns. The Cleveland Browns, the Browns Gonna Brown Browns. Dorsey talked about awakening the sleeping giant? He’s awake all right, now, and Baker Mayfield is the alarm clock. Browns fans saw the team’s first division win in Cleveland since the 2014 season. (Getty Images) The Lead: Browns “C’mere Baker!” coach Hue Jackson said in the Browns’ post-game locker room Sunday. “Bake Money!” Jabrill Peppers shouted as Mayfield made his way to the middle of the room, next to Jackson, who wanted to give Mayfield a game ball. “I ain’t been around you a long time, but I know this: You don’t flinch,” Jackson said. “You keep playing. You gotta keep doing that for this football team.” With 2:12 left in overtime, the Dan Adamses of the world had to be thinking, We’ll take a tie. Browns had second-and-21 at their 5, and their four previous plays had gone for zero, zero, zero and minus-11. Mayfield, in the shotgun, took the snap at the goal line, and pressure forced him back to four yards deep in the end zone. Here came Terrell Suggs of the Ravens, rushing from the right and making a strategic error: Instead of penning in Mayfield, Suggs tried to get to him from the middle, forcing the quarterback out to the offensive left side. No Raven was there. So Mayfield took 13 easy yards. “As I continue to get reps with [the linemen], they will realize I’m going to try to extend plays,” Mayfield said. Really? Two-minute warning. Third-and-eight. Three Baltimore rushers surrounded Mayfield in the pocket, but he leaked out to the right, and a total unknown, undrafted wideout Derrick Willies, playing only because of an injury, had a step on his man on a crossing route. Mayfield put it right in Willies’ gut. Gain of 39. Three clock-bleeding plays put the Browns in range for a field-goal try, but if you know the Browns’ tradition of field-goal follies, you knew something would go wrong. “I couldn’t look,” Jarvis Landry told me Sunday night. “I couldn’t look.” Greg Joseph, whose wounded duck from 55 yards fell short and way off to the left at the end of the fourth quarter, would find a way to miss this, wouldn’t he? His low kick found a Raven’s hand going over the line of scrimmage, but instead of dying at the line, the 37-yard kick knuckled downfield and made it over the crossbar with a couple of centimeters to spare. Mayfield led the charge, and he got some defensive help from Ward. Without Ward’s pick at the Browns’ three and then his block of a Justin Tucker field goal on the last play of the half, the Browns would never have forced overtime. This would have just been another dispiriting loss. With three interceptions now, Ward has been just the clinging, physical corner defensive coordinator Gregg Williams wanted. It was Williams, among others, who urged the selection of Ward over Chubb—and they’re pretty happy about it now. There’s something else I like about this team. It’s something Jarvis Landry brought from Miami. When the Browns did “Hard Knocks” this summer, the most memorable scene was Landry, new to the team this year, lighting up the receivers room. He was ticked off (putting it mildly) at the effort and practice habits of the team’s young receivers, and he stood in front of the room and said: “If your hamstring ain’t fallin’ off the bone, if your leg ain’t broke, you should be practicing! Straight up. It’s weakness. It’s contagious as f—! … It’s over with here, bro! If you’re not hurt, you gotta f—ing practice! That ain’t happenin’ here! That don’t exist! … It’s contagious. It’s contagious.” Coming from one of the highest-paid receivers in the league, that tirade got noticed. “My heart was full,” Landry said. “I had no idea it would be as big as it turned out to be. But I was just trying to state the truth and wake some guys up.” Landry thought for a minute. “With me,” he said, “what it comes down is I hate losing more than I love winning. I love football, and I just hate to lose.” When the Browns tied Pittsburgh on opening day, Landry thought some players were a little happy to not lose. “There’s nothing to celebrate!” he yelled. “We work too hard to tie!” On the first drive of overtime, Landry stuck his head in the offensive huddle and said, “It’s just us. Calls ain’t gonna go our way. Can’t worry about that. Just play.” After the game, in the raucous Cleveland locker room, Dorsey found Landry. The GM loves this firebrand wideout because of the example he sets and the ethos he brings to practice and games. Dorsey smiled at Landry. “Hey!” Dorsey said. “It ain’t always gonna be easy.” But with these Browns, it’s always going to be interesting. https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/10/08/nfl-week-5-cleveland-browns-fmia-peter-king/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 Good read.... My fav line: Quote Five games is too early to say anything about the Browns other than this: They’re one of the most compelling and competitive teams in the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Oven Posted October 8, 2018 Report Share Posted October 8, 2018 I know everyone is on the Baker bandwagon, and that's great, but the Browns scored 12 points yesterday. Everyone should be talking about the defense. That performance yesterday was clutch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcam222 Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 I saw the other thread about the NFL world talking about Baker. It’s more than that and the world is taking notice. We are back, we are legit and we are bad butt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Oven Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 35 minutes ago, jcam222 said: I saw the other thread about the NFL world talking about Baker. It’s more than that and the world is taking notice. We are back, we are legit and we are bad butt. I have my doubts that the Browns will end up in the playoffs this season. But man, the Browns are a team NO ONE wants to play now. That's right folks, the Browns are dangerous. They've been dangerous to themselves for years, but now they can cause problems for other teams. 😝 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unsympathetic Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 Ravens have the 3rd ranked overall defense [wrt yards given up] [7th rushing, 6th passing].. so only 12 points is not bad. Note that someone named the Browns have the 22nd rush and 28th pass defense. Paraphrasing The Wolf, don't start buying those playoff tickets just yet. Baltimore has the 11th rank offense [25th rush, 8 pass] Cleveland has the 17th rank offense [2 rush, 23 pass]. Yes, we have the second-most rushes, rushing yards and rushing TD's.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 I was watching Tailgate 19, and they mentioned that the stinkin ratbirds defense was #2 in the NFL before the game. After the game, well, the Browns defense looks like it could eventually displace the ratbirds in the top two. we'll see. If I recall correctly, the Browns defense had given up a lot less yards passing. I believe the Browns are just turning the corner, and headed for the straightaway. Hammer down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 17 hours ago, Dutch Oven said: That's right folks, the Browns are dangerous. As teams that pound the rock and play a strong D tend to be... Passing league... pffffft.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ous Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 “I ain’t been around you a long time, but I know this: You don’t flinch,” Jackson said. “You keep playing. You gotta keep doing that for this football team.” -Hue Does anyone still get the feeling Hue still isn't ALL IN on Baker? It's like he's saying "Well, if it was up to me, you probably wouldn't be in there yet, but I appreciate what you're doing". ? I dunno. Maybe I'm nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 52 minutes ago, Ous said: I dunno. Maybe I'm nuts. If so, then you came to the right place. Given the 2016 and 2017 QB turnstylings of our HC your wariness is understandable and we all know what the original plan was, but I don't know how Baker could "keep doing that for this football team", if Hue had any inclination to revert to Tyrod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonBrown Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 All i know is Hues history suggests Baker would never have been his choice. I think Dorsey, Wolf et al were behind the pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 6 minutes ago, LondonBrown said: All i know is Hues history suggests Baker would never have been his choice. I think Dorsey, Wolf et al were behind the pick. Huh? Did you close the Pubs tonite? Still owe me a crawl... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcam222 Posted October 9, 2018 Report Share Posted October 9, 2018 Id say that Hue has a huge coaching boner for Mayfield and is in love with the fact hes playing, as am I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonBrown Posted October 10, 2018 Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Tour2ma said: Huh? Did you close the Pubs tonite? Still owe me a crawl... Got a browns party over here on 10/28 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted October 10, 2018 Report Share Posted October 10, 2018 lol... a Browns party without the Browns? I'll pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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