OHIO STATE 42, MICHIGAN 41; Hoke Did the Right Thing, Saban not so Much

     This was one of the most exciting OSU/Michigan games I can ever remember.  Congratulations to Ohio Sate for an unbelievable game over a truly excellent Michigan team, 42-41.   Carlos Hyde was great...so was Devin Gardner.  Hyde and Braxton Miller ran for an astounding 379 yards on the ground.  


http://sicollegefootball.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/carlos-hyde-michigan.jpg?w=600&h=450
Carlos Hyde was monstrously good gaining 226 yards on the ground and averaging 8.4 yards per carry.

   Michigan also dead some heavy damage on the ground.  They didn't test the middle much, fearing the big OSU line and outstanding middle linebacker Ryan Shazier, so basically they ran wide, and had some success with Freshmen De'Veon Smith, and Derrick Green, along with Senior Fitzgerald Toussaint.  But Devin Gardner was the star compiling an amazing 451 yards through the air--and it could have been even more were it not for some big dropped passes.  

   The Buckeyes came up big, in the end, with Tyvis Powell reading the route and coming up with an interception during the Wolverine's attempted two point conversion attempt for the win.  


http://www.trbimg.com/img-529a5438/turbine/la-sp-college-football-roundup-20131130-001/600
Tyvis Powell came up big, and came down with the ball in the biggest play of the entire season.

    Afterwards, the sportscasters and sportswriters and jumping all over Michigan Coach Brady Hoke for calling for the two point conversion rather than a one point conversion which would have taken the game into overtime.  I was listening to Fox Sports Radio after the game, and they were merciless.  

     However, in this observer's humble judgment, Hoke's decision was obviously correct.  He had to either entrust his offense to make two yards, or he could depend on his defense in overtime to stop Carlos Hyde (averaging 8.4 yards per carry and getting stronger and stronger during the game).  That doesn't make sense, frankly.   When the defense gives up that much real estate, they clearly are getting their butts kicked and they deserve to lose.     

   Plus, in overtime the Hoker would have to depend on an untested backup  field goal kicker, Matt Wile, with only 3 field goals in his college career, versus Ohio State's senior kicker Drew Basil, who was 8 for 9.   Likewise that matchup enormously favored Ohio State.   The Fox Sports crew seemed not to realize this for at least half an hour, and then sheepishly mentioned that the Wolverines were using an inexperienced backup kicker, but did not mention the importance of a kicker in overtime, only the extra point during regulation.   


http://www.dispatch.com/content/graphics/2013/08/26/osufb-8-26-art0-gc5occkb-1osu12ill-mm-07.jpg
Let's see...we have a senior kicker and four year starter, while Michigan was forced to play its backup kicker.  Who would have had the advantage in overtime?

   Not to mention the fact that Michigan's stud quarterback Devin Gardner was hopping around on one leg by the end of the game, while Braxton Miller was just as dangerous as Hyde.   Plus Braxton can throw.   


http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/636/801/hi-res-452618421-quarterback-devin-gardner-of-the-michigan-wolverines_crop_north.jpg?w=340&h=234&q=75
Devin Gardner was great on Saturday, and courageously played through an injury.  

   The complaining by second guessers makes it sounds like the Buckeyes win was a fluke.  Just kick the extra point, and Michigan was sure to be able to stop Hyde and Miller....their backup field goal kicker would be certain to outkick the Buckeye's experienced senior kicker....and Gardner's injuries were just about ready to heal at any minute.  OH COME ON!

   No, quit saying that the Coach blew this for Michigan.  He did the only logical thing, try to score two points with just one more play, and OSU just had the answer this day.  It was an unbelievable game, and Michigan was great, but Ohio State was just a bit better.  

   I'm going to go to the championship game next week, and I can't wait.  Michigan State will not be a piece of cake, particularly since it would be the highlight of their season to beat OSU, but not the other way around.  
And Coach Meyer, about that defense...


"I really, really want you to beat Michigan State next...."

    ***************************************
   Also I can't help but weigh in on another coach's decision,  this one by Alabama's Nick Saban.  After blowing four field goals with a redshirt freshman, do you try a 57 yarder to end the game?  Or do you worry about the threat of a runback?  I'm not aware of anyone predicting it before it happened, but in retrospect, those 300 pound offensive linemen were not going to catch one of the speediest guys on Auburn's team in Chris Davis, a 4.4 guy.  What's hilarious is there is no one from Alabama in the picture during the runback, only five Auburn players and the entire sideline running to the end zone.  And just like that, Auburn 34, Alabama 28.  Thanks, Coach Saban.    

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Cleveland Browns Start Brandon Weeden vs Jaguars

   
http://bloguin.com/thisgivensunday/images/stories/Brandon%20Weeden(4).jpg
Brandon Weeden has regained his job as starting quarterback as Jason Campbell is still recovering from a concussion.   

    This week the Browns face the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The Jags looked like they were going to have a deathlock on the first pick in the NFL draft, but after winning two out of three games, this is no longer clear.  Right now in the AFC, Houston and Jacksonville are tied for the worst record, but if Jacksonville beats Cleveland, then they would own a tie breaker versus the Browns.  One more Jacksonville victory and the Browns could have the second worst record in the AFC and could get a top five position in the next draft.  


    The Browns are very, very bad on offense this year.  One item that really stands out is that the offensive line is just getting pushed around.  Given the recent buzz about bullying in the NFL, the Browns can justifiably claim that their line has been bullied by every team they have played so far.  

   The Browns lead the NFL in hits on their quarterback, with 93. Amazingly, they are 11 hits higher than the second place team.  The Browns are also #2 in the NFL in sacks allowed, with 39.  And the Browns quarterback has been knocked out of the game four times this year, with Bryan Hoyer out for the season.  

   

http://www.enterprisenews.com/newsnow/x574276930/Patriots-offensive-line-will-have-hands-full-in-Cincinnati-too?photo=0

This year, the Browns are incapable of protecting the quarterback, with the starter being knocked out of the game four times.  Browns fans should not assume this can be fixed by drafting a high priced rookie quarterback next year.  

As for the running game, the Browns are even worse.  Veteran halfback Willis McGahee is averaging 2.6 yards per carry for 287 yards, an absurdly low average.  Worse, the Browns cut a rookie named Bobby Rainey, who was immediately picked up by the Tampa Bay Bucs.   After only four games, Rainey has already gained 243 yards for an average of 4.3 yards per carry.   It's pretty bad if a player's production goes up immediately after leaving the Browns.  The Browns O-Line is just struggling despite having Joe Thomas to anchor the line from the left tackle position and Alex Mack, the former first round draft pick, at center.   Both guard positions and right tackle have struggled this year.   The Browns also have only one bona fide threat at wideout in Josh Gordon, who so far has not been caught doing any dope.  

   Likewise, the Browns do not have a true fullback, nor is there a blocking tight end to spell Jordan Cameron or to run a two-tight-end formation.  
   
   Many Browns fans have made Weeden the scapegoat, but the Village Elliot disagrees.   With such weak players on the O-line, wide receiver, halfback and fullback, it's very hard to succeed in the NFL.  Or Pop Warner, for that matter.

    All three Browns quarterbacks have NFL arms and are generally good quarterbacks, with Hoyer looking the best in limited action.  

    If the Browns go all out to trade up for a top rookie quarterback in the draft, as many expect, that kid may be crushed just like the current quarterbacks.  You can not expect the quarterback to survive the season with the worst protection in the NFL.   If they get 8 games out of their starter, that will be  pretty good.  And no, he is not going to put up numbers while running for his life.  

     As bad as they have been, the Jags have been worse.  This may the best opportunity to see whether Weeden can play.  The Jaguars have only 17 sacks this year, while the Browns have allowed 39.  So Weeden may actually be able to stay upright for part of this game.  Let's see how he does on Sunday.  

Tom Brady--the Best in Cold Weather

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/217016-new-england-patriots-quarterback-tom-brady-throws-a-pass-against-the-d.jpg

After the Patriots miracle victory over the Denver Broncos, a few things jump out at me.  First, Tom Brady's perfect spiral may be not so important in a domed stadium, but when the weather is cold and the wind is gusting, it really makes a difference if the quarterback can throw a really tight spiral. Peyton Manning, not so much.  He is one of the greatest of all time, but it's hard to throw the ball into the teeth of a cold Massachusetts wind if it wobbles.  Kudos for the great discussion of this effect by Mike Greenberg et al of ESPN, and especially the analysis provided by Hall of Famer Cris Carter.   


Leave it to ESPN to also provide some great stats, which you can find here:  ESPN: tom-brady-thrives-in-new-england-weather .  To cut to the chase, Brady (qb rating 91.4), Aaron Rodgers (102.6) and Ben Roethlisberger (95.6)---all qbs from cold weather cities--have outstanding records when the weather is below freezing, whereas Manning is 2-6 with a very pedestrian 68.8 quarterback rating.  

http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2012/07/28/Padded-up-Peyton-Manning-dissects-Broncos-D-E21UV7E1-x-large.jpg

Peyton Manning's throws may be harder to catch on a cold and windy field.  

That point was underscored by Coach Belichick's decision to have the wind at their back, rather than receiving the kickoff in overtime.   It did make a critical difference.  

Still, it drives me nuts that teams are so afraid of Peyton Manning's deep ball.  They continually play the defensive backs a few yards behind the line of scrimmage, fearing that they may get torched by the Broncos' wide receivers.  Then they try to catch Peyton with zone blitzes and the like.  I think this is backwards.  Nowadays, Peyton is making his living by making short passes, not the bomb.  I don't think he has such a great arm anymore.  And nobody tricks Manning with a zone blitz.  You might catch a rookie unawares, but Manning is one of the best in the world at coping with the blitz.  I think you cover his receivers with tight coverage at the line of scrimmage.  Instead of trying to fool him with a blitz, teams should use an extra defensive back and challenge  his receivers at the line of scrimmage.  

Which brings me to another point.  What is the Super Bowl going to be like in New York in February?    Players were dropping the football all over the field in the New England vs Denver game, and so the Super Bowl may be error prone as well if the weather is cold in February in New York.  But terrible weather would favor a team like the Patriots and Tom Brady if they get that far.  

Someday a Woman will Play Major League Baseball

     Someday a woman will play Major League Baseball.  I don't mean as a gimmick by some enterprising General Manager to sell tickets.  I mean legitimately, based on ability, and soon, like within the next few years.  
     The most likely path, I believe, may be for a woman to make it as a knuckleball pitcher, which requires a rather unique skill set.  The most important skill is to be able to throw the darn pitch, which requires a very awkward grip, demonstrated below by legendary Hoyt Wilhelm, one of the early practitioners of the art.  

Hoyt Wilhelm had a career that seemed to span centuries, featuring the knuckleball as his main pitch.  

A good knuckleball is thrown such that it either does not rotate at all, or else rotates very slowly. When that happens the ball moves erratically and consequently is very difficult to hit.  

Although almost everyone can throw a knuckleball to a degree (watch high school players warm up, and almost for sure someone will play around with it), it is very hard to control.  Only a few pitchers can throw it consistently for a strike, but those who can do it have an excellent shot at making a living in the Major Leagues.  

Not all knuckleballs are born equal.  Some guys, like R.A Dickey, throw it hard, around 80 mph, which is the speed of a very good high school fastball. 

Others, like Tim Wakefield, throw a very slow pitch, around 65 mph.  Yet, Wakefield also threw other pitches and could change speeds very well.  A hitter looking for a 65 mph can be overmatched by a fastball coming in 10 mph faster than he expects. 

Wakefield's arm speed is within the range of many female athletes.  Put it this way:  if a person can serve a tennis ball at the professional level, that's more than enough arm strength to be a knuckleball pitcher.  

The knuckleball is not easy to throw for strikes, or everyone would do it.  But I don't know why it would be that  men would have a dominant advantage in this arcane art.    

Hence, I suspect that the right woman, armed with a knuckleball, will probably be able to make the Major Leagues.  

At the moment, not many have tried.  One pitcher, Eri Yoshida of Japan has had some success in the independent minor leagues in the US (Maui Na Koa Ikaika, which is Hawaiian for "Strong Warriors").  










https://picasaweb.google.com/103606745144571833160/110716eri_yoshida#5620743351990288306 
Japanese knuckleballer Eri Yoshida had some success playing against the fellers in pro ball.

Yoshida, despite being only 5'1" is able to throw the knuckleball, reportedly at Wakefieldian velocity. 

Yoshida is particularly interesting because she is inspiring a legion of young admirers and imitators in baseball-mad Japan.  Without really intending to, she has become a sort of role model.  I have to think that others may follow her with even more success.  

To make it to the big leagues, a knuckleballer still has to have a glove and enough speed to cover first base on infield plays.  A slider or curve would be a big help also, even if those pitchers are not Big League calibre by themselves.    I don't see any reason why those talents would be limited to men. If I'm see we might see women pitching for Major League farm teams in the next few years.  

   Maybe someone like 16 year old Chelsea Baker, who throws the knuckleball and, believer it or not, was offered a contract for the Japanese professional league. 

Chelsea Baker was offered a professional contract in Japan when she was just 15 years old.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqw4w4JZCLU

Browns Over the Bengals, Village Elliot Predicts

 http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2013/09/29/800x_b1_cCM_z/Bengals-Browns-Football-9-29.jpg

    Truthfully, I hate it when the Bengals and Browns play.  I grew up in Cleveland, and am old enough to remember when the Bengals were created by Paul Brown in the old AFL.  We thought, hey, great!  Our former coach (fired by Art Modell, who would go down in infamy after moving the team to Baltimore) has started up a second pro team in Ohio!  So we had two teams to root for, and I most of us were not all that enthralled by Art Modell anyway. 
    Regrettably, that situation changed with the merger of the leagues in 1970, with the Browns and Bengals in the same division.  Of course, Paul Brown wanted desperately to beat the Browns, and Modell's team didn't want that to happen, so a rivalry was born.  
   Anyway, I digress.  This weeks matchup, for the first time in a long time may actually favor the Browns.  It's not that the Browns have a great team, but they are healthy and the Bengals are not.  The Bengals have eight guys on the IR list.   
   People have discovered that Jason Campbell can play a little.  Readers of this column know that the Village Elliot has always liked Campbell, and in particular has noted that Campbell led the Oakland Raiders to a winning record.  Yes, the Raiders, who at that time still had their meddling owner, Al Davis, to ruin the rest of the team.  It's hard to fault the quarterback for the way the Raiders or the Redskins (the team Campbell played for most of his career) played.  Campell is considered to be over the hill by many fans, but at 31 he is not much older than Brandon Weeden, who turned 30 last month
Meanwhile, let's take a look at the Bengals.  They have lost 
Pro Bowler DT Geno Atkins, plus starters, S Taylor Mays, CB Leon Hall, and DE Robert Geathers.  Also lost are RB Bernard Scott, and LB Sean Porter.  For Sunday, DT Devon Still is out, G Keven Zeitler is Out,  LB Ray Malaluga is Doubtful, S Chris Crocker is Doubtful.  Let's not even worry about who is questionable.   I count nine key players as out this week.
   The Browns have lost Quentin Groves, a good backup linebacker, and long term are without QB Brian Hoyer, PR Travis Benjamin and backup running back Dion James. They are in much better shape physically than the battered Bengals. 
   The Browns O-Line has been playing much better. For the first several games they were giving up sacks at a phenomenal rate, which is part of the reason why they can not keep their quartbacks healthy.  Weeden has been knocked out of a few games, and Brian Hoyer is out for the year.  But the line has stabilized things a bit  for Campbell.  They still can not run the ball at all, with Willis McGahee struggling to average 3.0 yards per carry, one of the worst averages in the NFL.   But unknown fullback Chris Orbonnaya has 28 catches out of the backfield, and has a 4.6 yard per carry average lifetime.  Sometime they may figure out that he can play, and actually give him the ball.  For now, the Browns prefer Willis McGahee's 2.6 yards per carry as they wait for him to return to his form from back in the leather helmet days.  
    The Bengals big threat on offense is all-everything wide receiver A. J. Green.  On the other hand, the Browns have a very good cover corner in Joe Haden, and they may be able to slow down Green a little bit. 
    At the beginning of the year, I thought that the Bengals were going to be able to play some two-tight end sets with  Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert.  However, when Jermaine Gresham missed a game last week, journeyman Alex Smith (a former Brown) got the start over Eifert.   
    The Bengals are favored by five points, and if they were healthy I would agree with that.  But the fact of the matter is that they are not healthy, and for that reason the Browns should be clear favorites to win this game.  I handicap this game an amazing nine points differently than the official spread:  Cleveland 24, Cincinnati 20.  


 

  
 

Hell Freezes Over, Browns Beat Ravens

http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=17&post_id=21761

Davone Bess followed a miserable performance with a great one today.

    Oh boy it has been a long time since the Browns have beaten Baltimore.  Kudos to the Coaching Staff, quarterback Jason Campbell, wide receiver Davone Bess and the rest of the team for edging the Ravens in a tough game, 24-18.  Campbell doesn't seem to get much respect from fans, but the guy had a winning record with the Oakland Raiders, which is not easy to do.  

Fans were ready to execute Davone Bess after a very bad game last week, but this week he caught two touchdown passes and make a key grab on 4th and one that pretty much sealed the victory. 

Weeden haters can say that every time the Browns start someone else (Hoyer or Campbell), the Browns play better:  4-1 without Weeden, 0-4 with.  I don't think it is all Weeden, but no doubt he is the third best quarterback on the team based on what we have seen this year.  

On the other hand, the Browns running game is atrocious, with star Willis McGahee struggling to get 31 yards in 21 carries today.  


http://www.ohio.com/polopoly_fs/1.432094.1380279732!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_270/browns27cut.jpg
Willis McGahee brought his lunch pail and worked hard for 31 yards today.  

I was also disappointed to see mediocre wideout Greg Little get flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct.  He only averages 40 yards per game for his career, so a few good catches is no reason to start taunting the opposition or grabbing their helmets and throwing them around. 


http://media.cleveland.com/browns_impact/photo/greg-little-catches-preseasonjpg-806c89106c0f22d1.jpg
Greg Little gained a lot of yards, but gave up 30 yards with two foolish unsportsmanlike conduct  penalties.  Dude, you don't make enough good plays to be taunting people.  


The Browns were very tough on defense today, nailing Baltimore's Joe Flacco for five sacks plus an interception by Joe Haden from a bad pass from Flacco.  

They held Baltimore to a ridiculous 55 yards rushing, with only 17 from star halfback Ray Rice.  You can win with a defense like that.  

NFL Musical Chairs at 1 Billion Dollars Per Chair: London or Los Angeles?

     I'm sure you remember the game of "Musical Chairs," in which there are fewer chairs than players. When the music stops, someone is going to be left without a chair.  This same game is being played on a much larger scale with NFL franchises.  The NFL had previously announced that one or two current NFL teams would be welcome to move to the Los Angeles area.  This is a sound business move for the NFL, since the Los Angeles market is the number two TV market in the country and it is currently vacant.  Roger Goodell's instructions to teams wishing to move to Los Angeles are contained here in the following link from our friends at ESPN.com:  goodell-sends-los-angeles-relocation-memo .  The memo indicates that the new stadium in Los Angeles must be suitable for not one but two franchises to occupy.   There must also be some reasonable attempt to stay in the original host city, though this is probably just lip service.  Al Davis and the Raiders proved that it is possible to defy the league wishes as they moved from Oakland to Los Angeles and back again, and that this can stand up in court.  

This week Commissioner Goodell gave a clear signal that the NFL will move into London, England as well as Los Angeles:  los-angeles-vs-london-nfl-wants-both .  In other words two to four current NFL franchises are going to move.  The most frequently mentioned teams are habitually poor teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills, St Louis Rams and the Oakland Raiders. When that happens, the cities that are abandoned will attempt to obtain franchises to fill the new vacancies, no doubt upping the ante in the process.   

Basically, in the Village Elliot's view, the NFL believes it can blackmail American cities into paying outrageous fees for NFL Franchises, and they are probably right.   Supposing that the Jaguars move to London, say, then the City of Jacksonville will be willing to pay just about any price to replace their team with some other team.  So Jacksonville will try to lure the Rams out of St Louis, perhaps. It is possible that franchises will appreciate in value by about 100% if this kind of bidding war emerges. There could easily be a half dozen franchise shifts in the next five years.  

And it is certainly possible that the Cleveland Browns will be added to the list of candidate franchises to move if Mr. Haslam can wriggle out of his stadium lease.  Die-hard Browns fans are convinced that the lawyers can rescue Haslam despite the fact that the cash register at Pilot Flying J was found to contain tens of millions of dollars that wasn't actually supposed to be there.  However the same fans figure that those same lawyers will be unable to break the stadium lease with the City of Cleveland.  Those two bits of logic elude the Village Elliot entirely.  I think that if Mr Haslam is in fact successfully rescued by his attorneys, that seem legal team will try to break the current lease with the city.  The Browns will try to leave for greener pastures if they can.

   

This week

Browns Cheapskate Ways Coming Back to Haunt Them

   The Cleveland Browns are the cheapest team in the NFL, judging by the amount of money under the salary cap.  The Browns are $26 million dollars under the salary cap. They most famously unloaded Trent Richardson's salary by trading him to the Indianapolis Colts.  This may be a good move in 2014, but it is just another sign that the Browns have given up on 2013.  

    Other signs include the failure to retain a quality wide receiver like David Nelson, a 6'5" experienced slot receiver who recently signed with the New England Patriots after being cut by the Browns.  The Village Elliot has repeatedly pointed out that the Browns have been unloading payroll ever since the rebate scandal erupted at Pilot Flying J.  This has recently received national media attention (see Forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2013/09/18 Did the Browns Trade Richardson Because of Haslam's Legal Problems? ), though most Cleveland Browns fans still seem to believe that the Browns are just fine except for the quarterback position.

  In any case, the Browns saved themselves upwards of a hal million dollars by cutting Nelson and signing an undrafted rookie free agent to take his place.   Nelson is not an All-Pro, but he did catch four balls for 80 yards for the Jets yesterday. Ditto for blocking tight end Kellen Davis who is playing well for the Seattle Seahawks.  Both Nelson and Davis were signed as free agents earlier this year and then cut after the Pilot Flying J scandal broke.  Then too, Josh Cribbs was shown the door after last season, but after rehabbing an injury he has resurfaced with the New York Jets and looked good returning punts.  Perhaps that is just a coincidence. And perhaps it is a coincidence that the Browns are $26 million dollars under the salary cap, right?
  
Blocking Tight End Kellen Davis was mysteriously cut after signing as a free agent with the Browns, thus saving Jimmy Haslam some money.  He is doing okay for the Seattle Seahawks.  


Photo credit: http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/24/31/13/5346028/3/628x471.jpg
Wide receiver David Nelson caught four balls for 80 yards against the New England Patriots yesterday.  He was also signed as a free agent and then cut by the Browns after the Pilot Flying J scandal broke.  Haslam pocketed a half a mil after Nelson left. 



http://cbscleveland.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/150710197_8.jpg?w=300

Brandon Jackson is another mid tier backup who was re-signed by the Browns and then cut, saving a few bucks for Mr. Haslam. Jackson is still available, which might be of interest to a team that lost Trent Richardson.  

Photo credit: http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1488042.1381978438!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/jinsider17s-1-web.jpg
Josh Cribbs was signed by the Jets and yesterday was used as a wide receiver and took a direct snap on a wildcat play. He had three carries for 14 yards in addition to returning three punts for 44 yards and a kickoff for 17 yards

Understand, none of these guys are going to make All-Pro.  But over the course of the season, players like this can make a difference. But this is small potatoes, frankly. Signing all four probably costs about $2 million bucks.  If you figure an NFL starter is worth 3 million dollars, the Browns could have signed about 8 or 9 starters in 2013, but instead elected to trim salaries as much as possible. 

    Perhaps it is a good strategy for 2014, but for 2013 it is tantamount to giving up on the season.  To see it otherwise is just naive.  Meantime Browns management is said to be salivating over rookie quarterbacks in the 2014 draft.  Will it be Bridgewater?  Or Manziel?   It's hard to know.  But the Browns typically act as though there are no other problems except at the quarterback position.

     Well, Browns fans, there you go.  It looks like the Browns are simply trying to position themselves for the 2014 draft.  They have no running game and refuse to sign any players that might help for 2013.  Might as well shut off the TV until next year.  

Patriots-Jets Officiating Raises Questions

     This blog is usually about the Cleveland Browns, but their pathetic play against the Packers is not worth writing about this week.  Hence, I am writing about the Patriots-Jets game, which I watched this afternoon. 
Photo Credit: Boston Globe

Um, I guess someone pushed.   Tsk tsk.  

     
As a fan, I have no qualifications to criticize the officiating, and for the most part I tend to believe that the officiating is pretty good, and that the process of critiquing the officiating is beyond my pay grade.  However, in this game I was struck by the apparent absurdness of the call which decided the game in overtime.  Namely, the Jets kicker was attempting a 56 yard field goal, which is very tough to make.  His attempt was off line.  But wait! 

     An official threw a flag and called a penalty that no one had ever heard of before.  The penalty was for unsportsmanlike conduct, in which a Patriots lineman allegedly pushed a Patriots player, causing him to make contact with a Jets player.  What? 

    This was the game deciding play, and the defending team normally tries to block the field goal attempt.  Nobody was injured or caused any obvious discomfort on the play. All that us fans could see was 11 Patriots trying to block a kick. 

    While watching the game with my friends, I had remarked that several non-calls on pass interference by the Jets were unusually blatant, and that to my amateur eye it looked like the Jets defenders were being permitted unusual lattitude in defending against Patriots' receivers.  The stats look about the same for both games, but nevertheless that was the impression that I received while watching the game. But the ultimate weird call was pushing your own player, which caused the game deciding kick to be moved forward some 15 yards, with an additional first down thrown in for good measure.  

    I know that the NFL always reviews its officials and discusses each game.  I hope that they review this one in particular very closely, and that they can offer an explanation to the fans on what happened.  

Is Brian Hoyer the Answer?

It's very unfortunate that Brian Hoyer got injured.  He looks like a guy who can play at a high level in the NFL, and in the eyes of the coaching staff perhaps he is rated even more highly than Brandon Weeden.  



 http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2013/09/18/browns-qb-brian-hoyer-to-start-sunday-in-place-of-injured-brandon-weeden/

Does that mean that Hoyer will be the starting quarterback in 2014?  

I don't think so.  From a pure football point of view, Hoyer has many of the same deficiencies of one Colt McCoy.   Namely, he is undersized, slow and does not have a cannon for an arm.  That means he is going to get pounded, especially on a team like the Browns that thinks that pass blocking is for sissies.  As of game 5, Weeden and Hoyer have been sacked 22 times already, which puts them among the league leaders in that category.  Anyway, check out the similarities between Brian and Colt:

                  Brian Hoyer       Colt McCoy
Age                   27                     27
Height             6 2                     6 1
Weight            215                     215
40 time           5.02                    4.79
Draft          undrafted                3rd Round, Browns

     For the record, the Village Elliot has never really been of the opinion that quarterback is the worst problem on the Browns.  McCoy is probably a decent NFL quarterback, whose best asset is a good football mind rather than fantastic physical skills, and he may get a chance to show it in San Francisco if Colin Kaepernick should be unavailable and miss a few starts.  

That said, Brandon Weeden has a better arm and is a little bigger, at 6'4" and 220 lbs, meaning that he might be a little better able to survive the pounding that Browns require of their quarterbacks. Not sure if he was worth a number one pick, but he can play.
 
Despite their inability to protect a quarterback, my belief is that the Browns are interested in obtaining a strong draft position in order to draft a name quarterback in the first round, possibly with the aid of a trade.  This is desirable from the standpoint of increasing the value of the team when it is sold (hopefully sooner rather than later).   A sale of the team may be necessitated by the poor financial health of Pilot Flying J, the truck stock firm owned by the Haslam Family, which also happens to own the Cleveland Browns.  

Having decided to draft the stud qb next year, the Browns are seeking a slew of draft picks to trade up if they have to (although by losing enough games, this might not be necessary).  The Browns saw how the Redskins seemed to improve their team dramatically by trading up for Robert Griffin III, and they would like to do the same thing.  Hence they are after other draft picks for trading stock, but they might be in the top 10 anyway simply by losing enough games. 

Based on this logic, Hoyer is not going to be of interest for the top spot, but might make the team as a backup.  Similarly, Weeden and backup Jason Campbell can also be had for the right price, but neither figures to be the starter in 2014.   

According to Ryan Wilson at CBSSports.com, the Browns are also willing to trade Josh Gordon for the right price also ( cbssports.com ).  I also think that Weeden and Jason Campbell were considered expendable prior to Thursday night's game.  The Browns have continued to seek ways to trim 2013 salaries.  They are currently $26 million under the 2013 salary cap, which ranks them first in the league.


http://footballsickness.com/blog/2013/05/20/josh-gordon-tales-of-feats-to-come/
The Browns are said to be open to trading Josh Gordon.  It's hard to understand why unless you assume that the Haslam family is just short of cash right now.  
 

The Fozzy Whittaker Era Has Begun!

The Fozzy Whittaker era has begun in Cleveland. Today the Browns cut Montario Hardesty, another well-loved draftee from former GM Tom Heckert, and they signed rookie free agent Whittaker who returned some kicks for San Diego this year before being cut. Whittaker may replace Greg Little who was drafted as a wide receiver but now is mainly a kickoff returner.
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/ykMEkEs2Rue/Cleveland+Browns+v+Oakland+Raiders/AuWkj9ibhuf/Montario+Hardesty
Montario Hardesty had a few good runs with the Browns.  But he and his veteran's salary are gone now, as the cost-conscious Browns cut him today.  


I don't want to knock Hardesty personally because he worked hard and was a team player, but the facts are that his lifetime average is 3.5 yards per carry and he really struggled to catch the ball out of the backfield and did not block well either. Still many Browns fans thought it was a great move to package three draft picks to move up and nab him in the second round. This is hard to believe, but between Hardesty and Trent Richardson, the Browns gave up a

Number 1 (4th overall), 
Number 3, 
Number 4, 
Number 5,
Number 5,
Number 5, (that's right, THREE fifth round picks)
Number 7 pick for two running backs, and neither one is with the team now.

That's the equivalent of an entire year's worth of draft picks, and what we have left is a mid-to-late 1st round pick in 2014. Wow. What shrewd trading.

 Josh Cooper was also let go. He had great rapport with Brandon Weeden due to being teammates in college. I have to think Greg Little may be out also if Whittaker can return kicks. Little is averaging only 20 receiving yards per game this year, about half his career average. I can't understand why some of my friends think he is really a gifted number one receiver.

What in the World are the Browns Doing??

Nine undrafted rookies on the roster...Trent Richardson gone, third stringer Brian Hoyer quarterbacking the team....is this any way to run a football team?

 http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C4&Date=20130830&Category=SPORTS07&ArtNo=308300080&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Brian-Hoyer-leads-comeback-Browns-beat-Bears

By now, I don't think there is any other way to understand it.  The Browns have thrown in the towel on the 2013 season, and are in survival mode, trying to save as much money as possible for the future. 

  They started out with a plan to aggressively rebuild the team through free agency, signing premier free agents in linebacker Paul Kruger and defensive lineman Desmond Bryant.  But last April 15, the FBI raided the headquarters of Jimmy Haslam's main company, Pilot Flying J.  
    
My opinion is that by about late May the Browns' rebuilding project was put on hold for a year.   The Browns quit signing top tier free agents and in fact they started shedding payroll.  They started getting rid of highly paid but viable backups like running back Brandon Jackson and tight end Kellen Davis, replacing them with undrafted rookies.  

By now, the team is an astounding 26 million dollars under the salary cap.  This is the equivalent of two or three Pro Bowlers, or  if you prefer, about six starting-calibre NFL players.  

I think the Browns need to save money in order to cover the cash flow situation within the Haslam empire.   Pilot Flying J is probably going through a down year because of being over-extended (having bought out rival Flying J for a billion dollars only two years ago), not to mention the Browns.  As mentioned other times in The Village Elliot's Cleveland Browns blog, it is a reasonable guess that Pilot Flying J may be losing some customers after this recent fiasco, and moreover must be prepared to pay back something on the order of a hundred million dollars for illegally withheld discounts and fines.   I doubt if the banks are particularly thrilled about lending money to a company whose CEO is under the threat of a federal indictment.  

Getting rid of Trent Richardson made a big impact not only this year but in future years.  In addition, the deal makes the Browns an odds-on favorite to be in a very favorable position for the 2014 draft. The goal of management may be to draft a premier quarterback, which would make the team more attractive to prospective buyers.  The 2012 trade of four draft picks to move up one position to get Richardson now looks completely foolish if he is worth only a number one pick in 2014 (likely to be about the 25th overall if the Colts make the playoffs, versus number 3 overall for TRich).  This follows the tradition of packaging three picks for injured backup running back Montario Hardesty, plus a number one and a number two for Brady Quinn.  The Browns always approach the offseason as if they are loaded with talent and need only one or two key players to win the Super Bowl, but they always wind up with the thinnest roster in the NFL, and are usually in last place in their division.  


http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/507/831/ScreenShot2013-09-19at9.47.59AM_crop_north.jpg?w=650&h=440&q=75

Currently, the Browns lead the NFL in salary cap room and it isn't even close.  They also lead the league with nine undrafted free agent rookies on the roster.  This is a young and untalented roster, and IT IS THE CHEAPEST TEAM IN THE NFL. This is not opinion, it's a fact, as measure by their being 26 million under the salary cap.

Meanwhile, the stalwart Haslam team is trying to get another 100 million dollars from the City of Cleveland in stadium improvements, and if they don't get it they may try to void their stadium lease, which would free them to move to another city.  Los Angeles is likely the first choice, but if the Jacksonville Jaguars (say) get there first, then no doubt the city will put a group of investors together to pry another team away from some other city.  My guess is that Haslam will be willing to listen.  

After all, Jimmy Haslam is  a Knoxville-based Steelers fan, a former minority owner of the Steelers.  He was approved by the NFL as the Browns new owner after he falsely promised that he would move to Cleveland to become a full-time NFL owner.  Thus far, Cleveland fans seem willing to overlook this, believing that Haslam has unswerving loyalty to Cleveland for some unknown reason.  Good luck with that, guys.  

     I predict that the Browns will continue their un-building program, and that Brandon Weeden or Jason Campbell could be offered in exchange for a low round draft pick.  This situation will continue until either Haslam is exonerated from the Pilot Flying J scandal, or else the Browns are sold.  I just hope that they can stay in Cleveland another year or two.   


http://www.knoxnews.com/photos/2011/feb/05/110898/
A former minority owner of the Steelers, Jimmy Haslam never did follow through on his promise to move to Cleveland to take over the Browns full time.  Instead his office is empty in Cleveland, but most Browns fans choose to believe he has their best interests at heart.     

Browns Pounded into Submission by Ravens, 14-6

   It's always rough being a Browns fan.  This year, it's even more difficult.  The new Browns owner, Jimmy Bedlam III, is trying very hard to avoid going to jail, and as such it appears to this observer that the team is no longer able to finance the business of playing football. 

    Today the Browns were beat up by the Ravens.  They gave up five more sacks today, on top of six given up to the Miami Dolphins last week.  That projects to 88 sacks in a single year.  At this rate, it is only a matter of time before Brandon Weeden is injured.  Weeden actually looks pretty good to me, and being able to throw for 227 yards is pretty good, especially with this terrible offensive line.

Brandon Weeden was sacked five times, as the fragile Browns O-Line could not protect him against Baltimore.  Photo:  http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1456749.1379277752!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/browns-ravens-football.jpg

   It's also clear to the Village Elliot that the Browns do not have the personnel to run the ball effectively.  The Browns did not obtain a fullback in the off season, instead moving Chris Ogbonnaya from halfback to fullback, where he is undersized.  However, he saves the team money compared to All-Pro Vonta Leach, who did not interest the cost conscious Browns when he was a free agent last summer.  The Browns also cut third down back Brandon Jackson in another cost savings move. And though Jordan Cameron has been very good as a receiving tight end so far,  the Browns did not obtain a pass-blocking specialist as a second tight end, and instead saved money by cutting Kellen Davis.    If the Browns had hoped to be a run-first team, they should have put together some road graders on the offensive line as well as a blocking fullback and blocking tight end, and then they might have been able to run.  However, that would have cost money. As it is, Trent Richardson is a good halfback but without a team to support a commitment to run the ball, it looks to me that they are going to have to pass the ball most of the time.   Behind Trent, the Browns are saving money by not keeping a short yardage specialist, and there is also no pass catching third down specialist either.  So the plan is for the injury prone Trent to get all the touches at running back, and then hope that he somehow stays healthy.   

   On defense, the Browns actually played rather well.  Their strength is in the front seven, while the secondary was neglected iln the off season, as the Browns saved money by cutting veterans Sheldon Brown and Usama Young, with third round draft choice Leon McFadden being the primary replacement.  

     Looking at the positives, the Browns actually lead the NFL in several categories, including sacks allowed, most dollars under the salary cap, and most undrafted free agents on the roster.

     At least all this cost savings is going to a good cause, as Browns fans everywhere are just delighted to help owner Jimmy Bedlam III save money in order to keep his company (Pilot Flying J) out of bankruptcy, while keeping himself out of jail.  

2013 Browns: a 6-10 team?

csnbaltimore.com

   So how will the Browns do in 2013?  After all the moves they made (and didn't make), I think the Browns have not improved overall.  On the other hand the division is much weaker this year due to personnel losses by Pittsburgh and Baltimore, both of whom invested multi-megabucks in their quarterback.  The Bengals look awesome, having drafted well for several years running.  
     The Browns actually had the opportunity to improve their team, as they were way under the salary cap and had the opportunity to sign about half a dozen starters and several other role players.  Instead, however, they stopped rebuilding after signing linebacker Paul Kruger and lineman Desmond Bryant.  I think that operating cash became scarce due to the problems at owner Jimmy Haslam's Pilot Flying J.  In any case, the Browns cut several starters from last year, in hopes that they would be signed by other teams, thus weakening the rest of the league:  

PR/WR  Josh Cribbs               
K Phil Dawson                          
CB Sheldon Brown     
P Reggie Hodges             
DE Juqua Parker 

TE Benjamin Watson
S  Usama Young
DE Frostee Rucker

FB/TE Alex Smith  

plus 2011 starters

QB  Colt McCoy                    
LB Scott Fujita (IR)
LB Chris Gocong (IR)

and backups

RB Brandon Jackson  
S Bubba Ventrone 
LB Emmanuel Acho
QB Josh Johnson
LB Kaluka Maiava


They also signed but then cut 

TE  Kellen Davis
WR David Nelson   
RB Brandon Jackson (re-signed and cut again)    

In return the Browns obtained the following starters:

LB Paul Kruger    
DT Desmond Bryant     
K  Billy Cundiff

and backups 
RB Dion Lewis (IR)
DB Chris Owens
QB  Jason Campbell

LB Quentin Groves

TE Gary Barnidge

They also made a draft day trade for WR Davone Best.  Otherwise LB Barkevious Mingo may eventually start and CB Leon McFadden may be a nickel back this year.

Did the Browns improve themselves by letting nine starters go and replacing three via free agency, two via the draft (counting Best as starting slot receiver) and four by promoting 2012 backups?  I don't think so.  They have nine undrafted rookies on their roster this year, an incredible number.   

In particular the Browns did not add blocking support for the run game, either in the form of a blocking tight end or a true fullback.  As a consequence, talented running back Trent Richardson (who cost the Browns four draft picks in 2012) may not be as effective in the running game as he could be.

Nor did they bother to replace starters in the defensive backfield.

This year I look for quarterback Brandon Weeden to improve due to having more experience plus a better array of receiving talent overall.  But the Browns are not equipped to be a running team despite having a highly regarded halfback.  

I also think the Browns have a very talented front seven on defense, but they may be woeful in the secondary.  Probably opposing teams will use three or even four wide receivers against the Browns, who will not be able to cover them.  The Browns will get some sacks, but will give up a lot of touchdowns.

Had the Browns continued their rebuilding program and signed some true talent in the defensive backfield and added some muscle on offense, they might have contended for a wild card this year.  I was very disappointed that the Browns were not interested in signing a true fullback when opportunities presented themselves.  Instead by conserving cash they once again are very thin.  There is a big drop off if they have to start the backup players due to injuries (and there always are). 

On the other hand, the Steelers and Ravens also had to let several talented starters go.  In those cases the issue is the multimegabuck contracts given to their quarterbacks.  I look for these teams to also have losing records, making life simple for the Bengals, who are stacked with talent at every position.  Because of the overall weakness in the division, I think the Browns could get an extra win or two compared to last year.  It's not out of the question that they could make a run if they stay anomalously healthy.   

toledoblade.com

But the team is not going to really improve as long as they are 30 million dollars under the salary cap and continuing to shed salary by cutting veterans.  Let's get real.  

Final AFC North Standings:

Cincinnati 12-4

Cleveland  6-10 

Baltimore  6-10

Pittsburgh  6-10 


newsnet5.com

The Cleveland Browns Cut Players and Salaries

   For some time, the Village Elliot has been trying to explain that Uncle Jimmy Haslam and the Browns may be short of operating capital. Because of the rebate scandal that hit Pilot Flying J just at the same time that they bought out rival Flying J for a billion dollars, AND they bought the Browns for a billion dollars, AND they expanded the number of new stations AND revenues are tighter than ever as truckers become more sophisticated at selecting low price sources of diesel.  Pilot Flying J has plenty of assets, but possibly not operating capital, and my guess is that the banks may not want to give them a short term loan while they are under the threat of a federal indictment.  So far, the Cleveland media (never mind the national media) has not caught on, but the fact of the matter is that the Browns halted their free agent spending before getting the defensive backfield help that they desperately need.

   Now they cut backup running back Brandon Jackson (saving $700 K) and tight end Kellen Davis (saving another $700 K), replacing both of them with undrafted rookies at the league minimum.  No attempt to sign Jonathan Dwyer, a competent free agent running back, even though the Browns are millions of dollars under the cap.  Hence the Browns are pathetically thin behind Trent Richardson, and they have not gone out to get blockers for him at fullback and tight end.   

Trent, please stay healthy!  There is no backup plan if TRich goes down.   

   Understand, it's not that Haslam and Pilot Flying J have no assets.  They have plenty of gas stations, trucks and other great assets that are worth lots of money.  But it's operating capital that is short, and to convert assets to operating capital you need a bank to help.  I don't think the banks are going to play however, realizing that company could be under a federal indictment soon. So maybe there is no operating capital available to Jimmy Haslam right now.  

   I conclude that indeed the Browns need to save cash, and thus they are shedding payroll instead of adding it as they should.  They should be signing defensive backs, a fullback, a second running back, a second tight end, a kicker and anybody else that can play football.  But the Browns are not going to spend the few million dollars that it would take to give them depth at these positions.  Likely, this means that they will not recover if some of their key players get injured. 

   If so, we may be looking at another 4 or 5 win season, despite having some real talent in the defensive front seven and in the passing offense.   But don't worry, Uncle Jimmy is going to be all right, as they have hopefully shed enough payroll to make ends meet for a while.  


Joe Banner and Jimmy Haslam laugh at suggestions that the team is short on operating capital.