2010 NFL Season Thread

[Warthog]

The simulation web site I use to rank players based on the league's scroing system had him rated VERY high, so I took a chance. I figured people in this area that don't even follow the Lions would have recognized how well he was doing in the pre-season. So if I wanted him, I'd have to grab him early. I typically don't do that kind of thing and always take the value pick. But I was happy to see that you wanted him at that time of the draft.

[factman]

A friend of mine had a GREAT idea today. He suggested the NFL disband both the Lions and Browns, combine the best players from both rosters, and put a new team on Put-in-Bay!!!

[VDub26Falcon]

Factman, we need to work on your definition of "great."

Look, I know a loss is a loss and there are no such thing as moral victories, but the Browns have been in EVERY game they played this season. A few different bounces of the ball and they are 3-0 right now. Baltimore is a tough place to play and the fact that the Browns scored the first touchdowns of the season against the vaunted Ravens D says something. I know hammb will come on here and give a laundry list of reasons why the Browns suck and the coaching staff is horrible but I will disagree completely.

Yes, Matt Roth royally screwed the pooch and showed a horrible lack of discipline on that Offsides call on 3rd down with 1:50 left. How is this Rob Ryan's fault? How is that the coaches fault? They always say that the coaches get too much blame when things are bad and not enough credit when things are good. This is exactly the case with people watching the Browns.

As for the Lions, since they were brought up in the previous post, They have showed TREMENDOUS improvement from last season. They took a couple steps back this weekend but that will happen when you go on the road in the division against a team that was "supposed" to be 2-0 instead of 0-2. Minny was playing for their post season lives and the have a little better talent than the Lions. Things even themselves out. Are the Browns or Lions going to the playoffs this year? Not likely. But you will see both of those teams make strides to be serious contenders next season.

[Warthog]

Yes, Matt Roth royally screwed the pooch and showed a horrible lack of discipline on that Offsides call on 3rd down with 1:50 left. How is this Rob Ryan's fault? How is that the coaches fault?

Because he is the jackass that calls a frickin' big blitz on every third down and puts the players in position to be exposed (Roth jumping offsides, Wright getting burned because he is single covering Boldin, Haden getting burnt for the game winning TD against TB, do I need to go on?).

[cw08]

Not Rob Ryan's fault? He left the same guy on Boldin to get beat like a drum all game. Not to mention the aforementioned asinine blitz call. That's the second failed blitz that lost them a game this year.

Daboll then manages to call a deep ball on a 3rd and 2 and they don't get it and that's the last time the offense has the ball.

Mangini, well we know his shortcomings. This team has no discipline, which is something he allegedly preaches. Stupid penalties lost that game, stupid turnovers lost the two other games. Not to mention the fact that this team has horseshit for skill position players, which is COMPLETELY his fault because he drafted that bum Robiskie and the inconsistent Massaquoi and traded Edwards and Winslow, who were the team's best skill position players since the 80s.

The team might be a little better than last year, but losing is losing. Giving up fourth quarter leads every game isn't any more enjoyable than getting your ass kicked. This team is not close to serious contention. No one to throw the ball. No one to throw the ball to. No pass rush. One of the most incompetent coaching staffs in the NFL. Long way away.

[hammb]

Factman, we need to work on your definition of "great."

Look, I know a loss is a loss and there are no such thing as moral victories, but the Browns have been in EVERY game they played this season. A few different bounces of the ball and they are 3-0 right now. Baltimore is a tough place to play and the fact that the Browns scored the first touchdowns of the season against the vaunted Ravens D says something. I know hammb will come on here and give a laundry list of reasons why the Browns suck and the coaching staff is horrible but I will disagree completely.

Yes, Matt Roth royally screwed the pooch and showed a horrible lack of discipline on that Offsides call on 3rd down with 1:50 left. How is this Rob Ryan's fault? How is that the coaches fault? They always say that the coaches get too much blame when things are bad and not enough credit when things are good. This is exactly the case with people watching the Browns.

I don't know who THEY are, but you're dead wrong. If the Browns ever put together a competent coaching staff that can get the team to become winners I'll be the first person on here talking about how great their coaching is. Too bad you are completely WRONG about them right now. You're right I do have a laundry list of reasons why the Browns suck and why the coaching is terrible.

However, I'm not going to key on specific plays as much as the fact that I blame Mangini for what is truly the Browns' biggest problem: Complete and total lack of playmaking ability. Why is that you ask? Because Mangini shipped off Winslow & Edwards for almost nothing. He didn't want to deal with players who have egos. Guess what coach? Good coaches take players like this and get the most out of them, not ship them off for pennies on the dollar. Even if Edwards had hands of stone he was at least a presence that defenses had to respect...as exemplified by MoMass's success when Braylon was on the field.

Now, Mangini no longer has sole control over personnel matters but look at the types of players they've brought in. Even with Holmgren/Heckert at the helm it is obvious they're bringing in the same type of player that Mangini covets. They're entire LB corps is a bunch of big, slow, plodding, thumpers. Stout at the point of attack, but no speed laterally. NO ability to rush the passer. God help you if you ask them to cover anybody. Massoquoi & Robiskie are 2 WRs that really can't run. Neither is a deep threat, neither can consistently get open; they're not great athletes. They've brought in Hardesty & Hillis: 2 big pounding, bruising RBs, but no big play ability. Their entire DL is a bunch of 320 pound space eaters. All 3 draft picks used on the secondary this year (one player already cut) are in the same mold: Tough, physical guys, none of whom are known for speed or playmaking ability.

This is the type of player Mangini covets: the tough, hard nosed, good sized, play till the whistle, EASY to coach types. He clearly doesn't place any value on speed, skill, or athleticism. As a result you've got a roster that doesn't have a single offensive playmaker. They don't have a single pass rusher that can hope to generate pressure.

The result of lacking a pass rusher is that Rob Ryan dials up the blitzes CONSTANTLY to try and hopefully create some pressure with players who aren't any good. Unfortunately this doesn't work because even blitzing these guys doesn't create pressure and it leaves the secondary completely vulnerable...which is bad when you're bringing in guys like Ward & Haden who aren't exactly speed burners in the first place. And then Wright (who is actually pretty damn good) goes out and has the worst day of his life. For some reason Ryan didn't do a damn thing to get him out of a total mis-match in Boldin's favor. (Honestly no clue why you'd put him on Boldin in the first place. Wright always struggles with guys that big, he's not a big CB).

The offensive staff is retarded too. So far this season they've had some success in the first half only to watch the other team adjust to what they're doing and have absolutely no answers when the other team makes their adjustments. They just keep doing the same thing and wondering how the other team can stop it all of a sudden.

Don't forget that it was your moron head coach who left his starting QB in the first game when the dude could barely walk.

As to the penalties & turnovers I find it laughable. Mangini coaches through fear and intimidation. Everything about him is scared. He's scared of egos on his team so he stripped the roster of playmakers and continues to only want these tough players and no athletes. He constantly preaches to his players how bad mistakes are and yet they continue to make mistakes. He's afraid to see his offense put his defense in a bad situation, so he wants to build a power running game to control the clock.

I've been somewhat surprised that this roster has been able to keep games so close thus far in the year. I'll give Mangini some props in getting his s**t roster prepared to play and keeping games closer than they should be. Unfortunately I totally blame him for why this roster is in the state that it is. I also don't think it will ever get much better because he is so hell bent on creating this football team that could win titles in the 50s, completely ignoring how the game of football is played today. You cannot win in today's NFL with a bunch of 260 pound LBs and 320 pound DL clogging up the field...they'll throw over and around you. You cannot win by thumping a 240 pound RB into the hole for 4-5 yards every play, eventually the defense will stop you.

Today's NFL is about passing and big plays, and creating turnovers. Those things take athletes the likes of which Mangini doesn't feel comfortable with. They say he's an X's & O's genius, but I don't see it. He seems to just want to play a 50 year old brand of football which doesn't work in today's NFL. Throw in the fact that he's created a roster where there isn't a single player that opponents have to gameplan (On either side of the ball) and you've got a big ol' pile of s**t. Honestly, I would trade the Browns' roster for every roster in the NFL, except MAYBE for Buffalo. Every other bad team out there at least has a decent player or two to build around. Cleveland has a LT & a KR. YAY.

Sorry this team is bad, and I don't think they'll ever win with Mangini at the helm. Not when he's so hell bent on building a physical defense with no athleticism and an offense predicated on pounding a 240 FB.

[tiznow]

serious contenders next year? Really? they happen to be in the same division as the Bengals, Ravens and Steelers.


I have not seen much of the Browns this year to comment on the rest of the post except that Tampa Bay is horrible. Charlie Batch threw for 3 TDs against them, enough said.

[Lord_Byron]

I don't know that it means much because I can just look at the local listings to see what games are going to be broadcast in my area, but something about this site appeals to my "inner-map-geek."

NFL Television Coverage Maps

Leave it to the Canadians to come up with something that is both interesting and boring at the same time.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

I know the Browns are awful, but you guys couldn't have done us a solid and hung a loss on the Ravens?

1 more game before we see what the Steelers really look like. A win over the Ravens this Sunday would just be a bonus. Pouncey has made an unbelievable difference on that O-line, and the special teams are leaps and bounds better than the last few years.

Way too early, but this Steelers team looks like they'll be very tough to deal with when that D is healthy. With McFadden back and playing great, there's just no weakness to attack. Every spot ranges from above-average to spectacular, until you get to the 3rd and 4th corners.

This week's game hinges on Rice's health. If he's not 100%, Flacco hasn't shown me he can beat a good defense. Throwing easy balls to a wide open Boldin all day long doesn't erase how awful he was in the first two games.

Not much else to say about the Browns. They're just really bad at football. It's pretty sad to watch.

[hammb]

They're just really bad at football.

That pretty well sums it up.

[cw08]

Delhomme is back this week. And he still has no one to throw to or exceptional skills at the quarterback position. Though, the Browns might compete in this one long enough to blow another fourth quarter lead and we can all hang our hats on the fact that "they were in it."

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Looks like Colt McCoy gets a trial by fire at HF this weekend. That's not really fair.

[tiznow]

The line moved from 11 to 14 after he was announced as the possible starter.

[Warthog]

And what if Hillis can't go either?

I'd just have McCoy hand it off every play. And use Cribbs in the Flash a LOT more.

[hammb]

Should be fun watching that game. The Steelers get Roethlisberger back and the Browns are going in with their #3 QB, and at the very least a banged up Hillis.

It's probably gonna be real ugly, real quick. But then I'm one that doesn't think McCoy deserves an NFL roster spot, let alone to be PLAYING on Sundays.