Six draft picks including three firsts and 230 million guaranteed for 5 years. Today we can now say it with certainty: this was the tombstone of the Cleveland Browns towards today’s dreams of glory!
A nabob contract/trade justified only for presumed GOATs who change the fortunes of a franchise, or for those who have nevertheless made recent history even if they later disappoint (Wilson), granted instead to those who have never proved to be completely decisive, fresh from a season in the box office and full of complaints about inappropriate sexual conduct.
Watson’s arrival here in Cleveland two years ago is reaching the peak of the defeat in this seasonal start, which on the one hand refers to the sad and tender illusions of a fanbase always give underdogwho in other eras scrutinized the posters of the new messiah Johnny “Football” Manziel alongside Lebron James on the entrance signs to the city, for a new and flourishing sporting era, on the other hand only inspires anger, if you think that with Mayfield in the quarterback position instead of excellence, harmony and discipline had still been found in a crucial role!
A present that sees even a running defense second to none in difficulty, at almost 35 yds per game more than the last tournament before the epic test in Philadelphia against Barkley, probably frustrated by the failures of Deshaun Watson.
On the other hand, it is saddening to see something wasted prime which will not be infinite in Miles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith, the best defender on the planet who is also often bruised and the second UFA soon, number 1 NFL line duo with 19.5 combined sacks in 2023, and the new entry in the linebacker room Jordan Hicks, spot in which among other things Owusu-Koramoah definitely exploded! A stoic defense in the last trip to Pennsylvania, which single-handedly kept Cleveland’s hopes alive until the final minute, when Hurts knelt in the red zone.
And so while Houston – having freed itself from such an extreme burden – forges Stroud, the only predestined QB of the last generation and a relatively young roster, the Browns, slaves to that monstrous agreement and with Winston anything but reliable backup, find themselves for another three seasons despite a super skipper twice coach of the year having to attempt a comeback with the highest paid player who also seems to have given up everything except his contract (quote Stephen A. Smith), and also with the second oldest squad in the league.
Kevin Stefanski’s sideline desperation, current play caller about to hand over (?) to Ken Dorsey, is eloquent: the Browns, amidst the inconveniences of a line albeit overhauled in the summer and the QB’s decision-making inability, do not have an offensive plan.
Watson, it should always be remembered, has been in practice for almost three sabbatical years, between post-covid, continuous injuries, serious legal (and criminal) problems and finally the shoulder operation which excluded him from training camps until the beginning of August. Having said that, in this unfortunate side of America we continue to see black, finding ourselves 1-5 and practically already out of the game well before the freezing winters of the stars and stripes. There is no point in scrutinizing the divisional balance, given that Baltimore and Pittsburgh are traveling at unsustainable technical paces for Cleveland, strong with leaders in the key positions of the gridiron, top mentality and above all game plan carried out properly despite any climax negatives, which the NFL always has in store for anyone.
Sack e missed receiver are the two most common phrases uttered at the end of offensive snaps, to which add tackles in the mid range towards runners looking for openings and clogged blocks. Watson is basically ratifying what those with a bit of football experience have been saying since the dawn of his career, when the NFL was teeming with Vick’s heirs, and young fans raised on bread, Madden and Fantasy, in love with earnings with the oval in hand by the directors, instead began to erase from memory precision and discipline, rules and characteristics that a quarterback must maintain as primary prerogatives.
Deshaun, compared everywhere to Vick and in some comments on internet pages (playit first and foremost) recommended to the Ravens instead of Jackson, is not a player who makes the difference, he is not a franchise man – both on a technical and motivational level – and above all, a sheikh contract that has practically concluded every present expectation for his team is not worth it. Not only that, it never was, not even when the Pro Bowls and the good vibration of Houston they raised the aura of superstar to whom an entire platoon could be entrusted. Nothing could be more wrong!
There is only one of Lamar Jackson, the univocal representative of that nouvelle vague of mobile directors who however has in his DNA momentum to change the history of a drive as well as of one’s attack, even in the numerous fumbles and interceptions that occurred in his career. Not having quality in the arm in this world can only be bypassed by the coldness/readiness of complying with a plan B, even if it does not involve a launch, but which still leads to the conquest of the down or a constant gain of ground.
Especially now here in Cleveland but also in the past, Watson always gives the idea of not knowing what to do and improvising playbook which are actually designed for him, taking advantage years ago of a still intact physique to evade the pocket in exciting raids or perform big plays both on passes and through runs.
Today, although the O-Line does not appear to be reliable in the slightest, even due to the ongoing injuries to Conklin and Teller and the collapse of Dawand Jones, it leaves them 2.6 seconds available to set up an action, the third best figure for starting quarterbacks, possibly useful for a quick release or immediate scramble solutions, what you need at the beginning of your career!
Instead, the former athletic Adonis of Clemson now accentuates all his technical, physical and psychological insecurity even more, and instead of executing misdirection o quick play waits with his head down for the upcoming events, which produce precisely waste of time, relative collapses of line and pocket and the immense pressure of the rival front seven, therefore responsible for more than 60 blitzes, 40 knockouts and almost 65 hits, 100 qb pressure and even 31 sacks, the last three figures unattainable by anyone as well as on average to beat Carr’s 76 in 2002 and the record of 489 yards lost on sacks by Randall Cunningham in 1986, with the pass rush which therefore spurs him to nonsense shortcuts ended so far with 23 hasty launches far from the targets.
All this is due to the painful last steps in total yards and DVOA Offensive rating, and 26th in Offensive Grade; furthermore, there are only 3 les air yard per attemptalso divided here in an approximate and insufficient manner, which results in place 23 on short attempts, 28 above 20 yd and 33 post 30! Numbers that are sinking a franchise with 21% of third down conversions in September, 3.8 yards per play in the first 5 games – worst ever on par with the 2018 Bills – and which would have been the last in 25 years without Foreman’s reception about Winston in garbage time in Washington, among other things the 27th NFL defense before the “courtesy” visit of the Browns.
Terrible figures, including only 79 points in 6 matches, given that of the 95 total 16 come from safeties and defensive goals, which have not been seen since 2009 or the 1999 expansion, and which hark back to the 2015-2016 and 2017 rounds, this ‘last from 0-16! Team, let’s remember, last year was fearsome with 5 different directors, even the comeback player Flacco, and which was therefore predicted in the previews to still be at least 11 W, and that’s saying something!
With the full addition of Watson, therefore, they imagined shaking up the competition by exploiting a (presumed) mobility despite the immobility of the old Joe, to evade the opponent’s pressure and become offensively unstoppable. Instead, Mister 46 million per year has 21.5 total QBR, the worst NFL figure and fourth from last since 2006, but above all 29th against blitzes, an unmistakable sign that in addition to technique and precision he also lacks that unpredictability which earned him, among other things, the ” early retirement”, and which made the alternative direction of the aforementioned Vick and Jackson famous, from which however it is light years away!
Therefore, while teams with acrobatics skill in defense or in the two phases of the offense but without a franchise qb have resurrected or in any case compete thanks to the discipline of the various Darnolds, Purdys, Cousins or Geno Smith, here instead we regret having taken away the keys to the house (or the stadium during the amusing Progressive advertisements) from Baker Mayfield, instead seeing a prodigy like Amari Cooper or the 2023 pro bowler Njoku often unemployed in the middle of the field, and two excellent spots such as Jeudi or Jerome Ford also entangled in the torments of Watson and line, with drops and periodic losses of ground, waiting for the much desired return by Chubb!
“Sick” of stars and stripes sports since the 80s! Struck by the Bills of Thurman Thomas and Jim Kelly, by Run TMC and Kevin Johnson, by Fernando Valenzuela’s throws and by the “Finnish lightning”. Fan of Yankees, Packers, Ravens, Spurs and Canadian hockey tradition.
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