What the Hell Does "Play Like a Brown" Mean Anyway? The NCP Ponder the Question.

We are nearing the halfway point of the season.  What are your thoughts on the Browns so far?

Big$:  Well, I guess I could break down the razor thin margins by which the Browns are losing, or the porous, Charmin soft run defense, but these are not the issues I find most concerning. What is truly aching me in the pit of my grizzled Cleveland sports fan soul is a much more infuriating topic. My friends, I’m at my wits end due to the consistent reminders that this team’s motto is “Play like a Brown.”  Is there a more self-manufactured pile of BS than this anywhere?  When the powers that be settled on this moniker, did they snicker in hopes that gullible fans would shift their thoughts to a rumbling Jim Brown or a muddy Ozzie Newsome? Or (gasp) do they think that the current organization at any level exhibits the type of effort that should be lauded. My worry is that Scheiner, Haslam and Farmer are so tone deaf that they do believe that this current configuration offers components that should be emulated anywhere at any time.  Accountability, from the GM’s complete personnel failures and itchy texting finger to a renegade backup QB who is receiving the same coddling he did when he was a relevant (yet troubled) college phenom, is nonexistent.  Players feel comfortable taking weeks off for injuries that wouldn’t sideline a middle schooler and this softness prevails in situations such as last week’s offensive and defensive failures in OT.  When the chips are down, expect a sack on a 2 step drop or a 40 yard run up the gut. This team is infected by complacency and delusion (maybe kicker Travis Coons and punter Andy Lee received immunity at previous stops) and I personally don’t have the answer.  My guess is that Pettine will become the fall guy, but my belief is that the true problems reside in positions higher on the table of organization.

Well put.  Despite these problems what should we expect to see on Sunday?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  First of all, the Rams have a tough defense.  It is 3rd in the league in sacks, led by what is one of the best defensive lines in the league with Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers and Chris Long.  With former Buckeye James Laurinaitis patrolling the middle, the Rams 4-3 also ranks 10th in yards surrendered per game.  Browns QB Josh McCown must eliminate the errors he has made under pressure this year—taking avoidable sacks or launching ill-advised throws.  Cleveland also needs to stay in third-and-manageable situations to prevent the Rams from pinning their ears back.  If they can do that, the Browns may be able to move the ball against a Rams D that, despite its strength upfront, ranks in the middle of the pack on third-down.  St. Louis is allowing conversions 39 percent of the time.  When the Browns are on offense, look for recently added running back Robert Turbin to get some more touches this week as the team adds a seat to its running-back-by-committee.

On the flipside, the Rams offense is a bit of an enigma. In what is now a pass-first league, Rams QB Nick Foles is only completing 16 attempts per game and no receiver has more than 200 yards on the year.  They rank second-to-last in the NFL in points per game, total yards, and passing yardage.  St. Louis has an explosive ground threat, though, in rookie running back Todd Gurley.  He has more than 140 yards in each of the last two games, which both included runs of more than 50 yards.  The Browns’ beleaguered rush defense cannot have a breakdown on any play or Gurley can take it the distance.  First-round pick Danny Shelton needs to start paying some dividends in stuffing the run and pressuring the quarterback.  The secondary, which will be without Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson again this week, has to be sure not to miss tackles either.  This game gives the Browns D a great opportunity to flip the script on the story of its season.

Who would you start LeBron James in place of this week?

Big$:  This week I’d have LeBron take the place of Paul Kruger.  Not at OLB mind you, but as the resident Johnny babysitter.  If he can keep the magnanimous Earl “J.R.” Smith in line he has a shot at Cleveland’s own urban cowboy.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  Just like Big$, I’m going to take this question in a slightly different direction.  I would swap LeBron out for high-priced free-agent wideout Dwayne Bowe.  While King James has decided just to sit out the rest of the preseason, Bowe—a weekly healthy scratch—appears to have decided to sit out the regular season. 

Where Did it Go Wrong for Cardale? Baver Answers Colin's Questions

Colin: Have we witnessed the end of the Cardale era at Ohio State?

Baver: If JTB stays healthy, I think you have indeed seen the end of Cardale, except in mop-up duty. But Barrett hasn’t finished a football season healthy since 2011, his junior year in high school. So, we’ll see.

Colin: Cardale never came close to looking like the same player he was last season. Where did it go wrong?

Baver: The OSU coaches limited Cardale’s choices in the trilogy run and catered the offense to his strengths. After viewing 3 games of film, OSU’s 2015 opponents chose to make Cardale beat them vertically, and he hasn’t been able to do it. They all but eliminated Cardale’s running threat, often using an LB as a QB-spy. Also, there has been no deep threat for OSU now that Devin Smith has moved on. Smith bailed Cardale out on several deep balls last year that helped mask some of Cardale’s deficiencies. And Cardale seemed overwhelmed having to learn much more this year. In fairness, the WR injuries have hurt Cardale’s production big time and the coaches haven’t done him many favors with the offensive schemes this year. Also, the O-line has not protected Cardale like they did in the post-season run last year.

Colin: It appears that the demise of the read option was greatly exaggerated. Is this our bread and butter from here on out?

Baver: Yeah….the Buckeyes are going to ride it going forward. It’s certainly JTB’s bread and butter. This is despite what Urban Meyer has said publicly about the read option.

Colin: If you were Offensive Coordinator, what would be your ideal amount of touches for our top 6 offensive players?

Baver: Zeke 22, JTB (as a runner) 8, M Thomas 6, Braxton 6, Jalin 5, and Samuel 3. This is prior to Sparty coming to town. Against MSU, they will need to get Zeke more touches and JTB will need to run the ball more. But for now, they need to limit the wear and tear on Zeke and JTB. With Braxton, as they learn how to use him, his touches will need to increase.

Colin: Why does Joey Bosa hate Penn State so much?

Baver: The kid is an absolute force. He was probably a bit more dominant against Penn State than other opponents, but Bosa has been almost unblockable in every game he’s played this season. And State Penn will certainly be happy when Bosa goes pro after this season.

Colin: I can't think of anything to ask about Rutgers except, Should they even be in the Big Ten?

Baver: No….but the almighty dollar always rules the day. Shifting to some quick thoughts on the game….Rutgers WR #4 Leonte Carroo is about as good as it gets. He’s only played in 4 games, yet has 9 TD’s. The Bucks will have problems keeping Carroo in check. On the other side of the ball, with JTB now at the helm, Rutgers will have a tough time keeping the Bucks under 45 pts. I like the Bucks to cover the 21….will call it OSU 52 Rutgers 24.

Colin: Can you give us a quick recap of your picks to date and what games and lines will you be watching this week?

Baver: 14-6-1 against the spread, which includes 5-2 ATS in the Ohio St games. Predominantly picking dogs has been a good move so far. While I understand USC being favored at home against undefeated Utah, I think you have to take Utah getting 3 ½; I foresee a tight game. And as bad as Auburn has been, the 6 point spread at Arkansas is too high; I like the Tiger plus the pts. As mentioned above, I’d say lay the 21 with OSU. And to add to the comments above, I think Urban may want to start earning some style points that he didn’t care about early in the season.

The Blue Jackets Are Out-CBJ'ing Themselves While Fans Look On In Shock - by Greg May

Wow. We're not even two weeks into the season and things are already looking bleak over on Nationwide Boulevard. The Blue Jackets, a team that knows a thing or ten about slow starts to the season, has managed to start the 2015-16 campaign in especially bad fashion. After losing in Chicago on Saturday night, the CBJ are now 0-6-0, the worst start in the team's history. I'm as surprised as anyone at that. My first thought was that there had to be a worse start to a CBJ season than this, but then I realized that's impossible, at least over the first 6 games.

On a positive note, the CBJ have one of the more passionate and loyal fan bases in all of sports. Immediately after the loss on Saturday night, diehard fans were doing their best to rally the troops with the hashtag #CBJNoMatterWhat.  

Blue Jacket fans have shown a lot of class as they wait for something to cheer about. So far the conversation about how and why the team has stumbled out of the gate has been civil and vitriol-free. For now, most fans appear to be trying to laugh it off.  A perfect example of that showed up Monday morning in the form of a parody song called Wake Me Up When This Season Ends. It was posted by a "fan super-group" going by the name Donald, Dale, Boomer and Ward. Listening to it isn't going to change the fact that the Blue Jackets now have only a 9% chance of making the playoffs (and there are still 76 games to be played!), but it might make the tears in your beer taste a little less bitter.

Is Urban Crazy or Crazy Like a Fox? Baver Answers Colin's Questions

Colin: It appears Urban it close to settling on a full-blown, completely unconventional QB platoon system. Is Urban crazy or crazy like a fox?

Baver: I think Urban has been a little stubborn with his “Cardale is my guy until he gets beaten out” philosophy, but JTB replacing Cardale in the red zone certainly looks like a step in the right direction. And I think Urban is opening the door for JTB to take the full reins if Cardale falters.

Colin: Obviously at some point all winning streaks must end. I'll assume we agree Michigan would be the worst team to break it. In my opinion Penn State would be the 2nd worst team. Their program is mediocre but their meathead fans have this idea they are still elite. Who would you hate to see break the OSU streak?

Baver: Michigan and a 1,000 foot drop off after that. Twenty years later, the ’95 and ’96 losses by undefeated Ohio State teams to Michigan still hurt. I guess I don’t have a 2nd most hated team, but losing to the SEC is hard to swallow, knowing how much you are going to hear about it nationally.

Colin: If the game were today, how would you feel about a rematch with Alabama?

Baver: Not good. Bama would have added motivation after last year’s game and they are a better team than Ohio State, at least at this point. The Bucks need to prove they can get last year’s hunger back.

Colin: What's up with these running QB's slicing up the defense?

Baver: Another frustrating situation where the Buckeye opponent throws a monkey wrench at them, and the Bucks respond poorly. The monkey wrench this time was surprise starter Perry Hills at QB for Maryland. It was Hills’ improvised runs that did the most damage. The Buckeye LB’s simply didn’t react well on most of his runs. Urban also talked about some of these problems being caused by the OSU DT getting out of alignment.

Colin: Raekwon McMillen is starting to get mentioned as joining the elite crowd as one of the Buckeye's best linebackers. He has the stats to back it up, but I never seem to notice him dominating a game the way Hawk, Shazier or even Darren Lee does. Is he an elite linebacker?

Baver: I think Raekwon is on the verge of being elite. Playing MLB on this team vs. playing on the outside like the other 3 LB’s you mentioned probably doesn’t allow for as many big plays. But I do remember watching a YouTube video of the 2014 OSU defensive highlights, and was surprised at how many times Raekwon showed up in the video, despite being a part-timer. So maybe he is making “quiet” big plays.  : )

Colin: What are your thoughts on UM v MSU and A&M v BAMA and what other games/lines will you be keeping an eye on?

Baver: I think Sparty keeps the game close and finally covers a spread; 7 1/2 pts is a bit high. But I think Michigan probably wins the game; they are definitely for real, but I see a tight, rivalry game here. I think A&M is legit, but Bama is still the best in the SEC. The play here is probably Bama giving the 4 1/2. I see Ohio State waking up now with a marquee matchup at night in the ‘Shoe. I think Braxton shows up big and the Bucks win 38-17, covering for the first time since the opener. The spread is fairly sharp, but I think OSU laying the 18.5 is the play here. No other lines really jump out at me this week. 

Colin: Is Tom Herman the next coach of Southern California? (or is it Chip Kelly?)

Baver: I think Chip Kelly and Kevin Sumlin might be near the top of USC’s list, although if Tom Herman goes 12-0 at Houston, he may get calls from big boys like So Cal. Herman is definitely a rising star and that Houston team was supposed to be rebuilding this year. Someone forgot to tell Herman that.

Baver Talks OSU vs. Maryland & Dead Schembechlers Announce New Single: "Harbuagh to Hell"

Before diving into this week's Baver Bag, we just received a press release from the Dead Schembechlers announcing a new single - "Harbaugh to Hell" - to be available Halloween on I-Tunes. Click here for details.

Colin: Cardale taking that long coverage sack right before the half was again shades of Kent Graham. He is obviously talented, but how to do you feel he is progressing as a QB and a team leader?

Baver: I like Cardale, and as long as he is under center, I am pulling for him. But he’s not progressing well, and leadership probably isn’t his strongest trait. That said, you can’t dump all of OSU’s offensive woes on him. The game-day coaching isn’t doing Cardale any favors and the wrong routes that the WR’s continue to run have made Cardale look worse. The coaches shrunk the playbook for Cardale during last year’s so-called trilogy, and the results were, of course, better than fine. The opponents weren’t prepared for Cardale nine months ago, but they are now, while the playbook remains scaled back. The limited playbook is designed to protect Cardale and to reduce mistakes. If OSU minimizes mistakes, there is no one on the schedule that can beat them until late November. Unfortunately though, the Buckeye offense is still making mistakes at an alarming rate (117th in the nation out of 127 teams in turnovers committed), with 13 TO’s in 5 games.

Colin: With the loss of Corey Smith, the WR receiving core takes another hit. Overall, what grade would you give the WR's, and are they the weakest position group on the team?

Baver: Grading by Ohio State’s standards, I’d probably say a “D.” I mentioned the wrong routes above; it’s frustrating beyond belief, with Curtis Samuel being the biggest offender. I guess what saves them from an “F” is the mounting injuries, as you mentioned. Smith and Noah Brown are gone for the year, and injuries seem to have derailed the careers of James Clark and Johnny Dixon. Weakest position group? I think the WR group is neck and neck with (can’t believe I am saying this) the QB position right now.

Colin: Who exactly is calling the plays at this point?

Baver: It’s my understanding that co-OC Tim Beck took over the primary play-calling duties from Ed Warriner after the Northern Illinois game. Warriner is on the sidelines during games, while Beck is calling the plays from upstairs.

Colin: If the playoff were today and you could choose the four teams, who do you think are the best four right now regardless of current ranking?

Baver: Alabama, Baylor, TCU and I really don’t know. I had Ole Miss in there a week ago, and was surprised Florida ransacked them last Saturday. I think Alabama is clearly the best team in the country right now, despite having a loss, and after that Baylor and TCU are neck and neck. After those three, there are probably 8 or so teams bunched up, with Ohio State being one of those teams.

Colin: Give us an update on your picks to date and games and lines you will be watching this week.

Baver: 9-5-1 against the spread on the year, a good start. As bad as Maryland is, I think you take the 33 pts against the Bucks. I see a 42-13 type of score. I’ll say take the Illini catching 11 at Iowa. Iowa is definitely an improved team and may win the B10 West, but I see a letdown after their big win in Madison. Tempted to say take Sparty with their spread down to 14 right now at Rutgers, but with Michigan State having Michigan on deck, I’d say stay away from that game. Instead, take Georgia in a bounce-back game, giving 3 at Tennessee. Must win game for Georgia and they are better than they played against Bama.

THE NCP TACKLES COLIN’S BROWNS QUESTIONS FOR WEEK FOUR

Following last week's debacle against the Oakland Raiders, many questions about the 2015 Browns remain unanswered.  This week, Colin and the NCP try to unravel the mystery.

Colin:  While plenty of fans are itching to see Johnny Football get behind center, have you noticed not a single teammate has stepped up to endorse him as the starter?  Sounds like the locker room agrees with the coaches on this one.  Thoughts?

Big$: When I need to know David Arquette’s thoughts on Taylor Swift’s dating life, I go to TMZ. As it relates to the NFL, they aren’t a go-to for pertinent locker room info.  I assume they cornered Johnny and Travis Benjamin, offered them swag, massaged their egos, and bam!  Lame quotes appeared.  Johnny has yet to prove he can operate an NFL offense without relying on improvisation.  If a player disagrees with the coaches on who starts, they need to spend more time in the film room.

Colin:  It appears the almost as dysfunctional Raiders are starting to pull away from the Browns. Seems they have figured out that throwing the football is how you win in today’s NFL. Finding a QB is hard, playmaking receivers are everywhere, except in Cleveland. How is this possible? Who have we missed on?

Big$: Ray Farmer relies on “the Seahawks don’t have superstar receivers!” excuse. Well if Ray was truly seeking to follow the Seattle blueprint, Justin “the-anti-Richard-Sherman” Gilbert would have been buried on his draft board. The Browns have adopted the hilarious “play like a Brown” motto and it has led to ignoring the need for playmakers. There is not one player on the Browns roster that requires the special attention of a defense, and I think both Pettine and Ray are to blame.

Colin:  Who does LeBron start for this week?

Big$:  I’m over the Johnny- mania.  I’m starting The King at Q.B. If any self-respecting Clevelander can support Johnny over LBJ in anything other than a skins game, that’s their own issue.

Colin:  Any chance the North Coast sneaks a win on the West Coast?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  There is always a chance, my friend, but it's going to take vastly improved efforts on both sides of the ball.  The biggest challenge is going to be on the defensive side.  San Diego has one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Phillip Rivers, and he is clicking with a corps of receivers that is as strong as any in the league from top to bottom.  The Charger offense is averaging nearly 300 yards per game through the air and rank fourth in the league in total offense, at 402 yards per game.  Cornerbacks Joe Haden and Tremon Williams really need to step their game up this week for the Browns to have any shot of slowing down the Chargers, especially with safety Tashaun Gipson questionable for today’s game with a groin injury and nickelback K’Waun Williams out with a concussion.  San Diego also has a threat on the ground with rookie running back, and former Wisconsin standout, Melvin Gordon.  The Browns have already made running backs Chris Ivory and Dexter McCluster look like Walter Payton this season and rank dead last in the league in rushing defense.  To have any shot at winning today, the Browns have to do a better job of controlling the line of scrimmage and get pressure on Rivers up the middle. 

The good news is that the Chargers defense is not that great either.  They are nearly as bad at stopping the run, giving up 135.7 yards per game.  It is time for the Browns’ high-priced offensive line to earn those paychecks and open up lanes for Isaiah Crowell.  The Chargers have not had much success pressuring the quarterback this year either and rank last in the league with just one sack.  If McCown has time to execute the Browns’ quick-strike passing game, the offense can put some points on the board.  Sure, the Raiders may end up being a halfway decent team this year, but losing to them at home has to leave a terrible taste in Cleveland’s mouth.  I foresee some redemption blowing in on the oceanfront.  Browns win 23-20.