Week One Growing Pains: NCP Looks Forward to Home Opener

Q:  So was The North Coast Posse Browns Kick-Off Party at Four String Brew the highlight of the season?   Should the Browns sign Mike Parks of The League Bowlers to play guitar in the locker room at halftime?

Big$:  Life is about expectations. What we expect from ourselves, what we expect from others, and what we expect from each experience. If someone went into the 2016 Browns season with misguided expectations, such as playoff contention etc., I could see why they would be ready to punt on enjoying any part of this season. I, on the other hand, am fully ready for the tear down. It was time to reset the deck completely and get some new blood on the field. I don't plan on seeing many wins, but I am amped to watch the progress of building blocks like Terrelle, Bitonio, Nassib, Ogbah, Schobert, Duke, and Kirksey each week. One needs to look no further than the future Las Vegas Raiders for a blueprint of this nature.

Browns Kickoff Party with Pencil Storm Impresario/League Bowler frontman Colin Gawel, Big$, Neil Sika (Golden Voice of the Columbus Crew), and K-Dubs, the Soldier.

As for the Kickoff Party I could probably enjoy Four String while being forced to listen to a Harbaugh mixtape. So getting to down the finest beer in Columbus while getting a taste of the mercurial League Bowlers is nothing but aces. Seriously people, Mike Parks is a CBUS treasure.  You should see him at every given opportunity.

Q:  RG3. Gone. I know we are rebuilding but it was sure more fun to watch us lose with him under center than Josh McCown. Still, will this injury actually affect the offense? Could this offense actually become decent?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  I was hoping that we would get the chance to watch RG3 this year, but his injury does not change my outlook on the season at all.  I think the front office pegged Griffin as a place-holder with a big potential upside.  His loss merely leaves us with our previous place-holder, and I am OK with that.  I am an unabashed Josh McCown apologist.  Last year he showed a mastery of the offense, and when he is clicking, the team can score.  Don’t forget that he threw for 457 yards against the Ravens in a rare road win in Baltimore.  In fact, last year’s debacle of a season started with such promise when McCown led the Browns on a 10-minute, 90-yard drive against the Jets.  (Please do forget, however, that drive ended when he drove for the end zone, was sent into a helicopter spin by a pair of defenders, fumbled, broke his shoulder, and paved the way for Johnny Dickwad to take over as QB).   Sure, the new coaching staff has installed a different offensive scheme, but McCown is a savvy veteran that still moves in the pocket surprisingly well for a dude that is now closer to AARP than NCAA.  He also put up good numbers last year when his tallest wideout was 5’9”.  He ain’t as exciting as RG3, but a McCown-led offense will run like a well-oiled machine, and with Pryor, Gordon, and Coleman in his arsenal, the Browns will put points on the board. 

Big$:  Trent Green, for better or worse (who we are we kidding, worse for sure) seems to always be circulating around the Browns. With that said, they should look to his Wally Pipp-esque Rams injury story for inspiration. Let us all remember when the Rams were ready to wrap up their season after losing ole T. Green. The reigns were handed over to a stock boy from Iowa, and the rest is NFL history.

Fast forward to the Browns of 2016 and I think that Josh McCown offers this team a better chance at winning each week. His experience and moxie coupled with the “Greatest Show on Turf II” could surprise a whole bunch of people. Plus I think he and Kurt Warner's wife have the same hairstyle so there is another tie to that Rams miracle super bowl run.

Q:  Forget offense, how bad is this Browns defense?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  No doubt, last week was a letdown, but there’s no reason to hang your head.  The young guns on defense played fairly well and were able to get pressure on Wentz.  Also, although Philly had a 2-1 advantage in time of possession, they gained less than 4 yards per rush.  The problem was the veterans, particularly at cornerback giving up big plays.  Joe Haden needs to step up his game.  The defense has potential, but it will only be as good as the defensive backs will allow it to be. 

Q:  Should the Browns have drafted Carson Wentz? 

Big$: One needs to look no further than the Browns training room for the cautionary tale that makes this an easy answer. RG3 didn't just have one breakout game, he had a breakout season. Now he'll be lucky to ever start another NFL game. So excuse me if I'm not ready to crown Carson the “one that got away” just yet.

Q:  Who Should LeBron start for this week?

Big$: I'm sorry Gary Barnidge, but you must pay for your costly unforced errors in week one. Grab some pine, as I'm inserting the King at TE this week.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  He should start in place of special teams coach Chris Tabor.  I do not know have any idea how this guy has kept a job for as long as he has.  Hue Jackson is the 3rd head coach to retain Tabor, who was hired by Pat Shurmur in 2011.  Despite this perpetual vote of confidence, the Browns continue to have special teams breakdowns at the worst time.  Since he’s been the coordinator, the Browns have lost on second-chance field goals at the buzzer, had field goals blocked in 3 straight games, including one returned for a winning touchdown, and the team still does not have anyone that can field a goddamn punt.   Special teams are a third of game, and Cleveland continues to struggle here.  LeBron has shown that he is a coach on the court (especially in the David Blatt era).  Now we need his leadership on the field in the kicking game.

Q:  Any chance against the Ravens?

Big$: There is always hope. My boy Josh looked strong in a start against the Ratbirds last year, and with TP Sr. at his disposal, anything is possible.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  Of course, the Ravens are no longer a premier team, and if Baltimore had not returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown at the final gun last year, the Browns would have swept them.  Again, I think McCown will move the ball.  The concern is how well the linebackers and defensive backs play.  In recent years the Ravens have done a lot of their damage against Cleveland with passes to their backs, and for a squad that has looked lost at times in coverage throughout the preseason and in the opener last week, the pass defense needs to play much better than they did against Philly.  If Joe Flacco gets going it going early though it could make for a long afternoon.  My prediction is for a Browns win 24-20, with the defense pressuring Flacco into a pick or two. 

WWE Backlash: Best to Worst - by Big Vin Vader

Many of us at Pencilstorm are fans of professional wrestling so we are thrilled to introduce our new beat writer of all things WWE, Big Vin Vader.

Sunday night was the SmackDown brand’s inaugural pay-per-view, Backlash, and I’d say we all got about what we expected.  It wasn’t bad, but it sure wasn’t great.  For the most part, it was alright, and will stand as pretty unremarkable despite the awarding of the new SmackDown Women’s and Tag Team title belts, but it was far from the company’s worst show this year.
  

                                 The Best

The best action of the night was Dolph Ziggler vs. the Miz for the Intercontinental title, which delivered on its promise of being one of the more satisfying matches on the card.  The story and psychology behind the match were good—the Miz has been on a tear, since his promo ripping into Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack.  Ziggler has been given plenty of chances lately, but always comes up short.  He’s determined and a hell of a challenger, so the crowd really sounded into the match.

Ziggler got in some nice amateur moves, while the Miz worked cheap, brawling and undermining Dolph’s attempts at really wrestling him.  It worked perfectly to emphasize the Miz’s cowardly streak at the center of the angle, and drew more heat to hold his place as SmackDown’s best heel.

The whole match, in fact was incredibly consistent on a card that you couldn’t say as much for, and the two performers managed to tell a good story while wrestling a damn fine match.  Ziggler got in some impressive moves, but the whole thing ended the only way it could: another loss for Dolph when he was maced and pinned.  The cheap win keep’s the Miz’s heel momentum and gained him more heat.

On the down side, The Miz’s reign as heel IC champ may be going pretty great, but he needs a more serious opponent, someone who can really threaten his position and make it feel believable.  Ziggler needs the same thing: something he can fight for and stand an actual chance at succeeding.  

                                  #2

The second best match of the night was the main event of Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles for the World Championship.  I’m a big fan of Ambrose, and his title win felt overdue after the impressive promo and ring work he’s accomplished this year.  AJ Styles has been on fire all year, with his entire run in the WWE only serving to emphasize his incredible talents.  His heel turn has been successful, giving him a more ruthless edge which pairs nicely with his natural wrestling ability.  He was the one person that should dethrone Ambrose, as his ring work is more impressive and the fact that he had yet to win any titles in the WWE.

There was a sense that this was the only match on the card really worth anyone’s time.  It wasn’t destined to be a classic, and the excitement of a true main event for the title wasn’t there.  It took a while for the two to really get into things, and the slow start was somewhat disappointing, consisting mostly of trash talk from Styles.

Around the ten-minute mark, however, the pace picked up, and both men put a more athletic, physical style on display.  Particularly surprising was Dean’s versatility, busting out a number of new moves.  Styles gave a hell of a performance as always, and Dean held his own while also pushing himself outside of his usual brawling comfort zone.

Styles managed to win the title with a low-blow while the ref was dazed.  It was a smart move, and the kind of thing that really makes his heel turn work.  Sure he can outwrestle Dean any day, but he did what he needed to win.  It’s continued the rivalry between the two, and if nothing else, maybe Dean can flourish without the scrutiny drawn to him by holding the championship.  Besides, Styles deserved the damn title, and the people wanted to see him win it.  

                                     #3

Taking the third spot was the six-pack challenge for the Women’s title, which kicked off the show. There wasn’t much consecutive in-ring action and the pace was a bit slow for most of the match.  What we did get, however were a handful of impressive moments, namely from Naomi and Columbus’ own Alexa Bliss.  The highlight was the conclusion, which saw Becky Lynch become the first SmackDown Women’s champion.  Nobody deserved the belt as much, nor did they have the same amount of popular support.  None of the other contenders really stood a chance.  Her speech after the match was emotional, as it should have been, and proved one of the night’s standout moments.
    

                              The Worst

The two tag matches were about the same in terms of quality, although the first pitting the Hype Bros. vs. the Usos was somewhat weaker.  The crowd couldn’t have cared less, and the action seemed to suffer for it. The Hype Bros got the better crowd reaction, but even that isn’t saying a lot.  Just like everyone else, I wanted American Alpha in the picture, so this wasn’t going to hold my interest regardless.

The match was a pretty unremarkable ten-minute tag bout, although Zack Ryder put in a fine showing with some high-energy moves, including a Frankensteiner. The crowd may have been vocal, but that’s just because they like to chant whenever they can.  Ryder submitted and the Usos moved on to nobody’s approval.  The one plus was that at least it seemed a lock for Rhyno/Slater to pick up the win in the final match.

The second match to award the new Tag Team titles was barely better, and saw Heath Slater/Rhyno against the Usos.  The match should have been a big deal, but the lack of interest in the competitors kept that from happening.

If it’s possible, the crowd seemed even less excited to see the Usos a second time in the same night.  They really didn’t pose much of a threat, and nobody wanted them to win the belts.  The match itself was bland, another plain ten-minute deal that still overstayed its welcome.  Slater spent most of the match playing Ricky Morton and taking a beating, finally made a tag, and Rhyno’s offense helped them score the win.

The victory did little in the long run, just emphasizing that nothing was really gained through the tournament.  Slater and Rhyno should be a one-off team, can’t be expected to stick together and dominate the division.  They’re likeable enough, but this whole thing shouldn’t last.  After all, Rhyno is running for office, so it’s a matter of time before American Alpha rightfully win the titles, of course it looks like we’ll have to slog through a feud with the Usos in the meantime.

                            The Worst-est

Coming up last was Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt, which didn’t even happen, leaving it the biggest disappointment of the night.  It was one of the more promising matches announced for the show, but we got screwed, instead being shown Bray Wyatt assaulting Randy Orton backstage, slamming his ankle in a door.  It came out of nowhere, just a quick fix to cover Orton’s inability to wrestle that night, despite the build-up.  Great planning, guys.

Wyatt’s transformation from swamp zealot to crust punk mystic has been interesting, and he makes it work. What didn’t work was the replacement match: a no-holds-barred affair pitting him against Kane.  Swell.  A match that had some real promise was swapped for one that nobody asked for.  If there was a decent match in there (and there wasn’t), I was too disinterested to notice. 

They dropped the ball with their booking, but they aren’t ready to drop the feud.  Orton ran out near the end of the match, hit Wyatt with an RKO and vanished, letting Kane pick up the win.  The feud will continue, clearly, so Kane’s unexplained presence was a waste of time.  Wyatt went under yet again, to a past-his-prime superstar, and it seems like he’ll keep taking losses.  A decent commissioner would have rescheduled the whole damn thing rather than make anyone sit through that pointless mess.

                     Summary and Final Grade

So in the end we got two solid matches in the IC and World title matches, a decent crowd pleaser in the Women’s title match, two bland tag team matches with a satisfying-enough conclusion, and a worthless tease replaced by boring filler. 

I realize there are a lot of complaints here, but overall, I wasn’t too displeased.  With the brand split, there are nineteen PPVs per year, and every one can’t be a winner.  I don’t even want that to be the case.  Sure, it would have been nice if the first brand-specific PPV of the split had been more remarkable, but that just wasn’t the case.  For the most part, it seemed like the company was showing off its new belts and rushing to award them, good booking be damned.  Despite so many throwaways, there were some bright spots that look to put things in the right for the near future.

So the show was underwhelming, but both brands have heel champs who happen to be incredibly talented in the ring, and both Women’s Divisions are looking good, although Raw still has the clear lead, but no one expected that to ever change. Styles’ win and Becky’s new position on top both point in the right direction, and at least we can count on them.

Overall, the whole thing was a solid D, a passable 60 out of 100.

The Winners:                    
Beck Lynch (Women’s champion)
The Miz (IC champion)
Kane
Heath Slater and Rhyno (SmackDown Tag Team champions)
AJ Styles (WWE World champion)

The Losers:
Alexa Bliss/Naomi/Natalya/Nikki Bella/Carmella
Dolph Ziggler
Bray Wyatt/the crowd
The Hype Bros/the Usos
Dean Ambrose

Top 3 2016 PPVs so far:

NXT Takeover Dallas
-Royal Rumble
-Money in the Bank

Bottom 3:

Fastlane
Wrestlemania 32
SummerSlam

Will the Sooners Run It Down the Buckeyes' Throats? - Baver Answers

Follow Brent @baverbuckeyebag

Colin: First off, have you ever seen a worse play call than Tulsa putting it in the air with 30 seconds left in the half, in the worst conditions I've ever seen in the horseshoe. I think a quick kick on 3rd down would have been a better play. How stupid was that decision?

Baver: A Baylor disciple lives and dies by the sword….very stupid call indeed.

Colin: Before that though, both the O and D lines seemed to be getting pushed around by Tulsa. How big of a concern is this heading into face the Sooners this weekend?

Baver: Somewhat concerning. Although, I think part of that amounted to Ohio State simply not wanting to show anything on either side of the ball prior to the trip to Oklahoma. Some of that strategy then had to be thrown out the window when the score was tied 3-3, late 2nd quarter.

Colin: Historically, it doesn't get any bigger than the Buckeyes on the road in Norman. And for a night game no less. How bad does Stoops and company want this one and when was the last non-conference game this big in Oklahoma?

Baver: 15 years ago, Stoops earned the nicknamed “Big Game Bob” because he won the big ones. Now, he still has the nickname, but it’s used sarcastically. As I mentioned a week ago, I think he gets too much criticism, but losing to Ohio State certainly isn’t going to help his reputation.

Last big non-conference game in Norman? Notre Dame visited in 2012. Phil Steele tells me it was the 8th ranked Sooners vs the #5 ranked Fighting Irish. Notre Dame took home the victory in that one.

Colin: What does Ohio State have to do to win this game? 

Baver: Winning the turnover battle goes without saying. I think the Bucks need a true WR to step up and have a big game. Curtis Samuel has to keep making plays. The pass rush has to be better…with Lewis, Hubbard, Holmes and Lil’ Bosa, the ends have to provide more pressure than they have gotten in weeks one and two.

Colin: Is Malik Hooker this good, or lucky, or both?

Baver: Both. I think Malik covers as much ground as any safety that I ever remember playing here, and his ball skills are insane. He had only played a few years of football when OSU offered him a scholarship, but the OSU coaches saw what Hooker had on the basketball court, and that was all they needed to see.

Colin: What can the Sooners do that worries you?

Baver: (1) Perine and Mixon running it down Ohio State’s throat. The Sooners abandoned the run way too early against Houston. (2) Mayfield scrambling and young Buckeye defenders over-pursuing. (3) A defensive backfield taking Ohio State’s X and Y receivers out of the game.

Colin: The Buckeyes are talented, but very young; can we really be disappointed if this game goes in the loss column?

Baver: We probably shouldn’t be. If you analyze the units and look at experienced depth, Ohio State shouldn’t be favored in this game. But, we certainly will be if we don’t come home with a win.

Colin: What games and/or lines will you be watching this weekend? 

Baver: Third Buckeye game in a row that I would say: stay away from if you’re a bettor. But I have to make a pick here. I chalked this up as a loss prior to September, but I am starting to sip the Kool-Aid. Urban is a road warrior and I think the Bucks make enough big plays to get it done Saturday night. So, if you have to pick the game, I’d say take the Bucks and lay the point and a half.

Two more games….Gotta like Texas A&M getting 3 ½ at Auburn.  Should be a close one and I was thinking the spread would be about even. And I like Southern Cal getting 8 ½ at Stanford. aThe Trojans are better than what they showed against Bama and that line is inflated.

The Old Man at the Rock N Roll Show - by JCE

Who the hell am I, and how did I end up here on Pencilstorm anyways? I’m just a regular guy with a wife and a daughter, a lot of skateboards, a lot of books and a whole lot more music than anything else. I am a Watershed fan who somehow began trading emails with Ricki C and from there I found Pencilstorm. Then Colin made the mistake of inviting me to write some posts. That’s probably all you need to know.  Oh yeah, and I live in Virginia, about an hour south of D.C. – JCE

THE OLD MAN AT THE ROCK N ROLL SHOW

So when I was about mid-thirties, I quit drinking.  Stayed that way for a pretty long time (over a decade), and really, I’m happy that I did.  My wife and I did it together and we managed fine.  We had our daughter during that time and raised her through her earliest years with not a drop of alcohol.  At some point though, I took up drinking a beer now and again, and my wife went back to her occasional glass of wine.  That inevitably led to the visitation of a bar once in a while and the obvious desire to start going to see bands again. 

I’ve seen hundreds upon hundreds of bands in grungy clubs and I’m happy to say that I’m still adding ticket stubs to my collection. Now that I’m going to shows, I’ve observed that I’m usually the oldest guy there, except for the all ages shows where there are parents in attendance.  They are there as chaperones and not for the music.  I have actually been asked, “Which kid is yours?”  That was at a Good Charlotte show at the 9:30 Club in D.C. which was jam packed with teeny boppers.  It was the worst show I’ve seen in recent years.  One show, Everclear, at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville, VA, this teenaged blonde comes up to me all casual and says, “Do you have any weed?”  Uh, no darlin’, I do not.  I guess an old dude in a leather jacket looks like he should be carrying some dope.  (editors' note: So let's get this straight, JCE, you DON'T have any weed?  Damn!)   

Other shows, like X at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA and any of the three Social Distortion shows I’ve gone to seem to have an older crowd where I blend right in.  It’s very hit and miss on whether the crowd is going to make me feel ancient.  I will say that all of my friends and family insist that I do not look anywhere near my age, so that probably helps.  One last observation from an old guy at club shows:  I must be the last guy in the world that loves music and skateboards and doesn’t have a tattoo.  Don’t get me wrong, I dig tattoos on young, good looking people.  They look cool on most guys and sexy on some girls, but when they get old, they’re mostly gonna look like crap.

I was looking at a few ticket stubs of shows I’ve been to recently.  When I look at them, it’s a nice bit of music.  I’ve seen Gaslight Anthem, the Hold Steady, Catfish & the Bottlemen, The Struts, and other artists I really like.  I’ve also seen aging bands like Social Distortion, X, Cheap Trick who are still great.  But compared to shows I saw years ago--  The Damned, Stiff Little Fingers, The Professionals, Dead Kennedys, Ramones, Johnny Thunders, Dead Boys, The Neighborhoods, The Outlets….. I miss the music of my youth.  Or maybe I just miss my youth. 

JCE

JCE is our newest rock writer, and Ricki C. brought him into our little Pencilstorm family.  Ricki knows him as John, but damn if JCE isn't a cool pen-name.  

Tuesdays With Ricki - week two / Franklinton and The Bottoms

Tuesdays With Ricki (with apologies to Mitch Albom) will run most Tuesdays as space permits and Ricki gets pieces submitted on time.  If readers have any ideas on topics they would like to see Ricki weigh in on, post below in Comments.

The West Side Is The Best Side

The Independents’ Day Festival will be held in Franklinton this Saturday & Sunday, September 17th & 18th.  (Click here for more info.)  It will be the second year the music & arts fest will take place in its West Side locale.  I grew up on the West Side, at the corner of Sullivant & Midland Avenues, just a couple of miles from Franklinton, right at the beginning of The Hilltop.  The Hilltop was the slightly classier part of the West Side.  (Although everything truly is relative: compared to Colin’s upbringing in Worthington, the Hilltop was definitely déclassé.)

What is now referred to as Franklinton was then called The Bottoms.  (As late as the 1950’s, the entire area between downtown and the beginning of the hill just west of Central Avenue that gives The Hilltop its name would wind up underwater due to periodic floods; thus the name, The Bottoms.)  The first band I was ever in – circa 1968, when I was 16 years old – rehearsed in a house in The Bottoms.  That house was on McDowell Avenue, catty-corner from where Veteran’s Memorial stood before its demolition last year.  Dennis, the bass player of the band, lived in that house with his family.  Actually, we didn’t exactly rehearse IN Dennis’ house, we rehearsed in the unoccupied other half of the double after his father kicked a teenager-sized hole in the dining room wall connecting the two sides of the house and ran extension cords over for us to power the amps and mics with.    

The first time I went there for rehearsal, as I stood surveying the “alterations” Dennis’ father had made to the dining room I said, “Your dad didn’t have a problem tearing up your house like this?”  “Oh, it’s not our house,” Dennis replied matter-of-factly, ”we’re just renting.”  I couldn’t even think of a reply.  I just stood there looking at Dennis, thinking, “This kind of vandalism wouldn’t fly at my house in a thousand million years.”  My dad might re-wire the World War II-vintage radio we had in our basement into an amplifier for my first electric guitar – one of the nicest things ANYBODY in my life has ever done for me – but he was not about to intentionally damage the drywall for the sake of rock & roll.  We lived on The Hilltop.

Anyway, I hope The Franklinton Hustle goes great.  I’d love to see The Bottoms area of my beloved West Side revitalized (I can’t bring myself to go as far as “gentrified”) into a nice area to live in.  I was one of the original doubters about The Short North project, back when I worked at a parking lot at Doctor’s North Hospital from 1970-1973 while I attended Ohio State University.  That entire stretch of High Street was a war zone of storefront churches, bars & derelict buildings, teeming with the homeless street-people masses, and look how nice it turned out.  

Kudos to the Independents’ Days organizers for utilizing the Franklinton space again, may all the angels bless the rebuilders.  – Ricki C. / September 10th, 2016    

Browns Enter Season With New Regime; NCP Talk Offseason Moves and Week 1 Preview

Since last season, @northcoastposse has been named a Top Five Twitter follow by the Cleveland Browns.  Certainly quite an achievement. To celebrate, The NCP are hosting a Browns kick off party at Four String Brew Sunday, September 11th. The League Bowlers play at noon and Browns v Eagles on the tube at 1pm. 

The NCP Answer Your Browns Questions

Q:  Let’s hope the NCP performs better in 2016 than previous top picks by the Browns. Speaking of that, Mingo and Gilbert... gone. Why?

K-Dubs, the Soldier: Yeah, the Browns continue to be unconventional in weird ways.  By moving Barkevious Mingo and Justin Gilbert for a fifth- and sixth-round draft pick, respectively, Cleveland pulled off not just one, but two rare training-camp trades.  I think the trades make sense, too, even though both of them were top-10 draft picks in recent years.  Here are two guys that just didn’t fit the system.  Mingo always seemed to be stuck between stations.  He is a pass-rush specialist that has yet to develop into a linebacker that can be on the field for all three downs, and he was not big enough to play defensive end.  He was a great special-teams player, though, and by all reports a good guy.  I wish him the best of luck in New England.

I can’t say the same for Justin Gilbert.  Ever since he arrived in Cleveland, he was a malcontent whose confidence far outpaced his effort.  The Browns secondary is fairly thin, and Gilbert had every chance to win a starting job but failed despite his potential.  He was certainly no fan favorite, and now he wears a Steelers jersey.  No love.  

Q:  It appears that the Browns two best players could be a WR who has been too stoned to play for the past two seasons and another WR who has never made an NFL roster to begin a season after converting from QB. Is this concerning?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  Hell no!  It is exciting.  Josh Gordon and Terrelle Pryor are two of the most physically gifted players in the league.  These dudes are thoroughbreds.  It is like having Secretariat and American Pharaoh lining up at wideout (imaging for a second that a horse can catch a football).  They have the ability to go the distance at any time.  Just check out Pryor’s 93-yard touchdown run against the Steelers in 2013, it was the longest ever by a quarterback.  It was Tecmo Bowl come to life.  The same can be said for Gordon’s 95-yard catch and run against the Jags in 2014.  Sure, Pryor is not a great passer.  Any Buckeye fan can tell you that.  But he is going to shred defenses as a receiver this year, especially when Gordon comes back from suspension in Week 5. 

Ever since their return to the league, the Browns have rarely had dynamic playmakers, let alone much quality depth at the skill positions.  Now Gordon and Pryor join rookie speedster Corey Coleman and Andrew Hawkins at receiver, while Duke Johnson, Jr. (61 catches, 534 yards, 2 TD) adds another receiving option out of the backfield.  There is no doubt the talent is there (finally).  The question is can the line can generate enough of a running game and protect Robert Griffin III long enough to maximize the impact of that talent. 

Big$:  I’m not concerned that JG and TP are the 2 best players.  My concern is that 1 of the 2 best players is not one of the 7,345 first round picks they have had over the last 5 years.

Q:  Would you rather have Carson Wentz or RG3 starting week one?

K-Dubs, the Soldier: RG3, all day long.  He has proven he can play at the highest levels of college, winning the Heisman Trophy, and, as a rookie, he took the perennial also-ran Redskins to the playoffs.  Despite a wicked ankle injury that cost him half of the 2014 season, he is still a dual-threat quarterback that can buy extra time behind the Browns’ young—and still gelling—offensive line.  By all accounts, RG3 has benefitted from the big-ass slice of humble pie he had to eat when he was demoted to the meatball squad last year in Washington, and he has shown considerable growth in terms of leadership and preparation.  He is going to have some weapons to work with this year, too.  I am expecting a big game from RG3 on Sunday.

On the flip side, there’s Wentz—a quarterback from North Dakota State of the FCS, who the Eagles selected with the second overall pick in this year’s draft.  We have seen what a healthy RG3 can do, but the pro film on Wentz is limited to part of one game.  He suffered a cracked rib in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay’s second team and he has not seen game action since.  At 6’5”, 240 lb., Wentz has the prototypical frame for an NFL QB, but all we know about him is that he put up decent numbers in the Missouri Valley Conference and that he couldn’t last a half in a scrimmage.  Look for Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton to prey on Wentz’s inexperience by confusing him with different defensive looks and blitz packages.  It is this advantage in QB experience that makes this game one of the Browns’ best chances for a victory this season.

Big$:  NDSU is basically a more dominant version of Alabama in D2. They are superior at every position then their opponents. Wentz’s 2015 back up performed as well as he did, which is more a product of having NFL caliber O-lineman than the quality of either QB. I fully expect ole Carson and his super long delivery to be exposed in the pros.

As for RG3, here is my sizzling take. I truly believe he is a better option that Deshaun Watson moving forward. (I’m holding hope that Mentor H.S.-product Mitch Trubisky down at University of North Carolina finds his way back to the North Shore).

Q:  What is the strength of this Browns team?

Big $: My short (somewhat delusional) response is TP Sr.  My more grounded reply is youth. All of the draft picks made the roster, and several will see significant playing time. I specifically have high hopes for the young guns on defense. I think Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib and Joe Schobert, all have the capability to be quality NFL contributors within the next few years. I also have my fingers crossed that both rookies Spencer Drango and Shon Coleman can find their way into starting OL spots.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  I think that the Browns’ greatest strength this year is the deep threats they have in the passing game.  Like I said earlier, Gordon and Pryor can score from anywhere on the field.  They both showed that ability in the preseason, with each hauling in 50-yard touchdown catches against top-notch defensive backs.  I have a feeling that the lightning-quick Coleman will prove he has that same explosiveness. 

Throughout the preseason, the defense has struggled.  Surely, you cannot judge a team on its preseason performance (See the 2008 Detroit Lions: 4-0 in preseason; 0-16 in regular season).  Starters do not play the whole games and schemes tend to be more vanilla, so August stats do not offer much foresight on September performance.  But the Browns did give their first- and second-teamers more extensive action this year than most teams generally do, and the results were not good.  The opposing teams had an average of 11 more minutes in time of possession.  Opponents collectively gained 90 first downs to the Browns 51, and converted nearly 50 percent of their 3rd downs.   I hope that these tendencies do not bleed over into the regular season.  If they do, and the defense cannot get off the field, big-time touchdown threats are great equalizers that should give Cleveland a puncher’s chance in every game this year.  

Q:  What is the weakness?

Big$:  Ironically my answer is the same as my take on the strength. The inexperience of this roster is going to make for some painful moments on Sundays, especially against seasoned divisional foes. The key is to stay positive and focused on the future.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: The defensive front seven.  This is a team that has gone from being among the oldest in the league last year to being the second youngest.  At the start of the season, 19 of the guys on the 53-man roster are comprised of first- and second-year players.  That is 36 percent.  Nowhere is that inexperience more prevalent than among defensive linemen and linebackers.    Rookies Ogbah and Schobert are slated to start at the outside linebacker positions in Coach Jackson’s 3-4 scheme.  These guys have shown potential, particularly Ogbah who may prove to be the steal of the 2016 draft, but the fact that they are rolling with the 1’s may say more about a lack of depth than their ability to step right into starting roles.  Young players are more likely to be uncertain in their alignments, more likely to miss assignments, and more likely to hesitate.  For a team that finished in the bottom three in the league in rushing defense in each of the last two years, that is a bad prospect.  This part of the team may be a weakness, but with some of the young talent, including Nassib, it may also be the source of some electricity.  There is potential here, but the team’s success this year will largely depend on how well and how quickly this unit starts to click. 

Q:  Who should LeBron start in place of for week one?

Big$:  I’m not anti-RG3, but after watching what a physical specimen like Cam Newton has accomplished at QB, I’d like to see LBJ calling signals. For what it’s worth, I’d also start JR Smith at punter.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: I’d start LeBron over nose tackle Danny Shelton.  It is uncertain if Shelton is going to stay on the field for an entire series at a time.  When he is out there, he has not shown he can eat up blockers or penetrate the line.  At least we know LeBron is always on the floor when needed, and even if he gets driven off the ball, he can use his wingspan to swat down passes, just like he swats Steph Curry layups. 

Q:  The Browns over/under on wins is 5. Where would you put your money? What games can they win?

Big$: I am a betting man, and I would stay clear of the over. I am not altogether certain this roster is superior to the Chris Palmer gang of ‘99. The game I’m most confident of is this week, mainly because I think Wentz is a bum. If this game gets ugly, a historically bad year could be on the horizon.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: I’m thinking under, too.  The schedule is pretty rough, with games against the AFC East and NFC East, as well as the divisional games against the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals.  Also, most of the games in which they have the best chances to win are on the road, including at Tennessee, Miami, Bills, Washington, and the opener in Philly.  But I believe that they will be competitive in every game.  It hurts to think that this year will be the 18th-straight rebuilding year, but I really do believe that this time the Browns are laying the foundation for success.

    Sep 11      1:00PM * at Eagles

    Sep 18      1:00PM * Ravens

    Sep 25      1:00PM * at Dolphins

    Oct 2        1:00PM * at Redskins

    Oct 9        1:00PM * Patriots

    Oct 16      1:00PM* at Titans

    Oct 23      1:00PM * at Bengals

    Oct 30      1:00PM * Jets

    Nov 6       1:00PM * Cowboys

    Nov 10     8:25PM * at Ravens

    Nov 20     1:00PM * Steelers

    Nov 27     1:00PM * Giants

    Dec 4      BYE

    Dec 11      1:00PM * Bengals

    Dec 18      1:00PM * at Bills

    Dec 24      1:00PM * Chargers

    Jan 1         1:00PM * at Steelers