- 23 minutes ago
Browns moving up in NFL Power Rankings, but is Deshaun Watson impacting ceiling? Flex game(s) ahead?
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Went back and did a little bit of just perusing to see where other places have them ranked at pretty
00:06much between 19 and 11.
00:09ESPN says, you know, their 19th most, that was a conservative placement, unresolved issues on offensive rhythm is what kept
00:19them at 19.
00:20It's a pretty nice way to put it.
00:21I'm sorry, could you please repeat that?
00:23Unresolved issues with offensive rhythm.
00:27They can't dance.
00:30They were like me at my reunion this week.
00:33Jeff, I went to high school with a million people that know how to dance and dance very well.
00:36I stood out like a, I don't even know what I would like, but I was watching all these people
00:42dance and I'm like, yeah, I'm not even getting close to that.
00:45Fox Sports has them at 17.
00:48Interesting that the Jaguars on their website had them listed as 13th.
00:52Up from 18th though, and call them your AFC North leading Browns.
00:57So interesting.
00:58The thing of it is, Andy, they probably should be there.
01:03The defense, the defenses looked really good and the offense has been opportunistic.
01:09The offense hasn't been good.
01:11We all know that.
01:13They've, they've also had some injuries.
01:15The line's trying to come together.
01:18Deshaun's trying to come back from two years of not playing football.
01:21Well, the offense is still a real work in progress.
01:24The defense is as well, but the defense is way ahead of the game.
01:28I can't wait till Mason Graham and Mike Hall get back.
01:31I find this really interesting.
01:33So Bleach Report had them at 13.
01:35That's okay.
01:36Pro football talk.
01:38Mike Florio.
01:40Probably of all the national things out there, the most respect.
01:44Had them at 12 going into the game.
01:46Moved them up to 11.
01:49Moved them up to 11.
01:50Because I think Mike knows a lot about the Browns.
01:53Well, he does.
01:54We can hear him every time he talks to us.
01:56Yeah.
01:57He's all over it.
01:58Is that way into it?
02:00And do you think this team needs, needs respect?
02:03I still think that they're middle of the pack.
02:06I think this is right.
02:0719 and 11.
02:08Until the offense completely percolates.
02:11And we don't see another Jets game.
02:14We don't see the first three quarters of last week's game.
02:16And we definitely don't see another game like we did against the Jaguars.
02:19Which I think is totally in the rear view mirror now.
02:23I was hanging on to it for a little bit.
02:24But now I'm like, all right, well.
02:26It's a long season, Andy.
02:28It was kind of an oddity.
02:29It's a long season.
02:34You have to go to Tennessee and get a win, don't they?
02:36Yes, they do.
02:37I mean, this is, you know, you can't let road games in New York against the Jets
02:43and in Tennessee against the Titans.
02:45You can't go 0 for 2 in those opportunities.
02:49You can't do it.
02:50And expect to, you know, have legit playoff possibilities.
02:57I hope they just go in there and win this game and just win it without hesitation.
03:01I mean, they're 1-5.
03:04They're 1-5.
03:05Come on.
03:06I know every team shows up for every NFL game.
03:08But this is a week where they've got to be able to go out, get the lead early, maintain, and
03:14finish.
03:15That's all I'm asking for, right?
03:17Yeah.
03:18Is that asking for too much?
03:19Go show that you're the dominant football team.
03:22You know?
03:23Go show that you're – that's your team.
03:26That's what you're doing here.
03:27Take a couple – I want to get back to what you said about Deshaun and is the reason that
03:32they're not ranked higher
03:34or power ranked higher because of their quarterback.
03:37Either one of you – did you watch the All-22?
03:38You normally do, don't you, Dan?
03:40You go back and watch the All-22 at some point?
03:42I usually try to do it.
03:44Yeah, I have not done it yet.
03:45I've been watching a lot.
03:45We had this thing called baseball.
03:47Yeah, that's true.
03:47I forgot about that.
03:48No, no, it's all right.
03:49I did notice, and I kept saying to Daryl when I was sitting next to him at the game,
03:54I'm like, dude, there are guys open on every play in the first half.
03:57He was not finding them.
03:59And if you were just watching downfield, it was just a matter of executing plays to where the receiver would
04:06be.
04:07And you could see there were lanes open.
04:09And you could see – there were a couple times he put his head down and ran.
04:13And there were, like, at least one guy was open.
04:16I'm like, I don't know.
04:17Maybe it's just a lot easier to see it when you're sitting up here than when you're on the field,
04:20which I know is a fact.
04:22But to me, Jeff, I thought there were opportunities when they were, you know,
04:26punting and punting and punting again where he could have found somebody who was open
04:30and that he just couldn't – he either was the primary receiver or he just decided he wanted to run.
04:37And he decided, you know what, I'm just going to run.
04:41So we'll see what happens.
04:42But let me go back to that other question, the question of respect.
04:48And is it because of Deshaun that no one nationally – I shouldn't say no one.
04:55Nationally, they're still not getting the respect?
04:58No.
04:59It's because of three wins two years ago, five wins last year, and six games played this year.
05:08That's what it is.
05:09It's possible.
05:10That's all that it is.
05:11Do you think Browns fans are waiting for the bottom to fall out?
05:14No, you know why?
05:16Defense wins football games.
05:18This team has a defense.
05:20What I'm waiting for, Andy, is the offense to come close to catching up.
05:24And I hope I'm not being delusional here.
05:31I think the offense will start to catch up a little bit.
05:35And when it does, this is going to be a really good football team.
05:38And I do love some of the skill position talent they've added to the offense.
05:43I've had my fingers crossed on the offensive line.
05:47Looks like it's improving.
05:48And your quarterback play has been competent, especially when it's mattered most, and that's in the fourth quarter.
05:55Dan, you buying it or not?
05:56Is it on Deshaun?
05:59I'm not buying this offense.
06:01Are you not buying what we're seeing?
06:02No, God, no.
06:02I'm not buying this offense.
06:04I'm not saying, are you buying what the end result will be if you combine the defense into the offense?
06:09This seems a quarterback away.
06:10If this team had a quarterback, we would be having a different conversation.
06:14Deshaun Watson is not playing that well.
06:15I know he's doing it in the fourth quarter, and that's delightful.
06:18But the first three quarters count, too.
06:20It would be really, really nice if you weren't in a position where you needed to get a score with
06:25five minutes left in the fourth quarter.
06:27I feel like that's not asking for a whole bunch in this world.
06:30No, I don't buy this offense yet.
06:32They're still in the market for a quarterback next year.
06:34If one of the reasons the Browns aren't being power-ranked higher, I clearly think they're in the right spot.
06:42But when I say this, and I'm talking about power rankings, and why do we even care?
06:47Who cares?
06:47They played on the field.
06:48What's the difference anyway?
06:48We were talking about this last week, the possibility of being able to be in more nationally televised games, especially
06:59something like a Sunday nighter.
07:02And I'm wondering, with the Steelers coming up down the road, you've got Titans this week.
07:08If they win, Jeff, I got to think that if the rules permit, because they have all these goofy scenarios
07:15to make sure things happen.
07:16And we're into the flex season now, after week five, that games can be flexed and moved around.
07:22I wonder if a win this week gives them the street cred to want to put Browns-Steelers on Sunday
07:30night football.
07:31The first time they played, they were on national TV.
07:33Now that's Thursday night football, but could this week make a difference?
07:39What do you think?
07:40This week against Tennessee?
07:42Or the game they already won?
07:43The game they already won.
07:45Yeah, if they win this week.
07:47The Ravens, wouldn't it be too late?
07:50For the Steelers.
07:51Well, no, yeah, you're right.
07:53Yeah, but I'd probably have to announce that by today or tomorrow, right?
07:57I mean, you'd think that that would be...
07:59I know how the Big Ten works with, you know, they give 10 days advance or almost two weeks advance
08:03notice on games.
08:04Like, I'm wondering if...
08:06You win games, you get put in different games.
08:08But, so, we'll see.
08:11Now, see...
08:12All I know is they better go to Tennessee and get a win.
08:15Time to impose your will, defense.
08:17That's true.
08:17Now, CBS could protect the Browns-Steelers game if they wanted it.
08:22Because that game was supposed to...
08:23Because yesterday...
08:24Like, I thought that was weird, sorry, on Sunday, that you had the Ravens and Browns on Fox.
08:29Like, I would have assumed, naturally, that would have been a CBS game.
08:33Remember how easy it used to be?
08:34AFC was on one channel, NFC was on the other.
08:37Monday night football was.
08:38It was with the days, Andy.
08:39It was so easy.
08:40I thought Don Meredith was phenomenal.
08:42Hmm.
08:44I was more of a Dennis Miller guy myself.
08:47Yeah.
08:47I'm just kidding.
08:48Hmm.
08:49Dan, do you think that they can gain any street cred?
08:51Or do you think...
08:53You know, could Deshaun Watson possibly be holding them back from being in nationally televised games?
09:01I think there has to be some part of them that looks at the story of Deshaun Watson and the
09:05reputation of Deshaun Watson.
09:06And yeah, we'll use that as a reason why not to have him on there.
09:09It's really hard to have him play on a field and not bring up anything that happened.
09:13Combine that with three wins and five wins and just six games this year, there are a lot of reasons
09:18not to do it.
09:19But Dan's right.
09:20I can't tell you...
09:21It's a storyline you can't ignore.
09:23I can't tell you what TV networks are doing.
09:24I can tell you what Vegas is doing.
09:26I looked at your friends at FanDuel over here.
09:28Yeah, what'd they say?
09:29Yeah.
09:29The Browns are favored by a point and a half.
09:31This Sunday?
09:32This Sunday.
09:33The over-under for that game, you want to laugh even harder?
09:3639.
09:3738 and a half.
09:38Wow.
09:39Jeff, good job.
09:41So what that tells you is, A, no one is scoring points in this game.
09:47I mean, that's a game that screams it's going to be like 19 to 16.
09:52Come on down, kids.
09:53You mean like 13 to 10?
09:55Exactly.
09:57I mean, that tells you right there...
09:58And guess what?
09:59It's a win.
10:01It doesn't matter.
10:03It's a win.
10:05There's a couple reasons why I wonder if they would want to put this team in national TV.
10:09And one of them is the fact that watching offense on this team right now is just painful.
10:14I mean, my word, they're a trip to the dentist.
10:17Until it counts.
10:20You can't flunk three quarters and get a B in the fourth quarter and then get patted on the back.
10:25Yes, you can.
10:25You're 4-2 in the first place, baby.
10:27I refuse to live in that world.
10:29It's not in the standings.
10:31You're in first place.
10:32It doesn't say sucked in the first three quarters in the standings.
10:35How'd they do in the first three quarters?
10:36Oh, look at that.
10:37They've got three in the they suck column.
10:42If you want to live in that world, you are more than welcome.
10:45I'm not doing it.
10:45Hey, Dano, I'm only living in the wins and losses world.
10:49I'm living in the world of...
10:50The wins say, the W says four and the L say two.
10:54I'm living in the world of, is this legitimate?
10:56Is this something that is buildable?
10:58Is this something where we're looking at each other in week 12 and having a similar conversation?
11:02And right now, I have a very hard time saying yes.
11:05Here's...
11:05But I will enjoy the ride while I'm still on it.
11:08But here's the point.
11:10Though the offense doesn't look very good.
11:12Okay, we'll all admit that.
11:14Though it doesn't look very good.
11:17Though you've missed some key guys with some injuries.
11:20You're four and two.
11:22And it's getting better.
11:24And your defense looks pretty dang good.
11:26Is it getting better?
11:27Is the offense getting better?
11:29I think it is.
11:30I don't think so.
11:30I say that for this reason.
11:32It looks like the offensive line is coming along.
11:36Looks like it.
11:37They still don't run the ball real well.
11:38But your top three running backs were out.
11:41Jerry Judy did a nice job the other day.
11:45Deshaun made some passes when he had to make them.
11:48Look, I don't think the offense is any great shakes.
11:51But I do think it's moving in the right direction.
11:53If they get those guys back at running back, does that make them better?
11:57Does that put them in the right direction?
11:58No, because they still can't run the ball.
12:00I mean, I wonder...
12:02I wonder, is it an offensive line whoa?
12:04Or is it Quinchon Judkins being banged up?
12:07Is it any of that stuff?
12:08You could put anybody back there right now besides, you know, like a Pete Derrick Henry.
12:13Jaleel did okay.
12:15Okay.
12:16Did okay.
12:18Dan, I'm not saying good.
12:19I was just going to say...
12:21I didn't say good.
12:21If we're grading on a curve, he was very good.
12:24Is this like your credit report then?
12:26Good?
12:26Good, excellent, bad, poor?
12:29Yeah.
12:30I mean, that's kind of what it...
12:31There are warning signs all over the place that are blinking in front of you with this
12:36offense that they need to get fixed before I buy them as a real legitimate contender.
12:41Without question.
12:43But they're 4-2 with an offense that hasn't been very good.
12:48And Todd knows they can get better.
12:50I watch that every...
12:50Todd knows they have to get better.
12:52Well, I know you guys listen to the post-game press conference.
12:56I think he just wanted to slam his head against the dais there when he was talking about the...
13:01He's like, we've got to be better.
13:05Like, everyone in the room is like, yeah, you do earlier on.
13:09You sure do.
13:10But what's the difference?
13:11Right?
13:12I mean, if they can get a win, it doesn't say ugly or pretty in the standings.
13:18Jeff's right.
13:19And so when you sit here and try to dissect it, if the offense just gets a little bit
13:24better, that's all they need.
13:26Again, get to 21, get to 24 points a game, and you're going to be winning with this defense.
13:33Even with the injuries with this defense, you're going to have a shot.
13:39I will not buy them until this offense is better.
13:42Sorry.
13:43We'll play the buy-sell game a little bit later.
13:44Call me.
13:44Yeah.
13:45Call me in week 12.
13:45You don't have to buy it, but you do have to admit they're 4-2, and the offense has done
13:52a good job in the fourth quarter in four of those wins.
13:55And there are only four wins.
13:57I don't even know if I...
13:58The offense has been fine in the fourth quarter.
14:01Like, that's the problem.
14:02You did set up a 57-yard field goal.
14:04And then it works its way to fine.
14:07And if fine is enough to get the job done, I feel like I'm not asking for a whole lot
14:11for C-plus offense starting in the first quarter.
14:13And let me ask you this before we go to break.
14:15Did you...
14:15Were you able to appreciate the cardiac kids era?
14:19I don't know if you've been able...
14:20Like, the 80 team.
14:21I'm not trying to be a jerk when I say this.
14:23I was not with us at this time.
14:25No, I know.
14:26But you are a historian.
14:27Like, I've seen you go back and dive into things.
14:30That team could score in the first three quarters.
14:33And they had the MVP of the league, too.
14:35I don't know.
14:36Jeff, is that...
14:37Like, I'm...
14:37They're not the cardiac kids.
14:40No, they're equal to them right now in fourth quarter.
14:43They're not the cardiac kids.
14:44The cardiac kids could score points.
14:45This team doesn't score points.
14:46That's the problem.
14:48But that's not what it's about.
14:49It's about being able to win late.
14:50But it is about scoring points.
14:52But eventually it will be about scoring points.
14:56Yes.
14:57Through four of six games, you've been able to win without the offense being very good.
15:03You're not going to the playoffs unless the offense gets better.
15:06And yes, I just said playoffs.
15:08Keep the electrical tape over the check engine light as it blinks on you, if you so desire.