REBUILDING THE CLEVELAND BROWNS! MADDEN 17 CONNECTED FRANCHISE
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Browns notebook as they face the Chicago Bears in the final preseason game on Thursday at FirstEnergy Stadium:
1. It"s really hard to develop any grand themes from the final preseason game. For the Browns, the good news is Robert Griffin III didn"t get hurt. He didn"t look bad. I have been guardedly optimistic about Griffin for much of the preseason. Nothing in this game changes that opinion.
2. Rookies Carl Nassib and Emmanuel Ogbah are defensive linemen with speed. That"s why there is reason for optimism about these selections. Nassib batted down a pass. The stat sheet said it was only his second of the preseason, but I swear he has more than that. Ogbah was credited with his second sack of the preseason. I thought Nassib also had a hand in that.
3. The main point is Ogbah (a second-round pick) and Nassib (a third-round pick) look like NFL players and have not been overmatched in the preseason.
4. One of the reasons -- not the main one -- the Browns cut Paul Kruger is Joe Schobert. The Browns have been impressed by the rookie from Wisconsin. He has had some nice moments on special teams and you do notice him when he"s playing outside linebacker.
5. Outside linebacker Nate Orchard didn"t start. Not a good sign, given Kruger was cut. The Browns were playing Ogbah and Schobert more. Cam Johnson also saw some action at outside linebacker.
6. The Browns threw a 12-yard pass to Isaiah Crowell. It was the kind of short pass that required a nice touch, and Griffin delivered it just right. Jackson wants to get the backs involved in the passing game. Crowell caught only 28 passes on his first two seasons. Jackson believes he can be a weapon catching b***s out of the backfield.
7. Last season, most of the passes to running backs went to Duke Johnson (61 catches). Jackson has some plays where Johnson lines up as a wide receiver. Once the regular season opens, it will be fun to see how Jackson works his backs into the offense. Josh McCown threw four passes to running back Terrell Watson. The Browns are using some screen passes, and that should help against blitzes. In the first half, running backs caught six passes. Fullback Malcolm Johnson caught a 3-yard pass.
8. Corey Coleman caught his first pass. The Browns first-rounder missed the first two preseason games with a hamstring injury. He has looked rusty, dropping a perfect pass on a crossing route. Coleman was targeted four times and had one catch for 10 yards.
9. It"s been a disappointing preseason for Coleman. The rookie from Baylor has been hampered by the hamstring injury and since coming back, it"s been rocky. He looked very good in the spring minicamps.
10. The Browns anticipate Coleman playing a key role. That means they have to really get him ready in practice.
11. The Browns only threw one pass to Terrelle Pryor. It still appears he will be a starting receiver. I believe Jackson has some plays ready to put the ball in Pryor"s hands once the games count.
12. Josh Gordon caught three passes for 29 yards. He was mauled on a long pass, but no interference was called. Gordon looks sharp as he heads into his four-game suspension. Now, the Browns have to work to keep him that way as he sits out. He can be in the practice facility, but is not allowed to practice. He can take part in individual workouts.
13. Former Browns QB Brian Hoyer was 12-of-16 for 112 yards. He is secure as the Bears backup quarterback.
14. Two really bad things in the first half. Patrick Murray missed a 31-yard field goal ... wide right. No rush. No problems with the snap. Nothing but a lousy kick. The Browns defense was flagged for having 12 men on the field. On the next play, they had only 10 as the Bears scored on a 1-yard touchdown.
15. I thought rookie quarterback Cody Kessler looked a bit overwhelmed in the third quarter.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2016/09/cleveland_browns_scribbles_som.html
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