On today’s show, Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram and Brownszone.com, and Casey Kinnamon of Dawg Pound Daily and Network 216 join to discuss where the Browns stand after their win over the Texans in Week 16 and what to look for when they take on the Jets on Thursday Night Football.
Watch Sports4CLE Monday-Friday live at 4 pm ET on cleveland.com.
[Applause] good Wednesday afternoon to you it’s 4:00 time for sports for C hope your holidays were great Browns getting ready for a win and your in Prime Time Showdown against the Jets Cleveland Browns Stadium tomorrow 8:00 um Browns are also beat up let’s take a look at the game status report
Came out a little bit ago Cory borz punter doubtful Amari Cooper questionable Maris Goodwin questionable kicker dehop out Oaken Rono out uh Thornhill still questionable did uh practice on a limited basis for the first time in a while and Anthony Walker um the uh linebacker out as well let’s
Welcome in uh Scott Patra Browns beat reporter for the Alyria Chronicle Telegram as well as brown zone.com and it’s got it it’s more of the same you punter gone kicker gone you know the the concerning one though is is Amari Cooper kind of banged up he’s played through so
Much I would imagine he’s out there even if it’s at 90 85% yeah I I would too Dave I mean last year he played the last month of the season with that core muscle injury that required surgery afterward and he wasn’t himself um but he was out there because
He thought he should be and I’ve talked to Amari about this plenty of times he just feels like if you’re on the field There’s an opportunity to make plays and to help your team to help yourself just you know like he wasn’t 100% for that Washington game a year ago and I think
He had three touchdowns he goes what if I had just sat out I wouldn’t have had those three touchdowns so it’s important to him to play obviously it’s a huge game chance to clinch a playoff spot and he’s coming off the Record setting game against Houston so I expect him to be
Out there I just don’t know how close close to 100% hee all right along those lines a little bit earlier this afternoon Amari Cooper named AFC offensive player of the week the numbers look like this 11 receptions the franchise record 265 yards receiving two touchdowns um Scott it’s been pretty
Quick and and amazing the way he’s developed u a chemistry I mean he and Joe Flaco look like they’ve been playing together a couple of years yeah it it’s f fasinating because I I don’t like I don’t dismiss all the talk about chemistry and timing between a quarterback and receiver I think that
Is important and you see guys that play together over years they have a you know kind of a secret language and they know where each other’s going to be and what each other’s thinking so I think there is legitimacy to that gets better over time and you know you compare it to
Deshun Watson why did it take so much time for timing you know for them to get this chemistry and we talked about it last year and this year so I do think that’s a real thing but also if you have a quarterback that puts the ball exactly
Where he’s supposed to and receiver that goes and finds it and gets it and catches it um that makes up for a lot of kind of the lack of time together right and I I think that’s what you have with Flo and Cooper the ball’s where Amari
Wants it and he goes and gets it and Joe knows where to put it and he knows he throws a good ball ACC you know a catchable ball according to Cooper so I think it’s kind of more about those two guys then it’s not important to have
Timing I I just think they’re playing at such a high level together right now yeah it’s kind of funny flacka was ask we talked about it a little bit after the game this past week it it seems like every week you know you mark you look at
The game and you’re like man this is a big one this is a big one and it’s just another one of those uh I think we just once again um we can worry about that when the game’s all said and done but just go out there and focus on winning
What do you think it could be like Thursday night with a Chance of clinching play I I haven’t really thought about it you know to be honest with you how they how they would kind of take it in um but it it could definitely be a really cool
Moment um just have to go out there and make it happen on Thursday and Scott I don’t think that it’s he’s not just downplay I honestly think that’s kind of how he approaches things because he’s been around and and been in those situations I think that’s exactly right
It’s not just you know that’s the coach speak right one and0 and ever he’s been to Super Bowl he’s been to the playoffs a bunch that you know clinching a spot is not that big a deal I mean it’s important obviously it’s a first step in
Where you’re trying to go but you know I don’t think they’re going to pop champagne for clinching a playoff spot and I’m sure they didn’t do that in Baltimore all those times that he went with Baltimore so it’s just a next step and you know maybe he hasn’t been here
Long enough to fully appreciate what I think that scene’s going to be like at the stadium on Thursday night right chance to clinch only the second playoff spot since 2002 um the last time they clinched one was during Co so the stadium was not full uh you know I think
This has the potential to be a giant party and maybe he just hasn’t thought about that all right um let’s head to the voicemail of Truth and reason for the first time today oh hi Dave this is Daniel hey I was wondering what are your thoughts on the new kicker and punter
And then uh with DTR being ruled out for the rest of the season who do you think we should go and get for another quarterback do you think we should try and get dobs or pette or Cam Newton or who at this point because there’s not
Many guys left to pick from so what do you guys think all right go Browns wo all right as always appreciate all the voice BS all right Scott we’ll we’ll break those down into three parts uh let’s start with the kicker Riley Patterson so take a look um at these
Career numbers so he’s got 80 almost 88% uh field goals made 13 to 14 from 20 to 29 26- 27 30 to 39 16 to 19 uh 40 to 49 three of six uh 50 plus 87 of 90 extra points so he was with the Lions earlier this season kicked for the
Jaguars in the playoffs last year so he’s made some big kicks missed a couple extra points in in a short field goal and they they kind of pushed him to the side in in Detroit given where we’re at in the season he’s a pretty good
Option yeah I agree I mean you know part of the reason they caught it seemed like part of the reason they caught him in Detroit was they needed to clear a roster space and um you know they had a kicker on the practice squad that they could Elevate if the Browns hadn’t
Signed him maybe they tried to bring him back on their pra on Detroit’s practice squad so you know he’ kicked there until a week ago so he’s he’s got the Reps not like you’re bringing him off the couch um I like that a lot um you know the
Three for six from 50 you know Dustin Hopkins was the same he was 50% from 50 yards before he got here this year um so you know I don’t think that’s the end of the world now the concern for me would be he’s kicked in Detroit and J in
Jacksonville right so there’s it’s a dome and it’s warm um now he did it it’s you know with Detroit you go to Green Bay you go to Chicago so it’s not like he’s never kicked outside um and you know Dustin Hopkins didn’t have a whole lot of you know he kicked in Washington
But he he wasn’t like a cold weather guy so I I think that’s probably as good as you can do at this stage in the season all right move on and and so the new punter is a guy that uh is Matt Hawk it’s pronounced Hawk
Um could very well end up being uh the starter against the Jets now he did kick for Bubba ventron in Indianapolis last year 70 punts uh almost 45 yards a kick gross average important to note here and Bubba ventron knows him very well 28 of his 70 punts so that’s 40% were inside
The 20 that is huge when you’re talking about the Browns defense and what they want to do pin the other team back give them long Fields if you do that this defense isn’t going to give up many points yeah that’s important and to me even more important is a time with Baba
Ventron you know he knows what he’s got you know he knows what kind of system they’re running you knows all of it um he knows how he wants him to hold I think that’ll ease the transition from the Snapper hold kick um you know and I
Don’t know how long you know Boris is doubtful so obviously he’s not expected to play uh it doesn’t feel like is significant an injuries Hopkins so hope you get Boris back if not the finale um for the start of the playoffs um because he’s had a really good year too we
Focused so much on Dustin Hopkins but horz has had a really strong year flipping the field and helping that defense like you mentioned and winning that field position battle so you got to come in and you got you got to have a guy that doesn’t there’s not too much of
A drop off right and I think the same for kicker and punter you hope there’s not too much of a drop off now you probably have to change how you coach a little bit you know stefansky probably won’t go for 55 y um which he felt automatic almost with Dustin Hopkins you
Probably don’t do that with a kicker who’s brand new to you um so there’ll be an adjustment but you know hopefully the Bron can comes to that playoff spot and then figure out if they get everybody healthy all right the last part of it is quarterback um DTR is on the injured
Reserve so he’s done uh they’ve elevated PJ Walker to the can’t get brassette can’t can’t get anybody who is on anybody’s roster at this point in time those those things aren’t going to happen I don’t know that there’s anybody out there I I’m with you I’d love to
Find somebody that I felt better about than you know than than what I mean it if something happens it may end up being PJ Walker yeah I mean they’re going to sign a third guy right probably to the practice squad there’s no urgency to do it this week because they only had one
Real practice um you know it’s a short week so much so much time doing other things you don’t have time to acclimate somebody he doesn’t have time to get um used to everything so you bring him in for the long week um ahead of that finale but you know I mean Peter
Walker’s been here most of the season so it makes or pretty much since the week one so it would make sense if there was something to Flaco that you just go with PJ Walker and you hope and he’s won a couple games for you um you know I don’t
Know who that third guy would be is Ken man can you go get him is he still on a practice squad he’s got some familiarity but hasn’t played much or do you go you know I think Nick FES is still out there and you know he’s a Joe Flo type right
He’s been in this situation before um you know you just hope it doesn’t come to that Scott Patrick and I going to step aside take a quick time out other side of the break we’ll head back to the voicemail of Truth and reason um talk a little bit
More about Joe Flo in this offense sports for C be right back stay with us holiday gold the $20 scratch off it has 100 times multiplier I could win a million dollar py I got Mary in Bri no fair it has a 200 times multiplier I could win
$2 million game on the back game on the back game on the Back we continue talking browns with Scott Petra from Thea Chronicle Telegram as well as brown zone.com let’s head back to the voicemail of Truth and reason morning guys this is Jim from Rochester watched the game yesterday it was a great performance coach stansky please stop taking his foot off the gas
When you got a team down you just need to push to the end that’s my only take from there again I hope you guys have a nice Christmas talk to you later bye as always appreciate all the voicemails uh Scott you know I I kind of get what
Kevin sansky was thinking short week beat up team I didn’t have a problem with him pulling the starters but when they started playing like XFL players it was like yeah you need to get them back in there so I I know what the thought process was and I’m glad it was probably
Prompted a little bit by DTR getting banged up there but man they gotta when you when they put the reserves in they can’t fall apart like that yeah yeah it wasn’t pretty but I completely understand what stansky did and I think he did the right thing I
Mean you can’t yep you don’t want miles Garrett or pick any big name player rolling an ankle when you’re up 29 against the Texans like it just doesn’t make sense so um I think that was the right thing especially with the short week um now you don’t expect the defense
To give up a touchdown and you don’t expect to miss the onside kick and then the defense give him another touchdown right like it all falls apart if any of that doesn’t happen then it’s not a discussion you don’t have to see the starters go back in but you’re right
About the DTR factor and it kind of got escaped me because they put this you know they went back to the starters and I thought okay they’re doing that because the Gap had gotten closer but also DTR couldn’t go back in I don’t think so um that was part of it as well
And yeah you need those guys to play better um but you know I I I don’t fault Defan for that I think he had the big picture in mind and I think he assumed the game was in hand which really was they were still up 14 even after all
That um it just got uncomfortable for those you know fans that aren’t comfortable you know what I mean for anybody who’s looking at H the the dark side um it became uncomfortable for a while yeah shades of the Jets a couple years ago with Joe Flaco as their
Quarterback all right um kind of ironic Browns can clinch with Joe Flaco against the Jets uh tomorrow um team that decided not to sign him in the Jets uh Flaco and Robert Salah asked about Flaco’s time with the Jets and and then playing against Browns we love Joe first
And foremost uh obviously he spent a couple years with him uh love him love the way he prepares uh really pump for him and the success he’s having but it’s just the decision we made and in terms of the uh the quarterback room and the way we developed it over the course of
OTAs and training camp and uh that was just the decision we made was he in the conversation at all when you were pivoting from from Aaron between you and Joe um yeah there’s there there’s always going to be discussions um there’s a bunch of guys that that we talked about
I mean was he specifically part of that conversation or that just not fit in your guys yeah for sure um you know I don’t want to speak for Joe D on this one but uh but yeah Joe Joe Flo has a uh has a soft spot with all of us how
Impressive is I know you talked about yesterday what he’s doing with Cleveland right now no it it’s been great you know he’s um you know his uh Amari is having a is is making him uh uh we always joke around you know make make the quarterback a hero and Amari is playing
Some great football great football uh the Run game the line defense is getting him the ball um and with each passing week uh he’s getting more and more confident the team is getting more and more confident um and they’re starting to hit stride perfect time so they’re um
Um you know they’re all they’re galvanizing around it and they’re and you can see it on tape listen man you know there’s all kinds of things that happen throughout the course of a season and an offseason and things like that and I enjoyed my time while I was there
And you know it is what it is uh I’m I’m happy to be where I am that’s for sure um listen there’s there’s 32 teams in the NFL they’re just another one of those teams um I got a lot of got a lot of guys over there I really respect and
Had had an awesome few years with in that locker room so a lot of respect for those guys Scott he he won’t say it but it it would be a little if he goes out and plays well it would mean a little bit more to him he’d never say that but I
Think so as a competitor yeah I mean given the history given the given the fact that they didn’t call him and there’s reasons they didn’t call him right the the bronze Situation’s different I mean the bronze waited till November um you know Aaron Rogers gets hurt in you know the first
Quarter of that opener but they had Zack Wilson and he’s a former number two pick so you know it made sense to turn it over to him as opposed to going and get Joe Flaco then now they did sign Trevor Simeon at some point um they started
Timboo like that’s where you can start to go oh you know could you have added Flo there the Jets have a really good defense they have some pieces on offense like I it’s I think it’s a similar situation to what the Browns have they just haven’t gotten the quarterback play
That Flaco’s given the Browns and you know and Deshawn Watson did for a chunk of the time and that helped get the Browns where they were when flacko took over um so to easy comparison you know I think you can make an argument that the Jets screwed up by not signing flacko uh
But I certainly think that he would be excited just like Elijah Moore right the receiver that spent a couple years there and wasn’t Happ in that second year um it would mean a little something extra to beat them and clinch the playoffs against the jet all right so take a look
At this graph and um I can’t explain it so uh x-axis here percentage of plays outside the P Pocket y AIS EPA outside the pocket Joe Flaco’s up at the top and deshun Watson’s kind of in the middle but I it’s amazing what he’s been able to do outside out of the pocket
Um explain that one cuz I got nothing yeah well so that looks like a smaller percentage of plays right Watson’s out of the play out of the pocket more but didn’t have the same success rate that Joe does in limited opportunities um first of all and we probably talked
About it Dave the the way blacko moves is has been a pleasant surprise to me and I mean I saw him play last year but it didn’t stand out to me that he moved well you know I mean I was there week two in person I saw him throw great but
I don’t remember going oh he moves pretty well I mean I watched him play all those years with the Ravens and it was never a he’s going to get outside the pocket and beat you but he looks pretty fresh for 38 he’s moving pretty well and when you when you marry that
With Kevin sans’s play action scheme the boot legs that gets him out in space and that’s just part of the offensive scheme that the Browns run but we saw the 75- year touchdown to Cooper It’s A Hard Play ction a big roll to the lap and it’s blacko outside the pocket he’s got
Cooper one-on-one and it’s that side of the field he makes a good throw so we’ve just seen a plenty of examples of that designed and then you see the off scheduled things where he keeps the play alive he slides in the pocket just enough to find nooku last week and a
Huge play on the winning drive against Jacksonville um you saw it with that David Bell touchdown um the week before where he slides and gets makes a throw on fourth down so the movement skills have been better than I thought and that’s that graphic just shows you um
How effective he’s been so if flacker was asked just um about the way the city has kind of taken to him the city’s been unbelievable I I mean I can’t say enough about how welcoming uh everybody has been especially that is the one strange part I would say not necessarily putting
On the uniform and playing but just coming from Baltimore for most of my career and just seeing everybody out in your regular part of your day and how welcoming the city’s been um you know back to The Surreal thing that’s probably been that’s that would probably be a good answer for that is
It’s definitely been a little bit surreal in terms of how people have treated me around here uh it’s that that stuff always feels good you know um so hopefully we can keep it going for him Scot if if the football team is winning the quarterback in this town is
Is you know let me ask you this David and joku kind of Ascension has kind of coincided with with Flaco kind of helping to unlock him what have you seen from in joku relative to to Flaco coming and and kind of unlocking that yeah that’s interesting I would say
It’s these are the plays that are designed and Flaco knows how to execute them and execute them at a high level I know stansky and Alex Vel the coordinator they make it a priority to get nooku the ball pretty much every week I think it’s Amari Cooper and then
It’s David nooku especially after the loss of Nick chub right I I really think that nooku is number two on that list and it hasn’t always worked out that way whether it’s coverage whether they need him and protection whatever it is maybe it’s a quarterback missing him and it’s
Tight windows but flacko has been able to get the ball to him more consistently than not and you saw that great touchdown throw against Houston I mean he put the ball exactly where it had to be and that’s maybe I I would assume most quarterbacks don’t feel that confident to put the
Ball in that tight of a spot and he tried earlier in the game he TR he was double coverage and he threw the ball there and it was a good throw it was just the coverage was really tight it was a tough catch for nooku but I I I
Think maybe when you throw to your tight end it’s tiered windows it’s compressed field and flacko doesn’t care about that and he just knows how to get guys the ball whether it’s n joku whether it’s Amari Cooper whoever it is Flo knows how to get it to him I know you’ve written
An article just kind of about in joku ascending um into that leadership Ro take us through that what you found yeah I just think I mean the overall the big picture look is how far he’s come right he’s 20 years old when he got here in 2017 they trade up to get
Him you know obvious immaturity issu used we saw that we saw that in multiple ways you saw that with multiple coaches right Freddy Kens made him a healthy scratch at the end of 2019 for a couple of games Kevin sany gets here and the jok who kind of revealed last week that
They buted heads and it wasn’t always smooth and then they both kind of came to the realization that hey we’re both going to be here so we better figure this out clear the air and I don’t know if that was a seminal moment for njoku
Or not but at some point he said all right I got to dedicate myself um and sansy use the word intentional I’m going to intentionally become a better player a better person and you’ve seen that in his play on the field you’ve seen it through his leadership skills um people
Calling him the best teammate on the team and he is uncomfortable with that he said there’s better teammates but he’s certainly a really good teammate and I just think it’s Night and Day from a performance and just a personality aspect with him and maybe that’s just
Going from 20 to 28 right maybe that’s just the natural development um but he deserves credit for it and finally I I don’t know where on the spectrum is maybe it’s last year but I think you could make an argument that this year that he’s finally worth what they’re
Paying him and worth the resources they’ve invested in him and living up to his potential and you know maybe it took too long but the bronze are being rewarded for the patience that they showed time and again Scott Petra ayria Chronicle Telegram as well as brown
Zone.com and I and step aside take one uh quick timeout other side of the break back to the voicemail of Truth and reason sports for be right back to stay with us come back to go forward back to learning new things back to pursuing your dreams TR C has flexible learning
Options to fit your life and every year more than 1,000 local companies provide tric students with real world learning the right education can boost your lifetime earning Power by hundreds of thousands of dollars start now with a college education you can afford try see where Futures [Applause] Begin we continue talking browns with Scott Petra Browns beat reporter from the Alyria Chronicle Telegram as well as brown zone.com let’s head back to the voicemail of Truth and reason hi this is Rico we are onew away from clining our second postseason birth under stansky in
4 years FL has been playing pretty good in this system but what concerns me is the lack of running game Browns possess right now the play action won’t be as as effective if the Russian attack doesn’t generate enough of a threat Flo had one legit interception versus Texans the
Other one was basically a punt but my main concern right now is Dustin Hopkins we definitely need him if we’re going to make any type of noise in the postseason if we qualify thanks go Browns he always appreciate all the voicemails Scott the lack of a running game is a concern I
Can’t again it’s one of those things you can’t explain play action has been really good and they’ve struggled to run the football yeah and I saw a stat I think it was an nextg stat that Jerome Ford did not face a loaded box at all so that means defense is respecting Joe Flaco
They’re playing deep safeties right they’re because he can throw it to you know all parts of the field sideline deep that the defense is really spread out out um but yet the Bron still aren’t running it great and I I think the explanation is the changes on the
Offensive line you know I know that bonio and posk were back last week um so that helps bonio is probably he’s not 100% dealing with that back you still have your backup tackles uh I just think they’re working through all of that and it makes it difficult for the Run game
And I think that’s what we especially saw the week before um you know last week when you get bonio back you get posic back you think you’re going to run it better um so it’s interesting although the Texans had a really good run defense um the Jets are a better
Pass defense than run defense but they’re overall really good defensively so this might be another tough one uh I guess I’m saying I still have optimism that they’ll figure it out I don’t think it’s going to be a top five Run game the rest of the season but I think they’ll
Figure out enough that they can have some success when they need to and maybe control it at the end of the game when they need to and they’ve been UNS successful in that area I kind of trust the coaching staff I think if the line gets more time together that that’s an
Area that they can improve all right so Rich Eisen NFL Network also the Rich Eisen show um are the Browns with Joe Flo as the quarterback real contenders you’re gonna even see Flaco get MVP votes I know I’m I I might be talking crazy right now because he’s
Only played basically a third of a season but this team with this defense and an offense that looks like this right now with the Run game supported by a passing game like this right now receivers tight ends running backs out of the backfield with flacko winging it around and looking like he’s 23
Again this is a very dangerous team who the hell is going to want the Cleveland Browns coming in the AFC South winner in the first week and then the Ravens potentially is the one seed want to see the Browns walk in there with flacko in the divisional round these things are real people
People it’s got I I can’t argue I I said it at the beginning flacko gives them a puncher’s chance against anybody for and you’ve seen it Amari Cooper the throw that he made where he went between three Defenders Maris Goodwin they haven’t even tapped into the deep threat with Elijah
Moore yeah I I thought that Cooper quote last week when he called Joe flacko a faith multiplier I that was my favorite of the year I think and it speaks to the team it speaks to the organization I think it speaks to the fan base that
There’s a belief that they can do a lot with Joe flacko part of that’s because he’s done it before right we talk about winning the Super Bowl with Baltimore and he’s a Super Bowl MVP that year um he’s 10 and five in Playoff starts like all that matters and the fact that he
Can throw it all over the yard and I don’t I’ve lost track there’s four games I think he’s seven out of his last eight starts he’s thrown for 250 plus so that’s it’s not like this is a fluke he can do he can do that and you know Rich
Eisen mentions the number one defense and you know they have they had really special special teams like really strong special teams they’re going to have to figure that out and hopefully they get Hopkins and borz back and they can go back to being you know a really strong
Unit um but you can support the quarterback a little bit you have Amari Cooper you have David nooku like there’s some things there plus I think the coaching staff is coaching at a high level so you know there certainly not the Super Bowl favorite but would I rule
Him out in any matchup with any team in the league no and we saw him go into Baltimore and win different quarterback different situation but you know how division games are it’s not they’re not easy the Browns know Lamar Jackson I think they play Lamar Jackson better
Than many defenses do um so yeah it’s certainly interesting and I’m not getting ahead of myself and I’m not talking winning a Super Bowl um I just think they have a chance to win in a given week with Joe Flaco because I think he’s that good and I think the
Rest of the team’s that good too and again he he’s a guy that wins he has won as many games as anybody in including Tom Brady he’s tied with Tom Brady for Road wins in the playoffs in NFL history um and that does matter all right um
Before we go to break let’s head back to the voicemail of Truth and reason hi Dave this is Jerry enjoy your show is there any way that the Browns can afford to keep the defense all together with the seller cap restrictions and the same some of the offensive players too thank
You very much bye as always appreciate all the voicemails Scott we’ve seen that they push it they’re quite happy and willing to push that down the road so I would expect them to find a way to keep pretty much everybody they want um relative to the salary cap here yeah I
Mean from defense so who you talking I mean they already locked up Grant delpit right none of your Corners are due yet it could be the discussion with Greg Newsome you’ll have to pick up you would have to make a decision on the fifth year contract or you know the fifth year
Rookie option um so that’s a decision but that won’t wouldn’t affect his status for 2024 um Anthony Walker Jr see only Taki Taki those guys are free agents you know you probably bring one of those guys back I you can probably bring them both back cheap so you see what you do there
And then the veteran defensive lineman so you know and then zider Smith right he’s the he’s probably the biggest name there um and I would expect him to leave so then you’re going to have to figure out something at defensive end unless the Browns are willing to step up and
Pay him and maybe he loves it here um so I I don’t think it would be a salary cap thing I think you’re right I I think they’re willing to spend I think especially if they make a run here how do you not spend they expect the Sal cap
To take a huge jump um so I don’t think this is going to be dismantled maybe you lose a piece or two um but I I I think you’re going to see most of the guys come back Scott Patrick and I going to step aside take one more time out other
Side of the break back to the voicemail of Truth and reason and more specifically Browns and jets match up sports for CLA be right back stay with us the Ohio Lottery partners and education program is dedicated to recognizing exceptional students teachers and schools throughout Ohio scan the QR code on screen to nominate
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The question I ask for you is Flaco is great what will happen next year when Deshawn is healthy and Flaco wants to be with the Browns will the Browns have flacko as a starter or will they have Deshawn Watson as a starter great show take care can’t wait for the Browns to
Win again and be in the playoffs this will be just like it was when I was a kid in the 1960s wonderful thanks a lot bye as always appreciate all the voicemails um Scott we we’ve get got this question Joe flacko if he agrees to resign what the Browns would be as a
Backup um again he’s 39 I I don’t think he views himself as somebody that’s going to take the pounding of a 17 now I could be wrong about that but a guaranteed contract means guaranteed DeShaun Watson will be uh their quarterback also you wrote an article
About his rehab so take us through your thoughts on on that flacko thing and then take us through um what you wrote about his DeShaun Watson’s recover I don’t know if Joe Flo views himself as just a backup now or a part-time guy or he thinks he can make it through 17
Games um it’s an interesting question uh so I think that determines where he goes next year right like does he go somewhere where maybe you have a Young quarterback that’s drafted but you want a veteran that starts the season could that be a spot he winds up in or is he
Looking to you know come off the couch and November see if he can do that again or does he want to go through a training camp with the team he knows like the Browns I think a lot of it will be in Joe Flaco’s Court to make that decision
I think he’ll have offers that he didn’t have last year um but you’re 100% right about deshun Watson I mean you’re not going to pay deshun Watson 46 million dollars to not play like they’re they just won’t do that it doesn’t make any sense and I think that’s even true if
Joe Flaco wins a Super Bowl which maybe it’s a different conversation then um but I doubt it I think that’s just the reality of the situation so it’s going to be interesting to see what happened to flacko though especially with this run he’s been on could he come back content to be the
Number two um will the Browns want that Dynamic where maybe teammates are thinking hey let’s go to flacko if there struggles with Watson it could get it could be dicey so right now I would say I would not expect Flaco to come back and then I went to deshun Watson’s
Charity event um Saturday um downtown he had a bunch of like 300 kids it was around Christmas around the world was a good event um and talk to him asked you know he only asked a few football questions but he said the shoulder progressing it feels good he’s still in
A big sling the right arm is still in a big sling um so he hasn’t started throwing yet or anything um but he says he’s progressing was excited to be around the team again this week um you know he’d been rehabbing in LA and I
Think he’s going to go back to LA but for this week he was here I saw him in the locker room for a minute yesterday um so it’s just you know progressing from this season ending injury all right uh now let’s talk a little bit about the Jets offensive line grades uh
Through week 16 this from Pro Football Focus uh McKai beckon 56.6 uh their guard Tomlinson 54.3 tippman Center 59.3 Hansen and Warren on their right side of their line both under 50 and Trevor Simeon um who will be playing quarterback 149 stamps 28.9 um in short offensive line has struggled um the
Quarterback has struggled Simeon has struggled as well yeah they’ve had like 12 different offensive line combinations uh you know beckon has played right and left tackle he’s been hurt you know he’s a top 15 pick I think the same year as Jed Wills 2020 but he’s been hurt there’s a you know he’s
Finally playing a lot this year but he struggles or has struggled um there’s some upside there certainly he a giant human being but it feels like they’re vulnerable and LeBron’s front forward has been really good the pass rush has been good they got to Case Keenum a bunch last week and affected him
Affected the game and you know it’s been five straight games without a sack for Miles Garrett and I’d be stunned if on national TV Prime Time against a suspect offensive line with I assume LeBron will have a lead at some point um if he doesn’t get after Trevor simey and and
Break that that sackless streak and D with you know flying colors get get a couple whether it’s two two and a half three I could see a big game for Miles Garrett so um one of the concerns um price uh Bree Hall rather their running back young guy really good 95 rushing
Yards 96 receiving yards um that’s last week week 16 two touchdowns so that’s a guy that you know you got to know where he’s at because um he has the ability to to kind of Rune a game for a defense when he touches the football yeah I mean they have two big-
Time Playmakers right Garrett Wilson and REE Hall and Paul had a huge game last week like you showed that you know dual threat obviously rushing and receiving he’s a guy that Bron’s are going to have to shut down like to me those are the two guys if you take care of Wilson and
Hall uh you’re going to limit the Jets and limit him limit him to not to next to nothing right um the Browns are really good on third down the Jets are bad on third down like there’s a chance for the bronze to put up one of their one of those dominant defensive efforts
Where the other team barely moves the ball but to do that you have to be careful with Hall and you can’t let him get started can’t let him get out in Space the screen passes which I’m sure they run to try to neutralize the pass rush like the Texans tried to do early
Um on Sunday I would expect the Jets to do the same thing and you just have to be aware of that and not let him get off for one of those long ones um because if they make a couple big plays and hang around like that’s the recipe you know for the Jets
To make this thing closer than it should be all right before I let you go this another thing to keep an eye on since week one uh s Gardner has allowed 18 catches for 150 yards and no touchdowns so that averages out to one and a half catches and 12 a half yards
Per game um he’s really talented guy uh you know probably right now he’s probably the best quarterback in the league he’s really good he’s young right um it’ll be interesting to see how they use him you know I know Robert Salah talked about hey we’ll let him follow
Some guys sometimes even though they’re more of a right left system you know does he go does he try to just take away Amari Cooper and then the Browns have to look somewhere else you know I’m sure that’s what the Browns coaches are worried about or at least have a
Contingency plan for that okay he’s one-on-one with Cooper do we go somewhere else and try to find have you know Elijah Mor needs a big game or go to David njoku a bunch or whatever else that is said Tilman you know um or do they say hey let’s go see how our best
Guy does against their best guy and let Joe Flaco try to fit it in there um it’s going to be an interesting matchup to watch um I don’t know how you know if we’ll see it a bunch if we’ll see it only you know some snaps um but
Certainly Gardner’s a guy and it’s not just he’s good cover he’s a playmaker gets his hands on balls um he’s been really impressive Scott Patrick Browns beat reporter for the alyia chronicle telegram as well as brownz though.com as always thanks so much for the time on the inside appreciate it very much Scott
Thanks Dave Scott Patrick make sure you check him out brown zone.com um online you can also check them out at the Alyria Chronicle Telegram we’re step aside take a quick time out Casey kenman on the other side of the break we continue talking Browns stay with
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Uh struggling to come up with meaningful yards do you think maybe that team would benefit from giving Pier strong some more carries and maybe he wouldn’t be any better but I don’t think he’d be much worse either just maybe a different look or change of pace or something something like that anyhow happy
Festivus go Browns as always appreciate all the voicemails let’s welcome in Casey kinman from Dogpound daily Network 216 Casey I we’ve probably talked about it last couple of weeks I am not against giving Pier strong um a couple more carries see if they need to do something to to
Create a little bit more of a run game yeah I’ve been waiting for that experiment for about eight weeks you know and it just for me it’s almost hard to believe that now when they would do it you know they’ve they’ve kind of had this problem they you know it’s like you
Look at the individual skill sets for does have good long speed he just takes a while to get up to it and his vision’s been spotty to put it nicely and he’s been leaving meat on the bones hunt I view is a different thing hunt to me is
A short yardage guy who handles third down responsibilities be that as a pass protector or a pass catcher I leave him in that role I don’t mess with him but I if you could talk to me pretty pretty easily into switching Pierre strong and hunts or Ford’s positions you know and letting them
What does it look like with 15 Touches for Pierre strong but to me there’s there’s obviously something happening you know most likely on the practice field either something Ford is doing or something that Pierre strong isn’t doing it’s keeping them kind of locked into that position for this season I’d love
To see it I just don’t think it’s going to happen this season yeah that’s fair enough um by and large there is a reason that uh things are the way they are um one thing that hasn’t uh you know been affected by the lack of the Run game is
The play action game so take a look uh this is from Jake trout passing yards off play action since week 13 Joe Flo significantly more than anybody else in the NFL in fact almost double um who is second flacko with 666 Trevor Lawrence 322 Carr Prescott Browning and Tua all
Rounding that out so that’s the good news uh Casey is the lack of a running game is not killing the play action game yeah you can see by those numbers that’s you’re in stefansky and Flaco’s wheelhouse run and play action it’s something that fany’s excellent dialing
It up and Flo’s excellent pulling it off you know and and part of it’s opposing defense is like you want the Browns to run the football that’s the easiest path of resistance so there you know the fact that Flaco can sell it they they want to
Believe it you know you show them the Apple you got to hope they B you take a b at the Apple and they do you know you get people to suck up and then blacko is comfortable turning his back to a defense turning around and letting it
Rip to all areas of the field you know it’s and they haven’t had an efficient running game and they’re still prolific at that just shows you you just got to you just have to run enough to keep them biting at the Apple and that’s what the Browns have been doing so Browns getting
Ready to face the Jets the guy that the Jets thought would be their quarterback Aaron Rodgers um with a special appreciation for what he’s seen from Joe flacko this year you realize how difficult it is uh when you get older just to kind of stay in shape if you’re
Not working I’m assuming he was he was working but but to not have any training camp any offseason and to just come in off the couch and be able to to play like he’s played um I look at the first game he played I feel like they went
Right down the field on one of the first drives and not the first drive and they threw you know a kind of classic uh Joe Flo uh one ball for a touchdown and that probably uh got him going got him going pretty good but Joe Joe is one of the
Prettiest throwers of the football I think that I’ve seen in our time you know he’s got kind of that that longer delivery but the ball comes off nice you watch what what Coupe did uh in the game I mean he was fantastic 265 yards receiving is ridiculous but uh Joe has
Always been a great deep ball thrower and he had a couple uh obviously dimes uh look I mean look at that just like deep out um here’s the awesome throw you know put some top on it and then letting Coupe just use his body make a play um
Always been a a fan of of amaris and uh and happy for Joe and again that’s that’s coming from a guy that um is hoping to do uh what Joe Flaco did when he gets back on the field yeah you can see why you would appreciate it I mean in pro sports and
More specifically playing quarterback in the NFL a vast majority of the time you don’t decide when you’re done with the game the game decides when it’s done with you and that just happened to Joe flacko this offseason you know whole offseason came no one picked him up no
Phone calls months go by he’s still sitting there and I’m sure that thought manifested like if I were to get another opportunity here’s how I would do it I you know XYZ and to see him get that opportunity and just be a match with the personnel and the coaching and then it’s
Been a beautiful thing especially as Browns fans to watch it take off like this and an older quarterback would appreciate that you know that but for me it’s I’m a fan of westerns to me this is even more than that this is that scene in Unforgiven where there’s a a left for dead
Joe Flo walking up into the bar and gets to confront the team that left him for dead you know and this is like this to me this is the ultimate Redemption Arc you know what I mean and and it I just want can’t wait to see it play out you
Know this is this is a perfect scenario Casey kenman and I going to step aside take a quick timeout other side of the break we’ll head back to the voicemail of Truth and reason sports for C we’ll be right back stay with us holiday gold the $20 scratch off it
Has 100 times multiplier I could win a million dollar psych I got Mary and bright no fair it has a 200 times multiplier I could win $2 million game on the back game on the back game on The game on the back we continue talking Browns on Sports for Cle with Casey kenman from Dogpound daily Network 216 let’s head back to the voicemail of Truth and Reon s the Browns win AFC Championship Game this year would there be a way and I hope there is
To get Joe Thomas signed up on our team so that possibly if we get to Super Bowl he could at least participate maybe take one series of snaps I don’t care if we win or lose I it would be crucial to give that guy a chance to play in the
Super Bowl with the clevand BR so let me know what you guys think and is that possible as always appreciate all the voicemails Casey I don’t think Joe Thomas would want to go take a series of snaps having been away from football on the offensive line no he’s retired um
He’s in the Hall of Fame he filed his retirement so it’s not possible I get the thought but I don’t think Joe would want to go out and it it it’s not like baseball where he can take a couple of as cool of a Disney ending that would be
For Joe Thomas if my man had snaps in him we needed just six weeks ago you know it’s if we’ make it to the Super Bowl we’ve gotten you know that far it’d be a cool it’d be a cool story you know but no you need those you’re goingon to
Need every one of those roster spots if you make it that far all right Kevin sansky U talked about you know the whole atmosphere he expects at Cleveland Browns Stadium tomorrow with the Browns a chance clinch playoff spot against the Jets chance to win the electric yeah I
Can’t wait um you know our fans have been incredible all season long I feel like I say that over and over but I mean it uh I can’t wait to get down there our team can’t wait to get down there uh just need them to behave themselves for
Most of the day so that they’re able to be be with us in the fourth quarter Thursday Night Football excited about this one excited about this opportunity that we have uh you know I know coach Salah well I know a bunch of their coaches uh they have very good players
Really good scheme so we you got to go to get your homework done during a short week you don’t have the same amount of practices you don’t have the same amount of walkthroughs meetings Etc so you really have to do a good job as coaches and as players of preparing uh for
Thursday night and then as you know getting your bodies uh ready for Thursday night is another challenge for uh both sides Casey I it should be uh a lot of fun and the place to be tomorrow night yeah yeah it should be a very rockus environment I just keep coming back to
The last time the Browns clinched a playoff spot what the great Jim Donovan said the only thing that’s missing is all of you guys well this is it this is that moment you get to be part of it this time you know what I mean so that
That place needs to be rocking from Pillar To Post they’re calling for a white out you know what I mean I hope everyone responds and make that I mean it’s this is it man this is that this is what you get in this for if you’re a fan
And you’ve been following the team through all the ups and downs and mostly Downs to get to this point right now and punch your ticket to the playoffs on your home field go make the other team feel it you know what I mean and I’m I’m
Going be excited to watch from 500 miles away you know I mean I can’t imagine what happened if I was actually in the stadium yeah and again so the last time they clinched Co so there was no fans just to to reiterate that um so take a
Look at the Jets defense it’s really good without question PFF grades um overall is um above an 82 that’s fourth run defense 6 66 that’s 12th coverage 93.4 that’s first pass rush 80 that’s eighth uh points per game 21 14th yards per game under 300 that’s third yards
Per play under five that’s third turnovers per game uh 1.47 middle of the pack 14th um I guess the bottom line is defense is is really good especially against the pass yeah no doubt that’s a very talented defense but when I look at the
Jets I I just to me they’re a guy trying to carry a giant couch upstairs by themselves with no on the other end that’s you know what I mean like they’re literally their counterpart is the least efficient offense in the NFL right we’ve been there as Browns fans you know you
Have a good defense offense is you know nothing and then you can only keep that going for so long before you you know you eventually break and I just you got to commend the Jets for putting up as long as they have on the defensive side of the ball because they are very
Talented and there’s a lot of Pride involved in that you know to go out there and do your job put good tape out there and and play for the players on your side of the ball but you know it’s it’s going to fall short just because they don’t have anything on the
Offensive side as I said last last week I said you can’t lose to case Ken you you certainly can’t lose to Trevor Simmy just you can’t there’s way too much and they did a good job I un the only way the Browns lose this game is if they give them multiple short
Fields I I can’t see Trevor Simeon even with Garrett Wilson and with Bree Hall they’re not driving the ball 60 70 yards more than twice and twice is pushing it that’s exactly where I’m at multiple short fields are even worse defensive touchdowns or another kickoff return
It’s going to you know pump blocks so it’s going to take a lot of fluky things to come together for the Jets to beat this Browns team where they’re at right now you know and and with the Browns knowing what they’re playing for too
Like it to me it’s to me it’s a simp recipe man you just you’re facing Trevor Simeon you know you you take that Jets offense you put him in a shoe box and you keep him there and you just smother them and just use keep giving your offense as many opportunities as
Possible because you do have an explosive enough offense they will eventually put points on the board if you give enough opportunity you know it just you can’t lose to Trevor simy that’s that’s not an option and Jim Schwarz he did exactly what you thought he would do against Case Keenum I think
He I think it’s more of the same you know you’re gonna have to find Denzel Ward Greg Nome one of you guys is gonna have to be on and Martin Emerson one of you guys GNA have to be real good covering Garrett Wilson Jeremiah USU coroa
They’re going to screen the ball so you go and you take Bree and everybody else get after the quarterback yeah yeah you have you have the players to get this done there’s there’s no question it’s it’s you you know what who the players are for them
They don’t have a lot you cover them and you attack with everyone else and it’s for me it comes down the defensive line you know you just let them pin their ears back and go hunt you be as aggressive as humanly possible and you just let them get after Simeon rattle
Him and just just blow him up up front you don’t give them a shot you just take Hope from him right from the rip and just let them know you know like look at that Texans game they until it was a 36 to6 game they didn’t cross Midfield
That’s that’s exactly the type of effort you need this week you just need to smother them and don’t give them any hope while whatsoever when you look at um what the Browns need to do offensively what how does this shake out offensively again we we talked a little bit earlier about s
Gardner that that could slow down Amari Cooper if they choose to try to do that where do you go then what what’s what is the offensive game plan well for me I still take my shots with Cooper at Gardner he Cooper had a success at Gardner last year Gardner
Never given up a touchdown in his entire life high school or college until he met Amari Cooper last year in week two um and Flaco is not going to shy away from it but for me this is David and joku this is David and joku time let him own
The middle of the field you be physical be physical through your passing game with David and joku and I you getting in as we’re gearing up for the playoffs you need to start seeing other people get more involved you need to see a bell you
Need to see a good one you know you want to see these other players and of course you don’t think Elijah Moore’s got something to play for in this game like this is this is the prime spot for him to kind of have his coming out party
Prime Time against his former team same thing as your quarterback like this is seems like a perfect recipe for me what do you expect from how do you expect this to play what what do you expect how do you expect this to play out if it’s anything less than a double
Digit win I’ll be disappointed to be honest with you this is a team you should dominate you know and it’s is that lofty yes and and you can’t just you know let your guard down but this is your defense is at home we know how this defense plays when they’re at home and
This is a night game this is going to be elevated the just the reaction of the crowd the defense is going to feed off that you know and it’s going to Rattle the Jets offense so this is going to be a game that I think could get out of
Hand early and you could just kind of maintain that now we’ seen what happened last week when you take your foot off the gas and you understand why they took their their foot off the gas because they had a game in like four days you
Know well this time you don’t so I I think that this is you might see this play out a little longer and I I fully expect this to be like a 27 to7 type of Affair yeah and I’m with you I I think the the defense defense needs to set the
Tone and then just let the offense kind of go go to it yep and then that’ll let the crowd go wild you know what I mean like like that that’s the kind of environment you’re fostering here with the defense with the crowd in big plays and just let every
Let it get rockus man this is this should be a night for for you know celebrations you know punch your ticket to the playoff with the week to go like I I I can’t remember this ever happening before you know not coming down to the
Very final week of the season so you can get can take care of business this week and not have to worry about any contingencies past them Casey kman as always great stuff appreciate the time and the Insight thanks very much Casey hey any Tom thanks for having me
Casey kman make sure you check him out dog pound daily as well as Network 216 it’s going to do it for this edition of sports 4 SE Alle no show at 4:00 tomorrow we will have a game day special uh for the Browns Jets game that will be
Posted earlier in the day we’ll see you again on Friday have a great night everybody we will see you Friday at 4: on Sports for C
2 Comments
Great show Dave !!!! Hope you and your family have a great New Year . Great guest
Relaxing/enjoyable/comprehensive. 😊
Nice-Show. 🎉
Merry belated CHRISTMAS. ❤