Let us Stop Complaining About Our Teams

All you have to do is watch this video and realize that your team isn't as bad as Cleveland.

And I want that payment plan.

The Cleveland Browns Did The Right Thing By Trading The #2 Pick

R.J. and I make fun of the Cleveland Browns on the forums of the BoSox Tavern Blog. We both seem to realize that the team has made some real bad decisions since coming back to the league (Tim Couch, Johnny Manziel, Trent Richardson, Courtney Brown, and Braylon Edwards just to name a few). Those names don't include the revolving door at G.M., Coach, President of Football Operations, Popcorn Vendors, Cheerleaders, and anybody else associated with this franchise. But this new regime that has been assembled since January has made a smart move by trading the #2 Pick in the 2016 draft to Philadelphia. Let's examine why.

1. Let's say that Carson Wentz has a Hall of Fame career. And he would have been the Browns pick at #2. It doesn't matter. Why? The Browns don't have the support staff on the field to make this happen. At best, Cleveland is 3 years away from considering a playoff run because of the lack of talent on the team. Can you see the team putting in a rookie Quarterback with an Offensive Line that is inadequate at best? As we have seen time and time again with this team, the Quarterback will eventually start shucking and ducking. (See David Carr in Houston to see the prime example of this). We know that RG III isn't a long term answer. He doesn't have the escapability that he had in his Rookie year. His ability to get injured does not bode well for playing all 16 games. Josh McCown? Same with injuries. So you bring in Wentz and there is no O-Line to keep him upright, you might as well start identifying your next QB three years from now. You know that he will get hit time and time again. A QB is only as good as his Offensive Line makes him. And there is a lack of an Offensive Line in Cleveland.

2. Hue Jackson. Hue has his man in RG III. I am going to assume that he was the one that convinced Upper Management that he can rehabilitate Griffin. He is known as a coach that can get the most out of his QB's. I trust the Head Coach to know what he wants to do with the team. RG III is a bargain if he regains what made him special in his rookie year. I don't think he can, but who am I to argue with Hue?

3. The picks acquired. While only getting a 3rd and 4th round pick this year, the #1 in 2017 and #2 in 2018 are the real value picks here. The Browns got those picks while going back 6 spots in the 2016 draft that they are not convinced has a Franchise QB available to them. So you get an unsexy pick at #8 like a DE or a LT (And yes I know they have Joe Thomas. That will come into play later in this post). It improves the team and brings in more new blood of players that are highly thought of. If the scouting department does it's job, we can see talent starting to accumulate in Cleveland.

4. Setting realistic expectations of the Cleveland fans. Each and every year, we hear Browns fans telling us that the team will surprise us by making the playoffs and showing why they have faith. Well, now they can face the cold hard reality that the team needs to rebuild everything. There should be nobody safe from being cut or traded. And this leads us into #5 which will anger Browns fans.

5. Trade Joe Thomas. Right now, this is the guy that you can truthfully say is the best player on the team. He is 31 years old. He is a valuable commodity for many teams. Now is the time to trade him. You can get at least another 1st Round pick if not more for him in a trade. Here is what I do if I am in the Cleveland Brass. I let word leak that Joe Thomas is available for the right price. I ask for a 1st Rounder in 2016 or 17. Also included is a 3rd or 4th rounder in 2017. And here is the key, a developmental QB that the team likes. That way, you add more pieces that are highly thought of, you get that mid round pick that makes teams good if they can find starters there and you possibly have your QB for the next 10 years if the developmental QB develops like you want while watching the game from the sidelines for a year or two.

The new and shiny QBs come out each and every year. And you can always grab one if you want. You know the price, but the Browns have the worst roster in the league and the past couple of drafts haven't satisfied anybody. The talent level needs to be improved in all facets of the team. A rookie QB will not do it for this franchise. Getting the picks they did from Philadelphia and the picks and possible parts from a Joe Thomas trade will allow the talent level to rise. And from that point, we will see if the Moneyball Gang for Football can get this franchise up off the floor (no, not laying right beside a passed out Johnny Manziel). Because right now, this team is the laughingstock of the league.

Tale of Two Halves

The Cleveland Browns were coming to town. 4-8 record, should be a win as long as the New England Patriots don't play down to the visiting team. Hoping the defense does the best they can with what's left in the cupboard. Again. Another game where New England spends all of the first half on the field with shovels digging a hole.

You try googling "New England Patriots Shovel" and get back to me. 

Granted, the hole was only two field goals deep. It's becoming a worrying trend, though. If they keep this up, one game they'll end up in China at halftime, which could be problematic. I don't think they have a place to carry their passports in those uniforms.

Actually closer to Australia. Try it yourself, here.

There were no adjustments made at halftime with the exception of "see these plays? Execute them." Er, not that kind of execute.

Not a firing squad.

They did some of that, as well as losing Gronkowski to injury. Or as my daughter calls him, the Dunkin Donuts man. Hard to argue against that designation. Not posting a photo or .gif of that, I am tired of seeing it.

That didn't last long.

I wouldn't blame the player for the hit. T.J. Ward is just doing his job and playing hard. Coach Belichick understands he's just playing the game.

Let the hate flow through you. (™Lucasfilm)

The Patriots did the impossible again, coming back to win the game, 27-26. Incredible finish to a wild game. A nail biter, heart attack special kind of affair. Yes, there was a late penalty with 40 seconds left in the game. This makes the Patriots 1-2 in end-of-game deciding calls. They are a magnet for this kind of nonsense this year. Having said that, one call rarely decides a game. There is every single play up to that point. The pass interference call yesterday that some people are screaming about?

Some people, fig. 1

 Guess what people? The Patriots were down 12 points with 2:39 to go. One pass interference call doesn't give you two touchdowns. One pass interference call doesn't give you a free onside kick recovery. In fact, the last time the New England Patriots recovered an onside kick was January 1st 1995, 18 years ago against the Cleveland Browns. Despite the onside kick recovery,The Patriots still lost that game long ago against the Browns' fourth year coach, Bill Belichick. Last night's kick qualifies as a piece of art. Cleveland Browns players, catch that kick, the game is over. You win.

Like the Mona Lisa, but in pads.

One pass interference call doesn't explain why the Browns called their last timeout with 0:35 seconds to play, when they didn't need to stop the clock. Surely the pass interference call explains wasting the timeout when they could have run one more play, gotten 5-7 yards closer and made that kick to win the game.

Achievement not unlocked.

The New England Patriots scored two touchdowns in thirty seconds. The pass interference call helped, to be sure. It didn't execute all of the rest of the plays they needed to pull out a win, and the Cleveland Browns defense certainly didn't do their job and stop them.

Maybe the next time these teams play it can be fun times in Cleveland.

Credit to my daughter for this awesome video.

Feel free to tell me how wrong I am in the comments.