Hue Jackson Fulfills His Promise
I’m not sure the Browns could have had a more Browns thing happen than ending a losing streak with a tie game. Hue Jackson is playing 4d chess.
The Steelers continue the well honored tradition of playing like ass against a bad opponent during an away game, but that still doesn’t explain this. For most of this game (especially the second half) I actually think the Browns were the better team. It was an ugly game, full of terrible penalties (One which may have directly given the Steelers 7 points). The Browns stole the ball like 6 times. Everything was setting itself up for this to be it. The Steelers shanked the game winner. The final turnover looked like the miracle the team finally needed to break this horrible slump. The Browns got the ball, reached the 10 yard line, only to have it called back thanks to a block in the back. The resulting kick was too far away and Mini-Watt blocked it anyway. How dare we have hope.
So the Browns still haven’t won a game since week 16 of the 2016 season. They also haven’t won a season opener since 2004. But…they also haven’t yet lost this year. In spite of everything, the tie guarantees that the Browns are mathematically incapable of losing more games than 2017. The Browns technically did not lose. Technically is the best kind of not losing!
They looked like a better team for sure. The defense stepped up big time against an explosive offense, even if play was hampered by some of the worst weather you could see. Tyrod made some plays. Josh Gordon made some plays. Denzel Ward, the already weirdly forgotten 4th overall pick, made some very nice plays. Myles Garrett made some hecka good plays and that roughing call was some crap. This didn’t look quite like the same ol’ Browns. Of course, they still didn’t win the stupid game.
Also, quick aside, the NFL wants to fix all these bad rules but they still can’t fix overtime? The fix is so simple: Each team gets one possession, then it’s sudden death. Elegant and easy. Stop it with this extra nonsense that needs to be explained with a big graphic every time overtime happens.
Let’s build on this, Browns! Let’s win a damn game! Also with Tyrod starting, I officially added him to the hydra. One more and we hit an even 30, and I suspect we shall see Baker sooner rather than later.
Can you name them all?
The most Brownsian way of ending a losing streak.
This game makes me want to die
I think that style of overtime is considered unfair because the second team to get possession gets to know what it needs to go for while the first doesn’t. I think a small advantage for the second team (which presumably would lead to the coin toss winner deferring the ball) is better than the current set of rules, but that’s the argument.
The first team knows if it scores a TD it wins. Personally I think they should just play the full overtime period and let the score stand then.
College overtime is the best most exciting way but the NFL will never admit it
No matter what system you place, the second team will always knows what it needs. As if the first team shouldn’t be thinking TD in the first place.
I’ll only accept a college style OT system in the NFL if they separate the regulation stats from the OT stats. College OT is a stat padder. “(Insert QB) just broke the NFL for most TD passes in a game.” No, he didn’t. “These two teams broke the record for highest scoring game.” No, they didn’t. If you introduce this system, then change the scoring. 2 points for a TD, 1 point for a FG. I will not accept a system that cheats the stats sheet.
I think it should be ‘be ahead and have the ball’. Done.
I’d be down with a 7, 8, or 10 minute overtime that does just that and only that, runs 7-10 minutes with standard rules and ends with the score being whatever it is (win, lose, or draw). Concerns about additional injury exposure are reasonable, of course, but no other system I can think of retains all of the elements of regulation-time football.
I hope to never see the college overtime system in the NFL. I actively root against overtime games in college. I would rather see ties broken by number of penetrations than the college overtime system.
The Browns would have won on 6 penetrations vs. 5 for the Steelers, by the way.
College OT Rules maybe? Except from further back, like the 45 or 50 so you have to work to get into FG range? I was satisfied with a tie. Anything but a loss was good for me. Part of me was even proud. Because they actually played like a team capable of winning a few games this year. They may not be the easy out they have been the last two years and that’s what you want to see if you’re the owner. If the Browns win 5 games this year, I think Hue may keep his job simple because of forward progress.
Also, that hydra is terrifying. I started trying to name them but kept getting distracted. You want a challenge. Name each QB, how many starts they had, and how many wins they had. The numbers on that last one are gonna be pretty low anyways. Especially for that top row waaaaaaay up there. Seriously, how did Mike Glennon not get to QB this team. With his neck, he deserves to be part of the hydra.
Yeah that’s about the most depressing stat I saw yesterday: (0-0-1, best Browns start to a season since 2004)
That Browns hydra is scary
I was looking for a “fitzmagic begomes mega-fitzmagic” cartoon, but this one will do 🙂
This post makes me sad 🙁
I really just want them to go back to sudden death.
To the 5 people that complain that that’s not fair: get a defense and stop them. This is football.
I say do away with overtime. Pick one player from each team and pit them against one another in one on one combat. Gladiator style. I’d say use Lions but after last nights game, obviously the NFL couldn’t find any Lions capable of presenting a serious challenge. Jousting maybe? That would be cool I guess.
controversial opinion: no OT in regular season, ties are ties
Sounds like a potential “Beyond Belief” segment.
Even Brownsier? The league comes out the next day and says “Whoops, we accidentally gifted the Steelers 4 points. Our bad. WE’ll try not to do it again.”
Just saw this:
Since 1999, when the new Browns were born, teams at plus-5 or better in turnover margin (like the Browns were Sunday) are 132-4-1. The Browns have two of those losses and the tie.
I can’t name them all, but I’d be willing to bet Joe Thomas still could
There were a couple of times near the end of the game where I almost had hope. ALMOST.
With Darnold looking solid and Fitzpatrick in a good phase of his Wheel of Suck, I’m not sure if I see any winnable games in the future.
Too bad the Giants, Bills, and Lions were all scheduled for the preseason…..
At least they keep that crappy Bud Light locked away for a while.
Wow. The first “Related Comic” under this that showed for me was “The Eagles Trade Up”. Neither that comic nor the vast majority of comments under it have aged well.
Want to solve the overtime problem while making an underrated position important. If no one scores or in the event that both teams score on their opening drives of OT, bring out the kickers and have them kick field goals with nothing more than a long snapper and place holder on the field. Have them kick something like 20, 30, 40, and 50 yarders and if both make the 50 they keep going at 50. First one to miss when the other guy makes it loses. Not a perfect solution but it would be cool to see.
>The fix is so simple: Each team gets one possession, then it’s sudden death. Elegant and easy. Stop it with this extra nonsense that needs to be explained with a big graphic every time overtime happens.
Nah. Each team gets a possession, if the score’s still tied after that, each team gets another possession, and keep doing that until there’s a winner. It eliminates the “each team gets it at the X” of high school and college, and still gives each team an equal number of opportunities. Make them go for 2 from the second possession on if you want to make it harder to keep tying.