What's up Brownie fans?
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Just kidding about the brownies part. But I've come here to do some research. I write a sports blog that covers the St.Louis Rams and Cardinals. I am in the process of writing a pre-game article comparing the two teams (since we play eachother Saturday).
I am in the process of reading some news articles and I'm trying to learn as much as I can about your team before I write the article. I figure that hard-core fans can usually break it down the best, as oppose to news articles that focus on one player or aspect of the team.
I'd like to get your brief opinion on the following:
Your o-line:
QB situation:
WR/TEs: (I know Cribbs is great in the return game, but how is he at WR? and the rest of the group?)
D-line:
LB:
DBs:
ST: If you want, theres usually not much to say about ST, I'll mention Cribbs, and if you have anyother ST studs I'll mention them as well.
Thanks for any input you can provide.
Good luck to you guys Saturday.... your gonna need it
Just kidding about the brownies part. But I've come here to do some research. I write a sports blog that covers the St.Louis Rams and Cardinals. I am in the process of writing a pre-game article comparing the two teams (since we play eachother Saturday).
I am in the process of reading some news articles and I'm trying to learn as much as I can about your team before I write the article. I figure that hard-core fans can usually break it down the best, as oppose to news articles that focus on one player or aspect of the team.
I'd like to get your brief opinion on the following:
Your o-line:
QB situation:
WR/TEs: (I know Cribbs is great in the return game, but how is he at WR? and the rest of the group?)
D-line:
LB:
DBs:
ST: If you want, theres usually not much to say about ST, I'll mention Cribbs, and if you have anyother ST studs I'll mention them as well.
Thanks for any input you can provide.
Good luck to you guys Saturday.... your gonna need it
Why is everyone being pricks here? Granted, it is an unusual approach, but I don't get the badgering. Although he did come off as a bit of a douche. Perhaps when you do this on other boards you should watch your approach.
And BTW - we have more than just Cribbs. We also have the best Left Tackle in the game, a top 5 Center and the best friggin' President in the whole damn land!
Here are my 2 cents:
Your o-line: Top 5 O-Lines from center to the left. RG and RT are in the bottom 10. Combined score about the 10th-12th best O-Line.
QB situation:Feel a million times better that we have a veteran - ANY vet - that has done it before instead of Fry/Quinn/Anderson.
WR/TEs: A bunch of young'uns at WR that have shown potential but are unproven. TE's will surprise.
D-line: Average
LB: Deep with solid players but lacking playmakers.
DBs: Went from position on weakness to a position on the upswing. CBs will be good - safties are young.
ST: Awesome - top 5 in the NFL.
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Your o-line:
Very strong. The left side is solid as a rock and Alex Mack is looking to be a great center in his 2nd year. The right side shows promise with rookie Lauvao and tony pashos, but it remains to be seen if they will be as solid as the other half of the line.
QB situation:
Delhomme looked great in his 1 series in the first preseason game. Seneca Wallace also looked sharp.
WR/TEs: (I know Cribbs is great in the return game, but how is he at WR? and the rest of the group?)
TE- Ben Watson looks to be an incredible upgrade over last season as a blocking AND pass catching TE. Evan Moore is not much of a blocker but he makes for a great receiver.
WR- Our WRs are young, but Robiskie is showing promise and Cribbs has improved his route running over last season. Hopefully Robiskie can have a breakout year, but don't expect too much from Cribbs in the passing game.
D-line:
Shaun Rogers is missed right now, but with Ahtya Rubin in there it hasn't showed much. When Rogers gets back and plays some end I think our D Line will be a very solid group.
LB:
DQwell Jackson is missed, but we have decent depth at the position and should get by. Watch for Matt Roth and Marcus Benard as pass rushers.
DBs:
We have a young secondary right now. I'm not sure if Eric Wright will play, but if he doesn't then we will be starting 2 rookies again with TJ Ward playing the hard hitting tackling machine (LOVE this guy) and Joe Haden playing CB. Haden shows promise, but he makes rookie mistakes like all rookies do.
ST: If you want, theres usually not much to say about ST, I'll mention Cribbs, and if you have anyother ST studs I'll mention them as well.
Our ST play has been probably the best part of our game. Not only is Cribbs a beast, but Phil Dawson kicked 2 field goals in the final 1:30 of the Packers game to give us the win. The tying field goal was 55+ yards. Our coverage team is also very good. Rookie TJ Ward is a tackling machine both in our secondary and on kickoff coverage.
hope this helps
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Stlsportblog,
Please tell me you don't get paid for writing ur crap. I don't mind talkin with people who have a clue. See I could go to a rams board and actually know what I'm talkin about. Having someone who says they are writing an article and needs feedback from there fans sounds pretty Retarded to me. Ya and I write for espn the magazine.
Go write an article about lance bass he should be right up ur alley
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Sorry about all the bullshit on here. Most Browns fans are awesome and friendly. There a few that ruin the name for the rest of us on here. This is my analysis:
Your o-line: Best left side in the NFL. Even better than the Jets. However, our right side would be decent if we didn't always have injuries on that side. Center Alex Mack, first round draft pick next year, was picked by PFT as the next best center in the league only 2nd to Nick Mangold.
QB situation: For once this year, we don't have a QB competition. Jake Delhomme is our starter, an is looking like he did in the 2008 regular season (good). Seneca Wallace is our backup and was ranked #5 backup in the NFL according to Sports Illustrated. He is getting more 1st team reps because of his talent. Colt McCoy is just like any other rookie. He is still learning the ropes but someday in the near future (not this season) he will be successful with our team.
WR/TEs: We have the youngest WR core in the NFL. However, Massaquoi is our #1 and showed real talent after Braylon Edwards was traded. Our #2 is Robiskie, and although he had a disappointing season last year, he is looking like his all pro college self in training camp. Our #3 is Chansi Stucky, who is a decent slot receiver. Our #4 is alternating between Cribbs and our 6th round draft pick, Carlton Mitchell. Our TE core is a solid B+ with probowler and former NE Patriot Ben Watson as the starter. Evan Moore is the backup and he is a young TE with lots of catching ability shown at the back end of last season. Robert Royal and Alex Smith are average reserve tight ends.
D-line: Our D-line is also somewhat young. We have probowler Shawn Rogers at the nose alternating with Atyla Rubin. Our ends could be a little better.
LB: This has the most depth on our team. Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong are our inside LBs with David Bowens and Marcus Bernard as our outside linebackers. Look for a good pass rush this season.
DBs: Our youngest group is right here. Eric Wright, our star corner, is in his 4th year, and will be the next Revis if he has anything to say about it. Joe Haden and probowler Sheldon Brown will alternate at the other corner spot. TJ ward, our second round pick, is starting at SS and is known for his hard hitting ability. Abe Elam is the starting FS.
ST: Not only were we ranked #1 in almost every category in kickoff returns, but we also have some of the best coverage teams.
I noticed u didnt put a RB categoy, but our rushing game was ranked #8 in the NFL last season, and we look forward to continuing our success on the ground with Jerome Harrison and Montario Hardesty. Look for James Davis as an X factor.
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Don't forget about Vickers, he will be in the pro bowl this year if he stays healthy!
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Hello, I'm BrownsBabe, Akron born. A newbie. Looks good this year! WOOF!
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May as well include my immature badger...you are delusional in thinking there might be any part of our civilization that could be remotely interested in reading anyting about the Rams.
I would rather:
1. observe a banana peel as it turns from yellow to a sickly brown
2. spend a weekend in county lock up
3. Have a conversation with my wife...The Anti Christ
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Holgren is a godsend. Jake will groom Colt. Mass and Harrison, almost mack and byner again!! Haden. lookin good
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Hello, I'm BrownsBabe, Akron born. A newbie. Looks good this year! WOOF!
Hello, I'm BrownsBabe, Akron born. A newbie. Looks good this year! WOOF!
what's your sign?
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Holmgren, JD 6 of 7 66 yards, Wallace, and Mc Coy our baack up!!!!!!!!!!!
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Holmgren, JD 6 of 7 66 yards, Wallace, and Mc Coy our baack up!!!!!!!!!!!
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Hello, I'm BrownsBabe, Akron born. A newbie. Looks good this year! WOOF!
what's your sign?
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Aries, and #7 and #19, get me all ..............
#7 is Sipe, #19 is Kosar!
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Aries, and #7 and #19, get me all ..............
#7 is Sipe, #19 is Kosar!
#7 is Sipe, #19 is Kosar!
WTF?
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Thanks for the help. After 3 hours of gatherin info and writing, I finally have the rough draft. Thought I would share it for those who are interested. My goal was to give STL readers and idea of what to expect out of Cleveland (Nat. media doesn't have a lot of info), so I'm sure the article will give you guys some info on what to expect out fo STL.
KEEP IN MIND... I wrote this article for STL fans. So heres the rough draft, if you're interested...
PRE-GAME: Rams vs. Browns in Cleveland
The Rams will hit the road to take on the Cleveland Browns this coming Saturday. I will match-up the units of each team to see where we stand. Check back after the game on Saturday for my post game thoughts, as well as YouTube videos of Bradford's performance, and all TD plays.
QB: Sam Bradford looked very sharp at times in his debut, but was very limited in his last two drives by horrendous O-line play. Bradford will be looking to build on the positives he had last week. So far, when Bradford has been given a chance to throw, he has looked very impressive. I expect Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur to open up the play book a bit, if Bradford can get some protection.
Meanwhile, AJ Feeley looked terrible and almost threw two picks; if the Rams are considering (even the slightest bit) starting Feeley, then he needs to improve this week. Keith Null looked very average, completing 50% of his passes. Rookie Thaddeus Lewis looked decent, completing 83% of his passes, but he is still adjusting to NFL speed and hopefully he can improve this week. Null and Lewis are fighting for the 3rd sting QB spot.
Last week Jake Delhomme went 6 for 7 with 66 yards, those stats were accumulated on his 1st and only drive of the night. Back-up QB Seneca Wallace was impressive, given his 2 TD passes. And rookie QB Colt McCoy was disappointing; McCoy was 5 for 10, for only 25 yards and 2 INT.
Bradford seems to be our best chance when it comes to putting points on the board. But the actual outcome of the game could be determined by the play of Null/Lewis Vs. Wallace/McCoy
RB: Steven Jackson will be held out of the game. The likely starter will once again be Chris Ogbannaya. Ogbannaya was not effective on the ground (5 carries for 8 yards), but he did make some receptions for over 30 yards. Rookie Keith Toston will also get a decent amount of carries in the second half.
The Browns' rookie RB Montario Hardesty will likely be held out of the game, as he did not practice the entire past week. However, the Browns primary RB Jerome Harrison will likely get some carries this Saturday. Harrison rushed for 800+ yards in 2009, and he scored a TD last week agaist Green Bay. Other RB's for Cleveland are: Chris Jennings and James Davis.
With Steven Jackson out of the game, it is likely the Browns will have the superior ground game. The Browns also have a better o-line to block for their runners. If the Rams are going to win, it will likely have to be through the air.
WR: Donnie Avery, Danny Amendola, and Laurent Robinson will be the likely starters. Keenan Burton will also get some time with the first unit. And many Rams fans will be excited to see the debut of Mardy Gilyard, who was held out last week with a wrist injury. All of the WR's I just mentioned have displayed a lot of promise so far this season. It figures to be an intense fight for roster spots; with the names already mentions, as well as Brandon McRae, Brandon Gibson, Brooks Foster, Jordan Kent and Dominique Curry.
Cleveland's primary receiver (at least in 2009) is Mohamed Massaquoi, who had just over 600 yards in 2009. The Browns' 2nd round pick of 2009, Brian Robiski, had a very disappointing 2009 campaign. Robiskie has been showing promis as of late, and looks to be much improved. Also watch Bobby Engram, and Joshua Cribbs. However, Cribbs' primary duty is on Special Teams.
We might not have Cleveland beat as far as overall talent. But I think WR is one of the positions where we got them beat.
Offensive Line: The Rams had a pitiful display by their o-line last week. Jason Smith, our #2 overall pick in 2009, looked like a "walk on" college player. The Rams also had struggles from both OG positions (although starting LG Jacob Bell was held out of the game). Rookie OT Roger Saffold was probably the most impressive, although he did get beat on one or two plays.
Cleveland has Joe Thomas on the blind side. If Thomas had a better offense around him, he would possibly be considered the best LT in the game. LG Eric Steinbach helps to completely solidify the left side (although playing next to Thomas makes his job easier). Center Alex Mack had a promising rookie campaign a year ago, and it looks like he will improve this year; Mack should be a solid center for Cleveland for years to come. RG Shaun Lauvao is a rookie, so it is difficult to say how good he actually is, but he certainly has potential. And at RT Tony Pashos and John St.Clair will share time.
Cleveland has the better o-line. End of story. At least until we see what Saffold can really do in the regular season, and until Jason Smith decides to start earning his $33mm guaranteed.
Defensive Line: The Rams had very solid play last week from their d-line. Chris Long was a disruptive force, rookie George Selvie played like he wants to be the steal of the draft, and we got solid penetration from the DT postition.
Cleveland will have starting DT Shaun Rogers on the bench. That is very lucky for the Rams, given our poor o-line play. However, NT Ahtyba Rubin appears to be a somewhat solid replacement. I have not found anyone else from Cleveland's roster really worth mentioning. This appears to be another position where the Rams have Cleveland beat.
LB: James Laurinaitis was solid force for our LB core last weekend; he appears to be the leader of our defense, and rightfully so. LB Larry Grant was also impressive against the run, and made the tackle of the night last week against a Viking's KR. Na'il Diggs will be the third starting LB.
Cleveland has a very solid LB in D'Qwell Jackson, but Jackson will not see the field Saturday. LB'ers Matt Roth and Marcus Benard will get significant playing time, and are said by some Cleveland fans to have potential as pass-rushers.
The linebacking cores of the two teams look even. But I think the fact that Jackson will be on the bench, and Laurinaitis will be on the field, will put the Rams ahead as far as linebackers go.
DB: The Rams had solid play by their DB's in the first quarter last week, but their pass coverage seemed to dissolve as the game progressed. However, starting DB's Ron Bartell, O.J. Atogwe, and Bradley Fletcher were held out of the game, and they should all be returning this weekend.
the Browns' had some injury issues of their own in the defensive backfield. Starting CB Eric Wright was held out of last week's game, and it is questionable whether or not he will return. If Wright does not return to the starting line-up, then Cleveland will be forced to start two rookies at CB in Joe Haden and TJ Ward (reports, and fans, indicate that they both look promising). Meanwhile, Safety Abram Elam struggled last week against Green Bay.
The DB position could go to either team, but I'm leaning towards the Rams, only because they are getting 3 starters back, while Cleveland might have to rely on two rookies and a struggling safety.
Special Teams: Both team's special units are looking solid. Cleveland has the elite return-specialist Joshua Cribbs, and St.Louis has the solid return-man Danny Amendola (who took one to the house last week). It will be interesting to see if special teams play has an effect on the outcome of the game.
OVERALL: Look for Cleveland to have the superior ground game. Steven Jackson will be out of the game, so the Browns will have better RB's and a better o-line. But if the Rams can provide any form of protection for Bradford, then I think the Rams will have a superior air game. I believe if we win Saturday, it will be because the o-line steps it up and gives Bradford a chance to make something happen.
Look for the Rams' first team 'D' to swarm around like they did last week. This Rams defense will be fun to watch all season. It is likely that the Rams will have the better defense on Saturday, especially given that Cleveland will be holding out some solid starters (Rogers, Jackson, and Wright). But, like all pre-season games, the final score will favor the team with better depth.
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Nice job. C+
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Aries, and #7 and #19, get me all ..............
#7 is Sipe, #19 is Kosar!
#7 is Sipe, #19 is Kosar!
time to surf
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I'm gonna have to disagree with one of your opinions. How does your WR/QB passing game get the advantage? You have Danny Amendola starting, he was a UDFA and spent the last 2 season's on practice squad's. I think your underrating MoMass, Robiskie, and Cribbs a bit. Cribbs didn't play special teams last game so he can focus on the WR position, so I wouldn't look at cribbs as just a special teamer. And you dont even mention the TE's Evan Moore and Ben Watson who also play in the slot and split out occasionally, they've been the brightest spot in the passing game. We put MoMass, Robiskie, Moore and Watson on the field with Jake Delhomme at QB....were gonna surprise alot of people this year passing the balls.
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It's okay, not great... you missed a few facts on the Browns that factor into some misguided opinions, but that's also my opinion.
It seems as though you completely miss the fact that CB Sheldon Brown is a good, veteran player and part of the Browns defensive corps
Joe Thomas IS considered by many (if not most) sports analysts as the best LT in the game even with last years dead-fish offense
As somebody with sports media experience... never, ever, ever use words such as "we", "our", "us" etc. You are not on the St. Louis Rams... period. You'll notice that even most play-by-play/color commentators will never use those words unless they once played for that team. Same goes for radio personalities and beat-writers.
the only other critique I have is that your sentences are sometimes too short and blunt, they don't seem to run together very well at times and makes it sound slow and staggered if you were to read it to yourself.
Good luck with your blog
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I agree with other posts here. I would give the article a c+ at best. I noticed you failed to even mention Hillis catching the ball out of the backfield as a threat this week. I n fact you didn't even list him as one of our backs. I know that technically him and Vickers are fullbacks but Hillis will catch and carry the ball. And did you even mention Vickers is one of if not the best Fullback in the league? I didn't see that.
And as for Zombo's post I agree to an extent. I like the differences on this board but at the same time some of you were complete jerks! This guy actually was writing an article and he actually did use some of what people on this board told him. I agree that I wouldn't do research that way. But as a secondary research technique it isn't so bad. And he shared the article when he was done with it. Or at least what he thought was done. I would revise it if I was him. He has received some good feedback on things that he missed.
Sometimes it is annoying how quick you all are to label somebody as an idoit or a douche or a board troller when they actually have a legit reason for visiting or they just want to have a good dialogue. Can't you all just get along? At least a little bit?
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With your input, this post could be even better π
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