emhoward

This is where I was the first half of the year, when he had nothing to work with at all and wasn't performing. Toward the later half of the year when the run game picked up, Bryce was still bad. At that point "disappointing" was understating it for me. That said, with league average help I think he can still be a league average QB. Not that that gets anyone excited.

Personally, I'm quick to say Bryce is bad. I'm not quick to say he's a Bust. There's a difference. One says, even with a better support, he'll still be trash - aka - a bust. The other says, with a better support, he can be average - game manager type. Not worth the #1 and move up, but not a bust. We'll see what he ends up being.

Undoubtedly, but the offense didn't fall off a cliff when Stroud was out either. They weren't great, but they weren't bad.

Since comparisons are inevitable. My impressions are. I'm VERY impressed with Stroud. But also VERY impressed by his playcaller. VERY impressed by his weapons (mostly singletary, Collins, and Schultz. Imagine them with Dell.) and VERY impressed by his OLINE. He's had two pressures all day against a good line. My premature conclusions are - Stroud is WAY better than Bryce, but his weapons are also WAY better, his playcaller is WAY better, and his Oline is WAY better.

Yeah Collins is in no way a JAG. Stroud may have unlocked him, but he's a DUDE.

Run past the stick Njoku.

Both these offensive playcallers are really impressing me. Def a fan of Slovik.

Man Cleveland's defense has been impressively bad. I didn't know their Home/Road splits were so drastic.

Lol

Yeah, we had no one on our team that would have housed that. And that was a TE.

The biggest difference was the protection. Also it seemed to me that GB olayed more zone against us than most teams do. Our WRs arent great at separating from their man but they can find spots in zone.

Ironically, I agree that a couple of Bryce most impressive throws came today, I also agree that it was one of his worse games and I was quite discouraged. It's weird.

He has an defense and a running game now. Prior to all that I was very much in the camp that it's not Bryce's fault, but again, you have to show the people something now. We've ran the ball great the last two games, affording Bryce plenty of 3rd and shorts and he hasn't delivered. Part of it is the playcalling (shotgun runs etc) and part is on him. I 'm still not on "I think he's a bust" bandwagon yet, but I'm also not on the "He can be a franchise guy with good weapons and coaching" bandwagon either.

I defended Bryce before because EVERYTHING around him sucked, but now, although our receivers still suck, we've been running the ball GREAT, and yet Bryces play has stepped up. Thats on him.

Steichen was my number 2 after Ben Johnson. Reich was so far down the list simply because I never like hiring retreads, and he was a retread that didn't even have all that much success at his first stop. I will admit I later got on board, talks of "all-star" coaching staff and moving up for a franchise QB, got me.

Ok so if everyone now agrees that he shouldn't have been drafted where he was, what's next? Are you open to seeing Bryce with a new coach in a new system and a little more talent, and see if he makes improvements in year 2? Or are you so convinced of his bustness that you believe no matter who we bring in as coach he's not the guy? If you were the owner what would you do? Would you draft a QB with our first pick in 2024 (2nd rounder), bring in the best FA QB, what?

I was a little hard on Bryce on that 3rd and 1 at the end of the game. I went back and watched the 2 point conversion play. Very similar. For whatever he wants until the last minute to take off on his roll outs expecting someone to pop open. One of the Bryce critics on here made a real great point earlier this year. He still has not processed the difference between college and NFL speed. Get it together Bryce.

Well I guess Andy winning a game or two is enough of a reason so we won't be giving Chicago the number one pick. I didn't think about that.

I'm not sure what the point is. Previously some wanted him benched because as @LinvilleGorge was saying they wanted to confirm that Andy Dalton would make the offense look better since it was a one game sample. But even as a Bryce guy for most of the year, I fairly confident now that Dalton would look better, and it seems like everyone agrees at this point. So if we all know Andy would look better and is better. What's the point?

Things looked smoother, but nothing to write home about.

Right. I still think he can play in this league. And perhaps do well if he finds himself in a very fortunate situation. But being the guy we thought he could be, I'm out on that. I hate it too cause I really like the kid. I'll still be rooting that when the pieces are around him something is unlocked, but I'm no longer putting all my eggs in that basket.

Yeah I thought I saw Miles flash open on that 4th and one. Not that I'd have much confidence of him making a play but still. It looked like his read, progression started on Thielin's side of the field. He's been our target on most 4th downs this year. I more upset about him not running it on 3rd and one.

Now about that playcalling at the end. My God. You run the ball on 3rd and 1 and then if you don't get it you do the playaction roll out on 4th and 1.

I've been a Bryce supporter. And I still disagree with those who call him a bust simply because of his lack of a supporting cast... that said, I no longer have much faith in his ability to be elite when he finally does have the pieces around him. Can he be a Jared Goff type yes, Ryan Tannehill, sure, D. Carr perhaps. But we all had hope that by trading up we would be getting more than that. A franchise, superbowl winning guy. It's ironic that I'm coming to this conclusion in his best game in weeks, but that 3rd and 1 at the end really left a sour taste in my mouth. I don't doubt his heart. I doubt his decision making under fire.

Possibly, but he looked pretty disgusted at the end there.