Sione Takitaki had his best game against the Bengals. Could it result in more playing time?
#HeyTony: Will we see more Sione Takitaki in the Browns’ defense?
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Hey Tony: After the Bengals game, Sione Takitaki mentioned he had been doing more defensive play calling that game. With that performance and the bye week, are new leaders emerging on defense?
-- Craig, Macedonia, OH
Hey Craig: I don’t think it’s an issue of leadership. I think Takitaki has been underused because this regime favors playing its own draft picks. Takitaki was drafted by John Dorsey. He only got the opportunity to play because Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Jacob Phillips – Andrew Berry picks – were out with injuries. Takitaki should have been playing earlier, but this regime does not bench players for poor performance.
Hey Tony: Any chance Browns try to add Ndamukong Suh for last half of season?
-- Marc, Akron, OH
Hey Marc: I believe that ship has left port.
Hey Tony: How different would the offense look and the team’s record be if AVP was the play caller since the start of the season, allowing Stefanski to better oversee game flow?
-- Matt, Columbus, OH
Hey Matt: I really don’t know. But I wish we could find out. Listen, the Browns’ offensive system is fine. They have several coaches capable of calling the plays. Game management is the problem. I believe freeing up Stefanski to concentrate on game management might result in a better result.
Hey Tony: Are the Browns intending to split reps once Deshaun Watson can practice, even though he can’t play? Seems that would cut into game prep for Brissett.
-- Tom, Altamonte Springs, FL
Hey Tom: We’ll see how Stefanski manages it. My guess is that Watson would serve as the scout team quarterback and Brissett would continue to prep for the game. It’s a weird situation.
Hey Tony: Better chance at the post season for Browns -- Wild Card or Division?
-- Jay, Lakewood, OH
Hey Jay: The wild card possibilities are incalculable from week to week. The division is easier to handicap. Browns are 2-1 in division games. If they sweep their remaining three to finish 5-1, I would think they’d have a good chance at the division title. The final weekend has Cincinnati playing Baltimore and Cleveland playing Pittsburgh. Browns fans should jump on the Bengals’ bandwagon and hope they beat the Ravens. The non-division games matter, of course. But if the Browns sweep their three remaining division games, I think they could steal the division title with a 9-8 record.
Hey Tony: Do you think Watson will have a winning or losing record over the last 8 games of the year? And do you think any receivers will start to produce more once he returns?
-- Kenny, North Olmsted, OH
Hey Kenny: First, Watson is eligible for only the last six games of the season – not eight. I think he will win four and have a winning record. Regarding the receivers, Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones have been consistently productive. I would expect David Bell to increase his production. The other hopeful is rookie Michael Woods. If you’re asking me if Anthony Schwartz suddenly turns into Tyreek Hill with Watson at the helm, I would say keep dreaming.
Hey Tony: Why doesn’t Myles Garrett catch any heat for the underachieving seasons of recent, based on his non-availability for non-football related things caused by him? (2019 suspension, missing games and nurturing injuries as a result of car accident while speeding).
-- Andy, Gibsonburg, OH
Hey Andy: First, Garrett is part of the solution and is not the problem. Any criticism of him borders on nitpicking. However, his inability to close – balling out in December in January – has been noted by me in previous rants, Tweets and analyses.
Hey Tony: Will there be a draft compensatory pick if the Browns lose Hunt?
-- John, Canal Fulton, OH
Hey John: The compensatory pick formula is incomprehensible and is only fully understood by Ivy League grads. It is based on a team’s free agent losses v. free agent gains in a given transaction season, and also is determined by contracts, performance and SAT scores (just kidding on that last one.) If Hunt signed with another team and the Browns signed no other free agents, they’d probably get a pick after the third or fourth round. However, if the Browns sign a lot of unrestricted free agents, the compensation for Hunt leaving could be lower. In any case, compensatory picks for the 2023 free agent season aren’t rewarded until the 2024 draft.
Hey Tony: Is there any chance that Stefanski throws his analytics chart into Lake Erie and just go with his gut feeling during the game?
-- Pete, Wooster, OH
Hey Pete: There is no chance of that. Also, I’m not sure Stefanski has a gut feeling on anything.
Hey Tony: Do you feel that Kevin Stefanski has finally learned how to manage the run v pass ratio for the entire game in order to create more sustainable drives beyond the opening scripted drives?
-- Quebec, Canton, OH
Hey Quebec: No. I believe the Cincinnati game was an isolated incident.
Hey Tony: Wouldn’t having decent DTs take attention off Garrett and Clowney and make them much more successful? Why does Berry not seem to care about upgrading our DTs?
-- Josh, Galena, OH
Hey Josh: In training camp, line coach Chris Kiffin said the Browns were “transitioning” to younger players at defensive tackle. So they made that commitment and are not going to stray from it.
Hey Tony: Is Jacoby Brissett under contract through 2023? Can we expect him to be on the roster as the backup next season?
-- Chris, Bedford, OH
Hey Chris: Brissett is not under contract after this season. I believe the Browns consider him the ideal backup QB and will attempt to re-sign him. Brissett serves as his own agent, so it will be interesting to see if he returns.
Hey Tony: If you got to pick, would you want Chubb and Hunt in your backfield or Mack and Byner?
-- AJ, Avon, OH
Hey AJ: No doubt that Chubb and Hunt are more talented than Mack and Byner. The big difference is Marty Schottenheimer knew how to maximize Mack and Byner. I don’t think Chubb and Hunt have been maximized.
