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Chicago Bears: Week 16 Q & A with Factory of Sadness

By Khari Thompson

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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To get us ready for the ultimate Battle of Bad between the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns, we did a Q & A with Factory of Sadness.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m genuinely going to be a little bummed to be missing a significant portion of tomorrow’s game between the Chicago Bears (4-10) and the Cleveland Browns (0-14).

Is it because I expect it to be a high-quality game? Not really. Honestly, I just want a good laugh.

Conventional wisdom would say that the Browns will find a way to lose this game and inch that much closer to a date with an infamous 0-16 season.

However, a lot of Chicago Bears fans, including myself, have legitimate doubts about whether or not that will happen. After all, the Bears simply cannot win games when they’re supposed to, as evidenced by their 0-7 record under John Fox when they’re favored.

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What’s to say that the Bears can’t muster up one more epic dud, adding more fuel to the rocket that’s going to escort Fox and his coaching staff into the sun?

Yeah…I seriously can’t tell you that there’s no way it could happen. And if you can’t see the Chicago Bears losing tomorrow, just remember their loss Brett Hundley and the Green Bay Packers. It hurts, I know.

Anyway, ahead of what could be the most entertaining abomination of a football game we’ve seen in years, here’s a Q & A we did with Factory of Sadness Site Expert Ryan Rosko to get us hyped (?) and give us some insight on the state of the Browns.

DW: Do you believe that Cleveland is really that bad of a team, or have they just caught some bad breaks/had really bad coaching? Also, do you think Hue Jackson is really safe going into next year, or is John Dorsey setting everybody up?

FoS: Cleveland is really that bad.

Hue Jackson’s coaching has not been what many expected and has been executed very poorly. Jackson’s coaching style overall is very bad (just look at how he has coached up DeShone Kizer) but it also is a two-sided sword. Sashi Brown and his background approach messed things up as well. Now that he is gone, Jackson is next.

That said, it all starts with ownership as the Haslams are not a doing a good job at all. Jimmy Haslam already stated Jackson would be back but I doubt that happens. John Dorsey will be able to persuade the Haslams to find a new HC. If for some reason Jackson remains, then book Cleveland for the first pick next year.

DW: DeShone Kizer looks like he’s been badly mishandled by Hue Jackson. Do the Browns draft a quarterback with a top-5 pick? And does Kizer have a future with this team? Would a great last two weeks change anyone’s mind about him going forward?

FoS: For 2018 at least, Kizer has a future with the team. The smart money is that Cleveland goes QB with their first pick. However, many just see how bad Cleveland has been and assumes a QB must go first. Not every QB is going to excel as a rookie.

As such, who’s to say Dorsey may have another plan to get that QB? Cleveland could add a veteran in the meantime and draft one during the 2019 draft. That said, give Kizer a legit shot while being coached by a good coach. I’m not saying Kizer is the answer, but at worst, he is an asset. Just drafting a QB to draft one doesn’t help when not enough talent surrounds him.

That said, if the draft was held today, the Browns’ first overall pick would be a QB, likely UCLA’s Josh Rosen. A great last two weeks wouldn’t change minds but it would increase hope. Not enough though to dismiss a QB 1:1 however.

DW: Myles Garrett has flashed a bit, but overall, he’s had a relatively quiet first season. What are your impressions of him as a player? Do you think it’s just a matter of time before he breaks out?

FoS: He’s been dealing with injuries throughout the season, which is part of the reason he at times has been quiet. Other times, Garrett was blocked regularly by multiple linemen.

But according to Pro Football Reference, Garrett has five sacks in nine games. In terms of a recent draft pick with similar traits, he’s a better prospect than Houston Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney. Once he gets healthy and stays that way, more attention will be on him.

When he has played, Garrett has done well. Once he moves past the injuries, people will see his once-in-a-generation talent. Expect a big second season from the former A&M product.

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DW: Josh Gordon’s return to the field has been one of the most intriguing storylines surrounding this team, as most of us thought he’d never put on a Cleveland uniform again. Not only has he proven that wrong, but he’s looked like he never took a snap off. Do you think he can finally keep it together for the Browns, and will they keep him as long as he does? And if he stays on the field, where does he rank among best receivers in the league?

FoS: That is the big question. Everyone hopes Gordon won’t fall back into that life again but that remains to be seen. Taking it day by day has been the best way to handle this situation. The case can be made for Cleveland to move on from him via trade but they need talent. I don’t like nor agree with that scenario because the Browns need as many options as possible.

Yes, Cleveland will be keeping Gordon as long as possible. Hopefully, in the near future (likely during or after next season) an extension is agreed upon.

When Gordon plays, he is, for some, a top-five WR. Others list him in the top three. I’d list him talent-wise right there with Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown. If consistent quarterback play and offensive success can be seen, Gordon can be the best at his position.

DW: Is this Cleveland Browns team the worst team in NFL history? And if Cleveland does go 0-16, would you go to a parade if anyone set it up?

FoS: As horrible as Cleveland is, no I would not say they are. It is very close though. I’d say the winless 2008 Detroit Lions or the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the teams that deserve that title.

I would like to go to the parade and would be planning on it if Cleveland does go winless. The parade is already set up by Chris McNeil (aka @Reflog_18) on Twitter. He already submitted the paperwork and has the permit. Like all Browns fans, @Reflog_18 wants Cleveland to win.

If they were to win a game, the money raised goes to the Cleveland food bank. If Cleveland does not win at all, we will certainly cover the topic. In addition, it would be cool if the opportunity presented itself to cover it live or even be part of it in some way given the name of the website.

Next: Dave Toub to be next Chicago Bears head coach?

A huge thank-you to Ryan for taking the time to answer questions and help us deliver our first Q & A this season. May the best bad team win tomorrow!

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