Author: admin

It’s another Victory Monday and the Browns are 5-2. They won without Odell Beckham, Nick Chubb, Wyatt Teller and Austin Hooper. That’s impressive. Also, lets face facts, Bengal QB Joe Burrow is really, really good. But so is Browns QB Baker Mayfield. Last week, at this time, Browns twitter was ready to run Mayfield out of town and start all over again with a new quarterback. Bottom line, the Browns are 5-2 and head coach Kevin Stefanski looks like the real deal. Lets start with the positives.

After the first quarter, where Mayfield went 0-5, 0 yards and an interception, he went 21-22, 297 yards and FIVE touchdowns. The Browns scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives. 11 plays for 75 yards, 9 plays for 75 yards, 8 plays for 79 yards, 7 plays for 75 yards and 5 plays for 75 yards. The last drive took only 55 seconds and resulted in the game winner. The only incompletion was a spike to stop the clock on the last drive. Amazing. Mayfield threw two touchdowns to a fourth round pick, Harrison Bryant and the game winner to a sixth round pick, Donovan Peoples-Jones. The running game only had 82 yards, but still was utilized enough to keep the Bengal defense on their heels. Mayfield saw the whole field and let it rip. The Bengals did the same thing the Steelers did with their safeties, but Mayfield saw it and adjusted. He was reading the defense and throwing the football. The offensive line did their job, Mayfield wasn’t sacked. Glad to see WR Hollywood Higgins have a great game. Six catches for 110 yards. He and Mayfield have a chemistry and it’s working really well.

HC Kevin Stefanski did a great job tweaking the offense. Mayfield was in the shotgun more, which gave him extra time to read the defense. I love the flat passes to RB Kareem Hunt. It didn’t work every time, but on the second to last touchdown drive, it worked twice. The first was a 12 yard pass to get the ball to the Cincinnati 11. Then after a short run, another flat pass to Hunt for the touchdown. Opposing defenses keep trying to put a linebacker on Hunt on those passes and it’s still not working for them.

On defense, DE Myles Garrett is on a different level. Two more sacks and one was a strip sack. After seven games, Garrett has nine sacks and four strip sacks for turnovers. CB Kevin Johnson played well as did S Ronnie Harrison. He batted down a pass that resulted in an interception and recovered a fumble after the strip sack, before it rolled out of bounds. CB Denzel Ward also had a great game. Knocking the ball out of the hands of Bengal WR A.C Green in the end zone forcing a Cincinnati field goal at a key moment late in the game.

As for the negatives, Mayfield has thrown an interception on his first pass of the game in consecutive weeks and on his first drive in three straight weeks. The running game wasn’t working again, but the Browns still found ways to use Hunt. This team misses RB Nick Chubb. On defense, the Browns blitzed way too much. All Joe Burrow had to do was throw the ball in the direction of where the blitz was coming from and he was very successful. This team has so much money invested in the DL, you would think they could pressure without all that blitzing. If you’re going to blitz, how about more than one guy when the opposing QB is attempting a hail mary pass. Safety Ronnie Harrison should start every game for the rest of the season. Period.

The worst news on Sunday was the injury to OBJ. Torn ACL and he’s out for the season. Of course Browns twitter is saying it’s Mayfield’s fault OBJ got hurt, Mayfield plays better without OBJ on the field and the Browns need to trade for a receiver. No, No and No. If you want to blame anything for OBJ’s injury, blame the turf. It looks like he got his foot caught. As for Mayfield playing better without OBJ, go watch the Cowboy game again. And the Browns don’t need to trade for a WR. KhaDarel Hodge is due to come off the IR this week. Problem solved. If the Browns are going to trade for a player, please make it a defensive lineman or a linebacker.

One more game before the bye, the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are similar to the Cowboys, great offense, terrible defense. With the exception of a handful of teams, every team in the NFL has a terrible defense including the Browns. Hopefully TE Austin Hooper will be back for that game, but I doubt it. No need to rush him back with the way Bryant and Njoku are playing. Wyatt Teller and Nick Chubb should be back after the bye. 6-2 at the bye would be great. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

I’ve waited 48 hours after a Browns loss, as I always do, so here goes. Despite what Browns twitter says, it’s not as bad as it looks Browns fans. Yes, I hate losing to the Steelers, but right now they’re an elite team, just like Baltimore and the Titans. Do all three have holes? Yes. Can all three be beaten? Yes. Hell Kansas City and Green Bay were supposed to be elite teams until they lost to the Raiders and Tampa. The Browns are currently 4-2 and weren’t going to go 15-1. They’re still on pace, baring major injuries, to make the playoffs. Something this team hasn’t done in 18 years. They’re still a good team. So what went wrong Sunday.

First of all, QB Baker Mayfield should have never started the game. I love head coach Kevin Stefanski, but that was a bad decision. I know people will say, the Browns went into the game with no third string quarterback because the Cowboys poached QB Garrett Gilbert off the Browns practice squad last Monday. Still if Mayfield’s ribs were sore, he can’t effectively throw the football. I know QB Case Keenum isn’t the season long answer, but for one game announced on Sunday morning as the starter, maybe. At least the Steelers couldn’t have game planned for Keenum. As for Mayfield, I’m not ready to throw in the towel. Is he a franchise QB right now? No, he’s still a work in progress. The Browns are six games in and they’re 4-2. They played a bad game, it’s that simple. Mayfield was good in college and his rookie season 2018. He didn’t forget how to play football. I don’t count 2019, because his head coach was Freddie Kitchens. The Steelers mixed up their coverages, especially their safeties and brought the pressure on every play. They were ready for the Browns.

On Monday, HC Kevin Stefanski took the blame for the loss, He said, “There’s plays we ran yesterday that I wouldn’t run again. I learned a lesson in a hard way.” This is how a coach handles a team after a bad loss. Hopefully he won’t make a t-shirt out of it. Unfortunately, moving forward, opposing defenses now think they have a blueprint against Baker Mayfield and the Browns. How do the Browns keep that from happening? More rollouts, because Mayfield is much better when he’s on the move. More screen plays to keep the defense honest. When Kevin Stefanski was the offensive coordinator for the Vikings, they used the screen play very effectively and the Browns have the tight ends, running back and offensive line to execute this play call.

On defense, the Browns need to get healthy at the safety position. Karl Joseph and Ronnie Harrison have to play. Since CB Kevin Johnson has been healthy, opposing slot receivers have been covered. Now get your safeties healthy and the middle of the field is covered. The linebackers have been good, however getting Jacob Phillips back would help. The defense needs to get the linebacker group involved in pressuring the opposing quarterback. After six games, the linebackers have no sacks. Other defensive linemen besides DE Myles Garrett, also need to start to apply better pressure. No sacks in the last three games. The one thing that bothered me Sunday, the Steelers as the game went on, were very effective throwing to the outside against Denzel Ward and Terrence Mitchell. By this time in the game, the defense was exhausted. Just remember the Browns defense hasn’t been completely healthy for the first six games.

Looking forward, and as those who know me, I don’t like to look forward, the Browns have two winnable games prior to the bye. The Bengals and the Raiders. The Browns will be favored to win both. Personally, if the Browns had beaten the Steelers, the Bengal game would have been the perfect trap game. Beat Cincinnati and Las Vegas, the Browns are 6-2 going into the bye. I’ll take that any day of the week. The Bengals can put points on the board and QB Joe Burrow appears to be the real deal. Against the Colts Cincinnati had a 14-0 lead and just didn’t have the team to hold the lead. As for the Raiders, I know they beat Kansas City, but like Browns/Steelers, that’s an old time AFC rivalry game. The Raiders play at Tampa this weekend. Which Raider team will play in Cleveland on November 1, the one that beat Kansas City or the one that lost to the Patriots and Bills?

To win these two games, the Browns need to stick to the winning formula, Run the ball, don’t ask Mayfield to do too much and play great defense. The Browns are 40% of the way to ten wins with ten games to go. 10-6 gets this team into the playoffs. Since 1999, all I’ve wanted was for the Browns to have a winning season and make the playoffs. They did it once in 2002 and now it’s time to get another winning streak going. Learn from the loss to the Steelers and come out and put a slap down on the Bengals. Everybody stay safe and GO Browns. On to Cincinnati.

It’s Victory Monday again. I could get use to this. The Browns are now 4-1. The last time the Browns started 4-1 was 1994. The Browns dropped 32 points on the number one defensive team in the NFL. That’s four straight games scoring 30 plus points. That hasn’t happened since 1968 when the Browns scored 30 plus in seven straight games. Currently the Browns are number 2 in offense, number nine in defense and 27th in special teams. As you can see, this is new territory for many Browns fans.

Lets start with the positives. QB Baker Mayfield was 21 for 37, 247 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. However with Mayfield it was a tale of two halves. In the first half, he was 19 for 29, 228 yards with two touchdowns. Mayfield had to step up in the first half because the Colts run defense is legit. The Browns did rush for 124 yards, but 28 of those yards came on D’Ernest Johnsons game clinching first down run late in the game. RB Kareem Hunt finished with 72 yards on 20 carries. I love how this team keeps running the ball as the game goes on. It was good to see Rashad Higgins make it out of the witness protection program and walk the red carpet after his touchdown reception. And his block helped on Johnsons 28 yard gain. Of course, Landry, Beckham and Hooper were their usual selves. RG Wyatt Teller gets hurt early, Chris Hubbard steps in and the offensive line didn’t skip a beat. Colts DT DeForest Buckner was held to his worst Pro Football Focus grade since week one of 2019. For the third week in a row, the Browns scored before the end of the first half. What’s amazing was the amount of time left for the other team. Week three, 7 seconds, week four, 5 seconds and this game, 32 seconds. That’s good play calling.

One defense, it all starts with DE Myles Garrett. Another sack and his seventh pressure leading to a turnover. To put that in perspective, last year two players led the league in turnovers off of pressure and they were tied with six apiece. Again this week individual players stepped up. LB Sione Takitaki, LB Jacob Phillips, LB Malcolm Smith, S Ronnie Harrison and S Sheldrick Redwine. The defense is slowly getting better. Last, the Browns committed two penalties, TWO. When’s the last time that happened?

As for the negatives. QB Baker Mayfield in the second half. He was 2 for 8, 19 yards and two interceptions. HC Kevin Stefanski admitted today the play calling was at fault. This team has to keep the offensive pressure on all game. Baker Mayfield’s QB rating per quarter, 1st qtr. 77.3, 2nd qtr. 91.5, 3rd qtr. 51.9 and 4th qtr. 7.4. Yikes. The defensive play calling in the middle of the field is horrendous. Opposing WRs are open way too much. They had so much time, I could’ve sworn I saw Colts WRs filling out change of address forms. The safety positions did improve with Harrison and Redwine playing. Harrison had a PFF rating of 79.6 and Redwine with nineteen defensive snaps had a PFF rating of 93.6. The special teams are a mess on kickoff returns. K Cody Parkey was perfect again and P Jamie Gillan kicked a perfect punt to the Indy four that led to the safety.

Injuries are starting to pile up. Mayfield (ribs), Teller (calf strain), Harrison (concussion), Jordon Elliott (knee) and Olivier (groin). Today the Browns finally put CB Greedy Williams on Injured Reserve and will miss at least three games. Mayfield and Teller will get X-Rays today, we’ll have to wait until the injury report on Wednesday to find out anything on the other players. Hopefully Harrison and Larry Ogunjobi will be back for the Steelers game. The defensive line is starting to get a little thin.

It’s Steeler week. I watched a little of their game against the Eagles. Their offense is still totally generated by Big Ben. The Steelers offensive line is average, so disrupting Ben Roethlisberger is the key. On defense, if I’m the Browns, I target former Brown CB Joe Haden. He has definitely lost a step. Eagle rookie WR Travis Fulgham burnt him for ten catches, 152 yards and a touchdown. The Browns offensive line has already faced two of the better front fours in the league in Washington and Indy, so keeping Mayfield upright is a must. On defense, the Browns have to clean up the middle of the field. The 4-1 Browns head to Pittsburg to play for first place in the AFC North. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

It’s Victory Monday and I’m loving it. I had some confidence the Browns would win based on how horrific the Cowboy defense is playing, but 49 points? I did not see that coming. The Browns are now 3-1 for the first time since 2001. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has won three games in his first four. To put that in perspective, former HC Hue Jackson won his first three in 40 games. The Browns are currently first in these categories, -1st in rushing yards (818) -1st in yards per carry (5.9) -1st in rushing TDs (8) -1st in defensive takeaways (10) -1st in turnover differential (+6). The Browns redzone efficiency is 80%. What a difference a coaching staff makes.

First the positives. I love how this team commits to the running game and stays with it. The Browns rushed for 307 yards against the Cowboys. Even after RB Nick Chubb went down with MCL strain, D’Ernest Johnson comes in and runs for 95 yards on 13 carries. The offensive line is a well oiled machine right now. Even the wide receivers are blocking in the running game. I saw Donovan Peoples-Jones man handling the Cowboys secondary. Running the ball in the NFL is a mentality and right now the Browns have that mentality. For the second straight week, the Browns got WR Odell Beckham, Jr. into the flow of the games early. He had five catches, three went for first downs and two went for touchdowns. When Beckham and QB Baker Mayfield get into a rhythm, there’s no defense that can stop this team. Speaking of Mayfield, he was a lot smoother in this game. He was 19 of 30 for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Second straight game without an interception.

On the defensive side of the ball, DE Myles Garrett is a beast. Two sacks, one a strip sack and a fumble, his third in three games. Garrett is playing like a game changer. The defensive line was again dominant. The Cowboys rushed for 85 yards. I saw better linebacker play this game. It was good to see both LB Mack Wilson and LB Jacob Phillips playing. The outside cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Terrence Mitchell had good games. After the Cowboys scored twice in the first quarter, the Browns confused Dallas for the second and third quarter.

Which leads me to the negatives. HC Kevin Stefanski needed to keep the offensive pressure on Dallas. The Browns could have scored 60 Sunday. The combination of taking the foot off the offensive gas pedal and the defense going into a prevent, allowed the Cowboys back in the game. Dallas has too many offensive weapons and they showed it by scoring 24 points in the fourth quarter. The safeties on this team are not very good. I know this is because the Browns lost S Grant Delpit to a season ending injury in training camp, but you can’t tell me S Ronnie Harrison isn’t better than S Andrew Sendejo. He only had eleven snaps and his Pro Football Focus rating was 91. Of course the worst news was the injury to RB Nick Chubb. He is going on injured reserve and will miss at least three games. The NFL Network is reporting he’ll probably miss six games, but HC Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t commit to that timeline. Chubb is known for quickly recovering from injuries. The Browns could promote RB John Kelly from the practice squad if needed. The good news on the injury front, TE David Njoku came off the injured reserve. Another weapon added back.

This weekend the Browns will host the 3-1 Colts. The Colts have the best defense in the NFL and have not allowed a 100 yard rusher after four games. On offense the Colts feature 107 year old Phillip Rivers and a very good offensive line. It will be strength verses strength on both sides of the ball. Like Mayfield, Rivers is still learning the Colts offense, so catching them now is good test. If Stefanski keeps calling games like he did in Dallas, then the Browns should win. I’m really impressed. The Browns have a plan, they are prepared and they implement the plan. Let me leave you with this stat, the last two teams to score 49+ points against the Cowboys in Dallas went on to reach the Super Bowl (2004 Eagles, 2013 Broncos). Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

Happy victory Monday Browns fans. The Browns did what they had to do to, win. The Washington Football team isn’t very good and the Browns were expected to win this game, but all Browns fans know, nothing with the Browns is a certainty. Especially after a terrible third quarter which saw Washington score thirteen unanswered points and grab the lead late in the third quarter. Lucky the Browns scored on the next drive and were given short fields because of Washington turnovers which led to another touchdown and a field goal. Game over.

First the positives. This offensive line is fantastic. Sure rookie LT Jedrick Wills had a couple false starts, but for this group to mesh so quickly is a testament to Offensive Line coach Bill Callahan. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are the best running back duo in the NFL. The Browns had 158 yards rushing. Any time a team can run for 150 yards or more is a good day. Wide receiver Odell Beckham only had four catches, but they all went for first downs. Beckham’s best play was as a defender, knocking down a sure interception. QB Baker Mayfield had a good day, but still looks a little impatient in the pocket. It could be he’s still learning the offense. The one thing I love about this offense, it plays perfectly into Mayfields strengths.

On defense, the defensive line is getting the job done. DE Myles Garrett had two sacks and a fumble recovery and DT Sheldon Richardson added another sack. The Browns got five turnovers including three interceptions. One by S Karl Joseph, one by LB Malcolm Smith and one by LB B.J. Goodson. All three interceptions led to Browns touchdowns. That’s how you make the opposing team pay for their mistakes. For the second week in a row, key players on the defense stepped up and made plays when they had to.

I was glad to see kicker Cody Parkey kicking the ball out of the end zone on kick offs and was perfect on two field goals and four extra points. It was refreshing. I know it’s only his third game as a head coach, but nothing seems to bother Kevin Stefanski. Even though the running game wasn’t working at the beginning of the game, he stuck with it and it paid off.

As for the negatives, Mayfield almost threw another interception and again had an intentional grounding. He was sacked twice, but Washington has one hell of a defensive line. As for the Browns defense, they seemed to disappear in the third quarter. Too many wide open receivers for Washington. Hopefully the Browns will get injured players back this week. CB Greedy Williams needs to get healthy for Dallas. You could tell LB Mack Wilson and CB Kevin Johnson were still knocking off some rust. Finally, wide receiver/kick returner Jo Jo Natson has been lost for the year with a torn ACL. It could be Donovan Peoples-Jones time.

Now it’s on to Dallas. The Cowboys are 1-2 and could easily be 0-3 if not for a Falcons team who still hasn’t gotten over their historical loss to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Browns defense will need to play a complete game because the Cowboys are loaded on offense. As for the Dallas defense, they have trouble stopping teams who use a lot of play action and right now the Browns are doing exceptionally well at play action. Dallas has allowed 126.6 passer rating in the secondary, worst in the NFL. Enjoy being 2-1 Browns fans. Everyone stay safe, Go Tribe and Go Browns.

It’s victory Friday. Four days after a humiliating loss, the Browns coaches had the team ready to play. Before you say, “but they gave up 30 points to the Bengals”, I have a news flash for you, QB Joe Burrow is very good. Cincinnati needs to figure out a way to protect him better, he’s going to get killed before the season is over. The Browns did what they had to do to win. More importantly, every time the Bengals scored, the Browns answered. So lets start with the negatives.

The defense was average, maybe below average, but made plays when they had to. They still can’t cover an opposing tight end. Raise you hand if you’ve ever heard of Drew Sample and C.J. Uzomah. I didn’t think so. Besides CB Denzel Ward and CB Terrance Mitchell, the back seven was erratic. LB Mack Wilson, CB Greedy Williams and CB Kevin Johnson can’t come back soon enough. None of them have shown up on the short-term IR yet, so it appears they’ll all be ready for week three. The tackling by the defense was terrible. The special teams were not special at all. Note to kicker Cody Parkey, kick the ball out of the back of the end zone. The kick off coverage was non existent. I’m sure pre-season games would’ve helped but this is what happens when your best special team players are starting on defense. On offense, RG Wyatt Teller had two stupid penalties. That’s it, that’s the offensive list.

Now for the positives. The offensive line was fantastic. Rookie LT Jedrick Wills allowed only one QB pressure. One. The OL allowed no quarterback hits, no sacks and 6.1 yards per rush. RT Chris Hubbard started in place of Jack Conklin and you did not hear his named called once. I loved how HC Kevin Stefanski started the game with play action and rollouts. The Bengals were completely caught off guard and it allowed QB Baker Mayfield to get in a rhythm early. Is there a better running back duo in the NFL right now? No there isn’t, the Browns rushed for 215 yards. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt ran though and over the Cincinnati defense. FB Andy Janovich was on the field more this game and he was a blocking machine. That’s what Browns fans call “fullback porn.” This is how a wide zone offense is suppose to work.

On defense, the defensive line had three sacks, seven QB pressures and eight QB hits. DT Sheldon Richardson was disruptive all game. DE Myles Garrett made a big play when the team needed it, forcing a fumble which was recovered by the Browns on the one yard line. DE Porter Gustin was in the back field constantly. As mentioned earlier, Ward and Mitchell played very well. Cincinnati star wide receiver A.J. Green was targeted thirteen times and only had three catches. Now I know why the Browns signed K Cody Parkey. Having a kicker who can make an extra point is refreshing. The Browns need someone who is reliable from 40 yards out.

The Browns now get ten days of rest and recoup. Hopefully injured players will heal and safety Ronnie Harrison and linebacker Malcom Smith will have fully learned the defensive scheme. The Browns need both to start against Washington. The kick coverage team needs a lot more practice time. Enjoy this one Browns fans. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

It’s been 48 hours, so here goes. I didn’t expect the Browns to blow out the Ravens and hoped, HOPED, they could win. I did, however expect a better showing. Let’s face facts, installing a new offense with no pre-season games showed why this was a major uphill climb for the Browns. I never thought I would wish there were pre-season games. The Browns now have four days to get ready for the Bengals. The only thing that makes this a positive is Cincinnati also has four days to get ready for a road game with a rookie quarterback. Lets start with the negatives from Sunday.

A fake punt from your own 31 yard line? Really? In the first quarter? Stupid, just plain stupid. Six carries for Kareem Hunt and six carries for Nick Chubb in the first half? I know when the game got out of hand, the Browns had to abandon the run, but the running game was working. The two averaged 5.5 yard a carry for the game and 6.5 yards a carry in the first half. Less play action pass. If the running games is working, which it was, call more play action pass. Stefanski needs to move QB Baker Mayfield outside the pocket more. He is much better on the move and will have less passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. OBJ and Mayfield are still not on the same page. Some of it’s Mayfields fault, some it’s ObJs fault, but one thing is certain, Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey owns OBJ. A third down an 41? That’s almost half a football field. Stop with the stupid penalties.

On defense, the defensive line was uninspiring. Myles Garrett had one tackle. ONE. Safety Andrew Sendejo looked lost. Hopefully the Browns can get S Ronnie Harrison up to speed by Thursday. The secondary was a mess as a whole. The injuries to cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson were painfully evident. The decision not to invest in the linebacker position in the off season was also painfully evident. Can the Browns please find a defender who can cover the opposing tight end, please.

Now for the positives and yes there were positives. The offensive line looked really good, both in pass blocking and run blocking. Left tackle Jedrick Wills played pretty good and made a few rookie mistakes, but all in all had a good game. Right guard Wyatt Teller had an outstanding game only giving up one quarterback pressure verses a damn good Ravens defense. When QB Baker Mayfield is in a flow, he’s a pretty good QB and you saw that on the touchdown drive. It was great to see the Browns line up on the goal line with three tight ends and fullback in the formation. Now they just need to get to the goal line more often. On defense, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi was the only bright spot. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the highest rated DT in week one. Now DC Joe Woods needs to get the rest of the defense to play.

As for injuries, both OT Jack Conklin and OT Jedrick Wills got a little dinged up, but both are expected to play on Thursday night, but OT Chris Hubbard did take all the snaps at RT today. LB Jacob Phillips is expected to miss some time with a knee injury and might end up on the Injured Reserve. Both Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson might be ready for week three verses Washington. Unfortunately TE David Njoku was placed on IR and will have to miss three games. Could we see a return of TE Pharaoh Brown? The Browns made one move, they signed kicker Cody Parkey off the practice squad and waived kicker Austin Seibert. Of course, today the Bengals signed Seibert, but will he be able to kick on Thursday night? He still has to go through Covid-19 testing. As for Browns twitter going into complete meltdown about OBJ and Mayfield, stop, just stop. It’s just one game.

Now the Browns host the Bengals. I’m going to be really interested in how this coaching staff reacts to the loss. Calling more play action and roll outs for Mayfield would be a good start. Commit to the run and stay with it would be another. The Chargers had great success running the ball against the Bengals, they had 150 yards rushing. The Browns need to get QB Baker Mayfield into a rhythm and attack the middle of the Cincinnati defense. TE Austin Hooper/Harrison Bryant anyone? On defense, show some exotic fronts to confuse rookie QB Joe Burrow. The Bengals use a lot of two and three wide receiver sets, so the secondary better be ready. CB Denzel Ward has to shadow Bengals WR A.C Green all game long. The Browns defense against Baltimore, put more pressure on the quarterback than any other team in week one. It made no difference because it was against the reigning NFL MVP, QB Lamar Jackson. However on Sunday in Cincinnati, when the Chargers put pressure on QB Joe Burrow, he had a quarterback rating of about 40. Pressure, pressure pressure. The Chargers DE Joey Bosa was a game wrecker in the first half. Myles Garrett needs to be disruptive all game long.. I just hope the Bengals tight end doesn’t have a record setting game. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

The time has come, Browns fans, It’s game week. The roster is set, the practice squad is set and the team is game planning for the Ravens. I never thought this week would come. Lets talk about the roster first. The good news is that center J.C. Tretter is practicing again and is determined to play on Sunday. I thought rookie Nick Harris did a good job and felt confident in his ability if he had to play on Sunday. But having Tretter back would give the Browns a better chance in Baltimore. Also returning to practice was cornerback M.J. Stewart, which will definitely help the defense. Questions still remain about CB Greedy Williams, LB Mack Wilson and CB Kevin Johnson. I have heard that Williams injury is not as bad as everyone thinks and Johnson is ahead of schedule on his injury. I’ve heard nothing on Mack Wilson and I’m checking the injured reserve list everyday. I guess we’ll have to wait for the first injury report this week.

A quick note on the new injured reserve rules for 2020. If a player was placed on the injured reserve by last Sunday September 6, they are required to sit out the entire 2020 season. At some point, and I’m not sure when, the Browns can designate players for short-term IR. This requires a player to only sit out the first three games. This option still might be possible for Mack and Johnson. Finally unlike in years past, there is no limit to how many players can come off short-term IR. Last year only two players could be re-activated from the injured reserve. I’m also glad to see the Browns stashed OT Alex Taylor on the this years IR.

Besides the final roster, the Browns made some major news. GM Andrew Berry solidified the safety position by trading for Ronnie Harrison. It only cost the Browns a 2021 draft pick and Harrison is under contract for the Browns for two years. Berry found the defensive line depth he’s been searching for by signing DT Vincent Taylor and DE Joe Jackson. Both are veterans. The biggest news came yesterday when the Browns signed RB Kareem Hunt to a two year contract extension for $13.25 million. Word is the offer came from Hunt and his agent. Hunt is so grateful the Browns took a chance on him, he offered a hometown discount. Just when 2020 keeps getting weirder by the hour, a star player in the NFL offers to stay with the Browns on a discount.

Back to the Hunt signing, Browns twitter is now convinced the Browns won’t resign RB Nick Chubb. I beg to differ. The Browns new offense is a run heavy, tight end driven offense, so I could see the Browns extending Chubb after the 2020 season. The problem for the 2021 roster is WRs Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry will be owed collectively about $ 30 million. Could one or both restructure? Sure. I’m really glad the Browns resigned Rashard Higgins and drafted Donovan Peoples-Jones. Plus the Browns have to decide on the fifth year options for QB Baker Mayfield and CB Denzel Ward. You have to give Andrew Berry credit for one thing, with all his signings and drafting, he’s not only thinking about this year, but also five years down the road.

As for the practice squad, thirteen of the sixteen players signed spend this year with the Browns at training camp. They already know the system and would be ready to go if called upon because of injury. The Browns filled the last two spots on the PS by signing OL Greg Senat and RB John Kelly. I’m curious why the Browns signed K Cody Parkey. Competition or insurance? Only Andrew Berry knows.

So, it’s game week and the Browns are on to Baltimore. I expect a heavy dose of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Not only to control the game and the clock, but to also protect rookie offensive tackle Jedrick Wills. The less pass plays, the better. The players on the defense are faster and the defensive line needs to control the Ravens offense. I just wish S Grant Delpit hadn’t gotten hurt. I have a feeling he would’ve been shadowing Lamar Jackson all game. Neither team has played a game, so they’re both in the same boat. It’s going to be an uphill climb for our Browns, but stranger thing have happened, remember it’s 2020. Stay safe everyone and Go Browns.

NFL cut down day is Saturday September 5 at 3:00 PM central. Time to play every Browns fan favorite game, the 53 man roster projection game. I’m basing my projections on the new roster rules of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement which have been modified due to Covid-19. If you are unaware of the new rules, I recently wrote an article on this subject for http://www.CLEsportstalk.com. Just click on the Browns tab in the upper left of the page and look for “Cut Down Day – The New Practice Squad And Roster Rules.” So here goes:

Quarterback (2). Baker Mayfield/ Case Keenum. Pretty easy, Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad, hopefully, and he is the Browns emergency QB.

Running Back (4). Nick Chubb/ Kareem Hunt/ D’Ernest Johnson/ Andy Janovich. I know Dontrell Hilliard has more experience, however I think Johnson has outplayed him in training camp.

Wide Receiver (6). OBJ/ Jarvis Landry/ Rashard Higgins/ Donovan Peoples-Jones/ KhaDarel Hodge/Jo Jo Natson. Hodge barely outplayed Taywan Taylor in training camp, however Hodge is a better special teams player. Peoples-Jones and Natson give the Browns better options in the return game.

Tight End (4). Austin Hooper/ David Njoku/ Harrison Bryant/ Pharaoh Brown. I hope they can sneak Stephen Carlson onto the practice squad.

Offensive Line (9). Jedrick Wills/Joel Bitonio/ J.C. Tretter/ Wyatt Teller/ Jack Conklin/ Chris Hubbard/ Kendall Lamm/ Willie Wright/ Nick Harris. Alex Taylor and Evan Brown are players who could make the practice squad. although I worry Taylor won’t make it through waivers. If Tretter isn’t ready for game one, Wright can be the back up center to Nick Harris.

Defensive Line (8). Olivier Vernon/ Larry Ogunjobi/ Sheldon Richardson/ Myles Garrett/ Porter Gustin/ Jordan Elliot/ Eli Ankou/ Adrian Clayborn. Looks like the Chad Thomas era comes to an end in Cleveland. Gustin has had a better training camp. Ankou is a big body the middle of the defensive line needs.

Linebacker(6). B.J. Goodson/ Malcolm Smith/ Jacob Phillips/ Sione Takitaki/ Tae Davis/ Willie Harvey. Davis and Harvey are great special teams players, so they make the roster. Solomon Ajayi and Montrel Meander to the practice squad. Mack Wilson to IR.

Secondary(11). Denzel Ward/ Greedy Williams/ Kevin Johnson/ Terrance Mitchell/ M.J. Stewart/ Tavierre Thomas/ Donovan Olumba/ A.J. Green/ Andrew Sendejo/ Karl Joseph/ Sheldrick Redwine. This position group is the only one that has a lot of questions. What is the health of Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson? Why only three safeties? There’s obviously isn’t a veteran safety free agent that GM Andrew Berry is interested in, or he would have signed one. If Greedy Williams has to go on the injured reserve, then I think Robert Jackson makes the roster. Jovante Moffatt, J.T Hassell and Donnie Lewis, Jr. to the practice squad.

Specialists (3). Austin Seibert/Jamie Gilliam/ Charley Hughlett.

So there’s my Browns 53 man roster. As explained in my article, the practice squad has expanded from twelve to sixteen and each week during the season NFL teams can protect four players. I fully expect GM Andrew Berry to scan the waiver wire on Saturday and into Sunday looking to fill the bottom of the roster, so the practice squad will be in flux all weekend. Stay safe and Go Browns.

What a strange week it’s been. After a very good practice on Saturday, Sunday started with an announcement by a New Jersey testing center that 77 NFL players, front office personnel and coaching staff members tested positive for Covid. The NFL immediately shut down the league and the Browns shut down their facilities in Berea for a deep cleaning. It was later found out that thankfully all tests were false positives. This incident showed how prepared the NFL was for the occurrence of a mass outbreak. As a result, the NFL has strengthened its testing policy.

On Monday, during training camp, the Browns suffered another major injury to their defense. Second round draft pick safety Grant Delpit tore his Achilles during individual drills and was lost for the season. Also during Monday’s practice, starting cornerback Greedy Williams suffered a shoulder injury. As of this writing, the extent of Williams injury is still not known. The walking wounded in the secondary includes CBs M.J. Stewart (hamstring), Terrance Mitchell (knee) and Kevin Johnson (lacerated liver). The good news was DE Myles Garrett resumed team practices and Kevin Johnson has been released from the hospital and was back on the side lines during practice. DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) was back on the practice field doing individual drills.

GM Andrew Berry did address the DT and LB positions with the signings of DT Ricky Walker and LB Malcolm Smith. Walker played for the Dallas Cowboys and Smith is a former Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks. Now Berry has to search for safety and cornerback help depending on the status of Greedy Williams. While the injury to Williams is not known, head coach Kevin Stefanski did hint Williams might miss playing time while talking to the media. The most logical choice for the Browns at safety would be Logan Ryan. Unlike safety Earl Thomas, who was recently released from the Ravens, Ryan is a great locker room guy and would fit DC Joe Woods defensive scheme. Ryan can play on the line of scrimmage, both inside and outside cornerback positions and has played 22 games at safety. It all depends on his salary demands. He was seeking over $10 million per year.

On Tuesday, with the Browns defense not having their number two, three, four and five cornerbacks on the field, it was thought the passing game would shine. Nope. All three quarterback struggled. The only three offensive players who did well were running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and finally wide receiver Rashard Higgins. On defense, I’m really impressed with defensive tackle Jordan Elliot, defensive end Porter Gustin, linebackers Jacob Phillips and B.J. Goodson and safeties Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph. The only injury from Tuesday was DE Chad Thomas. With the emergence of Gustin, Thomas made be done as a Brown. Wide receiver Jarvis Landry did end practice early and go inside the facility, however it has been reported it was just precautionary. Both WR Odell Beckham and DE Myles Garrett look ready for the season to start.

Finally, GM Andrew Berry made one other roster move, claiming DE Curtis Weaver off the waiver wire from Miami. Weaver, a 2020 fifth round draft pick, was released with an injury and Miami had hoped to stash him on injured reserve for the season. Berry beat them to it. Weaver might not play this year, however now the Browns have a replacement for Olivier Vernon next year and have draft flexibility for 2021. No need to spend an early draft pick on an edge rusher next year. Pro Football Focus rated Weaver in the top five for pass rushing college defensive linemen in 2020. Guess who was number one? Browns third round pick DT Jordan Elliot.

Hopefully as practice resumes on Thursday, the offense will start to show some signs of life and the injuries will start to slow. The Browns need to get to full strength, especially on defense, they are eighteen days away from the season opener in Baltimore. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.