Author: admin

It’s been 48 hours so lets get this over with. The Browns lost this game with 1:18 left in the first half. For 28:32 the Browns played well and seem to confuse and frustrate the well oiled machine that are the Ravens. The Ravens blew through all their timeouts, so they couldn’t stop the clock. When Baltimore trails at the half this season they are 0-2, so a 6-0 lead with 1:18 left in the half looked pretty good. Then Freddie’s play calling threw everything flammable onto the fire. On 3rd and 1 from your own 28 yard line he decides to run a trick play, a half back pass to the tight end. What in gods name were you thinking Freddie? So what happens, the Browns are forced to punt and the Ravens score a touchdown in two plays. Two freaking plays with no time outs. Okay so now the Browns are down 7-6(because of another missed extra point by Seibert) with less than a minute to play and what does that former running backs coach turned head coach do? He tries three straight passes, stopping the clock and 46 seconds later the Ravens lead 14-6 and get the ball first in the second half. Game over. I heard a stat yesterday that blew me away. Against the Browns, opposing teams have scored 53 points with less than two minutes left in the first half. The Browns have scored 7 points in the same situation. There’s your 2019 Cleveland Browns.

The 2019 season has been a waste. Wasted opportunities in the NFL can set a team back. The Browns have to fire Freddie and move on. This coaching staff, from Kitchens, to Todd Monken to Ryan Lindley, have set Baker Mayfield back a year in his learning. I still believe Mayfield is quarterback the Browns need to win, he just needs better coaching.So who’s the next coach of our Cleveland Browns? My choice would be either Ron Rivera or Josh McDaniels. The problem is there might be quite a few openings come next Monday (Black Monday). Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, New York Giants, possibly the Chargers and hopefully the Browns. Washington and Carolina have interim coaches and word is Carolina already interviewed Mike McCarthy. I know Rivera has ties to Dallas, Atlanta and the Giants, so if the Browns want him, there will be a bidding war, which could mean more power for the coach. With all the uncertainty about the future in New England , McDaniels might be ready to move on to a head coaching position. We hear Urban Myers to the Browns and I know a good coach can coach at any level, but I really worry about his health. The NFL is a 24 hour 7 day a week job, just ask Steve Spurrier. Anyway, with Dorsey and Myers, the Browns would average three arrests a year.

The next question, can we trust the Haslams and Dorsey to get it right this time? It sure didn’t work with Kitchens. Word is Dee Haslam wanted Freddie fired after the second Pittsburgh game, but she is also the main reason the Browns kept Hugh Jackson after he went 1-15. This part of the off season scares me the most. The decision making process of this group should scare all Browns fans. You want another scary thought? With Cincinnati assured of getting the first pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the QB’s in the AFC north will be Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Ben Roethlisberger and possibly Joe Burrow. This is why the Browns have to get this hire right. And the new coach has to hire the right coaching staff. This team is close, it just needs a strong hand and someone to bring out the best in Baker Mayfield.

The worst part about Sunday is everything the Browns needed to happen with other teams to keep them in the playoff hunt, happened. The Titans and Steelers lost and the Colts won. A wasted Sunday and a wasted season. This really isn’t a bad team. The Browns have offensive weapons and a good base for the defense. If the Browns add an good return man, their special teams would be top five in the NFL. Before you ask, no I would not trade Odell Beckham. He just needs to show up healthy in the off season and do the work. Besides the coaching decision, this off season the Browns need to improve the offensive line, whether it be in free agency or the draft or both. The Browns also need a safety, defensive tackle and linebacker help. Currently the Browns have the twelfth pick in the draft and have seven picks, one in each round. In future blogs, I’ll get more into the off season, the salary cap, free agents available, resigning current players, potential trades and the draft. But right now, the Browns have one more game to play, at Cincinnati. Lets hope they win and leave Browns fans with a positive attitude as we head towards the off season. I don’t think a win in Cincinnati can save Kitchens and it better not be an excuse to keep him. Go Browns and Merry Christmas.

Well it’s been 48 hours so lets get to it. Disorganized chaos. That’s the only way to describe the 2019 Cleveland Browns. Lets talk about the game first. The Browns won the coin toss and elected to take the ball in the second half. Against a 3-9-1 team with a rookie QB, you take the ball first and force the opposing team to go into panic mode if you score on your first possession. Nick Chubb only had three rushes in the first 18 minutes of the game. Three rushes. He ended up with 17 rushes, 127 yards and a touchdown. I know the Cardinals have the worst passing defense in the league, but by those stats Chubb should have had at least 20 to 25 touches. I thought Mayfield was decent, but he’s still sailing passes as evidenced by his first interception. The only players on offense who looked liked they cared were, Mayfield, Chubb, Hunt and Landry. Please, for the love of god, STOP USING THE SHUTTLE PASS. Third and two, you shuttle pass to a wide receiver and end up losing six yards. And Nick Chubb is standing on the side lines.

On defense, or lack thereof, the only player who played well was Mack Wilson. DC Steve Wilks allowed another rookie quarterback to beat the Browns. RB Kenyan Drake(Who?) rushed for 137 yards and FOUR touchdowns. The defense gave up 445 yards after giving up 451 to the Bengals. Total team lack of effort. No special blitzes, no pressure on the QB and no sacks. Kareem Hunt said Monday, he felt not everyone was giving 110% I am pretty sure he was talking about the defense. As for special teams, another missed field goal and another short punt.

The drama. There were reports that after the game, Browns players, including Jarvis Landry, were yelling at the Arizona sideline to “come get me.” I almost believed it, until I found out that the report was attributed to Mike Silver. I just can’t believe a Hugh Jackson spokesman. He’s so far up Jackson’s ass, that the only way he could see is if Hugh opened his eyes. However, Landry and Freddie getting into a heated discussion on the sideline, gets my attention. When the coach losses Landry, then Freddie has lost the fans. If the players truly wanted out of Cleveland, they would tell their agents. After the game, Mayfield showed up for the post game press conference in a T-shirt. If that doesn’t say I don’t care, nothing does. Also when asked Monday if the players still supported Freddie, Damarious Randall couldn’t answer. YIKES.

The coach. In previous blogs, I’ve stressed not firing a coach after one season because I wanted the cycle of dysfunction to stop. Not any more, Freddie has to go. From play calling, to unexplained player inactives to a stupid T-shirt, I want a head coach who acts like a head coach. It sounds like Freddie has lost the locker room and the team leaders. I just don’t want him to destroy Baker Mayfield and if Freddie is back next year, he will. We don’t need another Tim Couch experience. Word is Jimmy Haslam is ready for a change and Dorsey isn’t. I don’t know yet who I want as the next HC, I haven’t looked at all the candidates yet, but I know I don’t want a college coach. Sorry, no Lincoln Riley, Matt Ruhle or Urban Meyer. An experienced coordinator could work, just depends who is available, Josh McDaniels maybe? The two veteran coaches currently available, Mike McCarthy and Ron Rivera both have concerns. McCarthy runs an old offense and couldn’t get along with QB Aaron Rogers. Rivera would want too much power. Remember before Freddie was hired, front office executive Paul DePodesta wanted to hire Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski. I wish, boy do I wish.

The playoffs. Do really want to see this team in the playoffs? It would probably mean Freddie would keep his job. Right now the Browns have a .08% of making the last wildcard seed. Here’s what needs to happen. First the Colts need to win their last two games. They play host to the Panthers and go to Jacksonville. Both are winnable. The Panthers are starting their third string QB and Jacksonville is a bad team. Next, the steelers need to lose their last two games. They are at the Jets and at the Ravens. The steelers don’t know who will start at QB for the Jets game. I can’t wait to see what kind of defense Greg Williams throws at the steelers. As for the Ravens, they might be resting players, but I still think they can beat the steelers. Next the Titans need to lose their last two games. They host the Saints and are at Houston. As under maned as they are with injuries and with the Titans kicking woes, they could lose both. Finally the Browns would have to win their last two games. They host the Ravens and go to Cincinnati. The way the defense played the last two weeks, beating the Ravens looks impossible. But like I said, do you really want the Browns to make the playoffs?

Hard to believe this season has come to this. Like I’ve said before in the off season you acquire talent and in the preseason you build a team. Freddie just doesn’t have the ability to build a team. Hard to believe this team went from Greg Williams (5-3 as HC) coach “come get some” to Freddie Kitchens (6-8 as HC) coach “come get me.” Last home game against the Ravens. Win out and the Browns would be 8-8 and 5-1 in the AFC North. Such a wasted season. GO BROWNS. By the way, 100 days until opening day at Progressive Field.

Victory Monday, at least I think it’s victory Monday. Before I talk about the drama that is the Cleveland Browns lets talk about the game. Offensively, it only took Freddie a half of football to figure out the Bengals rushing defense is the worst in the NFL. Nick Chubb had three rushes and Kareem Hunt had two rushes in the first half. To add to that, you have a quarterback with a bad hand and you come out passing. And your so called best receiver is injured. It looked like to me that Mayfield’s hand was bothering him, because a lot of his passes were high and both interceptions were on high passes that were tipped. The offense just seemed to be disjointed. Njoku seemed a little rusty, but Ricky Seals-Jones made a great catch and run. Nick Chubb is a workhorse and he’s the only player in the NFL with at least 75 yards or more from the line of scrimmage in each game. Chubb and Hunt, who showed his speed on his touchdown run, should have been running from the beginning of the game. More play action please. Jarvis Landry is a stud. The offensive line held their own and didn’t lose the game for the Browns allowing one sack. The Browns only had eight possessions all game and scored on four of those, however two possessions ended in a turnover.

On defense, you could say they didn’t play well because the Bengals rolled up 451 yards of total offense, but they stopped Cincinnati when they had to. The red zone defense was great. I’ll take field goals over touchdowns any day of the week. Richardson, Thomas, Ogunjobi and Cox played very well on the defensive line. Wilson and Schobert are becoming a really good linebacker combo. Extend Schobert now. In the secondary, Ward and Redwine are playing extremely well. Greedy Wilson settled down later in the game, but he needs to just react and not overthink things. As for the special teams Seibert hit all his kicks and even though one punt was affected by the wind, Gilan punted well. Could we please stop running the kickoffs out of the end zone? What surprised we the most, adjustments were made at halftime both on offense and defense, that’s progress.

Now for the drama. Reports that Beckham wants out of Cleveland started to surface last week by a guy on twitter named “Incarcerated Bob.” Beckham was asked about it on Friday and said he wanted to be in Cleveland and loves playing with his best friend Jarvis Landry. On Sunday Jay Glazer of CBS, confirmed this story and now there are reports Beckham during an October game told opposing players to “come get him” in the off season. The opponents in October were the 49ers, the Seahawks and the Patriots. If Beckham wants out of Cleveland then this would be the off season to deal him. All his up front guarantees were paid by the Giants and although he’s signed through 2023, his cap hit this off season would only be 2.7 million. If he’s really hurt that bad, tell him you want to sit him for the Cardinals game and that you really need him for the Ravens game. I would love to see what this offense can do without Mayfield trying to force the ball to Beckham. If he really wanted out of Cleveland, Beckham would shut it down and have the surgery. As for Mayfield’s comments about the medical staff not dealing with Beckham injury properly, I love Baker Mayfield, but sometimes he needs to just shut up.

The Browns playoff hopes are still slight, but there is a way. First the Browns need to win their last three games. That would put them at 9-7, 5-1 in the AFC North and 8-4 in the AFC. The steelers need to lose two games, they still have to play the Bills and the Ravens. The Browns would win the tie breaker because of a better AFC North record. The Colts and the Raiders need to lose at least one game and after seeing them this past Sunday, that’s very possible. Here’s the shocker, the Titans need to sweep the Texans and win the AFC South. The Titans hold the tie breaker with Browns because of the egg the Browns laid week one, but would have the tie breaker with the Texans because of a better AFC conference record. First the Browns need to beat the Cardinals. Against the steelers, the Cardinals either turned the ball over or gave up touchdown killing sacks in the red zone. Time for the Browns to go out west and win a game. Are the Browns a playoff team? Well they have won 4 out of the last 5 and have a 4 game winning streak at home. If Freddie could just get over his obsession about passing the ball when you have two premier running backs on the roster, then maybe the Browns can be a play off team.

Finally as for The Ohio State football team. Based on their resume, they should be the number one team in the country. While LSU was playing Texas A & M and Arkansas, the Buckeye’s were playing Penn State and that team up north. And of their opponents in the championship games, Wisconsin would crush Georgia. This gives Ryan Day a ton of motivation before the bowl game. Bring on Clemson and GO BROWNS.

Over the many years of watching Browns football, I thought I had seen everything. But losing to a third string quarterback named Duck takes the cake. So the Browns this year have lost to two third string QB’s and the current backup for the titans. What the hell. It’s been 48 hours, so lets get this over with. Last week I lamented I wished I would see the Browns play a complete game. This past Sunday was a complete game, all three phases failed. On offense, the Browns got up 10-0 and it seemed like they thought they had already won the game. So, the steelers finally get something going and get a field goal to make it 10-3 and a little momentum shift starts to happen. The Browns get the ball back with 2:56 left in the first half with two timeouts and the two minute warning and they throw the ball instead of running. Three and out and they punt. So, the steelers go down and score making it 10-10. In the first half the Browns ran the ball 18 time for 91 yards and you come out throwing with 2:56 left in the half? Burn the clock, run the ball, take your time and even if you get no points the steelers are down at least 10-3. If you get lucky, it could have been 13-3 or 17-3 and momentum back on the Browns side.

The second half begins with the steelers getting the ball first and they go down and score a touchdown to make it 17-10. The steelers made adjustments and the Browns didn’t. The Browns record at the half this year was 7-4-1. That’s right, if the Browns had carried over the first half score, they would have a winning record right now. No half time adjustments and no killer instinct. That’s coaching. Even down 20-13 with over seven minutes left and after a Browns interception puts the ball on the steeler 30 yard line, you come out throwing the ball. The Browns ran the ball 6 times for 15 yards in the second half and Hunt had no rushes. This is play calling. The offensive line was terrible, McCray, Teller and Hubbard all had bad games. The Browns tried in the first half to help with Hunt and a tight end blocking, but you can’t do this all game. Why is Mayfield handing the ball off from the shotgun? Put him under center and hand it off or how about a draw play every once in a while.

As for the defense, if you don’t know how important Myles Garrett is to this defense then you’re not paying attention. The steelers controlled the line of scrimmage for two thirds of the game. As for the secondary, the corners have to turn and see where the ball is on the long fade routes. This team missed Damarious Randall, but apparently he didn’t practice well enough one day last week and didn’t make the trip to Pittsburgh. What, really? All in all the defense played poorly and have I mentioned they let a third string QB named Duck beat them? As for special teams, I hope the Browns invest in a return man in the off season, because I hold my breath every time the ball is kicked off or punted to the Browns.

So what can be done with this mess? I still don’t think the Browns are going to fire Freddie. You can’t change the culture by continuing to fire coaches. You tell Freddie he has to quit calling plays and either hire a OC or figure out how to use Todd Monken. I still have no idea what Monken does for this team. While the defense hasn’t lived up to expectations, they haven’t killed this team like defenses in the past. For those of you who want to fire Freddie, I suggest you read this excellent article by cleveland.com’s Doug Lesmerises (@DougLesmerises) https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/12/can-we-have-a-disciplined-discussion-about-fixing-the-browns-before-jumping-right-to-fire-freddie.html. Remember the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence.

I don’t want to talk about the draft yet, so lets talk Browns play off chances. Right now the Browns have a slim chance at making the play offs. Hell, I have a better chance of winning both the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries in the same week as the Browns making the play offs right now. But as they said in the movie Dumb and Dumber, “so you’re saying there’s still a chance.” Lets start with this week. Obviously the Browns need to beat the Bengals. Thank god Cincinnati won last week, I would hate to face a win less team. The Bills need to beat the ratbirds. This would take the Browns out of the number one wildcard spot, because with a win, the Bills would clinch and still have an outside chance for the division lead in the NFL east. And the way the Patriots are playing right now, it’s possible. Next the Raiders need to beat the titans. This seem like a long shot, because the titans are playing extremely well and the Raiders have come back to earth. However the titans have always had problems playing on the west coast and especially at Oakland. The Cardinals need to beat the steelers. The Cardinals are currently on a four game losing streak, but they are playing at home. The steelers might have a let down game. Finally, Tampa has to beat the Colts. Very possible.

So right now the Browns chances at making the second wild card slot stands at 6%. If all the above happens, it increases to 63%. I know it’s a lot, but stranger things have happened. Finally as I write this, DE Chris Smith has been released by the Browns to make room for DT Justin Zimmer and the Carolina Panthers fired HC Ron Rivera. First, I don’t understand how you can thin out a position group which is thin to begin with. I wish Chris Smith all the best, after the season he’s had, I hope he catches on with another team quickly. As for Rivera, let the Rivera to the Browns rumors begin. I hope he finds a nice home is Strongville.

One last note, this is the best Buckeye team I’ve ever seen. After their annual beat down of that team up north, The Ohio State is still number one in the playoff rankings. Beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game and they should finish the season as the number one team. Let hope TTUN doesn’t fire Jim Harbaugh any time soon. Lets get ready for Cincinnati and GO Browns.

Another Victory Monday and 1-0 for the third straight week. The Browns were laser focused and it showed. So much for off the field distractions. The Browns now stand at 5-6 heading to Pittsburgh for the rematch. All in all the Browns came out on fire and scored on 4 of their first 5 drives. So lets look at the the game, first the negatives and there aren’t many. The Browns came out a little flat in the third quarter and allowed the Dolphins to have a little hope. I bet everyone reading this thought, Oh-Oh they’re going to blow this. I was at the home of the Middle Tennessee Browns Backers watching the game and that’s what one of my friends said. Hopefully soon, the Browns will put together a complete game. When you have another team down, you have to keep the pressure on. The one trick play the Browns tried failed and could have been disastrous.

Again our defense allowed an opposing quarterback to rush for a touchdown straight up the middle. The good news, Ryan Fitzpatrick was Miami’s leading rusher, five for forty five yards. Still too many silly penalties, seven for seventy yards. The Dawg pound side of the stadium is where field goals go to die. Austin Seibert missed another field goal on that side of the stadium and kickers are now 2 for 10 on the Dawg pound side. The offensive line allowed one sack and Mayfield threw one interception, which could have been a mistake by Beckham. Beckham and Mayfield are still a little off, but are starting to show signs of life.

Now the positives. I have to give Freddie credit for incorporating Kareem Hunt into the offense so seamlessly. Nick Chubb’s touches have not decreased and Hunt has become a serious threat in the passing game. He’s a nice security valve for Mayfield. What can you say about Jarvis Landry, but wow. 10 catches for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns. Nick Chubb again over 100 yards, 21 for 106, 1 TD and Hunt had 8 rushes for 37 yards, 1 TD. Beckham had 6 catches for 84 yards and a great touchdown catch. The offensive line played well, except for Tretter’s bad snap to Mayfield killing a drive. Robinson, since his one game benching, has played very well.

As for the defense, DC Steve Wilks called another great game with three of his four starting defensive lineman out. Sheldon Richardson had one hell of a game as did Chad Thomas and Porter Gustin who got his first career sack. Joe Schobert is a machine. Two more interceptions and is the true leader of this defense. Mack Wilson is all over the place and Takitaki made a great play on Miami’s attempt at a fake punt. Denzel Ward is a stud. I thought both TJ Carrie and Justin Burris played well. Greedy Williams is still making mistakes, but that’s because more teams are throwing his way. If he can tighten up a little in his coverage, both he and Ward could truly be special corners. I was really glad to see the special team looking for the fake punt.

Now on to Pittsburgh. The Browns haven’t swept the steelers since 1988 and this game hopefully won’t get ugly in a bad way. Lets hope cooler heads will prevail. The Browns are the better team and if they play like they did yesterday I don’t see any reason why they can’t win. They already know how to beat the steelers, don’t turn the ball over and play smart football. We know Ogunjobi will be back and hopefully so will Vernon. I would love for the Browns to be 6-6 after Sunday. As for the playoff picture, the Raiders lost to the Jets which helps and the Rams need to beat the ratbirds tonight. The important games for the Browns this upcoming Sunday are of course the Browns at Pittsburgh, Raiders at the Chiefs and Titans at the Colts. If the Browns take care of business and the Raiders lose, the Browns would be one game out of the last wild card spot. The Titans/Colts game helps because one will lose and both are in front of the Browns. So bring on the steelers and GO BROWNS.

Just a couple of quick thoughts on the Garrett situation and the Miami game. As we all know, Garrett’s and Ogunjobi’s suspensions were upheld and Pouncey’s was reduced by one game. I guess Rudolph’s penalty is not having his starting center for the Browns game. Since Garrett’s meeting with the NFL it was leaked that Rudolph called Garrett a racial slur as they were on the ground. First of all, (here comes every Browns fans disclaimer) we all agree what Garrett did with Rudolph’s helmet was wrong and should be punished. However I still have a problem with the swiftness of the NFL in handing downs the punishments without investigations. Hell, when deflate-gate happened, the NFL took months trying to get Tom Brady’s phone. Twelve hours after the incident still seems a little hasty to me.

Concerning the racial slur. I find it interesting that within minutes after it leaked on twitter, Rudolph’s lawyer had a statement posted denying it happened. And the NFL was very quick to say they had no evidence of it happening. First, I have no reason not to believe Myles Garrett. When someone punched Garrett as he sat in his car, he calmly wrote down the guy’s license plate number, instead of jumping out of his vehicle and chasing the idiot down. Doesn’t sound like a guy with a hair trigger temper to me. Now the talking heads are asking why didn’t he mention the slur prior to now? After the game, while standing at his locker, Garrett was asked by a reporter if Rudolph said anything to him and Garrett responded by saying listen to the tape.

Second, the NFL has stated there is no audio of the slur. You’re going to tell me there is no audio of the incident from a prime time game, the only game being played. That the NFL, NFL films or the YouTube show Building the Browns had no audio of the incident? Remember when Ray Rice beat his girlfriend in a hotel elevator and the NFL said there was no video of the incident. Well TMZ investigated and obtained the video. That beeping sound you heard was the NFL back tracking. Third, the NFL claims their officials didn’t hear the slur. I’m supposed to believe that NFL officials have better hearing then eye-site? That’s like asking the get away driver if the other person in the passenger seat robbed the bank. Hopefully in the off season the league will rule time served and let Garrett participate in the off season workouts. Remember when the worst things this team did was when our quarterback supposedly didn’t shake another players hand and stormed off when a Cleveland reporter kept asking a stupid question? Good times.

Now to the game. Miami has a few things going for them. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is 5-1 lifetime verses the Browns, they are the least penalized team in the NFL (I wonder how a rookie head coach manages that) and some experts are calling this a trap game. The only real weapon they have on offense is WR DeVante Parker. Only two wide receivers have more than 80 yards receiving against the Browns, the Rams Copper Kupp and the Titans A.J. Brown. I know the Browns will be short on safeties with Murray being ruled out, but Ward will be all over Parker. Miami’s offensive line is the worst in the NFL against pressure, so the Browns will have to create pressure without Garrett and Vernon. Chad Thomas, Devaroe Lawrence and Bryan Cox are going to have to step up. The Browns just activated DT Brandin Bryant and DE Porter Gustin from the practice squad for depth. The Dolphins are 2-0 when they win the turnover battle and 0-8 when they don’t. So the Browns need to continue the no turnover streak.

As for this being a trap game, I’ve heard the Browns players are mad as hell about the Myles Garrett ruling. I fully expect them to come out firing on all cylinders and take their frustrations with the NFL out on the Dolphins and the win streak continues. Because of the report of the slur, Browns fans again will have to listen to Sunday pregame shows give their expert analysis about Garrett and the Browns. Then after this Sunday’s game, we’ll have another whole week of this prior to the steelers game. Cleveland against the world. GO BROWNS.

Victory Friday? What a mess. Last night I’m sitting waiting till the game is over to pump my fist in the air and do my happy dance when all hell breaks loose. First let me say Myles Garrett deserves whatever punishment the NFL dishes out. You can’t use a helmet as a weapon, period. However, he is not the only guilty party. Steelers QB Mason Rudolph did attempt to rip Garrett’s helmet off as they were on the ground and did kick and punch Garrett in the nether region. Let’s face facts, if Garrett was an average player he would have been cut first thing this morning. And speaking of average players, what in gods name is Larry Ogunjobi doing pushing the opposing QB from behind? This the most immature and undisciplined Browns team I’ve ever seen.

So what happens next? As I write this, Garrett has been suspended indefinitely, Maurkice Pouncey has been suspended three games and Larry Ogunjobi suspended one game. All three have been fined. The NFL states that additional players will be disciplined. All penalties are subject to appeal. For context, the longest fine for an one time on the field incident was five games for the titans Albert Hansworth in 2006. He stomped Cowboys center Andre Gurode in the head after Hansworth removed Gurode’s helmet and caused thirty stitches. He appealed and got it reduced to three games. I fully expect Damarious Randall to be fined for his helmet to helmet hit and for all the players on both teams who left the bench during the fight to be fined as well. In addition both teams have been fined 250,000.00 each for the incident.

Okay, lets talk about the game. The Browns win, they are 2-0 in the AFC North and have defeated both Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the same season for the first time. First the negatives. Kareem Hunt didn’t have a carry in this game. Yes, he and Chubb helped to open up the passing game and Hunt did have some great pass receptions. But Freddie needs to let Hunt carry the ball. He lead the NFL in rushing two years ago. The only steeler touchdown was aided by four stupid penalties by the Browns defense and at the time seemed like the Browns were about to let this game get away from them. Seibert missed two field goals, but it seems the dawg pound side of the field is becoming a field goal kicking nightmare. Kickers are 2 of 9 on that side of the field. Nick Chubb did have 92 yards, but he has started to dance a little before hitting the hole and missed a couple of outside running lanes. And Beckham and Mayfield seem to be playing on different teams.

The positives. Mayfield seems to have found his grove since the bye week. 63% passing, 898 yards, 6 TD’s and 1 Int. And he’s done this against four top ten defenses. After the game, his interview was spot on and proved he is a team leader. Jarvis Landry is a stud, as are Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. I just hope Freddie rediscovers the screen pass. On defense, John Dorsey needs to sign Joe Schobert to an extension right now. He was all over the field and set the tone for the defense. Denzel Ward is back to being Denzel Ward and until they were hurt, Morgan Burnett and Juston Burris were both having great games. Mack Wilson is no longer a rookie and is playing great. Chad Thomas also had a good game as well.

DC Steve Wilks called a great game and the Browns defense dominated the pop gun steeler offense. As I said earlier this week I thought this game would be a great opportunity for the Browns to force some turnovers and boy did they. The Browns doubled their season total for interceptions, however they need turn those turnovers into more points. The steeler defense forced no turnovers as the Browns had better ball control for the third straight game. All in all it was a good game for the Browns.

Moving forward, the Browns are short on safety’s and defensive linemen. The team needs to get both Vernon and Murray back before the Miami game. Luckily they signed Bryan Cox and ten days should be enough time to get him caught up on the scheme. It looks like Burnett maybe lost for the season, so the safety position is a concern. I’m sure the agents for free agent safety’s are calling John Dorsey today. Unfortunately this fight will be on a continuous spool on ESPN and the national talking heads will spit out hate about the Browns for the next ten days. I’m angry the league dished out their punishments in less than 12 hours without further investigation and Mason Rudolph received no suspension. But it sounds like this is bringing the team together even more. So enjoy your Sunday off Browns fans and lets get ready for Miami and hope calmer heads will prevail. GO BROWNS.

I know a win is a win, especially for this team at this time, but it is victory Monday. So lets get going. First the negatives. The Browns goal line offense is down right offensive. Thirteen goal line plays and one was negated because of a false start by RT Chris Hubbard on a fourth and one from the one. Which, thank god it happen because it forced Freddie to go for the field goal and at that point in the game was desperately needed. Previously in the game, ten plays from the goal line failed for several reasons. Some were mistakes in play calling and some were execution. Chubb seemed to make a few mistakes, either not hitting the hole fast enough or not running to the pylon on another play. On those twelve goal line plays, Hunt and Chubb were on the field at the same time for only one play. Even if you’re not going to run the ball, play action to either one would have worked. Both are great blockers and the defense would have to respect both players.

After the first fourteen to fifteen scripted plays, the offense seems to lose it’s way. The urgency and execution just seems to be missing. I know you can’t script an entire game, but maybe script plays for certain situations during the game. The defense needs to figure out how to stop running quarterbacks. Ever since the Baltimore game NFL quarterbacks are running against the Browns and scoring touchdowns. As for special teams, the punt return game is not working. I’m not going to get mad at Seibert for missing a 48 yard extra point, but I did have a flashback to the Tennessee game. Landry needs to calm down. The taunting penalty, making it 6-0 and not 7-0, almost came back to bite the Browns. The offensive line was hot and cold, sometimes playing well and sometimes playing bad. Sometimes you have to give the offensive line a chance and call better plays. As an example, deep in your own end of the field, don’t call a pass with an empty backfield. Freddie did and the Browns give up a safety.

Now the positives. Four penalties and no turnovers for the second straight game. The Browns no longer lead the league in penalties. Looks like the practicing is working. Mayfield finally came through in crunch time. Game winning touchdown with 1:44 left in the game. It looked like he called the play himself. We can take Hollywood Higgins picture off the milk carton. Mayfield since the bye, 65.7% passing, 705 yards, four TD’s and only one Int. He’s done this verses the #2, #3 and #4 ranked defenses. I just wish he and Beckham would get on the same page. Beckham had 12 targets and 5 catches. On the other side of the coin, Landry had ten targets and nine catches, the best catch was right before the Higgins TD to the Buffalo seven yard line.

Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are a dangerous duo and the offense should run through both of them. Between the two of them, they attributed for 195 yards. They were on the field at the same time twenty eight times and I want to see more, and like I said earlier, in the goal line offense. On defense, Sheldon Richardson stepped up and played a great game. As did Chad Thomas, Denzel Ward and Mack Wilson. Wilson is still making some rookie mistakes, but they are becoming fewer every game. My one problem with the defense is turnovers. They only have nine turnovers after nine games. Myles Garrett came close to causing a fumble, but it was ruled an incomplete pass. I’m still waiting for Garrett to be a game changer on defense, but he seems to be held on just about every play. Have I said how impressed I am with Austin Seibert? The kid looks like a veteran kicker out there.

So now it’s steelers week and the Browns have three days to get ready. I don’t see any reason why the Browns can’t win this game. The steelers defense is legit, but their offense is not that impressive. They do take the ball away and that helps their offense. So if the Browns can control the ball and don’t turn it over, they should win. Myles Garrett should harass Mason Rudolf all night and the defense has their best chances for turnovers. RB James Conner was still questionable as I write this and with out him the steelers can’t run the ball. The Browns need to use the steeler aggressiveness on defense against them like they did against the ravens.

The Browns get their first home win and it may have been ugly but again, a win is a win. With the next two games at home, the Browns can build on this one and hopefully string some much needed wins together. 10-6 is still possible, but it all starts with the next home game. Go Browns.

Last, because it’s Veterans Day, I was pleasantly surprised to see CBS show the WW II submarine the USS Cod when they came back from a commercial break. It’s next to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and my late Uncle Bill served on the Cod. As a matter of fact, he was the radioman on the Cod and his picture is on the radioman’s shack door. He had some Big adventures on that sub and I was lucky enough to have him tell me about them.

No I’m not talking about Jermaine Whitehead’s tweets. It’s been 48 hours, so lets get to it. So according to the head coach of the Cleveland Browns the first eight games don’t matter. Really? They sure as hell mattered to me and a ton of Middle Tennessee Browns Backers I know. The key word in practice this week wait for it…is execution. The Browns had ten drives and seven of them reached inside the Denver 30 yard line. Seven. Execution or play calling? The red zone execution and play calling in this game was horrendous. Might as well call the Browns red zone the dead zone. Why on third and short is the best player on this team on the sideline? I like Hilliard as a player, but Nick Chubb, even as a decoy, is better than Hilliard. And again for another game, where the hell is Higgins?

In the third quarter on fourth and one from the Denver four yard line, instead of bringing out your most important offensive weapon, Austin Seibert, you go for it. Kick the field goal and the score is 17-15, in the THIRD QUARTER. Kick off and hope Wilkes has the right defense to stop the Broncos and get the ball back. No, our fearless leader calls a sneak and then challenges the spot, wasting another time out. Put Chubb out there on third down and roll the dice. Look at Carolina, OC Norv Turner rides his stud running back Christian McCaffrey, and the Panthers win. Turner did the same thing in Dallas with Emmett Smith.

Is Freddie in over is head? Could be, but first year head coaches in the NFL struggle. Only one has a winning record this year, but he has Aaron Rogers as his quarterback. My worry is what this is doing to Baker Mayfield. You can ruin a young quarterback in a season like this. If Freddie is retained, which I think he will be, new coordinators need to be hired, starting with an experienced quarterback coach. Mayfield is thinking too much. Sure defensive coaches are throwing the kitchen sink at him, but the offense has to find a focal point and let Mayfield feed off of that focal point and that focal point needs to be Nick Chubb.

The offense needs to find a handful of plays that Beckham is successful at and run them at key points in the game. I saw this online from Paul Hembekides, OBJ on 3rd & 4th down this season: 83 routes run, 42 rec. yards, 17 targets, 7 receptions, 3 first downs and 2 drops. Not acceptable and that’s play calling and execution by the quarterback. Mayfield just hasn’t come through in the clutch. The end of the Rams game, the Seattle game and Sunday against the Broncos. Where’s the QB that beat The Ohio State in Columbus and the guy who played against Georgia in the playoff game.

The positives: Only 5 penalties and zero turnovers. Apparently, whatever they did in practice last week worked, so lets do the same with play calling and execution this week. Remember in the preseason when we all worried about the kicking game? Seibert has been great and the special teams has been the only prepared unit on this team. Another positive for the Bills game is the return of Kareem Hunt. I hope this coaching staff uses him correctly and doesn’t screw this up. I want to see both Chubb and Hunt on third down this week. PLEASE.

I’ve seen a lot of talk about the season being over. I’m a very optimistic kind of guy and still have hope. But as all Browns fans know, when the wheels fall off this team, it’s usually in a spectacular way. To make the playoffs, 10-6 is the safest way to make it happen. History lesson time, the last time the Browns had a winning streak, Eric Mangini won the last four games of his first season as coach. He was rehired and guess what, the wheels fell off. The franchise record for a win streak was six games in 1972. So to achieve a 10-6 record this team has to win eight in a row. Can it happen? Sure. In 2016 the Cavs came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat a 72 win Warriors team on the road. I know, Lebron isn’t walking through that door, but maybe the football gods will look down on us and the Browns will win their first home game of the season against the Bills. (What, are you kidding me, November 10 would be the first win at home?) Sorry, still can’t believe it. Lets start that eight game winning streak this weekend, right Browns fans? Next home game is against Buffalo. GO BROWNS.

One last thing, the first college football rankings come out tonight and The Ohio State University better be in the top four. My top four are 1) LSU, 2) The Ohio State, 3) Alabama and 4) Penn State. This weekend will clear up LSU/Alabama and a week from Saturday will clear up The Ohio State/Penn State. Whoever wins LSU/Alabama will make the playoffs because there is no team in the SEC east that can beat either in the SEC championship game. If The Ohio State runs the table, they’re in the playoffs no matter who they play in the Big Ten championship game. Go Buckeyes.

It’s been 48 hours, so lets get this over with. Usually I avoid Browns twitter world after a loss, but with the trade deadline today, I had to go there yesterday and today. Total meltdown, some justified some not. Let’s get the game discussion out of the way first. 13 penalties, three turnovers on three offensive snaps and again odd play calling. Freddie made the comment at his press conference yesterday, that he doesn’t coach penalties. Well it looks like he doesn’t punish players for penalties either. The Browns after seven games lead the league in penalties with 70. I’m an accountant and doesn’t take a genius to figure out that’s ten a game. I know officiating is incredibly bad in the NFL, but still that’s unacceptable. I don’t condone player only meetings, because that’s usually the nail in the coffin for a head coach. But it’s time for Freddie to gather his team leaders to have such a meeting. Players listen to other players more than coaches and it is time for Mayfield, Bitonio, Landry, Schobert, Garrett and Randall to have a come to Jesus meeting.

The Browns defense stops the Patriots on their first series. The Browns get the ball back and start with three straight passes? On a cold wet day, your calling three straight passes. As we all saw later in the game, running the ball worked. A shuttle pass deep on your side of the field? Really? Nothing bad can happen there, oh wait, it did. Two challenges, that Freddie wasn’t going to win, wasting two time outs. A side line warning by the referees. This team is a hot mess on the side lines. Even the commentators were laughing at Freddie and the Browns. As for the turnovers, Nick Chubb had two fumbles, but the first one was kicked out of his hands by his only player and the second one was Chubb not holding the ball with two hands. If you noticed as the game went one, Chubb corrected this and made the adjustment. Just wish the coaching staff would make adjustments. Somebody find out where Beckham is, because he’s not making any difference.

As for the positives, Nick Chubb can run the ball on any team in this league. If this team had half his heart and professionalism, the Browns would have a winning record. Mayfield played better. He had the best passer rating of any quarterback so far against a really good Patriot defense. The ball came out of his hand better, he was more accurate and showed improvement after the bye. As for the offensive line, McCray played okay, despite playing left tackle for the first time. The defense played well. Three turnovers in three snaps and the Patriots were only up 10-0. CB’s Williams and Ward played well, but you could tell the lack of practice effected them early in the game. Ward blocked a field goal and the Patriots very good special teams really didn’t have an effect on the game.

As for firing Freddie. please stop. The Browns are not going to fire the head coach. Why would anyone want the cycle of dysfunction to continue? The Browns were the laughing stock of the league because they kept firing the combination of head coaches and/or front office. He’s a rookie head coach and Freddie has a chance to change this. This front office is the best this team has had since they came back and this is the most talented team they’ve had over the same period. Now if Freddie goes 5-11, then staff changes must be made. I still don’t know what the hell Todd Monken does and some of Steve Wilkes defensive play calling and player decisions are mystifying.

Looking at the rest of the schedule, the Browns have the opportunity to string some wins together. They played the second hardest schedule of any team after seven games and have the second easiest schedule for the next nine games. As I said last week, the Browns had to play a perfect game to beat New England. They didn’t and they lost. I also said I worried about games at Denver, at home against the Bills and at Pittsburgh. Denver is starting a quarterback this week who has never taken an NFL snap. He was a sixth round pick out of Arkansas by Jacksonville. I live in Nashville, TN with two SEC schools in the state, my Alma mater Vanderbilt and the state school Tennessee, and I have never heard of Brandon Allen. The Bills just got their ass kicked at home by an Eagles team that everyone had given up for dead. And the steelers, even though they beat a tanking Miami team, can be beat at home or on the road.

The trade deadline is 4 pm eastern today and Dorsey already made a trade, Genard Avery for a 2021 4th round pick. On Avery’s first play of the game against New England he pressured Brady to throw early and then played maybe three more snaps. Mark my words, Avery will make the pro bowl in 2020 for the Eagles. Wilkes had to find a place for him to play this year and didn’t. As for Trent Williams, Washington told teams they had an offer of a 2nd round pick on the table and now I’m hearing there is a deal in place for a 3rd and a 5th pending a physical. I’m not for this trade, Williams is 31 and even if he is healthy and ready to play as his agent says, this doesn’t help the Browns. If they’re going for a left tackle, then trade for Halapoulivaati Vaitai of the Eagles. He’s younger and has played this year and the Eagles have a wealth of talent on their offensive line. The Browns still need a linebacker. Now that the deadline has passed, the Browns stand pat. Okay Freddie win with what you got.

So the Browns sit at 2-5 going to Denver for a critical must win game. Denver is starting a QB who has never taken an NFL snap. The Bengals just announced they are benching Andy Dalton and starting Ryan Finley. The steelers are starting Mason Rudolph, the Dolphins will start either Josh Rosen or Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Browns will face rookie Kyler Murray when they play Arizona. They do face Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, but they have beaten Jackson once this year and I’m not sold on Allen. The potential is there to go on a nice win steak, but it starts in Denver. Go Browns.