Dawgpoundsouth

The bad news is the Browns lost to the Steelers. The good news in the season is finally over and Joe Woods is out of a job. The game yesterday summed up the 2022 season perfectly. They were beat by an average quarterback, again. So now the focus turns to hiring a new defensive coordinator, resigning players and restructuring contracts to create cap room.

There are reports the Browns have asked permission to interview New England linebackers coach Jerod Mayo and Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores. They’re the hot names right now and I think either would be a great move.

I hope the Browns try and resign linebacker Reggie Ragland; this group needs a big run stopping presence. Other names to watch are linebacker Deion Jones, center Ethan Pocic and running back D’Ernest Johnson. Pocic will be able to get starter money somewhere else but might want to resign with a team friendly deal. The number one priority this off-season is fixing the defensive tackle position and finding a speedy wide receiver. I think the Anthony Schwartz experiment is over.

Today the 2023 opponents were announced. Home: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Bears, Cardinals, 49ers, Titans, Jaguars and Jets. Away: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Broncos, Texans, Colts, Seahawks and Rams. A last place schedule is much neede right now, it benefited the Ravens this year. Time and dates should be announced around the time of the draft.

As for the Salary cap, the Browns will have about $31 million to rollover into 2023, which added to the $2 million in contracts for 2023 will give the Browns $32 million. I do expect the Browns to restructure both Amari Cooper and Deshaun Watson’s contracts.

Important dates for 2023: Feb. 21-March 7 teams may use the franchise or transition tag on impending unrestricted free agents. Feb. 28-March 6 Scouting Combine. March 13-March 15 early free agency period. March 15 (prior to 4:00pm eastern) every team has to be under the 2023 salary cap. March 15 (after 4:00 pm eastern) the new league begins.

Finally, Assistant GM Glenn Cook is interviewing for the vacant Titans GM position. If he’s hired the Browns will receive two second round compensatory picks. One this year and one in 2024. Stay safe and as always Go Browns.

Happy victory Monday. It took 4.5 games to finally see what a franchise quarterback looks like and it was great. During those games you could see some glimmers of hope, but you could also tell the timing just wasn’t there. In the second half of yesterday’s game, it looked like it all came together. Watson showed off his arm, his legs and his decision making. His rhythm and timing where there for the first time this year. All this team needs now on offense is for the offensive linemen to hold on to their blocks and not turn around and watch the quarterback. Watson did escape some sacks, but he also ran into some sacks. An off-season of work with his offensive line will prevent a pass thrown to the starting right tackle. Watson was 9 for 18, 169 yards, three touchdowns and a QBR of 122.5. He also ran for 31 yards on 8 carries (3.9 average). Also, the Browns have a number one wide receiver. Amari Cooper had three catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

On defense having an old school, run stopping linebacker really makes a difference. The Browns need to resign both Reggie Ragland and Deion Jones. Safety Grant Delpit had his best game as a pro. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, defensive tackle Taven Bryan, cornerback Martin Emerson, cornerback Denzel Ward and safety D’Anthony Bell all played very well. Bell on defense and special teams. The bad side of the defense was a Washington 21 play, 96-yard drive that took over eleven minutes off the clock late in the second quarter. Not only did they score and take the lead, but they were getting the ball back first in the second half. The Browns defense did their job and forced a three and out. The Browns would score the go-ahead touchdown on the next possession. Finally, on offense running back Nick Chubb and defensive end Myles Garrett had Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett types of games.

As for the coaching, head coach Kevin Stefanski again took three points off the board by going for it on fourth and goal from the three. Stop it please and no Stefanski should not be fired. While defensive coordinator Joe Woods called a great game, he still should be fired. I think special team’s coach Mike Priefer has saved his job, going into this game the Browns special teams were ranked eleventh in the league.

Moving forward, the Browns head to Pittsburg to hopefully ruin the Steelers playoff hopes. Stay safe, Happy New Year and Go Browns.

The 2022 Browns season ended with a thud yesterday. No surprise, the team has been fighting an uphill battle since Deshaun Watson’s eleven game suspension was announced. I know there are two more games left and Cleveland could keep the Steelers out of the playoffs with a win in the final game, but no playoffs this year. I’ll still watch and cheer for the team to win because I’m a Browns fan. I’m not going to litigate the Mayfield versus Watson debate. The front office, coaches and the owners made their decision knowing the consequences. My problem is, someone in the room had to know it would be more than six games. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wanted a full year, so you knew after the initial six game suspension, he would appeal. I also know the rationalization of signing Watson was not only for 2022 but future years as well. It gives the phrase “wait till next year” a whole new meaning.

So, what happens next. I still believe head coach Kevin Stefanski will not be fired. I believe defensive coordinator Joe Woods will be fired. I’m on the fence about special teams coach Mike Priefer, it’s probably 50/50 he won’t be fired. The only way Stefanski is gone is if he’s told to fire coordinators and he refuses. As for the front office, GM Andrew Berry will be back as will Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta. A lot of Browns fans have zeroed in on DePodesta to assign blame for the season. They blame analytics. Analytics were around when Paul Browns was the coach, except back then it was called research. This off-season will be the front office’s toughest. They have to make this team competitive in 2023 and keep it competitive through the life of Watson’s contract, 2026. The front office started by resigning right tackle Jack Conklin. I haven’t seen the details yet, but it looks like a two-year deal for $31 million per year, with two years of club options. $15 million a year is the going rate for an NFL starting right tackle.

Andrew Berry has a lot of work to do to improve the team, starting with the defensive. Young free agents have to be signed to the defensive line, especially defensive tackle. I think the Clowney experiment is over, so an edge rusher to help take the heat off of Myles Garrett must be found. Clowney’s absence was very noticeable yesterday. They’ll need to add a run stopping linebacker, or possibly resign Anthony Walker, Sione Takitaki, Deion Jones or Reggie Ragland, who had a very good game yesterday. Safety help is also needed, both at starter and backup. Decisions have to be made on Grant Delpit and John Johnson, III. On offense, a backup to Watson needs to be signed. Jacoby Brissett will be offered more money and a starters job by another team. QB Teddy Bridgewater is a name to keep an eye on.

Next up is Washington on New Year’s Day. Hopefully the players will give be motivated to play and Browns fans can start the new year off with a win. Stay safe and Go Browns.

The Brown’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread (.7%). Personally, I don’t see it, but you never know. I’m a Browns fan, so hope springs eternal. Odds are the Browns might be eliminated by the end of this weekend. The playoff odds improve if they win out and beat the Saints, the Commanders and the Steelers. But we can still have a little fun hoping and wishing. This weekend the Browns need the following to happen for the Browns to make the playoffs:

Thursday, Jaguars over the Jets. Saturday, Steelers over the Raiders, Bengals over the Patriots and Falcons over the Ravens. Sunday, Packers over the Dolphins. Monday, Colts over the Chargers.

In the long run, the basic formula comes down to the Browns winning out and the following three teams losing out. The Chargers, the Dolphins and the Ravens. Their remaining schedules after this weekend are, Chargers (host the Rams and at Denver), Dolphins (at the Patriots and host the Jets), and Ravens (host the Steelers and at the Bengals). It looks like the Chargers have the easiest schedule. If only the Browns had won, the Jets game.

In other news, center Ethan Pocic has been designated to come off the injured reserve list. That was the longest four weeks off my life. Hopefully he’ll be added to the roster and be able to play. Because of the weather this Saturday, the Browns might hold him wait and return him to the roster against Washington. They have a fantastic defensive line. As for Saturday’s game, the temperatures will be in the teens with wind gusts up to 50 mph. I’m glad Cleveland is playing a warm weather dome team. Enjoy the games and happy holidays.

Nine penalties for 98 yards. That’s the story of this game. One of the best running backs in the league had 34 yards. Drive killing and drive extending penalties. If you’ve been reading my blog this year, you know I’ve been complaining about penalties since the pre-season. Good teams don’t commit stupid penalties. On a day when the Browns defense held the Bengal offense to zero points on their first four possessions, this team shoots itself in the foot. Inexcusable. I thought the defensive line played better and quarterback Deshaun Watson played better. A lot better than I thought he would. I’m starting to see more flashes of the 2020 Watson. My problem started with going for it on fourth down and not kicking the field goal. If you’re at home, sure you go for it. Not on the road when Joe Burrow is struggling. Take the points Kevin, it’s called momentum.

It’s time for Greg Mancz to start at center. He was Watson’s center in Houston, let’s see what he can do. I like Hjalte Froholdt, not at center but as a guard. Something is not right with Wyatt Teller, sit him a game to heal and put Froholdt his place. The middle of the offensive line is getting used and abused. The Browns can’t run the ball and I never thought I would say that sentence. Even when the Bengals were leading at halftime 13-3, I thought, okay, the Browns get the ball first in the second half, come out and get a good drive going and score. Nope. Finally, to defensive coordinator Joe Woods, the Bengals were without Burrow targets numbers two, three and four, how about giving CB Denzel Ward some safety help covering WR Ja’Marr Chase. Just a thought.

The Browns current playoff hopes are 0.4%, so it’s basically over. Time to get Watson ready for next year. Finishing 9-8 would improve my mood. Hopefully the Browns will have a normal off-season. I still don’t think head coach Kevin Stefanski should be fired at this point, but if the Browns continue to lose games, all bets are off. Every Browns fan know what an itchy finger owner Jimmy Haslam has. Despite what the Cleveland media says, the Browns are not in cap hell for next year. They’ll have about $34 million to roll over into next year. Add to that, I expect Watson and Amari Cooper to restructure their contracts giving the Browns around $40 to $45 million is cap space. I also expect GM Andrew Berry to go heavy in the defensive line and linebacker markets in free agency. The team has eight draft picks, one in the second round (43), one in the third (99), two in the fourth (111 & 131), two in the fifth (141 & 148), one in the sixth (190) and one in the seventh (231). Please address some important needs Andrew.

It’s on to the next game, Baltimore at home on a Saturday afternoon. It seems every year, after the Ravens and Steelers play each other, both teams go out and lose their next game. Let’s hope that trend continues. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Another victory Monday feels pretty damn good. Well, that was the ugliest win by a Browns team that I’ve seen in a while. But it was a much-needed win. I kind of figured quarterback Deshaun Watson would struggle early because he hasn’t played in 700 days, but to have his worst overall game of his career was unexpected. Or as the Browns fan in me says, it figures. Watson wasn’t comfortable in the pocket all game. He had happy feet and didn’t look like he was sure about any play call. Thankfully, head coach Kevin Stefanski abandoned the passing game in the second half and went with what the Browns do the best, run the ball. I was also glad to see Kareem Hunt running the ball well. He’ll be needed the next five games. Finally, the offensive line has to play better, probably their worst game so far.

It was also very nice to see the defense and special teams step up and bail out the offense. I think the Browns have found their punt returner. Linebacker Tony Fields picked the perfect time to have the game of his career. Moving forward he’ll have to step it up because linebacker Sione Takitaki will be placed on IR with a torn ACL. I think defensive coordinator Joe Woods has found his defensive line rotation. The Browns didn’t sack Texans quarterback Kyle Allen, but they put the pressure on him all game. Cornerback Martin Emerson impresses me more every game I watch. It also seems linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has finally hit his stride.

What really concerns me going into the Bengal game this week is the offense needs to be more diverse. There were no screen passes thrown yesterday and a screen pass is a quarterback’s best friend, as are short passes thrown to the tight end. Did Watson even look towards a tight end? Hopefully David Njoku will be back this week. To beat the Bengals again, the Browns will have to employ more run-pass option. On defense, they’ll have to find a replacement for Takitaki, who been playing his best ball since moving to middle linebacker. Deion Jones will get more playing time because I don’t expect Fields to play like that every week.

As for the playoffs, the teams in front of the Browns for the seventh spot are 7. Jets (7-5), 8. Patriots (6-6) and 9. Chargers (6-6). Cleveland is tied with the Steelers (5-7) and the Raiders (5-7). The Raiders win the tie breaker over the Browns due to a better conference win record, 4-5 versus 3-6 and the Browns have the tiebreaker over the Steelers due to their victory over Pittsburg. Unfortunately, the three teams in front of the Browns have the tie breaker due to their victories over Cleveland. I hope the Jets game doesn’t come back to haunt the team. Finally, it was just announced the Ravens @ Browns game has been scheduled for Saturday December 17 at 3:30pm CST. Stay safe and Go Browns. On to Cincinnati.

Happy victory Monday. That was a complete team win and much needed. Tom Brady coming into this game was 218-0 when leading by seven points with two minutes or less left in regulation. Now he’s 218-1. Currently the Browns have a 4.8% chance to make the playoffs and are ranked twelfth in the AFC. The top seven teams make the playoffs. Ahead of the Browns are, 7. Jets (7-4), 8. Patriots (6-5), 9. Chargers (6-5), 10. Colts (4-6-1) and 11. Jaguars (4-7). I know its wishful thinking talking about the playoffs right now, but with QB Desaun Watson returning for the last six games, anything is possible.

After the total destruction by the Bills last week, I didn’t see this one coming. When WR Anthony Schwartz has a great game, you know you’re not planning to do doughnuts in a golf cart at FirstEnergy Stadium. Tampa isn’t the best team in the league; however, they have a very good defense and Tom Brady at quarterback. The Browns played well enough to win in all three phases of the game. After allowing 56 yards rushing in the first quarter, the Buccaneers ended up with 96 for the game. Because of the Browns run defense, Tampa went away from the run. This allowed DE Myles Garrett to make a difference late in the game and in overtime. The Browns even lost the turnover battle and still won. For the fourth time this season, RB Nick Chubb had twenty or more carries (26) and the Browns won.

Besides a missed field goal, the special teams played well. RB Jerome Ford had two kick returns for 67 yards (33.5 average) and WR Donovan Peoples-Jones had five punt returns for 75 yards (15.0 average). The last time the Browns had comeback win when trailing by seven or more points was against the Titans on October 5, 2014. The most important thing about yesterday was QB Jacoby Brissett goes out with a win. In eleven games he was 236 of 368, (64.1%) 2608 yards, 12 touchdowns, six interceptions and QBR of 89.1.

Now the Browns turn to Deshaun Watson at quarterback and his first game will be against his former team the Houston Texans. Talk about drama. No one knows how he’s going to play after almost two years of not playing in an NFL game. Let’s all hope the Browns have turned a corner and will continue to do the little things in games to keep winning. Please no repeat of what happened after the last win over the Bengals. Stay safe and Go Browns.

As a Browns fan, deep down in your soul you knew that was going to happen. The Bills are one of the good teams and the Browns are one of the bad teams. Cleveland could’ve won because NFL games hinge on three to six plays. To beat Buffalo, the Browns had to win each of those plays. They didn’t. Bills kick returns for long yardage, tight ends dropping sure touchdown passes in the end zone, missed tackles, blocked field goals, etc. Should Kevin Stefanski be fired? No. He has a top ten offense with a career backup quarterback starting. Does he need to give up calling plays so can focus on the team as a whole? Yes. Alex Van Pelt can call plays. Get your head out of Cheesecake Factory menu you carry around and watch the game.

The problem comes with the Browns defensive and special team’s coordinators. Could the Browns fire them both before the season is over? Yes, they could if the owner told Stefanski to do it. But he won’t. Linebackers coach Jason Tarver has been a DC before, so why not? As for special teams, Stephen Bravo-Browns is the assistant special teams’ coach, let’s give him a try. It would send a message to the players that things have to change. If they wait till after the season is over, for DC I would hope the Browns are considering Mike Zimmer, Brian FLores, Kris Richard or maybe Jim Schwartz. As for the special teams coach, I have no idea, but right now anyone would be better.

Like I said last week, GM Andrew Berry also carries some blame. A lot of Browns fans are pointing out none of his draft picks have made the Pro Bowl, I don’t care about post season awards, I care about winning games. It’s a chicken and egg situation, is it the defensive players or the defensive scheme? A little of both, changing defensive coordinators right now sure would bring clarity to the situation.

This week’s game against Tampa is yet another important game. Not for the playoffs, but for easing Browns fans pain. Being 4-7 before QB Deshaun Watson returns would help. It would be so Browns for the team to be 3-8, then go 6-0 with Watson, be 5-1 in the division and miss the playoffs at 9-8. Yep, that would be so Browns. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and Go Browns.

I’m getting to the point of apathy with this year’s Cleveland Browns. I’ll still watch and stress over every game, but yesterday was disgusting. I’d start looking at mock drafts, but I have to remind myself the Browns don’t have a first-round pick. Also, I’m now on the fire Joe Woods train. It won’t happen until after the season, because Kevin Stefanski won’t do it, but I hope someone in the front office is vetting defensive coordinators. They started vetting quarterbacks last year after Halloween, so hopefully the process has started. If they’re smart, they’ll make a serious run at Brian Flores. Head coach Kevin Stefanski will save his job with how well quarterback Deshaun Watson plays the last six games of the season. Here’s good news, starting today Watson can start practicing with the team.

The blame can’t just be laid at the feet of the coaches, GM Andrew Berry also has to except responsibility for not addressing the defensive tackle position in the off-season. Before you ask, there’s no player available right now that will help. Currently the Browns have eight draft picks in 2023. A second, a third, two fourths, two fifths, one sixth and one seventh. They also have $ 32.9 million in cap space. If they don’t spend it, they can roll it over into next year’s salary cap. The estimated cap space for 2023 is $ 225 million and the Browns, based on the current roster, have $6.2 million in space. I fully expect them to restructure Watson’s contract, so they could be in the $ 50 million range for the off-season.

As for the game, the lack of effort was stunning. You had two weeks to get ready and that’s the effort you put forth. The only good things that happened was the opening drive and the special teams didn’t cost them the game. After the opening drive, the Browns gave up 30 consecutive points. The Dolphins scored at will and it felt like they could’ve scored on every drive. Does Miami have a punter? They never punted the ball the entire game. I have no idea who the Buffalo Bills starting running back is, but he’s going to have a career day next Sunday. It felt like the Dolphin defense knew when the Browns were going to run and when they were going to pass.

Now it’s on to Buffalo and the only hopeful stat I can find is from Andrew Siciliano of @NFLResearch,”Josh Allen’s Bills are 2-8 in games decided by one score since 2021.” Pray for a close game. Stay safe and Go Browns.