Dawgpoundsouth

Well, It’s the Bengals versus the Rams in the Super Bowl. I never rooted for the Ravens when they played in the Super Bowl, I never rooted for the Steelers when they played in the Super Bowl, and I won’t root for the Bengals in the Super Bowl. A division rival is a division rival. I’m well aware OBJ plays for the Rams, and I hate he tried to steer free agents away from Cleveland after the Browns went 11-6 and won a playoff game. Don’t care, can’t root for a divisional rival. I’ll leave karma to OBJ. First rule of being a Browns fan, you always want the Browns to win. Second rule of being a Browns fan, don’t root for a divisional rival to win, unless it helps the Browns. Besides history is not kind to the loser of the Super Bowl, unless you’re New England and Tom Brady is your quarterback.

The quarterback carousel is starting to settle down a little. The Raiders hired Josh Daniels as their head coach and Dave Ziegler as their GM, both from New England. Daniels says he likes Derek Carr as his QB, but he also likes quarterbacks who fit his system. Enter former Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo. So, what happens to Carr? I could see him ending up in Tampa after the second-best quarterback in professional football history retired. Otto Graham went to ten championship games in ten years winning seven. As for the other flavors of the month, the Vikings hired Rams OC Kevin O’Connell as their new head coach and Denver hired Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett as their head coach. O’Connell and Kirk Cousins were together with the Washington Commanders. Commanders? That’s the best you could do after two years. Makes Guardians look pretty good. O’Connell will bring the Rams offensive with him to Minnesota and that’s a perfect system for a veteran QB. As for the Broncos, they’re trying to lure Aaron Rogers to Denver by hiring someone I’ve never heard of.

The Senior Bowl practices are going on this week and the local Cleveland media made a big deal about the Browns talking to quarterbacks. It’s just a front office doing their due diligence. They also talked to wide receivers, offensive linemen and defensive linemen. Players who the Browns might be interested in who have impressed are DL Jermain Johnson FSU, DL Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma, CB Josh Williams, Fayetteville State, OL Dylan Parham, Chattanooga, WR Khalil Shakir, Bosie State, WR Christian Watson NDSU, TE Cole Turner, Nevada and K Cameron Dicker, Texas. Yes, his nickname is “dicker the kicker.” He also went to the same high school as Baker Mayfield. All these players are likely third day picks, when GM Andrew Berry is at his best.

Finally, Hue Jackson. He thought Tyrod Taylor, and Carlos Hyde were better than Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb. The year he was fired, he was 2-5-1 and after coach “come get some” Gregg Williams took over, Williams went 5-3 with the same roster. Brian Flores has a legitimate case against the NFL, leave it to Hue to make it about him. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

I don’t understand the Cleveland media and their obsession with running QB Baker Mayfield out of town. They never complained like this when the Browns were going 1-31. Maybe they can’t be happy when the Browns have success. Each member of the media has their favorite replacement, even though the replacement they desire might not be available. Let’s confuse the members of the fourth estate with some facts.

First, not one member of this esteemed group has any clue what the Browns are going to do. I have no idea what the Browns are going to do. I do know the Browns have a plan for every contingency. They also have back up plans and back up plans for the back up plans. It wouldn’t surprise me if they had super-secret emergency plans to the back up plans. I trust the Browns front office to make the right move, not Tony Grossi, Mary Kay Cabot, Aaron Goldhammer or Dustin Fox. So, are any of these alternatives realistic?

Russell Wilson. Wilson is 33 years old and is currently signed through 2023 season. His cap number is $37 million and if he’s traded Seattle would have to carry $26 million in dead money and only save $11 million. The Seahawks are currently $39.7 million under the cap. Wilson has a no trade clause in his contract with four teams he would be willing to be traded to and Cleveland isn’t one of them. Not happening, he’s staying in Seattle.

Aaron Rogers. Rogers is 38 years old and is currently signed through the 2022 season. His cap number is $46.4 million and if he’s traded Green Bay would have to carry $26.8 million in dead money and only save $19.8 million. The Packers are currently $50.3 million over the cap. To trade Rogers, his contract has to be on the books when the new NFL year begins on March 16. Not happening, he’s staying in Green Bay.

Deshaun Watson. Watson is 26 years old and is currently signed through the 2025 season. His cap number is $40.4 million and if he’s traded Houston would have to carry $16.2 million in dead money and save $24.2 million on the cap. The Texans are currently $4.4 million under the cap. If you’re a Browns fan and complained about a certain recently retired Pittsburg quarterback and the claims he sexually assaulted women, get off this train. Besides, the Browns aren’t giving up three number one picks for anyone.

Derek Carr. Carr is 30 years old and is currently signed through the 2022 season. His cap number is $19.8 million and if he’s traded there is no dead money and Las Vegas would save $19.8 million on the cap. The Raiders are currently $23.3 million under the cap. While Carr has led many comebacks in games, he’s never won a playoff game. The wildcard in Las Vegas is they have no head coach or GM. Carr may like who they hire. If traded, the Raiders would need a replacement.

Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo is 30 years old and is currently signed through the 2022 season. His cap number is $26.95 million and if he’s traded San Fransico would have to carry $1.4 million in dead money and save $25.55 million on the cap. The 49ers are currently $3.5 million over the cap. As a 49er starting quarterback, Garoppolo’s record is impressive, 31-14. His stats prior to this year in six post season games were 64 of 102 (62.7%) for 730 yards, two touchdowns, five interceptions eight sacks for a QBR of 70.3. Not very impressive. I heard someone say he was trailer, not a truck. His injury history is also a factor. I’m sure San Fransico would love to take advantage of another team in a trade. It won’t be the Browns.

Kirk Cousins. New flavor of the week, welcome to carousel Mr. Cousins. Cousins is 33 years old and is currently signed through the 2022 season. His cap number is $45 million and if he’s traded Minnesota would have no dead money and save $45 million on the cap. The Vikings are currently $17.3 million over the cap. Much has been made of his starting record in primetime games, 8-17. The only reason his name is being brought up is because the Vikings newly hired GM worked for the Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanski is familiar with Cousins. Again, the Vikings would love to take advantage of another team in a trade. It won’t be the Browns.

Browns GM Andrew Berry is trying to build a team that is successful in 2022 and in future years. The Browns are not going to trade away draft capital for aging quarterbacks with big salaries. Mayfield’s cap number for 2022 is $18.8 million, that’s very affordable for a starting QB in the NFL. When healthy, Mayfield is a very good quarterback who can take the Browns to the playoffs. When healthy. I understand why everyone is trying to replace Mayfield after watching quarterback play in the playoffs this year. They think there are better options available. Not really. The Browns will roll with Baker Mayfield in 2022. If you want to spend some money Browns, extend Denzel Ward, sign Jadaveon Clowney, M.J. Stewart and David Njoku. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

I just don’t get the Baker Mayfield hate, I just don’t. Former NFL quarterback Phil Sims said in a radio interview this week he doesn’t understand how people love to hate Baker Mayfield. Hate Mayfield, look for reasons he is a terrible quarterback and then justify your argument. Is he perfect? No. Did he make mistakes? Yes. Did his injuries attribute to his play physically and mentally? Yes. Did the play calling add to his poor play down the stretch? Yes. Did all the drama in the locker room help? No. I recall a healthy Baker Mayfield as a rookie breaking Payton Manning’s rookie touchdown record, later to be broken by everyone’s flavor of the month Justin Herbert. Then, a healthy Mayfield leading the Browns to the playoffs last year. So now the haters and the Cleveland media are clutching their pearls about what the Browns are going to do about the quarterback situation.

First, they complained about the announcement to skip the last game to schedule surgery for his shoulder. Then they complained about not having the surgery in Cleveland. Now they’re dissecting his post-surgery Instagram video like it’s a hostage video. I think if you play it slow, he’s blinking trade me in morse code. The local Cleveland media are now breaking down every sentence word for word looking for meaning and inflection to confirm their wish that Mayfield doesn’t want to be in Cleveland anymore. People have lost their minds. The Baker haters also said none of his teammates wished him well on social media. As Rashard Higgins said on twitter, he texted Mayfield and not everything has to go on social media.

The Browns front office has a plan for the off-season. They’ve had this plan for months. GM Andrew Berry is not a spur of the moment GM. The Browns aren’t in a desperate need for a quarterback. The most logical thing to do is for Mayfield to be the starter in 2022. I know that he’s on the last year of his contract, but so is Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. Raven’s fans don’t have their panties in a wad over it. The only difference between the two is Jackson won an MVP award. They both have one playoff win and both of their injuries derailed their team’s season. I recall a news report the week after last year’s Super Bowl the Ravens were going to sign Jackson to an extension. Then nothing, nothing, not a peep. That’s a more concerning situation than the Browns.

My concerns for the 2022 Browns are the depth at wide receiver, depth at interior defensive line, extending CB Denzel Ward, finding a kicker, resigning DE Jadeveon Clowney and S M.J. Stewart. Those are my priorities. With 2021 rollover, the Browns currently have about $28 million in cap space. Certain moves would create more space. As of now the Browns have eight draft picks with wide receiver again being a deep position for the draft. In 2020 the Browns needed a left tackle, and they drafted a left tackle in the first round. In 2021 the Browns needed a cornerback, and they drafted a cornerback in the first round. In 2022 the Browns need a wide receiver, and they will draft a wide receiver in the first round.

If you’re on the fence about QB Baker Mayfield, trust the Browns front office and Andrew Berry to do the best for the Browns. Like I said earlier, they have plan and they’ve had the plan for months. Stop being amateur physiologists looking for any clue to prove you’re right. I don’t care if I’m right or wrong, I just want the Browns to win. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

Expectations were so high this year. A possible AFC North division title and hopefully a deep playoff run. Then the starting quarterback gets hurt and the season falls way short. Now the team goes into the off-season with their starting quarterback playing the last year of his rookie contract and everyone is wondering if and when the team will offer an extension. But enough about the Baltimore Ravens, let’s talk about the Browns. I will always root for the Browns to win games and I’m glad they won Sunday. When your team’s front office is a good as the Browns, draft position doesn’t matter. After the game I heard a lot of football fans saying congratulations the Browns beat the Bengals backups. The Browns starters beat the Bengal starters in game one and the Browns backups beat the Bengal backups in game two. The Browns roster is better top to bottom.

As for the game yesterday, it’s nice to go into the off-season with a win. According to Pro Football Focus the highest graded players were G Joel Bitonio (90.7), OT James Hudson (90.0) LT Jedrick Wills, Jr. (84.9), Jadeveon Clowney (79.2) and G Wyatt Teller (79.1). The secondary was graded as the highest coverage unit in the NFL (90.7). During the game on social media, I heard a lot of fans saying if QB Case Keenum had started more games the Browns would’ve won more games. Nope. He had a bad interception and a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. The Browns won yesterday because they were dedicated to running the ball and because of their defense. The Browns offense finished 18th, the defense finished 12th and the special teams finished 24th. The off-season has to be spent improving the offense by drafting a wide receiver with the first pick, signing a decent WR free agent or restructuring Jarvis Landry, getting better depth on the offensive line and a starting defensive tackle. Hopefully the Browns can extend CB Denzel Ward, resign Clowney, TE David Njoku and S M.J. Stewart, Jr.

It’s refreshing not having to wonder or hope the head coach and/or the GM of the Browns will be fired on black Monday. I know a lot of Browns fans want head coach Kevin Stefanski to be fired. I guess some fans love dysfunction. I don’t. My hope is 2021 will be a motivation for the offensive coaches to reevaluate play calling and play callers. The quarterback in 2022 will be Baker Mayfield. It’s the logical thing to do because right now there’s no one better available. The team currently has around $27.2 million is cap space. If they cut C J.C. Tretter, QB Case Keenum and WR Jarvis Landry, they’ll have an additional $29.85 million is cap space. The Browns will pick 13th in the first round (WR Garrett Wilson please) and have eight picks overall. This roster only needs to be tweaked a little, it’s young and talented. On to the off-season. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

That was the weirdest Browns game I’ve ever watched, and I’ve seen some strange games. First of all, yes, the Browns were trying to win the game. The defense sure looked like it. The offense was, well offensive. If you’re looking to blame someone, then I place the blame on both QB Baker Mayfield and head coach Kevin Stefanski. Why play an injured quarterback if he can’t run the offense because he’s injured? And if your quarterback is injured and you’re going to play him, why not adjust the play calling to what he can do?

Positives & Negatives. The positive was the defense, again. DE Jadeveon Clowney, DT Malik McDowell, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB Malcolm Smith, LB Jacob Phillips, CB Denzel Ward, CB A.J. Green, S/CB M.J. Stewart, Jr., S Grant Delpit and S Richard LeCounte, III all played very well. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods has done an incredible job this year. Remember when Browns fans wanted him fired? Good times. The negatives start with stupid penalties. From lining up offsides by a foot to throwing a shoe that’s all on the coaching staff. It’s been this way all year. Could you start the game off with some play action or rollouts on offense? How about you start a right tackle who could at least slowdown the potential defensive player of the year? Or maybe give some damn help. How about teaching your wide receivers to separate when they run routes? Or instruct your quarterback to throw the ball to the open receiver instead of holding on to it so he can get sacked? Last but not least, run the ball more.

So, what’s going to happen moving forward? I think QB Baker Mayfield has taken his last snap as the Browns quarterback. The team is not going to fire the head coach and one has to go. Watching this front office work, I’m confident GM Andrew Berry has several plans in place for the off-season concerning Mayfield. I think he asks to be traded. He transferred from two schools before going to Oklahoma. Last night after the game, he was asked when he would have the surgery to fix his shoulder, he said he would talk with his family and his representatives. You would think the team might need to be consulted.

So, if the Browns don’t keep Mayfield, who’s the Browns quarterback in 2022? The three big names are Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. Rogers will either stay in Green Bay or go to the west coast, probably Raiders or 49ers. The ripple effect would be Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo would become available. Carr has already let it be known he wants to play somewhere else. Over the last three games, Carr has thrown four interceptions, but the Raiders have won all three games. Garoppolo is a taller version of Mayfield, which after watching last night might not be a bad thing. Russell Wilson has four teams he wants to be traded to and has a no trade clause in his contract. None of those four teams are Cleveland. The two front runners are the Raiders or the Saints. As for Watson, of the 20+ sexual assault civil cases against him, it looks like four are going to court. They will be tried one after another and while in a criminal case you need a burden of proof for there to be a guilty verdict, in a civil case the proof of guilt only needs to be 51%. He will be found guilty in at least one of those cases and will be suspended by the NFL for at least six games. So, who plays QB while Watson is suspended?

Getting a mid-level quarterback can work in the NFL. Look at the Titans and QB Ryan Tannehill. The Browns have a better offensive line and running game (when they chose to use it) then Tennessee. The Titans gave up a box of rocks for Tannehill because they weren’t sure their number one draft pick quarterback could take them to the next level. The Titans even picked up Marcus Mariota’s fifth year option prior to trading for Tannehill.

I’ve always been a supporter of Baker Mayfield, however after last night, I’m not sure he’s the answer. The Browns are a very talented team and Andrew Berry has done a remarkable job building this roster. Owner Jimmy Haslam has finally hired the right front office and coaching staff and will support them in any decssion they make moving forward as will I. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

The 2021 edition of the Browns are just plain exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never give up on the Cleveland Browns and they’ve broken my heart a million times, but they will not break my will. Going into the Green Bay game I was hoping for a Browns win, but I didn’t expect one. The loss didn’t ruin my Christmas. Right now, the local media in Cleveland and the so-called experts on Browns twitter are forgetting the first rule of being a Browns fan, you want the Browns to win. Yes, Baker Mayfield threw four interceptions, but you could argue two of those interceptions were the direct result of bad officiating and a third was indirectly the result bad officiating. Bottom line don’t put the team in the position to have to rely on the referees to help you win a game. It’s the Browns, they aren’t going to help.

Here are the positives and negatives that I saw for this game. I liked what I saw from the offense. The coaching staff saw a weakness on the left side of the Packers defense and kept attacking that side. The Browns were seven of twelve on third down and averaged 6.2 yards a play. WR Anthony Schwartz was used like I hoped the Browns would use him. C Nick Harris played very well, as did TE Harrison Bryant. A lot of Browns fans are complaining that RB Nick Chubb wasn’t in the game enough. I found out today, that Chubb takes himself out of games when he’s tired. I hope no one still wants to fire DC Joe Woods, considering what he was working with, the defense played great. As for the negatives, CB Greedy Williams has to play closer to the line of scrimmage, he can’t make up all that ground on the opposing wide receivers. The Browns in the off-season need to stock up on defensive tackles. LB Anthony Walker was great in run defense, but he’s going to wear himself out by the end of the game. LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah missed some tackles and TE David Njoku was back to dropping passes. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones has to start fighting for the ball. Finally, this team really misses RB Kareem Hunt.

The temptation is for fans to blame one person or coach for a loss. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is not getting fired, Baker Mayfield is the starting quarterback for the rest of this year and for next year. Again, Aaron Rogers is not coming to Cleveland. Russell Wilson is not coming to Cleveland. The Browns picked up his fifth-year option for a reason. I continue to trust GM Andrew Berry and so should you. The only wild card to all this, is the owner. If he sticks his nose into the football decisions, then this team is in real trouble.

Amazingly, the Browns can still win the AFC North thanks to the Bengals and the Chiefs on Sunday. The Browns need to win their last two games against the Steelers and the Bengals, the Chiefs to beat the Bengals and the Ravens to lose to the Rams. Winning in Pittsburg is not going to be easy, especially considering it will probably be Ben Roethlisberger’s last home game. The Browns need to get some players off of the Covid list (and no one goes on it) and players back from injury. For the Browns to beat the Steelers they need to have a fast start and punch the Steelers in the mouth from the get-go. The good news is the Browns have two extra days to get healthy and get ready. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

Last night is called the longest night of the year, well it sure felt that way to Browns fans. After all the team went through the last eight days, I thought they had a chance. 18 players out with Covid, five starters on offense and five starters on defense. Starting the team’s third string quarterback who had one walk through to get ready and still didn’t know if he was going to start till game day. Your starting left guard starting at left tackle for the first time, (BTW, Bitonio had a 91.5 grade according to Pro Football Focus). A secondary with special teams’ players making contributions. And still the Browns had an opportunity to win. Let’s get to it.

Positives. The entire Browns team. Yes, there were moments during the game you were scratching your head, but the effort was off the charts. QB Nick Mullens did what he was supposed to do, play smart with no mistakes. In the fourth quarter he engineered a 14 play, 80 yard, eight-minute drive for the go ahead score. On that drive, Mullens was three for three on third down and one for one on fourth down. The Browns third string QB did that. Have you ever heard of Chris Streveier or Jake Browning? They are the third string QB’s for the Ravens and the Bengals. The patched up offensive line allowed no sacks. Alex Van Pelt kept running the ball and it paid off. The defense got two turnovers. DE Myles Garrett and S John Johnson both played the last defensive series hurt. LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah should be defensive rookie of the year. S Jovante Moffitt was all over the field. Finally, the crowd was fantastic.

Negatives. I’ll start with the offense, not for this game, but for the entire season. The defense again held an opponent to less than 17 points and the offense didn’t do its part. All the offense has to do is score 17 points or more. If they had in this game, the Steelers game and the first Baltimore game the Browns would have 10 wins. Including last night, the Browns are averaging 4.2 points a game in the fourth quarter. Last year they averaged 7.9 points a game in the fourth quarter. In one score games, the Browns are 4-5 this year. Last year they were 7-2. The offense has under achieved all year. To get to at least 17 points a game, you have to have a guy who can kick field goals. Chase McLaughlin has missed six of his last eleven field goals. I expect kicker tryouts this week, but let’s face facts, this late in the season the choices are slim.

Injuries. DE Takk McKinley is done for the season with an Achillies tear. S John Johson, III is day to day with a hamstring injury and DE Myles Garrett has a groin injury, status unknown. As for Covis activations, the Browns could get back CB Troy Hill, DT Malik McDowell, DE Ifeadi Odenigbo, WR Jarvis Landry, TE Austin Hooper, LT Jedrick Wills, QB Baker Mayfield and QB Case Keenum. They would have to have no symptoms and test negative. Also, CB Greg Newsome is still in concussion protocol.

What’s left. Surprisingly the Browns are still in the playoff hunt, however winning the division is their best hope. According to ESPN, the Browns have a 16.8% chance to make the playoffs and 13.4% chance to win the division. Here are the remaining games for the AFC North:

Steelers – @ KC, CLE, @ Balt, Cincinnati – Balt, KC, @ CLE, Ravens – @ Cin, LA Rams, Pitt, Browns – @ GB, @ Pitt, Cin.

The ideal situation would be for the Browns to win their last three games but winning in Green Bay seems like a daunting task. However, get some guys back this week and it’s possible. First the team needs to put last night behind them and use it as motivation for this week. As for the division, beat Pittsburg and Cincinnati and they can win the AFC North if things fall the right way. The amazing thing about this season, it seems no one wants to win the AFC North and that helps any team in the division. A team needs to step up and take charge the last three weeks of the season, hopefully it’s the Browns Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

It’s victory Monday and every Browns fan should be happy, not booing the team in the first minute of the game. The Browns just beat the best team (by record) in the AFC North and are still in the playoff hunt. Because of the results of week 14, the Browns are now second in the division and jumped from eleventh to eighth in the AFC playoff standings. Let’s get to it.

Positives. After a slow start, the offense in the first half started to show signs of life. Three drives, 17 points. Even after the interception by QB Baker Mayfield, the defense held the Ravens to a field goal. Then DE Myles Garrett made the game changing play I’ve been waiting for, strip sack, fumble, recovery and a defensive touchdown. Even the referees helped the Browns. Weird right? Mayfield, TE Austin Hooper, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR Jarvis Landry and the offensive line were the stars on offense. You didn’t hear RT James Hudson’s name mentioned at all. Good job by the rookie. The story of the game though was the defense. Garrett, DE Jadeveon Clowney, DE Takk McKinley, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, CB Denzel Ward, CB Troy Hill, S John Johnson, III and S Grant Delpit were outstanding. The defense held the Ravens to four or fewer plays on eight of their thirteen offensive possessions. The Ravens were one of twelve on third down conversions. The Browns defense had four sacks and caused two fumbles. Incredible. I think the Browns have a new punter and WR JoJo Natson is such a smart player.

Negatives. The second half offense. On the two touchdown drives in the first half, the offense moved the ball so you know it can be done. When the running game wasn’t working, the Browns did short five-to-six-yard passes on first down. Very smart. In the second half, nothing was working and when it did, the Browns kicker missed a field goal. The Browns have scored one touchdown in the last eight fourth quarters and been outscored in the fourth quarter 105 to 52. How in the hell is this team still in the playoff hunt? How do they have seven wins? Head coach Kevin Stefanski needs to go for the throat like he did in the first half last year when he knew the defense was bad and had to pile on points. Please keep WR JoJo Natson as the punt returner. Thank you. When you know, the other team is going to attempt an onside kick, watch the kicker and the ball, please. Thank you.

Scoreboard Watching Week 15. The Browns play the Raiders who are a mess right now, but QB Derek Carr seems to have some his best games versus the Browns. Beat the Raiders and root for the Chiefs over the Chargers Thursday night, the Patriots over the Colts Saturday night, the Titans over the Steelers, the Panthers over the Bills, the Broncos over the Bengals and the Packers over the Ravens. If all that can happen, brace yourselves, the Browns will be in first place in the AFC North with three games to play. The Browns haven’t won two games in a row since September, December would be a nice time to start. Everybody stay safe and Go Browns.

Usually this time of year, Browns fans are well versed in every NFL mock draft available. However now it’s time to scoreboard watch. Prior to the first game against the Ravens, the Brown’s playoff chances improved due to key losses by the Colts, Chargers and Steelers. Then the Browns laid an egg and wasted an opportunity. During the bye week, the Browns playoff chances were again helped by loses by the Ravens, Bengals, Raiders, Broncos and Bills. The Browns now go into week 14 at 6-6 with five games to go and are still in the playoff hunt. Hard to believe this time last year the Browns were 9-3.

Currently the Browns are the eleventh seed in the AFC and only the top seven make the playoffs. So, what need to happen week 14? First and foremost, the Browns have to win on Sunday against the Ravens. Just like the Browns, there’s something wrong with the Ravens, who have not played well at times which means the Browns have a chance for a victory. For the Browns to climb to the seventh seed after this weekend the Steelers need to lose to the Vikings Thursday night. Then on Sunday the Browns need Kansas City to beat the Raiders, Denver to beat the Lions, the Giants to beat the Chargers, the 49ers to beat the Bengals and Tampa to beat the Bills. That’s a lot to hope for, but this NFL season has been unusual to say the least. Hell, Monday night a starting NFL quarterback won a game going 2 of 3 for 19 yards.

Because three of the Browns last five games are AFC North games, they still have a slight chance to win the division. For that to happen, the Browns need to win the remaining divisional games and for New England to win the AFC East, the Chiefs to win the AFC West and turmoil in the AFC South. Has your head exploded yet? Bottom line, the Browns need to come out of the bye week with their hair on fire and win some damn games, it’s crunch time. If they don’t, I’ll be looking at mock drafts till the end of the year. Everybody stay safe and Go Browns.

On a day where loses by teams like the Chargers, the Colts and the Steelers would have helped the Browns in their playoff chase, they go into Baltimore and leave their offense in Cleveland. Or maybe they left it in Cincinnati because they’ve scored 30 points over their last three games. On the defensive side of the ball, the Browns play their best game as a unit and their best game against Lamar Jackson. What a waste. It’s been 48 hors, so let’s get to it.

Positives. The defense. That’s it. According to Pro Football Focus, four of the top five grades went to defensive players. Safety Grant Delpit (91.5), LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (88.1), S John Johnson, III (77.8) and CB Greg Newsome, II (77.7). Newsome and JOK make the 2021 NFL draft for the Browns a big success. Both are studs. The Browns took what the Bengals and the Dolphins did to the Ravens and combined them. Now please do it for four quarters.

Negatives. The Offense. That’s it. Only LG Joel Bitonio graded in the top five with PFF at 89.5. If the defense is going to put eight and nine players in the box, how about we try a screen pass or a designed roll out. And when your injured quarterback throws you the ball, freaking catch it. It’s time for head coach Kevin Stefanski to let OC Alex Van Pelt call plays. Breaking News: The Browns still have 12 men on the field. It’s also time to find a new punter, sorry Jamie, you’re a nice story, but damn.

As for the state of the team. They are 6-6 and can still make the playoffs. The wildcard is their only hope. No one will be fired in the off-season. For all the Baker haters, he’s still the guy. Aaron Rogers is not coming to Cleveland. Russell Wilson is not coming to Cleveland. I know all the kitchen table GM’s think it’s possible, but that’s not how the NFL works. That’s not how this front office works. Mayfield didn’t forget how to play football, he’s hurt. Apparently, an injured Mayfield is a better option than a healthy Keenum. I really didn’t want to see Case Keenum against that defense. Finally. the Browns aren’t going to blow it up and start over. Are you insane? Do really want to start over with another retread NFL QB or a rookie? Do you not remember Doug Peterson, Trent Dilfer, Jake Delhomme, Jason Campbell, Cody Kessler, Kevin Hogan and DeShone Kizer?

Let’s hope this coaching staff takes the bye week to look at themselves and the state of the team. The talent is still there and like I said, the playoffs are still in sight. Use the bye week appropriately or it’s bye-bye playoffs. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.