Category Archives: Browns

Baker Mayfield claims to not care what media says

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The Cleveland Browns quarterback stated Wednesday that he does not care what the media says and that everyone has to be better including him.

Baker Mayfield has received a ton of warranted criticism this season. The third-year quarterback has not lived up to the expectations of being selected first overall and is far from the play everyone saw over the second half of his rookie season. Mayfield gave his input on the criticism he has received during his media session Wednesday stating “I don’t give a damn what they say”.

Mayfield is correct about the outside noise not mattering, that much is true. It is also a good sign that he realizes that he needs to be better. The team is 4-2, but the record is misleading. While they surprisingly have 4 wins, their 2 losses were blowouts and they did not appear to be competitive at all. That is part of the reason why criticism of the team exists. This appears to be a huge gap between teams like the Browns and teams such as the Ravens and Steelers.

It is best to take what Baker Mayfield said about not caring about what the media says with a huge grain of salt. If there is one thing we have learned about Baker Mayfield it is that he does care about what the media says. Did everyone forget his battles with Colin Cowherd? Yeah, those happened. Mayfield even passive-aggressively likes tweets that contain negative or critical content about him.

This certainly is the behavior of someone who is concerned or cares about the opinions of media personalities. The fact of the matter is that Baker Mayfield is someone who is very much “online” and does indeed care what the media says about him, good or bad. He can say whatever he wants but he has shown multiple times in the past that this is indeed the truth.

Browns: Ronnie Harrison clears concussion protocol

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The third-year safety has cleared concussion protocol

The Cleveland Browns secondary is getting some help as Ronnie Harrison is expected to practice after clearing concussion protocol.

The Browns were without Harrison in last Sunday’s lopsided loss to the Steelers. Harrison played a season-high 37 snaps (66%) against the Colts the week before. Harrison’s absence resulted in Cleveland relying on Andrew Sendejo and Sheldrick Redwine manning the safety position.

Ronnie Harrison said Wednesday that he is just hoping to pick up where he left off.

Harrison was playing well before ending up in concussion protocol. The Browns getting him back before facing the Bengals this week is huge. Joe Burrow threw for over 300 yards in Week 2 against Cleveland and could easily do it again. Burrow has eclipsed the 300-yard mark in 4 of his 6 starts this season. Harrison’s presence may be able to make it a bit more difficult for Burrow to do it again.

Can the Browns bounce back in Week 7?

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Are the Cleveland Browns going to bounce back against the Cincinnati Bengals for the second time after a lopsided loss to a divisional rival?

The Cleveland Browns were blown out in Week 1 when they faced the Baltimore Ravens and rebounded nicely in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland finds themselves in a very familiar situation in Week 7. The Browns were beaten badly by a divisional opponent (Pittsburgh) and again face the Bengals. Can they channel what they did in Week 2 and get back into the win column?

Looking back to Cleveland’s 35-30 win over Cincinnati, the Browns ran more than they passed. This will need to be their strategy after a lackluster passing performance from Baker Mayfield in Week 6. While Nick Chubb will not be available, Kareem Hunt should be able to handle the bulk of the workload. Mix in some D’Ernest Johnson and Dontrell Hilliard in addition to an Odell Beckham Jr. run.

Speaking of Odell, he had his second best outing of the season the last time Cleveland faced Cincinnati. The Browns receiver finished with 4 receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown The touchdown coming on a 43-yard pass from Mayfield in the 2nd quarter. It is possible that Beckham has another good day facing the Bengals this Sunday.

What it is going to come down to is realizing what does and doesn’t work. Kevin Stefanski is definitely smart enough to realize the strengths and weaknesses of this team. The offense will to need to focus on running the ball and pick their spots in the passing game. If the result of the game is dependent on a productive passing attack they are in trouble. If the Browns are able to run the ball effectively they should be able to come away with a win.

Did David Njoku debunk trade rumor?

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Njoku took to Twitter to comment on the trade rumor but did the Cleveland Browns tight end actually debunk his reported request?

There was a bit of a back and forth between Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku and reporter Mary Kay Cabot Monday. Cabot reported earlier in the day that Njoku has again asked to be traded with Njoku commenting on that report.

All Njoku said is that he did not say anything to Mary Kay about a trade request. Why is this important? Cabot said a league source told her and not Njoku directly, something she confirmed in a reply.

The key is to read between the lines here. The possibility exists that David Njoku has requested a trade and Cabot heard from someone who told her. Just because Njoku didn’t tell her directly doesn’t make it not true. So instead of hammering on Mary Kay Cabot which is so popular to do by the Browns fanbase, take a second and look at the situation from a broad perspective.

Just trade David Njoku already

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The Cleveland Browns should just get it over with and trade the tight end after he requested a trade for the second time.

David Njoku has requested a trade…… again. The former Miami Hurricane has again asked for the Cleveland Browns to trade him. Cleveland needs to grant him his request and get him out of here.

This situation has been handled poorly by the Browns front office. Their first mistake was picking up his fifth-year option which will pay him just over $6 million next season. David Njoku has shown nothing in his career that warrants that type of salary, In fact, his cap hit of just over $3 million this season is pushing it to be honest. The second mistake was not granting his first request and bringing him back into the fold knowing a second request was inevitable.

To be blunt, David Njoku has not lived up to expectations during his time with the Browns. In 39 career games he has 98 receptions for 1,129 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Njoku came into the league as a raw prospect with upside and in his fourth year nothing has changed. Much more was expected for the first round tight end when he was drafted just a few years ago. The fact of the matter is that Cleveland just needs to part ways with Njoku and make a clean break. Remove a possible negative influence in the locker room while at the same time giving him an opportunity for a fresh start somewhere else. Even if the return is minimal, this is something that the Browns need to do sooner rather than later.

Odell Beckham Jr. needs to grow up

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The Browns receiver was seen throwing his helmet and later arguing with fans while not wearing shoes during Sunday’s loss in Pittsburgh.

Somehow Odell Beckham Jr. has mostly avoided having episodes on the sideline since being traded to the Cleveland Browns. That is no longer the case as Beckham was seen throwing his helmet and for some reason shoeless late during the loss to Pittsburgh.

First, Beckham throwing his helmet.

Being frustrated is understandable, the Browns were completely outclassed Sunday and they are not what many thought they were coming into this game. The helmet throw isn’t great, but is not something to harp on all that much. Beckham isn’t the first and won’t be the last player to throw a helmet on sideline. The deal is that when it comes to someone like Beckham it is amplified that much more.

Now it’s time for the real issues. Odell Beckham Jr. not wearing shoes and arguing on the sideline.

Why isn’t he wearing shoes? All of his teammates managed to have their cleats on and for some bizarre reason he decided that this was beneath him. Beckham only complicated matters when he decided to get into it with some fans.

The team is losing by 31 points and Beckham did not have an impressive performance. Being shoeless and arguing with fans is the furthest thing from a good look.

Here’s the deal, Odell Beckham Jr. has to be better than this. He has to grow up and not act like a child being told no at a toy store. Beckham’s actions show that the team still lacks culture and discipline. These are things that do not just happen overnight, they take time. The Browns still have a long way to go in this department and Sunday was more than enough evidence of that.

There is one thing that the Browns need to figure out. Was what happened Sunday a one-off incident or the beginning of a ticking time bomb waiting to explode? History says that latter, however the Browns can show they turned the corner by ensuring that this was a one time thing. What happens next will say a lot about the state of the Cleveland Browns and Odell Beckham Jr.

Observations from the Browns loss to Pittsburgh

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Four observations from the Cleveland Browns 38-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, their 17th straight loss at Heinz Field.

1. Mayfield played really poor

Baker Mayfield played badly, like really badly. Some will try to say the issue is that he was playing hurt. If he really was that hurt and it impacted his performance that much he should not have been on the field to begin with. Also, how would his injury impact his vision on the field because he did not see Minkah Fitzpatrick on his first interception of the day. Speaking of interceptions, he should have three but one was called back due to a penalty on former Browns corner Joe Haden. Mayfield was eventually benched, something that should have happened earlier in the game. Now that Cleveland has started the process they might as well finish it by benching him for good.

2. The offense misses Chubb

Nick Chubb is more important to the offense than many imagined. While Kareem Hunt is a good complimentary piece, he is not at the same level as Chubb. Without Chubb the Browns offensive attack just doesn’t have that punch they really need. Chubb’s return from his injury cannot come soon enough.

3. Kevin Stefanski’s game plan was not great

The offensive game plan did not really impress all that much Sunday. Pittsburgh was more than ready for everything that the Browns were going to call. At one point they had the quarterback cadence timed perfectly and were in the backfield before the play could even get off the ground. Pittsburgh was even ready for the trick play that Kevin Stefanski has grown fond of calling and it was a complete disaster from the start. It was almost like the defense was in the huddle when the plays were being called. The offense was very predictable and it was the first time since Week 1 that the team looked unprepared.

4. Are the Browns actually good?

Yes, the Browns have four wins and they were doing things that haven’t happened since before the franchise was inactive for three years. The reality is that when they played two really good opponents they got the doors blown off of them and it was not particularly close. Cleveland’s four wins came against two bad teams and two teams who appear to not be as good as we thought they were. On the other hand their two losses came against the elite teams in the division with the gap between them appearing to be quite large.

It’s time to bench Baker Mayfield

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The time has come for Cleveland to bench the former first overall pick.

If there is one thing that we have learned this season it is that Baker Mayfield is not the quarterback many expected him to be coming out of the draft. Mayfield’s poor performance is not the result of poor coaching and offensive schemes. It is the result of Mayfield not being a good quarterback.

Even at his best this season Baker Mayfield was rather pedestrian. In the four wins the third year quarterback completed 63.7% of his passes for 787 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. This is an average of 196.8 yards per game through the air, hardly the numbers expected of a franchise quarterback. His success was the result of a productive rushing attack and he was able to play at a level that resulted in Browns victories. Cleveland won with Mayfield and not because of him, the difference between the two is important to take not of. The issue at hand is the poor performance in the two losses. Mayfield was 31-57 (54.4%) for 308 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Mayfield was also sacked 6 times, that is one more than the previous four games combined.

An argument can be made that Cleveland needs to figure out just what Baker Mayfield is. Well, we already know what he is and it is not a franchise quarterback. This offensive system combined with the skill players around him put Mayfield in the best position to succeed. Right now it is abundantly clear that he is not succeeding and he never will. By benching Baker now the team will be able to properly evaluate the rest of the roster and how they should proceed moving forward. There are still plenty of unknowns on this team and continuing to play Baker Mayfield does not provide any answers.

Odell Beckham Jr. cleared to play Sunday

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The Cleveland Browns receiver has tested negative for COVID-19 along with the rest of the team and is cleared to play Sunday.

There was some concern just a few days ago about the playing status of Odell Beckham Jr. The Cleveland Browns receiver was sent home from practice after not feeling well which combined with the Colts COVID scare resulted in a bit of a panic. Beckham and the rest of his teammates tested negative in their most recent tests and are good to go Sunday.

This is good news considering the Browns are going to need every player to be available when they face the Steelers. Cleveland will be facing a stout Pittsburgh defense which will put pressure on the offense. The Steelers are allowing the second-fewest rushing yards per game this season (64). This means at some point a play in the passing game will need to be made and having someone like Beckham makes that possible.

Ronnie Harrison could return for Browns Sunday

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Cleveland defensive coordinator Joe Woods stated that the Browns safety could return from concusssion protocol this week.

There was an update Thursday regarding the playing status of Ronnie Harrison. Joe Woods said he thinks that Harrison could return from concussion protocol.

If Harrison is unable to return that Sheldrick Redwine could fill in.

Redwine finished with 2 tackles and intercepted a pass upon entering the game this past Sunday. While Redwine played well, Cleveland’s secondary would be better if they had Harrison as well.