The latest Cleveland Browns news and notes from around the NFL in the Saturday Dawg Chow.
The Cleveland Browns are on a bye this week, which with the way the season has gone through the first nine weeks is good news for everyone.
The players get a few extra days off to rest and reflect, the coaching staff gets extra time to determine the right mix of veterans and prospects to play over the final eight weeks, and the fans get a much-needed break from the weekly bout of agita.
From the fan standpoint, the Browns not playing frees up some time for other activities. But how to fill that time on a Saturday? It is too soon to start putting up the Christmas decorations. There is college football to watch, but the day’s only real marquee game, Alabama vs. LSU, does not kick off until 7:30 p.m.
So how to fill the day?
If we may be so humble as to offer a suggestion, why not check out some English football in the form of the Premier League?
Games are easy to digest as they finish in under two hours and, much like baseball, viewers can follow along with the game being almost background noise and the rise of the announcer’s voice will clue you in to pay attention.
There is also a meeting between top-of-the-table Liverpool and Aston Villa, who site just one point out of third place and are a familiar name for Browns fans who remember when Randy Lerner owned the Birmingham-based team.
There are also four games at 9 a.m. to choose from, and another at 11:30, which makes for a nice transition through the early part of the day and into the late afternoon.
Give it a try – you just might find you like it!
In the meantime, let’s get the day off to a good start with the Saturday edition of the Daily Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature:
- Despite Browns struggle, Myles Garrett gets ESPN mention for midseason award (Jared Mueller) – It hasn’t been good enough for the Cleveland Browns this season despite a talented roster. While there has been good plays and good players game to game, the season is lost due to lack of production and consistency across the roster.
- Browns should turn to DTR sooner rather than later (Thomas Moore) – The Cleveland Browns have questions surrounding the quarterback position that need answering in the coming weeks and months. For now, the Browns need to navigate the final eight games of the season with a not-always-inspiring quarterback room of Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Bailey Zappe.
- Browns Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski futures: League’s expectation regarding a change (Jared Mueller) – In most things, especially professional sports, there are facts and there are opinions. The facts for the Cleveland Browns are not good in 2024. The team is 2-7, traded away veterans DE Za’Darius Smith and WR Amari Cooper and are focused on the NFL draft and NFL free agency. Once again in Cleveland, the focus is on the quarterback position. While the upcoming draft has some interesting names, a savior might not be there for the Browns.
- Browns NFL draft: QBs worth drafting, avoiding and taking a flyer on (Curtiss Brown) – Like leaves during the fall, things can change quickly. Going into the season, many fans (and most of our DBN staff) had brimming optimism and excitement about what the Cleveland Browns could do after a promising 2023 campaign. Fast forward to today, the team sits at 2-7 with their playoff hope all but officially dashed and will now look forward to evaluating what they have and making decisions. Mainly, the quarterback decision.
- From Donald Trump’s football history to Chiefs’ 3-straight Super Bowls to Browns drafting a young QB (Barry Shuck) – There are odd circumstances that occur in the universe of professional football. My opinion needs to come and mention and/or discuss some of these things. Hopefully you will be entertained.
Cleveland Browns:
- Reasons you should watch all 8 of the Browns’ remaining games (cleveland.com) – Remember two months ago when you thought the Cleveland Browns would be coming out of the bye week ready to push for a playoff spot and maybe even a division title? Those were the days. There are eight Browns games after the bye and, be honest, you’re going to watch them. In case you were wavering, though, and needed a reason, here are reasons to watch all eight of the remaining contests.
- Cleveland Browns post-bye week offensive questions: Dawand Jones, Cedric Tillman, DTR (Beacon Journal) – The Cleveland Browns bye week fell at just past the exact midpoint of the season. That they’re 2-7 at that point isn’t irrelevant at all. All that record at the bye does is change how the second half of the season could play out for the Browns. More importantly, one of the big things they need to gain from the final eight games of the season is an idea on a handful of players or positions to help provide a blueprint for the offseason.
- Browns are a bad team going nowhere (Browns Zone) – The Cleveland Browns are just eight games away from being three complete years into the all-but-defunct, five-year, (two years still to go!) it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time Deshaun Watson Era.
NFL:
- 24 questions about the 2024 NFL season, asked and answered (The Ringer) – Before the season began in September, we asked 24 questions that could shape this year of football. Now, at the midway point, it’s time to revisit those questions and see what their answers will mean for the rest of the season.
- Texans, Stroud know they have to correct second-half struggles (ESPN) – Executing in the second half is a point of emphasis for coach DeMeco Ryans and his Houston Texans. While the Texans have gone 5-2 in one-score games, their six wins have come by a total of 38 points (19th), and their 6.3 point difference per win ranks 25th. Simply put, the Texans aren’t struggling to win, but they are struggling to put teams away in the second half and win comfortably.
- ‘Never in a million years’: How the Bengals wasted latest Burrow-Chase masterpiece (The Athletic) – Ja’Marr Chase ran himself open across every blade of grass at M&T Bank Stadium. Each of his 11 receptions for 264 yards and three touchdowns elicited a louder cackle at the absurdity of the latest love letter to a game penned with his football soulmate. Yet, standing at the postgame podium reflecting upon yet another batch of career highlights ending in heartbreaking defeat, Chase was finally stopped.