#Browns Preview 1.3.16: Pittsburgh #Steelers @ Cleveland Browns

By @mrgroce

Happy New Year Browns' fans!!!! We have finally reached the final week of the season and it could not have come at a better time. For the third season in a row the Browns will be have their third string quarterback behind center. Austin Davis gets the opportunity to keep the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the playoffs. Pittsburgh needs a victory and a Jets loss to make clinch a spot in the postseason. Since 2008, the Browns and Steelers have faced off against each other five times with Pittsburgh winning every single contest. 

The Browns will be without both of their starting corner backs this week and might be forced to start Justin Gilbert and Pierre Desir against Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. That's gonna get ugly. The last time these two teams faced each other, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger came off of the bench and threw for 379 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running back DeAngelo Williams was held to 54 yards on 17 carries, which was one of the best performances by the Browns' run defense this season. 

As stated earlier, Austin Davis will get his second start of the season. In his lone start against the Bengals in early December, Davis threw for  230 yards with one interception. Like the other quarterbacks before him, it's really hard to get a read on the man behind center when he doesn't have any weapons to help him win. Add Marlon Moore to the list of receivers who who will be out this week for the Browns. That could lead to more playing time for Terrelle Pryor or Dwayne Bowe, maybe. One thing to look out for is the fact that Travis Benjamin is only 87 yards short of the 1000 yard mark. 

Personally, I'll have my eyes on Cameron Erving, Danny Shelton and Nate Orchard. They are the rookies who've had the most playing time lately and I'd like to see how hard they compete in the final game that means nothing overall, but hopefully will one day in their futures as members of the Cleveland Browns. Rumors have swirled all week stating that GM Ray Farmer will be fired and coach Pettine will be retained followed by another rumor that both men will be let go after the season ends. I'm not a fan of either guy but whatever happens I don't wish for any man to lose his job. I am a fan of the Cleveland Browns though, and whatever is best for the team will hopefully get figured out by Jimmy Haslem quickly. 

What: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
When: Sunday January 3, 2015 1:00 PM
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium Cleveland, Ohio
TV/Radio: CBS/ 850 ESPN Cleveland, 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX

Fresh Squeezed Juice 12.21.15: Twas the Week Of Browns Christmas #Browns

By @JuiceKovacs

Twas the week of Christmas and all through Berea,
The Browns were practicing their football diarrhea.
The 1960's Championships banner were hung with care,
In hopes a Lombardi Trophy would soon be there.
Joe Thomas was nestled all snug in his bed,
While Johnny had visions of coke and teens dancing in his head.

And Dan in his Bernie jersey, and I in my Cribbs,
The season is over, and we still never saw EJ Bibbs.
When out on the practice field there arose such a clatter,
Oh, It's just Johnny carrying his ladder.
He jukes to the right, to the left he makes a dash,
Then we all yell “Hey It's Gordon!, First name Flash”.
Josh puts out the Blunt on the turf below,
Johnny cancels his appoint with Bae to do blow.
When what to my wondering eyes did appear?
The O Line coach beating his wife while drinking beer.
Justin Gilbert the driver so lively and quick,
Look it's Dwayne Bowe, his obesity makes me sick.

Then Pettine and Farmer, they too then came,
And went over draft picks and shouted them by name.
“Now Gilbert! Now Manziel! Now Bitonio!
Let's draft a guy to back up Greco!
To the top of the draft! In the division we fall!
Give us more draft picks! We can trade them all!”

And then, in a twinkling, I heard of the roof,
A man with white hair, so rich he's bulletproof.
As I drew my head, and was turning around,
I saw old man Haslam, dressed in orange and brown.
Holmgren, Shurmur, Heckert,, all got the boot,
Chud came in and quickly followed suit.
Everyone gets fired, or stabbed in the back,
On to Banner and Lombardi, soon their bags would be packed.
Next is Pettine and Farmer, bald men that look scary,
2 years in, and their best work is a Tight End named Gary.
Jimmy has more money then we will ever know,
So much he gave ten million dollars to Dwayne Bowe.
“I wont blow it up”, Jimmy lies through his teeth,
The fans deserve better than this orange and brown queef!

We're tired of drafting guys with big bellys,
We're tired of Pittsburgh making us jelly.
I'm tired of the 60's and that dumb little elf,
Yet I still watch every week, in spite of myself.
All I want is one season with minimal dread,
I fear I won't see a Super Bowl before I am dead.
Draft some players who aren't scared to work,
Hire a coach who isn't a high-school clerk.

I'm tired of hiring inexperienced dopes,
“Save us Ozzie Newsome, you're our only hope.”

So there you have it, a Browns poem to sing,
To bring you some joy because we'll never get a ring.
Pressure is on you Lebron, make us the champs,
And don't you start with those lame ass leg cramps.
We have had enough, our sports owe us more,
The Browns front office is a revolving door.
And as another regime rolls out of sight,

“Merry Christmas to Cleveland, I'll see you draft night!”

#Browns Preview 10.31.15: Arizona #Cardinals @ Cleveland Browns

By @mrgroce

This Sunday at 1:00, the 2-5 Cleveland Browns will host the 1st place 5-2 Arizona Cardinals. The Browns are coming off of a another loss, 24-6 to the St.Louis Rams. The Cardinals on the other hand are coming off of a win against the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns, already a team that lacks play makers continue to turn the ball over and commit stupid penalties two things that they absolutely cannot do against a Cardinals team that ranks fourth overall in offense AND defense. Plenty of folks, myself included, believe that the season is already over and we're starting to wonder what direction the team will go in once the season ends. Safety Donte Whitner still feels that since the team has five  division games remaining, winning the division is still a possibility. I appreciate his optimism. How about I pretend I'm a coach and do this "one game at a time". 

Leading the Cardinals is head coach Bruce Arians. Normally I don't mention head coaches but for some reason I really like Arians. Maybe it's the Kangol hats, or maybe it's the affection he has for the city of Cleveland and its loyal fanbase. Maybe it's the fact that as a man who's worked with some of the best quarterbacks in the game it didn't take long for him to turn things around in Arizona. He traded for Carson Palmer, drafted Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu, signed RB Chris Johnson, Jermaine Gresham, Dwight Freeney, and convinced Larry Fitzgerald to stay. The Cardinals have what is considered the recipe for success: a franchise QB, a running game, wide receivers who can stretch the field, and a top rated defense.         

The Browns on the other hand still don't have a true "feature" running back, still don't know who's starting at quarterback on Sunday, and with wide receiver Andrew Hawkins ruled out with a concussion aren't sure if Dwayne Bowe will be active after missing the last four weeks. Basically, the Cardinals have the edge over the Browns at every position other than punter and place kicker.  Coach Pettine won't announce who's starting at quarterback until Sunday, but if McCown is able to play I think it's safe to say that's who the staff will go with. The offensive line has played better, but the Browns have yet to have a 100 yard rusher this season.

Whatever issues the Browns have on offense they're not nearly as woeful as the defense. Against the Rams last week, the Browns defense played fairly well for awhile, but eventually four yard runs turned into nine yard runs and 9 yard runs turned into 17 yard runs. I think you get my point. Defensive backs Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson return to the line up after missing the last few games, but that probably won't be enough unless they're able to rush the quarterback then get back in coverage to defend their man because the defensive lineman can't seem to do it.  

This seems like the type of game that since no one is giving the Browns a chance to win, they would somehow find a way to win using the old "any given Sunday" slogan. Not this week. The only factor that I believe keeps this game from getting out of hand is the fact that it's a road game for the Cardinals and it's expected to be a tad bit chilly on Sunday. My prediction, Cardinals 31 Browns 13. 

What: Cleveland Browns vs Arizona Cardinals
When: 1:00 PM Sunday Nov 1, 2015
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium Cleveland, Ohio
TV/Radio: FOX/ WKNR 850 Cleveland, WKRK 92.3 The Fan, WNCX 98.5 The Fan

#Browns Preview 9.11.15: Cleveland Browns @ New York #Jets

Week 1 Is Finally Here
By @mrgroce

Sunday afternoon marks the beginning of another much anticipated season for the Cleveland Browns. After an offseason of constant turmoil, everyone's attention will finally be on football. Week One starts with the Browns traveling to New York to take on the Jets.

In my eyes, these two teams are very similar. You have a first and second year head coach. Both teams feature veteran journeyman starting quarterbacks. Both teams feature tough defenses with exceptional secondaries. The running game for both teams are average. The starting receiving corps of both teams, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker for the Jets, Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe for the Browns, feature veteran guys who have had good careers, but are past their primes. This is going to sound pretty obvious, but the winner of this game will be the team that does not turn the ball over and avoids penalties in bad situations. There are some teams that can get away with both, but the Browns and the Jets aren't those teams.

The Browns seem to enter this contest with the most questions. If McCown goes down, is Johnny healthy enough to take over? If Isaiah Crowell is unproductive, can Shaun Draughn, if brought up from the practice squad, help or can Duke Johnson stay on the field long enough to make an impact? Will the receivers help take the pressure off of the running game? Will the offense stay on the field long enough to give the defense a rest?

As you can see, all of my questions come at the expense of the offense. The Browns are 1-15 in season openers since returning in 1999 and I have a hard time seeing them pull this one out on the road. I hope I'm wrong.





Prediction: Jets 20 - Browns 16

What: Cleveland Browns at New York Jets
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Time: 1pm EST
TV/Radio: CBS, WKNR/Cleveland 850, WKRK/Cleveland 92.3 The Fan, WNCX 98.5