Browns sign Jack Stoll

     The Cleveland Browns needed to add a veteran tight end after cutting ties with David Njoku, and it was expected to be a blocking specialist.

The expectation was correct as Cleveland signed veteran Jack Stoll to a one-year contract.

Stoll spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles before playing for the New Orleans Saints last season.

Stoll caught six passes for forty-six yards and one touchdown for the Saints and is known for his blocking in his five NFL campaigns.

Stoll was signed by Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent from Nebraska in 2021.

Blocking tight ends are a dime a dozen, and are neither hard to replace nor difficult to let go of, so while there was a need for someone, whoever it was didn't really matter.

Sunk in New Orleans, Browns Downed by Saints

    Before I begin, due to work issues, I was unable to watch the Ohio State 31-7 win over Northwestern with any type of normal attention, so I'm not going to do a game review for the Buckeye victory.

The Cleveland Browns received a stellar day from Jameis Winston in his return to New Orleans but a defensive inability to control the Saints Taysom Hill led to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and a 35-14 New Orleans win at the Superdome.

Winston finished with 395 yards passing and two touchdowns without an interception and Jerry Jeudy grabbed six passes for 142 receiving yards including an eighty-nine-yard touchdown.

Cleveland drops to 2-8 on the season and will have a quick return to action with a Thursday night game against the visiting first-place Pittsburgh Steelers.

Brownie Bits

1) I may be way off on this but whether the house cleaning is now or in January, this loss feels like the turning point when the fans and maybe even the Haslams see no more hope.

The Haslams may have silently decided to clean house after such a loss as I'm not sure that that anyone can feel like this can be turned around with the current people in charge.

2) The defensive breakdown in the fourth quarter from the supposed strength of the squad is another item that I just cannot grasp.

Poor tackling, players in the wrong places, and in a few cases, indifferent effort have been part of the franchise for years and often has been the tip-off that it's time for yet another regine change.

3) One thing that I have seen far too often over the last few games is Juan Thornhill getting lost with his assignments and then pointing out another player for fault.

The Saints (and others) get the ball to someone in the open field, the player cruises in for a score as my jaw drops open as in how did that guy get so open, and then the camera scans to Thornhill pointing to someone and jawing back and forth.

Thornhill was signed as a costly free agent before the 2023 season and played in eleven of seventeen games in that season and five of the ten thus far in 2024.

Thornhill's been a huge disappointment and I would wager that he will be a major candidate for a cap casualty in the off-season.

4) And there was Taysom Hill, the Victorinox of New Orleans, who seemed to become Nile Kinnick before the Brown eyes with three rushing touchdowns (including one of seventy-five yards), rushed for 138 yards, caught eight passes for another fifty yards, completed a pass for eighteen yards, and returned a kickoff for forty-two yards.

And Hill could have been better as he lost a fumble inside the Cleveland ten-yard line!

5) The Browns seemed astonished by Hill and his usage and what made that even worse was New Orleans interim head coach Darren Rizzi's interview at the half with Jen Hale (one of the better sideline reporters).

Hale asked Rizzi if he thought the Saints were using Hill too much in the game as the fumble occurred late in the half.

Rizzi's answer was that he didn't think they had used him enough and thought they would use him more in the second half!

Yet, no one either saw this or sent the message to the coaching staff and Hill just destroyed the Browns in a game that won't be forgotten for quite a while.

6) Dustin Hopkins was reliable last season and received a three-year contract extension from the Browns.

It appears 2023 was the aberration as Hopkins missed two field goals, one of them a twenty-seven-yard chip shot that he was given a second chance by a Saints penalty after missing from thirty-three yards.

Hopkins is currently fourteen of twenty this season and has missed two extra points.

7) The extension that Dustin Hopkins signed showed the issues with extending kickers as only the very best booters are elite every season.

Kickers are very much like relief pitchers in baseball- it's very hard to rely on them being consistent every season and one season's standout often is the next's disappointment and Hopkins is another example of not only that rule but how Andrew Berry has needlessly spent this team into cap problems.

8) Jameis Winston's numbers were good and didn't throw an interception, although the Saints did drop a few possible picks but where he was the most impressive was where he continued to improve the Browns receivers, who look closer to league average with Winston in the pocket.

Winston is still erratic but the Browns have a chance to win with him while I don't think the same should the Browns start Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

9) What I can do without are the interviews with Winston, where he rambles incessantly about the Almighty.

Now I'm more than fine with crediting the Lord and discussing his beliefs but couldn't Winston answer the questions that are asked as well?

It's clear that his teammates love Winston and he's got charisma to burn but you can at least speak a little on what you are asked before kicking into Benny Hinn mode.

10) The Browns suffered a big loss as left tackle Dawand Jones broke his ankle when Wyatt Teller rolled over Jones, snapping his ankle with an injury that will end Jones's season.

Germain Ifedi finished the game and might play against the Steelers but it could mean the eventual return of the noted "businessman" Jedrick Wills to the lineup for the following game against Denver.

11) David Njoku caught all nine passes thrown to him for eighty-one yards and is the reliable short man for  Jameis Winston's checkdowns.

Njoku is going to have a ten-plus, one hundred-yard-plus with scores game before this season ends, he's sitting on it, it's just a matter of time.

12)  Denzel Ward intercepted a Derek Carr pass in the game, which ordinarily wouldn't be a big deal but when you consider that the Browns had intercepted a whopping one pass after nine games.

13) The Browns are out of control and the fourth-quarter meltdown against the supposed strength of the team showed that this team is close to giving up and turning this season into a wreck for the ages.

Should Pittsburgh dominate the Browns on Thursday on national television, the Haslams could make a move if not THE move.

Forgotten Superstars: Conrad Dobler

      An all-time favorite of mine passed away recently at the age of 72 in Pueblo Colorado, the self-professed "Dirtiest Player in the Game" Conrad Dobler.

Dobler had struggled with his health in recent years and his family has donated his brain to Boston University for their studies on CTE, a condition that cannot be definitely diagnosed until after death and is often linked to football players and other athletes that deal with contact injuries.

Conrad Dobler was the player that you loved if he played for your team and hated if he didn't and while his tactics on the field with his "questionable tactics" that he often referred to as "exploring a gray area"

Watching Dobler's "highlights" on the occasional NFL Films feature shows him doing one thing- anything in and outside the rulebook to keep his man from getting to the quarterback.

For all of Dobler's behavior on the field. when I would see Dobler speak, I always thought of Dobler embracing the image but not as a pure bad guy.

Instead, Dobler seemed to play the role of a Burt Reynoldsish lovable rogue that left you thinking that this was a pretty good guy that was also a rugged football player.

Dobler was selected as an All-Pro three times and was once referred to by teammate Dan Dierdorf as one of the best pass-blocking guards in the history of the game.

Dobler's feud with Merlin Olsen continued past their playing days with Olsen placing Dobler's name on a tombstone when Olsen was filming his television program "Father Murphy" as an inside joke.

Dobler once said that he caused Olsen to worry more about Dobler than about playing the game, causing Olsen to lose his poise and that's what bothered Olsen the most.

Conrad Dobler's tactics may have been questionable but you cannot deny that he made every team he played for better.

The St.Louis Cardinals won their only two division championships in their twenty-eight years when Conrad Dobler was protecting Jim Hart, the New Orleans Saints had their only .500 season in their first twenty-one seasons with Dobler, and the Buffalo Bills won a division title with Dobler on the offensive line.

After football, Dobler wrote a book "They Call Me Dirty", appeared in several Miller Beer commercials that parodied his on-field image, and would make appearances on the memorabilia show circuit, including signing a helmet in the TRS collection.

Dobler's post-football life wasn't all easy though as he would deal with the brain issues that so many players face, nine knee REPLACEMENTS ( not surgeries-replacements!). When his wife, Joy, fell out of a hammock, she would become a paraplegic requiring round-the-clock care and their combined medical costs would wipe out all of their savings.

Conrad Dobler may have been a controversial figure in football in the 1970s but he certainly was a memorable figure as well.

Browns slip against Saints,lose 17-10

    The Cleveland Browns allowed two touchdowns in the third quarter and didn't score a point in the second half as the Browns threw away a would-be victory in their final home game in an icebox-like stadium to the New Orleans Saints 17-10.

Nick Chubb rushed for 92 yards to lead the offense and Amari Cooper caught six passes for seventy-two yards to lead the receivers.

Cleveland drops to 6-9 on the season and will finish the year with two road games in Washington and Pittsburgh.

Brownie Bits

1)  Maybe the ground wasn't covered with snow but the weather was certainly a factor (six degrees and a windchill of fifteen below at kickoff) with the temperature and wind chill.

The game was the third coldest ever played in Cleveland and you would think that the home team would have an advantage over a team that plays in a dome in the Deep South.

2) However, you would be wrong as once the Saints figured out in the second quarter that using running quarterback Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara to pound the football at the Browns run defense was the best way to get back into the game.

After the Saints committed to the running game, they outscored Cleveland 17-0 for the remainder of the game.

3) And there are the weekly Kevin Stefanski play-calling questions.

Early in the fourth quarter after two Nick Chubb runs, the Browns have a third and two on their own thirty-nine.

Considering the conditions and having Nick Chubb on your team, one would think that at least one running play would be in order.

Instead, DeShaun Watson throws two incomplete passes.

Too smart for his own good could be the epitaph on the Kevin Stefanski tenure in Cleveland.

4) The vaunted Cleveland pass rush never got to Andy Dalton and while Dalton threw only fifteen passes, I only remember one time that Myles Garrett (or anyone else) came close to dumping Dalton to the ground.

5) DeShaun Watson threw thirty-one passes (Over twice as many as the Saints tossed) on a day that should have favored what the Browns offensive identity is supposed to be.

No matter the performance of Watson, that's on Kevin Stefanski.

6) Watson didn't dazzle but in this weather very few could do so.

Watson's one interception wasn't a great pass but David Bell couldn't haul it in as it bounced off Bell and into the hands of a nemesis of Browns past- safety Daniel Sorensen, who returned the ball thirty-six yards to the Cleveland fifteen and gave the Saints a short field for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

7) Watson also didn't receive help from his pass catchers on the final drive when second and third down throws to Donovan Peoples-Jones and David Njoku were both on the money with both receivers failing to bring the ball in for game-tying scores.

Watson was then sacked on the fourth down attempt to end the game.

8) Watson also threw an excellent pass to Amari Cooper in the end zone in the second quarter but Cooper dropped the ball when just as the ball arrived, Cooper slipped on the slick turf and was unable to grab the throw.

It's understandable to have these things happen under the playing conditions but receivers are paid to catch the football.

9) The Browns did make a move earlier this week by signing veteran right tackle Jack Conklin to a three-year contract extension.

The signing of Conklin locks three of the five starters on the offensive line (Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio) into long-term contracts with a looming decision in the off-season for the team to choose whether or not to pick up the fifth-year option of left tackle Jedrick Wills.

10) The Browns were officially eliminated from the playoffs with the defeat.

This took longer than expected as due to an eye injury, I am only able to read/write in short time bursts.

That is also why there was not a PPM this week. 

Things I think...

  A few opinions of mine from the sports world.

Sorry, call me a crusty old guy dedicated to "stats of the past" but I'm not in on Scott Rolen for the Hall of Fame.

I think Rolen was a very fine player and I wouldn't be furious over his selection but the baseball Hall voting seems to wobble from one extreme to the other with the younger more stat focused voter preferring players that suit their ideas of a great player and the various committees that prefer ignoring many qualities in favor of the buddy system such as the induction of Harold Baines.

I'd rate Rolen as a Hall of Very Good player but not quite at the level of what a Hall-level should be.

I wonder what the New Orleans Saints will do without Sean Payton but I don't think that things look good at all in the Crescent City.

New Orleans somehow wobbled to a 9-8 record in what was Payton's best coaching job but have been kicking salary cap problems down the road for years, have a major problem at quarterback, and have two impact players with large salaries and injury issues (Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas).

The Saints job might not be the most attractive job available and it might be the least.

I wonder boxing lightweight Ryan Garcia isn't rapidly becoming boxing's version of Shawn Michaels?

Talented, temperamental, and can thrill you in the ring before disappointing you with his behavior outside the ring.

I wonder if this past weekend's four playoff games might have been the best weekend in NFL history.

Four games all decided on the final play of the game.

My solution to the disappointment of teams not getting the ball in playoff overtime?

Toss the coin, play an extra period, and should the game be tied at the end of that period, the game then moves to sudden death.

This would be used in the playoffs only, although I would like to see the regular season's sudden death overtime period return to fifteen minutes rather than the current ten-minute version.

For all the hype about the three young quarterbacks in the AFC in this weekend's games (add Justin Herbert of the Chargers, and first-round losing QB's Mac Jones of the Patriots and Derek Carr of the Raiders) as the future of the conference. the Browns could have had some of them.

Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, and Mac Jones were off the board in the 2020 and 21 drafts plus the Browns believed they had their foundational quarterback already, but Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Derek Carr all could have been Browns.

While I ranked Patrick Mahomes as my top QB in the 2017 draft, not even I at that time wouldn't have taken Mahomes over Miles Garrett, the Browns could have drafted Derek Carr three times and passed him over for Justin Gilbert, Johnny Manziel, and Joel Bitonio in 2014, and what seems to be the biggest mistake (since they drafted a quarterback over him), Baker Mayfield, over Josh Allen.

Meanwhile, as the Browns believe they have turned a corner as a franchise, there are several AFC teams that have their proven franchise QB and only one is over 30, the soon-to-be 31 Derek Carr.

Cleveland has Baker Mayfield.

Saints pushed out of playoffs-lose to Minnesota in OT

It wouldn't be a New Orleans Saints playoff loss without some craziness or controversy and the Saints 26-20 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings at the Louisiana Superdome Sunday afternoon wouldn't be an exception.

Saints kicker Wil Lutz connected on a 49-yard field goal with five seconds to play to force overtime at 20-20, but the Vikings would win the coin toss and never allow New Orleans to touch the football in overtime.
After Kirk Cousins found Adam Thielen with a 43-yard pass to move the Vikings to the two-yard line, Minnesota seemed to be ready to quickly end the game with a touchdown, but a first down run by Dalvin Cook moved the ball only to the one and a second down running attempt by Cook saw the Viking back dragged down by Shy Tuttle for a three-yard loss back to the Saints four.
With the season on the line and needing to hold Minnesota to a field goal for the game to continue under overtime rules, Kirk Cousins hit his tight end, Kyle Rudolph, with a lob to the corner of the end zone for the game-winning score over the Saints P.J. Williams.
Video replays showed that Rudolph pushed off on Williams with the ball in the air and it could have been called offensive pass interference on the Vikings, but the officials only gave it a cursory look as they do all scoring plays and got their officials off the field.
Asked after the game. the league's vice-president of officiating Al Riveron claimed the contact "didn't rise to the level of the foul".
However, Rudolph clearly extended his arm to shove Williams back and bought himself crucial steps to haul the ball in over a scrambling Williams and that arm extension should have been key in calling a penalty as the extended arm and push by Rudolph could be considered an obstruction for Williams' ability to make a play and maintain coverage.
I'll concede that the call wasn't nearly as egregious as the non-call on a Los Angeles Rams defender in last season's overtime playoff elimination, but in a sudden-death situation that decides a season, a closer look and a bit more time considering the penalty should have been the procedure.

Drew Brees threw for 208 yards with a touchdown to Taysom Hill and led the Saints in the fourth quarter with two scoring drives that erased a ten-point Minnesota lead, but threw an interception and his fumble after being hit by Minnesota's Danielle Hunter in the third quarter scuttled a likely scoring drive.
Will Lutz was two of three on field goals including the game-tying kick at the end of the fourth quarter, but his miss at the end of the first half from 43 yards away proved to be large in the big picture.
Alvin Kamara scored the other New Orleans touchdown on a four-yard rush, but Kamara's struggles at the season continued as he would finish with only 21 yards rushing and though Kamara caught eight passes, they totaled a mere 34 yards on the day.
Michael Thomas caught seven passes, but Minnesota corners held the league's leading pass-catcher to only seventy yards with the longest play only moving the ball twenty yards.

The player of the day was backup quarterback and gimmick play specialist Taysom Hill, who threw a 50-yard completion to Deonte Harris, caught two passes for twenty-five including a score and ran the ball four times for fifty yards, including a twenty-eight yard run on the final drive.
I'm very doubtful of Hill ever succeeding as a full-time quarterback but in his role in the Sean Payton offense, Hill is incredibly effective, although I do think teams will begin to take away some of the schemes that involve Hill heavily.

The Vikings sacked Drew Brees three times and forced a key fumble, but it was more than just the big plays as the Vikings for three quarters never allowed the Saints to gain any rhythm from their offense and kept the timing of Brees out of sync except for the occasional plays from Taysom Hill.
Give the Saints defense credit as they managed to slam the door on several Viking scoring drives, although they did allow the long gainer in overtime, but Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore was on the sidelines for that play after he and another Saint collided with each other's helmet on the play before.

The inability to keep the Vikings pass rush off Brees and the lack of anyone other than Cameron Jordan to bother Kirk Cousins were key factors, but they weren't everything in a defeat.
A key first down by (That man again!) Taysom Hill on a short snap fake punt was called back due to a false start and Sean Payton may have made an error in time management when with 21 seconds to go, an illegal shift on the Saints that cost them ten seconds could have been saved had Payton used their final timeout.
I know hindsight is 20-20 and a decision to save the ten seconds and use the timeout was risky, but Brees wound up throwing the ball into the ground on the next play, the Saints didn't use the timeout anyway as they were forced into trying the game-tying field goal that Wil Lutz wobbled through the uprights.

Add it all up and the recipe for a Vikings upset was there for the taking.
Many times teams peak too soon, and perhaps the Saints peaked a few weeks too soon this season, but when you consider the age of Drew Brees and the trades made over the last few seasons that have seen draft picks sent away, the proverbial window of the New Orleans Saints may be closing soon.
Drew Brees will turn 41 soon, Alvin Kamara hasn't seemed to be the same dynamic force of the past this season and the offensive line is having problems protecting.
The Saints window hasn't slammed shut yet, but it won't be much longer before they are closed for winter...

Don't blame the Rams, only one to blame in Saints loss

The non-call on Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman with less than two minutes to go is burning up the sports world to the point when NFL commentators, who often are the softest on criticism of the league, are ripping the officiating and by extension the league.


Now in full disclosure.
I'm a Saints fan.
Not as hardcore as the Browns, which is why I don't cover them, but I see every game that they play (They often play at the same time as Cleveland, so I DVR their game and watch sometime during the week) and I'm not sure many have the same level of Drew Brees fandom as I do (Send your Drew Brees items to Thoughts of RS at...),
so I do have a dog in this hunt, but not to the level of many.

Not making this call in this situation in the second biggest game of the season is downright scandalous and it's not like I hate the Los Angeles Rams, I don't really have an opinion on them either way,
On the third and ten play from the Rams thirteen with 1;45 to play, the Saints were playing for a touchdown even though a field goal gave them the lead.
The Rams had two timeouts remaining so a stop would give them a chance, but a first down would likely see three Saint running plays. the Rams using their timeouts and a short field goal attempt by Wil Lutz, one of the league's better kickers.

The Drew Brees pass to TommyLee Lewis (not Jones, as I always want to call him) seemed to on the money and the first down might not have been certain, but at where Lewis would have caught the ball, at worst it would have been a 4th and 2 and at best a touchdown.
Now watch the play where Robey-Coleman smashes Lewis.

Count the penalties that could have been called
1) Pass Interference- the obvious call, Robey-Coleman arrives a count of two and a half early to hit Lewis.
2) Faceguarding- How many times do we hear commentators say "You have to turn your head to look back at the ball". Robey-Coleman does not
3) Helmet to Helmet contact- Robey-Coleman comes in on an angle and the side of his helmet makes hard contact with that of Lewis.
4) Illegal Hands to the Face-The main contact is with the helmet, but if you watch the replay Robey-Coleman does extend his arms and connects with the facemask of Lewis.
It's the weakest case of the bunch, but still.
5) Unnecessary Roughness- The force of the blow combined with the various contact to the head could be called here for a penalty.

If any of those penalties are called, the Saints would have had a first down inside the five and the game is more than likely a victory.
Either the Saints score a TD, drain the clock and one or both timeouts and force the Rams to score a touchdown, not the field goal they would kick to force overtime or the Rams use both timeouts and on the final play, the clock runs before the chip shot field goal by Wil Lutz.
The Rams would then have 20-30 seconds and no timeouts to drive for the needed field goal to tie rather than the 1;40 and two timeouts that they used in the actual game.

Now, many observers are talking about one play not costing you a game and they are right and yet wrong.
Yes, missed calls happen in every game and even in this one where it was New Orleans getting a break on a facemask against Rams quarterback Jared Goff that forced the Rams to kick a field goal in the fourth quarter rather than a first down deep in the New Orleans red zone,so missed/bad calls happen throughout the game.
And it is also true that the Saints blew a 13 point lead and that they settled for two field goals inside the Rams 20 in the first half, only scored three points in the final period and had first possession in the overtime period and all of those factors contributed to the loss.

All are facts and yet none of them change this fact- That non-call changed the result of the game.
Most of those facts built to that point of the game and the final point came along as a result of the missed call.
The Los Angeles Rams win is tainted and will always be remembered as such with a huge asterisk.
The Rams players won't give up the win and I wouldn't either, but it is what it is.

As for the New Orleans Saints, they know just how they put themselves into a situation to be screwed by the officials.
Their play allowed them to be hurt by one bad call, but that doesn't take away this- you spend six months in training camp, exhibition games, a sixteen game regular season and then a playoff game to reach the point of the second most important game of the season.

Don't forget the Saints (or fans of any team) fans- they are the people that fill stadiums, buy Red Zone and Sunday Ticket packages, spend tons of money on about anything that you can think of with a Saints logo on it and ask for what?

The Saints and their fans (and this applies to all fans and teams) deserved a fair game and one officiated properly.
You (and they) deserve that for the time, money and energy spent on the NFL (Or other sports).
To have a game called fairly, properly and to have a result that is on the level is not an unfair expectation and the NFL officiating all season has often fallen far short of that expectation.

The NFL has a crisis on their hands with officiating and whether it is due to the replay system, part-time officials, officials that have overstayed their time and officials that are beyond their competence.
I'm sure their answer to this issue will be as simple as placing the ability to appeal pass interference to the replay system and that won't hurt any, but it misses the bigger problem- officiating deciding games rather than the competitors on the gridiron.
Until these issues are addressed, like any unaddressed condition, the problem only compounds itself.

Browns Kick themselves in Saints Defeat.

For the second week in a row, the Cleveland Browns had a chance to avoid defeat and for the second week in a row, Zane Gonzalez came up lacking as his 52-yard field goal drifted wide with eight seconds remaining as the New Orleans Saints slid by the Browns 21-18 in the Louisiana Superdome.
Gonzalez had missed kicks (a field goal and an extra point minutes earlier) in the contest that would have given the Browns the lead before Gonzalez's 52-yard miss.
Gonzalez had missed an extra point after the one offensive play that the Browns had made happen all game long when Tyrod Taylor threw a 47-yard touchdown to Antonio Callaway, who had outrun the Saints secondary down the seam to what figured to be a lead, if not a win, although Drew Brees in a two minute offense might have something to say about that.
Turns out that it did just that as Brees drove the Saints down the field and a Will Lutz field goal from 44 yards was drilled with seconds remaining to set the stage for the final Gonzalez miss.
Tyrod Taylor finished with 246 yards passing with one score and one interception while Antonio Callaway led the skill players with the aforementioned touchdown with 87 yards receiving.
The now 0-1-1 Browns have a short week as they host the 1-1 New York Jets Thursday night with the Jets being led by a player that you may have heard of named Sam Darnold.

Brownie Bits

1) Zane Gonzalez will have to go.
You just cannot miss extra points and field goals in this league and even though neither of the two misses was easy kicks (44 and 52) you expect NFL kickers in the perfect kicking conditions of the Superdome to make it at least plausible to nail them both.
The Browns are bringing kickers to Berea today to challenge Gonzalez, so they are likely to have a new kicker for the Thursday night game against the Jets.

Editor's note: Zane Gonzalez will be waived with an injury settlement as apparently, he's been kicking with a groin injury.
While I am sympathetic to this hampering his effectiveness, why did the Browns trot him out with an injury?

2) Underrated star? Larry Ogunjobi, who had two sacks and another called back by a penalty.
Ogunjobi might be the one player that Sashi Brown will receive some credit for selecting when the Brown regime is truly able to be graded fairly.
Sure, the opponents are double-teaming Myles Garrett, but good defenses have players that can brush blockers one on one and make teams pay for the double-team, but the Browns often haven't had players that have been able to take advantage- Ogunjobi might be a player that can.

3) I was just befuddled by a fourth and one play call in the first half.
Not that the Browns went for it, on the Saints side of the field (would have been a long FG, but this was before Zane Gonzalez started missing kicks), I was fine with that part, but what I wasn't fine with was the play, a run up the middle with Duke Johnson, the smallest back the team has and one more noted for his elusiveness and speed, not his ability to put his shoulder down and drive forward.
This brought back those wonderful memories of the Bill Belichick days when the Browns would run the smallish Eric Metcalf up the middle constantly with poor results.
Liked the going on fourth down, hated the personnel used.

4) Tyrod Taylor's long touchdown pass to Antonio Callaway gave the Browns the lead, but the most important item to take away from that play was the speed shown by Callaway, who burst by the secondary and showed the type of deep speed that the Browns haven't had since, Ahem Josh Gordon.
It will take considerable time to completely forget the off the field worries that come with Antonio Callaway, but it's pretty clear that he has plenty of physical tools.

5) This is going to be a defense that is going to continue to grow, but they kept the team in the game yesterday and allowed just 62 yards on the ground.
I mentioned Larry Ogunjobi earlier, but the Browns have others that have surprised such as C.J. Carrie on one corner and defensive end Chris Smith played well in place of injured Emmanuel Ogbah.
Still room for growth, but I see hope.

6) Carlos Hyde is averaging under three yards a carry, but I'm not giving up on him yet.
Some of the struggles are part of the developing offensive line and others are a back that thrives on use, not getting enough carries to wear down defenses.
I think he'll be OK.

7) I really have liked what I have seen from Damarious Randall at free safety.
Jabrill Peppers (who has been better at the strong safety as well) was miscast there and Randall has played better as the rangy centerfielder that is needed at that position.

8) The Browns defense forced only 13 turnovers in 2017, they have forced eight in two games.
The Gregg Williams defense is one based on big plays/turnovers along with plenty of heat on the quarterback.
I hate "bend not break" defenses and love to watch attacking defenses, so I'm very happy so far,
I still think the Browns need another big play linebacker, but I'm seeing progress and it's entertaining progress to date.

9) Jarvis Landry saw seven targets, caught five of those, but without Josh Gordon, he needs to see more passes.
Look at how the Saints use Michael Thomas (13 targets, 12 catches), without Gordon, the Browns need to feed Landry and allow him to move the chains.

10) The Browns could be 2-0, instead they are 0-1-1.
I'm still not down very much on the team as I've seen good things, especially on defense.
The honeymoon ends Thursday against the Jets.
Sam Darnold in town, a team that they should beat at home- win and things are progressing.
Lose and who knows what happens.

Back later with yes, the just announced Josh Gordon trade.

Cleaning out the inbox

Time for another cleaning of the inbox and lets start with Mike Tyson!
Not only just a dominant heavyweight champion of his time,Tyson might be even more famous to people under a certain age for the Nintendo classic-Mike Tyson's Punch Out.
I played lots of Tyson's Punch Out with Ryan and my buddy Greg during those "Nintendo" years and I never even fought Mike Tyson,which shows you that I may have been an avid player,but not a very good one!
The interesting part from the inbox is from the Comeback,which reports that Nintendo paid Tyson just 50,000 dollars to license his use in the game.
This was a phenomenal bargain even then,but the post manages to make one think about just much that Mike Tyson would have made in today's media market.
Nintendo didn't renew that contract,which I'm sure many might wonder why they didn't,but around the end of the contract,Tyson was stopped by Buster Douglas in Japan,home of Nintendo and wasn't as valuable thereafter or so Nintendo thought....

Last month,the Monday Morning Quarterback page on SI.com held a 1967 week where they were looking back at some fun topics from 1967 since this would be an anniversary year.
Two of them that I found interesting were on the expansion New Orleans Saints and on the original enigma Joe Don Looney...

Joe Don Looney was a running back that had the ability (so says most observers) to be one of the best of his era,yet between an unwillingness to bend to coaches,suspected steroid use,drug use,yoga,drafted to Vietnam and even more wound up washing out of the league.
The Looney story really has to be read to be believed.but the life this man led was interesting on its own,but if he truly was that good of a back,seemed like quite the waste of talent...

Meanwhile,in 1967,the expansion New Orleans Saints were beginning their first season in the league under owner John Mecom,who discusses his tenure owning the Saints and includes his on field fight DURING a 1967 game in Yankee Stadium against the Giants!
The article talks about the craziness involving an expansion team in those less than organized days with players in and out the door,training camps,aging veterans (including Hall of Fame defensive end Doug Atkins),rookies like John Gilliam (a future All-Pro) that took the first kickoff in the history of the franchise for a touchdown,fights,fans and more.
I love reading about startup teams and franchises in the days where information was so limited because I usually hear at least one story that I've never heard before...

A article in the LA Times on former punter Zenon Andrusyshen focuses on the punter's missed extra point for UCLA in their one point loss in the 1967 version of the "Game of the century" to USC and a fellow that you likely have forgotten-O.J. Simpson.
Andrusyshen would spend several seasons in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts before a stint with the Chiefs and my best memory with the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits for all three years of the league.
I found it really honest as Andrusyshen talks about his arrogance in his youth,how he was treated after the loss,his tirade at the UCLA team banquet after his senior year and his current charitable endeavors...

David Letterman has sent a ton of memorabilia from his career back to his alma mater at Ball State.
The gift includes the marquee from the Ed Sullivan theatre,Letterman's desk and chair from the show,guest chairs and many more.
There must be loads of things sent to the Muncie,Indiana campus that haven't been noted to the public since 2015.
I'm hoping that down the road that many of these items might be on display and maybe make Muncie a stop for tourists other than Gerry Gergich.

Browns lose Craig Robertson

It's a slow day as far as news at the TRS media empire.
No Cavaliers,Devils,baseball not here yet and despite having a really fun podcast finished and ready to go,I decided to wait a little bit before I use that one.
Plus the impending exciting fire safety class that I have to take today and not only is it a slow news day-it's a slow life day!

The only nugget of news is the Cleveland Browns losing linebacker Craig Robertson to the Saints via the free agency route.
Robertson only played in 12 games last season after playing in all 16 the previous two seasons and finished with 29 solo tackles and an interception.

Robertson is a decent,but nothing outstanding inside linebacker and the Saints are trying to hodge-podge some veterans around 2015 first rounder Stephone Anthony (They have now signed 3 veteran linebackers including former Buckeye James Laurinaitis),so it depends on how things work out,if Robertson starts in New Orleans,although I'm sure he'll see playing time.

I'm OK with allowing Robertson to leave,I think DeMario Davis is a superior player and will more than likely out-perform Robertson's numbers in Cleveland.
Robertson always played with a high motor though and I don't have anything bad to say about him,just the Browns replaced him with a better player,which is something I usually can't say about the Browns.

A final note,yes,I have noticed in the posts of players leaving that I always use the old uniform shots when possible,
There will be a day that comes that makes that impossible,but until that day-I'll pretend that the ugly "Alec Scheiner" specials simply don't exist in this timeline....

Saints sign C.J.Spiller,trade Kenny Stills

The New Orleans Saints continued their revamp with their third trade this week and another big free agent signing.
New Orleans signed former Buffalo Bills first round pick C.J.Spiller to a four year contract worth 18 million.
The often spectacular Spiller missed seven games last season and despite a thousand yard season in 2012 was never used as the full time starting runner in Buffalo,usually sharing time with Fred Jackson.
Spiller is tremendous in the open field,very fast and versatile enough to be used in the passing game as a receiver.
The Saints sputtered last season after trading Darren Sproles to Philadelphia in the short passing game and Spiller was brought to the team to hopefully bring what the Saints missed so badly without Sproles to the offense.
Spiller is certainly capable of adding that dimension as long as he is physically able.
I think that's more than possible as Spiller's injury last season was a broken collarbone and should be easier to return to full speed than a knee injury or torn muscle.
I think this is a very nice signing and shows the Saints are being proactive in attempting to revamp now before Drew Brees ages too badly.


The Saints then added another 2015 draft choice and bulked up a flagging defense as well as New Orleans shipped wide reciever Kenny Stills to the Miami Dolphins in return for linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third round draft pick.
Stills was just 22 and was often used as a deep threat as he averaged 16.5 yards per catch in his two years after being drafted in the fifth round in 2013.
Stills was known for the long route and the occasional drop,but at 22 has plenty of football ahead of him with the Dolphins.
Dannell Ellerbe had an excellent 2013 with Miami after signing there from Baltimore,but had an ugly hip injury in 2014 and missed all but one game last season.
Ellerbe was known for his speed and range,but it'll remain to be seen with Ellerbe,just how he will return from an injury known to affect those qualities.
Ellerbe has agreed to restructure his contract to help the Saints lower their cap space,so the cap hit for a team looking to shed dollars will not be as bad as reported.

The Saints also add the Dolphins third round selection,which give New Orleans multiple picks in the first,third and fifth rounds as the Saints enter a pivotal point in a rebuild.
I like the Saints adding picks and Ellerbe (assuming he is back to form) should help a defense that was porous last season.
However,when your top commodity is your quarterback and you have just taken away his top deep threat and the best tight end in the game,you have to wonder how the Saints are going to address the receiving corps.
Kenny Stills could very well turn out to be badly missed.
Could the Saints use one of these picks for another receiver?
Or maybe a recently released veteran such as Stevie Johnson or Dwayne Bowe?
Interesting times in New Orleans.....

Saints sign Brandon Browner,trade Ben Grubbs

The New Orleans Saints continued their off season moves with a signing and a trade as the team signed Brandon Browner to start at cornerback and traded starting guard Ben Grubbs to the Kansas City Chiefs in return for a fifth round draft pick.

Brandon Browner will make New Orleans his third stop in three years after starting for Seattle and New England in the last two years.
The ramgy and physical Browner will attempt to improve a corner that was a weakness for the Saints last season after Champ Bailey was signed to start and then failed to make the team.
Browner will turn 31 before the beginning of the season.

New Orleans then traded starting guard Ben Grubbs to the Chiefs and on the surface,it makes one wonder what the Saints have planned as one argument behind trading for Max Unger was to form a strong middle of the offensive line,yet they just traded one of their stalwarts.
Grubbs is 31,so perhaps the Saints have plans to get younger at guard either in the draft or perhaps by moving a veteran to guard and drafting a tackle.
The Saints were rumored (after the fact) to be considering releasing Grubbs in June,so getting something for a player that they may have released later has to be considered a small victory.
It'll be interesting to see how the Saints maneuver to fill the gap....

Saints trade Jimmy Graham for Max Unger

Slow news day as the Cleveland Browns signed no one on the crazy first day of NFL free agency and the Devils looked awful in Minnesota as the Wild smacked them around to the tune of 6-2 in a game so bad that I tried to go bed at 4-1.
I haven't been sleeping well at all and I was tired,although the net result didn't really end well,it still beat watching a beatdown of a hockey game.

Still we had some news as the New Orleans Saints pulled the blockbuster of the day.
We pull for the Saints in the NFC,although I don't have the time to write about them all the time here.
I do watch New Orleans every week though,so I think I'm knowledgeable enough about the team.
The Saints sent Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham and a fourth round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Pro Bowl center Max Unger and the Seahawks first round pick.
Graham had issues with the Saints front office before last season and had to go before an arbitrator concerning his contract.
Graham is one of the two elite tight ends in the league that teams have to game plan to stop and in Seattle,he could be the main cog that the Seahawks passing game needs.
Graham did see his numbers droop a bit from their usual highs and sometimes showed less than standard effort on plays.
Graham will be a huge loss for the New Orleans offense,who certainly now with the loss of Graham will have address tight end along with a pass catching back either later in free agency or the draft and will likely bounce back as a Seahawk...



As for Unger.a former two time Pro Bowler,he should upgrade the Saints interior line and with two excellent guards in Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs,the Saints should be able to protect Drew Brees better this year than they did last year.
With the height and lack of scrambling ability of Brees,the guards and center are more important in pass protection than the tackles and I can see why the Saints wanted Unger.
Unger missed ten games with injury last season,so it is an assumption that Unger will be back to his normal par.
If that's the case,this deal should work well for both sides.
The Saints may be trying to rebuild now,although they may be better served trying to win now before Drew Brees is through as an elite level quarterback
New Orleans has two first round selections now that they could address needs or even take the eventual successor to Brees at quarterback if they prefer and rid themselves of a potential malcontent in Graham.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out,but one thing is for sure-fans of both teams will be talking about this trade for at least one year,if not more to come.....

Saints season ends in Seattle 23-15

The New Orleans Saints ended their season in Seattle with an NFC Divisional playoff loss to the Seahawks in Seattle 23-15 with a loss that will be debated for much of the off season by Saints fans.
Drew Brees threw for over 300 yards with all but 35 of those in the second half with Marques Colston grabbed 11 passes for 144 yards,although he'll be remembered for a pass more than any of the catches....

Game Notes

1) When people say the home field advantage does not matter-refer them to this game.
The difference in the Saints offense in a dome compared to in the damp conditions of Seattle makes the difference in these two teams.
Seattle was a deserving winner,but different track might have made a different winner.

2) Normally,I think Sean Payton is among the best play callers in the game,but I did wonder on a few in this game.
Everyone has a bad game and this one might have been Payton's.

3) For example,asking Shayne Graham to attempt two field goals over forty yards into a driving wind was asking too much of a kicker not known for a power leg.
I think both kicks (and I know the first one for sure) would have been good in better conditions,but considering that they weren't and Graham is not known as a long range booter-I might have gone a different way.

4) Key play in the game was the Mark Ingram fumble in early second period play.
Ingram's fumble handed Seattle great field position and they quickly scored their only touchdown until late in the game.
Take that fumble off the board and the two first period field goals make this anyone's game.

5) Khiry Robinson played well and might have put himself in position to be the feature back next season.
John Lynch said that Bill Parcells compared Robinson to Curtis Martin.
I can see those comparisons due to running style,but I think he would have a long way to go to be a Curtis Martin.

6) The play that everyone is talking about the play that ended the game. Drew Bress gunned the ball to Marques Colston by the sideline.
Instead of stepping out of bounds and giving the Saints one shot at the end zone,Colston threw the ball forward for a penalty and since the Saints were out of timeouts,the ten second runoff rule took affect and ended the game.
Yes,it was a wacky decision by Colston,but watching the replay,had Colston put the throw on the money for a backward lateral-it might have worked.
The player that caught looked pretty open to me and it would have at least been interesting to see.

7) No blame on Rob Ryan's defense.
They were on the field most of the day and allowed just two scores-one on a short field and the other late in the game when they were worn out.
Give them credit for keeping the Saints in the game not blame.

8) Jimmy Graham-one catch on the next to last play of the game.Credit to Seattle for keeping the ball out of the hands of the Saints top playmaker,but the Saints did not really try to get the ball to Graham a lot.Six targets is not a ton for Graham..

9) I know the weather is going to get some blame for the offenses struggles and Drew Brees did not relish the first half conditions,but the Saints let the weather and the environment change what they do-go downfield and make things happen.
I'm all for establishing the running game,but seldom in the first half did the Saints try to go downfield.
Sometimes,you have to be what you are-even if things are going to dictate problems with that.

10) The things that will need to improve for New Orleans football in the off season is finding a way to win on the road in order to play at home.
Put the heartbreaking loss at New England aside,two road losses to mediocre teams in the Jets and Rams and the road loss in the rain at Carolina shows the difference in the team on the road.
Win one of the aforementioned games-Just one and the Saints are hosting the 49ers today instead of being in Seattle yesterday.
That is what the top need for the franchise will be-learning to win the road games that you should win..