Browns ground Jets, Clinch Playoffs!

  The Cleveland Browns offense couldn't be stopped in the first half and despite a second half that saw the offense sputter, the Browns had more than enough to defeat the New York Jets 37-20 in Cleveland.

Joe Flacco threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns to lead Cleveland with David Njoku catching six passes for 134 yards to lead the receivers.

The victory clinched a playoff berth for the Browns, who improved to 11-5 with the win and retained Cleveland's slim chance of winning the AFC North title.

Cleveland completes their regular season next Sunday in Cincinnati against the Bengals.

Brownie Bits

1) Amari Cooper was unavailable after suffering a heel injury in his record-setting game against Houston last Sunday. The Browns took another blow to their receiving corps when Elijah Moore left the game with a concussion late in the first half.

Moore had caught five passes for sixty-one before the concussion and his loss left the Browns very basic at wideout.

2) Joe Flacco was solid other than his double-pump pass that was tipped and turned into a pick-six by Jermaine Johnson.

Give Johnson the credit for making a tremendous play, as he leaped into the air, came back down, jumped again to tip the ball, and then caught it and ran for the score.

3) The Browns appear to have found themselves a potential gem in Ronnie Hickman, who had a pick-six of his own.

Hickman, who the Browns signed as a free agent after the draft, is playing in place of the injured Grant Delpit, and should he continue to improve, I could see a scenario in either of the next two off-seasons where the Browns could decide to save some cap space and use Hickman as a starting safety rather than Juan Thornhill or even Delpit.

4) David Njoku was the dominant offensive player of the first half but even then Njoku still fumbled on one play with the Jets recovering.

Njoku may be just one of those players you never receive consistency from and you simply have to accept the occasional mistake,

5) I am not a fan of the Thursday night games but the Browns playing in this one could give the team some clarity for the final week of the season.

If Baltimore defeats Miami, they would clinch the AFC North and the Browns could be locked in as the fifth seed should New England upset Buffalo.

6) If those results occur, the Browns could play it safe in Cincinnati and allow some injured players some time to recover.

I'm never in favor of those decisions usually but there is a difference between resting healthy players and giving injured ones an extra week to heal.

7) The player who has developed into an impact player over the last month has been Jeremiah Owosu-Koramoah.

JOK didn't have a sack or interception in this one but he is developing into a three-down linebacker with the ability to pass or track the quarterback or drop in coverage.

8) The Browns decided to protect the lead in the second half with so much at stake and so many receivers out of the lineup, running the ball and keeping the clock moving.

I understand that under the circumstances and think it was a good idea to try to avoid yet another injury to the receivers but it did allow the Jets to tee off on the running game.

9) The offensive line did its job yet again in giving Joe Flacco time to throw.

Flacco was sacked just once and took only one hit on the evening.

For a team with question marks at tackle, the line has done what they need to do in keeping the pocket clean.

10) Defensive Alex Wright collected one sack between his rookie season in 2022 and the first thirteen games of this season.
Wright has one sack in each of the last three games, so perhaps the former third-round draft choice has found something late in his second season.

11) Turnovers are still a problem for the Browns that will eventually bite them hard.

Three more against the Jets, two of those fumbles, and the Browns seem to be having a season that the football gods are tapping them on the head with the team succeeding despite the turnover problems.

12) The playoff-clinching win sends Cleveland to the postseason for the third time since the 1999 return of the Browns.

That's anemic but it will be the second in the last four seasons.

13) Not a fan of the all-white uniforms and white helmet.

The jersey reminded me of the terrible uniforms that Dee Haslam thought were wonderful and lasted for the minimum time allowed.

Browns saved by prayer vs Bears!

     Joe Flacco rallied the Cleveland Browns from a ten-point deficit entering the fourth quarter to take the lead when Dustin Hopkins kicked a thirty-four-yard field goal to give the Cleveland Browns a 20-17 win over the Chicago Bears in Cleveland.

However, it's never easy or simple for the Browns, as the Bears moved into Cleveland territory with five seconds remaining for a Hail Mary attempt by the visitors.

Justin Fields' bomb bounced off several Bears and Browns jumping in a clump and landed in the hands of Chicago's Darnell Mooney for what would have been a Bears win and a devastating Browns defeat- BUT

the ball bounced off the hands of Mooney, who somehow kicked the ball into the hands of reserve safety D'Anthony Bell to allow the Browns another crazy 2023 win.

Joe Flacco threw two touchdowns with three interceptions and finished with 374 yards passing while both Amari Cooper and David Njoku finished with over one hundred yards receiving and a touchdown catch.

Cleveland improved to 9-5 on the season and maintained its one-game lead for the top wild-card position in the AFC.

The Browns will travel to Houston to battle the 8-6 Texans, one of three teams that are one game behind Cleveland for the wild card.

Brownie Bits

1) Joe Flacco threw three interceptions, but it can be argued that none of the three was his fault.

The first looked to be a miscommunication with the receiver, the second throw was on the money with Cedric Tillman getting hit just as the ball arrived, shooting the ball into the air to be plucked by Tremaine Edwards for the pick-six, and the final one, Flacco had an open David Njoku. Just as the ball arrived Tyrique Stevenson came flying into the picture with a tremendous play.

2) Flacco's fourth-quarter play was what you would hope for with over two hundred yards and leading the Browns to a touchdown and two field goals including the game-winner.

3) The Browns running attack wasn't gobbling up ground with only twenty-nine yards on eighteen attempts.

The running game will need to do better with two of their final three games on the road.

4) The offensive line took another blow with Joel Bitonio unable to continue after the first quarter.

Give Bitonio credit for the effort as he felt his back tighten up in warmups but tried to play anyway but the pain was too great.

5) The loss of Bitonio would mean the Browns for most of the game played with an offensive line missing four of the five players that started the season as only Wyatt Teller remains.

Ethan Pocic may have a chance to return this season and Bitonio's status is up in the air but all three of the tackles have been lost for the season, leaving the Browns to rely on players that were on practice squads earlier this season at tackle.

6) The offensive line that was the strength of the offense has suddenly become a liability with all these injuries, unable to push off the line in run blocking, and having difficulties keeping pass rushers off the immobile Joe Flacco.

Montez Sweat rampaged through the Browns blockers for three sacks on Sunday and I wonder just how the Browns are going to keep Jonathan Greenard and Will Anderson off Flacco next week unless Ethan Pocic and Joel Bitonio can play.

7) The play of the game came with three minutes remaining when Joe Flacco drilled a throw through tight coverage to Amari Cooper down the sideline, resulting in a fifty-one-yard touchdown that tied the game at seventeen.

It's the type of throw through windy conditions that big-armed passers make and smaller quarterbacks don't.

8) Give the defense credit for keeping the Browns in the game until the fourth quarter.

The defense allowed only ten points and their third-quarter hold on the Bears to keep them to a field goal that gave them a lead of 17-7 rather than one of 21-7, which essentially was the difference in the game.

9) The Browns received two massive plays from rookies who are in the lineup due to injury.

The biggest may have been Cameron Mitchell getting just enough contact on a fourth down run by a running Justin Fields to leave Fields just short of a first down on the Cleveland thirty-three on the first Bears possession of the fourth quarter.

The score was still 17-7 at that stage of the game and if the Bears score even a field goal on the drive, who knows how the Browns react to needing two touchdowns to win at that point.

10) Ronnie Hickman played well with five solo tackles and a pass breakup that forced a punt.

The former Ohio State Buckeye was undrafted and there may be a few teams kicking themselves for not using a day three pick on Hickman.

11) Marquise Goodwin was signed to be the deep threat to open the downfield passing game, yet Goodwin's injuries had not allowed him to be that threat.

In fact, Goodwin had caught only three passes for a combined ten yards but it was Goodwin breaking away for a fifty-seven-yard gain that kickstarted the Cleveland comeback.

The gain would lead to a Dustin Hopkins field goal, cut the Bears lead to seven, and allow the Browns to play one possession at a time rather than chase two scores.

12) So how does it set up for a battered Browns squad, holding a one-game lead over the two AFC South survivors (Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Houston are tied for first in the division at 8-6), Cincinnati, and Buffalo, with two of those four joining Cleveland for wild card positions.

Pittsburgh and Denver are one game behind that group and while not out of the running, will need some help in the remaining three weeks.

The Christmas Eve tussle in Houston looms large, win that one and I'd think it would be very tough for the Browns to not make the dance.

Lose to the Texans and things could tighten up considerably as the Texans would join the Browns at 9-6 and the other 8-6 have very winnable games with Buffalo visiting the imploding non-Brandon Staley Chargers, Cincinnati traveling to the punchless offense of the Steelers, Indianapolis, and Jacksonville on the road against mediocre NFC South foes Atlanta and Tampa Bay.

I think one more win could be enough, two would seal things up but two of their three remaining games are on the road against teams that are hustling for the postseason themselves (Houston and Cincinnati) for a team that is winning in strange ways, the margin of error isn't as great as one could think.

Browns Cut to 53 with a few surprises

  The Cleveland Browns made their cuts to fifty-three by today's required deadline and while the Browns could be active on the waiver wire, the moves are likely to be minimal.

That's not to say that the Browns did not have some difficult decisions and are hoping that a few of their cuts will make it through waivers to join their practice squad.

Two undrafted players made the roster linebacker Mohamoud Diabate and safety Ronnie Hickman.

Diabate played three seasons at Florida before transferring to Utah in 2002 and he took advantage of the issues at linebacker with Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki still working their way back from injuries suffered last season.

Diabate likely made the roster when he forced a fumble and also scored a safety in the Browns tie with the Eagles to go with six solo tackles.

Ronnie Hickman pictured above, signed from Ohio State, intercepted three passes in the preseason and joined D'Anthony Bell as backup safeties who will be expected to help on special teams, which Mohamoud Diabate is expected to contribute as well.

Andrew Berry has traditionally been very reluctant to release players he's drafted but he knows what is on the line this season and he isn't as averse to moving on from his picks as in the past.

Berry released two players from the 2021 draft, fourth-round defensive tackle Tommy Togiai and seventh-round running Demetric Felton, and two players from the 2022 draft, fourth-round kicker Cade York (as reported yesterday) and seventh-round defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas.

The release of York and Thomas along with the earlier releases of fourth-rounder Perrion Winfrey and seventh-rounder Dawson Deaton means that only one year after the draft, Cleveland has only five of the nine selections under contract with one of them, sixth-round wide receiver Michael Woods, out for the season due to injury.

What seems to be the most controversial decision is the team keeping 2022 third-round choice David Bell over preseason standout Austin Watkins.

Watkins led the league in receiving statistics in the preseason with sixteen catches, 257 yards, and two touchdowns but Bell is younger and is a better special teams performer, which is vital for one of the backup receivers.

Bell also seems to be a better fit in the slot and Watkins likely was edged off the roster, not by Bell but by the return of off-season signee Marquise Goodwin from blood clots which caused him to miss training camp and was thought to perhaps cost him a significant part of the season.

The Browns also released veteran offensive lineman Michael Dunn and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst but both are thought to be returning once the administrative procedures of placing players on the injured reserve etc. are completed.

Demetric Felton likely would made the squad as the third running back, had the Browns not traded for Pierre Strong with New England earlier this week, and the Browns will try to bring him back to the practice squad, if possible.

Kellen Mond was released as the Browns have decided to go with two quarterbacks on the active roster but with his experience with the Browns last season, Mond would likely be added to the practice squad as well.

Jaylen Darden is a wideout that I'd love to see clear and return to the practice squad as he has plenty of skills but struggled through some training camp injuries that hindered his chance to make the team.

The main losses of note on defense are the former draftees Tommy Togiai and Isaiah Thomas along the defensive line.

Togiai got caught up in the numbers at defensive tackle after a strong preseason but he didn't stand out enough to hold off the newcomers at the position and Thomas, who missed all of the preseason with a knee injury, also was hampered by the team having to place another injured second-year defensive end in Alex Wright on the roster.

Both could wind up on the practice squad as well.

Cleveland may make a move or two depending on the talent available on the waiver wire but these cuts over the long term look to come down to David Bell vs. Austin Watkins (which unless Watkins becomes a star is for the last wide receiver spot on the roster) and the biggest will be the decision at kicker to trade for Dustin Hopkins and release Cade York, which will affect this season and should York move elsewhere and become the kicker that the Browns thought he would be when they drafted him, affect many seasons to come.