Browns trade for Cam Robinson

 Desperate times require chances to be taken, and the desperate offensive tackle situation for the Cleveland Browns forced a chance as the Browns traded for veteran tackle Cam Robinson from the Houston Texans.

Cleveland traded their 2027 sixth-round pick to the Texans for their 2027 seventh-round draft choice and  Robinson, which is a nominal fee to address this problem for the remainder of the year.

Robinson is twenty-nine and spent the first seven and a half years of his career with Jacksonville, which drafted him in the second round from Alabama in 2017.

Midway through last season, Robinson was traded to Minnesota, where he finished the year and signed with Houston as a free agent in the offseason.

Robinson played in Houston's first three games, starting one, but was inactive in Houston's game yesterday as the trade was worked out.

The 6'6, 335-pound Robinson is in his ninth season, has started over one hundred games in his career, is known for his strength in pass blocking, and should be exactly what the Browns are looking for right now- a veteran left tackle who can steady the ship at the position.

The cost is reasonable, the need is vast, and Robinson is signed only through the end of the season, so the financial obligation isn't high. So credit Andrew Berry for attempting to do something rather than running lesser players out and hoping for the best.

Cam Robinson isn't a Pro Bowl tackle, but he's solid enough to get by with at left tackle at a time when the alternatives are severely lacking.

Dusted in Detroit- Browns mauled by Lions 34-10

    The Cleveland Browns' defense tried to hold them in their game against the Detroit Lions, but between a special teams snafu and being on the field most of the game, they would tire in a 34-10 Lions win in Detroit.

Quinshon Judkins rushed for eighty-two yards and scored the only Cleveland touchdown in another dull offensive effort.

Cleveland slips to 1-3 with the loss and will travel to London next Sunday to meet the Minnesota Vikings.

Brownie Bits

1) Joe Flacco threw two interceptions and fumbled on a strip sack when he took a hit from Aiden Hutchinson.

Dillon Gabriel replaced Flacco on the final drive, and while I wouldn't replace Flacco for the London game against Minnesota, the time for that change is coming.

2) The offensive line is missing both starting tackles with Jack Conklin (elbow) and Dawand Jones (Knee out for the season), so Cornelius Lucas and KT Leveston were forced into the lineup.

The Lions sacked Joe Flacco three times, with two sacks by Aiden Hutchinson, and both tackles were consistently beaten.

Leveston, who was acquired on cutdown day, has a marginal excuse, and while Lucas is a veteran with experience, he has been more of a reserve tackle in his career rather than a starter.

3) Quinshon Judkins continues to show a hard-running style and is the only legitimate weapon for the Browns right now.

Judkins will be the reason (on offenses anyway) the Browns manage to stay close in games this season.

4) And here's our weekly Jerry Jeudy post for dropping passes, underproductivity ( three catches for forty-eight yards on nine targets), and one of the Cleveland interceptions was his fault when he slipped/fell and allowed D.J. Reed to grab the turnover.

Another disappointing game from the "number one" receiver.

5) I don't blame Jerry Jeudy for all of this; I blame Andrew Berry, who overpaid Jeudy, and didn't grasp that Jeudy's performance in 2024 (90 catches for 1229 yards) was based around three huge games in which all were started by Jameis Winston at quarterback.

Each of Jeudy's games (three) with over one hundred yards receiving were Winston starts, and two of his three games with nine catches or more were Winston starts (Jeudy's twelve catch game vs Miami with 94 yards was a Dorian Thompson-Robinson start).

And yet Andrew Berry felt comfortable enough to pass on upgrading his receivers with Jeudy as the bulwark entering a season without Jameis Winston.

6) The special teams continued their erratic play, although it's always hard to blame a kicker (Andre Szmyt) for missing a fifty-six-yard field goal.

Sunday's problem was on the coverage team as Detroit's Kalif Raymond returned a punt sixty-five yards for the touchdown that slammed the door on any slim hope of a Cleveland win.

7) Tough to complain about the defense, even though the scoreboard shows thirty-four points by the Lions.

Detroit scored the aforementioned touchdown on a punt return and scored seventeen points on drives of five, sixteen, and twenty yards, which is tough for any defense to survive.

8) The Browns played Dillon Gabriel on the game's final drive but called just one pass play.

I never understand when teams play a young quarterback and then have him hand the ball off, as the Browns did on two of Gabriel's three plays.

9) The Browns' receivers are among the weakest in the league, and things may have gotten worse as Cedric Tillman was injured during the game.

Tillman injured his hamstring, and it's unknown how much time he will miss.

10) Harold Fannin dropped a pass that he should have caught, but the other tight end, David Njoku, looks like he's lost his athleticism overnight.

Njoku looks like a different player this season and might be showing signs of major decline.

Winning in Washington, Buckeyes win 24-6

    The Ohio State defense allowed just six points inside the red zone, and the defense sacked Washington quarterback Demond Williams six times to lead the Buckeyes to a 24-6 win over the Washington Huskies in Seattle.

Caden Curry sacked Williams three times in the best game of his Ohio State career, and Kayden McDonald added two more for Ohio State, with Julian Sayin throwing two touchdowns for the offense.

Ohio State improved to 4-0 with the win (1-0 Big Ten) and will host Minnesota next Saturday night.

Olentangy Offerings

1) What a defensive evening for the Buckeyes, who slammed the door on the Huskies three times in the red zone, two of them inside the three, and held them to two field goals.

A phenomenal performance.

2) Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald contributed more than their five sacks between them, as they finished with eight tackles for loss as they hammered Demond Williams all game long.

Williams is a mobile QB, which made the evening even more impressive for Curry and McDonald.

3) I questioned the play call on fourth and inches inside the Washington five on the first Ohio State drive, when needed just a nudge, Ohio State ran C.J. Donaldson and was stopped.

I always prefer the simple call in such short situations.

4) Julian Sayin's numbers aren't spectacular (22 of 28, 208 yds, and two TDs), but they are plenty good as Sayin gains experience.

Sayin gets the ball out quickly (only took one sack) and is very accurate.

You do that, and with the talent on offense, you'll be fine.

5) As Julian Sayin continues to receive playing time, Ohio State will slowly open the offense more each week.

The receivers will start running deeper routes as Sayin and the offensive line gain confidence, and when those start connecting, the crowding on the short routes will be reduced by the need to respect the downfield throws.

It's already beginning, and it's going to increase.

6) Jeremiah Smith is the type of talent that has to have the ball, and Ohio State has tried to do so with shorter routes that put the ball in his hands and ask him to make a play.

An example of this was the initial Ohio State touchdown on a third and eleven on the Washington eighteen.

Sayin gets the ball out quickly to Smith on a short pass, and Smith takes it for the touchdown.

7) Don't sell Washington short. I think they are going to win their share of games this season, and this win might age better than it seems right now.

I like Demond Williams as their quarterback, and he's only a sophomore.
Washington could be a contender next season.

8) Husky Stadium has become instantly one of the better environments in the Big Ten.

The place is extremely loud, and the view might be unmatched in the league.

I'm not thrilled with the league's move to the West Coast and away from tradition, but in-game experience only, Oregon and Washington are great additions.

PPM

    Another football weekend is on tap, including a possible trap game for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Last Week: 9-6

Overall: 39-18

College

Ohio State over Washington 27-17

Boise State over Appalachian State 32-29

Houston over Oregon State 34-17

Notre Dame over Arkansas 31--24

Ohio U. over Bowling Green 24-21

James Madison over Georgia Southern 40-30

Middle Tennessee over Kennesaw State 16-14

N.C State over Virginia Tech 24-14

Games of the Week

Oregon over Penn State 27-20

LSU over Ole Miss 24-19

NFL
Lions over Browns 20-10

Bills over Saints 35-14

Games of the Week

Chiefs over Ravens 41-36

Buccaneers over Eagles 27-24

I Tell Ya' Herbie

    Here's our latest scoop from the college football bowl that we call I Tell Ya' Herbie.

I Tell Ya' Herbie: 

                             Another Power Four job is open before the end of September, as Oklahoma State removed long-time coach Mike Gundy after a loss to Tulsa.

Gundy was in his twenty-first season, and despite his status, the time was right for the Cowboys, who had won only four of their last fifteen games after a loss to the in-state Golden Hurricane.

The Cowboys were expected to be a power in the Big 12 after the defections of Texas and Oklahoma, but those plans have gone up in smoke over the last two seasons.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The firing of Mike Gundy leaves four jobs available for the 2026 season- UCLA, Stanford, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma State, and there could be three times that by season's end.

What job could be next? The SEC has two contenders with Billy Napier at Florida and Sam Pittman at Arkansas.

Napier and the Gators have a rugged schedule while Pittman's Hogs have the harder place to win.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:   

                              The SEC is going to a nine game conference schedule for next year (good thing) but the schedule will undergo changes so each team plays everyone at least every four years (good thing, but) .

The conference has assigned each team three regular game opponents that they will play every year but even so there are some lost rivalries and some questionable selections for "rivals" for some teams.

Ole Miss gets Oklahoma rather than Arkansas, Florida loses their rivalries with LSU (Florida plays Kentucky), who loses theirs with Alabama, and Texas A&M plays Missouri rather than Oklahoma.

The league has stated that they will reevaluate the system before the 2029 or 2030 season.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             Indiana's run in 2024 was a cute story that ended with the Hoosiers making the CFB playoff bur their impressive thumping of unbeaten Illinois, who some thought could be this year's Indiana, could be a sign that they could be a candidate to return.

Curt Cignetti could be a candidate for bigger jobs should he desire them after the job that he's done in a short time in Bloomington.

Indiana travels to 3-1 Iowa this Saturday.

Browns stun Packers 13-10

    Andre Szmyt nailed a fifty-five-yard field goal on the game's final play to shock the Green Bay Packers and give the Cleveland Browns a 13-10 win in Cleveland.

Quinshon Judkins rushed for 94 yards and scored the only Cleveland touchdown to lead an anemic offense.

The defense led the way, sacking Jordan Love five times, Maliek Collins at the top with one and a half.

Cleveland improves to 1-2 on the season with the miraculous win and will travel to Detroit Sunday to meet the Lions.

I am writing this way too late, but due to a work trip and getting home on Monday, I just haven't had the time.

Brownie Bits

1) Cleveland never led this game with time on the clock. Think about that.

They never led until Andre Szmyt's field goal, which settled behind the goal post with no time remaining.

2)  I thought the Browns should have let Andre Szymt go after his awful game against the Bengals, but he came through big time against Green Bay!

Good for him, believe it or not, I want players to do well (usually), and I was happy for him.

3) Keep in mind, Cade York kicked a long game winner once, too, and look at how that turned out.

I'm not saying Szmpt will fail, just that we will see.

4) Grant Delpit's interception with 3:18 remaining set up the game-tying touchdown.

It was the first takeaway of the season for Cleveland and the first turnover for Green Bay on the year.

Delpit was such a ballhawk at LSU, and even though I think he's a good player, Delpit didn't bring that part of his game to the Browns.

Perhaps that's something that could be changing.

5) Green Bay came to town with a vaunted offense, and the Browns just shut them down as the Packers finished with only 230 yards of total offense, which was barely more than the pitiful Browns 221.

I know everyone says if the Browns are going to win games, this is how they do it, but it's tough.

6) Carson Schwesinger was a standout on defense, including a sack that saw him smash Jordan Love like a called QB Waggle in Tecmo Bowl!

This guy's all over the place, and it's hard to believe he wasn't starting for UCLA at the beginning of last year.

7) Bubba Ventrone's special teams received lots of deserved grief in the first two games, but they came through here with Andre Szmyt's kicking and Shelby Harris's huge blocked field goal at the end of the game that allowed the Browns a chance for the win.

8) Shelby Harris seems to have the knack for blocking kicks.

Some of that is luck, but much of it is instinct, and it eventually could keep Harris playing longer than he normally would in his career.

9) Joe Flacco didn't play well, finishing with 142 yards and one interception.

However, the interception was way downfield near the end of the half on a fourth down that Green Bay would have been better off to knock down rather than grab, and Flacco's veteran skills were perfect for the situation at the game's end, when he knew just how much time he needed to hit David Njoku over the middle.

10) Cleveland was out of timeouts, so they had to get the play off, and the clock stopped for Andre Szmyt to try the game-winner.

Flacco gained the needed extra yards and coolly got the team in order for the spike with two seconds to go.

I know some want Dillon Gabriel, and his time will come soon, but there is no chance Dillon Gabriel pulls that off on this day.

Experience sometimes matters.

11) I gripe every week about the passing game, but no one gets open downfield, and the wideouts are so bad that I'll take the bet that both tight ends (David Njoku and Harold Fannin) finish one and two for receptions.

Jerry Jeudy caught one pass of five targets for seventeen yards.

Whoo Hoo.

12) Dawand Jones suffered a knee injury and will miss the rest of the season.

Jones hadn't played well, but his loss means that either aging veteran Corneilius Lucas or second-year player KT Leveston will be seeing lots more playing time.

That doesn't bode well for Joe Flacco's protection.

13) The Browns are 1-2, and I hear some are excited about the win.

While I'm pleased, many say they could be 2-1, and yes, I suppose they could.

I'll look at it this way, as Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are."

They won a game that they should have lost (Green Bay) and lost one that they should have won (Cincinnati).

1-2 is exactly where they should be.

Cleaning out the Inbox: Passings

        It's been a sad run of recent passings from the sports world, and our tributes never stop/

Goodbye to Davey Johnson at the age of 82 

Johnson is a person who had an excellent career as both a player and a manager, yet both fall just short of induction into the Hall of Fame.

Johnson won two World Series as a player with Baltimore (1966 and 1970), made three All-Star teams (1968, 69, and 70), and won three Gold Gloves (1969, 70, and 71) for the Orioles.

After Johnson was traded to Atlanta in 1973 to make room for Bobby Grich, Johnson hit forty-three homers for the Braves in his first season, making his final All-Star team.

Johnson would play for the Yomiuri Giants in 1975 and 1976 before returning for his final seasons in 1977 and 1978 with the Phillies and Cubs.

Johnson is very deserving of Cooperstown consideration for his managerial career, which saw him win the 1986 World Series with the Mets, win division titles with the Reds, Orioles, and Nationals.

Johnson won 1,373 games in his career with a winning percentage of. 562.

Goodbye to Ken Dryden at the age of 78.

Dryden was the standout netminder of the 1970s for the Montreal Canadiens, leading them to six Stanley Cups, and won five Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goalie.

Dryden played for only six games in 1971 before winning the Stanley Cup in net for the playoffs, and would win the Calder Trophy the following season as the league's top rookie.

Dryden played just seven seasons (eight if you count the six games and playoffs in 1971) in his career, sat out the 1973-74 season when he thought the Canadiens were undercutting his salary, and was voted to the Hockey Hall of Fame with a winning percentage of an astonishing seventy-four percent.

After retirement, Dryden wrote several books, including The Game, which might be the best hockey book ever, and worked as a commentator for ABC for three Winter Olympics, including the Miracle on Ice, and would be an elected official in the Canadian House of Commons.

Goodbye to Ed Giacomin at the age of 86.

Giacomin made six All-Star teams in a thirteen-year career, spent mostly with the New York Rangers from 1965 to 1977, and won the Vezina Trophy for the 1970-71 season.

Giacomin played his final three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings after being waived to make room for John Davidson, with a memorable return to Madison Square Garden with the Red Wings when the Ranger fans cheered for Giacomin and booed their team with every shot on goal in a Detroit win.

Giacomin was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987, and his number was the second to be retired by the Rangers.

Goodbye to D.D. Lewis, at the age of 79

Lewis played thirteen years for the Dallas Cowboys, and his twenty-seven postseason games are the most in Cowboys history and rank behind only Tom Brady and Jerry Rice among non-kickers.

That number is remarkable when you consider how limited playoff games were during Lewis's career (1968-1981).

Drafted in the sixth round in 1968 from Mississippi State, Lewis never made All-Pro or a Pro Bowl, but started 132 of a possible 134 games from 1973 to 1981 for a team that won a Super Bowl and lost two others during that time, which is indicative of a solid career.

Goodbye to Jim Fahnhorst at the age of 66.

A fourth-round pick by the Vikings in 1982, Fahnhorst signed instead with the USFL in 1983 and played two years with the Chicago Blitz and Arizona Wranglers before moving to the NFL.

Fahnhorst joined his brother, Keith, with the San Francisco 49ers after the 1984 USFL spring season and would win Super Bowls in three of his six seasons in the NFL, all of them spent with San Francisco.