Brown BLog Predicts: Week 1 vs Bengals

I am glad to see the Browns get back to a Stefanski offense. This season promises to be easier to watch than last year's disaster. That said, other than the home field advantage, the Browns don't go into this game with much of anything in their favor. Burrow, Chase and the Bengals regulars played a surprising amount in the pre season with a focus on starting well. The Bengals have a new defensive coordinator, Al Golden, who went to great pains to avoid showing his cards in the preseason. If they can be a middle of the pack D, the Bengals will be Super Bowl contenders. The Browns? Some great talent added to the defense, I have no doubt they'll play well but let's be honest, the offense is weak. Losing Judkins is a big blow, Jones at LT is unproven, Isaiah Bond has a great chance to be a big time player, but not in week 1 on this team. Stefanski always schemes up a big play or two but I think the Bengals will be ready for that. Stefanski will do stuff like pull a guard to the right to clear out defenders reading run then throw a pass to the open left flat. Or Joe Flacco will manipulate a Free Safety out of position by looking him off. Al Golden is known for a basic scheme that relies on his athletes trusting their reads and not overreacting. I think Golden will have his guys ready for Kevin Stefanski's black magic. I think the Bengals won't score 30 against the Browns solid D, but on the other hand, the Browns won't score 20.

The Brown BLog predicts
Bengals 27
Browns 17

Brown BLog Predicts: AFC North 2025

The toughest division in the NFL promises to be exciting and competitive again in 2025.

Here are my predictions for each team:

First Place:  Baltimore Ravens  12-5

- The Ravens are the best coached and most talented team in the AFC North

- John Harbaugh has built a Growth Mindset.  Athletes that the Ravens select improve year to year at a greater rate than any other NFL team. 

- Lamar Jackson is amazing, determined and it's only a matter of time before he has a Super Bowl ring

- The Ravens defensive backfield was a weakness in 2024.  This season the addition of Jaire Alexander and Malaki Starks transform that group.

- Mike Green will help an already strong defensive line. 

Second Place:  Cincinnati Bengals 11-6

- The Bengals have Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and Chase Brown.  30 points or more is a probability every time they step on the field 

- Al Golden needs to get the Bengals defense to improve from terrible to mediocre.  A scheme that keeps things simple and Shermar Stewart flashing potential should help the Bengals keep their opponents under 24 points a game often enough to battle the Ravens for first all season long. 

Third Place:  Pittsburgh Steelers  10-7

- The Steelers have Mike Tomlin 

- The Steelers D will be as great as they always are

- Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf - all year long!

Last Place:  Cleveland Browns  5-12

- The NFL hung a miserable schedule on the Browns, as they continue to punish the Browns for $230,000,000 fully guaranteed.  With that tough start, the Browns are bound to play well and still start 0-6 or 1-5 and it'll be onto Dillon Gabriel, who won't be ready for prime time.

If You Build It, They Will Come

I’ve been a Browns fan long enough to carry the scars. I’ve stood in the freezing winds off Lake Erie, watched games through sleet that stung my face, and sat in the aftermath of seasons that ended not with a bang but with a blizzard. And now, with talk of a new dome stadium in Brook Park, I can’t help but think: maybe it’s finally time to take the weather out of the equation.

Here’s the truth. Playing in Cleveland in December and January isn’t football, it’s survival. The weather becomes the great equalizer, turning track stars into plodders, quarterbacks into handoff machines, and playbooks into checklists of whatever you can still run when your fingers are numb.

But imagine the Browns being the only team in the AFC North with a dome. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cincinnati will keep grinding it out in the cold while Cleveland plays in fast, clean conditions every single week. Our athletes could play at full throttle, our passing game wouldn’t sputter in the wind, and talent would decide the outcome.

I’ll never forget 1980. Brian Sipe was the MVP of the league and yet when it mattered most, the weather smothered him. That team should have soared, but the elements clipped their wings. Forty-plus years later, it still hurts to think about. A dome means that never happens again.

Now let me shift from the field to the stands. I’ve been lucky enough to attend games at AT&T Stadium in Dallas several times, and walking into that place is like stepping into the future of football. It’s warm when it’s freezing outside, cool when it’s blistering hot, and everywhere you look there’s something designed to make fans feel like they’re part of something bigger than a game.

You don’t go there to “endure” the game, you go there to enjoy it. That’s the difference.

Picture it: a December Sunday in Brook Park. Instead of bundling up in five layers and battling the wind, you walk into a climate-controlled palace. No frozen hot chocolates, no icy metal bleachers, no shivering while you watch the Browns’ season slip away. You just watch football and enjoy the environment.

And as a fan who’s lived through decades of heartbreak, that sounds like paradise.

Some people will say weather is part of Browns tradition. Maybe. But tradition shouldn’t mean handicapping yourself forever. A dome doesn’t erase Cleveland’s grit it enhances it. It gives us the stage to finally showcase the talent we’ve assembled without having the skies decide the score.

For the team, it’s a competitive advantage. For the fans, it’s comfort and spectacle. And for Northern Ohio, it’s a chance to finally give Browns football the setting it deserves.

If you build it, they will come. And this time, we might actually stay long enough to watch the confetti fall.

So What - Myles Goes Fast

 

I’ve never quite understood why people get so worked up over Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett’s speeding tickets. Yes, he once had an auto accident. It happens. But in a country where I routinely see motorcyclists riding without helmets, weaving through traffic, and blasting past speed limits, it feels like Garrett is getting an outsized level of scrutiny. At least he was inside a car, wearing his seatbelt, and taking his chances in a controlled environment. To me, that should earn him something of a mulligan.

Now, I’ll admit something: maybe I’m biased because of my own history behind the wheel.

I lived in Europe for 12 years. One of my first company cars was an Audi A4, and I spent many weeks traveling the A1 from Milan to the Veneto region. It didn’t take me long to realize that Italians drive fast. Really fast. And not just on special occasions—fast is the standard.

In the U.S., I had never pushed a car much past 90 mph. Frankly, American cars back then made it difficult. Once you hit 80, the whole frame rattled, the engine roared, and the car felt like it was about to fall apart. But my Audi was different. Smooth, steady, and safe even at high speeds. Every week I crept up a little more, curious to see what the car could handle. One day I hit 205 km/h, about 130 mph, and felt completely in control.

That’s when I understood: European cars are built for this. European drivers are, too. They respect the rules of the road. The passing lane is for passing, and if you’re fast, you stay in it. It’s not unusual to see cars cruising comfortably at 200 km/h.

Of course, not everything is without risk. One afternoon, as I was heading back toward Milan, a Fiat Panda slipped into the passing lane without seeing me. I was flying. I slammed the brakes, laid on the horn, and narrowly avoided disaster. After that, I dialed it back to around 150 km/h (just under 100 mph) still fast by American standards, but enough to feel safe.

So when I hear about Garrett hitting 100 mph and people act like it’s the end of the world, I shake my head. To me, that’s just a European highway cruise. Garrett can afford the best cars, designed to handle those speeds. If he’s on an open highway, wearing his seatbelt, and not endangering a pack of minivans, I say let him enjoy the ride.

That said, there’s one bit of advice I’d give him: install deer whistles. They work, they scare the creatures off, and they might just save him from the unexpected. Or maybe he should just move to Europe, where driving fast isn’t a scandal it’s a way of life.

Does the Ground in Berea Contribute to Browns’ Injuries?

Every year at Browns training camp, it feels like déjà vu. A couple of weeks in, we start hearing the same headlines: “soft-tissue injury,” “hamstring tightness,” “out for precautionary reasons.” In 2025, both quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel went down with hamstring issues before the preseason even got rolling.

Now, I know injuries in football come from everywhere: conditioning, workload, biomechanics, sometimes just plain bad luck. But I can’t help wondering if there’s something else lurking under the surface. Literally.

Here’s where the speculation begins (and I stress: this is just speculation). Berea, where the Browns train, sits on land historically shaped by glaciers, full of sandstone and compacted glacial till. In other words: hard ground. NFL practice fields are engineered with sand bases, drainage, and shock-absorbing layers, but if those layers are shallow or overly compacted, the field could feel a lot less forgiving than, say, the sandy fields of Florida or the loamy soil in California.

There’s science to back up why this matters. Runners and factory workers who spend long hours on hard surfaces like concrete, cement, compacted turf, develop higher rates of foot, ankle, and knee problems. Plantar fasciitis. Shin splints. Stress fractures. If everyday people like me feel those effects working on concrete floors or deep cement foundations, why couldn’t professional athletes, pounding out sprints and drills in August heat, experience the same stress in the form of recurring injuries?

I don’t claim to know how deep or well-cushioned the Browns’ practice fields really are. But given the steady drumbeat of leg injuries every camp, it seems fair to at least ask: is the ground in Berea part of the problem?

Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s coincidence. Or maybe, just maybe, the roots of the Browns’ training camp injury woes go deeper than anyone thinks.

Entertainment vs Competition

Just my personal opinion here but I find Touchdown passes and big plays much more entertaining than Pick 6's and fumbles.

A Very Good Day for the Browns

Other than to note the usual mismanagement of the PR elements (Bond revealing he is signing with Cleveland before the Browns could get in front of the narrative) related to the pending Isaiah Bond signing, I am not going down the obvious road of being critical about the Browns adding him to the roster.

Why not?

Two reasons why not.

1.  I honestly believe Jimmy Haslam is fed up enough with the issues the Browns have seen over character to have assured in the case of Isaiah Bond, that the Browns had him visit a shrink for an assessment and they have a solid professional input that the young man has sufficient positive potential to take the risk.  I am ok with that.

2. Isaiah Bond is going to be a significant contributor to the Browns.   I like to compare him to Amon Ra St Brown with one major plus for Bond vis a vis St Brown.  He's fast and he can make defenders stop because he's twitchy.

Good day for the Browns signing Bond.  Very good day. 

Preseason Game 1 vs Carolina - Observations

I know it's preseason but....

Carson Schwesinger - Stud!  Jim Schwartz has to be thrilled, this guy is a best case scenario, he already looks super comfortable.

Mason Graham - Stud!   Yes, Graham had plenty of rookie moments.  I saw him get pushed off the line of scrimmage quite a few times, however, he never gave up and he almost always got off the block and usually made an impact even on plays where he started off badly.  He's strong and he fights off blocks. He got double teamed a few times and handled it fine.   By the time the season starts he is going to be fine, he's going to be a problem for opposing offenses.

Shedeur Sanders - Stud!   OK I know, DTR looked good in the preseason.   But I know a good QB when I see one and Shedeur was facing Carolina's first team D out there and he looked fine.   What i liked the most is Shedeur was looking off free safety's like an old pro, like Joe Flacco!  And once he moved the safety he got the ball where it needed to go.  He's super accurate, his calmness is noteworthy, it brings back memories of Brian Sipe and it's obvious his teammates love him.   Did he make a few small mistakes, sure but he made a couple huge plays too and the Browns gave him almost no reps in practice yet he played clean, great football.

Move Over NFL: This September 1st, College Football Makes Its Primetime Power Play with Belichick and Monday Night

On Monday, September 1, American football fans will witness something unusual, a marquee college football matchup taking center stage on a night traditionally reserved for the NFL. In what feels less like a scheduling fluke and more like a strategic strike, UNC will face TCU in a game packed with talent, storylines, and most importantly, symbolism.

The most intriguing subplot isn’t just the talent on the field  it’s the presence of Bill Belichick, now head coach at UNC, making his college football debut under the primetime lights. Belichick was hired by the Tar Heels in December 2024, and by “coincidence”, just a month later in January 2025, the decision was made to move this highly anticipated game from its originally scheduled Saturday, August 30 to Monday night.

Coincidence? Highly unlikely.

Belichick, who was effectively blacklisted by NFL ownership after his long tenure in New England, is now in a position to challenge the very league that cast him aside, not on the field directly, but on the airwaves and in the advertising budgets. The NIL era has already cracked open the college football landscape, giving large college football programs new tools to build teams loaded with top level talent. Now, with Monday Night Football sitting idle until the NFL kicks off the following week, college football appears ready to test the limits of its own ambitions.

This scheduling move may be college football’s first direct step into the NFL’s media territory. For decades, college football respected the NFL’s domain over Monday nights.  In fact in the entire history of college football only one regular season college game was played on a Monday evening, that was on September 9, 1974:  Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech.  This game also took place "before" the NFL season started and it surely is no coicidence that Monday evening was never again touched by a college team until now.  

But in the post-NIL world with star players operating as brands, alumni bases energized by high-profile hires, and TV networks hungry for content that unwritten rule may be about to change.

At the center of this moment is Belichick. He knows the value of structure, leverage, and competition. It’s hard not to imagine him relishing the idea of building a college powerhouse that doesn’t just win games, but starts to chip away at the NFL’s $14 billion TV empire. In fact, it’s hard not to imagine him helping college football develop a strategy to compete for the same audience, starting with something as symbolic as Monday night football game that’s not the NFL.

UNC vs. TCU will be an entertaining contest. But it might also be something more, a broadcast beachhead in a broader cultural and commercial shift. If ratings soar and buzz builds, don’t be surprised to see more college programs start circling Monday night as prime real estate.

It’s not just a game. It’s a quiet challenge to the football hierarchy. And it starts one week before the NFL even kicks off.

I know I will be watching! 

Dawg Pound vs Fairy

I am trying to imagine the inner workings of the Cleveland Browns leadership team debating in 2022 whether the team should focus it's midfield logo on Brownie the Elf or the Dawg Pound.

Here is my imagination's version of that debate:

Those in favor of Brownie the elf being the Browns midfield mascot please make your case:  

Brownie the Elf belongs as the Cleveland Browns mascot because he taps into deep roots of tradition, magic, and identity. In Scottish folklore, brownies are fairy-like beings who quietly help with hard work and bring good luck to those who respect them—just the kind of energy a football team and its fans need. Brownie isn’t just whimsical; he’s a symbol of grit, heritage, and a little magic on our side.

Those in favor of a big, vicious dawg being the Cleveland Browns midfield mascot please make your case:

The Cleveland Browns should be represented by a big, mean looking dawg because it captures the toughness, intensity, and alpha mindset that defines the modern NFL. The Dawg Pound isn’t just a fan section, it’s a legacy born in the 1980s from Hanford Dixon’s rallying cry that turned Browns defenders into snarling, relentless defenders. A fierce dog embodies that edge, that fight, and the intimidating presence every team needs. It’s raw, it’s real, and it reflects exactly what it takes to dominate on Sundays.

Who wins???  The fairy of course!!!

Laughingstock: Part II - Brown Helmet Promo...

Only in Browns town does something as dumb as this take place.   Do a PR reveal promo of your new helmet on Lake Erie and have the cameraman fall into the Lake.  Can you say "pay attention to safety" when you do this dumb shit?

Here's Rich Eisen making fun of us: 

Laughingstock: Part I - Brownie the Elf

There is one subject and one subject only that I absolutely 100% agree with Art Modell on.  When Modell took over the Cleveland Browns in 1961 he declared with reference to Brownie the Elf that his first official act would be to "Get rid of that fucker"   Amen, Art!

This week, Pat McAfee dedicated an entire segment to ridiculing Brownie....

Do the Browns not realize that when they held that stupid poll to decide in 2022 whether or not to have Brownie be our midfield logo that it was Steelers, Bengals and Ravens fans that voted for that insanely stupid idea!

I've been a fan since 1974, never not once did I have an emotional attachment to that ridiculous symbol.

A Suggestion to the Cleveland Browns

For the second consecutive year, a Cleveland Browns second-round draft pick has been arrested on a domestic violence charge before training camp even begins. I’m not here to comment on the specific charges this year or last, those are matters for the legal system and for personal accountability. But I do want to offer a sincere suggestion to the Cleveland Browns organization: consider rethinking how you evaluate human beings.

Football is, of course, a violent game played by fierce competitors. Evaluating athletic performance like speed, strength, tape is essential. But when it comes to determining how someone will behave as a professional, as a teammate, and as a representative of your organization, athletic ability is only part of the equation. There’s another side to talent evaluation that too often gets overlooked: the deep, subtle, and nuanced process of understanding character.

Let me share a personal story from a very different world, corporate leadership.

Back in 2007, I was the General Manager of the Italian subsidiary of an American multinational. I was on the rise, and a major corporation, one with global revenues north of $10 billion had expressed interest in me for an executive-level position. As I traveled to the U.S. for final interviews, I was asked to meet a third-party evaluator in a private room at O’Hare Airport. This wasn't a business discussion. This was a psychological evaluation, conducted by a professional with an advanced degree in psychology.

I’ll never forget three aspects of that evaluation, each of which revealed something more about me than any resume could capture.

First, I was given a timed written test and left alone. Five minutes in, a cleaning lady entered by “mistake.” She interrupted me, apologized, and left. Five minutes later, she did it again. It wasn’t random. It was a test: to see if I’d lose my cool, become dismissive, or show signs of impatience under pressure. I didn’t. That wasn’t because I guessed I was being evaluated it’s simply who I am. I treated her kindly and kept my focus.

Second, the test itself contained a few questions that were unsolvable by design. The evaluator wanted to see how I’d react. Would I waste time stubbornly trying to solve the unsolvable, or would I move on and maximize my score? I quickly recognized the trick and finished the test well. That wasn’t about raw intelligence it was about emotional intelligence, adaptability, and judgment.

Third, and most importantly, the evaluator asked a series of quiet, thoughtful questions about my parents and my upbringing. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the intent. But looking back, I see now it was a way of probing my emotional maturity, my inner stability, and the kind of trust I’d learned to build with others from a young age.

In the end, the multinational made me an offer. I turned it down for other reasons, but what stuck with me wasn’t the prestige of the offer it was the quality of the evaluation. They had spent real resources to make sure they understood who they were hiring. Not just the professional. The person.

Cleveland Browns, you’re a billion-dollar enterprise in a league that generates tens of billions annually. Your players represent your brand on and off the field. You invest millions in each draft pick and you invest and guarantee up to $230M in one specific case of an athlete you traded for who had known character question marks. You make enormous investments in players and based on the results I have to seriously question whether or not you are doing the kind of deep, psychological, emotional, and relational evaluation that other industries would consider table stakes for leadership hires.   Maybe you are unlucky, but as the saying goes, fool me once....

Maybe it’s time to bring in expert help or if you already have one, a new expert. Not a guy with a stopwatch. A professional who understands people. Someone who can ask the right questions, create the right pressure tests, and separate immaturity from instability, confidence from arrogance, resilience from volatility.

No system is perfect. No process will catch everything. But with the right approach, you can reduce your risk. And perhaps more importantly, you can build a team of men who will make your fans proud both on Sundays and every other day of the week.

It’s time to take evaluating character as seriously as you evaluate combine results. Because the real test of a team doesn’t begin on the field. It begins with the choices you make off it.

Shedeur and Kumar Go To White Castle

There is a hilarious moment in Harold & Kumar go to White Castle that never fails to crack me up and now, unexpectedly, it also reminds me of Shedeur Sanders.  In the movie, Kumar is sitting in an interview with a respected medical school. The interviewer, played with absurd deadpan by Fred Willard, is clearly an old-school bigot. As the interview unfolds, Kumar brilliant, self-aware, and done with this type of performative nonsense decides to light the whole thing on fire. He makes a mockery of the moment. He knows he doesn’t need this guy’s approval. He knows he’s good enough without it.

And just like that, it all clicked: That’s Shedeur Sanders.

When the 2025 NFL Draft rolled around, I couldn’t help but notice a slow, stunning freefall. Shedeur, once projected as a top-10 pick, watched as team after team passed on him not once, not twice, but four times. The buzz afterward was worse: anonymous NFL executives whispering to reporters that Sanders “didn’t respect the process.” That he acted like he was “above” it.

Above it?

I remember watching ESPN’s live coverage of the draft. They often cut to team draft rooms, supposedly the beating heart of football intellect. And in room after room, one thing stood out: 90% white faces. In a league where over half the players are Black, the front-office representation looked like a corporate boardroom from 1985. It was hard not to notice.

Now let’s be honest. Shedeur Sanders was raised by Deion Sanders a man who’s not just a Hall of Famer, but a cultural force. Prime Time didn’t just play the game; he reshaped it. He taught his kids to believe they belong not to ask permission. So when Shedeur shows up to draft interviews confident, polished, and unwilling to kiss rings, it shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Just like Kumar, Shedeur knew the script and chose not to read from it.

In both cases, there’s something cathartic in watching a brilliant young man reject the approval of a system that’s historically skeptical of people who look like him, sound like him, and carry themselves with the kind of self-possession that makes gatekeepers uncomfortable.

But here’s the twist: Kumar didn’t need Fred Willard’s blessing. And in the long run, Shedeur doesn’t need the NFL’s outdated notion of “process” either.

Because let’s face it how many of these NFL decision-makers have been wrong over and over? They missed on Tom Brady. They passed on Lamar Jackson. They dismissed Jalen Hurts. The league loves to preach meritocracy but too often rewards compliance over courage, familiarity over authenticity.

And Shedeur? He’s betting on himself. He’s betting that talent, preparation, leadership, and self-belief matter more than knowing which privileged NFL scout or executive to flatter.

Will it work? I think it will. Shedeur Sanders might become a superstar quarterback not because he played the game but because he refused to and the fact that 32 NFL teams passed on him four times probably means less than nothing if you really think about it.

Are the Cleveland Browns in Good Hands?

 

If you’ve ever watched Moneyball, you might remember the moment of inspiration. The A’s have just lost Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon. Their GM Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt) is desperate. Enter Paul DePodesta, brilliant, awkward, and analytically inclined. He points out undervalued players like Scott Hatteberg and Chad Bradford. Suddenly, the A’s are winning again. Cue the montage, cue the triumph of data over instinct.

But hold on. The movie leaves something out.

The A’s also had three Cy Young-level starters: Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, and Barry Zito. They had Gold Glove third baseman Eric Chavez. They had MVP Miguel Tejada. That’s not a bunch of misfit toys. That’s a core. It wasn’t just math that built that team it was scouting, development, and traditional baseball infrastructure. Paul DePodesta’s analytics helped. But they weren’t everything.

Fast forward to Cleveland. DePodesta, now the Browns’ Chief Strategy Officer since 2016, was hired by owner Jimmy Haslam to bring a Moneyball-style approach to the NFL. And while Haslam has cycled through GMs and head coaches at dizzying speed, DePodesta has remained. He’s the constant in a sea of churn. That should tell you something about his influence.

The question is: has that influence been good?

DePodesta’s Browns have become infamous for zigging when others zag. They’ve drafted injured players high. They’ve targeted undersized defenders who were “value” picks—meaning cheaper. They’ve drafted cornerbacks and safeties who flash athletic metrics but fail to hold up over a brutal NFL season. They’ve taken chances on players most teams wouldn’t touch, like Deshaun Watson, who cost three first-round picks and the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history.

DePodesta was reportedly a major advocate of that move. The theory? Franchise quarterbacks at 27 years old are never available so when they are, you do whatever it takes.

But again, a question nags: If he’s so valuable, why was Houston willing to trade him? The Texans—who knew Watson’s habits, health, and psychology better than anyone and had decided to move on. The Browns saw market inefficiency. Maybe it was just an iceberg, and they bought the Titanic.

This isn’t baseball. Baseball is a sequence of isolated, measurable events: pitch, swing, hit, out. The sample sizes are huge - hundreds of at-bats, thousands of pitches. That’s ideal terrain for analytics.

Football? Much messier.

The number of plays in a season is relatively small. The variables are massive: weather, health, scheme, teammates, matchups, mental preparation. There’s less statistical stability. A player might be brilliant for four weeks and invisible for the next eight. That’s why NFL front offices still lean heavily on experience, tape, and context.

But in Cleveland, analytics became the system, not just a tool within it. And that may be the root of the Browns’ continued inconsistency. They've ignored long-held truths of the game like the idea that defensive tackles must anchor the run. Or that linebackers need durability as much as speed. Or that locker room chemistry, character, and leadership matter more than spreadsheet projections.

Yes, the “football guys” don’t always get it right either. But there’s a reason certain traits recur among great players. There are physical thresholds that history shows must be met. You can’t consistently win in the NFL with a soft middle or brittle safeties. You can't build a championship culture if the face of your franchise is a lightning rod for controversy and mistrust.

Analytics can sharpen a decision when it’s close. But when analytics drive every decision—ignoring tape, history, and intangibles the result is what Browns fans have lived through: expensive mistakes, fragile teams, and flashes of promise followed by thuds of reality.

Football is not baseball. And Cleveland is not Oakland. You can’t moneyball your way to a Super Bowl if you don’t respect the brutal, physical, emotionally complex reality of the NFL.

Jimmy Haslam wanted to outsmart the league. Ten years in, the smarter question might be: Is it time to  start building a football team the way winning football teams do?

Until that question gets answered, the answer to whether the Browns are in good hands is… not yet.

Did Jimmy Haslam force the Shedeur Sanders pick?

Of course he did.

And for once, I would say Jimmy Haslam was 100% correct.

So what happened?  Here is my random ass guess

The Browns pick Dillon Gabriel at #94 on Day 2.   Between Day 2 and Day 3, Jimmy Haslam's long list of NFL friends start texting him and calling him.  The tone of those texts and talks would have been something along the lines of "what the fuck?"

On Day 3 when Shedeur is still there into Round 5, and Haslam saw the Pittsburgh Steelers pick coming up, Haslam gets pissed off imagining "what if" the Steelers pick up Shedeur. Mr. Haslam then mandates that Andrew Berry move up and pick Shedeur before Pittsburgh does.  

I am 100% in alignment with Jimmy Haslam on this one, what is interesting is that apparently Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski were not, judging by the frowns in the room. 

The Browns have touted their management alignment for the last few years.  First chink in the armor.  It's now on Stefanski to make it work, or else.

The irony is this:   The Browns had a fantastic draft class in 2025 and it should not be difficult to capitalize on it.  The question in Jimmy Haslam's mind must be this  -   Is Kevin Stefanski too rigid to adapt his scheme to the talent on hand?   If the Browns don't win at least 9 games in 2025 I think we all know what the outcome will be.

Is Dillon Gabriel an Opener?

Paul DePodesta has spent much of his 10+ years in Cleveland boldly trying to disprove conventional NFL wisdom or what I suspect Mr. DePodesta might label as conventional NFL bias.  For the most part however he's never discovered his NFL version of Chad Bradford or Scott Hatteberg.

Well, maybe just maybe with the selection of two QB's in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns have lurched uncontrollably into an opportunity to get a win over conventional NFL wisdom which states that a team must have a franchise QB and that one QB must take the vast majority of the snaps during a game to be successful.

I happen to like Dillon Gabriel and, yes, I happen to really like Shedeur Sanders.   It occurs to me however that both of them at this point in their careers have strengths and weaknesses.   Well, what if, as in baseball, we use analytics to maximize the strengths each bring and mitigate the risk each have in weaknesses.  

Play them both!

How about Gabriel, who is known for precision, not making big mistakes and making reads across the entire field, as your opener.   Script plays and use him at the start of each half.

How about Sanders as your middle reliever.   He's accurate and has great field vision and importantly he can improvise a big play or two because he possesses an understanding of what defensive backfields are doing.   Use him after the first Browns drive in each half.  

You can close the game with either depending on the opponent.   Once you have a lead, hand the ball off.

Gabriel gets about 20 snaps a game.

Sanders gets about 40 snaps a game. 

Force our opponents to prepare for two QB's not one.

Keep both QB's healthy and fresh

Paul DePodesta gets a long overdue victory!

Win - Win - Win! 

Mason Graham = Jerry Sherk

To my viewpoint, Jerry Sherk is the greatest Brown I have ever personally sat in the stands and watched.  Just to be clear, I first sat in the stands in the 1970's otherwise I would surely answer Jim Brown was the greatest Brown.   But I only witnessed Jim Brown winning the war in Europe together with Charles Bronson.

When I first watched Mason Graham play for Michigan against Ohio State, I thought to myself - Jerry Sherk.   In other words:  Cat like quickness and a nose for the ball in spite of constant double and triple teaming by the Buckeyes.

Then I learned another parallel:  Graham was a world class wrestler - Just like Jerry Sherk was.

From his alma mater's website:  Jerry Sherk was a two-sport star at Oklahoma State University. He was an All-Big-8 selection on the gridiron as well as an All-American grappler in 1969. In 1970, he was a second round NFL draft pick (47^th overall) by the Cleveland Browns. Jerry was a four-time Pro Bowl Selection and named MVP by the Browns three straight seasons 1974-1976. In 1976, he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Defensive Player of the Year.

well it turns out Mason Graham plays like Jerry Sherk and his wrestling background is no small coincidence.  The Browns have drafted a stud who is going to help turn this team around!

Dillon Gabriel - Further Proof that No Matter What the Browns Say, They Want Deshaun Watson to Return as QB

The Browns have one year remaining on the contract of Kenny Pickett and they have Joe Flacco signed to a one year contract.  Yesterday they added Dillon Gabriel whose ceiling is universally seen as a solid 2nd string NFL QB.

I don't care what Jimmy Haslam says, the Browns intend to hand the keys back to Deshaun Watson in 2026.   The reason they won't say that is 100% due to public relations.

Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson and Travis Hunter: Draft 2025

If the goal is winning in 2025, there is only one path I can imagine the Browns taking in the coming month.

- Travis Hunter is ready to contribute on day 1 in the NFL.  If you watch his film as a receiver, JaMarr Chase comes to mind.   

- Kirk Cousins is probably coming to the Browns.   They won't do the trade now because they are scared to death that some team that covets Travis Hunter will jump the Browns and trade up to the #1 pick.   Trading for Cousins would tip everyone off that that Browns are picking Hunter

- Kirk Cousins is a one year bridge back to.... you guessed it - Deshaun Watson.   A number of factors convince me this is true.   First, Jimmy Haslam must be loathe to concede that he was the architect of what is universally seen today as one of the worst trades in NFL history.   Second, Andrew Berry has often stated that he sees Watson as a 10 year investment not a 5 year investment.   Third, it can be argued that Watson's play in 2024 was due to his shoulder not being 100%.   If the shoulder was not 100% I would then ask, why did Kevin Stefanski play Watson, but that's the subject of another blog.

What is going to be fun to watch for the next few weeks is the flow of misinformation as the Browns try to seed the idea that they will draft a QB.  They won't because they can't.   Win now is the formula and neither Cam Ward or Shedeur are going to win now with the talent the Browns have.   That's not to say that Ward or Sanders won't succeed in the NFL.   In fact I think Sanders will win a Super Bowl or two but not in the next year and especially not with mediocre talent around them.

What is clear is that the Browns have little choice but to double down on Deshaun Watson and get him right.   A huge part of getting Deshaun Watson right would be to give him a game changing receiver like Travis Hunter.  In the meantime, they certainly can arrange a trade with the Falcons for Kirk Cousins while picking up less than $20M of his salary in 2025 which they can probably fit into their cap situation.   Cousins is comfortable with Stefanski and vice versa.   With a top flight receiver like Travis Hunter, Kirk Cousins can certainly make some noise, win some games then move on after 2025 clearing the way for Deshaun Watson to return in 2026.

Playing Hardball with Myles Garrett

 

Here is a provocative question:  "Why are the Browns playing hardball with Myles Garrett as if he is their property?"

The answer is not simple however perhaps if Myles Garrett is financially prepared to take a season off, which I believe he is, he could be a change agent by opening a conversation about fairness in employment law as it relates to professional sports.   

Fact:   In European professional sports, if an athlete wants to change employer, it works much more like it works for regular working folks.   In European soccer, players can change teams despite having multiyear contracts due to the transfer system, which operates differently from how contracts work in American sports. Here’s how it works:

• Unlike in American sports, where trades are common, European soccer teams buy out a player’s contract by paying a transfer fee to the selling club.
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• If a player is under contract, the buying club negotiates with the selling club to agree on a transfer price. Once they agree, the player is free to negotiate personal terms with the new team.

• Some contracts have release clauses, meaning if a club offers a pre-agreed fee (e.g., €100M), the selling club is obligated to let the player go.
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• In some leagues (like Spain’s La Liga), players can directly buy out their own contracts using funds (often provided by the new team).

Why is it different in the US?

Your guess is as good as mine but there's a long tradition in the US of owners seeing employees as tantamount to property.   Most American fans would get angry that I even think the thought that Myles Garrett should have the same freedom to change employer that each of us have.  Why?  Because he's well paid?   Myles Garrett is well paid for one reason.  He is the best in the world at what he does and in our capitalist system he is paid his market value, not a penny more.  The fact that he's the best of the best and paid accordingly in no way justifies him being stuck working a job that he's unhappy with. 

Myles Garrett might need to highlight that he is not anybody's property by engaging in a long holdout and maybe the absurdity of the Browns refusing to let him leave will become apparent to all of us.  Garrett can help that debate along by communicating in no uncertain terms that he is not property he is a human being.   

I for one hope Myles Garrett will go down in history as helping open the door to a transfer system that allows freedom of movement to professional athletes.

Two Predictions: Shedeur Sanders QB

Prediction 1:  Shedeur Sanders will have a Joe Montana like career.   

Why do I feel this way?   Several factors:

• The way the pundits describe him sounds a lot like the way they described Joe Montana.  Athletic but not a great athlete.  Arm talent - slightly above average.   Good pocket presence.   Good leader.
• Sanders father was one of the best defensive backs in NFL history and he's been coaching his son his entire life.  Watch Shedeur Sanders, he understands at a very high level exactly what defenses are trying to do.
• This young man was well raised and has ambition and desire.   Both key ingredients to success as a QB in the NFL.

Prediction 2:   One way or another the Browns won't get Sanders.   Most likely Tennessee will figure this all out and grab Sanders while the getting is good.   But if they don't the Browns will find a way to talk themselves out of a future Hall of Famer.

Why?

Because Browns is Browns 

Challenging the NFL's Hegemony

For decades, the National Football League (NFL) has enjoyed a virtual monopoly over professional football in America. The roots of this dominance trace back to a pivotal moment in history: President John F. Kennedy's decision to grant the NFL an antitrust exemption. This exemption allowed the league to consolidate power, leveraging its position to dictate terms to television networks. By holding exclusive rights to its broadcast contracts, the NFL ensured that no rival league could gain a foothold. Any network that dared to support competition risked losing access to the NFL’s coveted product. This strategy effectively locked out potential competitors, cementing the NFL’s stranglehold on professional football.

However, the landscape of football is shifting. The rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and direct player compensation means that college football is no longer confined to the realm of amateur athletics. The evolution of the college game into a quasi-professional entity places it in a unique position to challenge the NFL’s supremacy—not just as a secondary alternative, but as a true competitor in the professional football market.

One of the most significant steps college football programs could take to expand their influence is the radical expansion of eligibility rules. Under current NCAA guidelines, players must meet strict criteria to participate. But what if those restrictions were lifted? If colleges allowed any athlete taking at least one class to play football, it could dramatically increase the talent pool. Former NFL players seeking a second chance, undrafted free agents, and even those who simply wish to extend their playing careers beyond the rigid constraints of the NFL could find a home in college football. This would not only boost the quality of competition but also provide a direct alternative to the NFL’s exclusive control over professional football careers.

Perhaps the boldest move college football could make is to schedule games on Sundays, directly competing with the NFL’s most sacred time slot. Currently, college football is predominantly played on Saturdays, with occasional games on Thursdays and Fridays. But why not take the fight to the NFL on its own turf?

The financial incentives are undeniable. The NFL’s Sunday television contracts are worth billions, but if major college programs started playing marquee matchups on Sundays, they could siphon off a significant share of viewership. Networks, always eager for premium football content, might be willing to shift their investments toward college programs, especially if schools continue to attract top-tier talent through competitive pay structures.  Imagine Ohio State vs Michigan taking place on Sunday at 1 PM!  I can guarantee that a veritable mountain of Browns fans would chose the Buckeye's over the Browns.

If there were ever a sign that college football is preparing to challenge the NFL’s dominance, it is the stunning hiring of Bill Belichick as the head coach of the University of North Carolina football program. After an unceremonious exit from the New England Patriots, Belichick—arguably the greatest coach in NFL history—found himself frozen out of any head coaching opportunities in the NFL. Despite his unmatched resume, NFL owners seemingly colluded to keep him from returning to the league’s coaching ranks.

Now, Belichick has a new mission. His presence at UNC signals that major college programs are serious about elevating their status to the highest level of the sport. With his deep knowledge of NFL operations, Belichick is uniquely positioned to advise college football’s power brokers on how to challenge the NFL’s hegemony. It is difficult to imagine that he will not be whispering in the ears of university administrators, athletic directors, and television executives, encouraging them to seize the opportunity to expand their reach and revenue streams.

The stage is set for college football to disrupt the NFL’s long-standing monopoly. By expanding player eligibility, aggressively scheduling games on Sundays, and leveraging the expertise of figures like Belichick, the college game has a chance to grow beyond its traditional boundaries. The NFL may have held onto its dominance for decades, but with the shifting landscape of player compensation, television contracts, and strategic decision-making, college football has a legitimate path to becoming more than just a developmental league—it can become a full-fledged professional alternative.

As the battle for football’s future unfolds, the question is no longer whether college football can challenge the NFL’s supremacy, but rather, how far it is willing to go to seize its share of the market. One thing is clear: the opportunity is there, and the powers that be in college football may be ready to take it.

Brown BLog Predicts: Super Bowl 59

I have had the worst run of my predicting career in this season's playoffs and I now take a perfect record of being wrong predicting any Chiefs playoff game going back to last season's Super Bowl.

With that in mind, the George Costanza strategy might be a sure thing if you want to know who's going to win the Super Bowl, just do the opposite of whatever I predict.

I am now fully convinced that NFL refs did favor the Chiefs in the AFC playoffs because the financial impact to the NFL of having Taylor Swift's fanbase interested in the Super Bowl was simply too significant for the powers to be in the NFL to resist.   Every single call went KC's way including some calls that were ridiculous.

That said, now that the NFL has their wish and all the Swifties worldwide will be tuning in and pundits everywhere noted that lopsided nature of the ref calls in the Chiefs Bills game, I believe the NFL will allow the refs to call the Super Bowl fairly.   That fact favors the Eagles because Philadelphia are in fact the better team.  

Brown BLog Predicts

Philadelphia        31

Kansas City        24

The Brown Blog are 4-8 in our playoff predictions. 

ALIGNMENT

A lot of fans and pundits were surprised by Myles Garrett's request for a trade and in particular his statement that his goal never was to go from Cleveland to Canton, which parrots the words of Browns General Manager Andrew Berry.  I was surprised too but what I found more interesting was Myles Garrett's use of the term aligned.   Browns owner Jimmy Haslam focused on "alignment" as a guideline to his leadership team.   He wanted the drama to stop, probably because he's not capable of navigating the complexities of managing a room full of Alpha personalities.

When Myles Garrett stated to Rich Eisen that he was "not aligned with the Browns vision" I realized, maybe behind closed doors in Berea what alignment really is about is going along with the crowd, no matter how much you disagree with a strategy.

Anthony Schwartz is an NFL player?   Sure, why not?

Deshaun Watson gives us the best chance to win?   Of course he does!

The Browns can compete for a Super Bowl in 2025?  Heck yeah!

Trouble is that Myles does not have to align with the Browns front office to keep his job....

Brown BLog Predicts: NFL Playoffs - Conference Finals

Two excellent match ups this weekend to determine who will face off in the Super Bowl.

Bills at Chiefs

Normally, I would pick the Bills without hesitation because they have the better team.  Two factors give me pause:

Factor 1:  The Bills are on the road

Factor 2:  I believe the NFL will influence the refs this week to give any benefit of the doubt to the Chiefs due to the extraordinary economic implications of having Taylor Swift fans around the world tune into the Super Bowl.

So what's it going to be, the fix or the talent?

I have my doubts that the NFL really does fix games, maybe they don't so I'll go Bills

Brown BLog Predicts:        Bills 24    Chiefs 20

Commanders at Eagles

Jayden Daniels is the best thing to happen to the NFL in a long time.   He is so poised.  I keep waiting for that critical rookie mistake and he keeps coming through every single time.  The Eagles QB meanwhile has a banged up knee.

I have to go with the rook

Brown BLog Predicts        Commanders 31   Eagles  21  

The Brown BLog are 4-6 predicting playoff outcomes thus far.

Brown BLog Predicts: NFL Playoffs - Round 2 Divisional Playoffs

There are 8 teams left and the real question now is which of these 8 teams is going to win the next 3 games?   I like the Ravens to win 3 in a row but for now I will stick with who I believe will win this weekend

Ravens at Bills

This is the most difficult game to predict.  I believe Lamar Jackson is the best player in the NFL and I am choosing the Ravens to win.   I am conflicted because the Bills are at home and Josh Allen is pretty darn good too.   But I've been following the Ravens all year and they just keep getting a little better every week.

Brown BLog Predicts:       Ravens 27    Bills 24

Texans at Chiefs

I don't see this game as a slam dunk for the Chiefs.  They keep winning because Patrick Mahomes is so skilled at running his offense and executing when the pressure is on but it feels like they are overdue for everything to fall apart.   I might be the only human on earth that thinks CJ Stroud and the Texans are going to be the ones to dethrone Patrick Mahomes, but that's where I am going.   

Brown BLog Predicts:    Texans 24    Chiefs    20

Commanders at Lions

I am a bit nervous about all the injuries that have piled up in Detroit and Jaylen Daniels keeps proving me wrong when I predict he will make some rookie mistakes but I have to go with Detroit here.   They're deep and they're well coached.

Brown BLog Predicts:        Lions 30    Commanders 20

Rams at Eagles

Philadelphia is peaking at the right time and they're at home.

Brown BLog Predicts:        Eagles    31    Rams 28

The Brown Blog went 3-3 predicting Round 1 Playoff Games.

Brown BLog Predicts: NFL Playoffs - Round 1 Wild Card Round

An exciting weekend of playoff football is upon us and the Brown BLog is here to predict them all

Chargers at Texans

The Texans have not played well in over a month and the Chargers seem to be peaking.

Brown BLog Predicts:    Chargers 27    Texans 13

Steelers at Ravens

I hate that these two teams have to face each other in the first round because one of them will have to lose and that's a shame.   But I have to go with Lamar in this matchup.  He is the player destined to win it all this season.

Brown BLog Predicts:    Ravens 27    Steelers 20

Broncos at Bills

Easiest game to predict here.  I feel like the Broncos have played above their ability and caught breaks all season long.   The Bills will be ready for them.

Brown BLog Predicts:        Bills 30    Broncos 10

Packers at Eagles

Another obvious outcome.   The Pack are beset by injuries and Jalen Hurts has been cleared to play coming off a concussion and he's had a week's rest.   Eagles coast

Brown BLog Predicts:     Eagles 24    Packers 10

Commanders at Buccaneers

I follow the local media here in Cleveland and respect them all but they all have to moderate what they believe in order to maintain relations with the Browns.  Hence most of them are predicting an early exit for Baker Mayfield, because, well because it's less embarrassing for the Browns if playoff and franchise QB Baker Mayfield exits early.    Sorry Browns.  It won't happen.   Baker is going to keep making you look like idiots

Brown BLog Predicts:    Buccaneers 40    Commanders  24

Vikings at Rams

Unlike some pundits, I think the Vikings are for real.

Brown BLog Predicts:    Vikings 27    Rams 20

What a season: 3-14!

 This play sums up the whole pathetic 3 - 14 season:

Brown BLog Predicts: Game 17 Browns vs Ravens - The Post Vrabel Era

There is little doubt the Browns investment in hiring Mike Vrabel as a Coaching and Personnel Consultant in 2024 paid off with a few extra wins during the Browns miraculous 3-13 season, and since Vrabel's contract expired last Monday, winning this week vs the Ravens just got exponentially more difficult.

However, the Browns do have Bailey Zappe at the commands today which could tilt the game in the Browns favor.   But as Dorian Thompson Robinson and Kevin Stefanski have pointed out this season, it takes 11 athletes doing their job for an offense to function efficiently so a bad offense is never the fault of the QB therefore it would be irresponsible to shoulder Bailey Zappe with any accountability should the Browns offense struggle.

I actually think we will see Zappe move the team at times because unlike Dorian Thompson Robinson, in his short time with New England, Zappe has shown he can throw a football accurately downfield further than 5 yards past the line of scrimmage.   Last week, Dorian Thompson Robinson completed 1, yes, 1 pass that was actually caught by a receiver in an area that extended further than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.    All other DTR completions were caught barely beyond the line of scrimmage and any gains that extended past 10 yards were picked up after the catch.  Look for Zappe to stretch the Ravens D enough to buy some breathing room even if his 10 teammates on offense don't  pitch in on a given play. 

The above all said, the big question today is will the Ravens cover that 20 point spread.   I am going to say they will not.

Brown BLog Predicts

Ravens         27

Browns        14

The Brown BLog is 10-6 predicting Browns games this season.