Saturday, March 30, 2024
The NFL's New Kickoff Rule
Sunday, March 10, 2024
Johnny Football vs Brian Hoyer
Johnny Manziel recently stated on Shannon Sharpe's podcast that the Browns QB room was not a home for him. The implication was that Hoyer was not a supportive teammate.
Let me state first, football is a painful game and many athletes resort to the use of medication, at all levels of football. I have empathy for all those athletes, including Johnny Manziel. The use of medication to manage pain often devolves into addiction.
Surely the story of Johnny Manziel is not quite that simple, but only those who know him might understand the battles he has faced.
That said, it is a well known fact that Manziel during his first season with the Browns dedicated literally zero effort to improve his game and often showed up late and hung over for practice. Frankly, I would expect Brian Hoyer to lose patience with any teammate who gave less than his best, not to mention a teammate that admits to never watching film.
Sunday, February 11, 2024
The Brown BLog Predicts: Super Bowl 58
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Brown BLog Predicts: Conference Championships
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Brown BLog Predicts: NFL Playoff Predictions - Divisional Round
Another extremely cold weekend presents an amazing group of football games. The Brown BLog had a solid 4-2 record predicting Wild Card Round outcomes. Here's our stab at this weekend's slate of games.
Texans at Ravens
The Texans and CJ Stroud are for real however the Ravens are simply too much for the Texans at this stage of their development.
Brown BLog Predicts: Ravens 24 Texans 13
Chiefs at Bills
Toughest prediction of all the weekend games has to be this game. The Bills are at home and have been playing extremely well. The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes (and Taylor Swift). Emotionally speaking the Bills have years of baggage to overcome, although Sean McDermott's motivational tactics certainly are world class. Can the Bills learn from the motivational speeches of Sean McDermott and unite their efforts to the same level of the September 11 terrorists or will the Chiefs continue their pattern of excellence when the pressure is on. Honestly I don't know but my gut says "don't bet against Patrick and Taylor"
Brown BLog Predicts: Chiefs 31 Bills 28
Buccaneers at Lions
I want Baker Mayfield to lead his team to victory so badly that I will be rooting for him to lead his team to win in spite of my prediction that the Lions are going to romp in this game. I believe in what Detroit are doing in every part of their organization and it's going to continue to pay dividends this Sunday.
Brown BLog Predicts: Lions 31 Buccaneers 17
Packers at 49ers
The Red Hot Packers are led by their emerging franchise QB Jordan Love and frankly I don't believe in Brock Purdy. My upset special this week is the Pack defeating the Niners on the road in a thriller.
Brown BLog Predicts: Packers 28 Niners 27
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Brown BLog: NFL Playoff Predictions - Wild Card Round
A fun slate of games are teed up for this frigid weekend and the Brown BLog is ready to predict them all.
Browns at Texans
CJ Stroud has been playing like a polished veteran all season while the Browns defense is the NFL's best all season long. The Browns are deeper and my bet is CJ Stroud finally makes a few rookie errors with his first taste of NFL Playoff football.
Brown BLog Predicts: Browns 30 Texans 20
Dolphins at Chiefs
I like Patrick Mahomes and Taylor Swift to lift the Chiefs over the banged up, gimmick dependent Dolphins..
Brown BLog Predicts: Chiefs 27 Dolphins 24
Steelers at Bills
Buffalo are playing at their best at the perfect time while the Steelers are also hot however they are missing TJ Watt. It all points to a solid win for the Bills
Brown BLog Predicts: Bills 23 Steelers 13
Packers at Cowboys
Jordan Love had an Aaron Rodgers like game to get the Pack into the playoffs however on the road in Dallas against the deep and hungry Cowboys is too much to ask.
Brown BLog Predicts: Cowboys 31 Packers 17
Rams at Lions
Everyone is in love with Sean McVay and his play calling. I prefer Dan Campbell's leadership to light a new path for the Lions.
Brown BLog Predicts: Lions 38 Rams 28
Eagles at Buccaneers
The Eagles are in the midst of a late season collapse that most pundits believe they will put behind them against the Buccaneers. It is rare that the favorites win every game in a given NFL playoff round and I see Baker Mayfield rising up, having a good game and helping lead his team to an upset Monday evening against the Eagles
Brown BLog Predicts: Buccaneers 23 Eagles 21
Sunday, January 7, 2024
Brown BLog Predicts: Get Ready!
The toughest game of the season to predict is today vs the Bengals because neither team have much to play for. The Browns are getting ready for the post season and the Bengals are getting ready for the off season.
The Bengals however have Ja'Marr Chase who is "chasing" several season records. I listen the the Bengals Booth Podcast which is excellent and they have often interviewed Ja'Marr Chase and one thing that comes through is he is extremely competitive and goal oriented. With Chase on the field against many Browns backups, and the Browns fielding a journeyman QB who was on the Arizona practice squad two weeks ago, I see this game clearly going to the Bengals.
I've predicted the Browns to lose more than I have predicted them to win this year, mostly because 24 years of losing has me extremely slow to buy into this team. Well, I am bought in now to the Browns. Today's prediction of a loss has nothing to do lost faith, I simply believe without Myles Garrett the Browns D is a different defense, they will be playing 11 vs 11 instead of 10 vs 9 today. Add in Ja'Marr "chasing" his records and a backup to the backup to the backup to the backup QB on the field today for Cleveland and it is hard to imagine a win on the road.
Brown BLog Predicts
Bengals 27
Browns 16
The Brown BLog are 8-8 season to date
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Brown BLog Predicts: Jets
The Jets led by Trevor Siemian are not going to beat a red hot Browns team looking to clinch a playoff spot
Brown BLog Predicts
Browns 27
Jets 13
The Brown BLog are 7-8 season to date
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Brown BLog Predicts: Game 14 vs Texans
Sunday, December 17, 2023
The Brown BLog Predicts: Overcoming obstacles
Sunday, December 10, 2023
Brown BLog Predicts: Injuries
Saturday, December 9, 2023
Leveraging Every Advantage
Kevin Stefanski has refused to reveal who will be the starting QB for the Browns this week against Jacksonsville. Most pundits believe that Stefanski hopes to force the Jaguars coaching staff to prepare for both Joe Flacco and Dorian Thompson Robinson. By diluting their opponents prep time, an advantage is created for the Browns!
One might dismiss this because it cannot be that difficult for an opponent to prepare for DTR since as a QB he basically is a less accurate version of Cody Kessler, but in fact, the Brown BLog can confirm that Coach Stefanski's strategy is working.
Our sources indicate that Doug Pederson and his staff have spent over two hours praying that Stefanski starts Dorian Thompson Robinson!
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Brown BLog Predicts: Odds are against winning ugly.
When I think about predicting the outcome of a given game, I always start with the thought, what if these two teams played 10 games? If the Browns played the Rams in Los Angeles ten times today I do believe the Rams would win 6 or 7 times. So as Lloyd Christmas might say, "you are telling me there is a chance!". Indeed, if the Browns defense plays well which is something they've done all season, the Browns could win today if Kevin Stefanski is willing to "win ugly". What is winning ugly? It is something Bill Parcells and Marty Schottenheimer knew how to do. You can tilt the odds in your favor in a game where you are apparently likely to lose, if you use the clock and leverage your teams strengths. The Browns are in trouble due to injuries on offense, but they have a great D. Run the damn clock and you move the odds of winning in your favor by limiting your opponents time of possession.
The problem with that is that Paul DePodesta and Kevin Stefanski just hate winning ugly. Don't get me wrong, Kevin Stefanski does something that most Browns Head Coaches during the rather ugly and sleezy Haslam era did not. Stefanski has his team ready to compete almost every Sunday but he just cannot resist trying to be cute once or twice in any given game.
As Jim Schwartz was quoted this week when asked about analytics, "football is not played in a vacuum". So why is it that in a cold weather game, Kevin Stefanski called a double reverse with a QB who had just entered the game, PJ Walker, and another player, Pierre Strong, who also had barely a snap on offense? Why? Because our 80's corner bar Archie Bunker drunk, Paul DePodesta must have told him that the Broncos would never imagine that the Browns would be stupid enough to run a double reverse with two cold players (literally and figuratively). It always works after all! Throw a long pass with your backup QB on 4th and 1?? Sure fire Browns Touchdown! Hooray!
Instead, the Broncos had done their homework. They knew damn well that the Browns are apt to do stupid things so their defenders understood to be patient against the Browns offense and make their reads. Result? There were not one but two Broncos ready to crush Pierre Strong on the double reserve, which Mr. Strong obviously noted, because he fumbled the pitch to him.
End of game.
The scenario in which the Browns win today involves running the ball 60% or more and passing with veteran Joe Flacco very conservatively.
The Browns won't do that because analytics says there is no such thing as winning ugly and that if you study the statistics enough, you will discover human beings can indeed be coached to perform like robots.
The Brown BLog predicts
Rams 26
Brown 17
The Brown BLog are 5-6 season to date.