I recall last season it was the Denver Bronco's game with Russell Wilson at QB where it first became apparent that NFL Offensive Coordinators were on to Jim Schwartz's defensive tactics and with a good QB at the command teams could take advantage of what the Browns were doing. This season it feels like our Browns have mostly played good QB's and to make things worse, Jim Schwartz's curve ball and change up that have been added to his fastball, well, they ain't fooling nobody.
Look for Russell Wilson and the Steelers to make a few big plays even in the bad weather, while the Browns continue to struggle.
Brown BLog Predicts
Steelers 24
Browns 13
The Brown BLog are 6-4 season to date predicting Browns games.
It’s not complicated Browns fans, the Browns need to focus on this week and try to go 5-0 versus New Orleans
The Haslam Sports Group if nothing else, are consistent!
As of November 9
Milwaukee Bucks 2 - 7
Cleveland Browns 2 - 7
A few weeks ago Kevin Stefanski spoke of the need for his squad to get "back to basics" and it was at that point I knew the Browns season was likely finished.
The Browns real problems started when Paul DePodesta and Jimmy Haslam decided to force Kevin Stefanski to uproot his entire offensive support structure with the goal of maximizing the teams ability to create "explosive plays." I blame Stefanski too, because in the end, he went along with the lunacy. After 4 years of working with Paul DePodesta I suspect Kevin Stefanski knows perfectly well that DePo is full of shit. For Stefanski to agree to fire AVP and turnover most of his offensive staff shows that he was afraid to say what he really believes for fear of being seen as not in alignment.
The problem is simple: Paul DePodesta apparently got Jimmy Haslam and Andrew Berry to believe that explosive plays are driven primarily by scheme. It's as stupid a strategy as a baseball fan can come up with.
What was the result?
Stefanski loses his entire offensive support structure starting with the firing of his trusted assistant and during the off season, Stefanski was overwhelmed by how to implement a new scheme that will satisfy Jimmy and DePo.
Bill Walsh once stated that if you have to get back to basics, it's because you have not built the basics into your daily routine. My guess is that Stefanski focused his team 100% on learning the new scheme, gave them far too much to digest and ignored the basics.
The outcome is 1-6 and it's going to get worse from here.
The Ravens are a team so focused on the basics, so stable that they are able to layer in sophistication with the due care required, over seasons of consistent effort. This season Lamar Jackson has near complete control of the offense, he's adjusting his protection packages moments before each snap and changing plays whenever he needs to. Could Lamar have handled that in his first few years with the Ravens? No! Ask Deshaun Watson how easy it is to develop a sophisticated understanding of a scheme. The Browns force fed Watson and his entire offense too much, Watson paid, probably with his career for that mistake. He took so many hits in a scheme he and his teammates were not ready to run that eventually he finally took one too many hits.
Lamar Jackson is in his 3rd year in Todd Monken's scheme and he has 7 years running the Ravens offense and That's why they are scoring over 30 points a game this season.
Browns fans, it is PICK YOUR POISON this week.
Stop Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson will either run or kill you in the air.
Stop Lamar Jackson in the air and Derrick Henry will kill you on the ground.
I do believe that Jameis Winston will be able to get the ball accurately 20+ yards downfield and the Browns will move the ball for the first time this season, I even see the Browns surpassing that magical 20 point barrier for the first time this season, the definition of an average NFL offense. A turnover or two might even help the Browns compete on Sunday, but the Ravens are going to win this game.
The Brown BLog Predicts
Ravens 27
Browns 24
The Brown BLog are 5-2 season to date predicting Browns games.
Yesterday during the matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals, Deshaun Watson suffered a severe injury. Watson has been struggling under heavy scrutiny for both his on-field performance and his controversial past. However, the reaction from some in the crowd was shocking: instead of expressing concern for an injured player, some fans openly cheered and taunted Watson as medical personnel attended to him.
As I witnessed this, I was embarrassed for those fans. Their behavior lacked basic decency, empathy, and sportsmanship—values that should be central to any athletic event. But on deeper reflection, I couldn’t help but see this as a symptom of a broader sickness in our culture: a degradation in civil discourse where cruelty is no longer shamed, but celebrated.
One can’t ignore that these incidents don’t happen in a vacuum. They are often reflections of the leadership that surrounds them. American society is no stranger to divisiveness, but in recent years, it has felt like the bar for acceptable public behavior has been lowered dramatically. The most glaring example of this is Donald Trump, whose brash, confrontational style has dominated headlines for years. Whether calling political opponents names or undermining anyone who disagrees with him, Trump has normalized a rhetoric that is aggressive, unfiltered, and frequently offensive. His influence on public discourse has been undeniable, and his words have rippled through society, emboldening some to follow suit.
Now, consider that Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, is believed to be a Trump supporter. Given this connection, is it really surprising that some fans within the Browns’ community would reflect this same kind of behavior? When the tone set at the top normalizes attacks on those who don’t align with a particular worldview, it isn’t shocking to see that trickle down to other facets of life, including something as seemingly apolitical as football.
Leadership is a powerful thing. It doesn’t just shape policies or decisions; it shapes attitudes, behavior, and societal norms. If those in power consistently engage in dehumanizing, divisive rhetoric, it gives tacit permission for others to do the same, whether on the political stage, in the workplace, or in the bleachers of a stadium. The booing of an injured athlete, especially one as polarizing as Watson, is a reflection of a much larger problem: a culture where bad behavior is increasingly tolerated, if not encouraged.
Ultimately, the incident at the Browns game was about more than just sports. It was a microcosm of what happens when poor leadership leads to the erosion of civility. While Deshaun Watson is not a popular figure, and his actions off the field have left many divided, moments like this should remind us of a higher standard of conduct we should strive for—not just in football, but in life.
