The Cleveland Browns are even thinner at running back today than they were before now that they?ve reportedly cut Bobby Rainey. Rainey was snatched from the clutches of the Baltimore Ravens during roster cuts August 31st. All those articles about Bobby Rainey?s fantasy value on the heels of Willis McGahee taking a practice off to rest his knee will have to be updated, I guess. In addition to cutting Rainey, the Browns put Josh Aubrey on IR while promoting WR Tori Gurley and DB Julian Posey from the practice squad. Julian Posey is the older brother of former Ohio State (and current Houston Texans) wide receiver DeVier Posey. Julian went to Ohio University and went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft. He?s been around with the Jets and the Dolphins before being signed to the Browns? practice squad in early September. So, expect a steady diet of Willis McGahee and Chris Ogbonnaya this week. There don?t appear to be many more options unless the Browns decided to convert Greg Little back to running back.
Extra Points ? Good news in doses: Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer had a good week. On Sunday, he had a birthday, his 28th. Later in the week, he became a dad for the second time when his wife delivered new daughter, Cameron. On Friday, he had his right ACL surgically repaired at the Cleveland Clinic. It?s unrealistic to expect Hoyer to be ready to go for the start of the offseason program in April, six months from now. But the start of training camp ? 10 months away ? is not out of the question. ?We?re hopeful in the spring that we?ll see him,? coach Rob Chudzinski said. ?Again, I?ll get a little better idea (later). From my understanding, everything went well with the surgery. Just knowing him, from a rehab standpoint, I know he?s going to do everything he can to get ready.? The 2014 draft has been pushed back to May 8-10. By then, the Browns will be engaged in OTAs and they certainly should know Hoyer?s availability for training camp. Chudzinski understandably would not commit anything to Hoyer at this time. His two starts ? wins at Minnesota and home v. Cincinnati ? were such a small sampling, it?s hard to project Hoyer?s place on the depth chart when he returns. ?It?s always hard to say. It?s two games, and you never know. Obviously, what he did during that time was very impressive,? the coach said. A case for Ripley?s: The Browns intend to keep receiver Charles Johnson, the Green Bay practice squad player who showed up with a torn ACL and will have surgery. The Packers were not happy that Johnson agreed to a Browns contract without giving the Packers a chance to match or better the offer. Packers coach Mike McCarthy made some interesting comments about Johnson in Green Bay on Friday. McCarthy said, ?Charles Johnson, fine young man. Wish he was still here. Obviously, a young man we drafted and was injured during training camp. I?m very curious to see how this pans out. I don?t know if all the facts are in yet. Obviously he was under our care and was acquired by Cleveland. That?s probably all I should say. He works for the Browns right now.? Chudzinski said, ?We didn?t know anything about (the injury), so from that standpoint, it was a surprise. He?s a developing player that has some potential. It?s unfortunate. He?s going to have his surgery next week, and we?ll get him ready and we?ll see where he?s at down the road.? Sheard returns (the sequel): Everybody thought linebacker Jabaal Sheard would return to active duty last week against Detroit, but he was kept inactive after early pre-game workouts. Now Sheard believes he?s a full-go for Sunday in Green Bay. The timing is good because left outside linebacker Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo have been logging more snaps than coordinator Ray Horton wants them to. With Sheard and Quentin Groves back, the four-man outside linebacker rotation should keep everyone fresher in the troublesome second half. ?It?s a better rotation now,? Sheard said. ?We?ve got guys that can get up the field. Especially with Aaron Rodgers. He?s one of those kind of no-huddle guys. There?s going to be a lot of reps. Hopefully, we can get a nice rotation going.? Asked to whom he would compare Rodgers, Sheard mentioned Peyton Manning, who tore apart the Browns last season in Denver. ?One of those guys that knows the coverag, knows what you?re doing,? Sheard said. ?He makes smart decisions. He gets ride of the ball so fast, you don?t get a chance to get there (with pressure). He gets rid of it and gets into rhythm. He just takes over from there.? Roster cleanup: Rookie safety Josh Aubrey suffered an ankle injury at practice serious enough to land him on injured reserve. The club also waived running back Bobby Rainey. Their places on the roster were taken by promoted practice squad members ? receiver Tori Gurley and defensive back Julian Posey. The Rainey release means we likely will see Fozzy Whittaker get some reps at running back in Green Bay, along with Willis McGahee and Chris Ogbonnaya. Coordinator Norv Turner tipped it off in comments he made on Thursday. Curls and comebacks: Tight end Jordan Cameron said his targets are down not because Hoyer has been replaced by Brandon Weeden but because defenses are working to take him away after his hot start to the season. ?The last couple weeks, we?ve gotten some looks that have kind of taken some big plays away,? Cameron said. ?Kind of limiting me getting up the field. The opportunity?s not going to be there as much. When we get the opportunity we?ve got to take advantage of it.? ? Backup tight end Gary Barnidge took several reps at long snapper during Friday?s practice. Defensive end Billy Winn, who remains out with a quad injury, had been listed as Christian Yount?s backup snapper ? If Sheard automatically returns to his starting spot ? the Browns won?t say until game time ? Mingo said he?s fine with it ... The Packers listed WR James Jones questionable even though he did not practice for the third straight day. With WR Randall Cobb already out, it's likely that Jordy Nelson will be the only one of Rodgers' top three wideouts available Sunday.
Lambeau not so friendly anymore The last time the Browns paid a visit to Green Bay to play the Packers, they slinked out of Titletown with a victory. The date was Sept. 18, 2005. The final score was 26-24. Brett Favre was the Packers? quarterback. He threw 343 yards and three touchdowns that day, but two interceptions did him in. Trent Dilfer was the Cleveland quarterback. It was to be the only season he played for the Browns, He threw three touchdowns passes also for 336 yards. But he had no interceptions. The Browns, despite a furious 17-point fourth-quarter comeback by Green Bay, improved to 1-1 for the season and handed the Packers their second straight loss. They wound up 4-12 that season; the Browns checked in at 6-10. Favre was gone after the 2007 season, finally giving way to Aaron Rodgers. And after a rocky 6-10 start in 2008, Rodgers has been virtually unbeatable at Lambeau Field. Four of those 2008 victories were at home, foretelling just what was in store for fans of the smallest home to a professional sports franchise. Since that 2008 season, the Packers are 30-4 at Lambeau, losing only to Cincinnati and Minnesota in 2009, Miami in 2010 and San Francisco last season. And now here come the Browns, coming off perhaps their worst game of the season. They had 10 days to prepare for the Detroit Lions ? at home, no less ? and played miserably for three quarters. The Browns these days can?t seem to put a complete game together. If it?s not the offense causing problems, it?s the defense. And vice-versa as coach Rob Chudzinski attempts to right the ship. The defense, for the first time this season, sprung more than a few leaks against the Lions and the offense it will face Sunday is far better than the one it faced last Sunday. Rodgers is the linchpin. As he goes, so goes the Packers? offense. And that offense can hurt you in so many different ways, not just through the air as has been the case the last several seasons as the Packers couldn?t find anyone to furnish a running game good enough to complement Rodgers? passing and take pressure off him. They finally found him at the bottom of the second round of the college football draft last April. Eddie Lacy, who succeeded Trent Richardson as Alabama?s lead back last season, landed neatly in the Packers? lap. He has rewarded them with 270 yards in four games ? he missed the third game of the season with a concussion ? with most of those yards coming between the tackles. He?s Richardson, only with more speed. As a result, the Packers, who average 450 yards of offense, have been able to trim the pass-run ratio to 55-45 in an effort to achieve a more effective balance. The result has been a 141-yard average on the ground, fifth-best in the National Football League. And with the Browns? run defense showing the effects of being on the field too long lately, they most likely will see a lot of Lacy. Look for the Packers to probe Cleveland?s front seven early and often. Rodgers, meanwhile, has had a lot of fun playing pitch and catch with Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Jermichael Finley, who have caught 67 passes for eight touchdowns. Until last Sunday, that list included Randall Cobb, whose right leg met the shoulder of Baltimore safety Matt Elam and landed him on injured reserve with a broken fibula. The Browns? only hope to even have a chance to win this game lies with the offense, which has been inconsistent this season. The Packers? defense has been less than reliable this season, surrendering an average of three touchdowns a game. Most of that damage was courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals, each scoring 34 points in handing Green Bay its two losses. The Packers have given up only 46 points in the three victories. However, the Browns won?t have to face the nastiness of outside linebackers Clay Matthews III (broken thumb) and Nick Perry (broken foot) and inside linebacker Brad Jones (hamstring), which should be good news for offensive tackles Joe Thomas and Mitchell Schwartz. Matthews and Perry have six of the club?s 17 sacks and caused four fumbles. Most vulnerable is the Green Bay secondary, which has produced only one interception. The other belongs to defensive end Mike Neal. It gives Brandon Weeden the opportunity to dial up the long distance passing game with Josh Gordon in the crosshairs. The Packers? defensive front seven, led by defensive end B. J. Raji and inside linebacker A. J. Hawk, allows just 78 yards a game on the ground, but the secondary has been ripped for nearly 300 yards a game. That?s most likely going to be the focus of the game plan. So what?s the likelihood the Browns again walking out of Lambeau with smiles on their faces and climb back over .500? About as likely the Packers losing their fifth home game since 2009. This one will be over early and it won?t be a pretty sight. Rodgers, getting little to no pressure from the Browns, will have his best day of the season. We all saw last Sunday what Detroit?s Matthew Stafford, who rates well below Rodgers on the talent scale, could do with that kind of resistance. The pitch-and-catch game continues between Rodgers and his talented receivers, while Weeden, yet again, has trouble figuring out just what Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers is throwing at him. Even without Matthews, Perry and Jones, this one should be a romp for the Packers. Make it: Packers 41, Browns 13 Posted by Rich Passan
A mother and father took their 6- year-old son to a nude beach. As the boy walked along the beach, he noticed that some of the ladies had boobs bigger than his mother?s, and asked her why. She told her son, ?The bigger they are the dumber the person is.? The boy pleased with the answer, goes to play in the ocean but returns to tell his mother that many of the men have larger ?units? than his dad. His mother replied, ?The bigger they are the dumber the person is.? Again satisfied with this answer, the boy returns to the ocean to play. Shortly after, the boy returned again. He promptly told his mother, ?Daddy is talking to the dumbest girl on the beach, and the longer he talks, the dumber he gets.?
HAPPY FOOTBALL SUNDAY LOUNGERS!! Gonna drink myself silly during the 1:00 games, so that I can REALLY enjoy the 4:00 game... No seriously though, if the offensive game plan has any bite to it, I believe we can win this game today. What say you Browns faithful?? HERE WE GO BROWNIES, HERE WE GO WOOF! WOOF! *DRINK* First one's on me!!
On a side note... Somehow, my 9 year old son became a Green Bay fan. My wife had made plans to take the kids to Halloweekends at Cedar Point today and I pretty much balked at missing the Browns, since they are too young to really enjoy much there anyway. The haunted houses are geared towards teens and above. Well, my son heard us talking and said, wait, you want me to go to Cedar Point during the Browns vs. Packers? Do I really have to go? Can't Dad and I just stay home and watch the game together? Happiest day of my football life! He watches games with me, but never gets real excited...he has been waiting for this game on the calendar all year, I think he has finally become a true football fan. Part of my heart wants him to get a win on dear old dad today... But then the Dawg in me wants to rub it in his face with EVERY play the Browns do something positive, so that is more likely what will happen...WOOF WOOF *DRINK* Have another one on me...come on guys keep up!!
AWSOME ! Irish a proud papa..maybe if the Browns play well today and a little nudge from you here and there the kid might just switch to the Browns .
Phil Simms, who won a Super Bowl with the Giants, isn't even convinced the college quarterbacks expected to enter the draft in May are that good. "This unbelievable quarterback class that is coming out -- it is not going to be unbelievable," Simms told the newspaper. "We'll find out when the time comes, but I don't see any knock-down, absolutely sure, big-time NFL quarterbacks so far from this upcoming draft." I am kind of leaning towards what Simms is saying. I think after the crap fest at QB in last years draft and a poor class all together, they are pumping this class up to expectations that will be hard to meet, whether that is for ratings or whatever but I don't see it. I do see a lot of potential and upside but definitely no sure fire or even day one starters outside of Bridgewater. I agree with Simms and am not sold on Bridgewater . IMHO the Browns should not waste TWO first round picks to trade up for a QB .stay put take the BPA ..let Hoyer come back and hold it down until they can get one to groom .maybe Hoyer is the answer .to bad he couldn't have finished out this year . QB that run all over the place wont last long on Sunday ball . you can get away with it playing on Saturday . RGIII is already damaged goods . a mobile QB is a plus . gimme Arron Rogers or Luck maybe we get lucky and swing a trade for Cam Newton ? he will stay in the pocket till all breaks down then take off .I am all in for Newton if that can happen . the rumor is already out there on Newton to the Browns .
That is what Bridgewater is bluez...he isn't a running QB, he is a mobile QB with a high IQ.. Now, Mariota admittadly is a running QB, but is very good at not taking hard shots. He doesn't look for contact like some other running QBs do.. Johnny football is another mobile QB, it isn't necessary for him to take off running, but he extremely good at reading what a defense is giving him and adjusts accordingly. Sorry, I love this class coming out and honestly, Phil Simms was a better QB than prognosticator, and tbh I never thought much of him as a QB... *DRINK* Time for another round for the first games of the day, enjoy!
Working 7 12's till Thanksgiving at the Mill. 7pm until 7:30am. No time but a real good money maker. Good for Christmas and the kids. Watching the Browns game and the Packers scored pretty easily. Weeden I think just threw a pick. This guy is a straight up bum. I think the Browns are showcasing him for trade. 5th rd. 6th rd. maybe. I think the Browns need to tank the rest of the season to get a QB. I don't think they will win much more anyway. I like the defense but this team needs an arse kicking MLB. Jackson is not it. Average player on a bad team. As I was writing that Lacy just scored on a 4 yard run. Where is the linebackers? Jackson got pushed back 5 yards. Good for me I guess I got Lacy on my FFB team. The Browns need to address that MLB spot. Oh well just wanted to stop in, buy a round and then get ready for work. Heres to the Browns not getting embarrassed today.
This game isn't embarrassing quite yet. Weeden needs to make throws like the one to Cameron more often. That was a thing of beauty. We still can't stop 3rd down *WALL*
