oldgrappler

The NFL has moved the game to Monday at 5pm.

That's what a lot of people in Cleveland are asking. They'll probably have to introduce him to the OLine in the huddle on Saturday. ? The Browns signed him to the practice squad on Sept. 1 from the Eagles. Prior to that he was with the 49ers and had 16 NFL starts since 2017. He broke a lot of Brett Favre's passing records at Southern Miss. He has over 4700 yards passing in his career and a respectable 65% completion percentage. However, His 25 TDs are nearly matched by 22 INTs. If you notice he was with the 49ers, that means he was coached by Kyle Shanahan and is familiar with the style of offense that is run by the Browns. I tried to find who would be the back up QB to Mullens and could not find one. In the past, Jarvis Landry served the role when worse came to worse. It is likely the Browns will sign another QB before Saturday to at least have someone who is familiar with being under center. If I was superstitious, I would say that Someone doesn't want the Browns to win the AFC North. ? ? ? ?

Case Keenum is now on Covid list. Nick Mullins is the next man up. The third string QB will start against the Raiders. Will there be any starters on the field for the Browns?!

Guys, thanks for the good information. It is helpful!

Coach Stefanski, Baker Mayfield, and acting RBs coach just placed on Covid list. It already included the likes of Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper (is the any TEs left?), and Jedrick Wills.

This could be an exciting last-of-the-season game for both Ohio teams. As was stated, the Browns have a tough schedule in the Raiders (best chance), Packers, Steelers, then Bengals.

The game kicks off in Cleveland at 4:30 pm on Saturday, December 18. The Raiders are 6-7 and the Browns are 7-6. D. Carr has 3,926 yards passing, 18 TDs, and 10 INT, while B. Mayfield has 2,603 yds, 13 TDs, and 7 INT. Raiders WR H. Renfrow has 88 receptions for 877 yrd and 5 TDS, while D. People-Jones has 23 receptions, 430 yards and 3 TDs. Browns leading rusher, N. Chubb has 167 carries, 877 yds, and 6 TDs, while J. Jacobs comes into the game with 133 carries, 496 yds, and 7 TDs. (Thanks ESPN for the stats). Most AFC North fans are aware of the Browns' struggles this season. Add to that, they have 8 players out due to Covid protocol and this game just got harder. Three starting lineman are out and the two that remain, C Tretter, and LG Bitonio, are listed by ESPN as questionable today. Nick Chubb is healthy but how will he run without a line? When I look at the schedule, this game is a must win for the Browns because they play the 10-3 Packers next week and then have two tough divisional games against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. They must win at least 3 of the 4 remaining games to have a chance at the playoffs. Covid has just made this game much harder. How do you see this game playing out and the rest of the season for the Browns?

I found another NFL rule that I despise. The Browns have the ball on 2nd down and Mayfield gets tackled. He goes down kind of hard but nothing serious looking but his helmet is face down on the turf. Officials, who are not even on the field but are watching the game from NY (?) say that he went down hard and must come out of the game for concussion protocol. This means that he is out for the 3rd down play ad the Browns fail to convert and must punt. There was nothing wrong with Mayfield and I'm sure anyone on the field could see that. He was giving the coaches or trainers on the sideline an earful but their hands were tied because the officials watching the game said they had to do it. Talk about an intrusion into the game. That rule could literally change the outcome of a game given the right (or wrong) situation. Imagine that happening in a game where the 3rd down conversion is crucial to the outcome. What if it was in a game needed to make the playoffs, or in a playoff game, or in the Super Bowl? I understand they are trying to protect the players but no way should an official not at the game be able to take the QB off the field in a crucial situation or in any situation. If you have to have the rule to check on a players health, then figure out how to do it so it doesn't penalize the team of change the game. I hate that rule. It would be less egregious if it became an officials timeout and they made the assessment on the player and after his condition was determined, start the game back up and allow the player to go back in the game if he clears the protocol. That would have the potential to stretch the game much longer than needed, but it is better than taking the QB or the team's best player off the field in a "gotta have it" situation.

The Browns defense was playing well, then all of a sudden down the stretch the D seemed to fall apart. They couldn't even get set and in position before the snap and the Ravens went right down the field to score. It was kind of strange. But I'll take a win for the Browns.

Yep, that helps! Thank you!

Northern KY.

I am considering building an outbuilding garage/workshop. I am just beginning the research for this and went to Menards web site. They have a project builder tab that allows you to design your own garage. By doing this I can figure out the materials cost. What I need to know is a ballpark figure that a contractor will charge to complete the work. Just to get started, let's say I want to build a 24' x 24' garage with a concrete slab floor. What will a contractor charge to complete the project using the materials supplied by Menards? Does anyone have experience with this and can give me a ballpark figure for what the contractor will charge, not the materials cost? Or perhaps, you know what a contractor may charge to do the project and supply the materials themselves without utilizing Menards' prefab kit. As I say, I am just trying to get an idea of the cost of this to know if I should even pursue it. Thanks.

lol @TheDeuce. I figured you'd show up with your wet blanket. ? That isn't a dig at you, it's just that you are consistent. From the beginning, your eyes told you Mayfield wasn't that good and you have to be true to what you think. You are right that Mayfield isn't the QB every Brown's fan had hoped he would be and needs him to be... we've suffered enough, already. There have been stretches when he played really well. And then there are a lot of games where you just wonder what he is doing. This season, I believe health has a lot to do with that. But to the point Kurt Warner is making, often those boos are misplaced. He gets blamed when it is another players fault. For instance, Nick Chubb went out for a short route in the left flat against the Ravens and Mayfield missed him though he was wide open. I remember deriding Mayfield for that throw. But Warner shows where the route was supposed to be run. It turns out Chubb ran a sloppy route and Mayfield threw it to where he should have been. It cost the Browns a significant gain and Mayfield is blamed. That example also explains to me why Hunt replaces Chubb on most third down and long situations. Chubb can catch the ball but, apparently, his routes aren't as clean as Hunt's. You need a guy to be where he is supposed to be when you are in a "gotta have it" situation. Any way, I posted the video because I can't quite figure out what the Browns are going to do this off season with Mayfield's contract. I think they'll extend an offer commensurate with a second-tier QB. Mayfield isn't a top QB like the fans wanted him to be, but he isn't nearly as bad as a lot of the analysts and others make him out to be. We'll find out what the Browns' front office thinks in the off season.

For whatever reason, the WRs have not been producing. The TEs and the RBs, yes. But the WRs, no. I don't know if it is the system Stefanski is running or if Mayfield's health makes it difficult to throw downfield, but teams don't have to respect the down field game and can load the box against the run. The Browns better come up with an answer to why they haven't been scoring or they will end up with a very disappointing season. Regarding Mayfield's contract, I don't think the front office is waiting to see how the season goes. They already know what they have in Mayfield, a highly competitive, 2nd tier QB whom they believe they can win with. They will give him an offer in the offseason commensurate with that expectation. Will Baker think he can get more elsewhere? I don't think he will find another team in the NFL that is more suited to what he does well. This coaching staff and these personnel are tailored to what he can do.

I've been saying that the Browns major problem is their defense, that the offense is good. Early in the season, I think that was true. But the last couple of games the defense has played well. They played well enough to beat the Ravens giving up only 16 points and intercepting Lamar Jackson 4 times. But the offense only scored 13 points leading to a loss. A lot of blame was placed on Baker Mayfield (me included). He missed some throws and he looked like a foot injury was making it difficult to fully step into his throws. Analysts and fans alike were blaming Mayfield for the loss. Kurt Warner has a very interesting YouTube channel in which he provides analysis. This week he looked at Mayfield's play during the Ravens game and showed where the majority of the breakdown in offensive productivity for the Browns took place. His contention is that Baker Mayfield played well enough in that game to win it. Other players' errors were the real culprit in stymying the offense. Warner breaks down the film and shows where Baker had his team in good position to score or get first downs and it was the mental and physical errors of his teammates that led to giving the ball back without scoring points. Mayfield did have his own errors, like fumbling the ball when the screen was perfectly set up, but Warner says the criticism of Mayfield that lays the blame for the loss at his feet is not justified. He challenges those who say it is his fault to make their case. What do you think? Is it mostly Mayfield's fault? The Browns have a difficult road ahead of them in the form of a 6-6 record and a tough schedule ahead. Is Mayfield good enough to get the Browns deep into the playoffs? Here's a link to the video:

That's even more impressive than his offer.

I don't see how it was a "head scratching" win against the Bengals. Against the Patriots, the Browns got their tail kicked. Mostly, because they were out coached.

I agree with your analysis of the AFC North. I think for the Browns it comes down to how well their defense plays. Their offense is the better unit. The Browns defense played well against the Bengals. I was concerned going in because Burrow is a good QB and the Browns have had trouble this year with teams who have top-tier QBs: Chiefs, Chargers, and Cardinals are examples. I had hoped Mayfield would be a top-tier QB, but he is not. However, he is good and I believe he is a "franchise" QB, depending on your definition of franchise. I think he is good enough to win a Super Bowl, but all the other pieces will have to be there, along with a little bit of luck. He could be in Cleveland a long time. This depends on who the coach is. I think Stefanski can get the most out of him. It looks like when the Browns defense is healthy, they can be really good. The secondary is greatly improved this year. Newsome is very capable opposite Ward. But the defense has taken it on the chin in several games. They are not consistent. If I am being honest, I think the Ravens will win the North. I think the Browns are better than the Steelers but we missed a good opportunity to beat them at home. Chubb is a beast. He may be the best back in the league. Henry gets a lot of carries. If Chubb had that many carries he would lead the league in rushing, with the caveat that he remain healthy. Any time he touches the ball, on any yard line, he legitimately has the potential to break a tackle and take it to the end zone. But it is hard to win in this league with just the run. Teams score quick and often.

I'm not talking trash here... while that may be true on paper (#1 seed two weeks ago), not many people believed then or now that the Bengals will win the AFC North. Am I right on this?

Cleveland needed this game. DC Woods needed this game.

Agreed. He seems to nearly always play well against Cleveland.

Great throw by Mayfield and nice hit. Didn't seem to bother DPJ.

I think they will leave Chubb out for the rest of the game. He has 137 yards in only 14 carries. No sense in getting him hurt.

Chase was open. It would have been a tough catch but he could have had it. He has had a rough game today.

FG wide left. Browns kicker has been pretty good this year. He has stabilized a position that has been a weak spot for several years.