The Cleveland Browns return home to take on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Browns are coming off a last-second victory in Minnesota over the 0-3 Vikings that set the town a buzz with (Brian) Hoyer Mania.
Can Cleveland kick off a stretch that will see them play three consecutive home games in the span of 14 days with a win and reach the .500 mark for the first time since Week 4 of 2011?
Let’s try to find out as we preview Week 4 at The Cleveland Fan.
With a season that spans six months and 162 games, baseball is truly a marathon rather than a sprint.
And while wins in April count as much as wins in September, the same can not always be said of losses – especially for a team in a race for the playoffs. A loss in September can leave a team scrambling as, with the number of remaining games dwindling, there is more of an urgency – and fewer opportunities – to get back on track.
That is a lesson that Cleveland Indians avoided learning Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon made one heck of a debut on Sunday in his return from a two-game suspension handed down by the NFL.
But even with all his talent, Gordon presents a particularly tough equation for Browns CEO Joe Banner, one that if Banner gets right could go a long way toward finally moving the Browns in the right direction.
We look at that and a few other leftover items from the Browns Week 3 win in Minnesota in our latest at The Cleveland Fan.
(Photo courtesy of ClevelandBrowns.com)
The Cleveland Browns prevailed on Sunday in the battle of the winless teams, beating the Minnesota Vikings, 31-27.
The Browns pulled out a back-and-forth game that featured plenty of big plays – and bad quarterback play – from both teams, with quarterback Brian Hoyer hitting tight end Jordan Cameron with a seven-yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds left in the game. Those were the only points the Browns scored in the second half and they came at a most-opportune time.
The win breaks a five-game losing streak, dating back to last season, and is the first time this year the Browns were able to turn a halftime lead into a victory.
But more than all that, the Browns hopefully learned an important lesson in the Metrodome: the problems of the offense can no longer be laid solely at the feet of Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson.
The Cleveland Browns head to Minneapolis on Sunday to take on the Minnesota Vikings, with each team still looking for its first victory on the season.
The Browns leading rusher on the season will miss the game with a thumb injury and in his place we will see Brian Hoyer make the leap from inactive third-string quarterback to starter.
In typical Browns fashion, the team made more news off the field this past week with the promotion of Hoyer and the trade of starting running back Trent Richardson than it has so far through two games of the season.
It’s been quite a year so far, hasn’t it Browns fans?
Our preview starts now at The Cleveland Fan.
(Photo by Getty Images)
As the calendar has turned from spring to summer to fall, the Cleveland Indians have taken fans on an exciting and amazingly unpredictable journey, one that has the team right in the heart of the playoff race with a little more than a week to play in the regular season.
The Tribe’s unexpected success has brought with it a season-long debate over the team’s attendance at Progressive Field. Media members and bloggers have taken to lecturing fans about their responsibilities to support the team in person. In recent days, the debate has expanded to include speculation on the long-term viability of having a Major League Baseball team in Cleveland.
As we have followed the up and downs of the Indians this season we have struggled to quiet the little voice in our head that keeps asking a question that we are reluctant to answer:
Am I a bad fan?
We look for answers in our latest column at The Cleveland Fan.
(Photo by The Plain Dealer)
A day after the Cleveland Browns threw in the towel on the 2013 NFL season by trading starting running back Trent Richardson to Indianapolis, we found these quotes about the move particularly interesting:
“Cleveland knows they have time and are just accumulating picks. Sooner or later, (the) future will get here.” – NFL personnel executive to USA Today.
Can we take the “sooner” on that, please?
“From Cleveland’s standpoint, they’re 0-2 but in a honeymoon year with a new owner (Jimmy Haslam), team prez (Joe Banner), GM and head coach. So, if you’re gonna be bold, this is the time to do it.” – NFL executive to USA Today
This is a honeymoon year? Man, if that’s true, we hate to see what next year is going to be like.
“Anytime a great young player like Trent Richardson leaves your division—now we still get to face him this year, but once instead of twice. He’s a fine player and, I think, has a big career ahead of him, so not bad that he drives two hours west of us instead of four hours north.” – Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis on Sirius NFL Radio
We have a feeling that Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh would agree.
“We have a commitment to win. That goal is something we strive for regardless of circumstances, of anything put in our path. That’s how we roll.” – Colts GM Ryan Grigson.
Hmm, a commitment to winning. Wonder what that is like?
“When it’s the player that it is, I don’t know how you pass it up or don’t give it some thought, try to make it work. We did not bring him in here to, I guess, be the water boy. He’ll be ready to roll.” – Colts coach Chuck Pagano
Ready to roll!
“We have to earn their belief and trust in the decisions we’re going to make as a group, and I don’t expect them to trust that until we prove that the trust is well placed. So, I understand the skepticism for now. We have to do what we think is right, move the franchise forward and get it to where we want it to be.” – Browns CEO Joe Banner
The Cleveland Browns. Earning (and abusing) the fans trust since 1999.
(Photo courtesy of The Plain Dealer)
Cleveland Browns CEO Joe Banner has apparently seen enough.
Starting quarterback Brandon Weeden? Out for third-string quarterback Brian Hoyer. Supposedly it’s because of Weeden’s injury, but that is just the excuse the team was looking for to make a switch that has probably been in the works for a while.
Staring running back Trent Richardson? Shipped to Indianapolis for a No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Add in all the things the Browns did not do in the off-season: fixing holes at right guard and corner back, among other areas; basically sitting out the 2013 NFL Draft; hoarding cap space for … what exactly? … and Wednesday’s moves and it is clear that Banner has closed the books on this season – with 14 games left on the schedule.
The Cleveland Browns lost their 11th consecutive game to Baltimore on Sunday. It was also the team’s fifth consecutive loss dating back to last season.
Quarterback Brandon Weeden left the game with a thumb injury, the running game and offensive line were bad, and the defense could not get off the field on third down.
In other words, just another day at the office for the Browns.
We take a last look at the festivities in our latest post at The Cleveland Fan.
(Photo courtesy of BaltimoreRavens.com)
It was second verse, same as the first for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in Baltimore.
An ineffective offense that could not find the end zone, a defense that played good enough to keep the Browns in the game but not good enough to win, and just enough mistakes all added up to a 14-6 loss to the Ravens.
It was the 11th consecutive time the Browns have lost to Baltimore and leaves the Browns at 0-2 on the season.
But it was more than just another loss. An off-season that was full of hope for an improved product on the field, especially on offense, has evaporated like a puddle after a rainstorm on a hot summer day. The season already feels lost, in large part because despite new players and the promise of a new philosophy on offense and defense, it looks and feels like the same old Browns.
All after just two games.
We take a look at all the fun at The Cleveland Fan.
(Photo by The Associated Press)
Red Right 88 