Ready for some unsubstantiated innuendo? Here’s hoping this rumor pans out: Word around the league is that Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis might be forced to fire offensive coordinator Bruce Arians if the team continues to sputter on offense. Likewise, Davis’s job isn’t quite as safe as most folks think, and a directive from the […]

Via The River Burns, you can see Art Modell, vintage 1976, dressed up as Ben Franklin and spouting off to the Plain Dealer his predictions about what the NFL would be like in the year 2000. His biggest howler: “There won’t be many more new stadia by that time.” I think we all know how […]

Todd Porter of the Canton Repository psychoanalyzes the team at the season’s midpoint. His findings: “playing without passion” … “Their eyes are blank” … “beaten up mentally and physically” … “out of sync” … Couch “can’t wait for this season to be over” … and then this indictment of the leadership, which would be downright […]

All NFL teams are required to submit injury reports on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, listing who’s out, doubtful, questionable, or probable. I was surprised on Sunday to see Enoch DeMar make his first NFL start at left guard over Chad Beasley, who filled in the previous week for Shaun O’Hara and performed fairly well. After […]

Coach Butch Davis acknowledged that if the Browns had to field a team right now, the QB would be Nate Hybl. Makes me wonder again about Josh Booty: — Was his September release really due to a numbers game — i.e. a third quarterback being a luxury, not a necessity — or what it something […]

PATRIOTS 9, BROWNS 3 Q. Why did the Browns lose this game? A. Simple. Blocking and tackling. The Patriots were better at both. Q. How many touchdowns have the Browns scored in their first eight games? A. Holcomb (10) plus Couch (2) = 12. Q. Which Brown has gained the most yards per carry this […]

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s game at New England: — Tim Couch will probably start. Smart not to risk further injury to Holcomb, who I’ll bet will be ready for the first game after the bye, at Kansas City, whose defense he shredded in the infamous Rudd-helmet-toss game last season. (Of course, the Chiefs are a […]

Kevin Johnson had the worst game of his five-year career on Sunday, but he wasn’t making any excuses or blaming anybody else for his mistakes. Good for him. That kind of integrity indicates a person who is able to motivate himself to improve. KJ has been the Browns’ best player since their 1999 reincarnation. Lacking […]

THEN: Butch Davis, at his Sept. 22 news conference, discussing Kelly Holcomb’s injury the previous day: “…he’s fine, it’s a non-weight bearing deal, he’s got a tiny small little hairline fracture. I know that there’s some report floating around town that he’s got a major busted ankle and he’s gonna be out 4-6 weeks and […]

Practice squad notes — C.J. Jones, cut from the active roster last week, somehow cleared waivers and has been added to the practice squad. Whew. — Rookie C/G Ben Claxton, Denver’s 5th-round pick this year, has also been added. The cup of coffee is over for my former co-worker’s son, Noah Swartz. Odd fact of […]