Cleveland Browns News 11/22: Stay Healthy. Win.
Good morning Cleveland Browns fans! Here’s your morning dollop of links and stupidity, courtesy of yours truly, who has gotten up early each morning for the last 400+ days to do this thing. One of these days, someone might read one of these and make it all worth it. Here’s hoping!
It is with this sort of blind optimism that we can look forward to the Browns taking on the Philadelphia Eagles today in First Energy Stadium sans our vital cog on defense and hope for the best. This is an objective not without its challenges.
Making that challenge a bit easier is the return of RT Jack Conklin and PK Cody Parkey from the Reserve/COVID list so that they can play against the Eagles. The COVID banged-up Browns also promoted OG Michael Dunn (replacing Chris Hubbard), defensive end Cameron Malveaux (filling the gap left by Myles Garrett), and FB Johnny Stanton, who replaces FB Andy Janovich. Hubbard, Garrett, and Janovich all remain on reserve/COVID list.
These Browns will be ready today to take on the Eagles in front of 12,000 fans or so at FES, who will gather there despite a stay-at-home advisory and better damn sure wear their masks. We don’t need any sick Browns fans… well… beyond our common sickness of rooting for a team that hasn’t won a national championship for 56 years. We’re a proud breed of lunatics and can’t afford to lose anyone before the big day that this team wins it all.
What worries me your humble narrator, and most of those fans, I’m sure is the absence of sack master Garrett, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate who has been a game-changer during this 6-3 season. Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz famously dismissed by Paul DePodesta as not being a “Top 20 player” is undoubtedly relieved but desperate (WKNR,$$) to turn around his season, although some may say (and have) that Baker Mayfield has more to prove and needs to rebound today against Philadelphia’s sack-happy defense. If the Browns win, we still have a complex rooting list for the team’s playoff chase in a crowded race.
Of course, this being a game Sunday, we have the requisite predictions (optimistic, not, or just plain weird), previews, “scouting reports”, and how to watch articles scattered about the Newswire. Some say Miles Sanders is the key for the Eagles, others lean on preternaturally calm Kevin Stefanski to game plan his way to the team’s seventh win.
Personally, I’ll be spending the game hanging out in the Insider Blog, chronicling the action, and hoping my power doesn’t go out (again). This is natural for me, but I won’t be drinking because I’m trying to lose weight (again). Here’s hoping for a Browns win (again) and hope to see you there! Have a good one!
