Tag: Cleveland Browns

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has finally moved to Cleveland

On Monday, Stefanski and his family made the 11-hour drive to Cleveland.

Former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski was named the head coach of the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

Due to a global pandemic, it took some time for Stefanski to actually make the move to Cleveland. Finally, on Monday, Stefanski and his family made the 11-hour drive to Cleveland.

Stefanski interviewed for this job last season as well. Instead, it went to Freddie Kitchens. The Browns admitted they made a mistake and hired Stefanski the second time around.

Stefanski had been with the Vikings since 2006 and served as the interim offensive coordinator to end the 2018 season and became the full-time offensive coordinator in 2019.

A Reddit user started a Myles Garrett trade rumor that had the NFL world scrambling

Not happening.

Stay calm, Cleveland Browns fans.

No, the team isn’t trading Myles Garrett — the stud defensive end who ended up serving a six-game punishment for hitting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with a helmet during a game — to the Seattle Seahawks.

But for a little while on Monday, that rumor sent some people scrambling, with attempts to try to find out if it was true. And it was debunked fairly quickly … and then the world found out it was a Reddit user who started it all as a prank of sorts.

Let’s start at the beginning: A Reddit user who had correctly reported about the Seahawks releasing center Justin Britt was on Seattle radio station KJR and said Garrett would be going to the Hawks:

Not long after that, it was very much debunked by Yahoo’s Charles Robinson and ESPN Seattle radio host Jake Heaps:

So what happened here? It turns out this “insider” was out to get revenge for the Fail Mary — the 2012 play in which the Seahawks beat the Packers thanks to replacement officials calling a touchdown on a last-second Hail Mary that should have been offensive pass interference or an interception instead — nearly eight years later.

In a Reddit post, the “insider” said this: “I do know a player on the team and the Britt news was legit. I used that to fabricate a trade and see how far I could go with it.”

And that’s that.

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Giants-Browns tabbed as one of NFL’s best ‘revenge games’ in 2020

A Week 15 game between the New York Giants and Odell Beckham’s Cleveland Brown has been tabbed one of 2020’s best revenge games.

The 2020 NFL regular season schedule features a lot of highlight games, but one that will be circled on the calendar of many is a Week 15 matchup between the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns.

Not only will that game represent the return of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to MetLife Stadium, it will also pit Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones against each other — and they’ve got a bit of a history.

Of course, the Mayfield-Jones thing will be drastically overshadowed by Beckham’s return, which was the case last week when Dan Hanzus of Around the NFL tabbed the matchup as one of the NFL’s best “revenge games” in 2020.

Odell Beckham Jr. vs. New York Giants
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when MetLife Stadium was filled with fans wearing Odell Beckham Jr. jerseys. Beckham’s incredible athleticism and propensity for highlight-reel catches made him an instant fan favorite, but his mercurial personality wore thin with the team, leading to his blockbuster trade to Cleveland last offseason. The deal looked like a huge steal for the Browns at the time, but Beckham didn’t live up to his billing in his first year with Baker Mayfield. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver believes he has a huge comeback season in store, and you know he wants to put on a show in the building where he enjoyed his greatest moments.

Beckham is in the midst of his annual offseason hype, promising that the best is yet to come and that he’s just about ready to break out. Of course, there’s an equal likelihood that he’s injured by the time Week 15 rolls around and doesn’t even play in the game.

Either way, you can bet Beckham, who claims the Giants had a vendetta against him, is already wishing it were December 20.

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Tyler Boyd, John Ross make 2020 Bengals-Browns rivalry more interesting on social media

Tyler Boyd and John Ross just made Bengals vs. Browns more interesting.

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The Cincinnati Bengals might be falling back into quiet offseason mode now after a fun trip to free agency and the draft itself.

Just don’t tell the players.

Wideouts Tyler Boyd and John Ross each had some interesting thoughts on social media recently pertaining to the Cleveland Browns — which naturally has stirred up plenty of debate.

Boyd started things off by laughing off a duo comparison from NFL Network, suggesting the Joe Burrow-A.J. Green tandem is better than Baker Mayfield-Odell Beckham.

Ross wasn’t too far behind in suggesting Joe Mixon is better than both Browns running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

The reality is a little more muddied. Burrow is a rookie and Green has been hurt. Mixon is easily a top-10 back, though. From a Browns’ perspective, the last few years have been a big disappointment.

The good news? These guys won’t have to wait long to put the proclamations to the test. The Battle of Ohio starts in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football and picks up again in Week 7, settling things for the 2020 season before the calendar even turns to November.

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4 takeaways from the Philadelphia Eagles 2020 schedule release

4 takeaways from the Philadelphia Eagles 2020 schedule release

The Philadelphia Eagles and their fans finally learned when and where they’ll be playing during the 2020 NFL season and the schedule release was favorable for a team looking to defend their NFC East crown.

The Eagles have one of the league’s easiest schedules based on 2019 results and they could finish this upcoming season with an even better record.

Here’s your complete Philadelphia Eagles 2020 regular-season NFL schedule.

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Complete 2020 Regular Season Schedule

Week Opponent Date/Time (ET) Network
1 WAS 9/13 — 1:00 PM FOX
2 LAR 9/20 — 1:00 PM FOX
3 CIN 9/27 — 1:00 PM CBC
4 SF 10/4 — 8:20 PM NBC
5 Pit 10/11 — 1:00 PM FOX
6 Bal 10/18 — 1:00 PM CBS
7 NYG 10/22 — 8:20 PM FOX
8 Dal 11/1 — 8:20 PM NBC
9 Bye
10 NYG 11/15 — 1:00 PM FOX
11 CLE 11/22 — 1:00 PM FOX
12 SEA 11/30 — 8:15 PM ESPN
13 GB 12/6 — 4:25 PM CBS
14 NO 12/13 — 4:25 PM FOX
15 ARI 12/20 — 4:05 PM FOX
16 DAL 12/27 — 4:25 PM FOX
17 WAS 1/3 — 1:00 PM FOX

 

With the matchups now set, here are four takeaways from the 2020 schedule release.

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1. Eagles have an opportunity for a strong start

The Birds will open up against the rebuilding Redskins on the road, followed by two straight home games before traveling to San Francisco for Sunday night football. Expectations aren’t too stressful this season but anything short of a 3-1 start could be cause for concern.

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Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

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Every prime time NFL game featuring former Georgia football players

After the release of the 2020 NFL schedule, here’s a look at every prime-time game that former Georgia football players will appear in.

On Thursday, the NFL released its 2020 schedule, providing more optimism that a football season will take place come September.

With Georgia having added seven new players into the league via the NFL Draft, there’s going to be a number of UGA fans hoping for a chance to watch some former Dawgs play on prime-time television.

The Patriots, Cowboys, Chiefs, Packers, 49ers, Rams and Buccaneers will be featured most in prime time during the 2020 NFL season with five games apiece.

Georgia players on those teams:

Cowboys, Packers and Bucs do not have any Bulldogs.

Patriots: C David Andrews, RB Sony Michel, OL Isaiah Wynn

Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman

49ers: TE Charlie Woerner

Rams: OLB Leonard Floyd, ILB Natrez Patrick, DB Tyrique McGhee.

Here is a list of every nationally televised NFL game featuring Georgia Bulldogs.

Some of these game are subject to a time change and some of the players signed as undrafted free agents. As of right now, these are the teams they are on.

For a full list of Georgia players and their NFL teams, click here.

Thursday Night Football:

  • Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET
  • TV channel: Fox, NFL Network
  • Live stream: Amazon Prime

Thursday Sept. 17: Browns at Bengals

Georgia players on Browns: RB Nick Chubb, RB Brian Herrien

Georgia players on Bengals: DT Geno Atkins, WR AJ Green, DT Tyler Clark, DB Shawn Williams

Thursday Sept. 24: Dolphins at Jaguars

Georgia players on Dolphins: OG Solomon Kindley

Georgia players on Jags: WR Chris Conley, WR Terry Godwin, DT Abry Jones, S J.R. Reed

Thursday Oct. 1: Broncos at Jets

Georgia players on Broncos: N/A

Georgia players on Jets: WR Lawrence Cager, OLB Jordan Jenkins

Thursday Oct. 8: Buccaneers at Bears

Georgia players on Bucs: N/A

Georgia players on Bears: WR Reggie Davis, DT John Jenkins, WR Riley Ridley, LB Roquan Smith, WR Javon Wims

Thursday Oct. 15: Chiefs at Bills

Georgia players on Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman

Georgia players on Bills: QB Jake Fromm, WR Isaiah McKenzie

Thursday Oct. 22: Giants at Eagles

Georgia players on Giants: OT Andrew Thomas, LB Tae Crowder, OLB Lorenzo Carter

Georgia players on Eagles: RB Elijah Holyfield

Thursday Oct. 29: Falcons at Panthers

Georgia players on Falcons: RB Todd Gurley

Georgia players on Panthers: N/A

Thursday Nov. 5: Packers at 49ers

Georgia players on Packers: N/A

Georgia players on 49ers: TE Charlie Woerner

Thursday Nov. 12: Colts at Titans

Georgia players on Colts: K Rodrigo Blankenship, OLB Justin Houston

Georgia players on Titans: C Ben Jones, OT Isaiah Wilson, OLB D’Andre Walker

Thursday Nov. 19: Cardinals at Seahawks

Georgia players on Cardinals: OL Lamont Gaillard

Georgia players on Seahawks: DB Jayson Stanley

THANKSGIVING

Thursday Nov. 26: Texans at Lions (12:30 p.m. CBS)

Georgia players on Texans: OLB Davin Bellamy, WR Tyler Simmons

Georgia players on Lions: RB D’Andre Swift, QB Matt Stafford, DT John Atkins, TE Isaac Nauta

Thursday Nov. 26: Redskins at Cowboys (4:30 p.m. Fox)

Georgia players on Redskins: OLB Thomas Davis, S Maurice Smith

Georgia players on Cowboys: N/A

Thursday Nov. 26: Ravens at Steelers (8:20 p.m. NBC)

Georgia players on Ravens: LS Nick Moore, TE Eli Wolf

Georgia players on Steelers: N/A

Thursday Dec. 3: Cowboys at Ravens 

Georgia players on Cowboys: N/A

Georgia players on Ravens: LS Nick Moore, TE Eli Wolf

Thursday Dec. 10: Patriots at Rams

Georgia players on Patriots: C David Andrews, RB Sony Michel, OL Isaiah Wynn

Georgia players on Rams: OLB Leonard Floyd, ILB Natrez Patrick, DB Tyrique McGhee

Thursday Dec. 17: Chargers at Ravens 

Georgia players on Chargers: N/A

Georgia players on Ravens: LS Nick Moore, TE Eli Wolf

Friday Dec. 25: Vikings at Saints

No Georgia players in this game

Next: Sunday Night Football

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5 takeaways from Jags’ 2020 schedule

There is a lot to takeaway from the Jags’ schedule but the biggest may be the rough ending to it.

The league released the schedules of all 32 teams Thursday including the Jacksonville Jaguars’. With the team set to play a full slate of home games for the first time since 2012, many fans were excited to see the order in which the home schedule would come.

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Coach Doug Marrone will look to improve upon the results we’ve seen in 2018-19 and will have to do so with a very young roster. One thing working in his favor is the fact that the Jags’ strength of schedule ranks 22nd, significantly better than what he’s faced in the past.

All of that said, here are some of the observations we came away with after thoroughly evaluating the schedule:

Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

The Jags start off the season with two difficult divisional games

The Jaguars will start their 2020 regular season against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans Week 1-2, which means they can pile up two losses quickly. On the other hand, it also could give them a chance to make some noise early within the AFC South.

Neither opponent will be easy to defeat, although the Jags did split their series with both last year. However, things are different now as Indy has Philip Rivers who is 7-2 overall against them with a 69.44% completion rate in their head-to-heads. Additionally, he’s thrown 24 touchdowns with just five picks against them.

The Titans also have the Jags’ number as Jacksonville has lost five of their last six meetings against them. The good thing is that the one victory that came against the Titans over that span was with Gardner Minshew II under center. He’ll be the one battling them Week 2 as well, so maybe he can restore his magic and get the Jags an early win in the season.

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Ex-Giants wideout warns Odell Beckham will exact vengeance on Big Blue

Ex-New York Giants WR Jawill Davis says his former teammate, Cleveland Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr., will exact revenge on Big Blue in 2020.

Former New York Giants wide receiver and ex-teammate of Odell Beckham Jr., Jawill Davis, believes that OBJ will have the last word when he and the Cleveland Browns come back to MetLife Stadium to face the Giants in December.

Davis played one season for the Giants after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Bethune Cookman in 2018. He was waived at the roster deadline and signed back to the practice squad where he stayed until being promoted to the active roster in late September.

Davis had 40 yards on four catches and a total of 260 total return yards, averaging 7.4 yards on 12 punts and 24.4 yards on seven kickoffs, over a seven-game stretch.

Davis’ season ended when he dislocated his kneecap dancing in the Giants’ locker room after a practice.

Davis was waived the next spring and signed by the Green Bay Packers, but was released in training camp. He has since been bouncing around the CFL and the now-defunct XFL.

As for whether or not Beckham is hellbent on exacting “revenge” on the Giants is debatable. He was a player who had been said to welcome a trade before it happened and has not been able to reconcile it ever since.

Who exactly Beckham is seeking revenge on is unclear. General manager Dave Gettleman is still here with the Giants, but the coaching staff, sans wide receiver coach Tyke Tolbert, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, has completely turned over. Freddie Kitchens, who was the head coach of the Browns last season, is now the Giants’ tight ends coach.

Only about a dozen and a half ex-teammates remain as well. Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley are the big three on offense, and they’re all friends.

Where everyone will be come December is anyone’s guess.There has been talk that Beckham could be traded again. If the Browns aren’t showing marked improvement over their first eight games, changes could be made as new general manager Andrew Berry — who did not trade for Beckham — could look to go in a different direction.

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5 hardest games on Ravens’ 2020 schedule

The Baltimore Ravens have the easiest strength of schedule in 2020 but will still have a few really tough games.

With the 2020 NFL schedule released, we finally know when the Baltimore Ravens will play each and every game and in which order. While the Ravens have the easiest schedule in the NFL, at least according to last year’s records, that doesn’t mean it’ll be a cakewalk this season.

Baltimore is slated to play some of the best teams in the league and with most roster improving from last year, there are plenty of games that will be tough. With an eye towards the future and which matchups could be the biggest thorns in the Ravens’ sides, let’s take a look at the hardest games for Baltimore in 2020.

Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Week 1 vs. Cleveland Browns

The way the Ravens embarrassed the Browns at the end of last season, Cleveland is going to be looking for some revenge and a strong start for 2020.

While the Browns have struggled a lot in recent years, they’ve usually played Baltimore very tough regardless of their talent level. Cleveland is arguably one of the most talented teams in the league and with a new coaching staff, they might finally be able to turn that talent into wins. But it all starts in Week 1, which is a tough ask for the Ravens.

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NFL 2020 schedule: 5 teams that can make a big leap

The NFL released the 2020 schedule on Thursday night, and these fanbases should be rejoicing.

The NFL released the 2020 schedule on Thursday night, and there are some fanbases that should find themselves rejoicing. At least for now, the schedule looks relatively easy for a few select teams.

Perhaps these five teams are poised to have much better seasons than anyone expected, in part thanks to an easy schedule. We’ve reviewed the scheduled with hopes of identifying the teams with an advantage heading in 2020. These teams can make a big leap, when compared to their performance in 2019, in part because of what they did this offseason and in part because of what the NFL gifted them in terms of strength of schedule. Here are five teams poised to be better in 2020:

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are already in line for a big step forward after adding Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in free agency while adding tackle Tristan Wirfs, safety Antoine Winfield and running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn in the top three rounds of this year’s draft.

But the schedule helped them out, too. They have the 14th hardest strength of schedule, which doesn’t sound great until you realize the Atlanta Falcons have the worst, the Carolina Panthers have the third worst and New Orleans Saints have the seventh worst, per Action Network.

Brady joined the Buccaneers at the right moment for them to jump up in the NFC standings in a big way.

2. Cleveland Browns

I did what I could to avoid the Browns in my story about the seven teams with the easiest path to a division title, largely because they tend to make things more difficult than they need to be. Nothing comes easy to Cleveland.

But they were really bad in 2019, much worse than they should have been, considering how much talent they have on the roster. Coach Kevin Stefanski should help Baker Mayfield and the Browns step up their game. It doesn’t hurt that Cleveland has the second-easiest schedule in the NFL. Come on, Browns. You can do it!

3. Detroit Lions

The Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars are right there with the Browns when it comes to making an easy things look difficult. But Detroit’s strength of schedule is fifth easiest in the NFL. It’s a top-heavy division, with the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. But if coach Matt Patricia wants to keep his job, he’ll have to ride his easy schedule into playoff relevance this season. A healthy Matthew Stafford would help.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens are going to be good again. They’re probably going to be one of the two best teams in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. (Let’s be honest: Patrick Mahomes is king, queen, judge, jury, executioner of the NFL.) But Pittsburgh is getting Ben Roethlisberger back. Their quarterback play was entertaining only because it was a case study of how bad it can get for a team. With the the Steelers franchise quarterback back in place, they should be in a position to expose their schedule, which is third-easiest in the NFL.

5. Indianapolis Colts

In theory, they should have an upgrade at quarterback, with Phillip Rivers along with an improved running back group after drafting Jonathan Taylor (41st overall in the 2020 NFL Draft) and perhaps even an immediate contributor at receiver with Michael Pittman, the 34th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The defense is young and fast. The offensive line is elite. Throw in the NFL’s easiest schedule and the Colts may end up taking over the second spot in this division behind either the Tennessee Titans (fourth easiest) or the Houston Texans (ninth easiest).

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