Here are the best shots from the Pro Bowl, where five Browns players represented the city of Cleveland.
Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, David Njoku, Wyatt Teller, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah represented the Cleveland Browns at the Pro Bowl this weekend.
While the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs prepare for the Super Bowl, 30 other teams sent representatives to the Pro Bowl, capping off stellar seasons for those players. The Browns sent five this year, with wide receiver Amari Cooper and offensive guard Joel Bitonio opting to decline the event to recover from a season of injuries.
This was, however, the first Pro Bowl for Njoku, who is not as accustomed to the event as the five-timer Garrett.
One day, it would be nice to see the Browns have nobody represented at the Pro Bowl because they are preparing for the Super Bowl. For now, however, we get to celebrate players having a great time at the Pro Bowl that they earned after a hard-fought season.
Take a look at all of the shots of these Browns players enjoying their time at the Pro Bowl.
Micah Parsons tried to chirp at Browns tight end David Njoku at the Pro Bowl, but he was having none of it.
Tight end David Njoku is tired of the “same old Browns” remarks, and he let Micah Parsons know about it at the Pro Bowl.
Despite four years of stability in Cleveland, including two playoff appearances, they have yet to shake the reputation they built over the last two decades beforehand. They have heard it from former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Chase Claypool, more recently from Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase, and now Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons tried to serve it up to Njoku.
Playing Madden 24 during one of the events at the Pro Bowl, Parsons attempted to trash-talk Njoku, who was playing for the AFC squad. However, Njoku has had enough of the “Cleveland is Cleveland” remarks that get echoed throughout the league.
Njoku then let Parsons know that Cleveland is no different from Dallas as both players are sitting on the sofa playing Madden at the Pro Bowl and not preparing for the Super Bowl.
You can see the full exchange between Njoku and Parsons here:
Evan Engram will join Josh Allen and Ross Matiscik on the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was added to the AFC roster for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games as a replacement for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, the xxx announced Monday.
Engram, 29, recorded 114 receptions, 963 yards, and four touchdowns during the 2023 regular season. It was the second most catches in a single season ever recorded by a tight end, just two behind the record of 116 receptions set by Zach Ertz in 2018.
So it was a relative surprise when Engram was left off the Pro Bowl rosters in the first place. Kelce and the Cleveland Browns’ David Njoku received the two AFC spots instead, but the former is headed to Super Bowl LVIII and won’t participate in the Pro Bowl Games.
Engram, who earned Pro Bowl honors during his 2020 season with the New York Giants, will join pass rusher Josh Allen and long snapper Ross Matiscik as the three Jaguars represented at the event. It’s the most for the franchise since the 2019 season when Jacksonville had four Pro Bowlers.
The relationship between Njoku and Stefanski has grown
While appearing on the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams, Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku talked about his relationship with head coach Kevin Stefanski.
He discussed how that relationship is compared to how it was when he arrived. Njoku talked about how he wanted to be traded in 2020 when Stefanski came in and that since that moment his relationship with the head coach is a complete 180.
He talked about how during their exit interview earlier this week the two joked about the trade request. Njoku continued saying the trade request wasn’t necessary but since that moment he and Stefanski have grown close the past couple of seasons.
During the interview, he also talked about how hungry the team is and that falling short makes them want success even more. Njoku broke out this season and was the king of yards after catch, if the Browns want to reach their ultimate goal the veteran tight end will need to play a big role in 2024.
Can the Browns get it done on the road vs. the Texans?
The Cleveland Browns, led by quarterback Joe Flacco and defensive end Myles Garrett, are back in the NFL Playoffs in one of the wildest seasons this fanbase has ever seen as they get set for a rematch against the Houston Texans. This team has so much fight in them and truly embodies the next-man-up
mantra and the “Go 1-0 each week” that Kevin Stefanski has been preaching. Now they head to Houston, who won the AFC South in a thriller last weekend. The Texans will have rookie CJ Stroud back who did not play against the Browns a couple of weeks ago due to injury.
Cleveland will have wide receiver Amari Cooper back after missing the final two regular season games with an injury after setting a Browns single-game receiving yardage record with 265 yards against these Texans. The Browns are the more talented team but it’s the postseason and you have got to play your best game if you want to advance, here are my bold predictions for Saturday.
Quarterbacks Joe Burrow
Kirk Cousins
Kyler Murray
Deshaun Watson
Jimmy Garoppolo
Justin Herbert
Daniel Jones
Aaron Rodgers
Running Backs Nick Chubb
J.K. Dobbins
Saquon Barkley
David Montgomery
Josh Jacobs
Austin Ekeler
James Conner
Kyren Williams
Rhamondre Stevenson
Khalil Herbert
De’Von Achane
Jonathon Taylor
Aaron Jones
Cam Akers
Wide Receivers Justin Jefferson
Diontae Johnson
Marquise Brown
DJ Chark
Robert Woods
Kadarius Toney
Cooper Kupp
Christian Kirk
Tee Higgins
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Tank Dell
Michael Thomas
Christian Watson
Mike Williams
Tight Ends Mark Andrews
T.J. Hockenson
Dallas Goedert Hunter Henry
Darren Waller
Pat Freiermuth
The Huddle Awards
Best Player
QB – Josh Allen
RB – Christian McCaffrey
WR – CeeDee Lamb
TE – Travis Kelce PK – Brandon Aubrey
DEF – Ravens
Best Rookie QB – C.J. Stroud
RB – Jahmyr Gibbs
WR – Puka Nacua
TE – Sam LaPorta
Best Free Agent
QB – C.J. Stroud: Actual QB10
RB – Kyren Williams: Actual RB6
WR – Puka Nacua: Actual WR5
TE – Trey McBride: Actual TE8
Best Fantasy Draft Pick
QB – Brock Purdy: ADP QB20 – Actual QB5
RB – Raheem Mostert: ADP RB40 – Actual RB5
WR – Mike Evans: ADP WR31 – actual WR7
TE – Sam LaPorta: ADP TE18 – Actual TE1
Worst Fantasy Draft Pick QB – Aaron Rodgers: ADP QB 12, Actual QB72
RB – Nick Chubb: ADP RB5, Actual RB88 WR – Justin Jefferson: ADP WR1, Actual WR31
TE – Darren Waller: ADP TE5, Actual TE24
Huddle player of the year
Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Christian McCaffrey – I had five teams make the playoffs in a large contest and the only league champion that didn’t have McCaffrey was me in one league. CeeDee Lamb delivered the goods for the last month to be sure and was also well represented in all fantasy playoffs, but McCaffrey remained healthy and was the top running back by a huge margin. He took the last game off and still outscored all other running backs by over 100 fantasy points.
Salute!
2023-2024 NFL Playoffs
Saturday
Browns vs. Texans, 3:30 PM
Dolphins vs. Chiefs, 7:00 PM
Sunday
Steelers vs. Bills, 12:00 PM
Packers vs. Cowboys, 3:30 PM
Rams vs. Lions, 7:00 PM
Monday
Eagles vs. Buccaneers, 7:00 PM
all times Central Time
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
The Browns, headlined by Myles Garrett and David Njoku, had five players named to the Pro Bowl with six alternates names as well!
The Cleveland Browns are sitting at 11-5 on the season, have put themselves in a position to rest their starters in the last game of the season after already locking down the fifth seed in the AFC, and multiple players are heading to the Pro Bowl as a result. Defensive end Myles Garrett is the obvious one, but even tight end David Njoku gets his first-career nod.
All in all, five Browns players were named to the Pro Bowl, with a massive six more named as alternates. Surprisingly, however, the offensive side of the football had more names to the event than the defensive side of the ball did. It’s hard to complain though, as the NFL finally overtook the popularity contest (for the most part) and added players who truly deserved the honor.
Here is the full list of Pro Bowlers from the Browns, including the six that were named as alternates.
With the success he has had this season for the Cleveland Browns, tight end David Njoku could find himself in his first Pro Bowl after the regular season is done. He has been a massive problem for defenses after the catch with his ability to accelerate quickly and power through arm tackles.
Ever since Joe Flacco’s arrival giving the team more consistent quarterback play he has helped Njoku take it to another level. Since Flacco’s second start in Week 14, Njoku has a total of 373 yards receiving which is good for second of any player in the NFL.
It has all come together for the talented tight end this year as he has been a mismatch problem with his rare combination of size and athletic ability. It has been a crazy ride for the Browns this year but with the most talented players on this roster on the younger side this team is set up to be good for years to come.
Joe Flacco and Ronnie Hickman Jr. led the Browns to a win over the Jets. Who else stood out?
The Cleveland Browns secured a playoff berth in a 37-20 thrashing of the New York Jets. The game was a story of two halves. The team was laser-focused heading into the prime-time game.
The Browns dominated the Jets across the board in the first half. In the second half, the team tried to secure their lead and protect their players from future injuries ahead of the playoffs.
Overall, the Browns played some of their best football on Thursday night. The offense was [anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media]more explosive than ever, generating a lot of big plays for the unit. The defense continued its domination by shutting down the Jets for most of the game. The team is playing its best football of the season right before the playoffs.
The Browns need to carry this momentum into the playoffs. The teams that win Super Bowls aren’t always the most talented. Sometimes, they’re the teams that play their best at the end of the season. Hopefully, the Browns can find themselves in that latter group as injuries have decimated a talented roster, but haven’t robbed the team of their fighting spirit.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Lamar Jackson
321-35
5
Kyler Murray
232-24
3
Justin Fields
268-45
2
Joe Flacco
309-3
3
Jordan Love
256-2
4
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Kyren Williams
20-87
2-14
3
Isiah Pacheco
18-130
7-35
1
Breece Hall
13-84
9-42
1
James Conner
26-128
1-5
2
Jerome Ford
12-64
2-57
2
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
CeeDee Lamb
13-227
1
Davante Adams
13-126
2
D.J. Moore
9-159
1
Brandon Aiyuk
7-114
1
Jayden Reed
6-89
2
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Juwan Johnson
8-90
1
David Njoku
6-134
0
Isaiah Likely
2-42
2
Dallas Goedert
5-41
1
Sam LaPorta
7-84
0
Placekickers
XP
FG
Harrison Butker
1
6
Brandon McManus
2
4
Ka’imi Fairbairn
2
4
Cairo Santos
4
3
Chris Boswell
4
3
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Houston
6-1
1
Jacksonville
6-1
0
Buffalo
3-4
1
NY Giants
6-1
1
Cleveland
2-2
1
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
QB Will Levis – Foot
QB Tua Tagovailoa – Shoulder
RB Christian McCaffrey – Calf
RB Alvin Kamara – Ankle
RB AJ Dillon – Neck
WR Tee Higgins – Hamstring
WR Devonta Smith – Leg
WR Robert Woods – Hip
WR DeVante Parker – Ribs
WR Jayden Reed – Chest
TE Dawson Knox – Head
Chasing Ambulances
QB Will Levis – Injured his foot and was carted to the locker room. Test results will be known later in the week but the final game doesn’t matter much. Ryan Tannehill will replace him if needed.
QB Tua Tagovailoa – Left the blowout loss to the Ravens with an injury to his throwing shoulder. He was ruled out since the game was already out of hand but he said after the game that he was “good, just sore.”
RB Christian McCaffrey – Left early in the second half because of a calf injury and never returned. HC Kyle Shanahan said that he thought that McCaffrey would be “alright”, but he didn’t know if McCaffrey would be available next week. The 49ers have sewn up the No. 1 seed and will likely rest several players. McCaffrey is unlikely to be seen until the 49ers first game in the Divisional Round.
RB Alvin Kamara – He was already questionable to play with an illness, but Kamara was active and effective until he injured his ankle in the first quarter after ten rushes. It was not known if he had a high ankle sprain or not. The Saints are the current No. 9 seed and would need help to reach the playoffs next week.
WR Tee Higgins – Left the game with a hamstring injury but managed to return in the third quarter.
WR Devonta Smith – Was injured while blocking near the end of the game. He was on crutches with a walking boot after the game. The prognosis wasn’t released but there should be more information early in the week. The injury was serious enough for the boot and crutches which throws a shadow onto Week 18 when they finish up at the Giants.
WR Jayden Reed – He had already caught two touchdowns when he injured his chest during the second quarter in the win over the Vikings. He underwent CT scans after the game but his prognosis has not been disclosed. The Packers host the Bears next week and need all hands on deck since the Packers are currently the No. 7 seed.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
QB Jordan Love – He was likely on many benches if his fantasy owner even made the playoffs, but the Packers quarterback is looking better and erasing some of the early season fears. He threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns at the Vikings and rushed in a touchdown as well.
RB Kyren Williams – Taken as just running back depth in summer drafts, the Rams tailback has become an elite producer and fantasy team owners in large contests did very well in Week 17 when he ran for 87 yards, gained 14 yards on two catches and totaled three touchdowns.
RB James Conner – Playing at the Eagles meant lowering expectations against the No. 1 defense against running backs. Except Conner rushed for 128 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns as a visitor.
RB Justice Hill – The Ravens lost Keaton Mitchell, so they just switched back to Hill as the RB2. The third-down back ran for 48 yards on three carries and caught five passes for 64 yards and one score. Any back on that powerhouse team carries fantasy value.
WR Julio Jones – The Eagles receiver caught two passes for 34 yards in the loss to the Cardinals. But he scored on each and Philly may be without DeVonta Smith.
TE Isaiah Likely – The replacement for Mark Anderson is becoming a factor in games thanks to playing in an offense that likes to throw to tight ends. Likely made a one-handed catch on a reception and while he only caught two passes for 42 yards, he caught two of the eight touchdowns by a tight end this week.
TE David Njoku – Since Joe Flacco showed up, Njoku was a scoring machine with a touchdown in four straight games. He failed to score this week, but led the position with 134 yards on six catches.
WR Bo Melton – The Packers wideout was called up from the practice squad to help cover for all the wideout injuries in Week 17. He responded by leading the Packers with nine targets for six catches and 105 yards with a touchdown. It was the first 100-yard performance by any Packer receiver this year.
RB Najee Harris – He lost his job as a receiver out of the backfield, and was listed below Jaylen Warren on the depth chart. He never had a 100-yard game and scored just once in the last month. So right when you need him the most and trust him the least, Harris turned in a season-best 122 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns.
Huddle player of the week
Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
CeeDee Lamb – He was already well represented on fantasy playoff teams and then helped to deliver the trophy for many when he caught 13 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. 41.7 fantasy points is a difference-maker.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
