While We’re Waiting…Browns Preseason Starts, Pryor’s 40 Time, Comparing OSU and PSU

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.

The Browns finally get to hit someone in another uniform tonight at Lambeau (Preview/Open Thread later): “How will the defense look under Mangini and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan? This is the fifth season the Browns are running a 3-4 and the scheme has yet to be effective in Cleveland. Can Mangini work his magic and turn this defense around?…Cleveland needs to generate a pass rush this season after getting just 17 sacks last season. The Browns won’t show everything, but they will run some pressure packages to provide clues of how they plan to improve on that abysmal statistic.” [James Walker/ESPN]

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The most inconsequential dispute over Terrelle Pryor’s 40 time erupted on the internet this week and it still continues: “The Plain Dealer’s story five days ago reporting that Pryor ran a 4.33 when timed at Ohio State several months ago has created plenty of doubt on the Internet, where some college football reporters aren’t believing that a 6-6, 235-pound quarterback is running the 40 faster than all but one player at any position at the most recent NFL combine.  The point of the original story was that, regardless of the time, Pryor the quarterback was the fastest Buckeye in those 40-meter tests. That in itself is a pretty unusual thing for a team. And it was mentioned that Ohio State’s home turf has a reputation for producing fast 40 times, with NFL scouts who test the Buckeyes well aware of that reputation.  However, when asked at Thursday night’s team photo event, several Buckeyes once again confirmed that they saw that 4.33 posted.” [Doug Lesmerises/Plain Dealer]

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Comparing OSU and their most dangerous Big10 competitor this upcoming season:  “The Lions’ biggest concern, probably anywhere on the team, is replacing Aaron Maybin’s impact in the pass rush, but with Lee and Navorro Bowman and OSU breaking in three new linebackers, I don’t see any good reason [either] has a notable advantage in the front seven. Or anywhere on the field, for that matter.  On paper, they’re totally deadlocked, which was pretty much the case on the field throughout their nailbiter last year in Columbus, which hinged on a totally random turnover.  So here is my tiebreaker: Penn State gets Ohio State at home. I’m not much of a believer in home field advantage, but that’s the only separation I can come up with. These teams couldn’t be more identical.” [Matt Hinton/Dr. Saturday]

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Yesterday’s WWW highlighted Cliff’s recent success in another uni so I thought I would pour it on some more: “Hide the women and children: Vintage CC might be coming…In those two starts, Sabathia went 2-0 while pitching 15.2 innings and giving up only five hits and one run. He struck out nine Red Sox batters and 10 Mariners, marking the first time he hit either number all season. The performance follows a middling July, when Sabathia went 3-3 with a 4.62 ERA, striking out only 31 batters in 39 innings. His ERA is down to 3.64. Said Sabathia on Thursday night:‘I feel like this is my time of the year.’” [Kevin Kaduk/BigLeagueStew]

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Pluto hates penalties: “In the past three years, Mangini’s New York Jets had 68 fewer penalties than the Browns. Last season, the Jets had 77 penalties, the fourth fewest in the NFL to New England (57). The Browns had 100 penalties, the third highest. It makes me want to scream when guys jump off-sides before the snap. Or when players are flagged for illegal motion penalties. Or when timeouts are wasted because a few guys don’t know where they are supposed to stand before a play begins.” [Terry Pluto/Plain Dealer]

(Photo: Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer)