May 24, 2013

Brendan Leister from DraftBrowns.com with some pre-draft knowledge – WFNY Podcast – 2013-04-23

April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

WFNY Podcast LogoBrendan Leister has been working his tail off since December getting all the draft info together that you can possibly handle at DraftBrowns.com – He shares a little bit with us.

  • Kenny Vaccaro from Texas

  • Tyler Eifert and whether the Browns could take him

  • Dion Jordan and just how good he can be

  • Barkevious Mingo and whether he’ll be a better pass rusher than Jordan

  • Bust potential in the top ten Sharrif Floyd

  • Value later in this draft?

  • Tight end, safety and corners

  • Offensive skill positions and what the Browns might do

  • Andy Dalton and quarterback purgatory

  • Dee Milliner and the injury situation

  • Honey Badger and where you would consider taking him?

Check out this episode [Read more...]

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Browns Survey Results: 57% of Browns fans expected a win

October 14, 2012 by 2 Comments

The Cleveland Browns got a win on Sunday and 57% of Browns fans who filled out our survey expected them to win. And then, of those 57%, the expected spread was seven points. That’s not all bad as the Browns won by ten 34-24. Of those who predicted victory, the average Browns score was 27 points. So the Browns actually out-performed even the optimists’ expectations by a Phil Dawson field goal.

Overall, Browns fans predicted that the Bengals would score 24 points and that the Browns would score 23. Tough to be more split than that. Now for the rest of the guesses.

First up? Sacks. Nailed it. Weeden was sacked twice and the majority of you thought he would be sacked twice.

[Read more...]

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Andy Dalton Gets Banged Up Against Colts

August 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment

From the important AFC North injury chronicles, Pat Shurmur is nodding his head approvingly that he didn’t put Brandon Weeden on the field last night. Bengals second-year starter Andy Dalton got sandwiched by a couple of Colts and trainers were attending to his elbow.

He got up after being struck by Colts linebacker Robert Mathis. Moving slowly, Dalton flexed his fingers. Later, he was sitting on the turf near the Bengals’ bench, with trainers attending to him.

The announcers explained after a commercial break that trainers were checking Dalton’s elbow. He currently is one the sidelines, and he seems to be OK.

And good for Dalton. I am not one to cheer for injuries even in a brutal sport like the NFL. 1 As has been a topic of conversation for the past week, it is a bit of a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” decision on who to play and how much they should play in the 4th preseason game.

Surely nobody will be upset with Shurmur for playing James-Michael Johnson, a rookie who suffered an oblique injury last night in the Browns’ 28-20 loss to Chicago.

[Related:Shurmur: Fourth Game Alone Won’t Decide Browns’ Back-Up QB Spot]

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  1. Maybe in UFC… [back]

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Browns and Bengals Hope for Better Results From Young QBs

November 25, 2011 by 2 Comments

Andy Dalton is having a very solid rookie campaign for the Cincinnati Bengals.  It is hard to tell whether Dalton is helping break out his receivers like A.J. Green and Jerome Simpson, or vice versa.  I tend to think it is probably the latter, but it matters little.  The Bengals are using young players and are developing a dangerous passing attack (even when they aren’t completely uncovered by a still-huddling defense.***) On the opposite side, it has been more up and down between last season’s run-heavy beginning to Colt McCoy’s career and the implementation of Pat Shurmur’s offense.  In the last few weeks against weaker defenses it seems that the Browns might actually have an attack plan in some phase of being formulated.

Once upon a time the Browns and Bengals battled one October day in what they both thought was a glimpse of the future.  The Bengals did battle with draft pick Akili Smith leading the way and the Browns answered with #1 pick Tim Couch.  The Bengals came away victorious in that first meeting 18-17.  Akili Smith won the day completing 25 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.  Tim Couch went 15 for 27 for 164 yards and an interception.  The highlight from that game that stands the test of time for Browns fans is Phil Dawson running four yards for a touchdown.  The Bengals won that game, but in the contest between Akili Smith and Tim Couch, the Browns won.  Granted, it turned out to be not very much of a contest and it is hard to consider the winner a “winner” but the Browns won. [Read more...]

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The Illusion of Overnight Success – Part 2 – Bengals

November 1, 2011 by 91 Comments

Yesterday, some accused me of being selective in selecting the 49ers as an example of why “overnight success” is an illusion in the NFL.  Some challenged me to take on the Bengals.  So, here we are.  I am going to tell you why the Bengals are not an “overnight success.”

I didn’t consider the Bengals in the same category as the Browns or 49ers because they have had the same coach for years. They plugged in a new rookie QB and #1 wide receiver this year in Andy Dalton and AJ Green. Those two have certainly performed better than I expected (Dalton more than Green.)  But again, their coach, Marvin Lewis, has been in place since 2003. The basic fundamental systems have been in place. Let’s look at the key players.

Center Kyle Cook is in his fourth year with the team. Despite disappointing the team for his draft spot, Andre Smith is in his third season and is playing right tackle. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth is in his sixth season with the team. They have one rookie on the offensive line with guard Clint Boling.  The other guard Nate Livings is in his sixth year with the team and third year as a full-time starter.  Tight end Gresham is in his second year with the team.  Wide receivers Simpson and Caldwell are in their fourth. Cedric Benson is in his fourth year as a Bengal.  Running back Bernard Scott is in his third.  His backup Brian Leonard is in his third with the team.   Peko and Geathers on the d-line have been in Cincy running the same defense for six and eight years respectively. MLBs Rey Maualuga and Dan Skuta are in their third seasons with the Bengals. Fanene is in his seventh season with the team. [Read more...]

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Carson Palmer to the Raiders: Bad For The Browns

October 19, 2011 by 22 Comments

As you know, the Cincinnati Bengals sent QB Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders for a 2012 first round pick and a conditional second round pick in 2013, which could become a first rounder. Essentially, Browns Scott Fujita’s tackle of Raiders QB Jason Campbell on a scramble on Sunday changed the fortunes of two teams.

Think about it. Campbell, a free agent at the end of the season who has been playing well in leading the Raiders to 4-2 record, broke his collarbone and because of it, Oakland became desperate for a quick fix. They see a window to capture a playoff spot in the suddenly not so deep AFC, and their depth chart at QB read “Kyle Boller, Terrelle Pryor.”  [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting…Hardesty & Hillis, Signing Asdrubal & Masterson, McCoy & Daboll’s Rocky Past

September 25, 2011 by 2 Comments

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 at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

Balancing the bulk for the backs: “While Hillis is one of the Browns’ best offensive weapons, it would be in their best interest to lighten up on his carries when possible, not only to keep him healthy, but to see what they have in Hardesty. Before Hillis burst onto the scene in 2010, and before Hardesty blew out his knee in that preseason, the rookie out of Tennessee was deemed a potential starter for the Browns. Developing that potential and operating a successful two-back rotation will do wonders for the Browns offense, paying bigger dividends later in the season.” [Steve DiMatteo/Dawg Pound Daily] [Read more...]

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Browns Weren’t Ready – Lose to Bengals 27-17

September 11, 2011 by 80 Comments

Bengals rookie receiver A.J. Green got his first touchdown today to give the Bengals a 20-17 lead. It couldn’t have been a more embarrassing play for the Browns. The Browns’ defense was still getting set and ready to line up with Joe Haden inside near the hashes as Green was lined up outside. Bruce Gradkowski – in for injured rookie Andy Dalton – had the easiest touchdown connection of his career as Joe Haden looked stunned and sad after such a solid game full of break ups and blanketing defense went for nothing.

Gone was the streak of 17 unanswered Browns points. Gone was the miniscule four-point lead that the Browns seemed to sit on for much of the second half. The Browns never were able to get that score to put them up by more than a touchdown and the Bengals made them pay for it with about four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The Bengals would later add the final nail in the coffin, a long running touchdown by Cedric Benson.

The faces in Cleveland change, but the acts in this scripted play seem to stay largely the same for a bruised and battered Cleveland fan base that came into the game believing in this team. [Read more...]

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Bengals vs. Browns – First Half Report

September 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The new version of the Cleveland Browns was off to a very scary start. A first quarter with seven penalties for 48 yards will do that. The Bengals took an early lead and built it to 13-0 before the Browns finally started to play. It probably isn’t coincidence that the Browns’ offense finally started to click after Josh Cribbs returned a ball about 51 yards (nine yards deep) to the Browns’ 42 yard line.

The Browns got the running game going a bit with Montario Hardesty before Colt McCoy found Ben Watson leaking up the middle past the linebackers and into the end zone. What started with Josh Cribbs seemed to finally catch the rest of the team on fire. The Browns would force the Bengals to punt and the Browns would score again from McCoy to tight end Evan Moore for two yards. That touchdown was set up by a 56-yard bomb from Colt McCoy to Mohamed Massaquoi. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting…Feeling Kinda Sunday

September 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I think the Browns are going to look good on offense throughout the game, but the Bengals’ defense isn’t one we can just walk all over. Cleveland’s running game is a bit questionable right now because we didn’t get to see it on display during the preseason much, and the offensive line is shaky too. Dalton is going to have a tough time to start off the game, and I see Cleveland jumping out to an early two-possession lead. From there, I expect Cincinnati to grind things out on the ground and Dalton to start hitting a couple of throws to put the pressure back on Cleveland. The Bengals will score with a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Cleveland will close out the game from there.” [Chris Pokorny/Dawgs by Nature]

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While We’re Waiting…Mike Brown’s stock rising, Browns to work out QB Dalton, Sullinger a No.1 pick?

March 13, 2011 by 10 Comments

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 at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

Reasons why Mike Brown’s stock is rising without ever coaching a game this year – So. Beach developments help: “But this isn’t a diatribe about LeBron or Coach Spo.  It’s simply a commentary on a ex-Cleveland Cavaliers Coach, and embraced memeber of the Cleveland community, that I think did a much better job all around than anybody ever gave him credit for.  Until now maybe, because I have a feeling that he will be the most coveted coach in the NBA carousel this off-season.” [Bowers/Stepien Rules] [Read more...]

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