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If you think the league purposely disqualified players for your favorite team because they don’t like the team for some reason you should probably not watch that league anymore.

Right...and if you think both drew brees and bret farve retired 30 years ago you probably shouldn't watch that league...or any sports league for that matter at all. Just saying....

I don't know about that - I am not a wrestling aficionado - but apologies for not not distinguishing between WWE and the true sport of wrestling.

I think the truth of the matter lies somewhere in the middle. I don't believe the NFL is out to get the Browns. However, I do see how fans may get that impression.

Let's not pretend that officiating crews don't play favorites. Those "superstar QB's" may as well be wearing skirts. The more popular teams and higher rated teams I feel so get calls made in their favor on marginal penalties at times. Pass interference is often called much closer for better teams who will get that called in their favor in circumstances lesser teams will not.

Now people can debate whether that is subconscious or deliberate on the part of the officials, but we certainly see it spread across the NFL.

It's not Browns specific. It's more elite team specific which causes lesser teams to pay the cost. Do the Browns want to be one of those teams getting some of these breaks? Start winning consistently and earn it.

I feel much the same way. I don't believe for 1 second that the NFL is fixed. But I can clearly see that it is not played on an even field.

I thought I pretty much said that in my follow up post ...

Having officiating that is inconsistent or that favors certain "stars" does not even remotely come close to having a league that is fixed.

when you rush 8 times with the #6 running back in the NFL and continue to pass to a bunch of scrubs and expect to win

one is a movie the other is a real sport

When your running game is getting stuffed because the line can't block a hole and the only thing you're having ANY success with is passing to your TE's because your WRs suck, you roll with whatever it is you can get to work.

I'm still thinking about the 2nd Roughing penalty called against NYJ.. that one did look ticky tacky

This.

Exactly. They were daring us to pass with our depleted WR group. They were not going to make it easy for us to run the ball.

Are we expecting these guys to play next week:

Harrison
Teller
Wills
Landry
DPJ
Higgins
Hodge
Phillips

I was poking fun at the conspiracy theorists but also at you for not being able to acknowledge the past decade of Browns futility. The past 48 hours were textbook "same ol' Browns".

It's who we are, until we aren't.

We need at least 75% back

We should have all the receivers and Phillips. I would lean yes on Harrison. Wills and Teller will be sketchy.

They are the most important, unfortunately.

yeah, our offense is not nearly as good without the full strength OL. It’s so noticeable

And why I would target a O-lineman or two in free agency and hope to draft at least 1 in next years draft.

Lamm is just a guy. He can be replaced by nearly anybody. Harris shows some promise, but he is a ways off. He looked really good last week, but that was with both Bitonio and Wills playing on the left side. That allowed Tretter to "babysit" Harris a bit. This week with Wills out, Treeter couldn't do that and Harris got trucked.

Officiating that is not consistent for all parties and that favors anything is exactly what "fixed" means.

Maybe technically, but in a true fix, you have to have a degree of "intent" and premeditation. Maybe some degree of collusion between two or more officials or players.

What is wrong with Wills? I thought it was a non-covid illness?

Shouldn't he be back?

He was 'close-contact' earlier, then cleared, then got sick.

Worst-case scenario is pretty clear. IIRC, Garrett followed a similar timeline (suspected, cleared, then got sick).

it may be a signing out of precaution, but clearly they didn’t like what they saw from Willies or Hall or whoever too

Hall only had one catch, Willies was shut out.
Only Bradley really showed up in any way.... I'd say they're simply looking to replace all of them.

If we don't get all of the WR's back on Thursday, we're hosed.

yeah, that’s a scary thought to have to play Pittsburgh without a passing threat AND the possibility of still missing Wills/Teller

Willies was not targeted and played three snaps in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Jets.

Yep, I don't remember even being on the field.

I don't remember being on the field either.

Ya, but I'm older than you ..

Stefanski did confirm that all five players continue to test negative for the virus. NFL maybe needs to look at contact rule ?

j/c...

I notice no mention of wills. Even the media mentioned that the browns wont give any updates on him. Preparing myself for the "positive " test later in the week eliminating him from Steelers game and playoff game if we make it

I read that Wills tested negative again. I'll look for it.

It's in this article Slick.

Wills is a must if we are to have a chance in hell of winning this game.

Hollins was available and he knows the system. That's the only reason he's here incase disaster continues to strike.

I was expecting more out of Willies. He was a tough cut iirc.

Honestly, though. The real disappointment was the TEs. Hooper looked like garbage. And Bryant is about as reliable as Sendejo to make s play. Those two were the real let-downs.

And if course the defense. They're the real reason why I have absolutely no faith in a Sunday victory. If Woods gets another shot, I'll be very confused. Hard to overstate his bad this unit is.

It's a little bit harder for the TEs to do what they normally do when the opponent doesn't have to respect your WRs at all and can shut them down with 2nd and 3rd string DB's.

Still, the hands of our TEs were REALLY garbage yesterday.

I was really angry with the drops and lack of playmaking from the TEs. Bryant is so unreliable and seems so lost at times. Deer in headlights look

I know rookie TEs have a hard time translating, but man does Bryant remind me of Devalve...plays with short arms, appears lost and stiff, and ball security issues...Hopefully he can put in a lot of work next year, and come out a better TE.

Tha is buddy. Still wont be surprised if he ends up positive. This seems just like the Garrett situation. Was testing negative and then all of a sudden positive. Hope I'm wrong cause then we would lose him for Steelers game and playoff game if we make it