This is a big week in Cleveland, and the spotlight is split between the Browns and the Guardians.
The Browns get first crack at it Thursday night, when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in front of a national television audience. The stakes are clear: the winner will finish Week 4 no worse than tied for first in the AFC North.
For Cleveland, it could be the biggest Browns game since the Wild Card playoff loss to the Houston Texans in 2023. And if the Browns can take care of business, especially with the Steelers having not won in Cleveland in five years, it could point toward a season that ends up looking a lot more interesting than expected.
Then on Saturday, the Guardians begin their American League Division Series against either the Chicago White Sox or the Houston Astros. That part isn’t a surprise. Cleveland has won the AL Central three straight times and has reached the playoffs in eight of the last 11 seasons.
What a time to be in Cleveland.
Now, on to the latest edition of the Daily Dawg Chow.
Todd Monken is already dealing with one of the biggest issues from Sunday’s win: the penalties. He called the number of flags “embarrassing,” with the offensive line drawing particular frustration. The bigger question now is what he can do to clean it up.
The injury picture also got a little murkier for Week 4. Tyson Campbell has an injury update, and there’s also an offensive starter who is likely to miss the Steelers game. That creates the usual NFL balancing act: some good news, some bad news, and the possibility of leaning on a backup in a key spot.
The roster carousel keeps spinning, too. The Browns made another cornerback swap, according to a report, because the league never really stops churning at the bottom of the roster.
As for the matchup itself, the Browns opened as home underdogs against a Steelers team that hasn’t won in Cleveland since Spencer Fano was in high school. And if you want the bigger-picture look, Pittsburgh’s two wins this season have come in completely different ways, which is a reminder that this is still a team with multiple paths to beating you.
There’s also some buzz around Mason Graham. After posting just a half-sack across 17 games as a rookie, he already has four sacks in his first three games of Year 2. That kind of jump gets your attention fast.
Another detail worth watching: Todd Monken’s fourth-down decision in the win meant more than just trying to ice the game. It said something about how he’s willing to manage this team, and maybe a little something about the identity he’s trying to build.
That identity is part of a larger effort, too. Monken is trying to shape a new Browns identity around their most painful chapter, while not getting trapped by the weight of the last four seasons.
And on the offensive side, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is starting to get on the same page with Deshaun Watson after a slow start. If that connection keeps growing, it gives Cleveland another piece worth tracking as the schedule tightens up.
In Other News...
Pat Freiermuth Just Reopened An Ugly Browns Fan Reputation
Pat Freiermuth brought an old scar back into view this week when he revisited a rookie-season memory that stuck with him far beyond the final whistle. Ahead of the Steelers upcoming game against the Browns, the tight end described the scene around his game-winning touchdown in Cleveland, a moment that should have been about the play itself but instead turned into something far uglier in the stands.
Freiermuth said his mother was the one caught in the middle of it, and the memory has been enough to change her routine when the Steelers head to Cleveland. Even so, he made clear there are no lingering hard feelings, just a reminder of how quickly a night in the AFC North can turn personal and why certain road games still carry an edge no scoreboard can erase. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Keep Winning But One Problem Is Starting To Look Dangerous
The Browns have done enough through three games to sit at 2-1, but the way they have gotten there has left a growing concern hanging over an otherwise encouraging start. Cleveland has been flagged 34 times already, the second-highest total in the NFL, and the issue has become hard to ignore even as head coach Todd Monken and his staff continue to stress the need to clean it up.
The bigger worry is that the problem has not settled down, even with key players drawing repeated flags, including right tackle Tytus Howard. The Browns have been able to survive it by winning tight games and leaning on late scoring drives from Deshaun Watson, but the margin for error shrinks quickly when a team keeps putting itself behind the chains and giving away yards it cannot afford to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Is Pushing Veterans In A Troubling Position Battle
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren arrived in Cleveland as a second-round pick with the usual rookie expectations, but his first three weeks have started to look more like a challenge to the veterans in front of him than a slow apprenticeship. His defensive snaps have been limited so far, yet when he has been on the field, he has made the most of it and drawn strong grades from PFF relative to other Browns defenders.
That kind of early efficiency can change a depth chart quickly, especially for a team trying to sort out its safety mix and steady itself against the run. Cleveland has reason to consider expanding McNeil-Warrens role if the current personnel at the position keeps leaving openings, and the next stretch could show whether the rookie is merely earning more trust or forcing a tougher conversation about who should be playing more. [Read more 🡒]