Browns latest roster moves

By STEVE KING

Look the refs were flat ass & were directly responsible for a TD.

But the refs didn’t run the ball on 3rd and 10.
They didn’t punt like a MAC team.
They didn’t blow two coverages.

Browns weren’t good enough to overcome all of that.

Chargers made the plays when they had to

— Dawgs By Nature (@DawgsByNature) October 10, 2021

I try not to get upset when teams in any sport blame officials, or referees or umpires, for losses.

I really do.

But it’s hard — in fact, very, very hard, if not almost downright impossible.

So when, after Sunday’s wild 47-42 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers, the Browns bemoaned officials’ calls — a perceived pass interference that didn’t get whistled and a perceived non-pass interference that did get whistled – and intimated those had an influence on the final score.

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Perhaps they were good calls or good non-calls, and perhaps they weren’t. It doesn’t matter. In the grand scheme of things, they didn’t cause the Browns to lose nor did they cause the Super Chargers, as they were called during their nearly 60-year stay 71 miles south in San Diego, to win the game.

Officials don’t win or lose games. Players do. Every. Single. Time.

So, as a result, then, what caused the game to go the way it did was what the players did, or didn’t ‘t do, as it were, with those from Los Angeles doing better than those from Cleveland.

The Browns need only blame themselves, especially for allowing Los Angeles receivers to charge through the secondary with no Cleveland defenders in even the same area code, and then for returning a kickoff to only the Cleveland 14 late in the game when the Browns, with the lead, needed to get just a few first downs to use up the rest of the clock and secure the win. They couldn’t get even one, and had to punt from deep in their own territory. The kick went only to midfield, putting the Chargers in great field position to go down and get the winning touchdown.

The officials had nothing to do with any of that.

So, the Browns just need to quit yapping about it and get ready for Sunday’s visit from the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals.

Browns make roster moves

BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have placed OL Chris Hubbard (triceps), FB Andy Janovich (hamstring) and S M.J. Stewart (hamstring) on injured reserve. The team has also signed DE Joe Jackson and FB Johnny Stanton IV to the active roster from the practice squad. In addition, the team has activated CB Tim Harris from practice squad/COVID-19 and signed T Alex Taylor to the practice squad.

Jackson is 6-4, 278 pounds and in his third NFL season out of Miami (Fla.). Initially a fifth-round selection by Dallas in 2019, Jackson first joined the Browns via waivers in 2020. He has appeared in all five games this season and recorded four tackles with one sack. He will wear No. 91. 

Stanton is 6-2, 240-pound and in his second NFL season out of UNLV. Originally signed by Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Stanton appeared in one game with the Browns last season. He has spent time on the practice squads in Minnesota (2019) and Cleveland (2020-21). A former college quarterback who transitioned to fullback in the NFL, Stanton is a native of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. He will wear No. 40.

Taylor is 6-8, 301 pounds and is officially in his first NFL season out of South Carolina State. Originally signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2020, Taylor appeared in one game with the Browns as a rookie and spent time on the club’s practice squad. He spent four weeks on the Bears’ practice squad this season.

Hubbard has appeared in one game as a reserve this season. Janovich appeared in all five games with two starts and recorded one rushing touchdown. Stewart has appeared in all five games as a reserve and recorded seven tackles.

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