The Browns are getting some help as they prepare for their game Sunday against the host New York Jets.

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First of all, though they obviously didn’t know it at the time, the schedule-makers have set up the Browns nicely. The Thursday Night Football victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers was as an emotional of game as the Browns have had in some time. If instead it had happened on a Sunday, and the Browns had to play the Jets the following Sunday,  I think a lot of that celebratory emotion would’ve remained in the Browns and might have served as a deterrent in their preparation. But as it stands, following the win, head coach Todd Monken gave the players the time off from Friday through Monday. That gave them plenty of time to get that win out of their system and, when they returned Tuesday, allowed them to really begin to focus solely on the Jets. That’s a real benefit, because with a 1-3 record, the Browns could’ve looked past the Jets and ahead to the following Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, with whom they are tied atop the AFC North standings at 3-1.

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In addition to the Browns being able to concentrate on the Jets is the fact that the oddsmakers have made New York a field-goal favorite. Can you believe that? There are obviously a lot of people around the country who still don’t believe that the Browns are legitimate, and I can understand that, because this is all new and fresh. Even with that, however, the Jets shouldn’t be favored to beat anybody in the NFL. But they’re favored to beat the Browns, and that will give Monken a chance to kind of fire up his troops as they travel to New York

In another note, I was so happy to see the Atlanta Falcons of head coach Kevin Stefanski, who, of course, had the same job with the Browns the last six seasons, even their record at 2-2 with a one-sided win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday NightFootball. That’s the second victory in a row for the Falcons, who now seem to be getting themselves back on track after losing the first two games, and looking bad doing it. Sometimes, you just need a change of scenery to get yourself refocused. That’s what I think has happened with Stefanski. He needed a change, and the Browns needed a change from him. Stefanski has a fresh start, and so do the Browns under Monken. It worked out well for everybody involved , and that’s a feel-good story.

And finally, for people who grew up in Northeast Ohio in the 1960s, the passing of Sam McDowell at the age of 84 the other day is really a seminal moment. My three favorite athletes in Cleveland were McDowell, his teammate on the then Indians, Rocky Colavito, and Browns running back Jim Brown. Sudden Sam could throw the ball faster than anybody else and strike everybody out, Colavito could hit the ball farther than anybody else and Brown could run over, through and past would-be tacklers. They all had a little bit of Superman in them. Now they’re all gone — in a span of the last couple of years — but their memories remain. Please keep Sam’s family and friends in your prayers.

Steve King

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