Woods squarely on the hot seat
By STEVE KING
How close is Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods to being subjected to what could be called “The Kerry Coombs Treatment?”
We’ll find out soon enough, possibly as soon as after, if not during, the game against the visiting Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Coombs, of course, is the Ohio State defensive coordinator who, after his group struggled mightily last season on the way to the Buckeyes’ earning a berth in the College Football Playoff, and then scuffled again at the start of this year, had his play-calling responsibilities taken away from him by head coach Ryan Day. Coombs retained his title, but he now sits up in the coaches booth and offers input while the calls are made on the field by another assistant.
Woods’ guys struggled last season and then again at the start of this year. After making marked improvement for two straight weeks the last two games have been godawful with missed assignments in the secondary, allowing receivers to run unchecked through the secondary. There has never been anything like it in Browns history.
All this after the Browns spent a ton of money in free agency in the off-season, and used a number of their picks in last spring’s NFL Draft, to bring in players to improve the situation. That it has obviously failed to work is not the fault of the players but is rather that of Woods. He is doing something egregiously wrong, whether it’s with the scheme, communicating it to the players or a combination thereof.
If it doesn’t get better immediately, beginning with the game against the mediocre Broncos offense, then you can bet changes at the top will be made, if not soon then certainly after the season is over. The Browns hierarchy isn’t going to stand for any more of this.
With the offense all banged up, it’s time for the defense, which heretofore has done much to help them lose games en route to this disappointing 3-3 record, to help the reeling Browns win a game and get themselves — and their season — turned around.
QB Case Keenum to start vs. Broncos (10.20.21)
For Immediate Release
Oct. 20, 2021
Baker Mayfield, who had started 51 consecutive games, is dealing with an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder
By Andrew Gribble, ClevelandBrowns.com Senior Staff Writer
Berea, Ohio – Veteran QB Case Keenum will make the first start of his Browns career Thursday against the Broncos.
Baker Mayfield, who had started 51 consecutive games since his rookie season in 2018, continues to recover from an injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder and will not play Thursday. Though Mayfield wanted nothing more than to continue the streak, the Browns will roll with Keenum, who has started 62 games since 2013, for the primetime matchup at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“Case Keenum will be our starter tomorrow night and we have full confidence in him to lead us and do the things necessary to put us in position to win,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Baker fought really hard to play, he’s a competitor and obviously wants to be out there but just couldn’t make it on a short week. We know he will continue to do everything in his power to return as quickly as possible.”
Keenum came to Cleveland in 2020 after one season in Washington, where he started eight games and finished with 1,707 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Keenum’s best season was 2017 in Minnesota, when he worked closely with Stefanski, who was the team’s quarterbacks coach, and started 14 games for the NFC North champion Vikings. He completed a career-best 67 percent of his passes for 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
Keenum signed with the Broncos in 2018 and started all 16 games, completing 62 percent of his passes for a career-high 3,890 yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
In his time with the Browns, Keenum has appeared in four games and completed 6-of-13 passes for 52 yards. During the 2021 preseason, he completed 33-of-48 passes for 298 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
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Browns activate WR Jarvis Landry and elevate two from practice squad
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have activated WR Jarvis Landry from injured reserve and elevated QB Nick Mullens and CB Herb Miller.
Landry, a five-time Pro Bowler, has appeared in two games this season and caught six passes for 80 yards, while adding two rushes for 13 yards and a touchdown. He was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury on Sept. 21 and was designated for return on Oct. 15.
Mullens is 6-1, 210 pounds and in his fourth NFL season out of Southern Mississippi. Originally signed by San Francisco as an undrafted free agent in 2017, Mullens has appeared in 19 career games with 16 starts, completing 387 passes for 4,714 yards with 25 touchdowns. He has spent the 2021 season on the Browns’ practice squad. Mullens will wear No. 9.
Miller (6-1, 201) is a first-year player originally signed by Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He has appeared in five career games (four with Tampa Bay in 2020 and one with Cleveland in 2021). The Florida Atlantic product appeared on special teams for the Browns in Week 6 and has spent time on the Browns’ and Buccaneers’ practice squads this season. Miller will wear No. 29.
A club can carry up to 55 players on its roster during a given week by elevating one or two players from its practice squad prior to the transaction deadline that precedes the game. The rule allows teams a larger pool from which to select their 47 or 48 game-day active players. Any player elevated from the practice squad for this purpose will immediately revert to his team’s practice squad the day following the game.
*A player on injured reserve is allowed to return after missing only three games, and teams may return an unlimited number of players from injured reserve throughout the year.
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