Though it doesn’t seem like much of a win because the Cavs have a star-studded team — unlike the Jazz. But the win holds a little more weight than people might think. The Cavs now have a winning streak going, and they played exactly as they should’ve against a team like the Jazz.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had an abysmal first half last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are sporting one of the league’s worst records (2-10 after loss to Cincinnati). Dalton threw three interceptions in the first half, and a couple of them were blatant reads that he just missed. He threw one ball into double coverage that could’ve made even unknowledgeable football fans ask themselves, “Why would you make that throw?”
The Cincinnati Bengals are a testament to just how important a running back can be in the NFL. When Bengals running back Giovani Bernard went out with an injury to his hip, rookie running back Jeremy Hill stepped in and made an immediate impact. He was only seeing limited playing time because Bernard had been so good, but now it’s apparent to what the Bengals have in the backfield.Teams are constantly looking for that one guy who can carry the workload of an entire NFL season and do it on a consistent basis. Now, the Bengals have two of those guys, and it’s a great problem to have. With the inconsistency of quarterback Andy Dalton, running the ball has been more important than ever.The Bengals have been lucky, drafting two guys in two years that made an immediate positive impact. Some teams in the AFC North have gone elsewhere to try and bring in someone who has already established themselves in the NFL.The Cleveland Browns picked up running back Ben Tate from the Houston Texans and added him to their three-headed monster in the backfield, which consists of Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Once Crowell and West get the green light that they will be getting more carries, Tate is out the window. Tate signed a two-year $6.2 million deal with the Browns in the offseason, and it seems the team has already decided it isn’t going to work out.The Browns are no strangers to making surprising deals when it comes to the running back position. Last year, the Browns traded Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for a few draft picks because they didn’t feel like he was the right guy for them.The Browns aren’t alone in releasing running backs this week. The Pittsburgh Steelers have also joined in on the fun. The Steelers cut Legarrette Blount, who they recently picked up from the New England Patriots. People might remember when Blount got in trouble at the beginning of the year when police found illegal drugs in his car.Fellow Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell was in the car with Blount, but neither was given a suspension by the NFL or the Steelers organization. Bell has had a much better year for the Steelers than Blount, and I’m assuming that’s why Blount was let go, not because of previous encounters. It just goes to show that if you’re having a great year in the NFL, helping your teams win games and putting butts in the seats, then you have a little more pull in the organization.Running backs are a rare commodity in the NFL — there are a lot of guys that can get you two or three yards by just being brute force guys. But it’s hard to find a guy that can make home-run plays for you on a consistent basis. For Browns and Steelers fans, let’s hope the organizations have a plan to keep these teams in the race for the division.Adam Wondrely is a senior studying creative writing and journalism. Who do you have finishing in first place in the AFC North? Email him at aw922910@ohio.edu
The Cleveland Browns destroyed the Cincinnati Bengals and took first place from them.
If you have been watching the NFL throughout the past decade, you can tell that the refs have become a little more trigger-happy with their flags. These yellow flags are supposed to represent Commissioner Roger Goodell’s concern for the players’ safety.The term “hitting a defenseless receiver” has become all too common in the NFL in recent years. I understand they don’t want the defensive players destroying a guy because he is vulnerable, but how are you supposed to play the game nowadays if you can’t hit someone hard? The sole reason why these guys get paid so much is because what they do is dangerous. Fines have been too frequent lately. Each fine is based on how much the player gets paid, and the penalty is priced accordingly. But if player safety is such a concerning factor for the Goodell, why add another game (Thursday) to the weekly schedule?The NFL is where modern day gladiators go to battle as entertainment for us. It’s comprised of some of the biggest, fastest, most athletic men in the entire world, and they line up against one another and hit each other in the head for a couple of hours. There is a reason the NFL only has 16 games while Major League Baseball has 162 — the human body simply can’t take beatings the way these NFL guys do on a consistent basis.I love the idea of a primetime game; it gives America a chance to zone in on one game and gather around to enjoy America’s favorite sport. But we already had that with Monday Night Football. Altering the schedule to have a game on Thursday night is just a ploy to put some more money in the NFL’s pocket.If a team plays on the previous Sunday, then the players would only have three days of practice and rest before they have to go out onto the field and put themselves at risk again. But I guess it’s okay, right? Because Goodell is allowing more flags to be thrown.Sure, it’s their job and they get paid like kings, but I think it’s wrong to give these guys another game to go out there and destroy their bodies just a little bit more. However, this goes with the issue about penalties and fines. If you’re going to fine someone for endangering another player, but you add another game onto the weekly schedule, that screams hypocrite to me. Goodell is all over the place, and it seems like he is losing a grip on things. He already did a horrible job dealing with the Ray Rice incident earlier this year, and he was the one who instilled this new Thursday Night Football gimmick that only allowed DirecTV users to watch the game.The NFL needs to end Thursday Night Football and go back to the normal schedule. He is letting his greed get in the way of really keeping these players safe.Adam Wondrely is a senior studying creative writing and journalism. Email him aw922910@ohio.edu
Last week, the Indianapolis Colts were coming off a dominating win against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Colts’ defense shut the Bengals offense down in week 7, and didn’t allow them to get a single score, while Colts quarterback Andrew Luck put up 27.
Overwhelming support has been shown for Bengals player Devon Still and his 4-year-old daughter Leah who is fighting pediatric cancer.
Based on Browns Quarterback Brian Hoyer’s on-field performance, he’s proving that LeBron isn’t the only important player to return to Cleveland.There aren’t many teams in the professional sports world more deserving of a little hope than the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland gained the ultimate weapon on the basketball court by re-signing LeBron James, and now it seems the city just needs a new quarterback. And it looks like they’ve found one.Going into last Sunday’s Browns game, Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an 18-1 record against the Browns since being drafted by the Steelers in 2004. The Browns have been on a roller coaster ride trying to find a starting quarterback for their team. Going up against Roethlisberger, Hoyer attempted to do what only one other man could in the past 10 years: beat the Steelers. Hoyer was 18-30 on pass attempts, gaining 222 yards and a touchdown. However, the most important stat for Hoyer was that he finished the game without giving up any interceptions. He played a clean game, managed it well, and came out on top with a convincing 31-10 victory.There was so much speculation when the Browns drafted Texas A&M superstar Johnny Manziel, with hopes that he could quarterback the team to the Promised Land. But it turns out that Hoyer had other plans. After winning four straight games for the Browns last year, Hoyer tore his ACL, sending Browns fans into another quarterback-less oblivion.Hoyer recovered over the offseason, and came into training camp with a fresh mind and a determination to take back the number one quarterback spot on the Browns roster. Starting Hoyer over Manziel was the right choice. Hoyer has more experience in the league, and he’s played behind people like Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. By being the primary starter, there’s a lot he can teach Manziel by just playing in front of him.Manziel is a gunslinger; he makes things happen with his feet, and he creates plays when there are none. But the NFL is a totally different animal than college football. You can’t just run away from a defender in the NFL the way you can in college, because in the professional league, everyone is the fastest, biggest and best player — they’re the top football players in the world. Manziel needs to acquire the calm demeanor that veterans like Hoyer can bring to the table.What the Browns are doing right now is great. Hoyer is 29 years young, has a lot of good football left in him and can win the game when the Browns need it. It makes all of the sense in the world to allow Manziel to sit back, relax and learn while Hoyer leads the team as far as it can go.Right now, this team has a lot of talent, and could be a serious threat if not taken seriously. Hoyer is going to have to continue to prove that he can lead this team, and that he’s on the right track. As for those -2 rushing yards on Sunday, I wouldn’t worry about that, that’s supposed to be Manziel’s thing, right?Adam Wondrely is a senior studying creative writing and journalism. Do you see Brian Hoyer as the long term solution for the Browns? Email him at aw922910@ohio.edu.
Don’t be surprised if someone from the AFC North makes it to the Super Bowl; the league is up for grabs.
Current Baltimore Ravens wide receiver and former Carolina Panther Steve Smith will meet his former team this week and promises to show them that letting him go was a mistake.
Solutions by The State News