Daily Dawg Chow (10/31/12)

Cleveland Browns:

• "Browns looking to enter bye week on a high" (FS Ohio) - "The nine punts on Sunday and the 2-6 record stand tall, but there is also this little reality about the Cleveland Browns: If they win Sunday over the Baltimore Ravens, they’ll enter the bye week having won three-of-four. And by any measure, that’s not half bad."
• "Harbaugh calls Browns game a 'must-win'" (AFC North Blog) - "The Baltimore Ravens' John Harbaugh is usually the type of coach that doesn't place more emphasis on one game than another. That's why it stands out when he calls Sundays' game at the Cleveland Browns a 'must-win.' He didn't just do it once, but twice."
• "Cleveland Browns want another win" (Morning Journal) - "Halfway through the season, the Browns have won half as many games as they did in 2011 before anyone in Cleveland ever heard of Jimmy Haslam. The Browns were 3-3 after six games last year and just 1-9 the rest of the way. They are 2-6 this season after a 0-5 start."
• "Alex Smith brings energy to running game as fullback" (Chronicle-Telegram) - "The Browns were looking for a greater impact from the fullback position, and tight end Alex Smith wanted a larger role. The desires intersected Sunday and helped pave the way for Trent Richardson’s career-high 122 rushing yards."

NFL:

• "Jaguars trade WR Thomas to Lions for draft pick" (AP) - "A year after giving Mike Thomas a new contract, the Jacksonville Jaguars are giving him a new home. The Jaguars traded Thomas to the Detroit Lions on Tuesday for an undisclosed draft pick."
• "All-Pro guard Nicks goes on IR" (AP) - "The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have placed guard Carl Nicks, an All-Pro last season, on injured reserve. They also put tight end Danny Noble on IR on Tuesday and elevated guard Roger Allen to the active roster from the practice squad."
• "Fisher says Rams won't trade running back" (AP) - "The St. Louis Rams say running back Steven Jackson is not available in a trade. Coach Jeff Fisher did his best to quash persistent rumors, saying Tuesday that the Rams aren't shopping Jackson and have not been getting calls about him, either."
• "Awards Watch: Week 8" (SI.com) - "The pulse of the NFL season changes weekly. Every Tuesday, SI.com will break down the front-runners for the major NFL awards."