Saturday Dawg Chow: Browns news (12/4/21)

Cleveland Browns:

• Late 1980s Browns much more than Fumble and Drive (Vintage Browns excerpt No. 1) (Terry Pluto) - When the Browns of the late 1980s are mentioned, two things come up: The Drive. The Fumble. That’s understandable, but also ridiculous.
• Denzel Ward gets hot with long-term Browns future at stake (Beacon Journal) - The inherent pressure of playing for a contract extension is not a myth, at least not in the eyes of Denzel Ward. The Browns cornerback has handled the heat well this year and quietly put together perhaps his best season since his hometown NFL team drafted him fourth overall in 2018 out of Ohio State.
• Browns playoff chances impacted by six Week 13 games (Browns Wire) - The Cleveland Browns have a slim chance to make the NFL playoffs despite being only a half-game back of a playoff spot during their bye week. The five teams between them and the seventh seed, along with their very difficult closing schedule, make their chances of going back to back in the playoffs minute. Until the Browns are eliminated, we will continue to look at what games will impact their chances.
• Examining all of the Browns’ options regarding Baker Mayfield (CBS Sports) - The Cleveland Browns head into their bye week at 6-6 with an offense that’s produced 30 whole points in the last three weeks and whose playoff wick is burning quickly because of it. The next five weeks are going to go a long way in determining the long-term future of the quarterback position in Cleveland.

NFL:

• Don’t call ‘em trick plays: Why NFL teams love non-QB passes and who’s best at it (ESPN) - Tell a non-quarterback he’s part of the game plan to throw a pass, or that he’ll be catching a pass from someone other than the QB, and the fun is just getting started.
• Buccaneers’ Bruce Arians won’t address futures of Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards until suspensions over (NFL.com) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians has made no decisions on the futures of wide receiver Antonio Brown and safety Mike Edwards and has no plans to address the players’ situations further until they return from their three-game suspensions for violation of NFL/NFL Players Association COVID-19 protocols.
• The Seahawks might as well get started on their rebuild (The Ringer) - Seattle’s season is well beyond salvaging. Hard questions need to be asked—and answered soon.
• It’s time for the Steelers defense to change tactics (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) - The loss of Bud Dupree, nagging injuries to T.J. Watt and the absence of Stephon Tuitt have all conspired to jeopardize the Steelers’ chances of leading the league in sacks for a fifth consecutive year, which would extend the NFL record they set last year. Maybe it’s time to revert to some old Dick LeBeau tactics and bring back their fire-zone blitzes, which have all but disappeared from the defense.