Gameday Newsletter: Week 8, Ravens
Browns Film Breakdown returns providing all the insights you need as the Browns host the Ravens for the first of their 2024 matchups.
The collective Browns football orbit is trying their best to process a tough 24 hours. The passing of Jim Donovan, the voice of the Cleveland Browns for my lifetime as a fan, is a tough thing to accept. What a remarkable man. The stories of how Jim touched those around him across his years in the Cleveland media scene are well worth your time. There is no shortage of moments and memories he provided. I met Jim once, not something he would have recalled as it was a passing moment in Berea, but it’ll always be a highlight for me. His voice played throughout my childhood watching and listening to this organization as I fell in love. He is synonymous with the franchise and it will be brutal to replace his immense light. He just had a way of making everything in the Browns world better when we needed it most. He will be so sorely missed.
Our own Jordan Zirm put it best in his tweet the organization used when highlighting the beautiful words the Browns community was saying about Jim upon the news of his passing.
The Ravens come to Cleveland today with a ton of confidence and a 5-2 record. When scheduled were released for 2024 this was one we all circled as a critical spot where a Browns team with a perceived easy early schedule could be sitting pretty to face their division rival for a marquee home game. Well, that didn’t exactly come to fruition. The Browns limp in at 1-6 but despite the game feeling meaningless of sorts, it does have a sliver of intrigue about the decisions the team made this week bearing fruit and jump starting something positive into the middle of the year.
Ken Dorsey will call plays from the press box today — a big change from his sideline location this year and supporting role in the offense. This sort of thing is a big new direction from anything we’ve seen with the team since Kevin Stefanski took over in 2020. That wrinkle, paired with Jameis Winston starting, leads to some cautious optimism the offense could swing into a positive direction. Pair it with the defense’s stellar performances of late and it could work into a competitive game, and perhaps even an upset. Wouldn’t that be cool? We here at Browns Film Breakdown are all for it. Let’s hope we meet later tonight to discuss just that.
Here’s the latest from the team on injury status ahead of kickoff. Including welcome news of Wyatt Teller’s return.
Inside the weekly Gameday Newsletter you will get all the pieces of information paired with your Gameday Podcast to enhance your Sundays with this team.
Per the Sunday usual, I request that you sit back, pour your coffee or liquor, turn on the best pre-game Browns song known to man, and enjoy this delivery of all the best pre-game information from the BFB staff.
Looking like another picture perfect fall weather day in the Cleveland area. Temperatures will be cooler this week than last week as it will hover around the low to mid 50s for the game but there is no chance for rain and sunny throughout. 10/10 grade.
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