CLEVELAND, OHIO (TheOBR.com) - Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans! It's a chilly morning here in Cleveland as I make my way through the rubble of yesterday's rough start. My eyebrows have grown back, the coffeemaker is working again, and all is well at OBR World Headquarters this morning.
THE DAILY BLOVIATION
While the strategic hub of OBR World HQ returns to normal, the Cleveland Browns continue to confuse and befuddle onlookers at the national level, who are primarily concerned about a third-string quarterback with a large social media following who dropped to the fifth round of the draft before the Browns snapped him up.
So, yesterday, you got the usual array of national analysts saying the same old half-informed things about Sanders they've said in the past, acting as if the Browns have some secret plan to keep Sanders from achieving instant greatness. There are even local people suggesting the Browns should cut Sanders because of, well, I'm not exactly sure, but I guess it has something to do with not using him. So, dump the fifth-round pick you're developing because promoting Bailey Zappe above him this week is distracting, supposedly? Or something. Or not. It's all very confusing.
Confused dog
I am as confused as this dog. (Photo: Unsplash.com)
None of this has anything to do with the product that the Browns are going to put on the field on Sunday during a contest that will define whether the team has a shot in the AFC North or is more likely to be out of it relatively quickly. Given the team's history in Pittsburgh, it's quite possibly the latter, but this team is powered by several youngsters who are as familiar with the long-time Pittsburgh away game curse as I am with the music of Bad Bunny. They don't know that they're supposed to always lose in Pittsburgh, which gives me some hope. Maybe we can teach them about the 2020 Playoff Game and pretend the rest doesn't exist.
The Browns' issues heading into Pittsburgh have nothing to do with Shedeur Sanders. They're more concerned with the moribund offense, which struggles to stretch the field due to poor quarterback protection and wide receivers who rank near the bottom of the league in effectiveness. This allows opponents to stack the box and focus on mitigating the otherwise disruptive nature of Quinshon Judkins. Dillon Gabriel and the team's passing-game brain trust are going to need to attack deep early to convince the Steelers that this is a bad idea. The Steelers defense hasn't been its usual self so far in 2025, and the Browns need to make sure they don't put it together this week.
Meanwhile, the Browns may have made the effort to defeat the Steelers somewhat more complicated by swapping #2 cornerback Greg Newsome to the Jaguars for CB Tyson Campbell. We've explained why the deal makes sense here, and this sentiment has been echoed locally. The trade makes sense for both financial and scheme-fit reasons. Still, it leaves the Browns trying to integrate Campbell into their operations quickly, the same week they face Aaron Rodgers, who is desperate to establish a reasonable vertical game for the Steelers.
All of this puts me a little more on edge about the game being played on Sunday, where the Browns need to be at their best playing a Steelers team coming off a bye week. As a fan and a webdork, I'm desperate for a Browns win to keep this team engaged in a playoff battle a bit longer as the schedule lightens up in the weeks ahead. While I know this season is about building for the future, I'm not ready to let go of the present quite yet.
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
Newswire Bloviation Archive
CLEVELAND BROWNS ARTICLES
Understanding The Cleveland Browns' Spending Philosophy & Why It Is Sustainable - Jack
Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 10/9: Everything's Fine Here. You? - Barry
Browns Practice Report: Rookies Shine; Jim Schwartz, Shedeur Sanders Speak - Fred
Cleveland Browns Trade for Tyson Campbell Other Notes Heading into Pittsburgh: What We've Been Told - Pete and Lane
The Financials On A Potential Shelby Harris Cleveland Browns Trade - Jack
CLEVELAND BROWNS VIDEOS
Camp Trust - (youtube.com)
Browns 3D- Browns still active in trade market move Greg Newsome for Tyson Campbell - (youtube.com)
Two-Minute Practice Check-In: 10/9/25 - (youtube.com)
MESSAGE BOARD POSTS
ASK THE INSIDERS (VIP)
OT Draft Follow Up
Chad OShea or Kevin and the dropsies
Malachi Corley
Opinions on Sanders
Njoku
Cap Impact of Newsome Trade
Browns trading for a wr?
What does the future of the DE room look like?
Disconnect btwn StefBerry
Delayed FAX
KS Leash/expectations
What does the future of the DE room look like?
Newsome-Campbell Trade
Newsome trade timing
Rift between AB and KS
If the Browns lose this weekend...
FU on Cap Impact of Newsome Trade
INSIDER DISCUSSION (VIP)
Odd Timing
Disconnect between Berry and Stefanski on qbs
THE WATERCOOLER
LiveWire Thread for 109 - Twitter, Video, Articles
OT: Crazy stat that tells you a little about the Flacco trade
Audio: Inside the Browns Beat: ft Dan Labbe
Garden Variety Lost Season?
TNF Eagles Giants
THE LIFT
Positive news from the world of sports and beyond...
If you want to be miserable, then spend your money like this - (bigthink.com)
I believe that doing what you love is more important than accumulating money. I've proven this by not accumulating money.
This episode of Big Think is for individuals like me who prioritize their day-to-day passion for what they're doing over accumulating material possessions. Sure, I'd like to have nice things, too, but if I have to make the choice, it's going to be doing something that I believe makes the world a better place.
WRAPPING UP
When not not buying stuff, Barry McBride is the Publisher and Founder of the OBR and bloviates this nonsense every morning. You can follow him on Twitter @barrymcbride or write him at barry@theobr.com if you are so compelled.
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