Here’s the week 5 inactives for the Ravens matchup with the Browns
Ravens
CB Anthony Averett
C Hroniss Grasu
QB Robert Griffin
WR Jordan Lasley
DT Michael Pierce
DE Zach Sieler
LB Tim Williams
Browns
LB James Burgess
WR Damion Ratley
CB Denzel Rice
QB Drew Stanton
DE Chad Thomas
CB Tavierre Thomas
OG Earl Watford
Jabrill Peppers said he was talking about the environment that surrounds an NFL team when he told the Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria, Ohio, on Wednesday that people in Cleveland are “wishy-washy” about their Browns, Pat McManamon of ESPN reports.
“Obviously I wasn’t talking about the fans as a whole, more so the environment of an NFL franchise,” Peppers said Thursday. “We understand the city of Cleveland loves their Browns and wants to see us get back to how it’s supposed to be. That’s just the NFL. They love you when you’re doing good or not so much when you’re not.”
Peppers’ original comment to the Chronicle-Telegram: “So that’s one thing I notice about Cleveland sports, you guys are very, very wishy-washy. If it ain’t going right immediately, calling for heads, calling for jobs.”
Peppers spoke in the context of the Browns struggling to win. They started 1-2-1, lost a game in Oakland when they scored 42 points and are 2-33-1 since the 2016 season. Peppers said he has encountered hostility just in his daily activities living in downtown Cleveland. He said it happens “every time I go out,” even when he wears a hoodie, though he takes the hood off when he goes in stores.
“That’s my experience,” he said. “I can’t speak for all the guys.”
Peppers said he does not go out by himself anymore because of the situation that he described as “a little bit more than verbal.”
“I love the Cleveland Browns; I love the city of Cleveland,” Peppers said. “I love how passionate the fans are. Part of what I get is my fault. I’m not playing up to my potential and they see that as well so you can’t fault people for feeling how they feel. You just go to take it with a grain of salt and do what you got to do to get better.”
But he also said he has limits.
“When you walk up on another grown man, that’s another kind of situation,” he said.
Peppers said the fact he went to Michigan makes the situation worse given the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan.
“Some people already feel the way about me because of my college choice,” he said. “I’ve just got to play better and make the plays on the field to get them to like me. That’s how it is in the NFL.”
NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger previews the Week 2 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the New Orleans Saints.
The NFL admitted Monday that the Browns’ Myles Garrett shouldn’t have been flagged for roughing on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that led to a touchdown on the next play, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The mistake could’ve been the difference in the game, which ended in a 21-21 tie in overtime.
NFL V.P. of Officiating Al Riveron told NFL Network Monday that Garrett didn’t land with most or all of his body weight on Roethlisberger, and therefore it wasn’t a foul.
“The rule specifically says ‘most, if not all, of your body weight,'” Riveron said. “So we want that player to make an effort.
“And the last three or four weeks, we have pulled extensive video to show the clubs exactly what we’re talking about, and we probably last week showed 5-to-1 or 6-to-1 of legal hits, or legal contact, as opposed to illegal contact. Because the question we get all the time is, well, what do you want our players to do? Well, they have to not put the weight on the quarterback.
“And this one [on Garrett] yesterday showed, even though there is some body weight on Ben, this is not what we would consider contact that rises to the level of a foul.”
Roethlisberger, facing a third and 7 from the Browns’ 8, threw the ball away in the back of the end zone with Garrett bearing down on him. Garrett hit him after the throw, and was flagged half the distance to the goal, but the hit appeared legal.
On the next play, James Conner ran in from the 4 to make it 7-0 with 11:16 left in the half.
Browns coach Hue Jackson, also believing the hit was legal, got in the face of referee Shawn Smith and gave him an earful. But it was too late.
“There were quite a few times I talked to the officials about things I saw and calls that they made,” Jackson said. “The call on Myles Garrett, I do not get that.
“They said that it was roughing the passer. That led to a touchdown.”
Today is the first official injury report for the 2018 season as the Browns and Steelers get set for battle Sunday in Cleveland.
Here’s a look at the report distributed earlier today by the NFL.
| PITTSBURGH STEELERS | ||
| Practice Report | ||
| LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | TE Vance McDonald (foot) | |
| CLEVELAND BROWNS | ||
| Practice Report | ||
| DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | LB James Burgess (concussion), CB E.J. Gaines (knee) | |
| LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | LB Genard Avery (glute), DT Trevon Coley (ankle), TE Seth DeValve (quadricep), WR Josh Gordon (hamstring), T Desmond Harrison (knee) | |
| FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | CB Damarious Randall (knee) | |
Browns LB Mychal Kendricks has been released after being charged earlier in the day Wednesday with insider trading. TMZ Sports has the lowdown.
White collar crime doesn’t sit well with the Browns — the team just released linebacker Mychal Kendricks in the wake of his insider trading charges.
Kendricks has admitted to breaking federal laws by trading perks for tips in a scheme to make an ill-gotten fortune. Officials say Kendricks turned $80k into roughly $1.2 million using private information that wasn’t available to the public.
Kendricks issued a public apology for his role in the scheme — accepting blame and saying he’s ready to deal with the consequences.
Those consequences could be steep — he’s facing serious prison time if convicted. And, since he’s already confessed, he’ll almost certainly be convicted. Clearly, the Browns want no part of his legal drama and decided to simply cut bait Wednesday.
Kendricks was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl winning team last season, and was expected to be a big part of the Browns’ D in 2018.
Kendricks has even been featured on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ this season — and this should be a very interesting storyline … if they decide to make his new legal situation a part of the show.
To the surprise of no one really based on him just coming back, the Browns will not have the services of wide out Josh Gordon on Thursday when the team takes the field against the Eagles at First Energy Stadium on Thursday night.
Here’s the story from the Plain Dealer:
“No, Josh is not playing this Thursday night. No,” Jackson said. “That’s for sure.”
Gordon returned from his treatment program at the University of Florida, but hasn’t yet been cleared to practice. His return to the field will be a collaborative decision on the part of his medical team, the NFL, the Browns and Gordon.
He’s currently on the active/non-football injury list, which permits him to attend meetings and conditioning sessions, but not practice.
All eyes seem to be on Gordon in terms of if he will be ready for opening day against the Steelers at home.
Dez Bryant’s visit with the Browns ended late Friday morning, but the two sides will continue to talk, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Bryant and his agent, Kim Miale of Roc Nation arrived in Cleveland on Thursday afternoon and stayed through Friday morning. A league source told cleveland.com that Miale and Browns GM John Dorsey spoke again on Friday morning and the two sides will continue their discussions.
Bryant was excited about the visit, which included time spent at the Browns facility on Thursday and dinner that night. Likewise, the Browns were impressed with him, but it was more a chance for the two sides to get acquainted and see if it was a fit.
One league source said early Friday morning that a deal was not expected today.
The Browns host the Bills tonight at FirstEnergy Stadium.
October 7th, 2018 
Matt Loede 
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