Denzel Ward, the Cleveland Browns cornerback, is at the Pro Bowl in Orlando this week, and one of the tasks he took part in was the “high stakes” skill competition. In the big scheme of things, it’s a ridiculous challenge: the player begins with two footballs in their hands and then attempts to field as many punts as possible.
Five players from the NFC and five from the AFC participated. Finally, whomever caught the most balls would receive three points for their conference. The NFL does not allow the video to be embedded outside of YouTube, but you can see the complete section here.
Ward appears at 1:13 for the AFC, but he is one-and-done, failing to catch the first kick that came his way. Fortunately for him, a division opponent picked up the slack, as Steelers special teamer Miles Killebrew caught the most passes and earned three points for the AFC. Ward made light of his performance on social media later:
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah also competed in the “Closest to the Pin” competition, which was similar to a golf game with a focus on precision and proximity to the hole. You can view the segment here. JOK’s segment begins at 3:16, when he takes a driver and attempts to line-drive it to the pin. It didn’t work, but the company enjoyed watching his attempt. The NFC scored three points after Cowboys P Bryan Anger came within two feet of the pin.
The Browns’ Pro Bowl participation continues on Sunday with Myles Garrett competing in the “Move the Chains” competition, Wyatt Teller competing in the “Gridiron Gauntlet” and “Tug of War” challenges, David Njoku participating in a Madden game, and a few Browns participating in the flag football game.
This season, PFF names Browns a ‘Secret Superstar’.
With the 2023 NFL season over except for the Super Bowl, PFF has begun to designate their studs and duds for the season.
One of their more fascinating categories of studs is a Cleveland Browns player.
PFF identified Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the team’s third-year linebacker, as a secret superstar of the AFC North.
Owusu-Koramoah enjoyed a breakout season for the Browns this year.
He joins Justice Hill of the Ravens, Jaylen Warren of the Steelers, and Jordan Battle of the Bengals as the AFC North’s secret superstars.
Owusu-Koramoah finished the season with 101 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two interceptions.
Considering he only recorded 146 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first two seasons combined, Owusu-Koramoah seems to find his footing this season.
In addition to a great statistical season, Owusu-Koramoah was a constant spark on defense, influencing practically every play, particularly the running game.
If Owusu-Koramoah didn’t make the tackle, he frequently diverted the ball carrier to shift directions, allowing his teammates to make plays.
He was also one of the few bright spots in the Browns’ playoff game against the Houston Texans, which saw them get thrashed.
Owusu-Koramoah finished the game with nine tackles and appeared to be the only Browns defender on the field at moments.
To cap off a successful season, Owusu-Koramoah was selected to his first Pro Bowl this year, replacing T.J. Watt, who was unable to attend due to injury.
Brian Daboll notes what the Browns are getting with Ken Dorsey.
By now, news has gone throughout the NFL that one of the best offensive coordinators available this offseason has left the market.
The Cleveland Browns just concluded a contract to employ Ken Dorsey, the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator for the previous two years.
While it is unknown what Dorsey’s responsibilities will be in terms of play-calling, he is one of the game’s sharpest offensive minds.
This is especially true when you ask Brian Daboll, who is now the head coach of the New York Giants but was Dorsey’s employer when the two worked together in Buffalo.
The analyst reveals who should call plays for the Browns.
Following the sacking of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, there has been much conjecture about who will become the Cleveland Browns’ new playcaller.
Granted, Van Pelt was not in charge of calling plays for the Browns; that responsibility was handled by head coach Kevin Stefanski.
However, with Van Pelt’s departure and the hire of new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, there is talk that Stefanski may be willing to relinquish playcalling duties in favor of Dorsey.
Everyone is commenting on the matter, including the famed sports reporter for The Plain Dealer (via Cleveland Browns on cleveland.com via YouTube).
While Pluto has previously criticized Stefanski, he feels he should continue to call plays, at least for this season.
Dorsey turned heads as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator, but he just has a year and a half of playcalling experience, according to Pluto.
Given his inexperience in compared to Stefanski, who has called plays throughout his stint with the Browns and for two years with the Minnesota Vikings, it seems to reason that he will continue to do so.
However, depending on how Dorsey, Stefanski, and the firm progress throughout the year, those duties may alter at any time.
It is also worth mentioning that, while head coaches undertaking playcalling duties were once uncommon, they are now more widespread than ever.
It’s also worth noting that Stefanski had one of his best playcalling seasons, guiding the Browns to 11 wins and their second postseason appearance in five years.
