00:00I've got to tell you, it's the most out-of-body experience you can have as a Browns fan that
00:06win the Titans score with a minute to go.
00:09I had zero doubt that the Browns were going to win the game.
00:14Did anybody have any doubt out there? I don't think anybody had any doubt.
00:16Even with Andre Schmidt, who, Andre, what the hell, bud?
00:22Even within that, it was like, all right, you doink the one, you doink the one, but we all knew,
00:26because we've seen it 75 million times this year.
00:28It's funny, I've heard a couple other people be like, I had no doubt that they were going to go
00:32up and down the field and score, and it's like, it's not even a take for me at this point.
00:36That's the obvious, like, yeah, everyone watching thought the Browns were going to win that game.
00:41That was obvious.
00:42I feel like the idea, it's like I'm having an out-of-body experience, having these things happen, where I
00:49just have a trust in the Cleveland.
00:50You've got to understand, the Browns have done nothing my entire life but abused my trust.
00:54Any time, they would build trust just to squash it, right?
00:59Just to go ahead and rip it out and really increase those trust issues tenfold.
01:03I was thinking like a sandcastle at the beach.
01:04Yes, and so now the idea that against, and again, some of this is it's the Titans, let's be clear
01:10there, but some of it's also, oh, I've seen them do this now, well, this is the fifth time, but
01:14now four times previously.
01:17Ah, why the hell wouldn't they do it against the Titans?
01:19Of course they're going to do it against the Titans.
01:20Of course, and of course they're going to make us sweat a little bit about it too, you know, that's
01:24the other fun part about this Browns team.
01:25They're going to make us sweat a little bit, but then they're going to show you moments where you think
01:29to yourself, this team can do something for real.
01:31Like, for instance, the goal line stand.
01:34And now you want to tell me something I didn't see coming?
01:35I didn't see them stopping three straight on the goal line stand, but they did.
01:39At that point, it was going to be 21-7.
01:41Munkin sat after in the postgame.
01:43He already credited them with the touchdown.
01:45When the Browns scored their 14th point, he was like, aren't we down seven?
01:48Oh, no, wait, we got that stop.
01:50And I do think the important distinction for this game, and you can haggle over the Titans part of this
01:56or not, to me, you won the game.
01:58That's all that I care about.
02:00But the important distinction on this game is this game isn't like the other games.
02:05Like, this wasn't, hey, the defense really bailed you out and the offense did just enough.
02:09No, the offense bailed you out.
02:11And the Yak Kings that are Casey Concepcion and Harold Fannin Jr. had fantastic games.
02:18Quinshawn Judkins, thank you.
02:19Hello.
02:20Where have you been?
02:21Don't care because you're back now.
02:23And even the offensive line.
02:24The offensive line had moments where it looked like a very cogent offensive line.
02:29That is different.
02:31So people have said, I want to see them win the game in different ways.
02:34Just because the end result was the same, meaning walk-off, field goal for the win, the formula to get
02:40there was completely different than what we experienced the four wins previously.
02:44Yeah, so you know I particularly, I took a lot of enjoyment in that.
02:47And that's what you're pointing out right there.
02:49Because Fannin, for the previous two weeks, people had become convinced he was a blocking tight end.
02:53All of a sudden, welcome back to the party where he should be making important catches.
02:57Judkins was just gone.
02:59Obviously he had the injury, but he, awful season.
03:01Three yards per pop.
03:02He looked awesome yesterday.
03:03Concepcion, when we did the side-by-side last week about Concepcion versus Judy, their numbers were nearly identical in
03:10many ways.
03:11That's the Concepcion that people need to be raving about and talking about.
03:14So for me, that's the biggest part of this.
03:16That all-22 team, all these kids that are 22 years old, they showed out and that's what mattered the
03:21most.
03:21Yeah, and here's the thing.
03:23I'm done having the sustainability conversation, the is it real conversation, through seven games or five and two.
03:30And now they have to keep proving it every week.
03:32That's the damn NFL.
03:33They're in the same boat that every other team that is five and two or four and three or six
03:39and one or whatever.
03:40They're in the same boat.
03:41And so the point is, through seven games, you've done everything we could have asked for you.
03:46This has gone so much better.
03:48Certainly, I was the high-water mark at eight and nine.
03:51I didn't see this coming this way.
03:53And for it to be the offense, and kudos to Deshaun.
03:56We'll get more into Deshaun as the show goes on.
03:58But kudos to Deshaun because I don't know that that was the best game that he's had in his Browns
04:03career.
04:03That feels very recency bias.
04:07We don't remember anything that happened before this season.
04:09But do I think it's fair to say it might be his best game this season?
04:13Yes, and that is a really good spot to be in, knowing you've got maybe the matchup of the season
04:19now coming up on Sunday against the Steelers.
04:22Yeah, I mean, the ball was where it needed to be often, you know, to the point where you didn't
04:25think to yourself,
04:25oh my gosh, what a great Deshaun Watson throw, but he wasn't vomiting all over his shoes.
04:29And he was making the throws that let guys like Casey Concepcion shine.
04:33And that's really, that's all we ever said this quarterback needs to be.
04:35You don't need to be Mahomes.
04:37You don't need to be Josh Allen.
04:38Let the playmakers that exist on this team operate.
04:40And that's exactly what Deshaun did.
04:42And we have not mentioned the name Todd Munkin enough.
04:44Because if we start having the conversation, why are the Browns 5-2, we can get into Deshaun's resurgence.
04:50We can get into that defense, which again, not a great day for them yesterday, but before that had been
04:57really stellar for you most of this season.
04:59And it all starts, though, for me, with Todd Munkin.
05:02They are clearly bought into whatever he's selling, the six seconds of Saban that they've kind of thrown out previously.
05:09He's got their ear.
05:10And I think more importantly, like, so much of the attitude of a coach comes out in the most crucial
05:16moments.
05:17As much as Todd Munkin screaming at dudes when they're screwing up in the third quarter, in the fourth quarter,
05:23the Munk man, the Todd father, is even keel.
05:27And I know we have a long ways to go with Todd Munkin, hopefully, and there will be times where
05:31he drives us crazy and all that.
05:34But Todd Munkin is a huge reason.
05:36He's the guy that, when everyone was saying, including myself, don't play Deshaun, he's the guy that had the vision
05:42with Deshaun to play Deshaun.
05:44He's the guy that hired Rutenberg.
05:45And even though I might have something to say about Mike Rutenberg after the 14 points they let up in
05:50the first quarter yesterday,
05:51that has allowed you to continue to start the season at 5-2.
05:56Like, so much of this needs to be put on what Munkin's decisions have been,
06:01but also the energy that he has in-game during the week that is apparent getting this team prepared for
06:07the crucial moments.
06:08Yeah, I thought something interesting happened yesterday.
06:10When they had the 12 men on the field penalty, crucial spot, can't have that, right?
06:14My immediate response was, oh no, Munkin, you've got to get these penalties cleaned up.
06:17And then they go to the sidelines, and Munkin is angrier than any person I've ever seen exist.
06:21And, like, that stuff permeates.
06:23That idea that, like, this isn't going to be allowed, this isn't going to be accepted,
06:25we've got to clean this stuff up.
06:27But also, when you know that he's as invested and as angry as we are watching the game in the
06:32moment,
06:33I think that resonates with people.
06:34Yeah, and what was it? Jared versus offsides penalty.
06:37He was asked about it. You guys just heard it in the press conference.
06:39He was asked, was that about accountability, or was that about your snap count?
06:44Or not your snap counts, the amount of snaps he's going to play.
06:47And Munkin sidestepped it a little bit by saying, well, it was both.
06:51Which means, no, it was a little bit about accountability.
06:53You can't have that penalty at that moment, especially from a team leader.
06:57But he also said, you can't make a big deal out of it. That happens.
07:00Well, understanding, like, you did wrong there, but we've got to sweep under the rung.
07:02But it's different. It's just different than what we've had over the previous few years here,
07:06where it felt like if you're looking for emotion, if you're looking for somebody to give a damn
07:10in those big, important moments, you just weren't getting it on the sidelines.
07:13216-474-0092. Why are the Browns 5-2?
07:17But within that, what I really want to know is, have you given yourself permission to be excited about the
07:22Browns?
07:23Because I know that last week we talked about going into the Ravens game.
07:27We talked about a lack of buzz there.
07:29Even after the Ravens game, we heard a lot of, well, Tyler Huntley.
07:33It wasn't Lamar.
07:34I just think at some point at 5-2, it's time to stop throwing the qualifiers out there.
07:39If you want to overanalyze Deshaun's game, I don't know that I got a lot of space for you today.
07:45Like, I will listen, but I'll probably argue with you because, quite frankly, I get it.
07:50Like, you can take a fine-tooth comb through this team and find out what you don't like about it.
07:56I am choosing to continue doing what I've tried to do the entire seven games,
08:01which is I'm trying to enjoy this wave and hope that it lasts the entire season.
08:05Well, I think the Pittsburgh game is a big one for people.
08:07And that's why we'll probably end up turning the page quicker than I think a lot of people want us
08:10to.
08:11But it's like, that's a real test.
08:13Like, if you can win both games against the Steelers, something that hasn't been done since, what, 1988?
08:18Like, it doesn't happen.
08:20If you do that type of stuff, I think you'll have a lot of people come on over.
08:22I don't know that the Titans win necessarily was it, especially from a national perspective.
08:26But it is interesting.
08:27I thought a Titans win wouldn't do nearly as much for people as what it's done.
08:30I can tell people are ready to buy into this team.
08:32It's interesting.
08:33From the national side of things, I know Levitard was asking the question.
08:37And by the way, just asking the question means you're having a conversation.
08:40I'm not expecting everyone to flip the page and be like, well, you beat the Titans, so you're real.
08:44But I do think, whether it was Levitard, oh my god, there was another national show that now I'm blanking
08:51out on.
08:52I just saw Dan Patrick's poll, for instance, which is the biggest fraud five-win football team.
08:58And obviously the Browns are on that list.
09:00That's fine.
09:00And the Browns won that list handedly.
09:02That's fine.
09:03That's still asking a question.
09:04The Browns aren't on anybody's list five weeks ago, six weeks ago, seven weeks ago.
09:09They're not being talked about.
09:10But exclusively with at least five wins, do you at least believe in?
09:12Yeah, no, no, and that's fine, by the way.
09:14But the Browns are being talked about nationally.
09:17They were not being talked about seven weeks ago.
09:19Or if they were talked about, it was talked about in what are they doing with Deshaun Watson.
09:23That conversation is gone away.
09:26And so I think you are seeing people slowly come around.
09:31And again, I have no problem compartmentalizing my feelings on the Deshaun experience the last four years
09:39and the fact that they're five and two.
09:41I really, maybe it's growing up and having plenty of experiences that taught me how to compartmentalize things
09:47and, you know, poor mental health.
09:49I don't know what it is, but quite frankly, I don't need to love Deshaun Watson to respect what he
09:53did yesterday
09:54and the fact that the Browns are five and two.
09:56Yeah.
09:56Well, as an NFL fan, there's a lot that you have to deal with in any given week, just in
10:01general.
10:02As a Browns fan, they've done a good job of mentally conditioning me.
10:04We've practiced a lot over the couple of years, basically the few years.
10:08No, but it's exciting.
10:09It's exciting for a lot of fans and exciting for a lot of people to get to five and two.
10:12And yeah, I think there still will be questions.
10:14I think the Pittsburgh game is going to be a big declaration for a lot of people if they can
10:18win that.
10:18But right now, it doesn't change.
10:20You're five and two.
10:20You're on top of the AFC North.
10:22Be excited.
10:23And okay, with love and respect to anyone waiting, stop waiting.
10:27Guys, they don't start five and two.
10:28The last time they started five and two was 30 years ago.
10:31Like just didn't.
10:32Yeah, but you know how that season ended.
10:33No, no, stop, because even then, like guys, they're five and two.
10:36It was 93.
10:37They started five and two, and then they finished with seven wins.
10:40Let's just enjoy it.
10:40Yes, who knows what Sunday brings.
10:42You might lose a game again.
10:44It's okay.
10:45Yeah, you're expected to.
10:46Just enjoy this.
10:47The great thing now.
10:48Let's get into it.
10:48Come on, it's a Browns freaking victory Monday.
10:51Nick, if they go five and five the rest of the way, that's a 10-win season.
10:54Yes.
10:55And which, by the way, that means you will have won and lost every other week.
10:59You'll take that.
11:00Yeah, play 500 ball the rest of the way, and we can all but guarantee you'll be in
11:03the postseason.
11:04Double-digit wins, and everything is awesome.
11:06I just, I'm giving myself, I'm giving, you can enjoy this.
11:11With anybody holding out, waiting for the other shoe to drop, it might drop.
11:15Who gives a rat's ass?
11:17Because right now, the Browns are five and two.
11:18Two, one, six, four, seven, four.
11:20I don't need your permission to fan, thank you very much.
11:22But you have it.
11:23That was a joke.
11:23I was just playing off of the idea.
11:25Now, by the way, when are we going to talk about Cam Ward, and whether the, is that,
11:28is that expected?
11:30Should we talk about when they're going to bring him in?
11:31Is that a thing?
11:32Is that a thing?
11:33Is that, is that a thing?
11:34Do you want to do that, Convo?
11:35Is that a Monday thing?
11:36Is that a tryout for Cam Ward?
11:38Because he failed if that was the tryout.
11:39Two, one, six, four, seven, four, double, oh, nine, two.
11:41Just a stinker of a quarterback.
11:42All right.
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