Mike Tomlin Critiques Browns’ Front Office After Dominant Steelers Victory
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has always been one to make his thoughts known.
The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-9 on Sunday in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score indicated.
When meeting with reporters in Pittsburgh on Monday, Tomlin let his thoughts be known on the current state of the Browns.
“Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us, because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area,” Tomlin said. “But that’s just my personal feelings.”
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has always been one to make his thoughts known.
The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-9 on Sunday in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score indicated.
When meeting with reporters in Pittsburgh on Monday, Tomlin let his thoughts be known on the current state of the Browns.
“Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us, because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area,” Tomlin said. “But that’s just my personal feelings.”
Prior to facing the Steelers, the Browns traded team captain Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals for a fifth-round pick. On Wednesday night ahead of facing Pittsburgh, Berry kept the trades coming, sending starting cornerback Greg Newsome II to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, several sources around the NFL believed the Flacco trade marked the Browns waving the white flag on the season. It certainly sounds like Tomlin agrees with that reporting.
Trading Flacco paved the way for the Browns to get a look at third-round pick Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. Through two starts, he’s underwhelmed as Cleveland’s offense continues to sputter without any direction.
Stefanski admitted that he was surprised that Cincinnati called the Browns to trade for Flacco. Berry sent a sixth-round draft pick and his Week 1 starting quarterback on a three and a half hour drive down south, where Flacco would immediately take over the reins for the struggling Bengals.
The Bengals were desperate, as Jake Browning flailed in relief of Joe Burrow, who is expected to be sidelined until December with a toe injury. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor desperately needed a quarterback to keep the team afloat until Burrow is healthy.
Flacco played his best game of the season during his debut with the Bengals in Green Bay against the Packers. While it was far from perfect, his 29-of-54 passing attempts for 219 yards at least gave Cincinnati a chance against one of the NFC’s most talented teams. Flacco’s two touchdown passes matched his production through four weeks in Cleveland. And he did not throw any interceptions.
While Berry and Stefanski have had a lot of public support during their struggles throughout six seasons running the Browns, it certainly feels like the tides are starting to turn.
A future Hall of Fame coach like Tomlin blasting what was previously considered a young, promising executive in Berry shows the entire world how the NFL currently views Cleveland’s front office.
Former Vikings Linebacker Suddenly Retires Before Facing Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings will be returning to action in Week 7 after enjoying their bye week in Week 6. Considering how the team had just spent two weeks in Europe, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Ireland, before picking up a victory over the Cleveland Browns in London, England, it’s safe to say that this break was well-earned.
Now, the team will have to prepare for a tough clash against the Philadelphia Eagles, who will be motivated to get back in the win column after losing their past two games. However, ahead of this game, the Eagles surprisingly lost one of their key defensive linemen, who also happened to spend time with the Vikings earlier in his career.
Eagles’ Defensive End Za’Darius Smith Abruptly Retires
One player the Vikings were preparing to square off against is defensive end Za’Darius Smith, who has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL over the past few years. After starting his career with the Baltimore Ravens, Smith ended up finding his way to the Green Bay Packers in 2019, where he would go on to earn two straight Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro Second Team selection in 2020.
Smith latched on with Minnesota for one season in 2022, and he ended up putting together a bounce-back campaign after missing virtually the entire 2021 campaign due to a back injury. In 16 games, Smith racked up 44 tackles, 10 sacks, five pass deflections, and one fumble forced, earning him the third Pro Bowl selection of his career.
Since then, Smith has spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions before finding his way to the Eagles this season. While Smith had 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks in five games, he never really seemed to get off the ground with his new team. On Monday, Smith surprisingly announced his retirement from the NFL, meaning he won’t face off against his former Vikings team in Week 7.
“As I step into the newest season of my life, please know this game has meant the world to me,” Smith said as part of his statement in a post on Instagram. “The lessons learned on and off the field will stay with me forever.”
Vikings Face Tall Task in Week 7 with Eagles Matchup
Philadelphia’s front seven on defense has been battered by injuries, and this creates another issue the team will have to find a way to overcome moving forward. For Minnesota, not having to worry about Smith is a relief, as he still was finding a way to get to the quarterback in what ended up being the final games of his NFL career.
The Vikings have to figure out who will be starting at quarterback for them in Week 7, as Carson Wentz has spent the past few weeks filling in for the injured J.J. McCarthy. Given how poorly McCarthy played to start the season, though, it remains to be seen how much of a rush the team is in to get him back on the field. Minnesota and Philadelphia’s clash is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
