While We’re Waiting… Browns battle Cowboys in Dallas

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

Strategies for the Browns to implement moving forward, beginning with today’s game: “Run the Ball More on 3rd Down: When I did my midseason review for the Browns’ offense, I talked about the disparity with the playcalling on third down compared to the rest of the division. Cleveland runs the ball on 3rd-and-1 only 50 percent of the time, when that figure should be closer to 75 percent. They rarely run on 3rd-and-2. Cleveland needs to establish the ground game in these type of situations, and I’m praying that is a strategy the coaching staff worked on during the bye week.” [Chris Pokorny/Dawgs By Nature]

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Odd facts about the Cowboys and Browns, brought to you by a Dallas blog: “The last time these two teams met was in 2008 in Cleveland. The Cowboys are only starting 4 players from that last encounter (Romo, Witten, Ratliff, and Ware), while the Browns are starting two (Joe Thomas and D’Qwell Jackson).” [Steven Mullenax/The Landry Hat]

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Looking at some other keys to victory for Cleveland today: “Get to the flat footed Romo early. Each Browns’ defensive lineman must step up to another level this week. Find a way to get to Romo and force him to make the consistent bad decisions he has been making all year long. Romo leads the entire league with 13 interceptions. The Browns’ secondary should be licking their chops as one of Romo’s duck passes are sure to float their way. A turnover through the air will increase Cleveland’s chances of pulling off the upset.” [Ryan Ruiz/Rant Sports]

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Starting to dream about the draft and waxing sentimental about the future already in Cavalier land: “Still though, I feel this team’s parts are greater than the whole. Prior to this season, Kyrie and Tristan played around 500 minutes together; Andy and Kyrie, only 23 games. Varejao and Tristan shared the court for 47 minutes last year, and Dion Waiters is a rookie. Other than the Kyrie to Varejao pick-and-roll, the team barely looks like they run an offense, making it amazing that heading into last night’s game, Cleveland’s starters owned the best plus/minus in the league. I can not wait for two years from now, when this group forms a well-oiled machine.” [Kevin Hetrick/Cavs: The Blog]

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This Cavaliers storyline is likely the most contentious in town these days. Take that Browns! “Trade the Wild Thing. Varejao as an All Star, I’d love it. Would I love a playoff run? Of course. Who wouldn’t? But getting into the playoffs as the 7th or 8th seed does this team nothing. The Cavs need another lottery pick, and honestly, they probably need more than that. They have no bench, and aside from Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, anyone on this team should be able to be had for the right price.” [Nick Mancini/Stepien Rules]

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What an odd, odd finish against the Badgers, but the Buckeyes finished it off somehow: “With no shot to play for the Big Ten championship, a BCS bowl game or any bowl game, Ohio State’s most ambitious goal was to go undefeated, even though that seemed pretty improbable before the season started. The Buckeyes are one game from finishing that task. Despite giving up a game-tying touchdown with eight seconds left in regulation to Wisconsin, Ohio State stayed focused and scored on the first possession of overtime, then held to get the 21-14 win.” [Frank Schwab/Dr. Saturday]

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Tony Lastoria looks at a number of possible Indians targets in free agency, and this former Tribe guy certainly intrigues me too: “Jeremy Guthrie, SP: The Indians lost Guthrie to the Orioles over five years ago on waivers, and it is a decision that probably haunts the Indians to this day as he has turned into a solid middle-to-backed rotation starter. He has been durable and averaged close to 200 innings over the last five seasons, and his consistency with his numbers and health should be attractive to the Indians. He will probably command a two year deal for $12-16M.” [Tony Lastoria/Indians Prospect Insider]