An unlikely homecoming for Flacco as the great hope of Cleveland

The Baltimore Ravens are 0-1 and here comes Joe Flacco in a Cleveland Browns uniform. What are the odds? Longtime Northern Ohio sports reporter Daryl Ruiter brings Nestor current on the state of Cleveland Browns, Shadeur Sanders, the saga of Myles Garrett and how a new stadium in the suburbs is the bigger story on the Cuyahoga.

Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter discussed the Cleveland Browns’ recent performance, highlighting Joe Flacco’s strong play against the Bengals, despite dropped passes and a missed field goal by kicker Andre Schmidt. They noted Flacco’s completion percentage and yardage, comparing it to the Ravens’ style of play. Ruiter mentioned the Browns’ ongoing quarterback dilemma, with Deshaun Watson’s readiness in question and Dylan Gabriel waiting in the wings. They also touched on the Browns’ stadium project, facing opposition from the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the potential impact of Miles Garrett and the defense on the upcoming game against the Ravens.

Joe Flacco’s Performance and Browns’ Loss to Bengals

• Nestor Aparicio discusses the Browns’ performance in their loss to the Bengals, highlighting Joe Flacco’s play and the dropped passes by receivers.
• Daryl Ruiter agrees that Flacco played well enough to beat the Bengals but notes the missed field goal by kicker Andre Schmidt.
• Nestor mentions the ongoing drama around quarterbacks and kickers in the NFL, comparing it to the Ravens’ situation with Justin Tucker.
• Daryl Ruiter explains the Browns’ dilemma with Deshaun Watson and Shawn Sanders, noting Watson’s progress and Sanders’ unreadiness.

Deshaun Watson and Shawn Sanders’ Impact on Browns

• Daryl Ruiter elaborates on Deshaun Watson’s health and progress, mentioning his workouts and the Browns’ reluctance to play him.
• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter discuss the controversy surrounding Shawn Sanders and his popularity despite being a fifth-round pick.
• Daryl Ruiter highlights the Browns’ selection of Dylan Gabriel in the third round and the uncertainty around Sanders’ readiness.
• Nestor Aparicio compares the Browns’ situation to the Ravens’ with Lamar Jackson and Justin Tucker, noting the off-field drama.

Joe Flacco’s Legacy and Current Role

• Nestor Aparicio praises Joe Flacco’s performance and his impact on the Browns, despite the team’s loss.
• Daryl Ruiter discusses Flacco’s maturity and focus on the present, noting his determination to prove himself.
• Nestor Aparicio shares his personal connection with Flacco and his admiration for the quarterback.
• Daryl Ruiter emphasizes Flacco’s importance to the Browns’ locker room and his potential to keep the team engaged for as long as possible.

Browns’ Upcoming Game Against Ravens

• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter discuss the Browns’ upcoming game against the Ravens, noting the Ravens’ loss to the Bills.
• Daryl Ruiter highlights the Browns’ methodical ball control style and the importance of catching passes and making kicks.
• Nestor Aparicio mentions the potential impact of Miles Garrett and the Browns’ defensive line on the game.
• Daryl Ruiter explains the Browns’ strategy to keep defenses honest and the challenges they face against the Ravens’ defense.

Miles Garrett’s Contract and Future with Browns

• Daryl Ruiter discusses Miles Garrett’s contract extension and his impact on the Browns’ defense.
• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter talk about Garrett’s frustration with the Browns’ losing record and his desire to play meaningful football.
• Daryl Ruiter explains the Browns’ decision to keep Garrett and the impact of his contract on the league’s pass rusher market.
• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter discuss the potential for Garrett to be a game-changer in the upcoming game against the Ravens.

Browns’ Stadium Project and Legal Challenges

• Daryl Ruiter provides an update on the Browns’ stadium project, noting the opposition from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter discuss the city of Cleveland’s involvement and the potential impact on the project.
• Daryl Ruiter explains the legal challenges facing the Browns, including a lawsuit over the state’s use of unclaimed funds.
• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter speculate on the project’s future and the NFL’s influence in getting it approved.

Historical Context and Personal Connections

• Nestor Aparicio shares his personal connection with Joe Flacco and his admiration for the quarterback.
• Daryl Ruiter discusses the historical context of the Browns’ franchise and the impact of past players like Jim Brown and Otto Graham.
• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter reminisce about past games and the rivalry between the Browns and the Ravens.
• Daryl Ruiter highlights the importance of the upcoming game for both teams and the potential for drama and excitement.

Browns’ Fan Base and Future Prospects

• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter discuss the Browns’ fan base and their resilience despite the team’s struggles.
• Daryl Ruiter compares the Browns’ situation to other NFL teams like the Lions and Bills, noting their similar challenges.
• Nestor Aparicio praises the Browns’ fans for their loyalty and their hope for a future Super Bowl championship.
• Daryl Ruiter emphasizes the importance of the upcoming game against the Ravens and the potential for a significant win.

NFL’s Impact on Local Communities

• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter discuss the NFL’s impact on local communities, including the economic benefits and challenges.
• Daryl Ruiter explains the Browns’ efforts to engage with the community and the potential for a new stadium to boost local development.
• Nestor Aparicio shares his experiences with other NFL teams and the unique aspects of the Browns’ history and culture.
• Daryl Ruiter highlights the importance of the NFL’s presence in Cleveland and the potential for future growth and success.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

• Nestor Aparicio and Daryl Ruiter share their final thoughts on the upcoming game between the Browns and Ravens.
• Daryl Ruiter predicts a close game with potential for drama and excitement, noting the Browns’ methodical approach and the Ravens’ defensive prowess.
• Nestor Aparicio expresses his admiration for Joe Flacco and his hope for a Browns win.
• Daryl Ruiter emphasizes the importance of the game for both teams and the potential for a significant impact on the season.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Cleveland Browns, Joe Flacco, Deshaun Watson, Miles Garrett, NFL quarterbacks, stadium project, Baltimore Ravens, football game, kicker controversy, team building, franchise pass rusher, Super Bowl, fan base, off-field drama.

SPEAKERS

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Speaker 1, Nestor Aparicio, Daryl Ruiter

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W, N, S T. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. We are Baltimore. Positive. This is one of my favorite weeks of the year, not being own, one, although that’s getting to be a little too common around here, being on the Raven side of the fence. But anytime we play the believe land community, it’s always fun to bring in. My Cleveland mafia made a lot of friends over these 35 years of running around doing this work here in our 27th anniversary. Tastiness is wrapping up this week. It’s our top seven things. And if, like, friends actually came in, like Darryl writer from Cleveland, Ohio, if you know, if you come into Baltimore and say, Hey, where are you taking me? To get me the best things, this is that list of things that I could get you. Some of them are a little bit seasonal as well. And of course, every time I’m in Cleveland, I try to see you go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and do all of that. But I tell you what this Flacco thing, it never goes away. He’s back again. The quarterback thing is back again, and every time I bring you on, it’s Hey, what’s going on with the stadium out there and all that? But I watched the Browns play on Sunday Darryl they they played well enough to win, and these Flacco interceptions were literally giveaways by receivers that toss the ball up to secondary members of the team. Flacco is playing well enough to beat the Ravens right now, he really is,

Daryl Ruiter  01:23

well, I don’t know if he’s playing well enough to beat the Ravens. I watched that game in Buffalo Sunday night. The Ravens play a little different brand of football than the Browns do, and they’re a little better at the sport than the Browns are, but you are right. Joe Flacco played well enough to beat the Bengals on Sunday. No question about it through for nearly 300 yards again, which we’re accustomed to seeing. Brown’s quarterback struggled just to crack the 200 yard barrier in a game, and he threw for 290 on Sunday. Completion percentage was outstanding. Did not get help from his receivers. A lot of dropped passes, as you alluded to he had to go off receivers hands and land into the laps of Cincinnati Bengal defenders. So most unfortunate there. And another big reason they lost the football game was their kicker Andre Schmidt, who replaced Dustin Hopkins, the incumbent, the veteran. And so he missed the P, A, T, he missed the 36 yard field goal. And quite frankly, at this level, when you talk about 36 yard field goals, that’s just inexcusable. You just you cannot have that happen. So Joe Flacco is we’ll see how long the leashes here in Cleveland for him, Nestor, because he’s got Dylan Gabriel breathing down his neck, the rookie third round pick that at some point this year the organization does want to take a look at for an extended period of time. But if Joe Flacco plays the way he did against the Cincinnati Bengals, going forward, including this weekend in Baltimore, I got to tell you, Dylan Gabriel is going to be waiting a while to see the

Nestor Aparicio  02:55

football field. Darrell, we’re talking about kickers and quarterbacks, right? I mean, we’ve had the Justin Tucker saga here, and honestly, it because of the way the Ravens do business and suppress information where, you know, I’m one of the few people talking about a 10 game suspension when guys like rashe Rice only got a six game suspension. So we tell you whatever just Tucker did, I wasn’t good, but

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Daryl Ruiter  03:18

we remembered Watson settlement was for 11 games. Yeah, and

Nestor Aparicio  03:23

you’ve dealt with this. I had John McClane on from Houston last week on the exit. And you’ve dealt with the shador Sanders thing. I mean, even the Philadelphia game start the season, they’re spitting on each other, and that gets a Dallas, Philadelphia. I mean, Lamar got pushed in the stands and pushed a guy in Buffalo head. I mean, like the off the field thing here is, as much as X’s and O’s, let alone stadium issues and model laws and rules and things that you got going on there, it’s, it’s quite the As the World Turns drama. But your quarterback seat and knowing you for a couple decades now, and going back to all the names of the guy that would sit in front of me in the press box there would change the names on the back of his jersey every you know, 12 games, or whatever, Flacco certainly not the long term solution here. And I love Joe, and Joe gives great press conference. And I guess because of my relationship with him, you wind up on my timeline every time Flacco says something in training camp, I know exactly what Joe is doing. But how is Joe? What give me the story of all this? Because the shador Sanders thing was the biggest story in the entire draft weekend, and it wound up in Cleveland, and then Joe winds up in the middle of it, and the Deshaun Watson thing is he’s making all the money and has nothing to do with much, right? Like it’s the craziest thing ever that the quarterback thing is your controversy, but the kicker became the controversy this week.

Daryl Ruiter  04:50

Yeah, look, I think there’s a chance to Shawn Watson actually plays a football game this year before shador Sanders does. They don’t want to play him right now. They because. Mostly because they don’t feel that he’s ready. He, you know, they, they do not want to put him in a position where they feel like he’s not going to be successful. And he, but he’s the lightning rod, right? I mean, he is the content generator. He’s the one that, you know, people flood social media. If you say anything negative about him, it just, you know, just becomes a cesspool. But his popularity is right now unmatched, the highest selling Jersey in the National Football League as far as the rookies go. I see shador Sanders jerseys around town all the time, and the young man is not ready to play at this level. He’s got he’s a fifth round pick. There’s a reason he’s a fifth round pick, and this wasn’t just the Browns that had that opinion. There were 31 other NFL teams that did not feel this kid was ready to be an NFL starting quarterback and had questions about his abilities at this particular level. But all everyone wants to talk about is, when are we going to see should or Sanders? And the Browns took Dylan Gabriel in the third round. They had no intention of drafting shador Sanders. I mean, this was the ultimate why not throw stuff against the wall see if it sticks? Type of a selection. But you know Deshaun Watson right now, I got to tell you, he’s getting healthier and healthier. He’s posting videos on the regular on Instagram and his social media channel showing him working out at the Browns facility. He’s in the indoor throwing the football around, working on his footwork and things like that, and testing that now twice repaired, uh, Achilles that he had sewn back together twice in three over a three month stretch from last fall to early in January of this year. And the videos look good. He looks good on video, but it’s a little different when you’re actually out there doing it in a practice and in a game setting. But he is making some significant progress. And then there’s Joe Flacco, the old, 40 year old veteran, who’s as classy as they come and as professional as they come. And we’ve talked about this with him. You know, this notion that he’s on a short leash, that this is not a permanent solution, that he doesn’t right now he’s not slated to start all 17 games. And you know, we’ve asked Joe about that, and he said in training, he goes, Listen, I’m not worried about that. I’m, you know, and I’m not even trying to rekindle what I did in 2023 for this franchise, which was phenomenal. But now I’m focused on today, focused on what I can control. And if I go out there and do my job, I don’t really have to worry about anything. And it’s just such a, you know, very mature answer, you know, from a guy who has been around and seen just about everything there is to see in the NFL. And he is at the point of his career, which, let’s be honest about it, better days are behind him. He’s on his last life and limb. From a football standpoint, this very well could be his final chance, and he’s really determined try and make the most of it. And if you watch Sunday’s game against Cincinnati, he looked really good through the football Well, that’s

Nestor Aparicio  08:10

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what I thought. He looked slow or older. He looked like and you know, who else looked good? Aaron Rodgers, right, like, you know, in the division, watching the Steelers, you know, do enough to win. Jalen Ramsey starting fights and making plays, and I’m thinking, and they’re always trouble for you, for me, for us, for everybody Cincinnati, too. And then, you know, watch Cincinnati play. And I, you know, I watched Schwartz’s defense fight. I watched them, you know, sort of contain burrow at various points. And then there was a point where, like, burrow through the touchdown pass into the right side of the end zone, maybe second quarter, and there was nobody around the receiver. And I looked at my wife, because it’s red zone, it’s all over the place, right? And commercials. And I looked at my wife, and I’m like, well, the Browns defensive coordinator must not be too happy. Oh, it’s Jim Schwartz. I’m like, Oh, that’s right, Jim Schwartz is defense coordinator there. He must not be too happy. But I would think, look, you’re never happy when you lose a football game where kicker misses a couple of kicks, wide receivers give the ball away. For Flacco, we’re sitting here today discussing, and Joe would love this. And by the way, I shared your Facebook thing about three weeks ago when Joe’s like, I don’t want to ask you have people asking why I’m playing. I want to show them why I’m playing. And I love that he used that quote back in July or August, whatever it was. I know you were standing there when he said it, and then he went out on Sunday, and then, you know, I got eight games on at the same time, and they’re all all over the place. And the ones I care the most about were the browns and Bengals and the Steelers and the Jets, because I’ve been doing this for 30 years, you know, and I’m trying to keep an eye on all of them, and I’m thinking to myself, Joe’s doing okay. And then I leave the room, my wife’s like, hey, Flacco just threw a pick. And I came in, I’m like, oh, Joe, yeah, because I’ve seen Joe throw picks, right? I mean, we all Joe’s dad’s seen Joe. So I picked,

Speaker 1  10:00

I come in and I’m like, Why are you yelling at Joe? He’s the guy

Nestor Aparicio  10:05

between the in the three and in the ball went off. So I’m thinking Joe played okay. And I’m a, I’m a staunch defender of Joe, if you can’t tell, because you know what, I like Darryl, and this is where I get the poop upon you. And all Cleveland, I like guys that win Super Bowls for my town, and when they do that, they’re good with me for life. You know what I’m saying? So and I it is a weird thing that he’s still playing. It really is. And it’s even weirder the way they lost in Buffalo, and now they have to go beat him on on Sunday, and there’s a ghost of Joe Flacco coming in. And by the way, miles, Garrett’s pretty good, and the Browns always play this game tough. So just to think that, like it’s the biggest spread of the week and all that, hey, man, I don’t bet against Joe Flacco, because I’ve watched him, because he’s coming back again.

Daryl Ruiter  10:52

Well, the worst thing to happen to the Browns wasn’t the the loss to the Bengals, it was watching the Ravens give away that 15 point fourth quarter lead and lose, because that’s going to be very angry football team Sunday. And then, of course, as you alluded to, they’re going to be doing the rub Cleveland’s nose in their two Super Bowl championships and all the Hall of Famers that Ozzie Newsome drafted for them, 30th anniversary celebration on top of it, you know? And then, oh, by the way, yeah, Joe Flacco, the former Super Bowl MVP and champion, is coming into town trying to, you know, rain on that party.

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Nestor Aparicio  11:28

By the way, I got one other thing for you, and this is a little before your time, because I don’t think you’re quite this old, but they’re honoring the 75 colts on Saturday here, Bert Jones, Lytle, Mitchell, Ted March, aprodo was a part of that. Stan white, another Ohio guy, and they’re honoring those guys too. So I, I didn’t even know that they were, like, doing the 30th here this week. I yeah, they don’t. I’m off their press list. Darryl, after buying tickets and traveling the world for all my life, they don’t. They don’t fill me in on things like that. But, you know, it is something that Cleveland, Baltimore, I had reg I on earlier, just because we did Ripken last weekend, right? And then, and then reg I of course, brings up Tony Fernandez and Armando Benita. I mean, that whole the Bermuda Triangle of all this, if you want to throw Indianapolis in to this is really something about how it would feel to be a Browns fan. Yeah. I mean, every time you play the ravens, like I’m 30 years into this, I have incredible respect for all of it, stealing the team, what the team represents, what the team’s become, what your team’s become. And every year we get together twice, we measure this thing, and Joe Flacco is your quarterback. It’s still crazy.

Daryl Ruiter  12:42

And look, I think that, you know, it would be a little easier for Cleveland Browns fans to deal with if they had gotten a competent franchise in return, right? That just, it’s, it’s never materialized. And so because it’s just been a cesspool of losing drama off the field, problems with players and you name owner getting indicted, just things like that. I mean, it just, it has just been one thing after another, and none of it involves winning. Because, I mean, you guys, know, in Baltimore, it’s not like you guys had a bunch of, you know, angels down there,

Nestor Aparicio  13:19

dude, if you wrote a book, if I ask you to write a book on the craziest ish that has happened since the team came back, whatever that would be, Johnny Football, you know what I’m saying, like all of the drama he I mean, even Baker Mayfield, who’s turned out to be perfectly like, Like an NFL quarterback, a guy that you could probably win with, a guy that clean. I mean, how many embraces there have been. The Flacco thing is its own chapter, right? Like what he did two years ago was sort of miraculous. You know, I it really is

Daryl Ruiter  13:55

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incredible, positive things since 99 says on my station yesterday, the shame for Browns fans is they lost their team. They’ve never gotten it back, and they have been rewarded for fighting to get a team back with maybe three or four legitimately fun and entertaining seasons where you could embrace the team. The team was winning. They played modern NFL football where they scored points and the offense was fun to watch and you got good quarterback play like that. That’s it. The rest of it has just been a hot pile of garbage for Browns fans to lap up. And they just keep coming back year in and year out. And that’s why I continue to say they they are the lone fan base outside of Detroit and buffalo. You know that Lake Erie belt those three fan bases, there are no fan bases in the NFL more deserving of a future Super Bowl Championship than Detroit, Cleveland and buffalo. But especially, I would argue, the Browns fan who. Had to endure so much, and Alliance fans have had to endure so much. At least the bills have made Super Bowls in their, you know, existence and lifetime, and they have a franchise quarterback now in Josh Allen, and they’re just, you know, right now, flailing in the dark, throwing stuff against the wall, hoping they can find something, anything, to stick at that particular position. And you know, hopefully Joe Flacco can keep this season afloat and keep people engaged for as long as possible. But the reality is, the odds of him starting the season finale in Cincinnati in late December, early January, are pretty much next to none. There may be a better chance of me starting that game than Joe Flacco, because that’s just the reality of this situation. And you know, he’s an easy guy to root for. He commands instantaneous respect in that locker room, okay? And the players gravitate towards him. David Njoku just absolutely loves him. He basically cat calls him anytime Joe’s doing a podium media session, it’s

Nestor Aparicio  16:00

Joe Flacco. Is my all time favorite athlete I ever covered. And listen, my cousin played with Brooks. I’ll give you Brooks. Jim Palmer’s the greatest athlete we’ve ever had here. Michael Phelps aside. And you know anybody else but Joe? Of all the years, all the sports I covered hockey, I’ve covered every sport in every way. There are coaches out there whom I love, and everybody knows the coaches that I’ve had relationships with, with Marvin Lewis and Brian Billick. You mentioned Jim Schwartz, who is like a crazy cousin to me, but Joe, Joe, I don’t even listen. It’s not disrespectful to Ray Lewis or Ed Reed, or any great players, or even that Joe’s going to the Hall of Famer, that Joe was the Super Bowl MVP quarterback. Because they’ve had great people here, you know, through and through, guys that have stayed here long periods of time. I mean, Zach Gore, their defensive coordinator right now. I knew him as a kid and a player. We’ve had great players here and interesting people, the BART Scott’s of the world, Mike Flynn, and I, I was at his wedding. I mean, I got friends in the league everywhere, but Joe, Joe was just always a different guy. And Joe is, I mean, I can’t root against Joe, you know, and I don’t know where the end is, and I have no idea, but you’re getting a piece of that there, and you don’t have any of that with him. He didn’t come to your house with his dad three days after he was drafted and walked through the harbor and asked you to tell him about Baltimore history. I did that with Joe. Hey, where was Memorial Stadium? Show me you know what I mean. Like, I did that with Joe when he came to Baltimore. And so I have a different level, but he’s just another old semi Washington quarterback is trying to help you not lose this week in Cleveland, and you’ve had 100 of them, but he has been different for Cleveland in in a Am I right or am I wrong? He will be remembered in a different way no matter how this goes here, this this year, because he gave a charge, and maybe the way Don struck did 30 years ago, yeah.

Daryl Ruiter  17:59

40 years ago, yeah. I mean, he’s, he’s, yeah, he’s forever a Browns legend. There’s, there’s, there’s no question about that. And I know Baltimore fan probably doesn’t want to hear that, but

Nestor Aparicio  18:09

he, he had a playoff game, right? Like, didn’t play well. They didn’t play well. But he said a playoff game a year ago, man,

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Daryl Ruiter  18:17

haven’t, haven’t had many of those here. And you know when you and but the story is, is that of Legends, right? He was on high school fields, throwing routes to his dad and family members, right, waiting for the phone to ring, and the phone doesn’t ring until, I think it was early November, and it was the Browns offering to sign him to the practice squad. And be like, yeah, why don’t you just come on in. We’ll take a look at you, throw you on the practice squad. And, you know, see if we can do something. Maybe we throw you in and have you play a game or two for us or whatever. And then he goes out there, and you know that he I look, I remember one of the first times I saw him in the Browns locker room. And just what an odd scene that was to see him.

Nestor Aparicio  19:00

I think I text you and said, You’re gonna like Joe Flacco that I you go through your text thread. I think I did text you to you’re gonna like

Daryl Ruiter  19:08

Joe Flacco. And you were right. And it just watched the folks in the locker room gravitate to his locker and just, you know, hang out and shoot the breeze with him, and watch that, watch him operate on the practice field and that. So yeah, it’s easy to see why he is so beloved down in Baltimore. But you know, the hope here in Cleveland is that on on Sunday, Raven fan will will still love Joe, but, you know, enjoying it. Oh, and to start,

Nestor Aparicio  19:38

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well, what? What would make that happen? Not everybody watched the Browns play this week. Now, writers here, he’s done radio and clean for 20 years. You could find him a right or wrong fan. He is usually out on the interwebs pissing off Browns fans because, like, when you don’t win and you speak truth, I’m with I’m the same way with the Orioles. By the way, everything you said about the browns, I’m dealing with that with the Orioles right now. You know, I. On the aftermath of Cal Ripken and 21 they almost got no hit, then they won the game. And you know, they have all these young one, ones that may or may not be able to play, and it, it is new ownership. And you know how that goes, billionaires and all that. So it’s a mess. But like, from your perspective, they they feel that a team that might have beaten the Bengals, who might win 11 or 12 games this

Daryl Ruiter  20:22

year? Well, they dominated the Bengals. That’s, that’s the shame of this. The Browns dominated the Bengals statistically. And, you know, yes, Cincinnati walked down the field on that opening drive. And we’re all looking each other like, well, I guess this is the new and improved Brown’s defense that we heard all offseason about. And then, you know, they locked it down. And then, you know, in the fourth quarter, miles, Garrett’s teed off and started a sack party going there for the defense, and they kept giving the ball back to the offense. And unfortunately, the offense couldn’t do a whole lot with those opportunities. But look, the formula for the Browns is, I think, going to be similar to what they did against Cincinnati, and that is this, this methodical ball control style offense. Quinn Sean Junkins is under contract. We’ll see if they’re able to get him up to speed now and able to play because the running game was not good. They used rookie Dylan Sampson basically, as their primary running back, and his contribution was catching footballs out of the backfield, and he did a phenomenal job. But as you know, you got to keep defenses honest. You can’t just throw it 50 times a game, and you certainly can’t throw it 50 times a game against a defense like the Baltimore Ravens have, and expect that you’re leaving their house with a win that just isn’t going to happen. So you know the margin for error for this football team this year is paper thin. And if they go out and they can play perfect football, which is possible, they have the talent to do it. If they can go out and catch the ball, if they can make their kicks, if the defense can play with the same level of intensity and success that they had against the Cincinnati Bengals, then, yeah, I got news for you. Raven fan gonna leave that stadium very unhappy on Sunday. But again, that’s asking a lot of this, this Browns team.

Nestor Aparicio  22:13

Miles Garrett, I usually when guys say, I want out of Cleveland. They get out of Cleveland, whether it’s Odell Beckham, whoever it is, even, they even get out of Dallas, if you’re Micah Parsons, right, like, if you make enough of stink. And we had that issue here with Lamar a year and a half ago about whether he was going to, should I stay, or should I go? Like a clash song, the MAS Garrett thing, I thought he gone dog, you know. And you know, I tell you, what if the ravens are owing to it witching hour, five o’clock when I’m going down to see Willie Nelson and Cheryl crow at Merriweather on Sunday night? If that’s the case, it’s going to be miles Garrett really wrecking things in some way. And Jim Schwartz baking up a cake that he loves the baker. Jim Schwartz loves to beat the Baltimore Ravens. Believe me, I know this from a personal standpoint, and you know, and you can also tell me how my boy Schwartz is doing as you give me a little miles Garrett preview, yeah, well,

Daryl Ruiter  23:11

it’s not just going to be miles Garrett that Lamar Jackson is going to have to worry about. They’ve got Mason Graham, fifth overall pick, who’s outstanding on the interior of that defensive line, and also their second round pick, Carson schwesinger, a linebacker who from UCLA, who’s been just absolutely phenomenal to watch. And then, of course, you know what Denzel Ward and Greg Newsom bring to the table. So there are pieces and parts on that defensive side of the ball for Cleveland not named Miles Garrett. They can also contribute to make life very, very miserable for Lamar Jackson and that Baltimore Raven offense, okay, but Garrett, look, I mean, he’s doing what he always does, and you’re right. I thought he was as good as gone. It was interesting. I was on the air when he agreed to stay. I did not believe it was posturing. I did not believe that it was his way of affecting a restructured contract. But ultimately, that is what happened. The Browns were not letting miles Garrett out the door. You know they Andrew Berry said, we are not trading a future Hall of Famer, because when you’re talking about team building, 101, Nestor and I know I always make the jokes about the Browns quarterback situation, but there are two. I call it the holy trinity of team building in the National Football League, you need a franchise quarterback, you need a franchise pass rusher, and you need a franchise left tackle to protect said franchise quarterback. Those are the three. Those are your three main pieces on that chessboard when it comes to team building in the NFL, the browns, the Browns have one of those, and that’s miles Garrett, the pass rusher. The Ravens have the Holy Trinity, unfortunately, but obviously that’s great for you guys down there in Baltimore, but get. Garrett, is he? He legitimately did one out of Cleveland that was real. But now he has, obviously, they bought his loyalty. He is recanted, and he is all of a sudden in love with being a Cleveland Brown again at $40 million a year. And he also, look he, he reset the market for pass rushers in the NFL as well. Look at the contracts that have been signed since then, including the Michael Parsons deal. So he and he’s, I think, a little proud of that. We talked to him on Friday about that and how

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Nestor Aparicio  25:33

well he wasn’t not going to be playing football this week, right? Like, I don’t know where the edge is for all these guys, and certainly the Jerry Jones, Micah Parsa things the timing of it. No one covers the league better than you. Darryl, you know all of the timing of this, and being in Cleveland, the cesspool there, you know, all the weird, esoteric cut dates and and and roster cat dates and like all that nerdity Um that you’ve done. You know, I don’t know what you said. They weren’t going to let him out. I’m like, Fu, I’m not going to play. Then you get to where Dallas is. I don’t know where the Garrett situation was, but I thought, when you want out of Cleveland, you want adequate, you know, I mean, it’s he it that’s not posturing to me when it’s about I don’t want to lose for a player. You know,

Daryl Ruiter  26:16

there wasn’t a camera or microphone at at the Super Bowl that he was not speaking that into, right? It did. This isn’t about money. This is about winning and losing in the Browns are the furthest thing you can find from winning, and I’m just frustrated by the losing. And I want to play meaningful football. I want to compete to win Super Bowls. That’s my standard. And right, sounds like he’s met Joe Thomas, yeah. Well, yeah, they’re good. They’re actually really, really good friends. Ironically, Joe Thomas also really good friend of Johnny Manziel, even though he feels that Johnny’s delusional about his time in Cleveland and what went wrong. Maybe it was the booze and the drugs and the addiction and and not studying the playbook rather than, well, you just hate Cleveland, because Cleveland’s just such a, you know, a bad city to live

Nestor Aparicio  26:56

in. My buddy Mike Patton, too. So I, you know, I’m displeased with all that

Daryl Ruiter  27:01

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as well. But, yeah, but no, you know. So the fact that they got miles back on board with a new contract and got him, and he even admitted he’s in his, in his, I guess you can call it restructuring press conference, if you will, his extension press conference. He acknowledged, hey, I had no leverage. My only leverage was going to the media, asking for the trade. They had the leverage because I was on under contract for a few more years, and oh yeah, they had the checkbook, and they broke open the checkbook. They recognized his value to the team. He’s the all time franchise sack leader. He is the greatest pass rusher the Cleveland Browns have ever had on their roster. And that goes all the way back to the inception of the franchise in 1946 and all those NFL championships that they used to win way, way back in the day that the league no longer really even recognizes and people don’t realize actually happened. But yeah, he’s he’s back on board, and you saw it on on Sunday. I mean, he had a hit. He didn’t get credit for a sack, but there were two plays that just absolutely stood out. One was in the first quarter, where he chased Joe burrow around and he caught him from behind. It was like a Third and nine, and he got Joe from behind. It was a gain of two. But the route that Miles had to take just to go get him, and it just, it was a feat of athleticism that you just, you just you don’t see. And then the second play was, and again, didn’t get credit for a sack. Burrow got the ball away, but as burrow was releasing the ball, miles Garrett sent him into next week, like, I mean it, and it was a clean pop, right? I mean, it’s why we love football, the hitting and the the violence, right? I mean, it was a violent, clean pop. And I’m like, I have no idea how Joe burrow just got up from that, but he did. But yeah, he is, he is, in my view, the elite pass rusher in the league. And that’s no disrespect to the Michael Parsons of the world, but miles is a different breed. Let’s just put it that way, but he’s going to have to suck up some losing for a bit, because the Browns are not where the ravens are. The expectations for the Browns are not where they are. For the ravens, Baltimore is a team that should compete, not just to win the A, F, C north, because I think they will, but they are amongst the teams to beat in the entire conference, and will potentially compete to get back to the Super Bowl. The Browns aren’t even in that class, but that’s why we play these games. Nestor, anything can happen. So you know, Sunday’s game should be a lot of fun.

Nestor Aparicio  29:34

I’m guessing you’re an insomniac, and you didn’t fall asleep when the game was 40 to 25 on

Daryl Ruiter  29:39

site. I was glued to my television. That was something, wasn’t it? I mean, really something. I’ve again, I’ve seen a lot of stuff. Listen, I’ve seen the Baltimore Ravens come into Cleveland block a potential game winning field goal and return it for a touchdown. As time expired, we call it the kick six. Okay, okay. I’ve seen it. I have seen.

Nestor Aparicio  30:00

At all. I was at the drive game in your town, your fair town, yeah, we’re not going to

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Daryl Ruiter  30:04

talk about that, but, but my point is is, you know, this is the beauty of the National Football. You can’t turn it off, even if it’s a bad game. You can’t turn it off because it’s such a compelling product. It’s the best reality television out there. Okay, it’s better than the all the the love shack, you know, whatever it is these, you know, these love Island and all this other nonsense, right? Marry me in three days, or marry me blind shows and all that kind of stuff.

Nestor Aparicio  30:33

I’m gonna miss Ozzy’s show and Hulk Hogan show. I gotta tell you, reality, no, there is

Daryl Ruiter  30:38

no greater unscripted uh reality television drama, better than the National Football League. So, no, I did not turn that game off and it it well right now it’s the game of the season. I know we’re one weekend, and there one weren’t a lot of great games, per se, in week one. But I think that as we get through the end of the we go through the season Nestor, and we get toward the end of it, we’re going to look back on that week one game between Baltimore and Buffalo, and keep that up. There is one of the more impactful, entertaining games of the year, and I don’t think anyone in Cleveland shed a tear at the final score, either.

Nestor Aparicio  31:18

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If you see Jim Schwartz tell him that we’ve got a lot of Ra here in Baltimore, he’ll understand what ra stands for. He taught me that back in the day. Jim Schwartz with a homecoming, Joe Flacco with a homecoming, and the Cleveland Browns coming to Baltimore, and we’re celebrating 30 years of stepping all over the model traditions of Cleveland, and we’ll see how the football game goes. I’m not cocky about the Ravens. I’ve seen them blow too many leads to think that and make too many mistakes and but I tell you, what, from the Browns perspective, you’re getting an angry version of the purple birds here this week. And hey, what’s wrong with the stadium out there, the Model law and all that? Give me 32nd update on that. I don’t hold you

Daryl Ruiter  31:59

all day. Yes, yeah. Basically, the Browns are moving full steam ahead with the project right now, last ditch effort by the opposition to the project. What is interesting is the FAA signed off on the building schematics because it is near Hopkins airport, and they obviously have to sign off, but the Ohio Department of Transportation has decided, no, it’s too tall. It’s still 56 feet too tall, even though there are smokestacks from factories around the airport taller than what the Browns plan to build the new dome. And so that is a major hurdle that has been thrown at the browns. Basically, it is a last ditch effort by the opposition to try and derail this three and a half billion dollar project the county executive is because the city doesn’t want to lose the football team. And here’s the thing, though, the mayor, deep down, does not care. I know that for a fact. I have text messages from sources in city government, who have told me, Darryl Mayor Bibb doesn’t care if the Browns stay or go. He just doesn’t want to look like the bad guy. And well, he looks like the bad guy because he just looks incompetent. And as somebody who’s a an actual resident of the city of Cleveland, I can speak volumes to the incompetent of Mayor Bibb, who is going to win re election this year in a landslide, because nobody decided to really oppose him seriously on the ballot. But yeah, so the Browns are still trying to move forward with that. With that project, they got the state funding the $600 million contribution. There is some there is a lawsuit that got filed about that, because the the state said we’re going to use a $4 billion plus unclaimed funds fund to do that, while also putting in there. Hey, by the way, if you still have unclaimed funds, you can get your money back. But basically, it’s unclaimed funds from 20 and 30 years ago that’s been sitting collecting dust. They had a specific dollar figure, and not just for the browns. The Cincinnati Bengals are going to get a bite at that apple. The Columbus Blue Jackets are getting a but basically all the pro sports teams in the state of Ohio will have an opportunity to to get a bite at this new fund that got created. It’s just the Browns got the first big piece of it. So there is a lawsuit challenging, I guess, the constitutionality of the state being able to absorb unclaimed funds, is state property and things like that, which the law in Ohio is very, very clear. Lawyers wrote the law that got put into the state budget to allow to do this. So I My gut tells me that it will get upheld in court and will be permitted to go forward from a funding standpoint, but yeah, the Browns are working with the Ohio Department of Transportation right now to satisfy their concerns about the height of a dome that in an indoor stadium. I should say that’s going to be, already be built, 80 feet into the ground, and it’s if they’re. Able to get it done, and they’re able to get it built, it’s going to be one of the more spectacular stadiums in the

Nestor Aparicio  35:04

NFL. The NFL usually gets what it wants. That’s what I was going to say about if the NFL wants this done, because it’s that kind of project for the NFL, and tying it to Canton, Ohio in some way. You know, there’s a there’s a lot of things that the NFL could look to and say, we’ll give you a Super Bowl. Cleveland will get a Super Bowl, you know? Like, that’s Yeah.

Daryl Ruiter  35:24

Roger Goodell came to Columbus a couple of times to lobby on behalf of the Haslam Sports Group and the Cleveland Browns for that enclosed stadium. And you’re right, what Roger usually asks for he gets. So I don’t know, maybe they need to get Roger Goodell on the phone with the the Ohio Department of Transportation. But no that mean it really is, because here’s the thing, the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is owned by the city of Cleveland, and it’s operated by the Cleveland Port Authority, so that you see how the dots are connecting here. So this is the city of Cleveland’s way. Okay. Well, they changed Model law, so we can’t fight that in court anymore. Although what they’re now doing is they’re going the instead of fighting the Model law, they’re now going by they’re trying to shift the lawsuit to breach a contract. And they’re, you know, some other, you know, technical legal that’s, you know, why lawyers make the money that they make. So that’s now the tact that the city of Cleveland is going after. It’s not so much the Model law. Now it’s a breach of contract by the Browns for even pursuing this project in the first place. But since the city of Cleveland owns Cleveland the Hopkins airport, they’re now using that and the pull that comes with that to try and, you know, twist a few arms with the Ohio Department of Transportation to put a massive roadblock and stop to this whole project. But I think, in the end, Nestor, all thing, I think that this thing is going to get done in the Cleveland Browns will be playing in that building in 2029

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Nestor Aparicio  36:47

Daryl, writer is right or wrong fan. He is in Cleveland, Ohio. He is one of my favorites. I always like getting my Cleveland mafia on in advance of a Cleveland Browns game where, boy, we’re licking our purple wounds around here getting ready for this. But I’ll tell you this, man, I’ve been staring at the Keebler elf there over your shoulder. You know, Luke has a bobble egg collection with the Ninja Turtles and different you have a big bobble, a glitch, the Keebler elf thing. Dude, I’ll never you know. I mean, I liked your old set better. That’s all I’m saying. I like LeBron. I liked all of that better. LeBrons back

Daryl Ruiter  37:20

there. But that’s not the Kebler elf. That is the original brownie elf from 1946 when the franchise was founded. So you’re saying

Nestor Aparicio  37:28

model did away with that one. He didn’t like that.

Daryl Ruiter  37:32

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Yeah, uh huh. We blame, yeah. We blame art for a lot of things. But yeah, so that. But no, that’s the that is the original mascot for the franchise and unofficial logo for the franchise.

Nestor Aparicio  37:43

You know when, when the team was stolen away by us here 30 years ago? We’re commemorating that this week with Ozzie Newsome as well. My loud mouth friend Dave Muir would come in and, you know, just and if he’s out there, Muir, you know, you’re a loud mouth, he would come in and say, Get a freaking logo. Get a logo. Stick something on the side of your head. Not like the Steelers, either. Were they only sticking on one side of their head. So there?

Daryl Ruiter  38:08

Well, Penn State doesn’t put anything on their white helmet. And the Ohio State Buckeyes, the silver bullets, well they put on their helmet. Are the the

Nestor Aparicio  38:15

Buckeye leaves to great little cannabis leaves there from cure their Buckeye leaves. I’m just checking. It’s probably hemp. I’m just checking now. Writers here, I hate Listen, this is why I do the science of cannabis with our friends at curio so I know the difference. I mean, we learn about all the difference in a Buckeye and a sativa strain or whatever’s going on. Curio wellness,

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Daryl Ruiter  38:36

sorry, Buckeyes a poisonous nut. Do not consume it.

Nestor Aparicio  38:39

I’m trying to still figure out what the hell a Hoya is. I mean, there’s all sorts of things out there that I’m, you know, at least I, I have had a real Terrapin in my studios, and they are a terrifying turtle. So I fear the turtle out there, even though you don’t have to worry about that when you’re at Ohio State or Penn State. Um, it is our tastiness, our 27th anniversary year. I’m eating all sorts of good things, just like when I’m out with with Darryl or Munch, or any my Cleveland guys that I have my my little diner that I go to for breakfast out there in Tremont every year. And I get that, that that shipwreck thing that they do there with all the eggs. So I love good food, and I travel and eat good food, but Baltimore’s foods, the best 27 countdown, all that brought to you by curio wellness, I am Nestor. We are W, N, S, T. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, and we never stop talking Baltimore positive. Stay with us.