Daily Dawg Tags: No defense for Cleveland Browns defense

Spanning the virtual globe to bring you the latest news about the Cleveland Browns and the NFL – these are your Daily Dawg Tags for Monday, Aug. 29.

This is a big week for the Cleveland Browns.

On Tuesday, the Browns must make their first round of roster cuts to bring the roster to a maximum of 73 players. On Thursday, Cleveland will take on the Chicago Bears in the final preseason game of the year. On Saturday, the final roster of 53 players must be set by 6 p.m.

In between, the coaching staff and players will continue to get ready for the season opener on Sept. 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles. And judging by what took place against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night, there is plenty of work that needs to be done.

Just ask head coach Hue Jackson.

“I think what you see is a young football team that you are going to see some of that, especially early, until they get well grounded. Like I said, there were some good things and obviously, there were some things that were concerning,” Jackson said over the weekend. “We have to continue to work at it. I never said we were going to be a juggernaut today or yesterday. We are going to keep working at this thing, and when the games start being played here in a couple weeks is when we have to be at our best.”

Let’s kick off the week by taking a look at the latest news around the NFL.

Cleveland Browns news:

Reality is that the Browns defense is not pretty

"Early on in training camp, Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton described the team’s defense as being a  “kaleidoscope” of interchangeable parts. It was an interesting choice of words, although maybe not in the way that Horton intended. While a kaleidoscope’s mirrors and colored glass do create a changing pattern, they also alter the user’s reality, making it hard to see the real picture. That may be a blessing for Horton, as through the first three weeks of the preseason the defense  has been horrific, a reality that is only now starting to set in for Browns fans."

Josh Gordon the lone bright spot against Tampa Bay 

"The Cleveland Browns have had a rough start to the 2016 preseason. Friday night’s 30-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drops the Browns to 0-3 with one preseason game to go before the start of the real season. There have been few bright spots for the team in those three games, but wide receiver Josh Gordon gave fans something to look forward to during his return to NFL action Friday night."

Browns: 6 offensive takeaways vs. the Buccaneers

"The Cleveland Browns demonstrated Friday night that they remain a work in progress as the offense struggled early and often against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in allowing eight sacks on the evening. But there were still some positives to take from the game."

Browns standing by Cam Erving, Austin Pasztor (ohio.com)

"The new starters on the Browns offensive line, center Cameron Erving and right tackle Austin Pasztor, have struggled throughout the preseason. Each one surrendered a sack against the Bucs. At this point, the Browns are supporting both players, sticking with them as the starters and hoping for the best."

RG3 can’t be a one-trick, long-ball pony (cleveland.com)

"Owner of a cannon arm, Robert Griffin III has dazzled fans with five deep completions this preseason, including three for touchdowns. But Griffin has been one-dimensional as he’s only launching those missiles to the right side, which might be just a preseason ploy to draw defenders that way. But Hue Jackson, 0-3 this preseason, knows his pet project can’t be a one-trick pony this season."

NFL news:

Can the Dallas Cowboys survive the loss of Tony Romo? (The Landry Hat)

"In 2015, the Dallas Cowboys managed only one win without Tony Romo. With the news that he will likely miss time in 2016, will they suffer the same fate?"

How will Eric Berry’s return impact the Chiefs? (Arrowhead Addict)

"Safety Eric Berry ended his holdout over the weekend and will return to the Kanas City Chiefs. So what does that mean for the team?"

Trevor Siemian does enough for the Broncos (NFL.com)

"Has the Denver Broncos’ quarterback situation finally resolved itself? Trevor Siemian played well enough during the first half Saturday to likely hold off Mark Sanchez and/or Paxton Lynch for at least a few weeks."

49ers likely to jettison Colin Kaepernick (PFT)

"Colin Kaepernick has suddenly become the most controversial player in the NFL because of his refusal to stand for the national anthem. But there may be another issue that could cost him his job in San Francisco: He’s not a very good quarterback."