Browns news: David Njoku calls out Adam Rank for prediction

Adam Rank didn't think the Cleveland Browns would be very good this season and David Njoku heard his predictions. That's why the star tight end decided to go after Rank following Cleveland's 11th win of the season. He called out all the doubters before singling out the NFL Network employee, saying — "that guy sucks."

Even if Rank never comes around (and he probably won't, it's his shtick at this point) Cleveland has silenced a lot of critics by making it to the playoffs, and with the Baltimore Ravens defeating Miami, they now know where they're going to stand when the tournament kicks off in two weeks. Those two stories are part of today's New Year's Day news round-up.

Cleveland Browns News

David Njoku calls out NFL.com’s Adam Rank over preseason Browns prediction — Ben Axelrod, Awful Announcing

“I’m sure when everybody got hurt, everybody doubted us,” Njoku told reporters in the locker room following Cleveland’s latest win, which improved the Browns’ record to 11-5. “Everybody said we weren’t going to do whatever. There’s a guy, AdamRank — that guy sucks. We hold our own fate. We pushed through. We earned that. The guys in this locker room should be proud of that, but understand that there’s a lot more that we can do.”

Rank was one of many analysts who thought the Browns would struggle in 2023 but he seemed to stick to his guns longer than most. That's why Njoku singled him out and let his feelings be known. Whether or not Rank cares, it's just that much more motivation for this team.

Joe Flacco cashing in with every victory — Thomas Moore, Dawgs by Nature

"Flacco is picking up an additional $75,000 for each game he plays in and the Browns win during the regular season. If the Browns win their Wild Card game, which looks like it will be against the winner of the AFC South Division and come from a trio of teams that the Browns beat during the regular season in the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts, that adds another $250,000. If the Browns win a Divisional Round game? Another $500,000."

From there, it only goes up. If Flacco leads the Browns to a win in the AFC Championship Game, he gets $1 million and then another $2 million if they win it all. Flacco isn't doing this for the money at this point, heck he even said he doesn't check his bank account, but that's still quite the incentive.

With Ravens clinching AFC North, here’s where the Browns stand in the playoffs — Laura Morrison, Fox 8

"What a roller coaster of a season it’s been for the playoff-clinching 11-5 Cleveland Browns. Now, with the Baltimore Ravens officially taking the top AFC North spot with a win over the Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon, the Browns (and their fans) are getting a clearer picture of what their postseason is going to look like. With the Ravens’ win, they also nabbed the No. 1 seed in the AFC, earning a first round bye. The Browns have now clinched the No. 5 seed."

With the fifth seed, the Browns will be facing off the fourth-ranked team in the AFC. That means they're going to face someone they already beat since the AFC South winner will have that title. That should give them plenty of confidence heading into the postseason.

2024 NFL mock draft: Stud playmaker falls to Browns in Round 2 — DPD

With some extra time on our hands since the Browns played on Thursday night, we looked ahead to the 2024 NFL Draft with our latest mock. Cleveland is able to land a talented playmaker in the second round as they take Xavier Legette, a wideout from South Carolina.

Elijah Moore injury has Browns fans clamoring for reunion with former 1,000 yard receiver — DPD

Elijah Moore suffered a concussion in the Week 17 win and that has some fans thinking Cleveland needs to go out and add another wide receiver. One player in mind is Jarvis Landry who was with the Browns from 2018 through 2021. While Landry had his moments, it's time to stop looking in the rearview. He no longer moves the needle on an offense that already has receivers who can't separate.

Kevin Stefanski haters won't like this historic Browns stat — DPD

There are a lot of fans out there who didn't like Kevin Stefanski just a few weeks ago since he was a fan of passing the football. Despite rushing it more than nearly every team, these fans wanted to see more runs — as if we were playing in the 1960s. They're quiet now since the team is winning and probably won't like this stat, which proves he's one of the best coaches today. And his name is going in the history books.

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