Just when everyone thought the jokes were over, that the Cleveland Browns' remake of The Office was going to be the final straw before things got serious at training camp, new wide receiver Jarvis Landry made a claim that is as ridiculous as it is firm.
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In a great Sports Illustrated feature, Landry, who signed a five-year, $75.5 million extension with the Browns after being traded to Cleveland by the Miami Dolphins, is confident the gloomy days for the hapless franchise are over.
"You'll be lucky if we don't score 40 on you," Landry said in the interview. "If we get everyone playing to their potential, we can win the Super Bowl."
https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/1022500704244703233
The confidence and swagger is beyond appreciated, and exactly what Cleveland needs after becoming the second team in NFL history to go 0-16 in 2017. It's just a massive "if" and a statement hard not to chuckle at, if only just for a quick second.
First off, scoring 40 points is straight wild to think about by a team which couldn't even post 15 points per game last season. No team has averaged 40 points per game, at least since 1990, either, but it would be fun if it happened.
Secondly, going from winless to winning the Super Bowl seems more like an outrageous dream than a realistic goal. However, you have to love the ambition.
And lastly, getting everyone playing to their potential at the same time is nothing short of impossible, and even then it might not be enough.
Make no mistake about it, though, the Browns are so much better than they were at any point in recent memory. Browns head coach Hue Jackson hiring Todd Haley as the new offensive coordinator was a solid move.
So was acquiring quarterback Tyrod Taylor and drafting Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Add in other weapons like running backs Carlos Hyde, Nick Chubb, and Duke Johnson Jr., and getting wide receiver Josh Gordon straightened out, and there is some nice potential for this offense.
Landry, who has 400 career receptions for 4,038 yards with 22 touchdowns in just four years, is probably the most explosive piece, too.
It is the preseason, and optimism rules the day, but there is something in the water in Cleveland, and everyone, including yours truly, will happily eat crow if this happens because Landry's claim is out there.
