The NFL hits a milestone this weekend as once the final gun sounds on Monday night’s game between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys, every team in the league will have played 10 games.

That means the focus turns to the race to the playoffs and there are some key matchups to watch this week.

On Thursday night we saw the Philadelphia Eagles take care of the Washington Commanders and take hold of first place in the NFC East.

Today brings key AFC games between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. One could also toss in the Sunday night tilt between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers if one was feeling generous.

Sadly, the Cleveland Browns, who will take on the New Orleans Saints this afternoon, have been reduced to playing the role of spoiler as their playoff hopes faded away in a mix of poor play from quarterback Deshaun Watson and an inability to distinguish between throwing the ball to his receivers and the other team’s secondary from quarterback Jameis Winston.

Such is life for the Browns and their fans over the next eight weeks, starting today with what might be Cleveland’s last best chance at picking up a win before everything comes to a close the first weekend of January.

While you are waiting for today’s kickoff, here is the latest news and notes about the Browns and the rest of the NFL in today’s edition of the Sunday Dawg Chow.

Dawgs By Nature:

• Browns make roster moves, rule out former starter, for Saints game (Thomas Moore) – The Cleveland Browns made a series of roster moves on Saturday in final preparation for their game against the New Orleans Saints. In perhaps the most surprising move, or at least the one involving the biggest name, the Browns ruled offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. out for the game as he continues to deal with a knee injury suffered a few weeks back against the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Browns Mike Vrabel expected to be a hot name this offseason (Jared Mueller) – There are some believe that Mike Vrabel, the team’s consultant for both HC Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry, could be on deck as the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
• Browns vs Saints: 3 questions for the Browns offense to answer in Week 11 (Damon Wolfe) – The following are three questions that the Cleveland Browns offense needs to answer on Sunday to bring the picture into focus for the rest of the season.
• Browns-Saints FanDuel Week 11 prop bets: Bet on Nick Chubb in a big way (Chris Pokorny) – The Cleveland Browns are on the road against the New Orleans Saints in Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season this Sunday, November 17, at 1:00 pm ET. The Browns are 1.5-point underdogs against the Saints, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Here are my favorite player prop bets from the Browns’ perspective in Week 11.

Cleveland Browns:

• A key Browns defensive tackle is ruled out for Saints game with a significant knee injury and could land on IR for at least four games (cleveland.com) – Cleveland Browns rookie DT Mike Hall Jr. was going to be counted on to possibly play some defensive end against the Saints with Za’Darius Smith traded to the Lions. Instead, Hall could be headed to injured reserve and possibly even lost for the season after suffering a significant knee injury during a drill Thursday in practice.
• Big plays and breakdowns continue to haunt defense (Browns Zone) – Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz can point to specific stats and plenty of plays made behind the line of scrimmage as what went right in the first nine games. He can’t get past the breakdowns that allowed long gains and helped lead to the seven losses.
• Akron native, Hoban grad Mason Tipton showing he belongs as rookie with New Orleans Saints (Beacon Journal) – Mason Tipton’s path to the NFL wasn’t the most orthodox. The Akron native and Archbishop Hoban High School graduate didn’t go to one of the big college football powerhouses, but instead attended Ivy League member Yale University. The wide receiver went through the NFL draft process but wasn’t drafted, instead signing an undrafted free agent deal with the New Orleans Saints.
• Five Browns thoughts: Jameis Winston back in New Orleans, a new LT situation and more (The Athletic) – With the Cleveland Browns back to work following their Week 10 bye, here are some thoughts on the quarterback position, the significance of the games ahead and some storylines to track.

NFL:

• Who are the best up-and-coming NFL head coaching candidates? (The Ringer) – You’ll hear a lot about Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel in the upcoming coach-hiring cycle. But these are the best current play callers that NFL owners should be calling in January.
• Caleb Farley rebuilding life on and off field with Panthers (ESPN) – Bagged groceries were stacked at the front door of the modest brick home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains about an hour northwest of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Inside, rooms were in a chaotic state with unpacked boxes, pictures and mirrors waiting to be hung, and cartons of flooring waiting to replace carpet that hadn’t been ripped out. It’s far from the glamor world one would envision for the home of an NFL player used to fancy cars and clothes, three years removed from being the No. 22 draft pick by the Tennessee Titans, which came with a $13.945 million fully guaranteed salary.
• Connor Williams wasn’t happy — part of Seahawks getting zero return on $21M in investments (The News Tribune) – Connor Williams wasn’t happy. It’s was easy to see in his face, and hear in his voice. The seventh-year veteran, a starting offensive lineman in every one of those seasons since he entered the NFL, wasn’t playing near the standard he’d set for himself long ago.