Women to make history with Cleveland presence
Today will be a historic day for women on NFL sidelines in Cleveland.
For the first time in NFL history, there will be two female coaches on the sidelines and a female official on the field when the Browns host the Washington Football team.
Jennifer King is in her first season on Washington’s staff, while Callie Brownson is the chief of staff for Browns first-year coach Kevin Stefanski. Sarah Thomas became the league’s first female official in 2015, has worked in the postseason and is now making more history.
A former college basketball coach, King first connected with Washington coach Ron Rivera when both were in North Carolina. She joined Rivera’s staff as an intern in 2018 with the Panthers, and when he took the job in Washington earlier this year, King came with him as an offensive assistant and fullyear coaching intern — the first Black woman in league history.
Brownson was an all-around player in the Women’s Football Alliance before she was bitten by the coaching bug. She started at the high school level, wound up at Dartmouth and was hired by Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott, who gave her a full season internship in 2019.
Stefanski promised he would have a diverse staff at his introductory news conference in January, and he hired Brownson just a few weeks later for the same position he held in 2006 for the Minnesota Vikings.
RAMS AT BILLS
Not since the days of Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Jim Kelly and Marv Levy has there been this much optimism about football in Western New York. Can’t blame the folks in Buffalo, either. Through two weeks, the Bills have been dynamic on offense and defense. Not to deflate that balloon, but they did it against the Jets and Dolphins. Now comes much more of a test: the Rams, also 2-0 and riding high. The key matchup could be QB Josh Allen and WR Stefon Diggs challenging Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who once called Allen “trash.”
BUCCANEERS AT BRONCOS
The Mile High City ranks pretty low on Tom Brady’s list of favorite places to play. The Broncos are the only team with a winning record against Brady and they’re 7-4against him in Denver, including 3-0in the playoffs. Jeff Driskel, the backup QB for the Broncos, gets this start with Drew Lock hurt. Bucs linebacker Shaquil Barrett returns to Denver. He signed with Tampa Bay in free agency last year and led the NFL with 19½ sacks. Barrett played five seasons with the Broncos.
BENGALS AT EAGLES
The Eagles are reeling far more than the Bengals, who have looked somewhat revitalized — at least when they have the ball — with top overall draft pick Joe Burrow at quarterback. Philly is injured (again) and off-stride on offense and defense. QB Carson Wentz has made too many bad decisions, particularly when the Eagles have been in position to seize control.
COWBOYS AT SEAHAWKS
Neither team seems capable of stopping opponents. When each has the ball, though, it’s lights out. Russell Wilson tied a career high with five TD passes against New England’s allegedly strong secondary, and has nine TDs in two games. DK Metcalf is emerging as a threat everywhere, with some already comparing him to Calvin Johnson. Megatron Northwest? Dallas QB Dak Prescott threw for 450 yards and ran for three TDs in a stolen victory against Atlanta.
PACKERS AT SAINTS
They are getting antsy in the Big Easy about Drew Brees, perhaps forgetting that his mediocre showing last week at Las Vegas was without Michael Thomas. There likely isn’t a more valuable player on any offense who doesn’t play QB than Thomas. They are getting euphoric in Titletown over the Packers’ start, led by a pair of Aarons in Rodgers (six TD passes and no interceptions) and Jones (a careerhigh 236 scrimmage yards and three TDs last week). The defense has been reliable, too.
BEARS AT FALCONS
The Falcons also struggle when they don’t have the ball, and their special teams were a fiasco at Dallas. Hey guys, you can pick up an opponent’s onside kick before it goes 10yards. The Falcons became the first NFL team since at least 1933 to score 39 points, commit no turnovers and lose a game. Chicago is an unconvincing 2-0, with wins over Detroit, needing a huge rally, and the Giants, needing to hold on late.
TITANS AT VIKINGS
Yes, it’s early, but already the Vikings are two games behind in the NFC North, 0-2 for the first time in seven seasons under head coach Mike Zimmer. They’ve have been outscored 37-13 in the first half and are last in the league in time of possession at 20:10 per game. Into the US Bank Stadium comes Tennessee, which is 1-7 at Minnesota, though with no fans — and the better team thus far — that shouldn’t matter. Derrick Henry, the NFL rushing leader in 2019, ranks second in the league with 200 yards and has a league-high 56 carries.
TEXANS AT STEELERS
So much chatter out of Pittsburgh has focused on the things the Steelers aren’t doing quite right. But with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back, the offense has balance. That defense is reviving memories of the Steel Curtain. So calm down, Steel City. The negative vibes out of Houston are more accurate. The Texans have looked outmanned in both losses, though they were two of the AFC’s top teams, Baltimore and Kansas City. This game is just the second since 1927 to feature three brothers on the field: Houston star defensive end J.J. Watt, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt and fullback Derek Watt.
LIONS AT CARDINALS
The Lions get off to good starts, then collapse. If they continue that pattern, coach Matt Patricia will be a defensive coordinator somewhere next year. Arizona is the opposite, a team on the rise with excitement streaming everywhere — led by quarterback Kyler Murray and wideout DeAndre Hopkins. Good news for the Lions — star WR Kenny Golladay will make his season debut.
JETS AT COLTS
Now they are wondering if the Jets practice hard enough? They certainly don’t play well enough, and they have no weapons on offense. Indy’s defense has allowed a league-low 416 yards and is tied for third in sacks with seven. Indianapolis can have up to 7,500 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium, an increase of 5,000 from last week.
PANTHERS AT CHARGERS
After the medical mishap with starter Tyrod Taylor, Justin Herbert gets his second straight start for LA. At least this time he knows well before kickoff. The Panthers have a 10- game losing streak going back to last season. They have also dropped their past six on the road and will be without injured All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.
WASHINGTON AT BROWNS
Cleveland came alive in its win over Cincinnati and has had the longer layoff that a Thursday night appearance provides. The offense was balanced versus the Bengals: 215 yards rushing, 219 passing. Nick Chubb (124) and Kareem Hunt (86) combined for 210 yards rushing and scored three TDs. Sparked by No. 2 overall draft pick DE Chase Young, Washington’s defense leads the NFL with 11 sacks. Young is tied for the league lead with 2½ sacks.