Takes By The Lake podcast

Takes By The Lake podcast episodes:

• 01.03.2020

  Ep. 120: What's next for the Browns after John Dorsey and Freddie Kitchens?

  Doug Lesmerises is back after a long Takes break to check in on the departures of the Cleveland Browns GM and coach and where the Browns might go from here. Doug doesn't think this is just same old, same old,...

  
• 11.06.2019

  Ep. 119: How can the Cleveland Browns make Baker Mayfield more comfortable?

  Doug Lesmerises is joined by Pete Smith, the editor of SI Browns Maven, to discuss everything going on with this 2-6 team, led by what could happen to help Baker Mayfield look like 2018 Baker Mayfield again. They attempt to turn...

  
• 10.31.2019

  Ep. 118: Ken Carman on the Browns and life in Cleveland sports radio

  This episode of Takes By The Lake from cleveland.com is a little different from the norm. The topic of discussion isn't just sports, but life in Cleveland sports. Doug Lesmerises is joined by Ken Carman from 92.3 The Fan to...

  
• 10.15.2019

  Ep. 117: Baker Mayfield's ball placement and Chris Hubbard's blocking

  As the Cleveland Browns take their off week, Steven Ruiz of For The Win makes his first appearance on the podcast to talk about Baker Mayfield's progress and whether he's been fixed yet after some issues early this season. A...

  
• 10.09.2019

  Ep. 116: Cleveland Browns shouldn’t panic (but maybe they should trade for Trent Williams)

  The Cleveland Browns are 2-3... and no one should be freaking out. On this calm, reassuring episode of Takes By The Lake, Doug Lesmerises is joined by two great guests -- his cleveland.com colleague Ellis Williams and former Case Western...

  
• 10.02.2019

  Ep. 115: Is the Browns' Nick Chubb a top five running back?

  Doug Lesmerises is joined by Cody Suek of waitingfornextyear.com to talk about what the Browns learned from their Week 4 win over Baltimore -- and what we learned about the Browns. Did Freddie Kitchens actually completely change as a play caller? What...

  
• 09.24.2019

  Ep. 114: What's causing the Cleveland Browns red-zone problems?

  Doug Lesmerises is joined by Ellis Williams, the newest member of the Browns coverage team at cleveland.com, to dive into what happened to the Cleveland Browns near the goal line on Sunday night in their 20-13 loss to the Los...

  
• 09.18.2019

  Ep. 113: Is Baker Mayfield being tricked by veteran defensive coordinators?

  On this episode of Takes By The Lake from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises is joined by two of his favorite Twitter follows on the Browns to talk about what's going on with the Browns offense through two games. First up is Brendan...

  
• 09.10.2019

  Ep. 112: Baker Mayfield vs. Sam Darnold vs. Lamar Jackson

  On this episode of Takes By The Lake, the topic is ... the 0-1 Cleveland Browns. But not what happened last week, but what could happen this week. In previewing the Browns vs. New York Jets game on Monday night, I...

  
• 09.03.2019

  Ep. 111: Do the Cleveland Browns have a top-five roster?

  We're previewing the Cleveland Browns 2019 season on Takes By The Lake by thinking a bit about how they got here. But, also what they can do. First, John Kosko of PFF joins Doug Lesmerises to talk about where the Browns...

  
• 08.27.2019

  Ep. 110: Why the Browns' success this season should be no surprise

  The Browns season is almost upon us, and whatever kind of success you are predicting for the Browns in 2019, one thing that's true is that you shouldn't view it as a surprise. Fresh off a full week of Browns stories...

  
• 08.20.2019

  Ep. 109: A dream scenario for the Browns and Indians

  With this Takes By The Lake, everyone should be celebrating what's to come with the Browns and Indians, as a season of football hope is ahead, to be coupled with a September pennant race. There are two guests who join Doug...

  
• 08.13.2019

  Ep. 108: Do the Browns or Indians have a better shot at a division title; and Ohio's best dodgeball player

  On another Takes By The Lake from cleveland.com, dodgeball is in the air, as Matt Levine of Twinsburg stops by to explain everything about the game and how he turned himself into one of the better dodgeball players in the...

  
• 08.07.2019

  Ep. 107: What to watch for in the Browns preseason opener

  The Cleveland Browns play their first preseason game Thursday night at home against the Washington Redskins, and Doug Lesmerises of cleveland.com is here to help you figure out what to watch. On this second episode of Takes By The Lake since...

  
• 07.24.2019

  Ep. 106: What could prevent the Browns from going 12-4?

  Takes By The Lake is back. After a long break (too long), the all-sports podcast from cleveland.com returns to preview Browns training camp, and you can expect a weekly dose of TBTL in your lives again. Doug Lesmerises will be joined...

  
• 02.01.2019

  Ep: 105: The Browns should plan to build their dream team

  The Los Angeles Rams built their version of a dream team in 2018 and it pushed them into a Super Bowl. Adding veterans through trades and free agency around a core of drafted talent led by quarterback Jared Goff, running back...

  
• 01.25.2019

  Ep. 104: Can the Browns win with Jimmy Haslam? ESPN’s Seth Wickersham joins the pod

  Takes By The Lake is back after two months off, and things, as usual, are hopping with the Browns. On this return episode, host Doug Lesmerises talks with ESPN The Magazine's Seth Wickersham, who wrote the story this week that detailed...

  
• 11.09.2018

  Ep. 103: How Baker Mayfield is like almost every other rookie QB

  If you’re having any doubts about Baker Mayfield, eliminate them. This isn’t a guarantee, but a reassurance. Most rookie quarterbacks look the way Mayfield has looked this season for the Browns, some good, some bad, some flashes of brilliance, some moments...

  
• 11.02.2018

  Ep. 102: How the Browns can find their Sean McVay

  It's an obvious comparison, but that's fine. The Browns shouldn't stop thinking they can find the coach that can help them start winning immediately. Just like the Los Angeles Rams did. Jared Goff was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL...

  
• 10.12.2018

  Ep. 101: The Indians are out, the Browns are up -- the future for both teams

  The Cleveland Indians are done after a third straight playoff appearance, and the Cleveland Browns actually have some people thinking about the playoffs after a 2-2-1 start. So what's next for both teams - next season and next Sunday? On this Takes...

  
• 10.05.2018

  Ep. 100: The Cleveland Browns are being underestimated, with NFL insider Benjamin Allbright

  Benjamin Allbright is an NFL analyst and radio host in Denver who has connections around the NFL and a full view of the league. His NFL power rankings, based off his own mathematical formula, have the Cleveland Browns as the No....

  
• 09.28.2018

  Ep. 99: How Baker Mayfield fits into the NFL's quarterback revolution

  Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers all entered the NFL between 2000 and 2005. They've owned the league for more than a decade, winning games and piling up passing yards. Soon, the...

  
• 09.21.2018

  Ep. 98: Cleveland Browns win on talent, not culture, and they're fun again

  The Cleveland Browns are fun again, and that's a victory in itself. One team wins the Super Bowl each year, which leaves 31 other fanbases in search of a joyous season that ends short of a championship. At some point, the...

  
• 09.14.2018

  Ep. 97: Was that Browns QB Tyrod Taylor's worst game, and will he get better?

  Never before had Tyrod Taylor started an NFL game and completed fewer than half his passes. So that 15 for 40 performance in the rain against Pittsburgh on Sunday, that wasn't him. "I put that on the whole unit," offensive coordinator Todd...

  
• 09.12.2018

  A special presentation: Let's Get a Dog - The Tale of Ty-Dog Taylor and Barker Mayfield

  In a departure from our usual Takes By The Lake, we present an eight-minute children's story in the mode of the great Dr. Seuss. A typical Takes By The Lake episode will be back on Friday. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and...

  
• 09.06.2018

  Ep. 96: Browns 2018 season preview extravaganza, from punching bag to promise

  The Browns season is around the corner and you can't start it without listening to our humongous preview on Takes By The Lake. Doug Lesmerises is joined by four guests in a supersized episode to dig into the hopes, the talent,...

  
• 08.31.2018

  Ep. 95: The Indians World Series chances now compared to the Indians of the '90s

  The American League is stacked and the Cleveland Indians have as much of a chance to reach the World Series as any other AL team. That's the opinion of Yahoo Sports national baseball writer Jeff Passan, a Solon High grad, who...

  
• 08.25.2018

  Ep. 94: Can Myles Garrett become one of the NFL's best players?

  Myles Garrett held a house party in the Philadelphia Eagles backfield in the Browns third preseason game on Thursday night. So what might the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft do for the Browns in his second season? On...

  
• 08.17.2018

  Ep. 93: How the Browns are constructing a roster that can win

  The final 53-man Cleveland Browns roster for the 2018 season will be vastly improved from the roster that began the 2017 season. But it won't end there. On the latest episode of the Takes By The Lake podcast from cleveland.com, we...

  
• 08.10.2018

  Ep. 92: Preseason opener proves Browns good enough for little things to matter

  The Browns beat the New York Giants in their preseason opener on Thursday night, so let the optimism flow. In the latest episode of the Takes By The Lake sports podcast from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises is joined by fellow cleveland.com sportswriter...

  
• 08.03.2018

  Ep. 91: Jay Crawford on the Browns, LeBron James, Skip Bayless, ESPN and a life in TV sports

  The voice you'll hear calling three Browns preseason games, starting with the Giants game on Thursday, is one you've heard on ESPN for years. Jay Crawford, an Ohio native who has worked in TV sports for three decades, will serve as...

  
• 07.26.2018

  Ep. 90: The baseball team giving the Browns hope for their tank and rebuild

  The Cleveland Browns opened preseason camp, which means year three of this plan. This is the year to show something. At least that's how the team that the Browns should hope to follow did it. This week's Takes By The Lake...

  
• 07.20.2018

  Ep. 89: Did the Cavs fail by winning only one title in 11 years of LeBron James?

  LeBron James brought Cleveland its first major sports championship in 52 years, but was winning just one title in James' 11 years in Cleveland a failure by the Cavaliers? On the latest episode of Takes By The Lake from cleveland.com, Doug...

  
• 07.02.2018

  Ep. 88: Emergency episode, LeBron left, should the Cavs tank?

  It's an emergency podcast episode shortly after the announcement from LeBron James on Sunday night that he's signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Doug Lesmerises thought the Cavs should not tank next year with LeBron gone and should do their best...

  
• 06.28.2018

  Ep. 87: Browns playoff talk for 2018? Save it for 2019

  How does a 10-6 Browns season sound to you? Exciting? How does hoping for a 10-6 year and getting 6-10 sound? In this episode of Takes By The Lake, we take on the idea of irrational exuberance around the Browns by welcoming...

  
• 06.22.2018

  Ep. 86: Cleveland sports fervor in the hallways of Washington

  The Cleveland Browns get talked about in political circles in Washington. The Indians get talked about. The Cavs get talked about. Hugh Hewitt makes sure of that. The political commentator on NBC and MSNBC and long-time radio host is a big...

  
• 06.15.2018

  Ep. 85: Bill Belichick worries Jim Brown will be forgotten

  Bill Belichick, NFL coaching legend, considers Jim Brown one of the top two or three people he's ever met. But Belichick fears that Brown's contributions to sports and society may eventually fade away. In the new book, "Jim Brown: Last Man...

  
• 06.02.2018

  Ep. 84: Will the Browns ever get better than the Pittsburgh Steelers?

  The Pittsburgh Steelers hold a 14-2 edge on the Browns this decade and a 33-6 advantage since the Browns returned in 1999. What could ever cause that to change? On this episode of Takes By The Lake, Doug Lesmerises is joined by...

  
• 05.25.2018

  Ep. 83: Are the Browns ready to pass the Bengals as Ohio's best NFL team?

  Think of this small step for the Cleveland Browns. Possibly becoming the best NFL team in the state of Ohio. On Takes By The Lake, your cleveland.com all-sports podcast that mostly deals with the Browns because we can't help it, our latest...

  
• 05.18.2018

  Ep. 82: Will legalized sports gambling mean booing the Browns for not winning by enough?

  Will the Browns lose by fewer than two touchdowns? Hey, can the Buckeyes really beat Rutgers by more than 35? The Cavs look terrible, but wouldn't you put money on LeBron to somehow carry them to a win? Lots of us...

  
• 05.11.2018

  Ep. 81: Could the Browns win more games than the Baltimore Ravens in 2018?

  The Cleveland Browns have finished last in 13 of the 16 years that the four-team AFC North has existed. Once the Browns finished third and twice they were second. Never have the Browns managed to beat out Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...

  
• 05.08.2018

  Ep. 80: Baker Mayfield and evaluating arm vs. brain in NFL QBs

  Dan Whalen had some strong thoughts in the months leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft. One, he thought Baker Mayfield was the right pick for the Cleveland Browns. Two, he didn't think much of the way NFL teams evaluate the quarterback...

  
• 05.05.2018

  Ep. 79: The case for the Cleveland Browns - and the case against them

  Do you trust John Dorsey? Is Baker Mayfield a future playoff quarterback? Did the 2018 NFL Draft feel different or like more of the same? What do you think of the overall talent level on the roster now? The goal of...

  
• 05.01.2018

  Ep. 78: Why Baker Mayfield is the franchise QB for a changing NFL

  How did Baker Mayfield reach the point of becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and why does the NFL seem to like a quarterback who doesn't fit the classic mold? On this Takes By The Lake from...

  
• 04.23.2018

  Ep. 77: Sam Darnold vs. Carson Wentz, Saquon Barkley vs. Ezekiel Elliott and other NFL Draft comparisons

  Is Sam Darnold a better NFL Draft prospect than Carson Wentz was two years ago? Is Saquon Barkley a better NFL Draft prospect than Ezekiel Elliott was two years ago? Is cornerback Denzel Ward a better draft prospect than his Ohio State...

  
• 04.20.2018

  Ep. 76: What would a draft disaster look like and 10 burning Browns questions

  The Browns have every chance to get it right in the 2018 NFL Draft? What would it look like for this draft to go wrong in Cleveland? On this Takes By The Lake episode, that's one of the 10 questions Doug...

  
• 04.18.2018

  Ep. 75: The perfect way for the Browns to use their first five NFL Draft picks

  Quarterback, defensive end, cornerback, offensive tackle, running back? Quarterback, running back, receiver, cornerback, offensive tackle? What's the best way for the Cleveland Browns to use their five picks in the first two rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft? On this episode of Takes...

  
• 04.16.2018

  Ep. 74: Could the Browns taking Josh Allen at No. 1 really be OK?

  Josh Allen as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is the riskiest move the Cleveland Browns could make. On that point, there should be no argument. The debate is whether the risk is worth it. The latest Takes By...

  
• 04.13.2018

  Ep. 73: Are the Browns building a playoff team for 2019?

  It's one thing for the Browns to be taking major steps toward being more competitive in 2018. It's another for them to be laying the foundation for a playoff team in 2019 and beyond. Most would agree that the moves this offseason,...

  
• 03.12.2018

  Ep. 71: The Browns can own the draft, and why they're smart to draft their rookie QB now

  Football analyst Warren Sharp joins Doug Lesmerises to explain the story he wrote on how the Browns have the most draft capital of any team in the modern NFL Draft era. You knew they had a lot of picks, and...