The NFL season is upon us, and the Dallas Cowboys are gearing up to face the Cleveland Browns in their Week 1 matchup. While the Cowboys have a relatively strong roster, several factors could work against them in this game. Let’s dive into the three key reasons why the Cowboys might struggle against the Browns, potentially costing them their season-opener.

The Cowboys’ offense relies heavily on the connection between quarterback Dak Prescott and star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. However, Lamb’s limited practice time due to his contract holdout could throw off their timing.

Without significant reps together, the passing game might look rusty to start the game. The Browns have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and they will capitalize if there are any timing issues between Lamb and Prescott.

New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer brings a fresh scheme to the Cowboys’ defense. While this change could be positive, it can also bring confusion. The adjustment period for players to grasp the new system could lead to some miscommunications and blown coverages. Facing a talented Browns offense led by Deshaun Watson, they have the weapons to make Dallas pay if they are out of position.

MORE: 3 reasons the Cowboys will beat the Browns

Left tackle Tyler Guyton and center Cooper Beebe are both rookies slated to start on the Cowboys’ offensive line. Starting in your first professional game is a challenge in itself, let alone against one of the best defenses in football. Unfortunately for Guyton and Beebe, it will be a trial by fire when the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett lines up across them.

If Guyton and Beebe struggle, it could ruin their entire gameplan. Garret can line up anywhere on the line and it will be a must that they don’t allow him to wreck the game.

While the Cowboys have the talent to come out of Cleveland with a victory, these three factors could tip the scales in favor of the Browns. To secure the win, Dallas will have to bring their A-game on Sunday.

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The Cleveland Guardians have managed to stamp their name among the best teams in baseball in spite of a very strange season overall.

Their starting pitching has been abysmal and their offensive has been maddeningly inconsistent, but thanks to a dynamic bullpen, the Guardians are on track to win the AL Central.

But there is one very unique area in which Cleveland is the worst club in the league: batting average on balls in play, more commonly known as BABIP.

The Guardians lay claim to a BABIP of .271, which is well below the approximate league average of .290.

While a low BABIP may sometimes suggest bad luck, there are other factors at play here, which Chad Jennings and Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic note.

Cleveland is at the bottom of the league in hard-hit percentage, home run distance and exit velocity. The Guardians also have the second-lowest barrel rate and the third-fewest balls hit at least 95 mph.

Quite simply, Cleveland is not making great contact, which is the primary reason why the club’s offense has largely sputtered over the last couple of months.

Given those concerning numbers, it’s no wonder that the Guardians rank 22nd in the MLB in batting average and 17th in OPS.

Taking all of that into consideration, it’s truly astonishing that Cleveland is 80-60 going into Friday’s action, although the Guardians have gone just 44-43 since their 36-17 start. They have also gone a mere 29-34 since peaking at 51-26 in June.

As of right now, Cleveland is doing just enough to keep separation between itself and the rest of the squads within its division, but we’ll see if all of these issues come back to bite the Guardians in the playoffs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Just weeks after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announcing it was seeking a buyer, LL Flooring says it will close all of its stores and cease operations.

The Richmond, Virginia-based company (NYSE: LL), which was formerly known as Lumber Liquidators, said it was unable to find a buyer with necessary financing after discussions with multiple bidders.

It said in a regulatory filing that it will close all of its stores nationwide. The company lists 424 stores on its website; it had previously announced the closure of 94 stores when it filed for Chapter 11 in early August.

Read the full story on cleveland.com’s sister site, Cleveland Business Journal.

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