Adam Schefter Picking Cleveland to Beat New England: Are You?

I voted for the Browns. Why not?

Despite all the signs in thE Browns favor, I gotta pick the Pats. Trap game, bye week, and the 4.5 point line, I think the Pats pull out a 4th quarter win.

Anybody else surprised at the line? As the saying goes, “the line is saying something,” I think the Browns have a good chance. When a 6-1 team faces a 2-5 team, the spread is typically closer to 7 when at the dog’s home (and 10-12 at fave’s home).

In the end I don’t see all of the things that Schlereth predicts actually falling into place.

One other prediction- we just may see the fumblerooski this Sunday.

Picking against the Browns brings bad karma.

If we can keep NE in 3rd and long, I think Cleveland wins this game. If they are getting first downs with ease, I think we are in trouble.

Prediction: Ward gets his first INT this game. He is reading QB’s pretty well. I think he steals one off of Brady on Sunday

And “yay!” about Colt starting.

McCoy should be the starter with Ratliff as his back up. Let the other guys get healthy, and play if we need them. Like all horses, a COLT only gets better the more you run it. I would like to see Wallace still come in and do the “Cyclone” with Cribbs, but Seneca as the starter – NO.

Schefter is right on: we need turnovers and some Cribbs special teams play and any other magic we can sprinkle on top.

I hope we can get Hillis going and let Brady watch the game from the sidelines.

Bill Simmons is worried about the Browns beating his Patriots. He has us ranked 21st in his NFL Power Poll (sounds about right) and says this about the team:

Brutal schedule so far (at Tampa, Kansas City, at Baltimore, Cincy, Atlanta, at Pittsburgh, New Orleans), only they played everyone tough despite being saddled by the Axis Of Abomination (Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace). As a Patriots fan, I’m petrified of Sunday’s Trap Game potential in Cleveland with AFC showdowns against Pittsburgh and Indy looming in Weeks 10 and 11. You can’t sleep on this Browns team. Good news for a city that generated this e-mail from JD in Chicago last weekend: “For Halloween, I wore my Tim Couch jersey, Indians cap, and a McFarlane LeBron figure holding a knife attached to my back. That’s right … I went as the City of Cleveland.”

Glad to hear McCoy is getting the start again. Schefter makes a valid point about McCoy having to start against Pit, N.O., and now N.E. – talk about the rookie meat grinder. I have to vote Browns, because every week I think we have a chance to win. Here’s hoping we pull out some more David Copperfield plays and catch N.E. looking ahead on the schedule.

I want the Browns to win more than I want to leave work right now at 3:38 (pretty damn bad) but its hard to imagine the Pats caught flat footed by trickery like the Saints were. Two huge upsets in a row? I hope so but . . .

I’m going to be at the game and when I’m at the game I ALWAYS pick the Browns to win. The last game I attended? About 2 years ago Giants vs Browns. I was also at the game Jan first 1994 when the Belichick-led Browns knocked of the Pats in the AFC Wildcard playoffs. I can feel the mojo, the winds of change are blowing, the Browns have an extreme karma deficit to make up and there’s been a hoot-owl howling at my window now, for 6 nights in a row…

i voted browns… i read a good article that gives me hope in the browns…. and mangini. if this is a depiction of the feel in the locker room it sounds like the browns believe they are going to win… i am expecting big things this week.

seriously.

i’m not expecting a win (sorry…being realistic).

but it is really good to start getting props/recognition from the media.

I’m still not sure that this offense can consistently move the ball, so the Browns are going to need more outstanding special teams and defense this week to keep it close. If St can at least give them good field position and the offense can move the ball we could be looking at not just an upset, but a huge upset.

(This message brought to you by the Council for Positive Thought)

i’ll be at the game, so i’m really hoping for a victory … but this team hasn’t had a stumble all year, and they’re just not talented enough to keep that rolling, even w/ the bye. ne is too tough: 28-13 ne

How do you beat them?
Run your routes underneath and break the fly and post patterns from that scenario, because all their DBs do is lurk. Spread and vary your gaps against their oversized 3-4 linemen and use a fullback to bust up the first linebacker. Run east and west or north and south, but whatever you do commit totally. If they´re not blitzing let your QB scramble with his arm cocked.
On defense, when they collapse the line, don´t rush them, linger, linger, go. Find a way not to create a gorge when they stretch the field. I know there´s no bump and run, but try to run with the receivers, they´re not immune to people breathing down their necks. Absolutely cover the slot receivers at all times, they use that pop pattern to open up their long routes, don´t give it to them.

Schefter actually looks like a genius right about now …