2007 Game Day Threads

San Francisco 49ers vs. Cleveland Browns

by ChrisPokorny on Dec 30, 2007 12:09 PM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: San Francisco 49ers (5-10) vs. Cleveland Browns (9-6)
Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland, OH)
When: 1:00 PM EST
Announcers: Matt Delvin & J.C. Pearson (CBS)

What does today's game mean? It depends on what you look at.

If the only thing important is to make the postseason, then today's game really doesn't mean anything. Barring the rarity of a Titans' tie tonight against the Colts, the outcome of the Browns/49ers contest doesn't mean a thing. However, if you also care about waking up each and every Sunday and watching the Browns go out and take care of business, especially at home, then today's game has just as much meaning as any other week. This isn't the time to test players for next year -- we could be playing in the playoffs next week. This is the time to build some momentum and hope for the best, and the only way to do that is by keeping Derek Anderson under center.

Continuing my trend, I'm going to highlight a couple of other games to watch today. These games will have the most significant impact on the Browns' playoff chances:

Tennessee Titans (9-6) vs. Indianapolis Colts (13-2): We're getting two games today that are of the same importance to us. In the morning, we want to see the Browns break the franchise record for most home wins in a single season. In the final game of the NFL season, we want the Indianapolis Colts to send us to the postseason by crushing the Tennessee Titans. On paper this should be a Colts win, but of course this game had to be the finale, meaning Peyton Manning will not go the entire way. Marvin Harrison will make his return, which could keep Manning in the game until some point in the second quarter. It'd be great to see Manning put a few quick touchdowns on the board before he hands the game over to backup Jim Sorgi. For those of you thinking the Titans will automatically win against the Colts backups, consider this: Vince Young is having a horrible year. Last week, when the Titans were at home, they barely put ten points on the board against the Jets. With all of the experience the Colts backups have had this year, I believe the Colts' backup defenders are as good as the Jets' starters. I haven't lost a single non-Browns playoff implication prediction on Dawgs By Nature this year, so let's hope the trend continues. In this game, you can count on the Colts sending the Browns to the West Coast next weekend to battle the Chargers.

Now, here's the preview for the showdown between the Browns and the 49ers...

OFFENSE

Category	49ers	Browns
Points Scored	14.1 (32nd)	25.4 (6th)
Passing	149.8 (32nd)	235.4 (11th)
Rushing	91.0 (27th)	115.5 (14th)
Total Offense (yards)	240.8 (32nd)	350.9 (8th)

DEFENSE

Category	49ers	Browns
Points Scored	22.9 (19th)	25.0 (27th)
Passing	229.9 (26th)	240.5 (29th)
Rushing	115.5 (22nd)	130.7 (28th)
Total Defense (yards)	345.4 (24th)	371.2 (31st)

	Quarterback The Browns could go back to starting Trent Dilfer and I'd give him the edge over 49ers' quarterback Chris Weinke. Weinke has stayed around the league despite never really doing much, and he happened to walk into the starting role after the team signed him two weeks ago. The 49ers were not successful this year under Alex Smith or Dilfer, but Shaun Hill was rolling and making the 49ers look like a respectable offense. I fully expect the 49ers to go back down the drain under Weinke because our secondary has been solid the past two months, Weinke doesn't have a strong arm, and the 49ers don't have a breakout receiver. We all know the story about Mr. Anderson; he took the red pill and was able to enter the real world. I'm not referring to the Matrix; I'm just hoping he took something to get over his flu and errant throws last week to perform like the good NFL quarterback we've seen many times this season.
	Running Back Frank Gore is one of the best running backs in the league, and he hasn't had a negative year by any means. He's run for over 1,000 yards, averaging 4.3 yards a pop, and he leads the team in receptions with 51. The issue is that the 49ers have been so ineffective in the passing game that Gore's opportunities have been limited -- his 4.3 average is no where near the 5.0+ average he had last season. Jamal Lewis continued his late-season surge last week against the Bengals; it's just a shame that he wasn't given about ten more carries considering the weather conditions. The weather in today's game should be fair, and Lewis' carries may be limited today if the Browns jump out to an early lead. Where as we shouldn't rest Anderson, resting Lewis in case of a potential playoff match would make sense. That's another reason I hope to see both Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison active today.
	Receiver The Browns have three receivers -- Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Joe Jurevicius -- that have posted better numbers than the 49ers' top receiver this season. San Francisco's answer to helping their receiving game in the offseason was to dump a fairly productive Antonio Bryant and replace him with the former Seattle Seahawks dropster Darrell Jackson. For a team that worked so much on improving their defense in the offseason, they didn't do anything to improve their explosiveness on offense. Tight end Vernon Davis has had his moments this season, but has been limited again due to injuries. He will play against the Browns, and I wouldn't be surprised if Weinke tries to get him the ball often if he's matched up against our linebackers.
	Offensive Line The 49ers are giving up 3.33 sacks per game. The Browns are giving up 1.2 sacks per game. Frank Gore is underachieving compared to what he did last week. Jamal Lewis is having his best season in years. You tell me which offensive line has the edge here?
	Defensive Line Ah, where do I begin. For all I know, our starting defensive line today could consist of Melila Purcell, Bobby Hamilton, and Louis Leonard. Hopefully, it'll consist of Robaire Smith, Shaun Smith, and Orpheus Roye. The second option is better, but as we all know, it's still nothing to get excited about. I wouldn't mind having defensive end Bryant Young on our team right about now, as he has recorded 6.5 sacks this season. Marques Douglas on the other side of the 49ers' like is fairly effective too, and overall would probably be the best defensive lineman on our team. Like any other week, there's nothing worth comparing to the Browns.
	Linebacker I am looking for a big ball game from...Mr. Kamerion Wimbley. The Browns have not recorded a sack since early December, but I expect that to change against a vulnerable 49ers defense. This will be Weinke's first live action of the season, and because he's not even Joey Harrington-caliber, it'll be difficult for him to execute with pressure in his face. Mike Nolan isn't a dumb coach though -- in Weinke's last NFL start, he picked up a victory in a 10-3 contest where his throws were limited. Weinke will look to hand the ball off to Gore more than 30 times today, meaning our linebackers will need to make sure-tackles against the shifty running back. The 49ers have the edge due to the superior play this season of rookie linebacker Patrick Willis. I'd rather take Willis than Wimbley at this point; Willis currently leads the 49ers with 162 tackles. Tully Banta-Cain has been a disappointment overall for the 49ers, but still adds to the quality of the team's linebackers in comparison to the Browns.
	Secondary We were clamoring for Nate Clements in the offseason, but I'm happy that we saved the money. Clements isn't a bad player, but this year he hasn't proven to be worth one of the highest-paid defensive players in the league. You can't find any complains with how the Browns' defensive backs played again last week. Even Leigh Bodden, who has struggled at points in the season, looked like a Pro Bowler last week with two interceptions and a critical breakup of a touchdown to Chad Johnson. Our cornerbacks shouldn't have to worry about covering down the field with Weinke under center today, but our safeties need to be ready all day if Gore gets to the second level.
	Special Teams Joe Nedney hasn't had many chances to kick this season -- he's only averaging a little over one attempt per game. Nedney's never been an inaccurate kicker, but when you don't get many cracks there's nothing you can do about it. Dawson is the Browns' Good Guy, and Joshua Cribbs is a Pro Bowler. Clearly, we've finished the season with one of the best special teams units in the NFL. The 49ers aren't too explosive on their returns. Amidst all of the teams that have returned kicks this year, the 49ers haven't taken a single one to the house.

FINAL PREDICTION: Cleveland Browns 30, San Francisco 49ers 16.
In an unusual situation that may be an NFL-first, the Browns control the sixth seed in the AFC heading into Week 17, but whether they win or lose, they don't control their own fate. Still, the Browns are heading into this game preparing like they will be in the postseason the following week: that means no Brady Quinn, and a lot of Derek Anderson again. The Browns have been a below-average NFL team on the road this year, as displayed in their losses to the Bengals and Raiders this season. However, they've been one of the NFL's best teams at home and could break a team record by winning seven at home this weekend. The 49ers are trying to build a three-game winning streak to boost their confidence heading into next season, but that will have to come without the guy who has gotten them here: Shaun Hill. Chris Weinke will start due to Hill's injury, and that is worst than having Trent Dilfer under center.

This is the official gameday topic for the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 as they square off against the San Francisco 49ers. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this topic. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!

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Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals

by ChrisPokorny on Dec 23, 2007 11:51 AM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: Cleveland Browns (9-5) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (5-9)
Where: Paul Brown Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)
When: 1:00 PM EST
Announcers: Greg Gumbel & Dan Dierdorf (CBS)

The Browns are a win today away from making the postseason. Who is the only person that will stand in our way? Carson Palmer. Even with the struggles that Palmer has had this season, it's hard to say that he won't find success against the Browns' defense this week. Palmer has averaged 257 yards passing and 2.7 touchdowns per game in his seven appearances against the Browns. Things have been worse over the past three games, as Palmer has averaged 342 yards passing and 3.66 touchdowns. The Browns' defense has stepped up to the challenge the past two weeks overall (not the end of games), so will they finally come through against Palmer when it counts?

Continuing my trend, I'm going to highlight a couple of other games to watch today. These games will have the most significant impact on the Browns' playoff chances:

New York Jets (3-11) vs. Tennessee Titans (8-6): If the Browns win in the morning, this game won't mean a thing because we will have clinched the playoffs already. However, if the Browns lose, we will have to hope the Titans lose against the Jets (which would also clinch a playoff berth for us). Vince Young finally came through as a passing quarterback against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, but things won't get easy against a Jets defense that shut down Tom Brady last week and have been playing teams tough. With some late-game magic, you can count on the Titans pulling off the victory in a game of field goals over the Jets.

Oakland Raiders (4-10) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4): The Browns are still capable of reaching the fifth seed, but it would require the Jaguars to lose their final two games (although a Browns win and a Jaguars loss this week would temporarily put us into the fifth seed). The Raiders are expected to play JaMarcus Russell a little more today, but I wouldn't expect him to find much success against the Jaguars defense. Jacksonville proved last week that they can run the football against anyone in the NFL. You can bank on the Jaguars clinching a postseason berth with a win over the Raiders.

Now, here's the preview for the showdown between the Browns and the Bengals...

OFFENSE

Category	Browns	Bengals
Points Scored	26.2 (5th)	23.1 (13th)
Passing	234.8 (11th)	255.8 (5th)
Rushing	114.0 (14th)	94.6 (23rd)
Total Offense (yards)	348.8 (10th)	350.4 (7th)

DEFENSE

Category	Browns	Bengals
Points Scored	25.4 (28th)	24.7 (26th)
Passing	249.5 (29th)	228.1 (25th)
Rushing	128.9 (28th)	119.4 (24th)
Total Defense (yards)	378.4 (32nd)	347.4 (28th)

	Quarterback In the introduction, I stressed the amount of success that Palmer has historically had against the Browns. But, what about the negatives that he has had? Palmer has averaged 1.57 interceptions against the Browns over seven games, including 1.66 interceptions over his past three games against the Browns. The Bengals don't have a running game, and that means Palmer is going to throw the football very often against the Browns. I would have been worried about that earlier this season, but look what the Browns' secondary has done to opposing teams over the past month or so. Sure, we haven't faced quarterbacks as prolific as Carson Palmer, but the secondary has matured to the point where they are only giving up plays that are in front of them. Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh can get frustrated if they aren't able to go down the field, which should keep Palmer from exploding as much as he did in Week 2. As far as the Bengals' defense goes, they haven't changed much since Week 2. Derek Anderson should be able to throw the ball better than he has over the past month, but he still needs to stay away from the middle of the field early on as he's had a tendency to get picked off by opposing safeties.
	Running Back If you could hand out grades to these teams' running backs right now, the Browns would get an "A" and the Bengals would get an "F". Although Rudi Johnson has struggled this season, one of his two good games came against the Browns in Week 2. That's why I'm thrilled that we won't have to deal with Johnson this week, as he is out with an injury. Bengals fans may like Kenny Watson or DeDe Dorsey better at this point, but they aren't the type of running backs that are going to easily throw up big plays on the ground. Jamal Lewis ran for over 200 yards against the Bengals earlier this season, and has gone over the 100-yard mark in three of his past four games. The Browns are confident in their ability to run the ball, and as long as we don't fall behind by two or three scores early, Lewis will receive a healthy dose against the Bengals. I usually call for Jerome Harrison to get some snaps, but he won't be necessary this week.
	Receiver What has gone wrong with Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh? They aren't producing bad on paper, but a lot of their success this season has come in spurts -- they may each have a couple of great games, but then in the other games, they'll be a non-factor. That's the opposite of what Braylon Edwards has done this season, as he's made an impact on just about every game this year. Despite the controversy in Cincinnati on which receivers will stay or go next season, but you still can't doubt the talent that Johnson and Houshmandzadeh bring to the table. Kellen Winslow has been very quiet over the past three week -- so much, that I hesitate making my typical claim that he'll "find success" against the Bengals. It all depends on what the Browns' gameplan is, and against the Bengals, we should get down near the red zone often. That's where Winslow could shine for a score or two, even if they are his only receptions in the game.
	Offensive Line It's really funny when you look back at my gameday preview from Week 2, because the Bengals were favored in the first five categories, including the offensive line. Things have definitely changed over the course of the season. On paper, Palmer has only been sacked a few more times than Anderson has. If you review all of the tapes from the season though, Palmer has by far been under a lot more duress than Anderson has. Eric Steinbach will be returning to his old stomping grounds for this one, and it'd be nice to see him pave the way for another big day for Jamal Lewis like he did in Cleveland.
	Defensive Line Shaun Smith will also be returning to face his former team, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's as a starter again at defensive end in front of Orpheus Roye, who has been limited in practice again this week. The Browns' defensive line has continued holding running backs in check for the first half of games over the past month, and that should bode well for them against the Bengals, who are often forced to abandoned the run and play from behind in the second half of games. Like the Browns, the Bengals have trouble generating much of a pass rush -- so much, that technically I should probably give the Browns the edge here. However, considering I still believe the Browns' defensive line needs an overhaul in the offseason, I'll play it safe and not give them too much credit.
	Linebacker I don't have faith that Andra Davis will have another career performance this week, but it's definitely intriguing to hope that a green light went on in Davis' head after last week. Davis' performance early will be something to look out for. Want to know something very interesting historically about Davis against the Bengals too? In 2004, 2005, and 2006, Davis had at least one interception against Carson Palmer, showing that he's had the ability to pick off Palmer. Could he continue his streak and pick him off for the fourth year in a row? Antwan Peek is questionable for the Browns this week again, so I wouldn't have much faith in him playing either. The Bengals linebackers are nothing more than a footnote to mention, so I'll just leave the linebacker section primarily focusing on Davis.
	Secondary The Bengals can be picked apart in the secondary -- after all, Anderson threw for five touchdowns against them earlier this season, and they haven't gotten any better since then. If there's a person to look out for, it would again be a team's best safety, this time former Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson. Jackson only has two interceptions this season, but one of them came against Anderson in Week 2. The Browns didn't record any picks last week, but with the depth we have now, it seems like an individual player can't get picked on anymore. It'll be interesting to see if Brandon McDonald can shut down...T.J. Houshmandzadeh (not Chad Johnson), if the Browns put him on him in coverage. Houshmandzadeh has caught six touchdowns in his past five games against the Browns -- limiting the Bengals to only one playmaker would be huge.
	Special Teams I think the Browns' defense will do better against the Bengals than they did in Week 2, but I also think the Bengals are going to put points on the board. On a positive note, that'll create some more opportunities for Joshua Cribbs in the kick return game again. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling that Bengals will kick to Cribbs, rather than away from him. Phil Dawson etched himself in the books as one of the best kickers in the NFL this season after last week. If it comes down to a game-winning attempt for Dawson this week against the Bengals, I'd have faith that he could make it. Hopefully it doesn't come down to that though, because the wind is supposed to be around 19-31 MPH for today's game.

FINAL PREDICTION: Cleveland Browns 31, Cincinnati Bengals 28.
All of the remaining seeds in the AFC really come down to what the Cleveland Browns do this week. With a Browns win, Cleveland clinches the playoffs and makes it very difficult for the Titans to catch the Jaguars or Steelers. With a Browns loss, the Titans would in theory be ahead of the Browns heading into Week 17, and the Steelers would clinch the AFC North. The Bengals have looked down and out often this season, but they have been "fired up" during the week because they feel the Browns set them on the negative trend that they are currently on. It takes more than being "fired up" to win though -- it'll take a good defense and solid pass protection up front. Without those two elements, the Browns will pull out a tough road win in a shootout.

This is the official gameday topic for the Cleveland Browns in Week 16 as they square off against the Cincinnati Bengals. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this topic. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!

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Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns

by ChrisPokorny on Dec 16, 2007 12:16 AM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: Buffalo Bills (7-6) vs. Cleveland Browns (8-5)
Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland, OH)
When: 1:0 PM EST
Announcers: Gus Johnson & Steve Tasker (CBS) NOTE: YOU HAVE UNTIL 1:00 PM EST TODAY TO ENTER THE DAWGS BY NATURE CONTEST FOR A FREE BROWNS HAT! READ THE POST BELOW THIS ONE FOR DETAILS!

Let the snow fall all game long. Whether or not it benefits one time isn't the point here -- games of this type of magnitude in this type of weather don't come along every other week. The formula is simple for the Browns today: a win coupled with a Titans loss means that the city of Cleveland will be celebrating yet another playoff berth, completing the trifecta of the city's major sports making the postseason. The task won't be an easy one against the Buffalo Bills though, as they have fought their way back into the playoff race.

Continuing my trend, I'm going to highlight a couple of other games to watch today. These games will have the most significant impact on the Browns' playoff chances:

Tennessee Titans (7-6) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (4-9): Tennessee blew their opportunity to stay on pace with the Browns last week when they squandered away a 17-3 fourth-quarter lead against the Chargers. Albert Haynesworth is still banged up and did not practice during the week, but he should be ready to start again. The Chiefs are still without star running back Larry Johnson and they have had difficulty mustering offense all season long. Even with Vince Young's struggles on offense, as long as he gets his team in position for a couple of field goals, the Titans should be fine. In this game, you can bank on the Titans preventing the Browns from clinching this week.

Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-4): We hate the Steelers, right? Of course we do. And, I would love nothing more than for them to lose, bringing the Browns closer to a potential division title. If the Steelers remain perfect at home and beat the Jaguars though, the Browns would actually slip into the fifth seed with a win. Pittsburgh's offense has not been efficient the past couple of weeks, and the Jaguars aren't the team to get a jumpstart against. The Steelers' defense has stayed strong, but Maurice-Jones Drew and Fred Taylor will be run all day long to the point where once they will break a big play. In this game, you can count on the Jaguars pulling off the upset on the Steelers.

Now, here's the preview for the snowdown between the Browns and the Bills...

OFFENSE

Category	Bills	Browns
Points Scored	17.1 (26th)	27.7 (5th)
Passing	173.1 (28th)	242.8 (10th)
Rushing	110.5 (16th)	109.4 (17th)
Total Offense (yards)	283.6 (28th)	352.2 (9th)

DEFENSE

Category	Bills	Browns
Points Scored	22.4 (16th)	27.4 (32nd)
Passing	251.4 (28th)	259.2 (30th)
Rushing	112.4 (18th)	130.5 (28th)
Total Defense (yards)	363.8 (30th)	389.7 (32nd)

	Quarterback The same comparisons that were drawn last week between Derek Anderson and Kellen Clemons can be drawn this week between Anderson and Trent Edwards. In their own ways, both quarterbacks have shown the ability to go out and win football games. Anderson has done it through being in the spotlight, while Edwards has done it through being a low-key game manager. Anderson is 9-4 this season while Edwards is 5-1. Together, they represent the most impressive group of so-called "new" quarterbacks to hit the league this season. The fact that the Browns are involved in shootouts every week provides a significant edge to Anderson in the head-to-head matchup. Don't be fooled by Edwards' four-touchdown performance last week, because anyone could have decimated the Dolphins at that point. Edwards' game-management has relied too much on support from his defense, especially on the road, where he has yet to throw a touchdown. In tough weather conditions in what is becoming a hostile environment, it's hard to believe he plays his most efficient game of the year in comparison to Anderson.
	Running Back The young class of running backs in this year's draft wasn't as plentiful as last year's, but it did bring out the best (Adrian Peterson) and a guy with an under-rated season in Marshawn Lynch. Lynch returned from injury last week and ran for over 100 yards on 23 carries. He is on pace to go over 1,000 for the season, but he has only gone over the century mark once this season. With enough touches he should be able to crack that against the Browns, but early on in the game I wouldn't expect him to do any better than Edgerrin James and Thomas Jones have the past two weeks. The Bills are also going to try and give backup Fred Jackson some carries, as he played very well in Lynch's absence. The Browns have more faith now than ever in Jamal Lewis after his "game-deciding touchdown" last week against the Jets. Whether he gets stuffed or breaks out big runs, the Browns will continue running the ball until it pays dividends.
	Receiver As Buffalo Rumblings' Brian Galliford stated, Bills receiver Lee Evans, a native to Northeastern Ohio, has been a disappointment this season. "Too often Evans is completely erased from being a factor in the outcome of the game; I believe he has elite tools, but he needs more help around him in order for those talents to be fully exploited." Considering the Browns haven't allowed a deep ball for weeks now, the same schemes should be applied when covering Evans to keep the rest of the Bills' receivers subdued. Braylon Edwards only needs one more touchdown to break the team record, and chances are he'll get it with the pace he has been on. Joshua Cribbs finally got a reception last week -- any chance that he'll be used on a trick play in the snow? Kellen Winslow has been quiet on the stat sheet the past two weeks, but that could easily change this week. The Bills have been dominated by Chris Cooley, Jason Witten, and Benjamin Watson this season, yielding a touchdown to each of them. Besides that, they haven't face too many premiere tight ends to speak of.
	Offensive Line Buffalo's offensive line has been ridiculed in the past by many. In the offseason, they somewhat of a risk by investing a lot of money in linemen Langston Walker and Derrick Dockery. At this point of the season, both signings are probably the team's best moves from the offseason. They have paved the way for a rookie running back to compliment an otherwise low-key passing game, and they have kept the quarterbacks on their feet enough so they aren't feeling bumps and bruises every other week. Looking back though, I'd say the Browns ended up doing a tad better with the additions of Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach in the offseason. That is the side that Jamal Lewis ran off of last week to seal the game, and the investment paid off.
	Defensive Line With every step forward that the Browns' defensive line takes, they take two steps backwards near the end of a game. Whether it be due to fatigue or confusion, the Browns' defense cannot stop the running game despite a game's worth of containment up until that point. The Bills have a much better defensive line than the Browns do, but it's only on an average level. Veteran defensive end Aaron Schobel will be the focal point to prevent from disrupting our passing game. Based on the way our offensive tackles have played this season though, he shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Neither defensive line should factor into the game on the positive side of things, but if it's a close game in the fourth quarter, the Browns' negatives will certainly play a major factor again.
	Linebacker Not only does it seem like the linebackers on the Browns are learning to play their positions better, the coaches seem to be making more of the right decisions personnel wise. Leon Williams saw more looks in pass coverage last week and flourished. Antwan Peek and Kamerion Wimbley are coming up with notable pressures. That allows D'Qwell Jackson to hover around wherever he is needed to make a sound tackle. The Bills don't feature a big-play linebacker that's going to cause confusion for Anderson, although strongside linebacker Angelo Crowell has been around the league long enough to be considered the group's best threat. I'd be surprised if the Browns didn't try to get the ball to Winslow this week, although I'm usually surprised if we don't get the ball to him any week.
	Secondary The Browns' secondary having an advantage this week? With Eric Wright scheduled to come back, the secondary could be ready to play better than it has all season long. While Daven Holly was a sound tackler the past few weeks, he allowed too many catches in front of him, something that Wright will hopefully be able to prevent someone like Josh Reed from getting. With Wright playing, don't expect the reps for Brandon McDonald to stop anytime soon. He's established himself, and will probably be responsible for covering Evans if the Bills go deep -- let's hope he's ready to be tested again. If I'm the Bills, I'd be concerned that starting safety George Wilson was just placed on the injured reserve. That is almost begging for a deep ball to be thrown to Edwards (not Tim Carter) at some point in the game. One other note: safety Donte Whitner, a former Buckeye, is the team's other starting safety.
	Special Teams Not many teams are on the same level special teams wise as the Browns, but the last week and now this week the Browns are facing some of the best the AFC has to offer. We all know what Joshua Cribbs and Phil Dawson can do, but how about the Bills? Rian Lindell has only missed three field goals this season, and with the Bills not scoring a lot of touchdowns on the year, his kicks have been depended on to win close games. Roscoe Parrish is the Bills' punt return, and he can be simply brilliant at what he does. On 22 returns this season, he is averaging 17.5 yards a pop, compared to Cribbs' 10.8 yard average on 22 returns.

FINAL PREDICTION: Cleveland Browns 28, Buffalo Bills 17.
Let it snow, let it snow. This game not only has the most significant implications of the week (since both teams have something big to fight for), snow and high winds are in the forecast in what could be the league's first snow bowl of the season. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather see teams play in the snow than I would in the rain. The Browns currently control the sixth seed in the AFC, and a lot of that has to do with their home record since quarterback Derek Anderson took over in Week 2. Last week against the New York Jets, the Browns overcame some of their road deficiencies with early solid play from their defense and the "young" legs of Jamal Lewis. That could be the key again this week for the Browns, especially in the snow.

The game-management skills of Trent Edwards remain impressive, but this is a game where he can't rely solely on preventing turnovers -- he needs to score early and often. The Bills have only scored more than 19 points three times this season. In all three instances in which that occurred -- against Dallas, Cincinnati, and Miami -- the games were at home for Buffalo. The Browns' defense has gotten a little better, but when Buffalo scores 3, 7, 13, 13, 14, and 17 points on the road, there is no way they'll be able to match the 27 points per game the Browns are averaging. Buffalo's defense may be "good", but the Browns are scoring that many points against the Steelers, Ravens, Seahawks, and any defense that is thrown their way.

This is the official gameday topic for the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 as they square off against the Buffalo Bills. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this topic. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!

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Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets

by ChrisPokorny on Dec 9, 2007 12:19 PM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: Cleveland Browns (7-5) vs. New York Jets (3-9)
Where: The Meadowlands (East Rutherford, NJ)
When: 4:15 PM EST
Announcers: Dick Enberg & Randy Cross (CBS)

Is it do or die time for the Cleveland Browns? Yes, but not in the same way it has been in the past few years. Last year, it would've been "do or die time" because our only chance to make the postseason would've been if we had won every single game remaining and the teams ahead of us would've lost every single game. Now, we're in the reverse position, and it's our job to hold on to a wildcard spot with a victory over a 3-9 Jets team that is hurting with a couple of injuries. With that said, the Jets are playing their best football of the season, having won two of their past three, including a 19-16 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers three weeks ago.

Continuing my trend, I'm going to highlight a couple of other games to watch today. These games will have the most significant impact on the Browns' playoff chances:

San Diego Chargers (7-5) vs. Tennessee Titans (7-5): The Titans are basically tied with us for the wildcard spot in the long run, meaning we have to hope that a talented team like the San Diego Chargers are able to do a favor for us on gameday. It's a shame that CBS is showing us Oakland vs. Green Bay here in Cleveland for the morning game, because it'd make more sense to show the Chargers battle the Titans since it directly impacts our playoff hopes. Albert Haynesworth vs. LaDainian Tomlinson is a key match-up here, but I think each player will have their fair share of impact on the opposition. The Titans' run offense has struggled as of late, and the Chargers have thrived at stopping the run. In this game, you can bank on the Chargers providing us with a one-game cushion in the wildcard race..

Miami Dolphins (0-12) vs. Buffalo Bills (6-6): It's really not even worth considering an upset here. The Miami Dolphins haven't shown the ability to take control of a game, and Marshawn Lynch is going to be back at running back for the Bills. Trent Edwards is 4-1 as Buffalo's starting quarterback, and chances are he'll be 5-1 heading into next week's huge game against the Browns. You can count on the Bills decimating the Dolphins here.

Now, here's the preview for the showdown between the Browns and the Jets...

OFFENSE

Category	Browns	Jets
Points Scored	28.0 (4th)	18.4 (24th)
Passing	247.7 (9th)	186.3 (25th)
Rushing	105.8 (16th)	102.1 (19th)
Total Offense (yards)	353.5 (6th)	288.4 (25th)

DEFENSE

Category	Browns	Jets
Points Scored	28.2 (32nd)	24.2 (25th)
Passing	258.4 (30th)	210.3 (11th)
Rushing	131.5 (28th)	141.1 (29th)
Total Defense (yards)	389.9 (32nd)	351.3 (25th)

	Quarterback Derek Anderson and Kellen Clemons faced each other several times in their pre-NFL careers, making for an intriguing matchup heading into this game. Both quarterbacks are really in their first true years as being able to orchestrate a starting offense for more than a game at a time, and Anderson is clearly further along. Much of that may have to do with having more electric weapons at the receiver position and protection up front, but it counts nonetheless. The big factor the Browns have to key in on is pressuring Kellen Clemons. Clemons is being sacked an average of three times per game, and that has played a factor in his inability to get the ball down the field as much as he'd like to (because he can throw a good deep ball when compared to Chad Pennington).
	Running Back Run the ball with Jamal Lewis. Run the ball with Jamal Lewis. Run the ball with Jamal Lewis. That's all I keep hearing in respect to what the Browns need to do this week on offense. Do I agree? Yes and no. Yes, we need to run the ball a lot with Lewis, but I don't like starting off the game with it. The Browns are much more explosive when throwing the football, and if we're aggressive right away I think we can jump out with a lead on the road and then pound it out against a poor Jets run defense. On the other side of the field, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have combined for a fair, but not even close to dominating duo for the Jets offense. If the Browns build up a lead early, we should be able to neutralize the Jets' ground attack.
	Receiver The Jets' defensive backs took some heat coming into the season. They needed to improve at the position and drafted the appropriate man in Darrelle Revis. It's taken awhile, but Revis is finally coming along and starting to look like a quality starting defensive back. That may limit the amount of big plays Braylon Edwards is capable of, calling for a big day from Joe Jurevicius. Kellen Winslow didn't receive enough first-half looks last week against the Cardinals; hopefully that changes this week. The Jets have two good receivers in Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles, but both of them are banged up right now. Cotchery probably will not play, and Coles won't be at full speed. Former quarterback Brad Smith could start opposite Coles at receiver.
	Offensive Line Last year, I admired the Jets offensive line because they were able to draft both D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold for their offensive line. The duo helped solidify the team's line last year en route to the postseason. However, it's the Browns that have had the better offensive line by far this season. The Jets' line has given up a total of 35 sacks this season, where as the Browns have given up 11 sacks under Derek Anderson. The Jets' running game numbers are a little skewed in terms of yards per game because they often hand the ball off rather than passing it. Jones is averaging 3.6 yards-per-carry and only has one rushing touchdown. The Jets have trouble in short yardage run situations, something the Browns' defensive line has excelled at.
	Defensive Line If I see Simon Fraser starting again this week, I'm going to be very concerned. The combination of Robaire Smith, Shaun Smith, and Orpheus Roye impresses me, and I think they can force the same type of pressure they did two weeks ago against the Houston Texans today against the Jets. The Jets have some pretty good pass rushers in Dewayne Robertson and Shaun Ellis, but they can be beaten on the ground. When the Browns do decide to run the ball, attacking the left side of the defense will be critical in Lewis' success. Don't be surprised if we see Lewis break a big run on a counter like he did against the Bengals earlier this season.
	Linebacker Again last week, I liked the early pursuit that the Browns' linebackers had on Edgerrin James. It was only late in the game that things started to crumble, something I believe would've been stopped had we had more defensive linemen to rotate in the game. The Jets took a big hit at the linebacker position when Jonathan Vilma went out with an injury earlier this season. Ever since then, the unit hasn't been nearly as sharp, and the opposing team's rushing numbers have resembled that. I doubt this will happen, but I think the Jets are a team that we can throw some confusion at by blitzing a person they don't expect. Who? Chaun Thompson. Again, doubt it will happen, but the potential exists.
	Secondary The Browns would get a big lift with the return of Eric Wright this week. While Brandon McDonald has been very good the past two weeks, having an extra body available provides the Browns with more versatility. They'd be able to decide between a hot McDonald or a mediocre Daven Holly in nickel back situations if they so choose. The Jets have some talent at the cornerback position in rookie Darrelle Revis. The other big factor is safety Kerry Rhodes. Rhodes has four interceptions this season and is capable of Pro Bowl caliber. Anderson can't afford to take risks over the middle if Rhodes is covering, because he's savvy enough to make a play on the ball and kill a drive.
	Special Teams It's the battle of the AFC's best in kick returners this week between Joshua Cribbs and Leon Washington. Will it be a chess match for each team's kickoff coverage units? The Cardinals obviously frustrated Cribbs last week, so hopefully the Browns' special teams went over some better philosophies during the week on how to react in those types of situations. I'm curious to see how often the Browns kick to Washington, because we haven't been known to really kick away from he opposition, especially with Phil Dawson back there. An underrated player in this game? Dave Zastudil. The Jets can have some spurts where they come together on defense, and if they happens, we need to force the Jets' inept offense to have a long field.

FINAL PREDICTION: Cleveland Browns 35, New York Jets 21.
The Browns have shown the potential to strike quick, but the thing they need to improve on if they want to be a playoff team is scoring early in games on the road. They fell behind to the Raiders earlier this season on the road, and they fell behind last week against the Cardinals. They were in position to tie or win both games on the final play, but things just barely missed going their way on both occasions. The Jets have won two of their past three games, but hopefully Cleveland's ready to bring out their big plays early this week, setting up the Jamal Lewis for later in the game rather than earlier in the game.

This is the official gameday topic for the Cleveland Browns in Week 14 as they square off against the New York Jets. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this topic. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!

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Cleveland Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals

by ChrisPokorny on Dec 2, 2007 12:51 PM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: Cleveland Browns (7-4) vs. Arizona Cardinals (5-6)
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ)
When: 4:15 PM EST
Announcers: Greg Gumbel & Dan Dierdorf (CBS)

Are you ready for a Super Bowl preview? Ok, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself if I'm saying the Browns will return to Glendale, Arizona in February to take on the NFC's best, but I'm looking forward to seeing the Browns play in this stadium in what is bound to be a high scoring game. Both teams were strong wildcard hopefuls in their respective conferences prior to last week's games, but each team experienced a different result. While the Browns played very well at home against the Houston Texans, the Cardinals blew several opportunities to put the San Francisco 49ers away. Thus, the Browns currently hold a wildcard spot in the AFC, while the Cardinals are stuck in about a six-way tie for seventh place in the NFC (which, of course, gets you nothing come January).

Just like I did last week, I'm going to highlight a couple of other games to watch today. These games will have the most significant impact on the Browns' playoff chances:

Houston Texans (5-6) vs. Tennessee Titans (6-5): After the Texans did a favor by losing to us last week, they could certainly do us another favor by beating the Titans, which would give the Browns a two-game lead assuming we take out the Cardinals. The worst case scenario would be if the Titans won and the Browns lost: there would be a tie for the wildcard spot based on records, but we would still hold the advantage due to a better conference record. With Albert Haynesworth scheduled to return to the lineup for the Texans, I think Houston will be in disarray on offense. In this game, you can bank on the Titans taking out the Texans.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3): The Bengals came through for the Browns last week by beating the Titans, and boy would they come through for us again this week with a win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh's offense has not put points on the board the past two weeks, but a home game against the Bengals' defense should cure that. Cincinnati's offense has caught fire too, but overall the communication and protection problems have been an issue for them against the league's top defenses. In this game, you can count on the Steelers maintaining their one-game lead on the Browns with a win.

Now, here's the preview for the showdown between the Browns and the Cardinals...

OFFENSE

Category	Browns	Cardinals
Points Scored	28.6 (3rd)	23.1 (10th)
Passing	243.4 (11th)	246.2 (10th)
Rushing	107.8 (16th)	87.6 (27th)
Total Offense (yards)	351.2 (9th)	333.8 (14th)

DEFENSE

Category	Browns	Cardinals
Points Scored	28.3 (32nd)	23.5 (24th)
Passing	266.5 (30th)	216.6 (19th)
Rushing	131.4 (28th)	101.1 (15th)
Total Defense (yards)	397.9 (32nd)	317.7 (12th)

	Quarterback It's been an interesting couple of years for veteran quarterback Kurt Warner. He had three great seasons with the St. Louis Rams, but then was ousted by current Rams quarterback Marc Bulger. Then, he was brought to the Giants for one year to help guide Eli Manning along. It's hard to believe he's spent three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals now, but his best shot at playoff contention came this season after Matt Leinart went down with a season-ending injury. Warner has played with a large cast on his non-throwing arm the past several weeks, and it hasn't slowed him down considering he threw for nearly 500 yards last week. The Cardinals like to bring in Tim Rattay in the game in situations down near the goal line, and the formula has worked in Arizona's favor. Derek Anderson's season still far outweighs that of the Cardinals' quarterbacks. The biggest, and most underrated statistic I'd look at is lost fumbles: Warner has lost five fumbles in nine games, while Anderson has lost just one fumble in eleven games. When and if Anderson gets hit, he's not coughing it up, where as Warner drops it nearly as much as Drew Bledsoe used to if you pressure him enough.
	Running Back The running game was supposed to be a winning formula for the Cardinals this year. It is Edgerrin James' second year in the system, and through the first two games of the season it looked like the Cardinals would finally become a complete team on offense after he averaged 100 yards per game. Instead, he's failed to reach the 100-yard mark despite having numerous games in which he's received 25 carries. James isn't breaking big runs, and that's going to be a plus for the Browns. Jamal Lewis has looked fresh over the past few weeks, proving he's still capable of gaining steam in the second half of games against some of the lower-ranked run defenses. The 49ers were able to get Frank Gore involved in the passing game often last week; I think it's key that the Browns use Jerome Harrison and Jason Wright often in checkdown situations.
	Receiver The Browns would be favored here if we find out that Larry Fitzgerald is ruled out, but I do expect him to start. The Cardinals' receivers are the NFC's equivalent of what the Browns have to offer. Fitzgerald has averaged over 100 yards receiving in his past ten games, just about the best in the NFL. Since Anquan Boldin returned from an injury, he's been featured a little less in the passing game but still enough to the point where he's a significant threat. Tight end Leonard Pope's also been a threat recently; he has 11 catches for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns in his past four games. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow are still making fantastic catches for the Browns, while Joe Jurevicius is playing as good as he did in his Super Bowl season with the Seahawks. When you have the amount of talent these two teams have at the receiver position, it's no wonder the quarterbacks are among the league's best.
	Offensive Line The Cardinals' offensive line has improved a lot since last season, and right tackle Levi Brown has a lot to do with that. The Cardinals originally wanted left tackle Joe Thomas, but the Browns snagged him before they picked at No. 5. Warner has only been sacked 13 times in nine games, but that also has to do with the fact that he tries to get rid of the football even when pressure is right in his face. The Browns' offensive line improved since last year too, but a lot more than the Cardinals' line did. The biggest differential factor comes down to run blocking -- while the Browns aren't the best at it, they rank 16th in the league where the Browns rank 27th in the league.
	Defensive Line I like the improvements that the Browns' defensive line has made over the past few weeks, stemming from Orpheus Roye back at defensive end and Shaun Smith starting at nose tackle. Roye's status is up in the air for this game, and I'll be concerned if he can't go because I think that'll hurt our linebackers' ability to blitz through the line. The Browns are going to have their hands full trying to contain defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, who has eight sacks this season. The Cardinals have shown the ability to get some push up front, but that should create some opportunities for the Browns to effectively run some counters and draws in the running game.
	Linebacker Last week, D'Qwell Jackson really provided a necessary spark for the defense. We needed a sure tackler back in the lineup, and that's what Jackson provides. Having him in the game this week should help ensure that James doesn't break out any big runs that he hasn't been used to having the past two seasons. Kamerion Wimbley has benefited from Todd Grantham's more aggressive blitzing approach the past two weeks; more opportunities haven't shown up on the stat sheet for him individually, but it has helped the opposing quarterback step up into another defender. The Cardinals' have a nice trio of sound linebackers in Calvin Pace, Gerald Hayes, and Karlos Dansby. Together, the three of them are the team's top three tacklers, and they have 11 sacks as a unit. They can make the plays, but they can't take over a game or stay with a guy like Winslow over the middle.
	Secondary This is the big one: Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson is out for the season, and so is starting cornerback Eric Green. That forced former first-round pick Antrel Rolle into a starting role. Although Rolle had a big game against Carson Palmer a few weeks ago, there's a reason why he hadn't been starting this season: he was underachieving. Ralph Brown will also be forced into a more active role in nickel back formations, and based on how horrible he played for us last year, I see opportunity written all over the place if we throw towards his direction. Eric Wright will probably be out with an injury today, meaning Brandon McDonald will be forced into covering the Cardinals' top receiver in three-receiver sets. I need to see McDonald reproduce last week's effort before I can mentally have more faith in him.
	Special Teams The Cardinals are far from the Browns' level on special teams, and it was illustrated in last week's game alone. First, the Cardinals' punter failed to snap the ball in time in overtime on what would have been a game-winning field goal. Then, the kicker, Neil Rackers, missed the following short field goal. Rackers has been very inconsistent this season, and fans want him out of the city. Then, speedy returner made a dumb decision by fielding a punt from the one-yard line in overtime, eventually leading to Warner fumbling at the end. The Cardinals brought in a new punter during the week, which may or may not play to our advantage when Cribbs returns punts.

FINAL PREDICTION: Cleveland Browns 41, Arizona Cardinals 24.
The Browns have scored 27 or more points in each of their past six games. The Cardinals have scored 31 or more points in each of their past three games. If you're looking for an offensive showdown, then this is it. Defenses have quickly started to learn that against these two teams, you can't bank on shutting the likes of Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin down. Instead, you have to force a critical turnover. Each team has experienced a critical turnover in their most recent losses; for the Browns, Jamal Lewis fumbled several weeks ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the Cardinals, there were many reasons why they blew it, but the game ended when Kurt Warner fumbled in his own end zone in overtime.

Overall, turnovers have affected the Cardinals a lot more than they have the Browns, and that's not a good sign considering Arizona's injuries at the moment. It was learned that cornerback Eric Green and safety Adrian Wilson will be lost for the rest of the season, forcing the young Antrel Rolle into a starting position. Braylon Edwards, Joe Jurevicius, and Kellen Winslow haven't had a bad week since Anderson has taken over at quarterback, and they should be able to feast on Arizona's defense all day long. Jamal Lewis gaining steam, and Cleveland's offensive line should overmatch the Cardinals' defensive line. The Browns' defense still has plenty of holes, but they've begun to shore them up over the past few weeks: takeaways, sacks, and points allowed have gone down. The Cardinals are potent, but the Browns are further along at this point.

This is the official gameday topic for the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 as they square off against the Arizona Cardinals. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this topic. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!

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Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns

by ChrisPokorny on Nov 24, 2007 10:29 PM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: Houston Texans (5-5) vs. Cleveland Browns (6-4)
Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland, OH)
When: 1:00 PM EST
Announcers: Gus Johnson & Steve Tasker (CBS)

This game really makes for an intriguing match-up because it signifies that the tides may finally be turning for the two most recently established franchises in the modern-day NFL. The Browns have one postseason appearance, but overall they have not been a team to be reckoned with since returning to the league. And, ironically, the only time the Texans were close to finishing a season with a .500 record, the Browns upset them in the season finale. Now, both teams are fighting for the AFC's final wildcard spot past the halfway point of the season. The Browns had a crazy finish on Phil Dawson's 51-yard field goal last week at the end of regulation, but all that matters in the end is that the Browns stayed ahead of the pack of most of the wildcard hopefuls with a win. Every week will be a fight for the Browns though, including this week against the 5-5 Texans.

Considering the Browns are actually in a playoff race, I'm going to highlight a couple of other games to watch today. These games will have the most significant impact on the Browns' wildcard chances (also assume that in every term in which I am speaking that the Browns have won):

Buffalo Bills (5-5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3): There are benefits to how either side of this game turns out. The Bills are looking for a win to stay competitive in the playoff race after falling to the Patriots. The Jaguars currently hold the top wildcard spot, but a loss by them would give the Browns an extra opportunity at obtaining a postseason berth. With Marshawn Lynch out and the Jaguars playing very well under David Garrard though, you can bank on the Jaguars coming away with a win.

Tennessee Titans (6-4) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3-7): The Bengals have not had things go their way this season, but they are still like the Browns in a way. With all of the threats they have in the passing game, they have the potential to be an offensive juggernaut still. The Titans currently hold the second wildcard spot, and they only hold the tie over the Browns due to a better strength of schedule. This is the big one: if the Titans lose to the Bengals, even if the Browns lose, the Browns will likely move into the sixth playoff seed due to us having a stronger conference record percentage. In this game, with the Titans losing two in a row, you can bank on the Bengals delivering to help out the Browns.

Now, let's preview the showdown between the Browns and the Texans...

OFFENSE

Category	Texans	Browns
Points Scored	22.6 (11th)	28.8 (3rd)
Passing	257.9 (60th)	242.8 (10th)
Rushing	92.5 (23rd)	103.8 (17th)
Total Offense (yards)	350.4 (8th)	346.6 (12th)

DEFENSE

Category	Texans	Browns
Points Scored	23.6 (24th)	29.4 (32nd)
Passing	211.1 (15th)	269.5 (31st)
Rushing	116.5 (21st)	136.8 (28th)
Total Defense (yards)	327.6 (18th)	406.3 (32nd)

	Quarterback Derek Anderson and Matt Schaub -- the two quarterbacks that'll be featured in this game -- share the same agent. Prior to the season starting, I'm sure the agent for both quarterbacks was thrilled at the new contract and starting opportunity that Schaub was set to receive from the Texans. While Schaub struggled at times without Andre Johnson available, he has been a much better option than David Carr overall. The agent probably had no clue that Derek Anderson would be the guy receiving more press this late in the season though, as I just got finished listening to Rod Woodson of the NFL Network state that besides Tom Brady, Derek Anderson would be his MVP of the league. Both quarterbacks have similar builds, but Anderson has more weapons (Winslow and Edwards) than Schaub (Johnson) to quicken his maturation process.
	Running Back I expected an answer from Jamal Lewis last week against the Baltimore Ravens and he more than delivered with 90+ yards rushing and one touchdown. The Texans rank below average at defending the run, meaning this will be the best opportunity since facing the Rams that Lewis will have to run the football. I'm hoping that since the heavy blitzing teams, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, are out of the way, that the Browns will activate Jerome Harrison again and get him a series or two in the second half. The Texans started off the season with Ahman Green at running back, but he's out again this week with an injury. Ron Dayne will get the start, but he's only averaging a mere 3.6 yards-per-carry. Don't expect Dayne to carry the load the whole game though; former Browns running back Adimchinobi Echemandu could see some action in backup duty. It's not too good when a former Browns seventh-round running back is your backup running back.
	Receiver I hate to sound like I'm beating a dead horse when I constantly say that Andre Johnson makes a world of a difference for the Texans, but if I don't stress in then I'm not taking into consideration just how important he is. "A 73 yard TD catch is going to fire up everyone on the sideline, including the defense. It's also going to reduce the 'we-have-to-be-perfect' pressure that a defense feels when its offense hasn't put any points on the board, which in turn could allow the defense to get bolder with its play-calling," stated Tim McHale of Battle Red Blog this week in regards to how Johnson even helps out the defensive side of the ball (side note: former Browns receiver André Davis is the team's slot receiver). The Browns' offense can't really afford to "help out" the defense; they need to score just to have a chance at keeping pace with the amount of points given out. Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards create a two-for-one option in comparison to Johnson still, and that makes for a Browns advantage.
	Offensive Line Shoring up the offensive line after Seth McKinney was placed on the injured reserve took another step in the right direction last week after the Browns were sacked just once by the Ravens' defense and Jamal Lewis nearly passed the 100-yard rushing mark against them on the road. However, the unit still needs to cut down on the false start penalties that are piling up on the road (thankfully we're at home this week). The Texans have been far better this season at keeping their quarterbacks on their feet. After David Carr was a sack puppet for several years with the team, Texans quarterbacks are only being sacked about 1.4 times per game. The issue still exists with running the football, but that may also have to do with the lack of continuity at the position.
	Defensive Line As McHale also pointed out, despite the often debated selection of Mario Williams, "we've seen flashes (most recently against New Orleans last week) of what he can do; it's just a matter of him putting the total package together." Some players turn into busts, but that doesn't appear to be the case with Williams, who has five sacks this season and wrecked havoc with a forced fumble last week. Add him with the drafting of defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, who is "rare DT who can rush the passer AND stop the run", and you've got yourself the type of defensive line in the makings that we as Browns fans would be coveting. I was happy at the efforts by veterans Robaire Smith and Orpheus Roye last week, but I'm wondering what will happen if Ethan Kelley remains unavailable to play. Shaun Smith is banged up a little still too, which means we may see Louis Leonard bumped up to a starting role.
	Linebacker Williams was the Texans' first-round pick last season, but linebacker DeMeco Ryans was the defensive player of the year in the second round. He has continued his pace this season, again leading his team in tackles while anchoring the young defense. Other than Ryans though, Morlon Greenwood and Danny Clark are far from the type of pass rushers and run stoppers that Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs are. The last time I called for a sack from Kamerion Wimbley, he executed it against the Miami Dolphins. Call if another hunch, but I'm calling for Wimbley under the suddenly more aggressive Browns blitzing defense to record at least one sack on Schaub. With D'Qwell Jackson returning from injury this week, the linebacking group should get a much needed lift from its best tackler this season.
	Secondary You have to be impressed with the combined efforts of Sean Jones and Brodney Pool last week -- each of them had an interception, and Jones was very effective on the safety blitz when it was called. They'll have a huge task ahead of them against the Texans though, because there is no way we're going to try and leave Andre Johnson matched up with Leigh Bodden or Daven Holly in single coverage down the field. Both safeties will probably have to alternate assignments when Schaub goes deep, so they better be ready. The Texans were getting a big lift from young cornerback Dunta Robinson this season, but he was placed on the injured reserve a few weeks ago. Without Robinson in the defensive backfield for the Texans, the unit overall is average at best.
	Special Teams The publicity that the Browns are receiving on special teams is amazing. On Sirius NFL Radio and on pre- and post-game football shows, I'm constantly hearing about how Joshua Cribbs is the league's new elite kick returner. He's not so much "new" to us anymore, but I'll soak in all of the flattery each and every time. Dawson was also at the forefront of discussion all week after the Dawson Effect. What's next -- Dave Zastudil fakes a punt and heaves a touchdown to one of our gunners? The Texans have enjoyed the effort they've received out of their own kicker, Kris Brown, this season. Brown is already 4-of-4 on 50+ yard field goal attempts and is 21-of-23 overall.

FINAL PREDICTION: Cleveland Browns 28, Houston Texans 21.
The Browns are 4-0 in home games with Derek Anderson at quarterback. The Texans are 3-0 in games that Andre Johnson has played, but only one of those games came on the road. Considering the Browns have the 32nd-ranked defense in the league though, it'd be safe to assume that Schaub-to-Johnson will be an active connection this weekend, even if the Browns try to key in on him. While Schaub-to-Johnson is impressive, don't forget about the just-as-effective connection between Braylon Edwards and Derek Anderson this season. Edwards has already set numerous career highs in receiving, and Anderson will be thrilled at the fact that he won't have to face a "pressure" defense this week that had to place Dunta Robinson on the injured reserve a few weeks ago. Anderson still showed enough poise against the Steelers and Ravens in back to back weeks, but he'll have more opportunities to get the ball down the field against Houston which is what he excels at.

This is the official gameday topic for the Cleveland Browns in Week 12 as they square off against the Houston Texans. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this topic. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!

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Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

by ChrisPokorny on Nov 18, 2007 11:27 AM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: Cleveland Browns (5-4) vs. Baltimore Ravens (4-5)
Where: M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, MD)
When: 1:00 PM EST
Announcers: Ian Eagle/Solomon Wilcots (CBS)

Are we getting tired of facing teams with tough run defenses? Or, maybe we're just starting to get tired of the lack of yardage being put up by Jamal Lewis. After a crushing loss on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, the Browns can't afford to let their guard down against the Baltimore Ravens today. The Ravens have been playing bad football this season against any team that has a winning record, and they are currently 0-4 in the division. A loss to the Browns today would officially end the Ravens' playoff hopes, and set us up for a stretch of what is considered an "easy schedule". The Browns are only 1-3 on the road this year though, meaning nothing can be taken for granted. Let's get to the breakdown of this week's game...

OFFENSE

Category	Browns	Ravens
Points Scored	28.3 (4th)	15.3 (28th)
Passing	239.9 (10th)	195.9 (21st)
Rushing	103.0 (18th)	100.0 (19th)
Total Offense (yards)	342.9 (11th)	295.9 (23rd)

DEFENSE

Category	Browns	Ravens
Points Scored	29.3 (32nd)	19.7 (11th)
Passing	272.8 (31st)	203.3 (12th)
Rushing	137.8 (28th)	73.7 (2nd)
Total Defense (yards)	410.6 (32nd)	277.0 (5th)

	Quarterback The Baltimore Ravens are going back to Kyle Boller this week after Steve McNair suffered a shoulder injury last week. The Ravens haven't had a good quarterback since returning to the league, and this year's platoon between the two has possibly been the worst in the team's history. As a team, Baltimore quarterbacks have only thrown five touchdowns in nine games. Derek Anderson threw three first half touchdown last week against the Steelers, but then proceeded to cool off in the second half. Anderson picked apart the Ravens' secondary earlier this season, and ideally his improved maturity will allow him to do the same this time around despite being on the road.
	Running Back The Browns have really only had a "solid" running game in one game this season: Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Is that because our offensive line isn't as good at run blocking, because we're always finding ourselves behind in the first half due to our defense, or because Jamal Lewis simply isn't getting it done? We had the lead last week, and we all saw what Lewis did. I hope Jerome Harrison is active again this week, because we need a spark on the ground again. The Ravens continue to have a consistent threat in Willis McGahee, who would've ripped us badly in Week 4 if the Ravens hadn't decided to throw the ball so often.
	Receiver A few more blunders have begun to add up for Braylon Edwards, but overall, the chemistry between him and Anderson is still strong. Edwards was able to burn the Ravens' secondary earlier this season when they were without Samari Rolle, and they'll get that same opportunity today considering he's out again. The Ravens still haven't found many threats since the last time these two teams met: Derrick Mason is still the team's top receiver, but he doesn't catch the deep ball and he has less chemistry with Boller than McNair. Todd Heap probably won't play due to injury, but backup Quinn Sypniewski had some success against our linebackers and safeties in Week 4.
	Offensive Line There didn't seem to be any ill effects from Seth McKinney leaving the lineup last week as Ryan Tucker filled in nicely for him. Anderson was pressured in the second half, but overall he was kept clean just as he has been all year. It's a shame that we won't face McNair this week, because he had been using his offensive line quite poorly, losing seven fumbles this season, several of them coming against the Bengals. Jonathan Ogden will be in the lineup for the Ravens after being banged up the past several times he's faced the Browns. He hasn't been his dominating self the past few years, but against our defensive line he shouldn't have much of a problem.
	Defensive Line The Browns' defensive line recorded a season-high two sacks, but they also allowed Ben Roethlisberger to run for a career high in rushing yards. An interesting story is developing with the Browns' line this week though, because Shaun Smith is "out" with a knee injury. That means that Orpheus Roye could see a heavier workload, and we may also see action from Louis Leonard for the first time this season. The Ravens' line still outclasses our line though with Haloti Ngata, Kelley Gregg, and Trevor Pryce leading the front of the second-ranked run defense in the league.
	Linebacker Willie McGinest did a poor job of executing last week when he was in position to make a play. The Browns would love to see D'Qwell Jackson return to action this week, but he is still a game-time decision. I was encouraged by the linebackers blitzing up the middle more often last week at times, and I hope to see some more of that against Boller since he doesn't have as good of a pocket presence. Like the defensive line though, the Ravens outclass the Browns here with the likes of Ray Lewis and Bart Scott. Will we see an appearance from Kamerion Wimbley this week? He's almost been absent from pressures on opposing quarterbacks this season.
	Secondary Week by week, Eric Wright seems to be getting better. Week by week, Leigh Bodden is making more plays. Week by week, the safeties are no longer getting burned deep. And yet, week by week, opposing quarterbacks are picking us apart underneath because the Browns have shifted to the bend but don't break philosophy. Hopefully, since the Ravens don't really pose a threat to go deep, our players in the secondary can take some more chances on jumping routes. The Ravens will be without Samari Rolle at cornerback, but they'll have Chris McAlister and Ed Reed ready for action.
	Special Teams Joshua Cribbs is amazing, and the NFL has officially "noticed", because there has been talk all week now that team's are going to start kicking away from him. It'll be annoying to see Cribbs not get many chances on traditional returns anymore, but I'm also intrigued to see what philosophy we came up with to counter the short kicks. Will we activate Harrison and place him back there as an up man? Will Cribbs play shorter to bait them to kick it deep? We'll see. Matt Stover missed a pair of field goals against us the last time these two teams met, but we can't bank on that occurring again.

FINAL PREDICTION: Cleveland Browns 27, Baltimore Ravens 13.
Same score as last time. Too many people make a big deal about poor offenses finding their grooves against teams that have a lot of holes on defense. While that may cause certain teams, like the Ravens, to be more aggressive early on in games such as this one, the downfalls are seen later in the game, when they can't put the games away. Baltimore's bad on offense, no matter which quarterback they start, because nobody on the team can make a play beyond ten yards. The Ravens are still hurting defensively, and Derek Anderson was already able to pick them apart earlier this season with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow. After a tough road loss to the Steelers last week, the Ravens won't find any ground against Cleveland.

This is the official gameday topic for the tenth game of the regular season, featuring the Cleveland Browns against the Baltimore Ravens. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this topic. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!

316 comments | 0 recs

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

by ChrisPokorny on Nov 11, 2007 11:56 AM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: Cleveland Browns (5-3) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Where: Heinz Field (Pittsburgh, PA)
When: 1:00 PM EST
Announcers: Jim Nantz/Phil Simms (CBS)

Back in Week 1, the Browns were humiliated by the Steelers 34-7 in front of all of the fans of Cleveland who had gotten their hopes up, including me. It looked as if despite adding Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, and Jamal Lewis in the offseason, the talk of the season would be discussing when Romeo Crennel would be fired and whether or not Bill Cowher would be the team's next head coach.

Nine weeks later, things have taken a turn towards the brighter side of things for once. The Browns are 5-3 and are playing outstanding on offense, giving them a legitimate chance of heading into next week in a tie for the lead in the AFC North. What's changed since the last time these two teams met? The Steelers are still the Steelers (a solid team). The Browns don't have a Paul Ernster that's going to blow the fielding of a punt, or a Charlie Frye that's going to run towards a blitzer. Instead, we have five potential Pro Bowlers on offense that are responsible for the position we're currently in, and I'm loving every second of it. Will the Browns reach a new high today since returning to the league with a win? Let's get to the breakdown of this week's game...

OFFENSE

Category	Browns	Steelers
Points Scored	28.4 (4th)	27.8 (5th)
Passing	254.5 (7th)	201.9 (19th)
Rushing	110.9 (17th)	150.5 (2nd)
Total Offense (yards)	365.4 (4th)	352.4 (8th)

DEFENSE

Category	Browns	Steelers
Points Scored	29.1 (30th)	12.2 (1st)
Passing	276.6 (32nd)	161.8 (1st)
Rushing	135.1 (27th)	76.0 (4th)
Total Defense (yards)	411.8 (32nd)	237.8 (1st)

	Quarterback Heading into Week 9, it looked like Derek Anderson would head into this game with more touchdown passes than Roethlisberger, but that changed after two different approaches by each team last week. The Browns ran Jamal Lewis for four touchdowns on the ground against the Seahawks while the Steelers had Ben Roethlisberger toss five first-half touchdowns against the Ravens. Each quarterback has led high-powered offense, part of the reason why they have their teams ranked fourth and fifth in points scored. In terms of individual match-ups though, Roethlisberger will be under a lot less pressure here, obviously giving him more opportunities to create a play on the fly.
	Running Back The Browns aren't a power running team, but they know how to maintain a balanced attack. Lewis' 4.2 yards-per-carry average is still inflated by his Week 2 effort against the Cincinnati Bengals, so Willie Parker's 4.1 yards-per-carry average remains more impressive overall. The Steelers knew the Ravens were depleted in the secondary last week and attacked them through the air in the first half. Without the Browns having a particular strength on defense, Parker should get all of the opportunities he usually does against the Browns. Meanwhile, Jason Wright should be mixed in often against Pittsburgh in hopes that Lewis will be available in the fourth quarter if the game is tight.
	Receiver I'm glad that Hines Ward is back for the Steelers, not because I want another talented player on the field to beat our defensive backs, but if we win, I want both teams at full strength so there are no excuses left on the table. The big story at receiver for Pittsburgh has been Santonio Holmes, the Ohio State alumni who has ripped the Browns to shreds since entering the league last season. While Joe Jurevicius, Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow have been "ace" for the Browns, those Steelers receivers have gotten accustomed to finding the gaps after Big Ben buys some time behind the line of scrimmage.
	Offensive Line The Browns' offensive line took its first hit during the week when Seth McKinney was placed on the injured reserve. As I've stated all season though, his position was easiest to replace though, considering both Ryan Tucker and Lennie Friedman are capable of stepping in and making spot starts. The Browns' line kept Derek Anderson clean all day against a heavy-blitzing Seahawks defense last week even after McKinney left. The Steelers' offensive line hasn't had many weaknesses themselves over the years, and are partially responsible for Roethlisberger having time to create some of his twenty touchdown passes.
	Defensive Line Defense is dominating when it comes to the Steelers, who rank first in the league in points allowed, pass defense, and overall defense. I said it back in Week 1, and I'm forced to say it again for the sake of filling this section up with something: Casey Hampton is perhaps the best nose tackle in the league, with Albert Haynesworth the only man giving him a run for his money. I've liked what Ethan Kelley has done over the past two weeks compared to Ted Washington, and overall, they've done a slightly better job on the line keeping the opposing team's starting (and injured) running backs to under 100 yards on the ground.
	Linebacker James Harrison was the talk of the league last week after recording 10 tackles, including 3.5 sacks, and an interception against the Baltimore Ravens. It was considered his "breakout" moment, something I think we're all waiting for Kamerion Wimbley to have. Last year, he seemed to be our only bright spot totaling 11 sacks on the season. He has barely shown up on the stat sheet over the past month or two, and although that can be attributed to a poor defensive line, he needs to show something that says he was our first-round draft pick from last season.
	Secondary Sean Jones and Brodney Pool haven't been beaten deep recently, but the compensation for that may be due to the cornerbacks outside helping them out. That has allowed teams to pass underneath all day long like Matt Hasselbeck did last week with Bobby Engram. Believe it or not though, that has led to teams having low-scoring second halves over the past two weeks. Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, and Deshea Townsend have led the Steelers to the first-ranked pass defense in the league, but their individual talents shouldn't be overestimated besides Polamalu. It's more so due to Dick LeBeau's clever schemes: if Anderson can beat them, he can move the ball.
	Special Teams Cleveland's special teams unit was putrid last week, allowing a 90+ yard punt return to Nate Burleson and seeing Phil Dawson miss an extra point. Dawson's been hitting his field goals all season, and he should get plenty of cracks against the Steelers considering it'll be difficult to put touchdowns on the board against this team. Allen Rossum has been a threat in the kick return game for Pittsburgh, but he hasn't done a whole lot on punt returns. Dave Zastudil will be important in this game, as he didn't face the Steelers in Week 1 due to injury. We all know how that turned out.

FINAL PREDICTION: Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Cleveland Browns 20.
As much as the Steelers like to say that "a team needs to beat us sometimes" in order for this to be considered a rivalry, make no mistake about it: this has and forever will be one of the greatest rivalries in the NFL. The Browns were demolished back in Week 1 when Charlie Frye was their starting quarterback and were left for dead by critics around the league. After the Browns' front office made an uncommon decision by trading Frye away immediately and naming Derek Anderson the starter though, things have gotten a lot better for the Browns, particularly during their three-game winning streak. The offense is one of the best in the NFL, and although the defense has been torched, the "little big plays" have started to show up in crunch time.

With all of those positive with the Browns though, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had positive of their own. Ben Roethlisberger is also among the league leaders in passing, while Willie Parker is having another successful year running the football. Hines Ward and Kellen Winslow have both been called out by opposing defense during the week, so it'll be interesting to see if either team actually goes through with their subliminal threats. This win would mean everything for the city of Cleveland, but Pittsburgh's simply doesn't let their guard down at home when they're playing great football.

This is the official gameday topic for the ninth game of the regular season, featuring the Cleveland Browns against the Pittsburgh Steelers. All comments regarding the game should be posted in this topic. Enjoy the game, and GO BROWNS!!!

161 comments | 0 recs

Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns

by ChrisPokorny on Nov 4, 2007 1:05 PM EST in 2007 Game Day Threads

Game: Seattle Seahawks (4-3) vs. Cleveland Browns (4-3)
Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland, OH)
When: 4:05 PM EST
Announcers: Sam Rosen/Tim Ryan (FOX)

I just had to do it: instead of showing a Browns or Seahawks player in the headlining image, why not display Tom Brady and Peyton Manning? Until this morning, I thought that was the only game being played this week. After taking four years to build another two-game winning streak, Romeo Crennel will try to make it three in a row today against the NFC West's division-leading Seattle Seahawks. Match-up wise, this game would've been considered an automatic loss prior to the season starting. Now, it's the Browns who enter the game as the favorites to win due to the consistent offensive production that has been displayed. I know I say that we need every game, but we really do need this game. I don't see

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