Less than 24 hours from now, the Cleveland Browns will battle the Buffalo Bills in Cleveland Browns Stadium. In essence, the game already started with the drop of the first snowflake earlier around 1:00 PM EST (at least on my part of Cleveland's West Side). The snow is expected to continue throughout the day, possibly leading to four to six inches of accumulation. I don't believe for a second that the Buffalo Bills have an advantage over the Browns in this type of weather, because in terms of this season, both teams are used to the cold that mother nature brings to the Northeastern part of the United States.
Both teams are getting physically prepared for the game-time conditions. According to the Plain Dealer, the Browns practiced outside on Friday for the first time in weeks. Since Derek Anderson's passes are built to be able to cut though the air, perhaps that will play to his advantage with high winds also in the forecast. The most important question to be answered may be based on how well our receivers catch the football. Sure, a guy like Jamal Lewis has been catching all of Anderson's bullets in the flat, but will that be the case Sunday? Or, will a pass like that bounce off of Lewis' hands and right into the arms of a Buffalo defensive back for an easy pick six?
Thankfully, we shouldn't have to worry about our "hands man", Joe Jurevicius, missing this week's game due to a knee injury. Contradictory to an ESPN headline which stated Jurevicius would miss this Sunday's game, the veteran receiver is only listed as questionable and he "should be a go" according to ESPN's John Clayton (same outlet, different reports). On the defensive side of the ball, the Browns will probably be without linebacker Antwan Peek due to an ankle injury. That means more playing time for veteran linebacker Willie McGinest, who has been criticized by fans this season for his "aging" attributes.
Back to the weather aspect, if you're heading to the game tomorrow, be sure to bundle up nice and warm. If I had tickets to the game, I would most certainly wear my brand new Cleveland Browns Apache Hot Jacket and Player Knit Hat to the game. Both products were sent to me from Reebok for a product review, and overall I don't have any complaints about either of them. I was surprised that despite being rather lightweight, the jacket has kept my insulated the past few weeks when the weather has been cold outside. Since the jacket does not have a hood, the knit hat compliments the jacket nicely, both in comfort and style. Besides -- what's better than sporting brown and orange (actually, orange and white in this case) when the Browns are in the heat of a playoff race?
Dawgs By Nature Giveaway
Do those products sound enticing? I'm going to have a treat for one lucky reader, because Reebok provided me with an extra knit hat ($17.99 value) to give away to one of my beloved readers! I felt a random drawing wouldn't be too fun, and since tomorrow's game against the Bills has stirred up a lot of excitement, I'm going to hold a contest using a point system and a series of questions related to the game. Here's how it's going to work: fill out each of the following seven questions using your most educated projections regarding the game. The eighth question will only be used in the event of a tie, which I will explain later. For each of the seven questions you get correct, you will be awarded the amount of points shown.- Who will win the game (Buffalo or Cleveland)? (2 points)
- Will it snow, even if it's just a little, during the game? (1 point)
- Will Jamal Lewis run for over 100 yards? (1 point)
- Will Derek Anderson throw an interception? (1 point)
- Who will be the Browns' leading receiver [in yards]? (1 point)
- Who will record either the first sack, interception, or fumble recovery? * (1 point)
- Which offensive player will have the highest fantasy points on the Browns? ** (1 point)
- What will the final score be? *** (Tiebreaker)

-Multiple Choice (Basically a Yes/No)
-Fill in the Blank (Choose a Player)
-Tiebreaker Question (Pick the Score)
-* (Means you can choose "nobody" if you feel no one will accomplish one of the three)
-** You must choose a Browns quarterback, running back, fullback, wide receiver, or tight end. A touchdown pass is worth six fantasy points. Every ten yards receiving or running is worth one fantasy point. Every 25 yards passing is worth one fantasy point. Every fumble lost or interception thrown is worth a loss of two points. Every successful two-point conversion, either throwing, rushing, or receiving, is worth two fantasy points. Kick and punt returns will not count.
-*** If necessary, the tiebreaker will be judged in this way -- I take the actual points each team scored and find the difference between that and your score. I will combine the differences for each team, and then whoever has the lowest total (and thus the closest predicted score) will win. Be aware: if you pick the final score to be something like 33-0 Browns and the final score is 33-30 Browns, then chances are you wouldn't win in a tiebreaker scenario.
Submission Guidelines: Please submit your answers as a reply to this topic. If you want to keep your answers secret, then submit them to the following e-mail address: pokorny@pfcritics.com. If you submit an e-mail, please still respond to this post stating "responded through email". All participants must be from the United States. I will be accepting submissions up until the START of the game tomorrow, meaning you'd better get it in prior to 1:00 PM EST! Good luck, and I hope this wasn't too complicated ;) If you have a question, let me know.