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Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse, a survey of fans across the NFL powered by SurveyMonkey. Each week, we send 32 polls to 100+ plugged in fans from each team. Browns fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.
If you recall, a couple weeks ago, we asked our readers to join FanPulse, so you can weigh in on the direction of the team each week. For those who are apprehensive about signing up, the poll literally took me 20 seconds to answer all 3 questions presented this week. The answers everyone provided in the Week 1 poll are below!
Will the Browns win or lose in Week 1?
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The Steelers are currently favored by 4.5 points, but Browns fans think Cleveland will win by a field goal. If that’s the case, then you should definitely bet the spread this weekend.
I will post my official prediction for the game on Saturday. Given all of the positive press the Browns have received this offseason, how they were portrayed on Hard Knocks, and how the Steelers will be without Le’Veon Bell, I’m a little surprised the optimism didn’t extend to beyond 3 points. However, I do have to keep reminding myself that Pittsburgh was a 13-3 team in 2017.
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How confident are you in the direction of the team?
Very confident: 48 percent
Somewhat confident: 49 percent
Meh: 1 percent
Not very confident: 1 percent
Not confident at all: 0 percent
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Fans are certainly in favor of the franchise right now, but their record is 0-0. If they start off 0-2 against the Steelers and Saints, how quickly will things turn south because Hue Jackson is still in charge?
What is the worst NFL rule?
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This is the one poll asked to Browns fans that actually ended up being aggregated across all 32 sites. My first instinct was to vote for the helmet rule, but then I thought about it, and I don’t actually think it will be flagged very often during the regular season. I voted for the “fumbling out of bounds in end zone results in a turnover” rule. That always drives me nuts — why not just put the ball back to the 1 or 2 yard line, or wherever the ball was fumbled at? It just deflates a whole drive, and not in a “oh, the defense deserved that reward” type of way.