I'll try to get the party started. It's pretty hard given that it is the first game of the year and there were no preseason games.

Key: QB Match-up: The Browns have better weapons than the Rats, but will Baker be able to come close to playing as well as Lamar? Which guy will do more for his team?

Key: The Rats added Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe. Will Willis and Conklin be able to neutralize those guys in pass pro?

Key: The Browns should be strong at run blocking. Chubb and Hunt are two dynamite backs. Will the Rats be able to slow them down and put the Browns in bad down and distance situations?

Key: Likewise, will the Browns be able to slow down the Rats strong running attack.

Key: I think if one team jumps out to an early lead of two scores will have a huge advantage.

This one is huge. As you stated, both teams should be able to run the ball. If one team is forced into a predominantly passing attack, then advantage to the other, IMO.

I'm more worried about Tretter/the rookie/the interior holding up as far as Calais. Not that the OTs aren't worrisome as well. I'm guessing we'll be rolling Baker away from Campbell fairly often when trying to pass.

Hopefully our OTs can wash out their OLBs and give us nice lanes to cut up into on wide zone runs and seal them inside when/if they cheat the other way.

I think this will be won at the line of scrimmage- Who can keep their QB cleaner and prevent TFLs. I'm slightly worried this could look like Navy vs BYU. Hopefully Callahan is all he's been hyped up to be and our OL is ready.

Hopefully Myles shows he deserves his payday. I'm not sure our depleted secondary can hold up without pressure.

I was a lot less nervous before watching that whooping in Annapolis. Hopefully having our toughest game on paper in week one had the guys focused and they come out ready.

Call a gameplan that makes Baker make quick decisions. This was Freddie's downfall.

Utilize the same defense we've used against Lamar that the NFL used as a blueprint against his game.

We have to run the ball, control clock and don’t get too far behind. A run attack will hide our new (again!) OL from a lot of pass-blocking. Go deeper when we see the opportunity, get the ball into the hands of our playmakers...

We need MG to be a beast on D, take over this game.

This is more of a wish or a hope than a key to the game, but I'm hoping we win the coin toss and score a TD on the first possession through running and controlling the clock. Need to keep Lamar on the sideline and give that offense a sense of urgency to score.

As far as general keys:

Pass Rush: Needs to be disciplined. Don't get too over-aggressive and let Lamar get behind you with some open field. Don't blitz too much.

Coverage: Need to cover the middle of the field. Force Lamar to throw to the sidelines. Jam the receivers.

Penalties: Keep these minimal.

j/c

Ravens are heavy favorites for good reason.

Keys for a Browns win:

- Running the ball successfully to set up play action.
- OL cohesion is going to be huge ... can they avoid mistakes and creating penalties or negative yardage plays.
- Baker needs to be accurate and read the D effectively: not miss open receivers, not throw interceptions, not run from clean pockets - all the key issues he had last year.
- D needs to stay disciplined, contain and not let Lamar rip them.
- DL needs to be really good. LBs have to be better than we saw last year. I'm really looking forward to seeing the safeties, not withstanding the injuries we've suffered there.
- Last: Calm and detailed coaching and game day management.
-

You don’t need to run the ball to set up play action.

*Ducks*

https://www.google.com/search?q=establis...le&ie=UTF-8

Good points. Won't shut them down, but pressure everywhere and contain the pocket.

Score TDs. We need our D.

A real key to the game, if the Browns defense could play lights out, like maybe 6 or 7 shutdown drives in a row, without giving up a first down,

But see the thing is is the Browns offense has to be able to keep possession by moving the ball, doing things that work, and getting first downs and scores,

Because if the Offense can't move the ball, the defense will get tired of having to do all the work, and fatigue only takes one lapse to get behind the 8 ball.

That's a key, do I think it will hapeen, probably not,... maybe for a while, but it's going to be tough.
Turnovers going your way helps.

I think the most important part of our defense will be our offense scoring first and (dare I say it) jumping out in front early.

This is a tough game for the Browns. League MVP starting his second year in an offense designed for him. A team run heavy with all the tools to run.

The Browns a team unable to stop strong running teams on the road against a very strong running team.

First year head coach in the Covid season against an experienced proven exceptional coach.

It has yet to be announced but we could have three new starters on the OL. I sure hope JC plays. I would hate to have a rookie center in this game.

IMO the Ravens are going to load the box. They know KS will want to run. This is one of those deals were no matter what; we have to be patient with the run.

New wide zone run game double TE, play action. All new?

I just do not like the Browns in this game. We are untested at linebacker, and questionable at safety. Areas of the field against the Ravens that we need to defend.

"If" and that is a big if. We can establish the run. IMO in there will be plays off play action that will be there.

It will be up to Baker on those plays to find the open man. Hooper, Hunt, Jarvis and Odell should find open space against Patrick Queen and Pernell McPhee.

In the end right out of a limited camp I do not like our defense against their offense.

On defense make Lamar one dimensional.

Offensively Baker can’t turn the ball over.

Neither is impossible but both are unlikely.

How to stop Lamar. Stay in your rush lanes. He is the most dangerous when the defensive tackles don’t stay in rush lanes. He is just too fast straight up the middle. I would also use a third safety to shadow him. This may be difficult because of the Ravens powerful run game.

As to Mayfield...He simply cannot turn the ball over on silly plays. He is going to have some turnovers he can’t help like on tipped passes or strip sacks coming from his blindside. He just can’t afford to have his throws sail high, especially over the middle. I believe if he doesn’t get happy feet he will be able to set his feet properly. My biggest concern is his red zone decision making. In 18 he was close to perfect. Last year he was abysmal. With the weapons he has I’m hoping he can get back to 18 form.

It may seem like I don’t like Mayfield. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I just think he is still a work in progress. I think if he can speed up his decision making he will be an excellent QB.

The key to this and the rest of the season will on the D side of the ball. Getting gashed in the run game and hurt underneath ( middle ) by RB's and the TE in the passing game.

Just a gut feeling because no facts support it, but I think we will stomp a mud hole in the ratbirds rear this game.

- Make Lamar beat us with his arm and not his legs.
- protect Baker long enough for plays to develop
- run, run, run, and then run some more.
- Garrett needs 6 sacks in game one. lol

All of this and we win. But we shouldn't and probably won't.

It’ll be interesting how well we can protect Baker. It’s so weird to not have any preseason games to watch Wills

Do we have ANY decent info or insight into how Wills was doing during camp??

I recall reading one article where they were acknowledging some struggles, but I don't recall any reporters giving any first-hand insight into how he's been.

On the flip side, I do like that between Teller and Conklin, we've heard NOTHING about the right side. That's a major positive.

The only things I read about Wills and camp was that he was struggling. That and with Tretter's injury is why I am pessimistic about their play. Last year the OL as a whole was much better at pass blocking than run blocking ... this year that might well be reversed. Too bad that running the ball doesn't help set up Play Action like I thought!

Maybe because the journalists couldn't tear their eyes off the train wreck that was on the left side? ... just kidding.

So, we've got that going for us...

I could be wrong, but isn't Wills struggles mostly around his pass-blocking. I know that he was supposed to be a plus run-blocker straight out of the gate.

I think he has outstanding grades as a run blocker and a pass blocker... from memory (don't hold me to it) he was tagged with giving up one sack through college? .... the issues are transitioning to the LT slot where he never played at College (or HS?). RT was protecting the blind side of his College QB so was more critical (again, going on memory). . . . Bill Callahan and others have forecast Wills will make the transition ... but lack or reps, pre-season, etc all hamper the speed of his acclimatization. Nothing like reps and more reps to help develop and train muscle memory and correct issues.

j/c...

Hopefully he has more success thank FK did juggling both

im guessing with no preseason and such, he probably felt more comfortable calling plays for his offense.

i get it. he likes establishing the run, so chubb and hunt should get plenty of work.

And perhaps as important ... if he struggles, that he acknowledges such and hands it off.

Since there were no preseason games I expect a sloppy beginning.
which team can adjust the fastest to live, game speed action is a key.

Is Baker going to be the QB he was his rookie season or the one from last year. He has to be more accurate and the playmaker he was in college.

The biggest keys are the OL and coaching. Will the OL give Baker time and will they open holes for the Rbs?

How will Kevin Stefanski do? Will the team be more disciplined? Can't have the stupid penalties and stupid decisions like they had last season.

We need to have a complete game plan. Not just a plan for the first series then 4 quarters of...




I do like that Baker is talking about no excuses for a slow start BUT I hope that doesn't translate in to coming out and trying to win the game within the first couple of possessions. Focused and methodical is what carries the day.

I dunno. I think the ability to adapt on the fly is at least as important as the plan. Perhaps having contingencies built into the plan is another way to put it.

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy. What matters is how quickly the leader is able to adapt." -Tim Harford

"Everyone has a plan til they get punched in the nose." - Mike Tyson

I probably could have been a tad clearer. I wouldn't expect them to have a whole game scripted. But they should have clear goals as to what they want to accomplish i.e. establishing the run, or the pass, controlling the clock,etc.

Last season I wouldn't necessarily say that the plays called in themselves were bad plays. The problem was that it appeared they were called almost scattershot like and didn't seem to be called in a manner that helped to establish anything.

one of my favorite quotes

The thing that I believe was so lacking last season was discipline. The focus was on being tough guys and not on doing your job.

If we see penalties and poor execution my ears will be up.

The keys to winning any football game are discipline and to keep grinding. He who grinds best wins most of the time.

Baltimore does NOT even come close to us in terms of weapons, there is no position group we don't have an advantage on them at least on the offensive side, that needs to show up, and they need to grind harder and more intensely then Baltimore does.

The only thing that can stop Cleveland from winning is Cleveland, I truly believe that. I won't make excuses I expect them to win period.

They have the reigning league MVP at qb. We have a guy who was second in the league in interceptions and was well down the rankings in almost every single important ranking. Andrews is also probably better than Hooper.

We have to run the ball and control the game. Hit our quick passes to OBJ and let him run. Let Hooper and Landry extend drives.

On D, they have 2 new lineman at C and at RG. Fluker is a veteran but he's never been a great pass blocker, so Ojungobi and Richardson need to provide pressure up the middle. Do that and manage Andrews and I like our chances.

There are actually two trains of thoughts regarding this and I've seen both be quite successful. One is much as you have described. Decide what you want to do and be dominant in establishing that.

The other train of thought is to look at the weaknesses your opponent provides for you and adjust to exploit those weaknesses.

It takes a much more open minded HC with the ability to adapt on the fly to make the second approach work.

I think the key to the game will be containing the TE Andrews.

I think that we can put put Denzel on Marquis Brown and keep him in check. If we can find a way to do that with Andrews, we can stack the line and shut down the running of Lamar and their Rb's.

I was hopeful that Delpit would handle that job before he got injured. Not sure that we have one guy who can do it.

Answering my keys.

Point before. Be patient with the run game no matter what.

Post game. We were not patient. Fell back into shotgun wideout pass plays. What happened to establish the run and run play action off that?


Defense:

Point before. Bad matchup. Weak at linebacker and safety positions. We will have to defend there against the Ravens.

Post game. Unable to stop the run and defend the middle.


Game over.


Notes: fake punt. One block to make. Failed.

Odell. Wants complain on every play. Not a tough minded player. The drop was big but it would not have changed the outcome.

Offense. We did not do what we were made to believe. Run the ball. Then use play action.

Disappointed. But expected.