Gim-me. noun: (north American) A thing that is easy to perform or obtain especially in a game or sport.

In 2018 When Baker was drafted and Myles was 2nd year, the Texans were 2nd straight Division winners AFC South. iirc. 11 wins+ on a regular basis.


Tyrod Taylor, and a bunch of former Browns on their roster, who the Browns felt they could get more talented players at each position. (once as many as a dozen, still more than 2.)
They are all veterans, and they all have something to prove.
Tyrod Taylor. 1 Thousand 800 Plus career Rushing Yards!
as a rushing Qb. 32 years old, career 92 qb rating.
Last week threw for 280+ ran for another 40, and the Browns have trouble stopping running Qbs.
(really can only hope to hold Tyrod to ONE rushing TD, as the Browns seem to give up at least one rushing TD, every time they take the field.
If the Browns D can hold Tyrod to zero rushing Td's it'll be a small miracle.

Slot Wr. Anthony Miller returning to the Texans lineup for the Browns game after being out during their week 1 win, with a shoulder.
The Texans lost a DT to injury Vincent Taylor for 6 weeks, won't play, so that may invite the Browns to Run right at them. But covering the slot? Have the Browns done well before? (cough Jets game).

If the Browns lose the game and look back at not taking the Texans more seriously, a trap game, (When DeShaun Watson is not even playing anymore.) then they'll have to go back to the drawing board vs. probably an upstart rookie Qb in Fields who likes to run himself, on the Bears the next week.

The Texans Defense is pretty good too, and they have forced a lot of turnovers, The Browns, are kind of turnover forcing plays deficient in recent games. (After the Steeler win of course).

I don't know if there is a drawing board, the Browns coaching staff can come up with, to beat the Texans' and hold the lead.
Oh the Browns can get a halftime lead, it's been a pattern; but how do they hold it, or keep it, or get it in the end.

This is the Browns home opener. So...

Yes they are.

They're definitely no Gimme, but they are absolutely a team we SHOULD beat, and it is an expectation we should be holding ourselves to.

We are better than them at every single point of the roster on both sides of the ball. If we can't out-scheme, or out-coach, we at least should be able to just straight-up beat them with better talent.

This stretch of games has me more nervous than others:

At Minnesota
At LA Chargers
Arizona
Denver
Pittsburgh


Huge 5 games

After how Cinci handled them, I'm not too concerned with Minny, but Arizona, Chargers, and Denver make me nervous.

I no longer hold any fear of the Steelers. Their defense is to be respected, but their offense is hot garbage.

There are no gimmes in the NFL. It just doesn't happen.

There are teams you SHOULD beat, and teams you MIGHT beat. But no teams you definitely will beat.

From the look on Baker's and Myles' faces when we lost to KC... The Texans don't stand a chance.

I didn't see that, but this was my thought/hope.

It could just as easily be that, when this season is wrapped, this loss to KC was an important step to our success.

Right, but sometimes they beat themselves.
The point is this probably won't be one of those times.

I've always been a big believer in the human psychology aspect of the NFL. And a good team coming home off of a road loss is usually a very good bet to make. The fact that the Texans are a bunch of journeyman veterans with a good coach means they won't beat themselves. But we will.

It's definitely a gimme.

It better be.

Is this a make or break week for Joe Woods and the Browns defense?

The Chiefs' showed in week 1 the Browns couldn't stop the pass. If the Texans win by running all over the Browns defense, then
The off season decisions to let go of Sheldon Richardson, with the injury to LB Jacob Phillips, the decision to bring in the questionable Takk Mcinley in Run defense.
The decision to commit to a big nickel / prevent.
The inability to create turnovers.

If the Texans get up early, are the Browns built to come back even if only down 14 points? Early in the first half?

If the Browns, give up on running the ball, continuously trying to out throw- another offense, with rookie wide receivers, making predictable mistakes downfield.

And if the Browns give up more than 375 yards passing , again.
The first place to point fingers, will be, why can't this defense get it figured out?

The Texans only hope is to run the ball. But that's what they built their team to do.
If the Browns defense can't stop the run and keep giving up fluke Qb sneaks, and odd angle weird plays to lesser unknown players, on downs like 4th down,
The Browns could fall behind early, and be in a position where they can't figure it out on offense, enough to come back.
I think whether we want to or not.
We have to consider we are in a position where the Texans are probably going to win this game.

If Higgins doesn't play. And OBJ we know won't. Landry only had 5 in game 1. DPJ was invisible.

If the Browns are going to throw to Anthony Schwartz and rely on a rookie, who we know can't get open or catch with the highest of contested margins.
Austin Hooper unknown motivation or if he'll be a factor.
Chubb, and Hunt, and others, Behind an OL, that is going to be maybe without Chris Hubbard, and which other OT?

I think I have to pick the Texans. I don't think the Browns can win this game.
Wait.
I mean is! Sure! If every-thing goes right! they can steamroll to victory.
But
What are they going to do when they have to improvise, and things don't go perfect, and they face some adversity, and their best options against adversity,
Higgins? Landry? half of them are out?

Are they going to throw to Schwartz and Harrison Bryant? Who is going to win this game for the Browns?

If they give up on the run and throw a bunch of negative plays?

My Brain is telling me to pick Houston to win this game, so for pickems, got to pick Houston.

My Heart! Hopes, the Freaking Browns, can figure out. SOME WAY, to win this game, before they lose it.

( I came here, to ask if this week was a referendum on the future of the Browns defense.
and I've talked myself into conviction that the Texans have to be my pick to win the game. A terrible night.)

Stopped reading right there. A 75yd carnival play and a few passes to Kelce that no one in the league has been able to stop does not lead to that ridiculous conclusion. What a frickin' idiot.

Let's not forget that it's Joe Woods Make it or Break it week. LOL That's just funny

Anytime you play one of the most explosive offenses in the league, there is always the likelyhood they will make any D look weak....

WE have entirely too many doom and gloomers on here..

This will be a measure game. Good/Great teams beat teams they "should" beat.

We will be fine.

It will take some Dawgs longer than others to accept that things aren't the same. I mean, 20 years of ineptitude and weekly emotional beat-downs will effect some more deeply than others.

I've had some recent convos with Diam, where I've finally come around... at least to the point where I don't watch this team on Sundays thinking: "what novel way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory will they invent this week? How can they turn 3rd & short into 3rd & long with a stupid penalty?"

It took me a good long while to turn this corner. 10% of me still wrestles with the vestiges of Battered Dawg Syndrome.

I haven't trashed any Dawgs who are coming along at a slower pace than I.

To each his own- and in his own time.

We won't have any real issues with the Texans everyone needs to understand the past is the past we now have a winning program and are one of the elite teams in the league, enjoy it we waited a long time for it.

The Browns are clearly the better team and should win this game by 14 or more.