DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum 6 Big Questions For 2008 Season

6 Big Questions for the 08 Season
Tuesday 06-17-2008 8:47pm ET


Can the Browns live up to the hype?


This is the biggest question leading into training camp. With 5 prime time games and with more media scrutiny how will the Browns stand up to the onslaught of expectations?



Will the Browns defense make the leap?


The Browns offense made a huge leap last season with the help of key line acquisitions. Can the defense now follow suit with Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers?



Can the two young corners do the job?


Eric Wright had a solid rookie year starting 13 of the 14 games he played in. He showed that he could cover some of the best in the game, and defended 11 passes. Brandon McDonald played in 16 games with just 2 starts. He also defended 11 passes. Both these young corners are going to have to take the next step to make the Browns defense complete.



How much better can the Browns offense get?


The Browns have legit stars all over the offensive huddle, now the question is how good it can become. Are they a mirage or the next coming of the Colts as Braylon Edwards suggest last week?



Will the Browns make the playoffs?


This maybe the biggest question of all, after a 10 win season that virtually came from nowhere can the Browns now make the playoffs. It will not be easy as some national writers have ranked the Browns schedule as one of the toughest. Should the Browns make the playoffs do they win the AFC North? This leads me to…...



Can the Browns beat the Steelers already????


Rivalry’s only work when both sides win and lose. And for too many years now the Steelers have taken the bite out of possible the best rivalry in the NFL. On paper this says this has to be the year. The Browns have arguably the best offensive line in football, while the Steelers lost their best lineman. The Browns have Rogers and Williams on the defensive line now while the Steelers defensive line is all 30 or older. It’s time for the Browns to take advantage!

Saw this on WTAM and thought these were all lagit questions going in..

The only question left out is how will the Browns overall game plan be put together.

For instance will we be a team that leans more on the defense and runs more, or do we continue to be a wide open go for the throut offense??

Difficult to read red on here......

I think we can live up to the hype.

To me there are 3 keys.

As was said, the D line is key #1.

We have to have found the combination of players that can stop the run and pressure the qb. If we have, then we will have a chance to push people around this season.

Key #2 is our running back behind Lewis.

Lewis isn't a spring chicken and we stand the chance of wearing him out if we plan to pound him 25 times a game. Harrison or Wright(or someone else) is going to have to be able to step in and carry the load when asked. We can't become a 1 dimensional team when Lewis hits the pine.

It isn't beyond reason to think Lewis might miss a game or two. If so, we have to be able to carry on without making drastic adjustments.

Key #3 is the Steeler game week two.

We have to win that game if we are to win the division. That sets the tone for the game in Pittsburgh later in the season where we can win and walk away with the division. And I only see that if we make a statement week 2 and win against them at home.

The two of us are pretty equal. The only way we win the division is if we win on the field.

The idea of getting in to the playoffs is great, but winning the division is the way to do that....not back in as some wildcard team.

Also I think that another key would be can the young defensive backs do the job?
Will they be able to cover 1 on 1 when needed to shut down multi-receiver sets?
Will the safeties step up to help stop the run?
I think the DL will be OK with the new additions, my main concern is the young defensive secondary, not the talent level, just the amount of experience that they have.

There is one team in the NFL that has always consistantly matched up well against the steelers...and has beat them every single time they played or come close to it....and i'm not just talking last year...i mean for a few years now..and that team is the jags...we really should take some lesson frm their games..altho i think it's mostly cuz they have some very physical players and play that "steeler" type football.

I wasn't even counting on signing anybody not on the roster now. I don't know who else plays running back that is on the roster, but that is who I meant when I said someone else.

Good point about RB. I'd like another big back to spell Lewis and keep Harrison around as a change of pace. Lewis has taken a lot of hits over the years.

Can the Browns live up to the hype?

absolutely... i think romeo will keep heads and egos under control... although it does worry me because every year there is a team that gets a ton of hype, and usually that team falls flat on its face...


Will the Browns defense make the leap?

they will definitely make a leap, but how big of a leap? i think we have a chance to sniff the top 10 in team defenses, but i guarantee that we won't be in cellar of the nfl... i think the pressure is on guys like kam wimbley and dqwell jackson to play well now that a bad defensive line can no longer be used an excuse...


Can the two young corners do the job?

this worries me the most as it probably worries most other browns fans the most... i know that if the defensive line plays like they are capable of, and the linebackers start living up to expectations, that their job will be a lot easier... but more than them actually doing the job, i'm worried about injuries and depth, definitely the biggest weak spot on this team right now... but hey brandon mcdonald came out of nowhere last year, romeo is great with corners, so maybe someone else can step up like mcdonald did last year


How much better can the Browns offense get?

a lot, but i'm more worried about them being consistent, and staying balanced... i think we have the best balanced offense in the league outside of the colts... derek anderson has to play better on the road, and the left side of that line has to keep doing what they are doing, i think stallworth will be a nice additon...


Will the Browns make the playoffs?

i don't know, part of me wants to say yes, but the other part says that we may have to win our division outright if we want to get in, because of the brutality of the schedule (playing the 2 best divisions in the nfl, plus our own) i think 9-10 wins could get you the north, but pittsburgh is going to be right there, which leads into the next question..



Can the Browns beat the Steelers already????

i think so, although, that isn't saying much because i've been saying that for years, it's been almost 5 years since we won a game against the steelers, and this is the nfl, where we all know that stands for "not for long"

i think we can grab a game from them, but i think the more important question is not can we beat them, but can we beat them out for the afc north...

i freakin love ur sig banner...i'm stealing it

If I had 6 biggest questions for the Browns it would be as followed... (AKA the ways to success)

Besides the obvious CAN WE BEAT PITTSBURGH ALREADY?

1. Is Derek Anderson the real deal?

2. Can they stay healthy?

3. Can the defense step it up?

4. Are Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright the real deal, and will Pool finally show promise as well as Sean Jones continuing to grow (AKA will the DB's be solid?)

5. Can we play consistent on the road?

6. Can Braylon/Kellen continue off of their pro-bowl seasons?

Quote: "For instance will we be a team that leans more on the defense and runs more, or do we continue to be a wide open go for the throut offense?? "

My first post so bear with me...
I really don't see us as a wide-open go for the throat offense, but rather a fairly balanced attack that takes advantage of what the other team gives us. I don't know if the Steelers are as strong as they have been in the past on either the D-line or D-backfield, and that will be what determines how the Browns attack them.
My worries on D still are mostly at LB as the improved personnel on the line should cover for the lack of experience in the backs to some extent. Perhaps what I see as our LBs shortcomings in getting to the ball will improve for the same reason.

Hey, JMc, welcome to the board! It's a slow time so dont be surprised if there are very slow responses-it will get crazy around camp time around end of july!

Great list! Wonder if it is ranked in order of importance. A number of these are vital. I have one rather like your "hold out" question. Specifically, how ambitious will the coaching plan be every week, especially on defense? We need more pressure during "regular" sets from the vanilla base D. Can we blitz effectively and create interceptions and turnovers, stop the run? If so, we win, especially if we shorten the field and have more TDs scored from outside the 20 when Ds pack it in better. Lack of pressure calls hurt us.

We should be better on O. But I am not sure I would cll us a "go for the throat" team myself. If I asked a dozen people which dozen teams come to mind when I mention the term, not sure Browns get mentioned early or often if at all. On each side of the ball, we need to do two things better, and I see a subtle difference for sideline coaches and game prep. A) Be ambitious: set goals for year beyond last: we want 2 sacks, two picks, two takeaways, two touchdowns, etc. Second is aggression. Just play ugly hard, harder than last year. Individuals need to perform reliably, and as a unit, defensive strategy needs to strangle the game early, be the difference maker. We have upside galore; part of it is on the coaches sidelines.

actually, the browns do have somewhat of a "go for the throat" menatality...

there were several occassions last year where the offense went for the home run immediately after a turnover, a few times it worked too...

now when you talk about the offense as a whole, they are not a team that is going to chuck it 40 yards downfield half the time...

they aren't like the patriots, where they'll lineup in shotgun on 1st and 10...

i said it earlier in this topic, i think we have the 2nd best balanced offense in football, the colts are the best...

the patriots have the best offense, but they aren't exactly balanced, and maybe that kind of hurt them in the super bowl

i love our offense... we can pound the football with jamal and our offensive line, we can beat you short, and now with the additon of stallworth, we are a threat to beat you deep... you really can't ask for much more, i would just like to see derek anderson play a little bit better on the road, and i think with a full year of starting under his belt, we'll probably see some improvement...