DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Come One Come All .... ITS PREDICTION TIME ...

Ladies and Gents all the BS of pre-season is over and its time for the real bullets to start flying .... so lets here what U all think is gonna happen ..

and don't just be a chicken crap and give records .. give some analysis on what U think will be our strengths and weaknesses and throw in a few things no one mat expect ..

its time for the season to begina so lets have some fun with it ..

HERE WE GO BROWNIES HERE WE GO ...

WOOF WOOF!!!

Ah yes.. Diam's annual "I not going to give my prediction, but let's hear all of yours thread."

Here's mine:

9-7. Optimistic. We're a better team than last year, but this year we have a REAL NFL schedule and it will result in a worse record. Fortunately, the rest of the AFCN division will be playing tough teams, so I think we'll finally get a division crown and have a playoff game.. atleast one.

Offensive - Obviously, not much new hear except further additions to the playbook. I think teams will be much more adept at stopping the deep plays against us and Jamal will have 1300yds, easy, as long as he stays healthy. Personally, I think we got very lucky last year with the easier schedule and lack of injuries, especially along the OL. I don't see that happening twice in a row, so I'm expecting us to struggle more than last year. I also expect to see more BQ as Anderson will be under more pressure and runs a greater risk of injury. Cribbs will be more active in the offense, but I don't think it'll change the game too much. Might take a few games for the offense to start clicking since they haven't had a ton of preseason action together with all the starters.

But really, it's all up to the Oline. They won't be blocking JV teams out there this year, so they'll look like they're struggling more. If they can win their battles and pick up the blitzes, we'll be exciting to watch like last year. If defenses exploit the inside of the Oline (as they did in the preseason), it'll be hard to watch. This also means we'll be relying on....

Defense - Line play should be drastically improved and will look solid even against solid o-lines. Rogers looks primed for a pro-bowl type season. I think the line will also help improve our pass rush and we should see more hurries and therefore turnovers. If runners get passed our dline, I'm less optimistic. I'm really not loving ANY of our linebackers right now against the run. I think we'll make the necessary adjustments on defense to help prevent good QBs from picking us apart (rather than stopping the run). I think this unit will improve as the season goes along.

Special Teams - One of the best in the league... I'm not too worried here. Just hope Cribbs' high ankle spain is healing nicely. We need him gunning on kickoffs.

9-7 is my optimistic guess. 8-8 feels more likely, and it could STILL get us in the playoffs. I just think all of the AFCN will struggle this year. I think the way ours constantly shifts Monday night, Sunday night, Sunday day, Thursday night, makes ours the toughest.

The crystal ball tells me this....

We will finish with 9 wins, yet manage to win the AFC North pulling the upset in Pittsburgh the last game of the season. From there we manage a playoff win.

The season will unfold up and down the first 10 games, then we catch fire and run the table after a poor outing against Buffalo on Monday night. The big home win over Indy is what really fires the engines in week 12.

Lewis will miss 2 games and portions of 2 others limiting him to about 900 yards rushing but it will come down the stretch. The combo of Harrison and to a lesser extent Wright will manage to hold down the fort with each combined managing to chip in another 700...enough to keep teams honest while Lewis mends as there will be starting time and just more spot duty in general.....expect to see more sets with both Lewis and Harrison/Wright on the field.

Anderson won't take all the snaps this year as he pretty much did last season, and we will as a rule look to run a bit more, so his total yards will be down...say 2700 yards, as will his TDs....say 22....but his picks will be down in the low teens( maybe even 11 or 12) and his percentage will get better...pretty much locking him as the qb we keep, yet Quinn does fine when given a chance and becomes a hot property next off season which we turn into a big time backer or RB..

On D...it will actually keep us in games this year, and needs to due to the change in offensive planning....not quite as vertical as in the past. Look for lower scores and us looking to work the clock a bit more.

Romeo is forced to miss 1 game due to health, in which Scherer takes over and gets a win. Missing the game motivates Romeo to call Al Roker to get the skinny on gastric by-pass.

9-7 with at least 1 playoff win.

Of course, it could turn out way different than that.

AFC division champs
Bills, Browns, Jaguars, Broncos
Wildcard
Jets, Colts

NFC Champs
Cowboys, Vikings, Bucs, Seahawks
Wildcards
Saints, Eagles

Surprise blunder teams.
Pats po'ed a lot of teams by running up the score their defense looks awful and the east has been built with one goal in mind beating the Pats.

Chargers just seem like a train wreck team. They werent much last year but the west was down. West is up Chargers go down.

Surprise improving teams.
Bills- I think they have the best coach in football and this team just doesnt have any glaring weaknesses.

Broncos- Cutler is about to take over the west. They are gonna have some fire power and the defense can get after the QB.

Browns surprises- Brandon McDonald will be a pro bowl corner this year. I swear the kid has his head on a swivel. He has that rare knack for feeling the receiver while getting his head around early and often to find the ball.

Both QBs will be playing this year. I just got that feeling that the Browns want to highlight anderson early and make a move to Quinn late. Anderson gets a hang nail I look for Quinn to take over.

Cowboys W 35-31
Steelers W 28-21
Ravens W 17- 6
Bengals L 27-28

Giants W 35-14
Redskins W 24-21
Jaguars L 14-10
Ravens W 12-0

Broncos W 28-27
Bills L 21-20
Texans W 24-21
Colts W 32- 28

Titans W 35- 3
Eagles L 24-17
Bengals W 45- 38
Steelers L 28- 17

11-5

Always so tough to do and rarely do any of my predictions come to pass But I'll play along..

Let's go with the overall record first: I think we will end the year at 10-6 again, but this time, we will win the division and make the play offs.

I predict that the Oline will suffer a little on the right side until Tucker returns about week 3. But it won't be devasting.

I predict we will split with Pittsburgh, beat the Ravens twice and beat the Bengals twice.

We will get to the playoffs but we won't have home field advantage. Our first game will be against the Colts who I suspect are in for a down year. We will win that game, but lose in the next round to the Patriots.

Derrick Anderson will throw for a record 4000+ yards, 28 TD's, 14 INT's and have a passer rating of somewhere in the high 70's.

Braylon Edwards will catch 14 TD's but break his record from last year in Total yards.

KW2 will finish the year on the DL with a messed up knee, but will still have caught 60+ passes and at least 7 TD's.

JJ will not return and will be released only to come in as a coach in the off season.

Jamal Lewis will miss a few games early and then again in November, he will still cross over 1000 yards but barely.

Jerome Harrison will end up taking snaps while Lewis is down and he will run for 800+ yards. He'll finally prove he's worth the time and effort that's been put into him.

Josh Cribbs will go completely nuts, scoring TD's as a Punt returner, KO returner, RB, WR and at least one throwing to KW2. Afterward, he'll say that he and KW had practiced that play a thousand times.

Midway through the season, the Browns will go into a downward spiral causing them to lose 3 games in a row. Grossi will state in an article that RAC is on the chopping block and for sure this means that either Brian Billick or Bill Cowher will be the HC next season. Naturally, Savage will deny any such thing.

During the slump, DA will be blamed for all that ails the team. As a result of the upheavel caused by the fans, DA will be shipped out after the loss to NE in the playoffs.

At the end of the season, the Plain Dealer wises up and fires Grossi and replaces him with Roger Brown (hey, it could happen)

All kidding aside, I suspect after a rough start, we will be competitive all year, and I predict a playoff berth, but in all honesty, we aren't there yet I don't think. So it's gonna be another year before we can expect the AFC Championship and a berth in the SB...

JMO

I see our entire offense being a strength; especially our passing game. Whether you are a BQ or DA fan, no one can deny that we have one heck of an explosive offense. I see no reason why it won't be even better this year.

JT is only going to be better and I have a hard time imagining DA getting a whole lot of pressure. Him and Steinbach are the best left side in the NFL. The only position on the O-Line I'm worried about is Right Tackle. I saw Shaffer get burnt way too much in the pre-season. One could argue that Hadnot had as much to do with this as anyone, and he did play a factor in it. Shaffer looked decent last year next to McKinney and Tucker, but next to Hadnot he has been awful.

I'm not worried about Right Guard so much because Tucker should be back soon and I'm fine with McKinney for a game or two.

Hank isn't the best physically, but he is the glue that holds our line together. He is smart and is always down field picking up a block. He does a great job with the line calls and I don't even want to think about what would happen if him, Steiny, or JT would go down.

I see Jamal coming back with another strong year if he stays healthy. I don't think it will be as good as last year, but I still see him getting at least 1,200 yards. I do, however think that we will need to get someone new after this year to be the main guy in the future. Not to get off subject, but I like DeMarco Murray if he decides to come out.

Our WR's will be even better than last year. Braylon's numbers may not be much better, heck they might even be worst, but the attention he is getting from opposing defenses will open up options with both other receiving options and with the run game.

I see Stallworth helping us a lot this year. His numbers won't be that great, but defenses will have to pay attention to him otherwise he'll burn them. I see him more as a decoy than as a serious playmaker. Don't get me wrong, he will make some plays, but I see his main value as taking some of the attention away from Braylon, Winslow, and Jamal.

I see Winslow's year being very similar to last year except with more Touchdowns as DA improves and defenses pay more attention to our other weapons. Last year Winslow was by far the main guy teams gameplanned against. They can't do that anymore. Braylon is even better than last year and our offense has improved both through player progression and offseason acquisitions. Once Joe J. gets back, teams will be afraid. No way you can cover all of our weapons on the field at once.

I also see Rucker playing a role once he gets back. No way a team can cover Braylon, Stallworth, Winslow, Jamal, and Rucker at once. Not a chance.

I almost forgot to mention Cribbs. I hope to see him on offense more this year as was promised. He is a gamechanger. Give him the ball. I don't care if it is on a simple screen, a handoff, a pass, or something fancy like a reverse. Just get him the ball. On a side note, I think that Cribbs could be a good running back. He has good size and we know what he can do with the ball.

I'd like to see Harrison in, but I'm not counting on it. I think that its going to be the same as last year with him inactive most of the time.

I'd also like to mention Vickers. The guy is a great Fullback and I love him on the field. He can really lay the wood. Not to mention that he is very versitle and can run and catch. The only thing I don't like about him is that stupid Fullback dive. I think it worked once last year.

Now to the defense:

I've been disappointed with what I've seen from Williams so far. It seems like he's getting handled by just one guy. Hopefully he sees the light soon because he's been sucking.

Rogers hasn't done as amazing as I had hoped either. He was great against the lions, but other than that he hasn't done anything extra.

I expect the same as last year from the Smtihs. I like Rubin and Leonard. Those are the guys I picked to make it and I'm glad they did. I've been pretty impressed with both of them, especially Leonard.

Wimbley and Hall have both looked good rushing the passer, but I'm still not very happy with Wimbley against the run. It'd be great if Peek could come back and be the productive pass rusher that we need opposite of Wimbley. McGinnest is solid against the run but he has no pass rush at all. I'm really hoping D'Qwell sees the light this year. He's only been average at best prior to this season.

I'm not a fan of Andra or Leon either. Leon has athleticism, but no smarts or instincts. Andra just isn't very good. I would like to point out that it is hard for us to judge our linebackers considering the crap they've been playing behind.

I think Pool sucks. The only thing that he is good at is tackling in the open field. He is fast and athletic, but he is not very good at all. And this kills us. Jones is best close to the line in the same way the Steelers use Polumalu. But because of Pool being a liability, we have to keep Jones back in coverage, where to be honest, he isn't very good. He got burn way too many times by Tight Ends last year.

I like Wright and McDonald, but I don't think we've got crap behind them. Terry Cousin couldn't cover me, and I'm not exactly a deep threat like my name indicates. I haven't seen enough of Daniels or Lawson to trust in them. I still think we need another corner behind Wright and McDonald, but I'm not confident that it's going to happen.

Our offense is definitely going to be our strength this year. There isn't a defense in the league that can stop it. Our pass game is right there with the Pats. Our receivers (including Winslow) are in the top two in the NFL. And our run game needs to be respected or else you'll pay.

I have to admit I am worried about our defense. I think our Run D can be good, but I am frightened to death of our pass defense. I see no reason to think that our pass rush will be any better this year. Williams hasn't been the stud I was hoping for and while I like Hall, he isn't ready to make a big difference. We really need Peek to step up and help Wimbley out. Rogers will help, but he is only one guy, and last year we had no rush.

Not to mention our defensive backs are a big question mark as I mentioned. Our two starting corners are inexperinced and our nickel back straight up sucks. Our safeties are far from the best pass defenders ever.

We need a pass rush this year. I don't think that we can do it by rushing just 4 or maybe even 5 guys. We need to blitz. I'm usually not even that big of a blitz fan, but with our secondary and lack of a pass rush, we need to.

I am confident in our coaches. Romeo is a great leader and I am sure that he will keep our young team from getting cocky. Chud is a genius. I hope Tucker is the guy we need on defense. I loved what he did as our DB coach. And heck, I even saw a stunt the other day.

In conclusion I see us going 11-5 or 10-6. There is no team in the NFL that we cannot beat.

Wow Peen, that's a load of info, surprised you didn't tell us which games RAC will suffer from sever gas pains.

I say 8-8, 9-7 at best. Which may be enough to take our division, but we must beat Pittsburgh for it to mean anything.

QB- I expect Derek Anderson to throw for 4000+, 33 TD's and somewhere around 15 INTS. He makes the Pro Bowl as the 3rd QB in the AFC, possible even second because he improves on his short game. Quinn is traded in the offseason for a top 15 pick, maybe even top 10.

RB- Lewis stays healthy for 14 games, rushes for about 1100 yards. While Jamal isn't in the game, Jerome Harrison averages at least 5 yards per carry. We realize that we don't need a running back of the future because we already have him on the roster. Or I should say them, because when Jamal's time is done, I foresee a thunder and lightning type deal with Harrison and Vickers.

WR's- Braylon catches 18 Touchdowns. Yes, 18. Braylon becomes the best wide receiver in NFL, becoming a nation wide name. Donte Stallworth gets about 4 touchdowns but proves his worth with a thousand yard year. Steptoe becomes a Wes Welker type WR and slot man. He is the main reason for DA's improvement in the short game.

TE's: Kellen gets hurt and we all see what Martin Rucker is. Rucker becomes a fan favorite because of his great catching and RAC skills. Heiden slowly but surely fades into the background. Kellen has a disappointing year and vows to come back next year better than ever. While having a bad year, Kellen still manages to grab about 6 Touchdowns. Rucker gets about 3 touchdowns. Dinkins manages to hang on as a special teams blocker.

O-Line- Thomas has a somewhat of an off year, but still is considered the best young LT in the game. Steiny makes his first probowl. Hank continues to play solid, but half way through the year he starts to break down. Same with Tucker, and we realize we need to go into next season with aging vets at center and right guard. Shaffer plays very well in the run game, but still struggles with his pass blocking. Tucker goes down for about a game and we see McKinney start one game. Hadnot will play center and do a decent job while Hank is out.

D-Line- Shaun Rogers gets 5 sacks, 60 tackles, and makes Andra Davis look like a good linebacker. Corey Williams ends up with the same stats, but has a few more QB hurries. Both of those players play a full year, and are considered two of the best D-linemen in the NFL. Robaire Smith is replaced by Shaun Smith later in the season, and Rubin becomes a very good back up NT with potential.

Linebacker- DQ Jackson has a disappointing year, which leaves room for a battle between him, Bell and Williams going into the offseason. Eventually, once he learns the system, Beau Bell plays in place of Jackson quite a bit and does an average job. Andra Davis will lead the team in tackles, have 4 sacks and play leadership defense. He still gets pushed back on the tackle at times, but manages to get better. Wimbley will get 12 sacks this year, book that down. His run defense will still suffer, but he manages to pick off 2 passes this year as he is turns himself into something other than a pass rusher. Alex Hall will be the starter by the end of the season, and leaves us with HUGE promise for the future. Willie plays like someone who should retire, and while he is smart, he still looks old and slow. Peek will back up Willie at times, and then eventually will see increased playing time behind both Hall and Wimbley.

DB- MacDonald becomes our #1 Corner, with Wright right behind him. Both of them play much better than people expect and teams passing game is slowed down by two very good corners. Teams will pick on Terry Cousin early and often, and no name WR's will kill us. Eventually you'll see Daniels and maybe even Pool in the nickle spot. Pool becomes a health risk and Mike Adams plays most of the time at Free Safety. Sean Jones takes Troy Polumosluaja's spot on the pro bowl roster and joins Anderson, Braylon, Steiny, Rogers and Cribbs as our Pro Bowlers.

All in all, I see us going 10 and 6 again, but this time we win our division and make the playoffs. We win at least one game, maybe two, with a possible trip to the AFC playoff game. In 2009, we are the odds on pick to play and win the Super Bowl.

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Tucker goes down for about a game and we see Morse get thrust into a starting role.

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Morse isn't even on the team.

O.k...
I think the Browns will be 9-7 and probably be a wild card by a game of not winning the division..
I also think we will split with the Squealers ..

The offense will continue to be a strength but I'm expecting a little more diversity out of Chuds play calling , especially in the red zone.
They will need to compensate for JJ not being in there..so that 3rd WR spot concerns me a bit..and do the backups for Lewis.
QB- I don't need to harp on DA ..but dude better not leave yardage on the field and U know what I mean Diam

I think the surprise will be the front seven.
I do not see teams crushin us with running the ball...Rodgers will be the plug we need and with smart rotating, we can get effective play when he's out.
What concerns me is are the backers and how they play the run..if they can contain the edges and force things back into the middle we shoud be o.k.
I hope Tucker moves Wimbley around and shows different looks with him .

While I see McDonald being a good corner I think they'll be picked on often until we show we can defend..our coverages will need to be mixed from press to tighter zone coverages..if not we'll get exposed too much.

I'm really want to see this team come out with a better identity as growing dangerous contender and show itself early on..

Ok...here goes mine:

- we still wont know whos our franchise QB after this season as it still will be to early to tell with Quinn and DA still is Jekill/Hyde

- our DL rotation will look good given some time but we still lack a pass rusher opposite Wimbley whom opponents will again look to shut down...glimpses of Hall, McGin is too slow to be any good and Peek will end up injured again, IRed and we sign back Orr

- McDonald will be our #1 CB pretty fast because he´s just better than Wright, who will again struggle...fanbase will get Ralph Brown flashbacks while watching Adams, Daniels and Cousin out there....Adams will start and suck at FS, which will become a big time need next offseason...Pool is done, 3 concussions at age 24 = forget about him, wasnt any good anyway

- ST will look superb, Cribbs and Steptoe will lead the Browns to top 5 in ret-categories, Dawson´s gonna hit at least 85% and even some 50+, Zastudil will have a bounce back year now that he´s healthy again

- Lewis´production will drop off some but still be decent, down to 4.0 avg, about 1kyds and 2-3 missed games, Harrison/Wright will be just fine for spot duty

- OL will look good, decent depth...not as great as last year but that´s due to stronger opposing Ds

- our rec-corps will be fine, Rucker will show some promise once back healthy

- we will finish the season 7-9 or 8-8 and RAC´s on the hot seat again....how we, Mr.Lerner and some players (ie Edwards, Winslow) handle this step back despite having a better team will determine our future fate

- we will start off with 2 home losses because neither the Offense nor the Defense have had enough time to play together to beat 2 experienced and more prepared teams in DAL and PIT ...it even could get ugly....I´m talking about big time meltdown on national TV...we may only split 1 of the upcoming 2 (BAL+CIN) to start off 1-3...but we have the coaches and players to stay focused and we finish the season with some dignity and an acceptable record

- towards the end of the season or as soon as the offseason starts Braylon will bitch around and pull a light version of Ocho Chinco. We end up trading him to Philly for a nice return, while I hope we trade him straight up for Boldin and maybe a pick

In no particular order and just random thoughts..

I think BQ will get a fair amount of playing time.. tho I am a DA fan, I think that teams have some film of him now and will be able to game plan for him and I think he is erratic enough that we'll see more of Brady.

Left side of the Oline is not a concern.. the right side is.

I wish JoeyJ was not hurt.. finding a solid 3 has been a problem.

We are playing a Varsity schedule this year with lots of expectations and we've had some early injuries.. thats a bad combination.. not good at all.

ST's looks good if JC is healthy..

I'm with a lot of guys.. I wanna see teams try to keep Rogers away from their QB's and RB's.. that should be entertaining and hopefully worth the price of the ticket right there.

Prediction? eh.. 8 - 8 / 9 - 7 is my thought.

Well I'll start by sayin I'm predicting 10-6 or 11-5. Sorry if I'm not ready to join the "So realistic that we s*ck crowd" So here's how I see it.

We are playing this so called "Varsity" schedule, so be it. Every team we played last year was an NFL team and every team we play this year is an NFL team. To bad for the nay sayers but Cleveland is now an upper echelon team, and we shouldn't be so timid to admit it. 7-9 or 8-8? Seriously? Is our fan base related to Timid Couch? Sac up fellas, don't be afraid of success.

Here's my reasoning.
1. Most important OL. it's top 25% in the league. Any time there's protection then there's a chance.
2. Offensive play makers, Edwards, Winslow, Anderson, and Lewis. Complimented well with Stallworth, Cribbs, and eventual return of Jurevicious.
3. DL will make a below average defense at least average. The corner backs may not be bonafide studs, but lets quit acting like they were picked up off some play ground while playing a game of 2 hand touch.

In a nutshell, the Browns have an explosive offense, average defense, and with our Offense an average defense will be good for 10-11 wins. Special teams is very good meaning good starting field position on a consistent basis.
Sure there's the possibility of injuries, but every team has that same issue. Any one want to tell me the Patriots are going 8-8 because Tom Brady might get hurt? Didn't think so. Accept success. I don't see anybody with their 7-9 or 8-8 predictions as realist. Basically I see it as timid and afraid to admit confidence. Hope our team doesn't play like a lot of its fan base acts.

I'll be consistent....every year I break it down game by game and it comes up the same.

16-0

Mainly cause I'm a homer but this year cause we actually can beat every team

haha, I like your prediction better than mine. But I can't completely agree. I am seriously thinking 19-0 and a massive party in Cleveland after the super bowl.

Reality ?? Nobody can predict that.

I've been watching for 44 years now.

8-8; too banged up at key spots; no playoffs.

Pass me another Stroh's.

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I think that teams have some film of him now and will be able to game plan for him and I think he is erratic enough that we'll see more of Brady.

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I agree with everything you said Saint, except this... We might see some of BQ if DA gets injured but if DA gets pulled for being erratic and "ineffective" then I think we will see all of BQ from thenceforth....

our record will lie somewhere between 0-16 and 16-0 but I'm going with 9-7 maybe 9-6-1

I'm going with 10-6. I'm torn on whether or not we'll take a step back, and we have gone down in years where the previous year was pretty good ... however, we have some legit talent on this team. That talent is going to shine through.

I expect Week 1 to be a repeat of Week 1 last year. We are going to get blasted and blasted pretty good. There will be panic, paranoia, screams for heads to roll, etc. They will all be whispers when we finally get the Pittsburgh monkey off of our backs the following week. The outlook will be much better at 1-1.

I don't see Quinn playing at all this year. I see Anderson putting up another good season ... BUT regardless of that, unless he becomes one of the top 5 QBs in the league, we roll with Quinn into the future.

If Thomas shuts down Ware Week1, I think he'll go on to have even a better season than last year. He'll be a household name by mid-season and considered the best OL of the game. If he has trouble with Ware, I can see a bit of a sophomore slump.

I thought the Bengals would be the surprise team of the North but not after what's transpired the last few weeks. I see them and Balt battling it out for the cellar. I can see a sweep of both teams. I think Pitt takes a step back this year ... definitely if Roth misses any time.

I like the Pats in the East, the Colts in the South, and the Chargers in the West. I'm not sold on Cutler just yet. Need to see it first, but I'll be looking for it. I think the Bills are overrated. Not sold on Edwards. Solid skill players, but no real playmakers IMO. I think Garard takes a step back for the Jags. Gonna be hard to repeat just 3 picks.

I think the Jets will surprise some people. Favre still has it. He will prove how important it is to have a good QB.

I like the Saints in the NFC. Loved their offseason moves. Targeted their weak areas unlike the previous year where they added offense when they needed D. Plus they play in a rather weak division.

Back to the Browns ... Edwards has another Pro Bowl year, K2 gets 8 or more TDs. Lewis takes a step back. Harrison takes a step forward. Bell comes on by the end of the season ... in a big way ... in a way that has Browns fans salivating to see him next year.

Browns make the playoffs but don't reach the Super Bowl ... offseason becomes Brees vs. Rivers part deux ...

That's all I got for now ...

Offensively this team is LOADED bro...THIS is what any young QB needs to be set up for success...

Offensive Line...Studs out with the acquisition of a Franchise LT and a Top Guard in Steinbach...THAT is what has been needed since 99...Finally we get someone in here that actually GETS IT...
"
WR...A bonafide STUD #1 wide-out...And the acquisition of a real threat #2 in Stallworth...I'm real high on what Stalls is gonna bring to this O...He is a MAJOR upgrade to Jurevicious...If Anderson can hit this dude IN STRIDE on those 7 yard slants...He's gonna take more than one to da' house...

TE & RB are both top notch...

Your boy Anderson???...Hopefully he stays healthy...With his mentality of threading the needle...He's gonna throw picks...For the 1st time since 99 we actually have a defense that can nullify a turnover...Anderson MUST become more accurate with the short stuff...If he does this offense becomes virtually unstoppable...

Defensively...You & I see this on different ends of the spectrum...I understand you gotta SEE to BELIEVE...Cool...This is what I see happening...

Dropping Grantham was a HUGE move...All camp long I read reports from multiple sources that our Corners were playing tight to the LOS...MUCH more than ever before...We've been seeing blitzing from Corners to Safeties to LB's...That's telling me AGGRESSIVE is the name of the game under Tucker...

I take pre-season games extremely lightly...Always have...From the 1st game and the lightening cutting short our #1 defense being out there...To the injuries holding guys out...We haven't seen squat yet...

We're a FREE SAFETY away...And not because of Pool's talent level...But for his HEALTH that has now become a concern...You cannot have as many concussions as he has had and expect to play 8 years...Hopefully there's a SUPER FS available in FA and we snag em'...Pool becomes depth and significantly improves the back end D...Man I'd love to have this Mays kid from USC...

I was silently concerned with our Corners prior to the Daniels pick-up...Both MacD and Wright have natural Corner type talent...Fluid backpedal...Smooth hip transition...Speed...Closing speed...Solid tacklers...Cousins as a 3 Corner is NOT what u want...Now that Daniels is here we should have few worries about a nickel package...Woulda loved Foxworth but oh well...95% of #3 Corners in the NFL are NOT STARTING CALIBER...U always take a hit when your Starting Corners go down...

In the short time our ones were on the field these 4 games of pre-season I saw a couple things that will massively improve this defense...Shaun Rogers is a MAN-BEAST...He constantly plugged the middle like no other nose we've had...We need to get on the LB's asses about containing the outside when these backs bounce it out...In short I have ZERO doubt that this defense will improve significantly in the running game...And it starts with Rogers...

Now comes the PRESSURE...We're gonna see ALOT of Williams & Rogers lined up INSIDE on passing downs...I saw Rogers BLOWING BY linemen...This dude is un-godly quick and powerful for a 350 pounder...We've never had his kinda pressure in the middle of this defense...And most all 3-4 defenses DON'T have that...WE DO...Rogers is a special nose tackle...Blitzes and OLB pressure is gonna work now...

Last year I said if we were 3-3 at the buy...We'd go 10-6 with all the youth maturing...Tabber and I were both right on...And that was with Frye tossin' the rock...lol...The maturity process continues...It's a NATURAL process for a torn down team...

I don't see any Shootouts goin' on this year...And I believe Chudzinski learned a major lesson in the Cincy road game last year...When the winds are swirling in December U RUN IT DOWN THEIR COLLECTICE THROATS...No need to get cute...Shove it down their throats and go home with a "W"...

We have surpassed Pittsburgh talent wise folks...Baltimore has NOTHING...And Cincy will be lucky to make it thru 6 games before they implode internally yet again (CINCO)...

I see us going 5-1 in the Division...

We're not gonna need to put up 30 a game to win this year with the defensive upgrades we've acquired...24 should get us ALOT of "W"s...

Here we go...

"It's COLD...It's Windy...It FEELS like football...And it's for the Championship of the AFC"...(That be the BEST NFL announcer that ever lived prior to the 1986 AFC Championship game in Cleveland...One Mr. Dick Enberg...

If we're 2-2 at the bye week I see 10-6...LIKELY

If we're 3-1 at the bye week I see 11-5...POSSIBLE

I'm gonna say 5 - 11 or 6 - 10 if we can beat Buffalo on Monday night.

I'm hoping that my numbers are completely reverse of what happens...but we have a tough schedule...and quite frankly I don't think we're good enough to do well with a tough schedule.

I don't think our secondary scheme is too smart the way we lay off receivers. Perhaps we'll play differently during the season, perhaps we don't have the players to play differently. We'll see. I don't think our LB's are good enough. I guess, basically, I still think our D is not good enough yet.

On O I still have fears of how good DA is. Our OL is already suffering injuries and it remains to be seen how good they really are as a unit - against tough teams. Our TE's are gimpy, JL seems to get dinged more now that he's older.

I seems that every time there's all this hype about us, we don't succeed. I hope we do well (of course) but it's possible that we could go 0-5.

Record 10-6

Win the AFC North.

Probowlers: DA, KW2, Joe Thomas, Edwards, Shawn Rogers, Cribbs

Our offense will again be in the top 10 in the league. We will have two thousand yard receivers and a thousand yard rusher. Cribbs will have four or five TDs on special teams.

On defense we will move somewhere between the 10-15 ranked defenses in the league. Can't imagine moving too far up on over-ally defense with our secondary. Run defense will be much improved and we will have twice as many sacks as last year... but we will still give up a lot of passing yards

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Both QBs will be playing this year. I just got that feeling that the Browns want to highlight anderson early and make a move to Quinn late. Anderson gets a hang nail I look for Quinn to take over.

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You have the team winding up 11-5 ...... and pulling their starting QB late in the year?


Yeah ...... that'll happen.

10-6...Sweep our division....Go to the playoffs....Lose to the Broncos in the AFC Championship game (i.hope.not)

Id go into more detail, but im outta time.

9-7, but it wins the division.

Last year I said 8-8 and was pleasantly surprised.

I think we're gonna have one "fiasco" game where we look awful, and one game where we look unstoppable. Hopefully the "fiasco" game isn't against the Steelers. I can see us splitting with them this year, possibly sweeping them if we win the first game. (I want that win so bad I can taste it...I may cry tears of joy when we win)

I'm hoping, praying DA makes that leap to elite QB status this year. That may very well be the difference between division title and being out of the playoffs again.

Roethlisberger is gonna have a good year, but he's gonna miss time. Dude's gonna get KILLED behind that line, as in 60+ sacks killed. And I love the idea of Shaun Rogers eating alive Pittsburgh's weak interior. Key to beating Pittsburgh is pressuring Roethlisberger up the middle, which should happen a LOT MORE this year.

This offense should be unstoppable...videogame-like if you will. The Stallworth addition was HUGE, guy was on pace for 1200 yards in Philly before he got hurt. I hope he can stay healthy. Same with Edwards and Winslow but that goes without saying.

I was scared of the Bengals but I'm loosening my stance on that...their front seven is still soft as all hell. We should be able to ram it down their throats.

Joe Flacco is not going to be ready...I can't believe they're throwing him to the wolves like that, especially with a crappy line and no receivers.

It's between us and the Steelers, and I think their O-Line is gonna have Roethlisberger on IR come the second half of the year. He's one of those guys who holds the ball already, now with a bad line he's gonna be hurt. Trust me on this, if Byron Leftwich has to play, we win this division.

Defensively I expect to be average. Secondary has me nervous but I love what I've seen when Rogers and Williams are in the game. They give me hope that we have a playoff-caliber team finally.

But the key is Derek Anderson moving up to elite status. He'll have his bad games, but we can't have as many INT's and as many missed short throws that we had last year. It was frustrating to watch the offense stop itself because DA made the right read but couldn't connect on the throw.

I think we'll see more of Alex Hall and he will continue to pleasantly surprise us. Should be interesting to see a healthy Antwan Peek with Wimbley on the other side.

9-7 wins this thing. The difference will be our QB depth and our O-line depth keeping our QB's upright. Pittsburgh has a strong D and we're average at best, I get that. But they're moving to a pass-oriented O and they can't block anyone.

They are an improved team no doubt, but i don't think they are quite ready to hang with the big boys just yet. Questionable secondary, little nagging injuries. I think people are too hyped because what happened last year and they have every right to be. We haven't had that in a long time. Chanting Super Bowl at camp is a bit crazy to me.

I hate to say it but we aren't quite yet up there with the cowboys, colts etc.
My prediction is and I'm trying to be realistic...

7-9 and no playoffs.

with our DB trouble... I betting the kitty on 7-9.

The team is better overall but the competition is a lot better too.

I think our divison will be won at 8-8.

13-3

Obvously, our major strength will be on offense.

I see a 3000+ yard passing year for DA, 25 TDs and 11 INTs .... and people still bitching.

Josh Cribbs gets more plays as Steptoe handles some return duties, and adds 2 TD passes and 2 rushing TDs. Pundits will ask why he didn't get more receiving chances in the red zone so he could get that elusive TD reception to his rushing TDs, TD passes, and KO and punt return TDs.

I see Lewis playing like he did a few years ago, and putting up 1500 yards and 10 TDs.

Braylon puts up 11 TDs through the air.

Stallworth picks up 6, and Winslow grabs 5. Steptoe grabs 1, and Wright grabs 1 more.

Rucker returns and benefits from packages with Stallworth, Edwards, Winslow and himself, and grabs a surprising 3 TD passes.

Cribbs and Steptoe pair to form a devestating return twosome. As a team, the Browns return 5 kicks for TDs. Unfortunately, their kick coverage isn't up to last year's standards, and they allow 3 against them.

Defensively, dramatic improvement in the running game and pass rush result in a jump to slightly above middle of the pack status. You'd hardly believe it when the Browns start out allowing 175 rushing yards to the Cowboys ..... but that's the last game that they get pushed around like that. Rogers wins NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He anchors a line that holds teams under 4 yards/carry on the ground .... and under 110 yards/game rushing.

Sean Jones picks off a team high 7 passes. Brandon McDonald is right behind at 5. A pass rush appears in Cleveland ... and opposing QBs can't hang in the pocket for 10 minutes any longer. Wimbley records 10 sacks. Andra Davis adds an astonishing 8, as he is used as an extremely effective blitzer. The Browns as a team record 43 sacks .... and numerous pressures. At least 6 opposing team press conferences will lament how #92 just wreaked havoc on their best offensive plans.

The Browns finish at 13-3, with home field advantage. We meet surprising Denver in the AFC Championship. The Browns fall behind with 2 minutes left ... and are pinned deep in their own end. With no timeouts left, and the ball on their own 9, the Browns start out on what will simply be called "The Redemption". On 4th down from the Broncos 27, Anderson drops back ..... gets pressure ..... appears like he is going to run, then sees Steve Heiden (in for a mildly dinged Winslow) wide open over the middle. Heiden is tackled at the 3 ..... but bulls his way into the end zone for the go ahead TD with 10 seconds left.


The ensuing KO proves adventurous as the kick is returned to midfield ....... but the returner runs in "Kamikazi" Phil Dawson ..... who makes the tackle with no time left.

The cameras show the owner's box .... with Randy Lerner and special guest Bernie Kosar celebrating. They show a closeup of Kosar's face, and a single tear is visible.

This is the point where my crystal ball subscription ran out ....... so the rest will remain a mystery. If the season plays out like this, I'll be selling my Super Bowl pick for a mere $1000 per caller. Mastercard, Visa, Discover and American Express all gladly accepted.

Quote:

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13-3

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Sound's great! But wake up Alice!

YTown,

I actually had chills reading that, especially the 'Redemption' part.

Kudos, my man. Dream season.

P.S. But you gotta give K2 more TDs this year ... *L* ... he was close on about five he didn't get last year. I'm going with 8.

LOL! you darn Math teacher!

wow, wonder why they felt it necessary to divide the whole thing by .06

j/c

A prediction this season is a little tough. I see it going one of two ways.

We either win big or lose big... no 8-8, 7-9 or 9-7 records for us.

Why?

DA is key to us this season for a couple of reasons... IF he gets it going like he did first half of last year we're looking good. If he plays like he did in the last half and RAC won't yank him... we don't do so good.

I think this year will be a real test for DA. Other teams have lots film on him and the O-line... something they didn't have last year. The last half of last year exposed DA's weaknesses... are they still weakenesses?

I still think BQ is our QB of the future BUT not this year. DA will fight to stay in because letting BQ be successful for more than a handful of plays COULD mean the end of DA's starting status.

BQ sees less than two games as a starter when Anderson gets shook up. RAC sticks with DA as the starter regardless of record for 14 games minimum.

RAC will stick with his starting QB unless he absolutely falls to pieces (ala CF). I think one of RAC's faults is that he is too slow to adjust to bad play.

The rest of the O has to stay healthy, after this preseason I'm not so sure that's going to happen.

I think the D-line will impress this year... while the DB's struggle. Opposing teams will pass alot on us this year. We will have several shootout games like Cinci One last year. Our pass rush and run stuf will make the difference here.

Special Teams will play lights out after game two. Until then they will play a little slower as they are gelling.

I think we MUST beat the Steelers in our first game against them or we don't win the division.

SO, we finish with one of these two records 11-5 or 6-10.

j/c


interesting piece..has us ranked 3rd in AFCN behind pitt and cincy..

08 Preview: Browns’ window wide open

By Steve Doerschuk, Sporting News Jul 17, 5:01 pm EDT

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Buzz Up
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Print

For too many years, the guys in the plain orange helmets were just plain pathetic. In 2007, though, the Cleveland Browns played as if they’d seized on the classic line from The Doors: “Break on through to the other side.”

However tepid a 10-6, non-playoff season might be in some towns, it drove Browns general manager Phil Savage to glowing talk about windows.

“I think our window to do something,” Savage says, “is in 2008, 2009 and 2010.”

And, yes, by “something” he was thinking in Roman numerals.

That’s understandable. The Browns were 19-45 from 2003-07, with Savage inheriting a mess in 2005. The Savage-Romeo Crennel regime is in its fourth year. So, it’s time.

A mixture of bold moves in free agency (guard Eric Steinbach, running back Jamal Lewis), the draft (receiver Braylon Edwards, left tackle Joe Thomas) and trades defensive linemen Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers) has helped forge a strong overall roster.

But a lot rides on the debatable stability of the quarterback situation. Maybe everything.

Offense

Rob Chudzinski was a blast of fresh air in his first year as offensive coordinator. A stagnant offense that averaged 264.6 yards in 2006 zoomed to 351.3 under the former lieutenant of Norv Turner.

Chudzinski’s system thrives on constant shifts and formation changes to create mismatches, but there is a big dose of old school as well.

Power back Jamal Lewis hammers away behind lead blocker Lawrence Vickers to set up the passing game. One thing that was lacking was a quick underneath threat, but adding Donte’ Stallworth could be the perfect remedy.

Defense

Former defensive coordinator Todd Grantham may have been the man who knew too much. Eager to prove that his defensive intellect was on the level of the boss, he sometimes went his own way without Crennel’s blessing.

Grantham’s adjustments sometimes got ahead of the players’ ability to execute them, and the fallout cost Grantham his job. Mel Tucker, the defensive backs coach the last three years, takes over. He will be energetic, yet compliant, with Crennel.

Ironically, Tucker’s application of Crennel’s 3-4 scheme will be simpler than Grantham’s, but will have greater ability to handle a wide load. Blitzing may increase after it becomes apparent what the newest additions, Rogers and Williams, have to offer.

The book on: Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn

A rival sizes up the Browns’ quarterbacks:

“I like the Browns, but I’m not sold on Derek Anderson one way or the other. A lot of what happens with them depends on him. It doesn’t look like he panics, but sometimes it doesn’t look like he’s paying close-enough attention.

“It’s hard to read his mentality, and you pretty much only have last year to go on. You can’t write off his record (10-5 as a starter), but you worry about his bad game at Cincinnati (in Week 16).

“From what I know about Brady Quinn, you know you’re getting the right mentality. I suppose Anderson has a bigger arm. In a way it’s a good problem to have. In a way it’s not, because they don’t know if either one is a playoff-type quarterback.”

Bottom line

Crennel is under no less pressure than he was a year ago. It’s simply a different kind of heat.

Last season, his job was on the line after a record of 10-22 during his first two years. Now, coming off a 10-6 breakthrough and with key additions to the defense, anything less than the team’s first playoff berth since 2002 would be a disappointment.

SN prediction: 9-7, third in AFC North.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ys-08nflpreview_browns&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

quick edit...fyi they have pittsburg 11-5 and cincy 10-6..this guy cracks me up

Bullet Point Style:

Record: 8-8 AFC North Champions
Bungals 7-9, Stillers 6-10, Ravens 4-12

Lose 1st Round at Home vs. Indy

Pro Bowlers: Thomas, Lewis, Winslow, Rogers

Surprises:

DA regresses against defenses playing deep, will probably finish the season as starter

Lewis tears up those defenses running for 1600 yards and 12 TDs

Our defense finishes near the bottom again due to putrid pass defense. Run defense in middle of league

The Steelers lose Big Ben for the year early and struggle the entire season

The Bengals beat some great teams, lose to others like the Ravens

The Ravens are last in the league in scoring offense.

The AFC North is widely considered the worst division in football.

Pitt 11-5
Cinci 10-6
Browns 9-7

Okay, those records would require a 75% sweep of non-didvional opponents. Has this guy seen that list?

You are right the Browns usually do much better with early season wins but that is our difficult part of the season.

I say we can go 9-7 to 11-5 depending on whether we have early success.

Our offense is much better but we still have a weakness on out right side with Tucker (injured) and Schaffer (not as good without Tucker). McKinney and Hadnot are not as good as Tucker. We really needed Bentley or someone similar. The rest WRs, RBs, QBs are good and should be fine.

Our defense is better with Rodgers and Williams so I am going to 11 possible victories. Our LBs are still not a strenght but may be better this year. Our DBs are going to be a problem if they don't play together. We really need DB backups because I am not sure Cousins is a real cover type corner and don't know much about the new DB Daniels. We are going to in trouble if McDonald and Wright get hurt.

Our STs should be good with Steptoe and Cribbs but they are both hurt so that will hurt. We really need STs cover type players that can slow down the KO/Punt returns and stop big plays. Cribbs has been so important that we will miss him more than we know. Dawson and Zastridill are fine and will be better.