Obviously a lot depends on the Lawrence situation. I'd be surprised if he plays (and IIRC, they're down to the bottom of their roster on a few OL spots)

We need to somehow figure out how to generate a pass rush again. It's been absent the past few games .... teams are deploying some quick pass stuff

I also think we need to see a little more Strong in the run game (not gadget offense) because, while he's not a great blocker, he has a chance to give us more dynamic plays

Browns -3

Vegas clearly thinks Lawrence is out. Maybe Kirk too.

yeah, Kirk is definitely out

Lawrence being out would def. help things, but Beathard is the type of backup we like to make look like the next Brady. He's not a bad QB at all, if we can't get pressure on him, it will be another long day.

90% chance of rain- this works in our favor. Jacksonville has a lot of speed on offense. You can definitely see Urban Meyer’s brief influence on the team with guys like Etienne getting to the hashes and taking off.
It would be a major risk for them to play Trevor against our D-Line.

We win by running and by it raining a lot to slow down Jack’s shifty wr’s and rb’s.

Given the fact we are only averaging 14 points a game m this
Is definitely a speed advantage because they know what
They are going to do.
Given the fact that Newsome has had games at a 43 rating
That does not work well against there matchups.
Qb play it us very difficult to say Bethard or Flacco is better.

The Browns win the game by scoring "just one freaking point more than the Jags"...

It doesn't matter who, for the Browns is responsible for that score..offense, defense, special teams...someone needs to step up and make a game winning play.

The coaching staff needs to put the Browns players in a position to win with a 'game plan' that plays to the Browns' strengths as well as the Cleveland WX...

Sunday, 12-10-23: 41 degrees, Rain and drizzle in the morning; otherwise, cooler with low clouds
Wind: SSW 13 mph

rain game? good news

Mac didn't directly say this but having mentioned someone stepping up and scoring, I feel the defense is due for a score. It would certainly be a welcome aspect to the game.

I'm curious to see the injury report for both teams today.

Start Flacco.

Agreed.

If it rains as much as expected….

Reason to start Flacco: Guy has a cannon and can fire the ball through the elements.

Reason to start DTR: Guy can run through the elements.

It would very much be welcomed, but I don't think a defender can step up and decide to score. That is more a case of good luck rather than somebody deciding to score some points.

so then maybe a combo of the two ... keep other teams having to prepare for both

We should definitely platoon them. It'll keep either from getting into a rhythm, and with Flacco in on running downs and DTR in on passing downs, nobody will know what's coming.

jc

Flacco over DTR. He can throw middle ball accurately. Chunk plays are something DTR hasnt been good at.

Just throw Bryant in there every now and then and maybe we can have a similar style to that game 20 years ago where we alternated KJ/Northcutt and Pederson at QB. lol

I hate how inaccurate Flacco is on his deep sideline throws.

I don't think either QB is the type of QB that teams need to prepare for. Neither is a dynamic player at this point.

Coach Al Saunders was on the radio a couple days ago.
In a nutshell, he said that we should start Flacco and it isn’t even up for discussion. I’ll take his word.

I've seen enough. Another W incoming.....

Same plan as the last two weeks. Both of those games we couldn’t cut it: don’t turn the ball over, specially at key moments late in the game.

I wouldn’t say it’s a “must win” but if we lose, I think we’ll say this was when the season officially slipped out of our hands. With 7 teams vying for 3 wild card slots every game counts a lot more. We’re going to need to take at least 3 of the last 5 to be in contention.

All that said, I expect to win this one. I was much more dubious about the last 2. If we do win then I think there’s a very good chance we take 2 or 3 of the last 4 and we’re hitting the road on wildcard weekend.

I was worried until I saw this stat.........

Kevin Stefanski is 9-1 all time against Cat teams

6-1 vs Bengals
1-0 vs Panthers
1-0 vs Lions
1-0 vs Jaguars

Go Browns!!!!!!!!!!

My wife is a crazy cat lady. I sent her the pic above and she started crying. 😂 😆 🐈

With the Steelers losing last night

This game has become a must win

I'm not going to say how I feel about how they should win

The Browns know how, they just have to win

Just win !!

I agree. Time to put Pittsburgh down a step. 8 wins at this point would keep us in the wildcard race. Baltimore is facing a tough road ahead. Cincy is starting to surge. Every game from here out is a must win. December is when the good teams rise to the top.

now THIS is how analytix should be used!

Boy what a great interview. I listen to Carmen and Lima on my way into work. Saunders called in unexpectedly. He says he listens to them every morning, thinks they have a great show, and still has ties to Cleveland (family, grandkids).

There was a weird a moment in the conversation though where I thought they asked a question and he misheard. I can't remember the exact question but he said if the starting qb decision was not entirely the coaching staff's to make that Kevin should walk. Mentioned Depo by name and kind of made fun of the fact that he wasn't in Cleveland full time. Didn't sound like he was a big fan of "collaboration".

If they want to win, they have to stop Entienne. Jacksville will try to run it, since this defense seems to have forgot how to stop the run.

The 23 point analytic says the Browns will have to score more than 23, .. more than 30 maybe, to win this week,
sadly, if you go by just last week, or the last 2 iirc. the jags are due for another win while the Browns are due for another loss,
which is complete Barbara Streisand crap,
The Browns Have, simply HAVE, they HAVE to start scoring more points on offense,
or they will lose every remaining game,
like it, or not.

pff. it sucks to be a fan of this team,

we were here last year, with the bad offense, we were here 4 years ago, with the offense bad, ten years ago, the same thing.

It is always the offense that is so bad, it couldn't hit water if it fell out of a boat.

Always the offense, and do they ever fix it? Rarely.

I agree it does suck to be a fan of this team but I loved my Browns for 56 years and I can’t stop. As far as the O I really believe it would have finally been much better than it’s been over the past years if we just could have stayed healthy. 4 different QB’s, injuries all over the O-line, one of the best if not thee best RB in football and our receivers too. How can it be good with problems like that. Tough year.

RUN THE BALL

With who getting the carries?

Ford should get most of the carries... then hunt...

we need to dominate the run to be able to set up the pass...

I wonder if any of the running backs are healthy, maybe the returner who has been on the team only a few weeks.

If Flacco, plays the same way as last week, with nearly 20 incompletions of 40+ pass attempts, then the Browns Chances to win are crushed.
I would have started Walker.... he was waived I know.

So run against a team with the 5th best run D with mediocre RB's and 3rd string OT's while they have the 30th ranked pass D? Short to intermediate passes would be the thing to do considering those rankings. But I fully understand that some simply never consider who they're playing when proposing such things.

I agree we should be passing more today given the stats we have to go by. With Joe Flacco, we are better equipped to pass more today. That would be the prudent thing to do with the information we have.

And that's really all I'm saying. I don't always agree with Stefanski's decision to abandon the running game. But at the same time I don't agree with running all the time when your opponent is obviously much better at stopping the run than stopping the pass. To defeat your opponent you must exploit their weaknesses.

Absolutely Pit and all that's nothing but common sense!!!

NO, that's not right,

If you want to win today you have to run and run aggressively and right up the gut, right north and south.

Even a @uick cursory look at the Jags shows they are adept at stopping the misdirection, and the reverse field plays, run or screen,
but,
so was Tenn. Tenn had about the best run D you could imagine, at the time they and the Browns kicked off, and they did well,
but,
the Browns didn't give up on the run in that game, and the Browns threw it deep, and the Browns won.

Take a look at the game in 22, against the Buccaneers and Tom Brady that the Browns won...

Defended the pass, and Ran the Ball, the two pillars of the Browns winning effort that week.

How to win?
Whatever it takes, because this a playoff game,

and that doesn't mean passing more than running, only it means passing deep a couple of times and staying committed to establishing a run game.
You have the best two tackles in Christian and Hudson in all of football, and whatever it takes
establish the Run,
Get field goals or touchdowns every drive
accumulate points throughout
dismiss anything the other team does offensively ... it's the nfl, their plays on offense don't matter, all teams do things, they aren't special, and they will commit mistakes which will haunt them.

You do whatever it takes because this is a playoff game, you are not only playing to stay ahead of the bengals, but the bills and steelers too.

and that means a commitment to establish the run, Even if Tony Fields is your only healthy running back.

No,
When the Browns win they run the ball well.
Run against a team because YOU ARE THE BROWNS, and flip/ their ranking, because You are at home and they are the only idiot team dumb enough to decide to show up today and suit up against you. screw them,
forget their overrated ranking,
what does that mean, it doesn't mean anything,
they can't stop the Browns running game they haven't even played the Browns yet,

oh, so they have been able to be in position to stop the misdirection runs.
That will only work IF THE BROWNs CALL Misdirection RUNs

IF YOU RUN IT RIGHT AT THEIR backsides, RIGHT UP THE GUT, then the Jaguars will crack, crack like a low @uality egg.

AND COMMON SENSE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FOOTBALL.

Whatever it takes.
Football one 0 one, ONE Oh ONE, Establish the run,
and throw deep a couple of times.

same NFL since the nineteen sixties

I'm actually quite pleased we don't see this the same way. I'm guessing you've never been involved in anything that requires strategy.