Larry Hughes Equals Fail (Again)
December 12, 2008Genius: Anti-Petition Petitions
December 12, 2008Admit it. You missed this. You missed us making fun of the Browns, and somehow some way trying to talk ourselves into courses of action that might produce a Browns win. You sure wish you could quit this. But you can’t. After all, you’re Cleveland fans!
The Eagles have been hot and cold this year, and right now they are fairly hot, coming off of back to back wins against division leaders Arizona and the Giants. The Browns are a fiery train wreck on offense. This game is on national TV. Without further ado…
The Browns Will Win If…
Craig: …they score via special teams and defense. The touchdown drought is real, and I don’t see it ending anytime soon based on the offensive “attack” I saw last week. So root for interceptions because I don’t know if you know this, but the Browns defense, while sometimes effective, doesn’t really force that many punts. If we are looking at kickoffs to produce opportunities for Cribbs, then we are talking about Philly scoring plays, aren’t we? Ladies and Gentleman, the Romeo Crennel era…
Scott: …Philadelphia decides to continue on with the Kevin Kolb movement… but on defense as well. I figure that he could duplicate his quarterbacking efforts as the middle linebacker. It would save the team from having to have another player with a speaker in their helmet, and it could give him a chance to bond with the guys with whom he rarely gets to hang out. I’m sure he could be a hit if he runs up behind Broderick Bunkley and pushes him into the neutral zone before snaps. Hysterical! If Asante Samuel follows Braylon Edwards in motion, Kolb could stick his foot out and give Sammy a good old trip. It’d be a blast. And the Browns could possibly pull out a win. Possibly. Okay, maybe not but it’d be one heck of an experiment.
DP: …someone secretly replaces the current Browns offense with dudes that can get in the end zone. Philadelphia offense: 26.1 points/game (6th NFL). Cleveland offense: 17.1 points/game (27th NFL). I’m no math major, but that’s not favorable to the Browns. And that’s with 12 games of someone not named Ken Dorsey quarterbacking the Browns. The Browns’ secondary is going to have to come up huge; the Eagles don’t seem to run the ball much more effectively than the Browns do, but as we’ve seen in previous weeks that doesn’t seem to matter. The Philly passing attack is fifth in the league in yards-per-game, so the secondary will have to play well and keep them out of the end zone. If the Browns can trade field goals with them, it opens the door for a special teams score or defensive score. I could retype what I type every week about running, ball control, etc., but since it’s clear that Chud doesn’t care what I think, I’ll refrain. Suffice it to say, the Eagles are fourth in yards allowed per game. I hope Ken Dorsey has good health insurance.
RockKing: …the Eagles have spent all week preparing for their week 16 opponent, the Washington Redskins. I mean, why not? They know they’ll have a short week to prepare for a tough divisional matchup thanks to the Monday Night game, so maybe they just didn’t prepare for the Browns at all. That’s probably about the only way the Browns can actually win this game. Even then, there’s still a good chance they lose, but I’m trying to think positive. The Browns are 2-0 on MNF this year, and they are also 3-3 on the road this year, so they have that going for them. But it’s just hard to envision Ken Dorsey winning an NFL game. The Eagles will bring a relentless pass rush on Dorsey. If the O-Line can pick it up, though, and give Dorsey just a few seconds to throw, perhaps the Browns can find some success with some shorter crossing routes through the open spaces vacated by the Eagles blitzes. That’s what I’ll be hoping for, anyway.
Rick: …the defense runs an interception back for a score, and Josh Cribbs breaks a kick return for another. Add the usual 2 or 3 field goals the offense usually gets and there you have it, a 23-21 Browns win. We know the offense isn’t scoring any TD’s. Do you realize the last time the Browns scored a touchdown was November 17? They have gone 0 fer 3 games. No TD’s in the last 12 quarters. The last touchdown…that 72 yard Jerome Harrison run on Monday night. Really Chud?
Mike…someone gives Don Strock a phone call. Is he available? Hey, if Browns fans want to turn back time 20 years and bring back Marty, then why not do the same for Don Strock? Hi ho! Instead, I’m sure the Ken Dorsey experience will garner another week. To most people Dorsey doesn’t amount to a hill of beans, but this is our hill and these are our beans and there is a higher draft pick at stake. Full speed ahead Browns fans and watch out for the shotgun blasts from duck hunters when Dorsey starts letting his medium throws fly.
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Now, for the other side of the coin. The boys at 700 Level were kind enough to jump in at the last minute and help us out for some perspective from the City of Brotherly Love.
Enrico Campitelli Jr., Founder of Philadelphia’s most popular sports blog, The700Level.com. Also chips in on weekends at Deadspin and was one of the original NFL bloggers at Fanhouse.
… if they want to make the playoffs. The Eagles sputtered early in the season but with three games left, a playoff birth is a serious possibility if they win out. The Eagles have looked solid the past few weeks in wins over the Giants and Cardinals. If they build off of those two winning efforts and play at the same level, the Birds will come away with a win against the Browns.
The talk of the town regarding the Eagles success and/or failure tends to be around Andy Reid’s penchant for the pass. When the Eagles are successful early in games at getting Brian Westbrook positive run plays, that generally leads to an Eagles victory. If the Eagles can establish Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter early against the Browns, they’ll likely win. In my opinion, the Eagles are a better football team. All they need to do is to minimize mistakes against Cleveland. Jim Johnson’s defense should give the inexperienced Ken Dorsey fits. Sorry, Cleveland, but unless the Birds really [crap] the bed, you’re going to lose.
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What does everyone else think?
16 Comments
I’m going against Westbrook in my fantasy playoffs this week. Nothing quite like watching the Browns get creamed on national TV while I’m simultaneously getting drummed out of the fantasy playoffs.
…the football gods really do hate us. We just need to lose these last few games, have a good set of draft picks and try again next year. Losing will make sure at least Crennel is gone if not Savage. If we somehow come up huge again on a Monday night and get a win we shouldn’t, maybe it says the guys are playing hard to try and help RAC keep his job. So please, just lose and get it over with. This season has been hard emotionally. Don’t play any starters, and lets see if the backups can show anything to merit promotions next year.
I hear you, Jeff, though I am not so quick to get rid of Savage as others might be.
I actually own Westbrook in my two money leagues… And I’m where I am today after benching him the last two weeks out of nervousness…
Browns are 2-0 on Monday Night…they’re definitely going to win then…..lol
…the NFL doesn’t suddenly come through and apply the flex schedule rule to MNF. The Browns are 2-0 on MNF in the regular season in 2008. Hopefully the Browns can keep it up!!!!
I really need to stop drinking out of my Camelbak waterbottle that still has the poisonus material in it.
The Browns will only win this game if they find that 10 yard box on the north and south ends of the field that normally have some sort of painting depicting a team name of logo. The only time a ball needs to be leaving Dawson’s foot is XPs and kickoffs after TDs. A Captain Clutch GW FG wouldn’t be too bad i guess.
I second that Scott. How can it be wrong to bench him after a shaky week and coming up against the Giants defense?
Sigh, at least I picked up Pierre Thomas early in the year.
Who is this team would speak of? I’m only aware of the Cleveland Clowns…
And I too am up against Westbrook… ugh.
I think it would be a shame if Savage got canned. We’re getting smoked this year, but Savage has done one thing none of his predecessors (browns 2.0) have done, and that’s draft/bring in talented players.
Crennel is a baffoon and needs to go (I want martyball 2.0), but overall I’m happy with the grocery shooping savage has done.
I am happy as well with what savage has done. Especially in the draft department. One thing i ask my fellow browns fans is what happened to the Browns averaging 5-10 deep balls a game. Just a chuck 30 yards downfield to let an athlete use his god given talents. I’m sure the early injury woes of Stallworth had something to do with it and not having a sure handed security blanket (JJ, we coulda really used ya this year) plagued that part of the Browns game but still, TRY!! I’m sure ESPN or someone has a stat of the average distance through the air Browns QBs’ passes have gone this year. My guess is 7 yards, and i truley believe that. Its a shame how dink and dunkless this offense has become. So please romeo for me, put a deep ball or 2 in the playbook. Plust…..CHICKS DIG THE DEEP BALL!!
did i really say plust? That was meant to be “plus”
Guys, Savage is not the only NFL scout capable of identifying and drafting talent.
I don’t have a problem with him being reassigned as head scout, or VP or Personnel, or whatever… but he has clearly proven he is not qualified as an NFL GM. There is not a single aspect of the job outside of talent evaluation where he has demonstrated even basic competence.
And I’d also like to point out that he’s not quite the personnel genius he’s made out to be. For every Shaun Rogers he gets credit for, people forget that we handed Haloti Ngata to the hated Ravens on a silver platter. And without critiquing every single move, his FA record has been absolutely atrocious.
And the ultimate bottom line? In four years, he hasn’t won a thing. He can talk all he wants about the cupboards being bare, but Miami wasn’t exactly overflowing with Pro-Bowl talent in 2007. Atlanta wasn’t riding high after the Michael Vick fiasco. Savage has gotten some talent here, yes, but he hasn’t been the savior so many make him out to be. And instead of making the Browns respectable, he’s all but turned this once-proud franchise into a laughing stock with his blundering on the K2 issue and PR foibles such as his f-bombing fans.
If Lerner has any sense, he’ll get a strong leader in here to set the tone for the organization, and clean house in the process.
the oonly way the browns win is if th eagles bus gets lost in traffic and they dont make it to the game. and please god, dont let the browns go out and hire a colleege coach. give bill cowher all the moeny he wants and just get it done.
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