Buckeye 12-Pack: The Toledo Game
September 14, 2011While We’re Waiting… Blue Jackets Future in Columbus, Questions Answered with Tribe and WR Shuffle?
September 15, 2011Obviously when you have a quarterback of the stature of Peyton Manning, his inability to play will dominate the headlines. The Colts got crushed in their first opportunity to play with Kerry Collins under center in a divisional matchup with the Texans last week. Don’t think for a second that as the Browns attempt to fill multiple vacancies due to injury that the Colts aren’t also trying to do the same.
Last year when Scott Fujita went down for the Browns it was pretty noticeable that the Browns’ field general was absent as well. The Colts face the same thing this week as their talented linebacker and captain Gary Bracket is nursing some kind of shoulder injury. His status for this week has been downgraded to out according to the Indianapolis Star. Bracket’s backup is… ummm… hmm. According to the depth chart on the Colts’ webpage on NFL.com the backup for Gary Bracket is nobody.
The Colts will also be missing veteran backup outside linebacker Ernie Sims. That means unless the Colts go out and bring someone in, their linebacking corps will be some combination of Pat Angerer, Kavell Conner, Adrian Moten and Phillip Wheeler. Obviously the Colts have standout defensive ends in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, but I think I just heard Peyton Hillis telling Pat Shurmur to give him a steady diet of footballs in the gut this weekend.
Gary Bracket played last weekend against the Texans and the Colts still gave up 167 yards and two touchdowns without Arian Foster playing at all. Ben Tate – 2nd year runner from Auburn – did the bulk of the damage with 24 carries and 116 yards. Is it any wonder that Browns coach Pat Shurmur made it sound like we could see a steady diet of Hillis and Montario Hardesty lining up in the same backfield for the Browns this week?
You know who else could benefit? Those tight ends that work the middle of the field where Gary Bracket would normally roam.
FANTASY ALERT! FANTASY ALERT! 🙂
12 Comments
Being a Browns fan who lives 45 minutes south of Indy, this is good news for the Browns. Bracket is a key piece to their D by more than leadership. Besides the before mentioned Mathis and Freeney. The guy always seems to be in the right place and making big plays. I hope Hillis has a huge day and better a Browns W. Especially since I was able to get tickets!!
I feel like I’m turning into Randy Quaid from Major League here, but my gut tells me that they will screw something up again. It doesn’t get worse than this year’s Bengals, people. I pray that the Shurmanator will prove me wrong.
it would have been more of a surprise if Ernie Sims was healthy enough to play. he’s the Pashos of LBs (hmmm, wondering if Sims should hold that title over DQ – since he’s currently injured we’ll give it to Sims)
brackett being out is good news for us.
Can’t ask for an easier schedule to open than the Bengals and @Indy, add the fact that Brackett is sitting this one out. Put Joe on Wayne and I don’t see how their offense could do anything against our D. On the other side of the ball give Peyton/Montario significant carries please, and with Colt this one will be in a dome so we don’t have to worry about the rain giving him problems.
@ Rob “you make my butt stink!’
Why do I get the feeling the Browns might still lose?
“That’s not a fight, I’ll show you a fight!!”
@6 – When we lose to Cincy at home like we did, I have no realistic reason to believe that we “should” beat anyone. Anywhere. The ability of this team to lose games they should win and win games they should lose is beyond my understanding.
It is so frustrating knowing right now that the Browns will probably be up by 3 points in the 3rd quarter when everyone watching knows they should be up by 2-3 touchdowns.
At least that’s how I felt last week, and most of last year.
@#8..My feelings exactly.
While I had the communal comfort of the local BBC in VA to suffer with on Sunday, seeing that many shell-shocked faces in Browns garb was confirmation that we all suffer, year after year, sometimes in shocked dismay (Sunday), sometimes in curses-filled anger, but mostly just in depressed silence.
This season will be marked for me by utter embarrassment from the “quicksnap” play. Having to lurk back out to my car wearing Browns gear hoping noone would notice was just..psychically numbing. Next game I’ll bring a change of clothes.
Just can’t overcome the sense that we’ll find yet another way to lose on Sunday.
so we SHOULD be able to run Hillis/Hardesty all day. In reality we’ll run the ball 10 times and attempt 50 passes. That’s just the way the Browns roll gentlemen.
I’m beginning to understand why the Browns are 3-point favorites. With Indy losing Brackett, they’re now without the 1st string QB of their offense AND their defense.