Brown BLog Predicts

Sunday November 29:  Browns vs Jaguars

Teamwork!

 The Browns find themselves in a real bind this week.  Takitaki, Garrett, Gustin, Joe Jackson and Janovich are all out this week with Covid.   In addition, Denzel Ward is out with a muscle pull.  

Stefanski and his staff have found ways to win all season.  Their no excuses game planning have helped the team overcome key injuries all season long.   Solid plans by the coaches combined with someone new stepping up every week have led to a winning season.

This week is Baker's turn.   After 3 weeks in miserable weather, Baker gets to pull the trigger in the summer like weather of Florida.   The last time Baker had half decent weather, he put together a game for the ages against the Bengals.

No game in the NFL is easy and something tells me the first half vs Jacksonville will be nerve wracking and challenging but I see the Browns pulling away in the second half and finding another way to win this week.

Brown BLog Predicts

Browns    31

Jaguars    17

The Brown BLog are 5-4 this season predicting Browns games. 

Brown BLog Predicts

November 22, 2020:  Browns vs Eagles

Gut feelings

 

Even with Myles Garrett out this week with Covid, most experts are predicting the Browns handle the Eagles today.   My gut screamed at me to take a closer look.

A lot of Browns fans like to play the game of oversimplification.  The Eagles lost to the Giants last week and the Giants are 3-7 therefore the Browns will win on Sunday.  

Let's use that logic with the Browns:

- The Browns only have one win this season vs a quality team:  The win over the Colts

- Without Myles Garrett, even though we played terrible teams all season, it can reasonably be argued that the Browns would be 3-6

Guess what folks, a deeper look at the Eagles shows they are not good, but also not near as bad as the record shows.   They played the Ravens and Steelers tough and the Eagles have had every break go against them.    Furthermore the Eagles have an incredibly tough schedule ahead of them and even in a terrible division, this game vs the Browns truly is a must win if the Eagles plan to win their division.

We got a sneak preview of the Browns defense without Myles Garrett during most of the second half vs the Raiders.   Without Myles folks we are one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

Sorry to say, but notwithstanding that everyone sees the Browns winning today, my gut says this one is going to be a wake up call.   And that wake up call is "pray that Myles Garrett recovers soon or this season is going down the toilet quick"

Brown BLog Predicts

EAGLES  24

BROWNS 20

The Brown BLog are 5-3 this season predicting Browns games.

Brown BLog Predicts

November 15 - Browns vs Texans

A classic coaches battle!

 All NFL teams are loaded with talent, that is why Bill Belichick frequently states that no NFL game is an easy win.   If you like College Football and realize how entertaining it is, think about the fact that less than 2% of college football players ever dress for a single game in the NFL regular season. 

That is why coaching is so important and the Browns finally appear to have found a good one, Kevin Stefanski.   Against the Texans he will be going up against an old friend, Romeo Crennel, who is currently not just an old friend, he is the oldest head coach in the NFL and I would add, he is an old fox.

Stefanski has touted the fact this week that his staff spent the bye week studying the first 8 games of the season and have made adaptations to tendency and scheme so to maximize the teams chances of success.   Stefanski does a good bit of adaptation week to week, it is one of his strong points and it makes a difference in the won loss colums.   It will be fun to see how the team play calls change.

I see this game as a battle of wits between a young upstart and a very skilled old coach.    Crennel is 2-2 since taking over as Head Coach.   At the beginning of the season I expected the Texans and their franchise QB Deshaun Watson to be one of the better teams.   Turns out Bill O'Brien could neither build the supporting cast nor lead the good ones.   Crennel is an excellent leader and tactician.   I expect a battle.

If this were a road game I would be picking Houston but considering it is at home and that the Browns are getting a lot of injured players back, I expect the Browns will get past Crennel and Watson today.

But it will NOT be easy......

Brown BLog Predicts

Browns 28

Texans  24

The Brown BLog are 4-3 this season predicting Browns games.

Brown BLog Predicts

Missing Odell

 November 1, 2020:  Browns vs Raiders

The Cleveland Browns are going to miss Odell Beckham Jr.

There is a significant group of fans and even some pundits who actually believe that the loss of Odell Beckham Jr will end up "helping" the Browns.   I have news for you folks, any player who forces opposing defenses to adapt their game planning is not going to be easily replaced.

Defenses consistently dedicate a safety to keeping an eye on Odell deep.   That transforms any given play from 11 defenders against 11 offensive players to 10 vs 9.  That is a big deal even if Odell does not make a play.

What does this mean?

- It will often be more difficult for the Browns to run the ball

- It will be easier for the Raiders to mask coverages and confuse Baker Mayfield 

There are a lot of subplots to this game:

- Two good coaches

- Jon Gruden scheming to try to contain Myles Garrett

- The similarities of the Browns & Raiders:  Strong offenses, weak defenses

The Raiders are a good team, let's not forget they are the only team to defeat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs this season and they hung that loss on the Chiefs in Kansas City.

The Browns are a good team too but the story today will be the Browns needing time to adjust their approach in a post Odell world.   I think in a high scoring battle, that will be the difference. 

Brown BLog Predicts

Raiders    34

Browns    24

The Brown BLog have a record of 3-3 this season picking Browns games.