Brown BLog Predicts: Game 7 Football is an emotional Game!

Football is an emotional game and this Sunday, the Browns are going to get a big emotional boost by the return of Nick Chubb.   His return could not happen at a better time because the team is falling apart at 1-5.   Chubb symbolizes everything that is great about the Browns and the Cleveland area.   He is a no nonsense worker much like this blue collar city.

However great Nick Chubb is, he is coming back from a devastating injury.   His presence alone will give the team an emotional boost but he will also be on a pitch count.   The Browns won't say what exactly that pitch count is but most pundits believe he will be limited to 10 carries and maybe a couple of pass catches.

Is it enough?

I have been following the Bengals all year on the Bengals Booth Podcast.   The team might be 2-4 but they are not a bad team.   The barely lost to both the Chiefs and Ravens.   They have a top 5 QB and loads of talent on offense including Ja' Marr Chase, arguably the best pass catcher in the game.   People are knocking their defense but I don't buy that either.   Their defense is capable.

The other shortcoming the Bengals have vs the Browns is that the Cleveland Browns are a team built to stop the Bengals.   The Browns are small and fast at linebacker and Cleveland has a deep reserve of excellent defensive backs.   Many teams understand this and force the Browns to stop their run game.  The Bengals however have always refused to exploit Cleveland's vulnerability to the run game or even scheme to beat the Browns attacking defense.   Hence Cleveland has dominated the rivalry with the Burrow era Bengals going 1-5 when Burrow is in the driver seat.

So I believe the Browns are going to win tomorrow right?

I just can't do it.   Why?   Because Deshaun Watson and his diminished skillset is the leader of the Browns.   His shoulder and whatever emotional baggage comes from the rollercoaster of accusations these last 3 years have changed him.   He's now a top 100 QB, not a top 5 and in the NFL a bad performance from the QB usually translates to losses like it has this season for the Browns.  Furthermore Paul DePodesta have never been one to try to win ugly and since Paul DePodesta's voice weighs heavily in this org, neither does Kevin Stefanski win ugly.

The Browns won't run 60% of the time and pass conservatively.   Nor will Nick Chubb get 20 carries.  I think the Bengals will not test the Browns by running more, they never do but they have been passing more conservatively which nowadays done right, is almost as good as a run.

The Brown BLog Predict

Bengals         27

Browns         17

The Brown BLog are 4-2 predicting Browns games this season