5 Things the Browns Must Do To Win….
For the typical team, it would seem almost guaranteed that a victory against a 1-7 Rams team was on the horizon today, but not for the Browns. A team this desperate for offensive production and identity can not afford to take any team too lightly, especially one who beat the New Orleans Saints only two weeks ago. The Browns should, and I predict will, win this game but they can make it a lot easier on themselves by doing the following five things:
- Start Off Fast: This has been discussed over and over and over again over the last few weeks, but the fact remains that until the Browns can score in the first or third quarters of games then they will continue to lose. To this point in the season, the Browns have no scored a touchdown in either the first or third quarters all season long. That’s a total of 16 quarters or 4 WHOLE GAMES. That lack of production is too much for a team of this ability to overcome. Cleveland must come out fast and strong to start off the game, meaning not run the ball up the middle two times and throw a five yard curl on 3rd and 7 to begin.
- Stop Steven Jackson: Easier said than done, I realize. None the less, this defense has to begin to stop the run consistently. It’s real easy to rest on your pass defense ranks when teams only have to throw the ball fifteen times against you a game because they can run down your throats all Sunday long. Steven Jackson is a man amongst boys on most Sundays and will try to do it again this Sunday against a suspect run defense being put on the field by the Brownies. Injuries to TJ Ward and others will not help this problem, but Dick Jauron needs to find the answer and now.
- Take it to the Cribbs: Get Josh Cribbs involved from the beginning and in many different faucets. We have watched Cribbs begin to blossom into a solid wide receiver while the rest of the offense is stuck in neutral. On a team with no other offensive playmakers that make the defense adjust, it is up to the coaching staff to figure out a way to get the ball into the hands of our one true playmaker. That means screens, punt and kick returns, line him in the wildcat, line him up in the back field, use his speed deep. Cribbs must be targeted or touch the ball on 20 to 25 plays total today for this offense to resemble any type of NFL quality.
- Home-Field ADVANTAGE: Cleveland Browns fans are on of the best fan bases in all of professional sports and yet the Browns fail to use this to their advantage on Sunday. We all know the stadium will start loud and full, but it is up to the Browns to make sure that the crowd stays in the game and has things to cheer about loudly and often. When used correctly, the Dawg Pound can make it almost feel as if its 12 vs 11 on most snaps. Let the Dawg Pound bark all day long.
- Get in the End zone: Phil Dawson has been playing at a Pro-Bowl level and I hope that soon he starts to get the recognition he has deserved over the last few years for kicking in tough Cleveland. With that being said, the Browns have got to start getting into the end zone and not relying on 50 plus yard field goals by Dawson, particularly when the weather starts getting tougher.
Will the Browns suddenly be able to do all of these things today and look like a Super Bowl contender? Probably not but if they can manage to come close, then should be able to handle the Rams and with the weak Jaguars on the schedule next week, so two very winnable games in a row, climb back to .500 after ten weeks, but I am getting ahead of myself. This week first.
Today’s Prediction:
Browns open playbook and find some success. Colt finds the end zone three times, 1 to Cribbs, Moore, and Little.
Browns: 27
Rams: 17
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