GOR, Aug. 31, '08

Browns In 2008
I’ve got them finishing 9-7 – no better, no worse. Why?

Their defense ranked 30th overall in the NFL in 2007. Name me one impact player on that side of the ball heading into '08? Get the point?

Yes, they added a pair of 300 pounders up front in the off-season. The hope is that will help them against the run – especially on first down holding teams to second and 8 instead of second and 5.

But even if they improve against the run – which is likely – I don’t see the Browns defense consistently getting to the quarterback and getting off the field on third down.

They also have NO established, quality NFL corner on the roster. That’s a recipe for disaster – a weak pass rush and kid corners. A quality NFL QB and a good WR should once again be able to play pitch and catch against this team this fall.

Secondly, the Browns won’t be facing nearly as many cupcakes and back-up quarterbacks as they faced last fall. The schedule is more difficult, and since they are the trendy pick this year to be much-improved, no one will take them lightly.

The Browns will be featured on national television several times this fall based on expectations coming off a 10-win ’07 campaign. Their play in pre-season did nothing to indicate this is an improved football team.

Third, the Brownies made it through the 2007 season without suffering key injuries. We haven’t reached Labor Day yet and Cleveland already has run into trouble on the injury front this time around. That's part of the reason the team struggled in August and the odds they can just flick the switch and turn it on come September is wishful thinking.

In order for the Browns to make the playoffs this fall, they will need to outscore teams once again. But that is likely to be a more difficult task in 2008 due to the uncertainty of the special teams heading into week #1.

Josh Cribbs is not healthy. The team relied heavily on him to make plays on special teams last season. He gave the offense tremendous field position in ’07. If he does not repeat that performance this season, the Browns will be weak in two of the three phases of the game – defense and special teams. That will put even more heat on the offense – from farther out.

So let’s recap. The 2008 Browns should win more than they lose. But a lack of talent on defense, a more difficult schedule and the uncertainty of Cribbs’ health heading into September makes them likely to take a small step backwards instead of moving forward.

Ofcourse I've been wrong before - like when I picked the Broncos to reach the Super Bowl last fall.

Glaring Needs Breaking Camp
The Brows clearly still need a cover corner. So I will continue to bang the Ty Law drum until he signs with someone. The team also badly needs another WR (i.e Joe Horn). A legitimate pass rusher would also help a great deal. Those guys are like gold however - very hard to find, especially on the waiver wire.

Super Bowl Picks
I like the Pats beating the Cowboys come next February. The Patriots were clearly the best team in football in ’07. And it wasn’t even close. Unfortunately, they ran into a hot team with a good pass rush in the Super Bowl and came up short.

No one in their right mind would pick a low seed from an inferior conference to take the Pats had it been a five-game series. But football does not work that way. It’s truly one-and-out in the post-season. The Pats found out the hard way.

Therefore, I’ll go with the team that played the best from beginning to nearly the end last fall. This isn’t college. New England didn’t lose any letter winners to graduation. Brady and company are still present and accounted for. Yes, their defense is aging, but I see atleast one more run in that group.

As for picking the Cowboys, that’s just a guess. They seem solid on both sides of the ball, and if Romo is as good as the media makes him out to be, he has enough talent around him to advance out of that conference.

Pats 30
Cowboys 20