Joe Public
Gabibbo's Finest
Funny you should ask, I was just going to write something up on them.
First, though, let's get this out of the way.
I missed the first game of the year with this team by a mile. I underestimated Pittsburgh out of the gate, I overvalued the Browns, and I was wrong.
Then, based on how pathetic their defense looked, I compounded the problem by seeing no possible way they could stop Cincinnati. Which they couldn't, only they solved by ringing up 54 or whatever.
But slowly they've turned their ship around and slowly I've done the same with them.
In short, there's only one reason I'm not betting this team big this week, the ex Browns on the Seahawk roster.
That's the only thing that's changed about this game since before the season when I started looking at this game and salivating.
The two I'm talking about are Brian Russell QB-ing the Seattle secondary and Charlie Frye.
Now, let's not kid ourselves, if Frye really understood the Browns' playbook he wouldn't have been run out of town after a game. And it's not like he'd been in the system for three years, this is the first year with a new OC and offense in Cleveland.
Still, he had all of camp with it and was the number one guy for a week. If Seattle doesn't have him running the scout team this week, Holmgren should be fired. Then shot. The fired again.
I don't think Frye's going to be able to give them the keys to the Browns offense, and frankly I don't think they can stop the Browns anyway. But he's spent time with the offense, Russell spent time with the defense--and defensing Anderson in practice, so it does worry me some.
But here's why I believe the Browns are going to win.
I've now seen Seattle a few times and one thing that has stuck out to me like a sore thumb is the way other O-lines have pushed them around the field. TB did it, Arizona did it, NO did it. Well, the Browns' O-line has really come together, just as planned, so far this year and at home, with a winning record for the first time in forever, I expect a big effort from them.
Beyond that, look at who Seattle has played:
TB
@ Arizona
Cincy
@ SF
@ Pittsburgh
NO
St. Louis
The only game they won on the road was SF. The only really decent team they've played was Pittsburgh, who shut them out and beat them by 21.
The best offense they've played was Cincy and I (as well as my now deceased ML wager, God rest its little soul) would argue that Cincy could have beaten them outright, in Seattle.
And Cincy is a horror show. I mean, if they couldn't keep Cincy's weapons under 20 in Seattle, I'm not sure how they do it to Cleveland in Cleveland.
The other reason, and I don't want to get into stats or drive charts, but suffice it to say, Seattle is a team that kicks FGs, Cleveland (shockingly enough) is a team that scores TDs.
Other than against the Rams, which I think we all would agree is a somewhat special case, if you've watched this team (or bet them) their ability to keep teams in games by kicking FGs rather than shoving the dagger in their hearts is maddeing.
If Russell and Frye weren't there, and the game was in the morning rather than the afternoon, I'd feel very comfortable in laying down pretty heavy on this game.
As it is, given that, and the fact that now things change a little bit for Cleveland, now they have to play as a favorite rather than the team that's overlooked and not given much of a chance, I'll just play 'em to win for a unit and a half.
And I'll probably tease 'em as well as the over.
Good luck with this game, gents, no matter what you do.
And, Go Browns.
Woof.
First, though, let's get this out of the way.
I missed the first game of the year with this team by a mile. I underestimated Pittsburgh out of the gate, I overvalued the Browns, and I was wrong.
Then, based on how pathetic their defense looked, I compounded the problem by seeing no possible way they could stop Cincinnati. Which they couldn't, only they solved by ringing up 54 or whatever.
But slowly they've turned their ship around and slowly I've done the same with them.
In short, there's only one reason I'm not betting this team big this week, the ex Browns on the Seahawk roster.
That's the only thing that's changed about this game since before the season when I started looking at this game and salivating.
The two I'm talking about are Brian Russell QB-ing the Seattle secondary and Charlie Frye.
Now, let's not kid ourselves, if Frye really understood the Browns' playbook he wouldn't have been run out of town after a game. And it's not like he'd been in the system for three years, this is the first year with a new OC and offense in Cleveland.
Still, he had all of camp with it and was the number one guy for a week. If Seattle doesn't have him running the scout team this week, Holmgren should be fired. Then shot. The fired again.
I don't think Frye's going to be able to give them the keys to the Browns offense, and frankly I don't think they can stop the Browns anyway. But he's spent time with the offense, Russell spent time with the defense--and defensing Anderson in practice, so it does worry me some.
But here's why I believe the Browns are going to win.
I've now seen Seattle a few times and one thing that has stuck out to me like a sore thumb is the way other O-lines have pushed them around the field. TB did it, Arizona did it, NO did it. Well, the Browns' O-line has really come together, just as planned, so far this year and at home, with a winning record for the first time in forever, I expect a big effort from them.
Beyond that, look at who Seattle has played:
TB
@ Arizona
Cincy
@ SF
@ Pittsburgh
NO
St. Louis
The only game they won on the road was SF. The only really decent team they've played was Pittsburgh, who shut them out and beat them by 21.
The best offense they've played was Cincy and I (as well as my now deceased ML wager, God rest its little soul) would argue that Cincy could have beaten them outright, in Seattle.
And Cincy is a horror show. I mean, if they couldn't keep Cincy's weapons under 20 in Seattle, I'm not sure how they do it to Cleveland in Cleveland.
The other reason, and I don't want to get into stats or drive charts, but suffice it to say, Seattle is a team that kicks FGs, Cleveland (shockingly enough) is a team that scores TDs.
Other than against the Rams, which I think we all would agree is a somewhat special case, if you've watched this team (or bet them) their ability to keep teams in games by kicking FGs rather than shoving the dagger in their hearts is maddeing.
If Russell and Frye weren't there, and the game was in the morning rather than the afternoon, I'd feel very comfortable in laying down pretty heavy on this game.
As it is, given that, and the fact that now things change a little bit for Cleveland, now they have to play as a favorite rather than the team that's overlooked and not given much of a chance, I'll just play 'em to win for a unit and a half.
And I'll probably tease 'em as well as the over.
Good luck with this game, gents, no matter what you do.
And, Go Browns.
Woof.
