OFFENSE:
Brady Quinn looked better than Derek Anderson did in the preseason. Anderson takes too many unnecessary shots down field and tries to squeeze the ball into tight spaces. With Quinn, you have an accurate passer who doesn't make a lot of mistakes. The only thing he needs to improve on is throwing the deep ball. Most of his throws are short passes to checkdowns. But I would take little five yard dump-offs over multiple interception games any day. In the end I think the Browns made the right choice in starting Brady Quinn.
Jamal Lewis is a powerful runner but he might not be the number one back anymore. He is getting older and has been in the league for a while. Jerome Harrison is a fast back but isn't the most powerful. Rookie running back James Davis is someone who I liked going into the draft. He was great at Clemson and would have been drafted a lot higher if C.J. Spiller wasn't taking half of the carries. He has showed flashes in the preseason and if he can perform at a high level it will help out the Browns a lot.
The wide receivers could be better. If Braylon Edwards has another season full of drops than he will be gone. You can bet on that. If Edwards does have another bad year then Brian Robiskie could emerge as the go-to guy this year. He has the hands, height and speed that you look for in a wide receiver. Mike Furrey caught a lot of balls this preseason. Expect him to have a decent season. Mohamed Massaquoi will likely be the fourth or fifth wide receiver and the playmaker Josh Cribbs didn't play a whole lot of wide receiver last year but looks like he could be starting. The tight ends are Steve Heiden, Martin Rucker, and Robert Royal. These guys are average at best. The loss of Kellen Winslow will hurt this team more than people expect.
The offensive line is the best unit on this team. Anchored by left tackle Joe Thomas they gave up 24 sacks. If you take away the game against Pittsburgh last year they only gave up 20. That is a lot better than a lot of the other teams in the league. Eric Steinbach is the left guard and one of the best in the league. The right side of the line isn't as good with John St. Clair and Floyd Womack. At Center is the veteran Hank Fraley but the rookie Alex Mack could take over soon. We will have to wait and see.
The defensive line is improved with the big field-goal blocking nose tackle in the middle- Shaun Rogers. The two ends are Kenyon Coleman and Robaire Smith. Coleman is a good end who came from the Jets and knows Eric Mangini's defense. Robaire Smith is the weakest link on the line but can still be productive. Athyba Rubin is a good backup who we will be seeing a lot this season. He should be working in with the starters. Corey Williams is a decent backup who came up with 58 tackles last season.
Defense:
The linebackers for the Browns are a lot better than people think. D'Quell Jackson led the league in tackles last season with 154. Kamerion Wimbley wasn't great last year but his very capable of playing at a high level. Eric Barton is another player who came over from New York. He was eighth in the AFC in tackles last season. Alex Hall emerged as a good backup and came up with three sacks. So the talent is there and was there last year, but the defense never blitzed last season. Jackson coming through the middle and Wimbley off the outside would be very tough to stop, especially for the weak offensive lines.
The secondary wasn't good at all last year. But the Browns made some improvements with Abram Elam and Hank Poteat coming from the Jets and drafting Corey Francies. That should give them some depth. The best defensive back the Browns have is cornerback Eric Wright. He came up with three interceptions last season. Playing opposite of him is Brandon McDonald who led the team with five picks, but he does get beat a lot and should not be starting. SS Sean Jones isn't in Cleveland anymore. Taking his place will be Abram Elam and at free safety is Brodney Pool.
Overall, the Browns made a lot of improvements during the offseason, but with an inexperienced quarterback and adequate defense, I can't see them going over .500.
Prediction: 7-9
Now to my week one picks.
Atlanta over Miami
Baltimore over Kansas City
Philadelphia over Carolina
Cincinnati over Denver
Minnesota over Cleveland
Houston over New York Jets
Indianapolis over Jacksonville
New Orleans over Detroit
Dallas over Tampa Bay
Arizona over San Francisco
New York Giants over Washington
Seattle over St. Louis
Green Bay over Chicago
New England over Buffalo
San Diego over Oakland
Blowout: Indy over J'Ville
Must Watch: Green Bay and Chicago
Season Predictions:
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh 13-3
2. Baltimore 11-5
3. Cincinnati 9-7
4. Cleveland 7-9
East
1. New England 13-3
2. Buffalo 7-9
3. Miami 7-9
4. New York 4-12
South
1. Indianapolis 12-4
2. Houston 9-7
3. Tennessee 9-7
4. Jacksonville 4-12
West
1. San Diego 10-6
2. Kansas City 6-10
3. Denver 3-13
4. Oakland 2-14
NFC North
1. Minnesota 11-5
2. Green Bay 10-6
3. Chicago 9-7
4. Detroit 4-12
East
1. Dallas 11-5
2. New York 10-6
3. Philadelphia 9-7
4. Washington 7-9
South
1. New Orleans 11-5
2. Atlanta 10-6
3. Carolina 7-9
4. Tampa Bay 4-12
West
1. Arizona 11-5
2. Seattle 7-9
3. San Francisco 6-10
4. St. Louis 3-13
Please Rate and Comment and enjoy the NFL Season!
