The First Browns Game

Not very far away from game one for our beloved Cleveland Browns, and we even have a returnee from injury!  Usually, being from Cleveland, it seems like someone gets injured, or an injury is worse than expected.  But, new regime, new mindset, and things seem to be going in a positive direction once again.

With the Cleveland Browns playing host to the Cincinnati Bengals, there are a few key points that will decide how this game turns out.

1.)    Andy Dalton.  The quarterback for the Bengals.  He’s a rookie, with a very young receiving core and a running game that no one knows what to expect from.  If he gets a running game to back him up, and hits the scene like Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger, I think the Bengals win this.

2.)    Who is going to be the third down running back for the Browns and are they a capable blocker and receiver out of the backfield?  Peyton Hillis can’t take a beating every down and expec to be the same guy in week sixteen and seventeen as week one.  We as fans are going to see other running backs get some time to spell Hillis, and if they can’t block and catch out of the backfield, look out Colt McCoy.

3.)    Can the defense look as good as they did in the preseason, especially in the Philadelphia Eagles game.  In that contest, the defensive lineman swarmed and badgered a beaten Mike Vick, and if they do that to Andy Dalton, this game could get ugly.  Not that I would mind finally seeing the Browns clean the clocks of a division rival.

Pick – Cleveland 24, Cincinnati 10 – I can see it getting ugly, but with such young receiving core, and a question mark at left guard, and the new schemes still being put in place, I think it turns out in favor of the Browns, but not a blow out.