2011 NFL previews: Cleveland Browns
Before I begin, I should inform everyone that I am a member of the Browns Backers and I have a lot of family in C-Town. With that being said, I always think teams with new Head Coaches and new schemes take a big step back. After the Browns went 1-3 in the pre-season, I think we are seeing that play out. Granted pre-season means little, but I think this rebuilding team may struggle a bit this year.
On offense, it is clear now that this is Colt McCoy's team. The O line is very good, and they have shored up the right side. Peyton Hillis is on the Madden Cover, and should be a beast. TE Ben Watson should be a big piece to this offense. I am a little concerned about the WR corps, but rookie Greg Little may make a big impact.
On defense, this team is young, and that is good. Two rookies will start along the D line, and the other two starters are young veterans. The LB corps may not sport big names, but seem very serviceable. The secondary is very good with Joe Haden at one corner, and TJ Ward at one of the safety spots. Overall, the defense looks pretty good.
The Browns have a week five bye, and I see three winnable games before that. Cincinnati and Tennessee should be easily beaten, and this Browns teams could also beat the Miami Dolphins in week three. The Indianapolis Colts are the opponent in week two, and that is a tough one to predict right now, however the Browns could walk into the bye week undefeated.
After the bye, the Brownies have to travel out west to take on the Oakland Raiders, and then Seattle at home the next week. They head back out west to play San Francisco the next week, and that is a really tough stretch. By the end of the 49ers game, we will have a much clearer picture of what we can expect out of this team. The rest of the schedule is tougher, but it looks like they could be an eight win team in 2011. If things fall their way, it could be a winning season for the Browns.
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