Cleveland Browns vs Denver Broncos, The Matchup

This article is a full comparison of the Week 2 showdown between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos, in this slideshow I will guide you through each position to find out who stands the best chance of winning. This is my first ever article on BR and I hope you enjoy it. Can the Broncos build on an amazing win in Cincinnati? Or can the Browns bounce back from a week 1 defeat to the Vikings? Let's see.

Quarterback

My first comparison will be the Quarterback position. The broncos start Kyle Orton and the Browns start Brady Quinn. One of the main advantages of Orton is the fact that he wins games, in his career as a starter he is 21-12, this is very impressive considering he has been playing in an offense with bad receivers and a not so great O-Line. It is apparent that whilst he may not be very strong or very accurate on the deep route, he manages games. Furthermore, I predict an improvement from the week 1 match up vs the Bengals, he played with a glove (which took some zip off the ball) because of his bandaged finger and was a little rusty due to injury, his receivers were also dropping too many balls, this should improve.
Brady Quinn is a completely different QB, where Orton has experience, Quinn does not, and where Quinn has throw power, Orton does not. We cannot really look at Quinn's win-loss ratio of 1-2 because he has only played three games. We should judge him then on Week 1, his talent and the talent around him. In week 1 vs the ravens, the Browns had some good moments on offense, Brady Quinn had 1 TD and 1 INT along with 205 yards. Those are OK stats but he will look to improve against the Broncos, he certainly has the potential to improve. Quinn has good weapons to aim at in the passing game and Quinn will have to utilize Edwards and Cribbs if he is going to perform well.
Overall in the quarterback position I make it a Draw, Quinn has the talent, Orton has the experience. I make that 1-1.

Running Back

In the running back position the Browns have outstanding veteran Jamal Lewis, he ran 57 yards against a solid Minnesota defense and will look to power through the lightweight Broncos defense. If Jamal can put up the kind of numbers we know he can, then he will take a lot of pressure off Brady Quinn's shoulders.
The Broncos have a solid group of backs. Rookie Knowshon Moreno did not impress in Cincinnati and should be able to improve against a Browns defense that let Adrian Peterson run riot. He was not 100% versus the Bengals and this could be his breakout game. Veteran Correl Bukhalter had a good game in Week 1 and should be a consistent back-up, should they need him. Finally, Peyton Hillis is a fan favorite, last year in his rookie season he put up great numbers, he has around 5 yards per carry and his season was brought to a halt last season due to injury. So far he has not been used that much in McDaniels' Offense but should see a role in his new FB position.

Overall, I say that its is another draw because of the depth and talent on the Broncos' Roster, if Jamal can show the kind of form we know he can though, it could be a long night for broncos fans. 2-2.

Receivers

This match contains contains some great Tight Ends and Wide-outs for both teams.
The Broncos have had a shaky start in terms of receiving, there were many dropped passes in the Bengals game, expect them to improve for the game against Cleveland. Brandon Marshall is a Pro-Bowl receiver and at his best, can light up the field, he was rusty against the Bengals but I expect him to be a lot better on Sunday. The Broncos also have sophomore Eddie Royal, he had a fantastic rookie year and should also improve from Week 1, he numbers should drop however, due to the loss of JC. Other Wide recievers include Brandon Stokely, who will be brimming with confidence after his 87 yard grab last week, and Jabar Gafffney, a solid WR acquired via free agency. At Tight End the broncos have Daniel Graham, known for his blocking but showed some good receiving skills last Snday, and Tony Scheffler a great receiver and a good option for Kyle Orton. Knowshon Moreno the running back is also known for his hands, expect him to catch alot of balls out of the backfield.
The Bengals also had a shaky start. Their #1 WR Braylon Edwards struggled and the others did not fare that much better. Braylon Edwards is a top quality WR and has great skills. I do not expect him to have good numbers though, as he will be covered by Champ Bailey, one of the all time great corners. If Josh Cribbs and Brian Robiskie can get open then this WR corps could do well. At Tight End the Browns have Robert Royal, a top quality TE who serves as a big target for Brady Quinn.
Overall, the Broncos win this one, they have a huge amount of options at WR and TE. 3-2 Broncos.

Offensive Line

The Broncos have one of the best O-Lines in the league. Last season they were tied for second in the league in least sacks allowed, this was partly due to the scrambling of Jay Cutler, but they were one of the highest in the league in passing attempts. The two best players in this line are Ryan Clady and Casey Wiegmann. Last year, Left tackle Ryan Clady only allowed 0.5 sacks in his rookie season, an astonishing figure, he will be very important in protecting Orton's blind side. Wiegmann is a 13 year veteran Center who reached the Pro-Bowl last season, he is a great leader and a solid blocker. The only weakness this line may have is it RG, starter Chris Kuper is injured to former Patriot Russ Hochstein will step in, he has done a good job however, and the transition is looking seamless.

The Browns O-Line will have to be led by LT Joe Thomas and LG Eric Steinbach, both are top quality players who will protect Brady Quinn's blind side. They will need to excel in run blocking on Sunday to allow gaps for Jamal Lewis to run through. On the right side however, the Browns are not very good. The Broncos will look to expose this by throwing Elvis Dumervil (DOOM) at it, he is the best pass rusher the Broncos have and has looked very impressive so far, if he can do well then Brady Quinn may find himself nestled in the Colorado turf.
Overall, the teamwork and talent of the Broncos O-Line means they win this one, that puts the Broncos up 4-2.

Defensive Line

The Browns D-Line is led by defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, he suffered a foot injury but should be OK to play on Sunday, he is one of the best Nose tackles in the league and should cause the Broncos problems. The Defensive ends are not quite up to his standard but are an improving group. This D-Line will want to show the league that they can stop the run, after a 180 yard thrashing by Adrian Peterson, many doubt they can.
In Orange an Blue the Broncos line has undergone a massive change, they have switched from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme and with an absence of star names, many doubt they have what it takes. So far however, they have looked good and are out to show that teamwork is key. Kenny Peterson is the best that this line has to offer and is a solid player at DE, during the pre-season the Broncos also added former Dolphin DE Vonnie Holliday, he is an experienced veteran who should help this young group of players.
Overall, the Browns win this one, if Shaun Rogers is healthy then they should do well, the Broncos could surprise a few though. 4-3 Broncos.

Linebackers

The Browns' Linebacker unit will be led by MLB D'Qwell Jackson, he is the best linebacker in the group and Cleveland's performance will be partly pivotal on how he performs. His great agility and tackling make him a top linebacker. On the outside the Browns lack star quality, LOLB David Bowens will struggle to beat Broncos RT Ryan Harris or blocking Tight End Daniel Graham. ROLB Kamerion Wimbley is a good player but should struggle against star LT Ryan Clady.
The top Linebacker in Orange and Blue is MLB D.J. Williams, he has very nearly gone to the Pro-Bowl on numerous occasions and this hard-hitting Linebacker was very good against the Bengals. The other MLB Andra Davis has also played well. On the outside Elvis Dumervil will look to embarrass the Browns' RT and RG, he has done very well so far and Broncos fans expect a lot from this top LOLB. On the right Mario Haggan will start, he got a sack in week 1 and want to continue that success, however 1st round rookie Robert Ayers will push to win the starting job.
Overall, I believe the Bronco Linebackers will have more success but in terms of quality of each unit, I would say they are equal. That means it is now 5-4 Broncos.

Safeties

By far the standout player of this match up of Safeties is Brian Dawkins, the 13 year veteran is an NFL legend and one of the best safeties ever. Some say he is too old but if you watched him against the Bengals, he looks 10 years younger. As for the other safety position, the Broncos have Renaldo Hill, he is a solid player. He is not as spectacular as Dawkins by any means but he started last year in Miami so cannot be that bad. He is experienced in this safety corps is a million times better then that of last year. The Broncos were abysmal at the safety position last year and the experinced group they have now is a vast improvement.
The Browns will start the game without a big playmaker like Dawkins, Brodney Pool and Abram Elam are good players who do a good job in this improving defense but lack that extra spark. It will be tough for them, considering the amount of playmakers the Broncos will have on Offense.

The Broncos win this one, Brian Dawkins is not only a fantastic player but a great leader too. 6-4 Broncos.

Cornerbacks

The Broncos have a big playmaker in this position too; Champ Bailey, perhaps the best ever Cornerback to play in the NFL. Last year was the only year he has missed the Pro-Bowl, but that was due to an injury during the season. This man is blessed with speed, agility, strength and awareness among other skills, Quinn should avoid throwing near him or there may be a pick. Two other Corners worth noting are Andre Goodman and Alphonso Smith. Goodman did well against Cincy and is a solid backup CB. Smith also had a good game and is a rookie this year, drafted in the early 2nd round. The Broncos gave up a 1st round pick to get him, so he must be good.

The Browns top two Corners consist of Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald (ba da ba ba ba). They are good young cornerbacks and could have very good years. they did well against the Vikings but lack that playmaking ability that Bailey has. They will also have a tough job covering the Offensive weapons across the line of scrimmage.

The Broncos win this one, a good mix of young and old, as well as an amzing player. 7-4 Broncos.

Special Teams

My final comparison is of Special Teams, and I have decided to split it in 2; Kicking/Punting and Returning.
I will start with Kicking/Punting, in this section I will give the point to Denver. Matt prater (Kicker) has looked very good so far, kicking 2 long field goals in week 1, he has a very strong leg and a lot of talent. In punting the edge is also with Denver, Brett Kern has also performed well and could become one of the best. 8-4 Broncos.
So we finish with returning. The broncos have Eddie Royal and the Browns have Josh cribbs. Both are extremely good returners but the edge goes to Cribbs. He proved why he is one of the best returners in the NFL last week, by returning a punt for a TD. He possesses the natural skills to do very well in this position. 8-5 Broncos.

Conclusion

So there we have it, the Broncos win it 8-5. The Broncos should win this game, their home opener, and go 2-0. After all the criticism, this team could do well. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed my first ever article. Enjoy the game!