Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers: Relative Score Fest

The Cleveland Browns head into Week Seven in a state of disarray. They are 1-5, the offense can’t make a play, the defense can’t make a tackle, and now the flu bug has caused the team to send as many as twelve players home from practice.

Now, the Browns have lost their most consistent linebacker D'Qwell Jackson for the season. This one really hurts.

There really is no bright side as Aaron Rodgers and the potent Green Bay offense come to town. The Packers are coming off a 26-0 shutout of the Detroit Lions, which moved their record to 3-2.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is fast establishing himself as one of the league's best signal-callers. Rodgers is averaging close to 300 yards passing per game, has a passer rating of 104.1, and has eight touchdown passes versus only two interceptions.

Rodgers can throw it from the pocket and he can throw it on the run.

It helps to have one of the top receiving duos in the league in Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. These two go almost unnoticed around the league, but each allows his play to speak for itself.

Jennings has had some minor bumps and bruises, but he is on pace for his second straight 1,000-yard season and is averaging nearly 18 yards per catch. Driver is working on his seventh 1,000-yard season and averages almost 16 yards per catch, and is now the Packers' all-time leader in receptions.

Both are as good working the middle for the tough yards as they are getting free down the field. They are sure-handed and tough.

Third receiver Jordy Nelson is out indefinitely with a sprained knee, but James Jones is a more-than-capable backup. Jones scored on a 47-yard touchdown last week against the Lions.

The Packers' running game has been inconsistent behind running back Ryan Grant. Grant can get the tough yards, but he is by no means a dynamic back.

The team re-signed longtime Packer Ahman Green this week to serve as a backup for Grant. He is only 46 yards short of becoming the Packers' all-time rushing leader.

The sore spot of the Packers seems to be the offensive line. They are not providing much push in the run game and are among the NFL’s worst in sacks allowed.

To make matters worse, starting left tackle Chad Clifton is likely out after re-injuring his ankle against the Lions last week, and center Jason Spitz is suffering from back spasms.

Fourth-round pick rookie T.J. Lang will start at left tackle this week. Scott Wells will start at center if Spitz cannot go. Left guard Daryn Colledge and right tackle Allen Barbre are both average starters at best.

The offensive line is the one thing keeping the Packers from being an elite offensive team. Luckily for the Packers, their quarterback is adept at keeping plays alive with his feet.

The Packers can score, and can score in a hurry. And if the offense does happen to stall, they have one of the top kickers in the league in Mason Crosby.

But it’s the Packers' defense that must improve before they can go from pretender to contender. They currently rank 30th in the league in total defense, and dead last in passing defense.

However, the Packers do have the ability to stuff the run, largely due to an improving linebacking corps.

Ohio State product A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett man the middle along with Brandon Chillar, who has been splitting time with Hawk. Although none have shown big-play potential, they are solid at plugging the running lanes.

Aaron Kampman is one of the NFL’s best edge-rushing linebackers, and rookie Clay Matthews Jr. already has three sacks on the opposite side. Matthews has become a fan-favorite in Green Bay.

The Packers have been getting solid production out of defensive ends Johnny Jolly and Cullen Jenkings; And another former Buckeye, 340-pound Ryan Pickett, clogs the middle at nose tackle.

None of the aforementioned defensive lineman are playmakers, but each does his job in the 3-4 alignment of keeping offensive lineman off the ‘backers.

The Packers' defensive backfield is in shambles.

Cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson have both had fantastic careers and, for that reason, most are afraid to say what has become extremely obvious: After twelve years in the league, they are now shells of their former selves.

The safety play has been even worse. Nick Collins had a breakout year in 2008, but appears to be struggling this season. Atari Bigby got his second start and first interception of the season last week against Detroit.

Both starting safeties are extremely short for their position, and teams with big wideouts and pass-catching tight ends can really exploit the Packers’ safeties. The Packers do occasionally insert an extra linebacker in place of a safety in order to negate that weakness.

The bottom line for the Green Bay defense is they do not force turnovers or get to the quarterback (outside of Kampman and Matthews).

Despite all the Browns' troubles, this is not an un-winnable game.

Green Bay can score points in bunches and they do not make a lot of mistakes on the offensive side of the ball. On the other hand, their defense is vulnerable.

Unfortunately, the Browns do not currently have a pass-catching tight end on their roster, nor the consistency at wide receiver to cash in on the Packers’ weaknesses.

I do look for the Browns to finally score more than one touchdown this game, but it will not be enough to keep pace with the Packers' high-flying offense.

Final Prediction:  Green Bay Packers 28, Cleveland Browns 17