Cleveland Browns: 10 Reasons Browns Could Be a Playoff Team in 2011

Heading into this season, no expert analysts believe that the Cleveland Browns are contenders in the AFC.

But why not? Sure it's a long shot, but crazier things have happened.

Yes, the team was one of, if not the most hurt by the time off because of the NFL lockout.

Not only did the team have to adjust to a new coach in Pat Shurmur, but they also had to learn both a new offense and a new defense.

However, thanks to "Camp Colt" the Browns have become familiar with Shurmur's offense quicker than expected and have shown their understanding of it through the first two preseason games.

Although the Browns did not go nuts in free agency, the team filled its necessities through the draft as well as through smaller signings in free agency.

With this, as well as a favorable schedule, the Browns could be contenders in 2011.

1. Finally Have the Leader They've Been Looking for in Colt McCoy

When the lockout was lifted for what seemed like a millisecond in April, starting quarterback Colt McCoy took advantage and was able to get a hold of head coach Pat Shurmur's offensive playbook.

From there McCoy held what came to be known as "Camp Colt" in which teammates came together to learn the team's new West Coast offense.

Thanks to McCoy's camps, the Browns were able to become familiar with the offense without the coaching staff.

McCoy is a natural born leader and is accustomed to winning, as seen by his many records held at the University of Texas.

Even though he's just a sophomore in the NFL, McCoy has taken over in Cleveland.

And if the Browns' first two preseason games have shown us anything, it's that McCoy is a perfect match for the West Coast offense.

In just three quarters of work in two preseason games, McCoy has completed 19 of 28 passes for 261 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He has an impressive QB rating of 132.6 and a completion rate of 67.9 percent.

As well as McCoy has been playing, he won't settle for being mediocre; he wants perfection and that's exactly what the Browns need.

Instead of looking at only the good and calling it a day, McCoy takes a look at where the team needs improvement and builds off of it.

One of the things that McCoy is doing well is that he gets everyone involved, according to Josh Cribbs.

"He's doing great is spreading the football around," said Cribbs.

"That's what this West Coast offense allows us to do. Some great athletes are going to come out of this offense. Colt is going to spread the ball around and the athletes are going to make plays."

The Browns finally have the quarterback they have been waiting for.

2. Upgraded the Dreadful Running Game Behind Peyton Hillis

Peyton Hillis came out of nowhere last season and put together a career year for the Browns.

Hillis achieved the first 1,000-yard season of his career and finished with 11 rushing touchdowns as well as two receiving.

Unfortunately for Hillis and the Browns, over time the season took a toll on him and he struggled towards the end of the season.

The Browns had terrible backups behind Hillis after rookie Montario Hardesty tore his ACL in a preseason game and was out for the entire year.

At the beginning of the year, the Browns depended on Jerome Harrison and James Davis to split time with Hillis. Harrison had a impressive season the year before, but he struggled early on and was later traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

What the Browns got in return was not much of an upgrade as Mike Bell also struggled to make any kind of impact.

In the offseason, the Browns signed former Green Bay Packer Brandon Jackson, who stepped up when Ryan Grant was injured, while Hardesty is slowly working his way back into full contact after offseason surgery.

Hillis will no longer have to shoulder the entire load for the Browns and he will succeed because of it, eliminating any thought of a "Madden Curse."

Armond Smith could arise as a sleeper as he had an impressive game against the Detroit Lions in which he ran for 91 yards on six carries, including an 81-yard touchdown run.

3. Two Tight Ends That Will Flourish in the West Coast Offense

Last year, Browns tight end Benjamin Watson had an impressive year, leading all Browns receivers in yards (763) as well as touchdowns (three).

However, he was the Browns' only receiving bright spot, as the rest of the team struggled, including Evan Moore.

Moore impressed in five games in his first season with the Browns, but struggled last season with only 322 yards and one touchdown. He struggled with injuries throughout the season and missed the team's last five games.

Now that Moore is healthy, he and Watson will thrive in the West Coast offense. In a type of system that calls for quick passes, both tight ends will give linebackers headaches as they use their size and great hands to their advantage.

Moore has impressed during the Browns training camp and has been "catching everything in sight."

Since the beginning of the preseason, McCoy has become very comfortable with his tight ends. Against the Packers, Watson helped the Browns drive down the field for their second touchdown of the game.

Watson lead all Browns receivers with two receptions for 56 yards.

Against the Lions in Week 2, Moore was the one who impressed, finishing the game with three receptions, two of them for touchdowns. One of his touchdowns included some fancy footwork to make sure he got two feet in.

He received a lot of praise from McCoy,

"Evan creates mismatches," said McCoy.

"On the first touchdown tonight, we had him on a safety and he got into space and he made a nice play. He's a guy you can line up out wide or you can stick him inside. I thought he made a great play on the second touchdown catch."

Unfortunately, Moore left the game last Friday with a possible concussion. Moore suffered a concussion against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 last season and another would hurt his improvement.

If Moore can stay healthy, the Browns could have one of the most impressive tight end tandems in the league.

Both tight ends have shown that they will make an impact in the Browns's new offense and should be a vital part of Cleveland's success.

4. Underrated Receiving

When the lockout was finally lifted, free agency was quickly started so that teams would still be ready for the start of the season.

Of the positions that needed improving in Cleveland, wide receivers were at the top of the list.

However, as free agency started, the top available receivers were being swooped up by other teams while Cleveland sat still.

The Browns general manager Tom Heckert had a plan from the beginning of his tenure to not build the team by spending big bucks on free agents, but to instead build through the draft.

Cleveland did just that by drafting Greg Little out of North Carolina in the second round. After drafting him, coach Shurmur said that with his skill set, Little could be the Browns' No. 1 receiver.

Little started off slow, but is starting to get the hang of playing in the NFL. He was able to record his first touchdown in the Browns' recent game with the Lions and is becoming a favorite target of Colt McCoy.

Little and the Browns' other receivers are showing so far in the preseason that they can benefit from the West Coast offense, which focuses on short, quick passes.

Josh Cribbs had some bright spots at receiver last season and could finally be ready to be the Browns' big play receiver. The Browns have slowly moved Cribbs away from the return game and shifted his focus to receiving.

WIth 100 percent dedication to being a receiver, Cribbs will finally show that the Browns did right not spending big in free agency.

Another receiver who should have a good year this season is Brian Robiskie. Robiskie has struggled in his first couple of seasons in the NFL, but began to show improvements last year with 29 catches for 310 yards and three touchdowns.

Robiskie is ready to shoulder more of the offensive load and Shurmur agrees, putting Robo as the team's No. 1 receiver on the team's first depth chart.

The Ohio State alum will benefit from running quick short routes in the West Coast offense and the Browns receivers will surprise a lot of doubters.

5. Improved Defensive Line Through the Draft

Other than receiving, the other area in which the Browns needed help was the defensive line.

While in the 3-4 defense, the Browns struggled against the run, ranking 27th in the league. Shaun Rogers, after having a successful first season with the Browns, dealt with injuries for almost the entire season and turned out to be one of the biggest busts of the Romeo Crennel era.

With Rogers hurt, a lot of the playing time went to Ahtyba Rubin, who had an impressive season, finishing with 82 tackles as well as two sacks.

Now that the Browns have shifted to Dick Jauron's 4-3 defense, Rubin will be paired alongside first-round draft pick Phil Taylor.

With Taylor's size and athleticism, he should draw the double team almost every time, allowing space for the Browns' linebackers to charge in.

The Browns also upgraded the defensive end position through the draft with former Pittsburgh Panther Jabaal Sheard.

During training camp, Sheard has been matched up against four-time Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas and is quickly learning what it takes to get past the best.

Lucky for the Browns, Sheard is becoming a quick learner and has impressed Thomas.

"I think he's got a really good chance to be a good player in this league," Thomas said. "He's really figuring out how to rush over left tackle pretty quickly. I think he's a quick learner."

Sheard played well against Detroit last Friday and even forced a fumble early on in the game, as well as recovered it. The play lead to the Browns' first touchdown of the game.

On the other side of the defense, the Browns seem to have put their confidence in Jayme Mitchell. Mitchell, was acquired by the Browns last season in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.

Mitchell was deactivated by former Browns coach Eric Mangini because as a 4-3 end, he was not a fit in Mangini's 3-4. Now with Dick Jauron's 4-3 in place, Mitchell is favored to start and will lead the Browns pass rush with his strength and versatility.

With both Mitchell and Sheard, as well as last season's surprise in Marcus Benard, the Browns' defensive end position is much improved from last season.

6. Return of D'Qwell Jackson

Last season, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson suffered yet another setback to a once promising career.

Jackson was placed on the team's injury reserve list shortly into last season because of a left pectoral injury that required surgery.

This injury came not even a year after Jackson missed the remainder of the Browns 2009-2010 season when he tore his left pectoral muscle.

Now, Jackson is finally healthy and ready to contribute to the Browns' new defense.

Jackson had an impressive rookie season in 2008 in which he led the NFL with 188 tackles.

The 27-year-old joins captain Scott Fujita as well as Chris Gocong and brings the linebacking core to another level.

Unfortunately, after these three, the Browns lack depth at the position, but have plans of adding some veteran help once roster cuts take place. 

With the improvement to the Browns' depth, the linebacker position should look better on paper when the season starts.

If Jackson can stay healthy this season, he should return to being his old self and keep the Browns' defense competitive.

7. Improved Defensive Secondary Through Free Agency

Before the 2010 NFL Draft, the Browns knew they needed to upgrade their secondary. Then cornerbacks Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald struggled the previous season and was one of the Browns' weakest positions.

The Browns used their first-round pick in the draft on Florida cornerback Joe Haden. Haden was one of the top-ranked shutdown corners coming into the draft and was praised for his speed and agility.

Haden came in and was one of the Browns' top performers in his rookie season, leading the team with six interceptions.

To add depth behind Haden next season, the Browns signed cornerback Dimitri Patterson in free agency.

Patterson started 10 games for the talented Philadelphia Eagles last year and set career highs with 62 tackles and four interceptions. Patterson is an immediate upgrade from Wright, who had one of his worst seasons last year in Cleveland.

After Wright left for Detroit, the Browns reunited Patterson with his defensive backs coach in Philly in Dick Jauron.

The other bright spot in the Browns' secondary last year was safety T.J. Ward. Drafted in the second round in 2010, Ward was considered a risk for the Browns as he had suffered several injuries in his career, most notably multiple knee surgeries.

Ward said he was 100 percent when the Browns drafted him and Ward proved that he was a steal for Cleveland, leading the team with 123 tackles.

Alongside Ward, the Browns went out and signed safety Usama Young, who will most likely start at free safety over Mike Adams.

Young has impressed in camp and he and Adams have been challenging each other for the No. 1 spot. Because of this, Young has made Adams a better player.

The Browns may have also gotten a steal in the draft in sixth-round pick Buster Skrine out of Chattanooga.

Skrine has been given the task of covering talented rookie receiver Greg Little in training camp and has shown a lot of promise. Skrine may make his way onto the Browns' opening day roster because of his playmaking ability as well as his speed (sub-4.3 40-yard dash).

The Browns were able to cut some of their weaker players in the secondary in Wright and Abram Elam and have filled the void in free agency and the draft. The Browns' secondary will no longer be the team's weak spot.

8. Finally Has an Offense That Fits Their Roster

Last season, the Browns' offensive coordinator was the inexperienced Brian Daboll.

In Daboll's time, the Browns finished 29th overall in 2010 and dead last in total points.

The Browns' offense would be picked apart on a regular basis and was continually predictable.

In the offseason, President Mike Holmgren was determined to find a coach whose offense fit the players on Cleveland's roster.

Holmgren ran the West Coast offense while in Green Bay and there he was able to capture his only Super Bowl ring.

One of the sleeper candidates was St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Shurmur, in only one season with the Rams, improved the team's record from 1-15 to 7-9 and had them contending for the playoffs.

The main thing that impressed Holmgren is how he molded rookie quarterback Sam Bradford into a successful NFL quarterback.

Shurmur will have to do the same with Colt McCoy and like mentioned earlier, McCoy has impressed so far in the preseason.

Like Holmgren did when he coached, Shurmur will be calling the plays as well as the team's offensive coordinator.

While with the Rams, Shurmur made improvements to almost every category, including total yards, first downs, and third-down percentage. The team scored 114 more points than they did in the previous season.

Shurmur will do the same in Cleveland, making the Browns' offense unpredictable. Last season, time and time again, the Browns would run the ball on first and second down and be thrown into a third and long situation throughout the game.

With Shurmur calling the shots, the Browns will go into third down plays with two or three yards to gain for a first down, which is easily more obtainable.

Using quick routes and screen passes, the Browns will move down the field with small three- and four-yard gains. The Browns' time of possession will increase and the opposing defense will tire out.

The Browns' offense is finally where it needs to be.

9. More Conservative Defensive Mind in Dick Jauron

When the Browns defense was run by Rob Ryan, the 3-4 defense was very aggressive.

Ryan loved to throw different blitzes at opposing offenses.

The problem with this was that the Browns' linebackers lacked the speed needed for a multiple-blitz team.

The linebacker wasn't fast enough to get to the quarterback and left the middle of the field wide open for routes across the middle.

As much pressure as a team wants to put on opposing quarterbacks, if you lack the speed then you're just taking linebackers out of the play.

Injuries to linebackers Scott Fujita and D'Qwell Jackson also put the Browns in a hole. The team had to rely on aging veterans like Eric Barton.

After Ryan went to Dallas, the Browns decided to hire Dick Jauron, who is a more conservative defensive coordinator and is more concerned with coverages then blitzes.

Jauron was a defensive backs coach with the Eagles, and will depend on the secondary to shut down the opposing receivers.

With a decrease in the amount of blitzing, the pressure will be on the front four to keep pressure on the quarterback.

Finding the balance between blitzing and coverage is key in the NFL, as Cleveland could not find that balance last year.

However, with a 26-year coaching veteran on the sidelines, Cleveland's defense will find the balance for the first time in a long time.

10. Schedule Plays to Their Advantage

When looking at the Browns' schedule this season, Cleveland could very likely start the season on a high note.

In Week 1, the Browns face a team that has more issues than they do in the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Carson Palmer threatened to retire from football altogether if the team did not trade him.

Owner Mike Brown refused to trade the USC alumni, so Cincy have no choice but to start rookie Andy Dalton, who has struggled in the preseason.

The Bengals also said goodbye to their top receiver in Chad Ochocino, leaving rookie AJ Green to try and pick up the pieces.

The Browns should be able to take advantage of the Bengals' inexperience.

Things get tough for the Browns in Week 2, when they travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts. If Peyton Manning is still recovering from offseason neck surgery, the Browns could be able to steal a victory.

After the Colts, the Browns head back home to face the Miami Dolphins who account for one of the Browns' only victories last season.

Quarterback Chad Henne struggled against the Browns last year when the two teams met in Miami. The December matchup last season was actually one of the only high points for former Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme.

The last game before the bye has the Browns facing the Tennessee Titans in Cleveland for the team's third home game of the season.

With an aging Matt Hasselback under center for the Titans, the Browns' front seven should give him fits.

The Browns could very likely start the season 3-1 and be in the heat of things in the AFC North. As the season goes on, the Browns could build a decent record before they even see the division's powerhouses in Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Cleveland won't face the Ravens until Week 13 and the Steelers until Week 14. Until then, the Browns face teams that had a combined record of 69-91 last season.