5 Bold Predictions for Cleveland Browns' Week 13 Matchup

The Cleveland Browns will strike big on the road this Sunday when they roll into Ralph Wilson Stadium to battle the Buffalo Bills. Over the next several slides I'll present five bold predictions for this Week 13 matchup.

Brian Hoyer's zero-touchdown, three-interception performance in Atlanta last weekend was as ugly as they come. The Browns might have lost that game against a better team, but there are no points given for style in the NFL.

The bottom line was Hoyer stepped up in the end and orchestrated a winning drive to down the Falcons and keep the Browns in the playoff hunt with a 7-4 record.

Now onto Buffalo.

The Bills' thrashing of the New York Jets sent a clear message that this 6-5 club is still very much alive in the race for a spot in the postseason. It's also the franchise that current Browns head coach Mike Pettine called home a year ago as defensive coordinator.

Right now, Cleveland has the misfortune of being a part of history.

For the first time in the NFL, all teams in the same division are three games over .500. It means that the Browns holding their best record since 2007 guarantees nothing. At this pace, 10 wins may not get you into the playoffs.

This Browns squad has risen to the occasion for important contests so far this season, but none has been bigger than the showdown at the Ralph. They need to think big, play smart and enforce their will on both sides of the ball.

Let's get to those bold predictions.

Feel free to leave your bold predictions for Browns vs. Bills below in the comments section.

5. Josh Gordon Explodes

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Bold Prediction: Josh Gordon goes off for over 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

There were some questions about how effective Josh Gordon would be in his first action back from a season-long suspension. The No. 12 answered those by catching eight balls for 120 yards. So much for having to knock off any rust.

Having Gordon on the field loosens things up for the entire offense.

Teams, including the Bills this week, can't stack the box to eliminate the run or he'll burn them over the top. Flash's mere presence also creates space over the middle, which in turn affords slot receivers more room.

ESPNCleveland.com's Tony Grossi wrote:

"

'He has a tremendous impact in the run game and pass game because you have to account for him," [Joe] Thomas said. 'You can’t just put one player over there to guard him and you can’t load up on trying to stop the run because we’ll make you pay in play-action throwing to Josh.'

The Browns are so much better with Gordon on the field, you get the feeling the offense is about to reach a different gear.

We ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.

"

The dangerous thing with Gordon is that we've seen him thrive on the outside, in the slot or lined up right at scrimmage. That unpredictability makes him incredibly difficult to defend against.

Gordon came back in phenomenal physical condition, but being in gym shape isn't the same as playing. The Pro Bowl receiver now has one game under his belt, and there's nothing to suggest that he'll suffer a setback due to poor stamina.

Buffalo's defense is borderline great. They rank fifth in defending the pass, allowing an average just shy of 214 yards through the air per game. It won't be easy for Brian Hoyer to get the time to sling the rock to Flash.

However, Gordon's athleticism is so effortless, and his skill level reaches heights achieved by few in the NFL's history. He can manhandle cornerbacks, outrun linebackers and dance around safeties. He is, simply put, elite.

That's why JG is going to erupt this weekend. Two touchdowns and his third career 200-yard receiving performance will occur at Buffalo's expense. The way Gordon can flip the switch, this prediction may not be bold enough.

4. Buster Skrine the Pick Machine

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Bold Prediction: Buster Skrine gobbles up Buffalo quarterback Kyle Orton for three interceptions.

The Buffalo Bills offense may feel a little confident against Cleveland's secondary, with stud safety Tashaun Gipson set to miss significant time as a result of the knee injury suffered during the win in Atlanta.

"

#Browns star S Tashaun Gipson suffered a grade 3 MCL injury, source said. No ACL damage. Could return for playoffs if team keeps him active

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 24, 2014"

Staying away from Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden when possible is a given, but the opposite side of the field and over the top will surely be areas that quarterback Kyle Orton goes after.

That's where the small and mighty Buster Skrine comes in.

The improvement by No. 22 over the past two seasons has been remarkable. Gone are the sloppy penalties and poor positioning. In are solid tackling and a ball-hawk mentality. The diminutive CB already has three more interceptions then he did last season.

Three of Skrine's four picks came in arguably the two most important Browns games of 2014. He hauled in a pair versus Cincinnati and one in the second meeting against Pittsburgh.

The Georgia native is showing that he thrives during important matchups. None is bigger than then the meeting with the Bills on Sunday. The road to a division title or wild-card berth is completely clogged up right now, which means the Browns need to keep winning.

Living up to my bold prediction of three interceptions will be no easy task for Skrine.

Bills quarterback Kyle Orton's resurgence since coming out of retirement to replace E.J. Manuel has been nothing short of shocking. At 32, he has this season played the most games he has since 2010. He's also thrown 12 touchdowns, compared to only three interceptions.

Taking away the complete decimation of a horrendous New York Jets club, Orton's performances have been declining over his previous three outings.

Against teams not named the Jets, the veteran's average yards per completion were 5.40 and 4.95. His completion percentage has been under 60 for two of those three contests as well. It's reasonable to think that Orton is hitting the wall after years of primarily holding a clipboard.

This all points to a perfect opportunity for Skrine to catch a slipping quarterback and create turnovers. The key will be for the Cleveland defense to contain Buffalo's ground attack and force Orton to the air.

Haden limits rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins and Buster has himself a day.

3. Travis Benjamin Runs One Back

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Bold Prediction: Travis Benjamin runs back a punt for a touchdown

A single punt return for a score may not seem very bold. However, predicting one for the 2014 Cleveland Browns is borderline ridiculous.

Simply catching a punt, never mind running afterwards, has been an incredible challenge for this team. Last week, the Browns' combined kick and punt return yards were...wait for it...zero. 

The club is ranked 31st in returning punts and are dead last on average yards per run back at just 3.4. Compare that to 2013, when Cleveland was 10th in average punt return yards with 11.0.

Travis Benjamin was the breakout special teams star a year ago before an ACL tear ended his season. The Rabbit lost his return mojo upon returning, muffing or fumbling balls on multiple occasions. Switching the personnel didn't help, with both Jim Leonhard and Jordan Poyer also making mistakes.

Benjamin's confidence seemed to be at an all-time low on returns, so the speedster was moved to focus more on contributing to the undermanned wide-receiver group. Here the third-year veteran started to get his big play making groove back.

He's scored three touchdowns and is a deep threat with a 17.9 yards per reception average. Pro Bowl receiver Josh Gordon has returned, and stud tight end Jordan Cameron is expected to return from his most recent concussion soon.

Benjamin's role as a WR will surely decrease, but the Browns need to capitalize on his renewed self-confidence. Sunday in Buffalo is the perfect time to give the Rabbit another shot at sprinting back punts.

It takes time, sometimes much of a 16-game schedule, for a player to get back to where they were prior to a serious injury like an ACL tear.

Benjamin's lightning quickness has been on display more and more as this campaign has progressed, to the point where he looks very similar to the dynamic athlete he was this past season.

That's why No. 11 emerges from the shadows this weekend to tear up Ralph Wilson Stadium, take a punt back to the house and give the Browns that extra spark they've been seeking.

2. The Crow Will Feast

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Bold Prediction: Isaiah Crowell rumbles for three touchdowns and 100 yards.

The release of disgruntled veteran running back Ben Tate last week put the ground attack squarely in the hands of rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell. The dynamic duo rewarded their coach's confidence in Atlanta Sunday.

Crowell rumbled for a career-high 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while West danced his way to 62 yards.

Having a couple of quality young backs is vital for success in the cold weather. Each has done well to varying degrees this season, but it is clear that Crowell has that extra pop that can take him to the next level.

The Crow had 12 carries for a 7.3 yards-per-carry average in the win over the Falcons and holds a 5.0 YPC in 2014. It was his second two-score game of the year and gives him seven in total.

This undrafted free agent is ready to explode, and he'll do it against the Bills this weekend.

Buffalo's run defense is no joke. They rank eighth in the league, allowing 98.4 yards per game. This success is primarily because of their ferocious front-four linemen, who make a habit of quickly bursting into the backfield to either sack a quarterback or take down a ball-carrier.

The Browns will likely need to go opposite their typical strategy and use the pass to set up the run. Quick tosses in the slot can keep Brian Hoyer off his back and ease off on any run lane clogging by the linebackers. 

If Cleveland's offensive line operates Kyle Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme to near perfection, then holes will open up. That's when the one-cut style of Crowell can take over and find him some open space.

Grinding against a formidable front like Buffalo's means that a running back must react and commit quickly when a seam appears. That's exactly how the Crow operates; he makes a decision and bursts his way past or through defenders.

As long as he can hang onto the football, Crowell is going to gallop for three scores and 100 rushing yards. It'll send a message to the rest of the NFL that he is for real.

1. Brian Hoyer Dominates on the Road

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Bold Prediction: Brian Hoyer throws for three touchdowns and over 300 yards 

Brian Hoyer has had consistency and accuracy issues at times this season. Those troubles usually arise when he feels consistent pressure (real or phantom) from an opponent's pass rush and the pocket starts to collapse.

The Buffalo Bills have three defensive linemen with 9.5 or more sacks, rank first in overall sacks (46.0) and fifth in pass defense.

So why will Hoyer have a huge afternoon Sunday when everything lines up for him to have a long day?

It's the intense competitive nature of No. 6 and the massive chip hanging off his shoulder from being undrafted and cut from three different NFL teams. Coming off of one of his worst performances won't hurt his motivation to bounce back either.

Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com relayed the quarterback's comments after the victory over Atlanta: "I feel I let the team down today with the way I played. I’m happy we won, but I’ve got to play a lot better. I can’t even believe we won it the way I played.”

It seems that Hoyer plays his best football following a loss or ugly victory.

The Browns beat New Orleans in Week 2, following an opening day loss to Pittsburgh. They thumped the Steelers after that unnecessarily close victory in Tennessee. They won against Oakland a week after being embarrassed by the Jaguars.

Only the most recent matchups between Houston and Atlanta contradict his bounce-back trend.

Hoyer isn't just playing for his future with the Browns—he's playing for his next contract. Struggling in clutch situations down the stretch doesn't equal big dollar bills.

The Ohio native has had an extra week to get in sync with Pro Bowl receiver Josh Gordon. He's also faced high-pressure defenses enough in 2014 to figure out how to fix previous struggles.

An important benefit for Hoyer—and the team as a whole—is that head coach Mike Pettine was the Bills' defensive coordinator last season. They may be operating under a different scheme, but Pettine will know of any weaknesses Buffalo's dangerous front D-line may have. 

After a slow first couple of series, Hoyer will find his groove and rise to the occasion as he so often has. From the second quarter on, he becomes fast, efficient and ends up producing three touchdowns from 300 passing yards. 

Andy McNamara is an international sports broadcaster and journalist.

Follow Andy on Twitter @AndyMc81