Cleveland Browns: 10 Things to Watch Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 2010 NFL season is officially underway and it is time, once again, for football to dominate living rooms and sports bars all across America. A new year means a fresh start for NFL teams and their fans as every team begins the season with a clean slate and playoff aspirations.
For fans of the Cleveland Browns, 2010 also means year one of the Mike Holmgren era. Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert have brought several promising new players to a Browns team that Eric Mangini coached to four straight wins to close the 2009 season.
Optimism runs high in Cleveland as Holmgren, Heckert and Mangini team up to begin their quest to return the Cleveland Browns to relevancy. That quest starts this Sunday when the Cleveland Browns visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let's take a look at what will hopefully be the first game in a memorable new chapter of the Cleveland Browns saga.
Jake Delhomme Against the Tampa Bay Defense
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New Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme is looking to have a bounce back season in 2010. Fortunately for Delhomme, he will get to start his Cleveland career against a very familiar opponent.
In his time with the Carolina Panthers, Delhomme got to know the NFC South division rival Buccaneers very well. He has historically had success against Tampa Bay, regularly poking holes in the secondary and posting a 9-2 record as a starter against the Buccaneers.
It remains to be seen if Delhomme can continue to shred the Buccaneers defense with his new team, but his knowledge of their schemes and tendencies will likely give the Browns a big advantage heading into Sunday's match-up.
How Much Have Cleveland's Receivers Really Improved?
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The receiving corps for the Cleveland Browns was one of the league's worst in 2009 and, to the surprise of many in Cleveland, the front office did little to add to the group in the off-season. Rookie wideout Carlton Mitchell is the only new addition to a unit that includes Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey and Joshua Cribbs.
While Cleveland's receivers are young and struggled much of 2009, they managed to put together a solid preseason this year and appear ready to take a big step forward in terms of on-field production. A veteran presence under center looks to make all the difference and the five receivers on the roster combined for 298 receiving yards in limited preseason action.
Cleveland's receivers will get their first regular season test against a Tampa Bay secondary that will be without standout cornerback Aqib Talib, who will be suspended for the season opener.
Does Delhomme Have His Groove Back?
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Jake Delhomme was let go by the Carolina Panthers after a dreadful 2009 season that saw him throw 18 interceptions and only 8 touchdowns. Now, in a new city and with a new team, Delhomme is looking to turn things around while wearing Orange and Brown.
So far, Delhomme appears to be on the right track, putting together a stellar preseason performance. In just over four quarters of preseason play, he went 38 of 48 for 345 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
However the type of vanilla defenses that Delhomme saw in preseason is much different than the real thing. It will be interesting to see if he will be able to continue to play at such a high level against an improving Buccaneers defense that recorded nine takeaways in the final three games of 2009.
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The Offensive Line
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With Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach and Alex Mack, the Browns' offensive line has one of the best left sides in all of football. However, the right side continues to have question marks heading into week one.
Tony Pashos is slotted to start at right tackle with either Shawn Lauvao or Floyd Womack at right guard. Unfortunately for the Browns, Lauvao suffered an ankle injury this week in practice and is listed as doubtful, while Womack is still recovering from a knee injury and is questionable. This means that John. St. Clair or the recently re-signed Billy Yates may be in the starting lineup on Sunday.
Tampa Bay's defensive line features two disruptive, play-making rookies in Gerald McCoy and Brian Price and the offensive line of the Browns could have its hands full trying to protect the quarterback and provide a push for the running game.
Ball Security
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If the Browns are going to come away as winners in week one, they cannot afford to turn the football over. Turnovers kill drives and can quickly swing the score in favor of the opponent, something Cleveland fans saw all too much of during preseason.
During the two preseason losses to the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams, the Browns turned the ball over a whopping eight times. It's difficult to win when you give away the ball that many times. Running back Jerome Harrison, in particular, has had recent problems with ball security and will have to do a better job of protecting the football in the regular season if he wants to keep the starting job.
If Cleveland is able to avoid turnovers, and possibly create a few on defense, the Browns will have a good chance of winning this game.
The Running Backs
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While Jerome Harrison will probably start the game at running back, the Browns have the ability to switch things up with two talented backs in Peyton Hillis and James Davis. (H + D, get it?)
Hillis is a powerful, physical runner who can simply slam the ball up the middle, getting the tough yards and quickly wearing down the defense. Davis is a versatile, multi-dimensional back who is a legitimate threat to score when he gets into the open field. Both players are also dangerous catching the football out of the backfield.
Jerome Harrison is no longer a secret after rushing for 561 yards in the final three games of 2009, but the combination of Hillis and Davis add an additional element to the rushing attack. It is an element that Tampa Bay might not be prepared to handle and it will be very interesting to see just how much Cleveland uses Hillis and Davis to supplement the running game.
Cleveland's Run Defense
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The Cleveland Browns finished the 2009 season with the 28th ranked run defense, an area in which the team hopes to make significant improvement this season.
The Browns posted the tenth best run defense through preseason, but still gave up too many back-breaking plays, often at the worst possible time. However, with big men Ahtyba Rubin and Shaun Rogers anchoring the defensive line, there is hope that the unit can improve throughout the regular season.
Sunday's game will prove to be a good first test as the Browns will face talented running backs Cadillac Williams and Earnest Graham.
Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman missed much of the preseason with a broken thumb, meaning that Tampa Bay may lean on the ground game early.
Browns Rookie Watch
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So far the Browns' 2010 draft class is not shaping up as fans had hoped. Out of the eight draft picks, two have been cut, (safety Larry Asante was signed to the practice squad) one has been placed on injured reserve and one isn't going to see the field in 2010.
The good news is that the other four rookies appear ready to contribute immediately. Safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Joe Haden look to be mainstays in the secondary, Carlton Mitchell has the physical tools to develop into a solid wide receiver and offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao was well on his way to pushing for playing time before suffering the ankle injury.
Lauvao probably won't play Sunday, so it will be up to Ward, Haden and Mitchell to make an impact. If Ward and Haden are able to disrupt the passing attack of Tampa Bay and Mitchell can make a few plays on offense, it will be a sign of good things to come from Cleveland's rookies in 2010.
Kellen Winslow Jr.
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There is no avoiding this one. Fans of both the Browns and the Buccaneers will be watching as tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. faces his former team for the first time.
Winslow put together a couple of outstanding seasons with the Browns, but his injuries and questionable attitude kept him falling in and out of favor with the fans. One of the first moves Eric Mangini made as the Browns' head coach was to deal Winslow to Tampa Bay for a second round draft pick.
Putting Winslow's history in Cleveland aside, he is a talented tight end who can create match-up problems for the secondary. The Browns had difficulty covering opposing tight ends throughout the preseason, especially on underneath routes, an area in which Winslow excels.
Winslow is one of the most consistent receivers at quarterback Josh Freeman's disposal and Tampa Bay's biggest red-zone threat. Keeping Winslow contained will be a difficult task, but one that will be crucial for the Browns to start the 2010 season with a win.
Will There Be a Cyclone in Florida?
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Since early in the off-season, Cleveland Browns fans have been eagerly anticipating the unveiling of the "Cyclone" package. The Cyclone is a version of the Wildcat offense which will feature both Joshua Cribbs and backup quarterback Seneca Wallace in the backfield.
The beauty of the Cyclone package is that both Wallace and Cribbs are a threat to run, throw or catch the football on any given play and the defense will not know who the snap is going to when the play begins. The Cyclone is expected to be used to keep defenses off-balance and to provide an explosive, unpredictable element to the Cleveland offense.
So far, the Cyclone has only made appearances in practice, but that might all change come Sunday.
Final Thoughts
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Sunday's game is without a doubt an important one for the Cleveland Browns as it may very well set the tone for the 2010 season.
There are several new faces on the field and in the front office of the Cleveland Browns and it will be important for these pieces to come together as quickly as possible.
The Browns have momentum on their side, coming off of a season ending four game winning streak to close 2009. The Browns managed to win those games by playing as one unit and by being a team that, while lacking a lot of big name players, had a ton of heart.
If Cleveland is able to ride that momentum to a victory in Tampa Bay, the Browns may be well on the way to being a dangerous and competitive team in 2010. If not, then it could be a long, hard fall back to the reality of the rebuilding process.
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