UNLEASHED/Trick or Treat

Dawgfather

Browns Backers,

onus - ” A difficult or disagreeable obligation, task, burden, etc. ”

With Halloween officially over with right now you have to wonder if the Browns are going throw away their “pretender” costumes and actually look like a serious AFC contender, because their playoff push begins on Sunday and this will be a golden opportunity to stop looking like a bumbling, self-destructive and incompetent impostor!

After starting off at 0-3, they have since won three of their last four and the beleaguered and much maligned QB Derek Anderson has really turned it around by throwing for 830 yards, five TDs, one INT for a 85.8 rating, Anderson is also has also thrown 105 attempts without an interception, not bad for the kid commonly referred to as “Anderception”.

And I will concede that as hard as I’ve been on the defense they have also really improved since the Dallas game by allowing only 17.6 points, as opposed to last year when they allowed 23.7, so the signs of improvement are good to see but you have to wonder if the Browns are ready to provide us with a treat because so far this season has been a bad trick.

With a chance to reach the .500 mark, the Browns face a tough test against a always tough Ravens defense and a rookie QB in Joe Flacco who is playing more like a wily veteran than a wide-eyed rookie who defeated them 28-10 back in Week 3, but threw two INT’s and thanks to the Baltimore defense and some bad decision making on DA’s part broke the game wide open.

Since that game both teams have gone in different directions, the Browns would go on a 3-1 tear, while the Ravens would 2-3 and even manage to lose a MNF game in Houston thanks to Hurricane Ike.

To say this is a big week for the Browns is an understatement because if they win both games against the Ravens and the Broncos on Thursday night not only would they improve to 5-4, and depending on the Pittsburgh game vs the Redskins, they could realistically find themselves 1.5 games behind the Steelers for the North and right in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race.

The Browns need to strike first, often and quickly by continuing to use Jamal Lewis as the main focal point in the offense and then use play-action to loosen up the Raven’s All-Pro secondary and it would help Anderson if Edwards continues to make plays down-field and the return of Winslow could either be a blessing or a curse but his intangibles make him our best skill player and could give the Raven’s defense nightmares if exploited properly.

The onus is on Anderson to continue playing more consistently and manage the game more, he doesn’t need to make a big play all the time, but if he can get on track by completing short and intermediate passes and spread the ball around more he could have another good game.

WR Syndric Steptoe is becoming Anderson’s go-to guy in tight situations and his size and speed could actually provide some tough yards out of the slot against a aggressive defense, I look for Steptoe to have a prominent role in the offense especially in 2nd and 3rd downs by attacking the ailing secondary of Rolle and McAlister

The defense is finally getting healthy and it couldn’t come at a better time against an above-average rookie in Flacco, DE Shaun Smith, S Mike Adams, S Sean Jones and DE Corey Williams are ready to play and with Rogers emerging as a real force on the line, I look for them to bring pressure and blitzes a lot more than in Week 3.

If the Browns can establish any semblance of a run against the Raven’s they will keep it close and tight, as long as Anderson doesn’t force anything or get “happy feet” in the pocket, It wouldn’t surprise me to see DA take his shots down-field the Browns can win this game and get to 4-4

Pick: Browns: 24 Ravens: 14

OT - With the Yinz playing the Skins on the eve of maybe the most important presidential election ever we MIGHT have to root for the Steelers( believe me I’m not, but this is VERY true!!!) in this game because According to Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau, who coined the term “Redskins Rule” in 2000, the following bromide has held true for the past 17 presidential elections:

If the Redskins win their last home game prior to Election Day, the party that won the popular vote in the previous election wins the White House; if the Redskins lose, the party that lost the popular vote in the previous election wins.

In this Monday’s case, a Steelers win would forecast an Obama victory; a Redskins win would indicate a McCain win.

So depending on your political alligance you might have to root for the Steelers or pray that this trend doesn’t hold up.

GO BROWNS!!!

Dawgfather, bringing the noise!