Keys to Success: Breaking Down the Cleveland Browns First Game

On Sunday September 11, 2011 we will first honor those who died in the tragic events in September of 2001 and welcome the new NFL season.

As our country turns the decade marker on this day, the Cleveland Browns also look to the next chapter of their football club, one that will hopefully have a happy ending.

The Browns first game, against the Cincinnati Bengals, will give them an opportunity to write the first page as Colt McCoy leads the team onto the field.

The Browns must ensure that they hit all their marks as they take the field with a considerable amount of unanswered questions before them.

The keys to success lay in these details, and if executed correctly, should bring the Browns their first win of the new year.

The Browns offense must click early and score first.

If the Browns are going to be successful, they need to establish the running game early and allow Peyton Hillis to dictate how the Bengals will utilize their linebackers.

If Hillis is gaining four yards per carry, the Bengals will most likely keep the linebackers concerned with the rush stopping details, which then allows Colt McCoy a little more room to spread the ball around in the passing game. I don't see Hillis having a great deal of adversity against this Bengals defensive line.

Colt McCoy should follow a pre-determined scripting of plays designed to see how the game can be managed. It is a Holmgren trademark and Shurmur will surly want to control how Colt breaks into the game.

The effectiveness of the running game keeping the linebackers close will allow McCoy to use his check down receivers out of the backfield and dial in Benjamin Watson for some nice gains. If the Browns can use this mix, it will lend well to play action passing.

Although the Bengals secondary is not extremely solid, they do cover well so the key here will be to confuse the coverage with mutli receiver sets. Don't be surprised to see a four or even five receiver set given the right opportunity.

If Colt McCoy is going to be effective, he needs to get his receivers in a groove by throwing for short gains before trying to hit the home run with a deep ball. Look for Greg Little to offer him his escape routes if the other receivers are covered well or the safety is hovering too close for comfort downfield.

On defense, the Browns must get in Andy Dalton's face as much as they can. I would expect to see a mixture of pure pass rush and linebacker blitz packages to rattle the young quarterback, which should make him attempt high risk passes.

I don't think Cedric Benson or Bernard Scott will factor much in this game as the Browns are more than capable of stopping them. Holding the running game at bey will put everything on Dalton's shoulders and that is exactly what you want.

It will be interesting to see how special teams play a role in this game considering the new rule change on kickoffs.

I think this change will hinder Cincinnati more so than Cleveland simply because effective defensive stops will keep Cincinnati from getting too deep into Cleveland territory and most of the returns for the Browns should be by way of punts.

Overall, this game is the Browns' to lose.

My Prediction,  Browns 24  - Bengals 13