NFL Picks Week 6: Cleveland Browns Will Come Out Firing After Bye Week

The Cleveland Browns head west for Week 6 to take on the surging Oakland Raiders and are going to come out swinging.  What no one else knows is the Browns are going to head back to Cleveland with their third win of the season.

What did I just say?

The Cleveland Browns are going to beat the Oakland Raiders this Sunday.

You heard it here first.

Following the much needed Week 5 bye week, the Browns regrouped and nursed their wounds while in retreat after the devastating defeat at the hands of the Tennessee Titans.

Eliminate the Titans two big plays, though—a 80-yard touchdown pass on a pick play and a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown—and the results of that contest could have easily gone either way.

The Browns and rookie Head Coach Pat Shurmur have a lot to prove in Week 6. A loss like the Tennessee game and heads could roll—metaphorically, of course.

Point is, the Browns aren't as bad as meets the eye. Colt McCoy and the offense have finally had enough time to work the kinks out and are on the verge of breaking out.

It's now or never.

Oh, and the Raiders aren't as elite as many seem to think.

61 Pass Attempts Last Week

Colt McCoy set Cleveland Browns records in pass attempts (61) and completions (40) in the beating the Browns took in Week 4.

This week, McCoy and the Browns take on a beatable Oakland Raiders secondary who is averaging 300 yards per game allowed through the air (29th in the NFL, ESPN).

Pat Shurmur and McCoy have had two weeks to prepare for the defense they are about to face and will come out swinging with the goal of putting Oakland in a deficit.

If Oakland falls behind quickly the Browns could marginalize the effectiveness of superstar running back Darren McFadden.

With the promotion of Greg Little officially to the starting lineup and Pat Shurmur indicating Evan Moore will see more playing time, the Browns will look to exploit the soft Raider secondary.

Greg Little's Coming Out Party

Greg Little has been promoted and will officially replace Brian Robiskie at wide receiver opposite of Mohamed Massaquoi.

According to Yahoo! Sports, this is not a significant change for Little who has played an average of 50 snaps per game to date; highest of any other Browns wide receiver.

In the offseason, Little trained with Arizona Cardinals stand out wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Little had this to say about Fitzgerald in an interview with News-Herald reporter Jeff Schudel:

"

"He was always talking to me about out-competing the guy you're going against. Once you take out the ability to catch and get open, you have to compete. Are you going to break that one tackle that will turn a 5-yard reception into a 30-yard reception? I think that's when you see a game-changer step into the light."

"

This week against a putrid Raiders pass defense (29th in the NFL), Little looks to step into the light and become the play-maker the Browns hoped he would be when they drafted him in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Peyton Hillis' Statement Game

Peyton Hillis has been under fire for weeks since he decided to sit out the Week 3 matchup versus the Miami Dolphins.

That fire intensified when reports surfaced that his agent, Kennard McGuire, advised Hillis not to play for fears he could be injured from his sickness.  A week with strep throat resulted in Hillis losing 10 to 12 pounds leading up to the Week 3 contest.

Hillis insists his sitting out was not financially motivated and was for the greater good. Him playing sick, he felt, would hurt the team.

Was his agent doing what was best for Hillis or indirectly involving him in a protest against the Browns for failing to finalize a reworked contract extension? 

Contrary reporting from ESPN Insider Adam Schefter indicates that sources within the Browns' locker room felt Hillis sat out Week 3 specifically to protest about his contract situation.

McGuire publicly debunked those rumors stating they:

"

"Couldn't be further from the truth."

"

Whatever comes out of this debacle with Hillis and the Browns' management, one thing is for sure: Peyton Hillis is going to be on a mission in Oakland this Sunday.

Mix in the Raiders 22nd ranked rush defense, allowing 122 yards per game (ESPN.com), and there is a recipe for both Hillis and Montario Hardesty to have breakout games.

Pivotal Game

The Cleveland Browns find themselves at the crossroads of their 2011 season.  A win or loss against the Raiders could very well define where this team goes from here.

Week 4 saw an embarrassment to new levels when the Tennessee Titans came into Cleveland and walked all over the Browns.

It's water under the bridge at this point.

Moving forward, the Browns maintain a very winnable schedule; matching up against teams such as the Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks.

One thing is certain, coming off their bye week: The Browns will come out firing and give the Raiders everything they've got.

I don't want to call this game a "do-or-die" scenario, but it's the first thing that comes to mind.