Archive for September, 2010

Week 2 Opponent – Kansas City Chiefs I hate to say it this early in the season, but for coach Eric Mangini this game is a must win.  We all know that president Mike Holmgren has his protegee, Jon Gruden, on speed dial.   But we will save that conversation for later, if it even gets to that point. Well with last week now officially behind us let’s take a look at the next opponent on our schedule, the Kansas City Chiefs, who are coming off the short week after a loss win against the San Diego Chargers. I totally [...]

It takes a long time for the NFL season to take shape, and for teams to declare who they are going to be for the year. The Browns weren’t the only ones who opened their 2010 with a sloppy showing. Here’s what the rest of the league did Week 1: Viking 9 – Saints 14 Brett Favre was rusty and the New Orleans Saints imposed their will on last year’s #1 overall rush defense to win the NFL opener at home. Favre clearly missed Sidney Rice, and struggled to develop chemistry with anyone other than tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. The Saints [...]

During the preseason, it was the play of quarterback Jake Delhomme and do-everything running back Peyton Hillis that had Cleveland Browns fans delusionally optimistic about the direction of the offense heading into the regular season. On Sunday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was the miscues by these two, as well as a questionable game plan, that foiled the Browns bid to win their first season opener since 2004. Both offensive newcomers got off to promising starts, however, with Delhomme hooking up with wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi for a 41 yard touchdown pass  in the first quarter and then Hillis [...]

The Browns looked new and improved on Sunday, for the first half at least. It was the second half that was all too familiar to fans, as the team reverted to its old ways of being its own worst enemy, as turnovers and penalties derailed what could have been a good start to the season. Instead, the team and its fans are left scratching their heads and looking for answers. Here are some initial thoughts regarding the meltdown that was the Browns’ 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It was definitely a tale of two halves for quarterback Jake [...]

Dawg Pound Daily’s picks against the spread for Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season: Week 1 Steve Jimmy Dolphins (-3) @ Bills Dolphins Bills Raiders @ Titans (-6.5) Titans Titans Broncos @ Jaguars (-3) Broncos Jaguars Panthers @ Giants (-7) Giants Panthers Colts (-2.5) @ Texans Texans Texans Falcons (-1.5) @ Steelers Falcons Falcons Browns @ Bucs (-3) Browns Browns Bengals @ Patriots (-5.5) Bengals Bengals Lions @ Bears (-6.5) Bears No pick Packers (-3) @ Eagles Packers Eagles 49ers (-3) @ Seahawks 49ers Seahawks Cardinals (-4) @ Rams Cardinals Rams Cowboys (-3.5) @ Redskins Cowboys Redskins Ravens @ [...]

To get a different perspective on the Cleveland Browns’ match-up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we talked with blogger Kyle Flip of The Pewter Plank. Keep reading for his preview and prediction for the game: 1. Where is QB Josh Freeman in his development? What can the Browns expect from the second-year quarterback? Josh Freeman is going to have a very good sophomore season, and has some new weapons to work with, including rookie receiver Mike Williams. However, he injured his thumb in the preseason, and will be playing with the injury Sunday. The Browns should try to get after him as [...]

The glory of the NFL schedule is the fact that every game counts. With only 16 (soon to be 18) games on the slate, a team’s season can often be made or broken in the first few weeks. Such is the case for the 2010 Cleveland Browns, as their first two games are against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs, a combined 7-25 in 2009. With a new front office and a fresh perspective, these new-look Browns have a legitimate chance to start off the Mike Holmgren era on the right foot with two wins. If the [...]

The College Football Preview will be an ongoing weekly series every Saturday morning, previewing the top games of the week and eligible players for the upcoming NFL draft. Top Games Sat. 12 pm ESPN 2/ESPN 3 – #22 Georgia at #24 South Carolina – Nothing gets the weekend started quite like a good ‘ol SEC rivalry, and when both teams are ranked it only adds to the suspense surrounding the game.  Each team will be looking to secure an early hold on the SEC’s Eastern Division with a win today, though each will still have to face #8 Florida to [...]

Week 1 opponent – Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ah the start of a new season! No preseason doesn’t count, because now the games matter. Week 1 finds the Browns heading to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers, a team which finished 3-13 last year. But you say “…that was last year, and hell the Browns weren’t much better finishing with only 2 more wins.” Well there is some truth to that. But lets turn our attention back to Tampa. This year the Bucs will rely heavily on 2nd year QB Josh Freeman and former Browns TE Kellen Winslow to provide [...]

  The New Orleans Saints began their defense of the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship last night with a 14-9 victory over  Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game in the Louisiana Superdome. The Saints didn’t look great, but they did what they had to do to get the victory as they relied on a stingy defense and a strong second half rushing attack to win this low scoring between two teams many figured to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders. With that in mind, I’d say that only the Saints proved that they belong in any kind of early season [...]