Cleveland Browns: Week 15 game predictions vs Denver Broncos
In a week 15 must-win matchup in primetime the Cleveland Browns travel to the Mile High city to take on the Denver Broncos.
It’s a huge game for the Cleveland Browns (5-7-1) this Saturday Night as they take on Denver Broncos (6-7). A win keeps them in contention for the playoffs — and if thew Pittsburgh Steelers lose, they stay alive in the AFC North.
Here we look ahead to the game as members of the Dawg Pound Daily Crew give their take on the upcoming game — including their final score predictions.
Writer: Chris Markoch
Let this next sentence sink in. The Cleveland Browns are fighting for their playoff life. That’s right, it’s December and the Cleveland Browns are still “in the hunt” for an AFC playoff spot. In fact, the Browns may have a better shot at winning the AFC North than getting a wildcard.
But any chance of the playoffs begins with the Browns winning all of their remaining games, and that quest starts Saturday night in Denver. To say Denver has been a place of bad memories for the Browns cannot be overstated. The past, however, is just a nice way of setting the scene. This game will be decided on the field between two teams that are looking to write their own history.
The Browns will get a close-up look at Bradley Chubb, and I imagine we’ll hear once (or eighteen times) throughout the broadcast how the Browns passed on Chubb to draft Denzel Ward. Chubb’s 12 sacks put him second behind only Von Miller on a Broncos team that has 40 team sacks. Since assuming the role of offensive coordinator, Freddie Kitchens has been able to design game plans that have kept Baker Mayfield on his feet. The ability for the Browns to continue that trend will be crucial. The Broncos defense has shown it will give up yards and points and they won’t have cornerback Chris Harris who is out with a fractured fibula.
Speaking of Ward, if the Browns are going to win, his return from a concussion would be a step in the right direction. With Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders going on injured reserve, the Broncos are thin at that position. Still, the Browns will need to have all options available for stopping the Broncos rushing attack where Phillip Lindsay could go over 1,000 yards in this game.
The loser of this game is out of the playoffs and that’s what makes it so compelling. Desperate teams tend to break tendencies and that could mean a lot of points. This could come down to who has the ball last. I see the Browns and Baker Mayfield making just enough plays to pull it out.
Prediction: Cleveland 34, Denver 31