The Cleveland Browns start their season this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings with what seems like their 12th makeover since rejoining the NFL in 1999. They have a new coach in Eric Mangini, only the second coach in team history with previous NFL head coaching experience, and a new general manager in George Kokinis, who hasn’t been seen or heard from in weeks.
They have a new starting quarterback, we think, in Brady Quinn, picked in the first round in 2007, and over twenty players who were not with last year’s edition of the Browns, which won just four games.
Even with all these changes, it would be a good season if the team shows improvement to six or seven wins, which is where we think the Browns’ record will fall in 2009. The biggest reason the record will not be better is the power of the AFC North. If Mangini’s crew can win two division games this season, it will be better than we have seen in the past.
Defensively, this team needs to stop the ground game and they have to put more pressure on the quarterback. The Romeo Crennel defensive style of bend, but don’t break, doesn’t win in the NFL. The Browns didn’t allow an excessive amount of points last year, but watching the games no one could say this was a good defense.
Bringing in former Jets like Eric Barton and Kenyon Coleman will help the rush defense. They are major upgrades from the people who manned those spots last year. However, time will tell if they are good enough to stop the running games of the Steelers, Ravens, and this Sunday’s opponent, Adrian Peterson.
Last year, the Browns averaged about one sack per game, which is a disgraceful total. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has a low bar to leap over in this regard in his first year. Kamerion Wimbley and Alex Hall have to put pressure from the outside, and Shaun Rogers will put pressure up the middle. The emergence of Ahtyba Rubin will keep Rogers fresher, which will mean he will be even more of a beast when he is in the game.
Here are some more predictions for the ’09 Cleveland Browns:
· The team will win one game against either the Steelers or Ravens this year.
· Quinn will play well and prove himself as a solid starter in the NFL.
· Jamal Lewis’ decline will continue and by the end of the year, rookie James Davis will be getting at least half of the team’s carries per game.
· Braylon Edwards will have a solid season, but the offense’s shift to a ball control passing attack will leave him short of ten touchdowns.
· Josh Cribbs will emerge as a good wide receiver, one who gets lots of yardage after the catch.
· When the Browns lose two in a row for the first time this season, Edwards will express displeasure with the play calling.
· The Browns will get at least 30 sacks in 2009.
· The defense will not be great against the run, but it will be an improved unit.
· CB Eric Wright will emerge as a very good cornerback, one that if the team had a better record would go to the Pro Bowl
Then again, I could be totally wrong. The NFL is a league of attrition, and the improvement predicted for the Browns is based on staying relatively healthy this season. If Richard Bartel is back and starting at QB late in the season, all bets are off.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 