The Cleveland Browns won last week for the first time of the season beating the Bills 6-3 in Buffalo.  But if they want to make it a 2-game winning streak they will have to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh.  That won’t be easy against a team that has beat them 11 times in a row.  The Steelers have beaten the Browns 18 of 21 times since the team returned to the NFL in 1999.  The Steelers’ weakness this season has been their pass defense which is allowing 219.6 yards passing per game and opposing QBs have a 90.9 QB Rating against them.  But, the Browns’ passing game has been awful this season.  Derek Anderson only completed 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards with 1 interception last week.  The Steelers have 15 sacks this season while the Browns have allowed 14.  So even if the Browns wanted to throw the ball, Derek Anderson will likely have to make quick decisions which is not his strength.  With that in mind the Browns will likely try to run the ball against the Steelers with Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison.  That will be hard to do against a Steelers’ D that is allowing only 71.2 yards rushing and 3.8 yards per carry.  The biggest hope for the Browns in this game is that Joshua Cribbs will be able to give the offense some short fields to work with.

The Steelers might have to lean on QB Ben Roethlisberger in this game as Rashard Mendenhall has the flu right now and Willie Parker is coming off a turf toe injury.  No matter which running back is healthy enough to play the Steelers will still likely try to run the ball some against a Browns’ D that is allowing 170.4 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry this year.  The Browns will likely bring a lot of blitzes against Roethlisberger who does make some bone headed throws when the pass rush is in his face.  OLB Kamerion Wimbley has 4 sacks this season and the Browns will likely turn him loose against the Steelers on Sunday.  If the Browns don’t get pressure on Big Ben then the secondary will likely have a long day dealing with TE Heath Miller and WRs Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and rookie Mike Wallace.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 31, BROWNS 3

Rumors are swirling that teams are calling the Browns about Josh Cribbs.  With the trade deadline looming on October 20th this is like a black cloud hovering over Berea.  Unless the Raiders or Chiefs want to give the Browns their first round pick next season the Browns should not consider moving Cribbs who is playing under a contract that is cheap.  He is clearly the most dynamic player on the Cleveland Browns.  With the issues they have on offense (248.4 yards per game) they can’t afford to trade Cribbs who often gives the team short fields to work with.  The 26-year old has returned 20 kickoffs for 522 yards (26.1 avg) and 16 punts for 260 yards (16.3 avg) with a TD this season.  He also runs the Browns’ version of the Wildcat Formation.  He has carried the ball 6 times for 56 yards (9.3 ypc) this season and he has caught 9 passes for 39 yards (4.3 avg).  Cribbs also has the capability to throw the football as he was a QB at Kent State.  The bottom line is that Cribbs is the best player on the Browns so they can’t afford to trade him, period!

Brady Quinn got his shot this season as he started the first three games of the year before losing his job to Derek Anderson.  Quinn completed 45 of 74 passes (60.8%) for 400 yards with 1 TD pass and 3 INTs (62.9 QB Rating).  Quinn also carried the ball 7 times for 34 yards (4.9 ypc) this season.  Enter Derek Anderson who had one of the worst games in NFL history for a winning QB yesterday.  He completed 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards with a pickoff.  True the Browns receivers, running backs and tight ends dropped a few passes and the weather conditions were awful in Buffalo.  So the Browns will likely give Anderson at least 1 more start but the bad news for him is that it is in Pittsburgh against the Steelers.  Anderson has completed 39 of 84 passes (46.4%) for 384 yards with 1 TD pass and 5 interceptions (39.0 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 3 times for 4 yards (1.3 ypc) with a TD.  If Anderson tanks again this week against the Steelers (which is highly likely) then I see Brett Ratliff starting on October 25th in Cleveland against the Packers.  It appears to me anyhow that Coach Mangini doesn’t like Quinn or Anderson so what does he have to lose in giving his boy from the Jets a chance? 

I am a glutton for punishment as I watched every snap of this football game.  Clearly this game was won on special teams for the Browns as backup linebacker/special teams ace Blake Contanzo (a former Buffalo Bill) recovered a Roscoe Parrish punt return that was fumbled deep in Bills’ territory with just over 2 minutes left.  The Browns then handed the ball off three times to set up a Billy Cundiff 18-yard FG with 23 seconds left in the game before turning the game over to the defense.  The defense held the lead and the Browns got their first win of the season.  D’Qwell Jackson was not supposed to play in this game due to injury but he led the Browns’ D with 13 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and a QB hit.  OLB Kamerion Wimbley was also all over the field for the Browns as he finished with 11 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack and 1 QB hit.  Inside linebacker Eric Barton was also busy finishing with 6 tackles, 1 pass defensed and a fumble recovery.  The Bills finished up with 288 total yards in this game (145 rushing, 143 passing).

Derek Anderson quite simply played one of the worst games in NFL history for a winning QB.  He completed only 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards with 0 TDs and 1 INT for a QB Rating of 15.1!  Jamal Lewis did the heavy lifting for the Browns in this game as he carried the ball 31 times for 117 yards (3.8 ypc).  Joshua Cribbs had a huge play for the Browns as he carried the ball 1 time for 31 yards.  He also returned 2 kickoffs for 60 yards and 3 punts for 23 yards.  Jerome Harrison didn’t get too much action in this game carrying the ball 8 times for 21 yards (2.6 ypc).  WR Mohamed Massaquoi had a rough time as the new #1 WR for the Browns as he only caught 1 pass for 16 yards.  The Browns finished up with 193 yards of total offense in this game (171 rushing, 22 passing).  It might have been a ugly win but the Browns will take what they can get right now.  They are now 1-4 on the season.

These two teams are very much alike in the fact that neither of them can protect the QB or stop the running or passing game on defense.  The Dolphins rushed for 250 yards last week against the Bills so look for the Browns to keep Jerome Harrison who rushed for 121 yards last week against the Bengals heavily involved.  The Browns will also likely get Jamal Lewis back from his hamstring injury and that would give the Browns some power to blend with Harrison’s speed.  Browns’ QBs have been sacked 13 times this season already and the Bills bring the blitz (11 sacks as a team) so Derek Anderson might not have a lot of time to throw the ball.  But, with the Bills’ secondary likely down three starting players the Browns will try to take some shots deep with rookie WR Mohamed Massaquoi.

With breakdowns in pass protection that have resulted in Trent Edwards being sacked 16 times already this season look for the Bills to run the ball a lot in this game.  Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch should find a lot of running room against a Browns’ D that is allowing 176.8 yards rushing per game and 5.4 yards per carry.  If the Bills get the running game going early it will slow the Browns’ pass rush and allow Trent Edwards more time to throw the football.  This could be the game that Terrell Owens breaks out for the Bills.

PREDICTION:  BROWNS 33, BILLS 30

With Braylon Edwards drawing double coverage from the Bengals last week rookie Mohamed Massaquoi went off catching 8 passes for 148 yards (18.5 avg).  With Edwards gone now and no legit WR on the other side Massaquoi will likely start getting double teamed himself this weekend by the Bills.  Massaquoi has the speed and hands to develop into a #1 WR in time but that might be a hard torch for him to carry so early in his career.  Unless Chansi Stuckey or fellow rookie Brian Robiskie (0 catches) can make defenses honest in covering Massaquoi he might have already had his best game of the season. 

The Browns have traded 26-year old WR Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets for 26-year old WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Jason Trusnick and two undisclosed draft picks.  Edwards pretty much stamped his ticket out of town when he punched one of LeBron James friends at a night club over the weekend.  He never really found a home in Cleveland as every time he dropped a football the fans started barking about how he was from Michigan.  Edwards played in all 4 games for the Browns this season and he caught 10 passes for 139 yards (13.9 avg).  He played for the Browns for five years in which he played in 62 games and he caught 238 passes for 3,697 yards (15.5 avg) with 28 TD grabs.  It will be interesting to see how Edwards plays for the Jets as he is in his free agent walk year.

26-year old WR Chansi Stuckey will step in as Edwards’ replacement this season.  He played in all 4 games for the Jets this season and he caught 11 passes for 120 yards (10.9 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He has played two years with the Jets appearing in 19 games in which he has caught 43 passes for 479 yards (11.1 avg) with 4 TD grabs.  Linebacker Jason Trusnick is a special teams ace which will strengthen the best part of the Browns’ team.  He played in all 4 games for the Jets this season and he made 6 tackles and forced a fumble.  Trusnick played three years for the Jets playing in 17 games and making 24 tackles and forcing a fumble.  The two draft picks better be good ones because Stuckey and Trusnick are nowhere near worth what Edwards is.

UPDATE:  The draft picks the Browns have received are a 3rd rounder (which could escalate to a 2nd rounder based on Edwards’ performance for the Jets) and a 5th rounder.

The Cleveland Browns finally came to play and they almost beat the Bengals.  But, with 4 seconds left in overtime Shayne Graham of the Bengals kicked a 31 yard field goal to end the game.  Derek Anderson proved why he should be the starting QB in this game as he completed 26 of 48 passes for 269 yards with 1 TD pass and 1 INT.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 2 yards (1.0 ypc) with a TD.  James Harrison lost a fumble in the first half of this game that was returned 75 yards but Bengals’ DE James Geathers for a TD in the first half.  But, Harrison got off the mat and played a great game the rest of the way for the Browns.  Harrison carried the ball 29 times for 121 yards (4.2 ypc) and he also caught 5 passes for 31 yards (6.2 avg).  Rookie WR Mohamed Massaquoi earned his stripes in this game as he led the way for the Browns in the passing game with 148 yards on 8 catches (18.5 avg).  TE Steve Heiden also stepped up for the Browns in this game catching 5 passes for 33 yards (6.6 avg).  Braylon Edwards was shut out by the Bengals in this game.  The Browns finished up with 395 total yards in this game (146 passing, 249 passing). 

The Browns’ defense played the best game of the year so far.  Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was everywhere in this game as he led the Browns with 14 tackles and he also defensed 1 pass.  Safety Brodney Pool also had a solid game with 6 tackles, he defensed 4 passes and he had a interception.  The Bengals finished up with 375 total yards in this game (154 rushing, 221 passing).

The Browns’ special teams is what really kept them in this football game.  DT Shaun Rogers blocked a field goal in the first half and a extra point in the 4th quarter to send the game into overtime.  Joshua Cribbs kept giving the offense solid starting field position this whole game.  He returned 3 kickoffs for 103 yards (34.3 avg) and 6 punts for 120 yards (20.0 avg) in this game.  He also carried the ball 1 time for 15 yards and he caught a pass for 5 yards.  The Browns left everything on the field in this game but they still lost dropping their record to 0-4 on the season.

The Cleveland Browns have lost rookie running back James Davis for the season due to a shoulder injury.  Davis has carried the ball 9 times for 15 yards (1.7 ypc) and he has also caught 4 passes for 5 yards (1.3 avg).  Davis was outstanding in the pre-season for the Browns and they were probably going to get him more involved in the offense.  The Browns have activated Chris Jennings off the practice squad and he will be Jerome Harrison’s back up tomorrow against the Bengals.

The Bengals will try to avoid a let down after beating the Steelers last weekend for the first time at home since 2001.  Marvin Lewis is 8-4 against the Browns in his career so he usually has his team focused for the Battle of Ohio.  The Bengals will not doubt come off the bus running against a Browns’ D that is allowing 184.3 yards rushing per game and 5.4 yards per carry.  Cedric Benson should pad his stats against the Browns (293 yards rushing, 4.4 ypc, 2 TDs) on Sunday.  The Bengals have allowed 7 sacks this season so it will be important to protect Carson Palmer so that he can throw the ball downfield.  Chad Ocho Cinco has had a lot of big games in Cleveland even jumping in the Dawg Pound last season where he got a beer bath.

The Cleveland Browns have changed QBs deciding to start Derek Anderson in this game.  Just two years ago, Anderson led the Browns to a 51-45 win over the Bengals in Cleveland.  The Bengals need to get pressure on Anderson as opposing QBs have a 92.2 Rating against them.  That means that DE Antwan Odom will be let loose and the Browns must contain him.  If Anderson gets the time to throw the ball then Braylon Edwards could have a monster game against the Bengals.  The Browns will be without Jamal Lewis so look for Jerome Harrison and James Davis to run just enough to keep the Bengals’ D honest.

PREDICTION:  BENGALS 30, BROWNS 27