This could be a very short football game this Sunday as both teams are going to likely tighten up the chinstraps and run the ball offensively.  The Browns are well rested as they have had two weeks to get ready for the Raiders.  The Raiders won an emotional game over the Texans on the road last weekend.  A return to the Black Hole will probably prevent a letdown from them.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns are likely going to feed the ball to Peyton Hillis this weekend against a Raiders’ D that is allowing 122.8 yards rushing per game and 5.2 yards per carry.  If the Raiders’ try to sneak extra players in the box to stop Hillis, look for the Browns to take some shots down the field to WRs Greg Little, Mohamed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs against a Raiders’ D that is allowing 299.6 yards passing per game so far this year.  TEs Ben Watson and Evan Moore are also likely to be targeted a lot in this game by Colt McCoy in an effort to make the Raiders pay for blitzing.

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Browns need to stop Darren McFadden and Michael Bush first and deal with Jason Campbell when the need arises.  The Raiders’ O-Line has been excellent so far this year as they are averaging 161.8 yards rushing per game and 5.4 yards per carry so far this year while only allowing 5 sacks.  The front seven of the Browns is definitely going to get challenged tomorrow.  The Raiders like to throw deep, so the safeties of the Browns better be ready tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 23, BROWNS 20

The Cleveland Browns have not played too well on offense but the defense has really improved so far this year.  The Browns are going for a three game winning streak, but it won’t be easy this week against the Titans who have also won two games in a row.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns are going to have Peyton Hillis back this weekend and he is going to share the load with Montario Hardesty.  They are going to pound the ball at the middle of the Titans’ defense a lot in this game.  The Titans are only giving up 89.0 yards rushing per game and 3.1 yards per carry, so Hillis and Hardesty are going to have their work cut out for them this weekend.  Colt McCoy should have time to throw the ball this Sunday, but he will need to be careful with the football as the Titans have 4 interceptions this year while holding opposing QBs to a 66.8 QB Rating.  That being said, look for McCoy to continue to have his confidence swell as he wants to make big plays down the field to his WRs (Mohamed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs).  Peyton Hillis, Ben Watson and Earl Little will get a lot of looks on the shorter stuff this Sunday.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Titans are going to try to get Chris Johnson going this weekend.  He is only averaging 2.1 yards per carry, but he is still a very dangerous back due to his wide array of moves and his speed.  The Browns need to get a good pass rush on Matt Hasselbeck, as he has only been sacked 4 times this year, while the Browns have 11 sacks.  The pass rush has helped the secondary as they have not had to hold coverage as long.  CB Joe Haden will likely be locked up with Nate Washington of the Titans, and that is a good thing.  It will force Hasselbeck to aim for guys he hasn’t used much in the passing game so far this year.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 20, BROWNS 17

The Cleveland Browns return home with the idea of keeping  things going in the right direction.  They beat the Colts in all three facets of the game last weekend in beating the Colts 27-19 on the road.  The Dolphins are a 0-2 team that has played two of the better teams in the AFC in the first two weeks.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  The Dolphins are giving up 483.5 yards per game (122 rushing, 361.5 passing) so far this year, so the Browns will probably try to mix things up this Sunday offensively.  The will probably come out trying to establish the running game with Peyton Hillis against the front seven of the Fins.  TEs have been very effective against the safeties of the Dolphins, so look for Ben Watson, Evan Moore and Alex Smith to be heavily involved in the passing game.  Colt McCoy’s confidence in Mohamed Massaquoi, Greg Little and Josh Cribbs is growing, so look for him to have them more involved in the passing game this weekend.  The offensive line is going to have to keep OLBs Jason Taylor and Cameron Wake out of the backfield to give McCoy time to throw the ball.

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins are going to try to stay balanced offensively against the Browns.  The front seven will have to stop Daniel Thomas, who is a pretty physical running back.  RB Reggie Bush will probably get some looks on sweeps and out of the backfield on passes, so OLBs Chris Gocong and Scott Fujita to try to corral him.  CBs Joe Haden, Sheldon Brown and Dimitri Patterson are going to have their hands full with WRs Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess.  The Browns’ safeties will also have to be wary of TE Anthony Fasano who played really well for the Fins in the season opener against the Patriots.  The Browns hope to get a good pass rush against the Dolphins this Sunday as Chad Henne can be forced into big mistakes when he has to hurry.

PREDICTION:  BROWNS 21, DOLPHINS 20

The Cleveland Browns just plain sucked in the 4th quarter both offensively and defensively last week and it cost them the game.  The Browns will need to jump on the Colts quickly this Sunday to break their confidence.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  The Colts got bullied by the Texans’ running game last weekend and they will be without two starting linebackers this Sunday (Gary Brackett and Ernie Sims).  With that in mind, look for the Browns to feed the ball to Peyton Hillis a lot this Sunday.  When he needs a break Montario Hardesty will take some shots against a Colts’ D that allowed 167 yards rushing and 4.1 yards per carry against the Texans last weekend.  With DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis likely to get after Colt McCoy, the Browns will likely have to throw shorter passes to Hillis, TE Ben Watson, Evan Moore and WR Mohamed Massaquoi with the hope that they can get yards after the catch.

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts are likely going to try to run the ball a lot more than they did last weekend against the Texans.  So D’Qwell Jackson, Chris Gocong and Scott Fujita are going to have to slow down Joseph Addai and Delone Carter.  The Colts only rushed for 64 yards on 16 carries (4.0 ypc) last weekend.  CBs Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown both played well last weekend but they will have tougher matchups this weekend against Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne.  Safeties Mike Adams, Usama Young and T.J. Ward were getting big hits last weekend and they will need to do it again this Sunday in dealing with Dallas Clark of the Colts.  The Browns really need the DEs (Jayme Mitchell, Jabaal Sheard and Marcus Benard) to get a lot of pressure on Kerry Collins as he will make mistakes with the ball when pressured.

PREDICTION:  BROWNS 20, COLTS 10

This is a good matchup for the Browns to get started on the right foot with the new coaching staff.  The Browns are going to be more aggressive in the passing game this year and I think that’s going to start this Sunday at Browns’ Stadium.  That doesn’t mean that Peyton Hillis isn’t going to get his touches this year, because he’s still going to be the workhorse of the Browns’ offense in 2011.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  I look for the Browns to come out throwing the football this Sunday to set up the power running game of Peyton Hillis.  It makes perfect sense in this game.  The Bengals don’t have much of a pass rush, so Colt McCoy should have plenty of time to look downfield to make some big plays.  The Bengals do have a decent set of corners in Leon Hall, Nate Clements and Kelly Jennings so McCoy will have to be careful with the football.  I think that McCoy is going to spread the ball around to the WRs so the Bengals won’t be able to key on any one of them.  I also look for the Browns to attack the middle of the field with TEs Evan Moore and Ben Watson.

When the Bengals have the ball:  I think the front seven is going to be keying on Cedric Benson.  Benson rushed for 210 yards on 46 carries (4.6 ypc) with 1 TD run last year against the Browns.  It will be up to DTs Phil Taylor, Ahtyba Rubin and D’Qwell Jackson to control the middle of the field and give Benson a hard time.  The Browns want to force the Bengals to pass the ball as Andy Dalton looked overmatched in the preseason.  It will be up to DEs Jabaal Sheard, Jayme Mitchell and Marcus Benard to get after Dalton in the pass rush.  The Browns are hoping that Dalton tries to challenge their corners as Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown are more than ready to deal with A.J. Green and Jerome Simpson.  It will be interesting to see if Jordan Shipley hears footsteps when safety T.J. Ward in homing in on him.

PREDICTION:  BROWNS 20, BENGALS 6

The Cleveland Browns have lost three games in a row, only scoring a combined 33 points in those games.  But this week is the Browns’ version of the Super Bowl (as of late anyway).  The Browns are out to beat the Steelers and hurt their playoff seeding and who is to say they can’t.  After all they beat the Steelers 13-6 in Cleveland last season as a big underdog.  The Steelers win tomorrow and they get the #2 seed in the AFC Playoffs earning them a bye next weekend.  But, a loss to the Browns could drop the Steelers all the way down to the #6 seed if the Ravens, Chiefs and Jets all win tomorrow.   Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  I look for the Browns to pull out all of the stops tomorrow on offense.  Look for Josh Cribbs to be heavily involved in the offense as he really hurt the Steelers last season.  Colt McCoy is likely going to lead a pass  first  attack by the Browns tomorrow against a Steelers’ D that is allowing 216.2 yards passing per game.  The O-Line will need to give McCoy time to throw the ball in order for him to make plays down the field.  TE Ben Watson could cause the Steelers big time trouble in this game because of his hands and size.  Peyton Hillis is banged up but he’s going to try to give it the old college try tomorrow.  If he can’t go, then look for Mike Bell to get the call as the featured back of the offense.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers are likely going to be a run first team tomorrow.  The Browns need to stop Rashard Mendenhall and it won’t be easy as they are giving up 131.3 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  The Browns will likely be blitzing a lot in this game as they sacked Ben Roethlisberger 8 times in last year’s game.  Joe Haden will probably be responsible for covering Mike Wallace and that should be fun to watch.  The safeties will have to be concerned with helping Haden deep while keeping eyes on Hines Ward and Heath Miller on the short stuff.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 23, BROWNS 20

Time hasn’t changed how Browns’ fans think of Art Modell and the Baltimore Ravens!  They hate them and it will show on Sunday!  The Browns have lost two games in a row in which they have scored a combined 23 points.  But they seem to play to the level of their competition so I think they are going to play a good game.  The Browns lost in the first meeting in Baltimore 24-17.  The Ravens need this game as they are 1/2 a game behind the Steelers in the AFC North.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  Peyton Hillis rushed for 144 yards and he caught 7 passes in the first meeting between these two teams.  He’s looking a little gimpy in practice but I think he’s going to be o.k. by Sunday.  Still, look for the Browns to take the shackles off of Colt McCoy this weekend.  If the Browns can keep OLB Terrell Suggs (11 sacks) out of the backfield, McCoy should be able to make some plays down the field as the Ravens are giving up 222.6 yards passing per game this year.  Ben Watson, Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie are going to have to make some plays in the passing game if the Browns are going to pull an upset this Sunday.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Browns have to step up and stop Ray Rice and Willis McGahee or it’s going to be a long day at Browns Stadium.  Joe Flacco is likely going to want to take some shots down the field to Anquan Boldin who caught 3 TD passes against the Browns the first time around.  It won’t be so easy this time with Joe Haden on Boldin instead of Eric Wright.  The secret weapon of the Ravens in this game is likely going to be rookie TE Ed Dickson so the safeties (T.J. Ward & Abram Elam) better be keeping an eye on him.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 23, BROWNS 20

The Browns have won 2 of their last 3 games and 4 of the last 7.  Head Coach Eric Mangini has led the Browns to a 5-2 record in December & January in his time with the Browns.  The Browns beat the Bengals 23-20 in Week #4 and that’s what started the Bengals’ tailspin as the Bengals have now lost 10 games in a row.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  Seneca Wallace was under center in the first game against the Bengals but it will be Colt McCoy this time around.  It won’t change what the Browns try to do too much.  They are going to feed the ball to Peyton Hillis against a soft Bengals’ front seven that is allowing 124.8 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  The Bengals are giving up 223.1 yards passing per game so far this year and they only have 18 sacks, so Colt McCoy should have more than enough time to survey the field before tossing the ball.  Ben Watson, Mohammed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie will likely be the top targets for McCoy in the passing game other than Peyton Hillis out of the backfield.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Browns have had troubles stopping the run so don’t be surprised to see Cedric Benson & Bernard Scott getting more carries than usual this Sunday.  Terrell Owens had 10 catches for 222 yards with 1 TD grab the last time these two teams played but T.O. will be matched up with either Joe Haden or Sheldon Brown so things are going to different this time around.  He won’t have Eric Wright to run away from this Sunday.  Carson Palmer has 18 interceptions this year and so do the Browns so look for Palmer to throw a couple passes to the wrong team this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  BROWNS 24, BENGALS 21

The Cleveland Browns are on a two games winning streak right now and they have won four of their last six games.  The Bills have lost two games in a row but they are 2-2 in their last four games.  The weather is supposed to be awful in Buffalo this Sunday and with that in mind, here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  This is the kind of game that the Browns are going to just keep feeding the football to Peyton Hillis.  That is a good plan against a Bills’ D that is allowing 170.9 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry so far this year.  Jake Delhomme might takes some shots downfield to Mohammed Massaquoi off of play action as the Bills don’t have much of a pass rush.  Ben Watson could also be in line for another big game as the Bills’ safeties have had problems stopping athletic TEs.

When the Bills have the ball:  The Bills are also likely to run the ball a lot this weekend.  That means the Browns will have to go all out to stop Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller both running the ball and catching passes out of the backfield.  Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a decent passer so far this year but he has a weak throwing arm which could cause big problems for the Bills against a Browns’ D that has 18 INTs so far this year.

PREDICTION:  BROWNS 17, BILLS 13

Both of these teams are coming off wins with the Browns beating the Panthers 24-23 and the Dolphins beating the Raiders 33-17.  The Browns are 1-4 on the road this season while the Dolphins are 1-4 at home so something has to give this Sunday in Southern Florida.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns are going to come out running the ball with Peyton Hillis against a Fins’ D that is allowing 103.9 yards rushing per game and 3.8 yards per carry.  They will also try to get him the ball on short passes out of the backfield as he is leading the Browns in reception so far this year.  If the Browns can keep Dolphins’ OLB Cameron Wake out of Jake Delhomme’s face they should have some success throwing the ball against a Fins’ D that is allowing 201.4 yards passing per game this year.  TEs have given the Fins problems this year so Ben Watson & Evan Moore could be heavily involved in the passing game.

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins got back to the power running game last weekend with Ricky Williams & Ronnie Brown and they will likely have the same gameplan this Sunday.  That means the Browns are going to have to tighten up the chinstraps and be ready for a slobber knocker.  Brandon Marshall is iffy for this game so the Fins need Brian Hartline and Davone Bess to step up.  The Browns are giving up 237.2 yards passing per game but they do have 15 interceptions so Chad Henne will have to be careful.

PREDICTION:  DOLPHINS 23, BROWNS 20