Dawg Pound Preview - Browns at Ravens

Sunday, December 17. 2006

Dawg Pound Preview - Browns at Ravens

The Cleveland Browns head into Baltimore today trying to save face in their division and keep from going 0-6 within the AFC North for the first time in history.

Derek Anderson will get the start against the team that drafted him, and will try to get his first win as a starter for the Browns. Anderson has shown the ability to play well, but he is now matched up against the top rated defense in the NFL - a defense that has seen his play and knows his strengths and weaknesses. Anderson had been unknown to defenses throughout the league in his previous two appearances and was able to play very efficiently.

The former Browns are trying to secure a playoff berth with a win against Cleveland and a Cincinnati loss, while the current Browns will attempt to recreate what they had done in the first half of their last meeting, and maintain that level of play through the end.

Offensive Keys to Victory:
#1. Get Winslow involved. Kellen Winslow has been more of a decoy throughout the last couple weeks, and will need to be more involved in the game if the Browns want to make some big plays early on.

#2. Block for the run! The offensive line has done well with pass protection through the last 2 games, and now they need to bring this sudden awakening to the running game and allow the Browns a little bit of breathing room in the rest of their game.

Defensive Keys to Victory:
#1. Stop Jamal Lewis. He has set an NFL record against the Browns, and no doubt is licking his lips at the opportunity to get at one of the worst run defenses in the league. With Billick now calling the plays and focusing on the run, he needs to be stopped if the defense wants to have a chance and stay off the field.

Quarterback:
	Derek Anderson has done very well so far, but McNair has been a gamer for years
Running Backs:
	The Browns' rushing offense is nearly non-existent. Lewis, however, is just hitting his stride.
Wide Receivers:
	This could go either way depending on which Browns receiving corps shows up this week. Drops killed them last week, and if they want a chance, it can't happen again.
Tight End:
	Derek Anderson may not yet have the confidence in Winslow, but if he gets him involved, the offense will make big strides.
Offensive Line:
	Although the Browns have apparently figured out how to pass protect, the running game has been sparce and sporadic to say the least.
Defensive Line:
	Ted Washington may be even slower than usual with his swollen knee, and they were often completely man-handled by the Steelers' last week.
Linebackers:
	The Browns are now missing their 2nd leading tackler in D'Qwell Jackson, and they've been having trouble filling their gaps as it is.
Secondary:
	Despite devastation by injury, the Browns secondary has performed remarkably well and is ranked 15th in the league. Sean Jones will have a big day.
Special Teams:
	Cribbs is always a threat on kick returns. If Northcutt cannot play, look for his replacement to break at least one big return.

Technorati Tags: Cleveland Browns, NFL, football, Baltimore Ravens, Derek Anderson, AFC North, Kellen Winslow, Steve McNair, Jamal Lewis, Cleveland, Browns, Baltimore, Ravens

Posted by Ryan Hoover in Game Preps at 12:53 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

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