Stillers vs. Browns Pregame Analysis (Game #11, @ Clev)
The stumbling Stillers travel to nearby Cleveland to face
the hated Brownies in an North division battle.� Clev is coming off a brutal smack down on the Cards, 44-6, while
the Stillers are on a very short week after getting their asses whipped on
Monday Nite Football out in San Fran.�
* When the Browns have the ball, their offense
will look quite a bit different from the one that abused the Stillers back in
October.� Kelly Holcombe will start at
QB, not Tim Slouch.� WR Kevin Johnson
has been released, and starting RB William Green was suspended last week for 4
games for drugs.�� To make matters worse
for Green, 2 days ago his fianc� stabbed him.�
Sounds like a marriage made in heaven.�
Of course, many a fan will be more concerned about Holcomb
-- who torched the Stillers for 429 yards in the playoffs last season -- than
Couch.� That's a fair debate, as each
man has had his struggles this season.�
But Holcomb was white-hot last week in the win over AZ, completing 29-35
for 393 yards and 3 TDs.�
Despite the cutting of KJ, the Browns still have an
impressive stable of wideouts.� Quincy
Morgan can get deep, and 2nd-year man Andre Davis has developed quite nicely,
leading the team with 4 TDs.� Denny
Northcutt has had his share of fun in abusing the Stiller defense the past few
meetings.� Each of these Cleveland
wideouts can go deep; each has good athleticism; and each has good RAC skills,
making this a nightmare matchup against the Circle-Triangle Defense.�
With Green out, James Jackson will assume the starting
chores.� Jackson is obviously smaller
than Green, though he's much faster & quicker, and is a better weapon in
the passing game.� Jamel White is a
slashing, quick-footed backup who is very trusty in the passing game.� Rookie Lee Suggs is waiting quietly in the
wings, and depending on what the Browns decide to do with Green in the
offseason, the former Hokie could get a long look at more work next season.
Former Stiller RJ Bowers is the H-back/FB, with Darnell
Sanders doing the TE chores.�
The O-line has long plagued the Browns, ever since they
re-entered the NFL.� They finally spent
a premium draft pick on an O-lineman this past spring, in the name of center
Jeff Faine, and they've got to be pretty pleased by the results.� Barry Stokes, who was hobbled earlier in the
season, is back in the lineup at LT.�
O'Hara and Zukauskas are as mediocre a pair of guards as one can find in
the NFL.� Average journeyman Ryan Tucker
mans the RT spot.�
On the Stiller defense, no changes will be made, because,
after all, Billy Cowher is terrified at the thought of making changes and
trying out younger players.� Ergo, you
can expect the same old same old: little pass pressure, softee cushions, no
safety help, and lots of RAC yardage.�
The key matchup will be the Terrific Trio of
Brownie WRs, against the Circle-Triangle Defense (no corners, and a dunce cap
on top named Alex).� Without Green, the
Browns know they can't pound the ball against the Stiller defense.� Clev will run a plunge or a sweep now and
then, but they know that they have a better chance to move the ball thru the
air against The Vanilla Defense.� Morgan,
Davis, and Northcutt are having fistfights in Cleveland to see who will get the
most passes thrown his way, because each man knows he'll be wide open most of
the afternoon.�
* When the Stillers have the ball, they'll
try to jumpstart a sporadic offense that put up some big numbers in San Fran,
yet scored just 14 points.� The Stiller
O-line has solidified themselves in recent weeks, and, while not dominating,
are far from the turnstile imitations that were the staple back in September
and early October.�
The Browns talented D-line has often been underachieving,
but when these boys want to play, then can play.� Courtney Brown and Gerard Warren are as
talented as they come, and each has had his share of success against the
Stillers.� DE Kenard Lang is often
overshadowed, although on most teams he'd be the big man on campus.� Ex-Stiller O. Roye is still a solid player,
and he seems to enjoy getting fired up to play his ex mates.
Clev head coach Butch Davis, not terrified about playing
unproven youngsters, purged the LB corps in the offseason, and has gotten by
with a trio of 2nd-year LBs who barely played last season.� MLB Andra Davis leads this gang, flanked by
Kevin Bentley and Ben Taylor.�
The Brownie secondary isn't great, but they're not a band of
bumblers, either.� Anthony Henry and
lil' Daylon McCutheon man the corners, with loudmouth Earl Little and ex-Viking
Robert Griffith working the safety spots.�
Former Duquesne Duke (Mill's alma mater!) Leigh Bodden is a 3rd string
CB for the Browns, and in all likelihood, can probably outplay most of the DBs
on the current Stiller roster.�
The key matchup will be the Stiller passing game
against the Clev secondary.� With Fatboy
Bettis starting at RB, the Stillers haven't done jack on the ground.� If the Stillers are going to move the ball,
it will have to be through the air.� Plex,
Ward, El, and Doering are going to have to get it done, and they're going to
have to hold on to the ball much better than last week's fiasco.�
* Special Teams: �The Brownies have a solid special teams unit.� Kicker Phil Dawson has had a fine season, making
16 of 19 boots.� Punter Chris Gardocki
is yet another example of an NFL team getting very good effectiveness out of
its punter, without spending 7 figures per annum.� The Browns have dangerous return men, with
Andre Davis doing the KO return chores, while Northcutt handles the PR
tasks.� The Stiller special teams, which
had been fawned all over the past couple of weeks, returned down to Earth with
yet another stench laden, slop-filled effort last week.�
Key Individual Matchups:
* DE C. Brown vs, RT Oliver Ross.� Brown always seems to turn it up a few notches when he faces the
Stillers.�
* Plex Burress and Hines Ward, vs. Henry and
McClutcheon.� This is a matchup the
Stillers should win.� If they want to
win the game, they'd better win this matchup.
* The Cleveland WR Trio, vs. the Circle-Triangle
Defense.� This, really, is the
game.� And it's such a lopsided mismatch
that even Vegas wouldn't be fond of laying on the odds.�
* Synopsis: This is one of the great NFL
rivalries, and the past several meetings have been barnburners.� The Browns are flying high, coming off the
whipping of the Cards and smelling first place in the AFC North.� The Stillers are plodding and stumbling, coming
off the whipping on MNF and now traveling to Clev on a short week.� The Stillers haven't beaten a quality
opponent yet, and until they do, I have my doubts.� Playing on the road is tough enough.� Playing on the road against a bitter rival that is hot and
confident, while you are downtrodden and bumbling, is ultra tough.� The Stillers are prone to too many costly
blunders, a total lack of hard hitting, and a complete inability to cover good
receivers within the construct of a capable passing offense.� I see no reason for this Stiller team to
suddenly snap out of all these problems and play a good, complete game,
especially on the road.� The Brownies
will prevail with a 32-22 win over the Stillers.��