| Patrick Daher. 19th December, 2007 - 1:31 pm
 To “believe” is to expect or suppose. The Cleveland Browns are now one game away from turning belief into actuality. With a win versus the Cincinnati Bengals or a Tennessee Titans' loss, the Browns would clinch their first playoff spot since 2002.
Positioned at a record of 9-5, the Browns are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North Division. The Steelers do own the tiebreaker, defeating the Browns twice this year. With two remaining games left for each team, Cleveland would have to win both by beating the Bengals and 49ers to capture the AFC North Division, while the Steelers would have to lose one of their games to the Jets or Ravens.
Playoffs? The Cleveland Browns? These words have not been linked together in some time. Until this year happened. This is a pretty astonishing feat considering the Browns were pummeled by the Steelers in Week 1 on their home turf. They swiftly traded their starting quarterback, Charlie Frye, after one start and Head Coach Romeo Crennel has continuously been rumored to be on the “hot seat.”
Offense has been the main reason why the Browns have positioned themselves for a playoff run. Coming seemingly out of nowhere, Derek Anderson has thrown for 3,384 yards and 26 TD’s thus far. The recipient of many of those TD passes has been Braylon Edwards, recently named to his first Pro Bowl. Edwards has repeatedly been a deep ball threat all year and has 13 TD’s on the season. Kellen Winslow and Joe Jurevicius have also contributed greatly going over the middle and acting as safety valves for Anderson.
But, the main cog in the “O” has been Jamal Lewis. Proving that he is not “washed up” like the Ravens claimed him to be, Lewis has churned out 1,084 yards and 9 TD’s making that 1-year deal he signed with the Browns a steal.
General Manager Phil Savage has been the architect of the transformation and clearly will be up for Executive of the Year. Savage has turned an anemic Browns' team, a combined record of 49-93 since the rebirth in 1999, into playoff contenders. He has removed the lack of talent from the Butch Davis regime and infused the team with franchise type caliber players in Edwards, Winslow, Eric Steinbach, Joe Thomas, Josh Cribbs, and Kamerion Wimbley to name a few.
The defense still remains a big concern and may hinder how far the Browns go in the playoffs. Ranked dead last in the league by giving up 378 yards per game, the Browns' defense has not impressed anybody. A lack of a pass rush and difficulty in stopping the run have put a huge burden on the Browns' offense to overcome deficits. They have been playing better of late as evidence of their shutout against the Bills in the “Snow Bowl.” However, the defensive line and secondary need to continue to improve to make a big push toward the postseason.
If the playoffs were to start today, the Browns would face the Chargers in San Diego. In my opinion, the warm conditions would benefit the Browns and their Anderson-led aerial attack. But with two weeks left in the regular season, many occurrences can shake the playoff picture.
It has long been documented how the Browns have struggled since their franchise ceased to exist four years. This season’s success has given the Browns and their fans reason to believe and envision a bright future. After all, we know that belief breeds confidence. Welcome to Believeland. |
