Pats vs Browns Pre Game Discussion

[SVN]

Lost in all the moss hype and return of mankins is that we have a game this week. Anyone have any interesting tidbits/ideas about this matchup and how the pats stack up,without the 2-5 browns record ?
i listened to bruschi's podcast here and he and reiss seem to think its going to be closer than most people think

ESPN Radio

wondering what defensive looks mangini and rob ryan will throw at our offense and how they will handle it in a tough road environment.

 

[ALP]

all i have to say is:

we better not lose

also remember the browns ran all over the ravens, and almost beat them (or was it the steelers?)

they are not a bad team, just not a good team....we should be prepared

 

[BradyBranch39]

It'll be a tough game because Mangini will sell this to his idiot players as their super bowl, and they'll fall for it.

 

[Steve102]

Hoodie and Mangenius talk about Colt McCoy

The Browns'll be ready, they were against N.O., they will be against The Pats as well. Hoodie has the boys ready, although I expect McCoy to have a decent game. It seems as though it takes Hoodie a game to dial up a defense against rookies.

 

[Patspsycho]

This will be a dangerous game that I think we will win regardless.

We have won the last five in large part because of our radical change on offense. Sooner or later someone is going to develop a blueprint to stop it and the rest of the league will copy it (as has happened to the Saints).

Probably the team in the best position to do it is the Browns- coming off a bye week and having someone like Mangini who is good at breaking down tape.

Their offense is anemic however, and I think that will be the difference.

 

[Kid~Brady]

also remember the browns ran all over the ravens, and almost beat them (or was it the steelers?)

it was Ravens, a man called Hillis> He's a beast. We have got to contain him.

 

[GrogansHeros]

I have a buddy who is a huge Brows fan and have watched most of thier games with him....they have been leading in the 4th in most of their games...they are a couple of Delhomo picks away from having a respectable record...this will not be an easy game

 

[BSR]

I have a buddy who is a huge Brows fan and have watched most of thier games with him....they have been leading in the 4th in most of their games...they are a couple of Delhomo picks away from having a respectable record...this will not be an easy game

No game in the NFL is "easy" but the Patriots should not lose this game. The Browns have a rookie starting and their number one receiver is Ben Watson. Their number two is the running back. Their offense is bad. Their defense is ok but they can be passed on. As long as Brady does throw 4 picks like Brees then the Pats should win.

I also don't expect this to be a trap game considering its Mangini.

 

[apple strudel]

Colt McCoy will not beat the Pats. The strength of their offense is the running game and the strength of our defense is stopping the run. Should be a good day for us unless we lay an egg.

 

[Kid~Brady]

They rank 31st in total offense which is horrible but again, i know stats dont tell every story but thats still a good thing for us. Peyton Hillis has to be contained, which i dont feel bad about after holding Rice and Peterson in the previous games

 

[condon84]

Our defense has the propensity to make scrub QBs look like All-Stars. I hope we buck that trend this week.

I don't know if this is a "must win" game, but we have the Steelers and the Colts after the Browns. Two games where we could definitely lose.

 

[Keegs]

They need to stop Peyton Hillis which shouldn't be too hard consdiering they just stopped AP.

Colt Mccoy will probably throw for 250 and it will irritate the hell out of everyone but pats will win.

 

[Steve102]

I have a buddy who is a huge Brows fan and have watched most of thier games with him....they have been leading in the 4th in most of their games...they are a couple of Delhomo picks away from having a respectable record...this will not be an easy game

You mean there is more than one Browns fan on the seacoast besides Andy Blacksmith? :rocker: Can't be. Must be the same guy.

 

[Dutchmaster617]

This will be a dangerous game that I think we will win regardless.

We have won the last five in large part because of our radical change on offense. Sooner or later someone is going to develop a blueprint to stop it and the rest of the league will copy it (as has happened to the Saints).

Probably the team in the best position to do it is the Browns- coming off a bye week and having someone like Mangini who is good at breaking down tape.

Their offense is anemic however, and I think that will be the difference.

SD already did, its called pressure, I doubt we can get any worse than 50 yards in a half, we have no choice but to keep improving.

Who is the Browns QB? I have no clue but im sure he sucks, will Mankins play? Will we play aggressive considering the coach rivalry and the fact CLE blows?

The fact they beat the Saints doesn't bother me one bit, we are better than the Saints.

 

[jmt57]

Week 9 matchup: Patriots at Browns - NFL - Sporting News

A few tidbits from this preview:

Bitter feelings. Any Belichick return to Cleveland stokes anger and dark memories. Belichick closely followed Cleveland’s last run of glory days in the late 1980s, when the Browns had five straight playoff seasons and were in three AFC title games. His teams were immediately unpopular, creating a fan climate that helped enable owner Art Modell to move the franchise to Baltimore in 1996. In 2000, Belichick brought his first Patriots team to Cleveland, where the stadium insulted the coach with banners and boos. Ten years later, he returns with three Super Bowl victories under his belt, to a city whose expansion era has been miserable.

Three key Browns

LB David Bowens. In his first year with the Browns, 2009, Bowens had his best NFL season in a career that began in 1999. In the Browns’ last game, Bowens, at age 33, had his best NFL game, returning two Drew Brees passes for touchdowns. Both times, Bowens lined up in defensive end and dropped into coverage. Twice fooled, the Saints played with a lopsided loss. Bowens is a smart, versatile linebacker who can fulfill a variety of roles and let coordinator Rob Ryan be creative. Ryan’s second-year Browns, such as Bowens, are merging with first-year Browns, such as Scott Fujita, to form a defense whose precision and timing present a threat.

RB Mike Bell. Everybody knows the Browns will try to pound the ball with Peyton Hillis, who has been a big reason the Browns have been in games against elite teams. Hillis, though, has yet to benefit from help from a sidekick. Bell has struggled to pick up the system since arriving in the Jerome Harrison trade and has run seven times for zero yards. The bye week should allow Bell to get in sync and help take the heat off Hillis.

CB Eric Wright. He was a reliable cover corner last year, and his struggles have been the defense’s most puzzling disappointment. Expect Brady to test Wright, who has been repeatedly burned in recent weeks. Keep an eye on Deion Branch if he draws single coverage against Wright. The Browns’ backup plan is Mike Adams. Adams is the No. 3 safety, but if Wright’s struggles continue, Adams can step into the No. 3 cornerback role behind Sheldon Brown and Joe Haden.

And a couple of key Pats; one facing a former teammate, the other facing his former team:

DE Mike Wright. He is prospering under Belichick, having sacked Joe Flacco, Philip Rivers and Brett Favre in his last three games. Wright broke into the starting lineup against Minnesota and is a threat to Browns OT Floyd Womack, who was forced to move from right guard recently due to injuries. Wright also will engage new RG Billy Yates, his former Patriots teammate.

DL Gerard Warren. He has started five of the Patriots’ seven games, and he could be motivated to thrive in this matchup. Warren was a big disappointment in four years with the Browns. Able to move from tackle to end, Warren could match up with LT Joe Thomas, who can be driven back if he slips with his technique. It won’t be lost on Warren that Thomas is highly popular in Cleveland, something Warren never was.

 

[Bostonian1962]

All I know is that Cleveland lost by a FG @ TB, who is 5 and 2. They lost to a very good KC team by 2. They lost by a TD @ Baltimore. They beat Cinncy, and they pummelled the World Champs @ N.O.

This game is in their own house, and they've had 2 weeks to prepare.

It's no gimme.

 

[jmt57]

Here is a pretty detailed assessment of the Browns to this point from a Cleveland paper. On a side note, I didn't realize they play the Jets next week. That's a pretty tough four-game stretch for them - Steelers, Saints, Pats and Jets.

Assessing the Cleveland Browns at the midpoint of the 2010 season: Tony Grossi analysis | cleveland.com

Here are a few quotes from that article:

PLEASANT SURPRISES

1. Defensive flexibility.
2. Improvement in passing the ball.
3. Improvement in defending the run.
4. Nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin establishing himself "as a young, emerging, solid player."
5. The acclimation of new linebackers Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong into the defense.
6. Linebacker Matt Roth's continual development as an outside linebacker in Mangini's defense.
7. Incorporating a large pool of players in the defense.
8. The play of rookie defensive backs T.J. Ward and Joe Haden.
9. The play of Colt McCoy in two difficult starting assignments on the road.
10. The late emergence to the active roster of rookie receiver Carlton Mitchell.

DISAPPOINTMENTS

Mangini listed them this way:
1. Tackling needs more improvement, particularly against the run.
2. Too many big pass plays allowed.
3. More consistency from the running game.
4. Pass protection has been below standards, at times.

Earlier in the article Mangini also said that turnovers and penalties were two big reasons why Cleveland is not winning games. The article lists unexpected surprises as being their punter, two pick-six's last week by LB David Bowens - who was expected to not make the roster and was inactive in week one, and LB Marcus Benard's 4.5 sacks - giving him 12 in eight games since he was promoted from the practice squad.

On the other hand:

BAD THINGS YOU DIDN'T SEE COMING

1. Cornerbacks Eric Wright and Sheldon Brown have been beaten for eight touchdown passes. Whether it's poor blitzing or miscommunication, that's a huge figure for a half-season.

2. Receivers Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie raised hopes of stepping up their games in their second seasons with good showings in the preseason. But with nine and eight receptions, respectively, criticism of GM Tom Heckert for not bringing in a playmaking receiver certainly was warranted.

3. The running back depth chart was turned upside down by the injury to Hardesty, a trade of Jerome Harrison to Philadelphia and the release of James Davis.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Given that Mangini should be very familar with our old style O with Branch and the fact that they have an extra week to prepare for a home game, I am expecting a very close game.

Still think we would come out on the top thanks to our D and ST and not our O.

 

[jmt57]

Same Cleveland paper takes a look at the Pats:

Tony Grossi's Scouting Report: New England Patriots | cleveland.com

Other than the Pats special teams, the writer doesn't seem to be too impressed. On offense he says "Don't think they don't miss Randy Moss. They do. Without him, their deep passing game has not been respected" and about the biggest compliment he gives the unit is "they're unpredictable" while stating that "Tate is not there yet" and the "line has struggled at times"; he characterizes the defense as "not fearsome."

Knowing how much BB loves Cleveland sports writers, all I can say is thanks for the bulletin board material.



An Eric Mangini-Bill Belichick thaw? Browns coach would like one, Patriots coach not so much | cleveland.com

This article is just a current rehash of the relationship between Mangini and Belichick; the headline pretty much sums up the slant.

At the end of the column there is a five minute video previewing the game. The first half of the video sums up the column: Mangini wants to make nice with Belichick, BB does not; and a Cleveland writer whining that Belichick does not give writers enough material to work with in his press conferences. After talking about the possibility of Holmgren returning to coaching and whether or not the Browns will draft another QB or if Colt McCoy is their QB of the future, they finally talk about the game in the last 90 seconds of the video. The two seem convinced Rob Ryan will come up with something to disrupt Brady and force the 'unknowns' such as Tate and Woodhead to be the difference makers for the Pats in this game.

 

[Kid~Brady]

Given that Mangini should be very familar with our old style O with Branch and the fact that they have an extra week to prepare for a home game, I am expecting a very close game.

Still think we would come out on the top thanks to our D and ST and not our O.

why not our O? we still have a decent offense and wether Magini is familiar or not with our old offense, doesnt mean that he can stop us. yeah, its no gimmie game against the browns but this is the cleveland browns against the New england patriots. brady will lead us through this game.

If we are terrified of the Browns, i hate to see the Pittsburg Pre-game discussion Lol