They Can’t Lose Again, Can They? How to Snap the Streak
An all-out bad game for the Browns last week; the team might want to dust themselves off and get ready for yet another tough matchup against the Cardinals. Once again, the odds are not in their favor
and they will have to play extremely well to earn a victory. Below are a few things that could assist the orange and brown into finally getting into the “W” column.
1 – It’s Time for Johnny
Josh McCown is a great teammate and person – however he cannot win games as an NFL quarterback. His shoulder injury should all but keep him out of this matchup. Is Johnny Manziel the next Joe Montana? Most likely not, but if the Browns are looking for another signal caller in the 2016 Draft – they might want to see whether Manziel should remain as an option or be released at the end of the season.
2 – Play Loose
The team and coaching staff must refrain from tensing up in high pressure situations. Whether it’s the quarterback or someone else in the huddle, there must be a calming influence for the home team. I would like to believe that this would help them play more up to their potential – but I do not know what that looks like. There are several areas of the team that are vastly underperforming; perhaps a change in mentality would not hurt.
3 – Get Mad, Get Mean
We all know that football is a collision sport with many battles along the line of scrimmage. More importantly, we understand that the Browns have been embarrassed by the play of the offensive and defensive lines of the opposition all season. Why can’t these guys play with some fire and anger? Take the game personally and challenge yourself to dominate your counterpart on each and every down. If that becomes the way the team plays, then they actually might resemble a decent NFL squad.
4 – Get Power from Turbin
Not to be confused with wind turbines, the newly acquired rusher has been improving since his injury and frankly deserves the nod with rushing attempts. I still like Johnson as a wide receiver, but if the
team utilizes Turbin on fifteen to twenty carries, then I like his odds of having a solid performance. Actually having a reliable run game will open up so many other facets for this offense.
5 – Challenge the Opponent’s Secondary
Last contest was a dink-and-dunk blueprint and the end result was zero touchdowns and four turnovers. Not saying that going down the field will lead to fifty points, but it gives the opponent something to think about and hitting on a few of these can turn the entire game around. So far Travis Benjamin has been the only deep threat thus far, another guy or two to fill this role would be welcomed.
Conclusion: My confidence in the Browns is nearing an all-time low, and this matchup does not help that any bit. I expect the Cardinals to come to First Energy Stadium, rough up the home team, and leave
with a victory. I hope I am wrong, but there has been little evidence in 2015 to make me feel warm and fuzzy about the Cleveland Browns.