Browns week 5 thoughts
 

I'm looking forward to this game, the colts are 2 point favorites. The Browns are Our biggest challenge in the next several weeks. The colts are feeling all legit after beating the 3-0 Bears, a team with a good defense and QB issues.

The Browns are coming off a huge win, 3 in a row. Say what you want about the Cowboys... they will always be rich as fsck, have an incredibly arrogant fanbase that think Tony Romo should be in the hall of fame for not reaching a superbowl in 13 years... oh, and the Cowboys are media darlings and the browns are not.... my Point Is that the browns just beat them to be 3-1 for the first time since the wheel and have to be coming into this game pretty fired up.

Someone might say 'trap game' but every game is a trap game if you lose.

Myles Garrett is the best pass rusher in the league. vs our best (almost) offenseive line. I dont think PR is going to have a ton of time back there. ukColt said this in the other thread


And I agree, this is how we can negate some pass rush and do our best to possess the ball. Cleveland is without their potential pro-bowl LB mack Wilson. I think we will have success if we can force their LBs to match up on AC and Doyle for quick, high percentage passes. This is the sort of game that makes me miss the likes of Dwayne Allen.


I think our running game needs to step up also. We can't win if we have to huck the ball downfield. If we spend most of the day with favorable down and distance (eg 2nd and 4), we will be tough to beat.

I also agree with daedge:

Lets get him the ball in the flats and let him be elusive. JT should be exhausted by the end of this game.

For the stains, Nick Chubb is out, but Kareen Hunt doesn't exactly suck. He's a saavy veteran with good vision and very good hands.

I think this could be a solid matchup. I think we have the edge defensively and in ST, but we need to put up points. Cleveland has but up an average of 39 points in their last 3 games (after the Ravens held them to 8).

I think we win this game with long drives and TDs not FGs.

I think screens and the quick game are the way to go in the passing game in this one, at least early. Long, methodical drives would be the best way for the Colts offense to go early in this one. Establish the run, then when you have them crashing the box like the Bears did, send MAC, Doyle, or TY up the seam for a huge gainer. The Browns have Garrett, who is on par with or maybe even better than Khalil Mack, but the Browns defense is nowhere near as good as the Bears, and I expect the offense will be able to do some damage in this game as long as they don't let Garrett do too much damage.

Defensively, the #1 pass defense is going to be put to the test. The Browns have very good WRs in Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, a good receiving TE in Austin Hooper, a good receiver from RB in Kareem Hunt, and two dangerous rookies as receiving threats in Harrison Bryant and Donovan Peoples-Jones. If Ya-Sin, Leonard, and Okereke, or any combination thereof miss this game, this could be trouble for the Colts. Missing Chubb is good, but Hunt is a dangerous all-purpose back and their revamped OL looks good. If the Colts aren't missing anyone, this should be a very interesting matchup. If they have two or three of the aforementioned players out, I fear this game turning into a shootout where the Colts can't keep up. Buckner and Houston are a fantastic pass rush duo and have made the DL stout, but the success of the pass defense has hinged thus far on the range and instincts of Leonard and Okereke, and Ya-Sin has improved his play quite a bit, taking the proverbial "second year jump" Bill Polian was always so fond of. With those three, or at least two of them, I can see the Colts defense continuing to hold up against their attack.

My biggest concern for this game is our LB's...we had a really strong group heading into the season with Leonard, Walker and Okereke, backed up by Franklin, Adams and Speed, but we could be without 4 of them for this game. Adams is already out, Okereke just had surgery, and Leonard is a big doubt, Speed also has some sort of injury, potentially leaving us with Walker, Franklin and then the rookie Glasgow. Is this a game where Banogu gets some reps at LBer?

I wouldn't be too concerned if we were able to run with Walker, Franklin and Speed, as i have seen flashes from both Franklin and Speed and would like to see what they might be able to do given a chance, could make them excellent trade candidates if they perform well. But there is clearly going to be a drop off with the injuries we are dealing with.

EJ Speed has an elbow injury. He practiced today - but was in a red non-contact jersey.

Glasgow has played zero snaps on defense in Games 1 - 4 (all his snaps have been on Special Teams)

Franklin has played 7 snaps on defense this season.

The Colts also added a LB to their practice squad today - Indiana State Sycamore alum Jonas Griffith.

Castanzo and Okereke will play.

I am curious to see if we can shut down their passing game. I have a feeling they will have some success on the ground. If they get both going this won’t be fun imo.

Not sure our offense can put up 4 tds

Would love to see a st’s score. Hines is due

I want the Colts to win (obviously) and I think we will, but I'm happy for Cleveland. It's been a longgg time since that team was decent let alone good and those fans still attend the games and are passionate. It's a shame they can't attend the game (but good for us I suppose). Then again, they talked a lot of smack after the T-rich debacle so... whatever.

The first Colts game I ever went to was against Cleveland in the God awful 1991 1-15 season. The Browns kicked the crap out of the Colts, and it was more like a Browns home game that day.

Their fans were so obnoxious that to this day I relish in the fact that they have sucked for decades and have never gone to a Superbowl. Sure it's petty, but on the other hand, fuck them.

Their offensive line has been outstanding. And our average per rush is last in the league at 3.5. Not where I expected our oline to be. I thought maybe we would drop some but not 32nd. A hurt Castonzo against their pass rush.

I don’t like our odds on this one. Offense will need to pick it up some if they want to win.

o


I think that Colts FANS are feeling all legit after winning 3 consecutive games ...... I suspect that Frank Reich, whom I believe to be an excellent head coach, is doing everything that he can to try to keep his players' swelled heads down by reminding them that they had their asses handed to them by the Jaguars, and that they haven't advanced beyond the divisional playoffs in 6 years ...... you never count your money when you're sittin' at the table, there'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

o