Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Bills@Browns Preview, Part One

Adam: From the shores of Lake Erie, welcome to the NFL Week 15 contest between the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns. With me in the booth today is Gus Johnson, and I hope he's as excited as I am about, really, one of the first meaningful matchups between these two teams since the days of Bernie Kosar and Jim "Machine Gun" Kelly.

Gus: Ha HAAAAAA!!!!

Adam: All right. Let's jump right in and take a look at this matchup; two very different teams who have taken somewhat similar paths to this point in the season. Both have struggled against quality opposition but have usually taken care of business in games that they were expected to win.

Gus: We know from talking to folks in the Dawg Pound before the game that most everyone here expects the Browns to DEFEAT these visiting Bills, and keep their HOPES ALIVE for the National Football League playoffs.

Adam: And what most of the orange and brown-clad faithful here have been talking about is this Cleveland offense; it's Rob Chudzinsky's offense and it's a good one, Gus.

Gus: Good enough for number FIVE in the NFL in points scored.

Adam: It's a system that Chudzinsky developed while he was a tight end coach in San Diego coaching Antionio Gates, and so it leans heavily on the services of Kellen Winslow, Jr., who's been lighting up the league the last two seasons with his tough, athletic play.

Gus: And it's an offense that is based around the dropback pass, which is why it's been perfect for THIS MAN - Derek Anderson, the third-year phenom out of Oregon State. He's on pace to throw for over 30 touchdowns, and if he does so he'll be the first Cleveland QB to throw 30 since BRIAN SIPE did it way back in 1980. Why has Anderson thrived in Chud's Offense? Cause he's got a BIG ARM, and he knows how to use it, as he showed in his coming-out party in Week 2 against the Bengals.



Adam: It doesn't hurt that he's got one of the best young receivers in the business, Braylon Edwards, who's tough to cover deep and even when he is covered, he makes catches like these.



Gus: When the Browns do turn to the running game, they've got a good one, with Jamal Lewis, former Brown-killer for the Baltimore Ravens, now killing Browns opponents as he did to the Jets last week with this bruising run to put the game away.




Adam: None of it would be possible without the superior play of the offensive line, tied for second in the league in sacks allowed with sixteen on the year. And six of those sixteen sacks were in week one. The Cleveland O-line is loaded with talent, but no one outshines the rookie left tackle Joe Thomas, who went from being the best lineman in college football for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2006 straight to being one of the best tackles in the NFL for the Browns in 2007. It's a position the Browns have had trouble with going back a long way, but they feel like they've got it locked down long term now.

Gus: It's an exhilarating offensive football team to watch, and the staduim is throbbing with EXCITEMENT as we wait for the competitors to take the field.

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