GOOD-BYE, BYE WEEK, HELLO RAMS
By Tom Misson
The rest was nice. So too was not having to play a game, for some. Now it’s time to stap on the pads and that bright orange lid and play football again. The Browns bye week is over. On Sunday, the Browns go to St. Louis to face the winless Rams. 0-7. It doesn’t get much worse than that. Actually, for the Browns sake, it does. 0-8 would look better come 4pm Sunday.
And so lies the task most teams in the NFL would rather not tackle. Try and beat a winless team, on their home field. Sounds easier said than done. I believe the cliche “Any Given Sunday” applies in this case. Plus, the Browns have yet to win a road game this season in two tries.
“We have to get that first pickle out of the jar, ” Head Coach Romeo Crennel said. “Once we get that first pickle out, it will be easier to get out the other pickles.”
That first pickle, um, road win, might be one of the most difficult games the Browns have played all year. Consider this: The Browns are SUPPOSED to win this game. They’re favored by three points. Rams all-pro running back Steven Jackson says he’ll play on Sunday, after getting splinters from the bench for the last three weeks while resting a partially torn groin. If Jackson plays, that will reduce the pass rush from the linebackers on Rams QB Marc Bulger. The Browns “D” will be forced to respect Jackson’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield… and to run through the defensive line. Less pass rush means Bulger gets that extra second or two to find the likes of Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and Randy McMichael downfield.
But this game will be won when the Browns offense has the ball. Cleveland’s offense is ranked 7th overall in the NFL. They’re scoring 28 points per game. Only New England and Dallas score more. The Rams defense is decent, but the Browns have the fire power to keep them on their heels. If the same Browns offense which scored 41 points against Miami and 51 points against the Bengals shows-up Sunday, The Browns will find themselves over .500 for the first time in several years. If not, Romeo and company will find themselves in a real pickle.
My prediction: Browns 37, Rams 24
