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Winning Season Boosts Browns Playoff Hopes
By Kevin on November 20, 2007

At 6-4, the Browns’ games are starting to have playoff implications for the first time in many seasons. With such a talented crew leading the Browns to a successful season, the Dawg Pound is rowdier than ever and Browns fans are looking at some week 18 action.

Look for the Browns to be a legitimate contender for a AFC wild card spot for the 2007 post-season. Lets stop first and zoom into their division, the AFC North. They’re 2nd to the Steelers, who are starting to look a little shaky. They barely pulled off a win two weeks ago against the Browns, and fell to the Jets this past weekend. Although it’s not completely crazy to envision a 1st place Browns team, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. They’ve gotten alot more competitive and have come a long way in past years, but they’ve yet to reach their peak.

What exactly has been the difference for this team? They’ve got play makers. The weak spots in the roster are being erased and replaced with talent and performance. Derek Anderson is having a remarkable year, leading the Browns to have one of the top offensive units in the NFL. Joshua Cribbs is giving them great field position when he’s not scoring special teams touchdowns. Lewis and Edwards are also moving the ball.

There is one obvious weakness in this team that could lead to their downfall as previous games have hinted towards, and that is this team’s defensive performance, or lack there-of. This team is 32nd (dead last) in points allowed in the league. They’ve lost key games this season because of an inability to retain a lead, not the inability to score. They need a more aggressive defense if they want to stay competitive in the post-season, where they can expect teams like the Cowboys, Steelers, and Patriots to score 30-50 points on a bad day. (The team is also 32nd in total yards allowed, 31st in pass defense, and 28th in rush defense.)

Looking ahead, the Browns have a favorable schedule, facing the Texans, Cards, Jets, Bills, Bengals, and 49ers (a combined 22-38, or 0.37). If the Browns maintain their current edge, I’d be watching out for a playoff appearance this year. They need to get their defense in rhythm and find a way to keep their opponents to 300-350 yards per game.

BOTTOM LINE: The Browns have a chance at becoming consistent playoff competitors. A little boost on defense and this team will surely see post-season action.

- Kevin Reich

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