Oakland Raiders: First Quarter schedule breakdown and predictions
By Kevin Saito
Cleveland Browns
There is perhaps, no other team in the league that has undergone as radical a transformation this offseason, than the Cleveland Browns. Not even Gruden has kept up with all of Cleveland’s wheeling, dealing, and wholesale changes.
The end result is that this is a team that looks nothing like the teams that combined to go 1-31 over the past two seasons. And on paper, this team looks like it could potentially be lethal.
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Though pundits and experts aren’t giving the Browns much of a chance at winning much of anything this year, they’re a team that absolutely cannot be taken lightly.
It’s a trap game and the Raiders, if they get off to the 2-1 start predicted here, need to avoid stepping into it.
On offense, they’ve got big-time playmakers in Josh Gordon and Jarvis Landry. And they picked up Carlos Hyde to power their running game, pairing him with rookie Nick Chubb.
They’ve also put together what looks like it could be a very strong defense, teaming rookie cornerback Denzel Ward with E.J. Gaines, and ex-Raider T.J. Carrie. They’ve got Jabrill Peppers and Damarious Randall manning the safety positions, a strong linebackers group led by Jamie Collins, and a very strong defensive line led by Myles Garrett.
It was a defense that was pretty strong last season, ranking fourteenth-overall in the league – and seventh against the run.
This Cleveland team, although most don’t think they’ll win more than five games this year, is dangerous.
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The biggest question mark, of course, comes along the offensive line, and at the quarterback position. And those are big question marks, to be sure.
Can an offensive line (that is now arguably worse without Joe Thomas), that gave up a whopping 50 sacks last year, keep Oakland’s improved pass rush off quarterback Tyrod Taylor?
Assuming, of course, that Taylor is still the starter at that point of the season and that the Browns haven’t done what the Browns usually tend to do with quarterbacks.
It’s going to be a far tougher game than maybe, some people think it’s going to be. This is a team brimming with talent. But Gruden, never one to take any team lightly, will have the Raiders ready for the challenges Cleveland will present.
Cleveland: 20 Raiders: 28