Why The Cleveland Browns Will Beat The New England Patriots

Dawg Pound
The infamous Dawg Pound of the Cleveland Browns
The infamous Dawg Pound of the Cleveland Browns

The infamous Dawg Pound of the Cleveland Browns

Maybe I have been taking some crazy pills. Maybe I believe that bad luck can’t continue forever. Maybe I think that the Dawg Pound deserves better. Maybe I think that the Patriots loss last week wasn’t just a fluke. Maybe I think that Tom Brady will struggle a bit after spending the last 4 weeks completely away from football lapping up the golden rays on the beaches of Europe with his super-model wife. Maybe I think that UGGS are a shoe that should never be worn by a man, and because of that, the orange-clad wearing Browns will take him to the mattresses. Or maybe this long drawn out soliloquy is just a fun way to ruffle some feathers.

All fun aside, I truly do believe that the Browns have a viable shot at beating ESPN’s dearly beloved. Hell, this is the NFL where something happens each week that makes the Vegas oddsmakers look like the organization running bingo at the old folks home.

One true fact is this: Tom Brady has not taken a snap since the 4th preseason game, a game where he did not look all that sharp I might add. The only form of out-route passes that he could have practiced would have been with his thumbs and an XBOX controller (or maybe Tom is a PS4 guy). Now I know some people believe that Brady was created in God’s image, and is the greatest QB to ever step onto the gridiron, but the truth remains that it will probably take a few games before he returns to a high level of play.

Based on this fact, the Cleveland Browns are one of those teams that have absolutely nothing to lose. Quoting coach Yost from Remember The Titans, “We will blitz all night!” Cleveland is going to do everything possible to make Brady’s first game back a memorable one.

When looking at the numbers, the Browns rank higher than the Pats in passing defense, 16th to 20th, respectively. Here is the real surprising number. Everyone has been talking about how the Pats played with their 3rd string quarterback the last two weeks, and to the surprise of some NFL viewers, so have the Browns. Both QBs have an almost identical total QBR, however, the Browns rank 12th in total offense and the Patriots rank 19th.

I mention these boring statistics because even if the quarterback play improves in New England, which undoubtedly it should, who is to say that the offense as a whole will be way better than the one lining up against a worse Patriot defense than the one the Browns boast?

I also forgot to mention that the Browns have the number 1 rushing offense in the NFL, look it up. The Buffalo Bills rank 7th and put up 134 net rushing yards last week against New England, while Cleveland averages 149.2 with an impressive 5.7 yards per rush.

Call me crazy, which maybe I am, but watch for the 0-4 Cleveland Browns to muzzle the Patriots at the Dawg Pound and shock the world!