Battle For Ohio Part 1 Recap
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After what was a very stressful week as a Browns fan, in between all the Odell news and the tough loss against the Steelers, Sunday’s win in “The Jungle” couldn’t have gone better in my opinion. We were dominant on both sides of the ball, and seeing that performance from our secondary was euphoric. Going in, I truthfully expected a shootout to some extent, and during the opening drive it felt like that was going to come to fruition. The Bengals were moving the ball at will their first drive, but then Denzel Ward decided to take away the ball from Joe Burrow, and in the process his ankles as an added bonus. Looking back on this game, there really isn’t anything that stood out as egregious. Going into the season, this is what I expected from our team, and I hope we’re going to keep the ball rolling. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that this comes in the first game without Odell. I was sad to see his go, but I think it’s clear now that we’re a better football team without him, and he’ll be better without us. He thrives when the play goes off schedule, and Baker thrives when the play goes as planned. While they’re good friends off the field, they just don’t go together on it. Seeing us perform like this in a game I considered to be a must win, it’s great to see us pull it out, and do it so dominantly.
Looking ahead to this weekend, we have the Patriots in Foxborough, and honestly if we play anything like we did this past weekend, we should win going away. Also something to consider is, look what Joe Woods did to Justin Fields, the last rookie quarterback he played against. I don’t think we’ll necessarily do the same thing to Mac Jones, however he isn’t nearly as mobile, so if we get to him he’s going down. Myles should have some extra incentive after seeing what Jones did to his pass rusher brethren Brian Burns this past weekend (trying to twist his foot off for those of you unaware). I think that this is a game that has heavy playoff implications given how close the AFC is this year, and getting a head to head win against a team we will likely be fighting with to make it in/determine seeding is always important. That being said, I really expect a win, and if I had to guess, I’d say 38-17 Browns. This is only if Nick Chubb and D’ernest Johnson can clear COVID protocols. If they can’t, I’m feeling 27-17 Browns. I have complete confidence that our defense has found their stride, and I’m looking forward to a great showing this Sunday from our Brownies.