In what will be the second straight night that a Cleveland sports team is on national TV, the Browns host the Buffalo Bills tonight at First Energy Stadium.
If the Browns win tonight, they will not only be above .500, but will also have a 3-0 record since the trade of Trent Richardson to the Colts. Many thought the Browns might not even win 3 games this year after trading Richardson, but Brian Hoyer and company have given Cleveland fans hope.
Once again, the Browns will lean on their defense tonight. Hoyer and the offense may be playing very well as of late, but the defense has been very good the entire season. They rank in the top-10 of the NFL in all the major defensive categories. The defense allows 17.5 points/game (8th), 291.5 total yards/game (3rd), 212.5 pass yards/game (9th), and 79 rush yards/game (4th).
The Browns offense has improved dramatically as of late. They average 16 points/game (29th), 323.8 total yards/game (24th), 247.8 pass yards/game (14th), and 76 rush yards/game (27th). Hoyer will most likely have to lean heavily on Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron in order to be successful.
As of now, Bills starting RB C.J. Spiller is a game-time decision, but will most likely play. If he cannot play, it would be a huge loss for the Bills’ offense. The E.J. Manuel led offense has improved dramatically since last season. They average 22 points/game (21st), 350 total yards/game (16th), 198 pass yards/game (28th), and 152 rush yards/game (2nd). Manuel is a dual-threat rookie QB that not only is a good passer, but also can run the read-option. Looking at the numbers, the Bills lean heavily on their run game and have the second best running game in the league. Fortunately for Cleveland, stopping the run is their biggest strength. If the Browns can stop the Bills’ run game, they will have a tremendous advantage tonight.
Buffalo’s defense ranks in the bottom half of the league in all major categories. They allow 23.2 points/game (18th), 399.2 total yards/game (27th), 277 pass yards/game (22nd), and 122.2 rush yards/game (27th). Hoyer and company should be able to take advantage of the Bills’ average defense.
Hopefully Willis McGahee and the rest of the Browns’ running backs can get some big runs tonight and therefore open up the passing game and play-action game. If they can do that, Hoyer should be able to throw the ball all over the field.
I predict that Cleveland will win their third straight game and beat Bills 31-17 tonight. Like I said, Buffalo’s biggest strength is their run game and the Browns’ run defense is their biggest strength; so they will be able to stop both Spiller and Fred Jackson, at least for the most part.
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