USA Today Browns predictions - Browns Daily Dose

USA Today Browns predictions

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By STEVE KING

In a pre-curser to what might well end up being the storyline going into the season, the early predictions for the Browns for 2020 are all over the place.

USA Today Browns predictions have Cleveland going 7-9 and in third place in the AFC North in its recently-released prognostications.

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Here’s what the newspaper’s website had to say about the club:

“New GM Andrew Berry appeared to oversee a strong draft on the heels of a nice free agent haul. But, similar to last year, talent doesn’t seem to be the issue here. Getting it to coalesce under rookie head coach Kevin Stefanski in a pandemic-restricted environment seems like a big ask.”

The Baltimore Ravens are predicted to win the division for a third straight season at 13-3, unseat the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC and go to the Super Bowl, where they will defeat the New Orleans Saints.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) will supposedly finish second, with the Cincinnati Bengals (5-11) placing last.

This is the same order of the teams’ finishes last season. I am dubious of such predictions because the NFL changes so much from one year to the next.

After the co-host read the USAToday.com predictions, the other host on a Detroit sports talk radio station, Mike Valenti, a real football-savvy guy with strong opinions and no fear of going against the grain with them, disagreed strongly, saying he thinks the Browns will go 10-6 to finish second and make the playoffs, displacing the Steelers, who will be 8-8.

“I think the Browns addressed their needs in free agency and the draft, and now they have a real head coach who is committed to running the ball, which will help (quarterback) Bake Mayfield, who is going to have a bounce-back year,” he said.

“As for the Steelers, I don’t trust (quarterback) Ben Roethlisberger, What shape is he going to be in? How will his shoulder be? And (backup) Mason Rudolph is terrible. James Conner (running back) has injury problems. And they don’t have enough offensive weapons. They’ve got a lot of problems.”

We’ll see who’s right.

As for me, the biggest problem I have with the Browns is the defense, or the lack thereof, especially the linebackers. I don’t know that the Browns have ever headed into a season with, at least on paper, as weak of a group of linebackers as they have now. There appears to be little playmaking ability. Plus the secondary has some questions, too.

And while I think the Browns will score points with the best of them, I have real concerns as to if they can keep their opponents from scoring. So, it may make for exciting football, but perhaps not winning football – at least not enough to get them into the postseason.

In addition, I agree that any first-year, first-time head coach, like Stefanski, and his coaching staff are going to have a real issue implementing their schemes with so much dependence on virtual learning.

Again, though, we will see – hopefully, at some point.

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