A little bit of this and a little bit of that as the Browns get ready to host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field:
*NFL fans make a big deal now — and rightfully, and understandably, so — when the teams that met in the previous season’s Super Bowl play again. But that feeling has been around for a long time.
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It was 59 years ago almost to the day when the Browns and Packers were part of this. In 1965, the last season before there was a Super Bowl, the host Packers defeated the defending champion Browns 23-12 in the NFL title game. They met in a rematch in the second week of the 1966 season, on Sept. 18, at Cleveland Stadium. The Browns led 14-0 and then at halftime by 17-7 on the strength of two touchdown passes from Frank Ryan to wide receiver Gary Collins, who had combined for three scores in the 1964 championship game victory over the Baltimore Colts. But Green Bay rallied for a 21-20 victory, the deciding points coming on a late nine-yard TD pass from Bart Starr to fullback Jim Taylor. I can still see Browns defensive tackle Dick Modzelewski ripping off his helmet in anger after the Packers got that score.
*It’s silly and unfortunate that quarterback Joe Flacco is taking so much flak for the struggling Browns offense. The line is having trouble in both pass and run blocking and receivers keep dropping the ball. Yes, Flacco needs to do a better job with his ball security, but nothing is going to change until the players around him start doing their jobs.
*It had been 40 years, since the 1985 season when Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner became just the third set of backs in NFL history to both rush for 1,000 yards in the same season, that the Browns have had two talented young backs burst upon the scene at essentially the same time. Now the Browns have a pair of high-profile runners in rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. They could be the key to this offense going forward. Their presence is one of the few things to be excited about on that side of the ball.
*And finally, I still think the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in the AFC North, but they have to start playing like it. They came from behind in the opener to beat the New York Jets, but they needed a 60-yard field goal to do it. And they looked bad last Sunday in losing at home to the mediocre Seattle Seahawks. They will have their hands full on Sunday at New England, but I think they will squeak by — again. The third division team playing at 1 p.m. Sunday is the Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals, who will face the Minnesota Vikings on the road with Jake Browning under center. This is why teams need a capable backup quarterback. Browning can do the job. I think Cincinnati wins. On Monday Night Football, look for the Baltimore Ravens to have their way with the Detroit Lions. Don’t let the Lions’ easy win over a bad Chicago Bears team last Sunday fool you. They are not right on either side of the ball. The Ravens are extra-tough at home.
Steve King
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