I'm back in the saddle for a full-fledged version of the Start Me Up this week, as the Browns stay at home to face off against the Tennessee Titans.
These Titans have a new head coach for the first time since they moved from Houston, and so far the change has been successful. They come into Cleveland today with a 2-1 record, backed by the not-as-washed-up-as-some-might-have-guessed Matt Hasselbeck, who comes in with 932 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Pretty quality numbers. But the man the Titans really, really want to get going has to be running back Chris Johnson, whose new six-year, $56 million deal isn't looking so great after his long August holdout. Johnson has carried the ball 46 times for just 98 yards—a 2.1 average. Now I'm no GM, but that certainly isn't $56 million worthy.
I actually think this is going to be a real tough one for the Browns today. Tennessee's defense is only letting up 261 yards per game, 172 through the air and 89 on the ground. If Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty can't get going early, and the Browns take a quarter warm up as they have all season, Hasselbeck could have his team with an early 7-0 or 10-0 lead after the first quarter.
So to me, the biggest key for the Browns today is to get it going early. We've got to score on the first drive, I don't care if it's a field goal or touchdown (okay, I would vastly prefer a touchdown) but it's just got to happen.
The other key is going to be making Matt Hasselbeck beat us. Yes, I know Hasselbeck has been pretty darn good so far, but it's supposed to be a pretty windy day out at Cleveland Browns Stadium, and to be honest, I trust our secondary a lot more than our running defense. As it stands right now, we're 9th in the league in defensive yards, (yeah, 9th! I mean, I know it's only been three games, but we're in the top ten!!) with 316 per game, 187.3 passing, but a not-so-great 128.7 on the ground. If we let Chris Johnson get going, he and Hasselbeck will carve up the defense like a Thanksgiving turkey in the wind. And if that happens, we lose. Bigtime.
So what's going to happen? I'm not really sure about this one. I'd really like to say that the Browns are going to come out, be efficient on offense on their first drive, Peyton Hillis will shake off the illness he had last week (which, by the way, if you've been criticizing the guy for not playing, stop it. He lost 10 pounds. I had strep throat last year and it landed me in the hospital. So it's not like he had a cold, he was seriously ill.), and the defense will be as stout as it has all year.
The problem is that Tennessee comes in with a defense that, as I said before, only has given up 261 yards per game—good enough for #1 in the league. But then again, it's points that count, not yards. And Tennessee's special teams have not been great so far, so if Josh Cribbs can break one today, it may be the difference.
So what the heck, I'll go against my head and with my heart on this one.
The Prediction: CLE 20 - TEN 17
Special teams is going to win this one for the Browns. I think Colt is going to have another frustrating day, but he'll pull it together when he needs to, just like last week.
I'll see you at the half!
~MAS
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