On to Natty

Tour2ma

@mudfly said:
I took the liberty of looking up our overall records on Monday and Thurday. VERY happy to say that CINN is the third worst ALL TIME for mon and thurs night games at 333%, while the Browns are a better at 517% on Mon and 410% on Thurs.

Man... that's a lot of percents...

@thenew23 said:

Hoyer is a very "mentally sharp" QB, so I believe the advantage at that position goes in our favor. Overall talent, it's pretty close, but missing Taylor, Mack, Gordon, and Cameron might push the edge to Cincy.

Who wants it more?? I think we can win another ugly one... Hoyer and co. will shine under the bright lights...

Staunch D and no turnovers... same recipe as last year.

Game Manager Brian vs. the great red unibrow... need to bait their ginger... and hit him early an often.

While I hate the Mack injury (shocker I know), it's not as if CIN is whole...

Sean Porter Injured Reserve knee is on injured reserve

Marvin Jones Injured Reserve foot is on injured reserve

Tyler Eifert Injured Reserve elbow is on injured reserve/designated for return

J.K. Schaffer Injured Reserve concussion is on injured reserve

Trey Hopkins Injured Reserve fibula is on injured reserve

Alex Smith Injured Reserve biceps is on injured reserve

A.J. McCarron Out shoulder is on the non-football injury list

Vontaze Burfict Out knee is expected to miss 2-3 weeks

Darqueze Dennard Out hamstring was inactive for Sunday's game against Jacksonville

Giovani Bernard Out hip/clavicle was inactive for Sunday's game against Jacksonville

Kevin Zeitler Questionable calf is questionable for Thursday's game against Cleveland

Rey Maualuga Questionable hamstring is questionable for Thursday's game against Cleveland

Andre Smith Questionable ankle is questionable for Thursday's game against Cleveland

The Gipper

@jafbf said:

Bad news is, we've lost the last 17 Divisional road games, plus Cincy is like 14-1 at home recently.

Streaks like those are made to be broken.

jrb12711

This game is the reality check for the Browns. It's been ugly but we got through the easy part of the schedule with the winning record. The Bengals are a good football team all around unlike the past three weeks. I have a real uneasy feeling on how we're gonna look but that's why it's settled on the field instead of on paper.

JAFBF

@the-gipper said:
Streaks like those are made to be broken.

I'd feel better about our chances if we weren't so decimated on both sides of the line.

It's going to be one helluva challenge.

gftChris

Sorry, can't see us winning this one

I know we *can*, it's certainly possible, but I've just got a feeling they're going to run all over us, even with Haden locking down Green.

Tour2ma

@jrb12711 said:
I have a real uneasy feeling on how we're gonna look but that's why it's settled on the field instead of on paper.

I have been uneasy before every game this year except JAX and TB... loss and narrow win. I'm starting to like "uneasy".

@jafbf said:
I'd feel better about our chances if we weren't so decimated on both sides of the line.

I'd feel better not being so on one side. Somehow or another, we have to muster a run game.

@gftchris said:
Sorry, can't see us winning this one

Have you tried squinting really hard?

gftChris

@tour2ma said:
Have you tried squinting really hard?

I'm a long way away.

The Cysko Kid

Where's all the bungle trolls?

gftChris

@the-cysko-kid said:
Where's all the bungle trolls?

Wait til Friday, if they win.

Mark O

@gftchris said:

Sorry, can't see us winning this one

I know we *can*, it's certainly possible, but I've just got a feeling they're going to run all over us, even with Haden locking down Green.

We got this...it's in the bag. We should've beaten them last year in Cincy. We were up like 14-0 early but then unfortunately our offense needed to play and Weedampbell happened and that ended that.

TypicalBrowns

that's the thing mark o, last year browns 0 gave up 4 turnovers in a half to cincy.

the o is a little different now, rarely turning the ball over. And just imagine if Dalton has one of his "dear lord how is he a QB in the NFL" days

TypicalBrowns

just read Leon Hall, Burfict, and Maulaga and Bernard are out.

we may be luckier than we think. who knows tho

bbedward

@typicalbrowns said:

just read Leon Hall, Burfict, and Maulaga and Bernard are out.

we may be luckier than we think. who knows tho

Bernard won't make much difference, that Hill boi looked pretty good.

Without two starting LBs (their best LB included) and without their best CB I like our chances on O a bit more though.Their defense has been shaky as of late when healthy too.

tiamat63

Bernard would make a serious difference if he was healthy. Hill is a very capable back in his own right, so I won't be quick to dismiss the damage he can do.

Actually, I'll be starting him in my league with Gio out.

Mark O

@typicalbrowns said:

that's the thing mark o, last year browns 0 gave up 4 turnovers in a half to cincy.

the o is a little different now, rarely turning the ball over. And just imagine if Dalton has one of his "dear lord how is he a QB in the NFL" days

That's kinda what I was getting at while being too lazy to go back and look up the actual stats. If Dalton gift wraps points for us like he did in Cincy last year, this game is a blowout win for the Browns because this offense doesn't turn the ball over.

hoorta

@tour2ma said:

Not looking too pretty in Cinci Thursday...

Nov 6 Showers 54°/36° Showers

Chance of rain: 80% - Wind: SW at 11 mph

I hope the threat of rain 40% and temps in the 40s- makes a lot of the wusses stay home and watch it on TV. Then again- it's exactly what I'm going to do, instead of making the 50 mile run down to PBS. Though it doesn't affect me- if you have a normal day job- a Thursday night game makes for a rather rough Friday morning- unless you've already planned to make a long weekend out of it.

@opal312 said:
The Browns are going to have to learn how to stop the run in a hurry. The Bungles have Bernard and Hill just scored 28.00 points for my fantasy teams. Also they're going to have to figure out how to get Tate, West and Crowell more involved. They definitely do not look good now that Alex Mack is out and Hoyer is no Tom Brady no matter what the rose colored glasses think.

Bernard is probably out, as was posted, so is Hall. No Burfict,probably no Malaluga. They are more even beat up than us.

@the-cysko-kid said:
Where's all the bungle trolls?

I do miss Umadogg- make that Umatroll. one of the few smart and loyal Bungle fans on the planet.

@typicalbrowns said:

just read Leon Hall, Burfict, and Maulaga and Bernard are out.

we may be luckier than we think. who knows tho

Beat me to it. Browns must stop Hall from running for 200 yards, establish their own running game (Bengals almost as bad as us in run D), and force Dalton into a couple of turnovers.

BTW, AG Green is far from 100%.

The bad? Bungles are 12-0-1 of late at home.

darkside5

Hawk will have a big game against his former team. I think we have the advantage over Cincy in the run game . We have three healthy running backs ( I think Pettine saved the Crow intentionally for this game). If we can keep Hill from putting up a 100 yds. we win. Ball control , time of possession and a +1 in turnovers is key, Field goals will be crucial in this one. Browns 23-20.

GO BROWNS !

Manzier

Thursday night can be crazy. I just read an interesting article that has this stat:

2014 average margin of victory for ALL games on Sunday = 12.5 pts

2014 average margin of victory for THURDAY games = 29 pts

HOLY CRAP!!!!

It's gonna be a blow out. And I think it will be the Bungles who crash and burn. No stats to back it. Just a hunch.

http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2014/10/does_thursday_night_football_i.html

Tour2ma

Sittin' here wondering...

If the weather is really lousy, then do we trot out our "Special Package" that features the read-option?

Manzier

@tour2ma said:

Sittin' here wondering...

If the weather is really lousy, then do we trot out our "Special Package" that features the read-option?

I wouldn't be surprised.

Here is part of an interesting article FROM APRIL(before the draft), where Pettine 'basically' says rookie QB's are better off sitting and learning. He also mentions Kaepernick as a "package player" his first year. This should help to show that things are as he wanted them from the very start. Even BEFORE JFF was drafted, he said he would prefer the rookie to sit if at all possible. And he might work him into special situations, if at all possible. Here are the highlights:

Bucking the NFL's trend of the past half-decade, Pettine emphasized that it's "extremely difficult" for a quarterback to succeed as a rookie starter.

"When you look at the history of the league whether it was (Tom) Brady or whether it was Aaron Rodgers, or Carson Palmer (they waited)," Pettine explained Tuesday, via The Plain Dealer. "Even Russell Wilson sat for a little bit and (Colin) Kaepernick was a package player his first year."