I think both are true. The Browns are definetly a potential playoff team with an outstanding defense, while Cincinnati is a good team with QB who wets himself when the lights shine the brightest. Dalton is great on a quiet Sunday afternoon at 1, but when the playoffs or Prime Time comes his way, he looks more like Kyle Boller then Boomer Esiason. Cleveland is ascending, and the AFC North is, in my opinion, the best division in football.

Congrats to the First Place Browns. Credit given where credit is due. It's going to be a fun second half.

@hoorta said:

Well, watch the Browns-Pats on Dtv shortcuts and tell me there weren't several questionable calls that went against the Browns. The intentional grounding when Campbell was clearly outside the tackle box with an eligible receiver in the area. Brady got away with a couple inside the tackle box throw aways with no one in the area, unless you want to consider the center an eligible receiver. And the gift PI that gave the Pats the game- if that's the SB, clearly a no-call.

You're right. The sure didn't call Jimmy Smith in the SB.

I firmly believe the NFL has certain teams it favors over others. Which made the Ravens run last year all that much better, knowing how much the NFL still hates us.

Even if it's a Steeler?

I would like to personally thank the Cleveland Browns defensive secondary for their LEGAL hit which knocked out Gronk. We play these clowns in two weeks and it's much better going against them without him. He may be a sissy, but he can ball when called upon. Nicely done. And if not for the refs, you guys would have won this game.

@nepatriots said:

That was a cheap hit and you guys know it. I guess this is going to be the new NFL, where the greatest talents just get Nancy Kerrigan'ed on the field with the cheapest, most dirties hit I've seen in a long, long time.

Anyway, I guess it's time for NFL fans around the league to rejoice while dishonestly claiming they don't root for injuries, since their poorly coached, uncreative fucktard organizations have a better chance of winning.

You have got to be kidding me. Cheap hit? Where are the defensive players supposed to hit these faggot ass offensive Sallys??? Can't hit em high, can't hit em middle, gotta hit em somewhere. Your candy ass QB made sure of that. Oh wait, you can't hit that cry baby anywhere.

I can't quite figure this one out. The Browns have a very good defense, but a terrible offense, and yet, they trade away the only player on offense the opposing defense needs to prepare for?? For one pick that could be anywhere in the teens or twenties? Glad the Ravens didn't do that with Jamal Lewis when Kyle Boller was at the helm. At least they remained competitive.

The Browns have a really good defense.

And Johnny Manziel is not the answer.

To answer the question....continuity. There has been way too much turnover.

7 maybe generous but this defense is very good. Weeden is holding this team back.

Your defense is good enough to win 7 games. Reminds me of the Ravens' teams when we had no offense but a championship defense.

@calfoxwc said:

Ravensfan translation:

"Every ratbird player could be serial camel crap eater , and I would still give every one of them great

big smoochies."

Pretty sick rep of the ratbird fan collection. "yawn"

Not sure how to even respond to that. On the whole, Baltimore Ravens players stay out of trouble and are great guys who do a lot of work in the community.

Zombo said:

Two dead kids on the sidewalk.

I know where I won't be when the Browns win the Super Bowl: On a Ravens Board.

Pretty pathetic, man.

Zombo

In my defense, I've been on here when they lost too. Those two dead "kids" were thugs who were trying to commit a robbery that night. Live stupid, die young.

@calfoxwc said:

It wasn't that long ago, when Flatulence Flacco was a "BUST" discussion most everywhere.

But, somebody who thinks they have been a stinkin ratbird fan since 1996 ...that's just plain pitiful.

Pitiful? I don't get your argument there. I have been a Ravens fan since 1996. I was a Colts fan until they left. I was a Buffalo Bills fan because of Jim Kelly, and I became a fan of the Ravens when they returned football to the best football town in the country. In regards to Flacco, all he has done since he was drafted is win, especially in the postseason. He has won more postseason games and has as many rings as the NFL's Golden Boy, Peyton.

@browns149 said:

How is the AFC north the best division? the Browns have lost 10 or more games in 9 of the last 10 years. The ratbirds have won 10 or more games in a row against us.

Not to mention the Bungles have had 4 winning seasons since 1991.

Our division is top heavy, but it is way easier then the NFC east. The stoolers and ratbirds are pretty much given 3-4 wins a year, and then they usually split against each other, so 4-2 or 5-1 in the division is pretty common

The Bengals are better and I think the Browns will be better.

@hoorta said:

Nope, a good point was made- the Super Bowl gets reefed differently than regular season games. Your guy would have gotten tossed for pushing a ref, there would have been a 15 yard unnecessary roughness for decking Flacco out of bounds- and I don't see the reason why the last minute of a game should get called differently than the first. If that wasn't flagrant holding on San Fran's 4th and seven, I don't know what was. You might argue the ball was uncatchable, but (I believe it was Crabtree) never got a chance to make a play on the ball.

It's not just isolated to this game either. a few years back when the Patriots were in the SB, one of their guards flat-out tackled a defender on a sweep- and no call.

Hoorta, I've always respected your opinion and I have enjoyed our back and forths. But the play he is talking about it a legit play that is run several times a year. Could there have been flags throughout the game? Yes. But was the safety play a pussy move? No, not by a long shot. It was smart football by a smart football coach.

And yes, I would take Flacco over those two any day of the week. His time is now.

To correct you, Manning has 1. Just like Flacco. Brady has 3, and more power to him. How many does Cleveland have??? And yes, they are soft. Just watch the second half of the AFC Championship Game, and you will see how soft Brady is.