Week 15: Washington Redskins @ Cleveland Browns

[mike23md]

Vs.


Where:


The DAWG POUND




Time: 1:00pm

Weather: Few Showers, High of 41, Chance of Rain 30%.

Cleveland is riding a 3 game win streak while the Redskins are riding a 4 game wins streak. For Washington this is a must win game, and for Cleveland this is not so much a must win but a win for the team.

Cleveland finally has a coach to believe in with Pat Shurmur. And the Browns are having one of the better seasons they have had in a long time. Brandon Weeden may be a 29 year old rookie, but he is maturing fast in this offense and having the supplemental draftee of Josh Gordon as a speedy downfield threat helps the cause.

Trent Richardson has been no surprise of being the RB that he was expected to be. Having a decent OL with Alex Mack and Joe Thomas leading the blocking and protection schemes really makes the jobs of Richardson and Weeden easier.

On the other side of the ball, the defense of the Browns has a limited Pass Rush with 2 solid DT's and Sheard on the LE spot. Frostee Rucker is really lacking but with no solid depth at the DE position, the Browns are forced to go with Rucker. At the LB position in the middle is D'Qwell Jackson who is a solid MLB. Has a nose for the ball and is a solid tackler. Cleveland did draf two potential ILB's to play the ROLB spot in James Michael Johnson and Tank Carder. Kaluka Maiava holds down the LOLB spot.

Cleveland has really stepped up their secondary with Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown as the starting CB's. T.J. Ward is definitely someone to watch out for as the SS spot in run support. While Cleveland plays in a very tough conference with the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals all playing well, they are trying to make a name for themselves to become relevant.

This game is no different in their quest for that relevance.

Washington has a 4 game winning streak coming into this game with a come from behind win against the Ravens in OT. RG3 has been the highlight of the season for the Redskins, but with the late game heroics needed to help get the Redskins back into the Ravens game, RGIII sacrificed his body to get extra yardage, and while doing so, Hiloti Ngata layed a hit on RGIII that left RGIII hobbling off the field. Only to come back and complete a pass to Garcon and make things worse.

Kirk Cousins, a 4th round draft pick comes in and plays the savior for the Redskins buy completing a pass over the middle to Pierre Garcon and then another pass to Santana Moss. Then Cousins scrambles out of the pocket away from Kruger and loft a pass the the right short corner to a wide open Pierre Garcon for an 11 yard touchdown. Then Cousins completes a QB draw for a 2pt conversion. For Washington, rookies are getting it done.

Alfred Morris is 4th in the league in rushing and is a big part of the offense in Washington. The read option offense has really helped the play of Morris but with RGIII potentially out for the next game, how will the offense look with Kirk Cousins starting and the read option being taken out of play.

Defensively, the Redskins are battered in the secondary. There is a lot of heart being displayed on the field but the depth of players at certain positions is so thin and having players go down this late in the stage would be a tragic and possibly catastrophic collapse of the defense that has been much better in the 2nd half than the 1st half this season.

All this leads to this game, that some would say is a trap game, but merely is a contest between one team showing that it has improved and wants to keep improving and another team that is trying to make the playoffs.

This game can come down to the availability of one man.



If RGIII plays then the Skins should win.

Skins 31
Browns 20

If RGIII does not play, the game gets a bit closer.

Skins 21
Browns 20
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[THESKINSFAN21]

Trap game ,Skins 28,browns 24
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mike23md on the sig

[footy_29]

I wouldn't be surprised to see them lose this one. The secondary is terrible, Trent Richardson is good and we may see Kirk with his first start.
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Blknite01's masterpiece

[turtle28]

This is a big game. This is one we should win- even with Cousins (probably) having his first start. I hope we continue to rely heavily on the run game. We need to with Cousins being a rookie and this defensive secondary being as porous as it is.

Ground and pound- ball control will win us this game. If we try to air it out like Kyle did the previous two years with McNabb and then Rex- we lose.

I really think it is that simple.

Oh and of course turnovers will be a key in the game as they always are.
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mike23md
Days until:Days until: OTAs 1; Minicamp 24; Training camp 68; Eagles @ Redskins 114 RIP SSF

[RSkinGM]

It'll be an entirely different offense with Cousins. Morris can't rely on RG3 fakes to slow down the tacklers. Cousins won't be a run threat --I assume.

[turtle28]

[RSkinGM]

[Jeezy Fanatic]

One thing we have going for us if Cousins starts is there's next to no film on how our offense would run with him at the helm. Could at the very least keep the Browns off balance and open some opportunities for us.

This is gonna be a tough test, Browns are not a bad team.
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Sig By Mike23md

[RSkinGM]

[mike23md]

The Browns are lacking outside pass rushers as Frostee Rucker is garbage and they are looking to upgrade his position in the draft. They are also in need of OLB's but the ILB spot is locked down with DQwell Jackson.

I think that our OL can handle the front 4 of the Browns and we can actually run the ball. That is going to be the key to the game, run the ball to set up the pass.
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[DCRED]

[turtle28]

[braylonsHands]

[21 ALL THE WAY]

[mike23md]