Nov 10, 2013
Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports
What an interesting time to be a Cleveland Browns fan. After beating Baltimore last week to become (4-5), a shine of light is beaming down on Cleveland. The AFC North is seemingly up for grabs with Bengals (6-4) in first place and Cleveland and Baltimore tied for second.
The BrownÕs season appeared to of came to end just after Week 2 when RB Trent Richardson was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a 1st round draft pick in 2014. Richardson did not necessarily put up too Òstand-outÓ of numbers just averaging 3.6 yards per carry last year. After the Trent Richardson trade, we saw a whole new Browns team. Players that were now fighting to prove they belong in Cleveland; a team that was not going to give up and throw the season away just to earn the number one overall draft pick in 2014.
Jason Campbell has proved in the last two games that he can be a relevant starting quarterback in Cleveland. After Brian Hoyer went down for the season, and Brandon Weeden continuing to struggle throughout the season, Jason Campbell got his chance against the Kansas City Chiefs. Campbell boasted a 105.4 QB rating while throwing 2 TDs and no picks in a close 23-17 loss showing us that he, and the Browns, can perform against an elite team.
The defense is now running a 3-4 scheme, giving much more success overall this season. With the 4th ranked defense led by Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, and first round draft pick Barkavious Mingo, I can only speculate what the future holds when these young players continue to develop.
With a big divisional game against the Bengals next Sunday, all eyes will be on quarterbacks Jason Campbell and Andy Dalton. If the Browns were to win, not only would they be able to make a huge stride for the first place spot in the AFC North, but talk of playoffs this season will be more fortified. If the Browns keep playing with this renewed fire, the sky’s the limit.
