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SaNF Week 15: CLE @ DEN GDT

Broncofan

By Broncofan
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Broncofan

Broncofan

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Guess it's a prime time game, so gets it own FF Main thread....might as well use the posts from the team Forum...

While technically both teams are still alive for a playoff spot, realistically we're both done, so it's definitely a game for pride for both orgs (and man, MNF with DEN @ OAK Week 16 even more so lol).  

We're not breaking down new ground with our team, but with CLE, it's an interesting matchup for sure, namely...

1.  Baker Mayfield and how he handles our pass rush pressure - the CLE OL is very good at run blocking, but if there's a weakness, it's in their T play, especially in pass pro (how they had 4 top 40 picks and didn't get a LT out of that yield is a little crazy, although it's hard to criticize Nick Chubb at 2.4; the head scratcher was Austin Corbett, who's not able to transition to T).    Sound familiar?   Well, that means it's a huge matchup problem with our EDGES.   Baker's looked great several games for sure, and this early, it means the likelihood of a pure bust is very, very low.   But he also crumbled hard @ HOU with pressure - how does he fare this week with Von & co.?    This is a huge key, because the matchup that should scare DEN fans is...

2.  CLE's WR & TE's vs. our leaky pass coverage - man, that was one ugly display.   And while George Kittle is an absolute beast, David Njoku is another emerging young talent (further behind Kittle, probably another year away).   And Jarvis Landry and the mercurial Antonio Callaway (along with reclamation project Breshad Perriman - Rashad Higgins has been a good story, but he's mostly JAG) must be salivating at the thought of facing our secondary.   And if that isn't enough, CLE boasts a top RB pass catching talent in Duke Johnson, Jr.  So yeah....tough draw there.

3.  Chubb & the run game vs. our run D - gotta say how much Nick Chubb has impressed.   Saquon Barkley and Lindsay probably finish 1-2 in OROY voting this year and deservedly so, but I suspect a fair amount of CLE fans will stump for Chubb, who's been just outstanding in limited work.    And like our OL, the CLE OL does much better in the run game than in pass pro.  This will be a big test for our run D, who's been great some weeks, and baffling in others.

Now, when we get the ball on O....well, ugh:

1.  Keenum....sigh - I really don't know what else to say.   Without pressure, with pressure, play-action, from the gun - it's been brutal to watch.   VJ has gone on record that Keenum needs to push the ball downfield - the problem is, he's been awful at doing that.  So this could get really ugly.  And that's really bad news, because this week the worst matchup we face is...

2.  CLE's pass rush vs. our pass pro - Myles Garrett is certainly justifying the 1.1 pick last year.  Total animal.  And the rest of that front 7 is really emerging (Joe Schobert in the LB corps for sure).    If VJ wants Keenum to push the ball downfield, that means the pass pro has to hold up.   Which is a real problem given the mismatch, so we'll see how that goes.   CLE really has a nasty 2019 D if they can get 1 more difference maker in their...

3.   Secondary vs. our young WR/TE corps - if CLE gets another top CB to join Denzel Ward, that's a tough draw.  Ward's size difference vs. Sutton in theory gives DEN a way to go there, but Ward's such a great cover guy, tough matchup for sure.  Right now, though, outside of Ward, there is some room to be had - so I'd expect DeSean Hamilton to get a lot of looks.   CLE also has been vulnerable to the TE, so I'd really hope we see more targets there.    

4.  Their run D vs. our run game - if Keenum can't make D's respect the pass game, then Lindsay & co. are in for rough times.   CLE has been hurt in the deep throwing game, but they've been much better of late at stopping the run (where early on, they struggled).  With SS Peppers there, I expect we'll see a repeat of Week 14 with SF and 8 in the box, stuffing the run, and daring Keenum to beat us.

Of course, I've not addressed 3 intangibles that are always keys:

1.   TO's - let's face it, we won 2 games vs. much better teams because we had a 6-0 TO advantage (LAC & PIT).   We lost last week because our O sucked hard, and we turned the ball over 2x on downs (vs. getting the 1 TO by Stewart).   

2.  ToP/Field Position - with an altitude game, wearing out the D is key on either side.  You get 35+ mins of ToP, very rare to lose games in DEN...which brings up the last one...

3.  HFA - no doubt, it's always a plus on our side.  CLE was smart enough to come to DEN early, to get used to the altitude.  I'm surprised why more teams don't do this more.


As I've said all along, I don't really care if we win or lose, given we aren't legit contenders - so long as we try hard, and it develops the character of our young core, and our kids get to play.   I do look forward to watching another emerging franchise - what Sashi Brown to set up the turnaround bearing fruit is truly impressive (and the org finally getting rid of the cancer that was Hue Jackson as HC, he and Jeff Fisher will go down as 2 of the worst HC's in pro sports...ever).    I think with Hue gone, the Browns have been 3-2 (and CIN who hired him..0-4 lol).  OC Freddy Kitchens has been AWESOME in dialing up plays that leverage their best mismatches, really impressed (although they screwed the pooch badly @ HOU, tough place, but that was ugly).    TO's will likely decide it, but with generational talent Von vs. Baker and generational talent Garrett & co. vs. Keenum - even with HFA, I'd see a CLE 24-21 type game (if it was a neutral field, I'd see a 7+ pt CLE win).     Either way though, I look forward to seeing 2 young teams fight it out in prime time.

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pnies20

pnies20

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25 minutes ago, TheKillerNacho said:

Looking forward to seeing Myles Garrett play - haven't watched many Browns games this year but I'm told he's playing at an extremely high level.

He’ll probably have a sack and be invisible the rest of the game. It’s pretty frustrating. 

He’ll also get held about 5 times that will go uncalled.

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BroncoSojia

BroncoSojia

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3 minutes ago, candyman93 said:

Broncos are soooo banged up. Emmanuel Sanders is out and I think Brandon Marshall is out too.

 

Broncos inactives:

Shane Ray
Chris Harris Jr.
Shaq Barrett
Isaac Yiadom
Su’a Cravens
DeMarcus Walker
Nico Falah

Marshall is playing, not that it matters.

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