Philadelphia vs Cleveland Odds & Prediction
The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t even make the playoffs last year after dubbing themselves as the “Dream Team” in the preseason. The team is clearly very talented, and they are looking to prove that last year was a fluke.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Sunday September 9, 1:00 PM EST on FOX
NFL Betting Odds from BetOnline
Moneyline: Philadelphia (-460) Cleveland (+375)
NFL Spread: Eagles -9 (-110) vs. Browns +9 (-110)
Over/Under: 43
The Cleveland Browns continue to be mired in an ugly cycle of losing year after year. Can Cleveland stun the Eagles in week one?
Philadelphia
The Eagles had a tough offseason as Andy Reid tragically lost his son just before the start of the preseason.
The players will want to play extra hard for their coach in what has to be an extremely difficult time in his life. Owner Jeffrey Loria made it clear that last season’s results won’t be accepted again.
The bar is set high for the Eagles heading into this season.
Can Mike Vick stay healthy? Vick hasn’t been able to stay on the field enough for the Eagles. In addition, he needs to be more accurate with his passes. He clearly isn’t as quick as he once was, so his scrambling ability is a bit reduced.
Nick Foles did a great job in the preseason, and he does give the team a solid backup this year. LeSean McCoy ran for 1,309 yards last year, and he caught 48 passes. McCoy racked up 20 touchdowns.
Dion Lewis will likely get the ball a little more this year, since the Eagles want to preserve McCoy for the long-term. The Eagles have solid pass catchers in Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, and Brent Celek. The offensive line is probably the biggest question mark for the Eagles offense.
Defensively, the Eagles have all the talent in the world. Jason Babin and Trent Cole are a great pass-rushing duo. Cullen Jenkins is great in the middle of the line, and Fletcher Cox should see time in his rookie season as well. DeMeco Ryans was an awesome pickup to shore up the linebackers in the offseason.
The corners are very good, but the safety spots are question marks. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Cleveland
The Browns have become one of the laughing stocks of the NFL of late. Cleveland just can’t seem to do anything right. When Mike Holmgren came in as GM, most people thought the team would quickly improve. That hasn’t happened, and some believe Holmgren won’t be around for long now.
Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden will be the starters from day one in the backfield. Richardson is a beast who can carry a tremendous workload at running back. Weeden is a veteran quarterback (28 years old) who is still an NFL rookie. Can this duo turn things around for Cleveland? The team still desperately needs help on the outside.
You could argue that the Browns have the worst group of receivers in the NFL at this point. The offensive line is decent, and Joe Thomas is one of the best tackles in the league.
Joe Haden’s suspension at the start of the year really hurts this defense. Cleveland had one of the best secondaries in the NFL last year, but without their star they will struggle. The Browns rushing defense is miserably bad.
Opposing teams chewed up this front seven on weekly basis last year.
They have done little in the offseason to make me think this will change in 2012.
I’m not a big fan of laying a lot of points on the road. I do think the Eagles are easily the better team here, but it might be more wise to play the under.
The Eagles defense should flex their muscles in this one.
Free NFL Pick: Under 43
