NFL Cleveland BrownsOakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders vs. Cleveland Browns: Predicting the Final Score

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By @Kevin_Saito

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Given the seeming trajectories of these two teams this season, most people are probably picking the Cleveland Browns to win handily over the Oakland Raiders. And given the fact that the Browns have surprised some by checking in with a 3-3 record, and the Raiders currently sit at a woeful 0-6, it’s not very hard to figure out why people might be feeling that way. But the NFL is a dynamic league where things are always changing, and there are a few reasons to think that this game might not go down the way many believe it will.

The Browns have been a tough team to figure out so far this season. One week they can trounce the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-10, and the next week, they come out and get dominated by the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars. Some weeks, Brian Hoyer looks like one of the better quarterbacks in the league, and other weeks, he looks like what most people expected Hoyer to look like – the guy keeping the seat warm for Johnny Manziel.

While the Browns have looked very good at certain points this season, they are a team with plenty of flaws. They currently sit at the very top of the league in rushing yards allowed per game with a very robust 155.5 YPG. Of course, the Raiders sit at the very bottom of the league in rushing yards per game with a ridiculously anemic 69.3 YPG. On the flip side of that, Oakland’s defense isn’t much better than Cleveland against the rush, giving up a healthy 145.3 YPG while the Browns have one of the leagues better ground games, checking in with 133.5 YPG.

Cleveland and Oakland are nearly evenly matched in terms of their air attacks with Hoyer averaging 230.2 YPG, and Raiders rookie QB Derek Carr averaging 213.3 YPG. Neither team is exceptionally strong against the pass defensively, with the Browns giving up 241.5 YPG through the air and the Raiders giving up 229.5 YPG.

The addendum to all of those stats, of course – and something that could potentially turn Cleveland’s entire season on its head – was the loss of center Alex Mack to a season-ending broken leg. Without Mack plugging the middle of that line, the Browns looked flustered and discombobulated. As a team, they rushed for a season worst 69 total yards and managed just 266 yards of total offense in their loss to the Jags.

It will be upon the Raiders to take advantage of Mack’s absence. With Cleveland’s offensive line in a bit of disarray, Oakland has the chance to generate some real pressure on Hoyer, and potentially force him into some of the mistakes he made last week that led him to a 46.3 passer rating for the day. They will need to hit him early and hit him often, and not allow him to get into a rhythm. They also need to do a much better job of bottling up RB Ben Tate than they have against the run this season. If they can do those things, the Raiders might put themselves in a position to win.

The flip side of that, of course, is that if the Raiders cannot do those things, if they allow Tate to run wild – like so many other running backs this season – they are in trouble. If they cannot generate a pass rush – and their six sacks this season show it’s a definite possibility – giving Hoyer the time to pick apart the Raider defense, they’re in even bigger trouble.

Losing Mack, though, the heart and soul of that offense, is a huge blow for the Browns. One they might not be able to overcome. And in two games under interim HC Tony Sparano, the Raiders look like a much different team than the one that began the year under Dennis Allen. They are playing hard, with a lot of heart, and Carr – as he develops chemistry with receivers Andre Holmes and James Jones – is looking like a legit NFL QB.

This week, look for the Raiders to finally get in the win column while Cleveland loses its second straight to a previously winless team.

Prediction: Raiders 28, Browns 17

Kevin Saito is a fiction writer, sports junkie, history nerd, and NFL contributor to www.RantSports.com  Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or on Google.

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