5 Bold Predictions For Browns vs. Buccaneers

It was a busy week for the Tampa Bay front office, as the team traded away safety Mark Barron and depth linebacker Jonathan Casillas. The Bucs will have to adjust to life without those two young defenders quickly, but it won’t be easy playing on the road against a Browns passing offense that ranks eighth in yards per attempt.

The ground attack that powered the Browns to a 21-point victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers has been absent in recent weeks. Ben Tate told the press this week that he thinks the issues will be solved on Sunday, and he has a point. Without Jordan Cameron in the lineup, the Browns will likely be employing the ground game against a mediocre Bucs’ run defense.

Don’t forget, the Buccaneers have also defeated the Steelers this season, so they won’t shy away from another encounter with an AFC North team. Look for the Bucs to fly out of the gate in the first quarter and take advantage of the Browns’ chronic early-games struggles.

This is a Browns team that pulled off the greatest regular season comeback in NFL history, so a halftime deficit won’t faze them. A third-quarter offensive explosion coupled with the ball-hawking ability of safety Tashaun Gipson making an appearance will power the Browns to 5-3.

Reports out of Cleveland this week have re-stirred the Johnny Football pot with Mike Pettine acknowledging that he knows his rookie quarterback is frustrated that he isn’t playing. However, as long as the Browns are on the right side of .500, Brian Hoyer will maintain his status as the starter.