October 11, 2008 03:53 pm
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By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor
What a tremendous opportunity for the Cleveland Browns. A chance to be humiliated on national television.
That’s pretty much the way it’s shaping up for the meeting of the Super Bowl-champ New York Giants and Cleveland on Monday night. The Giants are playing even better than they did last year, while the Browns are playing pretty much like the first year they moved back to Cleveland.
This season has been a nightmare for Browns' fans, who expected a playoff appearance and possibly their first trip to a Super Bowl if things fell right. Instead, things fell apart, which makes it a nightmare as well for the NFL and the television networks who scheduled Cleveland for five prime-time appearances.
Coach Romeo Crennel has to accept the blame for the way this season has gone, although maybe it’s not all his fault that Derek Anderson continues to operate at quarterback despite ratings that make him one of the worst QBs in the NFL.
Before the Cincinnati game, which the Browns managed to win two weeks ago simply because the Bengals were without quarterback Carson Palmer, Crennel said that Brady Quinn would see action if Anderson didn’t play well.
For three quarters Anderson was horrendous.
So why wasn’t Quinn in that game? I believe it’s three things — money, money, money!
Supposedly there is a clause in Quinn’s contract that if he starts a certain number of games his salary is doubled. The Browns' hierarchy apparently don’t want us to know if Quinn is the answer because that would cost millions more to play Quinn the rest of the year.
So it appears they are ready to give away the entire season. What the heck, the seats are pretty much sold out so the team will make its money. In your Dawgface, Browns fans!
Pittsburgh, which has a much-needed bye this week, just about locked up the division last Sunday night with that great win in Jacksonville. Ben Roethlisberger put the Steelers on his beat-up back and carried them to victory. If Cleveland doesn’t beat the Giants Monday night, losing their third home game of the year, the season is over. Their schedule is too tough and they have to win at home.
So this game will show one thing — if the NFL is fixed. In my mind, that is the only way possible that Cleveland could win.
Therefore, there is only one way to pick in this game: Cleveland wins, 20-16.
Last week my picks went 8-6 for a season mark of 39-34. Following are the rest of this week’s predictions, betting line in parentheses just for fun:
Bye over Pittsburgh
New England (plus 6) over San Diego
Denver (-31/2) over Jacksonville
Indy (-41/2) over Baltimore
Dallas (-5) over Arizona
Philly (-41/2) over San Fran
Chicago (-3) over Atlanta
Miami (plus 3) over Houston
Seattle (-2) over Green Bay
Carolina (plus 11/2) over Tampa
Washington (-131/2) over St. Louis
New Orleans (-71/2) over Oakland
NY Jets (-6) over Cincy
Minnessota (-131/2) over Detroit
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Photos
Lynn Saternow The Herald