NFL Week 9 Featured Preview: Seattle Seahawks @ Cleveland Browns
November 2nd, 2007 6:15 am
by
Big Dog
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This is one of the more intriguing matchups of the week. While the NFC West has been particularly uninspiring this season and the Seattle Seahawks have managed to live up to expectations holding the number one position, it’s much more remarkable that the Cleveland Browns are still in the running in the much more competitive AFC North.
Seattle are fresh off a bye week, and while a rest usually brings a team back fresh, Seattle needed this break as they had key injuries to nurse. In particular, QB Matt Hasselbeck took an extra couple of days to rest a strained oblique on the advice of training staff. Hasselbeck is still a little sore, but he will play. This could be an important factor as the Seahawks are already caught in a lacklustre season.
The other issue facing the Seahawks on offense is Shaun Alexander. For better or worse Alexander has been under a lot of pressure to perform this season and fans have been more than disappointed. With only 107 yards from 44 carries in his last three games, Alexander has a lot of ground to make up both literally and figuratively. Adding to Alexander and Hasselbeck’s difficulties is the underperforming offensive line which has managed to allow eight sacks in Hasselbeck’s last three games.
The Browns have been brought back to life this season with QB Derek Anderson sitting at second in the NFL with 17 touchdown passes. Anderson has plenty of receiving options available to him in WR Braylon Edwards, WR Joe Jurevicius and TE Kellen Winslow.
Edwards already has nine touchdown receptions for the season and is only five shy of setting a team record for touchdown receptions in a season. Anderson has been posting very consistent performances and threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions last week in St Louis.
If Cleveland can exploit the weaknesses in the Seattle offensive line and apply pressure to Hasselbeck, they could create enough of an opportunity for the Browns offense to win the game.
Prediction: Cleveland
Posted in Analysis, Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns, Derek Anderson, Game, Joe Jurevicius, Kellen Winslow, Matt Hasselbeck, NFL, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Players, Seattle Seahawks, Shaun Alexander |
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