Game 3: Packers @ Browns - Sunday, Sept 21 12:00 PM

[CheezWizHed]

Packers are coming off a mini-bye (10 days).  During that time, they were planning to actually incorporate Parson into the team's defense... yes, he has been playing mostly "ad hoc" to this point. 

The Browns are... well the Browns. They are starting the 40-year-old Joe Flacco (whom I keep wanting to call Vinny Testaverde).  Joe, Vinny, or some scarecrow planted on a post will all have about the same ability to escape the Packer's pass rush.  The Browns better have a good run game or a ton of short throws and misdirection to keep Vinny...er Joe on the Green side instead of taking a Brown dirt nap that Parsons and the Packer D will be trying to give him (which is ironic at several levels).  

Packers are favored by a ton in this game, but it is also our first game on the road.  And our banged-up OL will need to deal with and equal pass rusher in Garrett, whom many in Packer land (me included), were hoping would end up a Packer in a miracle trade... more irony. 

Time to take the Green and Gold show on the road! 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The Packers really got a favorable schedule. It wasn't statistically weak or anything, but you can't really ask for more than getting to play Detroit and Washington right away at home. They get Philly at home. They get Baltimore at home. Now the road games start with Cleveland and Dallas, they are really getting set up nicely. There really isn't a game on the schedule that it appears likely they'll lose, though I'm sure a few are mixed in there. 

Dallas is a bit of a sneaky one, but they have no business losing this week.  

[BrewerFan]

6 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

Packers are coming off a mini-bye (10 days).  During that time, they were planning to actually incorporate Parson into the team's defense... yes, he has been playing mostly "ad hoc" to this point. 

The Browns are... well the Browns. They are starting the 40-year-old Joe Flacco (whom I keep wanting to call Vinny Testaverde).  Joe, Vinny, or some scarecrow planted on a post will all have about the same ability to escape the Packer's pass rush.  The Browns better have a good run game or a ton of short throws and misdirection to keep Vinny...er Joe on the Green side instead of taking a Brown dirt nap that Parsons and the Packer D will be trying to give him (which is ironic at several levels).  

Packers are favored by a ton in this game, but it is also our first game on the road.  And our banged-up OL will need to deal with and equal pass rusher in Garrett, whom many in Packer land (me included), were hoping would end up a Packer in a miracle trade... more irony. 

Time to take the Green and Gold show on the road! 

It still doesn't feel real. I really hoped they'd get Garrett, but I thought it'd cost more than 2 1sts+Clark and I was also a bit hesitant about Garrett's age(not that I'd have been against it). I thought... 2 1sts, a 3rd+ maybe even a guy like Cooper. 

 

Now it's up to the offense to make damn sure Jordan Love is the week 4 starter and NOT Malik Willis!

[igor67]

I'm OK going up 35-0 at halftime and letting Willis play in the second half.

[HarryDoyle]

15 hours ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

The Packers really got a favorable schedule. It wasn't statistically weak or anything, but you can't really ask for more than getting to play Detroit and Washington right away at home. They get Philly at home. They get Baltimore at home. Now the road games start with Cleveland and Dallas, they are really getting set up nicely. There really isn't a game on the schedule that it appears likely they'll lose, though I'm sure a few are mixed in there. 

Dallas is a bit of a sneaky one, but they have no business losing this week.  

The division for the most part plays the same schedule but I think it’s a big advantage for us to play Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Baltimore at home while Detroit gets them on the road. Also already having a win over them.

[Fear The Chorizo]

2 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

The division for the most part plays the same schedule but I think it’s a big advantage for us to play Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Baltimore at home while Detroit gets them on the road. Also already having a win over them.

trying to figure out if this is just luck of the draw, or if the home-road decisions for certain common opponents are based on divisional standings from the prior year.

[OldHeidelberg]

39 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

trying to figure out if this is just luck of the draw, or if the home-road decisions for certain common opponents are based on divisional standings from the prior year.

It's a set thing, we always play same home and away in these games a Vikes and Lions/Bears get matching schedules as well. It alternates, next time the North matches up with NFC East Vikings/Packers will get Giants and Cowboys at home and Bears/Lions get Wash/Phil.

[HarryDoyle]

Yeah, the scheduling formula determines them years in advance for every team. For instance, next year the NFCN plays the NFCS and AFCE. Us and Minnesota get Buffalo and Miami at home and the Jets and Patriots on the road, while it's the opposite for the Lions and Bears. Same with the NFCS. 

[Joseph Zarr]

The Browns defense has actually been very good early this season. It will be interesting to see the offensive game-plan and how it plays out.

[young guns]

Jacobs was limited in practice, though according to fantasy last year they did the same thing to manage his workload and should be fine.

[CheezWizHed]

On 9/17/2025 at 9:58 PM, Joseph Zarr said:

The Browns defense has actually been very good early this season. It will be interesting to see the offensive game-plan and how it plays out.

Especially against the run... but they are weak up the middle in coverage - slot CB, LBs... don't be surprised to see more Kraft and whoever is our slot WR take off.  

[Fear The Chorizo]

11 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

Especially against the run... but they are weak up the middle in coverage - slot CB, LBs... don't be surprised to see more Kraft and whoever is our slot WR take off.  

This feels like a game where Golden has a big day if Love targets him - Browns will try to limit Kraft after his big game last week, and that should really free up some favorable one on one's with him in the slot.

 

Also, they showed it just a little against Wash, but look for more of those jet sweep/wr runs to the perimeter with Golden and Williams to get away from that front 7 - the Browns have been solid against the run thus far.

[HarryDoyle]

The offense seems to be just a tick off. This could be a sneaky trap game.

[young guns]

Simulated substitution is a new one for me.

[HarryDoyle]

Garrett and company on the D line are pretty much having their way with our offensive line.

[adambr2]

Gotta know the snap count, Morgan.

[adambr2]

On 9/16/2025 at 12:18 PM, igor67 said:

I'm OK going up 35-0 at halftime and letting Willis play in the second half.

Yeah not putting up 35 against this D.

[HarveysWBs]

Yeah, just because it’s Cleveland doesn’t mean they can’t do anything right. They’ve been very good on defense for a while.

[HarryDoyle]

That's not a grounding?

Never mind.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Didn't this vaunted defense just give up 41 points?

[HarryDoyle]

4 minutes ago, HarveysWBs said:

Yeah, just because it’s Cleveland doesn’t mean they can’t do anything right. They’ve been very good on defense for a while.

I still think the Packers will win, but if I was a betting man I would've taken Cleveland and the points for that reason.

[adambr2]

4 minutes ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Didn't this vaunted defense just give up 41 points?

This is one where points can be pretty misleading. 7 were from a defensive touchdown. Then it was really Baltimore winning field position big time. They had less than 250 yards offense, but every TD drive but one was under 37 yards. 

[adambr2]

Morgan is on pace for 7 false start penalties.

[HarryDoyle]

4 minutes ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Didn't this vaunted defense just give up 41 points?

That's a misleading score. Baltimore had a defensive touchdown and had two touchdown drives of 24 and 5 yards.

[adambr2]

Offensive line just getting abused.