Broncos vs. Browns: Behind Ememy Lines with Dawg Pound Daily

We explore enemy territory for the Denver Broncos as I chat with Randy Gurzi from Dawg Pound Daily and get his takes on the Cleveland Browns.

The Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns have quite a history with each other. Going back to all those games they had in the playoffs are the ones that stick in the minds of most of Broncos Country. Honestly wish I was alive to see them. But I did get to see “The Drive” a couple years ago online. It was very entertaining.

Denver finds themselves in a rare matchup with the Cleveland Browns. Both of these teams have not seen each other since Peyton Manning’s last year with the Broncos. Cleveland has not been overly successful but might be righting the ship with the new rookies Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, and Denzel Ward.

They currently sit behind the Broncos in the wild card chase. The winner of this game will likely have their playoff hopes alive. The losing team could be eliminated by the end of this weekend.

I do not think I have ever witness a Broncos vs. Browns game that had stakes that high in my lifetime. Hopefully, some of Broncos Country can relate.

With such a huge game, it is time to cross into enemy territory and chat with Randy Gurzi, who is the Co-Expert over at FanSided’s Dawg Pound Daily, the Cleveland Browns site for the company. Let us see what he had to say in regards to the Broncos upcoming opponent.

Cleveland got a huge win last Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. For those who might not have seen the game, what was successful for the Browns against a relatively strong NFC opponent.

The passing game was the key. Baker Mayfield started the game out with a 66-yard pass to Breshad Perriman and that set the tone. He later hit Jarvis Landry on a beautiful 51-yard touchdown pass which also showed how well in command he was.

Overall, the Browns played a great game on offense, but it was the way he was picking apart the secondary that made the difference.

It is no secret that Baker Mayfield has helped turn this team around. Even though the Browns have a longshot to get into the playoffs what has Mayfield done that has impressed you?

I was one of the biggest believers in Baker Mayfield coming into the draft. I even thought it was ridiculous that he wasn’t starting right away because he is such a better passer than Tyrod Taylor. With that being said, there wasn’t much he had to do to win me over. Instead, it’s been more of people seeing his intangibles that he showed at Oklahoma and realizing it does transfer to the pros.

Simply put, Mayfield is a leader. His teammates love him and believe in him. You add that to the fact that he can make all the throws and you have a legitimate starting quarterback. You then take his unshakable confidence — which some think is cockiness, but that’s fine — and you have a franchise leader.

At 5-7-1, what are you looking most forward to for the future of the Cleveland Browns?

A year with no Hue. Seriously, Hue Jackson was the worst thing that happened to this franchise and that’s saying a lot. He held back Baker big time, which we are all seeing now that he’s gone.

Whoever ends up replacing him will be an improvement and it’s going to be fun to see that person work to develop this young core of players. Mayfield, Chubb, Denzel Ward, and Myles Garrett can all be special which is exciting.

The Browns travel to Denver to face the Broncos. This game could virtually be a playoff eliminator. What does Cleveland need to do to secure the win?

They need to protect the football and keep the Broncos out of the end zone. Their last road game was ugly as Mayfield threw three picks in the first half and it was over before the break. This time, they have to be more careful and avoid giving Denver any short fields.

Defensively, they’ve had issues stopping opponents. Offenses can find holes and move the ball, but Cleveland has also had their share of wins. They create turnovers and they often limit teams to field goals rather than touchdowns. If they can do the same this week, they have a shot.

Is there a player on the Browns roster that not a lot know about that can make an impact on Saturday?

Breshad Perriman is a name to look out for. He was a bust for the Ravens, but in Cleveland he’s not seen as a guy who you wasted a first-round pick on. Instead, he’s a guy with elite speed that can break a big play once in a while. 

Against Carolina, he had the 66-yard grab and only one other grab that went for 15 yards. Still, that’s 81 yards on two touches. He can hurt a defense if you forget about him being out there.

Thank You Randy for taking the time out to chat with me. If you want to see what Randy and the rest of Dawg Pound Daily is up to, you can check them out here.