Baker isn’t the big bad wolf. He also isn’t the bad person or bad QB he was made out to be either. That narrative was necessary to get him out of town once things went south during that injury-plagued season where he should have been pulled sooner.
This isn’t the same Browns team as the first 20 years, but it is the same one as the last 2. The last two teams under Stef have been completely unprepared and/or unmotivated for the first game of the season. They’ve been absolutely crushed by playoff teams.
Maybe the Panthers aren’t as good as the Ravens or Titans, but the Browns have a more limited QB, a questionable OL and poor receivers. Defenses will load up against an elite run game. The backs will break through at times because of how good they are, but they won’t have much room to do it. This offense is going to struggle big time for the first 11 games. Teams will have short fields to work with and put a lot of pressure on a defense that is talented, but not perfect.
A highly motivated Baker with short fields is going to get some big plays and make this one ugly. I’m picturing what Baker has done to Cincy starting with the Hue game.
Everyone outside of Cleveland wants it and the Browns always come through with that disappointment. I don’t see an exception here.
30-17 Panthers.
Browns will play teams closer for the next ten games, but still won’t be very good. You flat out need a good QB in this league and they have a mediocre one with a really weak receiving corps.
