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Let the Season Begin!!!

After training camp, four meaningless preseason games and countless player transactions.  It all starts today (unless you are a Saints or Vikings fan then your season started this past Thursday).

This years our beloved Cleveland Browns will be showcasing near midlife crisis QB Jake Delhomme, WR/PR/KR Josh Cribbs, RB Jerome Harrison, and two rookies CB Joe Haden and S TJ Ward.

Will/can Mike Holmgren make a difference, is Eric Mangini really the so called "genius" he was made out to be when in New York (although that title was short lived now that I think about it)?

Burning Questions
If the human excrement hits the fan, lets say, mid-season, will Mangini hit the road only to have Homgren take over as the head coach?

With rookie Montario Hardesty on IR with a torn ACL, can Harrison and RB James Davis carry the offense?

Will second year players like Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi take GIANT steps forward in there development and be worthy of the second round picks that they were taken with?

Will free agent additions Scott Fujita, Sheldon Brown, and again Jake Delhomme be enough to get this team over the hump and onto a winning record at seasons end?

Can Shaun Rogers remember to take all his handguns out of his suitcases before arriving to the airport?

One thing I think that we can all agree on is that this team is better from top to bottom on both sides of the ball.  Maybe not in a drastic sense, but better.  The Browns will need to get off to a quick start in the "W" column as the schedule only gets harder after week two and will not let up until Buffalo late in the season.

A couple of things to watch for in today's game:
Peyton Hillis.  This man-beast is going to have a large impact on our offense with Hardesty out for the year. He can block, catch and mow you over in a heartbeat.  How will the secondary play for a full four quarters with an unproven CB Joe Haden? Can Delhomme continue his trend of not throwing an interception from this preseason?  How will our MLB's look without D"Qwell Jackson? Can Robiskie separate himself from coverage in those third and longs?

Today should be a good game for two teams who are in a rebuilding mode. Should be a good game to watch...unless you live in Tampa Bay then you won't be watching it on TV. Sure don't miss those days.

Links of interest:
NFLShouts.com
Cleveland Browns Depth Chart
St. Petersburg Times

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