Eagles Should Not Take Browns Lightly in Opener

By Denny Basens, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 

On the surface, the Cleveland Browns aren't a team that many expect the Philadelphia Eagles to have much difficulty defeating on Opening Day.

The Browns are a team that hasn't gotten much of anything right since they re-entered the league in 1999. They've had eight coaches in that time frame, averaging just around two years in between each coaching change.

They've completely and utterly failed to identify a franchise quarterback. They missed on Tim Couch with the first overall pick back in 1999. They've since drafted Johnny Manziel, Brandon Weeden and Brady Quinn at the quarterback position and whiffed on all of them as well.

Despite numerous losing records and countless opportunities to select at the top of the draft, the Browns seem to have an unbelievable knack for seeking out the worst first-round busts in every draft class. Between 2011 and 2014, the Browns had six picks in the first round. Remarkably, none of those six players are still with the team.

Make no mistake, this is one of the most poorly run franchises in the NFL, and perhaps in all of professional sports. And yet, Eagles fans shouldn't be quick to think that Sunday's opener against the Browns is a sure thing.

Cleveland may have its best ray of hope yet with new head coach Hue Jackson. Jackson is a highly regarded offensive mind, and did great things during his time with the Bengals.

There's hope that Jackson will be able to revive the career of quarterback Robert Griffin III, and with a handful of talented offensive players such as Duke Johnson and Corey Coleman, the Browns' offense has a few sparks that could be ignited.

But also consider that for Jackson, this is an opportunity for him to stick it to an organization that didn't express much interest in him during their coaching search this past winter. The Eagles didn't give Jackson an interview, only giving him a phone call very late in the process when he was already close to a deal with Cleveland. The Browns know the Eagles are favored and expected to win, and the lack of expectation works to their favor.

Still not convinced that the Browns shouldn't be taken lightly?

Let's take a trip down memory lane to the season opener of the 2012 season, when the Eagles began the season against the same dysfunctional Browns.

The Eagles came into the game heavily favored, and were expected to defeat Cleveland by a margin of multiple scores. Instead, the Birds came out flat, turned in a poor all-around effort — highlighted by four Michael Vick interceptions — and barely escaped the game with a 17-16 win.

In the NFL, nothing can be taken for granted. It's a lesson that is constantly taught, and yet has to be relearned.

Will the Eagles come out with a win against Cleveland on Sunday? They certainly should. But the Browns may not quite be the layup that many expect them to be.