Bills/Browns Preview: 5 Questions with Dawg Pound Daily

The cold weather has arrived, just in time for the Cleveland Browns to come to Ralph Wilson Stadium for what might be another hard fought (yet sloppy) snowy game in Buffalo.

We sat down with Steve DiMatteo of Dawg Pound Daily to gain some insight of this week’s opponent

BLD: Please tell us Bills fans the story behind Peyton Hillis, he has turned into a beast this year in the Brown’s backfield.

DPD: I’ll be honest when I say I really did not see this coming. I knew that Peyton Hillis had some success in Denver, but Josh McDaniels never gave him a full opportunity, partly because of his fumbling. Hillis is the perfect running back for this system; he exemplifies the hard-nosed running approach that the Browns want. It’s likely that Hillis would have thrived in Denver, but the Browns were more willing to give him a chance, and it is paying off big time.

BLD: Are you concerned that the two leading receivers on the Browns team are your TE Ben Watson and RB Peyton Hillis? How come no one is throwing to the WR position?

DPD: It’s no secret that one of the Browns biggest weaknesses is the wide receiver position. It’s concerning that Watson and Hillis are at the top of that list, but the one good thing about Jake Delhomme is that he has been the most capable quarterback when it comes to spreading the ball around. However, the wide receivers are not nearly as involved in the offense as they should be. There has been some development in recent weeks, but the Browns absolutely have to address the wide receivers in the off-season, either through free agency or in the draft.

BLD: Who would you like to see behind center for the rest of the season, Jake Delhomme or Colt McCoy?

DPD: No question at this point that I’d rather see Colt McCoy as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. It’s nothing against Jake Delhomme, but McCoy brought an entirely different feel to the offense. Watching Delhomme roll out at this point in his career is enough to make anyone cringe, though I will say that he still has plenty of value as a mentor to McCoy.

BLD: What do the Browns need to do to be successful in the game on Sunday?

DPD: To be successful on Sunday, the Browns are going to need to rely heavily on running back Peyton Hillis. This is exactly why the Browns want a player like Hillis – a strong back to carry the team on a cold December day in Buffalo. That, and the fact that the Bills have the league’s worst rushing defense. I expect the Bills defense to see plenty of Peyton Hillis all day long. On the other side of the ball, the vastly-improved Browns secondary needs to continue to build on the success of recent weeks and shut down what has become a Bills offense that can put points up on the board.

BLD: Game Prediction?

DPD: I think the Bills will score points, but Peyton Hills will be too much for the Bills’ defense. Browns win, 34-21.

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