Browns: Comparisons to college teams ‘a smack in the face’ or a smack of reality?
The Cleveland Browns are four games away from some fan haphazardly inking their body with a Browns helmet and the numbers "0-16".
When professional teams go on a colossal losing streak or in this case a colossal win-less season, people begin to suggest that there are college teams that can beat professional teams.
A topic that you don’t want to conjure up for a debate with Browns defensive back Joe Haden.
Haden has expressed his frustration about a Bleacher Report story that had the University of Alabama, college football's No.1 team, eradicating the Browns 34-0 in a video game simulation.
“Comparing a college team to an NFL(National Football League) team, it’s disrespectful,” said Haden. “It’s a smack in the face.”
This reminds me of when the same question was asked, if the 2014-15 University of Kentucky basketball team could beat the 2014-15 Philadelphia 76ers who started the season 0-17 that year?
I strongly believe that Kentucky team could have beat several NBA teams.
That 38-1 Kentucky team featured stars, such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles and Tyler Ulis, Andrew Harrison, and Dakari Johnson, each whom were ultimately drafted in the National Basketball Association
The sheer destruction that Nick Saban’s Alabama teams have had on the rest of college football in the the last decade is undeniable, winning four Bowl Championship Series National championships in the last seven years.
With the advances of sports science, nutrition, strength and conditioning, Saban is recruiting a plethora of players who already have the strength, speed, and talent of NFL players before they even scratch the surface of a college football game.
Despite short lived NFL head coaching positions, both Saban, and Alabama's offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin did have experiences as head coaches with the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders respectively.
Thus, Saban and Kiffin would know how to formulate an NFL game plan against the Browns.
Saban has been the architect of an Alabama defense that dominates their opponents by winning the battle of the trenches and the Browns offensive line has allowed an NFL worst, 45 sacks in 12 games.
Alabama's defense is ranked No.1 overall in college football, giving up a total of only 247.8 yards per game.
It's fait accompli that Browns quarterbacks, Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown are injury prone.
Browns coach Hue Jackson seems to enjoy installing this "college-esque" QB rotation in a game, such as subbing rookie Cody Kessler in and out as means to create a "spark".
Kevin Hogan, Browns fourth string QB will be inactive and in street clothes, for he wouldn't even have the liberty to get into the game, so by the fourth quarter Terrelle Pryor, who has nicely transitioned from quarterback to wide receiver would even have to take a few snaps under center.
Although I agree that Alabama does not have enough playmakers on the offensive end to challenge the Browns defense, however they do have a litany of playmakers on defense and special teams to turn defense into offense.
The Crimson Tide led college football with 14 non-offensive touchdowns this season.
My prediction, the Crimson Tide would roll against the Browns with a final score of 24-13.
It’s not a matter of being blasphemous or a “smack in the face” but a smack of reality that a 13-0 Alabama team is a better football team than the 0-12 Browns.
You mean to tell me that 53 players on an NFL team who can't win a single game, let alone record a tie in a 12-game span don't deserve a smack in the face?
Perhaps, after Alabama wins their fifth BCS National Championship game in eight years, they should have the honor of playing against the Browns, but only if they finish 0-16.
In 1976, the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14) were the first team in NFL history to finish a season without winning a single game.
Followed by the 2008 Detroit Lions (0-16) who became the first win-less team with the regular season games being extend to 16 games.
I'm confident that there were collegiate teams in both 1976 and in 2008 who could have beaten both the Buccaneers 76' and Lions 08'respectively.
Hall of Fame basketball coach John Chaney once said, “Winning is an Attitude”.
Whether it’s Pop Warner, high school, college or the NFL, losing games becomes a toxic attitude.
A toxic attitude that is going to take a lot more than 28 days for the Browns to detox.