Green Bay Packers: Don’t take the Cleveland Browns lightly

The Cleveland Browns are the only team without a win in the NFL this season. The Green Bay Packers shouldn’t be taking them lightly though.

The Cleveland Browns are probably on the top of every team’s wishlist for must-win game opponents. That being said, the Green Bay Packers shouldn’t be too cocky heading into their week 14 matchup with the 0-12 team. With four games left in the season, the Browns are already closing in on clinching the first draft pick. Meanwhile, the Packers are 6-6 and fighting for a playoff spot. That doesn’t mean this is a gimme game by any means though.

First of all, the Browns aren’t playing for anything other than pride. Knocking a team out of playoff contention seems like a solid motivator though. That’s a pretty weak reason to take a team seriously, however. There’s a lot more than just that.

There’s also the addition of Josh Gordon. The wide receiver played in his first NFL game since 2014 and looked pretty good. Sure, the Browns wideout might not be the same player he was back then, but he’s still an upgrade. He recorded four catches for 85 yards, and gives Cleveland another legitimate option on offense.

Okay, so one player returning to the field for the first time in three years isn’t going to tilt the game in the Browns favor. It shouldn’t be welcome news to Green Bay that Gordon’s back though.

The next point is the big one: still no Aaron Rodgers. The quick glance at the records would lead anyone to believe this is an unevenly matched game. A 6-6 team is clearly lightyears better than an 0-12 team. Since Rodgers injury though, the Browns are 0-7, while the Packers are 2-5. All of a sudden, they don’t look too different do they?

In fact, in the six full games that the two teams have played since Rodgers went down, the numbers are telling. The Packers have allowed 146 points while scoring just 104 points. Meanwhile, the Browns have allowed 151 points while scoring just 82 points. Green Bay isn’t that far off from those horrific numbers.

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The Packers more than likely are getting Rodgers back next week. A win here keeps their playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, the return of their quarterback will catapult them even further. It’s easy to see why they might be overlooking the Browns and looking forward to the return of their leader.

Focus on beating Cleveland first though. Everything that comes after will still be their, waiting.