I can't go into a season without hoping for better than generally expected... so my "dream" is 9-7 and we sneak into the playoffs. We do have a mundane schedule, time and travel-wise, and it could play into our favor. I think the Steelers are kinda "down," and that should help. I think the Ravens are getting overrated (they have three old, slow WRs and Reed is out at least 6 weeks). I think the Bengals could be the class of the division, and i don't think they'll be better than 10-6. It could be a scrum.
The upside for the Browns depends on the possible strength of our team (the OL) and a few stars or semi-stars emerging on both sides of the ball... guys like Moore, Robiskie, and Hillis on offense and Rubin, Ward, Haden, and Gocong on defense.
Veterans like Delhomme, Watson, and Rogers become huge X factors. If they stay healthy and have Glory Days seasons, it'll go a long, long way.
And the third major variable is the Wildcat. Does it become a big part of the Browns offense, and therefore their storyline for 2010? I think Wallace and Cribbs needs to contribute for our offense to be productive.
I should probably say that the preseason was a bit confusing because the offense seemed generally good and the defense seemed generally horrible, opposite of my expectations. So I go into the opener kind of baffled at what to expect from the Browns.
To paraphrase Kiffin, I've never felt less certain about what we have.
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