(Sports Network) - The Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns both believe they found their quarterbacks of the future in the 2007 draft, but neither JaMarcus Russell nor Brady Quinn will be under center when the two teams square off this Sunday at McAfee Coliseum.
Despite performing impressively in the preseason, Brady Quinn, one of Cleveland's two first-round choices back in April, has yet to be a part of the Browns' strange early-season quarterback carousel. But at least the former Notre Dame star will be in uniform when his team takes the field this weekend.
JaMarcus Russell and the Oakland Raiders were engaged in a lengthy contract impasse that wasn't resolved until three days after Oakland's season-opening loss to Detroit. The No. 1 overall pick has yet to be added to the team's active roster and figures to be a long way away from seeing game action.
Brady Quinn's inevitable regular-season debut appeared to be coming closer to fruition once Cleveland shipped Week 1 starter Charlie Frye to Seattle shortly after the Browns' lopsided loss to Pittsburgh in their opener. However, that timetable likely got pushed back some after Derek Anderson's surprisingly prolific performance this past Sunday.
Anderson, who entered last week's game against Cincinnati with a rather undistinguished six games of NFL experience under his belt, torched the Bengals' unsteady defense for 328 yards and five touchdowns to guide Cleveland to a wild 51-45 victory. The Browns compiled their highest point and yardage (554) totals since the franchise re-joined the league as an expansion team in 1999.
JaMarcus Russell may be wishing he had signed earlier, as the strong-armed youngster will be missing out on a chance to face a Cleveland defense that has surrendered a league-worst average of 448 yards per game through the first two weeks.
That assignment will again fall to Josh McCown, despite the journeyman signal- caller's nagging foot injury and a woeful 73-yard, three-interception outing in Oakland's 23-20 overtime defeat at rival Denver in Week 2.
First-year Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin will take another shot at recording his initial NFL victory on Sunday. The 32-year-old thought he had one a week ago, when Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski booted an apparent 52-yard field goal during the overtime period.
Officials ruled that the Broncos had called timeout before the kick, however. Janikowski then missed his second attempt, and Denver scored on the ensuing possession.
SERIES HISTORY
Oakland has a 9-7 lead in its all-time regular season series with Cleveland, but has lost its last three head-to-head meetings with the Browns. The Oakland Raiders were 24-21 home losers to Cleveland in Week 4 of last season. Oakland is 0-2 in home games against the Browns since scoring a 36-10 triumph over Cleveland in 2000.
In addition to the regular season series, the teams have met twice in the postseason, with the Silver and Black winning both a 1980 AFC Divisional Playoff (14-12) and a 1982 AFC First-Round Playoff (27-10).
Cleveland's Romeo Crennel is 2-0 against the Oakland Raiders as a head coach, while Kiffin will be meeting both Crennel and the Browns for the first time as a head coach.
WHEN THE BROWNS HAVE THE BALL
After failing to move the football effectively under Frye in Week 1, the Cleveland offense enjoyed a remarkable turnaround with Anderson (512 passing yards, 6 TD, 2 INT) at the controls last Sunday. The third-year pro threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes to veteran wideout Joe Jurevicius (6 receptions) and two after intermission to playmaker Braylon Edwards (11 receptions), who finished with career highs of eight catches and 146 yards. Standout tight end Kellen Winslow (10 receptions) totaled 100 yards and another score on six grabs in the win. The Browns' new-look offensive line displayed dramatic improvement as well, as the front wall allowed just one sack to the Bengals after Frye was taken down five times in the Pittsburgh game.
The line also dominated in the run game last Sunday, consistently opening holes to allow the rejuvenated Jamal Lewis (251 rushing yards) to pile up a whopping 216 yards on 27 carries, including a 66-yard touchdown burst in the third quarter.
Oakland's defense surrendered an unimpressive 441 total yards to Denver last week, but the unit came up with two huge plays in the fourth quarter to help the Oakland Raiders rally and force overtime. A sack for a safety by ex-Bronco tackle Gerard Warren (2 tackles) and linebacker Thomas Howard's (16 tackles, 1 sack) 44-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Oakland a brief 20-17 lead.
The Oakland Raiders have allowed an average of 272 passing yards (28th overall) so far, a stark contrast to their NFL-best average of 151.3 yards per game in 2006. The defense has recorded four interceptions through two games, however, with two of those picks coming from unheralded middle linebacker Kirk Morrison (17 tackles). Pressuring the quarterback has been an issue, though, and will be more of a concern if top rusher Derrick Burgess is unable to play. The disruptive end will be a game-time decision because of a calf injury.
Another early problem is the 200 rushing yards Oakland gave up to the Broncos in last week's loss. The Oakland Raiders currently rank just 26th in that area (144.5 ypg) during the early portion of the season.
McCown (386 passing yards, 3 TD) put up 313 yards on 20-of-30 passing when he faced Detroit's highly-suspect defense in the opening week, but found the Broncos' star-studded secondary to be nearly impenetrable last Sunday. He's also thrown five interceptions over the first two games and will likely be on a short leash this week, as the Oakland Raiders have a three-time Pro Bowl honoree in Daunte Culpepper standing on the sidelines. Wide receiver Ronald Curry (12 receptions), who burned the Lions for 133 yards and two scores, was held to just two catches for 16 yards against Denver.
Oakland was able to compensate for last week's aerial deficiencies because of an excellent game from running back LaMont Jordan (229 rushing yards, 1 TD, 9 receptions), who powered his way to a career-high 159 yards on 25 attempts. Expect the oft-injured 28-year-old to carry a heavy load again on Sunday, as backup Dominic Rhodes is still serving a league-issued four-game suspension.
While Cleveland's offense opened eyes in Week 2, its defense has been deplorable in the early going. The Browns rank last in the league in yards allowed (448 ypg), 31st in points allowed (39.5 ppg), 30th in pass defense (276.5 ypg) and 29th in rushing defense (171.5 ypg). Both Pittsburgh's Willie Parker (109 yards) and Cincinnati's Rudi Johnson (118 yards) had big days running the ball against Cleveland, and the Browns have failed to generate a consistent pass rush as well. Second-year linebacker Kamerion Wimbley has compiled a mere five tackles thus far after an 11-sack season in 2006, while rookie Eric Wright (16 tackles, 2 PD) is enduring a trial-by-fire at one cornerback spot.
The Browns secondary will come into Sunday's game with a number of health concerns. Top cornerback Leigh Bodden (9 tackles, 1 PD) and free safety Brodney Pool (3 tackles) are hampered by a strained groin and mild concussion, respectively, although both are expected to play. Pool's backup, Michael Adams (6 tackles), is doubtful to suit up due to a wrist injury.
FANTASY FOCUS
Judging by the way both teams have given up points through the first two weeks, there looks to be a number of intriguing fantasy options on both sides. Running backs Lewis and Jordan each deserve starting consideration, as each should put up good numbers against a pair of defenses that have been submissive against the run. Winslow has emerged as an every-week starter at tight end, but be wary of teammate Edwards, who draws a tougher matchup in Oakland's secondary than he did last week. Look for a bounce-back day from Curry, who should receive plenty of looks from McCown on Sunday.
Stay away from both quarterbacks, as well as either defense. Don't be fooled by Anderson's huge numbers against the Bengals, as that won't be a weekly occurrence.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Have the Browns finally emerged as a prolific offensive machine after producing next to nothing on that side of the ball in the season opener? You can probably expect something between those two polar-opposite outputs this week. Unfortunately, there are no indications that Cleveland's defense will suddenly transform itself into a reliable outfit. The Oakland Raiders are hardly a juggernaut on offense and the defense may not be as good as originally advertised, but it's still more capable than Cleveland of coming up with a big play that can determine the outcome of a game. Oakland will be eager to atone for last year's home loss to the Browns, who rallied from an 18-point deficit that day, and should finally be able to halt an 11-game losing streak with a determined effort.
