5 On Your Side Sports Blog

By John Chandler

Just how safe is Romeo Crennel's job? We should get a good read by, say, October 7th.

The 2007 schedule opens with a quick 1-2 punch. Delivering the right on September 9th, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The left? The Cincinnati Bengals, on September 16th. And the knockout? It could come from Baltimore by the 30th.

Now, the schedule makers at least threw the Browns a bone by scheduling all three of those division rivals at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Of course, around these parts, home field advantage is nothing more than old history. And when it comes to the AFC North, well, the Browns record is a dreadful 1-11 in the last two years.

Assuming an improved Browns team doesn't trip out of the gates, a trip to Bill Belichick's home turf won't exactly be a dream New England vacation. It will be Romeo Crennel's return to Foxboro, Mass... and it would be fitting if it were a triumphant one.

After the Patriots, Miami comes to Cleveland, before the Browns get a break on October 28th, then head to St. Louis. The Pats aside, that could be a good month for the Browns, especially if they are able to build momentum early in September. Think about it: beat any combination of the Steelers-Bengals-Ravens twice, and add the requisite win over the Raiders, and that's a pretty solid head of 3-1 steam you're rolling into October on.

Wishful thinking, you say? Hey, what else do we have to go on, here?

November will be tricky, with a visit from high powered Seattle followed by roadies to Pittsburgh and Baltimore on back to back weekends. At least the schedule makers have a heart, throwing the Browns a November 25th visit from the Houston Texans to balance things out.

Looking at December, the Browns will see a mish mash of teams teetering on the edge of the playoff-calibur label (Cardinals, Jets, Bills), an always fateful hop down I-71 to the 'Nati, and a finale against San Francisco that is no gimmie.

There are no Monday Night games, no Thursday night affairs, and no more than four playoff teams from last season.

Granted, the mediocre NFL holds the right to prove unpredictable from year to year, so there's really no true telling of this schedule's degree of difficulty. But on the surface, it is survivable for an improved Browns team. If they're not improved, then getting through September's land mines could prove to be pivitol. Remember, Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage are both under the gun this season to show any glimmer of progress, and continuing to lose to division rivals from the start will likely lead to bigger losses... i.e., jobs!

Browns Nation, what do you think of the schedule? Hard or Easy? How many wins do you see from your team in 2007? Let us know in a SoundOff and watch for more on the Toyota Sports Sunday at 11:35 PM on NewsChannel 5.