We knew it was going to be a tough one, what with so many playoff-caliber clubs on it. We know, too, that the Cleveland Browns will be sneaking up on no one.
We suspected there might be a number of nationally-televised, prime-time exposures, as well.
What is potentially problematic is the peculiar manner in which the schedule breaks on occassions when benefit might've been managed.
Specifically, the club twice comes off opportunities affording it extended rest and preparation. Off the October 5 bye, the club is absurdly set up with a short work week. The Browns return for a Monday night contest hosting the world-champion New York Giants, followed by a quick turn around the following Sunday vs. Washington.
Later comes the Thursday evening encounter with Denver, naturally coming only four days after a game against the characteristically hard-hitting division rival Ravens.
Cleveland gets 11 days to prepare for a road game in Buffalo, but that is also a Monday nighter, necessitating a short work week before the subsequent Houston game.
To be clear, that means the club twice comes off extended breaks only to then play two games within six days.
So, the coaching staff must not only deal with heightened expectations, a club coming off an unexpectedly successful campaign now being challenged to prove it was not a fluke and a much tougher schedule; but they'll also be confronted with additional complications stemming from irregular work weeks.
Those familiar with the sport and the pro game know routine and repetition are helpful to team success, as they surely were last season.
Any impatience exhibited by a fan base that will doubtlessly be less tolerant of slips and misplays will only add to the pressure.
But that is the way it goes and such will be the challenge of the newly-announced 2008 NFL schedule.
I did not detect any soft spots. Did you?
What is especially cool for those of us who've been fans of the Browns for decades is the presence of old-time rivals like Dallas, NY, Washington and Philadelphia, as well as those of the hated Broncos and the nearby Bills. As a bonus, there is the AFC South and its bevy of dangerous franchises, spiced with trips to Tennessee and Jacksonville.
Read the complete post at http://www.xanga.com/MALeonard/652361840/small-annoyance-with-browns-schedule.html