The Next Step Is The Hardest

AUGUST 30
CLEVELAND

AFTER A fairly painless cutdown to the final roster, Savage scouted the Boston College--Kent State game at Browns Stadium. Putting down his binoculars for a moment, he considered whether his team was fortified enough to win its first division title since 1989.

"This is going to be a grinder of a season," he said. "Our schedule's tougher, and no team in our division will be able to win five, six games in a row. I felt so good about our team before camp that I knew we'd be fine, as long as we didn't get any of the injuries that can kill a team, and we didn't. Now it's the opening kickoff. I think we're ready."

Savage, his staff and his players believe the Browns are talented enough to win the AFC North, but they also realize they could crash and burn if Anderson is erratic, Rogers disappoints and the corners don't step up. That's the fascination of early September in the NFL and the reason why, from the dude on Public Square ("This is our year!") to the hounds in the Dawg Pound, all of Cleveland will be in full throat when the season starts on Sunday.

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