Mike Pettine, Brian Hoyer & Taylor Gabriel: Cleveland Browns A Threat This Season As They Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers To Improve To 5-3 In 2014 NFL Season

The Cleveland Browns might just deliver playoff football. They are now 5-3 after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mike Pettine, Brian Hoyer and Taylor Gabriel ensured that they held on in yet another close game. Although they're far from the best team in the NFL, they're constantly improving and their team is the one to watch in the second half of the season. Their 22-17 win has put them in to playoff contention, but will they have enough in the tank to achieve just that?

Hoyer made 21-of-34 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns, and he again showed some promise mixed with negatives, but he is now 8-3 as a starter, 6-1 at home, and 5-3 for the season, which leaves nothing but positivity heading in to their future games.

Pettine is a large reason they've had such a brilliant start, and he insists his team, and he as a coach, will improve in the second half of the season:

"It's a lot of little things. There were a couple game management things. I'm still going to be an aggressive guy on fourth down, so you look at them when they don't work and you sort of question yourself a bit, when it comes up again. I have my beliefs there with it, and I'll still probably stick to it, but I feel good about, and one of the reasons is because I really trust my coaching staff. I get a lot of good feedback from them in-game, whether it's Kyle or Chris Tabor or Jim O'Neil or the guys up in the booth. I think one of the best things I've done, and with the advice I've been given by other coaches is to let your coaches coach. Don't try to micromanage everything, because then you end up so immersed in it that you don't see the forest for the trees. I think I've been able to sit back and be more of a big picture guy. I trust in those guys. I'll check in on the game planning in the week, but I really prefer to stay out of it."

So far he's backed up every word he has said since coaching the Browns, so why would anyone choose to ignore him now? The Browns are for real, but just how far can they go this season?