Ten days after winning a primetime game against the Steelers on Thursday Night Football, the Cleveland Browns hit the road to take on the Atlanta Falcons. There's a good chance for Cleveland to get to a 3-1 start today, but to bring home the W, they'll have to do it without their All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett. He was ruled out yesterday after getting in a car accident on Monday. He rolled his Porsche after leaving the facility in Berea. But thankfully Garrett and his passenger were not seriously injured. It could have been much worse! I did not expect him to play today, and it's a good thing the Browns are keeping him out of this one. Some things are more important than football, and I hope Myles and his passenger both make a speedy and full recovery.
Without Clowney and Garrett to bring the heat, it'll be up to Joe Woods to dial up some different looks to pressure Atlanta quarterback Marcus Mariota. I know he likes that zone scheme, but he'll have to get the blitz working if the defense wants to shut down Atlanta's multi-headed offensive monster! But that's just one area where the Browns will have to succeed, if they want to get to their second straight 3-1 start. As for the others, let's take a look at today's Keys to Victory shall we?
Win the battle in the trenches
With an offense as explosive and as tricky as Atlanta's, the Browns may need to play keep away the best way they know how: With ball control, and the running game. Nick Chubb is currently leading the league in rushing yards (341) after three games and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns (4).
But it all starts in the trenches. All-Pro offensive linemen Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller are masters at run blocking and giving Nick Chubb room to do his thing. Not to mention Ethan Pocic has been filling in admirably at the center position for the injured starter Nick Harris, who is out for the season. But those three guys and their teammates on the offensive unit are going to have their hands full with Atlanta's best defensive lineman, Grady Jarrett. The two-time Pro Bowler has 26.5 career sacks, so he knows how to blow plays up, and get home to sack the quarterback. While I don't know if Jarrett is as talented as Myles Garrett is, the Browns may be dealing with a similar situation to what other teams have to gameplan for when they play against Myles Garrett at his best. If Teller, Bitonio, Pocic and the others shut down Jarrett, I don't see any reason why Nick Chubb couldn't keep rolling along. But if they struggle with him? Chubb may not be going anywhere, and Jacoby Brissett may end up on his back a few times today!
Contain Marcus Mariota
Atlanta may be 1-2. But they have a dangerous offense that can absolutely light teams up if given the opportunity. They have one of the league's leading rushers in Cordarrelle Patterson, first-round wideout Drake London, and solid pass catcher Kyle Pitts at tight end. But the man running the show is Marcus Mariota. He's not quite as talented as Lamar Jackson, but he apparently plays the game in a similar way. That comparison should be enough to send a shiver up any Browns fan's spine. Jackson has absolutely KILLED the Browns for as long as he's been in the league. He's lived off the busted play, is incredibly elusive, and can hit his wide receivers for big plays that are absolute backbreakers for a defense. Mariota may not quite be on Jackson's level. But he definitely has the more talented arsenal of offensive weapons at his disposal. If he gets loose? Look out! It could be a long day for this Browns secondary. How they handle this situation will tell me whether they're still struggling as a unit, or if they're actually figuring out how to shut down dangerous offenses.
Get Cooper Going!
I have been pleasantly surprised by how well Jacoby Brissett has played so far this season. He may be a game manager at quarterback. But he's doing exactly what he's being asked to do: Guide the offense, pick his spots when they're there, and don't turn the ball over. So far in three games, Brissett has thrown for 596 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception. Not to mention he's completed 66% of his passes too. He isn't lighting defenses up, but he's playing great!
One of those reasons he's been doing so well is wideout Amari Cooper. If Cooper hits 100 yards receiving again today, that'll be his third straight 100-yard game this season. If there's ever been a Browns wide receiver in recent memory who's had three straight 100-yard receiving games, it's probably been almost a decade since it's happened. The only guy I can think of who probably did that was Josh Gordon. A game changing wideout is something the Browns haven't had since Gordon was here. For an offense that relies heavily on Nick Chubb and the running game, it's definitely nice to know that there's a dangerous wideout that Brissett can go to in order to add a bit of another dimension to this Browns offense. If Cooper hits 100 yards? That might be a good clue as to how this game is going for Cleveland today.
The Browns need to get to 3-1. Badly. I don't know if this game is a must win. But falling to 2-2 before entering a considerably tougher part of the schedule would be seriously bad news. Coming up after Atlanta, the Browns have the Chargers and Patriots at home, the Ravens on the road, the Bengals at home and the Dolphins on the road. While we should all take things one game at a time and focus on the Falcons today, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking at upcoming games. While this game against Atlanta won't make or break their season, there's a big difference between being 2-2 and bracing yourself for a tough trip through the meat grinder, and 3-1 with the confidence to know you can win the games you're supposed to win. The Browns certainly can win this one. But they'll need to absolutely bring their A-game, and play clean, disciplined and physical football if they want to leave Mercedes Benz Stadium with a win today!
Sources: neosportsinsiders.com, wkyc.com, USA Today
Picture Credit: neosportsinsiders.com
Comentários