The Cleveland Browns aim to avoid dropping their third-straight game, as they face a fellow 2-3 team in the New England Patriots today in Cleveland. I said last week that there is a massive difference between being 3-2, and being 2-3. Had the Browns pulled off the win against the Chargers like they probably should have, they would've had some confidence going into this one. But instead, they find themselves in desperate need of a win before things get considerably tougher, with the Ravens and Bengals coming up in their next two games.
By all indications, this is a very winnable game for the Browns. The Patriots are likely starting a rookie quarterback in Bailey Zappe until Mac Jones is fully healed from an ankle injury. and Nick Chubb will be an absolute load for the Patriots (or any defense) to handle.
But I am not very confident in Cleveland's ability to win this one. The offense probably needs to score anywhere from 24-30 points to bail the defense out. The run defense has been atrocious the last couple weeks. They've made second string running backs look like Pro Bowlers, and starters look like Hall of Famers. Myles Garrett has also been incredibly quiet too. He hasn't done anything big yet this season and we're six games in. Some members of the media will defend him and say he's still impacting games. I won't. He's not influencing games to the degree he's expected to. That's both on Garrett and Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods.
Woods isn't putting him in the best position to get home and make plays. Plus when Garrett IS free to make plays, he hasn't finished very often. He's always seemed a step or two behind everything, which is so frustrating to see. Lastly, both Jadeveon Clowney and Denzel Ward are out today. When it rains, it pours.
I don't like being a Debbie Downer. I am normally a very positive, happy man. I try to look for the positives in every case. Sometimes it's all I have on Sundays as a Browns fan. But this team just isn't in a good position right now. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. But for where the Browns are right now, there still are ways for them to snap the skid and get their first win in almost a month. How do they do it? Let's take a look at this week's Keys to Victory.
Run, run and run some more
Browns running back Nick Chubb currently leads the NFL in both rushing yards (593) and rushing touchdowns (seven). This is Cleveland's bread and butter. I know Browns coach Kevin Stefanski likes to get creative with play calls, and often listens to the analytics guys when deciding what to call, or when to go for it. I'm just going to put it bluntly: He needs to toss all that out the window this week. Toss it out the window, and give the ball to Nick Chubb at least 25 times today. Kareem Hunt is also there too. There is no reason the Browns shouldn't be running the ball at least 40 times a game as a team. If the Patriots have early success against it? Keep going to it, or try to set up screen passes to the flats to get guys free to catch and run in space. But the running game needs to be at the forefront of what the Browns are doing today. Screw trickeration. As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Get after Zappe
Most defenses in the NFL probably lick their chops when they see they'll be going against a rookie quarterback. The Browns need to have the same mentality. Yes, Zappe played very efficiently against Detroit last week (17-21, 188 yards, TD, INT, 100.6 QB rating). But if I'm Joe Woods this week, I'm sending corners and safeties on blitzes every now and then, and generating a good pass rush even without Clowney. If you can't occasionally rattle a rookie quarterback or make him second guess himself, and force him into bad decisions with the football? You don't need to be playing or coaching on Sundays. I'm not saying it'll be easy for the Browns to get to Zappe. But if you cannot get to him, how do you expect to get to Lamar Jackson next week, Joe Burrow the week after that, or Josh Allen down the line?
Do the "little things."
This might secretly be the most important Key to Victory of them all. While the Browns need to get their bigger and more noticeable issues sorted out, they just need to play clean football first and foremost. That means no false start or holding penalties when there's a solid offensive drive going. No pass interference penalties that bail an offense out on third and long, unless there's no other choice for the defensive backs. And Cade York needs to make his kicks. I'm sure it's not easy kicking in the NFL or anywhere. But he has to produce. He has one job, and he's not doing it. But if the Browns can do the "expected" things that good football teams do? They might have a chance today.
Bill Belichick is going for his 324th career win today. If he beats the Browns, he would be tied with Bears legend George Halas for second on the NFL's all-time victories list. Only Don Shula would have more career victories (347). But hopefully the Browns stall that attempt for one more week. It all goes down in Cleveland, and you can catch the action at 1 PM on CBS! GO BROWNS!
Prediction: Browns 27, Patriots 24
Sources
wkyc.com, SBNation.com, Patriot Maven on FanNation,
Picture Credit: bangthebook.com
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