The Cleveland Browns are coming off a massive disappointment last Monday night. The San Francisco 49ers beat them in every aspect of the game. The offense, though it has looked lost at times this year, has never been that sluggish. Cleveland failed to move the ball all game and only mustered three points. The defense was stymied by San Francisco’s quick fire offense, failing to make any plays or generate much pass rush. They also gave up over 200 yards on the ground. The Browns host the Seattle Seahawks Sunday morning. Seattle comes in at 4-1, and Russell Wilson is the early MVP favorite, completing 73% of his throws and throwing for 12 touchdowns to zero picks through five games. Nobody thinks the Browns can win over a tough Seattle team. Here are three reasons that they will.
Why the Cleveland Browns Will Win Sunday
They are Finally Healthy
Cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams finally practiced this week, after missing three games apiece. They are listed as questionable, though they are closer to playing than sitting. Their return would be huge for a Browns defense that struggled to stop anything against the 49ers.
Rashard Higgins also appears to be ready to go this week. Though he isn’t a household name, Higgins became the favorite target of Baker Mayfield towards the end of last season. He acts as a security blanket for Mayfield when plays break down, which has happened a lot this year due to poor offensive line play. Mayfield is a different animal on the run when he has Higgins to improvise with.
The return of these three key players should provide a spark on both sides of the ball for Cleveland, especially Higgins. Perhaps we’ll catch a glimpse of the explosive offense that Mayfield ran last year under head coach Freddie Kitchens’ watchful eye.
Bounce-Back Ability
The Browns have now put up three stinkers this season. The first came on opening day at home against the Tennessee Titans. They then faltered in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. Finally, they fell flat against the 49ers last week on Monday night.
After each of the first two losses, Cleveland came out the next week and did what they had to do to win. They bounced back after the loss to the Titans with a 23-3 win over the New York Jets, albeit the task was made easier without Sam Darnold. After the loss to the Rams, they came out firing and dominated the Baltimore Ravens 40-25 on the road. In each of these games, the Browns simplified their approach and got back to what made them good at the end of last year: a quick-hitting passing offense and a huge dose of Nick Chubb.
The Browns need to simplify things yet again in Week 6. Seattle has a fast defense, but Cleveland can counter that with a lot of running and quick passes. If the play-calling is on point, there is no reason the Browns offense won’t bounce back and put a healthy number on the scoreboard.
No Primetime Pressure for Cleveland Browns Win
Through five weeks, Cleveland has played three primetime games. They are 1-2, with the one win coming in the aforementioned game against the Jets. The Browns are still a very young team, and they have not fared well coping with the added pressure that a primetime game brings.
They play at home at 1 p.m. Eastern this week. It’s more familiar territory for this inexperienced Browns team, and it should pay dividends. There are fewer distractions, and all that lies ahead of them is a tough midseason matchup against Seattle. If the focus is there, Cleveland will come away with a victory and improve to 3-3.
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