The Cleveland Browns have been the biggest disappointment in the NFL this season, winning only two of their first six games, but this team is poised to surge in the second half of the year. The Browns are fresh off their bye, healthy and ready to make a statement against the New England Patriots to kick-start their turn-around.
Cleveland Browns Ready For A Second-Half Surge
A Bolstered Secondary
Talented sophomore cornerback Denzel Ward has been out of the lineup since Week 2 against the New York Jets. Rookie second-round cornerback Greedy Williams has also missed the last four games. Both players have practiced fully and are ready to return to the lineup.
In their absence, the Browns have allowed 7.6 yards per attempt (20th in NFL) and 102.6 passer rating (25th in NFL) to opposing quarterbacks. By contrast, the team gave up 7.0 yards per attempt (6th in NFL) and 83.4 passer rating (5th in NFL) last season. This was with a healthy Ward, who was able to play in 13 games. It’s clear that the return of Ward and Williams will have a significant impact on this Browns’ pass defense. The defense should be able to approach last season’s pass defense numbers with the return of these two players.
An Underachieving Run Defense
The Browns have been a run-funnel defense, allowing 154 rushing yards per game (30th in NFL) and a 5.0 yards per carry (30th in NFL). This is an issue that also plagued the team a year ago, as they allowed 135.2 rushing yards per game (28th in NFL) and a 4.7 yards per carry (23rd in NFL).
However, this is a team with Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon on the defensive line. There is no reason for this defense to be so ineffective against the running game with the talent that they have up front. While it’s unlikely that they’ll transition into a dominant run defense, they should improve as the season progresses. The return of Ward and Williams should help the Browns stop the run, because teams will be less successful on passing plays, putting them in less favorable rushing situations.
Offensive Line Struggles
The Browns offensive line issues have caused the offense to struggle as an entire unit. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has thrown for a league-leading 11 interceptions and only 5 touchdowns. The team has a -6 turnover differential (28th in NFL) which is causing them to lose football games. The pass protection problems have prevented Mayfield from connecting with new arrival Odell Beckham Jr. down the field because Mayfield does not have enough time to find his elite wide receiver.
Tackles Greg Robinson and Chris Hubbard have struggled, so the team has attempted to acquire Trent Williams from the Washington Redskins. The Skins have refused to trade Williams, so general manager John Dorsey has turned his attention to Nate Solder of the New York Giants. Expect the team to make a move for a new left tackle before the trade deadline. Adding a proven player at this position would stabilize the rest of the line, resulting in fewer turnovers from Mayfield and more downfield receptions for OBJ.
Glimpses of Potential
The Browns have shown flashes of brilliance this season, winning a tough road game against the rival Baltimore Ravens by a score of 40-25 and jumping out to a 20-6 lead against the Seattle Seahawks, before ultimately blowing the game en route to a 32-28 loss. In their win against the Ravens, Mayfield was able to find wide receiver Jarvis Landry and tight end Ricky Seals-Jones for 50+ yard pass plays. Running back Nick Chubb ran all over the Ravens, going for 165 yards on only 20 carries.
It’s clear that the team needs to stick to this formula: pound the football with Chubb to allow Mayfield to find his talented group of pass-catchers down the field. However, Mayfield needs to make better decisions with the football coming out of the team’s bye. Turnovers led to their blown loss to the Seahawks, as he threw for three interceptions. But remember, this is the same player who threw for 27 touchdowns in only 14 games as a rookie, so it’s likely that we see some improvement in his play going forward.
Upcoming Schedule
The Browns head to Foxboro to face the undefeated New England Patriots this week, but the schedule really opens up after this daunting matchup. The Browns have two games remaining against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, two division rivals with a combined record of 2-11.
They also get to face the Miami Dolphins (0-6) and the Denver Broncos (2-5). There’s a good chance that the team builds up some steam with a 5-1 record in these games. That would put the Browns at 7-5, with remaining home games against the Buffalo Bills (5-1) and Baltimore Ravens (5-2), as well as a road date versus the Arizona Cardinals (3-3-1). A 2-1 record here is plausible, especially with the way they dominated the Ravens in Baltimore. That would put them at 9-6 with the game in New England as the deciding factor in a potential playoff berth. Can this team beat the Patriots?
Trap Game in Foxboro
The Patriots have dominated opponents with a suffocating defense en route to a 7-0 record to start the season. Despite the poor start, the Browns will easily be the toughest opponent New England has faced so far. This Week 8 matchup comes on a short week for the Pats, who just finished throttling the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. Obviously this favors the Browns, who are coming off their bye week.
The Pats take on the Ravens after this week, so this has the look of a trap game. New England just acquired Mohamed Sanu to replace the injured Josh Gordon, but he won’t be ready to make much of an impact. This leaves Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, and Jakobi Meyers to take on a now healthy Browns’ secondary. The Pats have been more vulnerable to the run, allowing 4.2 yards per carry (15th in NFL), but teams have had to pass because they’ve fallen so behind. The Browns can run an effective ball-control offense, where they pound the ball with Chubb and keep it away from Tom Brady. They also have the talent up front to put pressure on the future Hall of Famer.
Outlook
Look for the Browns to shock the football world and come out of Foxboro with a statement win. Expect Dorsey to trade for a proven left tackle before the deadline. Watch for the return of running back Kareem Hunt, who will provide more help in receiving out of the backfield and allow Chubb to stay fresh. Don’t be surprised when the Browns are playing football in January this year.
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