The Chargers must find a way to use the Browns’ aggressiveness against them in hopes of mitigating their strong pass rush.
This week, we were joined by Chris Pokorny of SB Nation’s Browns community, Dawgs By Nature, to help us preview Sunday’s game in Cleveland.
The Chargers (4-3) are hoping to win their second consecutive game, but that’s if the Browns (2-6) don’t have anything to say about it first.
Let’s go ahead and dive in!
1. Jameis Winston had his best performance in a number of years to help lead the Browns over the Ravens in Week Eight. What did he do that was so different from Deshaun Watson that allowed this offense to wake up and beat one of the biggest contenders in the AFC this year?
The bar was so historically low with Deshaun Watson. We suspected all long that the offensive struggles stemmed mostly from him, so it was good to get confirmation that we (as fans) were right. It’s not a coincidence that Joe Flacco and Jameis Winston can be thrown into the offense and instantly score 30 points per game and throw for 300 yards each week, while Watson couldn’t even get the offense to 20 points or 200 yards passing once this season. It’s not rocket science what Winston did, but among the things he was better at included attempting throws downfield, having chemistry in the sense that he would anticipate timing throws with his receivers, having better pocket awareness, and getting rid of the ball in a reasonable amount of time. Now, the downside with a guy like Winston specifically is that he’ll throw several passes that really should be intercepted, including last week against Baltimore. The Ravens’ defense just dropped the mistake throws, and gave Cleveland new life. But I’d rather have a quarterback that gives us a chance to score points and motivates his teammates as opposed to Watson, who drained this team of all its energy week in and week out.
2.) Nick Chubb recently made his season debut after returning from a severe injury sustained over a year ago. How has his return helped and/or changed this offense in the two games he’s played in?
The Browns are still trying to find their footing in the running game, and over the past two weeks, I think we’ve seen Nick Chubb starting to get some of his instincts back. It’s only a matter of time before he gets back to everything feeling natural again to where he’s one of the best backs in the NFL. Therefore, I don’t think we’re at the point necessarily where he has changed the offense in the past two weeks — but I do believe in team morale, and he was already named a captain, so I think his presence helps contribute to the positive vibes on offense, along with the recent quarterback change.
3.) If you were Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, how would you go about calling an offense to maximize your chances at beating this Browns defense? Which players/matchups would you try and exploit?
Even though the Browns have gotten a little better at defending it, I always preach the usage of misdirection and end arounds or jet sweeps against this Browns’ defense — things that go against their aggressiveness. Teams that sit back and try to be dropback passers are dumb, because Cleveland has a good pass rush and solid corners, so you play right into their hands. Other things that sometimes work well are screen passes, or trying to run the ball on delays toward Myles Garrett’s side (again, to use his aggressiveness against him).
4.) Same question but flip sides of the ball. If you were defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, how would you try to stop this rejuvenated Browns offense? Which player(s) would you have to keep an eye on the most?
There was a clear formula when Deshaun Watson was in there, but even though it’s only one game with Jameis Winston, it’s not easy to answer that question now of how to stop them (in part because the sample size is too small). I would tell the Chargers’ defenders to be ready for a gunslinger, and that includes the defenders being ready to find some opportunities for their own interceptions. Baltimore missed those picks last week, and it cost them the game. One thing that was great last week is that all of the Browns’ receivers were targeted often and produced, another refreshing thing with a new quarterback. While I’d usually say that defending tight end David Njoku is the most important thing, since the trade of Amari Cooper, second-year receiver Cedric Tillman has broken out. Tillman had 3 catches for 9 yards in his first six games this season, but in his last two games, he’s combined for 15 catches for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns, and has looked good in his new role.
5.) The Chargers are currently 1.5-point favorites on the road heading into Sunday, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Go ahead and give us a quick summary of his you see this game shaking out and top it all off with a final score prediction.
I think back to last season, when the Browns’ offense thrived under Joe Flacco. And now, even though Jameis Winston only played one game, Cleveland’s offense looked great with him. I think it truly was a Deshaun Watson problem, which is why I almost throw out the Browns’ 1-6 start to the season (they are now 2-6). If Winston was playing instead during all those games, then I think we could be entering this week with a 6-2 record instead. The difference is that big, and I think that has to be taken into consideration when picking games involving Cleveland now. The Browns’ defensive stats have been down compared to last year, but I still see the same, top-tier defense that was just hampered and frustrated by the offense previously not being able to do anything. Now, they can play with a greater degree of confidence too. The wildcard factor here is how the Chargers’ defense has been very sound and hasn’t been allowing points, but have they also faced a relatively weak group of quarterbacks? Maybe the Browns can find success where other teams haven’t. I like the Browns to continue their momentum from last week, winning 23-16.