Game Overview ::
By MIKE JOHNSON >>
- Cleveland enters this game searching for answers after an ugly loss to the Giants in Week 2. Their only win came in Week 2 against a Jaguars team that looks less and less impressive each week.
- Las Vegas has had some wild momentum swings already in this young season, with a huge win at Baltimore and an ugly loss at home to the Panthers.
- Somewhat surprisingly, this game features the third- and fourth-ranked teams in the NFL in pass rate over expectation (PROE).
- We should expect high play volume in this one, which could lead to a lot of sacks and turnovers.
- It wouldn’t be surprising to see a blowout one way or the other, and each side seems equally likely to implode.
How cLEVELAND Will Try To Win ::
The Browns have had a quarterback problem for about as long as I can remember. Their current quarterback problem is much different than the one they’ve been dealing with for decades, though. For so long, the Browns have been unable to find a franchise QB that they could trust and build around. Now the Browns are stuck with a QB who they can’t get rid of. Life comes at you fast.
The Deshaun Watson experience is a wild one. The Browns, for whatever reason, rank third in the NFL in PROE and second in overall pass rate through three weeks. When you see those rankings, you would expect the passing game is high-powered or at the very least, average in efficiency. You would be mistaken. Watson ranks ninth in the NFL in average intended air yards per pass attempt, but he ranks 25th in completed air yards per pass attempt. What this means is that Watson is firing the ball downfield consistently and not really coming close.
Adding to this issue is the fact that Watson has taken more sacks than any other quarterback in the NFL through three weeks. Cleveland has had some injury issues with its offensive line, but they were arguably a top-five unit entering the season and it wasn’t a “totally decimated” situation. Honestly, it is hard to explain what we have seen thus far from Cleveland, and it is almost certain that the Browns would have already benched Watson if not for his massive, fully guaranteed contract.
Now that we have that out of the way, what will they do in Week 4? Running back Jerome Ford missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury and his status for Sunday is uncertain, while D’Onta Foreman should also have a role regardless of Ford’s status in what appears to be a great matchup against a Raiders defense that ranks 30th in the NFL in run defense DVOA. The Browns’ offensive line has not been fully healthy yet this year, as tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills have each missed time. Both missed practice Wednesday, and it seems unlikely the line will be fully intact this week as well.
As mentioned earlier, the Browns are throwing at a high rate despite their inefficiency. A matchup with the Raiders defense, which ranks 26th in the NFL in sack percentage and was just roasted by Andy Dalton, may be exactly what the Browns’ offense needs. They should be able to run the ball more efficiently than they have so far this year, which should in turn make things easier on the passing game. Expect Cleveland to try to have a more balanced approach early in this game and get back to the roots of Kevin Stefanski’s earlier days with the team.
You must be logged in to view collective notes about a game.
You must be logged in to add notes about a game.