MATCHUP BREAKDOWN
Brian Batko analyzes Sunday’s game from both sides of the ball.
Key performers: QB Baker Mayfield, RB Kareem Hunt, WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR Jarvis Landry, TE Austin Hooper, TE David Njoku, LT Jedrick Wills, LG Joel Bitonio, RT Jack Conklin.
What’s been working: Good, old-fashioned smashmouth football. Under new coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt — former star quarterback at Pitt — the Browns lead the NFL in rushing at 188.8 yards per game and rank second with 5.5 yards per carry. Now, part of those gaudy numbers were with Nick Chubb in the backfield, who was out last week and remains sidelined with a knee injury. But no worries, because Chubb’s replacement, D’Ernest Johnson, stepped in and ran for 95 yards two weeks ago.
Who’s hot (or not): Landry has at least three receptions in every game but is coming off his best performance of the season by far. He posted four catches and 88 yards on nine targets in last week’s win against Indianapolis, and three of those grabs went for first downs, including a 32-yarder. Landry also threw a touchdown pass in his previous outing, hooking up with his pal Beckham for a 37-yard score.
Game plan: With Stefanski calling the plays, the Browns are running the ball more than any team in the league. They use their fullback, Andy Janovich, about a quarter of the time and use two-tight end sets more than all but two teams. All of that is helping the backs find room to run, but it’s also allowing Mayfield to manage games rather than being forced to win them with his right arm. Mayfield is using playaction more than a third of the time, and he’s seeing improvement in his completion percentage, touchdown percentage and interception percentage after last season’s sophomore slump.
Keep an eye on: Chris Hubbard will start for injured right guard Wyatt Teller, the highest-rated guard in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Hubbard, who played for the Steelers from 2013-17, started 19 games over the past two years for the Browns at right tackle before being replaced this offseason. He saw 81% of the snaps last week at right guard but had never played that position in an NFL game before. The Steelers blitzed T.J. Watt between the tackles at times against the Eagles.
Key performers: DE Myles Garrett, DE Olivier Vernon, DT Sheldon Richardson, DT Larry Ogunjobi, MLB B.J. Goodson, CB Denzel Ward, CB Terrance Mitchell, S Andrew Sendejo.
What’s been working: The Browns rank fourth in the league, two spots behind the Steelers, in rush defense with 87 yards allowed per game. But why run against a team when you can throw? Their injuryravaged secondary is third-worst against the pass in the NFL (296.4 ypg). On the bright side, they’ve generated a league-leading 12 turnovers while Garrett leads the AFC with six sacks and is tied for first with three forced fumbles. He has half the team’s 12 sacks.
Who’s hot (or not): Sheldrick Redwine, a 2019 fourth-round draft pick, hadn’t played a defensive snap this season until he was thrown into the fire at strong safety last week when starter Ronnie Harrison went down with a head injury. But the Miami Hurricanes product rose to the occasion for his 19 plays, picking off a Philip Rivers pass in Browns territory in the fourth quarter. He almost certainly earned himself his sixth career start.
Game plan: Like most teams, the Browns play plenty of nickel defense, allowing a front four led by Garrett to cause havoc in the backfield and create pressure. They rank in the bottom third of the league in blitz percentage but fifth in hurry percentage, so they’re still finding ways to get after quarterbacks. First-year defensive coordinator Joe Woods, a North Vandergrift native and Kiski Area High School graduate, was the passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach in San Francisco last season after two years as Denver’s defensive coordinator. Keep an eye on: Linebacker Malcolm Smith, best known for winning Super Bowl MVP with the Seahawks thanks to his pick-six in their rout of Denver, has been a pleasant surprise as an offseason addition. Even at 31, he’s been solid in coverage, had an interception in Week 3 and is coming off a season-high 66% snap share. He’ll need to keep it up for a team that lost Pro Bowler Joe Schobert in free agency and hasn’t had Mack Wilson fully healthy this season.