The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Detroit’s Stafford poses problems for defense
Jabrill Peppers (right) and the rest of the defensive backfield will face a severe test on Nov. 12 when the Browns travel to Detroit to face the Lions and QB Matthew Stafford.
Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, infamous for coming up with schemes to baffle opposing quarterbacks, will have to be at his mad scientist best for his next challenge.
The Browns, statistically, have the worst red zone defense in the NFL. Opponents have been inside the 20-yardline 23 times and scored 17 touchdowns for a 73.9 percent success rate. Only two teams — the Jets with 19 and the Giants with 18 — have allowed more passing touchdowns than the 16 allowed by the Browns and five other teams.
Those numbers alone would forecast doom for any Sunday, but it could be a real Category-Five disaster on Nov. 12 in Detroit when the Browns take on Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford, with 14 touchdown passes and four interceptions
thrown in eight games, is coming off a two-touchdown, 361-yard passing game against the Packers on Nov. 6 in Green Bay.
“He has pinpoint accuracy,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said after practice on Nov. 9. “He’s tough, does a good job improvising. I don’t think people recognize him for the athlete he is. He has a top flight arm. He can get rid of the ball.”
They won’t make Stafford bite his fingernails, but the Browns made two roster moves since returning from the bye. Safety Ibraheim Campbell, a 2015 fourthround draft choice, on Nov. 9 was waived with a hamstring injury to clear a roster spot for defensive back Derron Smith, who was claimed off the Bengals practice squad.
A day earlier, cornerback Darius Hillary was elevated from the practice squad. Defensive back Reggie Porter, primarily a special teams player, was placed on injured reserve with an Achilles injury.
Browns safety Jabrill Peppers missed the last two games with a toe injury and cornerback Jason McCourty missed the last two with an ankle injury. Both are practicing this week, as is defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who because of an ankle injury left the game with the Vikings and did not return. Jackson said he expects all three to play against the Lions.
“We love challenges,” Peppers said. “We’re lickin’ our chops, so we’re definitely excited to play against a quarterback of his caliber.”
With all that, the Lions are only 4-4. They lost four straight before beating the Packers.
Just as the Browns are challenged defensively inside the 20, Detroit has scored only 11 touchdowns in 24 red zone opportunities. It is because of that the Lions aren’t looking past the Browns. The temptation to do that is there because Detroit’s next two games are against NFC North rivals — the Bears on Nov. 19 and four days later against the Vikings on Thanksgiving.
“They’re a hard-nosed group,” Lions receiver Marvin Jones said on a conference call. “They definitely come out to play. They’ve been in some great games, a lot of close games. They’re definitely not to be taken lightly. We won’t and we are going to expect a hard-fought game.”
Jones leads the Lions with five touchdowns. He has 33 catches for 515 yards. Golden Tate leads the team with 50 catches for 562 yards and two touchdowns.