Pass rush key against Buccaneers

The Browns have a 24-hour rule, which means one day after playing they have 24 hours to think about the most recent game, and then they’re supposed to forget about it and move onto the next one.

That rule was temporarily suspended this past week by the defense. Reliving how the Chargers ran over the front seven and how quarterback Philip Rivers threw over and through the secondary has motivated players to play harder and better.

On Oct. 21, the Browns, 2-3-1, try to get back to .500 against the slumping Buccaneers (2-3) in steamy Tampa, Fla. Kickoff is 1 p.m. The game will be televised on FOX 8 in the Cleveland area.

“We have to play better on the line of scrimmage,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said on Oct. 19. “Play better on the line of scrimmage, and it transfers all of the way back.

“There’s a reason why (the Buccaneers) are the No. 1 pass offense in the league. Those guys are talented as all get out. We have our work cut out for us. It’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge that our guys are looking forward to.”

The Buccaneers are definitely a pass-first team. They are averaging about 22 running plays a game. The Browns run the ball about 30 times a game. The Bucs’ only rushing touchdown belongs to quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The 16 touchdown passes Fitzpatrick and current starting quarterback Jameis Winston have thrown are second only to the 18 produced by the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Chiefs at 5-1 have played one more game.

Chris Godwin has four touchdown catches for the Bucs. Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson have three each. Three belong to tight end Cameron Brate and two to tight end O.J. Howard.

When Williams says the mission starts up front with the Browns, he means shutting down running back Peyton Barber first and then getting after Winston to force bad throws and ultimately interceptions.

“We need to separate the score,” Williams said. “We separate the score on defense because we’re scoring on defense, making them kick field goals down in the red zone and doing that stuff. Offense definitely puts some points on the board. I think you can see even more speed and excellence in our pass rush here, but we have to separate the score to do that.”

Takeaways have hidden weak spots in the Browns defense this season. The Browns 16 takeaways lead the league, but the defense also gave up 38 points to the Raiders (Oakland scored one touchdown on a pick six) and 38 to the Chargers in two of the last three games the Browns played. Both were losses.

“(Winston) is a guy that will not go down easy,” Williams said. “We have our work cut out for us in the pocket and getting him to the ground. Then when he has to worry about our presence in the pocket, then hopefully you can create some of those things down the field by a throw that’s six inches bad or a throw that’s 12 inches bad or a ball that’s knocked out in the pocket.

“Those are the things we have to do, and we have to continue to take the ball away on defense. We’re doing a better job of that this year, but we need to do an even better job of it as we take steps the rest of the year.”

Winston has thrown four interceptions in six quarters, so he is vulnerable.

If the Browns do force turnovers, they have to find a way to finish off the Bucs. They had a chance to beat the Saints on the road, but Zane Gonzalez missed two field goals and two PATs and they lost, 21-18. They led the Raiders, 42-34, with less than a minute left in regulation and lost, 45-42.

“The thing that I think is important is that we’ve had chances,” head coach Hue Jackson said. “Now, we just have to get over that other hump of doing it and just making sure that we’re finishing.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve even been at the door on the road. The last time that I can remember was back in Miami that hits my mind in 2016.”

The Browns were beaten by the Dolphins, 30-24, in overtime in the second road game with Jackson as head coach. They lost their remaining six road games in 2016 by an average of 11.8 points. They lost their eight road games last season by an average of 11.4 points.