TODAY’S GAME
Chargers at Browns, 1 p.m., Ch. 7, 1290, 95.7
and per league rules, he’s permitted back after five weeks of his suspension.
Watson, who signed a fiveyear $240 million contract with Cleveland in March, can attend team meetings and work out but can’t practice until Nov. 14.
Staley’s homecoming
On his last trip to Firstenergy Stadium, Chargers coach Brandon Staley recruited high school players. This visit will fulfill a dream.
Staley grew up in Perry, Ohio, less than an hour from Cleveland’s lakefront stadium and played quarterback two seasons at the University of Dayton. He was a Browns fan as a kid, and he’ll finally get to coach against them in his backyard.
“That was always my dream,” Staley said of coaching a game in Cleveland. “I went to games at the old stadium. With their franchise, in the last couple of years, they’ve really improved. Those fans are going to come alive when they have a team to root for.”
Balancing act
In the air, the Chargers are superb. On the ground, not so much.
While Los Angeles leads the league with 307.3 yards passing per game, the Chargers are last in rushing at 64.5 yards. They showed signs of life last week against Houston as Austin Ekeler ran for 60 yards, two touchdowns and had two carries over 10 yards for the first time this season.
“It’s not necessarily where we need to be but it’s a step in the right direction. I did get some runs and now I’m starting to get a feel for it,” Ekeler said. “I was able to put a couple in the end zone for the run game, you know, for one game, but can I do it again?”
In last year’s win over the Browns, he became the fifth player since 1991 with three scrimmage touchdowns in the fourth quarter.