Seahawks (4-1) at Browns (2-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
TV: Fox
Danny
Browns by 2
Seahawks’ keys to victory: Avoiding tough third-down situations will be critical. The Seahawks are one of the NFL’s most runheavy teams, but their 4.0 yards per carry rank below average. They will need consistent gains on first and second downs to set up manageable third downs, where they can both string together drives and take shots at an inconsistent Browns secondary. The Browns have one of the best third-down defenses and love to draw momentum from big stops.
Browns’ keys to victory: Keep cranking out big plays. With QB Baker Mayfield at the controls, the Browns are one of the NFL’s most dynamic big-play offenses. Whether it’s a quick-hit pass to WR Jarvis Landry, a deep shot with WR Odell Beckham Jr. or a big run by RB Nick Chubb, the Browns have multiple players who can score from anywhere. On defense, LBs Joe Schobert and Mack Wilson must not miss tackle opportunities near the line of scrimmage.
Matchup to watch: Seahawks DE Jadeveon Clowney vs. Browns DE Myles Garrett. They won’t face off directly, but the two former No. 1 overall picks will battle to have a greater impact on the game. Garrett and Clowney have distinct individual matchup advantages against the opposing team’s offensive tackles, too.
Who wins? Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is having an MVP-caliber season, but the Browns have a deeper stable of impact players for Mayfield to work with and a distinct advantage playing an early game at home against a West Coast opponent.
Browns, 33-28 Sheridan’s line:
Seahawks schedule
W ........ Cincinnati ........ 21-20 W ..... at Pittsburgh ..... 28-26 L ...... New Orleans ...... 33-27 W ........ at Arizona ........ 27-10 W ........ L.A. Rams ........ 30-29 Oct. 13 ..... at Cleveland ..... 1 Oct. 20 ..... Baltimore ..... 4:25 Oct. 27 ........ at Atlanta ........ 1 Nov. 3 ..... Tampa Bay ..... 4:05 Nov. 11 at San Francisco 8:15 Nov. 17 ............... BYE .............. Nov. 24 at Philadelphia 8:20 Dec. 2 ..... Minnesota ..... 8:15 Dec. 8 ... at L.A. Rams ... 8:20 Dec. 15 ....... at Carolina ....... 1 Dec. 22 ....... Arizona ....... 4:25 Dec. 29 San Francisco . 4:25
Browns schedule
L ...... Tennessee ...... 43-13 W ...... atN.Y.Jets ...... 23-3 L ....... L.A.Rams ....... 20-13 W .... atBaltimore .... 40-25 L ..atSanFrancisco ..31-3 Oct. 13 ........ Seattle ........ 1 Oct. 20 ............. BYE ............. Oct. 27 . at New Eng. . 4:25 Nov. 3 .... at Denver .... 4:25 Nov.10 ........ Buffalo ........ 1 Nov. 14 .. Pittsburgh .. 8:20 Nov.24 ......... Miami ......... 1 Dec. 1 . at Pittsburgh . 4:25 Dec. 8 ....... Cincinnati ....... 1 Dec.15 ..atArizona ..4:05 Dec. 22 ...... Baltimore ...... 1 Dec. 29 ... at Cincinnati ... 1