Coming off two straight losses, the Cleveland Browns look to get back on track Sunday at 1:00PM against AFC North division rival Baltimore Ravens. Cleveland will try to bounce back after last Sunday’s crushing defeat to the San Diego Chargers. The Browns lost a heart-breaking game as kicker Josh Lambo made a field goal as time expired. On the prior play the Browns were celebrating as Lambo’s kick traveled wide right, thinking they had forced the game into overtime. However, Cleveland’s Tramon Williams was penalized for being offside and Lambo made his second-chance kick. The loss dropped the Browns to 1-3 on the season.
A lot of attention has been focused on the last play of Sunday’s game and has overshadowed a continuing theme of poor defensive play for the Browns. Through four games the Browns are ranked last in the NFL, giving up 406 yards per contest. The Chargers were able to run the ball effectively and Philip Rivers got enough time to shred the Cleveland defense for 358 yards and three touchdowns. What made the game more troubling was the fact that the Charges did this behind a makeshift offensive line that has been riddled with injuries.
Several factors have contributed to the defensive struggles. Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil told the media this week that his team needs to execute better. The problems seem deeper than just execution. First, the leader of the defense, Joe Haden, has not played like the perennial Pro Bowler he is. In losses to the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders this year, Brandon Marshall and Amari Cooper each had big days. Cleveland’s defensive scheme calls for Haden to take the other team’s top receiver in man coverage. If Haden cannot get the job done, or if he needs to be given help, it affects the rest of the defense. In addition, Haden sat out Sunday’s game with a broken finger despite being listed as probable and expected to play. His surprising absence obviously hurt the Cleveland defense against San Diego and seemed to raise some eyebrows from the coaching staff. The fact that Haden was listed as probable and did not play reportedly drew and inquiry from the NFL office as well on the Browns’ injury reporting. Haden will look to rebound on Sunday and is again expected to play. He will be tested by Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.
In addition to the struggles of Haden, the Browns have been poor in stopping the run. The defensive line play has been abysmal. Middle linebacker Karlos Dansby leads the team in tackles, but the next four leading tacklers are all from the secondary. Too many tackles are being made downfield. The Browns are hoping to get Scott Solomon back in action after suffering an ankle injury in the team’s season opener. Solomon is a strong player against the run, and was limited in practice this week. The Browns will need Solomon against a good Ravens rushing attack led by Justin Forsett.
With the struggles on defense apparent, there are some positives in other areas. Justin Gilbert, who has been much-maligned for not making more of an impact on the defensive side of the ball after being a top-10 pick in 2014’s NFL Draft, has made an impact in the return game. Gilbert had several excellent returns in San Diego and has some speculating about his possible value on the offensive side of the ball. That speculation also serves as an indictment of his struggles on defense where he got just a few snaps last week even with Haden out.
On the offensive side of the ball, Cleveland has seemed to settle into a rhythm with Josh McCown cementing his status as the starting quarterback. McCown has shown the poise and decision-making ability that led the team to go with him over Johnny Manziel as the starter. McCown seems to have moved past his early injury struggles. Against San Diego, McCown threw for 356 yards and two scores. He will look to keep his strong play going against an opportunistic Baltimore defense that has struggled to find its identity after the loss of Terrell Suggs.
Cleveland continues to get big play production from wide receiver Travis Benjamin who leads the team with 328 yards and four scores. He is tied for the team lead with 16 receptions with tight end Gary Barnidge. Rookie running back Duke Johnson Jr has become a larger role in the passing game and has 15 receptions. Cleveland has had mediocre success on the ground with Johnson and Isaiah Crowell. Offensive success will likely hinge on the play of McCown on Sunday. With a defense that can’t seem to stop anyone, big things are expected from the Cleveland offense. The Ravens and Browns both sit at 1-3. Neither team wants to drop to 1-4 and be looking up at the entire division.