Fresh off their thrilling 26-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers, the Cleveland Browns play their home opener against the New York Jets today. I can only imagine how fired up the Dawg Pound is going to be at FirstEnergy Stadium!
The Browns will likely lean heavily on the running game just like they did last week. On the defensive side of the ball, Myles Garrett is closing in on the reported all-time sack record in Browns history, currently held by Clay Matthews with 62 sacks. I said reported because sacks only officially began to be recorded in 1982. If we’re going with today’s sacks along with the sacks that weren’t recorded, Clay Matthews isn’t the leader. A man named Bill Glass played for Cleveland from 1962-1968, and amassed a staggering 77.5 sacks!
But before Myles can chase down history, let’s see how the Dawgs can chase down win #2 of the 2022 campaign, and their first 2-0 start to a season since 1993! Check out my Keys to Victory for this week’s game!
Contain Joe Flacco: Even though he’s 37 years old, and likely near the end of his career as a starting quarterback, I still remember the days when he was in his prime as a Baltimore Raven. He tortured us and made big plays far more often than not, and perhaps he’s got a little magic left over from those days. It’s up to Myles Garrett and Co. to make sure that doesn’t happen!
A steady diet of the best backfield in the league: When Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt get rolling, I don’t know if there is any defense in the league that could truly shut them down. When the Browns rushing attack gets rolling, they’re like a boulder rolling downhill. If the Browns establish their physicality by running the rock early and often, they’re well on their way to winning this game.
Solid secondary play, especially in the fourth quarter: I was pleasantly surprised last week with the Browns secondary for the first three quarters against the Panthers. They were playing receivers tight, breaking up passes and making solid tackles But once the fourth quarter rolled around, what I suspected might happen DID happen. Either Baker Mayfield started to solve the secondary, or they started to play much softer. After Mayfield hit Robbie Anderson on a 75-yard touchdown strike, the secondary seemed to implode. It was like everybody became confused about what their assignment was. If that happens against the Jets again today, I will be deeply concerned about the Browns’ ability to shut down games for the rest of the season. Good teams hang with their opponents. Great teams consistently shut them down. The Browns have struggled with closing out games even since the playoff run in 2020. They need to figure out how to do that. If they do? They can begin the climb to being not only one of the best teams in the AFC, but the whole league!
The Browns haven’t been 2-0 since 1993. Bernie Kosar was in his last season in Cleveland, and some young guy named Bill Belichick was at the helm. It’s been way too long since the Browns have started strong out of the gate. It’s about time they do it! Catch all the action on CBS at 1 PM. GO BROWNS!
Sources: msn.com, wkyc.com
Picture Credit: dailyclevelandnews.com
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