Cleveland, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The last time the Browns and Rams met, the franchise, which originated in Cleveland, played in St. Louis.
It’s been 11 years since the last time the Browns hosted on the NFL’s marquee stage – Sunday Night Football, a 10-6 triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 14.
After being banished to the NFL Network portion of the Thursday night football package, the Browns have been welcomed back to relevance by the league with four primetime games, including NBC and the Fox Thursday Night game Nov. 14 against the Steelers.
Sunday night’s game is the second straight and third in four weeks to kick off under the bright lights for the Browns and there is a chance the Browns could be flexed back to Sunday night again this season should they begin to play to their potential and live up to the offseason hype.
After underwhelming performances in the first two weeks, we’re about to find out just how good the Browns are as they host the defending NFC champions, who boast 12 Pro Bowlers on their roster.
Sean McVay is 8-0 against the AFC in the regular season since taking over as Rams head coach and the Rams averaged 34.5 points in those games with an average margin of victory of over 14 points.
What to watch for – He’s human right? Four-time All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowl and two-time reigning defensive player of the year Aaron Donald is the centerpiece of L.A.’s defensive front. “I don’t think we look at it like we’re playing God reincarnate,” center JC Tretter said this week. “We’re playing a very talented football player and we’re going to have to bring our best to the table. But we’re not going into thinking we’re looking down the barrel of a gun by going against him.” Many Browns spent the week referring to him as “the best player in the NFL.” Donald recorded a sack in each of the final 10 games of the 2018 season to finish with 20.5 on the year. He has 59.5 career sacks but is looking for hist first QB bag of 2019.
Although Donald has yet to record a sack, he’s allowed edge rushers Clay Matthews III and Dante Fowler to feast. Matthews has 2.0 sacks and a pair of QB hits while Fowler also has a pair of sacks and three QB hits through two games. While Donald is the focus, the Browns can't forget his supporting cast either.
Myles Garrett aims to dethrone Donald as the defensive player of the year, and he’s off to a fast start. Garrett leads the NFL with 5.0 sacks and seven QB hits, but he also leads the league in penalties with five – three roughing calls and a pair of offsides penalties, which has some within the Browns organization agitated. Although they don’t square off directly, Garrett v. Donald is among the marquee matchups Sunday night. The Browns hope their franchise pass rusher plays with much more discipline, like Donald does.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been sacked eight times in the first two weeks and hit on 13 other occasions. Statistically, Mayfield is off to an okay start to his sophomore season. He’s completed nearly 61 percent of his passes, averaged over 300 yards passing in the first two weeks but he has thrown twice as many interceptions as touchdowns – 4-2. He’s also not reading the field well and holding on to the football too long. While the offensive line has taken much of the blame for the sacks and QB hits, Mayfield bears much more of the responsibility than the line.
Odell Beckham Jr. loves the lights and he showed it last week against the Jets that saw him make and incredible one-handed catch and turn a basic 12-yard seam route into an 89-yard touchdown. There might be a lesson in there for Mayfield to learn as well. He has a trio of receivers that can turn basic routes into explosive plays and looking for the big play from the pocket isn’t always necessary.
Nick Chubb could be the key to victory for Cleveland. Through two weeks Chubb has gotten 43 touches – 35 carries and eight targets through the air, he’s caught seven of them, and he may need 25-30 if the Browns are to beat the Rams Sunday night. Chubb averages 3.9 per carry and he got in the endzone last week with a 19-yard touchdown run against the Jets. The Browns have been able to sustain a drive beyond six plays just four times out of their 26 possessions this season but Chubb could be instrumental in helping them to sustain drives against the Rams, which will be paramount if they’re to win.
Cleveland’s defense is decimated with injuries. The entire starting secondary is banged up. Safety Damarious Randall is out for a second straight game with a concussion and fellow safety Morgan Burnett is nursing a quadriceps injury. Cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward suffered hamstring injuries late in the week and are questionable. The Rams receiving trio of Brandin Cooks, who has over 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last four seasons, Robert Woods, coming off a 1,219-yard season and Cooper Kupp look to light up Cleveland’s depleted secondary with one of the top QBs in the league, Jared Goff, feeding them.
Last week it was Le’Veon Bell, this week Todd Gurley. Gurley’s first two career touchdowns came against the Browns in 2015 and he’s added 45 more scores since. “He’s a premiere back,” defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi said. “He runs hard, downhill runner, knows how to get on the edge and to make plays for himself and his team so he’s a good player. We just have to kinda keep him in that box.” Cleveland was able to hold Bell to just 68 yards and a 3.2 yards per carry average last Monday night. Through two games Gurley is averaging 5.3 yards per carry on 30 totes.
We can’t forget special teams either. Both rookies – punter Jamie Gillan, last weeks AFC special teams player of the week, and kicker Austin Seibert are off to strong starts under coordinator Mike Priefer but the Rams' unit is among the best in the NFL. Priefer referred to L.A. returner JoJo Natson, an Akron product, as “terrifying” this week. Kicker Greg Zuerlein has a big leg and punter Johnny Hekker can run fakes with the best of them. The Browns' specialists will need to be on their toes and at their best.
Last week – Rams beat the Saints 27-9, Browns beat the Jets 23-3
Last Time – Oct. 25, 2015: St. Louis Rams 24, Browns 6
Series – Rams lead the all-time series 11-9 dating back to 1950.
Rankings – Points scored: Rams 7 (28.5), Browns 23t (18.0)
Yards: Rams 13 (364.5), Browns 15 (360.5)
Rushing: Rams 7 (140.5), Browns 22t (86.0)
Passing: Rams 21 (224.0), Browns 14t (274.5)
Points allowed: Rams 9t (18.0), Browns 19t (23.0)
Yards allowed: Rams 5 (293.5), Browns 7 (300.5)
Rushing yards allowed: Rams 9 (92.0), Browns 14t (108.0)
Passing yards allowed: Rams 7 (201.5), Browns 5 (192.5)
Turnover ratio: Rams 7t (+2), Browns 27t (-3)
Probable Starters – Offense: WR Odell Beckham Jr., TE Demetrius Harris, LT Greg Robinson, LG Joel Bitonio, C JC Tretter, RG Eric Kush, RT Chris Hubbard, QB Baker Mayfield, WR Jarvis Landry, WR Rashard Higgins, RB Nick Chubb
Defense: DE Myles Garrett, DT Larry Ogunjobi, DT Sheldon Richardson, DE Olivier Vernon, WILL Mack Wilson, MIKE Joe Schobert, CB Terrance Mitchell, CB Greedy Williams, FS Eric Murray, S Jermaine Whitehead, SS Morgan Burnett
Injury report – Out: OT Kendall Lamm (knee), S Damarious Randall (concussion)
Questionable: S Morgan Burnett (quadriceps), WR Rashard Higgins (knee), RT Chris Hubbard (foot), S Sheldrick Redwine (hamstring), CB Greedy Williams (hamstring), CB Denzel Ward (hamstring), DE Chris Smith (personal), LB Adarius Taylor (ankle),
Expected to play: LG Joel Bitonio (abdomen), DT Larry Ogunjobi (ankle), WR Odell Beckham Jr. (hip), K Austin Seibert (hip), RB Dontrell Hilliard (concussion)
Uniforms – Primary Colors: brown jersey and pants with orange piping/stripes and numerals
Broadcast – Radio: 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX and the University Hospitals Cleveland Browns radio network. TV: NBC Sunday Night Football WKYC TV-3
Kickoff – 8:20 p.m. FirstEnergy Stadium – Cleveland, Ohio
Our prediction – Rams 34, Browns 27
Our prediction record – 1-1
