The Cleveland Browns get the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2.
The Cincinnati Bengals, for many, were always considered to be the Cleveland Browns’ first victory of the 2020 season in most season predictions. The Bengals have a second-year head coach, a rookie quarterback, and a rather depleted team due to a rebuild. The Browns, as many fans keep pointing out “are built to win now”. The problem is though, the Browns looked worse against the Ravens than the Bengals did against the Chargers. Sure, the Chargers aren’t a playoff team in many people’s eyes, but they have a veteran quarterback, a proven coach, and a great defense, so anything is possible.
That said, the Bengals and Browns are both coming into this game beaten up. The Browns are going to be without Greedy Williams, and Kevin Johnson on defense, and David Njoku, who had a solid offensive performance against the Ravens, will also be out. Players like Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin, two necessary pieces of the puzzle, are unsure for the start of the game, which would make the Browns job so much harder.
The Browns aren’t the only ones dealing with some issues on the injury list. The Bengals are also dealing with a situation where their key players in stopping the Browns best offensive plays are hurt. Defensive tackles Mike Daniels and Gino Atkins are out for the game. Since the Browns’ interior line and running game are two of its best attributes, one would theorize that it would behoove the Browns to attack the center of their defensive with a steady dose of running plays.
The Browns have a chance to secure their first victory of the season and put to bed murmurs about Baker Mayfield’s abilities if the Browns and subsequently Mayfield can lay into the Bengals and prove that Week 1 was a fluke, not the new standard.
Run it up the gut with Nick Chubb
Nick Chubb got hosed by Kevin Stefanski in week one. A majority of touches went to Kareem Hunt, and Chubb was basically kept out of the game in the second half. Essentially nullified by the situation. Even more peculiar, Chubb, not Hunt, was often the third-down back. The running back who’s supposed to be a pass-catching option. Every time Chubb came in on third and long you knew he was either going to block or be the absolute last case scenario for Baker Mayfield. Hunt, on the other hand, is an actual threat in the passing game. Third and long or not.
So with the Cincinnati Bengals a bit thin inside on defense, Chubb, not Hunt, should be used to pound the center of the defense. Chubb was stellar running inside the tackles last year and if given the opportunity, can be so again in 2020. That means that head coach Kevin Stefanski needs to be aware of who’s being used and where. You shouldn’t be pulling Hunt out of the backfield on passing downs because you rode him for four straight rushing plays and now he needs a breather.
That’s supposed to be Chubb’s role in the offense. Let Chubb run until he’s sucking win, then put in Hunt. It’s a really easy idea.
If the team attacks the center of the Bengals defense, then the safeties start to cheat, the linebackers bunch up, and the defensive line starts going for the ball carrier like he’s got a pizza. That’s exactly what you want, as it sets up the second key to victory against the Bengals.
Don’t abandon the play-action pass
There’s a theory in football that once you get behind too much that you have to move the ball quickly, and that means abandoning the run. Now, if you have an offense like Bill Belichick’s in New England this may work. Fast players, short routes, and a quarterback that for nearly 20 years dinked and dunked passes with ease. That’s a sheer fire way to move the ball.
Yet, if you gaining 10, 15, 20 yards a carry via the running game, why would you ever abandon it? That was part of the issue with the Baltimore Ravens game. Despite the Browns carving up the Ravens off of Jack Conklin’s rear, the Browns went into the second half basically done with the run. They tried a few times, not towards Conklin and Wyatt Teller, however, to get Kareem Hunt of all people going, but it wasn’t the same offensive calls and it didn’t produce the same results.
The reason to stay with the running game isn’t just because it’s more likely to generate big chunks of yards, which it probably is if Week 1 is any consideration, it’s that once you go away from it, the best tool in your box will be ineffective; the play-action pass.
The Browns are tailored made for it. They have big tight ends who can catch, they have an offensive line that against a game Ravens defense, was most impressive and they have the running backs you fear can each go for 200 yards on you.
Don’t abandon it. Not if you’re up by 30 or down by 30.
Don’t rely on Myles Garrett to apply pressure
Myles Garrett has been struggling for a bit now. This goes beyond no training camp and beyond the helmet incident last year. Garrett told the media that he had been contemplating retirement after attacking Mason Rudolph with a helmet last year. Garrett claims that he heard a racial slur, but no one, not even the Cleveland Browns, can support his claim. Garrett then revealed that he wants to sit down with Rudolph to clear the air. Garrett also said the whole situation had him contemplating retirement.
Then he got a $100 million contract. Fourth highest in the league. Then he didn’t retire.
The problem with Garrett isn’t that this all happened. While it remains arguably the worst moment in NFL history in decades, his play had been suffering before his reputation got murdered. Going back into the midway point of his 2019 season, Garrett was a different player than how he started out. Garrett’s first three games saw him register six sacks. His next seven games he registered just four. In his last four games, he only had one.
Not just that, but Garrett was getting gashed in the running game. Often times out of position or getting bull-rushed into the ground. Something was wrong then but no one seemed to notice it. Then, Baltimore happened, and everyone started pointing out that Garrett was a non-factor. The truth is though, Garrett hasn’t been a real factor in any game over his last five or six.
There might still be a desire to retire from Garrett. The Browns know that he hasn’t been the best version of himself in a while, and if you solely expect Garrett and Olivier Vernon to get to the quarterback, you’re going to be sorely mistaken. The Browns need to attack with a heavy dose of blitzing and try to stunt their way into the backfield.
After all, if Week 1 was a window into the season, then Larry Ogunjobi is going to have his work cut out for him.