Four reasons the Cleveland Browns will sneak by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4.
The Dallas Cowboys offer a huge test for the Cleveland Browns in Week 4.
While the Browns have won two in a row, they’ve beaten lesser opponents in Washington and Cincinnati.
Clevelanders know better than to take those victories for granted, though. A win is a win, and the Browns are sitting at 2-1, which beats the heck out of the alternative.
While the Cowboys are just 1-2, Dallas should still be a contender to win the dreadful NFC East, plus, Jerry Jones’ team has far more talent than the Browns have seen the past two weeks.
Another nugget worthing noting for this one: Dallas is allowed to have 21,000 fans in the stands for their home games–by far, the most in the NFL.
The Browns will have to be firing on all cylinders to beat a high-powered Dallas offense that also possesses a an above-average defense.
Here’s four reasons why the Browns can sneak out of Dallas with a win.
1. The big play will be there
Don’t get your hopes up. Baker Mayfield isn’t turning into Russell Wilson in this one and that’s OK. He doesn’t need to be.
The previous two wins have shown Mayfield is getting enough protection, and with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt racking up yards at a superb rate, the play-acton fake should get the Cowboys to bite.
This means Mayfield should be able to hit on a big play or two, much like we saw when he connected with Odell Beckham on a deep touchdown pass against the Bengals in Week 2.
The Cowboys are going to score, so even if the Browns are able to run effectively, Mayfield’s going to be needed to throw the ball in order to keep up.
The Cowboys and rookie Trevon Diggs gave up big plays of 29, 43 and 65 yards against the Seahawks last week.
Considering Dallas will have to be on alert for Chubb and Hunt, coach Kevin Stefanski should be able to dial up deep throws.
2. Controlling the ground game
While the Browns should be able to hit the big play, Stefanski’s bread and butter should be the running game.
The Cowboys move the ball and score. Dak Prescott threw for 472 yards in defeat last week and the Browns should look to avoid a shoot-out at all costs.
The way to do this? Run. Run. Run. If the Browns are able to keep the score close, they can keep Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott off the field while chewing up clock.
Chubb and Hunt combined for 158 yards against a good Washington rush defense. The investment in the offensive line hasn’t only benefited Mayfield, but Chub and Hunt as well.
PFF’s elusive running back rankings are out ,and Chubb tops the list, while Hunt is third. This stat measures how a back performs after drawing contract.
The Cowboys are 23rd against stopping the run, so the Browns should continue to reap the rewards of running the ball.
3. Myles’ moment
For the Browns to win, Myles Garrett needs to have the biggest game of his career–no pressure, right?
Fortunately, Garrett is balling out this season. In his last two games, he’s been responsible for two impactful sacks that resulted in fumbles, plus, he’s second in the NFL with 19 pressures (with Joey Bosa). Only Aaron Donald has more (20.
For the Browns to get the win in Dallas, Garrett, and the rest of the defensive line, must generate pressure on Prescott. The Cowboys’ receiving corps is too good, and unfortunately, Cleveland’s secondary has seen better days.
Terrance Mitchell has been solid on the outside, but it remains unclear if Greedy Williams (shoulder) and Denzel Ward (groin) will play. Andrew Sendejo is a liability at safety, while Cedrick Wilson or CeeDee Lamb will be problematic for whomever covers the slot.
If Prescott has all day to throw, it could be a long day, however, if Garrett and the line can generate pressure, ideally, Prescott will be forced into some mistakes.
4. Baker’s apparently accurate
Baker Mayfield can’t just dink and dunk his way to a victory against the Cowboys. Considering the shape of the Browns’ secondary, Dallas is going to score. At some point, Mayfield will have to make the necessary throws to keep up.
I thought Mayfield has been relatively average the past two weeks, and that’s OK. The Browns won by rushing the ball, and it worked.
Apparently, I wasn’t giving Mayfield enough credit. Per PFF, Mayfield leads the NFL in “Perfect Ball Location” through the first three weeks of the season. Basically, this means he’s reminding everyone that he was an accurate passer coming out of Oklahoma, which is why the Browns were drawn to his talent.
Currently, he’s completing 62.4 percent of throws, up from 59.4 last season.
Throughout his NFL career, Mayfield has largely feasted off beating lesser opponents, such as the Bengals, Jets, Dolphins, etc, so it’s time to start earning some signature wins.
Even though Dallas is 1-2, beating the Cowboys in Jerry’s World would go along way in boosting Mayfield’s stock.