The Browns have the Las Vegas Raiders this week who are sitting at 3-3, record aside, the Raiders have some talent the Browns should worry about.
The Browns will take the field Sunday against a Raiders team that is both far better than people realize and far worse than they expected them to be. Offensively, the Raiders are clicking like few in the NFL. They’re one of the six best passing teams in the league but despite a 4.0 average carrying the ball, they remain in the bottom half of the league in attempts. They’re the opposite of the Browns in that regard. While Cleveland will set up the run to pass, the Raiders seemingly set up the pass to run.
They like to spread out defenses and use smaller, quicker running backs to cut holes. It’s not ineffective but they can’t win with that setup. Their running back Josh Jacobs isn’t very good and has been ineffective in the running game.
The team also lacks on defense, though they have some developing young players who will be a force to deal with, once the other nine spots improve. The Browns won’t have to worry too much about the Raiders defensively. They’re the second-worst in the NFL in points-per-game (32.8), they give up nearly 120 rushing yards per game, are fifth in the league in yards given up through the air (283).
They’re second to last in sacks (7) and the only reason they’re that high is due to one player who has four sacks (more on him in a moment). They’re also fourth in the league in missed tackles. If Nick Chubb were playing, this wouldn’t be a conversation of “if the Browns will win”, but rather “by how much.”
The Browns still have to respect the Raiders and these are the three biggest threats they possess.
Maxx Crosby
The young pass rusher who’s starting to get more and more opportunities with the Raiders is “Mad” Maxx Crosby, their young defensive end. Crosby anchors a lackluster pass rush, but that makes his ability and stats all the more impressive. With the ability to get depth largely on his own, Crosby has four sacks in his last five games.
While the Raiders defense isn’t Baltimore or Pittsburgh, guys like Crosby are young and developing and could be a real threat going forward. This is his second year in the NFL, and he’s coming off of a 10-sack 2019 rookie season. So Crosby has already shown he can get to the quarterback. Jedrick Wills has struggled at times with faster ends, having issues closing the gap from his point on the line of scrimmage, to where the defensive ends line up before the snap.
Crosby isn’t as fast as some guys but he’s got a great first move and can rock back offensive tackles while cutting across their face. He’s going to be a handful for Wills and Harrison Bryant (or David Njoku) in double team opportunities. Making sure that the tight end pops Crosby before releasing will be imperative in helping Wills keep up with Crosby.
Trayvon Mullen
Arguably the best defensive back the Raiders has is Trayvon Mullen. Mullen is a young starter for the Raiders whose in his second year. Mullen does make mistakes from time to time and is in his first year as the Raiders full-time starter at the position, but Mullen is talented enough to cause issues for the patchwork receiver corp that he’ll be facing on Sunday.
Mullen is a sure-tackler, making big plays after the catch unlikely against Mullen, and he has shown a willingness to go up and hit ball carriers. What makes Mullen interesting from a gameplay perspective, however, is his ability to get around on receivers and deflect passes thrown his way.
He currently leads the Raiders with pass-deflections at seven and has shown himself to be capable of hanging with a good number of wide-outs. He may not be Champ Bailey out there but Mullen could cause some disruptions that the Browns will want to keep an eye out for. The best bet to taking Mullen out of the game is to run more screen routes and rollouts to him and force Mullen to walk up against a running back or attempt to cover a longer and taller tight end.
Derek Carr
While the NFL is infatuated with Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr is having a near-identical season as his peers. The reason why Carr isn’t getting the same attention, however, is Jon Gruden and his need to have “his” stamp on anyone and everyone. The Raiders sold off a lot of key pieces a few years ago to rebuild with Gruden’s vision of the team and that meant getting rid of Pro Bowlers who were young and talented, all for the hope of more.
Carr was lambasted by many in his first year in Gruden’s offense, and many thought he’d be moved as well, as Gruden seemed unreasonably hard on him; despite having his three best seasons as a pro in his Gruden’s offense.
This year, things have changed. Carr is no longer under Gruden’s microscope and the Raiders lackluster season so far has more to do with Gruden’s work as a general manager than Carr’s as a quarterback. Carr is completing 70% of his passes, has 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He’s putting up numbers that are comparable to Mahomes.
The offense is working with Carr, even if there aren’t many tried-and-true, name brand, playmakers on the offense yet.