The Cleveland Browns will go into the Philadelphia Eagles game down one of their biggest defensive threats but they can still win this game.
The Cleveland Browns have the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and look to move to 7-3 on the season. To do that, however, the Browns will need to be able to beat the Eagles without Myles Garrett, the defensive anchor throughout the whole season. That doesn’t mean the Browns can’t, it just means the Browns will need to really emphasize their usual trend off offensive play calling.
Basically, the Browns can’t give up touchdowns if the Eagles’ offense isn’t on the field. So with that, let’s look through three things the Browns need to do to capture the win.
Attack on the ground
The Cleveland Browns are looking at another cold and wet game. While the wind will only be 17 MPH, the Cleveland forecast does call for a 100% chance of precipitation. Rain will start in the early morning and be persistent through the early afternoon. While the skies may clear up later in the game, the start of it will be soggy, cold, and not very desirable throwing weather. With the Browns having two 100-yard rushers in last week’s game against the Texans, and the weather conditions again being bad for the third straight game, it seems almost like a lock that the Browns will want to attack the Eagles on the ground as early and often as possible.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield may not get a lot of shine in this game either, like the last two, mostly because of the weather but also because of clock management. Running the ball kills the clock, and keeps the opponent’s offense cold on the sideline. Something the Browns will want to do more of after news broke that Myles Garrett will miss at least this game and possibly the Week 12 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to contracting and developing symptoms to Covid-19. The Browns will want to manage the clock the best they can to keep their defense fresh. Attacking on the ground is the way to go to do just that.
Put pressure on Carson Wentz
With Myles Garrett out, so many in the Cleveland media are screaming doom and gloom defensively from here on out. Except, this defense is already trash and there’s no real way it can get worse. Added to that is the fact that the Browns defensive front four comes alive against terrible offensive lines, and boy does Philadelphia just have the absolute worst offensive line.
Sure, Garrett’s out, but if he had to miss two games then he’s picking the two best games to miss. The Eagles offense is as bad as it gets, and it should be TurnoverCity out there on Sunday because of it. Yes, the Browns will miss Garrett to a degree, but no defensive player on their own is so significant that they can’t overcome their loss.
Porter Gustin and Adrian Clayborn will attempt to fill the gap left by Garrett, with Gustin being the more likely player to get the most snaps. Gustin has shown a good ability to get around on tackles and make plays in the backfield, plus he’s a really good tackler which makes him useful against the run. While Clayborn has been a large disappointment, the hope is that Sheldon Richardson can prove he’s worth something against a bad interior offensive line. He’s done it in the past, with all of his 3.5 sacks coming against three of the worst offensive lines in the league (WAS, CIN x2, HOU).
The Eagles might be the absolute worst, so expect Richardson to actually make a play or two.
Use tight ends and Kareem Hunt to force open the passing game
The receivers as a unit have been widely disappointed for one reason or another throughout the season. Combined that with some bad weather lately and the Browns would be wise to incorporate passing plays involving their tight ends and second running back, Kareem Hunt, far more in Week 11. Jarvis Landry is, for at least this year, done as a playmaker. He’s clearly in bad shape and can’t get distance from the secondary. Relying on him is no longer a real option if you have alternatives. Harrison Bryant has played well when called upon and Austin Hooper was a Pro Bowler in Atlanta. Seeing both men used more in the passing game against a suspect Eagles linebacking corps would be a wise move.
The Eagles have a good secondary, as they’re 5th in the league in yards allowed through the air with just 1,906. For comparison, the Seahawks lead the league with 3,437. So the Eagles are really good at taking away deep threats. So attack them underneath and make standout LB/SS Nathan Gerry over pursue until you force him off the field because he’s sucking air. The short passes and screenplays to Hunt will also help keep the defense from getting to Baker Mayfield. The Eagles are 3rd in sacks as a team (Browns are 12th), and even though the Browns offensive line has been good, they are still suspectable to good defensive packages. Jedrick Wills will have his hands full as he deals with the constant blitz packages throughout the game, something he’s struggled with during his rookie year.
Quick passes to your non-wide receivers are the best way to get the passing game going while setting up the run and keeping their offense off the field.