Browns: 5 players who need to step up against the Bengals

The Browns will need to see these five players step up to defeat The Bengals

The Browns are sitting at 4-4 and in desperate need of a win. If they fall behind the Bengals (5-3) then it’ll be even harder for the Browns to make a comeback in the division. Yet, a win evens up the two sons of Paul Brown at 5-4 each. Right behind Baltimore at that point.

To do so, the Browns will need some of their problem areas to improve. Namely the offensive line, the safeties, and the receiving corp.

For full transparency, Odell Beckham was on this list originally when I compiled it after the game. Due to other work assignments popping up and taking precedent, we’re a few days later with this week’s post than in weeks past and so I’m posting this after two reports broke that claimed Beckham was done in Cleveland. So he’s off the list.

Five Browns players who need big games against The Bengals

Blake Hance

If Chris Hubbard was healthy, Blake Hance would still be a guard. He’s clearly a good run blocker but he’s getting matched up against a lot of great pass rushers and that’s not where he shines. He’s very much like Wyatt Teller, a big guy who can move bodies. The Bengals don’t have the same edge threats as past teams so Hance should have a better game. If not, it may be time to reconsider some other options.

Grant Delpit

For someone with so much hype, he’s being outplayed by Andrew Sendejo. Injuries or not, if you can’t tackle this many years into your football life, you’re not going to all of a sudden learn. The Browns defense is nine fantastic guys, and then two lackluster safeties.

Rashard Higgins

Lost in the Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham of it all was Rashard Higgins, who jumped offsides and failed to make a key conversion, letting the ball go right through his hands. Literally.

Jarvis Landry

If Rashard Higgins had a day that you would describe as “bad”, and he did, then Jarvis Landry’s day could only be described as having a”terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”. Landry had three drops and a fumble, with one drop and one fumble coming on the second to last and last drives of the game. It’s never one player’s fault but if there was one player who could have singularly lost a team a game, Landry would’ve been in contention.

Ronnie Harrison

Doesn’t wrap up, gets beat deep, and can’t keep his composure. Ronnie Harrison should’ve been on the first train out of Cleveland on Sunday night, but yet, here we are.