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3 Browns Who Could Get Benched vs. Bengals in Week 1

These three Browns could wind up getting benched against the Bengals in Week 1.

By Devon Platana

Elijah Moore is one of three Cleveland Browns who could be benched against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
Elijah Moore is one of three Cleveland Browns who could be benched against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. / Nick Cammett/GettyImages
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2. Jordan Elliott

It's not a secret that the Browns' defensive line was a huge weak spot last season. The unit couldn't get anything going against the run, allowing 135.0 rushing yards per game (No. 25 in the NFL) and 4.7 yards per carry (No. 25).

While general manager Andrew Barry did his best this offseason to improve the line with outside help, returning players like Jordan Elliott must find a way to bounce back.

Elliott was elevated to a full-time starter for the first time last year and things couldn't have gone worse. He wound up being one of the worst defenders in the entire NFL as his 40.4 Pro Football Focus grade ranked 10th-worst among qualified interior defenders.

Even more disappointing was his putrid 33.0 run defense grade.

In other words, I will be shocked if Stefanski doesn't have Elliott on a short leash against the Bengals. The Browns have solid backups like sixth-year DT Maurice Hurst II and rookie Siaki Ika waiting in the wings, so I fully expect to see one of them the second Elliott messes up.

After how his 2022 campaign went, that might not take long to happen.

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