3 Moves Browns Must Make Next to Capitalize on Week 6 Victory

Coming off of a drama-filled bye week, the Cleveland Browns managed to upset the undefeated San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 with a 19-17. They're now 3-2 on the season and have plenty to feel good about after such a gritty win.

With a winnable road matchup on tap against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6, Cleveland has to take advantage and emerge with another victory. Here are three moves the Browns need to make to ensure they emerge with a victory in Week 7.

3 Moves Browns Need to Make After Week 6

1. Make Kareem Hunt the Starting Running Back

In the wake of Nick Chubb's injury, the Browns didn't hesitate to name Jerome Ford their new starting RB. Despite having much more experience and success in the NFL, Kareem Hunt was relegated to RB2 status.

Well, that needs to change in Week 7. Hunt clearly outplayed Ford for much of the afternoon, carrying Cleveland's rushing attack until Ford finally woke up in the fourth quarter.

While Ford's late burst against a gassed 49ers defense helped him finish with 91 total yards on 19 touches (4.8 yards per touch), Hunt was nearly as efficient with 71 yards on 15 touches (4.7 yards per touch). More importantly, Hunt also scored the Browns' only touchdown of the day.

Hunt needed a few games to get back in game shape and re-integrate into Cleveland's offense, but he finally looked up to speed in Week 6.

Ford played well in the game where Chubb went down, but he's been an overall disappointment with fewer than 40 rushing yards in three of five games. He only has 1 touchdown on the ground and is averaging a mediocre 4.0 yards per carry. Ford simply hasn't done enough to prove that he deserves the starting job going forward, and perhaps he'd be more effective as a change-of-pace back behind Hunt.

The Browns' offense is built to run the ball and needs to have an effective rushing attack to win, especially as long as Deshaun Watson is out. Hunt turned in his best game of the year so far in Week 6 and deserves to be rewarded with a larger workload in Week 7.

2. Keep P.J. Walker at QB (if Watson Sits)

When Watson was surprisingly ruled out with a shoulder injury in Week 4, Cleveland gave Dorian Thompson-Robinson his first career start. It did not go well for the 23-year-old rookie, who looked completely overwhelmed against the Baltimore Ravens. He completed just 19 of his 36 pass attempts (53%) for 121 yards, finishing with no touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

Thankfully, the Browns did not run it back with DTR in Week 6 when Watson remained sidelined. Instead, they turned to veteran backup P.J. Walker rather than hurl the rookie into the fire again.

Walker held his own against a tough 49ers defense, playing surprisingly well. He completed 18-of-34 passes for 192 yards and stepped up in the second half with the game on the line, consistently moving the ball into field goal range for Dustin Hopkins.

If Watson is unable to suit up again in Week 7, Walker deserves another start. He played much better than Thompson-Robinson against a more formidable defense. The fourth-year QB is also far more comfortable under center with 8 career starts under his belt and a 5-3 record as a starter.

Walker doesn't have the ceiling of a healthy Watson, of course, but his floor is much higher than DTR's. If Watson can't go, Walker should be under center next Sunday.

3. Get Amari Cooper More Involved

There's no denying that Amari Cooper is Cleveland's best wide receiver. Not only is he the team's most talented wideout, but he's also the most accomplished. The four-time Pro Bowler led the Browns with 1,160 receiving yards last year and finished with a career-high 9 touchdowns.

Cooper proved that again in Week 6, making the most of his limited touches. He turned 4 catches into a whopping 108 yards (27 yards per catch) and made one of the best grabs of the season so far:

So why isn't Cleveland feeding him the ball more? Cooper had just 1 catch on 6 targets for 16 yards in Week 4 and finished with the same number of receptions as Elijah Moore (19 yards) in Week 6. There's no reason that Moore should be getting as many catches as Coop.

Cooper started the season well with 17 catches on 25 targets for 243 yards and 1 touchdown over the first three weeks. He hasn't been as involved without Watson, however, with just 5 catches over his last 2 games combined.

Regardless of whether Watson returns in Week 7, that needs to change going forward. Cooper needs to be a focal point of the offense regardless of who's under center, and that's on offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to scheme up more plays for Cooper and figuring out how to get him open looks downfield.

Week 6 proved that Cooper is still an elite playmaker when you get the ball in his hands. The Browns need to make him a priority in Week 7.

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