The Chargers are heading to the Dawg Pound on Sunday to take on the Cleveland Browns. They just came off one of their biggest games of the season, winning 26-8 against the Saints. The defense was suffocating, the offense clicked on deep plays, and they completely shut down New Orleans. However, the Browns are also coming off their best game of the year. Taking down the juggernaut Ravens, Jameis Winston threw for 334 yards with a 115.3 passer rating as the offense put up more than 20 for the first time this season. Of course, the Browns are known for their defense, which is precisely what the Chargers need to worry about the most.
The Browns’ defense has consistently been one of the league’s best for the last few years. Myles Garrett draws most of the attention, which opens up the rest of the frontline. Za’Darius Smith leads the team with five sacks, Garrett closely behind with four. They will likely be matched against Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, who have been one of the most lethal Tackle duos this season. However, the Browns will be without their leading tackler (61) in superstar LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. This will prove to be a huge loss for the Browns and affect all aspects of the Chargers offense.
With that being said, the Chargers need to build off of their offensive performance against the Saints. While JK Dobbins didn’t have his best game on the ground (57 YDS, 1 TD), the passing game truly got going for the first time. Ladd McConkey went for 111 yards and two touchdowns as Justin Herbert had his best game of the year (279 YDS, 2 TDS, 111.3 QBR). Notably, Quentin Johnston – Herbert’s second option – is off of the injury report after missing a few games. Johnston has had a career year and could help open things up for Ladd McConkey this week as Browns DBs have more pass-catchers to worry about. Will Dissly has also had a great year as the TE1. With the return of Hayden Hurst this week, however, it will be intriguing to see who gets the majority of targets between the two.
Coming off of last week, the Browns offense is very much a concern to the Chargers as well. Putting up 24 points against the Ravens, things were clicking on all cylinders. For one, DBs will have to focus on David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, and last week’s breakout player WR Cedric Tillman. It is unknown whether Tillman’s performance last week (2 TDs, 99 YDS) was a fluke or the new norm. With that in mind, the most important thing to watch for this Browns offense moving forward is whether Tillman or Jeudy becomes Winston’s favorite target.
The run game will be a big question as well. Nick Chubb is heading into his third game after the gruesome injury he suffered at the beginning of last season. Last week, he went for 52 yards. The Chargers’ run defense has been shakey at times, notably giving up over five yards per carry against Kareem Hunt and over 6 per attempt to Alvin Kamara. Maybe Chubb will use this to get back into a rhythm, or he could continue his slow start. If he doesn’t return to his old self this week, Jerome Ford is back to help him out. Returning to the field, Ford proved to be a more than reliable back after Chubb’s injury. Either way, Los Angeles is going to need to focus on what happens on the ground as well as the air.
Doing that should be a manageable task though, as the Chargers have arguably the best defense in football. The number one scoring unit in the league, LA is holding it down. Derwin James leads the way, as Daiyan Henley and Denzel Perryman are holding down the LB position for the team. The most important player for the Browns to watch out for is Khalil Mack. He and his 3.5 sacks make himself known on every snap, and it will be Jameis Winston’s number one worry on the field on Sunday. Joey Bosa (hip) is questionable to play after he has dealt with the injury and has been in all season. Should he not play, Bud Dupree is still a player the Browns need to gameplan for. With Mack and Bosa/Dupree on either side, the pass rush will be almost as dangerous as Garrett and Smith on the other sideline.
The most important variable this Sunday will be none other than Jameis Winston. Known for his inconsistency, nobody knows which Jameis the Browns will get on Sunday. What is worth noting is that Winston threw multiple interception balls to the Ravens, none of which were caught. Should Baltimore have caught those picks, the narrative around the Browns would be different now.
No matter what happens on Sunday, it will be an exhilarating matchup. Two of the best defenses and the hottest offenses facing each other is always a recipe for success. Winston vs. Herbert could shape up to be one of the best of the season, and the defenses could be dominant from start to finish. Anyone who loves football will be tuned into Chargers vs. Browns at 1:00 pm ET.