Browns campaign for win in D.C.: WFNY Roundtable

The 2016 Cleveland Browns have been sorta fun to watch, and they haven’t screwed up their 2017 NFL Draft position by winning some needless games. Everything is going so well that Terrelle Pryor is also appearing to be a legitimate NFL weapon (who is already in Canton) and Cody Kessler had an OK start.

Positive progression is the name of the game and the Browns have another potential even matchup in Week 4 against the Washington Redskins.

Browns offense versus Redskins defense

Who will be the more effective quarterback in Week 4: Cody Kessler or Terrelle Pryor?

Craig: Cody Kessler will take so many more snaps, but it’s more probable that Pryor will have a bigger impact in his moments under center. Pryor just does so much with his size and athleticism. As long as he doesn’t make a wild overthrow that a defender holds onto this week, it will be Pryor’s chance to make the Browns better.

Joe: This is a really good question. I think Cody Kessler will be the most effective quarterback because Washington will be more ready for Pryor than the Dolphins. Kessler was solid in his first NFL start. He is facing a Washington defense who will give him opportunities to be productive.

Michael: I’ll put the over-under on Pryor snaps from quarterback at 10 (anytime he is the first non-center to touch the football on a play). Washington will be better prepared for it, but creative sets could still make it useful. Kessler should be able to continue his short game splurge to put up another decent week. I’m looking for a big play-action bomb though to really put the defense on their heels.

Josh: Kessler will be the more effective QB on Sunday. Hue will likely not call many plays that will lead to his rookie making mistakes and continue to stick with the short passing game. When Pryor’s behind center, it will either be a quarterback draw so he can show off his speed or a trick play for a deep pass, which is obviously much less effective than throwing like 5-to-10 yard passes.

Scott: On a per-play basis, it’s tough no not side with Pryor after what he did last week, but I’m going to have to say Kessler as a whole. TP may have a few momentum shifting plays, but if the Cleveland Browns are going to keep this one competitive, it’ll be on the back of Kessler. Let’s also not discount the fact that the tape is out on Pryor now. Washington won’t be blindsided by Pryor the way Miami was.

Pat: I’m going to go with the new kid. He played well in his role last week and I think he was able to shake off the nerves of playing in his first game and did a great job putting the ball into our playmakers’ hands. That’s really all I want from a 3rd string QB. Just put your teammates in a place where they can do what they do best.

Dave: The Code man. i think with another week, and some actual film, he should do pretty well especially with a bit less potent of a pass rush this week

What creativity do you think Hue employs this week on offense?

Craig: I think it will be much of the same. The tricks in the bag are the same. I’m hoping that they make some changes along the offensive line and can make some more plays straight up.

Joe: I think Hue Jackson will implement a similar offense he schemed up last week. Washington and Miami are similar defenses. I hope Jackson relies more on his run game than he did last week, though. The run game has been really impressive and should be used more in the gameplan.

Michael: Pryor end-around pass back to Kessler on the backside wheel route.

Josh: Hue will literally think of anything and everything that will allow TP to make plays with the ball in his hands. With virtually nothing to lose, I hope the Browns find every way possible in order to get him the ball, whether it’s a trick play or not.

Scott: The only place to go from here is a flea-flicker.

Pat: How about the Statue of Liberty play?

Dave: As mentioned on the Friday Fumble this week, a three-quarterback triangle formation featuring the first appearance of Charlie Whitehurst.

The Redskins are giving up over 30 points per game. Can/will the Browns match that number?

Craig: Only if the defense gets on the scoreboard. The Browns offense is still going to be wildly inconsistent, even against the worst NFL defenses. I think the Browns will need some help from Kirk Cousins in order to get over 30 points. Cousins has three interceptions in his first three games. Washington has a turnover rate of 9.7% so far this season. It’s still a small sample size, however, so we’ll see what the Browns’ defense can do.

Joe: I think the Browns have the potential to do that, but they will be just under that mark. The Browns may not need 30 to win the game. In order for the Browns to get over 30 points, they need to finish drives and not rely on Cody Parkey. That was the problem last week. They relied too much on a kicker who was just signed the day before.

Michael: No. The offense is simply not consistent enough and the offensive line getting shuffled again will not help. Having pressure and sacks puts the offense in less than desirable down and distance situations.

Josh: No, not with Kessler behind center at least. Unfortunately, even with Terrelle Pryor. While they may be able to put up a few touchdowns, scoring over 30 with this offense will be awfully tough. But then again, TP seems to play out of his mind at times and may be able to do that on his own.

Scott: Yeah—they’ve also faced quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning. The Browns have a chance to put up some points here, so I wouldn’t discount it (especially with DeAngelo Hall done for the year), but if I had to bet, I think this team has a ceiling in the mid-20s.

Pat: I am going to say no. I don’t think the offense is set up for quick strikes quite as well with Kessler as the QB. I think the Redskins offense could also end up being on the field quite a bit in this game.

Dave: Maybe if we get another defensive touchdown. But also I’m an eternal optimist, so we score 40.

Browns defense versus Redskins offense

How many times will the Browns get to Kirk Cousins (QB hits or sacks)? Will they emphatically yell “you like that” each time?

Craig: Kirk Cousins has only been sacked four times so far this season against Pittsburgh, Dallas and the Giants. For your reference, Browns QBs have been sacked 10 times so far. The Browns have three sacks each for Kessler, McCown, and RG3, with one going to Terrelle Pryor. At least so far, compared to what we’re used to, Cousins doesn’t take a lot of sacks and it’s hard to predict the Browns defensive front is going to change that drastically this week.

Joe: The Browns have not shown that they can get sacks, but they have shown solid pressure in spurts throughout the first three weeks. I do not think the Browns pass rush will have great success against Washington’s offensive line. Their offensive line is one of the better units in the league and has just given up four sacks so far this season.

Michael: The over-under on this one is five for pressures and one for shouts. It will all be worth it for the Ogbah yell GIF.

Josh: The Browns have to get pressure on Cousins considering their secondary is so weak. Hopefully, guys like Danny Shelton can continue to impress and (hopefully) be able to put pressure on Cousins. Yelling “you like that” is an absolute must.

Scott: I actually like the Browns’ chances to get to Cousins a few times in this one. Shaun Lauvao is wearing a walking boot, starting center Kory Lichtensteiger is nursing a calf. Trent Williams is a stud, but he’s likely playing inside now which should open up some outside lanes for Cleveland’s pass rush. They better, anyway, because Washington has a lot of weapons in the passing game. Jordan Reed has to be licking his lips.

Pat: The Browns are currently averaging a meager one sack per game, so I’m going to assume that they will top that mark in this game. You basically have to be trying not to get to the QB to only register one sack per game. I’m going to call an Ogbah sack and a Meder sack in this one.  Also, I am guessing the phrase that is yelled will actually be, “Now I’m done!”

Dave: The Browns will put up a good pass rush, but they will be careful with Cousins, because the last thing anyone wants is Colt McCoy to come out there and torch us.

The Redskins are only averaging 3.8 YPC on the ground, the Browns giving up 3.9 YPC. Do the Browns actually have a significant, tactical advantage here?

Craig: I don’t know about an advantage, but I do think Washington is likely a mediocre to bad running team. Their best rushing game is a 90-yarder against the Giants in Week 3. If the Browns play a disciplined rush defense and stay in their lanes, I wouldn’t expect Washington running backs like Matt Jones to go off or anything.

Joe: I have been really impressed by the Browns run defense. The linebackers and Danny Shelton have really shown a lot of success stopping the run. I think this is an actual tactical advantage the team possesses. The Browns defense will not have a dangerous threat to worry about in the Washington backfield, so they can center their attention more on Kirk Cousins and the passing game.

Michael: I know, weird right? Shelton will have a tougher time getting a push this week as Lauvao is a tough double, but the rest of the DL should have no issue keeping the defensive run game trend going.

Josh: Advantage? Possibly. Signifcant? Nah. The Browns aren’t good enough on either side of the ball to take a significant advantage.

Scott: Matt Jones doesn’t scare me, and they don’t get the ball into Chris Thompson’s hands often enough to warrant concern. Even if the yards-per-carry numbers are modest, my concern rests in the three receivers and an immensely talented tight end who could put up numbers throughout the day.

Pat: I think so. The Redskins’ running game is poor and the Browns do seem to have a pretty good handle on stopping the run. Danny Shelton has been a beast through three games and is turning into the run stuffer we all hoped he would be.

Dave: Danny Shelton has started a new habit of STARTING the piles, not just jumping on them, so let’s hope that continues.

Should the Browns be favored this week?

Craig: Nope. They’re a young team, on the road, with a kicker who missed three kicks, including a should-have-been game-winner. Until the Browns actually win a game, they shouldn’t be favored, and even then probably not. This team probably shouldn’t be favored in any games they play in this season.

Joe: No. The Browns are starting a rookie quarterback and are on the road. Washington has a veteran quarterback in Kirk Cousins and are playing at home. They are also coming off a big win versus the New York Giants. They should not be favored.

Michael: For the second week in a row, it is hard to not look at this game as a tossup despite it being on the road. For a team expected to be the worst in the NFL, they sure look competitive. If that continues, then this Hue Jackson guy might be the right guy for the job.

Josh: Should the Browns be favored in any game this season? Absolutely not. This is going to be a very rough rebuilding year, but it was much-needed. As long as the team continues to develop this season, I could careless what their record is this season.

Scott: While I think 7.5 points is a bit much, there’s no way the Browns should be favored on the road against anyone. This one should be more in that 6.5-7 range, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the line moves by Monday or if the sharps push the payout down on the Browns’ side.

Pat: Absolutely not. Until they win a game, they probably shouldn’t be favored over anyone, especially in an away game.  I’ll be at the game this week, so Las Vegas needs to take that into account and favor the Redskins appropriately.

Dave: Not sure how Vegas feels about us, but as a fan, I feel pretty good about it.