Heisman Watch: Chase Young, J.K. Dobbins join Justin Fields in the Heisman Trophy race following Week 9
October 31, 2019Browns face former Liberty Bowl winner, Brandon Allen: WFNY Roundtable
November 1, 2019I’ll begin with a quote that perfectly sums up the Cleveland Browns season so far:
“That was the thing about the world: It wasn’t that things were harder than you thought they were going to be, it was that they were hard in ways that you didn’t expect.”
– Lev Grossman, The Magician King
Things have obviously not gone as planned through seven games this season, as the Browns have realized that talent alone is not enough to win in the NFL. Currently sporting an underwhelming 2-5 record, the team will travel to the Mile-High City to face off against the 2-6 Denver Broncos in a must-win matchup. The last time the two teams met was on December 15, 2018, wherein the Browns were victorious 17-16. One of quarterback Baker Mayfield’s best plays of his record-breaking rookie campaign occurred during the contest on an audible slant pattern to fellow rookie Antonio Callaway, for which Mayfield donned a smile when he recognized the perfect pattern vs. the coverage:
CALLAWAY FOR SIX‼️ pic.twitter.com/WRsO9y2lOK
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) December 16, 2018
The Browns are looking for a repeat performance from their young gunslinger, who is coming off his best game of the season vs. the New England Patriots. Mayfield and the offense should have an emphasis on “12” personnel, which is one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers. Per Sharp Football, the Broncos defense has allowed 5.3 yards per carry and a 47% success rate to teams vs. the grouping, which is 13th-worst in the league. Cleveland currently leads the league in yards per carry out of “12” (6.4), including Nick Chubb’s 88-yard touchdown run Week 4 vs. the Baltimore Ravens (below). Further, Mayfield has a 139.4 passer rating out of the grouping (third-best in the league) and has completed 19-of-28 pass attempts with a 62% success rate.
To.
The.
House.@NickChubb21, everybody. pic.twitter.com/RCeJGdSsaX— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 29, 2019
Another advantage of “12” personnel is an additional body on the offense line, which should allow Mayfield to have more time from snap to throw vs. the Broncos defense that has allowed the fifth-lowest passer rating (82.1) through Week 8. Further, this will also help protect the quarterback against cornerstone edge Von Miller, who has generated the second-most quarterback hurries (34) among all edge rushers. Feed Chubb and emphasize the play-action passing game and the offense has the potential for success.
On the offensive side of the ball for the opposition, the Broncos will be without starting quarterback (and familiar foe) Joe Flacco, who could miss up to six weeks with a herniated disk. He will be replaced by Brandon Allen, who had previous stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams. The former sixth-round pick out of Arkansas has never attempted a regular-season pass in the NFL. In fact, the last meaningful throw by Allen was in the Liberty Bowl on January 2, 2016, vs. Kansas State Wildcats. The Browns should pressure the inexperienced quarterback all afternoon, no different than the Week 2 game plan vs. the New York Jets and quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and Luke Falk.
One matchup that will have a significant impact on Allen (and the game as a whole) will be Broncos left tackle Garrett Bolles vs. Browns EDGE Myles Garrett. Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), Bolles has allowed 21 pressures (tied for 14th-most among all tackles) and has been called for nine penalties (second-most) thus far in 2019. Garrett has the third-best pass-rushing productivity (10.9), which is a PFF rating that measures the pressure created on a per snap basis that is weighted toward sacks.
Per NFL Matchup on ESPN, the Browns defense is tied for the fifth-best sack rate (defensive sacks/opponent dropbacks) in the league (8.9%). Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks should exploit the matchup vs. inexperienced quarterback that will be playing behind an offensive line that has allowed the fifth-most sacks (27) thus far.
Final Thoughts
This is the first game of the supposed “easier” part of the Browns schedule. This could be the start of Cleveland’s run in the division should they finally play a complete, mistake-free game and focus on the minutia of the gridiron. As wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. said on Thursday, “It comes down to the little stuff. They say it’s a game of inches. It’s just eliminating…wev’e helped teams beat us. Accountability, discipline…it just comes down to playing mistake-free.”
I look forward to seeing the team we’ve all been hoping for and expecting.