Cleveland Browns: 5 keys to beating the Eagles

Aside from the typical defensive strategy of defending the run and the pass, the Browns will need to be careful watching other elements of Philadelphia’s offense which may be unpredictable.

Also, young players have a tendency to assume motions in an effort to gain the upper hand on a specific play. If they guess wrong though or are careless in their assumptions, it will appear as a missed assignment and the entire play will blow up. This especially pertains to keeping containment on the pocket. Fans should expect to see Philadelphia mix up their offense slightly, especially if the game is going well for Cleveland’s defense early on. This may mean that the Eagles will look to catch the Browns’ young defense off guard in the form of bootleg roll-outs which result in open field opportunities.

Not only can unique plays which are designed hurt Cleveland’s defense do damage, but broken plays can also inflict equal damage. Cleveland allowed the third-most rushing yards in 2015, many of which came off of quarterback scrambles resulting from broken plays. Once again, this does not necessarily translate to the 2016 Browns under different leadership, but it does indicate a serious issue involving containment of the pocket.

A serious issue arises when the cornerbacks shut down the opposing receivers, but are so far downfield that the quarterback has an escape route due to the defensive line not holding the quarterback in the pocket. The Browns must contain Wentz in the pocket, especially given his mobility proven during his collegiate career. Though some Cleveland defenders doubt Wentz’s ability to scramble due to a lingering rib injury, the defense has proven to be vulnerable to the mobile quarterback.

It is still unknown what kind of quarterback Wentz will mold into, making it even more critical Cleveland’s defense prevent odd, or “cheap” chunks of yardage on the ground. Once they do this, they can concern themselves with the actual rushing and passing attack presented by Philadelphia’s offense.

Philadelphia’s receivers are average, but could always break out, as they will feature Nelson Agholor, Josh Huff, Jordan Matthews, and Dorial Green-Beckham a lot on Sunday. But at the running back position, they lack power even though they specialize in speed. This is the case for all three running backs the Browns will see lining up in the backfield Sunday: Ryan Matthews, Darren Sproles, and Kenjon Barner. The Browns have an edge defensively, so simply preventing mental lapses is the most important factor of Sunday’s game on defense.

Next: Take calculated risks