Cleveland Browns: 5 keys to the game vs. Washington

Quite possibly the most compelling element of Sunday’s game will be the quarterback play. This, of course, is due to both Pryor and Kessler’s shared time at the quarterback position last week. Though not entirely unexpected, the change in strategy sparked Cleveland’s offense at times.

This week is different, however, since using Pryor at the position will be no surprise at all. Though this may seem to serve as a disadvantage to the Browns compared to last week, the bottom line remains the same. If the Browns can protect whoever is taking snaps and give them a sizeable pocket for a substantial amount of time, they will greatly increase their chances of winning. But if they allow Ziggy Hood and Cullen Jenkins to intrude into the backfield too many times, the offense will struggle to score.

Related: Can Austin Pasztor be fixed?

Last week, the Browns’ offensive line wasn’t terrible. But their success came more in the running game as they lacked solid pass protection. While the Redskins struggle against the run – they are giving up 123 yards and 4.6 yards per carry on the season, while allowing a league-high seven rushing touchdowns – the offensive line still needs to be more consistent in pass protection.

This means that the tackles  will especially have to play better, known as the tackles. For the Browns, this means Joe Thomas and Austin Pasztor. The struggles of the offensive line can not continue if the team wants to move the ball on offense. Success to several keys to this game are made possible only by formidable pass protection.