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Cleveland Browns: Keys to victory over the Jets

By Jonathan Goehring

Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets safety Calvin Pryor (25) and New York Jets linebacker Demario Davis (56) hit Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) and force a fumble during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets safety Calvin Pryor (25) and New York Jets linebacker Demario Davis (56) hit Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) and force a fumble during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 23, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (34) carries the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (34) carries the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

One of the main questions entering Sunday’s game is who will be taking snaps. If Josh McCown is ready, fans will likely see him play for the first time since Week 2. If he isn’t ready though, it will be rookie Kevin Hogan becoming the 27th Cleveland starting quarterback since 1999.

Regardless, due to the uncertainty at the position, the Browns will need to make the offense as simple as they can for their quarterback. This means that they must stay ahead of the sticks and work manageable third downs.

Of course, this means that the team must run the ball effectively. Play calling will be so critical, since incompletions on first and second down have been costly in past weeks. Isaiah Crowell must continue his productive season, and Duke Johnson needs to get going. Short passes are also effective in staying ahead of the sticks, but they must be sure completions.

One other important factor in this key is avoiding penalties. In past weeks, offensive holding calls or variations of holding have hindered drives. Last week, the team committed three delay of game penalties, on top of all of the false start penalties. These mistakes add up to ruin drives if done in a very untimely manner. For the Browns, they have to limit penalties on offense in order to stay ahead of the sticks so that their drives can be sustained against a tough Jets defense.

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