We take a look at the five best opposing quarterbacks the Cleveland Browns will go up against during the 2017 NFL season.
Another season gone by and another offseason question mark at the quarterback position, and unfortunately for the Cleveland Browns, they’ll face a plethora of teams that don’t have to worry about that.
The return of players like Emmanuel Ogbah, Joe Haden, Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey, as well as new additions in Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, Larry Ogunjobi, Caleb Brantley, the eventual return of Howard Wilson and Calvin Pryor, who was picked up in a trade, should help a Browns defense ranked 31st overall a year ago. Putting these players together has the look of a much better looking defense from the outside looking in.
Against the pass, the team was slightly better having given up about 249.8 pass yards per game, good enough for 21st overall in 2016. While not spectacular, the defense appears ready to take a step forward and potentially be among the league’s best.
However, as we all know a team lives and dies by the quarterback, and that philosophy applies to the defense as well. With that being said, lets take a look at the five quarterbacks who will give the Browns the most trouble.
Ben Roethlisberger
We start with a familiar face. The Browns will once again have to face Big Ben twice in the same season, but that familiarity has its ups and downs.
Ben Roethlisberger‘s career record against Cleveland is 21-2 with a 62.5 percent completion percentage, and the last three matchups all being wins by Pittsburgh by a total score of 82-30.
The future Hall-of-Famer has been a nightmare for Browns defenders past, present, and possibly future and with the weapons he has this year in Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, a returning Martavis Bryant and newcomer Juju Smith-Schuster.
The good news is that the defense has had some success against the man. In the last six games, the defense has caused seven interceptions and allowed 20.7 points at home (1-2) as opposed to 26.7 points allowed in Pittsburgh (0-3).
The team’s defense looks as if it will be better but they still have to face an elite player like Big Ben twice in the same year. This will be a very good test to see just how improved the defense is from a year ago.
Philip Rivers
Another familiar face. This one of the quarterback who gave Cleveland their lone win in the 2016 season, Philip Rivers, another elite quarterback that this Browns defense will have to face in the upcoming season. Don’t be too scared though, this one could be a favorable matchup for the team.
I’m not sure what it is, but the last three games against Rivers and the Chargers have been very kind to Cleveland. In that span, Rivers is 1-2, owning a 54.5 percent completion percentage and a 87.2 passer rating. Of all teams for Philip Rivers to struggle against, many would be surprised that Cleveland would be one of them.
But don’t let all of this fool you to just expect a W in the win/loss column. The 6-time Pro-Bowler and his team seem set for a bounce back season. With returning players like Melvin Ingram, Melvin Gordon, Joey Bosa, Casey Hayward, Jason Verrett, Travis Benjamin, Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry and one of the best drafts with Mike Wallace, Forrest Lamp, Dan Feeney, Desmond King and Rayshawn Jenkins coming in, Philip Rivers and the Chargers could be set up as one the surprises of the NFL season.
Matthew Stafford
The most famous quote from the 1976 film All the President’s Men is “follow the money,” and boy oh boy, Matthew Stafford is about to get so paid that he’ll change his last name to $tafford. His contract expires at the end of this season and could be earning a yearly salary of about $25 million, and that could spell trouble for the Browns.
Any time a player goes into the last year of their deal, people can expect them to play out of their minds. Money is the best motivator. A good example I like to use is Kirk Cousins. How many more times is he going to play like a star and Washington keep franchise tagging him? Detroit isn’t going to make that mistake.
A year after Calvin Johnson retired, everyone wondered how Stafford would react to losing his favorite Transformer. In a word, great.
In 2016, he threw for 4,327 yards, 24 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, completing 65.3 percent of his passes and posting a 70.5 QBR (8th in the league) leading Detroit to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth. 2017 looks to be even more promising.
This matchup doesn’t seem to bode well for Cleveland. They’ll have their hands full with an already good Detroit team, with a star quarterback looking to get paid, who didn’t need the help of the leader of the Decepticons. How does Cleveland respond?
Andrew Luck
Better to be lucky than good, or in Andrew Luck‘s case, both. Since he came into the league, Andrew Luck has received praise and comparisons to greats John Elway and Peyton Manning, and for good reason.
Since entering the league in 2012, he has been a 3-time Pro-Bowler with a record of 43-27, 19,078 yards and 132 touchdowns. No matter how good the Colts are, you can bet Andrew Luck will be supreme.
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Andrew Luck has played Cleveland only twice in his career and has won both meetings, but with a mixed bag of results. He owns a 48.8 percent completion percentage, two interceptions and has been sacked six times but has also thrown for 480 yards and compiled five total touchdowns (three rushing, two passing).
Of all the top quarterbacks that Cleveland will face in 2017, Andrew Luck will be the most interesting and competitive. But he’s only the second-best No. 12 Cleveland will face, and for good reason.
Aaron Rodgers
Best for last. Enough said. I’m not sure there’s much to say that hasn’t already been said about the two-time MVP that hasn’t been said already. First he beats you with his arm and then his legs, and whats more, he uses both in the same play.
After starting the season 4-6 a year ago he once again urged everyone to R-E-L-A-X and that they would still make the playoffs. Not only did he deliver, he finished the regular season with six straight wins, another NFC North crown and a berth in the NFC Championship Game.
Any time you think their team is beaten, just wait because the end result will probably be very favorable.
He may have lost his center, J.C. Tretter, to the Browns themselves, but all his new and returning weapons like Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Martellus Bennett, Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams, only makes teams who play Green Bay shiver more than winters in Wisconsin.
Next: Top 5 pass rushers Browns will face in 2017
There’s no doubt that Aaron Rodgers is the best, most dangerous quarterback Cleveland will face. I hope their game plan is stock, lock and barrel because we can expect a lot of discount double checks come December 10.