3 Cleveland Browns offensive X-factors vs. Ravens Week 1
By Clay Goodwin
3 Week 1 Cleveland Browns offensive X-factors
Cleveland Browns football is back. After what seemed to be a very long offseason, the Browns are set to take on the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday for a highly anticipated Week 1 matchup. The Browns enter the game as an eight-point underdog, as the Ravens had the league’s best regular season record last year at 14-2.
Cleveland brought in new head coach Kevin Stefanski and his staff this offseason. The team brings back its talented core group of players on the offensive side of the ball including Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, and others.
New general manager Andrew Berry didn’t stop there as he added some crucial pieces via the draft such as Jedrick Wills Jr. as the new left tackle as well as Harrison Bryant at tight end, and two-time Pro Bowl tight end Austin Hooper in free agency. Stefanski was the Minnesota Viking’s offensive coordinator last season, and he brings their offensive philosophy over to Cleveland.
He runs a wide zone run scheme with plenty of play action embedded in run looks. The Vikings last season also utilized multiple tight ends more than any other team in the league, as they used more than one tight end on 57 percent of their snaps.
Using Stefanski’s new system, the Browns can control the time of possession and limit turnovers. There will be several key players for the Browns offensively that will need to step up for them to win the game in Baltimore. Let’s dive into who are this week’s x-factors for the Browns.