Cleveland Browns: 3 matchups to watch in Week 5

3 matchups to watch when the Cleveland Browns take on the Colts

With the first quarter of the season in the books, the Cleveland Browns find themselves with a 3-1 record. It has been 19 years since the Browns have gotten out to such a successful start. But this is the NFL and there is no time to sit and admire your work.

In Week 5, Cleveland will face another 3-1 team when the Indianapolis Colts come to town. While the Browns calling card has been their dominant run game, the Colts have an equally impressive defense. This Sunday, FirstEnergy Stadium is going to be a proving ground for one of these AFC teams.

The Browns are leading the league in a plethora of statistics. From rushing offense to turnover differential, the Browns are brandishing a winning style of football. However, the elephant in the room is the level of competition that they have had success against.

The same could be said about the Colts. Their defense is absolutely humming right now, but the teams that they have dominated are, at the moment, bottom feeders. Whoever is able to impose their will in this Week 5 matchup, will take a massive step towards contender status.

It’s only Week 5, but this game could definitely have playoff ramifications. Both teams aspire to play deep into January, and the winner of this game would take a step closer to realizing their postseason dreams. The first tie-breaker in playoff seeding is head to head matchups. The second tiebreaker is conference records. The team that comes out on top Sunday, will basically have a two-game lead on the loser.

In what should be an excellent game, we examine three matchups to keep your eye on in this Week 5 contest.