4 changes Cleveland Browns should make against Steelers in Week 17
By Nick Pedone
The Cleveland Browns entire season comes down to Week 17 against Pittsburgh
The Cleveland Browns have impressively already won 10 games this season in Kevin Stefanski’s rookie season as head coach. They established an offensive identity early in running the football with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. After Week 7, quarterback Baker Mayfield has exploded onto the scene as one of the NFL’s best.
However, it could all be for not if the Browns lose to Pittsburgh to close the season, leaving them out of the NFL’s extended playoff seeding.
With everything on the line, let’s go through four changes that the Browns could consider in order to secure their first playoff birth since 2002.
1. Utilize David Njoku
On Thursday, rookie tight end Harrison Bryant was placed on the team’s COVID-19 reserve list after testing positive for the virus. In Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets, Bryant had 67 offensive snaps, which was more than even Austin Hooper, who only played 59. David Njoku played under 40 percent of offensive snaps, just 31.
Without Bryant, the recipe for the Browns to find success offensively is pretty simple. Unleash Njoku.
Before the season began, it seemed as if Njoku’s future in Cleveland was soon to be over. He requested a trade, rescinded that request, and then reportedly requested to be moved again before the deadline.
On the season he has still managed 200 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns despite being on the sidelines more than on the field.
Regardless of all this, the Browns picked up the fifth-year option on the 2017 first-rounder. If the Browns want to leap into the playoffs and see what they have in their athletic tight end in this new system, utilizing Njoku in the passing game would be an ideal way to secure a win.