Dawg Pound Daily
FanSided

Scouting Ahead: Cleveland Browns week 5 opponent, LA Chargers

By Colin Damms

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers scores a touchdown in front of outside linebacker K.J. Wright #34 of the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium on October 4, 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers scores a touchdown in front of outside linebacker K.J. Wright #34 of the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium on October 4, 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Cleveland Browns
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – OCTOBER 03: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns is sacked by Dalvin Tomlinson #94 of the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 03, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

Time for the Cleveland Browns offense to wake up

Tuning the offense after their abysmal performance last week is a must for the Browns. Like the Bears game, the opportunity was there for the Browns to put it away against the Vikings, and they just couldn’t get it done.

A touchdown seemed nearly impossible to get before they finally punched it in, and they got a two-point conversion as well, but only managed a pair of field goals the rest of the game. Baker Mayfield was especially poor on the day, missing open guys on multiple occasions, including twice on deep balls to an open Odell Beckham Jr. The plays almost certainly would have been touchdowns had Mayfield found his target, and add a couple more highlights to the annoying “Mayfield and OBJ lack chemistry” tape collection.

The run game, which the offense usually can reliably lean on, also suffered a bit in the last couple of weeks. It took much of the game in both cases for them to really get things going, making the inefficiency of the passing game stick out. The Chargers play physically, and Cleveland needs to match their intensity.

It’s time to snap out of it. Kevin Stefanski and Mayfield both need to step up their game or they risk squandering a decent start to the season. The Chargers are possibly the most formidable opponent they’ve faced yet, and their defense is no joke.

Joey Bosa has been one of the most effective pass rushers yet this season, and will no doubt cause Mayfield some trouble. He needs to get the ball out quickly and accurately. His receivers have been doing their job getting open, he just needs to execute.

Home/Browns Schedule