In Week 1, the Cleveland Browns will travel to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers. Here we look at the three biggest storylines ahead of that showdown.
It’s finally here, Week 1 of the 2022 NFL Season. The Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills will kick things off on Thursday, Sept. 8 and then a few days later, the Cleveland Browns will play their opener on the road against the Carolina Panthers.
That game will have no shortage of storylines for the Browns, who are again looking to start 1-0 for the first time since 2004. There’s much more to talk about outside of that as these two teams prepare to meet on Sept. 11. Here’s a look at three things we’ll be talking about leading up to kickoff and throughout the game.
Browns vs. Panthers: 3 big storylines for Week 1
3. Will the offensive line be ready?
Over the past two seasons, the offensive line has been one of the biggest strengths for Cleveland, with the interior of that line being one of the best in the game. This year, things could be different with J.C. Tretter no longer starting at center.
They felt Nick Harris was ready to take over but he was lost on the second snap of their first preseason game and they now turn to Ethan Pocic. The former Seattle starter might not be the only reserve with Jack Conklin not guaranteed for Week 1.
Cleveland did add Joe Haeg for some depth but it’s probably going to be James Hudson playing right tackle in the opener if Conklin can’t suit up. Haeg has spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers and serves as a decent swing tackle option should Hudson continue to struggle the way he did as a rookie.
Having said that, Carolina’s defensive line can cause problems with Brian Burns, Yetur Gross-Matos, Derrick Brown, and Matt Ioannidis as the starting four. The Browns will need their offensive line to be ready in this one, or it could be a long day for Jacoby Brissett.
2. Jacoby Brissett era begins
This will be the first game that counts for Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback for the Browns. Cleveland will surely hope that this time, he looks better than he did in the preseason.
Brissett, who will start the first 11 games of the year in place of a suspended Deshaun Watson, was just 13-of-23 with 109 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears. It was really a rough performance and the numbers don’t even detail how shaky the offense looked as a whole.
Of course, this might not be an issue whatsoever. There have been many years where the Browns looked elite in the preseason, only to come out flat in Week 1 — and remain flat through the entire year. With that being said, they might not need to push the panic button, but it would be nice to see Brissett come out and show he has control of the offense.
Brissett won’t be asked to win it all on his own at least, since Cleveland believes they can win with their ground game leading the way. That means the veteran quarterback will simply be asked not to lose it for them. Having said that, he will still need to do enough to force the Panthers to respect the passing game. Can he deliver on that, or will it be another slow start to the season?
How that question gets answered could determine this game.
1. Baker Mayfield’s revenge game
It was a long offseason for the Browns as they went through a huge quarterback change. They pursued Deshaun Watson and after appearing to have failed to land him, it was eventually announced that he was headed to Cleveland after all.
Following his arrival, Baker Mayfield was officially on the trade block but the takers seemed limited. The Panthers and Seahawks were said to be the only teams in play, but as the offseason went along, reports suggested Seattle was never really that interested.
In the end, Mayfield landed with the Panthers and then won the starting job over Sam Darnold — who has since been injured. After securing his spot, Mayfield was said to have taken a shot at the Browns with some colorful language. He quickly denied this, but then promoted a shirt with the phrase “Off the Leash” on it, clearly referencing his escape from the Dawg Pound.
Anyone who has ever followed Mayfield shouldn’t be surprised at the back and forth that began recently. Instead, they would likely be surprised it took so long for him to say anything that might seem controversial.
Mayfield is one of the more emotionally-driven athletes in the game today. He likes to win all the time but he loves to win when he can get revenge on someone. Whether it was Kliff Kingsbury and Texas Tech when he was playing for Oklahoma or Hue Jackson during his rookie season when the coach signed with Cincinnati, Mayfield has always brought something extra when he wants to even a score.
This game will mean more to him than any other on the schedule in 2022, and it will be very interesting to see how he comes out and how the Cleveland defense responds to him.