In Week 13, the Cleveland Browns have several interesting storylines to look at as they are set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With the impending Cleveland Browns debut for Deshaun Watson following his lengthy suspension, there are still many storylines in the Week 12 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that will keep everyone’s interest.
Future Hall of Fame quarterback, Tom Brady will be in town, trying to lead his Buccaneers to the win. They have won two straight games and stand at 5-5 after coming off their bye week. They will be well-rested for the Browns who have struggled all season and have a record of 3-7. The two squads are definitely headed in opposite directions. Will anything change this week for either squad?
Let’s take a look a bit closer and several storylines that are at the forefront this week.
3 Cleveland Browns storylines in Week 13
No. 3: How will Jacoby Brissett perform in his expected final start?
Jacoby Brissett was asked earlier this week by local media about his role and how he felt he’s done to this point. He reflected a bit on the fact that the job is still not done and that he has a game to prepare for on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Despite the losing record, Brissett has done an admirable job as the starting quarterback. He’s made his share of mistakes, but much of why this team has such a lousy record has more to do with the failures on defense. We’ll discuss that storyline in a moment.
Last week, Brissett had a very good game, throwing for over 300 yards with three touchdowns. For the year, Brissett has put up some of the best numbers of his career.
He’s thrown for 2,398 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He’s also run for 211 yards on the ground with two more touchdowns. Knowing that it’s likely his final start, it should be expected to see him perform well once again. However, the weather may play a factor in that outcome, as the forecast is calling for a rainy day down on the shores of Lake Erie,
Brissett has developed a nice connection with his two main wide receivers this season, Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Both are having very good campaigns, and each should be able to step up in Week 12. Cooper had another 100-yard performance as well as two touchdowns a week ago and DPJ has caught four passes or more in seven straight games. They both will certainly do what they can to help Brissett and the team improve on their record, holding out hope for a postseason run.
No. 2: Will the Cleveland Browns run game finally get it in gear?
It’s really surprising when you look back at the last seven games that the Browns’ run game has lost the head-to-head battle in six of those contests. There’s a lot that goes into that, not only who’s in the backfield, but also how the offensive line is doing and if they are blocking well and creating lanes for the running backs. They have two of the best in that backfield with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, so the blame then shifts more to that offensive line.
Teams across the NFL that have been playing the Browns have been challenging them by stacking the box and putting eight or nine men there. Because of that, they’ve struggled and aren’t winning the battle upfront.
Why is that? And why now does it seem to be more of an issue than in the past with this unit?
Some of that likely has to do with effort and the fact that this team is struggling to win. This offensive line needs to do a better job of winning the battle in the trenches. They have been hit by the injury bug again including the recent loss of Ethan Pocic at center. That can’t be overlooked either, but the line needs to be more committed to shifting the narrative this week. If they can create those gaps, then Chubb and Hunt can do the rest.
Chubb and Hunt are two of the best running backs in the NFL, Currently, Chubb is No. 4 in the NFL in terms of total yards gained. He had one of his worst games of the year a week ago when he was bottled up for only 19 yards on 14 carries.
It should be expected this Sunday that we see Chubb, at home and in rainy conditions get back to his old self. Hunt had a decent game a week ago and will likely want to go out this season with a bang as he is a likely free agent at the end of the season. If these two stars can get it back together then Cleveland will be in good shape.
No. 1: Will the defense step it up?
The Browns’ defense has been a mess all season and that’s the main reason why the team is where they are right now. The finger-pointing and lack of leadership on that side of the ball have really been one of the main storylines of this bad season for the team.
There’s still time to change that narrative, but the window is closing. Players like Myles Garrett, Grant Delpit, Denzel Ward, and John Johnson all need to stop their critical takes at fellow teammates or their coaches and just play the game they all are supposed to love.
Playing the game of football like any sport oftentimes comes down to heart and effort. We’ve seen many of the same players on this roster perform better in the past. Why is that and why from one week to the next, does that fluctuate so much?
Losing games can pay a toll on players and the Browns have certainly been struggling in this part of the mental game of the NFL. Being more focused on things like tackling and being in the right spot on the defensive play that is called should be a priority for all these defenders.
Week in and week out this unit is getting gutted and giving up huge plays due to whiffed tackles or a simple lack of gap control. When we’ve seen this unit succeed it usually has been because they’re playing together and with more spirit. That’s not been the case though in most games.
With the debut of Deshaun Watson next week and a chance for the team to get a win at home, you would suspect that this defense would be ready and put aside their differences to try to get the win. If they show that as a team on Sunday, then Cleveland will still have a glimmer of hope of finishing the season better than they started.