5 bold predictions for Browns vs. Chargers in Week 9 clash

The Cleveland Browns are close to hosting the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9, a game that can find them 3-6 before their bye week in Week 10. While 3-6 feels insurmountable, the team has tons of faith that it can actually mount a postseason push in a weaker AFC conference - and after defeating a contender in the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.

Cleveland is seeking to ride the momentum they found in Week 8 with Jameis Winston at the helm and with Cedric Tillman finally looking like a consistent target for major yards after catches. Here are five bold predictions for the Browns as they are looking to topple a solid Chargers offense.

1). Browns will neutralize Los Angeles's running game

With the recent stellar performance of Winston, it is easy to overlook the Browns defense and their role in the win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Even before Winston became the starter, all that was highlighted with this team was the offensive struggles. What many don't know is how well this Browns defense has defended against the run this year. So far, they have not allowed a 100-yard rusher and have only given up over 150 yards of rushing in two out of the eight games they played this season.

On Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, the Browns held them to a season-low 124 total rushing yards. To put that in perspective that was 86 yards less than what Baltimore averaged the seven games prior. This week, the Browns face a way less consistent Chargers rushing attack.

Chargers running back JK Dobbins did have a strong start to the year, rushing for 266 yards and two touchdowns in the first two weeks. Since then, his yards per carry have been a very pedestrian - 3.2 - only accumulating 270 yards and two touchdowns the past six weeks. Look for the Browns defense to bottle up the Charger's rushing attack and make their offense one-dimensional.

2). Browns will have their first 100 yard receiver

In the NFL, a lot can change in a week. Browns fans would have scoffed at the idea they would see their team break 200 passing yards, let alone the 334-yard performance they saw from Winston on Sunday. So far this season, one of the in-game milestones that the Browns have yet to achieve is to have a 100-yard receiver.

The closest they got to that milestone was 2nd year receiver Cedric Tillman racking up 99 yards against the Ravens. His teammates Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore weren't that far behind both having more than 75 receiving yards each. There's a very strong chance the Browns could see this milestone broken, especially with Tillman averaging 90 yards a game in the past two weeks.

3). Browns top 20 points for the 2nd straight week

For seven weeks of this NFL season, the Browns' point drought was starting to feel like the winless drought Cleveland experienced from 2017 through 2018. Fast forward to Week 9 and the Browns have scored 37 points in five quarters of football. One might point to the success of the Chargers defense this season, but their numbers are deceiving. Sure, they have allowed the least amount of points this season of any team, but they've also given up over 300 yards of total offense in each game the past six weeks.

Digging deeper, they haven't gone up against stellar quarterbacks either. So far, LA has played the likes of Gardner Minshew, Bryce Young, Bo Nix, Spencer Rattler, and the league leader in interceptions thrown Patrick Mahomes. They did face Kyler Murray two weeks ago, who's currently third in the NFL in QBR, but he didn't have to do much in their win against the Chargers, as the Cardinals ran for 181 yards.

4). David Njoku passes Webster Slaughter for most TDs in franchise history

Due to the lack of team success over the years, it is easy to dismiss franchise records being broken. With his touchdown last week, David Njoku is now tied with Webster Slaughter for 10th most touchdowns in Cleveland Browns franchise history. Sure, it's improbable that a player would score a touchdown in three straight weeks, but it was also improbable that Jameis Winston's first two TD passes would be thrown Njoku's way.

On the flip side, the Chargers have given up nine TDs this year, six of them being passes. Of those six, three were given up by starting safety Derwin James Jr and starting linebacker Daiyan Henley. Look for Njoku to take advantage of mismatches downfield and further cement himself in franchise history.

5). Browns will win second game in a row.

The last prediction is simple - the Browns will win their second game in a row on Sunday. Despite the injuries, the Browns defense is still very deep and able to contain this run-first team as long as they don't commit several self-inflicting errors. Justin Herbert is a great quarterback, but their receiving targets do not have the talent to win a one-dimensional battle with Cleveland's very talented and deep secondary.

On offense, the Browns are finally turning the corner in the run game with a healthy lineup of offensive linemen. Also, Nick Chubb is starting to look like himself again, having the highest rushing total for any player that faced the Ravens' number one defense this season. Finally, the passing game for the first time this season is alive and well. The likelihood of LA bottling up Jeudy, Tillman, Moore, and Njoku is low. This is a very winnable game for Cleveland and is a must-win. Not just because they are 2-6, but because the Chargers are an AFC opponent they will need to steal a wildcard spot from.