3 Browns whose jobs could be on the line vs. 49ers
• Could it get any worse on the OL?
• It's getting hard to defend the head coach at this point
By Randy Gurzi
Week 6 might have gone from tough to tougher. The Cleveland Browns were always going to have a hard time with the San Francisco 49ers but it looks worse with Deshaun Watson still not practicing.
Reports are indicating that P.J. Walker could be the starter instead of Dorian Thompson-Robinson and if that's true, it's likely the right call. San Francisco's defense is beyond difficult to deal with and a veteran presence could help keep the offense from imploding.
No matter who is under center, there will be a lot of scrutiny headed toward these three members of the team if they don't do their part to help the Browns score an unlikely win.
3. Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wide Receiver
For the first time in several years, the Cleveland Browns have a very deep wide receiver corps. With Amari Cooper entrenched as the No. 1 option and Donovan Peoples-Jones coming off a breakout campaign, they went out and added Elijah Moore, Marquise Goodwin, and Cedric Tillman.
Heading into this contest, that receiving corps has yet to take off. Cooper had one superb game against Tennessee and while Moore is catching a lot of passes, he's not getting downfield much at all.
As for DPJ, he's been very quiet. Throughout the first four games, he has just six receptions on 14 targets for 75 yards. We won't pretend as if the issues are his alone since the passing attack has been suspect but it's still surprising to see him so limited to this point.
With that being the case, the Browns could elect to see if Tillman, their third-round pick from Tennessee, would be more productive in his role. If nothing else, losing some snaps could give Peoples-Jones the motivation to step up his game during his contract year.