3 crucial X-factors in Browns Week 1 game against Cincinnati
• An offensive tackle who needs to step up
• This playmaker can break open the game
By Randy Gurzi
2. Jedrick Wills, LT
There will be plenty of matchups worth watching this Sunday but there might not be any more intriguing than Jedrick Wills against Trey Hendrickson.
What makes this one so interesting is the opposite approach each player takes to the field. Hendrickson is a work-horse who plays through the whistle. He might not have elite traits but he has a non-stop motor and never gives up. That's served him well as he has 42 career sacks with 22 coming over the past two seasons with the Bengals.
In Week 1, he will line up against Wills, who isn't known for playing through the whistle. Instead, Wills seems to stop when he expects to hear the play blown dead and has been often criticized for showing a lack of effort and nearly no emotion when on the field.
On Sunday, Wills is going to have to play through the whistle in order to keep Hendrickson from taking over the game. And with Deshaun Watson under center, he won't be able to just block for a couple of seconds and let up when he thinks the play is dead — especially since Watson often keeps it alive with his escapability.
Wills is entering the fourth season of his career and the former 10th overall pick has been criticized often for his play. This is the first chance he has to prove the team was right in picking up his fifth-year option and committing to him as the left tackle for at least another season.