3 Matchups that will make or break the Browns in Week 1

The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals open up the 2023 NFL season with the 100th Battle of Ohio. The Bengals lead the all-time series, 52-47. However, the Browns have won eight of the last 10 matchups in the Interstate-71 feud.

This is an excellent test for both franchises. Whether on purpose or by chance, these teams mirror one another’s strengths and weaknesses. Here are three critical matchups that the Browns must win in order to escape week one with a victory and win the 100th Battle of Ohio.

Three Matchups that will make or break the Browns in week one

Matchup No. 3: Jedrick Wills vs Trey Hendrickson

From a stylistic standpoint, you couldn't have two playing styles that are more opposed to one another than Jedrick Wills going against Trey Hendrickson. In Hendrickson, the Bengals have a tenacious pass rusher that can only be described as a terminator. Hendrickson wields a relentless motor that simply overwhelms opposing offensive tackles with his endless effort.

Then you have Jedrick Wills. From a physicality point of view, Wills is exactly what you are looking for in a left tackle. He's a fluid mover who possesses above-average play strength and is agile enough to recover if beaten initially.

The problem is that Wills never gets out of first gear. Sometimes, when you are as gifted an athlete as he is, first gear is good enough to get the job done. However, looking for work is a prerequisite to playing offensive line, and it's something that Wills very seldom attempts.

Often in pass protection, even when winning a rep, Wills plays as if he hears an imaginary whistle telling him that the play is over. That type of effort, or lack thereof, will be a death sentence against a player with a motor like Hendrickson. Wills' quick whistle approach to pass blocking will only be accentuated by Deshaun Watson’s proclivity for extending plays.

To block a player like Hendrickson for the duration of an NFL game will take a workman like approach. If Wills doesn’t bring his lunch pail with him and the mentality of finishing plays, Hendrickson could ruin a handful of drives for the Browns.

Matchup No. 2: Za’Darius Smith vs Jonah Williams

Imagine for a moment that you are Jonah Williams. First, the Bengals inform you that you are being moved to right tackle against your wishes. With that move comes a ton of work to transition to being a right tackle and also means a significant dip in your potential future earnings as an NFL player.

But then you think of the bright side. At least you won’t have to deal with Myles Garrett twice a year. Then only to find out in your first game as a starting right tackle you have to match up with Za’Darius Smith.

Now Smith may not be the household name that Garrett is, but inside offensive line meeting rooms, he's regarded as a tough day out for any offensive tackle. Smith’s ability to win with either speed or power or the combination of the two makes it difficult for opposing offensive tackles to get a read on him.

Plus, Smith also has alignment versatility to win from literally anywhere along the defensive line, making him just as much of a nightmare for offensive coordinators as he is for the tackles that he terrorizes.

When you factor in that Williams will be making his first-ever NFL start at right tackle, you have a possible recipe for disaster for Cincinnati.

With Garrett getting the vast majority of attention on the opposite side of the line, Williams is going to be stuck on an island with Smith. If Williams is not up to the task of neutralizing Smith, then Joe Burrow is going to have a long day on the shores of Lake Erie.

Matchup No. 1: Jamar Chase vs ?

As every Browns fan already knows, Denzel Ward suffered a concussion in the Browns preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was Ward’s fourth documented concussion since entering the NFL in 2018. Head injuries are scary and are an unfortunate byproduct of playing a violent game and should be taken extremely seriously.

Ward’s latest concussion could not have come at a worse time for the Browns. When you play a team with the talent that the Bengals have at wide receiver and at quarterback, it is all hands on deck; especially in the secondary.

But the Browns received some encouraging news on Wednesday when Ward was able to return to the practice field. However, Ward is still in concussion protocol but is far enough along to practice on a limited basis.

But as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks, Ward is trending towards being available for the 100th Battle of Ohio. And if he is available, he will draw one of the toughest matchups in the NFL in the Bengals’ Jamar Chase. As talented as the Cincinnati wide receiver room is, there's no doubt that Chase is their clear wide receiver No. 1.

In fact, in a league full of dynamic receivers, Chase is already arguably in the top five at his position. He's a cheat code that unlocks a portion of Burrow’s game that otherwise would not strike fear in the hearts of their opponents. With the ability to turn Burrows 50/50 deep balls into 90/10 balls, Chase provides a threat that exists whenever he is on the field that must be respected.

Chase has admitted in the past that Ward is a player that he gets up to play against. After the Browns 41-16 victory in 2021, where Ward jumped one of Chase’s routes at the goal line and took it back to the house for a pick-six, Chase publicly stated that going forward it was ‘on sight’ when he plays Ward. While some took it as Chase throwing shade at Ward, the reality is that it was a sign of respect.

Ward and Newsome have only squared off twice, with each player having their moments. If the Browns are going to slow down the Bengals offense on Sunday, Ward will need to have more moments than Chase. If it is truly ‘on sight’ fans should be in for quite a battle.