3 Matchups that will make or break the Cleveland Browns in Week 4
• Rookie vs. a vet with revenge on their mind
* Him Schwartz vs. a unicorn
Matchup No. 2: Dawand Jones vs. Jadeveon Clowney
This is the matchup that you didn't even know that you needed to see. Browns rookie Dawand Jones squaring off with former No. 1 overall pick and ex-Myles Garrett running mate, Jadeveon Clowney.
The first thing that jumps off the tape when watching Clowney this season is…. buddy looks weird wearing No. 24. Clowney also appears to be slimmer than he was during his two-year stint in Cleveland. But the third thing, and honestly the most important, is Clowney is playing great right now.
Clowney is playing with bad intentions so far this season, displaying violent hands and a relentless motor. Perhaps he heard the word that he mailed it in last season. But regardless of the reason for his resurgence, Clowney is once again playing like a top-10 edge rusher.
Enter Dawand Jones. While Clowney is more than a formidable edge rusher, he is without question a step below what Jones dealt with in his first NFL start when he drew the assignment of T.J. Watt. So, while Jones may not be overwhelmed with the thought of going up against Clowney, he will need to be prepared for the physicality that Clowney plays with.
.@Browns @dawandj79 played all 87 offensive snaps last night and for most of the night he continued on his upward arc of getting better v an ELITE player. Lots of good stuff #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/c4pArUt86Z
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 19, 2023
Clowney isn't a bend around the corner and beat you with speed edge defender, he's a fire into you and then use his speed to knife towards the ball edge defender.
Jones will need to anchor against Clowney, something he has never had a problem with to this point in his career. If 60 minutes go by and Jones can keep Clowney off Deshaun Watson and from racking up any stop tackles in the run game, the weekly Brian Baldinger Dawand Jones clip should be a banger.